Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Awesome tech

I love Discovery News for bringing random, interesting, and weird stuff to my Google Reader every day. This one sounds fabulous, though I can imagine it will take some tweaking so the TV knows that, just because I'm gesturing wildly when an ump makes a bad call, I don't necessarily want to switch channels.

It's the gaming application that I'm most excited about. Not that I really play video games ever (I actually love watching other people play them and following along with the story. Weird?), but if didn't have to remember what all the buttons or what combination of buttons I need to press to kill a dwarf or something, that might make it way more fun.

Am I that lazy that playing video games is too much work to learn how to do?

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The Rise of Hispanics

One of my favorite things about Brazen Careerist is the wide variety of people there. With so many industries, interests, and ideas bouncing around, it is a constant source of inspiration and thinking, which we know I love.

Today, Rosetta Thurman wrote about the most young people today are Hispanic and that they will be the ones shaping this country in the future. She referenced new Pew Hispanic Center research from a national telephone survey.

The survey by itself is fascinating; I highly recommended you read at least the overview. I’ve always been interested in immigration, the immigrant experience, and cultural integration through the generations, so I was eating this stuff up this afternoon. Ever read White Teeth by Zadie Smith? I loved its treatment of the topic, and though it’s story takes place in the UK, the ideas are similar.

She also linked to an (excellent) post on her blog from February, which referenced a New York Times article reporting how updated Census Bureau projections indicate that “Americans who identify themselves as Hispanic, black, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Island will together outnumber non-Hispanic whites” in 2042 instead of the earlier projection of 2050.

There is an interesting thread below the post about racial terminology. As I was writing the above paragraph, I wondered why all the categories are capitalized and refer to geographic origins expect black. Why not use African-American there instead? A big topic in the discussion on her blog was why, if minority isn’t the right descriptor and people of color is, why is white still the accepted way to refer to Anglo-Americans. I mean, white is also a color, right? And Asians are white, technically, but they are referred to geographically. At the same time, I don’t think it’s appropriate to call me Irish-American; my ancestors are from Ireland and I identify myself with that country, I suppose, but I’m much more American than Irish.

Although I absolutely agree with Thurman that minority has got to go, I think maybe, since everyone is an American, the solution lies in economic status. Poor, underserved, underprivileged, and at-risk are all pretty bad alternatives. I was reminded of my international studies courses as an undergrad when I learned third-world was archaic and developing was the appropriate, positive, term to use in its place. We need something like that for people.

The solution to racism is, of course, to make race irrelevant. I mean, white isn’t even my race. I’m Western European or Anglo-Saxon or something, right? As much pride I feel for my Irish ancestors, that distinction feels silly to me. Eventually, we ought to get to a place where everyone is proud of where they are from but have a much broader identify than just the region of the world where their ancestors were born. I know racism exists, but maybe to start bringing our society away from it, we could focus instead on helping everyone who’s hungry or homeless or stuck or uneducated.

What a feel good note to sign off for the holidays on!

Monday, December 21, 2009

I often stumble, and you're going to hear about it.

One thing that frustrates me about most of the blogs I follow or come across is the lack of discussion about failure. People tell me to take big risks and get big rewards, but what about the people who risk a lot and then fail?

I’m trying to convince myself that I just miss the days when my bloggers talked about failure; I’m reading their blog because they HAVE succeeded, and I just didn’t know about them back when they were failing and bitching and moaning about it.

But I’m not really all that convinced. For all the stuff people try every day there must be a lot of failure going unreported. An EPIDEMIC perhaps.

Maybe as long as you are learning from your experiences, you can never fail. That statement seems feel-good enough to fly with, but I honestly don’t think so. I fail every day at losing weight when I skip breakfast even though I know I shouldn’t, reheat two slices of pizza for lunch, have nachos for dinner, and don’t go to the gym. But then, it’s not like that’s IT FOREVER. There’s always tomorrow.

That’s it: optimism is reason failure is so underreported. People don’t ever say I failed, that’s it. You can always try again.

And the guy who’s training for a marathon but quits after two months learns something about his limitations, or his interests, and talks about that instead. And the guy who picks up and moves cross country in what turns out to be a mistake writes instead about weird funny things that happen to him on the train every morning and proves one can appreciate the fun in life when things, on the whole, suck.

And really, if someone is talking a lot about their failures without the optimistic try-again attitude or a positive lesson form the experience, then they are just whiners.

But this is one of the big reasons I like Penelope Trunk. She has a nice mix of helpful information, funny and exciting life stories, and traumatic, devastating, or just plain sucky things that happen to her. It makes me feel less weird for feeling like I’m stumbling around so often.

As long as you’re smiling, its ok to stumble.

Friday, December 18, 2009

More from the Raging Feminist

I think the true measure of when one is, in fact, a Raging Feminist is the moment one receives a link via IM with the comment: "This will really get you fired up."

I had such a moment this morning. In few other moments of my life have I been prouder. And I wanted to share it with you.

CW sent me this link to a news story on CNN about a pending Oklahoma law that would require doctors to complete a 10-page questionaire about every woman they preform an abortion for that includes information about her age, marital status, race, and years of education. The story said one question the woman are required to answer is why she is seeking an abortion. The question reads:

"Having a baby:
  • Would dramatically change the life of the mother;
  • Would interfere with the education of the mother;
  • Would interfere with the job/employment/career of the mother."
That's none of your damn business. If this procedure is legal in the US (which it is), then why does anyone need to know why?

Did I mention this data would be publicly available online? Yes, names and other identiyfing information will not be, but many are concerned about nosy neighbors in small towns figuring out who's who on their own.

State Sen. Todd Lam, who helped draft the legislation, is quoted explaining this is "a common-sense measure with bipartisan support" that is designed to collect data to be used in helping prevent future unwanted pregnancies.

"We're not trying to embarrass anybody, hurt anybody or make anybody's identities known. That's not the purpose of the legislation," he said.

In a way, I understand that. Maybe this information will show Oklahoma exactly how many unwanted pregnancies are the result of young women not having access to or knowledge about methods of contraception and inspire the legislation to appropriate money supporting sex education.

Or maybe that's too much to hope for in a "pro-life state" as Lamb continued: "Oklahoma is a conservative state. We are a pro-life state, and I believe it's important public policy to stand on the side of sanctity of life."

But let me tell you what REALLY got me fired up. I mean, almost enough to make a new, very sarcastic Facebook status about this guy, Troy Newman, the head of the Kansas-based anti-abortion group Operation Rescue. Listen to this doozy:
"Naturally, the abortion industry wants to block this, because they know the more information the mom has, the less likely she is to abort her baby," Newman says.
Right, because it's completely irrational for women to make the decision to abort their baby. Abortion is an unnatural and misguided reaction; there are much better alternatives.

WOW. And that isn't even all there is to be upset out. Seriously, go check this guy out.

When I was in high school, I was in Mr. Kevin O'Reilly's AP US History course (no, I wasn't a cool kid, how did you know?). That is one of the courses I learned the most in, not because I remember when the Salem Witch Trials were or the history of organized labor in the 19th century, but because he pushed us to always question our sources. Who is saying that? What is their motive? What is their track record? How does their informatin compare with other sources?

(I also have to give credit to Mr. Vincent Bucci, my freshmen-year World History teacher at good old HWRHS, who laid the foundation for this skill, known as critical thinking. Refreshing right? I wish there was more of it out there, but I digress.)

Or in this instance, these alternatives are better by who's standards and beliefs? What if I have different standards or beliefs? By "information" do you mean scare tactics, propoganda, and other sneaky strategies?

Exciting, no?

Side note: Feminism is NOT all about abortion. Because I've done a 180 flip on my stance on abortion in the last few years, it is an issue that particularly riles me up. Stand by for Raging Feminist commentary on other women's issues.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Shortbread Cookies

So CW has had a crappy couple of days and, to be cute, I thought tonight I would make something special and sweet. He was going out with some work friends and, though he knew he would enjoy himself once he got there was just grumpy. So I embarked on my mission with resolve.

First, I took out our Anyone Can Cook cookbook. It has a "something sweet" section - perfect! But wait: all of the recipes require ingredients that we don't have, stuff like vanilla extract. Damn.

(Surely you see where this is going. What kind of person doesn't have a bottle of vanilla extract? Domestic FAIL.)

Aha! Apparently, all it takes is flour, butter, and sugar to make shortbread cookies! Then, you can throw pretty much whatever you want! All I have for desert seasoning is cinnamon, nutmeg, and frozen blueberries. Luckily, one option the book listed is brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves; I'll just substitute the nutmeg and be all set!

This is where, I suspect, things started going down hill. For one, after I put in 1/3 of the sugar the recipe called for, I wasn't using brown sugar. In fact, I didn't even have it. With a careless shrug, I explained to Maddie that was fine, I'd just throw the spices in anyway and just have milder flavored cookies. Then, I couldn't figure out how to measure out 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon using the grinder we have. So I just cranked that thing until I thought I had the right amount. Next, I dropped about 50% more nutmeg into the mix than I was supposed to.

Whoops.

So when I put in the partially melted stick of butter, I shouldn't have been surprised that the dough wasn't really sticking. I had far too many dry ingredients, I realized. That's: just keep throwing more butter in there!

Almost a full stick later, I figured there was nothing me to be done: gotta get those babies in. So I start squishing the very crumbly dough together with the idea of rolling it out. Except I don't have a rolling pin. Apparently, there is no limit to my ability to improvise; I never knew I had it in me! So I use a juice glass. Still doesn't work, too crumbly.

"Well, I'll just mold it into little cookies with my hands!" I say to Maddie, who leaves the kitchen for her couch to wait for CW, and sanity, to return to the household.

I bang those cookies together and toss 'em in the oven for 20 minutes. Open the door: still pretty much raw dough. 10 more minutes later: no change.

This is where, if I had guests coming or something, I'd prolly just cry. Goddamnit, I just want to be a domestic goddess, is that too much to ask?? But in this situation, there is no pressure, and think CW will get a greater laugh out of it as it is.

So I make some hot cider instead while I wait for him to come home and shake his head at me. (I am capable of recipies with three steps or less: pour cider into pot, turn heat on low, and add cinnamon. Even that took a few tries; twice already, I've boiled over a pot of cider. Very sticky.)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I wonder...

...if I could go there with Kevin Costner. Or if I want to...

A raging feminist

I don't know if I've told you this, but Salon's Broadsheet is one of my favorite blogs to follow, especially stuff by Kate Harding, who can be vicious in her coverage of sexists around the world. This story from her posted last night took me a few reads to get through, there was so much in there.

First of all, CW and I had a discussion about someone getting fined for having sex in a war zone, specifically. He was thinking the fine was actually for her being pregnant while at war - that would be rendering herself unfit for duty; unable to complete her job. That would be like a man getting drunk and falling down some night and breaking his leg or something - unfit for duty. I'm not 100% on this, my understanding was that she was fined EXPLICITLY for having sex. Then I see that there is, or was, a ban on sex in Iraq.

Seriously? How stupid is that?

Secondly, and this is her main point, why can't federal employees have access to a a legal medical procedure through their health plan? Because some people don't think abortion is a medical procedure. I was one of them. I thought it was murder. But in the last year or so, I've absolutely changed my mind.

The reason is biology. Mammals abort their young when their isn't enough food or something (or for lots of other reasons).

More recently, scientists have accrued abundant evidence that "bad" mothering is common in nature and that it is often a centerpiece of the reproductive game plan.

You know what this is? Humans thinking they are different from animals. I mean, we are right, We've got cities and technology, duh. But all that has come up in just the last few hundred years. And underneath the cell phones and wireless Internet, we're animals.

Also, CW and I had a few pregnancy scares in college. And by scares I mean he was in one stall int he women's bathroom in my dorm and I was in the other peeing on a stick and the two of us had clenched jaws while we waited. We had no money, thousands of dollars of debt, and no college degrees to get a job with. I was leaving to spend four months in Ireland. When you find yourself in that position, all of sudden abortion as murder becomes much less black and white.

That's why it's not unfeasible for me to see that when a woman finds herself pregnant and, for some reason or another, cannot support a baby, aborting that offspring is a reasonable and appropriate response.

But no. Some people have decided it's not. So a significant population of women in this country don't have access to safe abortions (which, I remind you, were deemed legal by the Supreme Court). And if a restriction against federal tax dollars funding abortion passes in the health care reform bill, an even broader population of women, middle-class women who opt into the government option like the feds want them to, won't be able to get a legal medical procedure if they want it.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Too Young to be Serious

Snug in my bed this morning, listening leaves skittering outside in the quiet, sunny world, I was thinking about last night. CW's office Christmas party. I had a blast. Not only did I feel like I was part of the cool crowd, the group everyone wanted to be a part of, but I thought I looked great too.

The sun started coming up through the trees, orange and blazing even in the cold. I stretched out and got up to wash my face.

Lesson this week: simple acts like getting up from my desk and walking away or washing my face and looking in the mirror are actually very profound. That's why they are so dramatic in the movies. In real life, you can have an epiphany while you're face is dripping in the mirror.

Slowly, I began thinking I had also been a mess. I started a mental tally of the gin and whiskey and lost count.

Earlier this week, I covered the Hamilton Selectmen's meeting and the Hamilton-Wenham School Committee meeting for the Chronicle (check out my stuff sometime) It was pretty interesting: how to bring more commercial development to the town to diversify the towns tax revenue income and what was going on with the budget at the state level and how the high school was going to avoid probation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges with so little money coming from the state. I was getting pretty fired up about taxation and the role of government. I shook hands with silver-haired men and saw women in expensive looking sweaters and wearing broaches and looking over files of documents. Very Serious Stuff.

I left the school committee meeting just before they officially ended it. I hurried to my car and jumped in, enjoy my spry, strong legs and young and healthy (if dry) hands. I turned up the music and backed out of my parking spot too quickly. I drove much too recklessly for 9pm in Wenham.

But it felt good.

I stopped feeling too bad about last night when I remembered I have my whole life to say no thank you to one more whiskey and coke (or glass of wine, if I ever get that classy) and be a Responsible Adult.

This week, I also spent a lot of time thinking about my job and My Career and what I need to be doing to move forward. More Very Serious Stuff. I even talked to a financial adviser about trading stock.

WHAT.

When I have kids, I'm going to tell them its very very hard to grow up. I don;t think enough people say that. It's very very hard to take responsibility for things and do the right thing and stuff. (Then again, I'm terrified of the process of creating another human inside me so that is still a LONG WAY OFF, if it ever happens. (It'll happen.))

I feel way too young to be serious. I want to be stupid and irresponsible some more. Just a few more years.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Promised pictures of the PYTHON

me and monty
This is me at a house party holding Monty, the python from Maine. Our host took Monty home after her uncle couldn't care for her anymore, explaining that, of her family, herself and her 18 year old cousin were the only ones interested in taking care of a snake.

Make that me and CW. It wasn't long after this photo was taken I demand he buy a python, to which he replied abso-fucking-lutely.

The next day, I slightly regretted that decision since, if i need to choose between a cat and a python, I think I'd want a kitty.

(Our host also had an adorable black and white cat with medium length fur that I wanted to take home with me, but she was very shy and preferred her perch on the window seat. We left that party still madly in love with our darling Maddie, but crazy about getting some more animals.)

CW and montyHere's CW holding Monty. After about half the party went to bed, he and I stayed up watching Mythbusters. He held her while our host cleaned up in the kitchen. Yeah, he's an expert snake-sitter.

Thanks to our buddy SW for the photos (via his Blackberry)!

What it takes to get paid $90k/yr

- Not knowing how to spell camaraderie, or, at the very least, not being able to type it into Google and FIGURE IT OUT BY YOURSELF. You know, like they taught you in grade school to look it up. Any fourth grader could get paid 90k per year.

- Not knowing that when making a plural word, like nurses, possessive, you add an apostrophe after the word and don't add another s. So it looks like nurses'.

I mean, I'm not a whiz at grammar by any means (without the spell check feature in Firefox this blog would be a mess), but SERIOUSLY. Or as my friend AG likes to say, for fucking real?

Did I mention that I work at a publishing company? As in, the person I'm describing is an EDITOR?

- Throwing a temper tantrum because you can't figure out how to turn off the comments in Word's Track Changes mode. Or figure out how to just get through making changes to a document using the comments because, you know, that probably will take you 20 more minutes than if the document didn't have comments. And by temper tantrum, I mean screaming, BANGING ON YOUR DESK, and more screaming. And then bitching out the client who sent the document on the phone. Excellent customer service. Defiantely worth $90k a year.

Did I mention $90k? As in THREE TIMES what I make?

Clearly I need to do more swearing, bang more stuff, and be more stupid.

Monday, December 7, 2009

I'm Badass Too

Speaking of badass, coming soon are some fabulous pictures of my holding a PYTHON (with a little help from my good buddy Jack Daniels). Yeah, a 15 yr old, female PYTHON with teeth, a forked tongue, even anal spurs (which I didn't know pythons had). I was holding her by myself, no less.

I will get the photographic proof for you doubters forthwith.

Pandas...

...are my favorite animal. Or at least have been my whole life thus far. Now, I think owls are sort of taking over. And its a good thing too, because Sigourney Weaver on Planet Earth just told me that bamboo, the only thing pandas eat, has so little nutritional value, its impossible for them to store up any fat over the winter. So they have to eat constantly.

Did I mention this is only thing pandas eat?

That's like all I ate were tomatos, but my body didn't get enough nutrients from them to have sex, so I had binge on tomatos for two days straight before trying to reproduce...and even then it might not even work.

Well, sort of like that. But you get my point: how did pandas survive this long?

I guess when humans can't get into your habitat, it isn't so hard to just eat all day every day. Rather than, you know, develop fighting or fleeing techniques, or something a little more useful.

Pandas are cute, but owls are way more badass.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

THANK GOD

CW is finally wearing his lumberjack shirt. THE HOTTEST SHIRT EVER. And by hot I mean red, plaid, flannel and awesome.

The only problem is his boots are missing. "Lumberjack's don't wear shoes," he says. Hmmm. Maybe we'll save the flannel for later.

My boss...

...will sometimes call out across our open office and announce she's going to be napping for the rest of the afternoon, like that's funny. Yeah, fucking hilarious: my boss ditching her work and making us pick up the slack. OH WAIT THAT ALREADY HAPPENS.

She doesn't really nap of course, she just thinks its funny to talk about how much she wants to slack off.

What really pisses me off is when she comes back from somewhere and asks "Why isn't anyone else napping??"

Oh, I don't know, maybe because I have TOO MUCH FUCKING WORK.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

I made it to the gym!

My goal was to start going to the gym three times a week as of December 1st and I MADE IT. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT. I myself cannot, except I was there. 30 minutes, baby, that's all it takes!

What motivates you to go to the gym? For me, it's a simple thought: once you go, you'll be glad you're there.