I was curious to read that Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg had been named to Obama's Vice Presidential Candidate search team. I was PARTICULARLY curious that not one major news feed gave her full correct name.
UPI
AFP
CBS
Chicago Tribune
Yes, I know that she IS a 'Kennedy'. However, when she married she changed her name. Being a 'Kennedy' is not the end of who this woman is. I think that the media should be ashamed of themselves for short-changing this accomplished and intelligent woman, by robbing her of her identity beyond her 'Kennedy' ties.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Describe your perfect day
Just about two years ago, I had the opportunity to discover my 'perfect day'. I didn't quite achieve it, but I got awfully darn close. At that time, I was between jobs (not unemployed, just in a period between jobs where I still had health insurance from my previous job, had money in the bank, and had the least amount of stress I've ever had in my adult life).
Many of you who wander here have your own blogs. So, perhaps that is the best place to respond to this query: Describe your PERFECT day.
My PERFECT day involves the assumption that my house is in perfect order (if it weren't that would nag the crap out of me), that no one has demands on my time that I am not meeting (I'm not taking vacation/sick time from work, and my family is not being neglected by my actions).
My PERFECT day starts with me waking up whenever I am rested, not when the aches and pains of my body insist that I might as well get out of bed, since I won't really enjoy any more time in the sack.
My PERFECT day commences with 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on my stationary recumbent bike while reading something truly engaging.
Next up, I take a long relaxing shower with optimum water pressure at the highest temperature that my skin can comfortably stand.
I dress in some very comfortable clothes, and prepare a simple but satisfying balanced (carbs-protein-fat) breakfast, which I eat while watching some craft-oriented show that I recorded on TiVo.
After breakfast, I load my dishes into the dishwasher and head down to the basement to my craft area. I spend two or three hours 'playing' with some idea that I got from the craft show, or that I already had floating around in my head.
After crafting, I call up Amazon Unbox and select a movie that I've really wanted to watch and rent it. While it downloads, I either take a walk or pop over to the YMCA for a soak in the hot tub.
I then spend an hour online reading email, catching up with blogs and news, and posting to my blog or answering email.
I then prepare myself a wholesome and satisfying lunch, which I consume while watching the movie I ordered from Amazon Unbox.
Afterwards, I water and maintain my container garden.
Then, I have a relaxing cup of tea while reading a magazine article, followed by a perfectly timed and well deserved nap.
After nap time, I rise (at my leisure) take a drive to Barnes and Noble for a browse and a beverage (typically, including a magazine or book that I stumble upon that caught my interest) and a snack.
On the way home, I stop and take some photographs of something amusing or inspiring that catches my eye (with full intent to upload the photos and blog about them). I drive home and spend at least an hour writing for my blog, my private journal, or for some piece of fiction that I've been working on.
After my writing session, I either prepare or order dinner (depending on my mood).
After arranging/making dinner, I settle in for an hour or two's worth of reading while lazily enjoying said dinner, while listening to some enjoyable but not distracting music to accompany my reading.
After I clear away the remains of dinner, I pour myself a night cap and select something from TiVo or Unbox to watch. Afterwards, I prepare myself for bed and slide into an easy and welcome sleep.
Note: This is UTTER fantasy, for SO many reasons. However, I reserve the right to dream, and so should you. Please let me know if you decided to take the challenge and envisioned your perfect day on your blog.
Many of you who wander here have your own blogs. So, perhaps that is the best place to respond to this query: Describe your PERFECT day.
My PERFECT day involves the assumption that my house is in perfect order (if it weren't that would nag the crap out of me), that no one has demands on my time that I am not meeting (I'm not taking vacation/sick time from work, and my family is not being neglected by my actions).
My PERFECT day starts with me waking up whenever I am rested, not when the aches and pains of my body insist that I might as well get out of bed, since I won't really enjoy any more time in the sack.
My PERFECT day commences with 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on my stationary recumbent bike while reading something truly engaging.
Next up, I take a long relaxing shower with optimum water pressure at the highest temperature that my skin can comfortably stand.
I dress in some very comfortable clothes, and prepare a simple but satisfying balanced (carbs-protein-fat) breakfast, which I eat while watching some craft-oriented show that I recorded on TiVo.
After breakfast, I load my dishes into the dishwasher and head down to the basement to my craft area. I spend two or three hours 'playing' with some idea that I got from the craft show, or that I already had floating around in my head.
After crafting, I call up Amazon Unbox and select a movie that I've really wanted to watch and rent it. While it downloads, I either take a walk or pop over to the YMCA for a soak in the hot tub.
I then spend an hour online reading email, catching up with blogs and news, and posting to my blog or answering email.
I then prepare myself a wholesome and satisfying lunch, which I consume while watching the movie I ordered from Amazon Unbox.
Afterwards, I water and maintain my container garden.
Then, I have a relaxing cup of tea while reading a magazine article, followed by a perfectly timed and well deserved nap.
After nap time, I rise (at my leisure) take a drive to Barnes and Noble for a browse and a beverage (typically, including a magazine or book that I stumble upon that caught my interest) and a snack.
On the way home, I stop and take some photographs of something amusing or inspiring that catches my eye (with full intent to upload the photos and blog about them). I drive home and spend at least an hour writing for my blog, my private journal, or for some piece of fiction that I've been working on.
After my writing session, I either prepare or order dinner (depending on my mood).
After arranging/making dinner, I settle in for an hour or two's worth of reading while lazily enjoying said dinner, while listening to some enjoyable but not distracting music to accompany my reading.
After I clear away the remains of dinner, I pour myself a night cap and select something from TiVo or Unbox to watch. Afterwards, I prepare myself for bed and slide into an easy and welcome sleep.
Note: This is UTTER fantasy, for SO many reasons. However, I reserve the right to dream, and so should you. Please let me know if you decided to take the challenge and envisioned your perfect day on your blog.
Don't lie about virginity in France
I wonder if the French judicial system made an April Fool's joke in its April 1 decision to grant a Muslim man an annulment based on the fact that his bride had lied to him about her virginity.
Some are upset with the decision because they believe that it is a reversal of women's rights, and that allowing a man to annul a marriage based on his bride's lack of chastity is akin trying to cancel a commercial transaction based on the exposure of hidden defects in the product.
A lawyer for the groom said that the actual lack of virginity was not the issue, it was the lie that was at issue.
Muslim women (in Western countries) are often caught between two worlds, one where they are sexually emancipated and another where they are expected to uphold traditional values. I appreciate the market for fake certificates of virginity, hymen repair surgery, and vials of blood spilt on the wedding night sheets, as a means of appeasing those expectations.
However, I think I have to go with the French court on this decision. The bride's virginity was an essential quality that she lied to the groom about. Marriage IS a contract. If you misrepresent yourself in a contract, the contract is void.
I do kind of have to wonder how the groom figured out that the bride was lying. Was it merely because he didn't have to breach a hymen or that there was no blood afterwards? Was it because she seemed to enjoy herself a little bit? And, what makes HIM such an expert on what to expect in bed from a virgin, unless (of course) he'd bedded a virgin or two himself before the wedding. You just have to love a double standard, right?
In any case, instead of lying maybe the bride should have gotten the surgery before the wedding. It certainly would have saved everyone, including the French judicial system, a great deal of grief.
...In its judgment, the tribunal said the 2006 marriage had been ended based on "an error in the essential qualities" of the bride, "who had presented herself as single and chaste."
...
Article 180 of the Civil Code states that when a couple enters into a marriage, if the "essential qualities" of a spouse are misrepresented, then "the other spouse can seek the nullity of the marriage." Past examples of marriages that were annulled include a husband found to be impotent and a wife who was a prostitute, according to attorney Xavier Labbee.
Some are upset with the decision because they believe that it is a reversal of women's rights, and that allowing a man to annul a marriage based on his bride's lack of chastity is akin trying to cancel a commercial transaction based on the exposure of hidden defects in the product.
A lawyer for the groom said that the actual lack of virginity was not the issue, it was the lie that was at issue.
Muslim women (in Western countries) are often caught between two worlds, one where they are sexually emancipated and another where they are expected to uphold traditional values. I appreciate the market for fake certificates of virginity, hymen repair surgery, and vials of blood spilt on the wedding night sheets, as a means of appeasing those expectations.
However, I think I have to go with the French court on this decision. The bride's virginity was an essential quality that she lied to the groom about. Marriage IS a contract. If you misrepresent yourself in a contract, the contract is void.
I do kind of have to wonder how the groom figured out that the bride was lying. Was it merely because he didn't have to breach a hymen or that there was no blood afterwards? Was it because she seemed to enjoy herself a little bit? And, what makes HIM such an expert on what to expect in bed from a virgin, unless (of course) he'd bedded a virgin or two himself before the wedding. You just have to love a double standard, right?
In any case, instead of lying maybe the bride should have gotten the surgery before the wedding. It certainly would have saved everyone, including the French judicial system, a great deal of grief.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Predictions and consequences
I commute 31 miles each way to my job. I get 28 mpg. Gas prices are just over $4 per gallon. Last May, I spent $182 on gas (according to Quicken). This May, I spent $278. That's a 52% increase in a year's time. Admittedly, gas prices are only up around 25-30% per gallon. However, we're talking about MY spending here. (grin) Besides, even at 25-30% per gallon, that's a huge impact.
It's no wonder that the cost of everything, especially food, is up. Most of our goods get to the stores we shop in by traveling hundreds of miles in fossil fuel-burning vehicles.
Since I got a standard (just under) 4% pay raise in January, I'm feeling the pinch. However, I'm not feeling it as much as those who make a lot less than I do are feeling it.
My current prediction is that gas prices will reach $5.20/gallon by Labor Day.
My next prediction is that masses of people will not be able to feed their children by October. If the administration doesn't offer a solution soon, the crash of 1929 and the resulting Depression will seem like a Disneyland fairy tale by comparison.
It's no wonder that the cost of everything, especially food, is up. Most of our goods get to the stores we shop in by traveling hundreds of miles in fossil fuel-burning vehicles.
Since I got a standard (just under) 4% pay raise in January, I'm feeling the pinch. However, I'm not feeling it as much as those who make a lot less than I do are feeling it.
My current prediction is that gas prices will reach $5.20/gallon by Labor Day.
My next prediction is that masses of people will not be able to feed their children by October. If the administration doesn't offer a solution soon, the crash of 1929 and the resulting Depression will seem like a Disneyland fairy tale by comparison.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Words matter
My church book group recently finished reading a fabulous book, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Paraphrasing the summary from Amazon:
During our discussion someone noted the difference in the subtitle between the hardcover and the paperback. The hardcover says One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations...One School at a Time. Whereas the paperback says One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time. The revision for the paperback was at Mortenson's insistence. He does not see himself as fighting terrorists. He sees his mission as promoting peace. He understands that words matter. He works very hard not to alienate anyone in the countries where he works. When faced with extremist hurdles to his work, he worked with Muslim supporters and Islamic courts to diffuse the issues. He also refused even indirect funding from the American government, so as not to make his motives suspect to the people he is trying to help. His story gives real insight into the everyday lives of the people of Central Asia, and shows that Americans are not blindly hated by everyone there.
Maybe our government is finally learning that words really matter as well. The Department of Homeland Security just issued a report urging caution with the use of terrorist language. While the article seems like common sense to most of us, it is extremely encouraging to see common sense start to come into some aspect of our international affairs. Here is the beginning of the CNN article:
After a failed ascent of K2, Greg Mortenson needed to recover in the small Pakistani village of Korphe. In exchange, he offered to build the impoverished town's first school. The project grew into the Central Asia Institute, which has constructed more than 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Throughout the course of Mortenson's efforts the reader is introduced to village elders, con artists, philanthropists, mujahideen, Taliban officials, ambitious school girls and upright Muslims. The authors argue that the best way to fight Islamic extremism in the region is though collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls.
During our discussion someone noted the difference in the subtitle between the hardcover and the paperback. The hardcover says One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations...One School at a Time. Whereas the paperback says One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time. The revision for the paperback was at Mortenson's insistence. He does not see himself as fighting terrorists. He sees his mission as promoting peace. He understands that words matter. He works very hard not to alienate anyone in the countries where he works. When faced with extremist hurdles to his work, he worked with Muslim supporters and Islamic courts to diffuse the issues. He also refused even indirect funding from the American government, so as not to make his motives suspect to the people he is trying to help. His story gives real insight into the everyday lives of the people of Central Asia, and shows that Americans are not blindly hated by everyone there.
Maybe our government is finally learning that words really matter as well. The Department of Homeland Security just issued a report urging caution with the use of terrorist language. While the article seems like common sense to most of us, it is extremely encouraging to see common sense start to come into some aspect of our international affairs. Here is the beginning of the CNN article:
Government officials should depict terrorists "as the dangerous cult leaders they are" and avoid words that aggrandize them, like "jihadists," "Islamic terrorists," "Islamists" and "holy warriors," the Department of Homeland Security says in a paper released Friday."Words matter," the agency says in the paper, which also suggests avoiding the term "moderate Muslims," a characterization that annoys many Muslims because it implies that they are tepid in the practice of their faith.
"Mainstream," "ordinary" and "traditional" better reflect the broader Muslim American community, it says.
Dan Sutherland, head of the agency's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and author of the paper, said the paper is a recognition that words can help the government achieve its strategic goals.
Sutherland said he is starting to see results, with government officials using the term "mainstream Muslims" in meetings.
Sutherland's nine-page paper says the government should be careful not to demonize all Muslims or the Islamic faith or depict the United States as being at war with Islam.
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