At this particular point in time, I've finished a grueling law exam which will be 50 percent of my total grade for the semester; I've read more than 600 pages on Latin American Economic Development; business law; and organizational behavior.
I've mastered (I think) exchange rate conversions and how to respectfully engage my co-workers and make them feel all warm and fuzzy.
Needless to say, I'm exhausted.
But you don't have time to stop and think about what you've done, because you've just got to move on. And I'm moving on to the bar ... Gin and tonic, anyone?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Show
Friday, Sept. 26, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will be playing in Oklahoma City.
They were displaced by Hurricane Ike. Their Sept. 26 show was supposed to be in Houston, but now they've changed venues and of course, cities.
I was first in line this morning to score three tickets!
Whoo-hoo!
Now, back to studying for my law exam!
They were displaced by Hurricane Ike. Their Sept. 26 show was supposed to be in Houston, but now they've changed venues and of course, cities.
I was first in line this morning to score three tickets!
Whoo-hoo!
Now, back to studying for my law exam!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Speaker Is ...
Simone de Beauvoir, who wrote those words in 1952. I always think it's stunning how timeless some things are. That is definitely timeless, in that any modern-day feminist philosopher or writer could have very easily written that today.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Who's the Speaker?
"For a long time, I have hesitated to write a book on woman. The subject is irritating, especially to women; and it is not new. Enough ink has been spilled in the quarreling over feminism, now practically over, and perhaps we should say no more about it. It is still talked about, however, for the voluminous nonsense uttered during the last century seems to have done little to illuminate the problem. After all, is there a problem? And if so, what is it?"
Guess the speaker ... as I was struggling to finish writing an essay, "In the Company of Men," I put my pen down. Now that feminism is at the forefront with McCain's pick of Palin, I am reminded of something a very wise woman once told me, "Gender is an issue if you make it an issue."
Guess the speaker ... as I was struggling to finish writing an essay, "In the Company of Men," I put my pen down. Now that feminism is at the forefront with McCain's pick of Palin, I am reminded of something a very wise woman once told me, "Gender is an issue if you make it an issue."
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Mitch Hedberg Returns!
Deceased comedian Mitch Hedberg's friends got together and have released, "Do you believe in gosh?" which is now for sale on http://www.amazon.com/
Check out the news of the release of Hedberg's CD via the Bob and Tom web site
http://www.bobandtom.com/gen3/index.htm
This is perfect. Just when I thought Hedberg's comic genius was gone, we get one more round!
And if you haven't heard of Mitch Hedberg, you should check him out. I love his style of humor, although it's not for everyone, admittedly. Be warned, he's got a potty mouth.
Check out the news of the release of Hedberg's CD via the Bob and Tom web site
http://www.bobandtom.com/gen3/index.htm
This is perfect. Just when I thought Hedberg's comic genius was gone, we get one more round!
And if you haven't heard of Mitch Hedberg, you should check him out. I love his style of humor, although it's not for everyone, admittedly. Be warned, he's got a potty mouth.
Monday, September 8, 2008
More Stupidity
I should know better than to have high standards for Joe and Jane Q. Public and the idiot mainstream media that represents them. Or do they represent the idiot mainstream media? That's the philosophy question of the day.
So People magazine wants to know, "What do you think of Palin's glasses?"
Well, gee, I don't know. What do you think of Obama's big, glaring white teeth? Has anyone asked that? What do you think of McCain's white hair? What did anyone think of the birthmark on the head of Gorbachev?
Better yet, what does anyone think of the mole on McCain's ass? Oh, you didn't know he had a mole on his ass?
I almost had a heart attack last week when some writer for the Boston Globe decided that she was going to run a column criticizing Palin's up-do.
Maybe it's the women that are stupid. I see women pay upwards of $60 for up-dos like that for fancy occasions, like weddings and proms.
And maybe it's because the writer can't write an intelligent thing to save her life, so she just chooses to write about Palin's hair.
Yes, that's it.
So People magazine wants to know, "What do you think of Palin's glasses?"
Well, gee, I don't know. What do you think of Obama's big, glaring white teeth? Has anyone asked that? What do you think of McCain's white hair? What did anyone think of the birthmark on the head of Gorbachev?
Better yet, what does anyone think of the mole on McCain's ass? Oh, you didn't know he had a mole on his ass?
I almost had a heart attack last week when some writer for the Boston Globe decided that she was going to run a column criticizing Palin's up-do.
Maybe it's the women that are stupid. I see women pay upwards of $60 for up-dos like that for fancy occasions, like weddings and proms.
And maybe it's because the writer can't write an intelligent thing to save her life, so she just chooses to write about Palin's hair.
Yes, that's it.
Destiny's Child
I'm in "defending independent women" mode, celebrating those women who step beyond themselves to find their higher calling. I've believed in this all my life, that humans should have the ability to pursue their utmost potential, male or female, mother, father, or childless.
Of course, this has been motivated by what I've seen surrounding McCain's Palin pick, and by an e-mail that I received today from a friend about a woman here in Oklahoma who has decided that Palin's first calling is as a mother and that's what she should adhere to, not this silly vice presidency thing.
Have you ever heard it said that women are harder on other women than anyone else?
Madeline Albright said, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
There's a reason that Albright said this.
I'm ashamed of a certain percentage of my gender.
Shame on any women for looking down on Palin. Shame. I celebrated Hillary's primary race. Even though she lost the race, she didn't lose for us women. She ran as far as she could; if life is a relay, she was able to pass the baton to Palin who can, quite frankly, finish the race.
And I will invoke God in my message, because I have a firm belief that God endows us with gifts that he wants us to use on this Earth. As I see women saying that Palin's place is at home with her children, I say no, it is not, and shame on you all. You wish you had the strength and the fortitude to do what Palin has done.
Palin has been endowed with the gift of might, of speech, and of circumstance. Those things don't happen on accident.
Stand and celebrate, for it is our moment in history.
Palin has liberated herself, she has let her strengths be her guiding light, and if the criticizing women out there were smart, then they would celebrate this special icon for our gender and stop trying to beat her down because they are themselves so insecure and unable.
With this, I share a very special poem that I keep in every one of my journals because I so firmly believe its message.
It is the poem, "Our deepest fear" by Marianne Williamson, and it is important because we are put on this earth to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And that is what Palin is doing; that also is what Obama is doing. But no one would ever, ever criticize Obama for running for president while having children at home.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Of course, this has been motivated by what I've seen surrounding McCain's Palin pick, and by an e-mail that I received today from a friend about a woman here in Oklahoma who has decided that Palin's first calling is as a mother and that's what she should adhere to, not this silly vice presidency thing.
Have you ever heard it said that women are harder on other women than anyone else?
Madeline Albright said, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
There's a reason that Albright said this.
I'm ashamed of a certain percentage of my gender.
Shame on any women for looking down on Palin. Shame. I celebrated Hillary's primary race. Even though she lost the race, she didn't lose for us women. She ran as far as she could; if life is a relay, she was able to pass the baton to Palin who can, quite frankly, finish the race.
And I will invoke God in my message, because I have a firm belief that God endows us with gifts that he wants us to use on this Earth. As I see women saying that Palin's place is at home with her children, I say no, it is not, and shame on you all. You wish you had the strength and the fortitude to do what Palin has done.
Palin has been endowed with the gift of might, of speech, and of circumstance. Those things don't happen on accident.
Stand and celebrate, for it is our moment in history.
Palin has liberated herself, she has let her strengths be her guiding light, and if the criticizing women out there were smart, then they would celebrate this special icon for our gender and stop trying to beat her down because they are themselves so insecure and unable.
With this, I share a very special poem that I keep in every one of my journals because I so firmly believe its message.
It is the poem, "Our deepest fear" by Marianne Williamson, and it is important because we are put on this earth to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And that is what Palin is doing; that also is what Obama is doing. But no one would ever, ever criticize Obama for running for president while having children at home.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Another Point
I'm tired and way-glazed over from doing currency conversions and analyzing export and import financials, and stating my cases for my law class, but I have to opine on something.
This weekend, as you may have read, we received news that our dear family friend Louis Petkovski had died.
I have a point to this, I promise, just bear with me.
When I was 7, my dad died. My maternal grandfather had died years before I ever came to be, and my point is, women were left to raise me.
Now, Louis' widow, aged 52, is on her own. Lucky for Mary, Louis was financially astute and made some key investments to ensure she was cared for to a certain extent. But Mary never cultivated a skill in order to make a living by herself.
Now, Louis is gone and she has to face the world.
This is my bandwagon: Every woman needs a way to make a living. Cultivate a skill. Spread your wings. Step out of your comfort zone and take on some new challenges.
You never, ever know what tomorrow will bring.
Having a career or pursuing a higher education doesn't mean that you're neglecting your husband or your children. It means you are buying insurance for yourself against the uncertainties of life. Even if your husband doesn't die before you do, what will you do if he becomes ill and can't work?
OK, I'm done. I've shouted about this for years, only because I saw my own mother struggle so much after my father died. But life keeps proving, too, that there is no assurance.
This weekend, as you may have read, we received news that our dear family friend Louis Petkovski had died.
I have a point to this, I promise, just bear with me.
When I was 7, my dad died. My maternal grandfather had died years before I ever came to be, and my point is, women were left to raise me.
Now, Louis' widow, aged 52, is on her own. Lucky for Mary, Louis was financially astute and made some key investments to ensure she was cared for to a certain extent. But Mary never cultivated a skill in order to make a living by herself.
Now, Louis is gone and she has to face the world.
This is my bandwagon: Every woman needs a way to make a living. Cultivate a skill. Spread your wings. Step out of your comfort zone and take on some new challenges.
You never, ever know what tomorrow will bring.
Having a career or pursuing a higher education doesn't mean that you're neglecting your husband or your children. It means you are buying insurance for yourself against the uncertainties of life. Even if your husband doesn't die before you do, what will you do if he becomes ill and can't work?
OK, I'm done. I've shouted about this for years, only because I saw my own mother struggle so much after my father died. But life keeps proving, too, that there is no assurance.
Quotable Gov. Palin
They can pick on her hairstyle and how she chooses to raise her children, but Gov. Sarah Palin is getting in some great kicks.
In the recent NY Times article, this was part of the story:
She assured them she would not take much time off: she had returned to work the day after giving birth to Piper, the child in tow. “To any critics who say a woman can’t think and work and carry a baby at the same time,” she said, “I’d just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave.”
Those people who say those things are afraid. They're afraid to see a woman in charge, and they will use any tactic to push her down.
In the recent NY Times article, this was part of the story:
She assured them she would not take much time off: she had returned to work the day after giving birth to Piper, the child in tow. “To any critics who say a woman can’t think and work and carry a baby at the same time,” she said, “I’d just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave.”
Those people who say those things are afraid. They're afraid to see a woman in charge, and they will use any tactic to push her down.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Classic
That's all there is to say about these photos. My dear friends, Rachel and George Pelosi in Canton, Ohio, sent these photos of their iguanas.
If you remember my blog from a few months ago, Chonny went missing for a LONG time. He showed up on Rachel and George's mailbox.
Chonny is the smaller of the two iguanas in each picture.
He's looking quite vibrant and healthy. Of course, one may think that they're doing something else.
The Meaning of Death
We have experienced two deaths in our extended family.
It may sound strange that I'm identifying her as my extended family, but my father's first wife has died. Rose Gerrardi was 84, a spunky Italian woman who will be buried at her family cemetery in Staten Island, New York, on Wednesday.
My brothers, Nicky, Dominick, and Nino, called me and said, "It's the brothers from the other mother. The other mother has died."
Nicky is 50; Dominick just turned 62; and Nino is 67. They are my half brothers, almost my fathers. My own mother, Betty, raised Nicky partially with me, my sister Lucy and our youngest brother Bill.
We lost our mom in March. To lose Rose in September is like losing another limb. When we were children, we lived in Toms River, New Jersey, and Rose nurtured me and loved me as if I was her own daughter. She taught me how to crochet. When Dante and I were married in 1997, Rose was there, proudly presenting a wonderful crocheted blanket and various other crocheted items like pan holders.
We visited her often over the years in Newark, and she was always the same loving old Italian lady, willing to talk and help.
The second person we've lost is Louis Petkovski. He died this Friday, Sept. 5. At age 53, he has succumbed to liver failure after battling Hepatitis C. Louis Petkovski was an immigrant from Yugoslavia. He and my father forged a tight bond. When Dante and I were married in 1997, it had been a special post-humous request of my father Nicholas that Louis have a special dance with the bride.
Like my father, Louis ran his own business, but always put his family first. No matter the time of the day, he was always there for his family.
RIP, Rose Gerrardi and Louis Petkovski.
We love you.
It may sound strange that I'm identifying her as my extended family, but my father's first wife has died. Rose Gerrardi was 84, a spunky Italian woman who will be buried at her family cemetery in Staten Island, New York, on Wednesday.
My brothers, Nicky, Dominick, and Nino, called me and said, "It's the brothers from the other mother. The other mother has died."
Nicky is 50; Dominick just turned 62; and Nino is 67. They are my half brothers, almost my fathers. My own mother, Betty, raised Nicky partially with me, my sister Lucy and our youngest brother Bill.
We lost our mom in March. To lose Rose in September is like losing another limb. When we were children, we lived in Toms River, New Jersey, and Rose nurtured me and loved me as if I was her own daughter. She taught me how to crochet. When Dante and I were married in 1997, Rose was there, proudly presenting a wonderful crocheted blanket and various other crocheted items like pan holders.
We visited her often over the years in Newark, and she was always the same loving old Italian lady, willing to talk and help.
The second person we've lost is Louis Petkovski. He died this Friday, Sept. 5. At age 53, he has succumbed to liver failure after battling Hepatitis C. Louis Petkovski was an immigrant from Yugoslavia. He and my father forged a tight bond. When Dante and I were married in 1997, it had been a special post-humous request of my father Nicholas that Louis have a special dance with the bride.
Like my father, Louis ran his own business, but always put his family first. No matter the time of the day, he was always there for his family.
RIP, Rose Gerrardi and Louis Petkovski.
We love you.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Voiceover Guy is Dead!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,414841,00.html
You know him, you just don't know his face.
Accordng to Fox News, Don LaFontaine, the man behind the chilling voice in various movie trailers and commercials, died Monday, his agent said. He was 68.
You know him, you just don't know his face.
Accordng to Fox News, Don LaFontaine, the man behind the chilling voice in various movie trailers and commercials, died Monday, his agent said. He was 68.
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