Changes to the Blog!

After two years with Blogger, I do sort of feel like a traitor but I'm finally switching over to Wordpress. Let this be a marketing lesson to you - on the web, brand loyalty doesn't trump functionality!

The new blog is so much prettier (and has better functions). Go see the prettiness here!

If you're reading this over email, I don't think you need to do anything.

If you're reading this in an RSS reader, I don't think you need to do anything.

If you're reading this on the Blogger website, well, you have to do something. But I've made it easy! Just look to the right and click on the link where it says "Bookmark the new site." That's it!

Rising Gasoline Costs

Way cool -- this animation tells a story with just one click. Visualize our rising gas costs by clicking below:


Rising Gasoline Costs | FlowingData

Celebrating every day heroes

This woman is definitely MY hero. Meanwhile, rumor has it that FIOS might finally be coming to DC. I cannot even express to you how that warms my cold, cold heart. Why? Because Comcast just might be the spawn of the devil.

See below, courtesy of DCist and Consumerist:

75-Year-Old Arrested For Smashing Comcast Office

Via Consumerist, allow us to introduce you to the next Great American Hero: Mona Shaw, 75-year-old Manassas resident and fed-up potential Comcast customer. Potomac News has the great story about Shaw, who got a little hot under the collar after trying to change her phone service from Verizon to Comcast's Triple Play back in August. As hard as it might be to imagine, Shaw ran into some difficulty trying to get her Comcast service set up. After several repeated attempts, the Bristow resident headed to the Manassas payment center, where she took a hammer to several items in the office, including a keyboard and a monitor, while shouting, "Have I got your attention now?"

"What the hell, I'm 75," Shaw told reporters after the incident, for which she was arrested for disorderly conduct and later released.

Read the whole story about what Mona "The Hammer" Shaw went through trying to set up her phone service with Comcast, and decide for yourself whether her actions were way out of line. Comcast's response? A statement that included:

"We recognize that there is room for improvement and that even one bad customer experience is one too many. It is our goal to continue bringing customers in Northern Virginia the most advanced products and services we offer ... and to ensure that they have a great experience at every touchpoint."

Our only question is whether Shaw is entitled to a jury of her peers on the disorderly conduct charges. There's just no way they would convict.

How to tell people they sound racist

Intelligent, thoughtful and effective advice from Jay Smooth of Ill Doctrine.

Hat tip to angry asian man.

Sometimes I wish I were a Marxist ...

I decided to take last night off. And it was glorious!

I came home to my roommate and her friend cooking dinner - spinach and artichoke dip and baked stuffed peppers - so, naturally, I joined in to mooch the food, have a brew, and engage in conversation. We talked until 11pm about big things and little things, about faith and ideology and philosophy, about Noam Chomsky, gender identity, that long-ago time when I partied every night in DC, and running for State senate. I almost fell off my chair laughing when our guest admitted, "Sometimes I wish I were a Marxist, but really, I'm a socialist."

And I realized that these are the little, bizarre moments that stay written in the soul for life. I mean, I was so jazzed up yesterday after my day in the office, having totally ROCKED a big presentation, feeling a sense of professional accomplishment and pride ... but twenty years from now, I won't remember this one presentation. I've given a bajillion presentations in my short professional and academic career and I don't know if any distinct details about any single presentation would ever make my Top 50 Best Moments in Life list.

Don't get me wrong - jobs are great! Salaries are great! I'm a believer in working for more than just recognition and money. But always, I am re-learning the lesson that no matter how much I enjoy my job, no matter how much of an emotional or spiritual connection I have with my job, moments in the office will so rarely trump moments in real life.

Wikipedia Domination

Yet another reason why I should be allowed to cite Wikipedia in my MBA classes:

Image taken from the Edelman "Trust Barometer 2008" study.

And lo, he ventured forth ...

Best. Satire. Ever.

Don't you dare to NOT click on the link.

He ventured forth to bring light to the world | Gerard Baker - Times Online

And be sure to read the 10 or so first comments from the Americans who didn't understand the satire and Dave Cottle from Shrewsbury, UK, who sets them straight.

Is your neighborhood walkable?

A co-worker was just telling me about a documentary she saw called "The End of Suburbia" and it reminded me of this article that I came across a week or so ago. While you're on the site, be sure to find out how "walkable" your neighborhood is. Turns out, my 'hood is walker's paradise. Woo hoo!

The Benefits of Walkable Neighborhoods - Alan Durning

Wallow wallow fester fester

You know how sometimes you just need a good, wallow-in-my-sorrows kind of book to reassure you that SOMEONE out there has a crappier life than you, even if it's a nonexistant, fictional character?

Yeah, that about sums up my feelings tonight.

Had another crappy, nonproductive day at my $12/hour job, had no luck with the post-graduation, permanent-job hunting, got dissed by a friend, was eluded by yet another great deal on a sofa which means I have to endure the ugly loveseat for even longer, came home to a house with no beer in a kitchen whose floors I just mopped and were dirtied by roommates, and got no comfort by the boyfriend who doesn't quite understand what it means to listen to a girlfriend vent.

Ok, yes, I live a life that's better than 80% of the world. But that doesn't mean I can't just WALLOW for an evening with a sad, sappy book.

So I went looking to my shelves ... and ended up with Sylvia Plath for the woe-is-me feeling, Pablo Neruda for the someday-someone-will-love-me-this-much feeling, and T.S. Eliot to end with a bit of a pick-me-up. And then I decided that was all way too complicated and all the careful thinking I had just expended was starting to take the edge off my wallowing. Man, I can't even get wallowing right.

Thank goodness for St. John of the Cross -- nothing like a little Dark Night of the Soul to get right at the heart of things ....

And still I try ...

I'm beginning to think it's unhealthy for me to read the Family Research Council emails. I really do try to read them with an open mind - and I should say that I don't adamently disagree with everything, all the time.

But, dammit, I wish they didn't make it so HARD for me to appreciate their perspective.

In his July 21 edition, Tony Perkins basically says that the religious community has no right to be talking about issues other than the "traditional" ones of life, marriage and religious freedom.

Excerpt from Tony's latest email:

A Purpose-Driven Debate?

No one can blame Sen. John McCain for wanting to reach out to evangelicals. The latest poll from the Pew Forum shows the Arizona Senator lagging seven percentage points behind President Bush's support from this valuable constituency in 2004. Although 61 percent of white evangelicals still prefer McCain to Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), more of them are "undecided" (12 percent) compared to this point in the last two elections. Both candidates will attempt to shore up vital support from this community at a forum hosted by Rev. Rick Warren of California's Saddleback Church. On August 16, McCain and Obama will appear separately to discuss what Warren describes as "main areas of focus"-AIDS, poverty, human rights and the environment. While the Left would have us believe that this is the faith community's new agenda, a candid discussion of traditional values issues such as life, marriage, and religious freedom is what American voters need and deserve. Surely Rev. Warren won't ignore the most crucial initiative in his state (and perhaps the entire nation) as California determines the fate of marriage this November. Saddleback Church has the rare opportunity to crystallize the debate over abortion and homosexuality before FRC Action's Values Voter Summit in September. The candidates should be asked:

1. What is your position on man-woman marriage?

2. Where do you stand on partial-birth abortion and the killing of nearly-born babies?

3. Would you sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law?

4. How can the federal faith-based initiative survive without hiring protections for religious charities?



Really, Tony? Really?!? I have no problem with a person of faith who considers these "traditional issues" to be the most crucial ones out there. They ARE important and everyone has issues that they are passionate about. But to insinuate that someone who cares about AIDS, poverty, human rights and the environment isn't a true Christian, or is a Christian whose priorities are messed up or has been disastrously hoodwinked by "the Left" -- that's just plain disgraceful. Especially when you're talking about a well-respected, proven, and highly influential preacher like Rick Warren. Never mind the thousands of devout Christians and Christian leaders who support organizations like World Vision, World Relief, Bread for the World, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and Opportunity International -- and take seriously Jesus' command to clothe, feed and care for the poor, the disenfranchised, and the broken.

Chilling

I admit that I have mixed feelings about Amnesty International, but this latest public service ad to come out of AI is stunningly chilling to the bone. Like it or not, think this is unpatriotic or not, images like this are a predictable and unsurprising part of being at war.

Hat tip: @osocio

Aude Sapere: Eating Clay

I was less than satisfied with my pasta salad dinner last night. But women in Africa are eating clay. That's right, DIRT.

How do I always manage to take my life for granted?

globeandmail.com: Doctors, activists work to stop clay eating in Africa

The lure of social media

For all your social media haters (and hater wannabes), this one is for you.

How Would God Vote?

Take it for what you will. I just thought the blog debate "How Would God Vote" was interesting and worth the read.

You can start at the beginning of the debate between "conservative" David Klinghoffer and "liberal" Jim Wallis and scroll through their responses -- or you can go to specific responses, as they tickle your fancy:

1. Klinghoffer: Let's Clarify the Politics of the Bible
2. Wallis: The Bible is Neither Conservative Nor Liberal
3. Klinghoffer: The Theme is Moral Responsibility
4. Wallis: Personal and Social Responsibility
5. Klinghoffer: What are God's Real Politics?
6. Wallis: Biblical Perspectives on Idolatry, Poverty, Abortion
7. Klinghoffer: The Bible Says Poverty and Morality are Connected
8. Wallis: Let's Agree to Disagree

The tone gets a little tense towards the middle-end -- in a polite, verbal throwdown kind of way!

Enjoy.

If you have 10 minutes ...

... Check this out.

I scored a 48. It's surprisingly more difficult than it seems. NO CHEATING!

Twitter Twouble?

Enough with the heavy stuff, I say.

There's some trouble brewin' in Congress over ... wait for it ... Twitter.

Yep, that's right - the microblogging website that lets you update the world with your every move in 140 characters or less. Get this -- two Congressmen, John Culberson (R-TX) and Tim Ryan (D-OH) are frequent tweeters and my friend @Batterista has been interacting with them regularly through Twitter. A direct line of communication to our government representatives! What a breakthrough! What a fabulous way to leverage technology to close the ever-widening gap between the people and their government! Democracy at its best!

Except that the Democrats want to shut it down.

Check out the story at Batterista Blog and see how the Democrats are essentially trying to censor the online communication of government representatives, including posts to blogs, Twitter and YouTube.

I think it'd be great if all our reps were tweeters. It's way more interesting than C-SPAN. Only problem would be the implosion of the Twitter platform and the complete and utter domination of the Fail Whale (which, by the way, now has its own Wikipedia page).

Whoa.

Brilliant video. Simple yet stunning. And shocking.

Story telling

Fantastic example of storytelling and, as a result, a fantastic promotional piece for Save the Children.

Have you ever heard of Eglantyne Jebb? Yeah, me neither but she was a "a woman born over a century ago, that you've probably never heard of, and whose achievements you will never forget."

Check out her story, Lessons in Leadership, and pick up a few tips along the way.

(special thanks to @socialbttrfly for sharing Jebb's story)

And I'm not even 30

That's it!

I've finally arrived.

I'm old.

I have just crossed that threshold from being carefree in my 20s to having an old soul. And it happened this very evening. I know it happened because I was listening to my new, 25-year-old roommate explain how she wants to rearrange the living room to accommodate her furniture ... and her suggestions irked me.

They weren't inherently bad suggestions -- they were just suggestions that I didn't agree with. (I hate having the television as the focal point for a living room, especially if it's housed in an ugly ass entertainment center left by my old roommate. There's a reason the entertainment center currently serves as the liquor cabinet!) Then I noticed her coffee table and end table and how they were polar opposites to my taste in home decor. And I saw that she didn't own a normal sized sofa -- just a love seat and a "chair and a half." And I wanted my own, more tasteful painting on the large wall instead of a hodge-podge of picture frames. And, most of all, I didn't want to compromise.

Suddenly, it hit me. I wanted my own furniture, in my own house, arranged my way. I don't want to come home and roll my eyes at the coffee table every day. Don't get me wrong -- both of my roommates are wonderful girls and their stuff is not at all ugly or distasteful ... it's just not my style. And even though, in the end, I will compromise on the decor decisions, I'm tired of dealing with other people's style.

I don't know when I started to care so much about what my home looked like but I care now. What a burden! Life was much simpler when I could live in a rundown, not-up-to-code, cheaper-than-dirt apartment with no A/C, no washer/dryer, up three flights of stairs. Alas, those days are gone.

Farewell, youth. Looks like I'll be saddled with a coterie of cats, dentures, Metamucil overdoses, rheumatism, and the gout by the end of the year.

The Loud Silence Of Feminists

I had a really intense conversation last week about diversity in the workplace, racism and sexism. As you might imagine, the conversation continued well into the small hours of the morning. Though there were many different points that were made, one of the main nuggets of contention was that women and minorities are under-represented in Fortune 500 board rooms and executive suites because there simply aren’t enough qualified women and minorities. The person making that argument did concede that part of the reason for this dearth of talent was discrimination, but refused to let up that the numbers don’t lie – there are simply more white men out there who are qualified.

It was a mostly constructive conversation and one of the most interesting pieces was the discussion about whether hiring "diverse" candidates is just the right thing to do or it's actually good for business and the bottom line. We also talked about the need to recognize the importance of diversity in socio-economic levels. But, at the end of it all, what disturbed me the most was what I view as an excuse for institutionalized discrimination – the idea that America just doesn’t have enough women and minorities who are qualified to be top leaders of Fortune 500 companies.

It’s the same excuse that we’ve been hearing for the past 30 years. And with high school and college graduation rates among women and minorities rising a whole lot faster than for men, it does not make any logical sense that they are underrepresented simply because there are too few of them. For example, the latest census data show that 33% of women aged 25-29 have a bachelor’s degree as compared to 26% of their male counterparts. So, no, I just don’t buy into the idea that the overwhelming presence of white men in board rooms and executive suites across America is due to their higher education and better qualifications.

But!

Interestingly, I came across a fascinating opinion piece, "The Loud Silence Of Feminists", in which the author accuses feminists of keeping a deafening silence on the sexist treatment of Michelle Obama. She makes a good point. So, no, I don’t blame “the white man” for all the problems facing underrepresented groups – there is an institutionalized discrimination system in the U.S. and all of us play a role in keeping it there.

Musings on Life

Someone just sent me this latest video from Tony Perkins, posing an abortion question to Barack Obama.



Now, I have to tell you. While I am not pro-abortion, I firmly believe that no one has a right to talk about being pro-life unless they are applying a consistent life-affirming perspective. A right to life does not end after birth, nor does it end if you are terminally ill, nor after you’ve committed a crime.

My problem with Tony's video is not that he’s challenging Obama. He has every right to challenge and question a presidential candidate’s position on abortion. And I agree with him that abortion is not the choice God wants us to make. My problem is that Tony’s solution to the pro-life debate seems to be mostly about shutting down Planned Parenthood, overturning Roe v. Wade, and supporting capital punishment. At least, that’s what you see when you receive his email newsletters, as I do. He and the Family Research Council remain conspicuously silent on the 30,000 children that die each day from preventable causes – no mention of them on the FRC’s “Issues” page. And this video only underscores the omission.

If Jesus came so that everyone could live life in all its fullness, then why shouldn’t we also make that our goal? Surely God also does not choose for 30,000 children to die every day on our watch.

The Girl Effect

Since my last post was about a girl's story, I thought I'd follow up with this amazing video... As if you need another reason to support Gift Hawa and One Home Many Hopes.





Just so you know, one of the organizations that benefits from The Girl Effect campaign was started by an Ashoka fellow! Check it out. Ashoka is the leading organization for social entrepreneurs and it just so happens I'm interning there over the summer. The graduate student interns have started a blog and I'll be cross-posting between the two. Stay tuned for more info! Be inspired!

Aude Sapere: A Girl Named Gift

At age six, a girl named Gift Hawa was foraging the streets of Mombasa, Kenya, with her infant brother strapped to her back. Their mother had just died of AIDS and they were left on their own. Only Gift survived.

With the help of Mombasa's street children, a generous journalist named Anthony Mulongo found Gift, adopted her into his Nairobi home, enrolled her in a boarding school and hired a housekeeper to care for her during school holidays.

Today, Anthony and Gift have been joined by more than 30 other girls from the Kenyan streets in a new home called Mudzini Kwetu -- Swahili for "Our Home." The girls now have a family, attend school, have a safe place to sleep and to eat -- and they have another chance at enjoying childhood and life in all its fullness.

But it gets better! These girls are not only making a better life for themselves and their sisters, but their story is inspiring a small band of supporters from around the world. Led by a Northern Irishman in Boston (who, yeah, okay, is an old friend of mine -- full disclosure!), these folks have created their own organization to support Mudzini Kwetu and the girls. Through One Home Many Hopes, they've already raised thousands of dollars to alleviate the skyrocketing food costs, build a play area, start a small garden and farm, and purchase two cows. And probably more, but I can't keep track of it all.

I just love when stories like Gift's reach across the globe and inspire action - not only from individuals but in journalists too! Get to know Gift's story -- and if you're interested in keeping up with One Home Many Hopes, you can sign up for their mailing list here.

A dangerous leftist agenda!

Watch out, folks! There's a dangerous leftist agenda about.

My house just received a letter from the Black America's Political Action Committee, self-identified as BAMPAC. And if you think that acronym is unfortunate, just wait til you read what Alan Keyes, BAMPAC chairman, had to say about Barack Obama. Alan Keyes, of course, was the last-minute, black Republican stand-in to run against Obama for the Illinois senate seat. And lost.

The following excerpts are being reprinted here verbatim. No joke. The only difference is that the original letter used underlining, which I've represented as italics.

" ... Barack Obama represents the political evil that threatens to destory our conscience and our freedom ...

... Mr. Obama is a hard-core pro-abortion, anti-defense, pro-homosexual marriage, anti-sovereignty, pro-tax, anti-religious liberty leftist ...

... Those in this election who adore Mr. Obama, are also those who hate America, hate the truths of the Declaration of Independence on which America is founded, including the idea that our rights come from God and not from human choice. And frankly, with enemies both abroad and here at home determined to destroy our creed, we who love this country, our Constitution, and all that our nation stands for are morally bound to speak the truth about Mr. Obama ...

... What's more, we also plan to open up the REAL Barack Obama and his dangerous leftist agenda for America to see. An agenda that includes:

• surrender in Iraq;
• retreat in the war against radical Islam;
• the appeasement of Iran, North Korea, Red China and other dangerous enemies;
• the giveaway of our sovereignty to the United Nations;
• "amnesty" for illegal aliens;
• wide-open borders;
• higher taxes and federal spending;
• draconian environmental regulations;
• unconstitutional restrictions on gun ownership; and
  
• a "right" to universal healthcare

This is just the tip of the iceberg ...

... I took on Barack Obama in an improbably campaign for the same reason Black American's PAC and I are taking him on again: He is not just a run of the mill leftist. He represents the evil that most threatens liberty in America and that must be kept out of the White House at all costs at this crucial pivotal moment in America's history."

And that, my friends, is that.

Wow.

The only thing better than this letter is the opening animation for the BAMPAC home page.

Be fed and be a holy troublemaker

I spent my weekend at a wonderful conference called Pentecost 2008 -- it was a gathering of people of faith who want to put ending poverty at the top of everyone's priority list. Good people! We had the opportunity to hear from some absolutely incredible people, including Jim Wallis and Brian McLaren -- two wonderfully prophetic voices who inspire me to live life deeply and purposefully. Other notable speakers included John Unger, who worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, James Lawson, who worked with Martin Luther King Jr., and Alexia Salvatierra, an ordained pastor doing phenomenal work in creating economic justice for low-income workers.

And, as always, the best part of attending these conferences is the company you are honored to keep, kindred spirits who challenge you, love you, and motivate you. I just drank up the fellowship with dear, old friends and look forward to more time with the new friends.

The driving force behind this conference is the mobilization of resources around a campaign called Vote Out Poverty -- the purpose is to call our nation's elected leaders to go on record and come up with real ways to address poverty in the U.S. and around the world. There are 90 million working Americans who struggle with poverty -- and that is deplorable.

So, stay tuned for more information! Pentecost 2008 did such a good job of motivating me that I got talked into starting up the local campaign in my church and neighboorhood. My roommate, who I now call Five Star, is heading up the effort and I have no doubt she'll be putting me to work soon.

I hope you, dear readers, have a chance to attend an event that refreshens and rewards you as much as Pentecost did for me. Go and feed that spirit of yours!



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Now playing: Henryk Goreki - Sostenuto Tranquillo Ma Catabile
via FoxyTunes

Be a Mooch!!

For you book-lovers, this site is absolute HEAVEN.

You go to Bookmooch.

Post your own books, receive a request for them.

Send the books to the requester, get points.

Find a book you want.

Use your points to get the book.

How stinkin' fabulous is THAT?!?!

In an age of skepticism

Thanks to everyone who sent me such nice notes about my blog on racism! As a token of my appreciation, I'm now giving you an entry on religion. Nothing like tackling two tough topics in three days :)

First, the somewhat flippant piece -- Facebook launched a group today called "Faithbook." Founded by a rabbi in the UK, it's meant to be way to promote constructive dialogue about faith using images, prayers, content from sacred texts, videos, etc. (Either that, or it's a group for Facebook users who have a lisp). I'm intrigued by this idea and wonder how it will play out -- what kinds comments will people write on the wall? How will the discussion be kept above board, coherent and intelligent? Moreover, will it even be useful? So far, there are only 2 "fans" of the site and neither of them have commented on the content. Check it out, if you're a Facebook user, and let me know what do you think!

Second, I bought Tim Keller's new book the other day, The Reason for God, and I'm really excited about it. Not only do I hold Mr. Keller in high esteem but I've been having some pretty heavy faith-focused conversations with people recently who have (rightly) challenged my beliefs and my rationale for faith. I hope this book will help me give them better answers. And, who knows, maybe they will also be compelled to read it, in an intellectually and emotionally honest desire to get to know me and my faith better.

I've only read a few pages of the introduction (short Metro ride) and Keller says that, in general, our global society is turning both more religious and less religious simultaneously. What a great way to start the book -- pulls you right in! Let me know if you're reading this book too and feel free to share your thoughts. You can be my virtual book club (oh, how I miss you, my dear Boston book club buddies!)

Both Faithbook and the Keller book are aimed at creating an honest dialogue on faith (although, I'd also say that there's nothing quite like THE Book to do accomplish that, too). And, given all the crazy developments we've seen in religion (extremism) and churches (Rev. Wright, sex scandals), I am glad for the effort. I hope, however, that these vehicles don't become substitutes for good, old-fashioned face-to-face dialogue. Faith is a personal decision, of course, but that doesn't mean it has to be a private one, made by a solitary person in a room with a computer. Who makes big, life-changing decisions without consulting family and/or friends and then doesn't tell anyone?

How racist are you?

I finally went to the eye doctor the other day, after a three year lapse. (Yeah, yeah, my mom has already yelled at me, don't worry). Not knowing where to start for eye doctors, nor knowing the market price for an eye doctor appointment, I just went with the nearest Lenscrafters. While I was waiting to be called in, I started browsing the office's brochure and found a picture of the primary doctor whose name I couldn't pronounce - he was a regular white guy with a pleasant looking demeanor. Nice. But when my name was finally called, it was a pleasant-looking Asian doctor who ushered me in.

I shook his hand ... and found myself feeling relieved that the doctor examining my eyes was Asian.

When I realized what I was feeling, I was shocked. I mean, sure, I'm Asian but rarely (to my knowledge) have I felt more at ease with other Asians than other ethnic/race groups. I just generally don't feel anything, although I'm usually acutely aware of the racial makeup of my surroundings.

So when Dr. Han left the room to examine my glasses, I sat there, blind as a bat without contacts or glasses, and pondered my feelings. I was fairly sure that if the white doctor had called me, I wouldn't have felt anything out of the ordinary. So, why this feeling of relief with the Asian doctor? Was it because I buy into the stereotype that Asians are smarter? Was it because I really am more comfortable dealing with people of my own racial background? Or was it simply because my favorite eye doctor of all time is also Asian?

Maybe the answer is a combination of all of the above. In an effort to explore this issue in my life even further, I found a Harvard online test that uses word and picture association to determine how discriminatory you tend to be, running the gamut from racial to gender to political preferences. It's a rather interesting exercise. Turns out, that I have little to no preference between black and white Americans, but do exhibit a slight bias towards seeing Asians as American and whites as foreign. Who knew? Granted, the test has its imperfections and I would hardly use it as scientific proof of my subconscience tendencies but it was intriguing nevertheless.

Then again, maybe it just all comes down to family life. When I told my mother that my new eye doctor is Dr. Han, her first question was: "Is he Korean or Chinese? Because, you know, 'Han' can go either way."

(Cartoon credit: The talented Tak Toyoshima, creator of Secret Asian Man)



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Now playing: Chris Walla - Sing Again
via FoxyTunes

A good cry

I finally had a chance to catch up on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy, snuggled in my room with a box of tissues. That show is so freakin' satisfying sometimes.

The (relative) calm before the storm

Next week, I start my summer internship (or summer associate, as they like to say in MBA schools). This week, however, is my time to catch up on life.

Except that I've been so overwhelmed with stuff to do! I had all these grand plans to call up friends I haven't spoken to in months, scrapbook my trip to Israel and Jordan, meet people for lunch, read a few good books, visit DC touristy sites before the summer crowds descend ... and yet I've been caught up in the mundane, time-sucking details of life: making doctor's appointments, updating my address book, re-allocating 401K funds, etc. How is it that, no matter how much I think about enjoying the best things of life, the stupid things of life always seem to triumph?

We all know that life is made up of more noble stuff than grocery shopping and reading blogs. And yet, we fall into the same rat race trap, over and over and over. In this case, I feel, the thought isn't actually what counts.

So! I have a few more days of freedom to rectify the situation. I'm off to tour the Library of Congress and get a Library of Congress library card (who knew there were such things?!). Then it's time for happy hour drinks with friends, and, afterwards, a few phone calls to West Coast friends. Maybe if I get back early enough tonight, I might check a few more mundane items off the to do list ... but if not, shoot. I have the rest of my life to get to those.

He's here!

I normally try to keep my friends and family anonymous on my blog, but I really truly could not resist sharing this one photo of my new nephew. He's just so stinking beautiful!

Despite the 36-hour labor, my sister looks fabulous, which isn't surprising seeing as she had the most fabulous pregnancy (no morning sickness, regular weight gain, no swollen feet). Which, sadly for me, probably means that I've inherited all the bad pregnancy traits and will probably gain 60 pounds, be sick all the time, and grow troll feet. Figures.

It's amazing what you find yourself capable of doing when there's a newborn baby around. My sister and brother-in-law are surviving on just a few snatches of sleep (the kid has to eat every 2-3 hours). And I even cleaned their house, did their grocery shopping, and cooked up a few meals to get them through the first week. I don't even do that for myself.

It's also amazing the things you learn about having a newborn. First of all, the hospital hooks up a LoJack system to the baby. Seriously. He has a little key fob type thing snapped on and sets off an alarm if he's taken out of the maternity ward! The potential for such a system is endless. I'm thinking of a few women who might want to invest in such an item for the men in their lives....

Anyway! I also learned that there are multiple "holds" when you're trying to nurse the baby. There's the football hold, the cradle hold, the cross cradle hold, the lying down hold. Who knew? The brother-in-law and I had to spend more than a few minutes trying to decipher the instructions and pictures.

And I've also learned how easy it is to get sucked into constantly talking about a babies. I don't ever want to be that mother who has nothing to talk about but her kids ... and yet, I feel like I'm always talking about babies lately and I don't even have one of my own! Just today, I had lunch with a friend who is a mother of two and probably 60% of the conversation was about her newborn and my sister's newborn, how frequently they eat, how long they sleep, what model stroller she uses, which children's store is having a clearance sale. Dear God. I can only hope that this part of the new baby in the family will fade away soon.

But for now, I'm basking in the joy of being an aunt, having a kid to brag about without the fuss of actually taking care of him, and not having classes to worry about over the summer!

I almost have a nephew

My sister is finally in labor! Sort of.

Lemme tell you, as excited as I am to meet my new nephew, I am even MORE excited that it's not me giving birth. Her contractions started at 4am Saturday. For the next 17 hours, she just had contractions about 10 minutes apart. At 9pm, she finally left the house to see the doctor, who told her that she still wasn't ready. So, she and her husband picked up cheeseburgers to eat at home. It's now 12:40am and I still don't have a nephew.

This kid better be real fun in real life to make up for his supremely boring entrance into the world ... This is SO not like it happens in the movies. There was no dramatic water breaking in the middle of my graduation, no rush to the hospital, no anxious pacing in the waiting room. And my poor sister probably can't even sleep because she's awakened every 10 minutes or so by intense cramping.

The moral of the story for me?

Adoption.

The Gang Graduates!

It's the night before graduation and I'm going through the photos of our self-organized "Senior Week" -- complete with Cohort Olympics, buckets of alcohol, paint ball wars, sky diving, a flooded-out wine tour, golf tournament, and dinner at the Four Seasons). But none of it has really sunk in. Maybe it's because I actually still have one more semester to go (damn you, dual master's degree!). Or maybe because it's been a gradual process of separation -- this second year of business school hasn't been quite a chummy as the first, with people taking on internships and other activities during the school year. But I'd like to think that it's because I know that the Gang of 100 will stay connected, despite geography, distance and time. (Thanks, in part, to Facebook).

So, tomorrow night, we'll don our robes, put on those ridiculous hats, fuss with the even more ridiculous hoods. But we'll smile, maybe we'll cry. Then, of course, we drink. Well, we'll be drinking beforehand too. Like we have been all week ... Ah, I love being able to count on something.

It's nice to know that if business school is all about the connections you make, then we're all in pretty good shape. Congrats to the Gang of 100!

Shout out to Project Bread!

Congratulations to Project Bread, who hosted its 40th Annual Walk For Hunger this past Sunday! With gas at $3.79 and milk at $4.29, rising food prices come to bear the hardest on the poor in the U.S. and around the world. Thanks to organization like Project Bread, there are brilliant and committed people who are trying to tackle this tough problem and provide relief to the people who need it most.

More than 40,000 people braved the rain and wind in Boston on Sunday and raised around $3.8 million to help alleviate hunger in Massachusetts. Special congrats to the Director of the Walk!

Consider making a "rainy day" donation to help hungry families. Project Bread is a great organization and I was involved in the Walk back in my Big Red days. I would've been there this year, if it hadn't been for those pesky final exams.

Feeling gassy?

Found this WSJ interview with Chevron CEO David O'Reilly really, really interesting -- especially in light of this rather ridiculous gas tax holiday that is being proposed. Excerpts below for those nonsubscribers.

*****

WSJ: Chevron is in a period of incredible profitability, with earnings of $18.69 billion in 2007. What do you say to consumers who are paying $100 every time they pull into a gas station to fill up their pickup trucks?

Mr. O'Reilly: The price of crude is not determined by drivers in Texas. It is determined by the total demand for energy globally. Oil production in this country has been in decline, and we're importing more and more oil. And we're competing for that oil with the people who are importing it into other countries to satisfy their needs. That's what's impacting the price at the pump today.

WSJ: Chevron is a major producer of crude oil, as well. Don't you have any control over the prices?

Mr. O'Reilly: Absolutely not. Our crude-oil production is about 1.5 million barrels a day, out of 88 million barrels a day globally. So we produce 2% of the total global supply. In reality, even though we're a very big company, we're a very, very small producer.

WSJ: In a 2005 speech, you said, "The time we could count on cheap oil and even cheaper natural gas is clearly ending." That day, oil cost $47 a barrel. Today it's close to $120. Any other predictions?

Mr. O'Reilly: Do I see the market going up significantly from where it is today? No, probably not. You are seeing the impact of the higher prices on demand. For example, here in the U.S., we've seen gasoline demand drop somewhat in the first quarter of the year. People are using gasoline more efficiently. Big trucks are selling much more slowly. Smaller, more efficient automobiles are selling [better]. The market is telling us that behavior change is required and I think we're starting to see it, but we need to see more of it.

WSJ: What do you think is the likely range for oil prices?

Mr. O'Reilly: I can't predict what the price is going to be. You would have to tell me what the economic situation in the world is going to be a year from now. I don't think it is going to get back to those relatively low levels we experienced in the late '90s and early 2000s.

WSJ: Ever?

Mr. O'Reilly: No.

WSJ: You've talked about people needing to conserve energy. What kind of car do you drive?

Mr. O'Reilly: I drive a Cadillac STS, and it's more efficient than the last car I was driving, which was an Escalade. I'm not driving in a Prius, if that's what you're asking.

WSJ: Gasoline use in the U.S. is down. Do you see signs of that happening elsewhere?

Mr. O'Reilly: No. I was in Turkey a couple of months ago. The price of gasoline is almost $11 a gallon. They're selling a record number of automobiles. Traffic is backed up all over Istanbul.

WSJ: At a meeting this month of the world's finance ministers, India's finance minister said: "When millions of people are going hungry, it's a crime against humanity that food should be diverted to biofuels." Turkey's finance minister called it "appalling." Are they right?

Mr. O'Reilly: They have a point. Just like oil, the demand for food is growing...It is impossible for us to conclude that somehow biofuels are not having an impact on the food-supply situation when 30% of the U.S. corn crop is going to biofuels.

WSJ: Is it morally justified to continue using so much agricultural production for transportation fuel?

Mr. O'Reilly: Well, I'm not going to make moral judgments about this. We're on the way to doubling or more than doubling ethanol production and consumption in our automobiles today, and it is by law that this is required. I think it ought to be revisited by people who know more about the food-supply situation. I know a lot about oil and gas. I'm not an expert on food.

WSJ: What is Chevron's role in developing alternative fuels?

Mr. O'Reilly: Since we're so heavily into the transportation-fuel business, I think our role is to try to come up with a nonfood source of biofuels that can make a meaningful contribution at [commercial] scale, because if it isn't at scale, it isn't going to make a significant difference.

WSJ: How close are you?

Mr. O'Reilly: It's years off yet.

WSJ: When you hear politicians talk about oil independence, what's your reaction?

Mr. O'Reilly: Unrealistic.

WSJ: Won't ever happen?

Mr. O'Reilly: No. Not in the time frame they talk about. We are actually going steadily in the opposite direction. We are not incentivizing investment in oil-and-gas exploration in this country. We are turning down coal-fired power plants because of concerns about the environment. We are slow to renew the use of nuclear power, so we are digging ourselves into a deeper hole here, in my view.

WSJ: Many people would argue that turning down coal plants because of environmental concerns is the right decision, that we should be using fossil fuels such as natural gas which have less carbon, less pollutants.

Mr.O'Reilly: We can't have our cake and eat it. If you don't want coal and you want gas, then you'd better open up acreage to look for it...

WSJ: In a few months, we'll have a new U.S. president. What energy-policy changes do you think will be imperative in the new administration?

O'Reilly: We've got to look at opening up OCS -- the outer continental shelf -- to oil-and-gas exploration. We can explore for and produce oil off [the coast of] Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.K., but we can't off 85% of the United States outer continental shelf. Why is that?

WSJ: What's the future of the Iraqi oil industry, and what is Chevron's role?

O'Reilly: Iraq has large oil-and-gas potential. We would be interested in developing a long-term relationship there, but on two conditions. One is obviously security. The second one is an oil-and-gas hydrocarbon law so that investments there are made with some sort of statutory, regulatory certainty. Neither of those two conditions exists today.

WSJ: What lessons have you learned during your eight years leading Chevron through a period of phenomenal change in the commodity markets?

O'Reilly: It's a long-term business, and you make investments for the long term. You have to be resilient and tough and committed and stay with your plans. Don't get down too much when you're going through bad times, but don't get too exuberant when you're going through good times because neither of those are representative of the long term.

WSJ: Chevron started off 129 years ago as Standard Oil of California in Pico Canyon. Have you seen the movie, "There Will Be Blood?"

O'Reilly: I have not. I just don't get time to see movies.

so that's how they do it ...

To create your own album cover:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover

Add your band name and album title to your cover picture and you're ready to rock out!

Here's mine:

Unbelievable Story Awards

I don't know if you've seen the news on the Yale art student, but it sickens me so much that I can't quite write about it.

However, I can write about this ridiculous church in South Carolina whose pastor actually said that Obama's name is so close to Osama, that he wonders if Obama recognizes Christ. Go ahead, read the story and for harder kick in tht gut, read the 842 comments that readers have posted.

Quick Fire

HRC outperformed BHO in the debate tonight. Bummer for my man.

I saw the Pope's motorcade on the way to the White House this morning. Not quite the PopeMobile, but close enough.

Pat Robinson and Al Sharpton did a commercial together on climate change. And it's charming. Who knew?

Harold and Kumar Take II is coming!!!

Steve Colbert went to the Constitution Center. And probably signed the same Constitution guest book that features my signature next to Ruth Bader Ginsberg's! And when did Colbert became so fabulously Sasha Baron Cohen-like? As soon as his PA bit gets posted on YouTube, you MUST watch. HYSTERICAL.

For the first time in my life, my attendance at a job fair was fruitful. Landed an interview for a summer internship! Now if I can just get the job ...

Wha ... ?!?

I arrived home from class tonight, just in time to watch the last half of American Idol Gives Back. If you missed this fundraiser's inaugural show last year, I'm so sorry for your loss. It was an incredible showcase of the unforgivable needs and atrocities in Africa and here in the United States, as well as a celebration of the hard work that nonprofit and civic organizations have contributed to solving those problems. In one night, AI raised more than $70 million.

This year, Idol presented another impressive show with the help of a glittering slate of celebrities (including a bizarre but entertaining cameo by Robin Williams as the "Russian Idol"). Again, good show, deserves kudos for helping to raise awareness on issues that shouldn't require awareness-raising in the first place.

But. I. am. so. befuddled.

At the end of the show, Ryan Seacrest introduced the Idol contestants and their closing song -- "Shout to the Lord."

Wha ... huh? really?

Stunned, my roommate and I gawked at the TV and then promptly emitted small, high screams when the music proved that the song was, indeed, the very same praise and worship tune that churches around the world have been singing for, I don't know, a decade.

The ONLY edit made to the song was replacing the sole reference to "Jesus" with the word "shepherd." None of the other lyrics were tampered with: "Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing/Power and majesty, praise to the King" was sung just like that. By all the contestants. Backed up by the requisite black gospel choir.

Wha ...

Why?

No idea.

But it was kinda nice that God got a bit of a shout-out from one of TV's biggest shows ever and that millions of people heard it. I wonder how many pastors will mention this on Sunday ...



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Now playing: Hillsong - Shout To The Lord
via FoxyTunes

(yeah, of course I'm listening to the song while writing this!)

BEST in BED

Best piece of spam mail I've seen in a long while, copied here just as it was sent:

1. Think about your girlfriend
2. Look attached details
3. Visit our online store
4. Buy out goods

5. Profit? You ARE the BEST in BED!

And it came with an attachment called "night2.zip." I have no idea why I find the email and the attachment so darn amusing -- it might be the typos, the random spacing and capitalizations, or the fact that it came from someone named Alphonse Gaines -- but it made me smile.

DC Walkabout

I thought it might an interesting exercise to catalog a normal day in the life of a DC resident, in the hopes that others could literally see why I enjoy living here so much. Today, I woke up to see the Marines practicing their drills, headed to campus for a group meeting, shopped at Best Buy, then came home. The day was kinda gray but hopefully the charm of Capitol Hill living wasn't lost in the flat sky.

The naked generation

While at dinner a few months ago with some of my old undergrad school newspaper buddies and our faculty adviser, the conversation turned to the topic of online social networking and privacy. My old editor in chief (now a chief blogger for a big time thinktank) mentioned the notion of "the naked generation" -- these millennials still in college now, who just don't think twice about baring their whole lives (and other parts) online, whether through YouTube, blogging, MySpace, you name it. They willingly share their intimate thoughts, fears, and joys not just with their friends but with the world. At a click of a button.

And it all makes me wonder. Is this a good thing? On one hand, it brings up policy issues like privacy -- does this trend indicate a new disregard for privacy rights? If a young adult is already willing to allow the world into her head, will she think twice about allowing the government into her phone conversations and emails? And there's the professionalism issue -- what happens when your potential boss Googles you and discovers your video blog that doesn't exactly shine the best light on you? I try to ensure that no incriminating evidence about me goes online, but that notion doesn't seem to mean much to other people. Julia and Jakob, for example, decided to chronicle their budding relationship through online blogs and videos. Although the media blogging world was mildly obsessed with the site, the short-lived lovebirds broke up and the posts have been removed from the official website (here, if you're interested). Sounds like Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey of blogging to me.

But, maybe having another outlet to express yourself and explore the world is a good thing. Maybe it helps us open up more, be more vulnerable, have a healthier emotional life. There are still a few Jakob and Julia videos on YouTube and it does reveal the fun, innocent, idiosyncrasies of two people who are trying to make a relationship work. Maybe their experiment, while sad for them, leaves the rest of us with something better.


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Now playing: Ladytron - Black Cat
via FoxyTunes

You've reached the end of procrastination

Heading into that dreaded end-of-the-semester time warp, I am swamped with work.

So I spent Monday evening procrastinating.

I actually reached the point where I had run out of procrastination things to do. I had updated my profile on Facebook, played Scrabulous, uploaded some photos, read through all my favorite news websites, caught up on my favorite blogs, sent a few social emails, did a load of laundry, even flipped through The Hill Rag.

And then I ran out of stuff to do.

Which is when I started to work. I'm paying for it now.

But, in case you're also running out of procrastination ideas, here are a few more tools for your toolbox. I've assigned each of them a UOP, or unit of procrastination. Deriving the UOP involves a complicated algorithm that includes total time spent, total opportunity cost, change in net calories (accounting for calories expended by typing quickly and calories gained by snacking), the number of times the third branch from the top of the tree outside my window shakes, the depth and breadth of my iTunes playlist, and other associated factors.

1. Visit blogs/websites (35 UOPs). And go through the archives in case you missed anything (53 UOPs). Here are a few favorites:

• McCainBloggette -- John McCain's daughter blogs while on the campaign trail with her dad. I'm not a McCain follower but Meghan's posts and pictures are addicting.
• The Onion -- the satire news site is always a favorite to make me laugh
  
• The Budget Fashionista -- best part about this site is that it entices you to conduct an online shopping spree (86 UOPs)
  

2. Tidy up the house. Surely that cabinet under the bathroom sink could be re-organized? (17 UOPs) And the kitchen dish towels need washing (6 UOPs).

3. Update every social networking site you belong to, e.g. Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn (22 UOPs). If you're super-desperate, you can even include Friendster (3.7 UOPs).

4. Write out a to do list (4 UOPs)

5. Then ignore it. (N/A)

6. Do some online catching up on shows that you've been hearing about, but have never watched. Like Friday Night Lights. (102 UOPs for watching the pilot and 2 others)

And there you have it. If you complete all the aforementioned tasks, you'll have earned 330.7 UOPs. Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Before you know it, it'll be time to go to bed; you'll have accomplished nothing but at least you did stuff (just like many of the people I worked with at Big Red).

Good luck! May time not be on your side and may your brain be idle.

Aude Sapere: How do you measure evil?

You might find it interesting to know that I'm currently taking a class called Business Ethics. Yeah, yeah, it sounds like an oxymoron, blah blah blah. While I don't believe that in my heart of hearts, I'm having the most difficult time believing it tonight. As part of the class assignment, I have to write a paper about an ethical dilemma faced by a business and evaluate it in light of various ethical frameworks. Doing the research for which company and which ethical dilemma to discuss has been one of the most disheartening endeavors I have faced this semester. Here's a taste of what I've found (click on the company name for the full story):

Chiquita -- In 2003, the banana company admitted to making $1.7 million in "protection payments" to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a U.S.-recognized terrorist group that were rivals of the better-known FARC terrorist group. Chiquita's punishment as levied by the U.S. government? A paltry $25 million fine. Last year, Chiquita recorded gross income of $491 million.

Exxon Mobil -- Among its many sins, Mobil was allegedly involved in the capture, torture and murder of villagers in Aceh, Indonesia, back in the 1990s. At least twelve mass graves have been dug up and an estimated 2,000 Acehnese torture victims have been buried in the Aceh area since 1990. BusinessWeek did an expose in 1998 and I think the case still is not settled. Exxon posted gross income of $145 billion last year.

Coca-Cola -- Coke and one of its bottling subsidiaries is accused in the complicity of the murder of union members and the ongoing intimidation of union members and of the suppression of union activity in Colombia. This came to light in 2005. That's only 3 years ago. Coke's 2007 gross income was $18.4 billion

Blue Hippo -- In my own backyard, this computer selling company took advantage of poor people with bad credit, offering a "deal" that violated a whole bunch of FTC regulations, including the Truth in Lending Act and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. They settled with the FTC last month with a $5 million payment to consumers -- but face a class-action lawsuit and further probes in other states. It continues to exist today.

Who ARE these people?! At what point does your head and conscience tell you that it's okay to pay off militant terrorist groups? How do you find a team of people who go along with a plan to fleece vulnerable people? And how do we (me included), as consumers, continue to blissfully ignore these gross violations in exchange for cheap gas, cheap food, cheap computers and carbonated sugar water?

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Now playing: Louis Armstrong - Rockin' Chair
via FoxyTunes

Junk mail sucks

In an effort to reduce the amount of junk mail in my house and to save paper, I went online to remove my name from the major direct mailing lists. After I filled out the form, here's the rather ironic text from the following page:

DMA's Mail Preference Service

Important: you have selected to eliminate all mailings from organizations participating in the DMA Mail Preference Service.

What you will miss.

The average household can save 1200 dollars per year from marketing offers.
You will no longer receive savings offers from these companies.

In fact, you will no longer receive offers and special savings for more than 80 percent of all commercial offers.

And you will miss the environmental benefits of shopping at home rather than driving to the mall!

By replacing just two shopping trips to the mall each year with shopping by catalogs or direct mail, DMA estimates that Americans could:

• Reduce the amount we drive by 3.3 billion miles.
• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3 billion pounds.
• Save more than $490 million on gas costs.

When you click here, your name will be removed from future consumer prospect lists and you will see a significant reduction in all catalog and other commercial offers. If you wish to reconsider, click here and uncheck the box removing your name from DMA's member prospect lists.

DMA and all its members support the Commitment to Consumer Choice guidelines designed to better serve consumers and your right to choose to receive more of what you want and less of what you don't want. If you have questions about the CCC please visit the DMA web site homepage.

Seriously??? They're telling me that having hundreds of pounds of paper mail sent to me each year is actually good for the environment!??! Unbelievable. The best part about this whole endeavor -- I had to click on the link at the end of the text in order to actually have my request processed! Ridiculous. I'm sure 80% of the people who try to fill out that form don't even read that far down.

If you're interested in taking this small step for the sake of the planet, go to the DMA site but remember to click on the second to last link after you complete the form!

Searching 'copters

So here's why the helicopters were flying so low last night -- I knew they were searching for someone (or someones)

I can't figure out how to get the video embedded, so click here

There's hope out there

No offense to anyone who went to an ivy league school for undergrad or grad ...

... But I just had a fabulous 30-minute conversation with an HBS grad who works for a top consulting firm and who didn't once mention his MBA alma mater by name. I've had so, so, so many informational interviews and chance meetings with folks in that category and I can't even tell you how rampant the name dropping can be.

Super refreshing! And he made a company that I hadn't seriously considered working for seem awfully appealing ...

So, while I'm still stressed out and a bit frustrated about having a number of summer opportunities fall through or fail to materialize, I'm having a moment of inspiration and encouragement.

It's good to reminisce

Decided to take the night off from working and instead did a load of laundry and tidied up my room. I know that doesn't sound like much of a day off, but it's amazing what you find when you actually clean up piles and clean out boxes that have been sitting around for awhile! It's been quite the nostalgic trip through my 21st century life:

First, I found a business card from a guy named Ashok, which brought me back to 2001 when I first moved to Boston, I quickly befriended the new grads who were in the finance leadership development program at Big Red. And I dragged a couple of them with me to First Friday at the Museum of Fine Arts. Supposedly, it was the place for Boston singles ... that is, if you're over the age of 35, as we quickly discovered. I spent a good portion of the night talking to a 60 year old Bulgarian man who repaired HVAC systems and the other part of night talking to some dude named Ashok. Thought he was a nice guy but he turned out to be a little stalker-ish.

Then, I re-discovered a series of pro-strong-and-independent-women postcards that a fabulous friend of mine diligently sent me every few days after I had gone through a tough breakup and was living temporarily and alone in Burlington. That would have been sometime in 2004, I think. I thought about the amazing friends that I left behind in Boston and how they looked after me and how much I miss them.

Later, I emptied out a cardboard box that has remained packed since I moved into DC last June. (What can I say? I hate unpacking ...) Surprisingly, I found a number of souvenirs from my family's trip to China, including a small bag of sand from the Gobi. It reminded me of riding a camel through the desert, eating kabobs in Urumqi and experiencing Tienanmen Square in the rain.

Unfortunately, my reverie was shattered by the exceptionally low flying helicopter that whirred past my house. That is definitely not normal and I'm wondering what I'll see in the news tomorrow ...




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Now playing: Forro in the Dark - Asa Branca (feat. David Byrne)
via FoxyTunes

Maybe the tour guides tell funny jokes

There is something slightly sickening about potential home buyers taking a bus tour of foreclosed houses ... Check it out.

Or, go straight to the source -- http://www.repohometour.com/

Would an alpha female settle?

Two quasi-depressing articles came my way today.

The minor article of the two comes from a NY Times review on two diametrically opposed guidebooks for women who want to succeed in the business world. One book, entitled “Seducing the Boys Club: Uncensored Tactics From a Woman at the Top,” says flaunt what you got and leverage your sensuality and flirting abilities to manipulate men. The other, “What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business” (written by a "reformed alpha male") says don't be a man but be more ruthless. I didn't realize there was still a market for books employing such grossly over-used stereotypes.

The major article I want to draw attention to is from The Atlantic Monthly -- called "Marry Him!" In it, a 40-something single mother tells women in their 30s to settle for Mr. Good Enough and forget about Mr. Right. It wasn't quite the 30 minutes of soul crushing that I was warned about, but then again, I'm not exactly as thrilled to be single as I was before I read Ms. Gottlieb's piece. She does put forth valid and pragmatic insights -- for example, especially in light of the recent spendfest we call Valentine's Day, there is certainly something to be said about today's gooey, over-romanticized, Hallmark-propagated perception of love and marriage. And, since we all settle to some degree or another, we might as well settle while we're younger and have access to a larger pool of men. Then again, I don't quite understand why she is focusing her efforts on finding a man rather than focusing on how to live a fulfilled life as a single mom. Yeah, it's hard but no one says marriage is easy either. Both statuses come with pros and cons, so you might as well make the best of whatever situation you find yourself in.

Regardless of my thoughts on these books or this article, it still seems clear to me that we simply need better men ... and more of them. Or we could follow the advice that I sang oh-so-many year ago in my high school production of Guys and Dolls -- "marry the man today ... and change his ways tomorrow!"

Aude Sapere: V-Day

So, the Saudis have banned the color red for Valentine's Day. An interesting spin on a mostly ridiculous "holiday."

But it got me thinking about other parts of V-day ... like what exactly we will buy with the nearly $17 billion that Americans are projected to spend tomorrow. Chocolates, for example. 40 percent of the world's cocoa is grown in Cote d'Ivoire, which also happens to employ 100,000 children in hazardous conditions on the fields. Between 5,000 and 10,000 of those children have actually been enslaved and trafficked into the country to work there.

Not so lovey-dovey, eh?

Still, I shall not leave you feeling guilty about wanting to shower your loved ones with something special (although, I will say that there are still 322 more days this year when your loved ones want to feel loved too). Thanks to the Brits at the Department for International Development, you can spend like the American you are and have a guilt-free conscience. Check out the chocolates from Ghana, produced under fair trade principles that support small farmers.

A good day

Despite a minor meltdown last night under the pressure of impending deadlines, summer internship hunting and a head cold, today was a good day.

I started out with a stop at my neighborhood polling place, where I was lending support to Barack Obama and encouraging folks to vote. And I brought folding chairs for the Obama volunteers to rest on. That was my civic duty of the day, seeing as independents can't vote in DC primaries.

On my way to the Metro, however, I saw a large group of people congregating on the corner. Rolling my eyes at the prospect of fighting through the crowd to reach the station, I steeled myself toward the center ... and then noticed the television cameras all around ... and then noticed that in the very core of the circle stood Barack Obama himself! Kicking myself for not getting a cell phone with a camera (and hating Blackberry for including one in my model), I waited to shake the man's hand. Which he did. Firmly. And with a piercing eye-to-eye gaze that kinda made my stomach flip in a good way. Seriously, the man has a way of making you feel like he would remember meeting you in this fleeting moment even months later. I excitedly texted the news to my sister, who then promptly called to say that she had been watching him on TV and had been looking for me in the crowd when she received my message.

The day at work was rather unremarkable, save for the fact that I met a man in his late 20s who has never been registered to vote. I just don't understand it. Voting is a privilege and even if you can't find a candidate to support, why would you so freely disregard or decline that privilege?

Classes were rather boring too. Except that during my last class of the night, my phone buzzed with the good news that Obama had won Virginia and Maryland and was likely to win DC (no surprise there). My camera-less but email-enabled phone redeemed itself.

Glad to be at home finally, I just came across a link to Senator Clinton's speech when she cast her now infamous vote for the President's Iraq resolution. And I just want to say that I'm so glad that the Democratic party has the luxury of choosing between two incredibly talented candidates (but please don't screw it up from here). Obama is hands-down the more inspirational of the pair, but reading this speech gave me a new appreciation for our first viable female candidate. And it helped counteract my exasperation with the Texas delegate system.

So, 24 hours after the mini meltdown, I'm not materially closer to landing a summer internship, my deadlines have not been pushed back, and my head is still clogged. But I'm glad to be here in the nation's capital during the most exciting U.S. election period that I've ever seen. It was definitely a good day.

Super Fat Tuesday is over

I still barely understand the whole electoral college setup and now I have to figure out this crazy delegate system!? Sheesh.

We hosted a last-minute Super Fat Tuesday party last night and lemme tell you, it was getting heated all up in the 764 Lounge! Supporters of various candidates all showed up and the healthy debate ensued. I think the most heated topic of the night was whether the Bill Clinton comment that dismissed Obama's victory in South Carolina and compared him to Jesse Jackson was cruelly calculated or innocently blurted out. I hope people who don't live in the DC metro area also host Super Tuesday parties. It makes us a little less dorky.

But I write for another reason! To share the Gang's 20 hour trip to Punxsutawney, PA to see Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog last weekend.

Yes, dear readers, we went, we drank, we conquered!

Sort of.

Along the way, there was a 50-passenger bus with an ornery driver named Tony, multiple rounds of "Asshole" on the aforementioned bus, too many cans of bad beer, long johns, handwarmers and multiple layers in 20 degree weather, mullets (LOTS of mullets. Big mullets.), a Twist of Faite, 27 shots of Jaegermeister on a silver tray, a near-death experience with a gigantic groundhog cutout in a diner called Lily's Restaurant, and 30,000 crazy people on a big hill freezing our asses off for a 45-second glimpse of a bucktoothed rodent. You can barely even see the thing in the photo.


And after all that, the damn thing told the Grand Poobah of the Inner Circle that there would be six more weeks of winter. Yeah, evidently, that whole shadow thing doesn't really happen - according to the official Groundhog Day website, Phil predicts the weather and tells his forecast in "groundhogese" to some white guy in a top hat.

I say it here, once and for all: I will never again go to Punxsutawney. Ever. The town is made up of four streets, three bars, and many bright yellow school buses. That's about it. I'm wholeheartedly convinced that the city rakes in more money on that weekend than the rest of the year combined. I wonder where they spend it all. Groundhog food?

Today's Thought

Three things you should know about me:

1. I've been a Barack Obama supporter ever since I saw him speak at the Democratic National Convention (which was one of the coolest events I've ever attended) and very nearly quit my job at Big Red to move to Chicago and support his Senate race.

2. I would be thrilled to see a female president of the United States and want to believe that our nation is ready for this milestone.

3. I'm traveling on a rented bus with 20 crazy MBA students to Punxsutawney, PA to see Phil the Groundhog make his prognostication next weekend. In other words, I hardly profess to be an expert in politics and sometimes my judgment could be considered suspect.

With those three things said, let me also say that I'm annoyed by the heavy use of Hubby Bill in Hillary's campaign. I'm all for using the weapons you have in your arsenal to win a fight. But I guess I'd hoped that the first female president could win (or lose) on her own merit. Nancy Pelosi earned her spot as first female speaker of the House on her own, after all. The craziest part of the whole situation is that I believe Hillary does have merit ... but the overuse of Bill undermines it. In other words, could she win if she didn't have Bill? Of course, most of us know that no man could really survive life, let alone a presidential campaign, without his wife's support, but in our world of gender gaps, deserved or not, it doesn't mean the same thing the other way around.

Then again, maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe the important thing is to just get a woman in the Oval Office and open that door first.

I'm coming home

Last day in the Middle East!

For now, that is.

Today, I had my last falafel pita lunch, my last hotel buffet dinner, took my last tourist photo. And I have to say, these elderly folk have really grown on me over the past 10 days. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to spending time with people in my own generation again, but some (though not all) of my fellow travelers have turned out to be real charmers.

While I'm also looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again, I will miss so much about this fascinating, complex, endearing region. I'll miss the Turkish coffee, the chicken schwarma pita sandwiches, hearing the Muslim call to prayer, trying to learn Hebrew and Arabic, and most of all, I will miss getting offers of marriage and negotiating my price in camels. The bartender last night offered a million camels shipped to New York by boat, so he could "mate" with me. I told him that he probably was looking for the word "marry."

For now, though, I have a lot of valuable information and unforgettable experiences from this trip to digest and piece together. It's all been rather overwhelming, but the Middle East is a very special region and I hope to be back soon. Stay tuned for more reflections and photos.

Even the lowest of valleys can be inspiring

We visited the Dead Sea today -- the lowest place on the planet at 1400 feet below sea level. When we first drove in, the thing I noticed immediately is the most beautiful azure blue of the water. I don't know why, but I think I've always imagined the Dead Sea as this sort of yellow-brown stagnant blob of water. After all, the salt content is so high that nothing can live in it. But oh, the blue! And the shades of blue change as the water approaches the shore -- I swear, it's almost like looking at the ocean in the Caribbean. The best part, however, was experiencing how the desert changes color as the day progresses. By the time we left, the sun was setting and it set the water and the desert mountains afire in a glowing orangey red, which was soon muted to lavender and then a deep, inky indigo. Unforgettable. I wish my pictures did it justice.


Will write up the two-day trip to Jordan some other time. I absolutely loved it and need to take some time to find the right words to describe it ...

At a hotel bar in Jerusalem and so far, have seen Germans, Italians, Greeks, Americans and other assorted nationalities sidle up to the bar. It is fascinating how the language of alcohol is a universal one. Forget David Beckham or Michael Jordan, I'm convinced that "Johnny Walker" is the most recognized personality around the world.