I couldn't have said it better myself.
Ain't kharma a bitch.
Believe me when I say, if they lied to members of their own team, they most certainly lied to us...just in case anyone was still wondering.
Awesome.
What was that about understanding the worries of the average woman?
That's right being a mayor or governor absolutely doesn't qualify you!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Top 10 Top 10 Lists Everyone Should Make: List #5
Top 10 Movies of All Time
Like Leslie, I believe this is impossible, so I’ll do my personal top ten.
Like Leslie, I believe this is impossible, so I’ll do my personal top ten.
- Steel Magnolias – if you want to understand me on a whole new level, watch this movie
- Gone with the Wind – I used to collect GWTW memorabilia when I was little
- Almost Famous – for those who love music
- Dirty Dancing - because I wanted to bring Patrick Swayze to show and tell
- Pretty Woman - Julia Roberts is my number one celebrity I want to be my friend, although if I was being honest Tina Fey is giving her a real run for her money.
- 40 Year Old Virgin – funny EVERY time
- Shag - PERFECT slumber party fare
- Working Girl - see here.
- A Christmas Story - the best Christmas movie of all time
- Office Space - perfect every time.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Top 10 Top 10 Lists Everyone Should Make: List #4
Top 10 Cities You Would Live In
I figured I should include all the places I've actually lived.
1. Paducah, KY
2. Lexington, KY
3. Durham, NC
4. Washington, DC
5. New York City - but not too long and not with kids
6. Paris, France
7. Louisville, KY
8. Nashville, TN
9. Charleston, SC
10. Savannah, GA
I figured I should include all the places I've actually lived.
1. Paducah, KY
2. Lexington, KY
3. Durham, NC
4. Washington, DC
5. New York City - but not too long and not with kids
6. Paris, France
7. Louisville, KY
8. Nashville, TN
9. Charleston, SC
10. Savannah, GA
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Top 10 Top 10 Lists Everyone Should Make: List #3
Top 10 Pop Culture Quotes (from tv or movies)
- Ricki: "How did you know that?" Rayanne: "Because I live…like in the world." (My So Called Life)
- Julia Sugarbaker: "In general it has been the men who have done the raping and the robbing and the killing and the war-mongering for the last two thousand years.... and it's been the men who have done the pillaging and the beheading and the subjugating of whole races into slavery. It has been the men who have done the law making and the money making and the most of the mischief making! So if the world isn't quite what you had in mind you have only yourselves to thank!! (Designing Women)
Link - Baby: "I carried the watermelon." (Dirty Dancing)
- Tess: "You want another answer. Ask another girl." (Working Girl)
- Lester Bangs: The only true currency in this bankrupt world... is what you share with someone else when you're uncool. (Almost Famous)
- Jay: "Dude, you think this is accident! This is premeditated partner!" (40-year-old Virgin)
- Mark: "Don't tease me about my hobbies. I don't tease you about being an asshole." (Garden State)
- Shelby: "My colors are blush and bashful. I have chose two shades of pink one is much deeper than the other." (Steel Magnolias)
- Grandpa: "Dewayne, that's your name right? Dewayne? This is the voice of experience talking. Are you listening? F*** a lot of women, Dewayne. Not just one woman. A lot of women." (Little Miss Sunshine)
- Scarlett O'Hara: "After all, tomorrow is another day." (If I have to tell you, we shouldn't be friends)
Sunday, September 07, 2008
This my friends is a tomato
It's next to a nectarine to give you some perspective. We got it at the farmer's market and it is some pre-1900 heirloom variety.
I can NOT wait to eat it.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
David
So, I just finished scanning the last of my photos! Yeah!
I think I've told a lot of you about this photo. This is Elizabeth's son David...when he was about FIVE MONTHS OLD!!!! Seriously, he's four now and he looks 6. I think he might grow up to be 8 feet tall.
The funny part was Elizabeth was my first close friend to have a baby, so David totally skewed my perspective. I would see other babies and think they were sick or something because they were so small.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Adele
So, I am now officially obsessed with Adele. I saw her perform this song on The View and bought the CD that night. I have now listened to the whole album approximately a million times.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Dang
We could have put this thing to rest the whole time with Sarah Palin's own words. She's towards the end of this clip but please believe me when I say that the whole segment is worth your time. Bill O'Reilly in particular is not to be missed.
Sarah Palin: Part Deux
Well, my goodness, what a maelstrom. I haven't seen y'all this riled up since I told you I was getting worms (update on the worms coming soon btw). I seriously think we broke a new record for comments.
I hope everyone still loves each other after all that because I'm about to embark on another journey so buckle your seat belts!
Actually I just wanted to clarify/address a couple of things.
1. The "If she was a man..." argument: People make this argument often when discussing identity politics and it infuriates me. It infuriates me because there is an imbalance of power at the heart of any discussion about race or gender. Men in our society have historically held more power then woman. White people have historically held more power than people of color. Period. Therefore, it is illogical to reverse the positions and assume the same rules apply. Different rules apply precisely because there is an imbalance of power. It's the reason I can call my girlfriend a bitch but her male coworker can't. It's the reason we wouldn't have to worry about how a male candidate like Sarah Palin would be treated because if Sarah Palin was a man she would have never been picked in the first place.
2. Women with young children in public office: Let me make myself perfectly clear. I do not in any way believe that being the mother of young children disqualifies you from public service. In fact, I was thinking back and I remembered "Oh wait, I do actually care about equal representation for women!" because I posted a Washington Post story that profiled working moms in Congress, including one Republican who had recently given birth to a child with down syndrome. However, I loved that article because there wasn't a single thread of "you can have it all" in the entire piece. Debbie Wasserman Schultz talks about the guilt she feels leaving her 8 year old with a fever to go to a fundraiser. Deborah Pryce talks about putting her daughter on a pretty unique schedule so they can spend time together. And then there is Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who gave birth to a son with down syndrome in April of 2007. (FYI - she took a month, not three days off)
"Our goal is to maximize our time together as a family as we learn more about the demands and what it's going to take," said McMorris Rodgers, who took a month off and eased back to work part time, shuttling between her Hill house and the Capitol complex to greet constituents or attend committee meetings. A beeper at home summons her when it's time to vote. She breast-feeds Cole while flipping through briefing books.
All I'm saying is that I would like to hear the same honest, self-reflection from Sarah Palin. I don't think that's sexist - just the opposite. I can't emphasize this enough. I don't think it's progress to expect women candidates to act like male candidates and never address how they are going to meet the challenges of work and family. We want to go in the other direction. We want male candidates to be forced to answer these questions because everyone doesn't assume their wife will take care of the kids. In fact, I would hope that the power of female candidates is their ability to uniquely understand the concerns of primary caregivers all over this country and bring those concerns to the forefront, because like it or not women are the overwhelming majority of primary caregivers. I wish she'd come out and said, "I am making history not only because I'm a woman but because I'm a working mom. I understand the challenges and sacrifices mothers all over this country make every single day. I know that we do the things we do because of our kids, not in spite of them, and I will bring that very valuable perspective to this administration." Then I would have stood up and cheered. But she didn't.
To be honest, as someone who wants to run for office one day, I'm going to go ahead and say I have thought more about this issue than anyone who reads this blog or made a comment. I have spent a lot of time thinking about the fact that because of the career path I want to take I will simply not be there for my children all the time. There will be times when they are sick, or in a school play, or just need a hug and I simply will not be there. I have decided that the benefits they will receive will hopefully outweigh the costs. I have chosen a partner who is committed to my goals and was raised in a family where everyone pitched in no matter their gender. I have decided to move home and be near my family because if I'm not going to be there all the time I want the people who raised me to be there in my place. So, please, do not think for a millisecond that this is not an issue I have not thoughtfully considered or that by pointing out that men are held to a different standard you are somehow telling me something I didn't already know. And to imply that I only care about the equal rights of women in my own party is such a low blow I will only address it to say, how dare you.
3. GOP - Party of Progress?: So, just to be safe I went to John McCain's website and you know to see if they all of a sudden supported the Family and Medical Leave Act or paid maternity/paternity leave or the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act? Turns out, not so much. What about equal benefits for part-time work or universal preschool for all three and four year old? Nope. Maybe making discrimination against parents illegal or a universal child allowance? Negatory. Actually there wasn't a section on women's issues at all.
However, Obama has a section on women and families. Of course, he supports Fair Pay and you can read about his support for expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act, high-quality after school programs, and a child and dependent care tax credit here. Oh, and he wants to protect against caregiver discrimination.
So, yeah, on your mark, get set, go!
P.S. This is completely unrelated but if I hear one more Republican say that Sarah Palin is more experienced because she's made executive decisions and Barack Obama has not I'm going to scream. Unless I was taking a nap and missed John McCain as Governor of Arizona, I'm pretty sure he has never served as an executive either.
P.P.S. I just watched this video and gave my first ever donation to Barack Obama.
I hope everyone still loves each other after all that because I'm about to embark on another journey so buckle your seat belts!
Actually I just wanted to clarify/address a couple of things.
1. The "If she was a man..." argument: People make this argument often when discussing identity politics and it infuriates me. It infuriates me because there is an imbalance of power at the heart of any discussion about race or gender. Men in our society have historically held more power then woman. White people have historically held more power than people of color. Period. Therefore, it is illogical to reverse the positions and assume the same rules apply. Different rules apply precisely because there is an imbalance of power. It's the reason I can call my girlfriend a bitch but her male coworker can't. It's the reason we wouldn't have to worry about how a male candidate like Sarah Palin would be treated because if Sarah Palin was a man she would have never been picked in the first place.
2. Women with young children in public office: Let me make myself perfectly clear. I do not in any way believe that being the mother of young children disqualifies you from public service. In fact, I was thinking back and I remembered "Oh wait, I do actually care about equal representation for women!" because I posted a Washington Post story that profiled working moms in Congress, including one Republican who had recently given birth to a child with down syndrome. However, I loved that article because there wasn't a single thread of "you can have it all" in the entire piece. Debbie Wasserman Schultz talks about the guilt she feels leaving her 8 year old with a fever to go to a fundraiser. Deborah Pryce talks about putting her daughter on a pretty unique schedule so they can spend time together. And then there is Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who gave birth to a son with down syndrome in April of 2007. (FYI - she took a month, not three days off)
"Our goal is to maximize our time together as a family as we learn more about the demands and what it's going to take," said McMorris Rodgers, who took a month off and eased back to work part time, shuttling between her Hill house and the Capitol complex to greet constituents or attend committee meetings. A beeper at home summons her when it's time to vote. She breast-feeds Cole while flipping through briefing books.
All I'm saying is that I would like to hear the same honest, self-reflection from Sarah Palin. I don't think that's sexist - just the opposite. I can't emphasize this enough. I don't think it's progress to expect women candidates to act like male candidates and never address how they are going to meet the challenges of work and family. We want to go in the other direction. We want male candidates to be forced to answer these questions because everyone doesn't assume their wife will take care of the kids. In fact, I would hope that the power of female candidates is their ability to uniquely understand the concerns of primary caregivers all over this country and bring those concerns to the forefront, because like it or not women are the overwhelming majority of primary caregivers. I wish she'd come out and said, "I am making history not only because I'm a woman but because I'm a working mom. I understand the challenges and sacrifices mothers all over this country make every single day. I know that we do the things we do because of our kids, not in spite of them, and I will bring that very valuable perspective to this administration." Then I would have stood up and cheered. But she didn't.
To be honest, as someone who wants to run for office one day, I'm going to go ahead and say I have thought more about this issue than anyone who reads this blog or made a comment. I have spent a lot of time thinking about the fact that because of the career path I want to take I will simply not be there for my children all the time. There will be times when they are sick, or in a school play, or just need a hug and I simply will not be there. I have decided that the benefits they will receive will hopefully outweigh the costs. I have chosen a partner who is committed to my goals and was raised in a family where everyone pitched in no matter their gender. I have decided to move home and be near my family because if I'm not going to be there all the time I want the people who raised me to be there in my place. So, please, do not think for a millisecond that this is not an issue I have not thoughtfully considered or that by pointing out that men are held to a different standard you are somehow telling me something I didn't already know. And to imply that I only care about the equal rights of women in my own party is such a low blow I will only address it to say, how dare you.
3. GOP - Party of Progress?: So, just to be safe I went to John McCain's website and you know to see if they all of a sudden supported the Family and Medical Leave Act or paid maternity/paternity leave or the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act? Turns out, not so much. What about equal benefits for part-time work or universal preschool for all three and four year old? Nope. Maybe making discrimination against parents illegal or a universal child allowance? Negatory. Actually there wasn't a section on women's issues at all.
However, Obama has a section on women and families. Of course, he supports Fair Pay and you can read about his support for expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act, high-quality after school programs, and a child and dependent care tax credit here. Oh, and he wants to protect against caregiver discrimination.
So, yeah, on your mark, get set, go!
P.S. This is completely unrelated but if I hear one more Republican say that Sarah Palin is more experienced because she's made executive decisions and Barack Obama has not I'm going to scream. Unless I was taking a nap and missed John McCain as Governor of Arizona, I'm pretty sure he has never served as an executive either.
P.P.S. I just watched this video and gave my first ever donation to Barack Obama.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Sarah Palin
Several people have asked me how I feel about Sarah Palin. One friend even asked me I would vote for John McCain now that he has picked a female running mate.
Let me make this unequivocally clear.
I will be voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
The choice of Sarah Palin has one upside and one upside only - that no matter what it won't be two white guys. That's good. That's progress. However, Sarah Palin does not represent me or my interests or what I believe is best for this country and I will not be voting for her.
When I first heard that John McCain had picked a female running mate, I admit that I was immediately concerned. I worried that disgruntled Hillary supporters might connect with this decision and feel like John McCain understood their concerns. The more I learn about Sarah Palin the less concerned I am.
First and foremost, I was shocked to learn of the age of her youngest child. I find it massively hypocritical that the party of traditional family values has embraced this woman who is clearly not going to fulfill her traditional role. If she wants to discuss openly that her husband will quite his job and become the primary caregiver then fine, but this narrative I keep hearing that she'll be able to do it all is insulting and it hurts all the progress women have made over the last few decades.
You cannot have it all. Every day I watch dear friends struggle with these issues and I constantly think about the tough decisions Nicholas and I will make when we have children of our own as we pursue careers and raise a family. Our society needs an honest discussion about work and life balance, not to be told that of course you can raise a family of five with time left over for the second most powerful job in the country.
I understand that Sarah Palin is not the first executive with young children. John F. Kennedy, Jr. was only a few months old when the Kennedys entered the White House and Barack Obama has small children of his own. However, at least Barack and Michelle are honest. Michelle Obama has made it clear that this campaign was going to be a huge life-changing sacrifice for her children - one she was hesitant to make. That it meant their dad and mom would not be there as much but that she felt for their future and the future of our country it was a sacrifice worth making.
If Sarah Palin were to honestly admit that she will not be the one their to take her infant son to therapy or doctor's visit, but that she feels that she can make a difference not only for him but for all special need children then maybe I would have a bit more respect for her decision. In fact, I purposely held off writing this post to give her a chance to address these issues in her speech tonight and she did not. She waved her mom flag repeatedly but did not honestly address the real sacrifices she would be making as a mother - primarly time with her own children.
Then, of course, we all learned that in addition to the infant son, her 17-year-old daughter Bristol is five months pregnant. Again, Sarah Palin and the conservative pundits waved this flag as proof of her pro-life credentials then balked if anyone wanted to discuss the issue further - if they wanted to discuss her cutting funding for projects that help teenage mothers or her opposition to sexual education in schools that might keep other kids from the same fate. Actually, policy aside, I want to know what made Sarah Palin decide that this job was worth the public scrutiny her young daughter (not to mention the baby's father) would be under or, even worse, if she was delusional enough to think it might not come out at all. Openly acknowledging that there will be upsides and downsides of public life for your children is one thing. Putting them in the spotlight during the most difficult time in their life is quite another.
I admit that this is pretty personal stuff but to be honest with you I don't know much else about the woman. I know that she has a little under 10 years of public service - most of it as the mayor of a town of 6000. The town where she advocated the banning of books. I know she supported the Bridge to Nowhere and Ted Stevens - the two biggest sympols of corruption and government waste in the last decade. I know she has shockingly little education. I know she's under investigation for abusing her power as governor and I know if I was raped tomorrow by my own father, she would deny me the right to an abortion.
I'm not sure what more I need to know.
Let me make this unequivocally clear.
I will be voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
The choice of Sarah Palin has one upside and one upside only - that no matter what it won't be two white guys. That's good. That's progress. However, Sarah Palin does not represent me or my interests or what I believe is best for this country and I will not be voting for her.
When I first heard that John McCain had picked a female running mate, I admit that I was immediately concerned. I worried that disgruntled Hillary supporters might connect with this decision and feel like John McCain understood their concerns. The more I learn about Sarah Palin the less concerned I am.
First and foremost, I was shocked to learn of the age of her youngest child. I find it massively hypocritical that the party of traditional family values has embraced this woman who is clearly not going to fulfill her traditional role. If she wants to discuss openly that her husband will quite his job and become the primary caregiver then fine, but this narrative I keep hearing that she'll be able to do it all is insulting and it hurts all the progress women have made over the last few decades.
You cannot have it all. Every day I watch dear friends struggle with these issues and I constantly think about the tough decisions Nicholas and I will make when we have children of our own as we pursue careers and raise a family. Our society needs an honest discussion about work and life balance, not to be told that of course you can raise a family of five with time left over for the second most powerful job in the country.
I understand that Sarah Palin is not the first executive with young children. John F. Kennedy, Jr. was only a few months old when the Kennedys entered the White House and Barack Obama has small children of his own. However, at least Barack and Michelle are honest. Michelle Obama has made it clear that this campaign was going to be a huge life-changing sacrifice for her children - one she was hesitant to make. That it meant their dad and mom would not be there as much but that she felt for their future and the future of our country it was a sacrifice worth making.
If Sarah Palin were to honestly admit that she will not be the one their to take her infant son to therapy or doctor's visit, but that she feels that she can make a difference not only for him but for all special need children then maybe I would have a bit more respect for her decision. In fact, I purposely held off writing this post to give her a chance to address these issues in her speech tonight and she did not. She waved her mom flag repeatedly but did not honestly address the real sacrifices she would be making as a mother - primarly time with her own children.
Then, of course, we all learned that in addition to the infant son, her 17-year-old daughter Bristol is five months pregnant. Again, Sarah Palin and the conservative pundits waved this flag as proof of her pro-life credentials then balked if anyone wanted to discuss the issue further - if they wanted to discuss her cutting funding for projects that help teenage mothers or her opposition to sexual education in schools that might keep other kids from the same fate. Actually, policy aside, I want to know what made Sarah Palin decide that this job was worth the public scrutiny her young daughter (not to mention the baby's father) would be under or, even worse, if she was delusional enough to think it might not come out at all. Openly acknowledging that there will be upsides and downsides of public life for your children is one thing. Putting them in the spotlight during the most difficult time in their life is quite another.
I admit that this is pretty personal stuff but to be honest with you I don't know much else about the woman. I know that she has a little under 10 years of public service - most of it as the mayor of a town of 6000. The town where she advocated the banning of books. I know she supported the Bridge to Nowhere and Ted Stevens - the two biggest sympols of corruption and government waste in the last decade. I know she has shockingly little education. I know she's under investigation for abusing her power as governor and I know if I was raped tomorrow by my own father, she would deny me the right to an abortion.
I'm not sure what more I need to know.
Top 10 Top 10 Lists Everyone Should Make:
I only did one list before we left for Tunisia but I'll try to get back on track because I know all of you are on pins and needles waiting for my answers. ;)
Top 10 places you want to go before you are too old to enjoy them: I picked places that I think would be too exhausting either based on physical excersion or the mental excersion of being in a completely different culture.
Top 10 places you want to go before you are too old to enjoy them: I picked places that I think would be too exhausting either based on physical excersion or the mental excersion of being in a completely different culture.
- Tanzania on Safari
- China
- India
- Japan
- Antartica
- Hking in the Grand Canyon
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Egypt
- Thailand
Monday, September 01, 2008
Our friend
This guy stopped us in El Jem and insisted that we try on these head scarves and take pictures with him. He then wanted something "American" to remember us by. He didn't want my Transy pin so we ended giving him my little portable fan.
Roman villa
Another totally amazing aspect of El Jem was this Roman villa and the fact that this incredible mosaic was intact and OUTSIDE! It represents the unity of Roman empire with each person representing a different area.
El Jem
The colosseum was another highlight of our trip. It's slightly smaller then the one in Rome but in much better condition. As we kept walking up and up to the top levels, I kept thinking how many ancient peoples walked were i walked. It was pretty unbelievable.
Sidi Bou Said
All of Tunisia is famous for these beautiful, ornate doors but Sidi Bou Said's brilliant blue variety are particularly striking.
Carthage
This was the hottest day of our trip but luckily Carthage was so beautiful it was easy to overlook.
The Butt Sprayer
These were in every single bathroom we went in to in the entire country. I don't think it's a bad idea. I just don't see any need to get rid of the toilet paper all together.
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