Ok, I fully believe that households can have two working parents and still be good parents - provided that both parents take part in the child-raising and house-running. And that women should have the right to stay home with their children if they want, or work if that is their choice.
But I was surprised by this article by Maggie Jackson on the Boston Globe's website. One part being : "Yet, however politically strategic and privately compelling, Obama's decision to be foremost the "first mom" potentially sends a wrong message: that high-level paid work and motherhood don't mix, or that women need to be the ones to step down to care for family."
I mean, how many women are faced with raising two young children in the White House while being the wife/confident/friend of the President of the United States? How could the standards for being a 'working mom' in Minnesota even begin to compare to being the working mom in the White House? Never mind the ensuing security issues and such that would arise from Mrs. Obama working - if Obama isn't using email, could she?
Ms. Jackson continued, writing "More than ever, we need female role models as we dig out of this horrendous economic mess. The fate of working mothers is a bottom line issue."
WHAT - the fate of working mothers??? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for closing the gender gap, for women working, for equal pay, for strong male rolemodels at home and strong female role models in business - but give me a break! All that Ms. Jackson's viewpoint shows me is that women are held to a higher standard, expected to do it all, and will be criticized no matter what they choose.
Congrats to Michelle Obama for choosing her family - her daughters and husband.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
My Thanksgiving
Amazing how relaxing Thanksgiving can be when you're by yourself, with no other Americans around, in the U.K.!!! So what did I do?
-- I celebrated by wearing jeans to work today (and no one commented on me being casual - I guess wearing a nice sweater and heels counter-balanced them?).
-- I treated myself to a Starbucks chai latte this afternoon (the only thing I get there since I detest coffee).
-- I called my parents during the morning US time.
-- I called my grandma late afternoon US time.
-- I'm having chicken kievs (but they're ham/cheese filled, which to me is cordon-bleu, but here they make regular kievs and also ones like this).
-- I'm having this wonderful rice medley I discovered at Rossi Pasta in Marietta, Ohio. It's a 'combination of dry roasted wild rice with cranberries, almonds and other rices' and has a 'maple/apple seasoning' too! It's by Rice River Farms.
-- I'm watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (I own it on DVD). (on IMDB ; ABC ; and Wiki)
-- I'll later watch an episode of Bones (actually the latest one!) and CSI (the Las Vegas series, I absolutely despise the Miami one, well actually only David Caruso on it).
One of the best parts? The last five things are all being done in my pajamas. This is how Thanksgiving should be! Quiet, relaxing and comfortable :) Hope yours was the same.
-- I celebrated by wearing jeans to work today (and no one commented on me being casual - I guess wearing a nice sweater and heels counter-balanced them?).
-- I treated myself to a Starbucks chai latte this afternoon (the only thing I get there since I detest coffee).
-- I called my parents during the morning US time.
-- I called my grandma late afternoon US time.
-- I'm having chicken kievs (but they're ham/cheese filled, which to me is cordon-bleu, but here they make regular kievs and also ones like this).
-- I'm having this wonderful rice medley I discovered at Rossi Pasta in Marietta, Ohio. It's a 'combination of dry roasted wild rice with cranberries, almonds and other rices' and has a 'maple/apple seasoning' too! It's by Rice River Farms.
-- I'm watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (I own it on DVD). (on IMDB ; ABC ; and Wiki)
-- I'll later watch an episode of Bones (actually the latest one!) and CSI (the Las Vegas series, I absolutely despise the Miami one, well actually only David Caruso on it).
One of the best parts? The last five things are all being done in my pajamas. This is how Thanksgiving should be! Quiet, relaxing and comfortable :) Hope yours was the same.
Happy Thanksgiving !
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! I’m celebrating by being at work in London and I don’t know what I’m having for dinner yet. I will watch an episode of CSI on TV (big surprise) and the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special, which I have on DVD.
The below is for anyone reading this who is not from America and who is not familiar with the holiday of Thanksgiving. (I was surprised by the number of people in my office in London who thought Thanksgiving was a Christmas-related holiday in the States ; and that no similar holiday exists in the UK – the only holiday they have that is a big family gathering, has as much hoop-la, is Christmas.) And, if you are American and just want a refresh in history, keep reading.
***
Thanksgiving Day is primarily a North American secular holiday and traditionally is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. Most people celebrate by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast. Though the holiday's origins can be traced to harvest festivals which have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, the American holiday has religious undertones related to the deliverance of the English settlers by Native Americans after the brutal winter at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Thanksgiving Day commemorates the celebration held in 1621 after the first harvest by the Plymouth Colony. The Pilgrims who traveled from England on the Mayflower landed on December 21, 1620. The harsh winter claimed about half their number. The local Wampanoag Indians, who were friendly to the newcomers, furnished seeds and taught them how to plant corn. The corn and the crops grown from the seeds they had brought with them produced a bountiful harvest. Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day to celebrate the harvest. The celebration brought together the colonists and the Indians, who were led by their chief Massasoit. The colonists provided water fowl, wild turkey and fish; the Indians contributed deer to the feast.
The tradition of observing a day of thanksgiving spread throughout the colonies, but was celebrated on different dates. In 1789 President George Washington proclaimed a National Thanksgiving Day in honor of the new United States Constitution. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. U.S. Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States (not necessarily the last Thursday in November).
The family and friends present at a Thanksgiving table are not expected to give gifts to each other and the point of the meal is to reflect upon and be thankful for the things that have passed over the last year. While most hosts will say a short prayer before the start of the meal, this is not obligatory and there is no overt religious significance to the holiday.
Just as important as the food associated with the day are two other traditions – watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (caution - sound on website!) and watching the Detroit Lions play football (U.S. version). Also, the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year in the U.S. as it ‘starts’ the Christmas shopping season.
Food :
The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States, and Canada is a large meal, generally centered around a large roasted turkey. The majority of the dishes in the traditional American version of Thanksgiving Dinner are made from foods native to the New World.
Because turkey is the most common main dish of a Thanksgiving dinner, Thanksgiving is sometimes colloquially called Turkey Day. The average cost of an entire Thanksgiving feast was approximately $41 in 2007. It has been estimated that 16-20 percent of annual turkey consumption in the US is attributed to Thanksgiving and as much as 30 percent of consumption occurs during the combined Thanksgiving to New Year holiday season.
Most Thanksgiving turkeys are stuffed with a cereal-based stuffing and roasted. Sage is the traditional herb added to the stuffing (also called dressing), along with chopped celery, carrots, and onions. Deep-fried turkey is rising in popularity. One or several of the following may be added to the dressing/stuffing: oysters, apples, chestnuts, raisins, celery and/or other vegetables, sausages or the turkey's giblets.
Many Americans would say the Thanksgiving dinner is "incomplete" without cranberry sauce, stuffing or dressing, and gravy. Other commonly served dishes include sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls or biscuits, and a Waldorf salad. For dessert, various pies are often served, particularly apple pie, mincemeat pie, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. Other nontraditional dishes reflect the region or cultural background of those who have come together for the meal.
The use of the turkey in the USA for Thanksgiving precedes Lincoln's nationalization of the holiday in 1863. Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that no "Citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day", but turkey was uncommon as Thanksgiving fare until after 1800. By 1857 turkey had become part of the traditional dinner in New England.
Fun facts :
-- The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.
-- The state of New York officially made Thanksgiving Day an annual custom in 1817.
-- President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored Thursday before last of November as Thanksgiving Day in the year 1939. He did so to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy of the state.
-- Sarah Josepha Hale, the enormously influential magazine editor and author who waged a tireless campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in the mid-19th century (from 1827-1863!), was also the author of the classic nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
-- Of those Americans traveling for Thanksgiving in 2007, approximately 80 percent (31.2 million) were expected to go by motor vehicle, 12.1 percent (4.7 million) by airplane and the rest (2.8 million) by train, bus or other mode of transportation.
-- According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota is the top turkey-producing state in America, with a planned production total of 49 million in 2008.
-- Just six states—Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri and Indiana—will probably produce two-thirds of the estimated 271 million birds that will be raised in the U.S. in one year.
-- The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.
-- The cranberry is one of only three fruits—the others are the blueberry and the Concord grape—that are entirely native to North American soil, according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association.
-- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 2,020 pounds and measured just over 12 feet long. It was baked on October 8, 2005 by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio, and included 900 pounds of pumpkin, 62 gallons of evaporated milk, 155 dozen eggs, 300 pounds of sugar, 3.5 pounds of salt, 7 pounds of cinnamon, 2 pounds of pumpkin spice and 250 pounds of crust. [what is it with people and the Guinness Book or World Records? I mean really, isn’t there a better use of people’s time and resources?]
-- Originally known as Macy's Christmas Parade—to signify the launch of the Christmas shopping season—the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in New York City in 1924. It was launched by Macy's employees and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. Today, some 3 million people attend the annual parade and another 44 million watch it on television.
-- Tony Sarg, a children's book illustrator and puppeteer, designed the first giant hot air balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927. He later created the elaborate mechanically animated window displays that grace the façade of the New York store from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
-- Snoopy has appeared as a giant balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade more times than any other character in history. As the Flying Ace, Snoopy made his sixth appearance in the 2006 parade.
-- The first time the Detroit Lions played football on Thanksgiving Day was in 1934, when they hosted the Chicago Bears at the University of Detroit stadium, in front of 26,000 fans. The NBC radio network broadcast the game on 94 stations across the country--the first national Thanksgiving football broadcast. Since that time, the Lions have played a game every Thanksgiving (except between 1939 and 1944); in 1956, fans watched the game on television for the first time.
Above information taken from Wikipedia (twice), The Holiday Spot, American Holiday Calendar, and History.
The below is for anyone reading this who is not from America and who is not familiar with the holiday of Thanksgiving. (I was surprised by the number of people in my office in London who thought Thanksgiving was a Christmas-related holiday in the States ; and that no similar holiday exists in the UK – the only holiday they have that is a big family gathering, has as much hoop-la, is Christmas.) And, if you are American and just want a refresh in history, keep reading.
***
Thanksgiving Day is primarily a North American secular holiday and traditionally is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. Most people celebrate by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast. Though the holiday's origins can be traced to harvest festivals which have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, the American holiday has religious undertones related to the deliverance of the English settlers by Native Americans after the brutal winter at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Thanksgiving Day commemorates the celebration held in 1621 after the first harvest by the Plymouth Colony. The Pilgrims who traveled from England on the Mayflower landed on December 21, 1620. The harsh winter claimed about half their number. The local Wampanoag Indians, who were friendly to the newcomers, furnished seeds and taught them how to plant corn. The corn and the crops grown from the seeds they had brought with them produced a bountiful harvest. Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day to celebrate the harvest. The celebration brought together the colonists and the Indians, who were led by their chief Massasoit. The colonists provided water fowl, wild turkey and fish; the Indians contributed deer to the feast.
The tradition of observing a day of thanksgiving spread throughout the colonies, but was celebrated on different dates. In 1789 President George Washington proclaimed a National Thanksgiving Day in honor of the new United States Constitution. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. U.S. Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States (not necessarily the last Thursday in November).
The family and friends present at a Thanksgiving table are not expected to give gifts to each other and the point of the meal is to reflect upon and be thankful for the things that have passed over the last year. While most hosts will say a short prayer before the start of the meal, this is not obligatory and there is no overt religious significance to the holiday.
Just as important as the food associated with the day are two other traditions – watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (caution - sound on website!) and watching the Detroit Lions play football (U.S. version). Also, the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year in the U.S. as it ‘starts’ the Christmas shopping season.
Food :
The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States, and Canada is a large meal, generally centered around a large roasted turkey. The majority of the dishes in the traditional American version of Thanksgiving Dinner are made from foods native to the New World.
Because turkey is the most common main dish of a Thanksgiving dinner, Thanksgiving is sometimes colloquially called Turkey Day. The average cost of an entire Thanksgiving feast was approximately $41 in 2007. It has been estimated that 16-20 percent of annual turkey consumption in the US is attributed to Thanksgiving and as much as 30 percent of consumption occurs during the combined Thanksgiving to New Year holiday season.
Most Thanksgiving turkeys are stuffed with a cereal-based stuffing and roasted. Sage is the traditional herb added to the stuffing (also called dressing), along with chopped celery, carrots, and onions. Deep-fried turkey is rising in popularity. One or several of the following may be added to the dressing/stuffing: oysters, apples, chestnuts, raisins, celery and/or other vegetables, sausages or the turkey's giblets.
Many Americans would say the Thanksgiving dinner is "incomplete" without cranberry sauce, stuffing or dressing, and gravy. Other commonly served dishes include sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls or biscuits, and a Waldorf salad. For dessert, various pies are often served, particularly apple pie, mincemeat pie, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. Other nontraditional dishes reflect the region or cultural background of those who have come together for the meal.
The use of the turkey in the USA for Thanksgiving precedes Lincoln's nationalization of the holiday in 1863. Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that no "Citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day", but turkey was uncommon as Thanksgiving fare until after 1800. By 1857 turkey had become part of the traditional dinner in New England.
Fun facts :
-- The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.
-- The state of New York officially made Thanksgiving Day an annual custom in 1817.
-- President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored Thursday before last of November as Thanksgiving Day in the year 1939. He did so to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy of the state.
-- Sarah Josepha Hale, the enormously influential magazine editor and author who waged a tireless campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in the mid-19th century (from 1827-1863!), was also the author of the classic nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
-- Of those Americans traveling for Thanksgiving in 2007, approximately 80 percent (31.2 million) were expected to go by motor vehicle, 12.1 percent (4.7 million) by airplane and the rest (2.8 million) by train, bus or other mode of transportation.
-- According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota is the top turkey-producing state in America, with a planned production total of 49 million in 2008.
-- Just six states—Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri and Indiana—will probably produce two-thirds of the estimated 271 million birds that will be raised in the U.S. in one year.
-- The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.
-- The cranberry is one of only three fruits—the others are the blueberry and the Concord grape—that are entirely native to North American soil, according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association.
-- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 2,020 pounds and measured just over 12 feet long. It was baked on October 8, 2005 by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio, and included 900 pounds of pumpkin, 62 gallons of evaporated milk, 155 dozen eggs, 300 pounds of sugar, 3.5 pounds of salt, 7 pounds of cinnamon, 2 pounds of pumpkin spice and 250 pounds of crust. [what is it with people and the Guinness Book or World Records? I mean really, isn’t there a better use of people’s time and resources?]
-- Originally known as Macy's Christmas Parade—to signify the launch of the Christmas shopping season—the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in New York City in 1924. It was launched by Macy's employees and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. Today, some 3 million people attend the annual parade and another 44 million watch it on television.
-- Tony Sarg, a children's book illustrator and puppeteer, designed the first giant hot air balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927. He later created the elaborate mechanically animated window displays that grace the façade of the New York store from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
-- Snoopy has appeared as a giant balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade more times than any other character in history. As the Flying Ace, Snoopy made his sixth appearance in the 2006 parade.
-- The first time the Detroit Lions played football on Thanksgiving Day was in 1934, when they hosted the Chicago Bears at the University of Detroit stadium, in front of 26,000 fans. The NBC radio network broadcast the game on 94 stations across the country--the first national Thanksgiving football broadcast. Since that time, the Lions have played a game every Thanksgiving (except between 1939 and 1944); in 1956, fans watched the game on television for the first time.
Above information taken from Wikipedia (twice), The Holiday Spot, American Holiday Calendar, and History.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Castro's Favorite Color: US Officials Flunk Test of American History, Economics, Civics
Castro's Favorite Color: US Officials Flunk Test of American History, Economics, Civics
On Howard's blog he has a link to an overall civics test which I found fun.
I scored 78.79% on this test; good in comparison to the elected officials average score of 44%, but on par with average of 78.1%. However, it pales in comparison to Howard's 97%.
How did you do?
On Howard's blog he has a link to an overall civics test which I found fun.
I scored 78.79% on this test; good in comparison to the elected officials average score of 44%, but on par with average of 78.1%. However, it pales in comparison to Howard's 97%.
How did you do?
Monday, November 24, 2008
Mental Floss
--Advice : If you’re looking for a hotel in Paris and prefer the Hilton chain, don’t google Pairs + Hilton
--Advice : If you buy a coat (or a skirt) that has a pleat in the back and there are two loose stitches forming an X at the end, remove these! The number of people I’ve seen in winter coats who keep this stitch in is amazing! Then, the coat ‘buckles’ in the back where the pleat is. I just want to walk around with scissors and help people.
--It seems to be a universal thing – when a subway car pulls into a station, the people waiting to get on immediately cram in front of the door, making it near impossible for the people to get off. If you’re in such a rush to get on the T car, then let the people off first!
--London is lacking in trashcans. Good luck finding one on the street, or if you do, you’re luck if it’s more than miniscule in size. The amazing thing, there’s virtually no trash littering the streets; but you do not see trash-picker-uppers walking around.
--In one of the hotels I often stay in when in Paris, I can not only touch the ceiling in the elevator, I can put my palm on it. That’s just not right.
--Advice : If you buy a coat (or a skirt) that has a pleat in the back and there are two loose stitches forming an X at the end, remove these! The number of people I’ve seen in winter coats who keep this stitch in is amazing! Then, the coat ‘buckles’ in the back where the pleat is. I just want to walk around with scissors and help people.
--It seems to be a universal thing – when a subway car pulls into a station, the people waiting to get on immediately cram in front of the door, making it near impossible for the people to get off. If you’re in such a rush to get on the T car, then let the people off first!
--London is lacking in trashcans. Good luck finding one on the street, or if you do, you’re luck if it’s more than miniscule in size. The amazing thing, there’s virtually no trash littering the streets; but you do not see trash-picker-uppers walking around.
--In one of the hotels I often stay in when in Paris, I can not only touch the ceiling in the elevator, I can put my palm on it. That’s just not right.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Mercy, not judgment
The sermon series has been on The Lord’s Prayer. Last week’s was on the line ‘give us this day our daily bread’ and was just not good (or rather, it wasn’t good to me). This week’s was on the forgiveness line (whether or not you say it with debts, trespasses, sins, or something else).
I grew up saying trespasses and for the past 8 years have said debts; but I remember a sermon at Old South where an anecdote was given about a church in Connecticut deciding what to say, and ultimately voting on sins – ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.’ I think that was the first time I ever heard it said that way. And it stuck with me – mainly because it’s easier to understand the meaning. But in Sunday's sermon, it was given a new perspective. Pastor D’Elia said that debts and trespasses are both breaches of human interaction, a horizontal action if you will. However, sins are breaches with God, a vertical action. That makes the use of ‘sins’ in the prayer that much more relevant and applicable and understandable to me.
Other things that were said in the sermon and service that stuck with me were :
-- To whom much is given, much is expected
-- Reach out and let the spirit of God touch you
-- If we lose our sense of what sin is, how do we confess?
-- Be a living example of God’s mercy
-- The concept of justice versus mercy.
Mercy, not judgment. I like that.
I grew up saying trespasses and for the past 8 years have said debts; but I remember a sermon at Old South where an anecdote was given about a church in Connecticut deciding what to say, and ultimately voting on sins – ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.’ I think that was the first time I ever heard it said that way. And it stuck with me – mainly because it’s easier to understand the meaning. But in Sunday's sermon, it was given a new perspective. Pastor D’Elia said that debts and trespasses are both breaches of human interaction, a horizontal action if you will. However, sins are breaches with God, a vertical action. That makes the use of ‘sins’ in the prayer that much more relevant and applicable and understandable to me.
Other things that were said in the sermon and service that stuck with me were :
-- To whom much is given, much is expected
-- Reach out and let the spirit of God touch you
-- If we lose our sense of what sin is, how do we confess?
-- Be a living example of God’s mercy
-- The concept of justice versus mercy.
Mercy, not judgment. I like that.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Remembrance Sunday
Church was surprisingly good today, including the sermon.
I had to laugh when the assistant minister started off by saying “This is the day the Lord has made”, in somewhat response to the rainy London weather. If someone had said that to me yesterday, while standing in the pouring down and sideways rain, I would not have been amused. But, when you think about it, that phrase would have been just as true on that rainy afternoon as it was on a sunny morning.
I digress. Today is Remembrance Sunday in the UK, and Europe. 11/11 this year marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the Great War, in which 1.1 million Brits lost their lives. That’s 1,100,000 people. Mind boggling.
A member of the US military was there and gave a speech for remembrance, and it was quite good. I liked his line, ‘glorify the warriors, not the war.’ Being in Europe for this day has made me think more about the Wars, and the act of remembrance. In the U.S., I feel like Veterans Day is a forgotten day, which is a shame, when you consider what these men and women did for the safety, security, and liberty of all of us. He quoted part of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (given 19 Nov 1863), and it is fitting for all of us to remember :
… But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain …
Also referenced, and relevant is the passage read from Isaiah 2:1-5, with v4 as follows :
He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
As the speaker said, ‘what we choose to remembers defines us individually and collectively.’
What, and whom, do you choose to remember?
I had to laugh when the assistant minister started off by saying “This is the day the Lord has made”, in somewhat response to the rainy London weather. If someone had said that to me yesterday, while standing in the pouring down and sideways rain, I would not have been amused. But, when you think about it, that phrase would have been just as true on that rainy afternoon as it was on a sunny morning.
I digress. Today is Remembrance Sunday in the UK, and Europe. 11/11 this year marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the Great War, in which 1.1 million Brits lost their lives. That’s 1,100,000 people. Mind boggling.
A member of the US military was there and gave a speech for remembrance, and it was quite good. I liked his line, ‘glorify the warriors, not the war.’ Being in Europe for this day has made me think more about the Wars, and the act of remembrance. In the U.S., I feel like Veterans Day is a forgotten day, which is a shame, when you consider what these men and women did for the safety, security, and liberty of all of us. He quoted part of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (given 19 Nov 1863), and it is fitting for all of us to remember :
… But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain …
Also referenced, and relevant is the passage read from Isaiah 2:1-5, with v4 as follows :
He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
As the speaker said, ‘what we choose to remembers defines us individually and collectively.’
What, and whom, do you choose to remember?
Lord Mayor's Show
Saturday, I braved the rain and went to the Lord Mayor's Show for The City (of London).
From Blue Guide - City Guide: London
"The Lord Mayor is elected each autumn and holds office for one year. The first was in 1189 [819 years ago]; all have been men. [hmph] ... On the second Saturday of November each year, the new Lord Mayor of London processes to the Law Courts to take his oath of office before the judges of the Queen's Bench. The ceremony is an ancient one, dating back to King John's time [1199-1216], and has taken the form of a pageant for over 500 years, originally often travelling by river, but for more than 200 years now by road, using the Lord Mayor's coach designed by Taylor and kept in the Museum of London. Today the show takes the form of a procession from the Law Courts to the Guildhall in the City. Each Lord Mayor chooses a theme, usually relating to trade or contemporary issues."
If there was a theme, I'm not sure what it was other than: rainy, windy, and wet. Also, drum corps, military, and horses.
The website has interesting information on the history, the route, the procession, etc., but I would NOT call this a "grand" fireworks display. For those of you from Cincinnati, it reminded me of the Harvest Home Parade - a big deal to those involved and from the area, but otherwise a let down.
Photos uploaded to Flickr (photo link on top right of blog)
From Blue Guide - City Guide: London
"The Lord Mayor is elected each autumn and holds office for one year. The first was in 1189 [819 years ago]; all have been men. [hmph] ... On the second Saturday of November each year, the new Lord Mayor of London processes to the Law Courts to take his oath of office before the judges of the Queen's Bench. The ceremony is an ancient one, dating back to King John's time [1199-1216], and has taken the form of a pageant for over 500 years, originally often travelling by river, but for more than 200 years now by road, using the Lord Mayor's coach designed by Taylor and kept in the Museum of London. Today the show takes the form of a procession from the Law Courts to the Guildhall in the City. Each Lord Mayor chooses a theme, usually relating to trade or contemporary issues."
If there was a theme, I'm not sure what it was other than: rainy, windy, and wet. Also, drum corps, military, and horses.
The website has interesting information on the history, the route, the procession, etc., but I would NOT call this a "grand" fireworks display. For those of you from Cincinnati, it reminded me of the Harvest Home Parade - a big deal to those involved and from the area, but otherwise a let down.
Photos uploaded to Flickr (photo link on top right of blog)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Change Can Happen
Well, it’s a big day in the UK – Guy Fawkes Day – which is actually one of the specific things I remember from senior year high school AP European History. Basically, a foiled attempt to blow up Parliament (fun trivia : as a result, the basement of Parliament is searched every day). There are fireworks (aka bonfires) all over the place, and they’ve been going on for a week or so, and probably will continue for another week. As my landlady said (paraphrasing) ‘this is the only place where people celebrate almost killing their king!’.
Am I out celebrating? Nope. I chose to stay home at watch last night’s The Daily Show : Indecision 2008. That’s right, they’re actually showing on the More 4 channel the episode from Election Night – yeah!!! It was kind of sad for me here as I wasn’t able to celebrate with friends when results came in. All day I sat at my computer with a goofy grin and just an overall great feeling inside. Wow.
Anyway, The Daily Show was good, but the jokes weren’t as strong as usual; well, they got funnier as the show went on. Understandable because it was an emotionally charged night, full of nerves. Interesting how they were reporting state results with only 20-40% reporting – when comparing with the final map with 100% reporting, the early results were about 95% accurate. That’s pretty amazing. Was surprised at how quickly, and almost under his breath, John Stewart announced that Barack Obama was the winner.
The pessimist in me was ‘expecting the worst, hoping for the best’, thus expecting a McCain win and thus preparing to live in France the next 4 years. Thank you for making it appealing for me to move back to the States earlier, if I so choose. (Granted, I also realize I’m less likely to have many of you visiting and staying with me in Paris for extended periods of time!) Anyway, to all of you who voted for Obama/Biden, thank you (thank you Ohio!!!).
Am I out celebrating? Nope. I chose to stay home at watch last night’s The Daily Show : Indecision 2008. That’s right, they’re actually showing on the More 4 channel the episode from Election Night – yeah!!! It was kind of sad for me here as I wasn’t able to celebrate with friends when results came in. All day I sat at my computer with a goofy grin and just an overall great feeling inside. Wow.
Anyway, The Daily Show was good, but the jokes weren’t as strong as usual; well, they got funnier as the show went on. Understandable because it was an emotionally charged night, full of nerves. Interesting how they were reporting state results with only 20-40% reporting – when comparing with the final map with 100% reporting, the early results were about 95% accurate. That’s pretty amazing. Was surprised at how quickly, and almost under his breath, John Stewart announced that Barack Obama was the winner.
The pessimist in me was ‘expecting the worst, hoping for the best’, thus expecting a McCain win and thus preparing to live in France the next 4 years. Thank you for making it appealing for me to move back to the States earlier, if I so choose. (Granted, I also realize I’m less likely to have many of you visiting and staying with me in Paris for extended periods of time!) Anyway, to all of you who voted for Obama/Biden, thank you (thank you Ohio!!!).
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A good omen?
My daily calendar quotation for today is :
"Ideals may be beyond our reach but never beyond our fondest hopes." -- EC McKenzie
Here's hoping...
"Ideals may be beyond our reach but never beyond our fondest hopes." -- EC McKenzie
Here's hoping...
Monday, November 3, 2008
Please vote responsibly
If education is important to you, or health care, or not sending young men and women to war, or social security, or individual freedom, or tolerance, or … please vote Obama/Biden.
If the future of America is important to you, vote Obama/Biden.
If you want an America which your children and grandchildren will love, vote Obama/Biden.
Clear your head of any preconceptions of what you think a Republican is, or what you think a Democrat is. Historical categorization can change. Change is good. Look at the two candidates, their choice of running mates, and determine who you think would be a better leader for our country. Read Obama's views here.
Barack the Vote.
If the future of America is important to you, vote Obama/Biden.
If you want an America which your children and grandchildren will love, vote Obama/Biden.
Clear your head of any preconceptions of what you think a Republican is, or what you think a Democrat is. Historical categorization can change. Change is good. Look at the two candidates, their choice of running mates, and determine who you think would be a better leader for our country. Read Obama's views here.
Barack the Vote.
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