I received this as an email forward yesterday and was laughing out loud reading the entire thing, so I thought I would share. When I first read the email subject, and the second time, I read “Audit”, not “Adult”. Obviously I need a break!
*my comments to the original text are in green
1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. *LOL, so true!!!
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font. *AMEN!
5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? * I finally figured this out about 6 months ago
6. Was learning cursive really necessary? * I hear some schools are no longer teaching cursive!
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day. *Hits me about 14:30 – 15:30, then a burst of productivity comes at 17:15
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again. *Is Blue Ray really going to over take DVD completely? And is it by Zones too? (can I buy Blue Ray here and will it work in US?)
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
*Just happened to me yesterday morning! I stop after 2.
20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is. *All the time I do this
23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.
Showing posts with label Weird. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weird. Show all posts
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, March 27, 2009
Meeting the French ER Response Unit
Ok, bet I’m one of the few to whom this has happened ….
Let me start off with a lead-in story….
I completely respect if one is focused on work in the office as that is why we’re all here. And I understand that people don’t listen to what others are saying if their minds are racing and they’re thinking of the next work project ; but generally some switch in the brain will flip a bit later and then the people think, “did she really say that?”
A colleague walked into my office area Thursday morning and I opened the conversation with “I’ve discovered that all the good looking men in Paris are young firefighters and police officers ; I should know as there were about 6-10 in my apartment last night.” To which my colleague says : “What I need you to do is create a report showing…” Didn’t blink an eye, didn’t comment, nothing. Not even 5, 10, 30 minutes later. Seriously?
So you’re probably wondering – Why in the world were 6-10 French fire and policemen in my apartment. Good question. Here’s the story…
By the time I got home and got to bed Wednesday night it was about 22:00. I read for a bit and turned off my light about 22:30. About 23:00 I wake up to hear a banging sound, then it got louder. Pause. Louder again. I realized it was from my door. So I get up and stumble to the front door. Of course, I’m half asleep and foggy due to this cold I have so I neglect all the safety rules of looking through the peep hole, asking who it is, etc. and I just open the door.
Lo and behold there are about 6 young men (20s?) in the hallway. They all seem to be in dark clothes, one guy was in jeans and a leather jacket. I thought they were just being rude and knocking on all doors, being “hooligans.” They start asking me questions (in French of course) whether or not my balcony was attached to the flat next door, and if I knew who lived there, and other such things. I said, no it wasn’t connected. They asked if they could see. I again said no, it wasn’t connected. Then I noticed “Sapeurs Pompiers” on one man’s sleeve – firefighters. (Cultural note : in Paris I’ve been told that you call the firefighters first, and then they decide who to send / what type of emergency it is.) Then I see a woman, probably in her 60s, in the hallway. My brain wakes up and I realize it must be an emergency so I let 3 of the guys in and they go to the dining room (right adjacent to my front door) to check the balcony.
Then it gets interesting. The 3 of them come back to the hallway and get harnesses and helmets. They get geared up and somehow rappel over to the other balcony. I’m still having minor conversations with the other men (in French). And thankfully the woman spoke intermediate / good English.
She asked if I heard the alarm in the apartment (smoke detectors?) and I said no. She said she lives above this flat (semi-elderly couple lives there) and she and her husband heard the noises, then somehow the young man (the one in jeans and leather jacket) was in hallway or something and the two of them called the firefighters. She said the woman in the flat is sick and is/was in a wheelchair. I said I had never met her, but had met the man, and actually saw him Saturday morning.
It might’ve been around this time that the police came – enter 4 more people into the hallway / my apartment. Did I mention it’s about midnight and I’m still in my PJs, trying to follow everything in French?
Also arriving at this point is the Guardian of the building next door. (Cultural note : Guardians would be what an American calls a Concierge, but that word isn’t really appropriate here. The person lives in the building and does basic repair, maintenance, etc. and usually people give the Guardian a set of keys if they are expecting deliveries, need things done, etc.)
Two of the policemen then ask me questions – do I live there? Alone? For how long? When did I last see the people in the flat? Was it the sick woman? My identification? These two guys were hilarious, like a comedy routine, and good looking. It was becoming like Who’s On First regarding whether or not I had seen the woman. I said I had seen A woman in the doorway, but I didn’t know if it was the wife of the woman / the tenant because I hadn’t formally met her. I just don’t know how to say in French “I didn’t want to stare”. And, it seems that when the police are writing down all your contact information for whatever report, they also want to know what city you were born in. Try spelling Cincinnati in French and getting the guy to understand it and make it fit in his little notebook. I would spell it (in French), the other guy would repeat, and still the one writing it down was making mistakes! Really, it was comical.
Remember, I’m still in my PJs, conversing in French.
Eventually they get into the flat, using the keys the Guardian brought. Turns out, no one is home. So all that excitement and adrenaline rush for nothing, which I suppose is a good thing! All I kept thinking was that if someone had been hurt inside, the hour spent banging on the door, waiting for the Guardian, and all that would not have been beneficial.
Things I learned :
--Always keep a sweatshirt or robe or something by your bed in case you have to get up and answer the door in the middle of the night.
--Get smoke detectors, you’ll feel safer (note : I think my company is getting safety kits for those of us who moved over here – smoke detectors, fire extinguisher, fire ladder, etc.)
--This was actually a pleasant experience in that none of these people made snide remarks or glances about me being American, or living there alone. My French language skills seemed to suffice. None of them made comments about the size of my flat being so large for one person. (Cultural note : seems to be the norm here to ask a person how many square meters one’s flat is. And in my case, 99% of the time it is followed by some snide remark of it being so large, or wondering where my family is, etc.)
Let me start off with a lead-in story….
I completely respect if one is focused on work in the office as that is why we’re all here. And I understand that people don’t listen to what others are saying if their minds are racing and they’re thinking of the next work project ; but generally some switch in the brain will flip a bit later and then the people think, “did she really say that?”
A colleague walked into my office area Thursday morning and I opened the conversation with “I’ve discovered that all the good looking men in Paris are young firefighters and police officers ; I should know as there were about 6-10 in my apartment last night.” To which my colleague says : “What I need you to do is create a report showing…” Didn’t blink an eye, didn’t comment, nothing. Not even 5, 10, 30 minutes later. Seriously?
So you’re probably wondering – Why in the world were 6-10 French fire and policemen in my apartment. Good question. Here’s the story…
By the time I got home and got to bed Wednesday night it was about 22:00. I read for a bit and turned off my light about 22:30. About 23:00 I wake up to hear a banging sound, then it got louder. Pause. Louder again. I realized it was from my door. So I get up and stumble to the front door. Of course, I’m half asleep and foggy due to this cold I have so I neglect all the safety rules of looking through the peep hole, asking who it is, etc. and I just open the door.
Lo and behold there are about 6 young men (20s?) in the hallway. They all seem to be in dark clothes, one guy was in jeans and a leather jacket. I thought they were just being rude and knocking on all doors, being “hooligans.” They start asking me questions (in French of course) whether or not my balcony was attached to the flat next door, and if I knew who lived there, and other such things. I said, no it wasn’t connected. They asked if they could see. I again said no, it wasn’t connected. Then I noticed “Sapeurs Pompiers” on one man’s sleeve – firefighters. (Cultural note : in Paris I’ve been told that you call the firefighters first, and then they decide who to send / what type of emergency it is.) Then I see a woman, probably in her 60s, in the hallway. My brain wakes up and I realize it must be an emergency so I let 3 of the guys in and they go to the dining room (right adjacent to my front door) to check the balcony.
Then it gets interesting. The 3 of them come back to the hallway and get harnesses and helmets. They get geared up and somehow rappel over to the other balcony. I’m still having minor conversations with the other men (in French). And thankfully the woman spoke intermediate / good English.
She asked if I heard the alarm in the apartment (smoke detectors?) and I said no. She said she lives above this flat (semi-elderly couple lives there) and she and her husband heard the noises, then somehow the young man (the one in jeans and leather jacket) was in hallway or something and the two of them called the firefighters. She said the woman in the flat is sick and is/was in a wheelchair. I said I had never met her, but had met the man, and actually saw him Saturday morning.
It might’ve been around this time that the police came – enter 4 more people into the hallway / my apartment. Did I mention it’s about midnight and I’m still in my PJs, trying to follow everything in French?
Also arriving at this point is the Guardian of the building next door. (Cultural note : Guardians would be what an American calls a Concierge, but that word isn’t really appropriate here. The person lives in the building and does basic repair, maintenance, etc. and usually people give the Guardian a set of keys if they are expecting deliveries, need things done, etc.)
Two of the policemen then ask me questions – do I live there? Alone? For how long? When did I last see the people in the flat? Was it the sick woman? My identification? These two guys were hilarious, like a comedy routine, and good looking. It was becoming like Who’s On First regarding whether or not I had seen the woman. I said I had seen A woman in the doorway, but I didn’t know if it was the wife of the woman / the tenant because I hadn’t formally met her. I just don’t know how to say in French “I didn’t want to stare”. And, it seems that when the police are writing down all your contact information for whatever report, they also want to know what city you were born in. Try spelling Cincinnati in French and getting the guy to understand it and make it fit in his little notebook. I would spell it (in French), the other guy would repeat, and still the one writing it down was making mistakes! Really, it was comical.
Remember, I’m still in my PJs, conversing in French.
Eventually they get into the flat, using the keys the Guardian brought. Turns out, no one is home. So all that excitement and adrenaline rush for nothing, which I suppose is a good thing! All I kept thinking was that if someone had been hurt inside, the hour spent banging on the door, waiting for the Guardian, and all that would not have been beneficial.
Things I learned :
--Always keep a sweatshirt or robe or something by your bed in case you have to get up and answer the door in the middle of the night.
--Get smoke detectors, you’ll feel safer (note : I think my company is getting safety kits for those of us who moved over here – smoke detectors, fire extinguisher, fire ladder, etc.)
--This was actually a pleasant experience in that none of these people made snide remarks or glances about me being American, or living there alone. My French language skills seemed to suffice. None of them made comments about the size of my flat being so large for one person. (Cultural note : seems to be the norm here to ask a person how many square meters one’s flat is. And in my case, 99% of the time it is followed by some snide remark of it being so large, or wondering where my family is, etc.)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Commuting
So now that I'm moved into my new apartment, I'm trying to figure out the fastest and most pleasant way to get to/from work. This week, I have been trying the RER instead of the Metro (the RER is more like the Commuter Rail in Boston, but it also goes through the city). It takes me 45 minutes from turning off the lights in my flat to turning on my computer ; the train is QUIET and not crowded and there are seats for everyone ; but, they don't announce the stops, so if you're engrossed in your book, music or podcasts, you best pay attention!
On the RER, I take the C line, which goes one direction northbound but about 6 southbound (see map here.) What I find fascinating is how the directions are marked. Logic would assume that they would be marked "Pontoise" or "Dourdan" or "Versailles", or at least PONT, DOUR, and VERS for abbreviations. Logic however has yet to come to Paris ; either that or they've thrown caution to the wind and are ignoring every French philosopher.
Pontoise (which I take to get to work) is marked by NORA. I think I can also take GATA, GOTA or GUTA (if I read the website / signboards correclty), but those three trains never seem to run.
To get home, I can take : ELBA, MONA, ROMI, CIME, DEBA, JILL, BALI, DUFY, ELAO, FOOT or JOEL. These names mean nothing - for instance, ROMI goes to Porte de Rungis, CIME goes to Versailles Ch., ELBA to St. Martin and DEBA to Dourdan.
I have a feeling one day I'll be like "Charlie on the MTA" and will end up somewhere I shouldn't, outside the Zone for which my ticket is purchased, and will just keep riding around until I get on the correct train.
Seriously though. How difficult would it be to come up with more appropriate code names?
On the RER, I take the C line, which goes one direction northbound but about 6 southbound (see map here.) What I find fascinating is how the directions are marked. Logic would assume that they would be marked "Pontoise" or "Dourdan" or "Versailles", or at least PONT, DOUR, and VERS for abbreviations. Logic however has yet to come to Paris ; either that or they've thrown caution to the wind and are ignoring every French philosopher.
Pontoise (which I take to get to work) is marked by NORA. I think I can also take GATA, GOTA or GUTA (if I read the website / signboards correclty), but those three trains never seem to run.
To get home, I can take : ELBA, MONA, ROMI, CIME, DEBA, JILL, BALI, DUFY, ELAO, FOOT or JOEL. These names mean nothing - for instance, ROMI goes to Porte de Rungis, CIME goes to Versailles Ch., ELBA to St. Martin and DEBA to Dourdan.
I have a feeling one day I'll be like "Charlie on the MTA" and will end up somewhere I shouldn't, outside the Zone for which my ticket is purchased, and will just keep riding around until I get on the correct train.
Seriously though. How difficult would it be to come up with more appropriate code names?
Friday, February 20, 2009
Random observations (animals)
--Ok, Amy, Gwen, Joe & I went to the first of 3 appointments Thursday to get our Carte de Sejours (residency permit). Amy and Gwen finished and left, I waited around for Joe. Joe was all set, so we thought we'd stop at a cafe and then call it a day (it was about 4:00). Fine.
We are in a cafe in Place de Clichy (17th / 18th arr.) and hear birds chirping. Yes, we are IN the cafe. We look up and in one of the vents (picture your a/c-heat vent that is usually on the floor) there are lots of tufts of feathers sticking out of it and the chirping is obviously from there.
I figure if the economy gets bad in Paris, they could hire a few health inspectors because they're obviously low on them right now. Or, hire trainers for them!
--After leaving the cafe, I go "home" and drop off my stuff, have dinner and then start walking to bell choir. As I'm waiting to cross the street, a guy holding a rope that is attached to 4 donkeys/ponies comes strolling along down the street behind a car. Huh? All I can figure is these poor animals are used in some way at the Eiffel Tower for children to sit on or tourists to take pictures or some undignified thing. Of course, didn't have my camera.
We are in a cafe in Place de Clichy (17th / 18th arr.) and hear birds chirping. Yes, we are IN the cafe. We look up and in one of the vents (picture your a/c-heat vent that is usually on the floor) there are lots of tufts of feathers sticking out of it and the chirping is obviously from there.
I figure if the economy gets bad in Paris, they could hire a few health inspectors because they're obviously low on them right now. Or, hire trainers for them!
--After leaving the cafe, I go "home" and drop off my stuff, have dinner and then start walking to bell choir. As I'm waiting to cross the street, a guy holding a rope that is attached to 4 donkeys/ponies comes strolling along down the street behind a car. Huh? All I can figure is these poor animals are used in some way at the Eiffel Tower for children to sit on or tourists to take pictures or some undignified thing. Of course, didn't have my camera.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Random Observations
Just some observations from the week so far...
Random : In Europe, paper notebooks do not contained lined paper. Rather, the paper is some sort of graph paper. Either the usual tiny squares, or some even more miniscule rectangles. Really, what are they expecting of me besides sitting in boring meetings and coloring in the squares?
Random : Hardware stores in Paris (e.g. Castorama) are not nearly as fun as in the U.S. (Home Depot) or UK (Home Base). In the particular location I visited Monday, the aisles were narrow, some were mazes (i.e. you couldn’t go up one and down another and end up where you started), they were playing techno music on the loud speakers, and it was grungy. But not grungy in the way a good hardware store is (like the one up in Canada my family always used before it closed). A good grungy makes you think of progress, of people building things, tools being used, power and machinery… This place just gave the feeling of being grungy in terms of dirty, disorganized, and old. Oh well. I got my drill (although not the one I have seen on countless Metro advertisement billboards). Now I just have to wait for my drill bits to arrive w/ the rest of my goods and then it is the oh so fun times of putting furniture together, hanging curtain rods, hanging pictures and other such things that are more fun with two or three people, but which I have become accustomed to doing on my own.
Random : Just this week it has gotten lighter in the evenings, so when I leave the office at 18:00 or 18:30 it doesn’t feel like it’s 22:00! Spring might actually be here soon!!
Random : The US Embassy in France website has lots of good information for people living in France. In their list is a link for “Websites of interest” ; at the bottom of this is “Other sites of interest”. The list? Current Avian flu information ; Democrats Abroad ; and, Republicans Abroad. Really – Avian flu, Dems and Reps? What? Certainly Avian flu would fall under the “Health Care” title. Or, as Marissa said, is that the Independents?
Random : In Europe, paper notebooks do not contained lined paper. Rather, the paper is some sort of graph paper. Either the usual tiny squares, or some even more miniscule rectangles. Really, what are they expecting of me besides sitting in boring meetings and coloring in the squares?
Random : Hardware stores in Paris (e.g. Castorama) are not nearly as fun as in the U.S. (Home Depot) or UK (Home Base). In the particular location I visited Monday, the aisles were narrow, some were mazes (i.e. you couldn’t go up one and down another and end up where you started), they were playing techno music on the loud speakers, and it was grungy. But not grungy in the way a good hardware store is (like the one up in Canada my family always used before it closed). A good grungy makes you think of progress, of people building things, tools being used, power and machinery… This place just gave the feeling of being grungy in terms of dirty, disorganized, and old. Oh well. I got my drill (although not the one I have seen on countless Metro advertisement billboards). Now I just have to wait for my drill bits to arrive w/ the rest of my goods and then it is the oh so fun times of putting furniture together, hanging curtain rods, hanging pictures and other such things that are more fun with two or three people, but which I have become accustomed to doing on my own.
Random : Just this week it has gotten lighter in the evenings, so when I leave the office at 18:00 or 18:30 it doesn’t feel like it’s 22:00! Spring might actually be here soon!!
Random : The US Embassy in France website has lots of good information for people living in France. In their list is a link for “Websites of interest” ; at the bottom of this is “Other sites of interest”. The list? Current Avian flu information ; Democrats Abroad ; and, Republicans Abroad. Really – Avian flu, Dems and Reps? What? Certainly Avian flu would fall under the “Health Care” title. Or, as Marissa said, is that the Independents?
Monday, February 9, 2009
USPS
First of all, let me say I am a HUGE fan of the USPS ; in fact, I think the best speaker I heard in my two years at T-bird was from a USPS man. As a business - logistics, finance, etc. - it is fascinating. I mean, every year more and more addresses are added, and the USPS delivers to them. There is the whole fleet issue - maintenance, fuel, drive times, etc. Health care costs. And all of this with declining usage.
Second of all, for those of you who sent me birthday cards last week - THANK YOU. I got them in office in Paris today - what a great pick-me-up on a Monday afternoon.
My point - how come when the rate is $0.94 to mail a letter, a letter made it through with only $0.84 in postage? And why did some envelopes make it with "U.K." as the country, but one was crossed out by the USPS and "United Kingdom" written in its place. To my knowledge, no other country goes by UK, right?
Yes, things like this are what I think about and what perplex me.
Second of all, for those of you who sent me birthday cards last week - THANK YOU. I got them in office in Paris today - what a great pick-me-up on a Monday afternoon.
My point - how come when the rate is $0.94 to mail a letter, a letter made it through with only $0.84 in postage? And why did some envelopes make it with "U.K." as the country, but one was crossed out by the USPS and "United Kingdom" written in its place. To my knowledge, no other country goes by UK, right?
Yes, things like this are what I think about and what perplex me.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Probably only interesting to me...
In church today, the pastor started off the sermon with some story about his friends in Southern California and the weather and the temperature. He then said the weather there was around 20 degrees Centigrade. I cocked my head, puzzled. Centigrade? I'd always heard it called Celsius. So then I wondered - what's the difference?
Dan Berger, MadSci Adminstrator, writes :
The difference between degrees Celsius and degrees centigrade is that one is the name of the person who invented the scale (in which water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°), and the other describes the scale ("centigrade" means "100 divisions"). ... Because we call the Fahrenheit scale after its inventor, to be consistent we should refer to the Celsius scale after its inventor.
Dan Berger, MadSci Adminstrator, writes :
The difference between degrees Celsius and degrees centigrade is that one is the name of the person who invented the scale (in which water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°), and the other describes the scale ("centigrade" means "100 divisions"). ... Because we call the Fahrenheit scale after its inventor, to be consistent we should refer to the Celsius scale after its inventor.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Back Where I Come From
No joke, this is a real advertisement. It is from a bench at a bus stop on the way from my parents’ house to the highway. Whenever we drove past it, I couldn’t help but laugh. This has to be the best, most unbelievable, yet sadly believable, ad I’ve seen in a long time.
Besides this, my 12 days in Ohio were pretty standard and uneventful. Lunches and dinners with friends and family, jigsaw puzzles (almost 5000 pieces worth), etc.
We all went to the Cincinnati Zoo Festival of Lights and my 19-month old niece was enthralled by the lights. (I’ll get all the pictures posted soon.) I hadn’t been to the zoo since I don’t remember when. I remember everything being bigger and better and more exotic – but I guess that is how every child sees things. Now, I just see poor animals penned up, the lines, the fussy kids, etc. Still, despite all my cynicism, it was nice to see so many families and young children at the zoo and interested in the animals.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tissues
Ok, mundane topic, but couldn't pass this one up....
Just got back from the grocery and bought some tissues. They don't seem to have Puffs here, so I buy Kleenex brand. But the "Ultra Soft" is ultra-NOT soft. A reliable brand, good to have around the house, just not when you have a seriously runny nose. I digress.
Back of the box says : Available in pocket pack, cube, regular, and mansize formats. Mansize - I'm not kidding. What? Why not put "Caveman size" and call it a day?
And, if I go to the website listed on the product packaging and I'm asked to do a survey and I oblige, don't make my only choices for where I live be states in America. If I can buy your product overseas, adapt your survey.
Mansize. Seriously.
Just got back from the grocery and bought some tissues. They don't seem to have Puffs here, so I buy Kleenex brand. But the "Ultra Soft" is ultra-NOT soft. A reliable brand, good to have around the house, just not when you have a seriously runny nose. I digress.
Back of the box says : Available in pocket pack, cube, regular, and mansize formats. Mansize - I'm not kidding. What? Why not put "Caveman size" and call it a day?
And, if I go to the website listed on the product packaging and I'm asked to do a survey and I oblige, don't make my only choices for where I live be states in America. If I can buy your product overseas, adapt your survey.
Mansize. Seriously.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Working Moms - What do you think?
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Bugs
Well this is fun – I somehow got 7 bug bites…two on my upper left arm, one on my left forearm, one on my 2nd knuckle on my left hand (that one really hurts/itches), one on my left eyelid (that’s attractive), one just above my eyebrow ring (no, I don’t wear it to work), and one on my forehead where I part my hair.
My guess is either from sleeping with my windows open in the hotel Tuesday night, or when I was at the GDF SUEZ LNG Conference in Chantilly (just north of Paris) Monday/Tuesday – that was a more wooded area. But seriously, why do biting bugs have to love me so much?
My guess is either from sleeping with my windows open in the hotel Tuesday night, or when I was at the GDF SUEZ LNG Conference in Chantilly (just north of Paris) Monday/Tuesday – that was a more wooded area. But seriously, why do biting bugs have to love me so much?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Fruitcakes
Just couldn't let these three things I've read this week go by w/o sharing. And this doesn't include all the crazy political and economic news of the week!
NEW ZEALAND - More mysterious lard-like lumps have washed up on lower North Island shores, proving a beacon to dogs and fortune hunters. (Read about it here)
And...
UNITED NATIONS - Michael Douglas had to field questions Wednesday about the financial turmoil shaking world markets from reporters recalling his role in the 1987 film "Wall Street." (Article is here)
Lastly....
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A West Virginia man who police said passed gas and fanned it toward a patrolman has been charged with battery on a police officer. (Read more here)
(As a coworker said, "I could have charged my brother with battery all those years ago???")
NEW ZEALAND - More mysterious lard-like lumps have washed up on lower North Island shores, proving a beacon to dogs and fortune hunters. (Read about it here)
And...
UNITED NATIONS - Michael Douglas had to field questions Wednesday about the financial turmoil shaking world markets from reporters recalling his role in the 1987 film "Wall Street." (Article is here)
Lastly....
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A West Virginia man who police said passed gas and fanned it toward a patrolman has been charged with battery on a police officer. (Read more here)
(As a coworker said, "I could have charged my brother with battery all those years ago???")
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