I found this on a website some time ago and have been meaning to post it for some time. It's a talk from 2009 about how to build coalitions and accelerate women's equality around the world.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Boo, I Suck
I've been lying in bed trying to get to sleep, but I have one thought running through my head.
I missed a key - and EASY - penalty kick today. It has severely shaken my belief in myself and my abilities as a soccer player.
Pathetic? Not nearly as pathetic as the shot was. It's like I psyched myself out. Twice! Once in taking a slow, crappy shot almost directly down the middle, and then again when I thought I wasn't allowed to touch the ball a second time on the rebound, so I stopped running for the ball. Apparently, the rule is that it is a live ball once the keeper touches it.
You know, I have taken penalty shots before in my career. And I have made probably 70% of them. We really could have used this goal today. It was demoralizing. And I'm annoyed.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'm hoping I'll get over it eventually. Mainly so I can get some sleep and go to work tomorrow bright-eyed and bushy tailed. At least bright-eyed.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
My newest niece Mia
I had a wonderful time visiting the East coast - once I got over being really sick with pink eye and a sinus infection. It took me a few days to get to visiting and it was too short of a trip as a consequence, but it was wonderful seeing everyone I came to see and having a good time with the family.
I finally met my new niece, Mia Rachel. She is very cute and I took a quick video. Check it out.
I finally met my new niece, Mia Rachel. She is very cute and I took a quick video. Check it out.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Aloo Gobi
The gf is making it. I'm still recovering from being sick, so I'm useless except for washing dishes, which is what I've been doing for two days. I think tomorrow night I will cook something - perhaps omelets? I watched Julia Child do it on PBS yesterday and I'm sure I can do it. It turns out I've been doing it wrong for some time now. I didn't get the pan hot enough and wasn't using enough butter. Now that Julia has corrected my technique, my special dinner will be better.
Ok that's all I have energy for today. New resolution: write on my blog more.
Ok that's all I have energy for today. New resolution: write on my blog more.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
A Good Night - Really!
I'm dancing in my living room/kitchen. Really, the kitchen is so small I must dance in the living room or risk serious injury.
"Now if she does it like this, will you do it like that
Now if she touches like this, will you touch her right back
Now if she moves like this, will you move it like that (come on)
Shake shake, shake shake uh shake it!"
Life is good. I'm not sure why precisely, though I have some ideas, and overall I have a very strong feeling that things are going to start going our way. Maybe a job in San Francisco for me? Signs are promising, as long as I keep my crap together, beginning with getting my head around managing stuff. I need to act like a 35-year-old. I think can manage that. The gf is quitting her crappy job, so she'll be happier, which will in turn make me happier. This is one of the main components of a relationship, I've learned: commiseration. That's what makes a friend more than a friend. If your pain affects the other person, or your joy, and vice versa, then it's something more.
I'm also getting into better shape, losing a little weight, cooking more, feeling more confident in the kitchen, and experimenting with some stuff. I just made whipped cream in anticipation of a cheesecake at the end of the week for a potluck to which we were invited. Ok, whipped cream is not a big deal. But a cheesecake? A pumpkin cheesecake nonetheless, like the one my sister made for Thanksgiving.
Cheesecake for Thanksgiving, you ask? Yes, my family does this thing where since I'm the only one that likes pure pumpkin pie, we do a variation of pumpkin pie each year to try to get others to enjoy it (is it obvious that I am the most tolerant and open-minded person in the family?). Thus, I haven't had real pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving with my family in probably about 5 years. I respect the attempts to popularize what, in America, is already a pretty popular dish, but sometimes, I just want creamy, filling, orange squash pie. In any case, this cheesecake blew me out of the house. It was absolutely amazing, so I will attempt it myself tomorrow night. Wish me luck!
Another thing that is making me happy is a bit of a crush. I have absolutely no right to have a crush on this woman, but she's cute and funny, so that makes me excited and flirty. Flirting is fun, people - and I highly recommend it.
I also want to confess a dream I've had for some time now - I really, really, really want to do karaoke at work. Mostly because I think I'm amazing at karaoke, as anyone from college can confirm - not that I'm good, I mean, but that I think I'm good. Modesty has never been a strong point of mine, particularly when it comes to music/singing. And I want to impress my co-workers, admittedly some more than others, with my incredible singing and dancing. Ha.
Speaking of music, if and when I move to San Francisco in the coming weeks/months, I will attempt to join the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony. It's a symphony made up primarily of gay men, an amateur one, and a friend of mine from back in the day - dirty Jersey (eww I can't believe I just said that) - is in it. He's convinced me that I should do it, not like I needed much prodding. I miss orchestra playing, and I'd be psyched to get into a chamber group from that group as well. The possibilities are endless!
Finally, I've decided I'm going to try to write a novel. That's going to be my ticket to fame and fortune - or at least a feeling of satisfaction that I might be able to ride until it runs out of batteries - or skate on until I lose momentum (just practicing my metaphors). Maybe I've been listening too much to This American Life, but some days, I pull into my little parking spot and think, "What happened to me would make a great story. I should write it down." And then I promptly forget it. So I've decided that each day, I'm going to come home and write for 30 minutes about my day. We'll see how that goes. I think it's called a journal - remember those? Before blogs, Facebook status updates, and Twitter, people used to come home and write in real books, on paper, with pens. I used to have a journal in college. It fell by the wayside when I got happier with my life. I think I need to pick it up again - it was a valuable hobby for me. It helped my memory, I think... though I can't really remember.
Alright, I've exhausted my topics for tonight. Perhaps I'll write again tomorrow, if I'm done with my cake around the time that the Internet is working again. To quote a great email newsletter, "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."
PS - Write Christmas cards!
"Now if she does it like this, will you do it like that
Now if she touches like this, will you touch her right back
Now if she moves like this, will you move it like that (come on)
Shake shake, shake shake uh shake it!"
Life is good. I'm not sure why precisely, though I have some ideas, and overall I have a very strong feeling that things are going to start going our way. Maybe a job in San Francisco for me? Signs are promising, as long as I keep my crap together, beginning with getting my head around managing stuff. I need to act like a 35-year-old. I think can manage that. The gf is quitting her crappy job, so she'll be happier, which will in turn make me happier. This is one of the main components of a relationship, I've learned: commiseration. That's what makes a friend more than a friend. If your pain affects the other person, or your joy, and vice versa, then it's something more.
I'm also getting into better shape, losing a little weight, cooking more, feeling more confident in the kitchen, and experimenting with some stuff. I just made whipped cream in anticipation of a cheesecake at the end of the week for a potluck to which we were invited. Ok, whipped cream is not a big deal. But a cheesecake? A pumpkin cheesecake nonetheless, like the one my sister made for Thanksgiving.
Cheesecake for Thanksgiving, you ask? Yes, my family does this thing where since I'm the only one that likes pure pumpkin pie, we do a variation of pumpkin pie each year to try to get others to enjoy it (is it obvious that I am the most tolerant and open-minded person in the family?). Thus, I haven't had real pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving with my family in probably about 5 years. I respect the attempts to popularize what, in America, is already a pretty popular dish, but sometimes, I just want creamy, filling, orange squash pie. In any case, this cheesecake blew me out of the house. It was absolutely amazing, so I will attempt it myself tomorrow night. Wish me luck!
Another thing that is making me happy is a bit of a crush. I have absolutely no right to have a crush on this woman, but she's cute and funny, so that makes me excited and flirty. Flirting is fun, people - and I highly recommend it.
I also want to confess a dream I've had for some time now - I really, really, really want to do karaoke at work. Mostly because I think I'm amazing at karaoke, as anyone from college can confirm - not that I'm good, I mean, but that I think I'm good. Modesty has never been a strong point of mine, particularly when it comes to music/singing. And I want to impress my co-workers, admittedly some more than others, with my incredible singing and dancing. Ha.
Speaking of music, if and when I move to San Francisco in the coming weeks/months, I will attempt to join the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony. It's a symphony made up primarily of gay men, an amateur one, and a friend of mine from back in the day - dirty Jersey (eww I can't believe I just said that) - is in it. He's convinced me that I should do it, not like I needed much prodding. I miss orchestra playing, and I'd be psyched to get into a chamber group from that group as well. The possibilities are endless!
Finally, I've decided I'm going to try to write a novel. That's going to be my ticket to fame and fortune - or at least a feeling of satisfaction that I might be able to ride until it runs out of batteries - or skate on until I lose momentum (just practicing my metaphors). Maybe I've been listening too much to This American Life, but some days, I pull into my little parking spot and think, "What happened to me would make a great story. I should write it down." And then I promptly forget it. So I've decided that each day, I'm going to come home and write for 30 minutes about my day. We'll see how that goes. I think it's called a journal - remember those? Before blogs, Facebook status updates, and Twitter, people used to come home and write in real books, on paper, with pens. I used to have a journal in college. It fell by the wayside when I got happier with my life. I think I need to pick it up again - it was a valuable hobby for me. It helped my memory, I think... though I can't really remember.
Alright, I've exhausted my topics for tonight. Perhaps I'll write again tomorrow, if I'm done with my cake around the time that the Internet is working again. To quote a great email newsletter, "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."
PS - Write Christmas cards!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Paul Krugman Rocks My World
He rocks. I heard him last night at the Flint Center in beautiful Cupertino, CA on the campus of De Anza College. He was witty, funny, and elucidating - or as much as one can be when discussing the economic nuclear holocaust in which we are currently engulfed. It wasn't happy news, people - optimist, perhaps, he is not. Realist, though, he most certainly is- tempered by a heavy dose of intelligent liberalism. And he saw this one coming - read his book.
His talk in a nutshell: we will be out of this recession in 15 years according to the only statistic that truly matters to the general public: unemployment at the same rate before it began in 2007. For us to get from the current 10.2% to the before-the-recession rate of 5%, it will take about 15 years at the current rate of economic growth. Asked whether or not this downturn/depression will contribute in the long-term to economic inequality, he answered that in the short-term, no. But in the long-term, it remains to be seen. I'm guessing yes.
In between those dire predictions, he talked about the bank bailout, which is separate from the stimulus package, executive pay, and other pertinent topics. He mentioned that executive bonuses are detrimental in that they are actually so large that they take away from the capital that these banks so desperately needed, but they wouldn't otherwise be super offensive. From a public relations perspective, though, they are a disaster.
The final conclusion of the night: we need more stimulus, even though it is a political fantasy not grounded in possibility, much less probability. We needed about $1.4 trillion back in January, not the measley $700 billion we got, and so things are more sluggish than they could be. He also recommended some kind of huge job stimulus like the Works Progress Administration or the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s (to which, by the way, we owe our National Parks). Can't say that it would be a bad idea, though that kind of "socialist takeover of our economy" would never happen with this Congress.
Anyway, he rocks. Check out one of his recent columns from the New York Times. Also, kudos to the host of the night, Dick Henning, and founder of the Celebrity Forum Speaker Series, who was hilarious. My favorite joke of the night: "Winston Churchill and Mrs. Nancy Astor used to have frequent heated discussions at the bar. On one occasion, Mr. Churchill said to Mrs. Astor, "Madam you are ugly." To which she responded, "Mr. Churchill, you are drunk." Mr. Churchill retorted: "Yes, but tomorrow, I'll be sober!" It's a good one. That Winston Churchill...
Toodles, my wonderful followers and infrequent readers! Hope you enjoyed your time spent here- I know I did.
His talk in a nutshell: we will be out of this recession in 15 years according to the only statistic that truly matters to the general public: unemployment at the same rate before it began in 2007. For us to get from the current 10.2% to the before-the-recession rate of 5%, it will take about 15 years at the current rate of economic growth. Asked whether or not this downturn/depression will contribute in the long-term to economic inequality, he answered that in the short-term, no. But in the long-term, it remains to be seen. I'm guessing yes.
In between those dire predictions, he talked about the bank bailout, which is separate from the stimulus package, executive pay, and other pertinent topics. He mentioned that executive bonuses are detrimental in that they are actually so large that they take away from the capital that these banks so desperately needed, but they wouldn't otherwise be super offensive. From a public relations perspective, though, they are a disaster.
The final conclusion of the night: we need more stimulus, even though it is a political fantasy not grounded in possibility, much less probability. We needed about $1.4 trillion back in January, not the measley $700 billion we got, and so things are more sluggish than they could be. He also recommended some kind of huge job stimulus like the Works Progress Administration or the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s (to which, by the way, we owe our National Parks). Can't say that it would be a bad idea, though that kind of "socialist takeover of our economy" would never happen with this Congress.
Anyway, he rocks. Check out one of his recent columns from the New York Times. Also, kudos to the host of the night, Dick Henning, and founder of the Celebrity Forum Speaker Series, who was hilarious. My favorite joke of the night: "Winston Churchill and Mrs. Nancy Astor used to have frequent heated discussions at the bar. On one occasion, Mr. Churchill said to Mrs. Astor, "Madam you are ugly." To which she responded, "Mr. Churchill, you are drunk." Mr. Churchill retorted: "Yes, but tomorrow, I'll be sober!" It's a good one. That Winston Churchill...
Toodles, my wonderful followers and infrequent readers! Hope you enjoyed your time spent here- I know I did.
Friday, October 30, 2009
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