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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
That's President Sassypants To You....
....said Barack Obama, all the time, everywhere.
As I'm sure you could tell from my previous post, I am enormously pleased with the outcome of this election. But I think it's also important not to gloat and be an asshole. The country is radically divided, as evidenced by how insanely close many of the states were. What needs to happen now is a lot of WORK and some serious, epic, talking on all sides. Because even though we will never 100% agree on everything all the time, it's important to put the voters first. I hope the coming four years sees a great growth in jobs. I hope international conflicts are fewer in number and more peacefully resolved. I hope we see a big uptick in Americans confidence in themselves and the leaders they have elected to office. I hope more states take the step to legalize gay marriage. (Other states....if Maryland can do it, so can you. I can say this as someone born in Maryland. Get with it.) I hope more smart, strong women enter the political arena. I hope. Because I've still got hope.
Last night, I was thinking about who the next generation of political leaders will be. I look at Julian Castro and Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand and there is hope. I think there are people (like Barack Obama) who get into politics because they want to make a positive impact on their communities, and the nation as a whole. They start locally, as city council, or community organizers, and grow from there. A guy I went to high school with was elected to the City Council last night, and truly I am delighted for him. I think he will make a GREAT elected official, because I know how much he loves that city, and wants to give back. And although I peaced out of there a lifetime ago, I respect that.
Here's to Hope. Here's to those wanting to make a difference. Forward.
SO DAMN SASSY!!!
As I'm sure you could tell from my previous post, I am enormously pleased with the outcome of this election. But I think it's also important not to gloat and be an asshole. The country is radically divided, as evidenced by how insanely close many of the states were. What needs to happen now is a lot of WORK and some serious, epic, talking on all sides. Because even though we will never 100% agree on everything all the time, it's important to put the voters first. I hope the coming four years sees a great growth in jobs. I hope international conflicts are fewer in number and more peacefully resolved. I hope we see a big uptick in Americans confidence in themselves and the leaders they have elected to office. I hope more states take the step to legalize gay marriage. (Other states....if Maryland can do it, so can you. I can say this as someone born in Maryland. Get with it.) I hope more smart, strong women enter the political arena. I hope. Because I've still got hope.
Last night, I was thinking about who the next generation of political leaders will be. I look at Julian Castro and Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand and there is hope. I think there are people (like Barack Obama) who get into politics because they want to make a positive impact on their communities, and the nation as a whole. They start locally, as city council, or community organizers, and grow from there. A guy I went to high school with was elected to the City Council last night, and truly I am delighted for him. I think he will make a GREAT elected official, because I know how much he loves that city, and wants to give back. And although I peaced out of there a lifetime ago, I respect that.
Here's to Hope. Here's to those wanting to make a difference. Forward.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Election Reflection
Four years ago tomorrow, I sat huddled with three amazing friends as we stood in a packed London bar and watched the results of the election come in. Made even more punchy by the difference in time zones, it will always be a perfect and happy memory for me. When I think of us now, literally scattered across the globe (Los Angeles, New York, London and Sydney) I understand the bigger picture of how such a seemingly small amount of time can change your life. In my 30 years on this planet, I have seen the Reagan, Bush1, Clinton, Bush2 and Obama presidencies. But truly, the last four years have been the ones where I have seen the most, and done the largest amount of growing up. It is my experiences during this time that have cemented my decision to go to my local poll tomorrow and vote to keep President Obama in office. Because my last four years have informed me that (in my opinion) he is the best man to hold the job.
I have friends (not many, but still) who are Republicans and will be voting for Romney tomorrow. While that makes me sad, it is their choice, their vote, their contribution to democracy. Politics is a tricky thing in friendship - finding a way to care for and respect others while still disagreeing with some of their ways of thinking.
When I started writing this blog, the "goal" was to impart some of the "wisdom" and "experiences" (aka crazy shitshow stories) I have amassed over the last 30 years. Though I often deviate to bring you updates on my work crush (still so hot. still unsure if he's gay.) and other nonsense, today I revert to basics, breaking down the biggest lessons I have learned in the last four years, and why I'm not losing faith in the man I voted for in 2008.
The Economy - Many Americans are voting for Mitt Romney solely on the hope that he can get the Economy roaring back again. But I believe it is important to look at the fiscal reports that make it abundantly clear that the primary causes of the debt predate Barack Obama. According to The Washington Post, "The post-9/11 wars and security build-up, the Bush tax cuts, and the 2001 and 2008 recessions simply began before Obama became president. You can blame him for extending the Bush tax cuts till 2012, or for the stimulus (though the stimulus would never have happened without the 2008 financial crisis), but the structural of deterioration came in the Bush years."
Now. Romney supporters are wondering why Obama didn't fix everything wrong with the economy in four years. That is simply not possible. It's not. Especially not when Republican law-makers such as Mitch McConnell have been quoted in their goal to stymie progress in order to get nothing done and keep Obama in office for one term. They go out of their way to block job creation bills. Keep Americans suffering (and the economy down) long enough to put a Republican in office? How can ANYONE who claims to want to "serve the people and the greater good" do that?
Over the last four years I have worked multiple jobs to keep myself afloat. And oftentimes I have hated them, because (snobby but true) they've been beneath me in terms of intelligence. But you know what? I sucked it up and survived. I'm not a doctor, or a lawyer. I have degrees (by choice) in things that aren't exactly profitable, and I know that nothing is going to be simply handed to me. So in order to keep doing what I love (arts!) I will have to perform less glamorous jobs for survival. That's just how life is.
Interestingly enough, I worked for two years for a British company, and I loved it. I had hoped to build myself up high in their ranks, and move from the shop floor to the more creative PR division. It wasn't until the company was sold to an American Conglomerate (Retail Group of America!) that all of a sudden everyone who'd built the US stores from the ground up were let go or forced out. So let's not romanticize American jobs, because we're stabbing each other in the back here at home even more than overseas.
I was unemployed for about two months and it was terrifying. I cannot imagine being unsure of one's stability for a longer stretch of time, and my heart aches for those who despite being more than qualified, cannot find steady employment in any field. I was fortunate enough to have friends looking out for me, and have subsequently found a really really good job. But it wasn't all sheer dumb luck -I was scared but I was looking. You can't give up and throw in the towel. You've got to be pounding the pavement every day, looking on job websites and everything. It's hard work for everyone involved.
Love and Human Rights - This one is simple. Romney's own words speak for themselves.
"Some gays are actually having children born to them. It's not right on paper. It's not right in fact...It may affect the development of children and thereby future society as a whole.''
Damn those gays! Wanting basic human freedoms to love! Liberties to marry! The right to a happy life! Was America founded on the basis of freedom, liberty and rights?!? Nooo...Oh, wait a minute.
I don't think anyone with gay friends (Isn't that all of us?) has a leg to stand on when voting for Romney. It is a slap in the face. My taxes are more important than your basic human freedoms. (Bad News: Romney is going to raise taxes for everyone!). I fear that your children will be deeply ashamed of you, when they look back at this point in time. Because to them, it's going to be the same as the civil rights movement was to us. "Black people couldn't use the same bathroom? What the fuck was wrong with you people?"
I want to go to at least 10 gay weddings in the next four years.
And that's not just an excuse to buy a bunch of new dresses, either.
Women's Bodies - Often times I think I don't want to bring a child into this world...between the temperature freakouts of planet Earth, the denial that homosexuals are human beings, and the thought that a Romney administration will absolutely work to overturn Roe v. Wade and put the kibosh on my right to decide what goes on in my uterus.
In the event Romney is elected, this blog might have to stop. Because I'm going to on-the-run as a feminist vigilante super heroine, dashing across the country trying to save women's clinics.
Truly, though. How fucking dare ANYBODY tell ANYBODY ELSE what they can and can't do with their bodies. If it's inside me, it's off limits to you. And vice versa!! I won't try and regulate your testicles if you do me the same courtesy. Period. End of story.
Senior Care - Last but most certainly not least, is care of Senior Citizens. Aging in America is certainly different now than it was even fifteen years ago, but even the healthiest senior should be aware of what is going on currently with Medicare. The number of seniors on Medicare is expected to be around 62 million by 2020. Subsequently, not a program to be fucked around with, eh? (I've said eh? twice now. Canada calls.) A study from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the Romney/Ryan plans to overhaul medicare will result in increased cost - 59% of seniors paying higher premiums in order to receive the same Medicare plans they currently use. Seniors in places with very expensive health care (Florida!) might have to pay much, much higher premiums to get the coverage they have today. Medicare would remain an option for seniors, but in order to choose this option, some seniors would have to pony up even more money.
The only reason my family isn't completely bankrupt is that my mother was savvy enough to make sure that my father was signed up for Medicare before he turned 65 (which almost didn't happen, because people with dementia aren't really bothered with checking their mail and signing up for shit) as well as TriCare for Life, which is a health program for Uniformed Service members and retirees, which my dad is. It is with the aid of these programs (as well as my parent's savings) that Mom pays for Dad's care. That's it. Without it, we'd be so fucked, to put it bluntly. I mean, we're still somewhat fucked just due to healthcare costs in general, but that's life. So, fellow young adults. Please don't just think about your needs. Think about your parents. Because this time is coming for all of us, if it hasn't already. YOU HAVE TO THINK AHEAD. Plans need to be laid out and they need to be clear. You can't just be like "I'll tell you later, issa secret!" like Romney and Ryan.
To conclude. I thought about throwing in one of those ridiculous Paul Ryan weight-lifting pictures (seriously? HIM?) then decided against it in hopes of keeping my points serious. Because this needs to be taken seriously. Everything can change in four years. It did for me. However you vote, you need to be thinking ahead and know that.
See you on the other side of the polls....
I have friends (not many, but still) who are Republicans and will be voting for Romney tomorrow. While that makes me sad, it is their choice, their vote, their contribution to democracy. Politics is a tricky thing in friendship - finding a way to care for and respect others while still disagreeing with some of their ways of thinking.
When I started writing this blog, the "goal" was to impart some of the "wisdom" and "experiences" (aka crazy shitshow stories) I have amassed over the last 30 years. Though I often deviate to bring you updates on my work crush (still so hot. still unsure if he's gay.) and other nonsense, today I revert to basics, breaking down the biggest lessons I have learned in the last four years, and why I'm not losing faith in the man I voted for in 2008.
The Economy - Many Americans are voting for Mitt Romney solely on the hope that he can get the Economy roaring back again. But I believe it is important to look at the fiscal reports that make it abundantly clear that the primary causes of the debt predate Barack Obama. According to The Washington Post, "The post-9/11 wars and security build-up, the Bush tax cuts, and the 2001 and 2008 recessions simply began before Obama became president. You can blame him for extending the Bush tax cuts till 2012, or for the stimulus (though the stimulus would never have happened without the 2008 financial crisis), but the structural of deterioration came in the Bush years."
Now. Romney supporters are wondering why Obama didn't fix everything wrong with the economy in four years. That is simply not possible. It's not. Especially not when Republican law-makers such as Mitch McConnell have been quoted in their goal to stymie progress in order to get nothing done and keep Obama in office for one term. They go out of their way to block job creation bills. Keep Americans suffering (and the economy down) long enough to put a Republican in office? How can ANYONE who claims to want to "serve the people and the greater good" do that?
Over the last four years I have worked multiple jobs to keep myself afloat. And oftentimes I have hated them, because (snobby but true) they've been beneath me in terms of intelligence. But you know what? I sucked it up and survived. I'm not a doctor, or a lawyer. I have degrees (by choice) in things that aren't exactly profitable, and I know that nothing is going to be simply handed to me. So in order to keep doing what I love (arts!) I will have to perform less glamorous jobs for survival. That's just how life is.
Interestingly enough, I worked for two years for a British company, and I loved it. I had hoped to build myself up high in their ranks, and move from the shop floor to the more creative PR division. It wasn't until the company was sold to an American Conglomerate (Retail Group of America!) that all of a sudden everyone who'd built the US stores from the ground up were let go or forced out. So let's not romanticize American jobs, because we're stabbing each other in the back here at home even more than overseas.
I was unemployed for about two months and it was terrifying. I cannot imagine being unsure of one's stability for a longer stretch of time, and my heart aches for those who despite being more than qualified, cannot find steady employment in any field. I was fortunate enough to have friends looking out for me, and have subsequently found a really really good job. But it wasn't all sheer dumb luck -I was scared but I was looking. You can't give up and throw in the towel. You've got to be pounding the pavement every day, looking on job websites and everything. It's hard work for everyone involved.
Love and Human Rights - This one is simple. Romney's own words speak for themselves.
"Some gays are actually having children born to them. It's not right on paper. It's not right in fact...It may affect the development of children and thereby future society as a whole.''
Damn those gays! Wanting basic human freedoms to love! Liberties to marry! The right to a happy life! Was America founded on the basis of freedom, liberty and rights?!? Nooo...Oh, wait a minute.
I don't think anyone with gay friends (Isn't that all of us?) has a leg to stand on when voting for Romney. It is a slap in the face. My taxes are more important than your basic human freedoms. (Bad News: Romney is going to raise taxes for everyone!). I fear that your children will be deeply ashamed of you, when they look back at this point in time. Because to them, it's going to be the same as the civil rights movement was to us. "Black people couldn't use the same bathroom? What the fuck was wrong with you people?"
I want to go to at least 10 gay weddings in the next four years.
And that's not just an excuse to buy a bunch of new dresses, either.
Women's Bodies - Often times I think I don't want to bring a child into this world...between the temperature freakouts of planet Earth, the denial that homosexuals are human beings, and the thought that a Romney administration will absolutely work to overturn Roe v. Wade and put the kibosh on my right to decide what goes on in my uterus.
In the event Romney is elected, this blog might have to stop. Because I'm going to on-the-run as a feminist vigilante super heroine, dashing across the country trying to save women's clinics.
Truly, though. How fucking dare ANYBODY tell ANYBODY ELSE what they can and can't do with their bodies. If it's inside me, it's off limits to you. And vice versa!! I won't try and regulate your testicles if you do me the same courtesy. Period. End of story.
Senior Care - Last but most certainly not least, is care of Senior Citizens. Aging in America is certainly different now than it was even fifteen years ago, but even the healthiest senior should be aware of what is going on currently with Medicare. The number of seniors on Medicare is expected to be around 62 million by 2020. Subsequently, not a program to be fucked around with, eh? (I've said eh? twice now. Canada calls.) A study from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the Romney/Ryan plans to overhaul medicare will result in increased cost - 59% of seniors paying higher premiums in order to receive the same Medicare plans they currently use. Seniors in places with very expensive health care (Florida!) might have to pay much, much higher premiums to get the coverage they have today. Medicare would remain an option for seniors, but in order to choose this option, some seniors would have to pony up even more money.
The only reason my family isn't completely bankrupt is that my mother was savvy enough to make sure that my father was signed up for Medicare before he turned 65 (which almost didn't happen, because people with dementia aren't really bothered with checking their mail and signing up for shit) as well as TriCare for Life, which is a health program for Uniformed Service members and retirees, which my dad is. It is with the aid of these programs (as well as my parent's savings) that Mom pays for Dad's care. That's it. Without it, we'd be so fucked, to put it bluntly. I mean, we're still somewhat fucked just due to healthcare costs in general, but that's life. So, fellow young adults. Please don't just think about your needs. Think about your parents. Because this time is coming for all of us, if it hasn't already. YOU HAVE TO THINK AHEAD. Plans need to be laid out and they need to be clear. You can't just be like "I'll tell you later, issa secret!" like Romney and Ryan.
To conclude. I thought about throwing in one of those ridiculous Paul Ryan weight-lifting pictures (seriously? HIM?) then decided against it in hopes of keeping my points serious. Because this needs to be taken seriously. Everything can change in four years. It did for me. However you vote, you need to be thinking ahead and know that.
See you on the other side of the polls....
Friday, November 2, 2012
NaNoWriMotivateMe or, How I Learned to Cope with My Own Inadequacies and Ponder the Marathon
National Novel Writing Month....also known as NaNoWriMo. Where writers lock themselves away for the month of November (often simultaneously growing mustaches for Movember) and attempt to hack out a novel of at least 50,000 words. There are cool events like kick-off parties and "write ins" which not only foster a sense of community, but create encouragement and sparks inspiration for those who may be struggling.
Many friends have taken part in the event, and it has brought them great creative and personal satisfaction. I have not read their novels.
But for some reason...November is just not a great time of year for me...especially not one to be trying to finally make something out of the mountain of notes lurking in the yellow pad of my iPhone. I'd like to write a novel, but there is something about the pressure to hack it out in a month that is really unappealing to me. GRANTED I obviously need repeated and swift kicks in the ass to get anything done in regards to my writing (a sign of....depression? ADD? Failure?) I care about my stories. I think they're really exciting and interesting! I see so much potential for greatness.
I just....I can't write now (ha). But seriously, guys. I can't.
I've been trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with me. I thought it was writer's block, but I've got a notebook and a half full of notes and I keep working on scripts in like, 2 hour increments, but in the big picture this is simply not enough. I cannot focus. I've been opening up files (discreetly) at work, and scribbling in a notebook when I'm on the move but I feel again like it's going nowhere. And it's super depressing. Can you tell how much this upsets me?? Maybe I'm only going to be a hobby writer. Maybe the muse left town with no forwarding address. Either way I feel fucked over.
Speaking of fucked over, let's talk about the New York City Marathon, going forward as planned this Sunday despite the fact that, uh, the city got wrecked last weekend in the hurricane. I see valid points on both sides. The marathon (usually) evokes a massive, triumphant outpouring of good will, and I <3 NYC type stuff. People trained all year for this. Millions of dollars in charitable donations have been pledged to runners. I get it. A lot of stuff goes down the drains. And couldn't we all use an emotional pick-me-up? BUT AGAIN. City. Burroughs. Destruction. Death. Shortages. Chaos.
Do you ever make pro/con lists to help with big decisions, like taking a job or dumping a boyfriend? I do! They are so helpful, and lay facts out quite neatly. So here's my Marathon Pro/Con list.
Pros
Cons
I think it's pretty clear that the Cons at this point greatly outweigh the Pros. But here is my solution friends, and I'm not saying I should run for mayor (because I'd never be as much of a BOSS as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who invited people in need over to his house via Twitter and is pretty much my front-runner candidate for the next election. He even tweets back to constituents in need who are clearly just stoned - "I'm outta hot pockets") but if I WERE the person in charge I would offer this as the simple solution:
Postpone.
Yes, New York. I think we can meet in the middle here. Will there be pain-in-the-ass bureaucratic red tape and scheduling hassles. Of course. But it can happen. Anyway, I think it could. Hell, wait 3 weeks and do some kind of huge charitable tie-in with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That way we can devote the time to getting everyone out of danger and back on stable ground that is so desperately needed right now. Energy and resources need to be focused on the people who live here that need help. I don't think putting off the (largely) well-off populace that runs in these types of events will end the world. Wait 3 weeks. Get some more training in. And then the city could really come together as one in celebration and good will of having gotten our shit back together and honoring our great and resilient city.
Me for Mayor! Yay!
(No. I don't want to be Mayor. I'd be the meanest Mayor ever.)
Many friends have taken part in the event, and it has brought them great creative and personal satisfaction. I have not read their novels.
But for some reason...November is just not a great time of year for me...especially not one to be trying to finally make something out of the mountain of notes lurking in the yellow pad of my iPhone. I'd like to write a novel, but there is something about the pressure to hack it out in a month that is really unappealing to me. GRANTED I obviously need repeated and swift kicks in the ass to get anything done in regards to my writing (a sign of....depression? ADD? Failure?) I care about my stories. I think they're really exciting and interesting! I see so much potential for greatness.
I just....I can't write now (ha). But seriously, guys. I can't.
I've been trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with me. I thought it was writer's block, but I've got a notebook and a half full of notes and I keep working on scripts in like, 2 hour increments, but in the big picture this is simply not enough. I cannot focus. I've been opening up files (discreetly) at work, and scribbling in a notebook when I'm on the move but I feel again like it's going nowhere. And it's super depressing. Can you tell how much this upsets me?? Maybe I'm only going to be a hobby writer. Maybe the muse left town with no forwarding address. Either way I feel fucked over.
Speaking of fucked over, let's talk about the New York City Marathon, going forward as planned this Sunday despite the fact that, uh, the city got wrecked last weekend in the hurricane. I see valid points on both sides. The marathon (usually) evokes a massive, triumphant outpouring of good will, and I <3 NYC type stuff. People trained all year for this. Millions of dollars in charitable donations have been pledged to runners. I get it. A lot of stuff goes down the drains. And couldn't we all use an emotional pick-me-up? BUT AGAIN. City. Burroughs. Destruction. Death. Shortages. Chaos.
Do you ever make pro/con lists to help with big decisions, like taking a job or dumping a boyfriend? I do! They are so helpful, and lay facts out quite neatly. So here's my Marathon Pro/Con list.
Pros
- People have trained for this!
- Inspires triumphant stories and outpourings of goodwill and support (I have totally cried in years past watching runners pause to greet loved ones along the way. It. Is. Incredible.
- Millions of dollars pledged and raised for charity
Cons
- New Jersey, Lower Manhattan, The Rockaways in Queens and most of Staten Island remain devastated, without power, with food and basic needs in desperately short supply. Food and gasoline are running out in many areas and being rationed. You currently cannot cross a bridge without three people in your car.
- Bodies are still being pulled from wreckages and flooded areas. Not OK. At all. Can we really afford to divert police attention from this for a run? A RUN?!?
- Staten Island and New Jersey still need aid desperately. New York is not just Manhattan. That's an important thing to remember, especially in times of need. We are five Burroughs and a closely-knit Tri-State area.
I think it's pretty clear that the Cons at this point greatly outweigh the Pros. But here is my solution friends, and I'm not saying I should run for mayor (because I'd never be as much of a BOSS as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who invited people in need over to his house via Twitter and is pretty much my front-runner candidate for the next election. He even tweets back to constituents in need who are clearly just stoned - "I'm outta hot pockets") but if I WERE the person in charge I would offer this as the simple solution:
Postpone.
Yes, New York. I think we can meet in the middle here. Will there be pain-in-the-ass bureaucratic red tape and scheduling hassles. Of course. But it can happen. Anyway, I think it could. Hell, wait 3 weeks and do some kind of huge charitable tie-in with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That way we can devote the time to getting everyone out of danger and back on stable ground that is so desperately needed right now. Energy and resources need to be focused on the people who live here that need help. I don't think putting off the (largely) well-off populace that runs in these types of events will end the world. Wait 3 weeks. Get some more training in. And then the city could really come together as one in celebration and good will of having gotten our shit back together and honoring our great and resilient city.
Me for Mayor! Yay!
(No. I don't want to be Mayor. I'd be the meanest Mayor ever.)
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Not the Halloween I'd Planned....
Ho-kay....so.
Before we get to the nitty gritty I thought I'd start out by saying, YES, I am back at work. And yes, very few people are here with me. Apparently the phones are also down, which means I am largely going to be sitting here looking at crazy hurricane photos all day. That and eating the scrumptious apple crumbly cake that L dropped off at my desk this morning, like a glorious baked goods goddess.
I walked by that collapsed crane on the way in this morning. It's around the corner from my office. It is actually terrifying to see in person, when you think that all over this city giant cranes are strapped to rooftops high in the air, and perhaps they aren't really as sturdy as you thought. Most of the damage in and around my area came from downed trees and collapsed scaffolding.
We were watching the news last night, and both my roomie and I were pretty incensed at the reporters on various stations trying to further increase the drama of the situation by comparing Hurricane Sandy to not just one but all of these events:
*September 11th
*Hurricane Katrina
*The Tsunami in Thailand
*China Earthquake
*Haiti Earthquake
As someone on the ground here, let me say this. Hurricane Sandy was horrible. No doubt. The loss of life (29 was the last I heard) and certainly billions it will cost to repair the city is a terrible blow. We all feel it. Seeing parts of town I know and love submerged and ruined...it takes your breath away like a punch in the gut. HOWEVER. It is in no way on scale with those other disasters (thousands upon thousands dead, cities wiped out, spread of disease). We're going to be OK. The power, while terribly gross and inconvenient, will come back on. Flooded subways are being pumped as I type. We are a fortunate city, with a lot of stamina and the resources to bounce back. That is the thing: we have the resources. New York City has the capacity to rebuild, much more quickly than most. A city of nine million won't let projects go undone. (It's like a love/hate thing I have with this place. New Yorkers are so spoiled that they can't function without all the little luxuries they now take as necessity, so every little bakery and shop MUST reopen asap! Little Timmy needs his organic muffins!) This alone gives us a great advantage over most other places faced with disaster: we have the money and the drive to rebuild, and quickly. So yes, this week has been pretty brutal, to say the least. But we'll be fine. New York will always rebuild.
Today is Halloween, and frankly, I understand why no one seems to give a fuck. There are bigger problems. But, because I try to keep things fun even in the face of disaster, I am dressed as Waldo (as in "Where's?") today. This means simply that I am wearing my red/white striped shirt and have my glasses in my bag. It's like a stealthy costume. Fellow employees might think I am simply a hipster. Sadly, though, I am missing the one most crucial part of my costume...
MY CANE!
Which is made all the more ironic by the fact that I slept on my back kind of crazy last night and am in all sorts of pain today. Like, really really horrible pain that I'm trying to stretch out discreetly without bursting into screams pain. So I could actually use a cane today. Dressed as Waldo. Oh life.
Before we get to the nitty gritty I thought I'd start out by saying, YES, I am back at work. And yes, very few people are here with me. Apparently the phones are also down, which means I am largely going to be sitting here looking at crazy hurricane photos all day. That and eating the scrumptious apple crumbly cake that L dropped off at my desk this morning, like a glorious baked goods goddess.
I walked by that collapsed crane on the way in this morning. It's around the corner from my office. It is actually terrifying to see in person, when you think that all over this city giant cranes are strapped to rooftops high in the air, and perhaps they aren't really as sturdy as you thought. Most of the damage in and around my area came from downed trees and collapsed scaffolding.
We were watching the news last night, and both my roomie and I were pretty incensed at the reporters on various stations trying to further increase the drama of the situation by comparing Hurricane Sandy to not just one but all of these events:
*September 11th
*Hurricane Katrina
*The Tsunami in Thailand
*China Earthquake
*Haiti Earthquake
As someone on the ground here, let me say this. Hurricane Sandy was horrible. No doubt. The loss of life (29 was the last I heard) and certainly billions it will cost to repair the city is a terrible blow. We all feel it. Seeing parts of town I know and love submerged and ruined...it takes your breath away like a punch in the gut. HOWEVER. It is in no way on scale with those other disasters (thousands upon thousands dead, cities wiped out, spread of disease). We're going to be OK. The power, while terribly gross and inconvenient, will come back on. Flooded subways are being pumped as I type. We are a fortunate city, with a lot of stamina and the resources to bounce back. That is the thing: we have the resources. New York City has the capacity to rebuild, much more quickly than most. A city of nine million won't let projects go undone. (It's like a love/hate thing I have with this place. New Yorkers are so spoiled that they can't function without all the little luxuries they now take as necessity, so every little bakery and shop MUST reopen asap! Little Timmy needs his organic muffins!) This alone gives us a great advantage over most other places faced with disaster: we have the money and the drive to rebuild, and quickly. So yes, this week has been pretty brutal, to say the least. But we'll be fine. New York will always rebuild.
Today is Halloween, and frankly, I understand why no one seems to give a fuck. There are bigger problems. But, because I try to keep things fun even in the face of disaster, I am dressed as Waldo (as in "Where's?") today. This means simply that I am wearing my red/white striped shirt and have my glasses in my bag. It's like a stealthy costume. Fellow employees might think I am simply a hipster. Sadly, though, I am missing the one most crucial part of my costume...
Which is made all the more ironic by the fact that I slept on my back kind of crazy last night and am in all sorts of pain today. Like, really really horrible pain that I'm trying to stretch out discreetly without bursting into screams pain. So I could actually use a cane today. Dressed as Waldo. Oh life.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Cabin Fever and Weird Food Things
It's day one of Hurricane Sandy, and I'm dying to get
out of my apartment. This is a bad sign.
I spent as much of Sunday out of doors and it's still not enough. Apparently when it comes to "hunkering down" I am something of a failure. Sure, I like an afternoon cuddled up in front of the TV as much as the next girl, but I don't like having no other option! According to Mayor Bloomberg (whose attempts as Spanish are pretty much the funniest thing I have ever heard) the shit is going to get real much later today into tomorrow with crazy winds and flooding. Sigh. I wanted to pop outside for a quick walk, but the rain and cold winds have already picked up, and since I don't want anything to fall on me, I'll abstain.
So...how are you guys?
After 30 years of kicking around on Planet Earth I know very few things to be 100% true. The few things that are indisputably fact are food-related and can be summarized as thus:
1. Gummi Bears pair beautifully with a nice rose.
2. Everyone likes at least one type of pie.
3. There is no such thing as an omnivore.
(Awesome Sidenote: Remember back when I wrote about Tabula Rasa...or Clean Slate? I recently had the MOST DELICIOUS wine that was called....Clean Slate. DESTINY! WINE OF DESTINY!)
If you haven't read Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma, I encourage you to put down 50 Flavors of Stupid Nonsense, Hooker and check this out instead. It's a slow start but ultimately a fascinating read. Where does our food come from? Why is corn in EVERYTHING? How does culture influence culinary choices? It's so interesting!
But in the broadest definition of "omnivore," that is, one that eats anything, I have never met a person who didn't have some weird hang-ups or aversions to food. We can't please all of the people all of the time. When I was much younger, I was like a carbo-loading monster. Potatoes, pasta, bread. Every mean could have been a starch and I'd have been happy. It was only with time, and experimentation that I learned that I also liked many vegetables, most fruits, and some poultry. Seafood is not really on the cards. Nor are creamy foods and sauces (it's a texture thing, I can't handle it) or eggs (I've been trying for years to eat eggs and not feel sick afterwards. No dice.)
Here at HQ, my roommate has prepared a bunch of food for the hurricane. I....uh....did not. I picked up a Big Gulp of coffee at 7-11 yesterday, and a footlong sub from Subway. Both of which are dwindling. I've also got some garlic hummus (my favorite!) apples and peanut butter. I think I'll be ok. Starvation is not on the cards in any sense.
Thanks to those who have sent well wishes to the East Coast during this slightly bonkers couple of days. If power goes down....well, them's the breaks, you know? I'll be back when I'm back.
I spent as much of Sunday out of doors and it's still not enough. Apparently when it comes to "hunkering down" I am something of a failure. Sure, I like an afternoon cuddled up in front of the TV as much as the next girl, but I don't like having no other option! According to Mayor Bloomberg (whose attempts as Spanish are pretty much the funniest thing I have ever heard) the shit is going to get real much later today into tomorrow with crazy winds and flooding. Sigh. I wanted to pop outside for a quick walk, but the rain and cold winds have already picked up, and since I don't want anything to fall on me, I'll abstain.
So...how are you guys?
After 30 years of kicking around on Planet Earth I know very few things to be 100% true. The few things that are indisputably fact are food-related and can be summarized as thus:
1. Gummi Bears pair beautifully with a nice rose.
2. Everyone likes at least one type of pie.
3. There is no such thing as an omnivore.
(Awesome Sidenote: Remember back when I wrote about Tabula Rasa...or Clean Slate? I recently had the MOST DELICIOUS wine that was called....Clean Slate. DESTINY! WINE OF DESTINY!)
But in the broadest definition of "omnivore," that is, one that eats anything, I have never met a person who didn't have some weird hang-ups or aversions to food. We can't please all of the people all of the time. When I was much younger, I was like a carbo-loading monster. Potatoes, pasta, bread. Every mean could have been a starch and I'd have been happy. It was only with time, and experimentation that I learned that I also liked many vegetables, most fruits, and some poultry. Seafood is not really on the cards. Nor are creamy foods and sauces (it's a texture thing, I can't handle it) or eggs (I've been trying for years to eat eggs and not feel sick afterwards. No dice.)
Here at HQ, my roommate has prepared a bunch of food for the hurricane. I....uh....did not. I picked up a Big Gulp of coffee at 7-11 yesterday, and a footlong sub from Subway. Both of which are dwindling. I've also got some garlic hummus (my favorite!) apples and peanut butter. I think I'll be ok. Starvation is not on the cards in any sense.
Thanks to those who have sent well wishes to the East Coast during this slightly bonkers couple of days. If power goes down....well, them's the breaks, you know? I'll be back when I'm back.
Friday, October 26, 2012
The Nanny Question
I wasn't planning on publishing twice today (Happy Friday, I guess) but considering that this morning I walked by the scene of a double homicide on the way to work I've got some heavy thoughts.
Last night, very close to my apartment, a nanny allegedly stabbed the two children in her care to death before turning the knife on herself and slitting her throat. She is alive, but in critical condition. My neighborhood is in a state of shock today. In a city where so many children seemed to be raised by "the help" even those of us without kids are floored. How does something like this happen? And what does it mean for those currently working as professional child caregivers? Nannies frequently become like extended family members. It's sad but important to note that terrible crime happens in this city every day. The gruesome murder of two affluent white children isn't more important than any other (pretty much any news story where a kid is murdered feels like a punch in the gut, I think most of us would agree) but I think what's most jarring about this is that these very young children were murdered in their own home by a person entrusted with their lives. The more I read about this family, and what was seemingly a warm and loving relationship with this nanny, the sadder and more confused I get.
When I found out about the crime, I was in the locker room at the boxing gym. Interesting enough, a large number of the women in my class are....nannies. And they, like the woman arrested for the murder, are women of color. As they chatted amongst each other, the initial shock of the story gave way to a new thought...how it will be even more difficult from here on out for them to gain the full trust and support of their white employers. Oftentimes, I think we're not so far out from the 1960s as we'd like to think we are.
I don't think any parent handles the decision of choosing a nanny lightly. How do you interview the person who will be spending the majority of your child's waking hours with them? How will they handle themselves in an emergency? Do they actively engage with the kids, or plunk them down in front of the idiot box?
Parents have been commenting on news stories all morning, declaring they no longer feel comfortable leaving their children with strangers, and will stay with them until they leave for kindergarten. But not everyone has this luxury. For many working parents (including my own) they simply cannot be at home all the time while their kids are young. Brother and I had a nanny while we were very young. Peggy (I use her real name, because she deserves real praise) saved my brother's life in a house fire that happened before I was born. She was selfless bravery incarnate. Her absolute priority was to get him to safety as quickly as possible. I'm getting kind of emotional thinking about it, because there was never enough we could do to thank her. My family owes her everything, and she knew up until her death how much we loved her. That is how my family was with our nanny. We visited Peggy and her husband until we were well into our 20s. It was a bond like that of children with a grandparent, and since we'd lost our biological grandparents quite young, it was just as strong.
I've seen both sides of nanny/parent as an adult too. Friends have nannied with mixed results. At times they are welcomed into the fold and all goes swimmingly. (It is interesting to note that many of these friends are white, English-speaking, and college-educated) They stay with the families for years, and are loved dearly by the children. Other times though, the line of "family" and "assistant" is firmly drawn and rarely crossed. I mean, The Nanny Diaries was a huge hit for a reason. When I worked in retail, a group of nannies came to the shop frequently. They were....God, they were terrible. Frequently screaming into their phones, ignoring the children (more than once, knowingly late to pick them up at school and not giving a fuck) and just focused on pushing the pram for the allotted hours until they got paid and could go home.
I do think that if you are a stay-at-home parent with no job who still hires a nanny so you can fuck off every day with your friends for shopping, yoga and coffee, then you fucking suck and your kids should be handed over to someone who gives a damn about them. That I firmly believe.
This is a hodgepodge of thoughts. I personally don't know anything about being a nanny. (I mean, I did some summer-camp teaching, but those kids were older and hella smart) All I know is that something truly terrible and heart-breaking happened, and every single kid in the world deserves better than that.
Last night, very close to my apartment, a nanny allegedly stabbed the two children in her care to death before turning the knife on herself and slitting her throat. She is alive, but in critical condition. My neighborhood is in a state of shock today. In a city where so many children seemed to be raised by "the help" even those of us without kids are floored. How does something like this happen? And what does it mean for those currently working as professional child caregivers? Nannies frequently become like extended family members. It's sad but important to note that terrible crime happens in this city every day. The gruesome murder of two affluent white children isn't more important than any other (pretty much any news story where a kid is murdered feels like a punch in the gut, I think most of us would agree) but I think what's most jarring about this is that these very young children were murdered in their own home by a person entrusted with their lives. The more I read about this family, and what was seemingly a warm and loving relationship with this nanny, the sadder and more confused I get.
When I found out about the crime, I was in the locker room at the boxing gym. Interesting enough, a large number of the women in my class are....nannies. And they, like the woman arrested for the murder, are women of color. As they chatted amongst each other, the initial shock of the story gave way to a new thought...how it will be even more difficult from here on out for them to gain the full trust and support of their white employers. Oftentimes, I think we're not so far out from the 1960s as we'd like to think we are.
I don't think any parent handles the decision of choosing a nanny lightly. How do you interview the person who will be spending the majority of your child's waking hours with them? How will they handle themselves in an emergency? Do they actively engage with the kids, or plunk them down in front of the idiot box?
Parents have been commenting on news stories all morning, declaring they no longer feel comfortable leaving their children with strangers, and will stay with them until they leave for kindergarten. But not everyone has this luxury. For many working parents (including my own) they simply cannot be at home all the time while their kids are young. Brother and I had a nanny while we were very young. Peggy (I use her real name, because she deserves real praise) saved my brother's life in a house fire that happened before I was born. She was selfless bravery incarnate. Her absolute priority was to get him to safety as quickly as possible. I'm getting kind of emotional thinking about it, because there was never enough we could do to thank her. My family owes her everything, and she knew up until her death how much we loved her. That is how my family was with our nanny. We visited Peggy and her husband until we were well into our 20s. It was a bond like that of children with a grandparent, and since we'd lost our biological grandparents quite young, it was just as strong.
I've seen both sides of nanny/parent as an adult too. Friends have nannied with mixed results. At times they are welcomed into the fold and all goes swimmingly. (It is interesting to note that many of these friends are white, English-speaking, and college-educated) They stay with the families for years, and are loved dearly by the children. Other times though, the line of "family" and "assistant" is firmly drawn and rarely crossed. I mean, The Nanny Diaries was a huge hit for a reason. When I worked in retail, a group of nannies came to the shop frequently. They were....God, they were terrible. Frequently screaming into their phones, ignoring the children (more than once, knowingly late to pick them up at school and not giving a fuck) and just focused on pushing the pram for the allotted hours until they got paid and could go home.
I do think that if you are a stay-at-home parent with no job who still hires a nanny so you can fuck off every day with your friends for shopping, yoga and coffee, then you fucking suck and your kids should be handed over to someone who gives a damn about them. That I firmly believe.
This is a hodgepodge of thoughts. I personally don't know anything about being a nanny. (I mean, I did some summer-camp teaching, but those kids were older and hella smart) All I know is that something truly terrible and heart-breaking happened, and every single kid in the world deserves better than that.
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