I just opened my email this morning to find this quote in the Global Development Briefinf Newsletter:
"It's either some colossal cluelessness or remarkable indifference to that reality that would somehow try to equate raising one's hand with a diamond on it as a promotional counter-measure to the effect of the film."
-- Edward Zwick, director of Hollywood film Blood Diamond, attacking a campaign to get film stars to display gems at awards events. The US diamond industry is donating USD 10,000 to African charities for each star raising a hand with a ring at events including the Oscars. Zwick, whose Africa-set film highlights the issue of illegal diamond profits funding wars, called the move a "charitable bribe" and "distasteful." The World Diamond Council (WDC) said so-called "blood diamonds" made up less than 1 percent of new diamonds, compared with 4 percent in the late 1990s. Conflict diamonds have been linked to armed struggles in Sierra Leone, Liberia, the DRC (Congo) and the Central African Republic.
January 25, 2007
January 22, 2007
First Snow
Yesterday, Washington D.C had its first snow of the season. The weather has been incredibly mild and sometimes downright warm (mid 70s in winter). At this point, if George W. Bush even utters the phrase "I don't believe in Global Warming", I think that everybody in the world would laugh. Surely he's joking right?
Anyways, it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't experienced snow for a good three years! For those readers that haven't seen snow either, there are three things that charaterize this phenomenon:
(1) Snow is white. This is where the expression "its fleece was white as snow" comes from.
(2) Snow is wet. All proper winter footwear should be plasticized. If you choose to be stubborn and walk around with your suede "city shoes", you will soon find that your socks and toes are wet, and your shoes don't look so trendy anymore. D'oh!
(3) But above all, snow is cold. Actually, it's damn cold. People cope with this in different ways. Some women would rather look hot than cover up. And they will walk around with little shirts and short skirts. But people stare at them with disbelief and snickering. Others pull out their most expensive fur coats, fur-lined hat and furry boats. I am more of the bundle-up-in-layers persuasion.
I would recommend the following attire:
-A big puffy coat. If you are a rap star, go ahead and buy the biggest, puffiest, less form fitting coat out there;
-A hat. No matter how you slice it, hats look dorky. Even if you have the half-beret, hat-baseball caps that young, trendy women wear, it's silly looking. But a hat is incredibly useful because it prevents the heat from escaping your body through the top of your head. It works. Trust me: tried, tested and true;
-Good gloves. I would recommend mittens or cashmere gloves. Nice and toasty;
-Sturdy boots and thick socks;
-If you are like me and you happen to have gone out to dinner BEFORE the snow, and suddenly realize that the rapdily falling snow will damage both your large leather bag from India and your computer case, throw your pride out of the door and cover them both with garbage bags. You may look like a homeless person, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.
When it snows, whatever you do, you are bound to look like a crazy person, a Yeti or the Pillsbury Doe Boy. Ah, snow, the great equalizer.
Anyways, it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't experienced snow for a good three years! For those readers that haven't seen snow either, there are three things that charaterize this phenomenon:
(1) Snow is white. This is where the expression "its fleece was white as snow" comes from.
(2) Snow is wet. All proper winter footwear should be plasticized. If you choose to be stubborn and walk around with your suede "city shoes", you will soon find that your socks and toes are wet, and your shoes don't look so trendy anymore. D'oh!
(3) But above all, snow is cold. Actually, it's damn cold. People cope with this in different ways. Some women would rather look hot than cover up. And they will walk around with little shirts and short skirts. But people stare at them with disbelief and snickering. Others pull out their most expensive fur coats, fur-lined hat and furry boats. I am more of the bundle-up-in-layers persuasion.
I would recommend the following attire:
-A big puffy coat. If you are a rap star, go ahead and buy the biggest, puffiest, less form fitting coat out there;
-A hat. No matter how you slice it, hats look dorky. Even if you have the half-beret, hat-baseball caps that young, trendy women wear, it's silly looking. But a hat is incredibly useful because it prevents the heat from escaping your body through the top of your head. It works. Trust me: tried, tested and true;
-Good gloves. I would recommend mittens or cashmere gloves. Nice and toasty;
-Sturdy boots and thick socks;
-If you are like me and you happen to have gone out to dinner BEFORE the snow, and suddenly realize that the rapdily falling snow will damage both your large leather bag from India and your computer case, throw your pride out of the door and cover them both with garbage bags. You may look like a homeless person, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.
When it snows, whatever you do, you are bound to look like a crazy person, a Yeti or the Pillsbury Doe Boy. Ah, snow, the great equalizer.
The Medical School Paradox
You know, being a Public Health graduate, I have had plenty of time to study with pre-med students and contemplate whether being a doctor is the right path for me. I concluded a long time ago, that treating warts and bunions on middle-aged men’s feet was just not for me.
However, I have immense respect for doctors. Mainly because they have to treat bunions and warts on middle-aged people’s feet.
However, I found that there is an inherent flaw to the recruitment of doctors and I am reminded of it as my sister is neurotically trying to finish her medical school applications and competing for interviews with people who have rafted down the Amazon River or spent years working for medical consulting firms.
The paradox is this.
(A) The Hippocratic Oath
The Hippocratic Oath is a vow that physicians take to promise that they will do their utmost to take the best course of action for their patients. Therefore, a doctor is a surrogate parent of sorts.
(B) Technical Skills
There are few things harder than being a doctor. This is because being a doctor takes precise, correct, well-tested, time-sensitive, case-by-case and sometimes innovative approaches to care.
(C) Pre-Med Student Selection
Because these technical skills are so important to becoming a good doctor, you look for students that can retain large amounts of information, take quick decision after long hours of work and are particularly compassionate and driven to see the patient get better. Some students distinguish themselves by working hard, volunteering in local shelters and having good social skills. Other students retain their competitive edge by being unwilling to cooperate with fellow students, ripping articles from academic journals used for school work and convincing other students that they are not driven/smart/connected enough to be in this field.
Which brings me to the following equation.
A + B + C ≠ Good Doctor
Hyppocritic Oath + Technical Skills + Student Selection doesn’t necessarily equal being a Good Doctor.
However, I have immense respect for doctors. Mainly because they have to treat bunions and warts on middle-aged people’s feet.
However, I found that there is an inherent flaw to the recruitment of doctors and I am reminded of it as my sister is neurotically trying to finish her medical school applications and competing for interviews with people who have rafted down the Amazon River or spent years working for medical consulting firms.
The paradox is this.
(A) The Hippocratic Oath
The Hippocratic Oath is a vow that physicians take to promise that they will do their utmost to take the best course of action for their patients. Therefore, a doctor is a surrogate parent of sorts.
(B) Technical Skills
There are few things harder than being a doctor. This is because being a doctor takes precise, correct, well-tested, time-sensitive, case-by-case and sometimes innovative approaches to care.
(C) Pre-Med Student Selection
Because these technical skills are so important to becoming a good doctor, you look for students that can retain large amounts of information, take quick decision after long hours of work and are particularly compassionate and driven to see the patient get better. Some students distinguish themselves by working hard, volunteering in local shelters and having good social skills. Other students retain their competitive edge by being unwilling to cooperate with fellow students, ripping articles from academic journals used for school work and convincing other students that they are not driven/smart/connected enough to be in this field.
Which brings me to the following equation.
A + B + C ≠ Good Doctor
Hyppocritic Oath + Technical Skills + Student Selection doesn’t necessarily equal being a Good Doctor.
January 17, 2007
Nerd-ology
I’m totally obsessed by Dr. Sacks.
I do not like green eggs and ham,
I do not like them Sam-I-Am
I do not like them with a fox,
I do not like them in a box,
I do not like them here or there,
I do not like them anywhere!
No, no, you’re thinking of Dr. Seuss silly. But that’s fun too!
I’m talking about the neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks. He studies disorders that stem from the nervous system (anything from stuttering, to autism, blindness and Parkinson’s disease). What is particularly interesting about Dr. Sacks is that he always studies a person as a whole instead of as a person suffering from a set of disorders. His books are packed with detailed case studies that also detail talk a patient’s family, social life, and general outlook on things. In addition, he is also very inquisitive and shares this with his reader. When talks about deafness for example, he briefs his reader about the history of deafness and deaf schools, references to the deafness in literature, corrects misconceptions on deafness and explains how the deaf community interacts with hearing individuals.
But the best part of his books is when he talks about those patients for whom there is no cure. Instead, he talks about how the patient has used the disorder as strength and not a limitation.
I do not like green eggs and ham,
I do not like them Sam-I-Am
I do not like them with a fox,
I do not like them in a box,
I do not like them here or there,
I do not like them anywhere!
No, no, you’re thinking of Dr. Seuss silly. But that’s fun too!
I’m talking about the neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks. He studies disorders that stem from the nervous system (anything from stuttering, to autism, blindness and Parkinson’s disease). What is particularly interesting about Dr. Sacks is that he always studies a person as a whole instead of as a person suffering from a set of disorders. His books are packed with detailed case studies that also detail talk a patient’s family, social life, and general outlook on things. In addition, he is also very inquisitive and shares this with his reader. When talks about deafness for example, he briefs his reader about the history of deafness and deaf schools, references to the deafness in literature, corrects misconceptions on deafness and explains how the deaf community interacts with hearing individuals.
But the best part of his books is when he talks about those patients for whom there is no cure. Instead, he talks about how the patient has used the disorder as strength and not a limitation.
- Take the case of young man whose sense of balance has so deteriorated, that he often fell flat on his face. He decided to add little water-levels in his glasses so he could monitor his angle respective to the ground.
- Or the story of Temple Grandin, a woman born with a mild from of autism (also called Asperger’s syndrome). She finds it incredibly hard to relate to other people and has to carefully study people in order to understand how they feel. She often feels like she’s An Anthropologist on Mars (this is also a book title of Dr. Sacks'). On the other hand, she has a keen sense of how animals feel, has a PhD in animal behavior, and is a well-published author.
- He also talks about a young man who slowly becomes blind due to a tumor growing in his brain. But the strange thing is that he has no idea that he is blind and is convinced that he can still see. He quickly becomes a buddha-like figure to the other hospital patients who appreciate his calm sense of understanding.
- A man has a particularly rare neurological disorder that prevents him from recognizing people's face and objects. He once tries to pick up his wife and place her on his head, temporarly confused by her brown hair matching his brown suede hat (The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat).
- Martha’s Vineyard’s used to have large deaf population. As a result, almost everybody was fluent in signing. The hearing elders can still be heard and seen conversing with each other in both speech and sign language.
Intrigued? Start reading The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat. You won't regret it, I promise!
[Note: this is not a paid advertisment. Though if you wanted to pay me for this, that'd be OK too]
January 12, 2007
I'm so sick
I am getting just so sick of my blog's template. Would anybody have a good idea of a template or simple changes that can be made to 007 in Africa?
In particular, I would love to switch my sidebar from the right to the left, and have the picture of the Red Glass on the bottom posted as this blog's title...
Thanks for the ideas!
Post Note: Thanks to all who emailed me suggestions on where to go for templates. Very useful. I ended up creating (yet another) a new blogger account and using its beta features. The google people are pretty impressive geniuses.
In particular, I would love to switch my sidebar from the right to the left, and have the picture of the Red Glass on the bottom posted as this blog's title...
Thanks for the ideas!
Post Note: Thanks to all who emailed me suggestions on where to go for templates. Very useful. I ended up creating (yet another) a new blogger account and using its beta features. The google people are pretty impressive geniuses.
January 11, 2007
Minimum Wage--The Living Dilemma
You may have heard that the House of Representatives has recently passed a bill to increase the minimum wage. For those readers who may not be Anglophone, the minimum wage is a law that sets a minimum price that an employer has to pay an employee per hour.
The minimum wage is currently set at $5.75 an hour which, will seemingly reasonable, is actually quite low. The bill would require the new minimum wage to be set to $7.25, in incremental steps over the course of 26 months.[A few people will be exempt from earning the minimum wage. For example, restaurant servers earn about $2 per hour, that’s why tipping is so important. But that should be the topic of another post].
As you can imagine, people are already complaining and raising a fuss. Here are a few reasons that have been mentioned:
1. Employer: If I have to pay my employee $1.50 extra per hour, I will not make a good profit. This will force me to cut the working hours of my employees or fire some staff that I can’t afford.
2. Employer: If I raise the lowest employee’s hourly wage, I will have to raise everyone else’s, and then I’m really spending a lot more on wages.
3. Employee: If you raise my wages, I will not be able to qualify for subsidized housing. I will end up homeless or I will have to spend a lot more money on rent.
4. Economist: If you raise wages, the more fragile mom-and-pop store won’t be able to absorb the difference in expenditures. These stores will close or raise the prices on the goods they sell.
I like to think of it this way.
Yearly salary at $5.75 per hour—$11,960
Yearly salary at $7.25 per hour--$15,080
Bare Minimum Yearly Living Expenses
Room Rental-------------------$6,000
Food-----------------------------$3,600
Transport-----------------------$1,080
Clothing--------------------------$360
Medical and Drugs-------------$300
Cleaning/hygiene products---$300
Support to child or parent---$1200
Water and Electricity---------$720
Basic Phone--------------------$360
One Sick Day-------------minus $48
Movie and Entertainment----$240*
Total--------------------------$14,112
Note: The Movie and Entertainment line comes up to about $20 per month which represents going to see two movies, renting 4 videos, buying a few magazines or buying two books. Come on, even poor people need to do interesting things.
If you are interested in getting a better idea of what life is like at the minimum wage, read this great book called Nickle and Dimed—On (not) getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich:
Millions of Americans work full-time, year-round, for poverty-level wages. In 1998, Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. She was inspired in part by the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, which promised that a job -- any job -- could be the ticket to a better life. But how does anyone survive, let alone prosper, on six to seven dollars an hour? To find out, Ehrenreich left her home, took the cheapest lodgings she could find, and accepted whatever jobs she was offered as a woefully inexperienced homemaker returning to the workforce. So began a grueling, hair raising, and darkly funny odyssey through the underside of working America.
Moving from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, Ehrenreich worked as a waitress, a hotel maid, a cleaning woman, a nursing home aide, and a Wal-Mart sales clerk. Very quickly, she discovered that no job is truly "unskilled," that even the lowliest occupations require exhausting mental and muscular effort. She also learned that one job is not enough; you need at least two if you intend to live indoors.
Source: Henry Holt and Company
The minimum wage is currently set at $5.75 an hour which, will seemingly reasonable, is actually quite low. The bill would require the new minimum wage to be set to $7.25, in incremental steps over the course of 26 months.[A few people will be exempt from earning the minimum wage. For example, restaurant servers earn about $2 per hour, that’s why tipping is so important. But that should be the topic of another post].
As you can imagine, people are already complaining and raising a fuss. Here are a few reasons that have been mentioned:
1. Employer: If I have to pay my employee $1.50 extra per hour, I will not make a good profit. This will force me to cut the working hours of my employees or fire some staff that I can’t afford.
2. Employer: If I raise the lowest employee’s hourly wage, I will have to raise everyone else’s, and then I’m really spending a lot more on wages.
3. Employee: If you raise my wages, I will not be able to qualify for subsidized housing. I will end up homeless or I will have to spend a lot more money on rent.
4. Economist: If you raise wages, the more fragile mom-and-pop store won’t be able to absorb the difference in expenditures. These stores will close or raise the prices on the goods they sell.
I like to think of it this way.
Yearly salary at $5.75 per hour—$11,960
Yearly salary at $7.25 per hour--$15,080
Bare Minimum Yearly Living Expenses
Room Rental-------------------$6,000
Food-----------------------------$3,600
Transport-----------------------$1,080
Clothing--------------------------$360
Medical and Drugs-------------$300
Cleaning/hygiene products---$300
Support to child or parent---$1200
Water and Electricity---------$720
Basic Phone--------------------$360
One Sick Day-------------minus $48
Movie and Entertainment----$240*
Total--------------------------$14,112
Note: The Movie and Entertainment line comes up to about $20 per month which represents going to see two movies, renting 4 videos, buying a few magazines or buying two books. Come on, even poor people need to do interesting things.
If you are interested in getting a better idea of what life is like at the minimum wage, read this great book called Nickle and Dimed—On (not) getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich:
Millions of Americans work full-time, year-round, for poverty-level wages. In 1998, Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. She was inspired in part by the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, which promised that a job -- any job -- could be the ticket to a better life. But how does anyone survive, let alone prosper, on six to seven dollars an hour? To find out, Ehrenreich left her home, took the cheapest lodgings she could find, and accepted whatever jobs she was offered as a woefully inexperienced homemaker returning to the workforce. So began a grueling, hair raising, and darkly funny odyssey through the underside of working America.
Moving from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, Ehrenreich worked as a waitress, a hotel maid, a cleaning woman, a nursing home aide, and a Wal-Mart sales clerk. Very quickly, she discovered that no job is truly "unskilled," that even the lowliest occupations require exhausting mental and muscular effort. She also learned that one job is not enough; you need at least two if you intend to live indoors.
Source: Henry Holt and Company
January 08, 2007
Craig's List
One of the perks of being back in the States is being able to use Craig's List. It's a website where people can place advertisements for furniture, classes they teach, cars for sale and meeting groups. In return, you can contact them, agree on a price and pick up your new item.
Of friend of mine is even using the "personal ads" section to find a woman who might be interested in having a casual encounter with him (this is a thinly veiled term for sex with no strings attached).
Occasionally, you'll find great ads. I want to share with you this particularly eloquent ad found on Craig's List (with the owner's permission of course).
"Sliding Scale of Couch Justice" Sage Green couch, big chair, ottoman
Posted on: 2007-01-02
Okay...so I'm moving in a week into a new house. My beautiful bride and I purchased this set for about a grand -- but about 7 years ago. It was great for us at the time...very Pottery Barn/Pier 1-ish.
Well, it's still in good shape....it's got some stains and some wear spots where the cat took a claw to it once or twice...and my 2 year old son scribbled in pen in one of the back cushions...but that's no big deal because you can just flip the cushion...and besides, it adds character.
Oh ya...it's severely urine stained from a night of partying....NAH, I'm just kidding there...no pee, vomit or other bodily fluid stains....that is DEFINITELY a plus for a craigslist couch....and, dare I say, practically unheard of for a matching couch, oversized chair, ottoman combo. Oh ya...we don't smoke either....so, it doesn't smell like an ashtray.
So, anyway...we're moving and bought new stuff. You see, my wife got obsessed with some new paint color for our basement. The $20 paint color, unfortunately, does not match our $1,000 (albeit 7 year old) couch.
The Couch
However, I am a smart man...and I know that "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"...so, I gladly sign off on the purchase of said paint color and a new sectional/sleeper thing that, apparently, coordinates perfectly....I don't ask questions...this is her castle and she can decorate as she pleases.
Now my dilemma...I am faced with what to do with my Sage Green "Ashley" Couch with matching oversized chair and ottoman. But, I don't just want to give the thing away...after all, It was one of the first major purchases we made together and it blessed us greatly over the years. I would love for this couch (and, of course, it's matching oversized chair and ottoman) to find it's way into the hands of someone truly thankful for it. Therefore, I propose the following "sliding scale of couch justice" to ward off any evildoers that might otherwise attempt to use this Sage Green beauty for any purposes other than intended.
Therefore, the price of the couch will vary, for example:
(1) Are you a young couple...just starting out...got big dreams of building a future together and conquering the world together...but, don't have the cash right now to make it happen? If so, I feel you...and I've been there...and for you...how about $50. And my prayer for you will be that you look back on your Sage Green Couch Craiglist purchase with great notalgia.
(2) Or, you are a Frat boy, just out of college looking for a sweet couch to bang hot chicks on....for you....$1,500...never, ever disrepect my couch like that....unless, of course, you're willing to pay. Besides...this couch is not a leather ensemble from Haverty's...it's good and all...but, it's not exactly going to make the ladies clothes fall off just by looking at it, you know?
(3) Or, maybe you're single mom...struggling to make ends meet and your piece of crap husband left you for his whore of secretary. And now you're looking for a couch for the basement for your kids...well...I feel your pain as well. If that's the case....$25 for you....come pick her up and she's yours.
The Chair and Ottoman
(4) You're active duty military or retired military. You have fought for and admirably served this wonderful country. You realize that America cannot be the land of the free unless we are also the home of the brave. Though you'd rather not, you are willing to be shot at and shoot back in the name of protecting our freedoms....and you do so for chumps like me who sit firmly entrenched behind our desks in an office w/a view collecting our comparatively over-inflated salaries. That, my friend, is priceless...so for you, the sage green beauty is free of charge...come pick her up.
(5) You're a craigslist troller...looking for something cheap to re-sell on ebay...sorry, charlie....can't let my Sage Green Ashley couch get pimped out like that.....$700 for you.
(6) Or, perhaps, You've got a decent income and Maybe you just bought a house or are renting a new one and need a decent couch to fill some space...but you don't want to spend a bunch of money on something that you know you'll want to replace in a a few years....if so, I respect that...there's something to be said for living within a budget and not worrying about "keeping up w/the Jones's"...in that case...how about $75 for you.
(7) Or, you are a Washington Redskins fan...and you are looking for a couch to put in your sport room that is not all floral and crap and embarassing. You want it to look decent...but you also want to be able to spill your Milwaukee's Best on it when cussing at the TV....I, also feel you...and I WANT you to have this couch. I, too, have done the same on this very same couch as my beloved team has given me season after season of futility. For you, $70.
(8) You are a Giants fan and looking to do the same: $85
(9) Philly fan (the green would definitely complement the team colors)? $100
(10) Cowboys fan? $2,790 -- sorry...I could never allow my much cherished sage green couch to adorn the sports basement of a Cowboys fan. I'm sorry...I just can't...unless of course you want to pay me $1,790 more than I paid for this beauty 7 years ago.
So, what's your story? Do you want the couch? The mathching oversized chair? The ottoman? Tell me your story and tell me your price. It's gotta be out of my house in a week. Hit me with an email.
Of friend of mine is even using the "personal ads" section to find a woman who might be interested in having a casual encounter with him (this is a thinly veiled term for sex with no strings attached).
Occasionally, you'll find great ads. I want to share with you this particularly eloquent ad found on Craig's List (with the owner's permission of course).
"Sliding Scale of Couch Justice" Sage Green couch, big chair, ottoman
Posted on: 2007-01-02
Okay...so I'm moving in a week into a new house. My beautiful bride and I purchased this set for about a grand -- but about 7 years ago. It was great for us at the time...very Pottery Barn/Pier 1-ish.
Well, it's still in good shape....it's got some stains and some wear spots where the cat took a claw to it once or twice...and my 2 year old son scribbled in pen in one of the back cushions...but that's no big deal because you can just flip the cushion...and besides, it adds character.
Oh ya...it's severely urine stained from a night of partying....NAH, I'm just kidding there...no pee, vomit or other bodily fluid stains....that is DEFINITELY a plus for a craigslist couch....and, dare I say, practically unheard of for a matching couch, oversized chair, ottoman combo. Oh ya...we don't smoke either....so, it doesn't smell like an ashtray.
So, anyway...we're moving and bought new stuff. You see, my wife got obsessed with some new paint color for our basement. The $20 paint color, unfortunately, does not match our $1,000 (albeit 7 year old) couch.
The Couch
However, I am a smart man...and I know that "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"...so, I gladly sign off on the purchase of said paint color and a new sectional/sleeper thing that, apparently, coordinates perfectly....I don't ask questions...this is her castle and she can decorate as she pleases.
Now my dilemma...I am faced with what to do with my Sage Green "Ashley" Couch with matching oversized chair and ottoman. But, I don't just want to give the thing away...after all, It was one of the first major purchases we made together and it blessed us greatly over the years. I would love for this couch (and, of course, it's matching oversized chair and ottoman) to find it's way into the hands of someone truly thankful for it. Therefore, I propose the following "sliding scale of couch justice" to ward off any evildoers that might otherwise attempt to use this Sage Green beauty for any purposes other than intended.
Therefore, the price of the couch will vary, for example:
(1) Are you a young couple...just starting out...got big dreams of building a future together and conquering the world together...but, don't have the cash right now to make it happen? If so, I feel you...and I've been there...and for you...how about $50. And my prayer for you will be that you look back on your Sage Green Couch Craiglist purchase with great notalgia.
(2) Or, you are a Frat boy, just out of college looking for a sweet couch to bang hot chicks on....for you....$1,500...never, ever disrepect my couch like that....unless, of course, you're willing to pay. Besides...this couch is not a leather ensemble from Haverty's...it's good and all...but, it's not exactly going to make the ladies clothes fall off just by looking at it, you know?
(3) Or, maybe you're single mom...struggling to make ends meet and your piece of crap husband left you for his whore of secretary. And now you're looking for a couch for the basement for your kids...well...I feel your pain as well. If that's the case....$25 for you....come pick her up and she's yours.
The Chair and Ottoman
(4) You're active duty military or retired military. You have fought for and admirably served this wonderful country. You realize that America cannot be the land of the free unless we are also the home of the brave. Though you'd rather not, you are willing to be shot at and shoot back in the name of protecting our freedoms....and you do so for chumps like me who sit firmly entrenched behind our desks in an office w/a view collecting our comparatively over-inflated salaries. That, my friend, is priceless...so for you, the sage green beauty is free of charge...come pick her up.
(5) You're a craigslist troller...looking for something cheap to re-sell on ebay...sorry, charlie....can't let my Sage Green Ashley couch get pimped out like that.....$700 for you.
(6) Or, perhaps, You've got a decent income and Maybe you just bought a house or are renting a new one and need a decent couch to fill some space...but you don't want to spend a bunch of money on something that you know you'll want to replace in a a few years....if so, I respect that...there's something to be said for living within a budget and not worrying about "keeping up w/the Jones's"...in that case...how about $75 for you.
(7) Or, you are a Washington Redskins fan...and you are looking for a couch to put in your sport room that is not all floral and crap and embarassing. You want it to look decent...but you also want to be able to spill your Milwaukee's Best on it when cussing at the TV....I, also feel you...and I WANT you to have this couch. I, too, have done the same on this very same couch as my beloved team has given me season after season of futility. For you, $70.
(8) You are a Giants fan and looking to do the same: $85
(9) Philly fan (the green would definitely complement the team colors)? $100
(10) Cowboys fan? $2,790 -- sorry...I could never allow my much cherished sage green couch to adorn the sports basement of a Cowboys fan. I'm sorry...I just can't...unless of course you want to pay me $1,790 more than I paid for this beauty 7 years ago.
So, what's your story? Do you want the couch? The mathching oversized chair? The ottoman? Tell me your story and tell me your price. It's gotta be out of my house in a week. Hit me with an email.
January 02, 2007
French Fortune
Though I have had a (admittedly) tough time coming back to the United States, I still feel incredibly fortunate to be back.
I live in an "up-and-coming" part of town in Washington D.C. Which basically means that it's a ghetto and there are lots of drug dealers around. But they're nice and they wave hello every morning. And at least they are not Congolese military people.
I have a temporary job but 1/2 the people in my office are contracting too. The electricity is very reliable and I have a cubicle four times the size of the one I left in Kinshasa.
I can walk almost everywhere and no one will bug me. I even forgot my wallet at a counter once and someone ran after me! To give me my wallet back! And didn't ask for a ransom! And no money was missing! Ah. It's nice to be free.
But then again I guess I'm not that free. Because I have to pay my grad school loans, and my electricity bill, my monthly rent, have to get presents for people's birthdays, Valentine's day and any other crappy made-up Holidays.
But wait, I digress. I feel incredibly lucky because I can finally keep in touch with my friends. I've come back to good friends in Washington D.C and the rest of the United States (you know who you are y'all). Plus, PLUS, friends from abroad have transited through my apartment and stayed at my house. They have even slept in my bed which, in my opinion, truly takes a lot of dedication!
Anyways, friends, thanks for being around and being good to me.
At this point, you're probably wondering what the hell the title of the post means. Well, while I was having this thought of being incredibly lucky in 2007 at the same time, my roomate was enjoying some excellent french chocolates called Papillotes. These chocolates are traditional in my hometown of Lyon. They are generally consumed around the Christmas and New Year season. Because the food just isn't fattening enough for the Holiday.
Anyways, you'll be surprised to find out that the Chinese don't have a monopoly on fortunes that come in food. Oh no they don't! When one unraps the shiny papillote paper, one is rewarded by: (1) one sweet chocolate, (2) one cracker that snaps when pulled, and (3) a proverb/saying/fortune. This is true! I swear!
This is the one she got: "Les paresseux ont toujours envie de faire quelque chose-Vauvenargues". Which is loosely translated as: "the lazy ones are always on the verge of doing something"...
I couldn't help but think that the fortune was actually directed at me. I mean, my roomate doesn't even understand French! Is God trying to speak to me through Papillotes?
Thanks for reading through this long post. You are truly admirable.
I live in an "up-and-coming" part of town in Washington D.C. Which basically means that it's a ghetto and there are lots of drug dealers around. But they're nice and they wave hello every morning. And at least they are not Congolese military people.
I have a temporary job but 1/2 the people in my office are contracting too. The electricity is very reliable and I have a cubicle four times the size of the one I left in Kinshasa.
I can walk almost everywhere and no one will bug me. I even forgot my wallet at a counter once and someone ran after me! To give me my wallet back! And didn't ask for a ransom! And no money was missing! Ah. It's nice to be free.
But then again I guess I'm not that free. Because I have to pay my grad school loans, and my electricity bill, my monthly rent, have to get presents for people's birthdays, Valentine's day and any other crappy made-up Holidays.
But wait, I digress. I feel incredibly lucky because I can finally keep in touch with my friends. I've come back to good friends in Washington D.C and the rest of the United States (you know who you are y'all). Plus, PLUS, friends from abroad have transited through my apartment and stayed at my house. They have even slept in my bed which, in my opinion, truly takes a lot of dedication!
Anyways, friends, thanks for being around and being good to me.
At this point, you're probably wondering what the hell the title of the post means. Well, while I was having this thought of being incredibly lucky in 2007 at the same time, my roomate was enjoying some excellent french chocolates called Papillotes. These chocolates are traditional in my hometown of Lyon. They are generally consumed around the Christmas and New Year season. Because the food just isn't fattening enough for the Holiday.
Anyways, you'll be surprised to find out that the Chinese don't have a monopoly on fortunes that come in food. Oh no they don't! When one unraps the shiny papillote paper, one is rewarded by: (1) one sweet chocolate, (2) one cracker that snaps when pulled, and (3) a proverb/saying/fortune. This is true! I swear!
This is the one she got: "Les paresseux ont toujours envie de faire quelque chose-Vauvenargues". Which is loosely translated as: "the lazy ones are always on the verge of doing something"...
I couldn't help but think that the fortune was actually directed at me. I mean, my roomate doesn't even understand French! Is God trying to speak to me through Papillotes?
Thanks for reading through this long post. You are truly admirable.
December 30, 2006
I was going to wish you a Happy New Year's...
...but instead, I am going to wish you a Happy Tabaski.
The last time I thought about this Muslim ceremony was in Senegal in January 2005 (see “Disconnect Thoughts” post). And this year, it happens to fall on December 30th 2006 which almost perfectly coincides with New Year’s Eve.
[Children Washing their Sheep in the Ocean in Dakar, Senegal]
I still receive security messages from my Warden in Senegal. He warns all American citizens to be very careful of Tabaski festivities as Anti-American sentiments are high this holiday season. Why? Because Saddam Hussein just died by hanging.
I had no idea Senegalese people felt so strongly about Mr. Hussein. And oddly enough, I feel sorry for this crazy man who, even at the moment of his death, is seems completely unaware of what was going on (CNN reports “The judge said Hussein appeared "totally oblivious to what was going on around him. I was very surprised. He was not afraid of death.")
It makes me sad to see the pictures (I couldn’t bring my self to watch the video), as he was brought into the room in a well cut suit. His nicely combed hair disheveled, his eyes round with anticipation, staring at faceless men in black ski hats.
Is it wrong to feel sorry for such a man? I really can't help myself.
The last time I thought about this Muslim ceremony was in Senegal in January 2005 (see “Disconnect Thoughts” post). And this year, it happens to fall on December 30th 2006 which almost perfectly coincides with New Year’s Eve.
[Children Washing their Sheep in the Ocean in Dakar, Senegal]
I still receive security messages from my Warden in Senegal. He warns all American citizens to be very careful of Tabaski festivities as Anti-American sentiments are high this holiday season. Why? Because Saddam Hussein just died by hanging.
I had no idea Senegalese people felt so strongly about Mr. Hussein. And oddly enough, I feel sorry for this crazy man who, even at the moment of his death, is seems completely unaware of what was going on (CNN reports “The judge said Hussein appeared "totally oblivious to what was going on around him. I was very surprised. He was not afraid of death.")
It makes me sad to see the pictures (I couldn’t bring my self to watch the video), as he was brought into the room in a well cut suit. His nicely combed hair disheveled, his eyes round with anticipation, staring at faceless men in black ski hats.
Is it wrong to feel sorry for such a man? I really can't help myself.
December 24, 2006
Merry Christmas Y'all
Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!
I'd think of something better, but my sister's nagging me, my brother has smelly feet, my dad is clearing his throat and my mom is asking me to help her reach the dust bunnies behind the fridge (eewww!) and I'm relaxing at home.
Sis has some disparaging things to say about the family, but I'm too good to address these thoughts.
But seriously folks, please enjoy this Holiday season with people you love.
*****************************************************
Thanks Heather Jamison for posting on my GuestMap. I love your blog format, it's beautiful. You must tell me how you do it!
December 16, 2006
Thoughts on Homelessness
Your comments on my recent post “On Being Homeless” made me think long and hard about homelessness. I remember helping a Congolese colleague get a visa for the States to attend a conference. When I asked him what he thought of North America, he professed being shocked at the number of homeless people there. Indeed, the United States is a well-organized country with wealth and social services and the idea of disenfranchised and abandoned people was appalling to him in that setting.
Some thoughts on homelessness...
How many homeless people are there in the United States?
From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States
Total Number
As many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given year (1% of the entire U.S. population or 10% of its poor), and about 842,000 people on any given day.
Familial composition
40% are families with children—the fastest growing segment.
41% are single males.
14% are single females.
5% are minors unaccompanied by adults.
Why are people homeless in the United States?
Well, there are many reasons. Sometimes it boils down to economic factors (people loose their jobs and cannot pay rent), other times it can be mental illness (people prefer living free and unconstrained instead of being forced to take medication).
How did homelessness become such a big issue here?
There are several events that precipitated homelessness to what it is today in the United States.
In the 1960, President Reagan signs the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act. The main idea behind this act is to take fragmented arrangement of separate, independent, and often noncommunicating, hospitals, clinics and agencies, and organized them into a service network called community mental health centers (CMHCs).
Except, these centers are crushed by the number of newly deinstitutionalized patients (also a Reagan legacy) and people on work-disability: patients that have little or no money to pay for health services. Due to tight budgets, external services are cut, leaving only the more basic services running.
Reagan decides to cut the budget for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by three-quarters, from $32 billion in 1981 to $7.5 billion by 1988. In fact, the department’s role to give subsidized housing (housing of very low cost) for the poor.
Reagan also changes of tax codes. This reduces incentives for private developers to create low-income homes. Under Reagan, the number of people living beneath the federal poverty line rose from 24.5 million in 1978 to 32.5 million in 1988.
Faced with community centers operating basic services and no subsidized or affordable housing, a large number of people found themselves on the street.
What do shelters provide?
From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States
"Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people. Usually located in urban neighborhoods, they are similar to emergency shelters. The primary difference is that homeless shelters are usually open to anyone, without regard to the reason for need. Some shelters limit their clientele by gender or age.
Most homeless shelters expect clients to stay elsewhere during the day, returning only to sleep, or if the shelter also provides meals, to eat; people in emergency shelters are more likely to stay all day, except for work, school, or errands. Some homeless shelters, however, are open 24 hours a day.
There are daytime-only homeless shelters, where the homeless can go when they cannot stay inside at their night-time sleeping shelter during the day. Such an early model of a daytime homeless shelter providing multi-faceted services is Saint Francis House in Boston, Massachusetts.
Homeless shelters are usually operated by a non-profit agency, or associated with a church. Many get at least part of their funding from local government entities. Shelters can sometimes be referred to as 'human warehouses'.
Homeless shelters sometimes also provide other services, such as a soup kitchen, job seeking skills training, job training, job placement, support groups, and/or substance (i.e., drugs and/or alcohol) abuse treatment. If they do not offer any of these services, they can usually refer their clients to agencies that do."
Why are homeless people not all in shelters
Well, often, shelters are full or refuse you based on your profile (perhaps you are a young white male and the shelter only accept mothers and children). Some people say that there is a large violence problem in shelters and they prefer sleeping in a busy street instead of being raped or robbed of their possessions.
When I lived in Japan, I saw large parks completely usurped by tents and man-made shacks where whole communities of homeless people would reside. They would also open the underground metro when the weather go particularly cold so people wouldn't die outside.
Why don't homeless people apply to job and go to interviews, like I do when I need a job?
From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States
"Since most homeless people have no telephone, or fixed phone number or no personal phone number at all, no computer to access E-mail, no permanent address, or any place to get changed and washed, it can be difficult for a homeless person to apply for, find or even maintain a job; and without a job it can be difficult to raise the money or gain the references needed to acquire accommodation if governmental aid is not available or insufficient."
and
"In some homeless shelters and day centers, the homeless have access to a phone for making local calls, take a shower, and use a post office box at the shelter to receive mail, or sometimes can use a computer to access email. In many shelters and centers, they must signup on a first-come/first-serve list for such services, so it is not always possible to use a phone or have a shower in a timely fashion. The washing and laundering of dirty clothes, which frequently consists simply of the clothes on the person's body, presents an almost insurmountable problem, since many shelters do not provide laundry machines or services and using a public laundromat is not possible with only one set of clothes or lack of money to pay for the use of the laundromat."
What is a homeless person's daily routine? How does it feel to be homeless?
Well, I'm not quite sure. I think that it's important for homeless people to get about their day and fill it with normal activities like having two or three meals a day, going to the library, interacting with friends, going to see a movies etc...You would be surprised to find out that some homeless people are very well educated and have a family somewhere. This is the case for this homeless person who blogs about his daily life: The Homeless Guy
Where can I read more on this issue?
My sources are the following:
Democracy Now - http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/06/11/1431244
National Council for Community Behavioral Health Care - http://www.nccbh.org/WHO/Def-resources/History.pdf
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinstitutionalisation
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeless_shelter
Blog of a Homeless Man - http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com/
Some thoughts on homelessness...
How many homeless people are there in the United States?
From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States
Total Number
As many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given year (1% of the entire U.S. population or 10% of its poor), and about 842,000 people on any given day.
Familial composition
40% are families with children—the fastest growing segment.
41% are single males.
14% are single females.
5% are minors unaccompanied by adults.
Why are people homeless in the United States?
Well, there are many reasons. Sometimes it boils down to economic factors (people loose their jobs and cannot pay rent), other times it can be mental illness (people prefer living free and unconstrained instead of being forced to take medication).
How did homelessness become such a big issue here?
There are several events that precipitated homelessness to what it is today in the United States.
In the 1960, President Reagan signs the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act. The main idea behind this act is to take fragmented arrangement of separate, independent, and often noncommunicating, hospitals, clinics and agencies, and organized them into a service network called community mental health centers (CMHCs).
Except, these centers are crushed by the number of newly deinstitutionalized patients (also a Reagan legacy) and people on work-disability: patients that have little or no money to pay for health services. Due to tight budgets, external services are cut, leaving only the more basic services running.
Reagan decides to cut the budget for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by three-quarters, from $32 billion in 1981 to $7.5 billion by 1988. In fact, the department’s role to give subsidized housing (housing of very low cost) for the poor.
Reagan also changes of tax codes. This reduces incentives for private developers to create low-income homes. Under Reagan, the number of people living beneath the federal poverty line rose from 24.5 million in 1978 to 32.5 million in 1988.
Faced with community centers operating basic services and no subsidized or affordable housing, a large number of people found themselves on the street.
What do shelters provide?
From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States
"Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people. Usually located in urban neighborhoods, they are similar to emergency shelters. The primary difference is that homeless shelters are usually open to anyone, without regard to the reason for need. Some shelters limit their clientele by gender or age.
Most homeless shelters expect clients to stay elsewhere during the day, returning only to sleep, or if the shelter also provides meals, to eat; people in emergency shelters are more likely to stay all day, except for work, school, or errands. Some homeless shelters, however, are open 24 hours a day.
There are daytime-only homeless shelters, where the homeless can go when they cannot stay inside at their night-time sleeping shelter during the day. Such an early model of a daytime homeless shelter providing multi-faceted services is Saint Francis House in Boston, Massachusetts.
Homeless shelters are usually operated by a non-profit agency, or associated with a church. Many get at least part of their funding from local government entities. Shelters can sometimes be referred to as 'human warehouses'.
Homeless shelters sometimes also provide other services, such as a soup kitchen, job seeking skills training, job training, job placement, support groups, and/or substance (i.e., drugs and/or alcohol) abuse treatment. If they do not offer any of these services, they can usually refer their clients to agencies that do."
Why are homeless people not all in shelters
Well, often, shelters are full or refuse you based on your profile (perhaps you are a young white male and the shelter only accept mothers and children). Some people say that there is a large violence problem in shelters and they prefer sleeping in a busy street instead of being raped or robbed of their possessions.
When I lived in Japan, I saw large parks completely usurped by tents and man-made shacks where whole communities of homeless people would reside. They would also open the underground metro when the weather go particularly cold so people wouldn't die outside.
Why don't homeless people apply to job and go to interviews, like I do when I need a job?
From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States
"Since most homeless people have no telephone, or fixed phone number or no personal phone number at all, no computer to access E-mail, no permanent address, or any place to get changed and washed, it can be difficult for a homeless person to apply for, find or even maintain a job; and without a job it can be difficult to raise the money or gain the references needed to acquire accommodation if governmental aid is not available or insufficient."
and
"In some homeless shelters and day centers, the homeless have access to a phone for making local calls, take a shower, and use a post office box at the shelter to receive mail, or sometimes can use a computer to access email. In many shelters and centers, they must signup on a first-come/first-serve list for such services, so it is not always possible to use a phone or have a shower in a timely fashion. The washing and laundering of dirty clothes, which frequently consists simply of the clothes on the person's body, presents an almost insurmountable problem, since many shelters do not provide laundry machines or services and using a public laundromat is not possible with only one set of clothes or lack of money to pay for the use of the laundromat."
What is a homeless person's daily routine? How does it feel to be homeless?
Well, I'm not quite sure. I think that it's important for homeless people to get about their day and fill it with normal activities like having two or three meals a day, going to the library, interacting with friends, going to see a movies etc...You would be surprised to find out that some homeless people are very well educated and have a family somewhere. This is the case for this homeless person who blogs about his daily life: The Homeless Guy
Where can I read more on this issue?
My sources are the following:
Democracy Now - http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/06/11/1431244
National Council for Community Behavioral Health Care - http://www.nccbh.org/WHO/Def-resources/History.pdf
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinstitutionalisation
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeless_shelter
Blog of a Homeless Man - http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com/
December 14, 2006
The $10 Christmas
They said it couldn't be done! They said it would be impossible to curb those impulse buys and consumerisms tendencies! They were wrong!!
This year, my family and I have decided to give each other small presents. The rule: all gifts have to be under ten dollars. And believe me, it's really hard to find a gift under $10 nowadays.
Don't tell anyone, but this is what I'm thinking about getting everyone.
Brother has a very serious job in a Consulting firm. He has to have a neat appearance in a sombre suit to compensate for the fact that he doesn't know what he is doing there. For him, I am getting a comb, so he can comb his hair to the side and suck up to the clients.
Sister is rather althetic. She rides horses, swing dances in local competitions and is generally fitter than I am. And has no qualms in reminding me of this fact. For her, I am getting her a time-honored tennis ball. It's rubber and it's electric yellow, which means that her chances of breaking or loosing this are slim to none. Perfect!
Dad is starting to contemplate his retirement with optimism and a tear in his eye. Everyday, I hear, "only 3 years, 2 months, and 232 days until retirement". But I worry that he will be bored when in retirement. I am getting him a ball point pen so he can write that award-winning novel in his golden years.
Let's face it. Even if mom says she "hates" nay "ABHORS" cooking, I think she secretly enjoys it. I mean, she cooked for us everyday of our lives when we were living at home, right? Therefore, I am getting her a special, stainless steel Ladle.
The boyfriend? Well I complain of the dust and the disorder in his apartment often enough that he will enjoy this feather duster for sure!
I can't wait for Christmas day, when I will see that sparkle in their eyes when they open their presents.
This year, my family and I have decided to give each other small presents. The rule: all gifts have to be under ten dollars. And believe me, it's really hard to find a gift under $10 nowadays.
Don't tell anyone, but this is what I'm thinking about getting everyone.
Brother has a very serious job in a Consulting firm. He has to have a neat appearance in a sombre suit to compensate for the fact that he doesn't know what he is doing there. For him, I am getting a comb, so he can comb his hair to the side and suck up to the clients.
Sister is rather althetic. She rides horses, swing dances in local competitions and is generally fitter than I am. And has no qualms in reminding me of this fact. For her, I am getting her a time-honored tennis ball. It's rubber and it's electric yellow, which means that her chances of breaking or loosing this are slim to none. Perfect!
Dad is starting to contemplate his retirement with optimism and a tear in his eye. Everyday, I hear, "only 3 years, 2 months, and 232 days until retirement". But I worry that he will be bored when in retirement. I am getting him a ball point pen so he can write that award-winning novel in his golden years.
Let's face it. Even if mom says she "hates" nay "ABHORS" cooking, I think she secretly enjoys it. I mean, she cooked for us everyday of our lives when we were living at home, right? Therefore, I am getting her a special, stainless steel Ladle.
The boyfriend? Well I complain of the dust and the disorder in his apartment often enough that he will enjoy this feather duster for sure!
I can't wait for Christmas day, when I will see that sparkle in their eyes when they open their presents.
December 07, 2006
On Homelessness
Yesterday, I was coming home from work, and I can honestly, HONESTLY not remember when I had been that cold last.
Perhaps living in Sahelian and Tropical countries has made me weak. Perhaps. But I was caught in this intense wind that made me want to cling to a telephone poll for stability. This wind went right through my thin trousers fabric and nestled into my flesh. It burned my face and froze the blood in my cheeks. It attacked my toes and, like a diabetic's numb extremities, made them feel bloated and dead. It attacked every exposed corner of my body relentlessly.
And yet, I see homeless people everywhere. With thin, old army blankets over their shoulders, and short socks that leave their calf exposed. With sweat-soaked gloves and hats that probably have little effect against the numbing cold. They settle in nooks between two buildings, right in the cross-winds created by these large architectural structures. Within the warm confines of my comforter, I wonder: How do they do it? How can you stand spending a whole winter shivering until your back and leg muscle hurt?
Perhaps living in Sahelian and Tropical countries has made me weak. Perhaps. But I was caught in this intense wind that made me want to cling to a telephone poll for stability. This wind went right through my thin trousers fabric and nestled into my flesh. It burned my face and froze the blood in my cheeks. It attacked my toes and, like a diabetic's numb extremities, made them feel bloated and dead. It attacked every exposed corner of my body relentlessly.
And yet, I see homeless people everywhere. With thin, old army blankets over their shoulders, and short socks that leave their calf exposed. With sweat-soaked gloves and hats that probably have little effect against the numbing cold. They settle in nooks between two buildings, right in the cross-winds created by these large architectural structures. Within the warm confines of my comforter, I wonder: How do they do it? How can you stand spending a whole winter shivering until your back and leg muscle hurt?
November 30, 2006
Demeaning
The whole Looking-for-a-Job thing is so demeaning.
Adjective: demeaning
Causing awareness of your shortcomings
- humbling, humiliating, mortifying
Verb: demean
Reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
- take down, degrade, disgrace, put down
See also: demeaningly, undignified
Type of: abase, chagrin, humble, humiliate, mortify
Either you're spending hours tailoring your résumé and cover letters or you're calling people back to see if they can give you a definite yes or no answer.
It's incredibly demoralizing when you realise that:
1. Most jobs to which you have applied already have a chosen candidate. Organizations will post their jobs internally, allowing internal candidates to apply first. By the time they post on their external websites (for legal reasons job postings have to be shared), it's too late for you.
2. Large organizations have automated answering machines-you leave a message enquiring about your application and never hear from them again.
3. When you can talk to a human-being, he or she is not allowed to disclose anything about what is happening with the job selection.
4. The majority of jobs in DC are acquired through networking. When you're an introvert like me, the thought of bothering someone who's busy with their own work and asking them to evaluate your chances or contact someone they barely know, makes you cringe inside.
5. A friend told me that he's tracking if people are reading his emails. He tells me that, in some cases, people don't even bother to read the emails and just erase them immediately.
What's a girl like me to do?
Adjective: demeaning
Causing awareness of your shortcomings
- humbling, humiliating, mortifying
Verb: demean
Reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
- take down, degrade, disgrace, put down
See also: demeaningly, undignified
Type of: abase, chagrin, humble, humiliate, mortify
Either you're spending hours tailoring your résumé and cover letters or you're calling people back to see if they can give you a definite yes or no answer.
It's incredibly demoralizing when you realise that:
1. Most jobs to which you have applied already have a chosen candidate. Organizations will post their jobs internally, allowing internal candidates to apply first. By the time they post on their external websites (for legal reasons job postings have to be shared), it's too late for you.
2. Large organizations have automated answering machines-you leave a message enquiring about your application and never hear from them again.
3. When you can talk to a human-being, he or she is not allowed to disclose anything about what is happening with the job selection.
4. The majority of jobs in DC are acquired through networking. When you're an introvert like me, the thought of bothering someone who's busy with their own work and asking them to evaluate your chances or contact someone they barely know, makes you cringe inside.
5. A friend told me that he's tracking if people are reading his emails. He tells me that, in some cases, people don't even bother to read the emails and just erase them immediately.
What's a girl like me to do?
November 22, 2006
Congo court catches fire as fighting erupts
POSTED: 12:07 p.m. EST, November 21, 2006 , on CNN.com
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo (AP) -- Gunfire and street fights erupted outside Congo's supreme court and a blaze swept through the building Tuesday as hearings began over fraud allegations in a presidential election meant to bring lasting peace to the Central African giant.
Ex-rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba has launched a legal challenge of the results that showed him losing to President Joseph Kabila in a runoff that was designed to end the wars, coups d'etat and autocratic rule that has hobbled mineral-rich Congo since independence in 1960. Some 17,500 U.N. peacekeepers are overseeing the transition.
The latest election-related civil unrest in the capital, Kinshasa, came as dozens of Bemba supporters massed outside the court building as proceedings on his motion got under way. Fights broke out in the angry crowd.
Sporadic gunfire was heard for about 45 minutes as U.N. peacekeepers sped to the scene in armored vehicles, then fired in the air to disperse the crowd. Cars were set ablaze, and police sirens wailed.
Officials said gunmen in the crowd had fired on security forces, but no injuries were immediately reported.
"Armed men were mixed in with the civilians and shot at the police," Interior Minister Denis Kalume said.
Several offices in the two-story court building were on fire, along with furniture and documents. U.N. soldiers evacuated the building and firefighters worked to contain the flames.
A spokesman for Bemba's party said it had no role in the violence. [...]
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo (AP) -- Gunfire and street fights erupted outside Congo's supreme court and a blaze swept through the building Tuesday as hearings began over fraud allegations in a presidential election meant to bring lasting peace to the Central African giant.
Ex-rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba has launched a legal challenge of the results that showed him losing to President Joseph Kabila in a runoff that was designed to end the wars, coups d'etat and autocratic rule that has hobbled mineral-rich Congo since independence in 1960. Some 17,500 U.N. peacekeepers are overseeing the transition.
The latest election-related civil unrest in the capital, Kinshasa, came as dozens of Bemba supporters massed outside the court building as proceedings on his motion got under way. Fights broke out in the angry crowd.
Sporadic gunfire was heard for about 45 minutes as U.N. peacekeepers sped to the scene in armored vehicles, then fired in the air to disperse the crowd. Cars were set ablaze, and police sirens wailed.
Officials said gunmen in the crowd had fired on security forces, but no injuries were immediately reported.
"Armed men were mixed in with the civilians and shot at the police," Interior Minister Denis Kalume said.
Several offices in the two-story court building were on fire, along with furniture and documents. U.N. soldiers evacuated the building and firefighters worked to contain the flames.
A spokesman for Bemba's party said it had no role in the violence. [...]
November 21, 2006
Sweet Lord!
I was just "casually" checking my blog's net worth and found that it's now worth US$67, 744. 80.
Sweet Lord! I'm giddy with excitement!
Sweet Lord! I'm giddy with excitement!
November 17, 2006
Claiming the "Embarrassment Right"
I am 28 and my parents still embarrass me. I suspect they signed a special "Embarrassement Right" contract when I was born: "Thou shall be allowed to embarrass thy Daughter as often as thou wishes."
Case in Point:
My parents were in town the other day (from Madagascar), so I celebrated by taking them to dinner (well that's technically untrue. I showed them where the dinner place was, but as all good parents will I suppose, they paid for dinner).
We went to this wonderful place called Mimi's American Bistro.
It's described as a "Cabaret restaurant with singing servers and a variety of live music". Which means that every waiter and waitress is involved in plays and live theater, but works at Mimi's part-time for extra income. It's such a fun place to go, when your waiter could be up on the stage belting out a rendition of Les Miserables one minute and asking you if you want white or red with your salmon the next.
I hesitated a little bit before making that decision-my parents are cool and all that, but it takes a special kind of person to appreciate the place. Namely, a young, gay or very open person. My parents were born on this earth around the 1950s and well, the world was a different place back then.
Well we sat down to dinner and my dad was slumped-over with fatigue. I started explaining the spirit of the restaurant, when he sat up, looked over at the stage...and mouthed every word that was being sung! Oh my god it was embarrassing. Furthermore, he fully recognized a Liza Minelli song and enjoyed a young waiter's imitation of Renee's performance of a Chicago song, slinky moves and all.
When our waitress came around, he kindly asked her to sing from the Evita soundtrack-which (I couldn't believe) she graciously obliged. When she started singing, he gesticulated wildly and I cringed with embarrassment at his enthusiasm. I felt like I was in a sailor's bar with my dad singing along with the old drinking songs and waving his arm for emphasis. Except this was Mimi's and these were show tunes.
Thankfully, I looked around to assess the damage of his enthusiasm...and saw that everyone else was doing the same thing. Pfeww!
Case in Point:
My parents were in town the other day (from Madagascar), so I celebrated by taking them to dinner (well that's technically untrue. I showed them where the dinner place was, but as all good parents will I suppose, they paid for dinner).
We went to this wonderful place called Mimi's American Bistro.
It's described as a "Cabaret restaurant with singing servers and a variety of live music". Which means that every waiter and waitress is involved in plays and live theater, but works at Mimi's part-time for extra income. It's such a fun place to go, when your waiter could be up on the stage belting out a rendition of Les Miserables one minute and asking you if you want white or red with your salmon the next.
I hesitated a little bit before making that decision-my parents are cool and all that, but it takes a special kind of person to appreciate the place. Namely, a young, gay or very open person. My parents were born on this earth around the 1950s and well, the world was a different place back then.
Well we sat down to dinner and my dad was slumped-over with fatigue. I started explaining the spirit of the restaurant, when he sat up, looked over at the stage...and mouthed every word that was being sung! Oh my god it was embarrassing. Furthermore, he fully recognized a Liza Minelli song and enjoyed a young waiter's imitation of Renee's performance of a Chicago song, slinky moves and all.
When our waitress came around, he kindly asked her to sing from the Evita soundtrack-which (I couldn't believe) she graciously obliged. When she started singing, he gesticulated wildly and I cringed with embarrassment at his enthusiasm. I felt like I was in a sailor's bar with my dad singing along with the old drinking songs and waving his arm for emphasis. Except this was Mimi's and these were show tunes.
Thankfully, I looked around to assess the damage of his enthusiasm...and saw that everyone else was doing the same thing. Pfeww!
November 14, 2006
I'm not knocking temping but...
...today I was filling in for the receptionist for a couple of hours and some colleagues stuck up a conversation in front of my desk. They eventually patted my hand and said: "I'm sure you'll find a good job soon, a lot of our receptionists find good employments".
To which I replied with politeness: "Well I certainly hope so, you see, I used to be a Project Manager in Congo; but that's very kind of you".
November 08, 2006
A car and a woman curled up
My roomate and I had a crash last night, and the unfortunate victim of the accident was a young lady coming home from work.
We are looking for a place to park, in the busy "up and coming" U street area, recently converted from decaying townhouses and louche neighborhood into a busy and popular evening hangout. Wanting to find a place close to the restaurant and in a rush to get there precisely at 7:30 to watch the election results, my roomate waits for a lull in traffic to swing his car around, in his usual confident, I'm-cool fashion.
I see her, a young black lady with her plastic shopping bags, all dressed in black, in the dark of the evening. My roomate is looking the other way, making sure he aligns with the lign of traffic and makes it around quickly enough to avoid other cars. I see her as she walks two feet away from our car, also taking advantage of the gap in traffic to walk across to her car, from an evening of working in a cheap clothing store.
I am close enough to see the shock on her face as she realizes she's going to be hit by our slow but sharply swinging vehicle. I extend a hand in her direction, as if pushing her back from harm, and yell "careful!" to my driver. Her body curls against the front of the bumper and she falls to the ground. The sound of the impact is terrible -I'm not sure if it's the contact of the car to her body or the sound of the breaks- and for a stomach-churning minute, I believe she is lying, pinned under the floor of the car.
I swing the door open to get to her, as my roomate slowly creeps the car out of traffic's way. My door swings more open and I am almost scared to get out.
She gets up, intact...thank you God. She is shaken and, intuitively checks that her hair is not out of place. Funny how these unimportant instincts surface. I ask (many times) if she's OK and she says yes but that she's just shaken. I hear an accent in her voice and can't stop thinking how bad this must be for her-a recent immigrant, working in a cheap clothing store, jay-walking to her car at the end of a long day, to get hit by a car. For some reason, this is worse for her than for anybody else.
The cops are instantly on the scene. They are nice, helpful, ask what's been going on and appropriately fine my roomate quite substantially. But they keep their cool, they are polite and they do the right thing. Thank God for them now. I only wish they would ask her to sit in their car. I ask her again and again if she wants to sit but she doesn't, she just stays at the scene slightly shaken and shell-shocked. She lifts her black pants to check her leg which is aching but can't see anything underneath her knee-high stockings. I wear the same things to work-funny how that is. She reaches to her back often and realizes that it hurts from falling on her bottom. That's the word she uses. It's so quaint, so delicate and polite. How funny.
I drive home, our evening understandably cut short by the incident. My roomate tells me the young lady lives on our street. In fact, she lives on our block. How funny. How ironic. We three roomates, who live in a neighborhood where we are already not welcomed, where the up-and-coming-ness of the street makes it so that we can afford a nice townhouse and our neighbors live in low-income housing. How unfortunate.
And here I am, at 2am morphing into 4am, rethinking the events and the sequence of the crash, thinking, how funny, how unfortunate. My lips, ears and scalp are throbbing, as they often are when I am stressed and they itch and they burn.
We are looking for a place to park, in the busy "up and coming" U street area, recently converted from decaying townhouses and louche neighborhood into a busy and popular evening hangout. Wanting to find a place close to the restaurant and in a rush to get there precisely at 7:30 to watch the election results, my roomate waits for a lull in traffic to swing his car around, in his usual confident, I'm-cool fashion.
I see her, a young black lady with her plastic shopping bags, all dressed in black, in the dark of the evening. My roomate is looking the other way, making sure he aligns with the lign of traffic and makes it around quickly enough to avoid other cars. I see her as she walks two feet away from our car, also taking advantage of the gap in traffic to walk across to her car, from an evening of working in a cheap clothing store.
I am close enough to see the shock on her face as she realizes she's going to be hit by our slow but sharply swinging vehicle. I extend a hand in her direction, as if pushing her back from harm, and yell "careful!" to my driver. Her body curls against the front of the bumper and she falls to the ground. The sound of the impact is terrible -I'm not sure if it's the contact of the car to her body or the sound of the breaks- and for a stomach-churning minute, I believe she is lying, pinned under the floor of the car.
I swing the door open to get to her, as my roomate slowly creeps the car out of traffic's way. My door swings more open and I am almost scared to get out.
She gets up, intact...thank you God. She is shaken and, intuitively checks that her hair is not out of place. Funny how these unimportant instincts surface. I ask (many times) if she's OK and she says yes but that she's just shaken. I hear an accent in her voice and can't stop thinking how bad this must be for her-a recent immigrant, working in a cheap clothing store, jay-walking to her car at the end of a long day, to get hit by a car. For some reason, this is worse for her than for anybody else.
The cops are instantly on the scene. They are nice, helpful, ask what's been going on and appropriately fine my roomate quite substantially. But they keep their cool, they are polite and they do the right thing. Thank God for them now. I only wish they would ask her to sit in their car. I ask her again and again if she wants to sit but she doesn't, she just stays at the scene slightly shaken and shell-shocked. She lifts her black pants to check her leg which is aching but can't see anything underneath her knee-high stockings. I wear the same things to work-funny how that is. She reaches to her back often and realizes that it hurts from falling on her bottom. That's the word she uses. It's so quaint, so delicate and polite. How funny.
I drive home, our evening understandably cut short by the incident. My roomate tells me the young lady lives on our street. In fact, she lives on our block. How funny. How ironic. We three roomates, who live in a neighborhood where we are already not welcomed, where the up-and-coming-ness of the street makes it so that we can afford a nice townhouse and our neighbors live in low-income housing. How unfortunate.
And here I am, at 2am morphing into 4am, rethinking the events and the sequence of the crash, thinking, how funny, how unfortunate. My lips, ears and scalp are throbbing, as they often are when I am stressed and they itch and they burn.
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