Flying By

Ahem.

That was a longer blogging break than intended. In fact, I had hoped to follow up within a day or two of my last post to write ecstatic things about the triumph of good over evil.

Sorry about that.  Then again, I'm sure you weren't waiting with baited breath for MY assessment of the election.

Anyway, where have I been?

Well, watching Moonshiners, for one. I am all over any show that prominently features characters named Tickle and Jim Tom. This show has given me a new appreciation for a segment of the population that I would swear could barely pass a Redbook quiz, but can somehow manage to construct an IED. Seriously.

I've also been working A LOT, helping to fill the shoes of a superhuman colleague who has been out with some scary health issues. I wouldn't ever want to NOT do it, but it has been keeping me busy.

And time left over  has been spent capturing the holiday spirit, because I HEART Christmas. We've decorated our tree, decked the halls, hidden that Elf (who is rarely on the shelf) a ridiculous number of times, started the Christmas cookie baking, gone shopping, and listened to lots and lots of Christmas music. However, I have taken exactly zero pictures of all of this. Cue sad face and accusations of bad mom blogger status. I should be capturing twinkly pictures of cherubic faces and Bokeh-ed up Christmas lights - I am clearly not cut out to make it in the blogging world. Good thing this is really just a hobby and a way to get pictures to my grandmother (Hi Mimi!) :-).

In other news, I gave up on ever trying to find skinny jeans I like, and bought a pair of jeggings. People, THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE. I'm a wee bit embarrassed to wear them (though I do!). But I am a stickler for making sure I only wear them with shirts that cover my butt, so that should count for something, right?

I also just started reading Gone Girl. I hear good things, and am hopeful to have more than 5 minutes a night to read this.

Hm, what else? Well, Lucy managed to break a whole carton of eggs on the floor of the supermarket when I was solo shopping with both kids today. I was not as mortified as I maybe should have been. Maybe because Finn has been SUCH a TREAT as school lately (sarcasm is dripping here, people) that I can't get myself too worked up about a few broken eggs. He's racking up a streak of reds and yellows on the Ol' Behavior Chart lately, and also managed to get a black eye while instigating a round of "Let's Throw Rocks" on the playground the other day. He's also getting in trouble for having a "smart mouth" with his teacher. Pretty sure I know where he got that trait.

But, but, but... it's not all bad, not even half bad. We're in the holiday spirit, and sprinting to the finish line - very much looking forward to getting away and getting up to New England for Christmas. It's going to be a lot more work over the next two weeks, but at least it's just two weeks! And then I'm hopeful that life will return to its normal fast pace, instead of the crazy "just took a handful of uppers" pace that it's been on lately.

I did a half-hearted attempt at some gift guides last year. An attempt that stopped when I realized exactly how much work it takes to put a gift guide together (Hint: A LOT). Instead, this year, I'll try to hop back on after Christmas and tell you what I actually bought the people in my life. Sure, half the stuff will be out of stock by next Christmas, but it may give us all some ideas to start with when we start heavy-breathing at our blank gift lists next November.

Hey! Here are some pictures! They are old!

 

 

Hope you are all having a fabulous Advent/Hanukkah season! I'll be back, eventually!

Let's Do This Thing

I know I owe this space a photo-heavy post on Halloween and fall activities (leaf pile jumping! The kids did it! I have photos!). But I need to pause for a moment, on the eve before the election, to make a plea that comes from my heart.

Tomorrow, Maryland becomes one of 36 states to offer a public vote on legalizing gay marriage.

Three other states have a similar vote on their own ballots.

The other 32? The ones that already held their votes? Every. single. one. voted to reject the legality of gay marriage. Every. single. one. decided that marriage is something only to be allowed between a man and a woman. Every. single. one. reinforced inequality, a separate degree of citizenship, the idea that some people are "less than," that they somehow don't deserve the same rights everyone else does, just because of who they love.

One day, I really do believe, this will all be in the past. Our grandkids will read about how lesbian and gay couples achieved the right to marry the same way we read now about how women achieved the right to vote (FINALLY, FOR THE LOVE OF...) in 1920. In history class, in social studies class, in that "look how far we've come" kind of lesson, of which we've had so many in the course of our country's history. We are moving that way, it is coming, it won't be stopped.

It is never wrong to be more inclusive. To give more social rights. To bring equality to a group that doesn't have it. To promote family, even if it's not what YOUR family looks like.

Because that's really what this is about. Giving people the chance to have a legally recognized family.

There may not be a right or wrong answer when it comes to who you vote for President, but there is a right answer here. We need to do what no other state has done yet, and that's pass Question 6.

Let's do it.

Mixed Emotions

The entire country is focused on last night's election outcome, including me, so it seems fitting to write one more political post before I revert to the hum drum descriptions of our little life here. Bear with me, this is not my comfort zone.

I am very happy with the outcome of the election. I want to state that first. I voted for Obama, and I am glad that his victory is definitive. For the first time since 1996, I backed a winning candidate, and it feels good and validating. I hope, with a Congress that is a bit more aligned with the presidency, we can actually get some stuff done around here. We can shift our attention a little from all the issues the previous administration used to keep us scared, the way they hammered us about all the different enemies that surround us, creating an atmosphere of fear. Hopefully we can make some strides toward economic stability, good healthcare options (although I think Barack needs a little help on that one), and educational programs that work. Most importantly, I think, when tested, Obama will rise to any occasion and will do an admirable job.

Having said that, I still find myself somewhat sad today. Even with my emotional, exhausted, hormonal state that leaves me teary eyed at every TV show and commercial that I watch, I don't find myself moved to tears of joy over his victory. Instead, I find myself doubting the first sentence of Barack's victory speech from last night:

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

Last night, we elected the first African American President in our history, truly a historic moment. But what does that really say? Racial divides and tensions are deep seated, and this does break down some barriers. But in my opinion, the barriers between black and white were already being attacked with battering rams. What about the subtler, or less attention-grabbing tensions that exist? The stronger, more camouflaged barriers that are still holding strong? Does the election of Barack Obama mean that a Hispanic American now stands a chance of being elected? An Asian American? A Muslim American or a Jewish American? I am not so sure of that.

What saddens me the most, however, is that we seem no closer to gender equality. Perhaps selfishly, as a female, this concerns me the most. I think I could only cry tears of joy for an election that puts a woman in the White House, and today I am struck by the possibility of never seeing that happen in my lifetime. The divide between sexes is universal and deep seated, far more so than the tensions that exist between any two races or ethnicities. We still live in a time where women can hold the same position as men, and get paid less for it, or receive fewer opportunities for promotion. Our educational systems and workforce regulations are still geared toward a male population. While there have been some strides toward incorporating child-bearing and -raising in the workplace, it does not go far enough. For example, I will receive 6 weeks of paid leave to recover from childbirth and incorporate a new child into the family, and I will receive an additional 6 weeks of unpaid leave on top of that. Frankly, that's just not enough time. I am fortunate to work for a large company, which is beholden to the FMLA rules. If I worked for a small company, I would only be guaranteed the amount of vacation time I managed to accrue before going in to labor. In my opinion, both of those options suck, though one is of course worse than the other.

Yes, you could argue that we got closer this year, with Hillary Clinton making a substantial bid for the presidency. But she didn't win the nomination. Maybe because of who she is (those Clintons can be very polarizing), or maybe because this country is not ready for a female president. Others point to Sarah Palin, who had the opportunity to become the first female Vice President. But honestly, I think her selection as the running mate for John McCain was actually a step backward, a slap in the face toward legitimate female politicians. Yes, she is tenacious, and she must have some smarts to get as far as she has. But she is self-serving, and NOT smart in the areas where a country's leader must be smart - she cannot think on her feet, and maintain a didactic knowledge of the problems and potential solutions facing all of us. To put her one step from the presidency was an insane idea, and it shows disrespect to our intelligence.

I'll be watching, over the next 4 or 8 years, for how or if this election has really changed the political and cultural landscape in America. And you can bet your ass that I'm going to be keeping my eye out for that potential her, the promising woman who can do it, transcend those gender barriers and prove that women really are equals in every way that matters. I'm still hoping I'll see it.

OK, off my soapbox - Finn updates to follow soon.

For the love of fruit flies and olives

Perhaps, at this late date, you are one of those people who has not managed to make up your mind about where to cast your support in next Tuesday's national election. A humorous commentary from David Sedaris on undecided voters can be found here. His assessment beside the point, I'm assured that such people, even after being hit over the head with constant messages from both parties for nearly a year now, do exist. Perhaps, if after all the arguments over the economy, the war, healthcare, energy resources, executive experience, and wardrobes you still have not made up your mind, I can sway you with an argument for fruit fly research and the fate of the olive industry.

Many of you know that I did my doctoral research on aspects of fruit fly development. A topic near and dear to my heart, fruit flies have provided the basis for a century of scientific discovery and breakthroughs. A complex organism that is easy to raise and genetically manipulate, it so kicks the butt of many other model systems (sorry, M., but my model system eats your model system for breakfast, literally - there's just no contest between yeast and drosophila). Fruit flies were used to show that genes are located on chromosomes, for crying out loud. How much more fundamental and basic can one get? And there's more. Just about every known human disease gene has a fruit fly counterpart. They are used to study even the most complex of human conditions, like alcoholism, autism, memory/learning, cancer... the list goes on and on.

So, clearly, we have established the validity of pursuing scientific research on the tiny fruit fly, right? Apparently, this opinion is not shared by the McCain campaign.

Sarah Palin, she who allowed pork barrel funding to build a road in Alaska to the Bridge to Nowhere, which was never itself built due to an uproar around the country (or something like that), hence making this road a true Road to Nowhere, took it upon herself to criticize earmarks, a pet reform project of McCain's. Now, I'm not going to try to argue whether earmarks have any value (some definitely do, though) or what improvements need to be made to our earmark system. I'm here to defend fruit flies. And olives.

You see, Sarah Palin, in providing an example of the worthlessness of earmark spending, highlighted one project in particular as an example of pork barrel funding that, to her, is not in the public's best interest. This project involves, you guessed it, fruit fly research. You can read an assessment of her comments here, which though not unbiased is hopefully at least factual and informative.

Sarah Palin ridiculed the research in question, which apparently involves investigation into the olive fruit fly, a pest that has been terrorizing the California olive crop. Yes, this is different than the ivory tower fruit fly I lauded above. The research here is seeking to understand the olive fruit fly so that we may kill it, not unlock genetic mysteries that will lead to advances in human medicine. But her statement didn't go into that kind of detail, it just ridiculed fruit fly research as a whole. Way to be dismissive of all those past and future scientific discoveries we owe to the fruit fly, hmm?

The salon.com link above includes a discussion of the olive and olive oil markets, both national and international. Apparently the olive fruit fly is quite a blight on olive crops, a serious problem. Now, who doesn't love a good tapenade, I ask you? Bruschetta? Spaghetti aglio e olio? Cocktail and intimate dinner parties would never recover from an olive extinction. If that doesn't sway you, just think of my poor, picky, nutrient-deficient toddler, whose list of edible fruits includes just 6 items (banana, pear, apple, pineapple, orange slices, and olives). If all the olives are gone, we're down to just 5! Then what will he have on his pizza?? The horrors are unthinkable.

I have been assured, by the way, by the ever-reliable Internet that the olive is most definitely a fruit. Which I guess is why it is being attacked by a fruit fly... huh, don't I feel dumb. My original plea was going to include the olive as one of the 5 vegetables that Finn will deign to eat, but it being a fruit and all... This means Finn's vegetable list is down to 4 items(peas, corn, carrots, and the occasional french fry, which is also of dubious but definitely arguable vegetable origin). None of which he will actually eat on a regular, predictable basis.

If you have any positive feelings toward fruit fly research, olives, or my son's limited picky toddler diet, please, vote Obama/Biden next week!

Dude, it's Nuke-lee-errrr!!!

Why is it that all Republicans seem to feel the need to pronounce the word nuclear as nukular?? I swear, it's like fingernails down a chalkboard for me. My biggest political pet peeve, I think.

I will say, though, that that Sarah Palin has a great stylist. Sign me up for those glasses. OK, I still prefer my contacts, but she does have a nice hair style.

I'm embarrassed to say that I fell asleep about 30 minutes into the first presidential debate last week. Here it is, 9:53 pm, and I'm still awake during the VP verbal sparring. Admittedly, though, I pulled out the computer just now to stave off the inevitable super-long blinks that are a short step away from snoring and drooling on the couch. But I definitely find these two a bit more interesting than their presidential counterparts, I guess.

Back to my original rant, on further research, it appears that mis-pronunciation of the word nuclear is not limited to Republicans. Here's an interesting little tidbit from Slate.com that discusses it. Hmm, if Bill Clinton was guilty of the infraction, I wonder if that extends to his wife, the candidate I was hoping to be voting for this election... Food for thought. Can't say it would have changed my mind for sure, but "nukular" REALLY annoys me!