State of the union...um, I mean, job

I have extreme ennui. Call it "wage-earner" blues. Yesterday I played hookie from work and hung out with DH Jeff. It was good. But now I'm at work and I'm very whiny. Help.

Rwandan progress

Yesterday in WaPo, I read a story whose outlook was unexpected - good news from Africa. Because of the genocide, many Rwandan women were left without husbands, fathers & brothers, and had to fend for themselves and their children. Coffee plantations which had been owned by their male relatives passed to them. The article tells of how a new female entrepreneurship has grown out of the need to survive: women started running these plantations and improving the quality of the coffee they grew. Now, some of these businesses are so successful, that they export their coffee around the world. The article also goes into how microcredit factors into this commercial evolution (which reinforces my belief that microcredit is the doorway out of poverty). Interestingly, these female business owners are more likely to cycle their profits back into the business for development, but also improve their family's wellbeing (housing, sustenance, education, etc.). What's more, their new economic power is strengthening their political power as well. Read the whole story here.

Movie Review: Eastern Promises

Eastern Promises is a story about a midwife, Anna (played by Naomi Watts), whose teenage patient dies in childbirth, leaving no identification except for a diary. In an effort to track down relatives who could take custody of her orphaned baby girl, Anna must find someone to translate the diary, which is entirely in Russian. These efforts lead her into the cut-throat world of the Russian Mafia. One of the characters she encounters along the way is a mobster's chauffeur (played by Viggo Mortenson), a quiet man with a lot he's not saying.

This is not a movie for the faint of heart. It's very violent but at the same time, none of it is gratuitous. The whole cast is great, kudos especially to Mortenson whose character, at one point, has to fight two would-be assassins in a sauna while buck naked. Watts is a very sympathetic Anna, trying against odds to achieve a happy ending for the baby. I would highly recommend this intense film - it'll keep your attention to the very end.

Economic innovation

You know that I love the concept of microcredit as a direct way to combat poverty in a very tangible way (versus just throwing money at programs), empowering individuals. Well, in the WaPo today an article about a young South African company, Wizzit, that another way to address poverty: banking services to the poor, accessible by cell phone. The idea is that since cell phones are actually much more numerous in South Africa than bank accounts, there's opportunity in providing bank accounts that customers can access through their cell phones without actually having to go to a branch. One can set up an account over the phone, have pay deposited directly into the account instead of in cash, then can pay bills, send money, buy groceries - all through a cell phone. Read the whole, very interesting article here.

If only the Feds had been doing their jobs...

...in the first place, we wouldn't need detention camps for immigrants awaiting deportation. WaPo is doing a series about the EVIL U.S. Government and how it's mistreating the detainees. Today's piece was about how some of those detainees are committing suicide because of inadequate or neglectful mental health care at the centers. Disclaimer: I understand that (as DH Jeff has reminded me) if we're going to have detention centers, adequate conditions should be provided. Adequate. Not lux. My heartless self, though, really doesn't care if a few commit suicide, drop dead, etc. I didn't ask them to come here and at this point, am unconcerned with their wellbeing. Since time is short and I must scurry to work so I can pay for their care, I will opine no further. Besides, my blood pressure rises every time I think about this and life is just too short.

Grousing about grout...

...otherwise known as "the many uses of school glue." Case in point: some of the grout between our bathroom floor tiles has, in recent weeks, started to crumble. I reported this twice as a service request. Each time, the request was "completed" within 24 hours. That's the good part. The bad part is that not only were areas completely missed the first time, but the treated areas immediately started to crumble…both issues necessitating a second request. In the second go-round, all areas were patched but just yesterday I noticed that those areas were crumbling.

My two responses: 1) this burns my butt because we pay a premium to live here and should have handy men/women who actually know what they’re doing…and actually do it, and 2) I retrieved my CVS school glue and patched the crumbling areas. Not an optimal choice of grout material, but hey, I wasn’t going to submit yet another service request. The glue dried clear and secured the crumbling grout. Jeez.

Thoughts on…

…recycling. DH Jeff & my apartment building provides bins for newspaper, cardboard and mixed recyclables (plastic, glass, aluminum) and we are conscientious about depositing our recyclables therein. Recently, though, I’ve been thinking that there are so many things we “use” once and throw into the bins. It does in fact take energy to transport and recycle all these things. It seems a waste not to use some of them more than once, when practical. Case in point: we frequently buy those yummy mini croissants for breakfast and toss the plastic containers in which they are sold. But if one washes them, they’re great for saving leftovers, half-used vegetables, etc and for packing lunch.

So, small effort to reuse these containers, but in the aggregate, I’ll bet it really pays off. For instance, using these instead of ziplock bags. We’re terrible at cleaning and reusing those…so not only do we save money on frequent ziplock bag purchases (not doing away with them totally, though), but we’re also saving the energy that would be used in recycling the containers. Also, I’m not even sure that Arlington recycles the particular type of plastic of which they’re made, so if not, we’re keeping plastic from ending up in the waste stream. Yeah! I wonder why I didn’t think of this sooner!

I’m so sick of…

…this presidential campaign. Obama and Reverend Wright. McCain and Reverend Hagy (sp?). Blah, blah, blah. Can we just vote already and end this?

Book Review: Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, is a tragic tale of a man, Gregor, who wakes up one morning transformed into human-sized cockroach. Before this, he is the capable breadwinner of his aging parents and younger sister, setting them (and him) up in a nice roomy apartment. After the transformation, there is a brief period of sympathy from his family which rapidly turns to disgust, which prompts them to isolate him in his room. Because the family no longer has their sponsor, they are compelled to take in some unpleasant boarders. The situation declines accordingly in light of the fact that Gregor is unable to reverse the unfortunate species shift.

This is my first reading of Kafka. It was a mercifully short read at 55 pages. How long can one read about the disintegration of a once-productive life? The benefactor becomes a prisoner both in body and soul, losing his liberty on multiple levels, and an outcaste, losing his place in the hearts of his family members. He has no clue as to why this has happened to him and even worse, is incapable of doing anything to change the situation. Gregor was both a sympathetic and doomed figure, and even though his family couldn’t actually do anything to change him back, they became very unlikeable by the end of the story.

Movie Review: Duel in the Sun

In the interests of expanding my cinematic horizons, DH Jeff had me watch Duel in the Sun, a 1946 western/melodrama starring Gregory Peck, Lionel Barrymore, Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones. Jennifer Jones plays seventeen-year-old Pearl who has been orphaned and is taken in by a wealthy Texas family. She is immediately both repulsed and wildly attracted to the brash son Lewt (Peck) and dismisses the decent other son Jesse (Cotten). The story follows the tempestuous relationship of Lewt and Pearl. No good comes of it for them or anyone around them.

The good: beautiful cinematography. Yeh, in my mind that was about it. I guess you could say it was interesting to see Peck play a complete scumbag instead of “man of honor.”

The bad: Lewt can only be described as thoroughly loathsome, and in the parlance of our time, an emotionally abusive asshole. Did I also mention “rapist”? Jennifer Jones looks thirty not seventeen and she over-acts her little heart out. Her Pearl is a trampy big trouble. There are a few sympathetic characters, but neither Lewt nor Pearl fit that category. There are, however, more unsympathetic characters.
Well, there it is.

I'm free! Sort of...

Well, my dears, I've completed my coursework for the certificate in forensic science. I've submitted my paperwork. I wait for the piece of paper. The point is: "yippee!" I'm so glad to have it done! Now I'll have some more time to blog & write! And exercise. Oh, the exercise.

I've also submitted my first my entry in a writing contest, the Washington Post Valentine's fiction contest. This is a yearly contest that requires a short story about love in some respect, inspired by the photo they publish that year in the Post Magazine. DH Jeff has made an entry too. Wish us luck!

Book Review: Predator

Predator, by Patricia Cornwell, will not disappoint Scarpetta fans: it is chock-full of her regular characters with all their attendant idiosyncrasies (neuroses) and conflicts. And, of course, there are the deranged scumbags that keep the good guys on their toes until the last word.

In this story, there’s a convicted serial killer who’s participating in a neurological study, run by Benton Wesley, who reveals some details of an unsolved case. Is he telling the truth or fabricating details of a crime to toy with the forensic psychologist? Then there’s the mysterious woman whom Lucy encounters in a bar. What’s her story? The unexplained disappearance of two women and their young charges rounds out this compelling forensic mystery.

I’m a long-time Cornwell fan and although I always enjoy her stories, this was an especially good one. The tensions between Dr. Scarpetta and her cohorts are wonderfully aggravating as they all try – with plenty of distraction - to get to the bottom of the mystery. On a personal note, the segments that discuss firearms examination and ballistics were especially interesting because I had just had instruction on these areas in class. Regardless, I think anyone who enjoys the Scarpetta storylines will thoroughly enjoy Predator.

The wonders of demolition

There's something so compelling about a wreck site. What is it? It may be the awe at the folks who can actually blow up one building at busy intersection downtown without touching the buildings right smack beside it. Or maybe it's the image of controlled chaos of the floors with all their wires and such slouching down onto each other.

Well, here are some photos that I took with my Treo 680 (gotta love technology) at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue & K Street NW, downtown. Same building from two different views. Kind of incredible. On the street level was a pile of metal scraps that are going to be salvaged, I guess. Maybe I'll go take a picture of that too.

Cry. Me. A. River...Buh-bye! [long post]

In today's WaPo, front page, is a typical bleeding heart article about the hispanic exodus from Prince William County because of the county's new anti-illegals laws, the housing lending issue and other reasons. Waaahhhhhh!!! The wetbacks are leaving! No more cheap labor! No more Spanish-only enclaves! The CCCCHHHHIILLLDDDRRREEN!!! Waaahhhhhh!!!

Read this tearful narrative of (feel the sarcasm) the cruelty of it all:

The man, whose name is Mauricio and who is Salvadoran, zipped his jacket against the wind whipping across the dark, vacant parking lot as he walked out of the store toward a borrowed car.

That morning, his electricity had been cut off. The next day, he and 11-year-old Erica would be moving into the basement of a neighbor's house. On this night, they would make do with candles.

It was the latest blow in a year of calamities: In April, the interest rate on Mauricio's ill-advised mortgage suddenly spiked, more than doubling his monthly payments. In May, he lost his job as a house painter. In June, he had to sell his van. In July, his third child was born, and with no insurance, he started skipping mortgage payments to cover the hospital bills. In October, the bank began foreclosure proceedings. In November, he sent his wife and two U.S.-born children to El Salvador.

December brought the worst setback yet: Mauricio bounced a $460 check he had sent the Department of Homeland Security to renew his temporary legal status, transforming him from legal to illegal immigrant.

In January, he received notice to vacate his house. Two weeks ago, the water was cut off. A week ago, his Virginia driver's license expired, and without legal status, he can no longer renew it.

Mauricio and Erica turned onto a side street pocked with darkened, empty houses and pulled up to a brick house with mustard shutters. A plastic barrel stood under the gutter spout. Mauricio had been using it to collect rainwater to heat so Erica could take baths.(WaPo, March 27, 2008)

Maybe Mauricio should have taken his residency legality a little more seriously. Maybe instead of impregnating his wife (a macho imperative!) with another child he couldn't support, he should have been saving his money to pay for his legal residency in this country. Maybe instead of buying a house he couldn't afford, he & his family should have sucked it up and lived in an apartment that he could. Yet, nowhere in the article does it place the responsibility for Mauricio's "calamities" squarely where they belong: on his and his wife's head. The article only refers to an "ill-advised" mortgage - you know, like he just got some bum advice - not his fault!

I read this article with a sense of disgust (the bleeding heart stories) and glee (the laws are working). What we call this is "attrition" and "self-deportation." Yeah! And as other localities are flooded with the resulting "refugees" and find (various facets of) their areas overwhelmed, maybe they'll rethink the prudence of their sanctuary policies. One can only hope.

Because I must...

...but it makes me feel better anyway. I'm currently going through my files and shredding old account statements in an effort to decrease clutter (one of my new years resolutions). And because I actually DON'T need ALL documentation on accounts going back twenty years. I just don't. I've accepted that fact. I've now shredded several reams of paper. Hah!

More on microcredit

DH Jeff found this article in WaPo this morning about the nascent Grameen America. Curious how I was just mentioning Grameen and now this pops up. Historically microcredit initiatives have been carried out in the third world but why should they be exclusively third world endeavors? Grameen clearly thinks there's potential in the first world. Cool.

Scotch Watch 2008: the story continues

So, we just tried Glenfiddich 12-year ($51/bottle). We really like it. It's smooth and warm with a touch of sweetness. Mmmmmgood.

Oh, here's a site I found that gives tasting notes on various whiskies and details about the distilleries: The Whisky Guide. I checked out the tasting notes on Laphroaig, which if you've been following along, I found to be undrinkable. Here's why: smoke & peat. Evidently, neither of these jazzes my palate.

Oh, DH Jeff & I are thinking of hosting a scotch tasting for our interested/scotch-curious friends. Hoot.

Update: I think I like Glenfiddich more than Macallan. Just saying.

Some [known] bad news, some good news

I'm not going to talk at length about this article in today's WaPo, because I've already talked about how fighting mad it makes me that the DHS can't seem to pull its head out of its butt...and how happy it is to charge that incompetence spectacularly to you and me. Read and weep.

Onto more positive news: Goldman Sachs is bankrolling business education programs for female entreneurs in Africa and the Middle East with an eye to improving local economies in these regions. I think this rocks - focus on the women. We've seen the positive effects on the ground with microcredit/microfinance programs & banks (which tends to lend primarily to women) in the the third world (Grameen Bank, for instance), now Goldman Sachs is taking this thinking to the next logical level: giving female entrepreneurs the educational tools to make their businesses a success. Read the whole article here. And yes, libtards, Goldman Sachs is what you're always howling about - BIG BUSINESS - big raspberry to you!

Everything's money

For as long as I can remember, I've been overly concerned about money. Worried. That one day I'd be without it and on the streets. For a vast variety of reasons, that's HIGHLY unlikely, but this anxiety isn't rational. What is, though, is the solution to the anxiety: savings. I have started a small "crash fund" (emergency fund), but I think I'm going to go a step further: to amass a year's worth of expenses, stick the cash in CDs, and let it percolate interest. Now, this isn't all going to happen this year, but it will happen - I'm on a mission!

5 foods I could eat all day

Hummus - is it the garlic, the consistency, the dip-ability?

Kettle Chips Salt & Pepper potato chips - it's the crunch and the mixture of salt & pepper. These chips are like crack. Really. And really not so bad for you (no hydrogenated oils) unless you eat a whole bag at one sitting...which is a definite possibility.

Microwave popcorn - it's the crunch, the salt, the heavenly aroma, the fake butter!

Edamame - it's the gently salty nuttiness.

Wasabe peas - it's the nasal spiciness & crunch.

So, what foods drive you to distraction?