Sunday, October 31

What I'm reading this weekend...

All about "pregnancy centers." 
Check out the NYTimes article here.

I bet you can guess how I feel about the proposed legislation mentioned in this article!

Saturday, October 30

Italy in October!!

We're so lucky that Ben has almost-family in Italy.
It gives us a great excuse to vacation there as often as possible, and we can usually stay for free right outside of Venice!

This time we were lucky enough to stay in a cute B&B for Padova (Padua) for 4 days, and head into Venice and some of the countryside for day trips.

Then off to Florence for 3 days, where we stayed in an awesome hotel and also took the time to travel to some of the smaller cities (Sienna, San Gimignano) nearby.

Add in one day in Milan, and you have a pretty awesome trip.
The only downside?
Coming back and being unable to fit in to all of your clothing comfortably due to massive amounts of pasta, cheese, wine..,and more pasta.

Pictures to come tomorrow!

Friday, October 29

Escape from NYC 2010

In my defense, my 3 measly postings from this month make a lot more sense when you consider that this month I spent:
 *9 days in Italy
 *4 days hosting a fabulous house guest & co-hosting a party in my apt.
 *3 days traveling to/from & participating in the fall NLNI conference

That's 16 days total of craziness in just one month.
Plus of course the days spent getting ready for the trips and recovering from jet-lag etc.
Oh, and my family visited over one of those weekends, and I took little S to see Wicked!
So really, it's been an exceptionally busy month.

Next up, deciding if I want to participate in this year's Nanowrimo (don't know what that is? check it out online here), figuring out a little more job stuff, and spending T-giving in STL with B's family.

Oh, and I think we still need to send out a few save the dates.
I'm exhausted just thinking about it all!

Monday, October 4

One vote and the course of history?

I've been watching The Tudors - The Complete Second Season on Netflix (I swear this is not a sponsored post!). I have to sneak episodes since B is not a fan.

He was the one who originally suggested the series as our next show (after we finished The Wire: The Complete Series)...until he remembered 1/2 an episode in that he doesn't like British accents or period dramas. I, however, think British accents are adorable and love period drama. So when he's stuck at work or away on business I break out the Netflix and plug away at the series.

Anyway, I've just begun season 2 and Henry the 8th is trying to break with Rome. Most people know the story, so I won't rehash.

The part that really floored me though, was the fact that during the course of an afternoon they voted on the issue and it was basically done.
I realize that's an oversimplification, and the show is not exactly historically accurate...but I was still pretty astounded by the idea that history was shaped in part by a simple vote.

Can you imagine anything happening now after a single vote?
Or rather, can you imagine anything making it past the bureaucracy that is often characteristic of our government in a timely manner so that a vote could even happen?

Pretty crazy!

Friday, October 1

The least helpful job advice I've ever seen:

Don't cry, and other interviewing tips

Really?
Thanks CNN!
I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

Sniffle.

Lemur vs. Lemming: AKA the Best Work Conversation Ever

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had a real post ready. Or rather, I was going to write a real post. A serious one! And then I had this conversation with a co-worker (during personal time of course) and felt the need to share.


SS: I sometimes think twitter is a fad
SS: I do it--but only because i'm a lemur.
SS: or crap, lemming. I mean lemming

L: hahahah!!!!
L: a lemur! I love it

SS: my face is red
SS: thank goodness for online chatting
SS: you can't see!

L: hahah it's such a cute image in my head, of lemurs flocking to a cliff

SS: urg
SS: I was close
SS: they sound so similar

L: and to be honest i dont even totally know what a lemming is

SS: whhhat? no way!

L: I sort of always pictured something penguiny but not a bird

SS: I thought they looked more cat-like
SS: clearly no one has any idea what a lemming really is!
SS: they're rodents..ew
SS: I think we should change the phrase. lemurs are much cuter

L: lemurs probably have some senseless pack behavior we could comment on

SS: we should find out
SS: and then totally coin a new phrase

L: "The presence of female social dominance sets lemurs apart from most other primates and mammals; Female aggression is often associated with, but not limited to, feeding"
L: I think there's useful material in there

SS: Hmm.. feeding frenzy and female aggression. That does indeed seem like a good breeding ground for a new phrase
SS: And perhaps even semi-relevant to anti-violence work!
SS: Score!

L: there was something else about how scientists hypothesize that the lady lemurs get aggressive because they have more at stake than the men, what with the need to reproduce

SS: ugh. lets leave that one out of the pile

L: haha
L: GET OFF MY PIZZA I NEED TO HAVE A BABY!

SS: last thing we need to do is create another phrase that makes women sound like baby-crazed man eaters

Funny job find of the day..

Found at the bottom of a job announcement:

Spanish preferred. 


I think they meant "Spanish speaker" preferred.
At least, I hope that's what they meant.
Isn't there a law against that otherwise?!