Bird Flu, SARS, Swine Flu… What’s Next?

I continue to be surprised that there are diseases (newly and yet-to-be discovered) that can still have such a severe impact on us. I mean, we live in a very advanced society. We’ve developed cures or found a way to prolong life for diseases and viruses that, in the past, if you were found to have them would mean an immediate death sentence; HIV and certain types of cancer are examples. Yet, we have nothing to safeguard us again seemingly common viruses that exist just across the border. What’s most troublesome is that we can unknowingly put ourselves in harms way and shatter our peace of mind just by going about our daily business.

With hundreds of people packed tightly into a small space, the second (and thankfully, shortest) part of my commute has always been a harrowing experience. The ride is no more than two stops and lasts less than ten minutes but they are the worst few minutes of my day (anyone who takes the E train during rush hour knows what I mean). I didn’t think it could get any worse but with the recent outbreak of swine flu, every sneeze is now a cause for alarm and paranoia quickly sets in. Where before I could easily dismiss or attribute such occurrences to allergies or the common cold, I am now anxious and alert to any symptom that could in any way be related to the swine flu. In my worst moments, I envision our society turning into one where we have to wear gloves and cover our mouths with masks (standard procedures) to protect us from numerous incurable diseases that permeate the atmosphere. Clean fresh air, if such ever existed, would be a thing of the past. Every time the WHO raises the pandemic level, it seems that we are getting closer to this point and even if the CDC does find a cure for swine flu very soon, it’s almost guaranteed that something else will come along and set us in a state of panic just like SARS and the bird flu before it. Frankly, we are too advanced a society to so easily fall prey to such viruses as swine flu and I can only hope that the CDC, WHO, and anyone else in a position to safeguard us against them can position us offensively rather than us having to adapt a defensive approach when the next virus hits.

Golf Pants

Now thats a confident man. I love it!

Annoyances

It’s clear that winter is behind us but I wasn’t quite ready for this shift to summer-like weather (although it hasn’t gotten too bad yet). I can’t stand extreme temperature because too much heat saps my energy and freezing cold depresses me. And yes, 90 degrees is extreme considering we’ve been in the 50s and 60s since the start of spring. This annoying tendency of the weather to jump and dip at will lead me to reflect on other things that I find just a tad annoying.

1.) Unreliable transportation- when it takes me an additional hour to get where I need to go (Greyhound), I consider that poor service. And, I don’t appreciate having to pay $22 more each month (MTA) when service is slated to be cut. Where’s my money going?

2.) (Uneasy) quiet- I like my peace and quiet but there’s a reason why I’m in no hurry to own a house. I feel secure at the thought of 50 other renters packed around me when I go to bed at night. There’s no better reminder of this than being alone in a house out in the boonies with very little outside noise.

3.) Poor internet connection- especially when I have the momentum to whittle through those projects on my list. It’s almost guaranteed that I will be booted off a server within five minutes of connecting to it. I just can’t afford to pay for my own internet right now.

4.) The pain of breaking in semi-new shoes- we try shoes on in the store and they feel great. Not so great when you wear them outside for the first time. I usually give up on certain shoes after wearing them once. Sometimes, I forget about the pain I experienced the first time and give them another try. Not always the best idea but a necessary step since they’re on their way to becoming comfortable throughout the third wearing. But the times leading up to that point…a little painful.

5.) Passive aggressive people- need I say more? We all know them; life would be so much easier if everyone would just “say what you need to say” (love this song!)

Coming Clean About Astrology

Some time ago I ran into a problem, the breadth of which was beyond my capabilities. I talked it over with some people (and to God) and I spent some time going over it in my mind but still it didn’t seem to be enough. So like most people looking for answers, I went to the internet and ran a Google search. Not surprisingly, the results were plentiful but what I found shocking was the number of people who seemingly had experienced the same exact problems that I was having. What’s even more surprising is that I found astrology forums where users somehow connected their issues to being born under a certain sun sign to be the most helpful. Frankly, I think that people who immerse themselves in astrology are weak-minded and susceptible to anything. They are so reliant on what other people say they are supposed to be like (based on their birth date) that they live their life to fit a mold rather than carve their own way. (Please note that this opinion refers only to people who feel they need to consult their psychics/charlatans and their charts to tell them how to live.) But after realizing that I was connecting to the words of these people with their varying levels of belief, I had to reconsider my position. I still don’t buy into all that astrology BS and I probably never will. But somewhere along the way, I felt myself bending to allow for the possibilities that astrology (certain ones-like eastern zodiac-more than others) is not a complete hoax. Therefore while I can’t say definitively that I believe in astrology, I do think that profiles about the zodiac signs do contain some grain of truth and I am now more open to exploring what I read about it rather than completely dismissing it off hand. Definitely not on my way to developing my birth chart or anything like that though.

*I have used astrology and zodiac interchangeably throughout this post. I may be wrong in doing so since I know absolutely nothing about either.

Beyonce Audio Hoax

Tearing someone down who's at the top of their game is something that critics have always loved to do and it seems that they're at it again with this audio. Listen and judge for yourself. They would have us believe that this is Beyonce performing a terrible rendition of her hit "If I were A Boy". Ok, I've heard her do the riffs and there's enough of her voice to plant seeds of doubt (as to her talent) but I don't buy it. For one, I've seen her in concert and heard her sing a capella, including the breaths she took throughout. The girl can sing! Second, Beyonce is a consumate professional and has been at her business too long to give a performance like that. If she truly couldn't sing and needed the help of a recording, I'm sure she nows how to do a convincing lip sync after all this time. Despite this hoax, I plan to purchase a ticket to her upcoming concert first thing in the morning. I may not care too much for her as an actress but she is one hell of a performer and she knows how to put on a great show.

A New Low

What is this world coming to? Is nothing sacred? It is with mild shock that I received the news that Susan Boyle was offered $1 million dollars to do a porno in which she loses her virginity. That’s right, somebody out there thinks that we want to see this frumpy 47 year-old woman who recently caught our attention because she can carry a tune (definitely not superstar material in my opinion) get naked and do the deed. Not me, not in this lifetime! What’s even more laughable is that the production company actually stated that “doing it in front of bright lights and cameras…will make it that much more special.” I can’t imagine how they reasoned that one out! Clearly these people are trying to take advantage of this simple woman and trying to capitalize on her 15 minutes. And they’re trying to make the rest of us as culpable as they are by having fans choose the title if Susan accepts. Give me a break! The only way that I can think of that they could get any lower is if they'd made a similar offer to a developmentally-challenged teenage or adolescent girl.

The View: An Experience

Unless I have an appointment or am planning to take a trip, I rarely take time off from work. While the idea of staying in and lazing around the apartment on a traditional work day is a nice one, it is one that I rarely indulge. However, when I was invited to a live showing of The View, it seemed right to accept and put my PTO to good use. Mind you, I’d never watched the view before yesterday’s show and my opinion of the ladies (as a gaggle of chatty-kathys) was not a flattering one. But I thought, why not, it’d be an experience. And it was.

Close to an hour after I had intended to awaken, I resisted the urge to spend the day in bed and sluggishly prepared for the experience that awaited me. Winds and heavy rain was not enough of a deterrent and I made it to the studio before the 9:30am cut-off that was printed on the ticket. C. and I waited for about 30 minutes before we made it through the lobby door and past security. There, in the hallway, we would wait another hour before being taken up to the studio where we would have an up-close look at Whoopi, Joy, Sherri, Elizabeth, and Barbara.

Although a seat was most welcome once we were finally admitted into the studio (we were met with cookies and juice) the wait was not completely uneventful. While waiting a good 20 minutes to use the restroom, Debbie Morgan, the actress who plays Angie on All My Children walked by on her way to the elevator. She was dressed very casually with her hat pulled down low and obviously did not want to be bothered, which no one did.

The studio where The View is filmed is much smaller than we had expected. The layout can best be described as stadium seating with three sections (right, center, left) and directed to the tiny table where the ladies sat. We were seated in the second row of the right mezzanine section. It was a good seat although the cameras obstructed my view of Elizabeth and Sherri and I caught Barbara in profile only. The show itself was pretty tame but after screaming and clapping on cue for the first 10 minutes, I was ready to sit back and listen.

It was a day of “Hot Topics” which featured Mel Gibson’s divorce, the child actress from Slumdog Millionaire being sold by her father, President Obama and Chavez, among other. However, I was more interested in what was going on during the breaks (pictures to come). Some of the hosts got make-up touch ups, there was much interaction with the crew, and the warm-up comic fielded our questions and tried to keep us entertained. The ladies stayed on stage almost the entire time and seemed to be working non-stop. All in all, I was glad the show was live and merely an hour long because both my hands and mouth were tired from all the work they had to do. But I was glad that I got to experience the show without all the frills and I gained a renewed respect for the ladies as intelligent and hard-working, positive women.

Why Do I Feel So Good?

Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed a shift in my mood from solemn and somewhat depressed to happy and uplifted. It’s true that I’ve been a bit more proactive and I’m setting plans in motion to do things I’ve always wanted to do but nothing to account for such an abrupt change. So where is this coming from? Some might call it moodiness but I know it is more than that and as I was walking to an appointment earlier today, I found what I now know to be part of the answer. Spring is here! The sun is out, there’s a cool breeze in the air and I’m feeling good. I could feel the stress and exhaustion melting away to be replace by thoughts of just how beautiful it is outside. And I wasn’t alone. I could feel the happiness radiating from the people I passed. Further, I know that the lovely weather is part of the reason why I feel so good because once I returned indoors, although my good mood did not completely disappear, it dissipated. What it is about the weather that can cause us to cast off our gloominess just from the feel of a light breeze and the touch of sunlight on our face? I don’t have an answer for this (I’ll leave that to the scientists to figure out) but I’m going to enjoy this great weather and this happy feeling for as long as it lasts.

Where’s My Refund?

The deadline for filing taxes has come and gone and I take pride in the fact that I didn’t wait until the last minute to mail mine out. For the second year in a row, I not only filed my own taxes but I got them out a month before they were due. The entire process spanned two days after I had gathered together all the pertinent documents I would need. I spent the first evening filling out the forms and double checking my figures, typed and printed everything the next morning and by lunch, both my state and federal tax documents were stamped and on their way. It was a huge relief to get out from under that burden and I immediately started counting down the days when I could go onto the tax sites and track the progress of my refund. It wasn’t that I was necessarily in a hurry to receive my refund but something was nagging at me. And I wanted my money!

It wasn’t until close to three weeks had passed and I was working on my sister’s taxes that I realized what had been evading my thoughts all along. I had forgotten to attach my W-2 form to my 1040A form! In my haste to get them on their way I had skipped the checklist reminder and since NY State no longer requires them…I simply forgot. This would not be difficult to rectify but I was now at the mercy of the IRS to notify me of my mistake and to request that I send along the missing document to the address they provide. Re-filing was out of the question. Now, all I can do is wait. Big sigh! I think I’ll try e-filing next year.

Lesson learned: Where’s My Refund? won’t work if you’ve screwed up during the filing process; know that you’ll be waiting a while to see your refund.

National Library Week

The week is half over and it would be remiss of me as a librarian not to mention that this is National Library Week(April 12-18). One measly week to show some appreciation for libraries and librarians. So in memory of the late Judith Krug, make a special effort to show your support and visit your local library this week. Oh, and don't forget about yours truly :)

Steve Harvey: Men and Prioritizing

I was listening to a morning radio show earlier this morning when Steve Harvey said something that made me pause and pay attention. He said that “men prioritize everything” and further, if you feel that you are second on a man’s list it’s probably because you are. Being second is not necessarily a bad thing it just depends on what’s ahead of you. How true is this?

I’ve always felt that Steve Harvey gives good advice (see his book) but never more so than this morning. This particular bit of advice was in response to a letter that a woman wrote into his show (during the “Strawberry Letter” segment) asking for advice about how to deal with a man who she believes is a liar. Among the reasons she cited is the fact that he always spends time with her at her home—she can’t go to his—she never sees or hears from him during the holidays and he offers her excuses after excuses about why that is. This woman sensed that something was not as it should be but did what many of us do and ignored her intuition and continued to see him.

I can identify with this woman. In my particularly pathetic relationship history I’ve had opportunities (brief though they might have been) to see both sides of the coin. I’ve had someone call me every day—just to hear my voice—and try to keep me on the phone as long as possible. Someone who wanted to take me out on a regular basis and spend as much time in my company as I would allow. One who wanted to do things for me and get beyond my guard. And I’ve had the exact opposite of this: no phone calls, no dates, and minimal contact—just enough to keep me hanging around. In this latter case, I knew that I was certainly not a priority (I was so far down on the list that I might actually have been last) but I stuck around for much longer than I should have. I ignored my intuition. But there were lessons to be learned here and I learned them (I hope). Now, I am making a concentrated effort to keep myself at the top of my list.

Wine 101: The Choice Between Sharing and Savoring

Over the past few years, I’ve been steadily developing an appreciation for wines, particularly red wine. When I go out to eat, I eschew ordering beers and wells drinks in favor of wine or some fruity concoction. Even better if sangria is on the menu! Now I’m not a big drinker by any stretch of the imagination but it only seemed logical that I should start purchasing bottles of wine to keep at home for days when I felt like imbibing. Of course, I didn’t want to randomly buy bottles that would go to waste because I found that I didn’t like them after I bought them. That’s why plum wine was the perfect place to start developing my palate on my wine journey. I usually order it when I go to an Asian restaurant and it’s cheap!

One day while I was eating at a Thai restaurant downtown, I noticed the label on the bottle of plum wine that the server was using to refill our glasses. It was Kinsen Plum Wine. We obviously enjoyed it so after the meal my dinner companion and I walked over to the nearest liquor store to see if we could find it. We didn’t then but when I accompanied my brother to a liquor warehouse a couple weeks later, there it was. For $6.99 (we paid $6.00 per glass)! I had to get it. But as with a lot of things, after I took it home it just wasn’t the same as I had remembered it in the restaurant. Still, I finished the bottle but made a note not to buy that particular brand again.

On my first trip back to the liquor warehouse since buying my first bottle of plum wine, I was again ready to start the process of becoming a wine connoisseur. This time I would forget all ideas about plum and sparkling wines and go straight for the red. The choices were overwhelming so how could I choose? The simplest way seemed to be to ask for a recommendation which I got from one of the employees. I told him what I was looking for— red, sweet but not too sweet— and he lead me to Rashi Claret. When I questioned his reasoning behind his choice, his answer “they pay us a lot of money to know about these things” was enough for me. He really seemed to know his liquor.

Once I’d taken my wine home, I resisted the temptation to sample it immediately and waited a day before opening. I peeled away the wrapping around the opening only to find that it was corked. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to savor it the way wanted (at least, not for the month I had planned on) because I had no way to close in the essence. And a search of the web revealed that not only is there no real effective way to preserve my wine but that I only had a window of a few days in which to drink it before the flavor started to change until it eventually turned into vinegar. Discouraging news but this also reminded me that wine is meant to be shared, not hoarded. I'll remember that for next time.

Burger King Square Butt

Must see music video

No words necessary, just watch!

Who wouldn't take this deal?

Check out this sweet deal!

$80,000 not to go to work for a year? I'm there. Granted, as an associate at a big law firm this woman stands to make over $160,000 more if she were actually working but consider the alternative in this nasty economy: she could lose her job completely (they just want her not to work for a year). Throw in the traveling and its truly a sweet deal.

If Bourdain or Zimmern Will Eat It, I Probably Won’t

I spent a fun evening relaxing with friends the other day. The conversation was good, the ambiance amenable and the food…questionable. The fact that I couldn’t read the name over the door of the restaurant (it’s written with Japanese character) should have been a hint that the menu would be beyond anything that I’m used to. I admit to being a bit of a coward when it comes to trying food that can be described as “interesting”. In my opinion, bull testicles, frogs, and eel are not compatible with the human digestive system (the finished, cooked products doesn’t look so bad-- see link below-- but still not buying it). Quail is borderline safe but still iffy. Anyway, there they all were on the menu. They weren’t an option for my dinner choice but squid seemed safe enough and I gave in gracefully to K. I mean, I grew up eating curried (and sometimes raw) octopus (which I like) and that’s practically the same as a squid. So you’d think barbecue squid would be to my liking. Not so much. A little too much bite and I can just imagine that the squid still had a little kick left it in when it was plated. My gag reflex didn’t kick in and I can’t say that it was the worst thing that I have ever eaten but it’s almost guaranteed that I won’t be trying it again.

So what did I get? I went way beyond safe by ordering vegetable dumplings and fried chicken. I’ll make more of an effort to venture beyond my comfort zone next time because I’m finding that everything goes down smoother with a glass of wine.


Takeaways/To Do:
Learn to eat with chopsticks
Give sushi a second try
Find recipe for sangria

Just for fun: Testicles cooking preparation video

The State of MY Religion

I can’t remember the last time I saw the inside of a church. This is a truly depressing thought since I grew up in the church. When I was younger, I went to bible study, choir practice, youth service, Friday service and of course the main service on Sunday. Today? Nothing. (I have a theory about why that is but thats for another time.)

I can’t remember the exact date when this began to change but I do remember that as a teenager, the idea of attending church became less and less appealing to me to the point that if my mother wasn’t forcing me to go on any given Sunday, I wouldn’t go. Not even for special holiday services like Easter or Christmas. I do have some pleasant memories of Good Friday, about having a meal of dumpling and stewed salt fish (codfish) after church, and just feeling a sense of closeness with my family. Back then, we all ate dinner together at the dining table (I hadn’t realized that I missed that after we moved to the U.S.). Fact is, a lot of things changed after the move and a lot of my most treasured memories are from my youthful days in the Caribbean.

But as far as church, just because I haven’t been inside of one doesn’t mean I feel any less closer to God. I talk to Him every night before I go to sleep and in the morning when I wake. I believe in giving thanks for what we have and that God places people in our lives and put us in certain situations for a reason. We just have to get out of our own way and trust in Him. Not going to church doesn’t make us any less important to him. I plan to start going again though. Someday.

Those Darn Doctors

I’m really starting to hate medical doctors. I don’t think I can say that about any other profession as a whole, except maybe the police (and this is more of a holdover from my teenage years than for any other reason). I have very little respect for people who take advantage of their positions and treat the rest of us as though we’re insignificant. My one exception would be dentists but maybe that’s because I’ve been fortunate to pick ones who are pleasant and who I actually like beyond the service they provide. My previous dentist who I had to give up due to a change in my insurance coverage still inquires about my well-being over two years later. I think what I liked most about him is that he took the time to explain every recommended procedure, he never passed me off to his assistants for the most basic of procedures, and I never felt as though I didn’t have his complete attention. He wasn’t particularly extroverted but I wasn’t seeing him so that we could be friends. We were well suited. I can’t say this of my experience with any medical doctor.

Two particularly annoying experiences stand out (there are quite a few) where I was made to wait a few hours to see the doctor and then that meeting was the briefest part of my visit. The first was over a year ago where the doctor actually interrupted his examination of me to take a 10-15 minutes phone call all while having the door cracked with me laying practically naked on the examining table. The second was much more recent but no less a waste of time. This time the doctor’s cavalier attitude during the two minutes he saw me was more than I could take. Both times I couldn’t help but voice my displeasure, which I’m glad I did but I wish I had gone with my instinct and left the first few times I felt the urge to. It would have been one less regret.

Thinking back on it, maybe there’s something to the fact that all of these disappointing visits were with male doctors. Should men even be the type of doctors who treat female problems? Whatever it is, I’ve had enough of male doctors for a while.

On Blogging

*this is merely an introduction/explanation as to why I have started blogging. Future blogs will not necessarily provide a breakdown of my thought processes*

I’ve been playing around with the idea of starting my own blog for a while but for one reason or another I had just never been motivated to take that first step (isn’t that always the hardest part?) Sure I spent endless hours talking about how I want to get back into the habit of writing on a regular basis (what better way than blogging) but on the heels of that came the thought: what am I going to write about? I had this idea that I would first come up with a theme. I could write about travel plans, review books, movies, or restaurants, about things that bother me or prompt deep thought. Anything really, as long as it all ties together neatly. What I didn’t want to do was spend endless hours writing about my every detailed thought. After all, some things are better left unsaid and unwritten. But I realize that that’s more idealistic than realistic and that I am putting unnecessary constraints on myself. And what about the time commitment it takes to maintain a blog? Well, it seems I have the time now and when I don’t, I will have to make time. How else will I get into the habit of writing regularly?

Even after having worked through these seeming obstacles I hesitated. But after having one of my friends tell me “you should write about that” for what seems like the hundreth time regarding another of my sometimes crazy/sometimes mundane experiences, something stuck. And now that I’ve started, any topic is fair game, as long as it interests me.

Old Posts: Final Attempt

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Still Me, Birthday And All

On Thanksgiving Day 2008, I celebrated another birthday. Perhaps it's the combination of the spirit of the holiday and turning a year older that caused me to reflect on the past year, to think about all the things that I am thankful for. Generally its been a good year; somewhat sedate at times, unnecessarily hectic other times but never regrettable. I look forward to all the exciting things to come over the next year.

First, my family. Although there are times when I have felt like I could use a break from them, I can't imagine not having them in my life. Each member of my family plays a unique role in my life and no matter how busy we get in our lives we're never too busy for each other.

Having friends who make it easy to vent without passing judgment, who allow me to share my load when it gets to be too heavy for me is a wonderful thing and one that I probably overlook from time to time. I can only promise to be as good a friend to them.

I am grateful for the wisdom gained through past experiences. I am wiser and more self-aware and I can't wait to see what else I will discover about myself over the coming year. I can only hope that I won't keep making the same mistakes over and over.

Old Posts: Third Attempt

Friday, October 24, 2008

Idle Chatter

I spent two hours one evening making small talk with people I am likely only to see once every four months. Usually the talk centers around things going on in our various offices, pesky patrons who add interest to our days and even our desires to see what else is available. All in the name of networking. On this particular night, the usual talk was present but with thoughts of the dismal economy crammed into each of our minds, instead of "the grass is greaner" mentality, there was lots of spirited chatter about sticking with the jobs we already have. No one was willing to test the field and lose their stability in such an uncertain future, me included. With an eye always toward the next step in my career, I am content to stay where I am for the time being. Unfortunately, newcomers to the field have little choice in the matter. We've all checked the usual places and can see what they fear: there are no jobs. Six months from now when they are ready to join the workforce, will this change? No one can predict what will happen but for those of us who are already here, we feel a renewed appreciation for the jobs we have. But we remain hopeful that soon, we will once again be free to leave if we so desire.

Old Posts: Second Attempt

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Resolution

Recently I saw a movie that implored audiences to really live life and not merely exist. I got the message loud and clear. I look back on the last ten years of my life where at least nine of them were filled with platitudes about my lack of time. If I didn't have a paper due or had a test to study for, I needed to grade papers or work on some other project. Or I was just plain tired. Work and school consumed me. Sure, I went out and had some fun once in awhile but I did not devote as much time to building up the social aspect of my life as I did to setting education and career goals and working towards them. I merely existed and there are a lot that I missed out on. I did not even start taking vacations until this past summer. But I have no regrets because I know that for everything I missed, I gained something in its place. Still, the theme from the movie struck a chord with me and from that point on, I endeavored to stop existing and start living. This renewed spirit is probably why I immediately identified with a song, "Invisible", I heard just last week. (This doesn't replace my secret belief that the chorus from "So Fesh and So Clean" is really about me of course; it's just a different outlook.) I particularly like this last verse:

"This can't be it for me
This can't be all I'm made for
And all my time wasted in this life
It's my time to shine
No more feeling insufficient
I'm gonna make my own decisions
It don't matter what you can or cannot see
I'm doing this for me"
- Jennifer Hudson

I realize that in my efforts to position myself for the long term, I had taken a backseat in my own life. But that time is behind me because "I'm invisible for the last time."

Old Posts: First Attempt

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Bathroom Lovin’

Its a sad world when a new bathroom is the best thing that could happen to someone all weekend. But there it is- I have a new bathroom and I'm loving it. Well, its not exactly new. It's still the same old toilet, sink and tub and its still as tiny as ever. But boy what a difference new floor tiles and some silicon make. The peachy color of the new tiles certainly brightened up a purely functional space and dare I say the existing tiles were awakened and sparkled like new. In that first shower after it was all completed, it certainly felt like a new experience. Is it any wonder that the bathroom is my sanctuary?