When I was growing up, we didn't have a lot of money, so going anywhere for spring break was out of the question. However, Ohio always had a lot to offer--it could easily snow early in the break and be 70 degrees by the end of the week. With the iffy weather, some breaks made us start to crave time structured by school rather than the daytime TV schedule in a remarkably short period of time. Some breaks made us anxious to start summer break immediately.
We have been fortunate enough to have spring breaks with travel for our kids, but this year we are staying home. Sure enough, it is only Tuesday, and we have already had 8 inches of heavy snow, followed by three 50+ degree days. It is the midwest, and it is spring break. We couldn't get more variety if we were driving somewhere...
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Regional Cultures I have Known and Loved
So far I lived in 3 distinct areas around the country. I have lived in Ohio, California, and Illinois. Each has its distinct micro-culture that which gives the places and the people a unique feel and a unique set of endearing quirks to note and appreciate.
Ohio is where I was raised, and Central Ohio will always feel like home. However, moving away from it made me realize what a strange little place it is. People always say "Excuse me" when they bump into you. They are extremely friendly and easy to get to know. And yet, there are are more conservative to the point of ridiculous church people per square mile than anywhere else in the midwest except Indiana. Scarlett and Gray clothing is everywhere, along with dumpy fashion standards, and rabid Buckeye football mania is the region's other uptight religion. Still, I love it.
Northern California was huge culture shock from Ohio, but within the first year, I adjusted. People get to know each other through activity and work, and there isn't a lot of sitting around and hanging out and talking. Californians play hard and work hard. Native Californians, as a rule, made flaky employees--they had learned before the rest of the nation that no employer is loyal to them, so they had no loyalty to the employer. No one says excuse me when they bump into you unless they did it really hard--there are just too many people there, the courtesy was not observed. Northern Californians dress better, and have a definitely cooler style.
When we moved to the Chicago area, and there was a new culture to explore. Less friendly at first than Ohioans, but able to have deeper relationships than a Northern Californian. If invited to a group of women that I did not know, depending on the social status, this is what would happen:
With my softball team, when I first joined we went out for drinks after a game, and no one asked me about myself. I was acknowledged, yet not invited directly into any conversation. At first I was feeling like this was rather cliquey and unfriendly, but eye contact was made and pauses were made in the conversation, as if allowing me to interject something. No one was going to ask anything directly, but I was welcome to chime in if I had something to add. This was a more blue collar group, and once I understood the dynamic, I was able to join in and start making some friends.
My white collar friends also had some part of this in their dynamic, but usually some of the give and take rules of conversation were observed as well.
Another thing that I found socially a little confounding was how much complaining is a part of the way people converse around here. A lot of the people that we met first had me very worried about how negative they seemed all the time, but later I realized that complaining was not personally directed at me, but instead a way of thinking out out loud what is happening, big or little, and how it affects them. Complaining is pragmatic for a Chicagoan, it is a way of organizing thoughts and sharing experiences. Complaining was also used as a conversation starter, a way to find common ground. Coming from Northern CA, where things are a lot more superficially "just fine", this took some getting used to.
I have loved each of these places dearly, and love each one for what they are. If anyone is reading this, what have you noticed as strange when you moved to a new city?
Ohio is where I was raised, and Central Ohio will always feel like home. However, moving away from it made me realize what a strange little place it is. People always say "Excuse me" when they bump into you. They are extremely friendly and easy to get to know. And yet, there are are more conservative to the point of ridiculous church people per square mile than anywhere else in the midwest except Indiana. Scarlett and Gray clothing is everywhere, along with dumpy fashion standards, and rabid Buckeye football mania is the region's other uptight religion. Still, I love it.
Northern California was huge culture shock from Ohio, but within the first year, I adjusted. People get to know each other through activity and work, and there isn't a lot of sitting around and hanging out and talking. Californians play hard and work hard. Native Californians, as a rule, made flaky employees--they had learned before the rest of the nation that no employer is loyal to them, so they had no loyalty to the employer. No one says excuse me when they bump into you unless they did it really hard--there are just too many people there, the courtesy was not observed. Northern Californians dress better, and have a definitely cooler style.
When we moved to the Chicago area, and there was a new culture to explore. Less friendly at first than Ohioans, but able to have deeper relationships than a Northern Californian. If invited to a group of women that I did not know, depending on the social status, this is what would happen:
With my softball team, when I first joined we went out for drinks after a game, and no one asked me about myself. I was acknowledged, yet not invited directly into any conversation. At first I was feeling like this was rather cliquey and unfriendly, but eye contact was made and pauses were made in the conversation, as if allowing me to interject something. No one was going to ask anything directly, but I was welcome to chime in if I had something to add. This was a more blue collar group, and once I understood the dynamic, I was able to join in and start making some friends.
My white collar friends also had some part of this in their dynamic, but usually some of the give and take rules of conversation were observed as well.
Another thing that I found socially a little confounding was how much complaining is a part of the way people converse around here. A lot of the people that we met first had me very worried about how negative they seemed all the time, but later I realized that complaining was not personally directed at me, but instead a way of thinking out out loud what is happening, big or little, and how it affects them. Complaining is pragmatic for a Chicagoan, it is a way of organizing thoughts and sharing experiences. Complaining was also used as a conversation starter, a way to find common ground. Coming from Northern CA, where things are a lot more superficially "just fine", this took some getting used to.
I have loved each of these places dearly, and love each one for what they are. If anyone is reading this, what have you noticed as strange when you moved to a new city?
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
War Crimes and Criminal Negligence Charges for Bush
I am not happy about Nader getting back in the presidential race, but damn, I do respect him. Here is an excellent blog from Nader.org Read here.
I agree. The hypocrisy is amazing. Spitzer--loses his job. Bush, whose crimes are much worse and farther reaching, gets the same morally "indignant" democrats just waiting until he goes away? Like I said before, why go for impeachment when conviction is more in order? Democrats in Congress, take a real stand. Go after Bush and his administration. America is fed up. We won't get in your way.
Nader is voicing the thoughts of the thousands of hearts who are sickened by this illegitimate president. Dems, there are lots of reasons you should listen.
I agree. The hypocrisy is amazing. Spitzer--loses his job. Bush, whose crimes are much worse and farther reaching, gets the same morally "indignant" democrats just waiting until he goes away? Like I said before, why go for impeachment when conviction is more in order? Democrats in Congress, take a real stand. Go after Bush and his administration. America is fed up. We won't get in your way.
Nader is voicing the thoughts of the thousands of hearts who are sickened by this illegitimate president. Dems, there are lots of reasons you should listen.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Resolution Check Up
I started this blog as an exercise and as part of a resolution to write more this year. My goal was to have at least one essay a week, preferably one that required some thought and something more than just blatherings about my day.
I am behind on the number, and I also find that I do not always have the time to do the sort of essay I really want to produce all the time--one that at least inspires thought in others. I have had mixed success with this. I have decided that this is okay. It has to be, or else I will start to intimidate myself into not writing, because it is not important enough. I don't live a life that is outstandingly important to anyone but my friends and family, but with development (aka actually writing) I think I can do better than I have been.
I think I will change my resolution, because it may be that volume is more likely to do something more to spark creativity than sitting around and thinking. From now on, I will try to write every day, and if it is essay material and good, great! If it isn't, oh well. Don't feel like you have to read it.
I am behind on the number, and I also find that I do not always have the time to do the sort of essay I really want to produce all the time--one that at least inspires thought in others. I have had mixed success with this. I have decided that this is okay. It has to be, or else I will start to intimidate myself into not writing, because it is not important enough. I don't live a life that is outstandingly important to anyone but my friends and family, but with development (aka actually writing) I think I can do better than I have been.
I think I will change my resolution, because it may be that volume is more likely to do something more to spark creativity than sitting around and thinking. From now on, I will try to write every day, and if it is essay material and good, great! If it isn't, oh well. Don't feel like you have to read it.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
The unholy boredom of men's clothing
This afternoon I told my husband that I would go clothes shopping for him, since he liked a couple of the things I picked out for him last year on a whim. They were well made and looked ready for work casual or an evening out at a restaurant or show. His clothes are getting kind of old, and some of his shirts have been getting use for at least a decade.
I went to Woodfield Mall, and searched store after store. I even waded through the motley crowd of people waiting for autographs in the center of the mall from members of the World Wrestling Federation. I looked and looked and looked.
JC Pennys had shirts for men who had given up all hope. Not one pattern that was more interesting than thick vertical stripes. Low thread count polyester dominated. They might as well be pre-stained with the clammy sweat of fashion failure. This actually surprised me, because lately JCPenny has improved their womens clothing lines. I didn't even try Sears. Kohls is also a no go for anything but socks and underwear and the utter basics.
Limited Express Men's section was for some reason either dress shirts or t-shirts and nothing in between. I usually really like their stuff. Today though, they were living up to the "Limited" name.
One store that had some really cool shirts was going out of business and only had 2xxls left. I could fit 3 of Dan into one of them.
I was already discouraged. I still could have looked at Macys and Nordstrom or even H&M, but all the "shop" had dropped out of me. Too much of the same, same, same. I will have to finish my quest another day...when I am really, really desperate with nothing to do.
The cultural expectation for American men is that they hate to shop for clothes. Clothing retailers make sure that it stays that way with monotony and poor quality in their mens clothing lines.
Environmentally, this is probably a good thing. Economically, interesting men's clothing with high quality fabric and construction is one of the those curiously untapped areas of retail potential.
Dan will just have to keep his decades old threadbare shirts in his closet until one of us can stomach shopping again.
I went to Woodfield Mall, and searched store after store. I even waded through the motley crowd of people waiting for autographs in the center of the mall from members of the World Wrestling Federation. I looked and looked and looked.
JC Pennys had shirts for men who had given up all hope. Not one pattern that was more interesting than thick vertical stripes. Low thread count polyester dominated. They might as well be pre-stained with the clammy sweat of fashion failure. This actually surprised me, because lately JCPenny has improved their womens clothing lines. I didn't even try Sears. Kohls is also a no go for anything but socks and underwear and the utter basics.
Limited Express Men's section was for some reason either dress shirts or t-shirts and nothing in between. I usually really like their stuff. Today though, they were living up to the "Limited" name.
One store that had some really cool shirts was going out of business and only had 2xxls left. I could fit 3 of Dan into one of them.
I was already discouraged. I still could have looked at Macys and Nordstrom or even H&M, but all the "shop" had dropped out of me. Too much of the same, same, same. I will have to finish my quest another day...when I am really, really desperate with nothing to do.
The cultural expectation for American men is that they hate to shop for clothes. Clothing retailers make sure that it stays that way with monotony and poor quality in their mens clothing lines.
Environmentally, this is probably a good thing. Economically, interesting men's clothing with high quality fabric and construction is one of the those curiously untapped areas of retail potential.
Dan will just have to keep his decades old threadbare shirts in his closet until one of us can stomach shopping again.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
IMPEACH BUSH NOW!
I promised myself I would write this, since today is IMPEACH BUSH NOW! Day.
C'mon folks. It is time to really take more action. Let's give the guy who lied us into a costly and futile war, whose administration has ruined nearly all good will toward our nation by our allies, whose administration seems intent on raping the constitution of all meaning, and seems intent on destroying the environment for corporate gain, more than just a piddling 19 percent national approval rating (or 79% disapproval rating). If impeaching seems like too much effort for too little return--since he will be gone in less than a year anyway--let's move towards criminal prosecution instead. If we condone this administrations egregious actions, we condone future administrations the same. Laws have been broken, and even a president should not consider himself above the law.
PROSECUTE THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION NOW! WHY LET IT END WITH THE INCUMBENCY?
Here are more specific points for prosecution, outlined by democrats.com:
C'mon folks. It is time to really take more action. Let's give the guy who lied us into a costly and futile war, whose administration has ruined nearly all good will toward our nation by our allies, whose administration seems intent on raping the constitution of all meaning, and seems intent on destroying the environment for corporate gain, more than just a piddling 19 percent national approval rating (or 79% disapproval rating). If impeaching seems like too much effort for too little return--since he will be gone in less than a year anyway--let's move towards criminal prosecution instead. If we condone this administrations egregious actions, we condone future administrations the same. Laws have been broken, and even a president should not consider himself above the law.
PROSECUTE THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION NOW! WHY LET IT END WITH THE INCUMBENCY?
Here are more specific points for prosecution, outlined by democrats.com:
1) The Offense of Lying and Inducing America to Support a War
President Bush and Vice President Cheney intentionally misled the Congress and the American people regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify a war against Iraq, and intentionally conspired with others to defraud the United States in connection with the war against Iraq in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 371.
2) The Offense of Reckless Indifference to the Lives and Welfare of American Troops
President Bush and Vice President Cheney failed to provide US soldiers with bulletproof vests or appropriately-armored vehicles and had no serious plan for the aftermath of the war, thus demonstrating a complete disregard for the welfare of the troops and the need for proper governance of a country after occupation. The result has been a never-ending war that will cost U.S. taxpayers over $1 trillion with over 3,000 U.S. soldiers killed and over 21,000 wounded.
3) The Offense of Torture in Violation of U.S. Laws and Treaties
President Bush and Vice President Cheney conspired to commit the torture of prisoners in violation of the "Federal Torture Act," Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C, the UN Torture Convention and the Geneva Convention.
4) The Offense of Wiretapping Surveillance in Defiance of the Law
President Bush and Vice President Cheney admitted to ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance of American civilians without seeking warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, duly constituted by Congress in 1978, in violation of Title 50 United States Code, Section 1805.
These provisions are detailed in "The Impeachment of George W. Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens," by former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman.
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