Engagement

January 30th, 2013 → 8:01 am

    “Honor, riches, marriage blessing,
    Long continuance, and increasing
    Hourly joys be still upon you!” – The Tempest

My neice just got engaged and is getting married in less than four short months!  Congratulations Jackie, we’re all looking forward to the May wedding!

Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life

Life’s Purpose

January 28th, 2013 → 8:22 am

“What is a man, if his chief good and market of his time be but to sleep and feed?  a beast, no more.  – Hamlet

My life feels so busy, as though all I do is sleep, feed, work, and take care of my family.  I haven’t found time to write in ages…  Is such a life beastly?  Devoid of higher purpose?  If so, I imagine most of humanity is indeed rather beastly…

Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life

Motherhood

January 26th, 2013 → 8:38 am

    “Since I received command to do this business
    I have not slept one wink.” – Cymbeline

My son is going through another one of his not-sleep-through-the-night-at-all phases and it’s exhausting.  1:30 am, 2:30 am, 4:30 am cries, and then 5:30 am he’s up for good.  My husband and I feel like we haven’t had a good night’s sleep in two and a half years, and, because we’ve never pawned him off on anybody for a long weekend, that’s probably true.  Oye, the joys of parenthood!

Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life

Women in the Military

January 24th, 2013 → 6:36 am

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” – Henry V

This, of course, is one of Shakespeare’s more famous quotes.  It refers to a bunch of (male) soldiers about to enter a great battle together.  And I am glad to say that as of today, it is outdated!  U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced yesterday that the military is ending the ban on women in combat.  Finally.  From what I understand, removing the ban was only ever controversial to politicians and ignorant non-military personnel at this point.  Few in the military doubted any longer women’s competence and ability in combat roles.

Filed under: Blog & Other

MLK Day

January 21st, 2013 → 6:46 am

“The King’s name is a tower of strength.” – Richard III

Happy Martin Luther King Day.  I pray for peace and nonviolence the world over.

Filed under: Blog & Other

Inauguration Weekend

January 18th, 2013 → 8:23 am

    “Come,
    Let’s have one other gaudy night.  Call to me
    All my sad captains.  Fill our bowls once more.
    Let’s mock the midnight bell.”  – Antony and Cleopatra

The inauguration parties for Obama’s second term swearing-in begin this weekend.  I believe it’s going to last more than one single gaudy night.

Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians

The Williston 10

January 16th, 2013 → 6:34 am

    “Rich she shall be, that’s certain;
    wise, or I’ll none;
    virtuous, or I’ll never cheapen her;
    fair, or I’ll never look on her;
    mild, or come not near me;
    noble, or not I for an angel;
    of good discourse, an excellent musician, and her hair shall be –
    of what colour it please God.” – Much Ado About Nothing

I keep reading about booming fracking towns like Williston, North Dakota, where unemployment is less than 1% and money and men abound.  The problem is that women do not, and in many of these places the ratio is like 2:1 men to women.  Apparently this scarcity of women has led to a lot of crazy things, but what stuck me in the article this morning was the coining of the term “Williston 10” for women that normally would be considered average, but in Williston seem a perfect 10.  I can’t tell if this is funny, or offensive.  I mean, it does follow basic economic theory, that as scarcity increases so does value, so I should praise its core economic logic.  But at the same time, we’re talking people here!  All I know is that Benedick would definitely have a hard time getting a date in Williston.

Filed under: Blog & Other

Aaron Swartz

January 14th, 2013 → 8:06 am

    “[Aaron] is in his grave;
    After life’s fitful fever he sleeps well.
    Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison,
    Malice domestc, foreign levy, nothing,
    Can touch him further.” – Macbeth

In all honesty, I did not know who Aaron Swartz was until he committed suicide on Friday, though his life did touch mine rather directly through the JSTOR imbroglio (a current research project of mine utilizes copious amounts of JSTOR articles, which I had trouble getting because of what he did).  But for some reason, I’m captivated by his life, his death, and everything that’s being written about him now.  I feel like he could have been my friend.  I don’t agree with everything that he did, but I deeply recognize the passion with which he did it.  My heart goes out to him, wherever he is.

Filed under: Blog & Other

Gerard Depardieu

January 12th, 2013 → 4:58 am

“Wicked meaning in a lawful deed.” – All’s Well That Ends Well

Is Gerard Depardieu a monster?  I’ve seem him called such because he gave up his French citizenship and became a Russian on January 3 simply to avoid high taxes.  I do think he’s an ass – though more for his treatment of women and people in general, than for his views on taxation.  Admittedly, I might be slightly peeved if I faced a 75% taxation rate as well.  In the end, I guess the joke is on him as it appears the French constitutional court struck down the high tax rate as “confiscatory.”  At least he has easy access to great caviar now…

Filed under: Blog & Economics/Money & Stupid/Evil People

Travel

January 10th, 2013 → 6:09 am

    “I’ll put a girdle round about the earth
    In forty minutes.” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

I get on a plane today to return to St. Louis.  I wish the plane ride home only lasted forty minutes; instead, with a two-year old, it’s probably going to seem like forty days.  Ach, wish us luck!

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life