The sparrow flies at midnight...

Friday, March 31, 2006

Size matters

No, you pervs, not that size. Well..ok that size matters, too. However, this post is about sizes in women's clothing. How many of you ladies out there have clothes in your wardrobe that are in at least 2, if not 3, different sizes? And how many times have you gone to a store thinking, "I'm a size X" and tried on something just to find it's either too big or too small? Men don't really have this problem, since most men's clothing sizes are exactly in inches. Pants that are 34"x32" are what they are in any store.
Unfortunately for women, most of us care about "the number" as if it were who we are. We rarely say, "I
wear a size X" but more "I am a size X". So naturally it would behoove stores to make their sizes fit their customer. For example, if in one store you find that the clothes with the lower number in your range fit, you'll be more likely to shop there because you feel thinner/better/happier in a smaller size. These, I have found out, are appropriately called "vanity sizes".
So the question remains, will we ever have standardized sizing or will the clothing industry win out?
To find out more, click here.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

My liberal friends...

Dan Savage, an openly gay American sex-advice columnist, author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor, has taken his stance on Bush one step further and launched ITMFA. For those of you who can't believe that we have to deal with the current president until his reign is over, maybe we don't have to. Go check out the site. Also, I had no idea that there were so many other websites dedicated to impeaching Bush. It's quite something.

Monday, March 27, 2006

My fun commute

As if my commute from Guam wasn't long enough, this brought even more joy to my Monday morning. And it doesn't look like the trip home will be any better :( Oh well, as long as I'm somewhere I can watch "24" by 9pm to see if Audrey's really working with the terrorists or not.

Friday, March 24, 2006

The return of Mrs. Araz

Ok, those of us who watch "24" know that Dina Araz has gone on to a better place, or worse depending on how you look at it. However, Shohreh Aghdashloo has found life after Jack since last night she made appearances on 2 NBC shows: "Will & Grace" and "ER". I enjoyed her performance on the former because it gave her a chance to be funny, and she was. Her stint on the latter was much more ala Mrs. Araz. When I looked her up on IMDB, it was interesting to find out that she will be in the upcoming "Xmen:The Last Stand" (can't wait for that!) and that she was in "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", which I had forgotten. She'll also appear in some Sandra Bullock/Keanu Reeves flick.
So, I guess meeting up with Jack Bauer doesn't always have to end badly. It might just boost your career.

LOTR:The Musical???

Who thought this was a good idea?

Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings,' Staged by Matthew Warchus in Toronto An hour or so into what feels like eons of stage time, one wise, scared little hobbit manages to express the feelings of multitudes. "This place is too dim and tree-ish for me," mutters a round-ish, twee-ish creature named Pippin, groping through a shadowy forest in the second act of the very expensive, largely incomprehensible musical version of "The Lord of the Rings," which opened Thursday at the Princess of Wales Theater here.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Like shooting fish in a barrel

Texas busting drunks ... in bars SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) -- Texas has begun sending undercover agents into bars to arrest drinkers for being drunk, a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said Wednesday.

The first sting operation was conducted recently in a Dallas suburb where agents infiltrated 36 bars and arrested 30 people for public intoxication, said the commission's Carolyn Beck.

Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness, Beck said.

Leave it to the great state of Texas. Maybe the first thing they should think about tackling is the fact that they have the most drive-thru liquor stores in the country?!

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Porn star wine

Porn star hits it big as wine-maker By Daniel Trotta

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It seemed like the perfect gimmick: a celebrity porn star would launch her own wine, with her alluring picture on the label.

Savanna Samson did just that, but when it received a score of 90 to 91 out of 100 by wine guru Robert Parker, the project became serious. It turns out Samson, the star of "The New Devil in Miss Jones," has produced an exceptional wine, becoming the toast of two industries: wine-making and pornography.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Been There, Done That, Got the T-shirt

For all of the amazing, smart women who need to know they aren't the only ones, a brilliant post (and pretty good blog) that I just had to draw attention to:

If I am the best thing that ever happened to him, why isn’t he in love with me?

There are things a man can say that we grab on to when we’re looking for reasons to stay with him. I call them Life Lines. As in, a man throws them to a woman when she’s asking him to be a grown-up in love, and/or he feels that his neck might be on the chopping block.

And with those Life Lines, we allow the guy to save HIMSELF:

“Baby, it was a one-time thing.”
“I promise; I’ll leave her.”
“You can’t expect me to be monogamous. I’m a man.”
"You're so strong [and so therefore, I can be weak]."
“I don’t know what I’d do without you [but I’m still not willing to treat you right].”

Excuses for bad behavior. Empty promises. Self-serving suggestions for how to conduct the relationship. And sometimes, flattery that cleverly distracts us from the real chopping-block issues.

Here’s a recent letter I received from Jen. See if you can spot the Life Lines of the man she’s involved with:

I've been dating this guy for ten months and he's everything I wanted in a man and in a relationship but the problem is that he said he loves me but is not "in love "with me and just to go with the flow and that I'm different from the other women he's been with and that I am the best thing that has ever happened to him and said that he's commitment phobic because of his past experiences with other women.

The problem is I'm in love with him and now I'm more confused than ever and what should I say to him? I really want more than he is willing to give, he's been honest about his feelings but I know deep inside that he really cares but is scared-what should I say to him? Should I stay in this relationship or not?

In my response to Jen, I strongly encouraged her to leave the relationship. But I know it won't be easy -- and not just because she's in love with him. The guy she's involved with manages to dodge the commitment bullet, yet still says some "right things" that Jen chooses to grab on to.

Speaking of dodging the commitment bullet, let's start with this Life Line:

Just go with the flow.

Translation: With your consent, I’d like to remain on the receiving end of your unconditionally good loving (and the sex…), knowing perfectly well that you’re falling more in love with me and I can’t give you what you want.

And of course, if we’re “just going with the flow,” that means I can sleep with other women -- and remember, you really can’t get mad when I do. Ditto if I actually fall in love with (and commit to..) someone else.

And how about when he tells her...

You’re different from the other women I’ve been with.
You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Translation: You make me feel desired, attractive, special, and unconditionally loved. And I get to feel all that just being me, without needing to give you what you want and deserve. Most women can't/won't do that.

Hey, I don't personally know Jen, but I'm betting that she IS the best thing that's ever happened to this guy! But that's not enough to sustain her. No wonder she's feeling torn and confused.

Last but not least, here's what I consider to be one of the most popular Life Lines around today...

I’m commitment phobic.

Translation: It's not you -- it's me. Well, at least until I fall hard for someone else again. Meanwhile, I'm able and willing to receive your love. I'm just not willing and able to give you the same kind of love in return. But please remember that I've been honest with you. So you can't be mad at me somewhere don't the road.

Most of us have been exactly where Jen is, grabbing on to and getting tangled up in those lines. But it doesn't happen without our consent. That's why the question really isn't, "If I am the best thing that ever happened to him, why isn't he in love with me?

The better question is, "Why am I spending any more of my precious time with a man who clearly isn't in love with me?"

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Jen asks herself that question...and gets herself disentangled.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Judges Overturn Bush Bid to Ease Pollution Rules By MICHAEL JANOFSKY

WASHINGTON, March 17 — A federal appeals court on Friday overturned a clean-air regulation issued by the Bush administration that would have let many power plants, refineries and factories avoid installing costly new pollution controls to help offset any increased emissions caused by repairs and replacements of equipment.

Ruling in favor of a coalition of states and environmental advocacy groups, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the "plain language" of the law required a stricter approach. The court has primary jurisdiction in challenges to federal regulations.

Friday, March 17, 2006

...and the Faucets Shall Flow with Beer

...and the Faucets Shall Flow with Beer OSLO, NORWAY- It almost seemed like a miracle to Haldis Gundersen when she turned on her kitchen faucet and found the water had turned into beer.
Two flights down, employees and customers at the Big Tower Bar were horrified when water poured out of the beer taps.

By an improbable feat of clumsy plumbing, someone at the bar in Kristiandsund, in western Norway, had accidentally hooked the beer hoses to the water pipes for Gundersen's apartment.

"We had settled down for a cozy Saturday evening, had a nice dinner, and I was just going to clean up a little," Gundersen, 50, said Monday. "I turned on the kitchen faucet and beer came out."

Gundersen said the beer was flat and not tempting, even in a country where a half-pint can cost about $3.75 in grocery stores.

Per Egil Myrvang of the local beer distributor said he instructed bartenders by telephone how to reconnect the pipes.

"The water and beer pipes do touch each other, but you have to be really creative to connect them together," he said.

Gundersen joked about having the pub send up free brew for her next party.

"But maybe it would be easier if they just invited me down for a beer," she said.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Wow, it seems that this has been a week of fun-filled holidays. I started my St. Patrick's Day early by having some Jack & Coke's on the LES last night . We went to this great place called Karma, which is one the last great places in the city where you can actually smoke. They get around the "no smoking" law since they are specifically a tobacco bar, with hookahs and everything. My friend told me that their sales need to be something like 30% tobacco (for the hookahs) in order to claim their smoking rights. Anyway, it rocks. We sat at the bar, but there are plenty of couches and chairs in the back and downstairs is supposedly more of a club atmosphere. As a smoker, it was so nice to drink and smoke in a bar at the same time. No having to stand outside and freeze or take turns so the other person could watch the coats and bags. I will definitely be going back.
Today I'm wearing my Bay Ridge Football tshirt, since it's the only green piece of clothing I have and am looking forward to another evening of celebrating St. Patrick.
Erin Go Bragh!

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Eewwwwwwwwwwww!

Castrate them, castrate them all!

27 charged in child porn sting - Web site containing live 'molestation on demand' shut down
CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- An Internet chat room that streamed video of live child molestations has been shut down, and 27 people have been charged with online child pornography offenses, federal authorities said Wednesday.

Justice Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are still looking for one suspect after an undercover sting operation shut down a Web site called "Kiddypics & Kiddyvids."

One of the seven molestation victims was younger than 18 months, according to the Justice Department.

18 months???!!! That's just the most stomach-turning thing I may have ever heard.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Happy Holidays

Being the good Jewish girl that I am (ha ha ha), I thought I should note that today is Purim. As with a few other Jewish holidays, Purim is a celebration with somber roots. Noted in "A Gentile's Guide to the Jewish Holidays", Purim is a partying holiday celebrating the rescue of the Jews from a Hitler-like figure, Haman, bent on genocide. It's also generally considered to be a pretty minor holiday. It was never celebrated in any real fashion in my family but the one thing that I do remember were the hamentashen. Not too long ago, they mostly only came in weird flavors like apricot, prune and poppy seed. Of course, now you can get pretty much any flavor...my favorite being raspberry. Looking for various links about Purim & its delicious dessert, it occurred to me that the images looked less like the hat they're supposed to resemble and more like, well...something else. Maybe that's just me.
In any case, Happy Purim!

And for those of you who didn't know, today is another kind of holiday as well.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Good news, perhaps

Greenspan: Third-party candidate coming Former Federal Reserve chairman predicts arrival of a well-financed independent presidential hopeful from America's political center.

Greenspan told the Times he plans to argue that the current "ideological divide" separating conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats leaves "a vast untended center from which a well-financed independent presidential candidate is likely to emerge in 2008 or, if not then, in 2012."


Sounds good to me!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em

Dubai Firm to Give Up Stake in U.S. Ports By DAVID ESPO
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Dubai-owned company said Thursday it is giving up its management stake in some U.S. ports, a move made as congressional leaders warned President Bush that both the House and Senate appeared ready to block the takeover.

It was not immediately clear whether the announcement would be enough to cool widespread sentiment in Congress to pass legislation blocking the deal, which has become a burdensome election-year problem for Republicans.

Sen. John Warner, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, took the Senate floor to read to colleagues a company press release disclosing its new stance.

"Because of the strong relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the United States and to preserve that relationship, DP World has decided to transfer fully the U.S. operation of P&O Operations North America to a United States entity," DP World's chief operating officer, Edward H. Bilkey, said in the statement that Warner relayed to other senators. The announcement did not specify which American company would be involved.

The move came as the White House, facing a Republican rebellion in Congress, played down President Bush's veto threat and said he was trying to find a compromise to resolve the uproar over the company's plan to take over significant operations at several U.S. sea ports.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

There's no need to drink alone, again...

Absence makes the glass glow fondly LONDON (Reuters) - Researchers have come up with a novel way to keep long-distance lovers in touch -- high-tech wine glasses that glow warmly however far apart the pining couple are.

When either person picks up a glass, red light-emitting diodes glow on their partner's glass. When one puts a glass to their lips, the other glass glows brightly.

Distance is not a problem as liquid sensors and wireless links have been built in to the glasses.

Jackie Lee and Hyemin Chung, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's media lab in Boston, said communal drinking is a vital part of social interaction that lovebirds miss out on when separated.

Lee, whose findings were reported in New Scientist magazine Wednesday, said the wireless glasses really do "help people feel as if they were sharing a drinking experience together."

The loving cups are to be unveiled next month at a conference in Montreal on computer-human interaction.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Smokers' Rights

Below is an excerpt from an email I received from My Smokers' Rights:

No one has to remind you that the cost-of-living in New York is high. Well, have you heard it's about to become even higher?

That's right. Politicians in Albany are pushing for a $1.00 tobacco tax increase on a pack of cigarettes. That would raise the price of cigarettes to $2.50 a pack. That's an increase of more than 67 percent!

That's wrong! The hard working people of New York already pay too much in taxes.

Take action today and stop the politicians from raising your taxes by sending an e-mail to your state legislator Senator Martin Golden. If you have time, also give him a call at (518) 455-2730.

In your own words, tell Senator Golden you can't afford another tax increase. Let him know that a cigarette tax increase is unfair and will be a burden on those who can least afford it.

A Big Step Backwards

South Dakota law bans nearly all abortions - Legislation sets up court challenge - PIERRE, South Dakota (AP) -- Gov. Mike Rounds signed legislation Monday banning nearly all abortions in South Dakota, setting up a court fight aimed at challenging the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

The bill would make it a crime for doctors to perform an abortion unless the procedure was necessary to save the woman's life. It would make no exception for cases of rape or incest.

Planned Parenthood, which operates the state's only abortion clinic, in Sioux Falls, has pledged to challenge the measure in court.

Rounds issued a written statement saying he expects the law will be tied up in court for years and will not take effect unless the Supreme Court upholds it.

"In the history of the world, the true test of a civilization is how well people treat the most vulnerable and most helpless in their society. The sponsors and supporters of this bill believe that abortion is wrong because unborn children are the most vulnerable and most helpless persons in our society. I agree with them," Rounds said in the statement.

Does it really make more sense to force a woman/young girl to carry and give birth to a child conceived out of violence? At her emotional and financial expense? Is that protecting members of our society? I think not.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Movies, movies, movies

With the Academy Awards coming up on Sunday, the buzz around the water cooler is all about movies, actors and the red carpet. Of the movies that have been nominated in various categories, I have seen two. "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crash". And I wasn't overly impressed with either. With regards to the former, I just saw it a few days ago and had probably heard too much hype which set unlrealistic expectations. Who knows...perhaps I just wasn't in the mood. I enjoyed "Crash" more as there we some interesting and surprisng performances. The quiet dramas and intimate films, for me, can usually wait until the dvd release. In general, I like seeing "big" pictures at the theater. Something that has more action, suspense, adventure, or horror (not gore).
In any case, it got me thinking about movies that I'm looking forward to seeing. Movies like "V for Vendetta", "The Libertine", and "Thank You For Smoking". Except for the latter, these movies may or may not be Oscar-worthy but I want to be entertained and to have a good time, not to cry or feel awful in some way. If I wanted to feel like that, I could just watch the news to see what Bush and his cronies are up to.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Skip the Tussin, go for the Jack!

I just had to pass along these words of wisdom. And, by the way, I highly recommend the hot toddy...MMM-mmm!

Liquid City

Drinking to Your Health
Boozing through the Common Cold by Nina Lalli
When I was a teenager with a bad cold, my hilarious pediatrician told me to drink plenty of liquids, and added, "I don't care if you drink a bottle of whiskey, just keep drinking." The city has finally succumbed to the cruel reality of true winter weather, and the subways are filled with sniffling, hacking slobs. It's generally accepted that when the mucus moves in, the sickly should stay out of the bars and under the covers, but could there be some truth to the doctor's joke? Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but there is a long history of boozy home remedies for the common cold—during prohibition, exceptions were made for medicinal uses of alcohol—and modern day over-the-counter medicines are chock full of alcohol, right?

Is boozing justifiable even if you have to bring a box of tissues with you to the pub? We choose to believe it is, and here's what to order:

Brandy: Many grannies still swear by a swig of the brown stuff to warm up the chest and clear the head. Plus it's easy to disguise it as a necessary remedy: just mix with hot water or tea.

Hot Toddy: Yes! WebMD, the site where hypochondriacs go to dream, also validates the urge to drink when you're sick. On a list of "12 Tips to Treat Colds and Flu the 'Natural' Way," sipping a hot toddy rates number 6 (between gargling and steamy showers.) Hot liquids are good for congestion, and a nightcap can help you sleep, so perhaps this theory can be applied to any hot cocktail. "If you're so congested you can't sleep at night, try a hot toddy, an age-old remedy. Make a cup of hot herbal tea. Add one teaspoon of honey and one small shot (about one ounce) of whiskey or bourbon." But even a virtual doctor can be a party pooper—the web doc adds, "Limit yourself to one. Too much alcohol inflames those membranes and is counterproductive."

Mulled Beer: You might have to whip this one up yourself, since it hasn't come back into style the way mulled wine has. (There's hardly a worse offense in this country than serving a warm beer.) But for centuries, beer was drunk at room temperature or hot in Europe, a custom that traveled to this country with colonial settlers and then immediately fell out of style with the advent of refrigeration. Mulled beer is flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, honey, and brown sugar, and according to the Medieval Book of Notable Things, it works to "dissolve congealed phlegm upon the lungs, and is therefore good gainst colds, coughs," and a number of other ailments, including an upset stomach.

Red Wine: A few years ago, a study out of Spain looked at alcohol intake and the common cold and found that drinking beer or liquor didn't affect one's chances of getting sick; in fact, wine—especially red wine—actually seemed to reduce the susceptibility to those subway germs. So, not sniffling yet? Get out the corkscrew.

Shocking, isn't it?

Video Shows Bush Warned Before Katrina Hit WASHINGTON (AP) - On the eve of Hurricane Katrina's fateful landfall, President Bush was confident. His homeland security chief appeared relaxed. And warnings of the coming destruction - breached or overrun levees, deaths at the New Orleans Superdome and overwhelming needs for post-storm rescues - were delivered in dramatic terms to all involved. All of it was captured on videotape.

The Associated Press obtained the confidential government video and made it public Wednesday, offering Americans their own inside glimpse into the government's fateful final Katrina preparations after months of fingerpointing and political recriminations.

"My gut tells me ... this is a bad one and a big one," then-federal disaster chief Michael Brown told the final government-wide briefing the day before Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29.

The president didn't ask a single question during the briefing but assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."

My favorite sentence in this article: "The White House and Homeland Security Department urged the public Wednesday not to read too much into the footage."

That's right, people. Pay no attention to indisputable proof. Three more years of this?! Oh joy. *sigh*