The BBC World News is Not Helping International Relations

I appreciate WNYC's attempt to bring us New Yorkers a sense of what's going on in the rest of the world by broadcasting "BBC World News." However, the anchors of that program do nothing but infuriate me. They ask the stupidest questions and when their subject doesn't reply with an adequately alarmist answer, the anchors make it seem like it's the guest that is in denial. Not only that, but they are often rude and disrespectful.

Case in point: yesterday, the male anchor...something Bennett-Jones...interviewed a bunch of people about the sharp decrease in the Chinese market and how it affected the rest of the world markets. Everyone he interviewed - from the finance correspondent in London to the small investor in India - all said the same thing. You go into the stock market for the long term not the short, a dip like this is more like a correction because many stocks were overpriced, everything will be fine, blah, blah, blah. You could hear the disappointment in Bennett-Jones' voice. He kept asking the most non-specific, ill-informed questions hoping to freak someone out or rile someone up. But no one took the bait.

I imagine this is what it must feel like to listen to Rush Limbaugh or watch Bill O'Reilly.

My Life-Changing Event

Ever since last August I've alluded to a certain life-changing event on this here blog. For a reason that worked for me, I was quite cagey about it. It even took a few months to tell my family and friends. I knew that The Mormon was special because I felt comfortable enough to tell him about it. There were moments earlier this winter when the stress of working on my life-changing event would make me explode. At first, this event was going to require a major change of scenery, but after some sage words from tuckergurl, I made some adjustments to the plan.

Throughout it all, I didn't doubt the wisdom of this choice. Well...that's not true. There were plenty of times when I thought that I should bag this whole thing. But then something would happen at work that would reaffirm my decision. Yeah, it's related to work.

And boy am I glad I didn't give it up! Because...drum roll, please...I've been accepted into Harvard's doctoral program. If I choose to go...I've applied to three other programs and there is a LOT to consider...I would eventually become Dr. L. Britt with a degree from Harvard!!! How awesome is that!?!

I've laughed, cried, hugged, called and emailed almost everyone I know. I've had a steak dinner with cheesecake for dessert. I'm exhausted. But I wanted to let you all know the big news before I went to bed.

Times...they are a' changin'...

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Sometimes I think I'm too broken to hold on to happiness.

Waaaaahhhh!

I've had a crazy long day and what's worse...I've had a long day on a Saturday!

Anyway, I'm tired and cranky and wish that The Mormon was here.

It's probably for the best. I just want to throw a temper tantrum...there's no need for anyone else to see that.

I'll just paint my nails.

Riveting!

So I just finished watching the conclusion of the three-part "Grey's Anatomy." It wasn't one of the best episodes I've seen...but I was still stuck to my seat. I didn't get up to take off my shoes or to change into my PJ's. I didn't surf the Internet during the commercials. I made The Mormon get off the phone with me.

I think part of the reason why I didn't think this was the best episode EVER was that I never once believed that Meredith was going to die. Because I wasn't able to suspend my disbelief on that major plot point, the rest was pretty tame. When Ellis went into distress, I knew she wasn't going to make it.

However, Sandra Oh did so much with so little...per usual; she was amazing. And it's official: Sara Ramirez is so beautiful. That scene with Izzy in the clinic...Sara looked gorgeous. I would love to hear her sing on this show. Maybe a duet with Bailey?

It was good to see Denny again, though I'm not as in love with him as others seem to be. Of all the people who died on that show...except for bomb guy and Denny...it seemed kind of random the people that got brought back for this episode. Did anyone notice that the blond woman who was on "Dawson's Creek" seems to have had work done?

I'm sick with a cold...again! So I'm off to bed.

Lack of Self-Awareness is So Annoying!

So some librarians have their underwear all bunched up over the use of "scrotum" in a children's book. Not just any children's book, mind you...a Newbery Award-winning children's book. Of course, The Times has an article about it. These librarians are censoring the book from their shelves. I don't care what they argue, a librarian banning access to a book is censorship, plain and simple.

The thing is...the reason why they are banning the book have nothing to do with children, whom librarians are claiming to protect.

“I think it’s a good case of an author not realizing her audience,” said Frederick Muller, a librarian at Halsted Middle School in Newton, N.J. “If I were a third- or fourth-grade teacher, I wouldn’t want to have to explain that.”

It's about the adults who deal with children not wanting to have conversations about the body with children. It's about their own squeamishness, not the child's.

"Andrea Koch, the librarian at French Road Elementary School in Brighton, N.Y., said she anticipated angry calls from parents if she ordered it. “I don’t think our teachers, or myself, want to do that vocabulary lesson,” she said in an interview."

Yet, these people rant and rave about the fact that they are the ones thinking about children when the author is not. Even though the point of the story apparently is the child growing up by learning about the body!

Ridiculous!

My Un-PC Thought

I know that it is perfectly acceptable to hate Valentine's Day. I understand the reasons...actually, The Rover brought up some good reasons from the male perspective.

However, I don't agree. I know I am coming from a position of being in a relationship, so you may instantly discard my opinion. I know you will do this because I used to do the same thing. However, just because someone is happy on this day doesn't make their feelings less valid than people who are miserable.

Anyway, the reason I disagree is that I was looking back on past Valentine's Days. And most years, I always spent it with someone I loved. Whether it be a boyfriend or a best friend or a group of good friends or family. My Valentine's Day was only miserable on the days when I couldn't see the love that already existed in my life.

I actually cannot stand the blatant guilt marketing that goes along with this holiday, but I do see this holiday as a day to celebrate love. And for me, love takes many shapes. So I'm making a point to reach out to all the people I love today.

Now...if there comes a Valentine's Day when I'm single and hating my status, I'm going to have to read this sappy post and try and remember when I felt this good!

"A Case of the Mondays"

I watched a little bit of Office Space yesterday. That is one funny flick.

So, I'm not really in the mood to start really working, but I have to look like I am, so I will write a post about what's going on in my head right about now.

1. I saw Children of Men Saturday night. What a film! It was crazy intense and very depressing. Uncomfortable to watch because of how timely many of its images are and how many questions are left unanswered. Oddly, I didn't feel frustrated by that. The hardest thing about that film is that you are left with a bit of hope that's not cheesy, deus ex machina hope. Cuaron made it organic to the story, so you can't write it off as a lame plot device. On "All Things Considered," Cuaron said that he did that to ask the audience what we are going to do with that hope. What to do indeed. Clive Owen is still hot in this flick...even in flip-flops.

2. Love is boring. Yup, I said it. Real, lasting love is peaceful and simple. It's not roller coaster-esque, or euphorically high all the time. It definitely isn't nerve-wracking. For me, love just feels comfortable. Not lazy, like the old, paint-splattered pants you wear around the house. More like your favorite dress pants: the ones that you don't have to suck in your stomach for and hang just right over your bum. The ones you can wear with heels or flats and any top. The ones that make you feel confident and sexy. That kind of comfortable.

This is definitely new information for me. I used to think that love was all walking on Cloud 9 and feeling sick to my stomach in a good way. Or all about creating and passing tests to prove the love. But if someone from the outside were to look at The Mormon and I, you would think we were mad boring. And that's just fine by me 'cuz I am happy.

3. I am pissed off at our government! I can't believe they are even attempting to lay the groundwork to screw with any other country in the Middle East. Part of me doesn't even care what Iran has done...how dare they present "evidence" that may justify another invasion! What a wuss George W. is! He just lets Cheney lead him around like a freakin' puppet! Jeez, this President needs therapy.

4. I think it's stupid for Obama to attempt to quit smoking as he runs for President. However, he's totally screwed no matter how you look at it. If he keeps smoking, issues like teen smoking and health care are going to be sticky wickets for him because he'll look like a hypocrite. If he quits, he's going to be cranky and irritable and may make a gaff. If he gets caught cheating while he says he's quitting, it will become a major character flaw that his opponents will exploit all out of proportion.

5. Being a Maid of Honor is SO not what it's cracked up to be. I think when I get married, I will have a committee. I will have some friends help me pick the dress, other people plan the parties, and still others help me the day of. Spread out the labor, you know? Wedding planning always seems to get more complicated than the bride expects, which means it gets more complicated for her bridal party. Just imagine if her bridal party is one person!

6. I know that "This American Life" is all busy with their new Showtime series, but I have to say, I'm quite annoyed with the amount of repeats it's been broadcasting.

7. Did I tell you guys that Ex now has a son? I found out about it a couple of weeks ago, though the baby was born last summer. I was surprisingly zen about it. I thought it would hit me hard, like when I found out he was engaged. But it didn't hurt at all. Trust me, I checked in with myself a few times. I feel crazy sorry for that kid and I am thrilled I am not that baby's momma, and I'm also happy for Ex. I know that he was keen on being a dad, so I'm glad he got his wish.

8. Oh! I am so happy that a woman is going to be the president of Harvard. I've read one article about her and she sounds really interesting. I think I'll do some more research on her...maybe read one of her books.

9. I am very proud of P.D. James. She is the author of the book that the movie I mentioned above is based on. Vaslav and I are big fans of her detective fiction. I had heard that she was the author of the book, but it didn't click that it was the P.D. James until I saw her name in print. Yea, P.D.!

I think that's it. I've actually been doing work while I've created this post...so much for putting things off.

Sometimes I Just Don't Want to Know

Do you sometimes feel...when you hear about yet another unethical and tacky way the Bush Administration works...that you would rather not know? Like you are getting a glimpse into the kitchen of McDonald's and you'd rather not?

"And the seasons, they go round and round. And the painted ponies..."

They get into a fight. They resolve the fight, but he says he just needs a little patience while he settles down. She thinks he's speaking in code and just knows that he's about to break up with her. She pulls away. He sees her pulling away and thinks she wants to break up. He pulls away. She doesn't hear the usual sweet nicknames he uses and sees that as confirmation that he wants to break up. He stopped using the sweet nicknames because he thought she wasn't in the mood to hear them because she wants to break up.

And so on and so forth...

Thank goodness they established a foundation in communicating openly and honestly. Ultimately, it's what stopped the cycle. No one is pulling away anymore and the lovey-dovey nicknames are back. That foundation got tested, but it held firm.

I'm Getting Tired Already

I know the racial issues being brought to the fore by Sen. Obama's possible political run are well overdue for discussion. I know these American assumptions on race and class are so necessary to bring to light. But I just read yet another article about something stupid someone else said and I feel physically exhausted.

Don't get me wrong, it is a brilliant article. It talks about the racism imbued in the word "articulate" when used to describe a black person. I really don't think the problem, the perspectives, and a possible solution could have been written any better. I especially like the part where a Brown professor points out that Rev. Sharpton is extremely articulate, just speaks with a cadence that is rooted in a black tradition; therefore he is heard as inarticulate.

However, it doesn't bode well when I'm already so tired of these articles that have to be written to educate ignorant, racist people under the guise of "open dialogue." I know it has to happen. I just wish it didn't.

I think I need to look for more articles that simply say something like...You are an idiot, Sen. Biden! And anyone who didn't even blink when they read/heard his quote is even more of an idiot!

No, that article will not further the discourse, nor will it lead to more cultural understanding or healing. But boy, would it make me feel better!

New Déjà Vu

The Mormon and I did not have a good weekend. It started out as a bad Friday night...yes, the night of my wonderful apartment debut :(...and it turned into a weekend of things unsaid and built up resentments.

I'm scared. I don't think we're breaking up or anything, but I can't rule it out: 1) because we have never fought so I have no previous experience with him, and 2) I fought all the time with Ex and that usually ended up with me or him sleeping on a couch. Ours or a friend's, depending on the severity of the fight. That fighting broke us up eventually.

I feel scared, but I also feel confident in myself. This is a first. I sorted through my feelings and thoughts and was honest. I didn't hide/subdue/deny my anger. Of course the effect of that may be that I've pissed The Mormon off and away, but if that happens we wouldn't have worked anyway. Because I really like the new voice my anger has. I like that I can articulate my pain. I know I probably still have to work on listening when I'm angry, but at least I can speak...sometimes loudly :s.

Something else about this weekend was new to me. As angry as I felt/feel, I still want the best for him. I'm angry at The Mormon and hopes he has a great day simultaneously. With Ex, I wanted him to be hit by a bus when we fought. Or I was terrified by what I had said and wanted the soonest opportunity to take it back. Today, I don't regret a thing...beside that we fought at all...and I still want to work with The Mormon to make it better. It is this dichotomy that is the oddest for me.