March 2003 Archives

Why the heck would Dell sell me a computer loaded with every possible software except the one I really want? They loaded Microsoft word (great) but not Microsoft excel. Do they really think I'm going to go out and buy that separate? Hmmmm....

Btw, I want to redesign my blog. Does anyone out there want to do it for me?Just kidding! I suppose it would be a good exercise for me to do it myself. I might actually learn something new. With that said, maybe I'll just leave it alone. There really is nothing wrong with the current design. I'm just kind of tired of it. I suppose that is what happens when you look at the darn thing so many times a day. It like a favorite pair of pants that you’ve worn one too many times.

So I had a dream that was married with child. Nothing would make me happier than if this came true. The single life is not all its cracked up to be.

So I missed another great night out with the girls last night. This I learnt while having brunch after church at Tempo Café. Another friend was supposed to join us but she was too hung over to get out of bed. I should have gone out last night but I stayed in. Partially because I had made plans with my younger sister to help her organize/decorate her new apartment. And so after getting my hair done, I waited at home for my sister to pick me up. She never called. She never showed up. I suppose I could have called her but we agreed on a time earlier in the day to meet up. I’m still surprised that I was stood up by my own sister. So I ended up sleeping away most of Saturday afternoon/night. Pathetic huh?

Speaking of church, it was good to be there today. I thought today's Minister might give sermon about the war, so was pleasantly surprised when she ended up focusing on the last four commandments. In was interesting to look around the church to see the reactions of many of Chicago’s “blue blood” families as the minister advised the congregation to not commit adultery, not steal, not bear false witness against thy neighbor and certainly not to covet thy neighbor’s house, wife/husband, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's. So my friends in blogland, I suppose I’ll start by not coveting the great time my friends had out last night. And more importantly, I'll try not to be envious of those of you who have more blog readers and inbound links than I. :)

Btw, in case your wondering what Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's Minister (yes he goes to my church when he's here in Chicago), has to say about the war, go read sermon title: The Power of Weakness. At a later time, I'll speak of why my spiritual journey brought me to this church 3 years ago.

I was checking out The West Virginia Surf Report, and came across link to these pictures. The expressions of some of these people’s faces are just priceless. Be forwarned; do not click on link at the office. If you do, make sure no one is around. Below is profile of this bizarre festival.

People of all ages participate in a parade in which everyone sports a gigantic penis, eat penis shaped candies, carve radishes into penis shapes, and dress up as their favorite cartoon character with one part of his anatomy dramatically enlarged! The whole thing is presided over by a priest, and there are arcane Shinto rituals that are carried out as well. The festival celebrates the vanquishing of a demon that lived in a woman's vagina and would bite off the penises of her lovers! According to legend, a local craftsman fashioned a steel phallus which broke the demon's teeth.

Btw, in case your wondering how I originally came across The West Virginia Surf Report, well I was checking my stats (no surprise there) and saw that someone came to my site after running the following search via google. In scrolling down the google results, saw The State of My Fat Ass link, two below mine. So you know I just had to go check it out.

As you can see, I broke down and put all the links back. I even added some more. Couldn't keep up with things since half my links were on my work computer and the others were on my home computer. So I'm just happy to have them back in one place. To make things easier on myself, I started using blogrolling. Right now they are listed alphabetically but that may change sometime in the near future. I would like to still highlight some of the lesser known blogs and having a long list makes that somewhat difficult.

One last thing, if you have me on your list of links, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But I've noticed that there are some inconsistencies. So from a branding standpoint, would like to be listed only two ways. I prefer name of blog to be listed as: "Ursula's Not So Secret History". If that is too long, listing blog as: "Ursula Barzey" works too. THANKS!!!

Blogshare is yet another cool game, to get you hooked on blogging. According to site: "BlogShares is a fantasy stock market for weblogs." It's free and you don't even need a blog to play. I've already signed up and bought stock in some of my daily reads. Go check it out. More importantly, if you haven't already done so, please link to me so that my valuation goes up!!! :) Currently, my valuation is $ 344.24 and stock price is a mere 0.04. So buy now...thinking this won't last long.

Since I didn’t go to work today, I spent most of time lounging around, watching TV and reading: Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About by Mil Millington. Also spend a great deal of time playing with Choo-Choo. I think he suffers from “attention deficit disorder”. He couldn’t stay still for long and looses interest in whatever game we're playing really quickly. I suppose that’s not really unusual for most cats. You know, I really wish they could talk. Choo-Choo meows a lot and half the time I have no idea what he wants.

Alex Golub a graduate student at the University of Chicago and fellow blogger suggests a few website and books to read to better understand the situation in the middle east. The list is pretty impressive. But if you don't have the time or energy to read so many books, consider the following:From Beiruit to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman. As Library Journal indicates:

There have been any number of books that have worked hard at interpreting the melange called the Middle East. This one, however, makes a difference because it's so well written and captures the psychological mannerisms of the people of Lebanon and Israel--the first step to understanding some of the mysterious "why" that seems to elude the American public and government. Friedman's credentials are impressive: he spent six years of journalistic service for the New York Times in Beirut and Jerusalem, has won two Pulitzer prizes, and is now the Times 's chief diplomatic correspondent. His writing is vastly descriptive, incredibly illuminating, very educational, and marvelously persuasive.

If you're just trying to catch up on world history, consider reading:Modern Times: The World from Twenties to the Nineties by Paul Johnson. I read most of this book (700 pages+) the summer after my junior year of high school at the suggestion of a professor at UMass Boston. It made a world of difference and helped me better understand why the world is so f**ked up.

Last Friday night, I went out with my friend Leigh and about 30 of his former coworkers from Lerner Newspapers. We had a great time at Fireside Restaurant. After leaving the bar, I walked up to the main drag to take a cab. Luckily the bus came so I didn't have to shell out anymore money for a cab that week. I'd been really bad...taking cabs almost every day to work....primarily because I'll wake up and lay in bed instead of getting up and getting ready for work. In any event, after getting on the bus, this lady with more bags than she could carry came on a few stops later. As she tried to get things organized, she kept saying over and over again, "I told her, a doctor, a lawyer, a judge, a school superintendent...anything but blue collar." I wanted to ask her what the hell she was talking about, but she looked a little crazy...so I decided not to. Later, she engaged me in conversation about the book I was reading (Mary and O’Neil). We ended up talking about Langston Hughes and Zora Neal Hurston. Now wishing I had asked her what she was originally talking about….I can’t get that line out of my head. I keep hearing her say, "I told her......anything but blue collar."

It appears that many are betting on how long they think Saddam Hussein will remain in power. According to CNN about $1.25 million in wagers had already been placed via Tradesports.com and that's just one site. I hate to judge people on these sorts of things, but can't help but think its done in poor taste.

This Columbia University Professor is off his rockers. I'm all for expressing one's views against the war, but to hope that a million American soldiers die is just wrong. There is no justifable reason for saying such a thing.

At an anti-war "teach-in" this week, a Columbia University professor called for the defeat of American forces in Iraq and said he would like to see "a million Mogadishus" - a reference to the Somali city where American soldiers were ambushed, with 18 killed, in 1993.

"The only true heroes are those who find ways that help defeat the U.S. military," Nicholas De Genova, an assistant professor of anthropology and Latino studies at Columbia University, told the audience at Low Library Wednesday night. "I personally would like to see a million Mogadishus."

De Genova was referring to the Mogadishu ambush and firefight, known for its graphic image of a slain American soldier being dragged through the streets. The battle was portrayed in the film "Black Hawk Down."

The crowd was largely silent at De Genova's remark. They loudly applauded him later when he said, "If we really [believe] that this war is criminal ... then we have to believe in the victory of the Iraqi people and the defeat of the U.S. war machine."

Finished my taxes today using TurboTax. For the first time in 6 years, I'll be getting a federal refund. I owe the state, but it's less than a $100 so it's no big deal. Usually, it’s the reverse. Now I have to make plans for the money I'm getting back. I know I should just put it in my money market fund or better yet make a contribution to my Roth IRA, but I might use for a vacation. I need a break from everyday life. I want to go to someplace exotic. Maybe Hawaii. I have enough mileage to get a free ticket, so I'd just have to cover hotel and entertainment expenses. So question now becomes, do I go alone or do I invite someone along? I suppose I’ll just decide when I get the money. By then I’ll probably come to my senses and do the smart thing and save the money. Who knows how this war will affect me personally.

I decided to take today off from work. I really hated to do that but I'm really tired and I feel like I'm coming down with something. This past week I've been running myself ragged. Every night there is some activity to go to. Monday Night: Networking Event; Tuesday Night: First night of bowling for Michigan team I organized; Wednesday Night: Michigan Alumni Board Meeting; Thursday Night: Movie Night At Work/Book Club. I'm exhausted from it all. So back to bed I go. See you much later! Choo-Choo and I will be lounging.

Update (9:41am): So much for taking a day off. I'm sitting here communicating via email with my boss who is in San Diego on vacation.

It's movie night at work tonight. We'll be watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Hey, what else to do with the huge plasma screen that management installed. Since I've already seen this movie, I won't be staying long, I've got book club tonight. We're discussing The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay which I didn't finish. I just couldn't get into the story.

Via link provided by Serenitee, was able to see photos of people who are trying to increase publicity to their anti-war stand by taking pictures in the nude. So wondering, would anyone out there bare witness? I know I wouldn't.

Illinois: Please Don't Pronounce the "S"
Massachusetts: Our Taxes are Lower than Sweden's (For Most Income Brackets)
Michigan: First Line of Defense from the Canadians
Washington DC: Wanna be the Mayor?

Go here to see your state's new tag line. In case your wondering why I profiled the 3 states above plus DC, well I've lived in each of them.

CompAtlanta is refusing to ship their products to anyone from a foreign country (i.e. Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, etc.) "that does not support the United States in our efforts to rid the world of Saddam Hussein." Spokeman for the company goes on to say, "If you are not with us, you are against us." Alright then! Does this mean that they will not ship to anyone within the United States who does not support the war?

Monica Lewinsky will host reality-tv show for FOX call Mr. Personality. Great. Just what we needed. Yet another dating show "where the female contestant must decide between different men without seeing what they look like."

The British newspaper the Guardian conducted a special report on whether or not we're seeing the real President Bush.

Most of those who regularly monitor Mr Bush's speech patterns believe that it was the genuine article who spoke at Central Command HQ in Florida yesterday, pointing to a characteristic tendency toward quasi-biblical phrasing - "There will be a day of reckoning for the Iraqi regime, and that day is drawing in near" - and an almost total absence of words of more than three syllables.

Other experts disagree, pointing out that these consistencies originate with speech writers rather then the president himself, and that Bush's main vocal technique - the bewildered pause - is only too easy to imitate.

Several observers noted that the president's eyes seemed too close together; others believed them to be too far apart (when viewed on a 21in TV screen, you shouldn't be able to fit a pound coin between them, according to one rule of thumb). It is telling, they say, that Mr Bush made his first appearance in front of combat service personnel, none of whom are likely to have known him closely during his days with the Texas National Guard.

So if it's not him, who is it? Some experts suspect that this might be a heretofore unknown Bush brother, a family sleeper who has been groomed to step in at times of crisis, or even George Bush Sr on his first outing following a recent toupee fitting and a course of Botox injections. .

Watching the FOX NEWS coverage of the war, I feel like I'm watching a football game. The play by play commentary is just so.......

Changing subjects -- Connie Chung got herself fired again. Why can't this woman keep a job?

And it appears Saddam Hussein has a sense of humor.

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan died today at the age of 76. May his soul rest in peace. He was a great politician and a brilliant scholar.

Can anyone tell me why Congress is still "seriously" considering President Bush's tax relief plan? Considering that the real cost of this war is not yet know, I think it's irresponsible for any politician to vote for such a plan. Thankfully, the Senate (unlike the House) voted to cut the tax plan by $350 Billion. Wondering, how are we going to pay for this war? I have a sneaking suspicion that it's going to be a lot more than the $70billion proposed by the President. As Senator John Breaux (D-La) indicated, "with a projected deficit of $300 billion and the unknown costs of war and reconstruction in Iraq, it is 'not good policy' to embark on a major new round of tax-cutting."

If you're into collecting first edition books, check out abebooks.com. According to their site, they are "the world’s largest online marketplace for used, rare, and out-of-print books". I don't doubt that one bit. My favorite book dealer (John Chandler @ Bookman's Corner, 2959 North Clark Street, Chicago) told me about the site two summers ago and I have been using it to update my collection. God help me if I ever move out of my current apartment. The number of books I have could probably stock a small library. But this library doesn't loan out books. I stopped that long ago...well at least for my hardcover books. For a book collector like myself, it’s torture to lend out a book (a first edition at that) to someone not really knowing whether or not you'll ever get it back. Or worse, getting it back but it be desecrated (dog ears, water marks, food stains, etc.)

An exboyfriend I hadn't heard from in awhile called me up last night. Thirty seconds into the conversation he asks: "What are you wearing?" I respond: "What?" He Replies: "I need to create a visual." So I'm wondering, what is it with "some" men? Trying to figure out what makes them think this kind of behavior is appropriate. Maybe I'm just being a prude.

Ok. Ok. For anyone who was wondering, I’m fine. Sure I cried hysterically last night while reading the last 100 pages of Good In Bed, but I’ve recovered. Let’s just say that not since reading She’s Come Undone written by Wally Lamb have I been so deeply moved. I did end up writing the author Jennifer Weiner an email. She wrote back. Now I feel so much better!

Is it time for the coalition to bomb Iraq TV? Fred Barnes thinks so.

Btw, if it's going to cost $70billion for a 30 day war in Iraq? What will it cost to stay and maintain the peace for the next 10-15 years?

Fascinating article written by Harlan Ullman; one of the authors of the “shock and awe doctrine” or as the British call it: “effects-based operations.” Below in an excerpt:

Whether or not this war is won rapidly and with relatively low loss of life to all concerned, the aftermath is what will count. Few can doubt that the coalition will win the war. The peace that follows is less certain.

For the US, one conclusion is clear. It knows that once victory in Baghdad is secured, it must win the hearts and minds of ordinary Iraqis. But how to win that struggle has not yet been defined. And there is no parallel strategy to shock and awe for implementing the peace. Should the US attempt to "Americanise" Iraq, that will prove disastrous.

President George W. Bush has bet more than his presidency on this war. He has bet the nation. Even if shock and awe prevail and the victory is quick and cheap, that is only the first phase in a much longer campaign to bring justice and stability to a region infested with the most virulent forms of violence and hatred the world has known.

Finished reading Mary and O'Neil, so started reading Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner. This book is so me!!! Having struggled with my body image for so long, I can totally relate to the main character Cannie. Now 170 pages into the novel, can't wait to see how things turn out for her.

Update (12:51am): I finished reading Good in Bed and I can't stop crying. The tears are flowing and I want to call someone but it's too late. I'm an emotional wreck. This book is so much about me I can't even begin to explain. You know its funny how you think that no one else really understands your pain even though you know deep down that your wrong. But you dismiss the obvious until you stumble across another book that debunks that theory. The author Jennifer Weiner has a blog. Maybe I’ll send her a note. Something tells me I’m not going to bed anytime soon.

Historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wrote a noteworthy article this weekend in the Los Angeles Times about America's decision to go to war in Iraq.

We are at war again -- not because of enemy attack, as in World War II, nor because of incremental drift, as in the Vietnam War -- but because of the deliberate and premeditated choice of our own government. Now that we are embarked on this misadventure, let us hope that our intervention will be swift and decisive, and that victory will come with minimal American, British and civilian Iraqi casualties. But let us continue to ask why our government chose to impose this war....

It’s hard to remain friends with someone whose friendship reminds you of some of the painful choices you’ve made in your past. Particularly when that person harps on the negative…never realizing or acknowledging that you look back and wonder about what could have been. How you recognize that while it would have been difficult, you are extremely troubled by the fact that these mistakes and choices were made time and time again. How their insistence that the decisions made back then were and still are the right ones make you feel rejected at the core…and how painful that it really is to hear this time and time again. For once, it would be comforting to hear that it might have been a good thing…even if it would have been a struggle....even if it would have made things quite different.

Andrew Sullivan has some interesting thoughts on whose war we are currently fighting. He nominated a few architects: Bush I, United Nations, Clinton, Neoconservatives, Tony Blair and Bush II.

I removed a number of links on my weblog. If your link was one of them, it's not personal. The list was getting a bit long and I felt I needed to narrow it down. So everyone (except for Oliver Willis) who is currently on top 100 list of weblogs being blogrolled was removed. Also removed a number of people who didn't update often. I'll still continue to read sites removed, but want to highlight those weblogs that are great reads, but not well known.

Of the 14 categories I made predictions on, I was only right 6 times. A mere 42% correct. I initally had The Pianist winning in a few categories (Director, Best Actor, Screenplay), but changed due the Roman Polanski legal scandal. Looks like I should have stuck with my first choice. But clearly, I shouldn't give up my day job. I probably could have done just as well if I hadn't seen any of the movies. Maybe that was the problem; I actually went to see them. I wonder how many of the academy voters actually see all the movies? Oh well. It's only a stupid award show (laughing!). Now back to real life.

Peter O'Toole was given an honorary Oscar tonight. I'm quite pleased. He played the lead in one of my favorite movies of all time; LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. I watch this movie at least once a year. Just brilliant acting.

Despite the fact that there is no red carpet, E! Online is still trying to have a pre-Oscar Show. The Rivers are at it. "They are going to try and entertain....to make us laugh." So far so good. It's sort of funny watching them try and provide commentary from so far away!

Having seen all of the movies nominated for the major categories, thought I would try and predict who will win an Oscar tonight. Provided ABC moves forward with the broadcast, it will be interesting to see how well I do. Stay tuned! I do reserve the right to change my mind about a category...obviously before the show startes.

BEST PICTURE
• Chicago
• Gangs of New York
• The Hours
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• The Pianist

Predicted Winner: Chicago (but it really should be Gangs of New York or The Pianist)
Actual Winner: Chicago

DIRECTOR
• Rob Marshall, Chicago
• Martin Scorsese, Gangs of New York
• Stephen Daldry, The Hours
• Roman Polanski, The Pianist
• Pedro Almodovar, Talk to Her

Predicted Winner: Martin Scorsese, Gangs of New York
Actual Winner: Roman Polanski, The Pianist

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
• Adrien Brody, The Pianist
• Nicholas Cage, Adaptation
• Michael Caine, The Quiet American
• Daniel Day Lewis, Gangs of New York
• Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt

Predicted Winner: Daniel Day Lewis, Gangs of New York
Actual Winner: Adrien Brody, The Pianist

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
• Salma Hayek, Frida
• Nicole Kidman, The Hours
• Diane Lane, Unfaithful
• Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven
• Renee Zellweger, Chicago

Predicted Winner: Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven (I know this is a long shot, but she really deserves to win; she blows away any of the other performances.)
Actual Winner: Nicole Kidman, The Hours

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
• Chris Cooper, Adaptation
• Ed Harris, The Hours
• Paul Newman, Road to Perdition
• John C. Reilly, Chicago
• Christopher Walken, Catch Me if You Can

Predicted Winner: Chris Cooper, Adaptation
Actual Winner: Chris Cooper, Adaptation

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
• Kathy Bates, About Schmidt
• Julianne Moore, The Hours
• Queen Latifah, Chicago
• Meryl Streep, Adaptation
• Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago

Predicted Winner: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago
Actual Winner: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
• Todd Haynes, Far From Heaven
• Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, Gangs of New York
• Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Pedro Almodovar, Talk to Her
• Carlos Cauron and Alfonso Cuaron, Y Tu Mama Tambien

Predicted Winner: Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Actual Winner: Pedro Almodovar, Talk to Her

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
• Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, About a Boy
• Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman, Adaptation
• Bill Condon, Chicago
• David Hare, The Hours
• Ronald Harwood, The Pianist

Predicted Winner: David Hare, The Hours
Actual Winner: Ronald Harwood, The Pianist

ORIGINAL SCORE
• John Williams, Catch Me if You Can
• Elmer Bernstein, Far From Heaven
• Elliot Goldenthal, Frida
• Philip Glass, The Hours
• Thomas Newman, Road to Perdition

Predicted Winner: Philip Glass, The Hours
Actual Winner: Elliot Goldenthal, Frida

ORIGINAL SONG
• "I Move On" from Chicago
• "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile
• "Burn It Blue" from Frida
• "The Hands That Built America" from Gangs of New York
• "Father and Daughter" from The Wild Thornberrys Movies

Predicted Winner: "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile
Actual Winner: "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile

ART DIRECTION
• John Myrhe and Gord Sim, Chicago
• Felipe Fernandez del Paso and Hannia Robledo, Frida
• Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, Gangs of New York
• Grant Major, Dan Hennah and Alan Lee, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Dennis Gassner and Nancy Haigh, Road to Perdition

Predicted Winner: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, Gangs of New York
Actual Winner: John Myrhe and Gord Sim, Chicago

CINEMATOGRAPHY
• Dion Beebe, Chicago
• Edward Lachman, Far From Heaven
• Michael Ballhaus, Gangs of New York
• Pawel Edelman, The Pianist
• Conrad L. Hall, Road to Perdition

Predicted Winner: Edward Lachman, Far From Heaven
Actual Winner: Conrad L. Hall, Road to Perdition

COSTUME DESIGN
• Colleen Atwood, Chicago
• Julie Weiss, Frida
• Sandy Powell, Gangs of New York
• Ann Roth, The Hours
• Anna Sheppard, The Pianist

Predicted Winner: Colleen Atwood, Chicago
Actual Winner: Colleen Atwood, Chicago

FILM EDITING
• Martin Walsh, Chicago
• Thelma Schoonmaker, Gangs of New York
• Peter Boyle, The Hours
• Michael Horton, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Herve de Luze, The Pianist

Predicted Winner: Martin Walsh, Chicago
Actual Winner: Martin Walsh, Chicago

God help us! I hope the Iraqs start playing by the rules of the Geneva Convention. Since the video is not being shown here in US (for good reasons), go here to read a description of said video. War is an awful business.

Update (2:40pm): I've seen pictures of the dead and captured Marines. Just awful I tell you. Just awful. I won't even link to where I've seen them.

Looks like "shock and awe" was put forth initially by Hitler's army. You can buy the book discussing the principles of this type of warfare at amazon, or you can go here to read in full.

Four general categories of core characteristics and capabilities have been identified that Rapid Dominance-configured mission capability packages must embrace.

First, Rapid Dominance seeks to maximize knowledge of the environment, of the adversary, and of our own forces on political, strategic, economic, and military/operational levels. On one hand, we want to get into the minds of the adversary far more deeply than we have in the past. Beyond operational intelligence required for battlefield awareness, Rapid Dominance means cultural understanding of the adversary in ways that will affect both ours and their planning and the outcome of the operation at all appropriate tactical and strategic levels.

Second, Rapid Dominance must achieve rapidity in the sense of timeliness. Rapid Dominance must have capabilities that can be applied swiftly and relatively faster than an adversary's.

Third, Rapid Dominance seeks to achieve total control of the environment from complete "signature management" of both our and the adversary's information and intelligence to more discrete means to deceive, disguise, and misinform.

Fourth, Rapid Dominance aims to achieve new levels of operational competence that can virtually institutionalize "brilliance." In some cases, this may mean changing the longstanding principle of military centralization and empowering individual soldiers, sailors, and airmen to be crucial components in applying and directing the application of force.

France is still at it. Supposedly secret talks continue to try and get Saddam Hussein to accept exile in Mauritania. Something tells me this is never going to happen. If he's not yet dead, Saddam will want to die a martyr.

Looks like war is good for the stock market.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rallied strongly on Friday, lifting the blue-chip Dow to its best week in more than 20 years as investors found hope for a swift end to the Iraq war in a firestorm of missiles and bombs raining on Baghdad. The Dow and Standard & Poor's 500 Index posted their eighth straight day of gains.

Interesting statistics compliments a link via figpaste.

Ok, I managed to calm myself down. Earlier today I was so panicky about everything that I couldn't concentrate on work. And I made things worse by listening to NPR and reading all the news articles about the war. With my heart beating faster than normal, I stopped by the local CVS to use their machine to check my blood pressure. Thankfully, it’s still in normal range. I suppose I had some anxiety too because I hadn't been able to get in touch with my younger sister. Finally spoke to her tonight. She moved into her new apartment early and the phone hasn't been switched yet. In catching up, she told me that she got engaged! Yup, you heard it right. I know you'll forgive me for not saying congratulations, she's only know him for about 6 months. Plus, she's only 21 with one marriage already behind her. She surely doesn't need to be entering into another. Plus she has a young daughter and she just started going back to college. Oh well! I just have to let her live her life and keep reminding myself that I'm not her mother...just her sister.

Ok, Ok. I'm sure I've turned some of you off with all my posts about the war. I'm making myself sick so I'll give it a rest. So let me change course for a minute and say that I've also been thinking about people from my past. In fact, on Monday night, I spent time looking up friends from High School. For me, this is kind of weird since I really don't have a lot of fond memories from that era. I wasn't cool and kids use to pick on me all the time for being such a nerd. That sort of changed my junior year when my trig teacher (Mr. Bower) asked me to become the statistician for the football team. I said no at first but I’m glad he convinced me to do it. I enjoyed running up and down the sideline each game. Plus, I loved having the football players scream my name out. It really was strange to go from having the jocks pick on you, to them now wanting to be your best friend. Reason being is that they wanted to make sure I got their stats right as after the game, I would review with the coach and then call in result to the local newspapers. Those were some interesting times. I wonder where many of those players are today. I wonder what they’ve done with their lives. Hopefully, we’ll have a high school reunion soon. I haven’t seen many of those people since graduation.

I should be working but I'm not; so if anyone from my job is reading this, forgive me! With that said, just spent the last few minutes reading Tony Blair's speech to House of Commons a few days ago. Just brilliant! I've said many times before that I don't agree with our reasons for going to war, but the Prime Minister makes a very convincing argument. Wishing I had seen him deliver the speech. Maybe CSPAN will rebroadcast on Sunday.

Btw, I wish I could read Arabic. I want to read for myself what Al-Jazeera is writing about the war. It's been quite interesting to read some of the coverage from the other international media outlets.

BBC news is reporting that the ground war has started.

Talk about a busy newsday. Cuba plane hijacked. THankfully no one was hurt.

As the war heats up, here is a weblog worth checking out. Supposedly the writer is a young Iraq. MSNBC has an interesting article as to whether or not this guy if for real.

And now for the really stupid. While reading The Long Letter weblog, came across post about petition to give back the Statue of Liberty to France. Are these people for real? Wait, don’t answer that.

Former Vice President Albert Gore Jr., is in the news today. No he didn't make a statement about the war in Iraq. He just joined the board of Apple Computer. Way to go Al! Just noticed that he is also a Senior Advisor to Google. Way cool!

Oh to be a fly on the wall in the White House. I just can't get enough of this war coverage. I'd love to listen in on some of those calls that President Bush is making to other world leaders.

It will be interesting to see how ABC handles Sunday night broadcast of the Oscars. They've already canceled the red carpet pre-show, but perhaps they should consider postponing. Celebrities like Will Smith have already backed out on presenting. I'm sure a few more will follow as the war kicks into full gear. If they move forward, many will give speeches in support or against the war. That could be quite entertaining. So if they do broadcast, I'll be watching!

Update: Here is an interesting story about how war will affect revenues from the Oscar broadcast.

I'm sleep deprived. I was up until about 2:30am watching war coverage on CNN, MSNBC and FOX. I should have gone to bed earlier as they just kept repeating the same thing every 10-15minutes, but I couldn't really pull myself away. Now listening to National Public Radio and trying to concentrate on work. Difficult I tell you...it’s just difficult.

So I'm wondering, does anyone believe that US killed Saddam Hussein last night when they went after “targets of military opportunity”? Oh sure, Saddam came on Iraq television denouncing America's actions, but wondering if that was a double. I suppose only time will tell.

My 18-year-old nephew who joined the military last fall, has finished up training in Mississipi and is now in Texas. I haven't been able to get a hold of him, but my older sister (his mother) tells me that he wants to go the Gulf. He wants to be a part of the team fighting the war against Iraq. I'm proud of him, but I really don't want him to go. I know that sounds really selfish, but I just don't agree with our reasons for going to war. Plus I don’t want to loose another close family member. So as cowardly as it may sound, I'm hoping this war ends quickly so he doesn't have to go over there.

It's going to be a long night. I'm flipping back and forth between the major cable networks trying to keep up with what's going on over there in Iraq. So while I watch, thought I would take time to post about Michigan alumni professional development function I attended earlier this evening. Event held at Jake Melnick's was of particular interest as it focused on helping folks think critically about whether or not one should go back for graduate school. This is something I've been thinking about doing. When I imagined what I'd be doing with my life, I never thought it would be sales. But having difficulty making the transition. So was thinking about graduate school as a way to get things back on track. The difficult question for me is what to study -- law or business.

As a child, when people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would say a lawyer. So after graduating from Michigan, I applied to law school. By then I wasn't so sure anymore, but I knew my mom as well as others within the family would be extremely disappointed if I didn’t pursue. Oh, I was still very much interested in being a lawyer -- just didn't think I wanted to practice corporate law; was more interested in becoming legislative aid for high ranking Senator. I got accepted to a few schools and ending up enrolling at American University - Washington College of Law. I choose school base on close proximity to Congress plus they offered academic scholarship for full tuition (at time about $20K per year).

A few weeks into first semester, my mom took terminally ill. So after commuting back and forth from Washington DC to Boston for about two months every weekend, decided to take leave from school so I could get move her out of hospital. Knowing that she would die, I wanted to make those final months/days as pleasant as possible -- I wanted her to die at home. My mom among others, tried to talk me out of taking leave, but my heart just wasn’t in school anymore. It just didn't seem so important. I look back on my transcript for that semester and am amazed that I ended up with a B average. I was hardly ever there. I didn't really study for the exams.

In any event, after she passed on, I took on legal responsibility of my younger sister who was 13 at the time. Since it was stressful in the beginning (I was a clueless 23 year old trying to raise a teenager), law school simply wasn't an option. Then over time, my priorities changed. Law school didn’t seem right anymore. Plus I worked for a company who employees many lawyers, who don't want to practice law anymore. Now, 10 years later, I'm thinking of going back to law school. I suppose I never really lost interest. But having worked in sales/marketing area, thinking about business school as well. Working for a consulting firm that focuses on accounting/finance area has also peaked my curiosity even further. So I'm going to spend the next few months trying to figure it all out. Should I decide to go back to school, I will go full-time. I know it will be expensive and will put me further in debt, but I consider it a worthy investment. Who knows, maybe through exploration, I'll discover that I can make a transition without graduate school.

I had a good chuckle reading the googlism for Ursula. Here are some of the ones I like the most:

Ursula is the greatest
Ursula is a fascinating character
Ursula is deliciously wicked
Ursula is latin for lil she bear
Ursula is a smart
Ursula is a beautiful

I'm warming up to President Bush, but I really miss President Clinton. Say what you want about his marital troubles but he was/is a brilliant politician. A true statesman.

So it's official. War begins in 48 hours. I'm feeling anxious about it all. Mostly because I suspect that the war just won't be over there in Iraq. There is a possibility that something awful might happen here in the US....and working downtown Chicago in a tall high-rise building is making me quite nervous. So I'm feeling really lonely right now. I called both my sisters and got voice mails. I tried calling my nephew who is in the military (currently stationed somewhere in Mississippi), and also got his voice mail. I didn't really expect to get him live, but I just wanted him to know that I was thinking about him. Gosh, I wish we were all back together….living in the same town, if not the same house. I wish my mother was still alive to make me feel safe. I wish I had a relationship with my father. I wish I had a boyfriend to reassure me that everything is going to be ok. At times like this, I just wish I didn't feel so alone in the world.

In addition to the 5 movies I saw this weekend, I also managed to finish reading Bel Canto: A novel by Ann Patchett which I had started earlier in the week. Was somewhat disappointed with the ending, but all in all, a great read. Then this morning at gym, I began reading Mary and O’Neil by Justin Cronin. While only 70 pages into this new novel, I already know that I’m going to recommend it to friends. It’s a beautifully written first novel. Now if only all my weekends were this productive.

It's a wrap. I successfully completed the movie project. To finish up assignment, I saw 5 films over the last 3 days. It was a bit crazy to spend so much time indoors considering all the good weather we had, but I really wanted to finish up before the week started and other commitments got in the way.

Friday night I saw Catch Me If You Can which I already talked about. Saturday night I saw Frida which can best be described as an erotic piobic about the life of painter Frida Kahlo and her communist painter husband, Diego Rivera. Then today, I saw 3 films. I started with The Quiet American which is both anti-war and anti-American. "Based on Graham Greene's novel, the story, set in the 1950s, revolves around a cynical British journalist and opium addict (Michael Caine) who has spent 20 years in French Indochina (later Vietnam) and has an increasing resentment of American colonialism in the nation. "

After watching The Quiet American, then saw The Hours based on Michael Cunningham's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The movie which was depressing as hell, "draws on the life and work of Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) to tell the story of three women: Woolf, who is portrayed in the throes of writing Mrs. Dalloway and contemplating suicide; Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), a young pregnant wife and mother in the suffocating confines of her tidy little life in Los Angeles in 1949; and Clarissa Vaughn (Meryl Streep), who is giving a party in the present in New York for her closest friend, Richard (Ed Harris), an award-winning writer dying of AIDS."

And finally, I saw Gangs of New York, Martin Scorsese's overly ambitious epic about the immigrant wars in New York between 1840 and time of Civil War. The movie is good, but a little too violent and barbaric for my taste. Having said that, Daniel Day-Lewis should win the Oscar for Best Actor. He was superb in the role of Billy the Butcher who Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) comes back to kill after 16 years -- just so he can avenge the death of his father Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson).

Having now seen all 20something movies nominated in the 6 major OSCAR categories, trying to think of who I would vote for, if I were actually a member of the Academy. For some categories, it’s an easy choice. For others, it’s a bit more difficult. Thinking I’ll reflect and give my picks before the Oscar broadcast next Sunday.

It must be the weather, but I woke up with a very positive "can do" kind of attitude. So after taking Choo-Choo for his annual physical examination (everything checked out), went to the gym and spent over an hour working out. I'm now tired but I feel good. This is my first time back at the gym in like 2 weeks. I can be my own worst enemy sometimes. Lately, I've been using every little thing as an excuse not to go to the gym. Oh, and we won’t even talk about what I have been eating. Then I complain about not loosing weight. Go figure. Knowing that I feel much better about myself when I workout, I'm really going to try and get to the gym more often. It would help to have a work out partner….but I’m just going to have to recommit myself to going at least every other day. Not to beat myself up too much, I have lost 5 pounds since I started making some lifestyle changes at beginning of year.

Something came over me this afternoon and I decided to load Netscape on my Dell laptop. I'm not anti-Microsoft (I own their stock), but I do like having choices. I won't stop using Explorer, but I like what I see so far.

I suppose I had a premonition that Michigan was going to loose in the first round of Big Ten Basketball Tournament, so I didn’t even go to Duffy’s to watch the game. Instead I went to movies to see: Catch Me If You Can. The film “tells the true story of Frank Abagnale, the youngest man to make the FBI's most-wanted list for forgery.” Leonardo DiCaprio turns in a good performance playing the Frank character. Also, Tom Hank convincingly portrays the role of FBI agent chasing Frank. But I’m trying to figure out why Christopher Walken got a Best Supporting Actor nomination for playing Frank’s father. Don’t get me wrong, he did a fine job. But in a year with such great films and outstanding performances, hard to believe that there was not someone more deserving of that nomination. Walken’s role/performance was simply not Oscar worthy.

I'm in one of those cranky/bitchy moods. I should have stayed home today. I was feeling so much better about things after the training. Now I'm back at work. I want to be in an office far away. I’m not in the mood for negative talk from my coworkers. All the energy has been zapped out of me.

I'm back! Training wrapped around 3pm and the drive back into the city was tolerable. Having been gone for four days, I am enjoying being back in my apartment. I love the look of things. It's home. Can't wait to sleep in my queen size bed. Sleeping on a single for the past 4 nights was like being in college once again. On the apartment front, not too much damaged caused by Choo-Choo and gang! All is well. He (Choo-Choo) is even acting like he missed me. That's a good feeling since he's usually standoffish.

I am completely exhausted. We are at the end of day three and I just want to go home. Unfortunately, we have another day to go. But thankfully, we do not have a session later tonight. Just dinner and bowling. The first two days we started at 9am and went until about 9/9:30pm each night. The sales training is not unique, but it's always good to get a refresher. We did a number or role-plays which I wasn't really fond of, but its good to get feedback from your peers. Plus, I must admit that I've actually picked up a few new tips that I plan to implement when I get back to the office. So it wasn't a complete waste. To be honest, I didn't really think it would be. But some of my colleagues who went last week came back with such a negative impression of the training, that it made me have reservations as to whether or not the program would be effective. I suppose it was not what they expected.

Exactly nine years ago today (at roughly 9am), my mother took her last breathe with me holding her hand. I didn’t want her to die, but I knew it was time. The previous morning, she said her first words in many days. They were: “God Is Good.” Then later that night, I heard the death rattle. I’m not sure what came over me, but I picked up a bible and read quite a bit from Psalm to her. There is much to say about the events surrounding my mother’s death. Much I have learnt since her passing. But this is not the right time. Know that she was an incredible woman who sacrified a lot for her family and especially her children. I miss her daily.

I arrived safely last night. Traffic wasn't too bad. But my room is no bigger than a prison cell. Well maybe just a little bigger, but it's really small. Thankfully I don't have to share it with anyone. The place really has a quiet charm to it. More of a dorm house than anything else. Here’s hoping I can survive for 4 days without much difficulty.

Well, I'm leaving now. Choo-Choo is officially in charge.

It's less than 3 hours before I head out for 4 days of sales training and I haven't packed. I haven't even gotten the suitcase down. Maybe because I'm only going to a Chicago suburb. I'm not even leaving the state. You would think if they take you away from home for 4 days it would be to someplace warm. Don't they know that's the rule when it comes to dealing with sales people. I don't want to go. Maybe I can call my boss and tell him that. Then again, maybe not. This totally sucks!!! It's not that I don't see the value of the training, I do. I'm just wondering why we can't just do it at the office.

So I'm lying in bed watching SPEED this morning and I start bawling. I'm so surprised by the tears that I start laughing. I have no idea what is wrong with me. This is so weird. I've seen this movie before and it's so over the top that it's totally unbelievable. But I suppose I just blocked that out and started to care about the characters. Pathetic huh?

I'm so exhausted. Here it is 7pm on a Friday night and I'm still at work. Totally lame! Trying to get a few things done as next week I won't be in the office for 4 days. As part of Project Springboard, the entire sales force is doing an intensive training session. Next week is my week. Some of my colleagues who went this week, didn't have good things to say about the program. Mostly that it was Sales 101 and did not have the appropriate company spin. Oh well! I'm going to make the best of it. If nothing else, I can add it to my resume.

And now, for a bit of fun reading, go check out Little Yellow Different.

So if you’ve been to prison twice for petty theft and you go a third time for a similar crime, under California’s 3 strikes law, you automatically get a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. By a 5-4 vote, the United States Supreme Court ruled yesterday that this is not considered cruel and unusual punishment. This may not be cruel and unusual punishment, but it’s not sound public or fiscal policy. Under this law, if you lock up someone for 25 years at a cost of say $25K a year, cost to the taxpayers will be at a minimum, $625K. Now multiply this a few hundred times. Surely the California legislators didn’t have this in mind when they passed the three strikes legislation. For the record, I’m not soft on crime. People who commit violent crime should be severely punished. Heck, if someone commits a crime that is extremely violent and there is undisputed DNA evidence, I may even go along with the death penalty. But under the three strikes law, there should be some leeway for Judges to sentence someone who has committed a 3rd minor non-violent crime to a lesser penalty. Something should be done to these types of repeat offenders; but locking them away for 25+ years at such a high cost to taxpayers is not the answer. Aren't we suppose to try and reform these people? Or are they suppose to just rot in prison?

War is a dirty business. Listening to Chicago NPR Worldview Program, learnt that there are allegations being made against the United States that they are "conducting a secret 'dirty tricks' campaign against UN Security Council delegations in New York as part of its battle to win votes in favor of war against Iraq." Story has been picked up by the international press but the major media outlets in the US are staying away from the story. I suppose they don't want to be blacklisted. The targets of this surveillance effort was (is) "the delegations from Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Mexico, Guinea and Pakistan at the UN headquarters in New York - the so-called 'Middle Six' delegations whose votes are being fought over by the pro-war party, led by the US and Britain, and the party arguing for more time for UN inspections, led by France, China and Russia." If true, not really surprised. But the Bush Administration should be embarrassed by this disclosure. With that said, I’m sure the Europeans have their over surveillance project.

So I’ve been trying not to think about the war -- its just too depressing. But everywhere I turn, someone is talking about it. What’s disturbing is that the voices of reason within the Bush Administration (i.e. Colin Powell, etc.) have turned into hawks. President Bush is determined to remove Saddam Hussein from power and things are definitely heating up – war is coming! He (President Bush) is holding a prime time news conference tonight to discuss Iraq. So looks like we’re going to start dropping those bombs in the next few days/weeks. The British want to delay until the end of March to try and sway the French-German-Russian delegation, but it almost seems pointless. Saddam Hussein has complied just enough with the United Nations disarmament requirements that France and Russia seem ready to use their veto powers to block passage of a new resolution authorizing force against Baghdad. Both sides just seem stubborn. So the US will go to war unilaterally. Sure the British will tag along, but it’s really the Americans who will do most of the dirty work. So since the Administration won’t listen to the doves marching in the streets, I really hope they are planning for a short war. Americans are willing to accept some casualties but what is unclear is how many. So the plan better be quick and decisive. But something tells me Saddam will not go easily. There will be street to street combat in Baghdad. I just pray it’s over quickly!

Update (2:30pm): The administration is down playing the important of the press conference tonight. But consider this, since taking office, President Bush has only done 7 press conferences (tonight will be 8) and this is the only the second time that he's done in prime time.

I'm almost embrassed to admit that I watched the 2 hour season finale of: I'm A Celebrity -Get Me Out Of Here. All I'm going say is that reality television has reached a new low. Goodness!!!

With only 18 days to go and 6 movies to see before the Oscar winners are announced on March 23rd, I decided to the brave the elements and go to the movies. Hey, what’s a little snow when I’ve got a deadline to meet? In any event, I saw Far From Heaven a delightfully little movie about a 1950s housewife (Julianne Moore) who walks in on her husband (Dennis Quaid) having an affair with a man. Ooops! While they try to hold it together, Julianne’s character turns to their black gardener (Dennis Haysbert) for support. This forbidden friendship ultimately causes tension in their conservative community in suburban Connecticut. The story is beautifully told and the cinematography is just amazing. But I had a good chuckle when Dennis’ character screams at Julianne’s character that her friendship with the black gardener is going to ruin all he’s done to build up the reputation of the family. What a hypocrite. I’m thinking his homosexual relations would have probably been more scandalous in those days. Oh well!

At one point in the movie, Julianne’s character questions the gardener about what it likes to be the only “negro” in the room. For me, that was a pivotal moment. I’ve been thinking a lot about this very issue. I’ve even tired to discuss with friends but they don’t really understand where I’m coming from. I can’t really blame them though…they’re all white. Whenever I go out, I’m often the only black person in the room. That’s really sad considering I live in a major metropolitan area like Chicago. I often play this game with myself where I scan the room and try and count the number of black people. Usually I can do it on one hand. So, I’m getting more self-conscious. Part of it is the weight thing…but the other half relates to race. Sometimes, I feel like a freak on display. Weird – but true. I’m trying to think of ways to have a more diverse pool of friends, but it’s tough when I didn’t grow up in Chicago. Plus I live in a white neighborhood, go to a relatively white church, hang out with Michigan alums who are mostly white and work at a company that has only 2 other black people on staff. My best guy friend (who is white) tells me I need to seek out social organizations that are more diverse. I already knew that. But I never really acted on it. Seeing that I'm finally ready for a change, I'll do some research to come up with a few organizations to explore. I'm so ready to shake things up a bit. I don't want to get rid of my white friends, I just want to be around a more diverse group. I need more black people in my life.

More than half of the people who came to my blog today were looking for information on mom and pop shop involved in legal dispute with Victoria Secret. For those of you not familiar with the case, the The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that Victoria's Secret had failed to prove its trademark was harmed by a store called "Victor's Little Secret" that sells lingerie, sex toys and adult videos. This is considered a major loss for national brands that want to guard against others profiting from their name.

So sorry to disappoint folks, but you'll only find Ursula's secrets here. If you're still trying to find the store now called Cathy's Litte Secret, below is their address.

Cathy’s Little Secret
300 Sycamore St Ste 20
Elizabethtown, KY 42701
Phone: (270)737-5231

If you are trying to find out more information about the case, go to US Supreme Court site and look up:

Victor Moseley and Cathy Moseley, dba Victor's Little Secret, Petitioners v. V Secret Catalogue, Inc., et al. Docket # 00-5320

GOOD LUCK!!!

So last night after my alumni association board meeting, I went to diner at Carmine’s to celebrate a friend’s birthday. During the course of conversation, everyone was providing updates about their relationships; in my case lack thereof. It’s sad to say, but it’s been almost a year since I’ve been on a “REAL” date and about 2 years since I’ve been in a relationship. Everyone always assumes that I’m dating someone. Hardly anyone ever asks me out. I’m not really sure why that is. For a while I thought if I maybe lost some weight, men would find me more attractive. Then someone told me that I could be intimidating and don’t seem very approachable. I’m not really sure I buy that, but among other things, I'm trying to smile more. Whatever the reason, I’m not meeting enough single men. So to increase my odds, I may sign up for match.com sometime this spring. Quite a few of my girlfriends are using the service. Their results are mixed, I still might just give it a try. If nothing else, I’ll get some interesting stories to tell.

Listening to The Tavis Smiley Show on NPR, I became aware that the National Alliance for Positive Action is upset that Ebay continues to allow its members to sell “racially offensive” black Americana items. They also don’t like the fact that many of these items are being listed with the “N” word in title or description. I would agree they sellers could avoid using that word to describe this form of memorabilia, but don’t agree that Ebay should band the use of the word completely. More importantly, I don’t agree that Ebay should ban the sale of these items. I myself have collected black Americana items. Many of these museum quality items represent a part of America’s ugly history with black people. They are reminders of where we’ve been. So as painful as they may be to look at, Ebay sellers should be allowed to list them. They need to be preserved.

Last night before going to bed, I watched the second movie I rented on Friday night. The plot for Y Tu Mamá También revolves around two teenage boys whose girlfriends have gone off to Europe for the summer. With raging hormones and no release, they hit on an older woman at a family wedding who turns out to be married to one of their cousins. In chatting up the cousin’s wife, they embellish on their summer plans by mentioning that they plan to take a road trip to this beach called heaven’s mouth. Even though the beach doesn’t really exist, they invite her to go on the road trip. When the cousin's wife discovers that her husband has been cheating on her, she calls them up see if they’d allow her to join them on the trip. What follows is funny, bittersweet and filled with outrageous carnal experiences as they travel through a Mexico with wide social and political disparities. So if you're not afraid of subtitles, consider renting Y Tu Mamá También. It's a wonderful coming of age story.

The new season of Six Feet Under is underway. Can't wait to find out what will happen to the Fishers during this their third season on HBO.

Ok, so it looks like I'll get to select a book for an upcoming book club meeting. Even thought I lead my own book club for 5 years, I’m a little nervous about recommending a book to this group since I’ve only been in club for about 4 months. To give some background, this book club has been in existence for around 16+ years. Most of the women are in their late 30s/early 40s. A friend who I've known for about a year invited me to join last fall. She has been in book club for 8 years. So does anyone have any suggestions? I get the impression they read a lot of books by women authors so want to suggest a good discussion book written by a man.

In between reorganizing my apartment, I managed to watch Unfaithful which I had rented Friday night. "Based on the 1969 French film La Femme Infidele, this film tells the story of an unfaithful wife whose lifeless marriage is sparked with new passion — after her husband kills her lover and she helps him try to cover it up." Diane Lane who plays the wife is nominated for best actress and gives a good performance but having seen the performances of the other woman nominated, would say she is a long shot.

My apartment is in complete disarray. Early this morning (7:30am), the building engineer woke me up to let me know that the people who would be replacing my carpet would be here in 30minutes. I got panicky and wanted to reschedule since I hadn't prepared but he said they were already on their way. So much for them calling ahead to schedule a day and time. So for most of the day, I had people moving my stuff around all in an effort to lay new carpeting. I felt completely exposed but it was totally worth it -- the new carpeting looks great. But I'm completely exhausting. Just taking a break from trying to put my books back in order. Then I have to work on my bedroom. So basically all my plans for this weekend are shot. Throughout this whole process, I'm trying to throw out things I really don't need. I've lived here for 7+ years so I've accumulated a lot of crap.