suffrage

I voted yesterday since I won't be in New York on Tuesday. It was the first time I've ever voted. It felt good. I used to be a relatively apolitical person, and by conventional standards I probably still am. But the Bush administration proved to be the straw that broke this camel's back. How can you not be concerned about our country, our safety and our freedom after what has happened? You've probably guessed what party line I voted, but it felt nice to actually cast a ballot and think, albeit romantically, that my voice does make a difference.

Can you believe that the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920? 84 years. There are people still alive today who were around when women couldn't vote. It's amazing when you think about it, isn't it? How much the world has changed in less than a century. Civil rights have expanded, societies are more pluralistic, technological advances have changed virtually everything in our daily lives. Amazing. And the President of the United States can't speak English. We exist in the Twilight Zone.

I voted and the Red Sox won the World Series. Good things are happening.

Last night I saw the movie "Saw" with some friends. I had never even heard of it. How can you say no to your friend who asks you if you want to 'see Saw'? Damn it was a good movie. So good. Freaky deaky. So scary. I don't get scared too easily, but I nearly cut off my friend's circulation as I grabbed her arm repeatedly during the movie. And I was the girl who kept screaming at the scary parts.

But two thumbs up from me. Werry Werry Good. Tip Top. Solid yaar.

Somebody had brought their kids to the movie, and they were sitting in front of us. The kids couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old. And it was a 10 PM showing. Seriously people, what are you doing? Couldn't find a babysitter so dragged the kids along? Let them eat a nutritious dinner of Milk Duds and popcorn, and be so scared that they won't be able to sleep. I always wonder about people like that. I'm not passing judgement on their parenting abilities, but I would hope that they would have more sense than to desensitize their children to violence by the age of 5.

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm going as a quarter life crisis.

candy corn

Who is the cruel genius that invented candy corn? Damn! Those little sugar kernels must be laced with some crazy drugs. I can't stop eating them. They are so good. Why do we only get them at Halloween? I know, because if we had them year round I would be in a sugar coma by now.

Somehow I landed myself back as acting secretary in my dad's office. I was supposed to head back to Boston this morning. Instead, I was woken up at 4:30 AM by my father. Through some unfortunate alignment of the stars, he needed me to come in to his office today. By the way, there was no reason for him to do this at 4:30 AM, since I didn't have to leave until 9:00 AM. He was just awake at 4:30 and figured he'd take care of telling me about it then.

A drug representative (a cute, just graduated from a small liberal arts school where he probably played football and is now acting as a drug rep because he was interested in science and medicine but didn't want to be a doctor-type drug rep) came into the office today. He thought I was the secretary and gave me his card. Later, he asked if I work most days. I informed him that I was actually the doctor's daughter and I was filling in for the normal secretary. At which point he jumped out of his seat, introduced himself to me (handshake and all) and then gave me some free pens and three halloween packets of candy corn.

Hence the candy corn lunch. I am treading a fine line between giddiness and nausea. I really need to stop eating so much candy. My dentist will not be pleased with me.

Hopefully I'll head back to Cambridge sometime tonight or tomorrow morning, since technically I do have some sort of job at a hospital. An unpaid job, as oxymoronic as that is. I was explaining the situation to a friend of mine who misunderstood and thought I was getting paid, in addition to getting hospital experience. "That's a great way to kill two birds with one stone." I clarified and said that I was not getting paid. He thought for a moment, then ventured "Way to kill one bird with one stone." I don't know why, but I found it so funny that I laughed for a good five minutes.

When I came back to NY on Friday, I had yet another annoying experience on the Chinatown bus. Some idiot tried to shove their laptop bag into the miniscule "overhead compartments" on the bus. Of course, it didn't fit and halfway through the ride fell out of the compartment and hit me on the head. It hurt, but it wasn't terrible.

And I also ended up next to a Chatty Cathy (but he was male. Chatty Keith? Loquacious Luke? Verbose Victor?) I was engrossed in a book, but he felt the need to inject commentary on the ride. "Look at the beautiful colors on those trees," he said, followed by "The sun is peeking through the clouds over there."

Was I supposed to cry and then pour out my deepest thoughts to him? No, I just smiled. Then got hit in the head with a laptop.

for dummies

Yesterday, as I sat on the T in Boston, I engaged in my daily indulgence of people watching. And humanity did not fail to keep me entertained.

A man got on the train, sat down, and pulled a yellow book out of his bag. I recognized it immediately as a book for "Dummies." Ya'll know what I'm talking about. And I couldn't stop staring at his book. Islam for Dummies. The title seemed so surreal. Islam for Dummies? I'm not sure if this is the vision of proselytization that the religion's founders had in mind. I think it's great that this man was curious about Islam, but I wonder if there were more appropriate books that could have introduced him to the tenets of the faith. But the Dummies books are user-friendly, so I can understand his desire to go for the gold. Cliffs Notes for Adults.

The Dummies series fascinates me. Learn about any topic you could ever imagine in plain English. Teach yourself a little something about wine and then JavaScript over the course of a lazy Sunday afternoon. I have to admit that the title is pretty snazzy as well. Just because you're a Dummy, it doesn't mean you are dumb!

In the beginning, they made perfect sense. The books were geared towards computer programs. No need to plow through manuals filled with technical jargon - just buy a book for Dummies and figure out how to hook up your speakers to your computer. But the format became so popular that the Dummies series expanded to every category of self learning. So powerful was the Dummy force, in fact, that a competitor with a similar theme and heretofore assumed insulting name broke in to the market. Hence the Idiot's Guide.

What's next? "The Dumbasses' Guide to Smoking Pot and Playing X-Box?"

I decided to do a little investigative reporting. Amazon has 34,744 items listed when you search "for dummies." I got a bit lazy and didn't check if all of them are actually Dummies books. But I wouldn't be surprised. I then went to the Dummies website, in an effort to see if I could get a final count on Dummies books in print. Unfortunately it is organized by category, and I didn't feel like manually counting the individual listings. The Dummies website is not for Dummies (brace yourself, there will be many more of those to come.)

Anyway, to cut to the chase, I decided to list my top ten favorite titles that I encountered in my Dummies Safari, along with commentary. Drumroll please ...

10) Online Dating for Dummies
This is why I will never join Match.com, no matter how single or lonely I am.

9) Homebrewing for Dummies
Please check for this guide lurking in college dorm rooms the next time you go to a keg party.

8) Pressure Cookers for Dummies
This one should come with an insurance policy.

7) Beekeeping for Dummies
As should this one.

6) Haircutting for Dummies
I have been to a stylist or two where this must have been their course textbook.

5) Etiquette for Dummies
If you're reading this book, I think you need a little more help than etiquette.

4) Chihuahuas for Dummies
For people who really liked those Taco Bell commercials.

3) Depression for Dummies
Depression is a serious medical condition. Besides, calling a depressed person a Dummy sure isn't going to cheer him up.

2) Raising Smart Kids for Dummies
If you're a Dummy, you probably need all the help you can get.

And my favorite for Dummies book yet ...

1) AD/HD for Dummies
Really? What, is each chapter like 10 words long?

papa don't preach

I just finished my bi-weekly biology lecture. An evening class has proven to be less painful than I assumed it would be. Except for tonight, where we were missing the Yankees-Red Sox game. During the lecture, a man raised his hand (mind you it's a 200+ person class), to announce that the Sox just hit a grand slam. Everyone started clapping.

Fairweather fan that I am, I think I must now start rooting for the Sox. Because this is freaking awesome. Although try as I will, it's tough for a woman to break away from the Jeter / A. Rod double play (my first attempt at a baseball pun, please don't judge me). I like them. I likem a lot.

Anyway, we have an exam next week. For some reason the Professor gave a five minute speech about exam taking strategy. His advice began with comments about study habits: Don't cram and don't look at the answers for the practice problems before attempting to do them. He concluded with tips on relaxing before the exam: Do something you enjoy. Take a bath. Read a book. See a movie. Have sex!

Huh? I hate when Professors try to be cool like dat. People giggled. Haha, the Professor said sex and not in the gender sort of way! I found it pretty lame on two accounts - first, this class is filled with adults. It's night school, remember. People who went to college and then the school of hard knocks for their graduate degrees. Do we really need advice on how to study? Perhaps some people might need it, but I still found it to be overkill.

And then to try and tell us to relax before an exam? I am not paying to hear you state the obvious sir. Nor am I paying for your suggestions on relaxation activity. Speaking of activity, Go Sox! I mean Yankees! I love Derek Jeter and he has a dating history that includes Indian women. Woohoo!

oprah

This is "write about powerful women week" on my blog. After my little tribute to Martha, I thought, well let me write about Oprah next.

That's not totally true. Last night I watched the E! True Hollywood Story on Ms. Winfrey. Quite fascinating; this woman has had one heck of a hard life. But she made it up the ladder, one step at a time. And now she's the first African-American woman billionaire ever. Go Oprah!

I understand Oprah's charm. There is something about her; she definitely connects with her audience. Some of you probably disagree, but have you ever seen her show? Or at least the "My Favorite Things" episodes? How can you not remember the T-Shirt Sheets? I used them all through college on the sole advice of this woman.

But you must have heard of the car giveaway, right? Man, I cried my eyes out when watching that episode. Although, after she did that there was a little catch. The people who received the cars had to pay about $7,000 in taxes (the cars were regarded as gift income). Some people couldn't afford it so they had to sell the car in order to pay the tax.

However, she still rocks. I want to go see her show one day. Last year I worked out of my company's Chicago office for a while; I now regret not having taken advantage of the opportunity then.

Do you think this post was a little too boring? Well then ponder this: If Oprah Winfrey married Deepak Chopra, she'd be Oprah Chopra.

That one always cracks me up. That, and: If Yoko Ono married Sonny Bono she'd be Yoko Ono Bono. Hee hee.

martha's jailyard

Martha Stewart wrote a letter to her supporters from prison. She said that she is very busy, and that prison camp is "like an old-fashioned college campus -- without the freedom, of course." She also requested her supporters not to send any more gifts or money to her in jail.

Ahem. People were sending Martha Stewart MONEY IN JAIL? Money? People? People giving their money to her? She is worth hundreds of millions of dollars! Let's think about who would be sending Martha money. Logically, it would be people who have more money than she does, correct? Somehow I doubt that Bill Gates, the Sultan of Brunei and Oprah are sending Martha envelopes with nail files and five dollar bills. On the contrary, it is probably Mr. and Mrs. Amos and Anita Johnsonsmithklinebeecham from Oklahoma feeling sorry for Ms. Stewart all alone without any pies and ribbons to keep her busy.

Not that I have anything against Martha. It's quite the opposite; I think she's pretty freaking cool for turning the art of homemaking into a billion dollar business. And yes, insider trading is bad. Very bad. But for real, I think she was turned into a scapegoat during an era of corporate malfeasance.

From my brief affair with the world of investing, I realized that what can and cannot be considered insider information is highly subjective. Where is the line drawn? If Sam Waksal told me his drug wasn't getting approved, you bet I would've sold without thinking twice. If insider information were really that bad, Warren Buffet would've been in jail years ago. Did you know that all the big-wig CEOs go to Omaha, Nebraska to seek Warren's advice over a piece of steak? It's true. Martha did. And do you think Warren does this for free? Yeah right. And you wonder why Berkshire Hathaway is the most amazing thing ever. Information is worth the price of a steak.

To be fair, insider trading is not the reason Martha is doing time at Shawshank, but I still think it is worth clarifying. She shouldn't have lied to the Feds. Probably inhaled too much baking powder.

She may write a book from prison. That'd be interesting. Why write a book though? Don't you think it would make the freaking best reality TV show? I'm sure they could wing it with the networks. I would watch it for sure.

seat's taken

I can officially be labeled a commuter student. I may be the first person to commute to Harvard from New York. I take the bus so frequently back and forth that my Dad commented that it doesn’t make much sense to rent an apartment in Boston. I should stay in a hotel whenever I come up here, it would be more economical.

That being said, I was on the bus yesterday to Boston. I sat down and placed my bag on the empty seat next to me, and then tried to go to sleep. More than half of the bus was empty, and I figured nobody would bother me.

A few minutes later, I felt my bag move. I looked up and saw this strange Indian guy pointing at my bag. (Given my Columbus Day rant, I should clarify that he was South Asian). Oh no. I heard it before he said it … “Can I sit here?”

What was I supposed to do? The entire bus was empty, and he wants to sit next to me? I nodded and then moved my bag. But then I felt uncomfortable. Why did he want to sit with me? Was he going to begin an awkward game of 20 questions? I began to imagine potential inquiries: What’s your name? Are you Indian? Are we related? Are you married? Are you going to eat that?

Perhaps I’m not giving him enough credit. He may have been defensive; maybe he thought the bus would fill up and that I was the least menacing person to sit next to. Although, I would think human nature would be to be to grab whatever open space is available first, and then try to defend it.

I finally excused myself and moved to the back of the bus. I don’t know if it was rude, but I couldn’t fathom having to sit next to someone when there was plenty of room elsewhere. I stretched out and slept for the majority of the ride. And nobody bothered me.

Class was fun last night. Though the Professor said that he would try and let us out early to “See the Yankees lose.” That’s great; I’m so glad baseball can affect class time, but the last presidential debate cannot.

Also, here is the most fun thing EVER. Digital Bubble Wrap.

chocolate pudding

Last night I had a craving for chocolate pudding. So I went to the grocery store and bought a packet of Jell-O instant pudding and made it.

I ate the entire thing. Like four servings worth. Once I started I couldn't stop. Pudding is highly underrated. I remember eating it frequently as a kid. When did pudding become a faux-pas for adults? I don't know, but I am taking a stand. Bring back the pudding!

It's all about finding comfort these days - whether it be through family, friends or pudding. Too many crazy things happening all around. Our elections and our choice for the lesser of two evils. The Afghani elections our highly unintelligent President keeps referring to. He seems to ignore the violence that has surrounded them, or the fact that there is already concern they might not be legitimate. The mess that is Iraq. The awful genocide (genocide! - even Colin Powell admitted it as such) in Sudan. It's overwhelming.

And then Superman passed away. That was really sad; he was quite an impressive person. I had just read an interview he had done with a magazine. OK fine it was the Readers' Digest. I love that magazine. I've finally admitted that shameful secret. Even though Readers' Digest can make the local gas station attendant seem like the most inspirsing person you've ever met, the Christopher Reeve interview was touching. He was able to go from a diagnosis of total paralysis to being able to move his fingers, and move his limbs while underwater. It's truly awe-inspiring. But life is unpredictable and often sad.

Combine all this chaos in the world with the fact that I don't know what I am doing with my life, and chocolate pudding suddenly seems to make a lot of sense as a decision for the moment.

columbus day

How is it October already? Since this is my first post during this month, it dawned on me that I am entering my sixth month of blogging. Happy half-year anniversary to my ability to keep pretending that my life is interesting enough to write about!

Columbus Day is a funny holiday. It's one that I never realize is a holiday until the week before, and someone says "What are you doing for the long weekend?" and you say "What long weekend?"

Let us celebrate 1492 and the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. And the arrival of infectious disease and other precious gifts from the Western world to the native cultures of our land. Why do we even recognize this as a holiday? I think it is a sad tribute to American arrogance. And the atrocities of history education in our school systems. We all took 5th grade Social Studies. The European explorers were brave and courageous men. The King and Queen of Spain sent Columbus to discover new lands and expand humanity's understanding of the world. Somehow, the themes of greed, gold and imperialism seem to have been omitted.

I have been reading A People's History of the United States for what seems like eternity. Actually it's one of those books I pick up and read when I am in between other books. It's a really good book. The author is obviously liberal in his retelling of American History, but it does provide a nice balance to the cookie-cutter stories of standard history that is taught. For example, he references Columbus' diary, shortly after his arrival in the Bahamas, on observing the Arawak Indians:

"They would make fine servants ... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want."

Nice to know he's the inspiration for this odd long-weekend filled with retail stores sales.

I think that desis should get some sort of recognition on Columbus Day. In an effort to say that "Columbus thought he found you but it wasn't really you and now when people say Indian they need to clarify if they mean South Asian or Native American." I think we'd appreciate it ... yes I do.