Professional Blogger?

I was flipping through all of my cable channels last night and came across an interview of Ana Marie Cox on Charlie Rose. I paused and was amazed to find out that Ms. Cox, aside from an unfortunate last name is a professional blogger. What? I said. She gets paid to do this stuff? She gets paid for her opinions? Well, yes and no. It's a little more complicated than that. Isn't it always? She blogs about D.C. gossip; who's doing what and to whom. One of her blogs is wonkette.com. It's fantastic. I do not consider myself to be a political afficianado, and I really enjoyed her blog. It's not dry or stiffly written. Of course the material politicians provide is often too good to be true. Check out the chops of this professional blogger.

Confidence and Ambition

I have been thinking about ambition lately. Do I have any? What is confidence and is it the most important thing in the room? Does it give you the charm and charisma needed to network effectively? Does speaking louder make you more official? Does it make you right? Loud talkers need to go. Period. That is the most annoying thing on the planet. Just because you are speaking louder than anyone in the room does not mean that you are right or interesting or worthy of the attention you are garnering...But ambition is so interesting. I always think of Lady Macbeth and the ambition she had for her husband and for herself. Not exactly the positive aspect of ambition I have been thinking about.
Let me explain.
I saw the Annapolis Symphony over the weekend. Rachel Lee, a seventeen year old violinist who studies with Itzhak Perlman at the Pre-College division of the Julliard School played Symphony Espagnole by Edouard Lalo. Five movements of memorized music. I can't even remember my grocery list. She was so impressive I cannot even tell you. Cool as a cucumber and talented to boot. I wondered if at 17 she feels the pressure, or is she so young and ambitious that she feels like; "well of course i am soloing with the Annapolis Symphony. i worked hard for this and I deserve it," ; the question of confidence and the ambition that backs it up. Fact. Confident people succeed. But with it a little humility too. I hope. Rachel Lee was amazing, standing ovation and all. I applaud her and admire her.

"Bottoms Up!" "Here's lookin at you!" "Mud in your eye!" "Cheers!'

Toast

Anyone who has ever drunk a toast to a friend's health or good fortune may have wondered how the word 'toast' came to designate a ceremony that involves no roasted slice of bread.
The custom of a host drinking to a friend's health originated with the Greeks, as early as the sixth century B.C., and for a highly practical reason: to assure guests that the wine they were about to drink was not poisoned. Spiking wine with poison had long been a preferred way to dispose of a political rival or suspected enemy, or to circumvent divorce. Thus a host sipped the first wine poured from a decanter, and satisfied of its safety, the guests raised their glasses and drank. This drinking in sequence-guests then host- came to symbolize a pledge of friendship and amity.
The Romans adopted the Greek penchant for poisoning and the custom of drinking as a pledge of friendship. The Roman custom of dropping a burnt piece of toast into a cup of wine is the origin of the verbal usage. It has been scientifically shown that charcoal can reduce a liquid's acidity, and that a blackened piece of bread added to an inferior, slightly vinegary wine can render it more mellow and palatable-something the Romans may have discovered for themselves.
In Summary: the Greeks drank to a friend's health: the Romans flavored the drink with toast; and in time the drink itself became a 'toast'.
From Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, Pg. 91

Narrative

I'm always amazed when I read a non-fiction book where the author has recreated events from 100 or even 1000 years ago. The author must find the research and the dedication to the project first of all fun and secondly, it must be a passion. Nathaniel Philbrick's "In the Heart of the Sea" is such a book. I could not put it down which surprised me because it sounded so dry and well not something I would enjoy.

It's the story of a Nantucket whaling boat, The Essex that was rammed by a sperm whale and consequently sunk in the South Pacific. The story follows the survivors as they drift in row boats without any food.

"The Essex shook as if she had struck a rock. every man was knocked off his feet. Galapagos tortoises went skittering across the deck. 'We looked at each other with perfect amazement,' Chase recalled, 'deprived almost of the power of speech.'
As they pulled themselves up off the deck, Chase and his men had good reason to be amazed. Never before, in the entire history of the Nantucket whale fishery, had a whale been known to attack a ship.

Pics Worth More Than I Can Say

This year on April 9 it will be 11 years since my Dad died. I have realized that I am approaching the point where he has been gone longer than I knew him. I am dreading that moment. This picture is absolutely how I remember him. Big glasses, big smile, and a suit. My dad had a booming laugh and we tried to make him laugh ALL the time. If we succeeded we walked around a little puffed up, "did you hear?" dad + laughing=me funny. Laughter was a hot commodity in our home. We were rich...

The Lead in Carolina Herrera's Wardrobe Drama

I love that so much could be said about a white shirt. This prompted me to look at my closet and make a few adjustments and let me tell you it isn't always easy to find somthing so simple. Cut, style, length, short sleeve, long sleeve, casual, formal, light, heavy, by itself, under a jacket, over a t-shirt? There are a lot of questions to ask. Very important questions.

Coco Chanel's jeweled cuffs, Diana Vreeeland's red lips, Katharine Hepburn's mannish trousers: chic women always have a signature. For the designer Carolina Herrera, it's a white shirt. Make that dozens of white shirts. "I think I was born in a white shirt," she says, laughing. "And I'm constantly finding new ones, because you know, you can't keep them for very long. Once they lose their crispness, they must be retired." Herrera has a couple other rules when it comes to button-downs, whether they hail from Banana Republic or her own design studio (like the one above): " Collar height is crucial. I like it a little bit higher, so you don't have to turn it up. And the shirt must be cotton, so it stays crisp. Silk doesn't work." Herrera's look travels well, too. "Whether I'm going to South America in the summer or Europe in the winter I always pack at least six white shirts," she says. "I love the idea of wearing one with a ball gown. Or over a bustier with the buttons open-very 18th century." Or, better yet, by itself. "After all, there's nothing sexier than a woman in her husband's white pajama top." Sandra Ballentine
New York Times Style Magazine

Pictures Worth a Million Words

I hope you all will take the opportunity to visit Yann Arthus-Bertrand's website. His site is under my links. It has some of the most amazing photographs of North America, South America, Africa, Antarctica and beyond. His specialty is aerial photography and this website catalogues hundreds of photos from Bertrand and other photographers. The photos from the Earth From Above Project, highlights something called sustainable development: a concept questioning the conditions of globalization and how we must act and react in different ways to sustain our potential for resource renewal. This is such a powerful idea, something I regrettably don't think about often. These images accompanied by facts remind us that however beautiful they may be, these places which happen to be ecological phenomenas are happening because something else isn't happening, like the Earth isn't staying cool enough to keep glaciers from melting at alarming rates. Please take a moment to visit. Go to the Photographs section 1, under the Oceana and Antarctic heading there is an incredible shot of humpback whale. This site is worth roaming.

Words To the Wise

When thinking about my favorite words, I of course, go directly to my favorite curse words. Just like when learning a new language the words that stick are the ones that a good catholic girl should NOT be saying. Well my knee high argyles have been retired and I already recieved my diploma from Sister Mary Alexander, so here goes, apologies Sister: Motherfucker cocksucker (whick I stole from The Usual Suspects), dill hole, hellfire and damnation, shit-fuck is another good one that just rolls off the tongue. It's been compounded for impact. I think it works. Assface, as in, "I hate you and your assface!" That is from Waiting for Guffman. If you haven't seen it, you must, but never watch it alone.
We all have moments of sincere and visceral frustration that warrant the use of this kind of language. I feel it can be therapeutic. Perhaps not at 90 miles an hour when some dill hole cuts you off, cuz that's just dangerous. But after hanging up on some assface working in customer service who can't help anyone anywhere, screaming at the top of the lungs can let off some steam and pent up frustration. Please feel free to use these gems or comment with some of your own. I am always looking for new ones to throw into rotation.

FLASH CARDS

Back when I thought I would have to take the GRE to get into grad school I bought a test preparation book. Upon opening it, I realized that I should have taken accelerated English in highschool. I was dumbfounded, nonplussed really, and began to freak out. So I devised a plan. I made flashcards like a dork. Hey it got me through highschool and my undergrad, I hoped it would work again. 500 flashcards later, I found out that I didn't have to put myself through the horror of figuring out how to handle analogies and I could bury my flashcards. The stack of words I didn't know and probably would never be able to use sat by my bed, taunting me, "You're not as smart as you think you are." Well that's true anyway but I kept the cards and divided them into piles of twenty. I take them with me wherever I go. I flip through them at night before bed, at Jiffy Lube while waiting for an oil change, or stuck in downtown traffic. It's pretty amazing how much down time a person could have. Anyway some of my favorites are:
apogee~ highest point
ablution~washing
arroyo~ gully
soporific~ sleep causing
apostate~someone who abandons their religious or political beliefs
beguile~ mislead, dilude: cheat, pass time
canto~ division of a long poem
sententious~ terse, concise
argot~ slang
choleric~ hot -tempered
apropos~ with reference to : regarding
acidulous~ slightly sour, sharp, caustic