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Showing posts with the label Index N

“No Room for You”: Is It Time to Move Past Discrimination and “Isms” All Its Forms?

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No Room for You? ___________________ “We are trying to construct a more inclusive society. We are going to make a country in which no one is left out.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt _____________________________________________ Thank goodness Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed that awful (and probably unconstitutional) Senate bill 1062, the bill designed to institutionalize discrimination against gays (but cloaked under “religious freedom”). I’m not going to debate this issue – just to say that opening the door to discrimination based on someone’s “ism” is dangerous and scary to comprehend, greasing the already slippery slope to fascism. But I want to look at another side of discrimination and show how it can affect our lives as well. This failed anti-gay bill has reminded me of an incident that happened to me and my husband in the early 1990’s. We were planning an overnight trip to New York City and were looking for an inexpensive hotel – or, at least, a cheaper hote

A NaNo Novel in the Works...

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An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail. --Edwin Land I'm currently working on some notes for a NaNo Novel that I plan to write in November for National Novel Writing Month. Right now, I'm writing up some notes and character sketches; I can't imagine starting a novel totally cold and expecting it to come out coherent, so I will have some kind of structure in place before November. The working title is Quinella , but I already know that this will not be the final title. If you're interested in seeing someone's writing process, go to NaNo Novel . If not, it's all cool. By the way, Qeah, one of my characters, is slightly overweight, but this will not be the main focus of my novel, simply an aspect. I'll try to post more here. Later!

Thought for the Day--May 7, 2011: NOTICE: "Unattractive, Old, and Fat People Need Not Apply..."

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Beauty is a short-lived tyranny. --Socrates Most of us have been bestowed with very ordinary physical attributes, but if you are to believe Madison Avenue, everyone ought to look like media Gods and Goddesses, no larger than size 2 (flirting with obesity!), and no older than 25 (beginning of crone-dom!). But for most jobs, physical beauty does not need to be part of the job description; if an employer is looking for someone to dig ditches, prune trees, build web sites, then an employee's looks should not matter at all--only his or her reliability and ability to do the job well. These characteristics are not always apparent during the job interview, which is why many companies have a 90-day probationary period, so the natural corporate impulse is to hire the most attractive applicant. It's all about common sense: if you are looking to hire a model to help sell your clothing line, then looks and size would matter, especially if your target consumers are coat hangers or wannabe c

Thought for the Day--May 2, 2011: Negative Judgments and Stereotypes

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I may have exaggerated a bit when I said that 80 per cent of the top 100 women are fat pigs. What I meant to say was 75 per cent of the top 100 women are fat pigs. --Richard Krajicek Trying to find a positive quote about this topic was nearly impossible, but I did find the above sentiment about fat people (especially women), all too common. Although I usually like to post wise and timeless sayings, this one by some clueless jerk (a professional tennis player) is, sadly, how most people, even other fat people, judge fat people by name calling and stereotyping. At top, I have posted a partial picture of a fat woman. I'm not going sugarcoat the reality: she is most definitely fat, and that is a fact, not an opinion. But how does her state of physical being stereotype her and other fat people? How are fat people judged and assessed? Recognizing that people are fat and how we relate to them (or ourselves) are two different things. So when you see the above fat person, what assumptions w

Thought for the Day--April 2, 2011: Numbers

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Don't become obsessed with numbers. If you are on a weight-loss plan, don't worry so much about how fast you lose pounds, but how consistently you are losing overall. You will have some down weeks when the needle on the scale barely moves or even goes up slightly. Don't fret. Just keep on movin' on. This is a marathon, not a sprint!

Thought for the Day--April 1, 2011: New Year's Resolutions

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Stanczyk , by Jan Matejko (1838–1893) ________________________________ Remember your New Year's resolution to to lose weight, exercise more, and work toward a healthier lifestyle? How's that working out for you? A bit snarky, I know, but the sad truth: by now, April Fools' Day, most New Year's resolutions have fallen by the wayside. But there is good news: you can restart your New Year, by tricking the fool in you into thinking that today is your New Year. Just pick yourself up and start over, and keep doing it until you have you have it down to at least 80% right. Today, you no longer have to be The Fool. Today can be the first day of your New Year! UPDATE: By the way, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? at the American Stage in St. Petersburg was awesome. I'm really wound up!

Memoir Madness: Driven to Involuntary Commitment