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September 28, 2008
Newspapers
It seems like a lot of money, turning over $5 for the Sunday New York Times. But I spent three or four hours with the paper today, and only made it through the A section and the opinion stuff. There are still Arts & Leisure, Sunday Styles, Sunday Business, The New York Times Book Review, Travel, two glossy magazines. And a sports section, which I won't be reading. I can't think of any other $5 investment that gives me this much value and satisfaction. The Washington Post, I suspect, is an even better deal on Sundays. But my hometown paper is not available in Portland.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:47 PM | Comments (1)
September 27, 2008
Written by a female person
Note - I've posted an update below
I recently read a story in which a government leader is interviewed by the press. The press is represented by Reporter 1, Reporter 2, and Female Reporter. I guess the implication is that people are generally men, unless noted otherwise. The story was published in 1960. I smirked at how dated it seemed.
Then today I came across Boston Globe photo gallery, with recent scenes from North Korea. It includes eight pictures of "soldiers," and four other pictures of "female soldiers." Seven pictures of "soldiers" are photos of men; the eighth is an aerial view with many soldiers of indeterminate sex. It seems as though women soldiers are fairly common in North Korea. So why do they get a gender label, when male soldiers don't? In September 2008, do women remain the "other" sex, while men remain the default? What's the deal, Boston Globe?
Update at 11:12 p.m.: I was pleasantly surprised to just hear from Alan Taylor, the guy behind the Boston Globe's Big Picture blog, who gave me permission to share his explanation for the photo captions. In an e-mail he told me: "First, you're spot-on right, labeling the gender is beside the point, unless it's particularly relevant or indeterminate (even then, it's rarely necessary), so mea culpa." These photos come from multiple sources, with captions written by editors, reporters and photographers and then edited by Taylor, he said, adding that because of the work involved he sometimes he misses things - like this gender labeling - that he might prefer to edit out.
I guess that makes sense. I know what it's like to be an overworked journalist trying to get everything right - and not always doing as well as I might like. I also really appreciate the quick explanation.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
September 26, 2008
Busy week
My stories this week:
The pain that high inflation brings can be limited
Local people feel financial giants' pain
State employees retirement benefits intact
Xtremez.com buys Kentucky catalog retailer
How to protect yourself in a down job market
Little change seen for WaMu customers, FDIC official says
Your home value has dropped. Now what?
I feel like I did more, but maybe I'm remembering wrong.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:27 PM | Comments (1)
September 25, 2008
My bank was seized. Now what?
Here's hoping that what I wrote about banks on Monday holds true on Friday. Mine just got seized by the government.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 07:12 PM | Comments (2)
September 24, 2008
Good hair moment
Memorialized before I fall sleep on it:
Good night.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:17 AM | Comments (1)
September 23, 2008
Taste buds
Tasty dinner: Corn chips, melted cheese on top, dipped in salsa. Guiness.
Tastier dessert: Ron Rogers and Friends, featuring Ben Lincoln on tenor and alto sax. Live at Woodstock Wine and Deli. About 50 adoring fans cheering on the band.
I've already gotten my share of healthy roughage this week. How to cope with stock market turmoil. What you need to know about your bank. The dirt on state pension funds. Yep, yep.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
September 21, 2008
Tonight's menu
Tapas, or small plates:
Pimenton Padron - Roasted peppers in olive oil with sea salt, aka Spanish roulette. About every 5th roasted pepper is SPICY!
Plato de melon - ripe melon with lime.
Pan al horno - warmed bread with olive oil.
Tortilla espanola - Spanish potato omelet.
Tomates asados - Charcoal-grilled roma tomatoes.
Juice, water, wine.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 07:59 PM | Comments (0)
September 17, 2008
My friend Sara wrote a book
It would appear that I'm becoming a part-time freelance book editor, if working for free on one published book and for money on a not-yet-published book is any indication.
If you search inside "Living With Fire" for my name, you'll find me in the acknowledgments. Pretty cool, I think. Oh, and everyone should buy the book right now.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:36 PM | Comments (1)
September 16, 2008
Seven tomatoes
Too many for sandwiches or salads. Too few for marinara sauce. Any ideas?
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 09:23 PM | Comments (3)
September 15, 2008
Despite my protests
Dinner's ready. It's 10:41 p.m. I started cooking a bit after 7, which was when Ben and I got home from work and the gym. I planned to be productive tonight. "I can't watch TV," I told Ben. "As soon as I'm done cooking I've got to buckle down." He watched full-length movie "Michael Clayton" and an hour-long episode of "Mad Men" before the chopped mushrooms and sliced potatoes had simmered and baked and infused one another with flavor. The end result is good, I guess. And we did a pretty good job of using up a lot of potatoes and mushrooms from the farmers market, which I was starting to worry about. I can see the TV from the kitchen. I guess I kind of watched "Michael Clayton" and "Mad Men," too, as Ben watched and I chopped and sliced and simmered and baked. I didn't get much else done. Now it's time for bed.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:41 PM | Comments (0)
September 14, 2008
Where else is Courtney?
Some other places where you might find me on the Web:
Goodreads: I post a summary of each book I read here, and use this site to see what other people have to say about books.
LinkedIn: This professional networking site helps me keep in touch with business contacts and track the careers of other folks I know.
Twitter: Not sure if I love it or hate it, but I'm trying at least to use it, Twitter is the site for "microblogging" - short, frequent blasts of information.
Delicious is a bookmark tracking site. It's a good way to stay on top of all those URLs you may want to check again later.
The Biz Blog: I update this blog every weekday for work, and and currently trying to figure out how to better brand and position it. Soon I'll have a personal bio, which will be a nice change from the generic "Business Team" description that's there right now.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 11:08 AM | Comments (2)
September 11, 2008
1978-2008
My friend Patrick Saunders has died. We met in 1996 and bonded over weird music and strange flights of the imagination. I had not seen him since 2001, when he took me to a strange gay bar. A series of drag queens performed, and at the end of the show a drag Yoda - man dressed as Star Wars character - came out on stage and sang. It was hilarious, bizarre and fun, and so are most of my memories involving Patrick. He was one of the few really original thinkers I've ever known, and he was also a caring and supportive friend.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 07:32 AM | Comments (2)
September 10, 2008
Rise and fall
I keep reading and hearing that if it wasn't clear already that America was in decline, the signs have surely arrived this week. The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac near meltdown and subsequent bailout lost the U.S. clout and proved that we're not the economic powerhouse that we once were. The super collider should have been built in Texas. We chose to surrender the mantle of scientific leadership because it cost too much to maintain.
I'm not sure what to make of these claims. In "Democracy in America," Alexis De Toqueville described two views of American change that competed for dominance in the first half of the 1800s. Many saw American history as an upward march toward progress. Many believed the nation was in decline. Today both views still seem to butt heads. I bemoan our country's failures and laud it's successes constantly, depending on my mood.
How well can we even understand the historical moment in which we live?
Maybe we are in decline. I don't know. If so, I just hope the decline is a gradual downward drift, gentle and painless, and not a sudden drop. I've enjoyed living in a time of prosperity. Decline does not necessarily bring an end to prosperity, though, right?
Britain's been through it, and so have France and Spain and Belgium. Turkey, too, for that matter. It seems as though people, civilizations, societies, all manage to advance and thrive and survive despite it all.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)
September 09, 2008
Female business
The brand of tampons that I've been buying for years has added a new tag line to its packaging. "Pro Comfort." Is the implication that all other tampons are anti-comfort? Or that this is professional comfort? And what does professional comfort mean, if that's what they're getting at? Are there unprofessional ways for tampons to be comfortable? If so, gross.
In other "stuff that women buy" news, my gym sells fitness apparel and has recently started marketing a sports bra. There are ads for the bra in the women's locker rooms. They lack any copy-editing.
The main flyer, which I ripped down and brought home so that my derision would not be limited to the locker room, states: : "Tired of uncomfortable Sports Bras that flatten and don't flatter." Is that an order? I don't understand the statement, and I don't understand the arbitrary capitalization.
Testimonials include one from a national fitness trainer who talks about traveling the world. Perhaps "international" would have been a better word choice, because "national" and "travels the world" don't quite fit together. Five of the women who present testimonials have titles, like "Claire, yoga instructor" and "Marly, fashion-forward athlete." The sixth is described as "Madi, team sports." Not "team sport athlete," oh no. Madi is the personification of team sports.
How is it that whoever typed up this mess didn't know that questions are typically punctuated by question marks, but did know to hyphenate "fashion-forward" when modifying "athlete"?
The worst thing about this bra, though, is its name. It is the Handful. Because there's nothing I want when shopping for undergarments more than a bra that makes me thing think about groping.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 09:36 PM | Comments (3)
September 08, 2008
Empathy
Several people I love are suffering, and all I want to do is hug them or give them Bandaids, blow on their wounds and make the hurt go away. I don't know how to make hurt go away when the wound is not physical. I've lived through a few small sorrows, and I recognize pain's rhythms in my life. I think that recognition and familiarity can make tough times more bearable. Other people's hurt, though, I don't know the patterns. I just feel the sorrow of empathy.
My college roommate, Sara, who is also close to people who are hurting, recently shared this meditation:
"Aware that looking deeply at the nature of suffering can help me develop compassion and find ways out of suffering, I am determined not to avoid or close my eyes before suffering. I am committed to finding ways, including personal contact, images and sounds, to be with those who suffer, so I can understand their situation deeply and help them transform their suffering into compassion, peace and joy." -- Thich Nhat Hanh, 14 mindfulness trainings
I like the idea, but I'm not sure I'm strong enough to follow through. I don't know how to transform suffering into compassion, peace and joy. I experience suffering as sorrow and pain, even second hand.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 11:21 PM | Comments (2)
September 07, 2008
Camping pics
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)
September 06, 2008
Beasts
"Come on Mr. Squirrel, you want more, don't you?" Ben taunts.
The squirrel chirps angrily.
Ben tosses his head back and laughs. "I think my work is done for the day," he says, gleefully.
Our neighbors have a walnut tree just across the fence from our back patio. Two squirrels live there, picking walnuts and dropping them on the patio to break them open and extract the meat. They make a mess, then run down to grab their food and taunt the cats. It's loud and obnoxious, and when the nuts hit our grill it can be quite alarming.
Today, the squirrels crossed the line. Too much mess, too much noise. Too much taunting. Ben stepped outside. Turned on the hose. Let loose. When I started this entry, I thought he'd succeeded in fending off the rodents. But just now a dry squirrel - the companion to the wet beast he hit earlier - loped across our patio.
Ben headed out again. Reached for the hose.
"I guess my work isn't done," he said.
I guess not.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 05:57 PM | Comments (0)
September 04, 2008
Happy fried brains
Man, oh, man. Today I worked so hard my brain hurt. I think there's a kind of pain in the brain that comes from overuse that's distinct from a headache. I whined a bit, but then I remembered that we have a third floor patio. So I stepped outside for the grassy garden, breathed a bit, looked at the distant trees, the bridge, and wandered back inside. Not every day is perfect, but even with fried brains I feel relatively happy.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:36 PM | Comments (0)
September 03, 2008
Nonsequitors
There are turtles on my pajamas. I bought them after the cloud pajamas ripped because Ben was endlessly amused by the clouds. Now he's endlessly amused by my turtles.
I had applesauce a few minutes ago and flashed back to childhood. I'd ask for applesauce, and my grandpa would say, "Do you mean applesass?" And I'd freak out and practically throw a fit because he said it wrong, me three years old shaking my head of strawberry blond hair. "Noooo!!!!! It's not applesass, it's applesause!!!!" And my grandpa would laugh at me.
Now Ben plays the same games, only instead of crying and throwing a fit like I did when I was three, I laugh and throw his made-up words back in his face.
I sent my old passport away today so I could get a new, unexpired, replacement. The old one was a diplomatic passport because of my dad's job. The new one will be normal, only fancier because passport technology has come a long way since 1995.
Ben said, "Now you'll get a gooflomatic passport." I could have freaked and thrown a fit. "Nooo!!! There's no such thing as a gooflomatic passport! I HAD a diplomatic passport! And now it's gone!" I could have said. Well, maybe I did say that. But then I pulled myself together and told Ben that he's the goofl0mat. And he laughed at me anyways, just like my grandpa used to do. But I know the truth. He IS the gooflomat. And I control the Internet, so I have the final say.
"I'm going to bed now," Ben said, a few minutes ago. I said I'd be up soon, but first I had to post here. "What should I post about?" I asked. "Turtle butts," he said. He was looking at my pajamas. I guess these turtles have butts, as they greenly march across fields of pink. Turtle butts it is.
Good night.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 11:05 PM | Comments (4)
September 02, 2008
Chance
My 17-year-old brother survived Burningman. I asked him if he did anything really weird, and he said, "Not too weird." I asked him if he slept all day and stayed up all night, and he said, "No." He didn't volunteer more.
What is it about the late teens and early 20s that makes boys and men speak in deep-voiced murmurs and one-syllable words? Maybe I'll get more out of Chance when I drive him to the airport tomorrow. He starts his senior year of high school on Thursday, two days after the rest of Herndon High. I suspect a little adventure was worth the academic lapse
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)
September 01, 2008
We're ba-ack
I'd hoped, by picking a famously dark campground on the only moonless weekend of the summer, to glimpse thousands of stars. I didn't count on the clouds. It rained, it was cold, and during gaps in the chilly wet the trees were tall and blocked most of the sky from overhead. It was cold and cloudy last year when Ben and I hoped to see dark skies from camp grounds, too.
So next time when stars are the goal I think we'll head east of the Cascade Mountains.
But. But it was beautiful. The air was clean and green. Ben coaxed a fire from scavenged wood. With friends we hiked nearly 8 miles. We saw steam rising from a scalding spring. We toasted smores, cooked dinner in the camp fire, brewed coffee in the morning. I'm glad we went.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)