As I have been taken hostage by Facebook, I am suspending my blog for the time being. I'll let you when I begin blogging in the future!
Thanks for reading,
Cindy
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
My Pop Culture S**t List
1. Chris Brown
2. Octo-mom (and her doctor)
3. Jason, The Bachelor, and his new girlfriend/fiance/doormat, Molly
4. The Real World cast. I'm gettin' too old for this s**t.
5. Any news about Twilight.
6. Katie Holmes and her privacy media tour. What an oxymoron.
2. Octo-mom (and her doctor)
3. Jason, The Bachelor, and his new girlfriend/fiance/doormat, Molly
4. The Real World cast. I'm gettin' too old for this s**t.
5. Any news about Twilight.
6. Katie Holmes and her privacy media tour. What an oxymoron.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Misery loves BBQ
Forbes magazine ranked Memphis as the second most miserable city in the U.S. And I can't disagree with anything the article says about the city itself. There is a lot of crime. Everyone I know who grew up in Memphis talks about how sad it is that certain areas of the city are now too unsafe to visit even during the day.
BUT, I don't know anyone who lives here (except for transplants from bigger cities) who would call themselves miserable. I think the areas of crime are very concentrated; sort of like it was when I lived in Evanston, IL, during grad school. You could literally drive fifteen minutes and go from mansions to dilapidated houses to a swanky mall. The instances of extreme, violent crime in Memphis usually happen in areas I wouldn't even visit if the city was safer.
I look at Memphis like you would your child - you accept it with all its faults, especially if you're like me and grew up here. Even though I can't visit those locations anymore, the memories are very fresh and Memphis will always be my hometown, no matter where I end up.
Forbes: Memphis second most miserable city in U.S.
As if Memphians needed any more bad news, Forbes.com has rated the Bluff City as the second most miserable city in the U.S.
Only Stockton, Calif., beat out Memphis in the ranking. Chicago finished behind Memphis at third.
Forbes said the 1,218 violent crimes per 100,000 residents committed in the city is more than twice the rate in the New York City metro area and recent local government scandals helped boost the “miserable ranking.”
To pour even more salt in the wound, Forbes also pointed to the less than stellar performance of the Memphis Grizzlies, which have lost 74 percent of its games during the past three years, the worst in the NBA. Read more.
BUT, I don't know anyone who lives here (except for transplants from bigger cities) who would call themselves miserable. I think the areas of crime are very concentrated; sort of like it was when I lived in Evanston, IL, during grad school. You could literally drive fifteen minutes and go from mansions to dilapidated houses to a swanky mall. The instances of extreme, violent crime in Memphis usually happen in areas I wouldn't even visit if the city was safer.
I look at Memphis like you would your child - you accept it with all its faults, especially if you're like me and grew up here. Even though I can't visit those locations anymore, the memories are very fresh and Memphis will always be my hometown, no matter where I end up.
Forbes: Memphis second most miserable city in U.S.
As if Memphians needed any more bad news, Forbes.com has rated the Bluff City as the second most miserable city in the U.S.
Only Stockton, Calif., beat out Memphis in the ranking. Chicago finished behind Memphis at third.
Forbes said the 1,218 violent crimes per 100,000 residents committed in the city is more than twice the rate in the New York City metro area and recent local government scandals helped boost the “miserable ranking.”
To pour even more salt in the wound, Forbes also pointed to the less than stellar performance of the Memphis Grizzlies, which have lost 74 percent of its games during the past three years, the worst in the NBA. Read more.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
I haven't disappeared..
Hello! No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. But I have neglected my blog for some time, spending time instead on Our Illini Friends (blog) and Facebook. Here's a quick update on what's going on with me (get ready to snooze):
- I'm reading more and more and while my taste has been eclectic over the last few months I've really gotten into classics, pulling out old high school paperbacks like Wuthering Heights and The Awakening.
-I'm not a fan of New Year resolutions, but I MUST MUST MUST train and complete a 5K. It doesn't even have to be an official 5K, I just need to be able to run one. I've been talking about doing this since high school. This might sour me on running for the rest of my life, but I've got to check this off my To Do list so my brain can focus on something else! Which leads me to...
- My list of "wishful" hobbies keeps growing: learning a new language, playing the violin, learning how to play chess (thanks to the Chess game on my new MacBook Pro)...wow, I'm a nerd. An introverted nerd.
- If there was an award for being lazy I'd win every time. I'm like the Meryl Streep of laziness. I NEED NEED NEED to practice the piano more. Learning just a few bars of a new piece over a month is just embarassing.
Song in my head: Britney Spears' Circus. Why does she have to stick her tongue out when she sings certain words?
I have become...a Mac convert (sort of).
Can't wait for...the Lost premiere next week!!!
Debating whether...sleep is really necessary.
- I'm reading more and more and while my taste has been eclectic over the last few months I've really gotten into classics, pulling out old high school paperbacks like Wuthering Heights and The Awakening.
-I'm not a fan of New Year resolutions, but I MUST MUST MUST train and complete a 5K. It doesn't even have to be an official 5K, I just need to be able to run one. I've been talking about doing this since high school. This might sour me on running for the rest of my life, but I've got to check this off my To Do list so my brain can focus on something else! Which leads me to...
- My list of "wishful" hobbies keeps growing: learning a new language, playing the violin, learning how to play chess (thanks to the Chess game on my new MacBook Pro)...wow, I'm a nerd. An introverted nerd.
- If there was an award for being lazy I'd win every time. I'm like the Meryl Streep of laziness. I NEED NEED NEED to practice the piano more. Learning just a few bars of a new piece over a month is just embarassing.
Song in my head: Britney Spears' Circus. Why does she have to stick her tongue out when she sings certain words?
I have become...a Mac convert (sort of).
Can't wait for...the Lost premiere next week!!!
Debating whether...sleep is really necessary.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Just say no to Barbie?
This morning I came across advertisements displaying the latest toys for girls and boys. After just a moment, it was clear to me the toys for girls fell into three categories:
1. Toys to make you pretty (make-up).
2. Toys to help you become a mommy (baby dolls).
3. Toys that allow you to cook a meal (kitchen sets).
My god. Are those the only toys little girls want to play with? Or do we force those stereotypes on girls at a young age?
I'm proud to say that a majority of my girl-friends are in fields that are male-dominated (medicine, engineering, law, biology), so I can't say with complete certainty that these toys are harmful to women. So I'll ask THEM...do you think these toys are harmful? Do you feel you would see more women in your field if little girls built toy cities rather than bake cupcakes?
1. Toys to make you pretty (make-up).
2. Toys to help you become a mommy (baby dolls).
3. Toys that allow you to cook a meal (kitchen sets).
My god. Are those the only toys little girls want to play with? Or do we force those stereotypes on girls at a young age?
I'm proud to say that a majority of my girl-friends are in fields that are male-dominated (medicine, engineering, law, biology), so I can't say with complete certainty that these toys are harmful to women. So I'll ask THEM...do you think these toys are harmful? Do you feel you would see more women in your field if little girls built toy cities rather than bake cupcakes?
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