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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83819832591452604392015-07-01T19:43:41.646-07:00Finnegan Begin AgainAuthor Margaret Finnegan's Thoughts on Wise Women, Demanding Goddesses and Everything in BetweenMargarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-82585376198820983832015-06-18T16:08:00.002-07:002015-06-18T16:08:57.010-07:00Donald Trump: I Am Your New Heart SurgeonMy fellow Americans:

There comes a time in every great man's life when he must dedicate his true exceptionalness to the people he has worked so hard to pay minimum wage. Which is why I am now ready to announce my candidacy to be your new heart surgeon.

I am not some professional medical doctor. I am a businessman. I have made and lost and made and lost and made and lost and made and borrowed millions of dollars. I have named buildings after myself, and I have yelled loudly "You're fired!" on my own reality TV show. This is why I am qualified to cut open your chest and do stuff related to valves and arteries, and in which I am fairly certain there is blood involved. And I promise you: As my hair shines like the mane on a regal, radiated, dying lion--none of my nurses will be from the Philippines. They will all wear the pasty hue of a man who has spent most of his adult life having El Salvadoran grandmothers apply sunscreen on his hairy back.

Also, I declare to you--the people of this great nation--that I will now also become the star forward for the Utah Jazz, a position that clearly calls for the ability to raid pensions and smolder at cameras while shaking bassets-hound like jowls.

You are tired of Washington playing the State of the Union during Dancing with the Stars. You are tired of Washington saying, "Hey! You have the right to afford a hernia operation. You have the right to complain about that weird black goo coming out of your water faucet." I tell you now: when I am your unlicensed plumber, I will put that goo where it belongs: In your drinking glass. It came from your faucet. It is yours! And I will crawl backwards on the fat ass of my personal sweater folder before I let Washington deny you the black goo that you earned.

America, I say enough! Enough hand holding and whining and simpering over "climate change." Our forefathers didn't complain about the lack of central heating at Valley Forge. Our forefathers never went on and on about being "sensitive" to the needs of people who made the lifestyle choice not to be rich white men. Which is why I will give up the last dying breath of the last hired Mexican gardener in my Florida mansion before I let anyone tell me I cannot be your most beloved and amazing computer scientist. Two words America: Hardware. Software. Circuit Board. The Internet. iPhone. Apps.

Leaders are not born. Leaders are forged in great big vats of oil and money and things that cost a lot of money and that you can't find in your hippie, dippy Science. Evolution bad. God! The flag! No taxes!

America: You deserve hope. You deserve tomorrow. Say yes: Say Trump! Welcome. I will be piloting your 757 to Detroit.

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-49658840604808009242015-06-15T11:59:00.000-07:002015-06-15T11:59:54.855-07:00More amazing adventures with RaphaelSorry to keep you hanging about my great, great, great, great, great, great uncle Raphael Pumpelly. It's been a crazy busy year. But let's recap from my last post: Raphael was a geologist and he had barely survived his work as a mining engineer in Arizona in the time right around the American Civil War started. After a Clint Eastwood-worthy Western adventure, he finally made it to California.

While in California, the US government hires him to teach modern mining techniques to the Japanese, who had only very recently opened their country to foreigners. So Raphael takes this ship to Japan, and when he gets there he can't even really go on the land because of the still-present restrictions on foreigners. He has to hang out on this great big deck-like dock that is built out from one of the islands so that foreigners can conduct business with the Japanese without actually being on Japanese land. But eventually everything gets straightened out and he goes with these Japanese miners and teaches them how to use dynamite to blow up stuff as part of the mining process. He sees all of the natural beauty of Japan, and he becomes very close with these miners, who are amazed and excited to start blowing stuff up too. But then the emperor changes his mind again and decides that all the foreigners have to leave, and so Raphael is sort of like, "Well...since I'm in the neighborhood..." and he heads for China.

Now, China allowed foreigners in their country at this time, but Raphael says that the Chinese really did not like westerners. He totally understood why: the foreigners--mostly Europeans--acted really entitled. One time, Raphael was on this big old steam boat on a pleasure cruise captained and populated entirely by westerners. They see this small row boat loaded down with bricks, and so it was moving really slow. This sailor on the steamboat says to the captain, "Should we slow down or move?" And the captain was all, "No way. Keep going." So the guys in the row boat are paddling as fast as they can and they are making little headway, and the steamboat just plows into them, ruining the boat, likely drowning the men in it. Raphael was like, "Wow. Why would you be such a horrible person?"

So, yeah, he totally understood why, wherever he went, mobs of Chinese tried to kill him. It was especially bad when he was traveling down the Yangtze River. Whenever his houseboat would try to come to shore these mobs would gather with knives and clubs and try and get on the boat and stab him. And then one time, he was on this other boat, and it started to sink. This other guy was like, "Dude, we have to got to leave because this boat is sinking," but Raphael was all, "I'm not living without my cigars." So he went back to his room and got his cigars. He lost everything, but he not only managed to save his cigars, he kept them dry.

Finally, he decided that he had done China, so he was like, "I should totally trek from China to Russia."

I'll tell you about that leg of the journey next time.

PS: Once again I am luring you in with totally inconsequential graphics. I saw this at a nearby park and found it adorable. Take a smile! Literally.Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-82143126119863428672015-05-13T15:08:00.000-07:002015-05-13T15:08:17.489-07:00I'm back!Well, hello there. Aren't you kind to not give up on me even though I've been gone so long. The truth is: I am just like you, crazy busy. In particular, I have been super busy with work and also learning how to be a better college instructor. I would tell you all the wonky good stuff I've learned, but I have a feeling that it would bore you. Instead, I am going to tell you a story. I swear to you, I am not making this up.

A long time ago, around the time of the American Civil War, I had this great-great-great-great-great uncle (I might be off a great; don't shoot me). His name was Raphael Pumpelly. His father was named William and his mother was named Mary, and all his relatives and even siblings were of the George, James and Harriet variety, but he was named Raphael, and I have to think that the name itself emboldened him to set his own path.

His parents (who were kind of big wigs in their little town of Owego, New York), wanted him to go to Yale, but he was all, "No. I want to see the world." So he went off to Europe, studied in Germany and became a mining engineer, which was sort of a good profession if you lived in a country where mineral resources were largely unexplored and the industrial revolution was just getting underway.

After traveling around Europe with his pet ram, he returns to the US and gets a job exploring the mineral resources in Arizona. So he takes a coach to Arizona and finds himself embroiled in basically a race war. According to Raphael, bands of Native Americans--whose plight he is very sympathetic to and who he says whites have driven to violence and extinction--are basically killing every white person they find. His colleagues turn up dead or running for their lives at every turn. Meanwhile, according to Raphael, Mexican "peons," who are horribly exploited miners, are waiting around for him and another guy to melt a bunch of silver ore down into silver coins so that they can kill Raphael and his work partner and steal the silver. And, of course, there are also a bunch of white outlaws that are also running amok trying to kill and rob everyone they see--including Raphael, who survives just barely and only by running off in the dark of night with another engineer.

They ride by horseback frantically to this one fort, only to find everyone dead, killed by Indians. Then they ride some boat down to Mexico and somehow they hire this white body guard who turns out to be this horrible and notorious outlaw who killed a priest, and then the outlaw meets up with one his outlaw friends, and the outlaws decide that they are going to steal the silver and kill Raphael and the other engineer guy. But somehow, I don't know, they escape the outlaws and end up in Colorado and finally realize there is a Civil War going on. But they still have their silver to deliver so they go on to Los Angeles, where, everyone hates him because he is from New York and they are former southerners, and finally they take a ship up to San Francisco and deliver the silver.

And this is where Raphael's story gets interesting. I'll tell you more next time.

PS: No good reason for the picture of my cute dog Scout, except that I wanted a picture and my computer is being weird so this is the best I can do for now.

Margarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-68017703015469255012015-03-09T17:15:00.001-07:002015-03-09T17:15:41.741-07:00Talk about good deeds: Look what I got!Well, friends, I got the best birthday present EVER yesterday. It is the beautiful quilt square celebrating my fifty good deeds for fifty good years. Every single doodad on it symbolizes one of my good deeds. They are even in the order which I deed them. And, for when I have lost my marbles, on the back there is a little quilted envelope that holds a copy of my blog post noting each and every one. Don't you love it?

It was made by my dear friend Cathy Perlmutter, who has her own fabulous quilting blog. You can find it here. She is actually an amazing artist and craftswoman, and she is hysterical to boot, as her last few posts demonstrate.

Her daughter is one of my Girl Scouts, and she is my younger girl's oldest and dearest friend. Cathy's daughter is a tremendous artist as well. She sings, plays the cello and guitar, acts, draws, and will one day win all the big writing awards. I will feel forever amazed that I knew her, and I will also no doubt feel somewhat ashamed that my own talents never quite matched hers. It will be a horrible sting for me, and I will try hard not to hate her, as I am inclined to hate everyone more successful than I (which is leaving me an increasingly small pool of people to like, I assure you). I will fight my petty feelings as best I can, but I worry the whole things will end somewhat poorly, with me feeling bitter and jealous and then, of course, ashamed of feeling bitter and jealous. I will try my best to hide my bitterness from Cathy, who will, I am sure, at least be modest about her daughter's National Book Awards and Nobel Prize. Oh my God. I just had a thought: What if Cathy's daughter wins the Nobel Prize for Literature and her son wins the Nobel Prize for physics or chemistry or something (he is an incredibly brilliant Harvard student). Will Cathy be able to maintain the modesty of being a two Nobel mother? Hmmm. I think I would become the most obnoxious person you'd ever met. I think you would all hate me, and then I would laugh at you all hating me, and I would say "Too bad for you, all you people whose children will never win Nobel prizes." But, see I am petty that way. Cathy: That is your burden. I wish you well with it.

I love my present. And I love my friends.

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-10480819339229109562015-03-02T11:47:00.001-08:002015-03-02T11:47:19.203-08:0050 good deeds in the shortest month of the year: Crazy? Yes! Only for a crazy lady...I am not sure why I decided to celebrate my fiftieth birthday by doing fifty good deeds during February, the month of my birth. I am really not all that altruistic. I am not the person you are likely to think of when you reel off your crusading, do-gooder friends. But fifty is a big one, and I did want to mark this milestone in a way that was memorable and meaningful, and 50 for 50 was the plan I came up with.

As was so totally like me, I did not do a lot of planning for this month-long event, but I did set some ground rules.

1. I needed to be open to the world and look for opportunities to do good in the moment.
2. As much as possible, I needed to try and do good different kinds of good deeds.
3. I could not count good deeds that I, as a rule, already do (e.g., drive my girls all around town or make extra time in my schedule to meet with students).
4. I needed to work within a pre-determined budget. That being said, I had to use my entire budget. In fact, the money not spent on good deeds throughout the month was donated to three non profits. My husband and kids each got to choose one of the organizations I sent the money to.
5. To reach my goal, I realized that I had to do about two good deeds a day.

Outside of those guidelines, I could--and was ready to do--any good deed that the universe put in front of me. And here is what I very quickly learned: this was going to be hard. The first day--a Sunday--I only managed to do one good deed. I picked up trash on my morning walk. The rest of the day I was all, "Okay, universe, what next?" But the universe did not answer. By day two, I was beginning to realize something IMPORTANT: Fifty is a freaking lot! It is a lot of years and it is a lot of good deeds to do in the shortest month of the year.

That second day I came up with one original idea: I dropped a five dollar bill in the playground of a park that I walk by everyday. In my own life, few memories shine brighter than the times I have found money, and more than the five dollars, I just wanted someone to feel as happy about finding money as I do. That was fun, but what was the second good deed that day? It was basically the same as good deed #1: while walking I saw a razor blade on the ground and I picked it up and put it in the trash so that it couldn't hurt any person or animal. It felt worthy, but also lame. As per my guidelines, I was not supposed just do the same thing over and over.

Quickly, I realized that I could not expect the universe to throw good deeds in front of me: I would have to be intentional about what I was doing. At first, that felt a little stressful because--like you--I am busy. I work. I write. My family demands much of me. Blah, blah, blah. And now I was using all my mental energy thinking things like, "Who can I give this extra soup too? Who would like some lavender from my garden? What else can I do? Who can I make happy? Who can I help?" Does that sound like a crazy lady? Yes! It does! Because I was crazy! And when the universe did throw something my way (seeing someone struggle with a large package, seeing someone who looked down on their luck), my eyes would bulge out and I would run like crazy to get to here my help was needed. I'm a little worried that I scared my officemate when--with frightening enthusiasm--I made her take a quarter so that she could get some hot water and a paper cup from our student store for her tea bag. Actually, I made her take two quarters, so she could have tea later too.

I have three favorite good deeds. One: This first one is more of a type. I liked anything that let me play secret Santa. At Bec's advice, my big girl and I hid eight one dollar bills among toys at the 99 cent store. That was super fun. Two: I enjoyed writing letters to my husband and daughters telling them each the top ten things I loved about them. Three: I had a fantastic time participating in the Firecracker Run, which benefits nonprofits in LAs historic Chinatown. My husband and I walked the 5k course and it was just really great. That was my last good deed, and I was glad that it involved me participating in something larger than myself.

All in all, I am really glad that I did this. Despite my good intentions, I very quickly became started discouraged, then I turned crazy, but in the end I accomplished what I set out to do, and I feel proud of that. Bottom line lessons: One, you make your life, not the universe. If you want to do good, you have to take charge. Two, it doesn't cost a lot to be useful. Most of the things I did did not cost a penny. Three, you probably do a lot more good than you realize. By thinking about the things I DID NOT count as good deeds, I realized that I actually do good deeds all the time. That being said, I also realized that I could do a lot more. Four, in most cases, my good deeds did not translate into instant happiness, although sometimes they made me smile for a while. However, accomplishing my goal of fifty good deeds really has put a spring in my step.

Happy March!

List of fifty good deeds
1. Picked-up trash on walk
2. Picked-up and threw away scary razor blade found while walking.
3."Dropped" five dollar in park
4. Wrote a note to someone special.
5. Brought donuts to the Writing Center on campus.
6. Bought coffee for the person in line behind me.
7. Brought homemade soup to a neighbor who has been ill.
8. Brought a head of lettuce from my garden to a neighbor who just had a baby.
9. Chroma project (involved sending colorful stuff to some artists)
10. Birthday card to a boy who I do not know, but who is very ill and wanted lots of cards.
11. E-valentine to patient at Children's Hospital LA (Thank you universe and Liz Daley)
12. Super courteous driving day (If you needed to merge or turn left, I was there for you).
13. Filled out a boring but important survey for my profession.
14. Wrote a testimonial for a program my daughter uses.
15. Kiva loan
16. Letters to my elected officials
17. Mailed valentines to my Girl Scout co-leaders and mom.
18. Donated books to the Friends of Cal State LA library.
19. Spent time educating my classes about Covered California and urging them to sign up.
20. Read grant applications for an internship program at my alma mater.
21. Dropped off blankets for a dog rescue organization.
22. Gave $5 to a musician in front of the bookstore. (Thank you universe!)
23. Brought donuts to my Saturday class that had to meet on Valentine's Day.
24. Paid for the donut order of the guy behind me at the donut shop.
25. Gave the leftover donuts from class to one of my students, a nurse, who was going to drop them off at the hospital where she works. (Thank you universe!)
26. Gave lettuce, lemons, and a brownie to my daughter's math tutor.
27. "Hid" eight one dollar bills among the toys at the 99 cent store.
28. Brought ice cream to another one of Elizabeth's tutors.
29. Put some succulents (cut from some in my garden) in a pot I wasn't using and dropped it off at a friend's house.
30. Gave a bouquet of lavender from my garden to a neighbor.
31. Operation Beautiful http://www.operationbeautiful.com
32. Money to officemate for tea
33. Notes to family members telling them the top ten things I love about each of them.
34. E-waste recycling
35. Dropped off clothes at Salvation Army
36. Threw wildflowers seeds on open area reserved for electrical towers.
37. At All Saints Church signed letters addressed to the families of the young muslims killed in North
 Carolina.
38. Gave $5 to someone down on her luck.
39. Helped a woman struggling to get a large package out of her card (Thank you universe!)
40. Brought some homemade cookies to our police department.
41. Brought some homemade cookies to some friends celebrating their anniversary.
42. Popped a birthday present to an old friend in the mail.
43. Dropped off a bunch of teas and individual-sized Kleenexs in the library bathroom at CSULA for sick students.
44. Girl Scout cookie gift of sharing program.
45. Blogged for good causes.
46. Put a great book on an empty table in the school library saying, "This is a great book! Enjoy!"
47. Made a donation in my husband's name to the Glendale Humane Society.
48. Made a donation in my daughter's name to The Children's Ranch.
49. Made a donation in my other daughter's name to All Saints Church.
50. 5k Firecracker Walk benefitting nonprofits in LAs historic Chinatown.

Margarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-10184214278039681782015-02-25T16:32:00.000-08:002015-02-25T16:32:07.393-08:00Five Places You Can HelpRemember how I was going to do 50 good deeds throughout the month of February to help celebrate my fifth birthday? Well, my friends, I am in home stretch. I only have about six more to do, which is a good thing since the month is almost over. I will tell you all about them and what I've learned later, but, right now, I will tell you something that I have discovered: fifty is a lot! At this point, I feel like an insane, obsessive person, sort of like Batman but not so dangerous or brave.

That's it! That's all I'm going to tell you. I'll tell you more next week.

But, I do want to use this little bit of space to do one more good deed. I would like to tell you about some organizations that are very dear to me. I invite you to give them your money, your time, your attention, and your general loveliness.

1. The Children's Ranch. The Children's Ranch, located in Los Angeles, provides equestrian therapy, social skills training, and so much more to children and teens with disabilities. My big girl has been attending the ranch monthly for three years. During her time there, she has learned to work in a garden, to lunge and groom horses, and to care for other animals including, rabbits and ducks. With the help of the ranch's amazing and dedicated staff, she has (and continues) to learn the importance of listening, regulating her emotions, working as a team, and taking responsibility. If you are looking for a non-profit that does amazing work and that helps disabled youth and/or animals, this is the nonprofit for you.

2.  SPACE. This is another gem of a small non profit. It provides arts education of all kinds (writing, painting, drawing, etc), provides studio space for teens, and puts on an amazing quarterly spoken word night. I performed there once. It was really wonderful. In fact, they are having a spoken word night this Saturday. You should go. It is the best, cheapest Saturday night you can find, and parking is easy so no blah blaming the parking, traffic stuff. (See Personal Space on the website for details.)

3.  Girl Scouts. I sort of love/hate Girl Scouts. Next year will be my last year being a Girl Scout leader. To be honest, Girl Scouts LA--the organization--is always a little disorganized, and if they can find a difficult way to do things, they will. That said, the opportunities they provide girls for leadership are amazing, and--for many girls--Girl Scouts is their one ticket to seeing what life is like outside the big city. I am speaking of camping, and, I have to say, I think teaching girls to camp is as important as teaching them to code.

4. Scripps College. I'm going to come right out and tell you that my alma mater is better than yours. I don't care where you went, there is no college in the US that is better at not only educating young women but at fostering conversations between women of different generations. I have learned more about how to navigate life through Scripps alums than I have anywhere else or doing anything else. We are taking the Girl Scouts on a tour there in March. It is my deepest secret wish that one of them (not my daughter; she must spread her wings) will go there, but I try not to think about it.

5. The Glendale Humane Society. You know that I am a crazy dog lady, and that is largely because I am so crazy about my dog Scout. Scout was dropped off at the San Gabriel Humane Society (another lovely place), but she had such bad separation anxiety that they finally sent her over to the Glendale Humane Society, which is a no-kill facility. When they take a dog or a cat, they are taking it with the knowledge that it may be there for the rest of its life. Our sweet Scout was a mess when we adopted her, but the trainer there really helped us, and then we took a basic obedience class there, and the rest is history. Now Scout is the best dog in the world. (I'm sorry. I know you think your dog is better, but you are wrong.) PS: That's Scout's picture and you can see she is adorable.

I'm doing 50 good deed in one month. You can do one. Support one of these organizations--or one that you love.Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-28719939478489222962015-02-02T12:57:00.000-08:002015-02-02T12:57:01.153-08:0050 for 50

Well, my friends, I am getting old. This month I am turning 50, and to celebrate 50 years of health, love, learning, creativity, friendship, grace and so much more, I am doing 50 good deeds. Here is how it will work.

I have from February 1 through March 1 to do my good deeds. My goal is to do about two good deeds a day. I have set myself a budget and I have a few bigger good deeds planned, but my determination is for most of my good deeds to be impromptu and free or very low cost. I will keep you posted weekly.

My first good deed was yesterday, and it was simply that I picked up trash during my morning walk.

I did two more good deeds today. Again, both good deeds were during my walk. The first one was that I saw a razor blade on the ground and I picked it up and put it the trash so that it could not hurt any people or animals who happen upon it. My second good deed was that I dropped a five dollar bill in the park I pass during my walk. I dropped it in the play area, and--more than the money--I just wanted someone to feel the absolute delight of FINDING money.

I'll keep you posted, and even offer you some opportunities to help me if you want.

Peace out!

Margaret

PS: As always, Scout is my companion in all good things, although, frankly, in this picture we were getting ready for the Pasadena Humane Society's Wiggle Waggle Walk (it was in the fall) and she Wiggle Waggle Wouldn't. We had to leave early.Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-75041837656563186982015-01-26T15:14:00.000-08:002015-01-26T15:14:32.873-08:00The Imitation Game and AutismLet's talk about The Imitation Game, or rather, let's talk about the print advertisements for The Imitation Game. As you may know, The film The Imitation Game is about British mathematician Alan Turing, who led a team that broke the Nazi code "enigma" during World War II. The print ads, which Deadline notes began in January and are no doubt bent on winning Oscar votes, focus on Turing's homosexuality. One ad reads:

"Alan Turing and his team broke the German Enigma code and saved millions of lives during World War II. Rather than be recognized as a hero, he was persecuted for his sexuality. All these years later, the injustice remains."

As the movie acknowledges (it is no great spoiler), Turing killed himself one year after being arrested for "indecency," which was code for hiring a male prostitute. When sentenced, he had the choice of going to prison for two years or undergoing chemical castration. Clearly, in every sense of the word, Turing's life was ruined--it ended--as a consequence of his being a closeted male in an age when being a closeted male was not only socially unacceptable but illegal.

But I want to talk about something else. If you watch the movie, it it hard to come away with the feeling that, while Turing's postwar life was turned upside down as a consequence of his homosexuality being discovered by police, his life was also affected by his being a person with Autism.

The movie does not say Turing was on the spectrum, but it uses all the tropes that writers and moviemakers use to signal a person is on the spectrum: he is presented as socially awkward and inflexible, he cannot read people, he cannot tell when a person is joking. From his childhood (seen in flashback) to his days working for the military, to his post-war encounter with the police who ultimately discover his homosexuality, the thing that makes Turing stand a part is that which makes him be A part: his autism. His literalness, intransience in the face of authority and change, and his seeming petulance and childishness in the face of opposition--all hallmarks of autism--isolate him from others. In the worst of circumstances they lead to his being tormented and bullied and in the best of circumstances they lead to well-intentioned individuals (namely the Keira Knightley character) having to interpret the world for him and to him. Indeed, the success he ultimately has in breaking the Enigma code--if the movie is to believed--comes only when he is able to marry (nearly literally) his genius to Keira Knightley's social skills assistance.

All of this is a very long way of saying: why are we only talking about his homosexuality? Why is Turing being presented as a hero and a martyr for gay rights but not ALSO as a hero for the autism community?

I'll tell you why: Because making it an autism movie will not earn the movie any Oscar votes. Now--I want to be clear here--I think a movie that starts a conversation about the injustice faced by the LGBT community after World War II is important and I think that conversation is important. But in an age of ever-growing awareness of and diagnosis of Autism, a movie that tries to start a conversation about being on the spectrum is also important--especially a movie that says no less than three times that it is the people we often expect the least of that sometimes achieve the most amazing things.

Here is where we are as a country: We are at a place where we can advocate loudly (and rightly so) for gay rights. We are at a place where we can advocate loudly for more people of color being nominated for Academy Awards (and rightly so). We are at a place where we can advocate for more women in media (and rightly so), but we are not a place where we can even call a movie about a person with autism a movie about a person with autism.

Have you heard the saying, "Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did, but backwards and with high heels"? It is sort of like that for Alan Turing: Alan Turing did not just break the Nazi code: he did it while trying to negotiate a social world that dismissed him and that he could only imperfectly fathom. Maybe the next ads going out to Academy voters could focus on that.

Margarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-50937599912188415822015-01-14T13:41:00.000-08:002015-01-14T13:41:00.055-08:00New Year's FortuneI know it is already the middle of January, but I have totally been meaning to get you ready for 2015 with a special new year tarot reading. This one is just for you!

As you can see, your first card is the Empress. This is a major arcana card, which means that this is a continuing influence in your life, which is, like, duh, because you are totally The Empress. You have authority and wisdom and everyone totally wants to know your opinion and do what you say. You are especially valued for your nurturing spirit, so let the mama lion out and rule through roaring and swiping your paw at all those annoying people you hate.

Your second card is the ten of pentacles. This is a minor arcana card, so this refers to something passing through your life right now. And the thing passing through your life is a sense of achievement. You are feeling good about where you are and what you've done, and, of course, Mama Lion, you should! That one thing that was such a hassle and it seemed like it was just going to fall apart and leave everyone wailing at you worked out, and all because you were so RESILIENT during the WHATNESS of it all. I'm still impressed just thinking about it. Don't hide your light under a basket. Now is that time to accept the recognition that you deserve, and if no one is giving you the recognition you deserve, now is the time to roar and swipe your paw according.

Thank God! Your third card, also a minor arcana card, suggests that while you might be going through a transition right now there are better times ahead. Hallelujah! Because that whole WHATNESS of the WHATNESS was so stressful that you were, like, gulping down the wine and chocolate like there was no tomorrow. But now things are going to be calmer and you will be able to relax a bit and enjoy the moment. The only bad news is that--thank you Buddha--change is inevitable and it will all turn to shit before you know it. But you aren't there yet so now is a good time to practice gratitude and to continue to have that wine and chocolate but to, you know, slow down and savor it.

Enjoy the new year! This is the one that will finally be super fabulous.

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-37902775767672132512015-01-09T16:48:00.000-08:002015-01-09T16:48:19.877-08:00The Fire Prevention Week MiracleFriends, you have waited patiently. For my promised story of something "unexpected" I will regale you with one of my greatest childhood triumphs and the tragic hubris that it inevitably provoked.

It was around second grade. We had recently moved from the great metropolis of Great Falls, Montana, where there was a mall and an Orange Julius, to the small town of Whitefish, where there was a small main street with a five and dime and a two-lane bowling alley.

I was used to moving--we moved a lot--and so I was used to being the new girl. I am sure there are many ways to be the new girl, but I played this role by laying low and getting a good sense of the land before inserting myself too directly into the limelight, which is why, when my teacher announced that we would all be participating in a Fire Prevention Week coloring contest, I just took my piece of coloring paper with the outlines of a fire engine and a fire hose and--I don't know--maybe a burning building, and I went to my desk and I did what I did best: I did what my teacher told me to.

Now, when we were still living in the BIG CITY, my first grade class had actually visited a fire station, and so I had a little worldly experience, and I knew, for example, that fire hoses were often red, so I did not even think twice: I took out my red crayon and colored my hose.

The boy next to me laughed. "Red! Ha! Hoses are green. Who has ever heard of a red hose?" And then, to my humiliation, it seemed as if everyone was staring at my picture with it's red hose, and everyone was laughing, and everyone was agreeing with the boy: "A red hose. Who has a red hose?"

My cheeks burned. I tried not to cry. It was awful. There I was: The new girl, just trying to make her way in a new school without drawing too much attention to herself, just trying to figure out how to BE a person from tiny, little Whitefish and already I had blown it, already I had marked myself as a martian who believed in a world of red hoses.

In my mind it seemed like months past, like the whole school year even had passed, and then one day we were ushered into this big multi-purpose room and we sat down and, for each grade, a winner to the coloring contest was announced. And there it was: my name! My name! Me of the red hose! I had won. I burst out--really, really embarrassingly loud--"Oh, Jesus!"

Then, like Miss America, I went up and collected my award. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! It was a wooden plaque about the size of a large coaster and it had a little metal emblem on it, and it said my name. Oh! I loved my plaque. It was the first thing I had ever won--it is still one of the only things I've ever won. I used to take my plaque with me everywhere. I kept it in my backpack. When I rode my bike, I put it in the basket. I'm sure I was a nightmare.

But pride cometh before the fall. Yes, my friends, it doseth. One day, riding on my bike with my beautiful little plaque shining up from my perky little basket, I ran into a friend. I do not remember if I tried to show her my plaque, or if I said something about my plaque, or if she just saw the plaque and just wanted to throw up, but this part I do remember. She said, "You are so stuck up. You think you are so great because you won that coloring contest. Well, you aren't, and you're mean. So there." Then she rode off into the sunset, leaving me and my little plaque alone, her words ringing in my ears.

Well, you do not need to tell the new girl t
wice to just BLEND IN. Don't be too awesome. Don't be too awful. Keep a low profile, and when you win a plaque say as little about it as possible and do not ride around with it in your bicycle. I went straight home and put my beautiful plaque away. I said nothing more about it. But I knew: I won that coloring contest, and I won it for one reason: fire hoses were not green. They were red. I didn't need to think like everybody else. I just needed to think like me.

(PS: There I am in all my glory. I'm the blond. Next to me is Chris. She was my best friend when I lived in Whitefish. I ended up really liking Whitefish. It was a great place to be a kid.)

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-1428407620085215942014-12-24T13:29:00.001-08:002014-12-24T13:29:11.905-08:00Christmas Story AssignmentOkay. Are you ready for another adventure in storytelling? One just in time for Christmas? I know! It's late! You already have a million things to wrap and do, but don't overthink this. You can tell a story and you can invite everyone around you to tell a story.

This time, for Christmas, the theme is Unexpected. Tell a story--maybe a happy one since it's Christmas--about a time that something unexpected happened.

I have one in mind, and I will be sharing it over breakfast tomorrow. I'll tell it to YOU next week, and then you tell me yours, okay? You know, you could post it in the comments--or even on your blog if you have one.

Okay.

In the meantime, happy, happy!

Margaret

PS: That's my big girl hiding in that holiday wreath. Younger daughter is very Marlena Dietrich: She vants to be alone.Margarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-91248970731672513572014-12-16T09:31:00.000-08:002014-12-16T09:31:10.333-08:00#Christmasmiracle #Gradesposted #WineandwhinearedifferentthingsIt's a Christmas miracle! I have finished and posted all my grades! It's been a long quarter, my friends, and it has been a quarter marked by two time things:
1. Teaching (which I enjoy)
2. Driving (which I've never really liked but which I am grateful to be able to do). My big girl started community college in the fall and, as you know, she cannot drive because of the whole seizure drama. Likewise, because of the whole Asperger's drama we wanted to minimize the number of big changes she had to adapt to. Bottom line: I was driving her to and fro, to and fro. Blah, blah, blah. But--here is the good news--she passed her classes! So we are all very proud and pleased.

These thing were sacrificed upon the alter of being a responsible professional and mother: writing (sad), networking (sad), reading lovely blogs (sad), eating enough vegetables (sad), having even one moment of time to myself (tragic), a clean house (HA!)

I was helping a friend's daughter work on her college application essays, and, as part of the supplementary materials for one school, she had to come up with a hashtag that defined her and then explain why. Nerdy me, I thought that was the most fun thing I'd ever heard: Here are some for me:

#highlights_do_not_count_as_hairdye
#I_vant_to_be_alone #Pour_mommy_a_glass_of_wine
#Help #Dustbunnyapocalypse
#Wherearemykeys?
#Doyouwantfrieswiththat?
#shush...justshush
#IAMNOTYOURSHERPA

PS: as for the photo: they are succulents in a planter in my front yard. Aren't they pretty?Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-11560894119776824662014-12-01T14:38:00.002-08:002014-12-01T14:38:45.467-08:00The time we roasted a pigDid you tell your Thanksgiving story like we talked about? Well, go on! Tell me all about it. As for me, I really struggled. I considered telling the story of the cooking class I took while studying abroad in Sienna, Italy, and then I thought, no, I should tell everyone about the time I spilled soda all over a crowded Carl's Jr. and a friendly homeless guy said to me, "I would advice you to take advantage of the free refills." So many stories. I didn't know where to start. But finally, I realized the story I needed to tell was right in front of me. It was the story of my silverware.

My Uncle Howard was the youngest of my father's four siblings, and he fought in the Vietnam War. From time to time, my mother would put together care packages and we would send them to him, which always seemed to me a very exotic thing to do. We would fill them with things like crackers and sardines and homemade cookies and ship them off. One time, Uncle Howard visited us when we were living in Utah. It was decided somehow that we should have a pig party. The next thing I knew, there he was pulling a whole slaughtered pig out of my mom's Volkswagen Bug. Much of the rest is kind of a blur, except I remember these things:

We roasted that pig in a big pit.
A lot of people came over to eat that roast pig.
The meat was, alas, dry and bland.
Soon thereafter our neighbors built a fence.

My Uncle Howard used to bring us lots of stuff from his R&Rs. He brought us stuffed koalas and platypuses covered in real fur. (I think it was rabbit. Don't go all PC on me it was a long time ago). He also brought my parents the coolest set of flatware ever. He got it in Thailand, and it looks like this.

It's made of brass and wood, and it comes in a great big wooden box. The set includes fantastic pieces, including extra-long spoons and serving pieces with long necks that twist around like rotini.
My mother has since handed the set down to me, and I love that it didn't just come from Macy's. It came from my Uncle Howard, who, tragically, like many of my tribe,
 had a drinking problem and was, ultimately, a tragic figure who died fairly young, ambushed, at least in my mind, by memories of loss and violence and an uncooperative liver.Margarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-63640254247344151482014-11-24T14:03:00.001-08:002014-11-24T14:03:40.760-08:00The Tomato Pilgrim
Alas, this would be a better post in early summer, but this is my pilgrimage story that I told at my cockTALE party. You are ready for storytelling this Thanksgiving, right? The theme is FOOD. Tell a five minute or less story about food and ask everyone else to share one too. I'll post mine next week. Enjoy your holiday!

In my mind, the perfect tomato is big, as big as a grown-man's fist. It is deep red, firm. It is cut length wise into thick rounds and it is sprinkled with salt and pepper. I encountered such a tomato for the first time when I was five. It was in Fresno, and it came straight from my great-aunt Minnie's garden. Minnie was my grandpa's sister, and she had made an enormous luncheon because my mother had brought us to visit from Utah. I had never met my aunt Minnie or most of the people sitting at that table, but I ate tomato slice after tomato slice and I felt not only perfectly happy but also enthralled with the larger world those tomatoes introduced me to--a world that did not consist of frozen corn, frozen peas. <o:p></o:p>

 I did not have tomatoes that delicious again until we moved to Northern California some years later and I had my grandfather's tomatoes. He grew them every year, and he grew so many that all summer long he would give us big grocery sacks full of them and we would eat them every night. By the end of the summer we would be unimpressed---pleased to have them and always ready to eat them, but also bored by how pedestrian they had become. We were like Adam and Eve. We didn't even know we were living in paradise until we were kicked out. Although that's not quite true because I did know how good I had at. For as long as I had my grandpa's tomatoes and a good decade afterward, I refused to buy supermarket tomatoes. I found them offensive in the same way that a lover of Michelangelo might be offended by a paper-clip sculpture I put on a pedestal and call La Pieta. <o:p></o:p>

 But as the Buddha tells us, change is constant. And my tomato paradise that I took for granted could not last forever. Eventually, I settled in Southern California and my grandpa moved to a retirement home. One day, I went to the grocery store, and I bought tomatoes. Then I went again, and soon I didn't even notice how bland they were. <o:p></o:p>

 But when we moved to my house, I slowly began my pilgrimage back to the perfect tomato. My first attempts failed, the tomatoes I produced tasting watery and tough. But I persevered, learning more, getting stronger as I journeyed longer. Now I have raised vegetable beds. I flirt with homegrown lettuce and basil, but those are trifles. Everything I do with those beds, from what I grow and where I grow it is really all about growing tomatoes. Last spring I literally went to an event called "Tomatomania" to buy my seedlings. And I can tell you that this year I produced really outstanding tomatoes.<o:p></o:p>

 But my tomatoes are not as good as my grandpa's or his sister's. So I pilgrim on, always hopeful that each new summer will give me tomatoes like the ones I had growing up. But I wonder if I ever will, and not only because I lack the heightened taste buds of a five year old, but because those first tomatoes were always more than tomatoes. They were my grandpa. They were his sister. And now that they are gone I wonder if, as good as it is, a tomato is just a tomato.<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>
Margarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-23377733032719538322014-11-11T11:42:00.000-08:002014-11-11T11:42:12.022-08:00You are invited...to throw a partyWho: YOU!

What: Are invited to throw a cockTALE party. A cockTALE party is something I invented, well sort of. There are lots of venues these days where you can go and listen to people tell personal stories (I'm participating in one tomorrow! Feel free to come!), but in a cockTALE party you gather people you love and tell each other your own personal stories. Think of it as your own personal Moth.

Why in the world would I want to do that? Because stories are what define us and what connect us to one another. You are the only one who can tell your story, and if you don't tell it it will be lost forever.

How do I do this incredibly fun-sounding thing? I tested it all out for you on Saturday. It was so fun! Here is what you do:

1. Gather about six or seven people (or more if some people just want to listen. Anymore than eight and I think people will get too antsy).

2. Invite them to come to your house ready to tell a five minute personal story focused on a theme. Our theme was pilgrims because it is almost Thanksgiving, and we heard amazing stories about times in people's lives when they felt they were sort of on a pilgrimage.

3. Put out some food and wine (my husband made lemon drops and my guests also brought finger foods).

4. Mingle and enjoy each other's company and start your stories when you're ready.

5. That is all you have to do! Trust me, you will have a great time.

When: Whenever you want! But you could also incorporate this into your Thanksgiving dinner! How fun would that be! I even have a theme for you. Super easy: Food.

A few tips:

1. Keep your theme general enough so that people can interpret it in different ways and not so obscure that you'll scare people. I think now that pilgrims may have seemed too obscure at first, but, really, in the end, it turned out great.

2. Mix things ups. I struggled for a while with the worlds collide problem. Should I invite one particular friend group or mix things up? I mixed things up, inviting friends from different parts of my life, and I think it made it really fresh and meaningful. But you do what you think best.

3. Don't be afraid to go inter-generational. My teens came, and one of my daughter's friends came and told a terrific story that really highlighted how one word can mean something different at different times of our lives.

4. Don't make people tell a story if they don't want to. My husband and younger daughter did not tell stories. People should participate at their comfort level.

5. Don't worry if people's stories go over--or under--five minutes. It will all work out.

6. Have fun and realize that sharing stories makes us human and it is an honor to have someone share their story with you.

Later this week I'll post the story I shared. If you do have a cockTALE party let me know! I'll be so excited. Tell your friends to have their own. Let's not just OWN our stories, let's share them!

PS: The photo is of the finger food my friend Cathy brought. She got the idea from what she calls The Google. I like to call it the Story Snake.

Happy Storytelling!

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-31218743601612200512014-11-03T14:55:00.003-08:002014-11-03T14:55:25.582-08:00Where in the World Do You Want to Go?

I'm telling you, people, between teaching and grading and driving people around I am feeling spent.

Top five places I think about visiting when feeling whiny:

1. The British Isles (My friend Alexandria is very keen on Scotland, but I would like to see the old country--Ireland. Plus England, of course. Pemberly awaits.)

2. Hawaii. I've never been. That just seems wrong.

3. Greece and Turkey: I wanna see all the ancient Greek archeological sites. You know I like me my goddesses.

4. The other old country: Germany. I am descended mostly from German farming stock, so pass the bratwurst and hand me a dirndl dress.

5. Kyoto. Everyone says it's beautiful, and I wanna see the giant Buddha statue.

How about you? Where are you itching to go?

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-70637238493635186812014-10-20T15:04:00.003-07:002014-10-20T15:04:58.574-07:00Five Keys to Maintaining Zen-like Calm in the Midst of ChaosWell friends, you know I am all about stress-free living, what with my everything is bullshit and all that matters is love and my Kumbaya let me find you a goddess or read your tarot cards, and my let's all just have some chocolate and wine in my special meditation/wine-drinking/far enough from the house that you can't hear anyone yelling zone.

So I want you to listen to me and believe me when I tell you how to totally own a zen-like life when you are crazy busy with work and driving a million places and trying to keep everyone in relationship with one another, etcetera, etcetera, fill in the blanks of your own personal cocktail of chaos.

To maintain totally zen-like calm in the midst of chaos you must:

1. Think positive. For example, the next time you need to get your hair cut, don't think of it as an annoying errand that is eating away at your precious time, but think of it instead as a mini spa day that will nourish your soul! Think of the hair wash as a sort of massage and totally don't worry about your neck being pushed back into the small of your back and the fact that you feel like you are a chicken about to have its neck broken. As for the blowdryers, think of them as a refreshing sound scape reminiscent of beach sounds or tornadoes.

2. Multi-task. Here's a way to kill two birds with one stone: clean your house. It's nature's way of staying fit. All that bending! all that stretching! As with any new regime, at first you will be all, "Oh, I hate this; it's so boring," but--believe me--once you find your zone, you'll be an addict. You'll be all, "Oh, I can't wait to go home from my long day at the office and get my heart pumping with some serious vacuuming!" Soon, all your friends will be like, "You are so looking good!" and you'll be all, "Yeah. Meet my trainer, Mr. Hoover."

3. Put away your electronics and get down to business. Electronics are totally time sucks. Your digital scale, for example. Put that shit away.

4. Prioritize! People! Seriously! Do I really have to tell you that you should not have fun writing on your little blog until you have graded that seriously boring and increasingly larger stack of papers that is sitting not even two feet away? Work before pleasure. Did you not get the memo? And no. Dthis before you grade those papers either. Because that would totally be irresponsible of me--I mean you. So there.
on't look at

5. Delegate. Seriously. Does someone want to come grade these papers for me?

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-63361034503374466262014-10-10T12:42:00.001-07:002014-10-10T12:42:20.957-07:00What I am avoiding right now
1. Grading papers.

2. Grading tests.

3. Cleaning the following: desk, bathroom, kitchen, living room. And changing my sheets.

4. Assorted paperwork. Curses paperwork! How I hate you!

5. Funny enough, writing. Hmmm. Why? Very mysterious.

6. Changing my daughter's hair appointment.

7. Making dental appointments.

8. Figuring out what I'm going to make for dinner.

By the way, have you seen this? It's on Neflix. Very spooky but also gripping and mysterious, all the more so because it's in French. And are you watching this? David Tennant is not my secret boyfriend, but he'll doing in a pinch. I would prefer to watch the English version, but Gracepoint is on Hulu+ so that is the best I can do. Speaking of secret boyfriends, I understand Chris O'Dowd is in St. Vincent, so I might have to check that one out.

What are you avoiding?
Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-48803767635655547092014-09-24T13:55:00.000-07:002014-09-24T16:35:44.938-07:00The Bullshit ManifestoI hereby decree the following:

Basically, everything is bullshit.

ISIS and ISIL are bullshit.
Bombing people is bullshit.
Classifying people is bullshit.
Status symbols are bullshit.
Fame is bullshit.
Being passive aggressive is bullshit.
Being a right in your face asshole is bullshit.
Small talk is bullshit.
Gatekeeping is bullshit.
Living through your kids is bullshit.
The Ivy Leagues are bullshit.
Professional sports is bullshit.
Circling the wagons is bullshit.
Social media is bullshit (ironic, I know).
Selling things is bullshit.
Selling yourself is even more bullshit.
Chasing after material possessions is bullshit.
Having your face in a screen all day is bullshit.
Denying inequality is bullshit.
Denying patriarchy is bullshit.
Being hurtful is bullshit.
Practically every institution is, on some level, bullshit.
Keeping a stiff upper lip is bullshit.
Anything that keeps your from being authentic is bullshit.

Only one thing is not bullshit: Love.

Alone among countries, Bhutan tracks its Gross Happiness Product. It does this to see if its citizens are becoming more or less happy. Likewise, I believe we should each keep track of our Gross Love Product. When you make a decision, you should ask yourself: will this increase the world's Gross Love Product? If the answer is yes, go for it. If the answer is no, then it's bullshit. If you can not decide how your choices affect the GLP, you should unpack the concept of love a little. Are you making a compassionate choice? Are you making a respectful and kind choice? There you go. That should solve your problem.

Obviously, you cannot remove yourself from the bullshit world. Like I said, basically everything is bullshit so that would be impossible. It's okay to live in the bullshit world, you just have to know that you are surrounded by bullshit and artifice and you must try not to be sucked in. Remember: the remedy for bullshit is love.

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-61220377012718653782014-09-15T11:32:00.003-07:002014-09-15T11:32:55.579-07:00My writing process: Hint it involves zombiesWhat are you working on?
How does your work differ from others in your genre?
Why do you write what you do?
How does your writing process work?

Desiree Zamorano, who blogs at The Restless Chef and who is the author of the novel The Amado Women, tagged me with these writerly questions, and since I do whatever the fabulous Desiree asks, I will answer them now.

What are you working on?
I am currently working on staying sane until I go back to work next week. Too-long breaks make me neurotic, especially when most of my time is spent making sure each of my teenagers feels EQUALLY aggrieved. Oh, Wait! This is supposed to be about what I'm writing! I get it.

I'm working on the second of three book series. Part one is resting until I can approach my third draft with cold-hearted detachment. Part one is called Optimized, and part two is called Optimystic. The series is about a high school slacker who begins to investigate a group of peers who are involved in the clinical trial of a new medication. The medication makes people Einstein-smart but, alas, also makes them look and act like zombies. The question is: just how far zombie have they gone?

How does your work differ from others in your genre?
I like to flirt with the line of reality. What is real? What could be real? How do we know the difference? Also, I like that my characters don't live segmented lives. For example, my girl Mia can investigate the maybe-zombies all she wants, but she still has to worry about how she will get into the college of her choice.

Why do you write what you write?
I always start from a place of curiosity. What questions or issues can I not stop thinking about? Whatever they are, that's what I need to explore through writing. In the case of Optimized, the questions that really got me going were: Why are we so obsessed with winning and with categorizing people and institutions into winners and losers? How far zombie would a person be willing to go (or might a parent push them to go) to get into the college of his or her choice?

How does your writing process work?
Writing is hard. Revising is fun. With that in mind, I try to be very disciplined. 1000 words a day, five days a week: That is my goal. I start by re-reading/editing the work I did the day before. That tends to get my juices going. Then I plod along and I write those 1000 words, no matter how horrible they are--and they are usually horrible. When I'm about half way done with a draft I will usually go back to the beginning and make a lot changes because by then I'll have a better sense of what needs to happen or what kind of actions or way of speaking is authentic for a character. Then, after I do that, I plod through the second half. Then I revise the whole thing, which I enjoy. Then I get people to read it. Then I revise. I do that until I'm sick of the thing and can do it no longer.

Okay. Your turn. I'd love to hear all about your writing process, either in the comments or on your blog. Go!

PS: The photo is of my lovely workstation. It's looking pretty organized--that's should be your first clue that I am in a worrisome neurotic stage!

Margarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-28093326799767549212014-09-08T11:26:00.000-07:002014-09-08T11:26:18.580-07:00On Vaccines and Choices and Lesser LivesMy big girl had a wee bit of a meltdown on Saturday. You may have heard that a growing number of parents are refusing to vaccinate their children. The LA Times had a big story about the growing number of unvaccinated kindergardeners last week. You can find that story here. My girl heard me talking about the article with my younger daughter. She heard my younger daughter ask me why parents didn't want to vaccinate their kids, and then she heard me say, "Some people think vaccinations can cause things like autism."

And that was when the meltdown started. Actually, the meltdown didn't start right away, because at first she had to really think about it, she had to put all the puzzle pieces together. It was a while before I heard her crying in her room. It was a funny kind of crying, part grief, part heartbreak, part anger. She said to me, "What's wrong with those people? They would rather risk their child dying of some horrible illness than have a child like me, someone with autism."

Ah. There it was. And she was right. In all the debate over vaccinations, the unspoken truth is the one she recognized right away, and that most of us read right past. There are people who would risk their children getting something like polio or measles--illnesses that once routinely wiped out entire families--than have a daughter like mine, a daughter who is disabled.

Now, as the parent of a disabled child I can tell you right now that I would rather have a child without a disability too--so don't think I'm getting all judgey on you. I'm not. I'm just asking you to think about a truth that is veiled for most of us, unless, of course, it is a truth that is faced directly by you and you see it for what it is: a statement about what our society likes its humans to look and act like.

When my girl said all this to me, I said, "I can see why that would feel hurtful to you. But remember too, Autism is a spectrum. You are very articulate. You are in community college. But some people on the Spectrum never even talk. All most parents really want to know is that they can die and their kids will be okay. Some parents never know that. It is very hard."

"But even if they can't talk they are not less," she said. "They are just as good as anyone."

And this, too, is true. Is my daughter less because she has autism or epilepsy or learning disabilities? Is she less because she is not at Stanford? Will she be less if she cannot succeed in community college? What if she can never hold a job? What if she can never live independently? Will she be less then?

You're probably thinking, no, of course not. So would you want her as your daughter?

You can say no. I won't blame you. I know how profoundly hard it is to live with a person with special needs. These are not philosophical questions for me. This is my real life. And it is hard. I know that as much as I think my daughter is as fully whole as anyone else, that I live in a world where she will not be treated as whole, where she will have fewer opportunities, where her challenges will often make other people's lives more inconvenient. Not everyone will want to work with her. Not everyone will feel like she can pull her weight. And that that is a very difficult thing to contemplate as I get older and worry about what will become of her.

But think it through. Think it all the way through, the way she did. If you do not want a daughter like mine, if you would rather risk your child getting a deadly illness (and unless you are ready to deny history you must admit they are deadly) then aren't you playing a sort of eugenics game? Aren't you saying I am really only interested in this baby as long as it doesn't have a disability that I believe might be caused my this vaccine. I would rather have my baby die than suffer through the parenting of someone with this disability or than see them suffer through that disability.

Hey! You can say yes! I won't judge you. Because parenting a special needs kid is not for the feint of heart (and believe me I am totally the feint of heart so I know).

But maybe what we really need to do is worry less about whether a vaccine might cause autism and more about how we can build the networks we all need when the myths of perfection or independence begin to unravel, as they will for all of us. For we are all of us imperfect and we are all of us dependent, and if we could see that our humanity lies in those imperfections and those dependencies then maybe we would see that we are all of us whole and good enough and that none of us is
 less and that, because of that, we will always have someone's back and someone will always have ours.Margarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-79021770522982930132014-09-03T11:09:00.000-07:002014-09-03T11:09:05.220-07:00Advice for College FreshmanDear College Freshman:

I know you have been offered a lot of unsolicited advice lately, and I know you are probably sick of it. But I have some for you anyway. I have been teaching college students for many years. I stand across a podium from you everyday. I grade your work. I know what I am talking about.

Here are my top tips for college success:

1. Come to my office hours. Visiting office hours is the number one predictor of student success. I read that somewhere. I don't remember where, so I don't know if that is actually true but it should be. It is very hard to give an unwelcome grade to someone you know is doing everything possible to be successful, and if you come to my office hours regularly (not just once or twice, but maybe every few weeks) I know that you are trying to be successful. You might be thinking: "But I never know what to say." Here is what you say: "How can I do better in your class?" or "Will you look at my rough draft?" or "Can we talk about the reading?"

2. Sit in the front of the classroom. You know what I think when I see you sitting in the back of class? I think: Why do you want so much distance between us? What are you feeling insecure about? Hmmm. Should I be feeling insecure about you too? You know what I think when you sit in the front of the class? I think: Wow. You are ready to learn. I bet you are really smart and will do well in this class. You know what else? If you are in the very front row, I will hardly ever look at you. My gaze falls on the middle of the classroom. So you get bonus points for your engagement but you will hardly ever be called on--unless you want to be called on.

3. Do the reading. Most professors take it for granted that you will never do the reading. So, if you do the reading and then say something specifically about the reading or if you (even better!) specifically reference a part of the reading in your paper or your midterm I will think, "Oh my God! She did the reading! I adore her!" It is always good if I adore you. I will have a very hard time giving you an unwelcome grade if I adore you.

4. Buy one of those cute little staplers. You know what I hate? I hate it when students turn in papers that are not attached in any way, or, worse, struck together through some sort of complicated folded and/or tearing/origami technique. I am like you! I am usually only sort-of organized. If your paper is not stapled I worry I will lose parts of it, and if it is typed then I will definitely get it confused with someone else who also printed in Times New Roman 11. Don't get me in a bad mood before I've even started looking at your work. Remember: It's best when I adore you.

5. Don't skip class and tell me that your grandma died. Let me tell you, people: college is a dangerous time for the grandmothers of college students! They die ALL THE TIME! Every quarter students say that they had to miss class because their grandma died. So first off, call your grandma and tell her how much you love her. These next sixteen weeks are going to be dicey for her! Know this: I don't want to know why you missed class, and I definitely don't want a suspect story like your grandma died. If you have to miss class just say something important came up or you had a family emergency. That's all I need--or want--to know. And then tell me that you have already contacted your classmate to get the notes or whatever. (Soon after I wrote this yesterday I read an essay by Roxanne Gay in Bad Feminist that noted the same thing. So, really, I'm not sure why the NIH hasn't been called in on this already. Call your grandma!)

6. Don't miss class and then ask me if you missed something important. I am just enough full of myself to think that every thing I teach or say is important. And definitely don't ask me what the homework is. It is on your schedule. You know that!

7. A word about email. I am more like your boss than your friend. So use your grown up words when you write to me. Spell things out. When referring to yourself, use a capital I. And don't expect me to get back to you instantly. I have a life. It may be a sad, little life but it is mine and I don't want to spend all my time answering emails, especially if you could have easily found what you need in the syllabus. Don't vex me, people. It is never helpful for either of us.

8. Turn off your phone. There are many reasons why this is important, but here is the one I want you to remember: You staring down at your crotch, smiling, and fidgeting with your hands is not a good look for you.

9. Join a club, especially if you are at a big, public school. There is some evidence that working-class students in particular have a harder time turning their college degrees into career opportunities because they have fewer connections than their more prosperous peers--even peers with much more mediocre grades. Clubs--especially those that connect you with alumni--help you make connections and they also help you feel connected to your campus and classmates. I would say it is better to be a good student who is leading an interesting life than a stellar student who has nothing else going on.

10. Go to your writing center. Students tend to think writing centers are for people who can't write well when they are simply for people who write. You are a student. You write. I would never send my work to an
 editor or agent if I didn't have my colleagues look at it first. When you go to your writing center you are not acting like an unconfident loser. You are acting like a professional. That is the image you want to go for.Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-57452052517137269972014-08-28T13:26:00.000-07:002014-08-28T13:26:33.678-07:00Busy, busy, busyBusy, busy, busy. And no writing done at all for at least a month. I'm starting to feel unsettled by it actually. You may not know this, but writing can be a sort of addiction, which if you think about it makes sense. Why else would anyone write? It's not good for your physical health (too much sitting), It's not good for your mental health (too much time sitting alone), not good for your pocketbook (you hardly ever make any money), and you feel compelled to do it anyway. Like me. I haven't written for a month and I'm getting all antsy and nervous and pouty. But what's a girl to do? My sweet younger teen doesn't start school until Tuesday and I'm driving my sweet older teen all over the place. (She can't drive because of those pesky seizures.)

But don't you worry none about me. I have a nice loaf of zucchini-chocolate chip bread that I have been stuffing in my gullet.

I have my adorable Scout to keep my company.

I have pretty sunflowers in my backyard.

And I've discovered this magical thing!

Plus, I think I'll squeeze in about an hour and half of writing today. That will make me happy.

Hope all is well. What have you all been up to?

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-79525046294223528052014-08-04T13:28:00.001-07:002014-08-04T13:28:49.833-07:00Summer WatchingI'm sort of embarrassed to tell you this because I fear you will judge me, but I love TV, especially funny TV. I know this is a golden age of television drama--Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, etc--but those don't do it for me. For one thing, they are too long. I feel guilty taking a break in my day to watch an hour drama, but twenty minutes? Count me in. Also, if I am going to watch TV, I'm gonna wanna laugh. Here's what I'm watching lately. Basically all of it is on Hulu Plus.

Moone Boy. This Irish sitcom revolves around a young boy and his adult imaginary friend, who is played by Chris O'Dowd (one of my three secret boyfriends so, you know, this had me at go). Funny and charming and a little wacky. The boy and his best friend (a real one with his own adult imaginary friend) are hysterical.

Welcome to Sweden. Have you seen this? It's on NBC (also Hulu Plus), and I have no idea how it got on one of the three big broadcast networks. It has Swedish subtitles (although most is in English)! It also has gorgeous views of the Swedish countryside and it is surprisingly subtle and smart. I don't see how it will possibly survive, so watch it while you can.

The Mindy Project. I have a few reservations about this one. It's a workplace comedy starring Mindy Kaling as an OB/GYN looking for love. There are two seasons, and I liked the first season better, in part because she had some great women friends, who were apparently cut for the second season. In the second season, with the exception of some women in the OB/GYN office (I swear the women had more screen time the first season) it is Mindy and the other men in her practice. Mindy Kaling is adorable and funny and I love that she makes no excuses for not looking like every stick-figure woman on TV and that she always gets the hot guys, but I also wish that it had not become so centered on Mindy and her men, as opposed to Mindy and her world.

Pram-faced. High-school boy meets college-bound girl. Girl gets pregnant. Can you make a life with someone you hardly know? That's the the premise of this British show. Three seasons I think, each with about six episodes. The families of the young mum and dad are great and make the show more layer than it might seem.

The Wrong Man. Also British. Mistaken-identity caper. Low-level government official gets mixed up in international espionage. Stars James Corden, who plays the Baker in the upcoming Into the Woods.

Spy. Also also British. Low-level IT guys turns secret agent. But can he win the respect of his hard as nails son? Ah...what do you think?

Deadbeat. Just on Hulu Plus. Kind of weird, but I liked it. It's about this medium who helps the dead complete their unfinished business so that they can move on. I'm especially worried that you will judge me for this one, but it's very different, and different is good.

If I went on much longer I would worry that you think I watch TV all day, which I do not! So don't make me feel more guilty and ashamed than I already do, Ms. Oh-I'm-so-busy-reading-Flaubert.

Oh! Also, my youngest got me hooked on the new Dr. Who. But alas: No more David Tennant. No more Matt Smith. I am beside myself. You are carrying the world on your shoulders, Peter Capaldi. Good luck with that.Margarethttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381983259145260439.post-37354427091108436092014-07-29T10:04:00.000-07:002014-07-29T10:04:48.441-07:00Summer ReadingWhat am I reading? So much good stuff! Here are my summer reads so far. Don't read too much into the order of things. It's roughly the order in which I read them.

1. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. This is actually the first of a trilogy of dystopian novels that follow a group of survivors in the aftermath of a human-created virus that has wiped out almost everyone. No one does dystopia like Atwood. All three books are smart, funny, wise, and action packed. Can someone just give Atwood her Nobel Prize already? She is as good at it gets.

2. The Wordy Shipmates and Assassin Vacation by Sarah Vowell. Okay. Strictly speaking I did not read them. I listened to them while driving, cooking, etc. Time well spent people! The first book is a history of the Puritans in New England and the other is about the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley. I can only say that I wish I put my PhD in history to good use and wrote these brilliant books. Funny, smart, and so interesting--I can't help thinking that people would love history if all historians wrote like Sarah Vowell. Also, she is a great reader. These are definitely good audio book choices.

3. Not a good audio book choice: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Barbara Kingsolver: you are brilliant and this memoir of your year of eating local and growing all your own food is educational and politicizing. I'll visit the farmer's market more often, I promise. But MY GOD take it down a notch! Enough about your children who beg you for fruit and who can't get enough kale and raise their own chickens. And then you have the nerve to tell me how you all lay laughing on your bed one morning listening to your male roosters learn to crow. Show some grace. At least throw me a tantrum every now and then.

4. Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel. I know you love this book. Everyone loves this book, which is why I tried it a second time. I got farther this time, but I still couldn't finish it. Use some proper nouns, Hillary. How else can I tell who is talking? Still, if you want to read about Henry VIII and his attempt to dump the first wife to get a new one, give it a try. Don't read it digitally. This is a book you will need to flip back and forth between. You need paper. People I respect love this book. I acknowledge that I might be wrong about this one.

5. Famous Baby by Karen Rizzo. On the surface, this seems like a book about mothers and daughters, but it is really about the stories we tell, the stories we don't tell, and who gets to not only tell those stories but own them. It is a quick read that is funny and breezy, so much so that you might miss the deeper questions it ponders. Don't miss them. They give this beach read worthwhile substance.

Margarethttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Select Local Merchants
Scrapbook TraditionsRead MoreIn 1996, Scrapbook Traditions began in the basement of Tracy Gilley's home. A woman named Jackie Scott had hired Gilley to put together a scrapbook of her life and family history as a Christmas gift. In five short months, Gilley produced more than 950 pages that covered more than a century of the Scott family history. When Jackie died several years later, all 10 scrapbooks were put on display at her memorial; guests at the service pored over the books and Jackie's son expressed his immense gratitude to Gilley for compiling the family history. Scrapbook Traditions believes in the importance of scrapbooking to preserve memories and record history for future generations. The store offers an array of courses to help scrapbookers get started as well as shelves full of supplies, ranging from sheets of colorful 12?x12? cardstock and sticky adhesives capable of mounting bites of pizza from a couple's first date.7199 Hampton RoadClemmons, NC US
Supreme GolfRead MoreSupreme Golf makes maintaining an oft-pricey golf addiction a bit easier on the wallet by granting golfers discounts at golf courses and golf schools, as well as cutting the price of books, golf clubs, and nutritional supplements. Golfers can enjoy relaxing, discounted rounds at area courses in cities across the country including such area courses as Bear Creek Golf Club in Dallas, Gateway National Golf Links in St. Louis and St. Andrews Golf and Country Club in Atlanta, soaking in the sights and badgering local pros for analysis of the annual caddie draft.1000 Glen Day DrClemmons, NC US
Mossy's Eats Ales and SpiritsRead MoreMunch on tasty pub grub at Mossy's Eats Ales and Spirits. Drinks are also on the menu here, so diners can start the night off right. Head on over to Mossy's Eats Ales and Spirits for weekday and weekend happy hour. Mossy's Eats Ales and Spirits provides seasonal outdoor seating — be sure to grab a chair before it's too late. Mossy's Eats Ales and Spirits is a fine restaurant for those with large and small parties. Prepare to face the crowds if you visit on the weekend — Friday and Saturday are Mossy's Eats Ales and Spirits' busiest days. Mossy's Eats Ales and Spirits tosses the jacket-and-tie dress code convention in favor of a more casual dining experience. Hosting a swanky shindig? Call up Mossy's Eats Ales and Spirits for their catering services. You can also grab your food to go. If you're driving, be sure to take advantage of the nearby lot. Mossy's Eats Ales and Spirits is a mid-priced establishment, with the average meal costing under $30.6235 Towncenter DrClemmons, NC US
HootersRead MoreFor tasty American fare, head to Hooters for a sandwich and side. Low-fat is one factor and amazing taste is another. Come see which wins out at Hooters. Find time to peruse the wine list here — Hooters offers a variety of drink options. If dining outdoors is your idea of a good time, you'll love the gorgeous patio seating at Hooters. Free wifi is available as well. Have a large group? No problem. Head to Hooters for easy seating. Those with sensitive ears may want to stay away from this restaurant, though, as it can get quite loud. Enjoy the vibe here with a business casual dress code. Getting your food to go is also an option. Hooters is known for serving great food, and they are able to serve it at your next event with their excellent catering. Score parking in the lot adjacent to Hooters, a local restaurant. Meals at Hooters are affordable, with the average tab amounting to about $30 per person.120 Hanes Square CirWinston Salem, NC US
Yadkin Valley Wine ToursRead MoreThe Yadkin Valley Wine Tours travel among the vineyard rows and through the dark cool of barrel cellars, letting guests get up close and personal with the wineries of the Blue Ridge Mountains foothills. Chauffeured excursions by van or bus roll along back-country roads and scenic highways and make stops at wineries along Swan Creek, Shallowford Trail, Yadkin River Trail, and others. At each winery, the guide unveils a little piece of North Carolina's winemaking heritage, explaining why the area's grape-growing climate is considered similar to that of Burgundy and the Italian Piedmont, just with much, much more distant views of the Alps. Afterward, a wine tasting lets everyone drink in the local flavor and learn proper tasting technique. Tours often follow the themes of the season, combining wine tasting with mining for gems in the summer, taking in the changing foliage in the fall, and stops at toasty fireplaces in the winter.196 N Carolina 801Advance, NC US
Steve Nixon's Golf AcademyRead MoreClass A Certified Prefessional PGA instructor Steve Nixon helps golfers of all skill levels with the wealth of knowledge he has accrued over a 23-year career as a golfer and coach. Steve's fairway-splitting swing has led to an impressive competitive career that includes time on multiple small tours?including the Tarheel, Tommy Armour, and Hooters tours?and once proclaiming his birthright as England's true king by removing an ancient flagstick from an anvil. During lessons, Steve carefully observes pupils' preshot routine, tendencies when addressing the ball, and swing motion to unveil inefficient techniques and root them out with custom-tailored golf drills. Steve can also help players find their ideal equipment with TaylorMade club-fitting software and provides club-repair services for those who recently snapped their driver?s shaft or broke its heart by hitting a 3-wood off the tee on a par 4.1000 Glen Day Dr.Clemmons, NC US

subset: commoncrawl


text: Do you feel Toronto is safe? Add to ... The Globe and Mail Published Tuesday, Jul. 17, 2012 5:44PM EDT Last updated Thursday, Jul. 19, 2012 12:46PM EDT The Globe's Siri Agrell asks Torontonians for their take on safety in the city in the wake of Mayor Rob Ford's statement that Toronto is the "safest city in North America". To share your perspective, go to http://tgam.ca/react Watch More Video: 'I'm safer in Baghdad': Courtney Love caught in violent anti-Uber protest in Paris Greece suffering from 'brain drain' as thousands of doctors leave for Germany 'It's big business now.' Saskatchewan family sells farm after three generations on the land Say goodbye to popping bubble wrap? Shadow of debt crisis looms over Greek holiday isle Bomb threat made against Victoria-bound flight 'Yes' camp takes slim lead in Greek bailout referendum poll More Loblaw workers threaten to strike Trump is creating a 'nightmare scenario' for the GOP Freight train derails, catches fire in Tennessee Is the European Union divided over Greece? BP to pay $18.7-billion after 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill A glimpse at Canada's least-visited national park Black church fires investigated across southern U.S. Animal control officers say dogs too often left in hot cars Foreign tourists say 'Cuban ethos' may fade with American influx South Korean 'comfort women' take protest to U.S. Sears Canada CEO steps down Macy's follows NBC, cuts ties with Donald Trump Report says Taiwan crash pilot 'pulled the wrong throttle' Comments AA More Related to this Story Your view: How does news of mass violence affect you? Toronto police warn of retaliation in shooting that killed two, hurt 23 Video: Toronto police suspect gang involvement in shooting


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Title I Funding:
Poor Children Benefit Though Funding Per Poor Child Differs
GAO-02-242: Published: Jan 15, 2002. Publicly Released: Jan 31, 2002.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
(202) 512-6778
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
The Title I program spends $8 billion each year on elementary and secondary education. Although state and local funds account for more than 90 percent of national education expenditures, Title I has been an important source of funding for many poor school districts and schools since 1965. In the 1999-2000 school year, Title I funds were targeted on the basis of numbers and percentages of poor children, but the complex allocation process resulted in differences in actual funding per poor child. When the numbers of children from low-income families shift among states, Title I allocations adjust, but not completely, and a state whose share of the nation's poor children changed from year to year would not necessarily see a corresponding change in its Title I allocation amount. The following two factors account for this: lack of current poverty data and various hold-harmless provisions. GAO found no monetary, statutory, or regulatory incentives for states to target their own funds to children from low-income families. Several policy options could increase Title I funds allocated to states and school districts with high numbers and percentages of poor children. These options include changing the appropriations hold-harmless provisions, funding the targeted grant, using an alternative cost factor, and raising the basic grant eligibility threshold.
May 19, 2015
School Meals:USDA Could Improve Verification Process for Program AccessGAO-15-634T: Published: May 19, 2015. Publicly Released: May 19, 2015.
May 13, 2015
Indian Affairs:Further Actions on GAO Recommendations Needed to Address Systemic Management Challenges with Indian EducationGAO-15-597T: Published: May 13, 2015. Publicly Released: May 13, 2015.
Apr 22, 2015
Indian Affairs:Further Actions on GAO Recommendations Needed to Address Systemic Management Challenges with Indian EducationGAO-15-539T: Published: Apr 22, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 22, 2015.
Apr 13, 2015
Race to the Top:Education Could Better Support Grantees and Help Them Address Capacity ChallengesGAO-15-295: Published: Apr 13, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 13, 2015.
Race to the Top:Survey of School Districts' Capacity to Implement Reform (GAO-15-317SP, April 2015), an E-supplement to GAO-15-295GAO-15-317SP: Published: Apr 13, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 13, 2015.
Race to the Top:Survey of State Education Agencies' Capacity to Implement Reform (GAO-15-316SP, April 2015), an E-supplement to GAO-15-295GAO-15-316SP: Published: Apr 13, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 13, 2015.
Women in STEM Research:Federal Agencies Differ in the Data They Collect on Grant ApplicantsGAO-15-291R: Published: Mar 17, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 13, 2015.
Mar 26, 2015
Higher Education:Better Management of Federal Grant and Loan Forgiveness Programs for Teachers Needed to Improve Participant OutcomesGAO-15-314: Published: Feb 24, 2015. Publicly Released: Mar 26, 2015.
Feb 27, 2015
Indian Affairs:Preliminary Results Show Continued Challenges to the Oversight and Support of Education FacilitiesGAO-15-389T: Published: Feb 27, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 27, 2015.
Jan 22, 2015
Higher Education:Education Should Strengthen Oversight of Schools and Accreditors [Reissued on January 22, 2015]GAO-15-59: Published: Dec 22, 2014. Publicly Released: Dec 22, 2014.
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PRLog - July 22, 2014 - WILTON MANORS, Fla. -- Dull Saturday afternoons in Wilton Manors will never be the same as local hotspot The Drive revs up the food, fund and entertainment with its first weekly show called Drag at the Drive on Saturday, July 26 at 4:00 pm. It will feature drinks specials, great food and all live vocal drag performances starring the incomparable Vita Summer Dalux with special guest Willow Bierce Austin.
The Drive in Wilton Manors, Florida
"Vita is known throughout her hometown of Dallas as a scintillating live performer with a rousing voice," said Hal Feldberg, Owner of The Drive. "We look forward to her and Willow putting on unreal performances that will literally stop the people and the traffic on Wilton Drive in their tracks."
In addition to delicious food hot from the grill and its outstanding kitchen, The Drive will offer 2-4-1 drinks until 9:00 p.m. There is no cover and guests are asked to call or arrive early to secure their seating.
Here are more details:
What: Drag at the Drive
Who: Lead Performer, Vita Summers Dalux and Special Guest, Willow Bierce Austin
When: July 26, 2014 (and every following Saturday)
Time: 4:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Location: 2390 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305
Contact: 954-561-9000
The Drive is one of the premier venues offering cocktails, food and live entertainment in Wilton Manors, Fla. The kitchen is open daily at 11:30 a.m. For more information, please visit us at www.thedrivewiltonmanors.com. Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Edward Jones
Edward Jones


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Sondheim on Sondheim
- Film, Media & Entertainment
- 2414 E 3rd Ave, Denver, CO, 80206
Majest Hearts Pageantry
Saturday, February 1, 2014 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (PST)
This Magic Night will prove to be a night you will never forget! The 2013 Onyx ball will be held at its new location Tracks Denver. Benefiting The American Cancer Society we will be raising money for a much needed cause!
Majestic Hearts is a drag performance beauty pageant which raises money for differant non profit organizations to embetter the community they live in. for more information on majestic hearts please contact Hayli Mykels email@example.com
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.


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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Visits 'DAVID LETTERMAN' Today
Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel makes his first visit to the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, tonight, Monday, Sept. 9 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Emanuel was elected the 55th mayor of the "Windy City" in 2011. A former U.S. representative from Illinois, he served as White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama following Obama's election in 2008, a position he resigned in 2010 so he could run in Chicago's 2011 mayoral election, which he won. He is featured in the upcoming television documentary "The Presidents' Gatekeepers," in which, for the first time ever, all 20 living White House Chiefs of Staff come together to share their previously untold stories. The documentary spans nine presidential administrations and 50 years.
Also featured on the LATE SHOW tonight is an interview with actor and comedian Ricky Gervais and a performance by musical guest Janelle Monae.
The Late Show with David Letterman is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.
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