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East Campus Union, Great Plains Rooms
April 1, 2003
Presidents Tice Miller, John Wunder, and Miles Bryant, Presiding
1.0 Call to Order
President Miller called the meeting to order at 2:32 p.m.
2.0 Announcements
2.1 Recognition of Outgoing Senators
President Miller announced the names of those senators whose terms are ending with this meeting. He stated that the faculty appreciated their contribution and service to faculty governance.
3.0 Chancellor Perlman
Chancellor Perlman stated that the focus of everyone is still on the budget reductions. He noted that the recent action of the Appropriations Committee is encouraging but it is a long time until June 2nd when the legislature is likely to make its final recommendations on the budget. He pointed out that there is still much work that needs to be done.
Chancellor Perlman stated that he had originally planned to announce the second round of budget cuts today but it has been delayed. He stated that Central Administration will determine when the campuses will make the next announcements but there is currently no fixed date.
Chancellor Perlman noted that the reductions he announced were controversial. He pointed out that the Academic Planning Committee process of reviewing the budget cuts is underway. He stated that the administration has conducted a number of exercises to explore what the effects of horizontal cuts would be to the university. He pointed out that a 10% reduction for every unit on campus would be so damaging that it would strip every program on campus of any kind of quality. In order to demonstrate the damage that an across the board cut would do to departments, Chancellor Perlman distributed a handout which provided budget information for each department. The handout showed what the total cut to the departments would be if the budget was decreased by 8%. He stated that if anyone thinks their department could handle such a cut, then they should let him know.
Chancellor Perlman stated that he is distressed with the assertion that the consequences of the Museum reductions have impacted women disproportionately. He pointed out that eight faculty members were being eliminated. Of these eight, four have been offered positions in other departments, two are eligible for retirement, and two have not yet been placed.
Chancellor Perlman pointed out that the APC process of dealing with the budget cuts is not over. He stated that he understands the obligations the university has under the AAUP guidelines and the administration is exerting all good efforts to find other jobs for the Museum faculty members. He noted that the tradition of the university is that a department has to vote on approving the transfer of a faculty member from another department and this has not yet taken place.
Chancellor Perlman noted that if tenure track and tenured faculty were not cut, every other category of personnel would have to be significantly cut. He pointed out that most of the people in these categories, and in tenure track positions, are women and cutting them would create a disproportionate impact on women.
Professor Genoways, Museum, stated that as one of the eight professors scheduled to be terminated, he feels that he may be forced into retirement because of the cuts. He stated that he and the other curators of the Museum believe that the firing of tenured faculty is an attack on the tenure system itself and that it is being masked under budget cuts. He asked if cutting the research division of the Museums is a bona fide elimination of a program and what constitutes a program. Chancellor Perlman stated that the definition of a program is explained in Executive Memorandum No. 24 and in the Procedures to Be Invoked for Significant Budget Reductions and Reallocations. Genoways asked why eight of nine tenured faculty members in the Museum constitute a program and one does not. He pointed out that he does not see two different programs. Chancellor Perlman stated that the assessment of the programs at the Museum indicated that there was a research branch and a public education programs branch. He pointed out that the faculty member not proposed for termination is more involved in public education. He noted that the process calls for the APC to review and recommend to the Chancellor whether or not the program should be eliminated. The decision to eliminate the program must then be made by President Smith and finally by the Board of Regents.
Professor Genoways noted that the Chancellor is not following AAUP guidelines in all cases. Chancellor Perlman stated that he believed that he is following the AAUP guidelines. He pointed out that he needs to consider the university further down the road. He stated that his proposed budget cuts are not a reflection on the quality of the Museum. He stated that he is trying to maintain and enhance the quality of education for other parts of the university while trying to deal with a possible $21 million budget cut. He pointed out that if there were no vertical cuts, then the entire university would suffer. He stated that if he thought the university could rebuild in a short period of time, then he would do the budget cuts differently. Genoways questioned how cutting $400,000 from one unit will affect the educational system across the university. Chancellor Perlman pointed out that most of the university is not made up of big programs with lots of money. He stated that he needs to make cuts in a number of places in order to reach $21 million.
Professor Genoways noted that the AAUP guidelines state that faculty members being terminated should receive compensation. He asked if it was the universitys intent to follow these guidelines. Chancellor Perlman stated that he tries to adhere to the AAUP guidelines as much as possible. He pointed out that the universitys policy is to give one years notice to faculty members who are being terminated.
Professor Gennoways stated that he has been put in a difficult situation because the decision to retire must be made in a very short period of time since the deadline date is April 30. Chancellor Perlman reported that a proposal to extend the retirement deadline date until July will be made to the Board of Regents at the April meeting.
Professor May, Economics, stated that she understands the severity of the situation and faculty want to work with the Chancellor on the budget cuts, but he seems to be working against the faculty. She stated that the Chancellor needs to explain the specific cuts of $1.1 million and how this will save money when people are being hired back to fill the employees being terminated. She stated that these cuts are not worth the tremendous stress and threat to tenure. Chancellor Perlman pointed out that, contrary to what people may think, he does not spend all of his time arguing with the faculty. He stated that the bottom line is that by July 1 UNL will have $21 million less in the budget. He stated that faculty being terminated can only be rehired if open faculty lines are available. He noted that the department picking up the faculty must also cover part of the salary. He pointed out that he is not targeting any individual faculty member.
Past President Bryant asked the Chancellor to clarify why financial exigency is not being declared in light of the current financial crisis. Chancellor Perlman pointed out that there are negative consequences of declaring financial exigency. He stated that by declaring bankruptcy the university would have difficulty recruiting and retaining both faculty and students and bond rates would increase.
Professor Gay, Physics & Astronomy, stated that he supported vertical cuts. He pointed out that horizontal cuts would have far greater impact on all of the departments. He noted that in his department a horizontal cut would require elimination of at least ¾ of their graduate teaching assistants. As a result, faculty would have to teach more courses which would leave them little time to work on grant proposals and to obtain outside funding. Professor Ford, English, stated that he supports the general strategy of vertical cuts. He noted that weak programs need to be identified and that this should have been done in the past. He pointed out that specifics in how to identify these programs need to be determined.
Professor Hoffman, Industrial & Management Systems Engineering, stated that he prefers the Chancellor to make the decision on the budget cuts. He asked if UNK and UNO were using the same approach as UNL. Chancellor Perlman stated that he has not heard how UNK and UNO are dealing with the second phase of these budget cuts. He reported that they have not cut tenured faculty members yet. He stated that UNL must stand for quality and that he is not comparing us with UNK or UNO.
Professor Sherrard, Civil Engineering, asked if there has been any forecast for increases in tuition. Chancellor Perlman stated that he has not heard of any decisions yet regarding tuition increases. He pointed out that the tuition increase will more than likely only cover the increase in fixed costs. He stated that the Board of Regents feels strongly that part of a tuition increase needs to go towards need-based scholars.
Professor Wolf, English, asked if the deans proposals for the 10% budget cuts were horizontal cuts and if they suggested firing tenured faculty members. Chancellor Perlman stated that no dean recommended the firing of tenured faculty. He stated that the deans recommendations were not absolute across the board cuts but included a variety of responses. He pointed out that some colleges cannot get to a 10% budget reduction. Professor Spann, Broadcasting, asked why the deans did not support cutting academic programs. Chancellor Perlman stated that the deans were not willing to make those cuts. He pointed out that it is a difficult decision that only the Chancellor should have to make.
President-Elect Wunder stated that he had just returned from a National Endowment for the Humanities meeting in Washington, DC. He stated that while there he was confronted by other scholars asking what is going on at UNL. He stated that the faculty would find it helpful to know how to respond to such questions.
Chancellor Perlman stated that the budget cuts will no doubt hurt our reputation with some people but he is hopeful that if the cuts are done right, that the damage will be short-lived. He noted how long the universitys reputation suffered in the 1980s when severe budget cuts occurred. He reported that the last university to fire tenured faculty members was Oregon State and the University of Oregon. He pointed out that nearly all of the other state universities are facing severe budget cuts. He stated that Nebraska is putting the focus on sustaining quality programs and that he hopes we will remain strong in spite of the cuts.
4.0 Approval of 1/14/03 Minutes
Professor Diffendal, Conservation & Survey Division, moved that the minutes be approved. Professor Jackson, Food Science & Technology, seconded the motion. Motion approved.
5.0 Committee Reports
5.1 Parking Advisory Committee (Professor Bell)
Professor Bell indicated that the Senators received a copy of the report in their packet. He stated that although it was not an eventful year, the committee did good work. He stated that they are reviewing the guiding principles of the committee and have developed a five year plan. He noted that the committee wants to include in the guiding principles that parking must be replaced whenever it is displaced by the construction of a new building. He reported that there are no large fee increases scheduled in the five year plan. He stated that there will be a $1 per month increase for faculty and staff this coming year to cover maintenance costs. He reported that the ASUN approved a transit plan.
Professor Carlo, Psychology, asked if the committee has reviewed having a separate fee for faculty and staff since staff are not paid as much as faculty. Bell reported that there was no discussion and that the UNOPA representative to the committee never raised the issue.
Professor Hoffman noted that at 6:30 in the morning he had to go to the third level of the 17th & R Street parking garage to find parking. He asked if the garage is a permanent parking garage for students and, if so, can he leave his van in the garage for two or three weeks at a time. Bell stated that Tad McDowell, Director of Parking and Transit Services, is monitoring the situation with the garage. He stated that he would take the question regarding a faculty or staff member leaving their vehicle in the garage for an extended period of time back to the committee. Carlo asked that the issue regarding the faculty/staff parking fee be taken back to the committee as well.
5.2 Employee Benefits Committee (Professor Bradford)
Professor Bradford stated that the report was self-explanatory but welcomed questions that anyone might have. He stated that the committee did not try to increase benefits this year because of the budget problems facing the university. He stated that the committee received some information regarding the utilization of the tuition remission benefit. He noted that the information received addressed only the number of people using the benefit and it did not provide information on the cost of it to the university.
5.3 Computational Services and Facilities Committee (Professor Jackson)
Professor Jackson noted that the report is self explanatory but welcomed questions that anyone might have. He stated that the committee meets once a month and tries to take action on computer policies.
5.4 Academic Freedom Award Committee (Professor Moshman)
Professor Moshman stated that there were two nominees this year for the Academic Freedom Award but the committee chose not to give the award out this year. He stated that an explanation for this decision was provided in the report. President Miller asked if this has ever happened in the past. Professor Moshman stated that there have been years when no award was given. He pointed out that the award is to recognize a faculty member who has a long track record of defending academic freedom. He noted that the defense of academic freedom needs to be in the general sense, not just in regards to an individuals work. He pointed out that the Academic Freedom Award is very specific regarding this issue.
6.0 Unfinished Business
6.1 Motion on Implementing the New Grading System
Professor Ford stated that the motion presented at the March meeting states that in the implementation of UNLs new grading system, no change shall be made which results in the lowering of standards. The new standard shall be equal to, or higher than, the old standard when letter grades in both systems are converted to numerical equivalencies. He pointed out that it is the Senate who should decide to maintain the standards of the grading system, not local interests. The motion was approved with six abstentions.
7.0 New Business
7.1 AAUP Guidelines
Professor Haller, English and member of AAUP, recognized that these are difficult times for everyone. He stated that he has been in close contact with the national office of AAUP concerning what is occurring at UNL. He stated that he has enormous concerns for the quality of education at UNL. He pointed out that the maintenance of the tenure system is critical in keeping quality at the university.
Professor Haller stated that there is harm in going after tenured faculty and even more harm when faculty members start going against each other. He stated that it is important that the AAUP guidelines not be compromised. He pointed out that the AAUP guidelines state that the university must try to find another position for any faculty members who are terminated due to program elimination.
Professor Haller stated that the AAUP supports a moratorium on firing tenured faculty members. He stated that enhancing revenues could be one way of helping with the budget cuts. He stated that the faculty needs to take control and that the Senate and APC should be the bodies to take this control. He noted that while the local AAUP chapter is not active, faculty members will be contacted to request that they join. He pointed out that the AAUP could be another voice for faculty.
Professor Diffendal, asked if it was possible for the AAUP to review equivalently ranked faculty members and whether then can be moved from soft dollars to hard dollars. Haller stated that the AAUP is disturbed by the trend to build a faculty body without tenure track members. Diffendal stated that academic freedom and tenure should be extended to the extension faculty. Haller stated that he would like to see the extension faculty be given tenure if this can legally be done.
7.2 Faculty Womens Caucus
Professor Beck, Animal Science, stated that on behalf of the Faculty Womens Caucus, she wanted to present a motion calling for a moratorium on the firing of tenured faculty. She made the motion:
Whereas academic freedom and tenure are the fundamental foundations of a university system and
Whereas the University of Nebraska-Lincoln must not sacrifice its reputation as a comprehensive research institution by failing to honor the commitment of tenure,
Therefore be it resolved that the Faculty Womens Caucus calls upon Chancellor Perlman to immediately institute a moratorium on the firing of tenured faculty and calls upon him to honor the commitment of tenure for both men and women faculty at UNL.
Professor May seconded the motion. President Miller noted that the motion must be declared as an emergency motion in order to be voted upon at todays meeting. Professor Fuller, Art & Art History, moved that the motion be declared an emergency motion. Professor Wolf seconded the motion. Motion defeated: 32 against, 18 in favor, 3 abstentions. Motion fails as an emergency item. The motion made by Professor Beck will be voted upon at the April 29th meeting.
Professor Beck pointed out that the universitys reputation has suffered due to the proposal to eliminate tenured faculty members. She stated that the motion put forward by the Faculty Womens Caucus is a request for the Chancellor to pause in the budget cutting process and to work with the faculty rather than against the faculty. She noted that tenure has been breached and that we need to retain a commitment to tenure on campus.
Professor May stated that the request for a pause in the budget cutting process is give the Chancellor a chance to reevaluate the firing of tenured faculty members. She stated she has concerns for the loss of tenure and has immediate concern that the only two Museum faculty members who have not been offered a position elsewhere in the university are women. She noted that the state legislature passed LB 389 which requires that
the university move up from the bottom, to the top 50% of our peers in regards to diversity. She noted that there are only four more female faculty members now than when the bill was first passed.
Professor Prochaska-Cue, Family Resources and Consumer Science, stated that she believes in the concept of tenure but is torn by the way the resolution is written. She noted that she has concerns for the non-tenure faculty members. She offered a friendly amendment of including the language while viable alternative solutions are sought at the end of the last sentence in the third paragraph. Beck seconded the friendly amendment. Prochaska-Cue offered another friendly amendment to replace the language Faculty Womens Caucus with UNL Academic Senate. May seconded the friendly amendment.
Chancellor Perlman stated that he would like to be able to pause in the budget cutting process but he stated that events are out of his control. He noted that he has to have a budget ready by July 1. He pointed out that he is certainly willing to listen to any faculty member concerning the cuts. Professor Carlo asked if a timeline for the moratorium was included in the resolution. Professor Beck stated that there was no timeline.
Professor Genoways stated that his constituents in the Museum wanted him to bring forth a motion for a vote of no confidence in the Chancellor. He stated that in his judgment, it may be premature to do this right now. He stated that the APC process needs to take place. He noted that the Museums hearing with the APC is scheduled for April 9th. He pointed out that he may bring the motion forward at the April 29th meeting and he encouraged the senators to inform themselves with what is really going on. He stated that the issue is tenure, not budget cuts. He stated that faculty governance has been circumvented with these budget decisions and that the faculty members need to get involved. He pointed out that the fate of the eight Museum faculty members could be the fate of other faculty members as well. He stated that he does not believe that any faculty members are safe and that these budget cuts are driving the UNL campus to unionization.
Chancellor Perlman stated that if the faculty members are committed to doing budget cuts through horizontal cuts, which many think would severely damage the university, then Professor Genoways should make the motion of no confidence now. He stated that by April 29th he may be forced to announce further proposed budget reductions. He noted that the Appropriations Committee will make their recommendations to the legislature on April 24th or 25th. He stated that if the reductions for the university are above 3%, then the next set of proposed budget reductions that he will announce will include additional tenured faculty members. He noted that he strongly supports tenure but he will not be able to support it for long if the quality of the campus is going to suffer because of it. He stated that unless someone can show him another way of making the budget cuts without compromising quality, he can see no other course of action but to eliminate some academic programs.
Professor Keith, Entomology, stated that it was a sad day. He did not believe it was fair to come up with a motion of no confidence in the Chancellor when he and the administration have been working hard to fight for the university. He suggested that a straw poll should be taken.
Professor Archer, Anthropology and Geography, pointed out that he represents the faculty in his department and that he feels that he needs to consult with his colleagues before he could vote on this motion.
Professor Hoffman moved that the meeting be adjourned. Motion approved.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:10 p.m. The next meeting of the Academic Senate will be held on Tuesday, April 29, at 2:30 p.m. in the City Campus Union, Auditorium. The minutes are respectfully submitted by Karen Griffin, Coordinator, and James King, Secretary.


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A blog for undergraduates and young bankers – cover letters, resume writing and interviewing skills, just for investment banks.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Resume Cover Letter
A resume cover letter is a sales letter that lands you interviews. Stop writing it the hard way. Here are the two key elements for a job application letter unique to any investment banking positions: short and precise.
Investment bankers never have time to read long cover letters. They usually spend 20 seconds on each of them. Therefore you have a very tight word count and every word should add value.
Though a resume cover letter has to be short, you do need to get across a lot of messages in order to make the hiring manager wants to see you. Here is a formula.
A 20-second cover letter must answer all these questions precisely:
1. What are you doing?
2. What do you want to do?
3. What are you able to do?
4. What do you want the reader to do?
In my eight years' life as a headhunter for investment banking jobs, here is one of the most classic cover letters that I have read. I have re-phrased it in order to groom it up and protect the author's privacy.
Trader Positions
Hello, my name is Anna Maria D'Souza and am currently trading live Asian markets for a $1 billion hedge fund in London. I am willing to relocate given the right fit and opportunity. In a nutshell, I have my own book as well as do some facilitation whenever I am needed. I have experience in a variety of products ranging from cash, options/derivatives, CB's, etc.
Please let me know who I should talk to in order to pursue opportunities.
Believe it or not, this cover letter generated three replies within five minutes, even without attaching a resume.
Obviously, this classic investment banking resume cover letter is from an experienced trader. What if we are a beginner or have less experience? Can we do something similar? Yes. Just copy my formula and answer the four questions I have set.
Here is a draft, assuming I am a fresh graduate. As nowadays almost all cover letters and resumes come through email, I have therefore omitted the traditional letter format.
Entry Level Analyst Position
Hello, my name is Anna Maria D'Souza. I have just obtained my master's degree from the Yale University. My focus was on financial engineering and economics. I am looking for an entry level analyst position. I have been a quantitative analyst intern at Goldman Sachs and have a good understanding of the US and Asian markets.
I have attached my resume and would welcome an opportunity to meet you. Please contact me on 12345678 or email email@example.com
Remember, in a 20-second resume cover letter, every word counts. Every word should add value. Never write long sentences, such as 'I take the liberty to submit my resume' or 'I would most appreciate it if you would call me for an interview'.
What if I am replying to an ad? Well, easy, use the same formula and modify the headline like this.
Entry Level Analyst Position - Reply to Your Advertised Vacancy
Consider the busy level of bankers, your 20-second resume cover letter will certainly attract the most attention and is a guarantee that the hiring manager read your letter in full and wants to see you.
Tomorrow, I'll introduce a key figure in writing resume cover letters. He will certainly help you write in an appropriate tone and with his help, you are going to have your phone ring off the hook with job interviews.
Recommended websites:
Amazing Cover Letter
Executive Search Online
Resume Cover Letter
4 comments:
- kevin said...
Thanks for the awesome tips, really appreciate it.
- Tuesday, March 20, 2007
- Steven said...
As a final year undergraduate, your blog has got to be the most useful resource I have come up on for IB applications. I'm sure many people, including myself really appreciate the tips and advice you're giving. I have a question about the short coverletter example. Is it unnecessary to provide answers in the coverletter for questions such as "Why choose us?" Or "what do you know about us?" to provide a feeling of a personalised coverletter instead of a copy and paste for every company type?
- Monday, March 03, 2008
- Anna Maria D'Souza said...
Don't rush to answer those questions. Leave them to an interview. The objective of a cover letter is to win an interview. The hiring manager has to do an initial matching, as to determine what they have to offer matches your expectations. A short cover letter should contain all the elements to help the hiring manager in doing so.
Of course you won't send the same letter to every company. Tailor it to fit individual employers.
- Tuesday, March 04, 2008
- Benj said...
Just wondering if you have cover letters that were sent to actual banks, instead of cover letters that were sent to you asking for your services because they seem to be completely different letters achieving completely different goals. On one hand, you are trying to land a highly competitive job, and on the other, you are merely sending informing a headhunter that you would like her services (ie. Hi I am willing to be your client and HELP YOU get PAID).
Take the cover letter of the Yale student who interned at Goldman Sachs for instance. If you sent that letter into banks as a cover letter, I'm pretty sure the hiring managers would think that this person put zero effort into his cover letter and simply copy and pasted it for every bank he applied to. There is nothing in that cover letter that stands out the slightest bit...isn't Jim Sweeny's big strategy for the cover letter to jump out and grab the attention of the hiring manager?
- Saturday, October 04, 2008

subset: commoncrawl


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Today Nathan Fillion, star of Firefly, Castle, and Doctor Horrible's Sing-along Blog, posted a link to this site on his Twitter page. If you can't be bothered to read the whole thing, the article basically says that with the popularity of Firefly on Netflix the cancelled TV series could be back on our screens (or monitors) sooner rather than later.
Now, I'm a huuuuuge Firefly and Serenity fan but I'm not sure if I want it back. Before you start throwing the tomatoes, here me out:
Yes, Firefly only got 13 episodes in total and some of these weren't even aired the first time around, but all of those 13 were gold. There was not one really hideously bad episode in the bunch. I wouldn't skip any of them during a rewatch and I will gladly sit down and watch any one of them at any time.
Thirteen episodes also means that there wasn't enough time for any of the characters to annoy me. Sure Wash is my favourite, but I don't particularly hate any character or fast forward past their scenes when they come on.
And while I want answers to things, the short run means that there wasn't enough time for the writers to come up with lame excuses for things. We as fans get to decide why characters act in a certain way and create our own back stories for them. I have my own ideas about Jayne's childhood that I don't want to see ruined with an episode that shows something completely different. My ideas might not be cannon to Joss Whedon but I love them so they are real to me.
And finally, 13 means that we are bonded by something; the fight for the movie. Every one of us Serenity and Firefly fans played a part in the revival. We all worked together by buying the DVDs or encouraging others to buy them, by putting up flyers, and by seeing the movie multiple times on the big screen (three for me). We did this. Maybe you did this to bring it back on the TV but I did it because I love it.
I know that the cast and crew would jump at the chance to act in the second season of Firefly and I would watch it in a heartbeat, but I'm not sure if I want it to happen or that I would even be happy with the outcome.
So what do you all think? Am I getting worried over nothing? Let me know in the comments.
Also, stay tuned for some more blogs on happier topics thanks to I'm Not Hannah's Hap, Hap, Happy Holidays.
Themes: Firefly, science fiction, Serenity, Nathan Fillion, Mal, movies, Joss Whedon, joss, Jayne, hero of canton


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Yesterday, 11 October, was International Day of the Girl and Beyonce honoured it with a powerful new video of her Freedom track from her 2016 hit album Lemonade.
The new videos shows young girls from around the world mouthing the song's lyrics, while disturbing statistics about atrocities against girls are outlined in the background — like 71% of human trafficking victims are female, 63 million girls have undergone female genital mutation, 130 million girls are out of school, among many others.
The most piercing moment of the video comes in the form of a little Black girl dancing in front of the Capitol Hill, with Abraham Lincoln's statue watching over her in the background. In another shot, another one dances in front of the White House.
Intentional or not, these moments are poignant reminders of the oppression faced by girls who find themselves at the intersection of sexism and racism in Trump's America.
Less than a day old, the video has already garnered over 1.8 million views and 63,000 reactions on Facebook.
"Today is #DayoftheGirl. Girls around the world are fighting for their freedom every day. Join me, Chime for Change, and The Global Goals by taking action for #FreedomForGirls now: www.globalgoals.org/dayofthegirl," Beyonce wrote on Facebook.
The video was first screened last month at Goalkeepers, an event hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is directed by MJ Delaney, and produced with UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Project Everyone.


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No change on the scales this morning. I hope it's not going to take forever to lose the extra I gained. It's such a pain to have to re-do lost weight.
Still only 0.3 ketones. Today I am fat fasting. At least I feel strong enough to pull my head in enough to do that.
I feel so fat. I feel as fat as I did when more than 30 kg/70 pounds heavier. I can feel the fat. This is actually a new experience for me. I have never noticed weight gain before. It was as though my brain did not register the changes. Now I am very aware. I can feel bones under the thinner layer of fat, I can feel my belly swelling or shrinking, I can see the fat deposits on my legs. It's weird that I noticed these things but had no real awareness before at any weight. For the first time I understand how a slim person feels when they complain they have gained a couple of pounds on holiday and then restrict their food until back to their 'normal' weight.
Strictly speaking we were not on holiday, just away from home. For 6 weeks I had no scales, kitchen or otherwise, and my only measure was my ketone meter which I did not use daily. I saw no point in testing and wasting expensive sticks when I knew I was not in ketosis. I am thinking I need to do something new in the way of measuring progress. I have never wanted to be bothered with a measuring tape but perhaps now is the time to get one out and keep track of my waist.
My main goal is to get some decent ketone readings. After that I will decide on my eating plan. Since I have lost so little weight this year I may need to tweak my plan even though I will be in nutritional ketosis. How I wish I had the metabolism of a 20 year old male
It's too windy for me to walk outside. The wind is hard on my eye which does not blink due to Bells Palsy. I must call the Eye Clinic and get back on the surgical list for the gold implant in my eyelid. That means the old cross-trainer should be in action sometime today.
I really need to get into my flower garden too. It's so dried out and weedy I can pull most things out and start anew. It will be like having a fresh palette.
So many things need my attention it is overwhelming right now. I'm going to spent the day reading and hopefully will be better motivated tomorrow. I'll start by making a list of things to work through. It always feels good to cross things off.


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You could say that I was born to renovate. Well, that is to say my parents are the only people I know who cut short their honeymoon so my mother could come back and wallpaper their house. However, when I started doing painting jobs to pay my way through college, I was pretty useless.
For example, one day my Dad told me to paint the outside of the house, and then walked off. So I did. He came back and asked why it was so dull. Well, he hadn't told me I needed to wash down the house first! Similarly, how was I meant to know that you should sand first or check for drips as I went along? No one told me this!
Now I know that a lot of people are in a very similar boat as me. We know that we can do it perfectly well if someone would just lay it out straight exactly what we have to do!
So, here is my step-by-step guide to the process of painting a room.
Before You Start
Painting rule one: preparation is everything. You might spend twice as long preparing than actually painting. If you skip the preparation stage, the final product will be nowhere near as good.
Step 1: Preparing the Space.
Painting your room might take a few days, so you'll have to move out of it for a while. Ideally, you would move all the furniture out of the room, but if that's not possible, move the furniture away from the wall and into the middle of the room. Leave about three feet of clearway around the wall (you will need to be able to stand a ladder at most points).
Then cover all your furniture in old sheets, or plastic drop sheets from the hardware store – you can pick them up for a few dollars. You will also need to cover exposed carpet. Some painters just have a single sheet, which they move around with them as they paint, but I recommend just having the entire exposed floor covered to prevent the possibility of small drips (or paint on your shoes!)
Now is also a great time to go around and remove power point or light switch covers. The modern type should just flick off. Make sure you store these somewhere you will remember so you can put them back on when the job is finished and save yourself a lot of embarrassment and possible divorce.
Finally, make sure you have ventilation, but try to minimize the number of insects that will fly in. For unknown reasons, they appear to be supernaturally attracted to wet paint, which is bad for you and also pretty bad for them too.
Step 2: Preparing the Walls.
Before painting there are four things you need to do to prepare the walls.
First, this is the time to pull out all the extra picture hooks and apply small amounts of ready-made plaster to fill in the gaps or cover over small cracks. With ready-made plaster, just take a small amount on your finger and dab it over the hole. Try to smooth it off with your finger so the plaster blends into the wall as much as possible.
Second, you need to go over the plastered parts and any rough parts thoroughly with a sander, and the rest of the walls lightly just to smooth it all out and make the fresh paint take better. I generally just use a hand sander, and sometimes just a block of wood with the sand-paper sheet wrapped around it. If you have an electric sander you can use this but make sure you don't press too hard. Also, remember that you will be breathing in whatever you sand off, so remember to wear a mask.
Third, you need to wash the walls with something like sugar soap which will clean them thoroughly. You also need to make sure you are getting rid of all the dust from the sanding, because the new coat will attract it and it will dull your finish.
Finally, I highly recommend the use of masking tape. My father used to scoff at me when I did this, but has now started doing it himself. Roll out the masking tape around the edge of all your skirting boards and windows. It can help you get a much finer line and protect against accidental splashes. But keep in mind that you shouldn't leave the masking tape on for more than 24 hours or else it can be much harder to get off and can rip off bits of the paint.
Step 3: Choosing the Paint.
Yes, we finally get to the painting stage!
Well, almost. First you need to work out what you are painting over, particularly if the previous paint was oil-based or water-based (latex) paint. A simple test for doing this is to rub a small area with a cotton ball soaked in denatured alcohol, acetone based nail polish remover, or ammonia. If the paint starts to rub off, or becomes slightly sticky to touch, it is latex paint. Otherwise, it's oil based, which is most likely if the last paint job was in the 1970s or earlier.
Now, if you're a first time painter, for your new coat I recommend using latex/water based paints for a number of reasons:
1. It is MUCH easier to clean the brushes; they can be washed with water and soap. Oil-based paints require turpentine to wash it off.
2. It is easier to paint with if you don't know what you are doing. Oil-based paints are slightly thicker and can start to dry while you are working. If you have experience with oil painting, you will probably have a much better understand of how it works. It is possible to get better finishes with oil based paint, but only if you know what you are doing. So, if in doubt, use latex.
Now, if your previous paint coat was latex as well, there should be no problems. However, if you are changing from oil to latex or latex to oil, there can be bonding problems between the two. In this situation, for the best possible finish, it is worth using a coat of primer to help the layers bond.
I also recommend using a primer or undercoat if you are going from a darker shade to a lighter shade. It will mean you use less of the more expensive topcoat to get an even colour.
Step 4: Borders and Plaster Painting
The painting section is usually divided into parts you can roller and parts you need to use a paintbrush for. I find it easier to start with the paintbrush and then move to the roller.
The sections of the wall that have plaster on them will soak up paint differently to the rest of the wall. That is why you sometimes see uneven patches on an otherwise uniform wall. If you have plastered over holes, you need to pre-coat these sections (with an extra coat of primer or of top-coat, depending what you doing for the rest of the wall). This is easiest with a brush, as it will transfer more paint and is better for small patches.
Then you need to paint along all the edges, top and bottom, because the roller will not be able to reach all the way. You only need at most about a hand's width of paint. Getting it right up to the edge, but not onto the next surface (ceiling, skirting board or window frame) is an art. You can buy special brushes and funny gadgets to do it, but I haven't had much success with these. You just need to go slowly and practice getting a straight line as close to the edge as possible. As my father always says, 'practice makes perfect'… though that seems to only apply to me.
Also, just keep an eye out for drips running down the wall. Yes, you will paint over it later, but it will have dried by then and make a lump in your finish. I try to keep a damp rag with me just to get them as soon as possible. It is also easiest to decant some of the paint into a small ice-cream bucket, so you aren't trying to carry a paint tin around with you at the top of a ladder. You see the comic potential there, don't you?
Step 5: Rollering
Now it is time to do the large remaining areas of the wall with a roller. Unless you are very meticulous in your cleaning, it is usually best to get a new roller head for each new job, as cracked, dry paint ruins the finish. If you have access to used rollers, keep the roller but buy a new head.
Rollering is simple, and rather fun. Things to keep in mind while doing it – be careful around the edges as you can still get overzealous and accidentally hit the roof or skirting board. Also, watch out for drips, and try not to have too much paint on your roller, as it will splatter as your roll. Finally, try to keep rolling in different directions (rather than straight up and down), as sometimes the roller doesn't pick up paint evenly and with light colours you won't see until it has dried that there are thinner or unpainted bits.
The number of coats and the length of time between coats will depend on your project and the brand and type of paint you are using. Just one tip, try not to paint when it is cold, as under certain temperatures the paint just won't dry. So make sure you read the instructions carefully!
Step 6: Washing Brushes
If you are just pausing for lunch, then simply cover the container you are using, including the brush, with plastic wrap. If it is oil-based, and you are leaving it for a bit longer, you can put the paintbrushes in water. This won't wash off the paint, but will stop it from drying out. Just make sure you shake out all of the water from the brush before you start painting again.
It's a good practice to wash your brushes every night, even if you are continuing the next day. Once paint dries onto a brush, it is really difficult to get it out, and eventually ruins the brush.
For latex paints, wash them thoroughly under water, using soap to help clean the bristles. Make sure you get all the paint from in between the bristles. There will also be some on your handle that you can't get off – don't worry about it too much.
Rollers are the same, but it's easiest to take them outside and spray them with a hose. If you angle it all correctly, the spray from the hose will rotate the brush so it basically cleans itself. Though, beware the generous spray of wet paint!
A final word:
Here are some personal tips I've learn over the years. Paint, especially oil paint, does not come off your hands as easily as you might think. So either wear gloves (which you will need to change pretty often) or massage olive oil into your hands before you start. This will help to stop the paint sticking to your dry skin.
Also, cover your hair, unless you want everyone to think you are going grey. If you are painting a ceiling, or even just doing the borders from a ladder, somehow it always ends up in your hair. (Even our cat has been known to become a little bit whiter around painting time!)
So those are my tips. I hope they have been helpful. There are a lot of resources online, and I've always found the staff in hardware stores to be very helpful.
Please leave comments if there is anything further you would like to know about painting, or any other renovation tips you would like covered, and I'll see what I can do.


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More Photo Ops
Alec Kosminskas gets ready to sign
Here's a happy smile from incoming offensive line recruit Alec Kosminskas from Loyola in Wilmette, (just north of Chicago). And yes, that's the same school where all-time Lion great linebacker Des Werthman came from.
In an article about the Loyola team last season, a Chicago Sun-Times reporter marvelled at Kosminskas' great speed for a 6"2 288-pound center. (I'm not sure what he weighs now, but that was the 2007 number).
Loyola is also sending tight end Jackson Floyd to Dartmouth this fall.
Houghton not an Ivy
One of the most sought-after running backs for just about every Ivy and Patriot League team has chosen Holy Cross.
Eddie Houghton is following his backfield partner Sam Auffant at Phillips Andover to Coach Tom Gilmore's Crusaders.
Houghton was a star in Canada befre coming to Andover for a PG year. He had grabbed interest from Boston College, Northwestern, Illinois, Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Columbia and Cornell... among others.


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Great Durham Opportunity
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MLS# 2139337 Triangle
If you have any questions or would like more info on this property, please contact us at (919) 956-7600. Email us at email@example.com Ask our agents about the FHA $100 down payment incentive.


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be. You share a lot in common with someone when you are physically present, sitting with them, eye to eye, without saying anything. Maybe the words around you make no sense, but you are there, and this is half the battle.
I was at a birthday party. I love celebrations, but at this point in my life I dreaded the large gatherings because I had a hard time following a fast conversation. I kept turning my head right and left, trying to look at the ladies who were speaking, trying my best to piece together words in the hopes of understanding what they thought was so funny. While they were laughing, my eyebrows moved towards each other as if a scowl could help me comprehend this new language. One of the ladies noticed that I was the only one not laughing, patted my leg and said slowly and definitely, "Annie, you will soon understand. You are here. Listen and you will laugh with us soon." So, I continued to attend the birthday, wedding and baby parties, looking forward to the day when I would laugh at the jokes and chime in with my own. About six months later I was attending another birthday party and I had my "ah-ha" breakthrough moment. The ladies were laughing again and this time I understood.
"The other day I saw the funniest thing," the story began, "two cows were running down the street with their ropes broken. I knew the cows belonged to our neighbor..."
And then I understood where the story was going. The week before I was in the banya doing my laundry when my host-family's cows broke free from their ropes and ran out into the street. I immediately threw on my dress and ran out into the street without shoes or a headscarf over my hair. I was yelling at the cows in English, cursing under my breath as I realized that all the neighbors had come out to watch me try to herd the cattle.
"And instead of Rahat, guess who runs out onto the street? Annie! Annie was running around without shoes, up and down the street, yelling Masha, Dasha at the cows. Cows don't know their names!"
As the women around me started to giggle, I could feel my face turn hot and red. I understood the story, and now I was aware that everyone was laughing at me. What progress!
"But," the storyteller interjected. "She caught the two cows as they were eating Baygul's flowers and led them home. See, she understands our language, and she can catch our cows!"
The lady sitting next to me turned to me and said, "You are now Turkmen and you can never go home to America because you don't have cows there!" With that everyone, including me, laughed. They laughed at this new Turkmen Annie, and I laughed at the absurdity of thinking we don't have cows in Idaho!
If you take it a step at a time, focusing on where you are right now, at home or far, far away, your energy and presence speaks for itself. This aspect of communication is cross cultural and transcendent. Don't be too hard on yourself if you struggle in the present, because with time communication becomes easier and the bridges of cultural, linguistic and philosophical differences can be crossed, even if they think cows don't exist in America.
A love affair with everywhere..."I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list." -Susan Sontag
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Baclayan Basket Project
This project is what has kept me busy for the last three months, and what will continue to bring me back to the Philippines for many more years to come. I wrote this article on the project's developments for Stairway Foundation, the sponsoring organization.
For years now, Stairway Foundation (SFI) has been reaching out to the local indigenous Iraya Mangyan in an effort to help uplift the community from poverty. In 2009, SFI purchased some land in one of the local Iraya communities called Baclayan. During the time of purchase, we observed a community that was struggling on many levels. Because of this, Stairway Foundation has since started several community development to partner with the community in creating positive and sustainable change, especially for the young generation, the children.
Stairway Foundation volunteers recently jumpstarted a long-term project in Baclayan that focuses on working with the local basket weavers. Basket weaving has been a part of Iraya Mangyan culture for many generations. Traditionally, girls learn to weave baskets when they are 7-8 years old, beginning with simple pieces and working their way up to complicated designs. Both men and women know how to weave baskets, but it is more common for women to use basket selling as a means of livelihood. For many years, Stairway Foundation has invited the women of Baclayan to come to SFI to sell their baskets every week. SFI has become one of the most consistent purchasers of baskets in the community, but the Foundation was looking for a more in depth way to work with the Iraya women to help them learn practical business and marketing skills in order to more successfully sell their baskets at large.
The first goal of the project is to create a community of empowered women who possess self-esteem and a desire to change their community. Volunteers conducted several life-skills sessions in the hopes of identifying local women leaders, who can become future life-skills trainers. There was a noticeable change in the women, a "sparkle," as one person described it. They became more outspoken, gregarious and assertive. They displayed a keen desire to learn more about smart marketing practices, and to use their creativity to create new products to give them an edge in the market. They took great pride in the new knowledge and skills that they were acquiring, and have expressed an interest in teaching more local women what they have learned.
The second goal of the project is to have a community of women who have the capacity to successfully market their baskets. A volunteer facilitated sessions on product diversification, organizational skills, and marketing strategy, with the long-term goal of capacitating the women with the ability to market and sell their baskets domestically and internationally by themselves.
One very exciting development that happened was the creation of new product—hand-woven earrings. By using their creativity and innovation, the women designed several styles of earrings, from hoops to circular spirals. The women attended a short training on attaching the metal earring hooks and rings, and soon were producing large quantities of beautiful earrings. All of the earrings were quickly bought by customers, amazed by the craftsmanship and detailing.
In order to start labeling their products, the women learned how to create tags for the baskets. They first attended a training to learn how to make hand-made paper from banana stem fibers and indigenous cogon grass. While perfecting their paper-making skills, they participated in the design stage of a tag, creating a label that features a photograph of an Iraya woman and the story behind the basket.
Although this project is very long-term, and will hopefully develop for many years to come, it is off to a successful start and has already generated positive feedback from the women. Stairway Foundation is dedicated to working closely with these talented artisans, capacitating them with valuable skills and knowledge, thereby putting them in a more empowered position to stand up for their rights as women and as Indigenous Peoples.
Posted by Annie at 3:02 PM 1 comment:
My Summer Months
I was so busy in the Philippines with work and playing at the beach, that I did not have time to update my blog. What began as a two-month committment extended to a six-month period of volunteer work at Stairway Foundation, Inc. Despite not writing on my blog, I was busy writing several pieces for the Stairway Foundation website.
Stairway Foundation has a residential program for former street kids from Manila. I had the opportunity to care for one of the Stairway boys after jaw surgery. Having gone through jaw surgery myself, I was eager to help him in any way I could post-operation. The following is the story that I wrote about this incredible little boy:
"A New Smile, a New Voice, a New Taste"
A big part of my summer was working with Stairway Foundation's local scholarship students. Click here for a description of the program that I wrote for the website. I was in charge of preparing a curriculum of tutorial sessions for students struggling in English and Math. I taught several groups of students in different municipalities. At the end of the summer, we invited 25 of the most motivated and active scholarship students to attend a leadership camp entitled, "My Right to be a Leader." The following is the article that I wrote about the summer camp experience:
"We Should Not Judge Other People, and Discriminate Them." -Stairway Scholar
Stairway Foundation is located in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. The property faces the ocean and backs up against the mountains that rise straight from the sea. It is a place of not only beauty, but serenity and acceptance. Life sometimes takes you exactly where you need to go, even if you don't know it yourself. I learned this lesson when I stumbled upon Stairway completely by chance, not knowing what I was getting myself into, and found a truly magical place where I could connect with people, learn a lot about myself and dive into work that is extremely meaningful to me. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to stumble upon their own oasis.
Posted by Annie at 12:58 PM No comments:
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Year of the Rabbit
In my opinion, the monkey, ox, rooster or rat can't beat the rabbit in cuteness or cuddliness! After the ferocious year of the Tiger, 2011 will be more quiet, reflective and possibly more tame. I personally could use an uneventful year. In Chinese mythology the rabbit represents longevity and is thought to derive its power from the moon. The rabbit symbolizes graciousness, kindness, good manners and a sensitivity to beauty. Although the rabbit may seem timid and overly deliberate at times, the rabbit is very self-assured and occasionally conceited. But this rabbit doesn't look so narcissistic...
This year is my first Chinese New Year in Taiwan. I love holidays, and I love learning about holiday customs in new countries. I believe that one can learn so much about a culture from paying close attention to holiday traditions.
The Chinese New Year preparations began well ahead of time, as people shopped in Di-Hua Street, a narrow side street converted into the central lunar new year shopping area.
All of the specialty foods enjoyed during the New Year are sold in jam packed stalls below fluttering lanterns and lights. In the days leading up to the New Year, Di-Hua Street is so crowded that one cannot fight the crowd, but must be pulled along in all directions up the road. It is a frantic mix of smells, sounds, hip-hop dancing vendors, samples in tiny cups, and excited people. Bags of snacks, fruit and gifts are brought home, distributed among friends and family and enjoyed over the holiday.
Being a neophyte, I was anxiously waiting around on New Year's Eve for something 'holiday like' to happen. As the sun set, food was prepared and set in front of the Buddhist alter as an offering to the ancestors. For our own dinner, we enjoyed various dishes eaten in the traditional communal way, when everyone takes some from one plate. After our meal, more dishes were prepared and set out on a table near the window. This offering of food, fruit, flowers, desserts and money was set out for the Gods.
Incense were lit at 11:15pm when the New Year begins according to the Lunar Calendar. When the incense were half way burnt, we went down onto the street to burn the paper money as an offering to the Gods.
In a metal container, we folded the money and set it on fire piece by piece.
When we were back inside, the bang and crack of fireworks had already begun. According to a Chinese myth, the New Year Monster does not like the color red or the sound of fireworks. In order to scare off the monster, people hang bright red decorations on their houses and light off fireworks during the week of celebration. For the last four days there has been a constant bang of fireworks as everyone plays their part in scaring away the monster.
Because everyone is enjoying a week of vacation, shops, restaurants and businesses are closed, and there is a general feeling of relaxation. People are at home with their families, enjoying this rare time together. On Tuesday everything will open again, and the quiet streets of Taipei will transform back into the thriving metropolis that it was before the New Year holiday.
This year is my first Chinese New Year in Taiwan. I love holidays, and I love learning about holiday customs in new countries. I believe that one can learn so much about a culture from paying close attention to holiday traditions.
The Chinese New Year preparations began well ahead of time, as people shopped in Di-Hua Street, a narrow side street converted into the central lunar new year shopping area.
All of the specialty foods enjoyed during the New Year are sold in jam packed stalls below fluttering lanterns and lights. In the days leading up to the New Year, Di-Hua Street is so crowded that one cannot fight the crowd, but must be pulled along in all directions up the road. It is a frantic mix of smells, sounds, hip-hop dancing vendors, samples in tiny cups, and excited people. Bags of snacks, fruit and gifts are brought home, distributed among friends and family and enjoyed over the holiday.
Being a neophyte, I was anxiously waiting around on New Year's Eve for something 'holiday like' to happen. As the sun set, food was prepared and set in front of the Buddhist alter as an offering to the ancestors. For our own dinner, we enjoyed various dishes eaten in the traditional communal way, when everyone takes some from one plate. After our meal, more dishes were prepared and set out on a table near the window. This offering of food, fruit, flowers, desserts and money was set out for the Gods.
Incense were lit at 11:15pm when the New Year begins according to the Lunar Calendar. When the incense were half way burnt, we went down onto the street to burn the paper money as an offering to the Gods.
In a metal container, we folded the money and set it on fire piece by piece.
When we were back inside, the bang and crack of fireworks had already begun. According to a Chinese myth, the New Year Monster does not like the color red or the sound of fireworks. In order to scare off the monster, people hang bright red decorations on their houses and light off fireworks during the week of celebration. For the last four days there has been a constant bang of fireworks as everyone plays their part in scaring away the monster.
Because everyone is enjoying a week of vacation, shops, restaurants and businesses are closed, and there is a general feeling of relaxation. People are at home with their families, enjoying this rare time together. On Tuesday everything will open again, and the quiet streets of Taipei will transform back into the thriving metropolis that it was before the New Year holiday.
Posted by Annie at 6:22 AM 1 comment:
New Year Blessings
Posted by Annie at 6:14 AM No comments:
Monday, December 27, 2010
Running With Chihuahuas
Going running for the first time in a new country is always an unpredictable experience. I love heading out the door not knowing where I am going or where I am going to end up, but often a tall Caucasian girl running by herself attracts the wrong kind of attention or invasive curiosity from everyone passing by. Because it is so common for women to run in America, we tend to take the relative anonymity we have while exercising for granted. Despite the obesity problem in America, and the attention that it placed on our expanding girth, many Americans enjoy exercising and playing sports in their free time. There is a growing importance placed on staying fit and eating healthy, and this is reflected in the increasing amount of Americans who are exercising. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 35% of adults engage regularly in leisure-time physical activity, according to a nationwide survey done in 2009. This statistic was higher than the 2008 estimate of 32%. Yet obesity continues to plague America because exercise can only burn so many calories. Maintaining an all around healthy lifestyle is what Americans need to work on; eating better is crucial. I have always lived in areas in America where I could easily exercise, and in particular run. I took up running regularly because it seemed like the most convenient sport for someone who constantly moves around the world. When the stress of a new environment is wearing me down, I can always lace up my shoes and get lost in the hypnotic rhythm of my sneakers hitting the ground. But often running in a new place isn't as straight-forward as running along a familiar trail back home.
When I lived in Costa Rica and tried to run along the jungle-enclosed street where my house was, I was stopped by one of the local drug gangs and prohibited from continuing along their road. In Russia I couldn't stand all of the snide comments and soon resorted to working out in a local gym. In Turkmenistan I ran in a skirt and carried rocks to throw at the overly aggressive dogs in my town. The last three countries in which I lived all offered different challenges when it came to stepping out the door for a run.
In these I received a huge amount of attention from people around me and I tried my best to run in places and at times when I hopefully wouldn't see anyone. My initial mistakes cautioned me, and taught me what was appropriate in the local culture. I would run in the dark, or run out of town, away from everyone. This didn't ever completely stop the harassment I received, but it minimized it down to a point when I could get back to focusing on the rhythm of my feet and the sound of my breathing. I believe that the level of harassment I receive while running is in direct correlation to the level of women's rights in the country. In countries where women are not allowed to exercise in public, or where it is highly frowned upon by the men, I have received the highest level of negative attention. In Turkmenistan there were a few women I saw who defied the social norm and ran in public. This was more common in the city, and in the countryside where I lived, a few women in my town started running in the mornings along the same path I took. When I first saw this young woman out jogging in her pale blue tracksuit, I broke into the biggest smile because I finally had another companion out on the road. Running in Turkmenistan was a lonely business, and when I moved to Taiwan I was excited to lace up my shoes and see what I ran into in Taipei.
If one wakes up early enough in Taiwan one can see groups of people in parks practicing Tai Chi, or speed walking around the local track. As the sun sets, another round of people will go out and exercise at dusk. There are lots of people, young and old, who enjoy walking outside. I see grandparents running up and down the track with toddlers, couples wheeling an elderly grandparent along the bike path, marathoners running in sweat soaked shirts. According to the National Council on Physical Fitness and Sport, "scientific research testifies that proper sport activities are beneficial to physical fitness…and contribute to a higher living standard, social harmony…" and there is a general understanding in Taiwan that physical activity is beneficial to overall health and lifestyle.
In rain or shine people are out and about. When it rains I see people jogging around the track holding an umbrella above them, an answer to my rain predicament question I had not yet considered. When it is sunny I put on less clothing in order to soak up the sun, and the locals wear long sleeve shirts to protect against tanning of any degree.
When I run in Taiwan I still get stared at, but the attention holds much less hostility than in other countries. It is not unheard of to see a woman running, and so I will often receive a glance but not much attention after that. I am and will remain the only Caucasian girl running in the neighborhood where I live, but there are other women who exercise and this is welcome company for me after my negative experience in Turkmenistan. I still feel a little silly in my running outfit and Ipod as I make my way to where I begin running because I stand out so much, but once I get to the running track or the bike path then there seems to be a general understanding of "this space is for exercising, so even that white girl running is normal."
The bike path runs along the Keelung river embankment as it winds its way from the ocean down toward Taipei. I like to glance down at the water to find the dense schools of fish along the banks, hiding in the deepest parts of the river. There are two cows that are always happily chewing grass along the banks below me, and I occasionally meet the farmer along the bike path as he leads them to graze. Because of being wary of an animal's reaction to a running human, I tend to slow down around the cows and this always causes the farmer to erupt in laughter and ask me questions I don't understand.
Sometimes I am more entertained by the parade of dogs, than by the people I see along the way. Taiwanese women are always out walking their miniature dogs. Often the dogs don't get much of a walk themselves because they are being pushed in a doggie stroller, leaning out the side with their tails wagging and tongues hanging out. I wonder if the women pushing the stroller realize that they have a dog in there and not a child. The other day a woman was weeding some flowers along the path, and her little Chihuahua decided to race over to me and try biting my ankles. I resorted to hopping around in order not to kick the little thing in the face, but the worst part about it was that the dog was wearing a bumblebee costume. And again, the owner responded to my reaction with a shrill of laughter and a slur of Chinese words. The most I could do was shoot the Chihuahua in its bumblebee costume a dirty look, and run away faster than its little legs could carry it.
Now I have a set route that I take when I run, but occasions like the Chihuahua attack still catch me by surprise and prevent my runs from ever being boring. I don't want to carry around rocks to throw at the dogs like in Turkmenistan, because it is only the tiny ones who consider my ankles nice enough to bite, but I will never again underestimate a four-pound dog in a plush insect costume.
Posted by Annie at 10:49 AM 1 comment:
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Human Rights Day: LGBT Rights in Taiwan
December 10th was the 60th Anniversary of Human Rights Day. The theme for this year is "human rights defenders who act to end discrimination." Human rights defenders speak out against human rights abuses and violations, often taking risks themselves in order to raise awareness and create change. I recently had a Taiwanese acquaintance tell me that he thought Taiwanese did not care about human rights. I have to disagree with him.
Since arriving in Taiwan, I have been introduced to a unique and dedicated group of human rights defenders. They do the work of hundreds by mobilizing the general population, organizing volunteers and putting together large events and human rights demonstrations. From what I have seen, these Taiwanese do care about human rights. More than just caring, they are fervently passionate about human rights.
During my first weekend in Taiwan, I was invited to march in the annual Taiwan Pride Parade. I have been to several pride parades in America, including New York's epic parade, and I was not sure what to expect in Taipei. The first parade was held in 2003, and it was the first of its kind in the Chinese-speaking community. It was a small event, but it drew big attention from the local and international media. Taipei's Mayor, and current president, Ma Ying-jeou, gave a speech at the end of the parade, saying that major cities around the world have large gay communities, and that the support and respect of these communities is important to the city. Since 2003, the number of participants and support for the event has grown each year.
Taiwan is the most progressive Asian country in terms of anti-discrimination laws protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. In 2007 the Legislative Yuan passed a law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in the work place. The Gender Equity Education Act prohibits discrimination in education, and beginning in 2011, school textbooks are required to include topics on LGBT human rights and non-discrimination. Taiwan's Ministry of Education is hoping to promote an environment of tolerance and respect. A poll done by the National Union of Taiwan Women's Association/Constitutional Reform Alliance in 2006 found that 75% of the 6,439 adults interviewed believed that homosexual relations are acceptable.
Despite having some legislation in place to stop discrimination, there is little written in law to give the country's LGBT citizens the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. "The concept of 'partner' does not exist in Taiwan," Lu Hsin-chieh, convener-in-chief of the march, and director of policy advocacy at Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association said. "Taiwan's Civil Code defines a couple as 'a husband and a wife." The Basic Human Rights Law, which approved same-sex marriage, was drafted during former president Chen Shui-bian's term, but has never been voted on due to opposition from cabinet members and legislators. This year three openly gay candidates ran in Taipei City's legislative elections, and this new presence in local politics coincided with this year's parade theme.
Taiwan Gay Pride - no comment
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On October 30th, the pride parade theme was "Out and Vote," an attempt to focus on getting concrete legislation passed by the government in order to protect LGBT rights in Taiwan. Everyone congregated in front of the President's Office, filling up the large square and spilling over into the nearby streets. Clusters of brightly clad men and women met at the closest metro stations to walk together, and drag queens paraded around striking poses and blowing kisses. Participating groups were split up into colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. As the parade snaked around the city, sharing the streets with cars, buses and motor scooters, at times it was hard to distinguish between the parade participants, spectators and people passing by. Every person along the sidewalk was filming the parade on a camera phone, either out of support or sheer curiosity about what was marching down the street. When people in our group waved to passing cars and buses, we received blank stares or big smiles in return. The weather could not decide to rain or stop, and this left us continually putting up our umbrellas and pulling them down as we walked. Because we were sharing the road with the usual traffic, we had to stop at red lights and then make a run for it when they turned green in order to catch up to the group in front of us. I heard one guy behind me say, "I didn't know this was the gay marathon," as we sprinted through an intersection. At the end of the march, all of the color sections lined up in a pseudo rainbow to get a panorama shot of the entire group from atop a nearby building. Looking at the picture later on the Taiwan LGBT Parade website, I could feel the enormity of over 30,000 people and the giant voice of a group of people united by one cause.
Despite only having one day out of the year designated the official Human Rights Day, in many peoples' lives human rights is a constant priority. LGBT rights is a relatively new fight in Asia, and I believe that Taipei is going to continue to be the leader in this struggle against discrimination.
External Links:
Taiwan Pride Parade Slideshow
United Nations Human Rights Day Website
Posted by Annie at 9:17 PM 1 comment:
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The easiest answer to the question of "How to Join?" would be: call the office and ask to make an appointment with one of our staff. They would love to sit down and talk about the possibility of making this your chruch family.
Beyond answering any specific questions you might have they will talk about our ways that people join our church...
ONE WAY: By Profession of Faith and Baptism: though the members of our church may be very diverse in their background, upbringing, education and profession, every person who is a member of Erlanger Baptist Church has at least two things in common: they have individually invited Jesus Christ to be the Savior and Lord of their life and they have been baptized by immersion after that decision. Some of our members join when this decision is made for the very first time here at EBC.
A SECOND WAY: By Believers Baptism: some of our membership invited Jesus Christ to be their Savior and Lord but never had the chance to follow through with baptism. Maybe they moved, or maybe their decision was at a conference or revibal, a concert or over coffee and baptism wasn't an option. These members joined EBC by simply following through with their baptism here at the church.
A THIRD WAY is by Transfer of Letter: this option is unique to those who belong to another Southern Baptist Church. We simply ask your former church to transfer yoru membership here to EBC.
A FINAL WAY is by Statement fo Belief: knowing that some people com eot our church having already accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and have alerwady been baptizd by immersion following taht decision but there church has moved or closed or they belonged to a denomination taht does not transfer membership, you may join our church because you just want too.
Again, there may be specific questions you have, and if so, please contact the office and we would love to sit down and talk more over a cup of coffee.


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It's possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Radical Feminism
Joe Fetus over at Big Blue Wave Blog , like other narrow minded right whingers links two words together to impy something sinister and dangerous. Radical and Feminism. Stirring the caldron of radical feminism Oh and let throw in a little hint of Witchcraft, cauldron get it.
So is there a feminism which is NOT radical?
Why does the right insist on saying 'radical feminism'. Is there a moderate feminism, they would agree with? Most feminists would say they were moderates, most women who say they are not feminists but support womens rights would say so too.
So who are these radical feminists and are they a seperate group from feminists in general? Like bitchy feminists, moderate feminists, anarchist feminists, liberal feminists, individualist feminists or even, conservative feminists?
Nope they are all the same to these right wing loonie toons. Radical is just an extra prejorative to add to that other prejorative; feminists. Of course they would never really call it what it is all about, womens rights. Because everyone believes in that.
Also See:
Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
SOW, StatusofWomen, Canada, REALwomen, Christians, Feminists, feminism, Poltics, Harper, PM, Conservatives, neo-cons, lobby
2 comments:
- kurichina said...
Don't confuse them with so many big words, Eugene. ;)
- Bitch | Lab said...
I gotchyer radical feminism right here. i mean, I personally dislike being called radical b/c the connotations of the word affiliate me with a certain branch of feminist theory that I find completely hostile to socialism. the ones they call radical are generally way tame by comparison to what this Bitch wants!
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South Sudan's SSDF: Jonglei State Governor must resign for instigating instability
Who is trying to disrupt peace in South Sudan and why? Where are the UN peacekeepers? 10,000 were agreed well over one year ago but barely more than half that figure have materialised. Few countries are keen to lend troops for such missions.
Photo: A recently returned family living temporarily in Bor, South Sudan. Their home village, 75 km to the north, has no services whatsoever. Full report by Helene Caux in Bor, South Sudan, November 29, 2005.
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Sudanese presidency asks SPLM/A to explain Jonglei State fighting
Earlier this month, seven people were killed in Jonglei State in clashes between SSDF armed militias and the SPLM/A.
This appears to have occurred around the time when Uganda's LRA terrorist group chief Joseph Kony fled his hideout in Southern Sudan into DR Congo. [Note between 1996-1999 Uganda backed Sudan's SPLM/A so Khartoum armed Uganda's LRA]
Feb 5, 2006 Sudan Tribune report says the Sudanese presidency demanded an explanation from South Sudan's rebel group SPLM/A re fighting in Jonglei area at end of last week.
SSDF claims Jonglei State fighting was tribal conflict over water and cattle
Feb 6, 2006 Reuters report says the UN claims there have been clashes between SSDF and SPLM but the SSDF denies involvement, claiming it was just tribal conflict over water and cattle.
SSDF says Jonglei State Governor must resign for instigating instability
Feb 11, 2006 SSDF Press Release says a delegation of SSDF went to Waat to investigate recent fighting between the White Army of Uror County and the SPLM/A and claims the fighting was instigated by the governor of Jonglei State and Major Gen. George Athor.
Labels: Jonglei


text: Phone on the charger overnight ... awakened to hear music playing -- it's my phone. It was playing music. All apps, instructions, etc., were in Spanish and the phone was in Airport mode. Got it back to English, but now the Address Book and Favorites icons are still in Spanish. All MP3s and stored data are gone, all downloaded apps are gone. What happened? Is it possible to restore? HELP!


text: Please go DONATE MONEY at this link http://www.gofundme.com/KpalaIslandWASH and take a minute to read the details. We are working very hard to bring the underserved island communities on Lake Volta clean reliable drinking water, but we need your help and all of your friends help. Thanks in advance and be well!!! http://www.gofundme.com/KpalaIslandWASH


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Daisy Bank Lodges
Daisy Bank Lodges is a wonderful opportunity to acquire a year round holiday home set in its own grounds at the top of a mature park on the Wales – Shropshire border. Daisy Bank is conveniently located within 25 minutes of Shrewsbury and the M54, or within an hour of the West Midlands, M5 and M6. Daisy Bank Lodge is offered with warranty, 12 month holiday licence and a 99 year pitch license which allows transfer to subsequent owners. Daisy Bank Park is an adult only park, assuring purchasers of peaceful and relaxed occupancy.
Daisy Bank Lodges – New Opportunities
Our first 2 Lodges are on site and looking fabulous. Now we are very pleased to announce Phase 2 of our lodge project. From February 2016 3 more pitches will be available for lodges. Phase 2 will be situated in a glorious location adjacent to Pitch and Putt course.
Daisy Bank Lodge options:
- Ultra warm insulation package
- Double glazing throughout
- Full gas fired central heating
- Bath & high grade bathroom fittings
- Fully furnished
- Microwave, oven, hob
- Large Fridge – freezer
- Dishwasher
- Patio doors
- Sun deck (optional)
- Car parking
- Stunning location
- Year-round use
Prices & Running Costs:
1) 99 year pitch lease, annual ground rent £2,000 subject to the latest industry model agreement. Ground rent includes rates, sewerage and grounds maintenance around the pitch.
2) Electricity is metered and billed annually.
3) Gas is supplied in Calor Gas bottles, available from Daisy Bank reception.
Optional Extras:
1) Sun-decking, estimated cost £3,000 subject to purchaser specification.
2) Outdoors storage shed £500.
3) 5 year warranty, (i.e. 1 year manufacturer plus 4 year dealer supplied) £600
Daisy Bank Park – Adult only Park
Daisy Bank is an adult only park, only adults 18 years of age or older may be admitted to the park, either as guests or visitors.
Find more information about Daisy Bank Lodge Park facilities here.
A guide to local services around Daisy Bank Lodge Park.
Tourism and attractions around Daisy Bank Lodge Park.
See Daisy Bank Lodge Park's Pet friendly policy. Surely you'd like to find out more ? Contact Daisy Bank Lodge Park here.
Daisy Bank thanks Atlas Lodges for permission to use selected lodge images. These may vary in detail from units offered for sale at Daisy Bank Park


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My blocks for the Tethered Threads November block party swap are done and have been received! I was on a roll last Saturday and got them both done. These are for Nicole, who is making the quilt for herself and just requested blocks that reflect our style.
The thing is, I'm not really sure what my "style" is for patchwork, but I like doing more improvisational piecing for these block party things, so I went with that. For this first block, I really wanted to show off that awesome apple print! I also fussy cut the cat in the (off-) center of the block. It was too tempting!
As much as I like that first block, I loooove this second one! That brown is just too fabulous here! I used it all up in this one, though. At the end I had a few more apple scraps, which I added to the bottom left side. LOVE! Again, Flickr group page is HERE to see the rest of what's being made. My month is March and I'm really getting excited!


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|First semester, section #3 class. Section #3 for life!
Isn't that always the case? You work and work until all your work is done, and as soon as the adrenaline stops pumping, the sickness you've been suppressing all these months finally takes over your entire system and knocks you out. Well, since I'm at home and tied to my living room couch, I thought I would share a few words of goodbye to all the amazing people I met this year.
I'm so happy to have made it into the Creative Communications program. The instructors are so knowledgeable and honest, and I feel as though they really care about their students and want to see them become the best in the business.
And I'm even happier to have met my classmates. We've gone through so much together during these past eight months and we've gotten so close, I consider you all part of my family. I know we'll all be going our separate ways this summer for our jobs and internships, but I can't help wishing we could stay together. Just know that I'll be very sad to say goodbye to you guys when I leave for Walt Disney World in a few weeks. Very, very sad. : )
I can't wait to see you all again at the end of August, and I especially can't wait to see all the new first-year students. Wow, there's a part of me that still can't believe that I'm done my first-year. Oh gosh, it's going to be even harder next year, I can just feel it.
Best of luck in your summer adventures CreComm family!
|Second semester, section #2. You guys were great too! : D