It's been a while since I shared a quote. I thought this one was particularly apropos as we step into spring since this season is always associated with bringing in the new and starting new cycles:
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." Lao-Tzu
Here's to sun, warmer weather, breezy days, and to new cycles that bring you and yours joy and happiness.
And while I'm here, I'm think it's worth mentioning that Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, Easter, Holi, and Nauroze all fell around the same time this week. Even if it sounds corny or silly, I love it when holidays observed by different faiths happen to be on or around the same dates. Peace and celebrations to all!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Wedding Bells Are Ringing
Since Asad has yet to announce the news himself on this blog I'm going to take the liberty of doing so myself. His nuptials are this week-end. Here's wishing Asad and "The Mrs" happy coupledom full of love, laughter, happiness, and everything wonderful.
And yes, you must name your firstborn daughter after moi!
Cheers!
And yes, you must name your firstborn daughter after moi!
Cheers!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Sex/Gender = Female
Spammers of the world, listen up! I am Bionic Woman. There are times when my 'bionic' is broken. But the 'woman' bit remains consistent. [There are others who will attest to this fact if you need the proof.] So quit sending me e-mails about enlarging body parts I do not possess or about medications that will make me last all night because I certainly don't need external help in that department...not yet anyway. If Amazon can figure out that I must receive chick lit recommendations then you can surely set up some kind of filter so that yoou actually hit your target audience. It just makes good business sense especially if you're earning ad revenue from clicks on your website.
Hmm I wonder why there aren't any enhancing drugs of a similar kind for women? Yes I'm familiar with implants as a concept but why is it that men can pop a pill and women have to go through surgery?
Hmm if I was ever going to be your typical feminist I think this would be the issue that sparks it.
Hmm I wonder why there aren't any enhancing drugs of a similar kind for women? Yes I'm familiar with implants as a concept but why is it that men can pop a pill and women have to go through surgery?
Hmm if I was ever going to be your typical feminist I think this would be the issue that sparks it.
Friday, March 07, 2008
If only there was a pill...
If you're writing or have ever written a dissertation you might find this particularly funny.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
A Quiz & A Dissertating Thought
It's been a while since I did one of those fun, short, silly online quizzes that always make me feel they'll tell me something I didn't quite know about myself or had thought about consciously. Who am I kidding? It's a fun way to kill time at the laptop while taking a dissertating break. Why don't I just get up and walk away? Umm...trust me when I say it's tough to want to ABC it (ABC = Apply Butt to Chair) willingly most of the time. I can stay there and get myself going on the writing but it's the getting there part that is always the toughest. Now that little tid-bit makes this post officially about dissertating as well. The one stone, two birds thing never happened to me before.
Here's the quiz with my results...given that I've been considering getting a layered bob and doing away with my 70s meets 2000s do this is a tad spooky:
Now I need to go get a little more writing in before calling it a day.
Here's the quiz with my results...given that I've been considering getting a layered bob and doing away with my 70s meets 2000s do this is a tad spooky:
Your Ideal Hairstyle: |
 |
Now I need to go get a little more writing in before calling it a day.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
A letter to "The World"
Dear World:
No I am not ignoring you or your calls or e-mails. Nor do I have any particular desire to metamorphose into a loner. I don't hate you either. I am simply trying to finish my dissertation while teaching a full course load with 2 new preps and keeping my sanity more or less in tact. I'd like to get enough sleep to allow me to do these things.
The only thing I can just about manage, albeit badly, is carving out some time for loved ones and friends who I'm close to. And I do that because I want them to know that I really care and, to be honest, I need to be engaged in those relationships because they something to me for various reasons in their various ways.
I don't mean to sound condescending or snobby - even though it will likely come across that way - but here are a few don'ts: If you're calling to complain about your maid not showing up, do yourself a favor and call someone else. If you're calling to complain about your husband, I've never been married so anything I say is probably more hypothetical than experiential. To be honest, I'd suggest sorting things out with your husband rather than whining to the entire world because that stuff ought to be between the two people concerned IMHO. If you're calling to bitch about how unfair the world is and will always be, do us both a favor and knock on another door - even after I'm done with this dissertation because I really have no patience or sympathy for people who find a problem for every I&%#@ solution. If you're a stay-at-home-mom, try spending some time with the kids - actual time where you do something with them instead of barking instructions at them...they're humans and they need you to nurture them so that they can grow up to be well-rounded, secure adults. If your job involves entering data mindlessly allowing you to talk on the phone while you're at work, please don't assume I can afford to do the same. I actually need to be able to use my brains and be able to give undivided attention to the thing I'm working on. If I tell you I'll call you back in 4-6 weeks I'm not trying to suggest that I'm more important or busy than everyone else on this planet - I physically do not have the time or energy to be able to do so before then without completely ruining the juggling act I'm managing right now. There are certain things on my life list right now and people that need to be numero uno as far as prioritizing is concerned.
A special thanks to those of the 'world' who continue to show their love and support while I remain at my bitchiest - I continue to be tempted to spend more time with you and be there for you. Suffice it to say this whole delayed gratification thing sucks. (Parents and Z: this one is especially for you folks :-)!) I'm looking forward to reconnecting with you in much more meaningful ways in a few weeks. Please weather the current grunts in place of real communication and what I think are probably abrupt conversations and perhaps a modus operandi that is not-as-thoughtful - I love you all dearly and don't want to come out at the other end of this tunnel without all of you still very much a part of my life. I promise to be a better daughter/friend/colleague/human who is back to her happy, fun, cheery self in 6-8 weeks. In the meantime, if you really need me to be there, please holler loudly - I don't want to bail on you. Also know that my pathetic attempts at staying connected during this period are there because you matter and I care deeply about you.
Ciao for now!
Bionic-Woman
No I am not ignoring you or your calls or e-mails. Nor do I have any particular desire to metamorphose into a loner. I don't hate you either. I am simply trying to finish my dissertation while teaching a full course load with 2 new preps and keeping my sanity more or less in tact. I'd like to get enough sleep to allow me to do these things.
The only thing I can just about manage, albeit badly, is carving out some time for loved ones and friends who I'm close to. And I do that because I want them to know that I really care and, to be honest, I need to be engaged in those relationships because they something to me for various reasons in their various ways.
I don't mean to sound condescending or snobby - even though it will likely come across that way - but here are a few don'ts: If you're calling to complain about your maid not showing up, do yourself a favor and call someone else. If you're calling to complain about your husband, I've never been married so anything I say is probably more hypothetical than experiential. To be honest, I'd suggest sorting things out with your husband rather than whining to the entire world because that stuff ought to be between the two people concerned IMHO. If you're calling to bitch about how unfair the world is and will always be, do us both a favor and knock on another door - even after I'm done with this dissertation because I really have no patience or sympathy for people who find a problem for every I&%#@ solution. If you're a stay-at-home-mom, try spending some time with the kids - actual time where you do something with them instead of barking instructions at them...they're humans and they need you to nurture them so that they can grow up to be well-rounded, secure adults. If your job involves entering data mindlessly allowing you to talk on the phone while you're at work, please don't assume I can afford to do the same. I actually need to be able to use my brains and be able to give undivided attention to the thing I'm working on. If I tell you I'll call you back in 4-6 weeks I'm not trying to suggest that I'm more important or busy than everyone else on this planet - I physically do not have the time or energy to be able to do so before then without completely ruining the juggling act I'm managing right now. There are certain things on my life list right now and people that need to be numero uno as far as prioritizing is concerned.
A special thanks to those of the 'world' who continue to show their love and support while I remain at my bitchiest - I continue to be tempted to spend more time with you and be there for you. Suffice it to say this whole delayed gratification thing sucks. (Parents and Z: this one is especially for you folks :-)!) I'm looking forward to reconnecting with you in much more meaningful ways in a few weeks. Please weather the current grunts in place of real communication and what I think are probably abrupt conversations and perhaps a modus operandi that is not-as-thoughtful - I love you all dearly and don't want to come out at the other end of this tunnel without all of you still very much a part of my life. I promise to be a better daughter/friend/colleague/human who is back to her happy, fun, cheery self in 6-8 weeks. In the meantime, if you really need me to be there, please holler loudly - I don't want to bail on you. Also know that my pathetic attempts at staying connected during this period are there because you matter and I care deeply about you.
Ciao for now!
Bionic-Woman
Monday, March 03, 2008
The Academic Zodiac
Today's issue of the Chronicle includes a hilarious take on the odd fortunes of academic life. Although I have yet to officially go on the "job market" it's becoming painfully clear that luck has more to do with these things than merit. This is not to say that idiots and morons are what the pool is made of. Hardly. But that most (if not all) folks with a Ph.D. have proven that they're incredibly smart and that they can be disciplined enough to become academics. So the article suggests that given the emphasis on 'luck' we might as well bypass the career services office and, instead, look to astrology. Not sure why one would go to the zodiac if 'luck' is what we're talking about but I'm not here to overanalyze - at least not this time ;-). Here's my academic-career-scope;if you'd like to see yours click on the title link of this post:
Capricorn: (December 23-January 20) You are a bundle of contradictions: ambitious and aggressive, but also cautious and reserved. You have intellectual talents within a somewhat narrow range. You are good at accumulating small details and identifying patterns that fit established theories. You are sometimes insensitive to the feelings of others. You want a place at the top, and you are willing to delay gratification for years and years, focusing on the future when countless opportunities will be available to you. Sometimes you are overly credulous. You place great value on being connected to high-status institutions. You should obviously continue your studies in English or history, fields that will soon have many openings. If that doesn't work out, consider one of many alternative careers as a famous screenwriter, highly paid management consultant, medical-test subject, or personal assistant to Stanley Fish. (Thomas H. Benton, The Chronicle, March 3, 2008).
Capricorn: (December 23-January 20) You are a bundle of contradictions: ambitious and aggressive, but also cautious and reserved. You have intellectual talents within a somewhat narrow range. You are good at accumulating small details and identifying patterns that fit established theories. You are sometimes insensitive to the feelings of others. You want a place at the top, and you are willing to delay gratification for years and years, focusing on the future when countless opportunities will be available to you. Sometimes you are overly credulous. You place great value on being connected to high-status institutions. You should obviously continue your studies in English or history, fields that will soon have many openings. If that doesn't work out, consider one of many alternative careers as a famous screenwriter, highly paid management consultant, medical-test subject, or personal assistant to Stanley Fish. (Thomas H. Benton, The Chronicle, March 3, 2008).
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