You've come a long way, baby

I will take a moment on this women's day to reflect on all that my foremothers accomplished so that I don't spend so much time thinking about myself compared to men.  Other than one sexist calculus teacher I never felt inadequate or ignored in school, even in the traditionally male classes.  To this day I still suspect that his sexism had more to do with an unhealthy interest in the strapping jocks in our class than any ill will toward women.

In university I had a physics professor corner me after class and declare that I needed to switch my major to physics because I was doing so well in his class (I also laughed at all of his nerdy jokes).  I don't think that I was conscious of being treated any differently than my male peers ever in university.  It seemed that the struggle had happened to women of a different generation.  When I think back of the badass women like Ellen H. Swallow Richards I can't even imagine what she had to go through to pave the way for me to be sitting inconspicuously at my desk at a formerly all-male university (we only started allowing women to work toward a degree in 1974).  By the way, I hope one of you Googles Ms. Swallow Richards because she deserves acknowledgement.

Fast forward to my first career oriented job.  This is when things started to change.  I worked in a small architecture firm and often accompanied my boss to construction sites.  I experienced many occasions when the contractor would ignore me and only talk to my boss even though my boss wasn't as involved with the minute details of the project like I was, and despite the fact that my boss repeatedly referred the contractor to me.  One day I went to a site alone to solve an easy dilemma and the contractor insisted on verifying that my boss had meant to send me.  I could hear my boss exploding over the phone at the guy (thanks, Alex).

These days I work in a schizophrenic office.  My director seems to prefer hiring women because he thinks we work harder and think more creatively but after discussion with my male colleagues I know that the women get paid much less.  Like 15% less.  One of my supervisors loves to parade me into meetings so that he can point out that I'm an Ivy League graduate but then he hands me his papers to carry behind him like some sort of servant.  The first time he did this I was confused as to why he had just handed me a large binder of his crap.  "Here," he said, shoving it at me and then he walked out of the room carrying only his ipad like the tool that he is.

After I finish taking this moment to thank the women who paved the way for me to get two master's degrees so that I can carry papers while following behind some useless idiot who thinks he looks cool bringing his little ipad to meetings, who I am certain would not be a supervisor without riding the backs of women like me, I will take another moment to drink myself to oblivion for Fat Tuesday.  It cannot possibly be a coincidence that these holidays occur at the same time. 

Gawd I need to figure out some way to get out from under his long shadow.

Charlie Sheen v Muammar Gaddafi: whose line is it anyway?

It was difficult to tell the difference between the rantings of a coked up, ego-maniacal, Hollywood (read: living in a bubble) actor and the ravings of tyrannical, murderous dictator.  See if you can score better than my 7/10.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/quiz/2011/mar/01/muammar-gaddafi-charlie-sheen-quiz

things that make you go hmm part 2

I was watching a video of a priest who was pulled over in Ohio for drunk driving and proceeded to swear, rant and rave ("I'll give YOU the sermon on the mount").  It was akin to Mel Gibson's Jew hating, sugar tits rant.  Although it had me giggling I was also shocked.  Some of this was due to the nature of the rant but I was also uneasy with why the police are able to release these videos to the public.  I guess we could argue that somehow releasing a video of some hammered moron embarrassing himself is good for society.  There are enough crafty practitioners of the law who can argue convincingly that almost any scintillating detail of celebrity gossip or personal failing can somehow be taken as a cautionary lesson for the greater good of society.

Here are my questions: if contracts are declared void because the signer was intoxicated and if intoxicated people are also considered to be impaired from being able to consent to sex, then why is it okay to release videos of intoxicated people who are handcuffed in your jail cell and no longer in the public domain?  Can/should a police officer arrest someone for being a danger to himself or others due to intoxication and then benefit from releasing a video of the person while in custody while he is still intoxicated?

Are there any legal eagles who want to break this down for me?

Spear and magic helmet

Yesterday SB sang to me the whole What's Opera, Doc with amazingly accurate depictions of both Bugs and Elmer.  This was after I caught him watching the reel on Youtube instead of writing a business plan that is due in two days. 

That is a section of my life with him.  Welcome to life with ADHD boy.  Of course an episode of ADHD boy wouldn't be complete without Type A girl.   In our own weird way we are two complements to each other.  He is often running about, engaged in adventures while I am more than happy to be his mini-me sidekick.  I am a problem solver and he is a, er, problem creator.  Without him my life would not be as rich, nor my stories as colorful.  Without me he would never arrive at anywhere that he wanted to go.

I still get a good laugh when I think about his sister telling me that when SB was born he was deprived of oxygen for a few minutes and his family thought that it may have been the reason for his short attention span.  "Did you ever think that maybe he has ADHD?" I asked.  He's damn smart so I imagined that his "issues" were less to do with brain injury and more to do with being the only boy in the enitire United States who wasn't diagnosed with ADHD and go figure, he was the poster child for it.

I looked up a list of questions and using my online shrink license I gave SB a quiz.  He answered yes for all but one question.  We had a winner.

We don't use any medications for him though I sometimes wish that I could dart him with a tranquilizer when he is busy making a mess.  So far, knowledge has been our most powerful tool.  Knowing that he has a harder time than most concentrating, remembering, etc. helps me to be more understanding and able to manage him.  Yes, I know that these descriptions sound like every other man but trust me, it's different.  He procrastinated so long that he ended up doing nothing for three years of my birthdays and two Christmases.  I have bought all of his plane tickets (last minute) and booked all of our vacations (last minute) since we have been together.  Ditto for any presents that he gives.  He is adamant of being measured by his intentions and not his accomplishments in our relationship.

The trade off is that my life feels blessed in many other ways.  He is almost always interested in my little projects.  He shows genuine interest when I explain art to him.  He accompanies me to my rugby matches as well as the book store.  In fact, he follows me everywhere and can keep himself entertained.  Despite a lack of attention in general subject matters he is riveted by operas and most shows on the Discovery package. You can leave animals and children in his care and he will play with them until they drop and then he will go on to find himself a snack or poke around on a new adventure.

Our night ended with him singing to me: oh Brunhilde, you are so wuvwy!
And I responded: yes I know it; I can't help it.

We compliment complement each other nicely.

God's Word Will Stand Forever

(L to R) UMCOR President, Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, Bishop Bruce Ough, president of General Board of Global Ministries, and Rev. Gesner Paul, Methodist Church in Haiti.

Photo: UMCOR

I recently returned from a four-day visit to Haiti. I was there in my capacity as President of the General Board of Global Ministries to review the progress of our disaster recovery work one year after the earthquake that devastated much of Port-au-Prince and left nearly 300,000 dead. This trip also provided an opportunity for further consultation and coordination with the Methodist Church of Haiti. I was accompanied by Mr. Thomas Kemper, General Secretary of GBGM, Rev. Cynthia Harvey, Deputy General Secretary for UMCOR, Bishop Janice Huie, President of UMCOR, and Ms. Melissa Crutchfield, International Disaster Coordinator for UMCOR.

I had last visited Haiti during Holy Week of 2010, just a few weeks after the January 12 earthquake. I was surprised and pleased with the recovery progress I witnessed a year later. Despite the media reports that nothing has been accomplished a year after the quake, there are many signs of hope and resurrection in the midst of what remains a very devastated, chaotic and poverty-stricken country. Most of the rubble has been removed from major streets and highways. Garbage is being picked up. Over half of the 1.5 million people living in tents immediately after the earthquake have returned to their homes, retreated to the country to live with relatives or been removed to temporary housing camps. Many church-related schools are operating in temporary facilities. Micro-lending, work-for-pay and agricultural programs have enabled many people to start supporting themselves and their families. Our United Methodist VIM program is operating extremely well. And, after a slow start, our UMCOR recovery work is engaged in building schools, providing housing, and starting livelihood projects such as agricultural and micro-lending programs.

One of the most sacred experiences of the trip was visiting the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince where Sam Dixon (then Deputy General Secretary for UMCOR) and Clint Rabb (then coordinator of our VIM program) were entombed and eventually died. We were accompanied by Jim Gulley who was trapped with Sam and Clint, but was safely rescued. Jim guided us over the mound of rubble that once was the hotel’s lobby and guest room tower and retold the harrowing experience of the 35 seconds of the earthquake and his 55 hours of being trapped.

Shortly after last year’s earthquake I wrote to the clergy and laity of the West Ohio Conference. In my statement, I quoted Isaiah 40:8:

   The grass withers, the flowers fade;
   but the word of our God will stand forever.

I have seen with my own eyes the truth of this prophecy. God’s word of love, salvation and new creation is active and eternal. God’s faithfulness is absolute. Even in the midst of massive destruction and a non-functioning government in Haiti, God is speaking a word of resurrection. Even in the midst of chaos and grinding poverty in Haiti, God is speaking a word of hope. Even in the midst of withered grass and faded flowers, God is speaking a word of redemption.

I thank you for not forgetting God’s people in Haiti. I thank you for joining with God to speak and demonstrate the word of mercy. We need a sustained response in Haiti. The recovery will likely take a decade or more. I urge you to continue your prayers, your financial support, your volunteer labor and your relationships with our Haitian brothers and sisters.

By Bishop Bruce Ough, president, General Board of Global Ministries

Click here to view original posting on the West Ohio Annual Conference web site.

UMCOR West Sends off First International Shipment!

UMCOR West Director Brian Diggs stands before first international shipment to Gaza.  Photo:: Sina Tukuafu

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." -Matthew 19:14

United Methodists are proud of our connection. Our common commitment to being in ministry to the world is a deep part of our Wesleyan tradition. Together we know that we can make a difference in the lives of people in need in every land. UMCOR West and UMCOR Sager Brown are an integral part of our mission and ministry in Jesus’ name.

On a cold winter day in Salt Lake City, Utah, a faithful group of volunteers loaded a 40-foot shipping container at UMCOR West Office and Depot. They filled the container with 15,792 school kits, which soon will arrive at the shores of the very place where Jesus blessed the children who were brought to him (Matt. 19: 13-15). UMCOR West’s first international shipment was on its way to school children in the Gaza strip.

UMCOR West Office and Depot first opened its doors in mid-2009. While we have been busy collecting and assembling school kits, health kits, cleaning buckets, and all of the other UMCOR relief supplies, we have, until now, sent them to UMCOR Sager Brown in Baldwin, Louisiana, for shipment overseas.

Day-to-day life for most of the 1.6 million people living in the Gaza Strip is anything but routine. Hampered by deep poverty and intense political turmoil, most residents yearn for a time when food will be abundant on all kitchen tables, when the sounds of gunfire and explosions will be replaced by the soft sounds of peace, and when children will go to school without wondering if the school building will still be there when they arrive. In such extreme circumstances, even the most simple of gifts, like an UMCOR school kit, can make a big difference.

“These kits are so important for people in places like the Gaza Strip,” said Michael Tukuafu, materials resource manager at UMCOR West. “When kids have the proper materials to learn — simple things like paper, pencils, rulers, and erasers — they become interested in learning. Their parents sit with them to hear about their day at school and help them with their homework. Family life is strengthened, and a real measure of stability is added to the lives of children, families, and even whole communities.”

This gift was made possible by the generosity of ordinary United Methodists across the United States. One of only two UMCOR warehouses, UMCOR West Office and Depot receives countless supplies from numerous congregations on a daily basis. We also purchase material relief supplies with money received through the Advance. When you give to Material Resource Ministry, UMCOR Advance #901440 , UMCOR warehouses are able to buy in bulk.

The supplies, both donated and purchased, are put together in the depot by volunteers who spend a week at a time in service. If you are interested in volunteering at either UMCOR West or UMCOR Sager Brown, please visit http://www.umcor.org./

As the director of UMCOR West I have become profoundly aware of the power of God’s grace through our connection. We are a people who know what it means to live our faith. Our prayer is that the children who receive our gifts might know God’s grace in a powerful way. May God continue to work through the people called Methodists!

By Rev. Brian Diggs, director of UMCOR West Office and Depot

Pinaiyak ako ng The True Story of Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao

Isang beses ko lang napanuod ito sa TV
at ngayong napanuod ko ulit,
hindi ko muling mapigilang maiyak.
Maiyak sa katatawa!
Hahahaha!

Manny! Buy some vinegar! The Mukhasim (sour face) brand!

Yes, mom!

Can I buy some vinegar? The brand that’ll get you this face

(Floyd): Give me that!

(Roach): Your punches deliver a very good Pac, man

Smells so good! What a winner! A great appetizer to increase my boner!

Mom, I'm a champion!

Just from buying vinegar? Is it Mukhasim?

Hey, mommy's still sour! (Pinoy joke about MILFs)

Your head's got soysauce! (Pinoy joke to indicate somebody is crazy)

Source: OFFICIALDATUPUTI