The role of the media

With the rampant 24-hour news cycle these days, sometimes even I feel over saturated by the same news. Its as if the media are all reporting the same thing, the same angle, the same way, all at the same time. You'd have to be under a rock to miss the disastrous earthquake that hit China earlier this week, but the angle of this CNN story struck me — maybe because I'm a parent, but I like the way the writer was able to use China's one-child policy as a catalyst to help readers understand the anguish and grief the Chinese are experiencing. It makes the event more real for those who are far away and that for me is one of the hallmarks of a well written story.

Parents' losses compounded by China's one-child policy

Story Highlights

• NEW: Death toll could reach 50,000, according to state-run media
  
• China's one-child policy, implemented in 1979, has blocked 400 million births
  
• Many parents in limbo as they wait to learn whether their sole child is dead or alive
  
• Schools collapsed on thousands of children Monday when the quake hit

(Click here to read the story, it's short and to the point)

And now for the quote of the day, no make that week, from another CNN.com article:

"There are literally hundreds of situations in which a woman's gut intuition is spot-on, but she talks herself out of it so as not to make waves," Northrup said. "We women are suckers for wanting to be loved."

Taken from 5 mistakes women make at the doctor's office

No stopping in the name of love

Last year I did a blog post about a town in Illinois that had added humorous signs to its stop signs in an effort to get drivers to actually stop. (Read: Stop in the name of love) As it turns out, the signs are illegal. The mayor is not pleased about having to remove the $1,700 worth of signs, but it's either that or risk losing federal funding. Well, it was a good idea at the time LOL (Read: No more 'love' in stop signs)

Deep

Do you think about me now and then?
Do you think about me now and then?
- Chris Martin on Kanye West's "Homecoming"

I've been in two minds about writing this blog for a very long time. But I think it's better to do blog therapy than become a full-fledged stalker. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Ever think back to the people in your past? Does your mind ever run on someone who you'd like to know how they're doing. If they've made it. If they've found happiness and peave. Maybe you want to apologize. Tell them that you're sorry for hurting them, that you were young and that you were hurting, too. Maybe all of these things? Well, after my Mom died — no, a long time after my Mom died because it's been five years now — I gathered the courage and spoke to those in my past who I knew I needed to apologize to.

One memorable conversation took place on New Years Eve. Another just happened randomly on MSN. Both shocked me to my toes because they wanted to apologize too. How about that? They brought peace. And continuity... D.S. is one of Moo Moo's godparents.

But JVN eludes me. Those initials alone have such a story to them, it would take the rest of the night to type the prologue. JVN—JVM... More questions, does the owner of the initials even remember that play on words? But I digress. Everything in my being is telling me that I need to contact this person and apologize. Self-serving? Probably. Guilt has a tendency to weigh more heavily on one's soul with time. I most definitely want to get this weight off my chest. The funny thing is that JVN and I have had this conversation before, but with age (and marriage) comes immense wisdom and I believe that I am now truly contrite.

Stalking? Well, Google is a wonderful thing and I still remember the website for the telephone directory. But I had to draw the line at sending emails. J' said that he wouldn't have a problem with receiving a phone call — actually, this came up because someone had called him to apologize! Random, but true, I swear — but then the JVN I remember is an intensely private person. And suppose he has found peace? I certainly don't want my phone call to jolt him out of that... or is that me inflating my self worth? Would my phone call mean anything?

Hmm. It's deep. But I suppose there are some mistakes that we don't deserve absolution from. At least I could say it here. I think I'll leave it here, too.

JVN, fuzzy. Doei.

Pack it like a pro

My vacation started at 5:36 p.m. That's when I finished work, which was a marathon session because my boss was out today. My coworkers stepped up and helped out though. Even the editor-in-chief was helping out, much to the shock of everyone else. We leave tomorrow night to drive to Orlando to catch our flight to Jamaica. And I've just started packing tonight. One of my friends was in shock that I hadn't started since last week. I have a coworker who feels the same. She started packing a month ago for her cruise... that doesn't happen until May lol

For some reason I've become a pretty good packer since I went off to college. I always forget something, but never anything I can't do without. (It was good Moo and I were only overnighting that time last year when I forgot all her hair clips.) But as my Mom used to say, once you've got the passport and the plane tickets, you're pretty much covered. (This came one holiday when we set off to the airport and realized my passport was still at home. My father was not pleased.)

So here are my packing tips:

1. Lay everything out on the bed, including hair stuff, toiletries, jewelry, shoes on the floor nearby, everything before you start. It's easier to see what you're packing and ensure that you have everything.
2. The earlier in advance you start, the more things you're likely to forget (for me anyway).
3. Wrap any liquid toiletries in plastic bags. Run out of bags? Tape down the tops if necessary. (This also works great to ensure eye shadows don't pop open!)
4. Wrap your shoes, too. Nothing worse than having those road-tested sneakers becoming intimate with your favorite shirt during the trip to your destination.
5. Keep your jewelry with you at all times. I had a lot of mine stolen when I went to Greece because I didn't carry it on with me. Especially because you can't lock your bags in the US anymore, this should've actually been Rule No. 1.
6. If possible, carry a spare change of clothes and your can't-live-without toiletries in your hand luggage. It's not cute when your luggage gets lost and all you've got is what's on your back. If you've traveling with a small child, then you know this is just mandatory stuff. (When she was 6 weeks old, Moo Moo went through 5 sets of clothes on our way to Jamaica — including a set of my clothes.)

More later, I'm going to go to bed and finish up tomorrow.

The black, green and gold

Was surfing the net and came across this and it definitely caught my eye...