Friday, March 30, 2007
meat
"she's a good cook." an epithet that i covet at this point in my cooking career. not even "great" or "excellent" (both used to describe my mom and mimi's cooking) i'll settle for a "good" rating at this point.
in anticipation of our upcoming marriage, i have spent some quality time lately with some food blogs. wow. there are quite a few people out there obsessed with food. no wonder that in the U.S. 39.2% of people over 15 are obese. but i think that they're all obese because they don't eat at home. i mean, how can you become obese when you eat a home cooked meal every night? well, after perusing some sights and investigating a cupcake recipe that used 2 packets of cream cheese and 6 (count 'em) sticks of butter, i'm revising my opinion.
i just looked at the recipes i copied and pasted into my little Word document entitled "Recipes." quite surprised by what i found. almost everything i liked involved baking of some sort or another. scones, cookies, muffins, biscuits, rolls, cakes, cupcakes- carb. city! i realized that in order to be a "good" cook, i would have to learn how to cook meat and vegetables. i don't even know where to go to find meat and vegetable recipes much less how to make them! but a "good" cook always has a well-balanced meal waiting for her husband when he comes home, so i'm determined to supplement "Recipes" (maybe I should have saved it as "Carbohydrates") with some main course dishes high in protein.
M is not going to know what hit him! let's hope he's as excited as i am about all this. at least i'll be able to put all the new pots and pans we're registering for to good work. and maybe, just maybe, justify getting the All Clad in the process!
compare/contrast
it is very difficult to be patient when you know that your "fate" is in the hands of several total strangers who are currently poring over several pieces of paper and other assorted numbers that can in no possible way quantify or accurately depict your character or abilities...
what is infinitely more difficult for me is not comparing myself to others, resting secure in the knowledge of who i am and whose i am despite their decision. it seems like every day i am presented with an opportunity to compare msyelf to someone from my past or present. and i am tempted to think "well if THEY can, why not me?"
but then i realize that that's not how this thing works. i'm living a life governed by a plan far greater than my own with possibilities and opportunities beyond my imagination. how can i possibly compare myself and then make a judgement on my self-worth based on my (flawed and not entirely accurate) comparison. they are living according to an entirely different plan than mine and (may) have an entirely different destiny.
so once again, i decide, have decided, to trust in this case. i'm still scared to death about the outcome but i'm determined to rest secure in the perfect plan that awaits and walk confidently in my identitiy in Christ.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
one outlook on identity theft
"I pity the person who tries to steal my identity. They are going to be sorely disappointed." JT at work
soo excited
Diet Coke Plus set for debut
Atlanta Business Chronicle - 10:22 AM EDT Thursday, March 22, 2007
A new version of Diet Coke will hit U.S. store shelves in April.
Coca-Cola North America on Tuesday reported the debut of Diet Coke Plus, a sparkling, calorie-free beverage with vitamins and minerals. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) said the beverage is a good source of vitamins B3, B6, and B12, and the minerals zinc and magnesium.
The product will feature the tagline "Great Taste Has Its Benefits."
The Diet Coke brand already includes Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Cherry Coke, and Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda.
"Consumers, including Diet Coke drinkers, are increasingly looking for more beverage options, and we wanted to offer them the convenience of a calorie-free beverage that is a good source of several essential vitamins and minerals, and one that delivers on the great taste that they have come to expect from us," said Katie Bayne, senior vice president of Coca-Cola Brands for Coca-Cola North America.
Atlanta Business Chronicle - 10:22 AM EDT Thursday, March 22, 2007
A new version of Diet Coke will hit U.S. store shelves in April.
Coca-Cola North America on Tuesday reported the debut of Diet Coke Plus, a sparkling, calorie-free beverage with vitamins and minerals. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) said the beverage is a good source of vitamins B3, B6, and B12, and the minerals zinc and magnesium.
The product will feature the tagline "Great Taste Has Its Benefits."
The Diet Coke brand already includes Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Cherry Coke, and Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda.
"Consumers, including Diet Coke drinkers, are increasingly looking for more beverage options, and we wanted to offer them the convenience of a calorie-free beverage that is a good source of several essential vitamins and minerals, and one that delivers on the great taste that they have come to expect from us," said Katie Bayne, senior vice president of Coca-Cola Brands for Coca-Cola North America.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
q's & a's
every Sunday morning at the beginning of our sunday school class, our director, RC gets up, makes announcements and introduces the visitors to the class. and while RC's tenure has just begun, he decided to continue on with the "tradition" begun by the previous director, who happened to be an aggie (aggies love their "radition", of asking the new couple a random question about one another.
i was so excited when RC mentioned that he didn't know what to ask the new couple and that he was nervous about his question. he casually asked for advice/help and i was oh so happy to help.
*his is a good time to confess that i love random questions and facts about anyone and anything. my love affair with odd questions began my Sr. year of high school as i was hiking up a rather large hill/small mountain with a 50ish lb. backpack on my back. to distract me from the task, a nice friend walked beside me (i was too stubborn to give him my pack when he offered to carry it for me) and we played "the question game" all the way up the hill. the game continued with the help of the USPS that summer and my fascination/love was born.
so, when RC asked me for my help i quickly flipped through my mental index of great questions and gave him some that i thought were sure-fire winners, "what was your favourite pair of shoes?" and "what would you eat for your last meal?" both were fairly well received and i think the class enjoyed the change of pace from the "taditional" what colour is your husband/wife's toothbrush question.
as we speak, i'm brainstorming for some new winners just in case RC asks me again this Sunday :)
- if money was no object, what career would you choose
- what superhero would you choose to be
- what actor/actress would you want to play you in a movie about your life
- favourite type of poptart
- describe the perfect sandwich
- favourite type/kind/colour of writing pen
- yellow highlighter or coloured
- favourite Thanksgiving (or Christmas) food
- most memorable high school dance song
- largest cell phone overage total and reason why
- if you were stranded on a desert island, what personal care product could you not live without
- current radio station presets
- if i gave you $5 to spend at a gas station, what would you buy
- (if you had to) what reality t.v. show would you choose to appear on
- if you could be judge judy or jerry springer, who would you want to be
- who would headline a concert at your 40th birthday party
- favourite disney movie and character
- what college class do you wish you had taken
- if you had to be raised by an animal (think tarzan) what animal would that be
- stripes or solids
- if you could get tickets to any kind of championship game or series, what would you choose
- most prized possession
- if you had to fight in any American war, what would it be
- design your ideal ice cream sundae
i think that's a pretty good start, for now!
i was so excited when RC mentioned that he didn't know what to ask the new couple and that he was nervous about his question. he casually asked for advice/help and i was oh so happy to help.
*his is a good time to confess that i love random questions and facts about anyone and anything. my love affair with odd questions began my Sr. year of high school as i was hiking up a rather large hill/small mountain with a 50ish lb. backpack on my back. to distract me from the task, a nice friend walked beside me (i was too stubborn to give him my pack when he offered to carry it for me) and we played "the question game" all the way up the hill. the game continued with the help of the USPS that summer and my fascination/love was born.
so, when RC asked me for my help i quickly flipped through my mental index of great questions and gave him some that i thought were sure-fire winners, "what was your favourite pair of shoes?" and "what would you eat for your last meal?" both were fairly well received and i think the class enjoyed the change of pace from the "taditional" what colour is your husband/wife's toothbrush question.
as we speak, i'm brainstorming for some new winners just in case RC asks me again this Sunday :)
- if money was no object, what career would you choose
- what superhero would you choose to be
- what actor/actress would you want to play you in a movie about your life
- favourite type of poptart
- describe the perfect sandwich
- favourite type/kind/colour of writing pen
- yellow highlighter or coloured
- favourite Thanksgiving (or Christmas) food
- most memorable high school dance song
- largest cell phone overage total and reason why
- if you were stranded on a desert island, what personal care product could you not live without
- current radio station presets
- if i gave you $5 to spend at a gas station, what would you buy
- (if you had to) what reality t.v. show would you choose to appear on
- if you could be judge judy or jerry springer, who would you want to be
- who would headline a concert at your 40th birthday party
- favourite disney movie and character
- what college class do you wish you had taken
- if you had to be raised by an animal (think tarzan) what animal would that be
- stripes or solids
- if you could get tickets to any kind of championship game or series, what would you choose
- most prized possession
- if you had to fight in any American war, what would it be
- design your ideal ice cream sundae
i think that's a pretty good start, for now!
do my feet
i just became aware of a new trend in plastic surgery, a "foot facelift." women across the country are having podiatrial peculiarities (is podiatrial a word?) removed so that their feet will appear more appealing in various forms of footwear. i've heard of toe clevage before but plastic surgery for your feet, come on!
*for any doubters, http://abcnews.go.com/Health/BeautySecrets/story?id=2964795&page=1
Friday, March 16, 2007
wedding whirlwind
this week has been quite productive on the wedding-planning front...
*we bought wedding rings on monday at the WTC. word to the wise, don't say (as your fiance is pulling out his credit card to purchase your diamond wedding band) "you lived with tommy nelson! i'd LOVE to marry tommy nelson!" i don't think i need to point out why this fell into faux-pas category not to mention the fact that Tommy Nelson is married. i think we're even now after M's prime rib comment the other night :)
*tasted wedding cakes and (kind of) picked out what we wanted. i don't really anticipate actually tasting my wedding cake so this is something i didn't think about beforehand. apparently some brides actually feel compelled to not only pick out, but also sketch what they want their wedding cakes to look like. wow. no word yet on the design although M is now the camo-cake-with-duck-decoy-on-top bandwagon
*picked out music for the ceremony with the organist. this was one of those nights where you just had to be there. who knew that people still watched silent movies (accompanied by organ music) or that musicians were so picky about the music they were to play at YOUR wedding. well, now we know, and as G.I. Joe says, "knowing is half the battle." for a while there, i thought there would actually be a battle, but my hymns prevailed. for those of you who either a) know me or b) actually read this, you know about me and my hymns...
*finished the "nice" registry at Polly du Pont. very overwhelming and very scary to think of how many (potential) thank you's we'll have to write, but fun with my mom all the same. go here www.potterybarn.com here www.bedbathandbeyond.com here www.macys.com and here www.pollydupont.com to view our selections
and better yet, lots of things crossed off the to-do list which is just how i like it
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
uh, oh
you know you're in the wrong profession when you read this...
IV. Economic Development as a Profession
A. Qualifications
1. Must enjoy failure; be amused by rejection; and, thrive on anxiety.
i hate every single one of those things mentioned, so i didn't even need to read on about other qualifications. but seriously, who really "enjoys failure" and how exactly can you be "amused by rejection?" i'll have to think about that one for a good, long while and get back to you...
Thursday, March 8, 2007
stink
my eBay auctions for this week are, in a word, not living up to performance expectations. not even 100 total looks with 2 and 3 days still left to go. despicable!
i'm going to chalk this up to the fact that it's spring break season across the nation. i mean what mom is checking eBay while playing with her kids at Disneyland?
i went back and looked at my records from last year hoping that they'd shed some light on this disturbing problem-nada. i was still on my ultra-high end shoe kick back then and only had 5 pairs listed for the month of march so that wasn't much of a help.
i sure hope spring break ends soon!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
my first sermon
if i ever had to preach a sermon, i think i would preach on this text, "But we do not want any of the land on the other side of the Jordan. We would rather live here on the east side where we have received our inheritance." (Numbers 32:19)
the tribes of Reuben and Gad chose to remain in a place of profit and assured comfort rather than journey with the rest of the Israelites to the Promise Land. they persevered through the wilderness only to trade their reward for riches...what a sermon this could (one day) be!
the tribes of Reuben and Gad chose to remain in a place of profit and assured comfort rather than journey with the rest of the Israelites to the Promise Land. they persevered through the wilderness only to trade their reward for riches...what a sermon this could (one day) be!
How is this possible?
Boston woman sues for child-rearing costs after failed abortion
March 7, 2007
BOSTON --A Boston woman who gave birth after a failed abortion has filed a lawsuit against two doctors and Planned Parenthood seeking the costs of raising her child.
The complaint was filed by Jennifer Raper, 45, last week in Suffolk Superior Court and still must be screened by a special panel before it can proceed to trial.
Raper claimed in the three-page medical malpractice suit that she found out she was pregnant in March 2004 and decided to have an abortion for financial reasons.
Dr. Allison Bryant, a physician working for Planned Parenthood at the time, performed the procedure on April 9, 2004, but it "was not done properly, causing the plaintiff to remain pregnant," according to the complaint.
Raper then went to see Dr. Benjamin Eleonu at Boston Medical Center in July 2004, and he failed to detect the pregnancy even though she was 20 weeks pregnant at the time, the lawsuit alleges.
It was only when Raper went to the New England Medical Center emergency room for treatment of pelvic pain in late September that year that she found out she was pregnant, the suit said.
She gave birth to a daughter on Dec. 7, 2004.
She is seeking damages, including child-rearing costs.Raper and her lawyer, Barry C. Reed Jr., refused comment when contacted by The Boston Globe.
A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood said the organization does not comment on pending litigation.
Neither doctor responded to requests for comment.
Raper alleges in the suit that Planned Parenthood and Bryant were negligent for failing to end her pregnancy and that Eleonu was negligent for failing to see she was still pregnant.
The state's high court ruled in 1990 that parents can sue physicians for child-rearing expenses, but limited those claims to cases in which children require extraordinary expenses because of medical problems, medical malpractice lawyer Andrew C. Meyer Jr. said.
Raper's suit has no mentions of medical problems involving her now 2-year-old daughter.
As with all medical malpractice suits in Massachusetts, Raper's complaint will have to be screened by a tribunal consisting of a Superior Court judge, a lawyer, and a doctor to determine whether it has merit to go to trial.
------
Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe
Can you imagine what it must be like to be her daughter...
"Mommy, why are you going to court today."
"Well, momy's is suing the doctors that failed to take your life. Mommy can't afford to care for you and since they messed up, they should have to pay."
Talk about self-worth issues
March 7, 2007
BOSTON --A Boston woman who gave birth after a failed abortion has filed a lawsuit against two doctors and Planned Parenthood seeking the costs of raising her child.
The complaint was filed by Jennifer Raper, 45, last week in Suffolk Superior Court and still must be screened by a special panel before it can proceed to trial.
Raper claimed in the three-page medical malpractice suit that she found out she was pregnant in March 2004 and decided to have an abortion for financial reasons.
Dr. Allison Bryant, a physician working for Planned Parenthood at the time, performed the procedure on April 9, 2004, but it "was not done properly, causing the plaintiff to remain pregnant," according to the complaint.
Raper then went to see Dr. Benjamin Eleonu at Boston Medical Center in July 2004, and he failed to detect the pregnancy even though she was 20 weeks pregnant at the time, the lawsuit alleges.
It was only when Raper went to the New England Medical Center emergency room for treatment of pelvic pain in late September that year that she found out she was pregnant, the suit said.
She gave birth to a daughter on Dec. 7, 2004.
She is seeking damages, including child-rearing costs.Raper and her lawyer, Barry C. Reed Jr., refused comment when contacted by The Boston Globe.
A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood said the organization does not comment on pending litigation.
Neither doctor responded to requests for comment.
Raper alleges in the suit that Planned Parenthood and Bryant were negligent for failing to end her pregnancy and that Eleonu was negligent for failing to see she was still pregnant.
The state's high court ruled in 1990 that parents can sue physicians for child-rearing expenses, but limited those claims to cases in which children require extraordinary expenses because of medical problems, medical malpractice lawyer Andrew C. Meyer Jr. said.
Raper's suit has no mentions of medical problems involving her now 2-year-old daughter.
As with all medical malpractice suits in Massachusetts, Raper's complaint will have to be screened by a tribunal consisting of a Superior Court judge, a lawyer, and a doctor to determine whether it has merit to go to trial.
------
Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe
Can you imagine what it must be like to be her daughter...
"Mommy, why are you going to court today."
"Well, momy's is suing the doctors that failed to take your life. Mommy can't afford to care for you and since they messed up, they should have to pay."
Talk about self-worth issues
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Monday, March 5, 2007
easier said than done
wherever you are, be all there-
disregarding emotions
forgetting comfort
sacrificing pleasure
waiting patiently
faithfully doing
remembering the hope
trusting the promise
resting secure
"Wherever you are, be all there."
Jim Eliot
in honor of mondays
I Cannot Go To School Today
By Shel Silverstein
"I cannot go to school today"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry.
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox.
And there's one more - that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue,
It might be the instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke.
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in.
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My toes are cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There's a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is ...
What? What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is .............. Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"
This doesn't exactly work in the real world...
By Shel Silverstein
"I cannot go to school today"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry.
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox.
And there's one more - that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue,
It might be the instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke.
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in.
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My toes are cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There's a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is ...
What? What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is .............. Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"
This doesn't exactly work in the real world...
Friday, March 2, 2007
i have amassed quite a few international customers on eBay and every time i make an international sale i learn something. i sold a pair of shoes to a wonderful woman in Greece the other day, and when looking up her postage rate i happened to check out the items Greece forbade to be sent through the mail. well, two hours later i had read the restricted items list for every country that the USPS mails to. it was quite an adventure and i soon realized that there were some pretty crazy restrictions out there so i complied a list for your enjoymeny. not necessarily in alphabetical order and not necessarily comlete. i took the liberty to edit out things, like biological weapons material, that i thought was too boring
Albania
Extravagant clothes and other articles contrary to Albanians' taste
Great Britan & Northern Ireland
Horror comics and matrices
Seal skins except those from an accepted source
Algeria
Canned vegetables, fish, plums and nuts
Funeral urns
Household articles made of tin
Saccharine in tablets or packets
Spain
Playing cards
India
Consumer electronic items, (except hearing aids and life-saving equipment, apparatus, and appliances and parts thereof)
Angloa
Roulette and other apparatus for games
Argentina
Furs and skins of chinchillas and vicunas
Armenia
Food that spoils easily
Australia
Fruit cartons (used or new)
Goods bearing the name "Anzac
Bahamas
Skimmed milk in tins
Bangladesh
Quinine, colored pink
Mineral waters
Malaysia
Circulars or advertisements containing amulets, charms or talismans
Harpoons and spear guns used for undersea fishing
Botswana
Honey and preparations of honey including royal jelly, preserves sweetened with honey, and flypaper
Brazil
Primary educational books not written in Portuguese
Guyana
Bees and silkworms
Newsprint paper
Bulgaria
"Musical" cards (cards that play a sound recording when opened)
Canada
Oleomargarine and other butter substitutes, including altered or renovated butter
Plumage and skins of wild birds
France
Imitation pearls containing lead salts and any articles of jewelry made with pearls of this type
Feeding bottles
Measuring instruments marked in units not complying with French law
Cote de Ivoire
Articles bearing the Red Cross or Geneva Cross as a trademark
Cyprus
Leeches and silkworms
Czech Republic
Chain letter items
Denmark
Almanacs (except for single copies) that do not bear the University almanac stamp
Ecuador
All maps showing the territory of Ecuador with incorrect boundaries
Leather shoes in general; cloth and rubber shoes
So-called "Panama" and "Mocora" hats and the straw used for making them
Eritrea
Matches of white phosphorus
Taiwan
Coins over one hundred years old
Extracts, essences, and concentrates of tea
Republic of Georgia
Bees, leeches, silkworms, and parasites
Germany
Absinthe
Melatonin
Playing cards, except in complete decks properly wrapped.
Pulverized coca beans.
Guatemala
Gardenia plants and seeds.
Police whistles.
Powder of all kinds.
Telegraphic apparatus.
Jordan
Essences and oils for use in making adulterated or imitated beverages
Iceland
Toys made of lead
Iran
Fashion newspapers
Musical instruments
Sugar, brown sugar
Iraq
Binoculars
Israel
Blank invoices with headings
Organic fertilizers
Soil and sand
Italy
Albums of any kind (of photographs, postcards, postage stamps, etc.)
Artificial flowers and fruits and accessories for them
Bells and other musical instruments and parts thereof
Clocks and supplies for clocks
Coral mounted in any way
Ether and chloroform
Exposed photographic and cinematographic films
Footwear of any kind.
Nutmeg, vanilla; sea salt, rock salt; saffron
Parasites and predators of harmful insects
Perfumery goods of all kinds (except soap)
Ribbons for typewriters
Roasted or ground coffee and its substitutes; roasted chicory
Kazakhstan
Deer horns, hooves, and antlers
South Korea
Salt
Latvia
Hyacinth bulb, carnation and chrysanthemum seedling and cuttings, seeds of leguminous plants and seeds in quarantine
Lebanon
Artificial butters and adulterated or harmful products
Lesotho
Eau de cologne
Liechtenstein
Radar detectors
Madagascar
Boxes of preserved sardines weighing more than 1 kilogram
Malawi
Aphrodisiacs
Nepal
Cinnamon
Cloves
Panama
Fatty, liquid, or easily liquefiable substances
Sweetmeats and pastries
Paraguay
Batteries
Plastic toys
Stocking and socks except those made of jersey
Suitcases; leather bags
Tanzania
Japanese shaving brushes
Peru
Accessories and personal items
Artificial flowers and interior ornaments
Ceramic products and imitation jewelry
Clothing, accessories, and underwear
Electrical household appliances
Footwear, shoes, boots, and accessories
Furs and clothing made of fur
Gloves and hosiery
Textiles and carpets
Toys and dolls of all kinds
Waxes and creams for shoes
Wooden utensils
Russia
Color copiers
Sudan
Unginned cotton
Ukraine
Articles of cultural value (works of art, collectors' pieces, and antiques)
Vietnam
Invisible ink, codes, cyphers, symbols or other types of secret correspondence, and shorthand notes
Albania
Extravagant clothes and other articles contrary to Albanians' taste
Great Britan & Northern Ireland
Horror comics and matrices
Seal skins except those from an accepted source
Algeria
Canned vegetables, fish, plums and nuts
Funeral urns
Household articles made of tin
Saccharine in tablets or packets
Spain
Playing cards
India
Consumer electronic items, (except hearing aids and life-saving equipment, apparatus, and appliances and parts thereof)
Angloa
Roulette and other apparatus for games
Argentina
Furs and skins of chinchillas and vicunas
Armenia
Food that spoils easily
Australia
Fruit cartons (used or new)
Goods bearing the name "Anzac
Bahamas
Skimmed milk in tins
Bangladesh
Quinine, colored pink
Mineral waters
Malaysia
Circulars or advertisements containing amulets, charms or talismans
Harpoons and spear guns used for undersea fishing
Botswana
Honey and preparations of honey including royal jelly, preserves sweetened with honey, and flypaper
Brazil
Primary educational books not written in Portuguese
Guyana
Bees and silkworms
Newsprint paper
Bulgaria
"Musical" cards (cards that play a sound recording when opened)
Canada
Oleomargarine and other butter substitutes, including altered or renovated butter
Plumage and skins of wild birds
France
Imitation pearls containing lead salts and any articles of jewelry made with pearls of this type
Feeding bottles
Measuring instruments marked in units not complying with French law
Cote de Ivoire
Articles bearing the Red Cross or Geneva Cross as a trademark
Cyprus
Leeches and silkworms
Czech Republic
Chain letter items
Denmark
Almanacs (except for single copies) that do not bear the University almanac stamp
Ecuador
All maps showing the territory of Ecuador with incorrect boundaries
Leather shoes in general; cloth and rubber shoes
So-called "Panama" and "Mocora" hats and the straw used for making them
Eritrea
Matches of white phosphorus
Taiwan
Coins over one hundred years old
Extracts, essences, and concentrates of tea
Republic of Georgia
Bees, leeches, silkworms, and parasites
Germany
Absinthe
Melatonin
Playing cards, except in complete decks properly wrapped.
Pulverized coca beans.
Guatemala
Gardenia plants and seeds.
Police whistles.
Powder of all kinds.
Telegraphic apparatus.
Jordan
Essences and oils for use in making adulterated or imitated beverages
Iceland
Toys made of lead
Iran
Fashion newspapers
Musical instruments
Sugar, brown sugar
Iraq
Binoculars
Israel
Blank invoices with headings
Organic fertilizers
Soil and sand
Italy
Albums of any kind (of photographs, postcards, postage stamps, etc.)
Artificial flowers and fruits and accessories for them
Bells and other musical instruments and parts thereof
Clocks and supplies for clocks
Coral mounted in any way
Ether and chloroform
Exposed photographic and cinematographic films
Footwear of any kind.
Nutmeg, vanilla; sea salt, rock salt; saffron
Parasites and predators of harmful insects
Perfumery goods of all kinds (except soap)
Ribbons for typewriters
Roasted or ground coffee and its substitutes; roasted chicory
Kazakhstan
Deer horns, hooves, and antlers
South Korea
Salt
Latvia
Hyacinth bulb, carnation and chrysanthemum seedling and cuttings, seeds of leguminous plants and seeds in quarantine
Lebanon
Artificial butters and adulterated or harmful products
Lesotho
Eau de cologne
Liechtenstein
Radar detectors
Madagascar
Boxes of preserved sardines weighing more than 1 kilogram
Malawi
Aphrodisiacs
Nepal
Cinnamon
Cloves
Panama
Fatty, liquid, or easily liquefiable substances
Sweetmeats and pastries
Paraguay
Batteries
Plastic toys
Stocking and socks except those made of jersey
Suitcases; leather bags
Tanzania
Japanese shaving brushes
Peru
Accessories and personal items
Artificial flowers and interior ornaments
Ceramic products and imitation jewelry
Clothing, accessories, and underwear
Electrical household appliances
Footwear, shoes, boots, and accessories
Furs and clothing made of fur
Gloves and hosiery
Textiles and carpets
Toys and dolls of all kinds
Waxes and creams for shoes
Wooden utensils
Russia
Color copiers
Sudan
Unginned cotton
Ukraine
Articles of cultural value (works of art, collectors' pieces, and antiques)
Vietnam
Invisible ink, codes, cyphers, symbols or other types of secret correspondence, and shorthand notes
wish list
1. an office door
2. advance copy of the last harry potter book
3. a sandwich and rice krispie treat from dean & deluca
4. a two week long vacation to london
5. gift certificate to paper source
6. nordstrom rack last call location opening in dallas
7. the business trip to work out
8. a morning at eastern market
9. handwritten note from a long lost friend
10. a legitimate reason to leave early
11. tickets to see mary poppins and wicked again
12. first edition of a severe mercy
13. cookie from ben's in oxford
14. permission to take a nap
16. rasberry pashmina
17. workroom
18. blackberry 8800
19. peppermint pedicure at hyatt hill country
20. meal at lambert's
i'll stop there. does anyone know if santa comes early
Thursday, March 1, 2007
gulp
When You Land the Job Interview, Should the Ring Come Off?
Posted by Sara Schaefer Muñoz
Should women applying for jobs take off their engagement or wedding rings? When we posted about a study that showed employers still screen résumés for mommy status, some Juggle posters said they’d think twice about making a reference to their children in their CVs, and they’d consider slipping off the wedding ring, as well.
I was shocked — until I remembered I had done the same thing with my engagement ring. Several years ago, during my engagement to my husband, I applied to the Journal. On the way to the bureau where I had my interview — in the midst of checking my résumé over dozens of times for typos — I weighed whether or not to remove my ring. On the one hand, I felt ridiculous for even considering it — thinking that in this day and age it shouldn’t matter. On the other hand, I really wanted that job. I had no idea about the office culture and I didn’t want anyone making assumptions — however unreasonable — about my commitment to the position. Before getting on the elevator, I slipped the ring into my pocket.
I can say now I’m sure it wouldn’t have mattered. It turned out that many in the office were married with kids. They sold Girl Scout cookies and discussed Halloween costumes. Editors oohed and aahed over my wedding photos and, later, regaled me with parenting books and name suggestions when I was pregnant. Looking back, I felt that the ring-removal had been absurd.
But the recent comments suggest I wasn’t alone in my concerns. Has any other woman — or man! — considered this? Have you known some employers to flinch when they see a wedding or engagement ring? Or was your decision based upon your own — possibly unfounded — concerns?
Here's where it gets fun, the comments section. I've cut and pasted a few that I found to be the most interesting but you can go here (http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2007/02/27/when-you-land-the-job-interview-should-the-ring-come-off/trackback/ ) to read it all for yourself...
Yep, I take my wedding ring off and substitute a different ring. When I was engaged I took that off. In the cutthroat world of law, you don’t want to give them any excuse.
Comment by Jennifer - February 27, 2007 at 10:12 am
I used to never wear my rings to any interviews, and I actually felt like it hurt me. In my field (law), a lot of employers want to be reassured that you are committed to staying in the city you are living in, particularly if you aren’t originally from the area. Wearing a ring and, if it comes up, letting them know that you have a spouse employed in the same city, seems to reassure them that you’re not planning on going anywhere. For that reason, I keep my ring on during all interviews now.
Comment by Toiler - February 27, 2007 at 11:51 am
*A consideration for some of my friends has been the size of the diamonds in their engagement rings. They may wear a simple band during the interview process, and (especially) for the interview to discuss salary. Once they’ve been hired The Rock comes back out.
Comment by Lisa - February 27, 2007 at 11:55 am
I am a formerly practicing attorney and now a headhunter for lawyers. As a woman, I would like to think that the world has advanced. Unfortunately, some law school contemporaries, now partners in various places have said to me, in unguarded moments, that they still prefer men associates to women because of the whole child rearing issue. Appealing to abstract ideals of gender equality don’t generally work. I do my best to push these guys in the right direction with arguments that clients increasingly require diversity in their attorneys and that one has to take advantage of all available talent, look at a longer term investment horizon when it comes to making hiring decisions. A guy with a wedding ring and a newborn, can sucessfully use that fact to show that, although he has changed jobs a great deal and has a less than conventional resume– now he has settled down and is, for the prospective employer, a good long term investment. A woman, with that same picture, would be regarded as a higher risk of leaving the workplace unless MAYBE she could somehow get into the picture that she had a husband with an unstable income. I have never counseled anyone–whether male or female–to remove their wedding or engagement rings for purposes of an interview. Troubling thought is that maybe I should.
Comment by Talent Scout - February 27, 2007 at 11:58 am
I can understand the apprehension felt by people who have traditionally be discriminated against because of their status. In my opinion it is dishonest to begin a relationship by “flying a false flag”. If the company your interviewing with puts that much stock in you being single they may not be worth working for. You also need to ask yourself, if you’ll take your ring off for an interview what else will you take it off for?
Honesty and integrity are worth more than money or the convenience of the moment.
Comment by Stephen Landes - February 27, 2007 at 12:10 pm
I think that the way a resume reads is more important than what is one your finger. A woman doesn’t go and get an MBA, CFA, CPA, etc. if they plan on becoming a stay at home mom. If they then have children and staying home is what works for their family, then that is another story, but I think you can judge someone’s commitment to a field or job by what they’ve sacrificed to get there.
Comment by KrisP - February 27, 2007 at 4:55 pm
I always thought it best to wear my ring to interviews. To the women it (the nice rock) states I’ve at least accomplished that. To the men it (the rock) states, I’m there to work, I know how to get what I want and I’m off limits. Bottom line, diamond rings get respect. I think both sexes are more comfortable when women have rings..
Comment by MarriedWomen - February 27, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Wow! Fascinating stuff. I can't wait to see how the rest of this thread develops
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