Claudia’s Chapter

The Times says: He’s Happier, She’s Less So September 27, 2007

There’s a new article in the NYTimes regarding the state of happiness among men and women in the US. Apparently there is a funded group of scientists who actually care about our levels of happiness. Scientists if you’re reading this, “Thanks. that’s pretty nice of you”. (…unless of course you’re using your data to ultimately influence us by some machiavellian means…in which case I say “boo to you–scientists.”
The article is titled, “He’s happier, She’s less so”.
Our generation of post-feminists, are really the first group in history to believe that they have the right to do well in school, have successful careers and be parents. Moreover, I think both women and men have agreed that these rights are of course, obvious and inherent.

The trick in it all, is that for the most part men have thought “of course you can do whatever you want” However, there is no rise to action among men to help women have careers. Instead, it’s “if you want to have a career like me, fine. If you want to have a baby with me, then you better be hot and not complain about the housework and childcare. Because those are still your jobs.

Women reading this, based on the testimony of close friends who say things like “if the man just washed a dish it would be a huge turn on” will understand that these observations are not far off.

I’m lucky because my husband was a philosphy major long before he was a software developer. He actually has the emotional capacity to realize that helping me maintain a home from time to time, is not out of his job description, but is instead the enlightened path of someone who actually cares about the emotional well-being of his wife. Further, he seems to realize that the Martha-Stewartization of my home is not part of my job description.
So men out there reading…don’t forget the flowers, don’t forget the poems and chilvary of the past…but if you really want to woo her…just pick up your socks.

Brzezinski: U.S. in danger of ’stampeding’ to war with Iran September 23, 2007

I think the administration, the president and the vice president particularly, are trying to hype the atmosphere, and that is reminiscent of what preceded the war in Iraq,” Brzezinski told CNN’s “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer” Sunday.”
Hype the atmosphere??? Are we about to see another Countdown special on the major networks?  It’s been almost five years, but the image of the “Countdown to Iraq” nonsense with which the major networks delighted in bombarding us still haunt me.

T was just an infant, when the news drifted more rapidly from objective reporting to a carnival-like presentation.  Newscasters seemed almost giddy at the prospect of a war on which to report.  In early 2003, I was still ripe with the emotions that coincide with new motherhood, and at the time the prospect of a war, any war, was somehow even more horrifying to me then.  I felt disgusted as I realized that the zeal of newscasters was akin to the ancient Roman crowds lustfully watching the fights of gladiators.

T is now 4 and I realizethat while he has no idea what war is, and it certainly doesn’t impact his little life at this point, I don’t want him to wake an adult one day and realize that his entire life was shadowed by wars that were avoidable.

Lately, it seems as if our country is stuck in a 1950’s sitcom.  There is the Bush-Cheney administration: the resident bullies.  There are the Democrats, the dim-witted, but well-intentioned ‘good guys’.  When the administration does something sinister, there is no call to action.  There is no dialogue of the dangers of their actions.

Instead, we are often left to whistle as we hear the Democrats virtually shrug and say “Awww shucks…they got us again!”

The Welcome Wagon September 20, 2007

A lovely person from the local welcome wagon rang our bell yesterday.

Considering we’ve been living here for a few months now, I have to admit I was a bit surprised. Of course, if I were running the local welcome wagon, I’m sure everyone would get their “new arrival packages” about one year after arrival.

The woman must have been awkwardly aware that she was a bit tardy, though not unwelcome.

She mentioned that she had tried to come by twice before but we looked busy.

She said, “oh, I came by several weeks ago, but it looked like your husband was working on the house, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

I said, “oh, ok.”

Then she said, “I came by another time, and there were so many toys on the porch, that I assumed you were too busy.”

I said, “Oh, gosh, I’m sorry about that!” (Unreal how I find myself apologizing for such things!) but I continued, “Oh, yes, things are sometimes crazy here. Thank you for coming though.”

T & C came running with delight to the door to see who was there, and what the package might contain.

The welcome wagon woman then said, “Um…how many children do you actually have.”

I said, “Just T &C. They’re 4 and 2.”

She said, “Oh….it really sounded like more than that.”

I know it’s true. we have two high energy, fun boys. Somehow when the suit-clad welcome wagon lady says it, it sounded like an insult though.

Oh well. The package contained a coupon for a free apple pie.

Curious C visits the DRS September 4, 2007

As all companies do, we had a few more forms to fill out at the Department of Revenue Services today. I could have completed them online, but for some reason I have a fear of attempting to do things for the bureacracy without talking to a live person. ( I am fully aware that this falls into the category of “things that are ironic, since I have a web company)
The DRS is just a few miles down the road, so I loaded the kids in the car and we headed into the Gov. building. The employees were kind enough to load the kids up on sugar before showing us the way to our office. While I chatted with the DRS person assisting me, C and T stood on the office’s window sill and watched cars go by.

The window was basically a glass wall, and I had no fear of anyone falling out.

Apparently the security guards on the ground below didn’t like the look of C’s face pushed up against the glass though. (It is possible that he was making “blow-fish” faces)
As I was filling out paperwork, I heard a frantic security guard demand that I remove my child from the window.

Nobody wants to see a “jumper”, let alone a 2 year old one at the DRS on the day after Labor Day.