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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Black Lantern Speculation

Since I was an intern at DC Comics, I was able to get my hands on one of the BLACKEST NIGHT #0's a while ago but I couldn't talk about it. Now that DC's official blog THE SOURCE has released the artwork from it, I can now share my speculations of who I think will rise from the dead in this exciting new event! BLACKEST NIGHT#0 presents each of the new Corps in a very user friendly way that a lot of people, including myself, will find helpful. This chilling rendition of the Black Lantern Corps is fantastic and I believe it offers quite a few answers.

To the left here I have broken down each of the most recognizable hands. Starting from top left to right then to bottom left to right: Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, the Question?, Mirror Master, either Blue Beetle or Elongated Man, Abin Sur, Hawkmn or woman, and Superman from Earth-2. DC has released art that has basically given away that Superman and Aquqman are coming back, but what about the rest?

Abin Sur would be the ultimate baddy to line up against Hal and the white glove with the black sleeve really drives it home. I personally would love to see the question return since I have always been a big fan of Vic Sage's alter ego and he is someone (like Sur) who people won't see coming. Of course these are only a few of many dead DC characters who could show up in this event. But only time will tell. Sound off with your speculations.

The Rise And Fall of An American Hero

Recently I was watching The Chelsea Lately show which, I don't care what you nay sayers think, I find it to be hilarious. Maybe its because she is such a bitch, maybe it is her exploitation of her resident midget Chuy. I just like it. But the thing that caught my eye was the fallen-through-the-cracks comedian Carrot Top as one of her comedic panel. Where I should have been paying attention to the commentary I couldn't help but feel uneasy. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry and I couldn't help but feel scared for my life.

What happened to that guy? He barely spoke the entire time, seemingly lost without his box of one-liner props. He just kept eying up Chuy like he was going to eat him. I mean, this funny man I found hilarious when I was younger is now reduced to this picture on the left.

What the shit? This isn't the happy go lucky comedian of yesteryear. This is a middle aged woman juicin' up everyday before she gets her Botox injections. VH1's special on plastic surgery pointed out the extent his eyebrows have risen over the years which leaves me having to ask why, Carrot Top? What was so wrong in your life that something out of your box-o-tricks couldn't remedy? But I don't blame you, I blame our society. We did this to you. We shunned you when you needed us, we turned our backs on your routine, we subjected you to criticism, and we forced you to take any gig you can get ala The Chelsea Lately Show.

So let me say sorry Carrot Top. I'm sorry that your face looks like you have been rubbing meat salt on it for the past decade. I'm sorry you always look like you are half surprised and half psychotic. And I'm sorry your balls are the size of peanuts due to the steroids. America owes you an apology. Just please, think of the children. You are spiraling down a path of no return. Stop yourself before it is too late. Stop before you become nothing more than this:

Scary, huh? Pictures complements of Mike Dejoy.

Gotta Get Get

It almost seem as if I shouldn't post these so called "lyrics" at all, but this is something I need to address (especially to follow the Creed post).

This is currently the #1 song in America.

Gotta get-get, gotta get-get
Gotta get-get, gotta g-g-g-get-get-get, get-get

Boom boom boom, gotta get-get
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get

Boom boom boom, now
Boom boom boom, now
Boom boom pow
Boom boom

Yo, I got that hit that beat the block
You can get that bass overload
I got the that rock and roll
That future flow

That digital spit
Next level visual shit
I got that boom boom pow
How the beat bang, boom boom pow

I like that boom boom pow
Them chickens jackin' my style
They try copy my swagger
I'm on that next shit now

I'm so 3008
You so 2000 and late
I got that boom, boom, boom
That future boom, boom, boom
Let me get it now

Boom boom boom, gotta get-get
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get

Boom boom boom, now
Boom boom boom, now
Boom boom pow
Boom boom pow

I'm on the supersonic boom
Y'all hear the spaceship zoom
When, when I step inside the room
Them girls go ape-shit, uh

Y'all stuck on Super 8 shit
That low-fi stupid 8 bit
I'm on that HD flat
This beat go boom boom bap

I'm a beast when you turn me on
Into the future cybertron
Harder, faster, better, stronger
Sexy ladies extra longer

'Cause we got the beat that bounce
We got the beat that pound
We got the beat that 808
That the boom, boom in your town

People in the place
If you wanna get down
Put your hands in the air drop the beat now

Yup, yup
I be rockin' them beats, yup, yup
I be rockin' them beats, y-y-yup, yup

Here we go, here we go, satellite radio
Y'all gettin' hit with boom boom
Beats so big I'm steppin' on leprechauns
Shittin' on y'all with the boom boom

Shittin' on y'all you with the boom boom
Shittin' on y'all you with the

This beat be bumpin', bumpin'
This beat go boom, boom

Let the beat rock
Let the beat rock
Let the beat rock

This beat be bumpin', bumpin'
This beat go boom, boom

I like that boom boom pow
Them chickens jackin' my style
They try copy my swagger
I'm on that next shit now

I'm so 3008
You so 2000 and late
I got that boom boom boom
That future boom boom boom
Let me get it now

Boom boom boom, gotta get-get
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get

Boom boom boom, now
Boom boom boom, now
Boom boom pow
Boom boom pow

Let the beat rock
(Let the beat rock)
Let the beat rock
(Let the beat)
Let the beat
(Let the beat rock, rock, rock, rock)

So let's break this down. Fergie and Will I. Am are trying to tell us that they play music and that music has beats. I also think there's some assertion in there as to them being better than you. Also it is important to note, boom boom pow.
I could go on but these lyrics speak for themselves

Rack Review: 4/29/09

Superman #687

As a fan of Superman since I was little kid, I am very critical of how different writers represent him in their stints on his books. When Robinson took over, I couldn't help but feel that there was something off with his voice for the Man of Steel. So the fact that Superman has left Earth for NEW KRYPTON is almost like a breath of fresh air and a clean slate for Robinson to maybe find his grove. In this issue is jam packed but mostly with set ups. Everyone seems to be eying up Mon-El, the new protector of Metropolis. We get glimpses of General Lane, Toyman and Parasite but not much more.

The focus of the issue is the Guardian and his management of the Science Police which isn't the most exciting thing to behold. Yet, I can't help but get excited for the things to come. I just hope Robinson doesn't let down like he did with WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON. One highlight though is Renato Guedes' pencils are smooth and well choreographed as always. The only gripe I have with the art is David Curiel's coloring. Ever since this creative team took over, I can't help but feel like the colors are watered down or washed out. Like the entire book is bathed in a blue tint ala Minority Report. It worked there in the future, but not here. Score: C

Green Lantern #40

I have been waiting for story arc as soon as we saw the greedy hands groping the orange power battery in the beautiful and explanatory splash page of the SINESTRO CORPS WAR. So, when Agent Orange Larfleeze finally made his debut, I could not have been happier. Johns has created in this character a truly unique Corps set apart from the rest. And its a good thing because it was getting a bit repetitive - but still very cool. In this issue the Guardians have decreed that the Vega System and home to Agent Orange is no longer off limits. We still do not know exactly why they left the Vega System to Larfleeze and the other scum of the galaxy but I assume we'll find out soon enough.

Still torn asunder by the Blue Lantern ring, Hal Jordan's inner struggle is one of the more interesting things to happen to our hero as of late. The fact that hope and will go so hand in hand is interesting seeing that manifest itself physically. I just don't exactly think Hal being part of three different Lantern Corps in three consecutive issues is the exact pacing Johns should be going for. Philip Tan's pencils are for the most part solid but I think I am spoiled by Ivan Reis. Where Tan's art shines the more complex the panel is, his facial renders leave something to be desired. Yet, his Orange Lantern work is terrifying leaving me wanting more. He captures the stolen and twisted identities of the dead Lanterns so beautifully and regurgitates them as greedy shadows of their former selves. His best splash is the last page where we finally see Larfleeze who wants Jordan's Blue ring.

I'm loving this story arc for the genuine unique feel the Orange Corps has. I hope this new threat has a nice long stay in the DC Universe. Score: A

Legion of 3 Worlds #4

After a very long delay, issue 4 has finally been released and it worth the wait. I have always been a fan of Johns' arc for Superboy Prime. His descent into madness wasn't the most convincing but Prime's lunacy has been firmly established time and time again within DC's big events. He is the reason I started reading this story, though Johns' is what keeps me coming back.

First off, each issue of this series has been jam packed with characters, action and story making these over sized issues worth every cent of the $3.99 tag. But this issue in particular delivers one reveal after the other making it the strongest of the series yet. Comprised mainly of one giant battle between Prime and the Legionnaires of the future, George Perez demonstrates his uncanny ability to balance action and story with his beautifully rendered and unfathomably epic fight scenes.

We finally get some answers in terms of Kid Flash which with the release of FLASH: REBIRTH left a lot of readers asking WTF. At least now we have something to satiate our appetite. If you haven't read any of the Legion of 3 Worlds, you are a fool. Johns' encyclopedic knowledge of the DCU is stunning and his balance of decades worth of characters and stories is beyond comparison. Go get the rest of the series just so you can read this, for not only is it visual stunning, but it also has the return of some familiar faces. I'll leave you with that. Score: A+

Monday, April 27, 2009

Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride... and Creed.

Creed (or avarice, covetousness) is, like most sins, a destroyer of grace. The band represents everything that is wrong with our society and brings its audience "six feet from the edge" of an untimely suicide with every listen. It was of great circumstances that June 2004 delivered us the breakup of Scott Stapp's musical crime.

Today, it is with a heavy tear in my eye that I can confirm Creed's inevitable reunion into the world of music. Not only has the band assured the world that their first album in over six years is on its way, they have also released the dates of a reunion tour kicking off on August 6th and wrapping on the 14th of October. While this poses no immediate threat to the average music fan, there have been numerous reports suggesting the possibility of radio air time for Stapp and friend's upcoming singles. This could raise the danger of Creed's reunion from a minor annoyance to the severity of a global pandemic.

China, Russia and Ukraine were among countries banning imports of 2 of Creed's 3 albums, ("My Own Prison" and "Human Clay") from Mexico and three U.S. states that have reported Creed inspired suicide cases, while other countries, such as Indonesia, banned all post-grunge music.
Check out this funny DCU parody brought to you by the fine folks at COLLEGE HUMOR. What would happened when Batman takes over for Superman for the first time? Enjoy! --

In leu of the release of J.C.V.D. on DVD tomorrow, here is a review I wrote of the film after I went to see it at the Angelika Film Center with my friend Mike Dejoy where he was suppose to have Q & A afterwards but canceled because his dogs were sick. I was going to ask him if he thought there should be a HARD TARGET channel. I think there should be. --

I went into J.C.V.D with all the prepubescent memories of the action heroes of yesteryear; nostalgic roundhouse kicks, horrible dialogue, overdone explosions, one-liners and all. A time where the movie industry churned out the same movie a hundred different ways with the likes of Schwarzenegger, Stalone, and Van Damme in the spotlight. These action movies seem set aside from Hollywood history, not as bad films per say but as their own separate entity where critics and nay-sayers alike had no power to quell the insatiable appetite of young movie goers. A time where this trinity of subpar actors ruled the box offices with their muscles and gun toting charisma. Not that I was expecting J.C.V.D to be one of these films, but it is almost impossible not to be reminded of the better days of mindless entertainment when the film's title is the initials of the King of High Kicking, Jean Claude Van Damme. I was expecting something I have never seen before, something of a reinvention of an American, French, or more importantly, world icon. Which is exactly what I got.

J.C.V.D. is not a Jean Claude Van Damme movie whatsoever, no more than its namesake. There are no drawn out fight scenes, no car chases, and certainly no bad one-liners. Instead, the film is a hybrid, a meta-film, going beyond documentary, mocumentary, or full blown narrative. If I were to categorize it as anything, it would be a documentary of a mocumentary since it isn't afraid to break the fourth wall and does so on many occasions. The narrative is broken up, flipping back and forth if not only for the element of short lived mystery. It is not a character study since Van Damme is almost too well known for that, rather it is reenactment of his life dramatized for Hollywood. It doesn't matter if the story is true or not, the important thing is that Van Damme makes it real. Obviously drawing from his real life experiences, he pours his heart into his cinematic counterpart and proves to the world that he can flex his acting muscles just as well as he can flex his biceps, if not better now in his old age. Van Damme humanizes himself in a way that we have never seen. In a power and telling scene where Van Damme literally is lifted above the fourth wall, he explains to the camera his inglorious life and career, full or mistakes, drugs, and heartbreak. It brings a heart to those action films of yesteryear, of a past where things were simpler and a present where retrospection, as well as introspection, only leads to heartache.

This film speaks about the power of the celebrity and the quick to judge public. It brings to light the blood thirsty court system once it has a celebrity to make it famous. And it shows that not all of these superstars are the personalities we see on film. That they are normal people thrust into extraordinary situations with nothing to do but buckle under the pressure of the public. But beyond the serious nature of J.C.V.D. there are plenty of easter eggs to be found for those pure action fan boys. References to all of his previous work and signature high kicks are spread throughout the film that give it it's humor while the performances and solid writing attribute to many laughs as well.

The opening sequence of J.C.V.D. perfectly captures the message it is broadcasting to our time. It features an action sequence where Van Damme is out of breath and sloppily taking out soldiers while the stunt men and actors alike exhibit their heartless effort for a pay check in the film industry while the director throws darts at a picture of Hollywood. It lacks all the magic of his work while accentuating the cheesiness to a point where the fake film is a mirror image of the action industry today. And as Van Damme tries to catch his breath and lobby for a better film, he can only walk away in disgust of what his beloved career has become. J.C.V.D. is a film that knows what it is and what it is trying to say. Yet it somehow goes beyond that to become something more. It breaks down and then raises up one of the most famous action stars of all time only to show him in one of his best roles. Himself. It is not a tribute to those days gone by where I would rent six Van Damme movies and watch the rest of the afternoon away, it is more. It is a fun, funny, entertaining, and a damn good film. One thing is for sure, I will never look at Van Damme the same way again, and that is a great thing.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Rack Review: 4/22/09

Detective Comics #853

In the unfathomably confusing and mysterious epic that was FINAL CRISIS, Grant Morrison capitalized on some things that he had promised, especially with the BATMAN RIP arc. One being, he killed Batman. Yeah, caught one of Darkseid's Omega Beam to the head. Dead instantly, not a pretty sight. Though, it ended with a rather ambiguous shot of, presumably, Bruce Wayne drawing on cave walls, thousands of years in the past.

So in the vacant titles of Batman and Detective Comics, we have been given a surreal and touching look at the Dark Knight's heroic past. In this second and final part of the WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? story, Neil Gaiman (writer of Vertigo flagship SANDMAN) crafts a moving masterpiece our retrospection and introspection.

Where the first chapter left off with different version of Batman's death being told by his enemies and friends alike - all at his funeral - this chapter picks up with other heroes paying their last respects. Presenting Batman through the ages, Gaiman pulls at the heart strings of fanboys like me with heart wrenching delicacy. I have to say that Andy Kubert's work really shines through when presenting each character from each different era. Together, Gaiman and Kubert hit their stride and without giving too much away, deliver an instant classic that will surely be placed next to Alan Moore's Superman Farewell story WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW? The last three pages are fantastic and are worth the price alone.
Score: A

Supergirl #40

Ever since Sterling Gates has taken over SUPERGIRL, I have eagerly anticipated each issue that has come out. Supergirl has always been a thorn in my side as a Superman fan (as is Krypto the dog). I never took her seriously or even gave her much thought until Geoff Johns' BRAINIAC storyline in ACTION COMICS, albeit it was a small role. Suddenly, I felt for her, cared about her and soon found myself welcoming her as one of the books I read every month! Somehow when I read Supergirl I feel like the world of Superman is bigger. Probably because in Action Comics and Superman, the title hero is the biggest of them all. With Supergirl there is room to breath and stretch and get ready, especially with the grove Gates is hitting.

Supergirl #40 in particular is wonderfully enjoyable due in part to the lighter mood it seems to take. I hate to use the word swashbuckling but the fight scenes with Reactron were extremely fun to read and had a very humorous sense of timing. Gates is crafting a fitting mystery in the WHO IS SUPERWOMAN storyline and this issue is by far the best yet. Its jam packed with action, twists and turns, and an ending you won't see coming. Please, do yourself a favor and check this book out. Score: B +

The Walking Dead #60

Each issue of THE WALKING DEAD is like a piece of a TV show, the months in between are the commercials. There are never splash pages with the title and creators - Kirkman you rock! It picks up where the last issue (commercial break) left off eventually building and building to a cliff hanger. It is also a series not afraid to change things. The characters 5 years ago are recognizable to the characters they are now. The main character is missing his frickin hand! Issue 60 furthers the concept of these zombie "herds" we've been told about. At first it sounds a little silly but Adlard's chillingly epic work here drives home the gravitas of this phenomenon. Basically, what is one big chase scene, becomes a desperate race for the survivor's lives while Kirkman peppers it with his soap opera character decision making that I enjoy so much. The only problem, like with LOST, I have been spoiled with big twists and holy sh!t moments. Still, 60 is a milestone for the series that maintains such a high level of quality and entertainment. Score: B

Early Christmas?

I gave up on Santa Claus a long time ago...until last night. I don't have a chimney here in L.A. so the fatass just came knocking on my sliding glass door. He was hopped up on Peppermint Schnapps and had some bits of chicken wing in his beard. He was quite unkempt, it being the offseason and all, but it was cool to see him.
"What the hell, old man?" I said to him as he sat down at my computer, typing into my address bar.
"I know it's only April, but you gotta see this. Consider it an early Christmas present from me."
Then Santa brought up this video, one of about 70.

As I watched while Santa used my sink as a toilet I just sat in sheer amazement. This was truly the greatest Christmas present anyone could possibly give or get. Thank you Santa.

P.S. Not a great surprise that after I enjoyed this man's videos and life couldn't get any better, we found this.

Bioshock Movie On Hold: A Good Thing?

Being a movie buff and a video gamer, I have always been disappointed with lack of quality in video game to movie adaptations. And yesterday, it was announced that director Gore Verbinski's BIOSHOCK adaptation is now put on hold while they try to quell the rising budget which was reportedly $160 mil. I can't help but think that maybe this is a good thing.

I believe that video games are the ultimate melding of multiple entertainment mediums - in game movies, interaction, music, experience - and could very much revolutionize the entertainment world one day. Slowly, games have become more cinematic and their stories more moving (a great example is the Metal Gear Solid series, my absolute FAVORITE!) But once, the movie aspect is removed from the film and crafted into its own entity, it loses something along the way.

The problem? A few things. One is the writers are Hollywood, most have never played the games they are making which demonstrates a lack of commitment and respect for the games as a work of their own. The end result is a petition to get signatures asking a director to never make another film again (take that Uwe Boll!). Two, is Hollywood itself. Too often is the studio dipping into a game license with a pre-established fan base so that they are guaranteed to make money off the die hard fans of said game. Instead of taking the time and money to make a good, or at least passable, film, they only see dollar signs leaving us gamers angry and disappointed.

Now Gore Verbinski at least has some talent to put a good film together if you think of the first Pirates of the Caribbean and try to forget the rest. I just don't know if his directing style is right for BIOSHOCK. The game's story and design is groundbreakingly unique. Set in an underwater city called Rapture, we (the hero) are forced to fight a plasmid crazed population of psychopaths and old-school-deep-sea-diving-look-alikes called Big Daddy's who protect ADAM collecting Little Sisters. Its terrifying, thrilling, grotesque, depressing, dark, visionary, and a heck of a lot of fun! I just feel that it is too serious for Verbinski's style. But I could and would love to be proven wrong.

So is it a good thing that BIOSHOCK might be lost in developement hell from whence it may not return? I think so. We always have the games, untainted by the greedy hands of Hollywood. Maybe one day they will take video game movies seriously. I did like MORTAL KOMBAT though.

First Blackest Night Art!

For those of you who don't know, I am a huge fan of Green Lantern. All star comic book writer Geoff Johns has been behind the hugely successful and consistently amazing run of the Green Lantern series. From the reintroduction of Hal Jordan in Rebirth to the action packed epic of The Sinestro Corps War, Johns has been slowly laying the groundwork for one of the most anticipated comic book events of the year, if not the decade - BLACKEST NIGHT.

Johns has subtly and carefully hinted at the coming storm that not only the Green Lanterns will face, but the entirety of the DC Universe stable of heroes. With the Sinestro Corps War it was revealed that there were multiple Corps from the color spectrum all correlating to a specific emotion: Yellow/Fear, Red/Rage, Blue/Hope, Indigo/Compassion, Green/Willpower, Orange/Avarice and Violet/Love. With the end of Sinestro Corps War we saw the formation of the BLACK POWER BATTERY which will give birth to the Black Lanterns with the tagline - The dead will rise... In more recent years the other Corps have made their presence known, most recently with the Agent Orange storyline featuring the greedy sole Orange Corps member Larfleeze. I for one think that the introduction of each Corps through both Johns' Green Lantern and Peter Tomasi's Green Lanter Corps has been phenominal. Both books truly have been some of the best books on the rack for quite some time and have not, and I think will not, miss a beat in the saga to come.

As opposed to Marvel's MARVEL ZOMBIE run, BLACKEST NIGHT brings a legitamit reason for the walking dead. With Marvel the story it was just a "What If" senario and nothing more. Being a fan of zombies myself, I can not wait for this event. Especially with tons of dead DC characters who I would love to see rise from their graves: Martian Manhunter, Batman, Aquaman...oh yeah, Batman is dead in comics, or presumed dead. Did you know that?

So here, courtesy of the official DC COMICS BLOG - THE SOURCE, is the first art work released from Blackest Night by the awe inspiring Ivan Reis. Enjoy! And if you are a comics fan, be sure to check out this awesome event come July. And be sure to check in, I'll be all over dat shit.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

First Blog Ever!

That's it.

It happened. After years of learning about it in school, hearing about how the other kids have been doing it, looking them up on the internet with a bottle of lube, and seeing blogs at parties and getting them really drunk to the point that I might get some action, it has finally happened. My proverbial blogging cherry has been popped, and let me tell you, it feels good.

Welcome to THE FUTURE MACHINE! The blogspot for everything movies, TV, video games, and comic books. Everyday the MACHINE will be turning out reviews, opinions, articles, and thoughts on any and all things from the entertainment world. Together we will journey deep into the underbelly of the movie business, ascend to the highest peaks of absurdity, go where no man has gone before on the internet, and rent VHS tapes, watch them and then not rewind them on purpose. Its going to be rough, its going to be dangerous, and its going to be sticky. So buckle your seat belt because am we're approaching 88 mph and where we're going, we don't need roads.

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Aiming high | Investment banking on The Gateway

Aiming high

Clair Woodman, Chief Operating Officer at Morgan Stanley, talks about what it takes to reach the top

Could you explain what exactly a Chief Operating Officer does?

Before I took on this role I spoke to a number of people about it and everyone had a different sense of what a COO's role was. I think it is determined by the organisation that you operate within. My role is very much focused on business integration and business performance. That means analysing business units, expenses, revenues, looking at new business opportunities and performing country reviews to see how we're doing in different regions.

What exactly do you mean by "business integration"?

As a client-centred firm, at its most basic, it means ensuring that our clients are well served by all parts of the firm. So for example, on a large transaction, which may involve one area of the bank in capital raising, if we ascertain that a client might need help in other areas then other parts of the institution are brought in. It's about making sure we provide a full, seamless service to the client.

Do you think there are enough women at the top of the financial service industry?

There definitely could be wider representation at higher levels in the financial services industry. That's a broad issue for the whole industry that needs to be dealt with. At Morgan Stanley, we're fortunate in that we have a number of high profile women in senior positions. Our Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat, for example, who was formerly chairman of our financial institutions group, is a hugely respected investment banker. We also have our head of our China business, Wei Christianson. There are also a number of women in high profile positions in the Firm - from our retail brokerage business to our global head of derivatives operations to our EMEA co-General-Counsel. We're lucky to have these senior role models.

So how was this achieved?

Of course, we actively recruit women, both at an analyst level and when we make lateral hires. We're always looking for top female talent. We put a great deal of effort into developing the careers of junior women. There are numerous programmes that help us do this. For example, we run a mentoring programme for women. We have some specialist leadership and training programmes, which have been extremely well received. We also have a very extensive women's network, which women in all areas and at all levels of the firm access and run. We have regular events where we get high profile women to come and talk to the women's network. For example, Kelly Holmes came in to give a presentation. We actively work with other institutions and participate in a number of City-wide programmes to help women develop networking skills. They're all based around training and education.

It's not just about increasing the number of women at a senior level, although that's very important. It's also about retaining them and supporting them through their career. Ruth Porat, for example, has been at the firm for 22 years. Morgan Stanley is a meritocracy. The path to the top is open to anyone who is good enough and willing to put the effort in, whether they're male or female. Of course, we work pretty hard to accommodate people. There's also an emphasis on work-life balance throughout the firm and a strong desire to recognise the needs of all employees - men and women.

Do you think there's a challenge in attracting women into the financial services industry? Is it still perceived as a male-dominated environment?

Judging by the number of women we see when we visit universities for careers fairs, I would say not. If you go to universities and talk to undergraduates, men and women, they are focused on finding the best jobs. They're asking questions like: "Where would be a fun place to work? Where can I find a well-paid job?" You'll find banking features pretty high up on that list. They're often highly motivated and they form opinions quickly on which parts of the bank they would like to work in. Sales and trading, asset management, and private wealth management are all popular but the area where I get the most questions from students is investment banking. The challenge of getting more women to the top of the financial services industry is not about dispelling a myth, because actually young women at universities are interested and well-informed. It's about making sure that as an employer we're flexible enough to enable them to manage their careers and that we provide them with all the proper support and opportunities.

You yourself began your career at Clifford Chance. How do the two professions, law and financial services, compare?

In my time at Clifford Chance I worked with investment banks as clients, so I've always had a strong focus on the financial services industry. The demands and the challenges you face as a lawyer working on a big M&A transaction for a client are really no different from what you'd experience working within an active financial institution. The rewards of the two professions are not dissimilar in terms of the sheer range of opportunities available to you, the variety of work within the institutions and the opportunities to travel and work abroad.

The reason why I enjoy working in a financial institution is that you're closer to the transaction, closer to the commercial decision-making. If you're advising on the deal as a lawyer or accountant then you're often slightly more removed. In the current changing regulatory environment, it's proved useful having a legal background. Many of the senior people within the bank have accounting and legal qualifications.

Do you have any advice for students?

If you want to be successful in the financial services industry then you have to work hard, so you need to pick something that you actually enjoy doing. It's your hard work, determination and enjoyment in what you do that will take you where you want to be.

Is now a good time to join the financial services industry?

The financial services industry is going through a period of transition and enormous change, and that's exciting. It shouldn't be something that puts anyone off. If you join now you have the chance to shape the future of the industry.

Related Posts

Morgan Stanley: the graduate diaries 2013

Two analysts offer readers of The Gateway regular updates on how their working lives are going


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Contact Info

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So you have a few questions. Great! We love hearing from our friends. Want help with family history research? Have a specific question about your search? Need advice or tips on where to search next? If you answered yes, then contact us today!

We really can help!...So what's the catch? There is no catch. I really have helped people from all over the United States and I'm sure I can help you too. If not I will let you know straight out (no beating around the bush here folks). I have helped with everything from adoption research to finding long lost relatives and more.

Some people know alot about their family when they contact me and others know very little, but we take them one by one on a case by case basis and do all we can to answer your questions or help in your search if needed. And we do it as quickly as possible. We know you're anxious and who wants to wait forever to get answers? I don't...Next question, is it going to cost you an arm and a leg? No, it's not.

I know, I know, I too have seen those research sites that charge unheard of prices for research, but not here...Here we simply ask that you Donate. We help you and you help us its as simple as that. No astronomical fees, no mortgaging your home to pay for research help. Just a simple Donation. Your donation allows us to be able to continue helping others just like yourself without having to sacrifice quality or service.

How does it work? Well first simply send us an email and tell us a little bit about what you are searching for. We will send you an email reply requesting information as needed and we go from there. When we have the information you seek, we email you that your information is ready. You donate to our site and are emailed your results. It really is that easy! Your information is kept confidential and payments are secure. And we have a satisfaction guarantee! If you are not satisfied with the work we put into the research we will make it right (within reason). You can't go wrong with Genealogy Mom so if you need help, lets get started today! Email


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Solving the “Energy Crisis” with Magnetic Motors

Do magnetic motors really work? Many skeptics don’t think it is possible to build a motor that runs on only the energy of magnets. However, a lot of free energy fanatics believe it is possible. Within the last decade, many inventors tried to build their own working magnetic motor, but most of them failed due to a bad design or a lack of fund. Even though most inventors have failed, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t some inventors who were successful at building a working magnetic motor.

What is a magnetic motor?

A magnetic motor or magnet motor is a type of “free energy” generator that relies on the power of magnets to generate cheap energy without the use of any type of fuel. Because of this feature, if built correctly, magnetic motors can help solve the “energy crisis.” Most magnet motors have five primary parts, which are magnets, gears, a rotating disk, a fixed disk, and a shaft. For a magnetic motor to work properly, the magnets must be placed in the right position and the spacing between them has to be very precise.

The next two paragraphs explain one of the ways to transform magnetic energy into mechanical energy using a magnet motor. The content is extracted from

Think of two powerful magnets. One fixed plate over rotating disk with North side parallel to disk surface, and other on the rotating plate connected to small gear G1. If the magnet over gear G1’s north side is parallel to that of which is over Rotating disk then they both will repel each other. Now the magnet over the left disk will try to rotate the disk below in (think) clock-wise direction.

Now there is another magnet at 30 angular distance on Rotating Disk on both side of the magnet M1. Now the large gear G0 is connected directly to Rotating disk with a rod. So after repulsion if Rotating-Disk rotates it will rotate the gear G0 which is connected to gear G1. So the magnet over G1 rotate in the direction perpendicular to that of fixed-disk surface.

If you are confused after reading the two paragraphs above, don’t feel bad. Without looking at the blueprint of the magnetic motor, it is hard to visualize what the two paragraphs are trying to convey.

Why magnetic motors can help solve the “energy crisis”

There is no doubt that magnets can be used to generate clean and cheap energy, because magnets have a magnetic field that has the ability to push or pull. When utilized properly, the magnetic field of magnets can be used to help create mechanical energy. However, using magnets to turn a shaft of a motor isn’t that simple. Fortunately, there are some very intelligent inventors who have been working hard for decades to solve this problem.

Depending on the size and complexity of a magnet motor, it can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to well over $2,000 to purchase. The good news is that with the right information and tools, anyone can build a magnetic motor and thus saving them labor costs. Once this “free energy” technology is widely used, its cost should dramatically decrease.

One of the best features of magnetic motors is that they don’t need fossil fuel to operate. Plus, the energy they generate is clean and almost free. In other words, once you purchase and install a magnetic motor in your home, you can leave the light on all day and all night without worrying about paying another dime on your electricity bill. Furthermore, a well built magnet motor is small enough to fit a closet and can last for many years. These features of magnetic motors are the reasons why magnetic motors can help solve the “energy crisis.”

Here are some short videos showing magnetic motors in action. I haven’t personally tested these “free energy” generators so I don’t know how well they work. For more visual evidence of exotic energy technologies, read this article titled Five “Free Energy” Devices that Could Save You Thousands of Dollars.

Perpetual Motion Machine

Muammer Yildiz Magnet Motor Demo at Delft University

Surge Tech – Magnetic Motor

Magnetic Machine which Produces Endless Mechanical and Electrical Energy

PL Chang (Energy Fanatics)


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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Grants To Build and Protect Hiking Trails

From The Foundation Center...

Hiking Society Seeks Applications for Trail Grants

Deadline: August 15, 2008

The American Hiking Society ( )
2009 National Trails Fund is open for applications. The National Trails Fund is the only privately funded, national grants pro- gram dedicated solely to building and protecting hiking trails.
Now in its eighth year, the fund has awarded nearly $382,000 to 105 grassroots organizations all over the United States working to establish, protect, and maintain foot trails in America.

American Hiking will be awarding two different types of National Trail Fund grants in 2009: 1) American Hiking Society Trail Grants, which will range from $500-$4,999 each; and 2) Nature Valley Trail Grants, which will be for $5,000 each. Twenty app- licant organizations for the Nature Valley Trail Grants will be selected as prospective grant recipients and will be featured on Nature Valley's Web site ( ). Nature Valley Trail Grant award winners will be chosen by public vote from October 1 through 31, 2008. The top ten projects will each receive $5,000.

Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Projects that will be considered for the 2009 grants are as follows: projects that have hikers as the primary constituency, though multi- ple human-powered trail uses are eligible; projects that secure trail lands, including acquisition of trails and trail corridors and the costs associated with acquiring conservation easements; projects that result in visible and substantial ease of access, improved hiker safety, and/or avoidance of environmental damage; and projects that promote constituency building surrounding specific trail projects -- including volunteer recruitment and support.

Visit the American Hiking Society Web site for complete program guidelines and the online application system.

RFP Link:

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Thursday, July 7, 2011

Did I ever tell you how blessed I am? Truly?

I had a pretty rough day yesterday. Morning sickness kicked me flat on my butt. Not only that but a couple hours after lunch the feeling to hurl was overwhelming. I couldn't take it, and for the first time this entire pregnancy, I got sick. Not a fun feeling. :S

Not only this, but I had the worst migraine to date. Whew it was a doozey. I'm trying my hardest to struggle through these. I really don't want to take medicine that's unnecessary. Even though they claim tylenol is safe during pregnancy, it still worries me. So I try really hard not to take it.

Anyway, Luke came home to a dirty house again. I felt really bad. I really did. I had completely intended to get up that day, do the dishes, finish the laundry, even take out the trash. But I just couldn't.

What does this man do? He comes home..and cleans. I'm so thankful for a loving, supportive husband. He really has been amazing these last three months.

God has truly blessed me, not only with this wonderful man, but with these two little angels too. :)

  1. You have such a good husband! Kudos to him! Kudos to you for suffering for your precious babies!


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Confused. When does Summer begin?

By The Helpful Engineer / On / In Technical & Discussion

DaffodilsThe days are getting longer and warmer. The daffodils have been and gone, briefly acting like a natural form of roadside artwork. It’s the time of the year when the central heating can be turned off and the boiler (and your wallet) given a well earned rest, and perhaps a service.

But is anyone else confused about when the seasons begin and end? Most countries in Europe consider Summer, for instance, to be June, July and August.

But in Ireland most people refer to the Summer months as being May, June and July. This is because these months have the longest days and shortest nights, and this definition goes back to the ancient Gaelic Calender. However the average temperature is higher in June, July and August so the definition out European cousins use has merit as well.

But if most of Europe considers Summer to be June, July and August, why is mid-Summers day celebrated in the UK on the 23 or 24th of June, surely if they are calling it mid-Summers day it should be in July? And if they are celebrating the longest day, why do they celebrate it a few days late and not on the longest day itself, the 21st June?

Finally there is a third way of determining the seasons which some people use and is based on the Astronomical Calender. In this case summer would start on the day after the longest day i.e. the 22nd June and end when day and night are equal  i.e. on  the 22nd September, the Autumnal equinox.

Of the three ways of determining the seasons the last one make the least sense. Although it is on the correct path using the equinox, which should surely should mark the mid point of the seasons not the end/ beginning.

What does anyone else think?

Daffodils at the Naas Ball
Daffodils at the ‘Ball’ in Naas
Daffodils at road side edge, Naas
Daffodils at road side edge, Naas

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

I'll be back on Monday....

I've been MIA around here for about 2 weeks now...sorry...I've had lots going on.

I will be back to posting deals and more on Monday!

1 comment:

  1. I will miss you!
    Hope you get lots of stuff done!
    See you when you get back!


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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

If You Read My Post About The Extreme Couponing Show...

I just read what Tara, the Deal Seeking Mom, posted about why she won't be watching the Extreme Couponing show tonight.  It is a great post and so well written.  I agree whole-heartedly with what she wrote although I will be tuning in to see the show out of curiosity.  Go HERE to read her post.

Deal Seeking Mom Tara's site is one of my very favorites.  I highly recommend that you check it out.  Subscribe to her daily emails or "like" her on Facebook.

  1. I'll read Tara's post tonight.

    To tell you the truth, the people on the show made me sick. I think it's stupid to buy all of that stuff just for the sake of buying it. One guy donated it and I like that, but the rest of them seemed to pile it up just to admire it. I think stores should have limits on how many coupons you can use at one time.

  2. It makes me crazy to watch how they do it on that show. It is very staged. Stores don't allow you to use that many coupons, etc. It makes me mad to see how they clear the shelves like that. I think of the next lady who comes by wanting to buy the item to feed her family only to find that someone has come in and bought all 100 of it. The show is not reality for how the majority of us couponers shop and it gives a very bad impression.

  3. It's simply an addiction and most of them get an adrenaline rush. How long would it take to use 100 bottles of mustard before you have to throw them out? At least one of the shoppers donated.


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Thursday, 19 May 2016 10:54

Holiday Weekend at RMTC

Written by Garry Allison, Rocky Mountain Turf Club
Rate this item
(1 Vote)

There’s only one way to spend this holiday weekend, and that’s at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge.

There’ll be three full days of racing, post time is 1:15 p.m. each day – Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Few sports equal the thrill of live horse racing and the RMTC offers 19 races through the three days, from Quarter horses to Thoroughbreds – with six races Saturday, seven races Sunday and six races Monday

Saturday’s card features a Horsemen’s Open Derby, Division 2, over 350 yard, and covering the same distance a Horsemen’s Open Derby Division One sprint.

These two Quarter Horse sprints feature entries for trainers like Janice Sather, Bruce Ironshirt and Allan Goodsell in Division Two and Bucky Stockwell, Angelle Carter and William Leech among the Division One entrants.

The card also includes three five furlong races and a six furlong affair.

Sunday there’ll be six Thoroughbred races and a 300 yard Quarter Horse race kicking off the card. There’ll also be a three furlong run with horses like At The Bada Bing, Want The Facts, Stamp of Approval and Awesome T among the seven entries.

Holiday Monday there’ll be six races presented.

A 300 yard race kicks off the card, followed by four, five furlong runs and a five and a half furlong gallop.

Top trainers going after wins Monday include Lyle Magnuson, Stan Marks, Les Adams, Pete Dubois, Jim Depew and Nellie Pigeau.

After two days of racing  the leading rider is Freddy Fuentes with five victories and Jose O. Rocha with four.

On the trainers front four are tied with two wins apiece, William Leech, 86-year-old Stan Marks, Buckey Stockwell and Laurie Ferguson.

The show also includes the Dixieland Jazz Band, a kiddies Candy Toss, and food, drinks and Vegas-style slots action inside Bullys.

Read 545 times Last modified on Thursday, 19 May 2016 10:55


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Cookbook Gift Idea
Cookbook Gift Idea

Cookbook Gift Idea

Cookbook front preview 2Cookbook front preview 3

My sister gave the girls in her ward that were graduating and entering RS, a cookbook with College Friendly Recipes in it and an apron. Each of her RS Presidents gave 3-4 recipes they thought would be easy and cheap for college. We printed them as photos so it was not expensive to print them, and then put them in a plastic photo book that we got from Wal-mart for $1.00, To fill the book we added some other pages with things like Cooking Helps, you can see them below.

This is not the cheapest gift in the world. I think the cost was about $4.00 each. But you could always just print out recipes on your computer in black and white and add them to the cook, you could make your own front or use one I have.

I have added blanks colorful pages, that you would just download and add text to.

Helpful Pages


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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Elizabeth Warren takes Donald Trump's favorite media platform, Twitter, and kneecaps him with it.

Believe me when I say there is more. Much more.

Here was Trump's rather weak response:

“Who is that, the Indian? You mean the Indian?” Trump asked, referring to Warren, who has said she has Native American ancestry.

That's all he has?

Look I know a lot of you are against the idea, but I still say that Elizabeth Warren as Hillary's VP would make her path to the White House inevitable.

  1. Anonymous4:30 AM

    What a despicable @sshole he is.

  2. Anonymous4:31 AM

    Elizabeth Warren is needed in the Senate. She would be muzzled as Hillary's VP. I can't see her accepting the #2 slot to a Wall Street enabling warmonger like Clinton anyway.

    1. Anonymous6:48 AM

      Yeah, it would be a great move for Hillary, lover of Wall Street. For Elizabeth? Not so much. I hope Warren stays strong. She's needed in the Senate.

  3. Anonymous4:52 AM

    Did B Clinton really talk about deregulation and not mention how it began before Bush took over?

    Now, the 90s were a good time for me financially but Bush's entire admin were just as good. And many I know. That's not to say each admin term didn't have people who lost a lot.

    But my personal slight downturn happened in 2012. It's rising again but barely.

    From people I talk to (MN, Chitown, Anch, San Fran) while on work trips, I am not alone in this. Things aren't as peachy as liberals would have us believe. People are having to look to their own talents to make supplemental income, something that used to be a fun luxury - not a necessity.

    I miss 99-09 especially. I bought my first non-starter house in 04. Those 10 years were exceptional. Cmon government. Stop pushing HRC on us and let a caring leader level the field a little. We don't want successful people punished by unfair taxes. And no one should be forced into being told how to run a business. But shit needs to be amended regarding tax shelters and the like.

    1. Anonymous5:39 AM

      You thought that 2009, with the economy imploding as a result of GWB's leadership, was a good year? The only thing good about it was that President Obama was inaugurated and the Congress was Democratic, barely so, but Democratic none the less.

    2. Anonymous5:41 AM

      You thought that 2009, with the economy imploding as a result of GWB's leadership, was a good year? You thought the GWB invasion of Iraq for no reason and put on the US credit card was good for the country and for the world? The only thing good about it was that President Obama was inaugurated and the Congress was Democratic, although the GOP's seditious obstruction made progress extremely difficult.

    3. A J Billings6:09 AM

      @4:52 a.m
      you can spew nonsense about how great it was under Bush from 99 to 2009, but Bush lied us into the biggest mistake since Vietnam, and wasted over 1 TRILLION Dollars, and killed many thousands of people in the process.

      It was on Bush's watch that he and his team of Wall st buddies let the housing bubble implode by not regulating the banks and securities markets.

      It's a god damn lie that quote
      "no one should be forced into being told how to run a business"

      It took the EPA from 1970 onwards to force big business to clean up our water and air.

      It took the Glass Steagall act to stop big banks from raping the consumer by investing their assets in "credit default swaps", and all the other shit that hedge fund assholes do to rob investors.

      Regulation is absolutely needed in human governments, because people like Trump are greedy, lying, criminally inclined assholes, who will do anything for money, and kill, pollute, rob, and destroy anything for their pile of money.

    4. Anonymous6:32 AM

      Forced into being told how to run a business? So you want no regulations? You plan to have salmonella every time you eat out? How about your teen takes a job, and since there are no regulations, she has to work until midnight on weekends and six hours on school days for $5 an hour? Or your wife decides to run a day care, and since there are no regulations, she gets kids with measles and mumps and gets sick herself. But since the hospitals now have no regulations, she gets pneumonia there and dies. And since the funeral industry has no regulations, she is not embalmed properly, and her funeral is a smelly mess. Please proceed with your ludicrous argument.

    5. Anonymous6:56 AM

      This sounds like Alicia to me, lying about her business and her "first non-starter home."

      Even if it isn't Alicia, it's someone just as deluded.

    6. Anonymous7:53 AM

      You are the Biggest Liar,or in need of Mental Help.During Bush'Debacle I personally lost over $200,000 in my 401K,over 300,000 on my Ct.home,and no Bonuses for 4 years.The Economy was loosing almost 800,000 jobs per Month,the Stock Market Crashed,Unemployment at 10%,Bankruptcies and Foreclosures at all time high, and Gas at over 4.00 a Gallon.I suggest you crawl back under that Rock with your stupid lies and Fantasies.

  4. Anonymous4:58 AM

    We've got to stop party blaming. What was started decades and decades ago is finally affecting us. The 80s are finally affecting us. Presidents deserves no credit or blame.

    Detroit was killed in the same way AK will die if it doesn't bring in industry unrelated to oil.

    Tea partiers aren't bad people. They are self-sufficient minded and rely on themselves when things prove to be unreliable.

    Trump has a big mouth, yes. But his policies are laid out clear as day.

    The ridicule needs to end. Attacking people then crying foul when we're attacked isn't good on us. Liberals need to stop looking for fights. Without malicious infiltrators at rallies, there would be ZERO violence at Trump stops.

    1. Your entire foolish comment is just pathetic.

    2. Anonymous5:37 AM

      Every level of government that is now dominated by the GOP's "Tea Party" has come unravelled. We see it everywhere: local school boards, governments, small city and county administrations, states and even the US Congress. Don't tell me that the "Tea Party" created by and for the Koch brothers is not bad. i remember when the two party system worked pretty well. Even Republicans cared about the welfare of the country. Not any more. Now the GOP cares only about the billionaires and their sycophants, the millionaires. I read recently that the Koch brothers' next target is the public library system in this country. How dare they!

    3. Anonymous6:08 AM

      Anonymous 4:58, I know that it's always 5 o'clock somewhere, but it is wayyy too early for you to be turned loose on the Internet drunk as a skunk.

    4. A J Billings6:13 AM

      100% utter BULLSHIT.

      Reagan's insane tax policies started us on a downward spiral of huge tax cuts for the wealthy, while middle and working class income groups bear the brunt of the fallout.

      Our country is a total mess BECAUSE of stupid Presidents like Reagan with his voodoo economics, Clinton deregulating banks and NAFTA, and W BUSH with his horrific wars of choice on the national credit card.

      You sound as stupid and delusional as Ben Carson, and are obviously uneducated and uninformed

    5. Anonymous6:20 AM

      "Trump has a big mouth, yes. But his policies are laid out clear as day.

      The ridicule needs to end. Attacking people then crying foul when we're attacked isn't good on us. Liberals need to stop looking for fights."
      Your statement is complete hypocrisy. I haven't heard a word on Trump's policies. All HE does at his rallies is ridicule and attack. or cite his poll numbers. Same with his tweets. HE is always looking for fights.

      Sorry, good luck convincing anyone here that Trump is nothing more than a blowhard liar. Completely incompetent and not ready to lead a country.

    6. Anonymous6:21 AM

      4:58 sounds a lot like Bristol' s stalker, hey crazy don't you have damage control duty at the various gossip sites? shoo.

    7. Anonymous6:29 AM

      Tea partiers are not 'self-sufficient.' They still rely on public roads, public water systems, public safety to protect their right to carry all those loaded guns (except into a Trump rally) and on and on. We are all intertwined, and government is there for us. You really want to shovel out your own roadway next storm? And the one down the street so you can get to the grocery? You want to be responsible for your own electrical grid? How about everyone buying their own medical care? Yeah, that works well...for the very rich. I am tired of the Tea Party denigrating our government and way of life. Maybe they should take a hike somewhere else.

    8. Anonymous6:58 AM

      Yep, this is Alicia as was the comment above. Alicia doesn't own anything except maybe a condo her mommy and daddy bought for her, she hasn't done anything but not being able to make it in NYC. She should be happy that disability will take care of her forever because she's incapable of getting a job.

    9. Anonymous7:59 AM

      Whatever 6:58. You "Alicia Detection Trolls" are as annoying - no, MORE annoying than the poster(s) themselves. Do everyone a big favor and STFU.

    10. Anonymous8:38 AM

      Yes, and starting a post with "whatever" isn't annoying at all.

  5. Anonymous4:59 AM

    Who's accusing me of being a racist? The Injun?

    1. Anonymous7:30 AM

      I remember well the "Racist" Donald Chump calling the Pequot Tribe "Michael Jordan" Indians,implying they were Black,not Indian, when he couldn't get a piece of the Foxwood,Mohegan Sun Casino "Pie" because it was set aside for the Tribe in Connecticut.He is a disgusting Racist Pig!

  6. Anonymous4:59 AM

    Of course his comeback is racist.

  7. Anonymous5:03 AM

    Gotta disagree with you. Warren needs to stay right where she is & take Yertle the Turtle's job as Senate Majority Leader. Think of all that Hilary could get done if that were the case.

    1. Anonymous6:26 AM

      Oh my! I LOVE that scenario!!

  8. Anonymous5:10 AM

    I detest the 2 party system we have evolved. Severely weakened what was s'posed to be a democracy. If we had only 2 things to choose between for ANYTHING in life, be it bacon or buying a car (or choosing a spouse), what the hell kind of life would that be?
    Damnitohell, Elizabeth Warren for President!! Take on Jimmy Dore for VP! These 2, I'd trust with my lifesavings more than the other jokers.

  9. Anonymous5:11 AM

    Lots of Americans have some Native American roots, just as lots of them have some African American. Belittling Elizabeth Warren for checking her DNA to explore her origins is ridiculous. (Our grandson also has some Native American blood in his background - on his mother's side, back about four generations. I think that's neat.) This was a ridiculous argument used against Elizabeth Warren by her opponents who did not want to listen to her views on the economy and our banking empire when the non-issue was first used, and it still is. If we all understood how interwoven our population really is, then maybe we wouldn't have so many racist people in our midst. Like Donald Trump.

    1. Anonymous7:11 AM

      Yep. I look Irish as hell, but have more Cherokee than many who live on the nearest res. And I'm proud of my lineage.

      Keep up the divisive talk, Drumpf. You'll keep your base, but you'll cut out each voter who isnt white bread, oh that's about every one of us.

  10. Anonymous5:16 AM

    I agree with you, IM! Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren would make a dynamic team - they'd win for sure!

    Donald Trump is going down and will never be elected POTUS! He's already disliked across Europe!

    1. No, they would not win for sure.

      You vote for VP, not P. The VP needs to be qualified to be VP. Warren certainly is. But that's two women on the ticket. That won't sit well with some men, especially when the VP is more "liberal" than the P. Warren also hasn't been a senator that long and doesn't have the experience for a presidential run. She also is needed much more urgently in the senate than in the powerless roll of VP.

      For the same reasons I am against Hillary choosing Julian Castro. He has no experience and even less name recognition than either Warren or Sanders. He gets her nothing. Plus, he's from Texas.

      If Hillary were gracious (and smart) she'd choose Sanders as her running mate. If he's qualified to be president (and he is getting the votes) then he is qualified to be VP. He would make an outstanding attack dog.

  11. Anonymous5:23 AM

    Gryphon, You seem delusional when you mention a Clinton/Warren ticket. The USA is waging a vicious war against women. The attack ads against TWO WOMEN running for the most powerful jobs in the world write themselves. Not gonna happen. Now a Bernie/ Liz ticket could bring out the young voters by the millions.

    1. Do you think we'd have to pay them to do this?

      Because attacking the two candidates based on the fact that they are women would absolutely be the best response that we could hope for.

      Could you even imagine how that would energize the liberal base?

    2. Anonymous6:14 AM

      Hillary would never pick Warren. Sorry. Their ideology is at odds.

    3. Anonymous6:59 AM

      Their ideology is absolutely not at odds. Ridiculous.

    4. Anonymous8:20 AM

      Ha ha. If two women were running, you know Trump would not be able to resist saying which he saw as the more attractive, and he’d likely just have to make a menage et trois comment. Somehow, he’d just have to comment in an asinine way.

    5. Anonymous3:35 PM

      I think having two women on the ticket would be a brilliant strategy. Trump would blow a gasket and, as Sarah Palin demonstrated, it's very hard for a man to attack or smear or even question the credentials of a female opponent without severe blow back. The dems had to handle Palin very gently, no matter how nasty and viscous she was towards them.

      Since all Trump does is personal attacks, he would have no place to go. He'd be totally humiliated to be defeated by two women. I'd LOVE to see it.

      However, I think if they have 'unleashed' Elizabeth this early, it's because they don't think they'll be facing Trump in the general. Otherwise they'd be saving her. I think the Repubs won't allow Trump to get the nomination, and he'll run as a third party nominee, but won't be taken very seriously. He'll siphon off just enough votes to make sure Clinton has a resounding victory. They are attacking him now with Warren to help make it easier for the Repubs to block his nomination. My two cents.

    6. A Clinton/Sanders ticket would also assuage the Bernie supporters.

  12. Anonymous5:36 AM

    Dear Elizabeth warren. Having failed businesses does not make a person a loser. That comment makes you a worthless person in my eyes and one with no empathy for those who strive to be great and nurture their dreams Instead of supporting another's dream as employer. Is it your decision to make concerning what a person does with his inheritance? If you had one by all means use it how you want. Business is risk. Many like that part. Have YOU tried your hand at it? No? Stfu.
    You can comment on trumps derogatory remarks and potentially unethical business ethics. But not that their ventures in the past have failed. Doing so is attacking millions. Do you want to comment on Donald's good deeds? There are many going back decades. Any comment on liberals inciting hate at his otherwise peaceful rallies?

    1. Anonymous6:13 AM

      Dear 5:36 Please educate yourself. He has presented himself to be a big businessman winner and success with no admitted failure. Warren is pointing out the disconnect between what he says and REALITY.

    2. A J Billings6:16 AM

      The hatred, racist, nasty, vicious, ignorant rhetoric is coming from DrumpF himself.

      DrumpF is for violence, and he's on video wishing for the "old day" when people were brought out on a stretcher.

      Take your ignorant, hideously stupid shite and head back to C4pee.

    3. Anonymous6:24 AM

      Oh, that's precious. "Liberals inciting here..." I have yet to see one of 'those liberals' cold cocking someone in handcuffs. Ors tamping on a woman. Or denying people their First Amendment right to assemble and speak. What Trump is doing is attacking millions of us. Anyone not for him is bad. Sound familiar? Same argument Dubya's minions made about the unfunded, unnecessary wars of aggression. Same argument Hitler's brown shirts made. Sorry, but Trump is evil. Your party is sickening.

    4. CorningNY6:24 AM

      I'm pretty certain that she's not taking shots at his failed ventures per se, but at the fact that there are many of them, and especially the hypocrisy of touting himself as a successful businessman when he's had so many failures. And he lies about it, too. There are no more steaks, and his water is only sold at his resorts, despite his loud claims to the contrary.

    5. Anonymous6:40 AM

      I'm really sorry about your brain damage.

    6. Leland7:54 AM

      5:36, you seem to be conveniently "misplacing" certain facts that continue to be revealed. At least one of his deals went bankrupt due to things he specifically said he wouldn't do - and then went and did them anyway, in direct violation of agreements he made.

      Failing in business happens all the time. You're right about that. But it is more and more obvious his failures are entirely - or close enough to make no matter at all - his own fault because of STUPID decisions.

      And then to go and say something so ridiculous it even pisses off one of his biggest backers? Uh huh. The Prince of Saudi Arabia was NOT very happy about the suggestion that NO muslim should be allowed in this country. Now, I ask you: Is that STUPID, or what?

      Add to that, an analysis of his worth and history specifically shows that any decent investor could have made just as much money from the stock market in the same time frame and you destroy ANY semblance of reasonableness in your statement.

      The man DESERVES to be slapped! HARD!

    7. Anonymous11:18 AM

      Troll, you keep giving yourself away with your "liberal" remarks.

      Go back to go, do not collect $200 and try again.

    8. Anonymous12:23 PM

      Is that you, Bristle?

    9. Anita Winecooler4:29 PM

      If you're smart and fail at business, it doesn't necessarily make you a moral or better person. If you learn from your mistakes and eventually build a business that works, then you deserve accolades. Donald screwed a lot of people, took advantage of illegal immigrant labor, lied through his teeth to build his fortune, and most of his wealth was handed to him on a gold coated bed pan.

    10. She is using Drumpf's definition of a loser against him.

      Get a clue.

      Buy one if you have to.

  13. Anonymous5:40 AM

    “Who is that, the Indian? You mean the Indian?”
    Why yes, Donald, the "Indian." You know, the indigenous people that this country has been stomping on for centuries?

    The ones your hoity-toity sidekick, as governor, let freeze and starve to death? Tried to take away their subsistence way of life, tribal sovereignty, and voting rights? Treaties overturned and land taken?

    Perhaps you'd like to ferry your fat @ss out to the island and read the inscription on the Statue Of Liberty.

    Oh, and take your imminent domain and shove it.

    1. Leland8:19 AM

      5:40, I would LOVE to be able to watch him try to explain that crack to Governor Nikki Haley of SC!

    2. Anonymous12:24 PM

      Hasn't he had a fight with a tribe over some land he wanted for a golf course? Well, if he hasn't, I'm sure he'll get around to it.

  14. Anonymous5:41 AM

    Yeah, his only come back is of a racist tone. He is a loser.

    I wonder if all losers have issues with the size of their thingy down there?

    Warren is right = LOSER

    1. Anonymous7:02 AM

      I am so happy they found a word to stick to TRUMP!

      Keep on repeating it everywhere, on every article you comment on. When talking about him, refer to him as Loser Trump.

      I posted the other day, Trump tries to give his opponents short, easy to remember nicknames. Lying Ted, Low Energy Jeb, Little Marco.

      So the Dems are gonna call him Loser Trump.

      I love it!!! Spread it far and wide, people!!

    2. Anonymous7:26 AM

      I don't see how name calling behooves either side.

    3. Anonymous7:49 AM

      Trump's ego is so fragile, calling him a loser will make him explode. And when Trump explodes, he says even dumber, crazier, and more vulgar things. So, while I normally agree that name calling isn't a good strategy, in the case of Trump, I think it's a perfect one.

    4. Anonymous8:23 AM

      I don't normally name call, either, but I just know Trump is going to call Hillary or Bernie a short nick name, and it will stick. I think we have to pin a name on him first. Just look at what he did to the opposition in his party. He knows marketing, and we have to be ready, like it or not.

  15. Randall5:56 AM

    He responds to a charge of racism with a shot at her ethnicity?

    1. Anonymous6:20 AM

      The GOP brain has no knowledge of hypocrisy, honesty, empathy, or much of anything, does it?

    2. Anonymous8:20 AM

      Although Trump has a malignant mind, I think in this case he was not belittling "Indians", as he was trying to a accuse her of lying when she claimed to have Native American blood. Nevertheless, a lame response from the cancer-of-America.

  16. Anonymous7:13 AM

    Rampant Sexism>

  17. Anonymous8:23 AM

    What does Trump's Indian comment has anything to do with Warren's tweets?

    Then Trump would have said?

    “Who is that, the Indian?
    You mean the Indian?”

    “Who is that, the Mexican?
    You mean the Mexican?”

    “Who is that, the Black?
    You mean the Black?”

    I think that Son Of A Bitch Trump wanted white people to know that Elizabeth Warren wasn't one of them. One of them as in not the white superior race like Fuhrer Trump.

  18. Anonymous8:34 AM

    This is too good:

  19. Anonymous10:14 AM

    This Wonkette post gets ☆☆☆☆☆

    Professor Beat-Ass strikes again
    Elizabeth Warren Chops Off Donald Trump’s Manhood, Mounts It Above Fireplace

    .... It’s one thing to call Trump names. It’s a whole ‘nother animal to say directly that Trump acts the way he does because deep down, he knows he fucking sucks. He knows that if he’d been born to another family, maybe the child of a Mexican immigrant who was either a rapist or just lovely, he would be NOTHING ...

    .... According to the New York Times, his poor widdle ego got so bruised at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner when Seth Meyers and Barack Obama said jokes about him that he cried and pooped his underthings and blood came out of his wherevers (metaphorically obviously, the way the riots he’s predicted are “metaphorical,” uh huh) and ran for president just to prove a point.

    Read entire post at

    1. Anonymous12:21 PM

      Wonkette has me laughing out loud all by myself late at night when everybody else in my house is asleep. Have you read the stuff on the Duggars? Priceless.

  20. Anonymous10:23 AM

    Elizabeth Warren has my vote

  21. Anonymous10:33 AM

    Methinks history is repeating itself

    National-Socialism or Nazism is a racist and antisemitic ideology which holds that the Aryan race is superior to all other races, and that the government must actively promote the perfect race. Nazism tends to be fascist, but fascism is not necessarily national-socialist.

  22. Anonymous11:16 AM

    This is great, there is nothing better than ignoring the Dummkoff, bet this will set him off.
    Hillary Clinton Shoots Down CNN And Dumps Trump By Refusing To Play The Insult Game

    Hillary Clinton took a stand against the press’s embarrassing Trump circus by refusing to play the media’s game and respond to Donald Trump’s insults during an interview on CNN.

    On CNN’s ‘Wolf’, Blitzer played a series of insults that Donald Trump spewed at Hillary Clinton on Monday. Blitzer asked Clinton if she wanted to respond to Trump’s insults.
    Former Sec. of State Clinton answered, “No, I really don’t. I don’t want to respond to his constant stream of insults. I find it really at this point absurd. Let me talk about what I will do what I have done, and what kind of commander in chief I will be because I think that’s what’s at stake in this election.

  23. Anonymous11:21 AM

    Elizabeth really managed to get under his thin skin. I loved her tweet: he should have put his inheritance in Index Funds, he would have made more money instead of bankrupting his businesses.

    Financial advice from a woman !!!

  24. I have read the comments on her Facebook post about Donald Trump. A lot of her fans are mad at her for not endorsing Bernie. They are really mad. Idk if she will help Hillary or Bernie at this point. I still respect her and I think she would make a wonderful president if she ever decides to run.

    1. Anonymous3:08 PM

      They are irrationally mad. It should scare Sanders that some of his fans could go from adoring to viscous in the blink of an eye.

    2. Anonymous5:11 PM

      *vicious (but maybe also viscous)

  25. Anonymous12:21 PM

    I love Warren, but that state seat is WAY to valuable to give up. She needs to stay in the senate not become the VP.

  26. Anita Winecooler4:38 PM

    I love when Donald gets his weenie stuck in his zipper, and the best he can come up with is a racist remark. The fact that Ms Warren got under his skin proves who won the argument. Hey, Donald, she consults herself as well, she knows words, lots of words, and she makes sense while using them.

Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.


text:
China Seeks Ties With Vatican

China’s head of religious affairs on his current tour of the United States offered to establish ties with the Vatican if the Holy See was prepared to accept certain preconditions. Ye Xiawen, head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs speaking at China’s Embassy in Washington D.C. made it clea: “China’s religious affairs brook no intervention by foreign forces” and claimed his nation respects the right of religious freedom. The two major preconditions for restoring ties were acceptance by the Vatican of the “One China” concept and promises there would not be any attempt by Catholic officials to interfere in the internal affairs of China.

China tells the world it respects religious freedom, but continues its harsh policy against the people of Tibet and the Dalai Lama. Of course, the key issue is the meaning of what constitutes “interference in the internal affairs” of China.


text:
Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Cake Design and Copyright Law

As promised, this week I am blogging about cake design because the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show is this weekend. The OSSAS is one of the largest and most prestigious competitions in the world for cake design and decorating. Naturally, with the exploding popularity of cakes in the media (e.g., TV shows like Food Network ChallengeAce of Cakes, and Cake Boss), and the increasing exposure for cake designs in print and on the Internet, the industry is bigger than ever. Concurrently, stories of cake design theft are also increasing, as I learned this past spring when talking with about a dozen food artists from around the country.

Can anything be done to prevent cake copying? If cakes are protectable by copyright law, then the short answer is yes. However, as I will reveal tomorrow, copyright law may not be the best answer. But for today I will discuss whether cakes should fall under copyrightable subject matter.

The threshold question for copyrightability is very simple: is the work an original work of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression for more than a transitory duration? Copyrighting a work used to require formalities like giving notice and registering the work, but the law has changed so it is now very easy to “get” a copyright. In fact, the creative and expressive elements of this blog are protected by copyright as I write them and they are fixed on my hard drive (or the Blogger server).

So the threshold question, which comes from the copyright statute,[1] really contains three elements and we will look at them briefly in order. First, is the cake original? The Supreme Court has said that “original” means “original to the author” and that only a “modicum” of creativity is necessary to support a finding of originality in a work.[2] This is actually a very low hurdle to jump over. There can be little doubt that the creativity in an original cake design meets this first step in the analysis.

Second, is the work a work of authorship? Again, the Supreme Court has said that an “author” is a person “to whom anything owes its origin.”[3] Therefore, a cake is a work of authorship because any cake owes its origin to its creator or author. This holds true even though a cake, like most visual art, is not something we typically associate with “authors.”

Beyond this semantic argument, the copyright statute also lists categories of “works of authorship,” one of which is “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.”[4] I last wrote about PGS works when discussing the functional aspects of chili peppers in food. The definition of PGS works in the statute is rather long, but essential says that it includes any work of artistic craftsmanship (even architectural plans) but only to the extent of their form not their function.[5] Any PGS work that is a “useful article” will only be copyrightable to the extent that the work’s PGS features can be identified separately from the utilitarian aspects of the article. Thus, I argue that cakes are PGS works. Furthermore, to the extent that a cake is a “useful” or utilitarian article, the expressive aspect of the cake (its color, shape, size) can be separated from the caloric or nutritional value it provides. The legal “separability” analysis is somewhat involved, but I think cake comfortably falls into the PGS category, and that further analysis is unnecessary for the purposes of this blog.

The third fundamental question is: Is the work fixed in a tangible medium of expression? The statute says that “fixed” means that it is “sufficiently permanent or stable enough to be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated for a period of more than transitory duration.”[6] As Congress is sometimes know to do, here it has provided guidance on the meaning of “fixed” in the copyright statute without really telling us what “transitory duration” means. Luckily, our court system has stepped up to fill the gap in this instance. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit interpreted the meaning of “fixed” when considering whether a whether a program stored in a computer’s RAM is fixed.[7] The Ninth Circuit acknowledged that the copy stored in a computer’s RAM disappears when the computer is turned off, but held that not enough facts were presented to support the finding that such a program was not fixed under the meaning of the copyright statute.[8] Therefore, although a cake will often be eaten and cease to exist, it will usually exist long enough to be considered “fixed” for purposes of copyright.

Furthermore, it is possible to fix the sculptural aspects of a cake in a photograph even if it is eaten. I do want to note, however, that a chef claiming copyright in a dish based on the gustatory creativity rather than the visual art of the food may have a tougher time “fixing” that expressive element by traditional means. But then again, perhaps any food dish is fixed long enough to sustain copyright, even if it only makes it from the kitchen to the table before being devoured.

My personal conclusion is that a cake, when creative and original to the author and brought to life before being eaten, is fully covered by copyright law. Cakes generally meet the initial requirements to sustain a copyright. In my next post I’ll be talking about why, to the best of my understanding, there is so much “copying” among cake artists and yet so few (or zero) copyright lawsuits over this issue.

[1] 17 U.S.C. § 101, 102(a).
[2] Feist Publications Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co., 499 U.S. 340, 361 (1991)
[3] Burrow Giles Lithographic Co. v. Sarony, 111 U.S. 53, 58 (1884)
[4] 17 U.S.C. § 102(5).
[5] 17 U.S.C. § 101.
[6] 17 U.S.C. § 101.
[7] MAI Systems Corp. v. Peak Computer Corp., 991 F.2d 511 (9th Cir. 1993).
[8] Id. at 518.


text:
Friday, December 14, 2012

Qubes 2 Beta 1 with initial Windows support has been released!

It's my pleasure to announce the first Beta for Qubes Release 2 is now available for download.

This release introduces generic support for fully virtualized AppVMs (called HVMs in Xen parlance), and specifically initial support for Windows-based AppVMs integration. It's been quite a challenge to add support for secure HVMs to Qubes without breaking its security architecture, and I already wrote about it in the past.

Generic support for HVMs means you can now install many different OSes as Qubes VMs, such as various Linux distros, BSD systems, and, of course, Windows. Essentially all you need is an installation ISO and the whole process is similar to creating a VM in a program like Virtual Box or VMWare Workstation (although we believe the underlying architecture for this is more secure in Qubes).

Additionally we provide a set of tools for Windows-based AppVMs (Windows 7 specifically) which allow for tight integration with the rest of the Qubes system. This currently includes support for secure (and policy controllable) clipboard and file exchanges between the Windows-based AppVMs and other AppVMs, integration with Qubes advanced networking infrastructure, and PV drivers for faster operation. As of now there is still no seamless app integration for Windows applications, so Windows VMs are presented as full-desktop-within-a-window, but we're aiming to add support for this in the next Betas.

Unlike the rest of Qubes, which is distributed under a GPL v2 license, the Qubes Windows Support Tools are not open sourced and are distributed as binaries only, under a proprietary license. They are free to use for any Qubes 2 user. The tools are not part of the Qubes 2 installation ISO (which is GPL), and are down loadable on demand.

More information about creating and using HVM domains, including Windows-based AppVMs, can be found in the wiki here.

To summary, here's a quick list of some of the exciting new features that toady's release brings in:
  • Support for generic fully virtualized VMs (without qemu in the TCB!)
  • Support for Windows-based AppVMs integration (clipboard, file exchange, qrexec, pv drivers)
  • Secure audio input to select AppVMs (Hello Skype users!)
  • Clipboard is now also controlled by central policies, unified with other qrexec policies.
  • Out of the box TorVM support
  • Experimental support for PVUSB
  • Updated Xorg packages in Dom0 to support new GPUs
  • DisposableVM customization support
  • ... and, as usual, various fixes and other improvements :)
Existing users of Qubes R1 can upgrade without needing to reinstall – the upgrade procedure is described here. Standard installation is described here.

PS. Please send all the technical questions to the qubes-devel mailing list, instead posting them as comments to this blog. Keep the comments here for more generic discussions.

PS2. As usual, I would like to remind that we have little control over the servers that are used for Qubes ISO distributions and that the downloads should be verified according to the procedure described here. We always assume that even our own servers (git, wiki, yum) could be compromised, and yet this should not affect Qubes security in any way, because of the extensive use of digital signatures everywhere in the development and distribution process.


text:
Wedding Preps: Hiring Suppliers

As I've mentioned in my previous post, Franco and I are engaged. Many have been asking me when the wedding is but we don't give out the exact date to everyone but it's next year.

Next year. It seems there's more time left, right? Wrong!

The wedding industry is CUHRAZY. You gotta book as soon as you can because good suppliers get booked fast. This is why I decided to attend wedding expos because I want to see all my options first. Oh my gosh there are so many options and suppliers! I was literally dizzy after one afternoon at SMX Convention Center. Most suppliers offer discounts and freebies when you book on the spot, which is nice, but if you are like me, it made me crazy. I need to compare suppliers first, think thoroughly, re-evaluate my decision, and prepare the money. It was such a hard task plus I was attending expos without Franco. I had to reecho everything to him. I took photos and videos and sent him everything I liked (Unfortunately not all suppliers will allow you to take photos.). He was shocked with the multitude of options, too. I left the first expo with no suppliers booked.

The next one I went to, I had a strategy. I downloaded their suppliers list days before, checked out their work online, and highlighted the ones I liked. This way I won't be going around the whole expo like a lost puppy. This method helped me immensely and despite the PICC tent being so hot and crowded, I was not overwhelmed by the choices. I was able to book one supplier from that expo!

Hiring suppliers for your wedding is not an easy task. I want quality work, pleasant attitude, and within my budget. Some suppliers are really good but their asking price is too high or they're very snooty. Tip to suppliers: Be kind, be nice, be approachable. Answer queries timely. Follow up. When I'm trying to book a meeting with a supplier and they're pahabol, wala ayoko na. Remember, I'm the customer here. I will be paying you a lot of my hard-earned money so please, suppliers, be nice and accommodating.

I am almost done with booking suppliers. Here's my current #FrancoJeanFinally Team.

Ceremony Venue: St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Reception Venue: Doña Jovita (Patio Intramuros)
Photography: The Perfect Grey
Videography: Big Dipper Co.
Catering and Reception Styling: Berris Cuisine
Flowers and Ceremony Styling: Aprille Araguas Designs

I'm so excited to work with them!

More updates soon!

Yes, I said Yes!

For those who do not know, I have been with this wonderful man for ten years. Yes, you read that right, ten freaking years. Don't get me wrong, those ten years were not all happy perfect moments. There were ups and downs but that's the beauty of it. I can honestly say that this is the healthiest relationship I've ever had. I love him so much!

I can go on and on about how wonderful he is but that is not the point of this post. I just wanted to share it to the world and put it here.
A photo posted by Jean Melgar (@jeanmelgar) on

I'm so happy! We're getting married!

Let's Be Real: Envy and Priorities

Let's be real here. Who has never felt envious? I'm not always envious of others but I feel it from time to time and today is one of those days.

I have the usuals. Let me give you a rundown.

  • Material stuff. How come this person has a better car than me? How did that girl acquire so many designer bags when I don't even have one? How come he owns his own condo unit already and I live with my folks? How can this girl afford all the new makeup palettes when mine are all old drugstore brands?

  • Experiencing the world. How come this person has been all over the world when I just travel around Asia? How can she be a citizen of the world while I'm stuck in my hometown? How can she afford to take multiple long leaves at work? How wonderful for her to leave in a posh city across the globe while I'm here, just here.

  • Career and education. I started so young, why am I stuck here? How come younger researchers are doing their PhD already while I'm still meh. My peers are doing their Post Docs while I sit and wait for what exactly? I write down all the names of the people in the meeting I'm in and their all Dr. Something.

  • Family and marriage. My age is barely hanging on the calendar and I'm still not married while people my age are pushing out Baby No. 3. Why are younger people getting married after a 1-year relationship while I'm in a 10-year relationship and we're just chill? How many more times do I have to explain myself why I'm not married yet to family and friends?

Whoa, you might say. But hey this is not everyday occurrence and definitely doesn't occur simultaneously. That would be too crazy! It usually happens when I'm PMS-ing or I'm having a really shitty day at work. Other than these, it's all flowers and rainbows in my garden.

I think what triggers my envies the most is social media. I mean, who posts ugly pictures of themselves in Instagram, right? Everything is beautiful, spic and span, according to plan, and white. Why is everything white??? Tell me!

I was washing my face, getting ready for bed when it hit me. It's all about priorities.

Some people prioritize designer things while others want to spend their hard-earned money on traveling. Other people put their careers on hold and risk it so they can study further. Others prioritize furthering their careers than starting a family. While some, on the other hand, would rather start a loving family.

I often wonder where my money goes and how come I don't have what others have. I finally realized it now. I spend my money on my priority, love. I spend a big chunk of my money going to South Korea and living there. I don't travel much to other countries because every time there is a chance to travel, I always go to Franco. I can't buy a lot of material things because I spend my money on dining out with Franco or my family. I can't afford a condo unit because I bought a pretty car. I chose having a car over having my own place because I love spending time with my family anyways. I'm not doing my PhD yet because Franco and I are taking turns. We have a plan for ourselves and that includes our education and careers. If I move to a posh city across the globe, that would mean I would move farther away from Franco and I don't want that. I'm not yet married because it's not yet my time. There is a perfect time for everything.

I choose love. I will keep choosing love because even if I get the envies from time to time, love is what makes me truly happy. And I will stick with that.

The Sunday Currently Vol. 5

A new week is here! I don't why but I'm quite excited for no apparent reason. I just feel good about the coming days. Does that ever happen to you? I wanna dress better, smile more, and generally be more positive about everything. I love this kind of feeling.

Marriage-related articles. I'll admit I'm a little paranoid about everything and overthink things. I know someday I will get married, not because I'm engaged but because I want to be married to the man I love someday. With that, I just want to know what I'm getting myself into.  I know, I know, I'm in over my head.

Next week's to-do list. Surprisingly not a long one

Acoustic Lounge in Spotify. I listen to Spotify a LOT.

About my uncomfortable experience earlier. I was driving earlier to the nail salon and in front of me was a jeepney full of young men. They were all gawking and teasing! And how could I not look at them? I was driving and they were in front. Ugh. I felt so uneasy. It was like being catcalled. Why do men have to do this?

Fresh nail polish smell. Are you familiar with that?

I can save enough extra cash to visit Dr. Aivee Teo. I wanna have artista derma experience. I've always been wondering if they all got lucky in the gene pool or doctors made them look like that.

For less rain because I want to get my car washed properly.

Bed attire aka as old ratty clothes

The weather! I know I'm hoping for less rain (it's for my car) but I love the cool winds here in the probinsya! A real sweater/cuddle weather!

The new Archie! Where can I get one and are there still available copies? huhu

Heeled sandals. Not for the rainy weather but for adulthood. All I have are flats, all kinds of them. I need sexy footwear.

Happy and sleepy but I know I will still read my night away. Why don't I just sleep when I feel sleepy? Why do I fight it then regret the next day? Why do I never learn?

I'm also feeling excited for the long weekend though I don't have a plan yet. What are your plans?

How was your weekend? Good luck on the coming week!

Friday's 10 Happy Things /2/

There's a rainbow always after the rain...LOL

I was sick this week. It was a combination of everything. I felt very sorry for my family because I'm a terrible patient. I moan and groan. Thanks to my Mom and sister for taking good care of me.

  • 1. I was sick half of the week and recovered before the week ended

  • 2. And because I was sick, I was at home and caught up on my sleep, big time. I hibernated.

  • 3. It was raining while I was sleeping. How marvelous this feels!

  • 4. I ate a LOT of fruits this week because I was nursing myself back to health.

  • 5. This may not seem very good to you, but I lost a pound because of this sickness. *peace*

  • 6. I met up with Dette and Chester. I haven't seen them since forever and I missed them! More please! Let's be healthy and sexy together. LOL

  • 7. Speaking of meet ups, I met Monica, too! This happened last week but let's count it since she's seldom in the country. We had coffee, a great conversation, and some really good laughs.

  • 8. Investment talks with banks. I'm planning my future wisely. I feel like such a grownup.

  • 9. The first ever Palay-Isipan Quiz Contest was a success!

  • 10. Work dinner events. I don't really work, I just attend, chat, eat, and drink. Plus, it's always free!

See, even if I was sick, the week wasn't so bad at all. How about you? How was your week?

Happy weekend!

Ditz Revolution

The Sunday Currently Vol. 4

It's technically not Sunday but whatever, it's still Sunday somewhere.

Work emails. I was away for a week and I try not to open work emails when I'm not at work. Do you open work emails any where, any time? I'm backlogged yet distracted.

I'm working on my to-do list because vacation tends to make my mind forget of my duties and responsibilities.

To the annoying buzzing sound of the centralized aircon. I wish I have my earpods, which were stolen ggrrrrr, so I can listen to music while at work. Now I'm reminded I need to buy new earpods.

Metro Manila looks so depressing. I don't know if it's my mood but it looked so ugly to me yesterday. I'm also thinking, more on contemplating, if I can quit my current job and do other things that will make me happier. Not necessarily a new job but I need something happier than this. I need a reason for me to wake up in the mornings and jump out of bed with joy. Things are so blah with my current situation. I need something new.

Loveswept by Philosphy because I'm wearing it

I'm in South Korea with Franco. I just got back yesterday and I already want to fly back to him. I'm wondering if it's really worth to stay here. I mean, what's the point?

I can finish this week without punching someone on the face. There is this very annoying person and I'm like ugh.

My "uniform" -- black (or white) tee and jeans

My nieces! Seriously, they are the main reason I smile and laugh. They bring so much joy and love in my life.

More money. More money, more problems? Nah. More like, no money, more unpaid bills.

To get a massage or something because obviously this Monday hasn't been very nice to me.

Happy, lonely, and annoyed all at the same time. I'm so happy I got to spend time with Franco but bummed that we have to part ways again. I'm happy I have a job but annoyed at some stuff as well. I'm in an emotional rollercoaster OMG. I just can't with my emotions.

How was your long weekend?

Good luck on the coming week!