Hurricane in Houston

by rhealitycheck

So I haven’t lived in Houston for a long time, a little over 7 years to be more precise and while I still love my home I don’t know that I’ll ever live there again. I’ve never regretted the choice to move away nor have I every truly wished to go back (in a remotely permanent sense)… until I heard about the hurricane. I know this sounds bizarre but it has more to do with the fact that my mother is alone and scared in a boarded up house waiting for this to pass. And I absolutely loathe to see her do it alone. I have never felt bad about making the choice to travel and explore while I am young but I also have never had to seriously worry about my mother. I do feel the occasional pangs of guilt when she complains about her athritis and having trouble with the groceries but she is an amazingly competent woman and I generally have nothing to worry about. The hurricane on the other hand is a huge natural disaster heading straight for my home and what really upsets me is that I cannot even be there just to give her company through the storm. Houston has weathered many storms and I have no doubt this will be just another one. I am fairly confident (and hope I don’t sound overly confident because I’m trying to walk the line between confidence and panic) that nothing will happen and she will be fine and they just won’t have power for a couple of days. But I wish I could have flown down and been there with her. If I weren’t in grad school with finals this Monday and Tuesday, forget flying, I would’ve hauled my butt into my little car and “flown” down there as fast as my dinky car could carry me.

I hope that any others who have family and friends in Houston (or elsewhere in the path of our good friend Ike) are keeping safe and have plenty of water and food to tide them through. From what all the reports tell me it shouldn’t be too bad but let’s face it a few days without power or running water is never any fun. So my very best thoughts and prayers go out to all those in the path of the storm.

Budgeting Woes

by rhealitycheck

Alright I’ll admit I’m not the best with personal finance. Although I have to say that I used to be amazingly methodical and organized when I was 16. It’s incredible the amount of will-power and personal finance savvy I had for a kid. And then I went to college and somehow went from super-responsible-thrifty-chic to reckless-crazy-spend-thrift. How or why that transition occurred I’m not sure but right now I am not quite a spend-thrift but I am by no means what I would consider to be “thrifty” these days. So I’ve run up against an unexpected expense and lately I have managed to reign in my expenses to something manageable. But I wasn’t expecting my grad school tuition bill for another month so I had decided to splurge and buy myself this slightly expensive but very awesome bike (that I do use quite frequently, so I do not view it as money wasted). It’s just that now I have to pay interest on this bike because the money I was going to use to pay it off is now going to tuition. This bothers me because I just dragged myself out of this miserable hole of debt that I created at the end of my misguided college days that was perpetuated by several moves since then. Moves always bring unnecessary expense. Anyway, I’ve actually been pretty good about saving money and getting myself out of my little hole. So I think if I just buckle down and set myself a small budget for this month I should be ok. I’ve been trying to use Expensr to help me see trends in my spending but I need to add in my credit cards to get a real picture, currently I only have my bank accounts. It’s just taking longer to get organized and create a budget than I wanted. Who knew it took this much effort? I’m sure once I get it set up and figure stuff out it’ll be fine. For now it’s driving me a little nuts. Granted I have only been really gung-ho about being this detailed for like 2 days. Before I just gave myself a set amount of cash and didn’t touch my savings, it’s becoming a little more complex. I guess I’m just deciding to be more proactive about knowing where my money goes.

Her Favorite Color is Chrome

by rhealitycheck

Yes, I did steal my title from a country song and no this post is not about cars or trucks or well anything “physical” for that matter. This is about Google’s new browser Chrome. I was extremely excited to check it out and start playing around with it. Unfortunately you can’t download it if your company has a firewall. Now you would think that a company like Google could have made an installer package that didn’t rely completely on the internet and could install without getting information over the network. So that in and of itself is disappointing. But also, I’ve been hearing some not so great things, like a friend has been playing with it for a little over a day now and he said that he can’t get any pages to load and that he keeps getting their version of 404 which is “Aw, snap”. I think that’s pretty sad too and just reading a few reviews the fact that you have to find workarounds already for just normal browsing is a bit disappointing. Not to mention the security breeches that I’ve seen rumor of. I am still excited to download it at home and at least futz around a little bit but I am hoping that my experience will be better than what I have been hearing so far. I suppose we’ll see, I mean I’d like to say my favorite color is chrome but currently, I’m a bit hesitant to even spend any significant time and energy on it (both of which I am short of these days).

When Did Pro-Choice Become Pro-Abortion?

by rhealitycheck

This is something that has bothered me for *years*. I am staunchly pro-choice, does that mean I am going to go have an abortion any time I become pregnant? NO! In fact I have no idea what I would choose to do should I (miraculously) find myself to be pregnant. So I really take issue when people tell me, “Well I’m pro-life but I don’t really care what (other) women do with their bodies, I mean they should discuss it with their doctors and do what they feel is best”. Maybe I’m missing something but last I recall pro-choice meant that you are an advocate of a woman’s right to choose, which is exactly what you said except for the bit about being pro-life. That means that she could choose to keep the baby. That also means that she could choose to have an abortion if she decides that’s the right decision for her. Pro-choice is advocating giving women a choice that is between her and her doctor(s) and whoever else she chooses to include in that decision. It is not saying “Woo hoo! Let’s all go get abortions now!”. So why is it so hard to differentiate this simple concept? Also why is it so hard for our wonderful liberal Democratic party leaders to actually get this message across? I constantly get that well you’re young, you’ll change your mind about being pro-choice when you have a child. And I’m staring back at them slack-jawed because they nearly stated my exact position (minus the “I’m pro-life but” part).

France Takes on Anorexia

by rhealitycheck

You know I have always had an affinity for France that I really can’t explain, I have just come to accept that I am a francophile and if I had my way I’d live in a small town on the southern coast of France doing absolutely nothing. But that’s not really the point of this post. Granted I’m a little late keeping up with this news but I am so pleased to write that France has actually passed legislation banning “death messages” to young women who starve themselves to be thin. I find this to be particularly progressive and encouraging because Paris is the seat to so many prominent fashion houses. I just love it, I love that they value the health and well-being of their people enough to do something this progressive. Yay! Click here to read the BBC article on it I’m so excited that they are promoting healthy body image instead of starvation on the hopes that you may become a model. Seriously people, looking like a coat hanger is way over-rated.

Faltering Feminism

by rhealitycheck

Yesterday I read this beautiful article by Susan Faludi, who I know can be extreme at times but this was really worth reading. It is called Second-Place Citizens and is an Op-Ed in the New York Times. I recommend reading it because it actually gives some really good insight into why there are so many women that have gotten so upset over the Democratic primaries. I, for one, am part of those women who feel like our voices are not being heard and who fear for feminism. In fact, today at work two of my coworkers were talking about Hillary’s speech at the DNC last night and I knew that one of them had not heard it and was just speaking with the same vitriol that we’ve been hearing in the media for months now. The best part is when I bring that up they can’t speak because obviously the things they have to say are inappropriate for work. It is so frustrating to continue to live in a misogynistic country and yet have everyone in denial about it. The worst part is that *so* many women today choose to ignore this and therefore men are not held accountable. When will we learn that the battle for equal rights is not over? In fact it’s not even close.
Sadly it is people like those that I work with who make me consider voting for Ralph Nader yet again, there is a man whose values I can stand behind. Who lives up to what he believes in. Who is not a part of the political machine. Despite what Barack Obama touts he has been an extremely successful politician working within the framework of the Democratic party’s politics. If it weren’t for Hillary’s call to vote for Obama, I wouldn’t give this a second thought, my vote would be for Nader. But if she can so gracefully step down and give such a beautiful speech I will consider the Democratic nominee. I am far from blindly accepting because on principle I surely do not approve misogyny or the dog-whistle tactic that Obama used in the primaries but she made a good point about whether I really want another Republican in the White House for another 4 years. It’s a tough call, the future of the country or continued misogyny. More than likely I suppose I will side with continued misogyny but it is severely disappointing to have to make that choice.

Evolution in Education

by rhealitycheck

I have always wondered why it is such a shock to have evolution be required in the public school curriculum. I find that most people I know are thoroughly shocked that in my high school (in Texas) it was unimaginable to not have evolution in the curriculum. I truly believe that not learning about evolution is the equivalent of allowing our country’s youth to be uneducated. I mean the public school system has enough flaws in it already, we don’t need to help detract from anyone’s education any more so than we already do. Imagine my shock when I read this article in the Times. To me it is simply mind-boggling to blindly say that evolution is not real when it has clearly been proven over the course of many decades. In fact it is the only theory we have as of yet for how humans came to exist. The universe has gone through many changes and it is just a little ludicrous to believe that *poof* God created humans overnight and well here we are. Does God explain what happened to the dinosaurs? Or all the other historical creatures that we have fossil records for? I just think we should be a little more practical about the whole thing. God and Evolution can exist in the same world. Also, who said you have to “believe” everything you learn at school. I may learn it but I can disagree with it. But to cut it out of the education system altogether is just unimaginable. After reading the article I am glad that it is now required in the Florida schools. You do not have to agree with everything you learn but you choose ignorance when you choose not to learn at all. And that just makes for a country full of ignoramuses and who really wants that? Certainly not me.

Quantity vs. Quality (in my closet)

by rhealitycheck

So I was just reading Well Heeled which happens to be a blog I like a lot and she had a post on this great topic about Quality vs Quantity in terms of clothes/fashion accessories. So it got me thinking about how I function, enough so that I thought about posting.

Typically my closet resembles quantity over quality but not necessarily. My “work” closet is in a bit of distress right now because I recently changed sizes and I’m trying to go back – that whole metabolism change has been gradual and evil to me since I hit college and I’m still working out the kinks. Unfortunately until that gets worked out I’m being a super spend-thrift about clothes. But here are some things that I consider worth spending money on:

1. A good winter coat. I received a fabulous black Burberry wool/cashmere blend last year that will probably be a little loose on me in years to come if I can whip myself back into shape. BUT the plus side that means I can layer more underneath it and at the moment it fits perfectly, looks super chic and is tres warm. The warm part being the key since I have lived in cold climates for the past 7 years, I intend for this baby to last me at least 10, maybe even 20. For example, the coat I was using before my fabulous present was my father’s black wool Austin Reed that his brother had used for a couple of years and then he used for a good 10 years (maybe more) and then lived in our closet for another 20 – cause they moved to Houston, you don’t really need a coat in Houston – and then I kidnapped it for about 6 which is when it really started to fall apart. So I mean that goes to show that a good coat can hold up over time and is worth the investment. Not to mention it can make you feel exceptionally pretty. 😉

2. Shoes, I find that I tend to buy pricey-ish (think Steve Madden) but not overly pricey shoes. If I get heels I want them to be heels I can walk in. I love public transportation and I loathe having to tote shoes around so I can put on my work shoes. I want shoes that will hold up when I walk all over the city. And quite frankly I just don’t think Manolos or Jimmy Choos or whatnot have that kind of a life and I think you can find very beautiful shoes that you can replace a little more often without feeling so guilty.

3. Watches, this may just be my own pet thing but my favourite accessory is my watch. This could just be because I wear watches all the time. Some day I hope to own a Movado but unfortunately I don’t think I’m responsible enough with my watches to justify that kind of expense at the moment. Currently my favourite is Skaagen and my last one has finally gotten just a touch too much wear and tear after 5 years to consider an upgrade. I believe this will be my new Christmas present to myself.

4. Jewelry, I don’t believe in junk jewelry. Most of what I own was either custom made by jewelers in India (and I don’t believe that anything under 24k is worth wearing if it’s gold) or is from Tiffany’s (or of that caliber). I don’t wear jewelry very often but when I do I want it to look good. Granted I do have a pair of $10 Jem earrings and a few pieces of costume jewelry that are purely for entertainment purposes but on the whole I don’t believe in junk jewelry nor do I purchase it.

5. Sweaters, I definitely believe that good merino wool or cashmere sweaters will always look good. I mean even if you lose a bit of weight and they get a bit looser typically you can still pull off an elegant look with them. Not to mention staying warm and looking good in winter are worth the investment.

6. Scarves, real winter scarves are so worth it. They are a fabulous accessory and let’s face it the average person really only uses their favourite scarf all winter so it’s not like you need a million of them. A few choice scarves that are warm and beautiful make a fantastic accessory. (And if you can afford the trip to India or are going for a better reason than shopping, the pashmina’s there are dirt cheap and adorable).

Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less – Are You Serious?!

by rhealitycheck

So I was just perusing blogs with interesting titles and there was one mucking up Obama’s name, yet again. And I am not exactly Obama’s biggest fan but I don’t appreciate making up stories about anyone… except maybe Dub-ya and that’s just because the stuff he does is so outlandish to begin with it’s hard to figure out when something is just a flat-out lie. So anyway there is some article somewhere claiming that Obama has a half brother living in a shack in Africa and is too ashamed to admit that he is related to the famous American. I don’t know if I believe that or not, read it if you care, don’t if you think it’s junk. I’m undecided.

BUT what really got my goat was on the side of the blogger’s page was a link to this. Ok people, with all of the environmental crises that are happening, have we *still* not figured out that drilling all over the world is a bad idea? Are we truly that stupid that we have not learned from the errors of our past? I don’t understand how it is possible to not think that now is the time to be progressive. Now is the time to start investigating renewable energy sources. Now is the time to make a difference. It is not tomorrow, it is not another day, it is now. This is the time when we get a chance to make a change for the better. We need to take responsibility for our own actions or we won’t have a world left to live in! How can we be so blind to think that drilling in more places and using up *all* of the oil in this world will make things better?! I know that I am generally a cynic about the intelligence of the world at large (and particularly Americans) but I really didn’t think we were this stupid. I really thought that maybe we had learned something. Clearly I was wrong. Clearly that was a silly assumption (and yes I know assuming anything makes an ass out of you and me). *sigh*

You know if we don’t make the effort to look into renewable energy now it will continue to be more expensive and oil will continue to be a problem. If we don’t make a change for the better the economy will be hit again with another loss in the future. This is not a problem that is going to go away. You know, it would be nice if the US were to actually be on par with Europe or Japan in their progressive moves toward being environmentally friendly. We have the scientists and we’ve got the money to do the research at a pace that would make all the difference in the world. If only we could get the funding and not be bullied around by Big Oil, as we have been for so long.