Colbert Supports President Palin

A Woman's Worth at Work

To follow along with my previous post, please check out this article in the NY Times about a young woman's experience with the harsh realities of being a woman in the workplace.

Thanks to Julie M. for forwarding the link.

Who is Emily?

Geez. I'm posting like a fiend today. While I was watching the Dems Convention, I saw a sign for Emily's List. So, I decided to check it out. This speech by Michigan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm in 2002 explains what Emily's List is very well.



For more information, go to Emily's List.

Sir Charles

I'm not a big fan of the NBA, but I have always liked Charles Barkley. Sometimes he can be over the top in his comments, but he does not hesitate to speak his mind. Most of the time he's funny and pretty damn clever. Check out a rather low-key interview with Charles at the Dems Convention.

Thanks, Hillary.

I admit that I had doubts about Hillary Clinton's headlining speech at the Dem Convention tonight. I have always supported Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for President because I believe in him and his principles. Tonight is the first time that I believed in what Hillary Clinton has said. I finally believe that she fully and genuinely supports Barack Obama.

Thanks, Hillary.

The 19th Amendment

Thanks to Michelle Obama for reminding all of us that today, August 26, is the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the US Constitution. This is the amendment that ended discrimination by gender on the right to vote. Simply, women finally had the right to vote, beginning 88 years ago.

Yet, as illustrated this evening, by Lily Ledbetter, we, as a society, have a long way to go. Women still do not receive equal pay for equal work. Yes, tremendous strides have been made throughout the years, however, in the last government survey in 2005, women earn $0.77 for every $1.00 earned by a man. That's crap.

For more information on the failed Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, please visit the American Association of University Women's website.

Here Come the Dems

Every 4 years in August, I am glued to the tube. I love the Summer Olympics (and Winter too) and I love political conventions. I especially enjoy the convention coverage on PBS.

Yes, I'm a dork.

The Olympics represent the best in sportsmanship, global community, and genuine human kindness. I love it! I'm going to try my best to get to Vancouver in 2010 for the Winter Olympics.

Today is the first day of the Democratic National Convention. Four years ago, I watched the speech by Barack Obama and I started to believe in our government again. I'm excited for the week of great speeches and great stories.

Right now I'm watching Caroline Kennedy's introduction of the Ken Burns' tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy. More blogging later...

Formidable Opponent

I am American.

I have spent the evening NOT making my condo toddler-proof. My sister and her family are staying with me this weekend, which includes my 16-month old nephew. So, what was I doing instead of covering sharp furniture corners? I was catching up on my favorite blogs, and the list keeps growing every few weeks.

One post from my friend Pam caught my attention. Pam references an article about the Spanish basketball team making an offensive gesture toward Chinese people, and frankly all Asians, in my opinion. We're talking about racism. The type of racism expressed by the Spanish is the kind that worries me the most. You could probably call it ignorance. We really haven't come that far in our modern culture if educated adults think that making slanty-eye gestures or using phrases like "fresh of the boat" is even remotely acceptable.

Pam and I were both raised in Midwest towns (in Illinois for her and Missouri for me), where only a handful of Asian kids attended our schools. For most of my childhood I was comfortable at school and with my friends, but once in awhile, I would get a swift reminder that I was not like everyone else in my town. I still live in my hometown and I really can't tell you how often I go through this conversation:

Stranger: "Hi, how are you? That's a different last name. Where are you from?"
Me: "I'm from St. Louis (or St. Peters, my hometown)."
Stranger: "No, really. Where are you from?"
Me: "I was born in St. Louis."
Stranger: "Oh. I mean, what's your nationality?"
Me (irritated at this point): "I'm American."
Stranger (finally noticing my irritation): "Well, that's not what I meant. Where are your parents from?"
Me: "Thailand. They've been here for over 38 years, over half of their lives. I'm American, but my ethnicity is Thai."
Stranger (back to total ignorance of my irritation): "That's great. I love Thai food!"

At this point in the conversation, I either politely extricate myself from this person, making my parents proud for not provoking confrontation, or I steer the conversation to the halfway decent Thai restaurants in St. Louis.

However, lately, I find myself becoming the educator. If anything, I make people uncomfortable by forcing them to see their inherent racism. I honestly think that most people believe that they are not racists, even though they carry these pre-conceived notions in their head, or they ask questions like the ones above. This is how they were raised -- no exposure to anyone of non-Caucasian, non-Anglo, or non-European background.

I think you only know racism if you have experienced it firsthand or if a close friend or relative has experienced it and you share their pain. For me, the pain is not just about racism against Asians, but of people of all races. I know what it feels like to be the minority and to feel alone in a sea of sameness.

Earlier, I mentioned having reminders of race. Even today, I wonder what the person at the retail store thinks when they see me coming up to the counter. Do they automatically think that I speak with an accent? Are they surprised when I speak English with a perfect Midwestern accent? I don't think about this too often, because it would drive me insane. So, I guess it's a sanity check, albeit a negative one.

I live with racism everyday. I never know when it will rear its ugly head. Will I need to get into a debate with my co-workers about immigration? Will I need to remind friends that America is a melting pot and even our exalted forefathers were immigrants? It really does get old. How often do I need to tell people that I am American? Would it be this way if I lived in a more diverse community?

More Randomness

My favorite non-friend bloggers, Tom and Lorenzo (authors of Project Rungay), have started posting about my new favorite show, Mad Men! I really don't have much more to add to that comment. TLO, as they like to be called, explain it all in their post.

I am currently obsessed with the Olympics. Some people hate it, but I LOVE it. Michael Phelps just won his 10th Olympic gold medal, more than anyone else on the freaking planet. I can't get over the dedication, skill, and talent of this guy. His typical day: eat, swim, sleep. It seems so simple but is probably really complicated.

I bought a Wii Fit yesterday, and it's cool. I know the whole balance board thing seems weird and very simple, but the balance exercises are HARD. And, the yoga exercises are demanding. It also makes me realize how out of shape I am. So, I headed back to the gym this evening. I'm hoping that the Wii Fit will help me keep on track. You have to keep track of your other activities in addition to the Wii Fit activities. You also track your BMI, weight, and Wii Fit age. Right now, I'm slightly older than my actual age. That sucks.

And the highlight of the last two weeks:


That's Sarah G., me, and Sarah R. standing in front of Boyz II Men (minus one)!