2007

I can't believe it's already the last day of 2007. I also can't believe it's Monday and I have to go to work. (The news doesn't take a holiday!) I accomplished very little over the weekend. Did some laundry, ran the dishwasher, and took out the trash. But of course, there's more trash now. Funny how that happens. I wish I lived in one of those cool old buildings you see on TV/movies that have a trash chute. I hate walking out to the dumpster, especially when the parking lot is a skating rink and it's freezing outside. I actually found one of those buildings here in Spokane, but I just couldn't live there. The neighborhood was just too scary for a single female who gets off work at midnight. It was a lovely building though. Even had central air, which I would kill for!

life insurance

Do you ever think about life insurance? Depending on your current situation (for example, does someone else rely on your income?), you probably should. And just like with getting a loan, you should compare life insurance plans and make sure you are getting the best deal for yourself.

At this point in my life, the only life insurance I have is through my employer. That plan would probably cover funeral expenses and nothing more. So if I wanted to make sure that Jewels’ guardian would receive enough money to take care of her, I’d need to purchase some additional life insurance. From what I’ve heard term life insurance is the best way to go.

Advantage Term Life Insurance has an easy way to compare rates right on the website. They state that they have the best competitive rates around. I bet they do, especially when you consider that they’re able to provide comparison rates from more than 25 companies. With that kind of information, you know you’re getting the best rate for your new life insurance plan. And making it all the more convenient, everything is done right online. Just type in your information once and you’re taken care of. No more calling around to different companies for insurance quotes. Who has that kind of time?

So if you or someone you know is in need of life insurance, be sure to shop around. Advantage’s website makes that easy and has the form to fill out right on the front page so you don’t even have to do any searching to find exactly what you’re looking for.


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my new dress needs shoes!

I fell in love with this dress on the mannequin at American Eagle. I tried it on and decided it looked cute on me too. Since it was on sale and I had 15% off (ever notice how frequently AE sends out those 15% off coupons??), I bought it. Now I've realized a few problems with my new lovely dress. 1) I have no shoes to wear with it! Now that's hard to believe considering I literally have a closet full of shoes, but it's true. The colors of the dress just don't work with any of my shoes. 2) The dress is very much a winter dress, but the type of shoes that one wears during a Spokane winter wouldn't look good. I must move elsewhere to make this work. 3) Exactly when am I going to have a reason to wear this dress?!

brrr...

It is cold outside! And there's tons of snow and ice on the ground, which makes getting around just so pleasant. I wish I could go into hibernation like the bears. Since that's not really a possibility, I'm thinking the best option would be to move to the desert--someplace beautifully warm with little chance of ever seeing snow. I definitely prefer tank tops to sweaters.

Ginger Rogers

It'd be awesome to be related to Ginger Rogers, but quite sadly, I'm not. She had quite the life...starring in 77 films, dancing with Fred Astaire, and so much more I can't even begin to list it all.

And now there's the Ginger Rogers Musical! It debuts in Ginger's hometown this February. You can get tickets through Ticketmaster (of course) for $40-50 depending on the seats.

So check out Ginger and Me (the musical). It's Dancing with the Stars--For Real!

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traveling Jewels

Jewels was such a good traveler. She was a little freaked at first since she wasn't sure why I'd packed up her food and litter box, but everything was fine once she realized she was coming along. She sat quietly in her carrier and watched me drive.

At my mom's she continued to be a good girl. Again, a little freaked out, but she started to get more comfortable with each day. She even checked out all of the rooms last night. Of course, then it was time to go back home. No problems there either.

I did discover one interesting thing. Although Jewels has never had an encounter with a dog (with the exception of maybe seeing one at the vet), she recognizes the scent as that of a predator. My sister tried to pick her up after having petted a dog at someone else's house. Jewels immediately backed up, struck the "Halloween cat" pose, and started hissing. Even after my sister washed her hands, Jewels wouldn't let her get near.

great idea

I wish I'd thought of this. Check it out.

Before I am Famous: Weekly Shorts

pet peeve

I have lots of pet peeves (I get annoyed fairly easily), but the one that's been driving me super-crazy lately is gum cracking. I happen to work with a gum-cracker. I don't like her anyway, so the constant cracking of her gum right in my ear is making me absolutely insane! I want to make a rule that no one can chew gum during the show. And especially if you're on headset.

traveling and hotels

Lots of people are traveling this time of year. I'm one of them! One of the biggest nuisances involved with traveling is figuring out where to stay. To make it easier on yourself when making Hotel Reservations just head to the internet. This allows you to easily compare all the hotels in the area. You can sort by price (and these are probably the best rates you'll find), then compare the amenities offered.

By the way, if you're coming to visit me, you'll want to book a room. Unless, of course, you don't mind having a cat bite your toes as you sleep!




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mystery apartment shopping?

Although I work full-time and attend school full-time, I still look for little side jobs. I need to. Getting a master's degree costs a fortune. Plus, I've got tons of loans from my undergrad years. So anyway, that need for more money makes me check the university job board all the time. People post short-term jobs like baby-sitting and tutoring there. I even got a weekend job judging at a high school debate tournament this way.

Now on the job board there's a post for mystery apartment shoppers. I didn't know people mystery-shopped apartments. I'd only heard about grocery stores, restaurants, and the like. I'm thinking of doing it. I've apartment-hunted a lot. In fact, I do it every so often still because I hate my current place. So I think I'd be good at it and I might even find a new place to live while I'm at it. Unfortunately, the website for the company doesn't give any information on how much they pay. Plenty of other details are there, like all the things you have to include in your report, but not how much you make. I want to make sure it's worth my time before I do their little training program.



Why do I never remember to use the "labels" part of this? I press "publish post," then realize I forgot. Then I have to go back and add. And sometimes I just don't feel like doing that!

oh dear lord

Brit's 16 year old sis is preggers. The end of the world is upon us. Here's the article: http://www6.comcast.net/entertainment/articles/2007/12/19/People.Jamie.Lynn.Spears/?cvqh=itn_jamielynn

the kids at Taco Time

I know they're making minimum wage over at Taco Time. But minimum wage is $7.93 (and soon to go up) in Washington, which is pretty good money for a high school kid. So you'd think they could put in some effort...

We keep airing commercials for Taco Time's new Casita. Advertising works on me, so I decided to buy one for dinner. I went to the drive-thru and ordered. The kid asked me to repeat myself. So I told him I wanted the "new item--the chicken casita." He still couldn't figure it out. I drove to the window to order. I should've just left. Even face-to-face he was unsure of what I was ordering. Finally he seemed to figure it out, but then he had to keep double-checking with me. My fault, I suppose, for not wanting lettuce and tomatoes. He finally handed me my order and I drove home. I just started eating it and have discovered that he gave me a beef casita instead of chicken. I can eat beef, so it's ok, but I really wanted the chicken.

house flipping loans

House flipping is the hot new thing. Turn on your TV and you'll find there are a number of TV shows dedicated to house flippers. You can make quite a bit of money (or lose your shirt), but in order to flip a house, you have to have the money to buy a house. More than likely you'll need to take out some Investor Loans. Before you decide to flip a house, do your homework and make sure you can get a loan for the amount you'll need. And then be sure you can pay it back!

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Christmas vacation

This weekend should be interesting. I'm going home for Christmas. That's not interesting or unusual. But I'm taking someone with me this time. And that's what will make the trip very interesting. Who am I taking with me? Oh, I don't know... Could it be


That's right. Jewels is coming along. She's only been out of the apartment to go to the vet. She's been fine in the car for that, but of course this will be a much longer car ride. And then she's going to be in a strange house with strange people and new smells. She could very easily freak out.

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neighbors

It's just past 10pm. 10:02 to be precise. My upstairs neighbors are doing laundry. We aren't supposed to do laundry after 10pm according to the terms of our lease. I completely understand why. The machines are cheap and LOUD. Plus, the building has paper thin walls. (Never again will I live in new construction!) And of course, I can't even complain because I totally believe in karma. If I complain about them breaking the rules, someone will turn me in for the rule I'm breaking every second of every day!

great gift idea

What's the best gift you could get an animal lover, particularly someone with a dog? The Michael Vick Plush Dog Toy!

So not only is it fun to watch your pet torture and attack the image of a man who killed so many dogs, a percentage of the proceeds goes to various charities to raise awareness of animal abuse. So if you still need a gift for your pet (come on, you know you buy them toys all the time anyway) or the animal lover in your life, buy this:





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downtown shopping -- the secret

I figured out how to avoid paying to park downtown when I go shopping! See, the place I like to have my car worked on had to close their northtown location. I was upset, but since they offered a half-price oil change for northtown customers' trouble, I went ahead and booked an appointment at the downtown location. Turns out that location is about seven blocks from Nordstorm, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, etc. So while they changed my oil and put on new tires, I walked down to the stores and went shopping. So now I can shop downtown every three months without paying to park!

comparing loans

Like I've said before, I found out the hard way that you should always compare terms before you take out a loan. Terms can vary so much and you definitely want to get the best deal because you could be paying this loan back for years to come!

Of course, the internet makes things so much easier now. There are sites that let you compare loans easily. How NameYourLoan.com Works is that a person seeking a loan fills out an online application and then sits back while lenders compete. The bids can go lower depending on your circumstances. Once you've received your bids, it's just a few easy steps to compare the lenders and get yourself the best deal out there. And in case you're wondering, the service is free.

This is the press release:

NameYourLoan.com Diversifies Current Lending Environment for Borrowers with New Approach to Online Mortgage Loans.

New online mortgage auction site, NameYourLoan.com, has revolutionized the way borrowers obtain mortgage loans online. As a unique and creative online community, borrowers can easily connect with the best mortgage lenders while lenders benefit from a wealth of real time mortgage leads and opportunities for business growth.
(PRWEB) – In today’s tough lending environment, littered with deceitful lenders and cunning tactics, it’s high time for a revolutionary tool that can empower borrowers yet still benefit lenders. NameYourLoan.com has answered the need with the launch of a new online mortgage auction site designed to give consumers access to an increasing mortgage lenders network to ultimately obtain great online mortgage loans.
“For centuries, auctions have been the most efficient and effective way to get the best deals in everything,” says Al Salahi, President and CEO of NameYourLoan.com. “Why not have auctions for all mortgage loan types?”
NameYourLoan.com is an online community where borrowers can easily connect with the best mortgage lenders. Lenders compete with one another in an online auction to win the borrower’s business. As numerous lenders submit loan offers, the site enables consumers to see “apples to apples”, compare mortgage interest rates and achieve the lowest rate mortgage online such as the best home equity loan rate or home refinance loan.
The site’s sophisticated computer system compiles and calculates all the information submitted by lenders (interest rates, points, fees, terms, etc.) and then ranks loan offers, based on their true worth relative to the borrower’s stated preferences (lowest rate, lowest fees or best combination of rates and fees). This simplified process gives borrowers a coherent presentation of information without having to do the math themselves.
Unlike other online mortgage comparison shopping services, only those lenders who come out at the top of the auction with the lowest interest rates and fees get a chance at the borrower’s business. Moreover, borrowers can invite their friend or relative lender to participate in the borrower’s auction quickly and without cost. Lenders who refuse to participate are most likely high priced and not the best mortgage lenders.
“Through advanced technology, we are starting to make haggling and deceptive lending tactics a thing of the past,” explains Salahi. “At the same time, we are transforming a generally stressful and complicated process into a very pleasant and easy experience for borrowers. Our multiple bid auction format, coupled with constant consumer feedback, will make it easy for us to weed out dishonest lenders—and hopefully put them out of business!”
Use of NameYourLoan.com is completely free for borrowers. Borrowers are under no obligation to accept any of the online mortgage loans offered in the auction. To protect against identity theft and fraud, site users are never asked for sensitive information, and lenders that receive multiple consumer complaints will be barred from future auctions.
For more information, visit NameYourLoan.com.
About NameYourLoan.com:
NameYourLoan.com is the world’s first online mortgage auction, designed to advance the lending process by helping honest and competitive lenders grow their business, and at the same time, make it possible for borrowers to instantaneously reach multiple lenders and receive competitive loan offers online, in an auction format. NameYourLoan.com uses a patent-pending concept powered by sophisticated proprietary software that has been developed by a number of technology heavyweights from the Fortune 500 arena.



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academia

I'm reading Flyover States and I think I might want to be an academic! Of course, I always seem to identify with book characters, so this could pass once I start reading a different book, which will be soon since I'm almost done with this one. But anyway, now that I'm coming up on the end of grad school, I'm already thinking about the things I want to study afterwards. Here's what I've come up with:

-Spanish (definitely a priority)
-dance, particularly ballet
-ceramics (I did it as a kid and now wish I hadn't stopped)
-business, particularly business ethics

And just think, the longer I stay in school, the longer I have before I need to start paying back my loans!!

free greeting cards

It's the time of year that everyone sends around cards. First you send out the Merry Christmas cards, then you send thank you notes to the people who bought you gifts (though I don't think it's necessary to send one if you opened the gift in front of them). Sending out all those cards gets expensive, though, especially since the post office keeps raising the price of stamps. So why not send FREE online greeting cards? There are a lot of totally cute ones. You can even send cards in languages other than English, which is definitely awesome. I think I'm sending everyone Spanish cards this year!




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all done (for now)

The semester ended on Wednesday. My group's presentation didn't go off exactly as planned, but oh well. I'm pretty sure I'm still getting an A in that class. I got 25/25 on all of the papers, so I don't see why not. I also know that I got an A in 501!! The professor sent back the paper with the course grade and some nice comments.

And even more good news: I emailed the department chair (who has to sign off on the thesis) about my plans. He wrote back saying, "I love everything about this proposal." Woohoo!!! I'm going to meet with him sometime over break to discuss it some more.

Now I have to work on writing up the official proposal. The great thing about that is it'll work for both school requirements and the National Association of Broadcasters grant that I'm going to apply for.

my favorite new show

Check out this article from TV Guide (and reposted on Taylor's Entertainment News) about what I think is the best new show of the season. Gossip Girl!

Taylor's Entertainment News: 5 Things to Love about Gossip Girl

Chris Hansen

How come no one ever recognizes Chris Hansen from Dateline? Last night I watched To Catch an ID Theft Predator. One of the guys actually told Chris that he watches To Catch a Predator all the time and for that reason is careful about who he chats with online. And yet he didn't recognize Chris! Sometimes on the show he gets a little pissy with guys who don't recognize him. That's always amusing to me. He must realize that if people did start recognizing him, her wouldn't be able to keep doing the shows.

weight loss surgery

America is fat! So many people need to lose weight. For some people diet and exercise isn’t enough. They’re just too far gone. That’s when surgery becomes an option. Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, which is more commonly known as Lapband, is one of those options. The band that is inserted controls the size of the stomach, which means that someone can’t eat as much as they once did.

A number of different places offer the surgery. If you're in Houston, you should click here: houston weight loss
JourneyLite also operates in Los Angeles and Tampa.

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another phone update

Discovered yet another annoying thing about my new phone. It doesn't display message information on the caller ID screen. My last phone would stop showing the time and instead display "missed call," "new voicemail," or "new message" (for texts), so I knew with a quick glance that I should look to see who called or texted me. This phone shows the time no matter what. So any time I'm away from the phone or have it silenced, I have to flip it open when I get back to it in order to find out if someone called. I find this quite annoying. I read through the book, but couldn't find any way to change this.

pay day loans

Some people have bad credit. Those people can’t get cash advances from a credit card, so when they need money to pay for things like car repairs, many turn to pay day loans. A pay day loan doesn’t require a credit check, which is why it’s an option. As with any loan, it’s best to shop around in order to get the best deal. One website that gives quotes is No Fax Payday Loans. They also offer electronic transfer of funds.

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next up

All school work is done for the semester other than pinning down just what we're going to say in the presentation. So we're meeting for lunch on Sunday to figure that out. I'm so happy I get to sleep some these next few days. In a few moments I'm turning off the computer and curling up with a book in bed. Nighty night.

good news

Paper and presentation for 501- complete
DVD for 506- complete
paper for 506- nearly done

I have no idea how I pulled this off. Though I haven't really slept. I suppose that's how I accomplished all of it.

One other note: I completely love my group members for 506! They are the best.

starting a business?

Sometimes writers to decide to make themselves a corporation for tax purposes. So far, I haven’t. But I’ve read books on the subject and know that one day it might be something I need to do in order to change the way my income is taxed. One company, IncParadise.com encourages small business owners to incorporate in Nevada because of Nevada’s business-friendly laws. The website offers a lot of advice on nevada corporation. They have various forms that business owners. Some of those forms are available for free while others have fees associated with the service.

The website offers a section on frequently asked questions that should provide some help to small business owners or people interested in starting their own business. Some of the questions addressed are: the difference between a "C" and an "S" corporation, obtaining a tax idea number (something they also offer forms on to help), and rules in naming a corporation. All important topics you need to find out about if you’re thinking of starting a corporation.

They also have something called a "corporate kit." If purchased, you receive documents you might need for your company, such as stock certificates. The kit costs $35 plus $20 shipping for second day UPS. Here’s an example of the kit:



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that 501 paper and presentation

I think I might finally be done with the paper and presentation. Since I don't have to turn them in until tomorrow at 5pm and I have the day off, I'm going to hold off on posting to the class website. I'm going to take a break from all the school work now. I'll look at them again tomorrow morning (after I go to the dentist) and see if there's anything I want to change. Hopefully there won't be.

new phone update

You would think that by staying with the same phone company and the same brand of phone, that switching phones would've been easy. It wasn't. First, I discovered that I hadn't saved anything to my SIM card. So I had to put it back in the old phone and save everything to it. I couldn't figure out how to save the games I'd purchased, so I guess I've lost those.

Now with the new phone working, I'm having difficulty navigating it. The answer/hang up buttons are reversed on this phone. That's a pain. And for some reason the calculator and alarm are under a different category. I made the alarm a quick key since I use it more than the calculator. But when I do want to use the calculator, I sit there forever trying to remember where it's located. I guess I'll get used to it eventually. And I just have to hope that when I change phones again, everything won't have changed again.

web coupons

I have used these coupon codes before and they totally work, which was thrilling for me. I once got $10 off my eBay purchase, which was great. I like that webbyplanet allows you to search for the coupon you want a number of ways. You can type it in the search field or browse by category or first letter. Being able to browse by category is great because you can discover new stores. With Christmas coming, these coupon codes will come in handy.

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love

This is what I wake up to in the morning. I love this cat. She's a little crazy sometimes. There's no Christmas tree this year for fear that she'll try to climb. Actually, I'm pretty sure she would climb it. The only place I haven't found her is on top of the fridge, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before she figures out how to get up there. Then when I least expect it, she'll dive down on top of me. It'll probably be when I'm carrying a pot of boiling water to sink. But then I'll remember what it's like to curl up in bed with her and all will be forgiven.

paintball!

paintball gun for sale
I'd buy. But no one ever takes me paintballing with them. I’m not sure why. Maybe they’re all afraid of getting beat by a girl! Anyway, you can get yourself paintball guns and other various gear through Ultimate Paintball. It looks to me like they have pretty good prices. Plus, you get free shipping! Got to love that. And if you’re impatient for your orders like me, the good news is they ship almost everything the same day you order it.

The Ultimate Paintball website also says they’re building a Paintball Tank to play out scenarios. My guess is that it’ll be in Missouri since that’s where the company’s based, but it’d be cool if they had it across the country.

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life

I obviously have too much going on. I nearly forgot to pay the rent. I suddenly realized slightly after 10pm that it was the first of the month. So I shoved my feet in some shoes, threw on my coat, and I headed down the stairs and through the fresh snow to the manager's office. Now the check is safely in the drop box. No late fee for me!

Oh, and I'm still procrastinating doing any of the work I need to do by constantly writing other stuff like this. I've made very little progress on the 501 stuff; nothing on the other.

massive loan debt

As a grad student, loans are a big part of my life. I’m not only in massive debt from my undergrad years, I now have taken out even more loans as I pursue my master’s degree. When I took out my undergrad loans, I was completely clueless. My parents didn’t really agree with my decision to go to college, so they didn’t help me understand the loan process. Not knowing about student loans and their terms is something I regret. Thankfully, I know more now and the terms of my grad school loans are much better. Anyone who is thinking about taking out a loan, regardless the type of loan, should do plenty of research before agreeing to any lender’s terms. I am paying so much in interest of my first student loans because I didn’t know what my options were. I have good credit, so the interest rates I’m paying are ridiculous. If you have high interest rates and good credit, I would recommend doing what you can to refinance at a lower rate. I haven’t been able to refinance all of it, but have been able to do a good chunk.

Luckily, the internet makes it much easier to do this type of research now. You can Compare loans through this website. They also have Homeowner loans available through their site and be sure to check out Unsecured loans there too.


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work

At this point, I don't know how I'm going to get all my work done this weekend. Writing this is obviously not helping. But I'm having a hard time getting started.

By Monday, I need to complete my work for 501. This includes a PowerPoint presentation that's about halfway done and a paper (the paper that is killing me) that, according to the professor, is 80% done. I really wanted it to be completely done last Monday, but he made suggestions on what I turned in, which means I have to do more in order to get an A. I'm so not looking forward to writing any more on the subject.

Then by Wednesday, I need another paper written for a different class. Thankfully, this one only has to be three pages; but since I haven't even started it, there may be some problems with accomplishing that. I also need to put together the video clips for the group presentation. That actually isn't due until the following Wednesday, but since most of the DVDs I'm getting the clips from were rented, I need to get them at least copied by this Wednesday.

I might die.

gift buying time is upon us

Buying everyone Christmas gifts is always hard. You want to find them something they really want, but there’s not much time to do it in, especially if you’re like me and in grad school. There’s not even enough time to sleep! So you definitely don’t want to hit up the mall. There’ll be swarms of people and no parking. With the internet, you don’t have to worry about any of that. There are, of course, multiple places to do your online shopping and one of those sites is http://www.opticsplanet.net/. There you can find a wide-variety of outdoorsy or sports-related gifts. Get the direction-challenged person in your life one of those GPS devices! They also have tons of flashlights and everyone can use a flashlight. I know I need one to dig out all the toys my cat shoves under the fridge! Depending on what you buy, you might qualify for free shipping. And even better, you only have to pay sales tax if you live in Illinois.



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oh what fun

About two weeks ago, I decided I might like to have the evening off. So I asked someone to cover my shift after the dinner break. I wasn't sure that I would need the time off for anything. I figured if I didn't really need to do anything, it would at least still be nice to get some sleep and maybe do a little cleaning up. Now I'm very glad I have it off. I got back comments on my paper yesterday. What I wrote was really good, but the professor thinks I need to add more to the discussion and conclusion sections. So that's what I'll be doing this weekend. No sleep for me.

Johnny Depp

I like a lot of Johnny Depp movies, so it’s hard to pick a favorite. I know a lot of people didn’t like Secret Window, but I actually did. Johnny Depp plays Mort Rainey, an author. Maybe I like it because he’s a writer. My favorite part is when he starts screaming about how he can prove he didn’t steal someone else’s story. He offers up the "proof" of a magazine that the story was printed in (unfortunately for Mort, the pages have been ripped out of the magazine). The best line from the movie is "I have the magazine, you lunatic. I have the magazine. I have the goddamn magazine!"

I also really enjoyed Edward Scissorhands, in which Depp had the title role. My sister and I used to watch that movie all the time. Especially when we were out of school for the summer. It played on cable a lot back then. It’s so much fun to watch him giving suburban housewives haircuts with the same scissorhands that sculpt the shrubs. The way hair and branches fly is simply amazing. The haircuts all look great while the shrubs are nothing less than works of art. But the ending is so sad; he goes to his castle all alone.

So which is better? While Secret Window definitely has some great scenes, I think Edward Scissorhands is the overall better movie. All these years later, I still love the talent he has with his scissors. Plus, the plot is more moving. The sadness and love from Edward is better than the anger and insanity from Mort.

And now Depp has a new movie coming out called Sweeney Todd. I’m very excited for that one. I’ve never seen Sweeney Todd on stage, but have always wanted to. The plot sounds awesome. I don’t see many movies in the theatre, but this one I’ll go see.



visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site

visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace

resume workshop

Well, the pizza was a bit disappointing. Lukewarm and from Papa John's--probably my least favorite pizza. But then again, it was free.

And I talked to someone about my resume. She had some good ideas on how to cut back on the number of lines used. She also said that if I expand the descriptions (and brag about myself a little more) that a two-page resume would be fine. So I'm going to play with it a bit. See what I like. Then I'll bring it back in. They have quite a few more workshops on the calendar--hopefully the pizza will be fresh when I come in next time!

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your very own business cards

I’ve just discovered something I hadn’t even thought about before; but when you think about it, it does make sense. Regular businesses hand out business cards to people, so why shouldn’t writers? Writers probably don’t because printing the cards can be expensive, but now they don’t have to be. There’s a company out there offering professional-looking business cards for the cost of shipping. According to the website shipping is less than $6 for a regular delivery of 100 cards. I think the shipping cost is worth it when you think about the extra revenue you might be able to bring in once you start passing out cards!

Here's the company's link: 100 FREE business cards

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emo kids

If you thought the Seattle hipsters and Tri-City girls who make out with their boyfriends were bad, you should try the Spokane emo kids!! I'll take the hipsters over them any day (esp. since now you can't smoke in bars). Apparently the hip new thing is to take pictures of yourself at the show using your camera phone. The band even commented on it. I bet if I did a search on MySpace, I'd find a bunch of those "Me at my first rawk show!!" pictures. Maybe next time they'll actually watch the band. I don't see how you can say you "saw" Anberlin when you spent the entire time taking giggly pictures that you then showed to your friends and giggled some more about. Oh yeah, and get a haircut already.

P.S. When we have Dashboard sing-a-long time, don't sing if you don't know the lyrics.

aw, it's pretty

Wow, there are some amazing looking garages on this site http://www.carguygarage.com/gaflti.html. My favorite one is http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-81563436181518_1977_20539540 …though I might also be slightly attracted to the car as well!

I do not have a garage with anything like this. Boring, boring concrete with a stain from where my car drip, drip, drips something. My guess is oil, but I really wouldn’t know. These tiles look like they’d clean up easily, which would be nice. I suppose I’d have to give the company a call, but since the pieces are interlocking I would think it’d be easy to remove the floor so you could take it with you when you move. I move a lot, so that would be a concern of mine. Wouldn’t want someone else to get to use my fancy new floor just months after it was installed! If it can be removed and then reinstalled in a different garage, this would be nice to have. So if you've got a garage, check it out.

garage flooring

snow!

And the first real snow of the season has hit Spokane. Of course, we all had to freak out about it and not remember how to drive even though this happens every year. I'm so glad my drive to and from work is not at the peak times. People can't drive even in perfect conditions; it's so much worse when there's snow.

Woohoo!! PayPerPost

A while back I saw an article in the Seattle P-I (my favorite of my four daily newspapers!) about people who were getting paid to blog. PayPerPost was one of the companies mentioned in the article. I love to write and like money even more, so I decided to check it out. PayPerPost looked like a good company, so I decided to sign up. And now here I am!

I’m still new to this, so I haven’t taken any of the opportunities (besides of course, this first one), but so far it looks like there are quite a few. Some of them pay quite well. I’m looking forward to making some extra money, which will go towards all the silly things I end up spending my money on when I really should be spending it on my grad school tuition! But first things first, paying off the credit card I charged the laser hair removal on!

In all, I’m excited to be a new PayPerPost member. I quite enjoy blogging, so I think this will be fun. Plus, getting to blog about different subjects satisfies my crazy desire to research. I’ll get presented with a new topic, research it, blog about what I’ve learned, and make some money!

And guess what? You can join too!

get paid to blog

fancy new phone

I don't change phones everytime the trendy new one comes out, I actually haven't changed phones in three years! But I think I've dropped my phone too many times. It's doing weird things, like turning itself off. T-Mobile lets you change phones for nearly free if you sign an additional two year contract. So I did, and now my fancy new phone is being shipped to me for the mere sum of $18. Best thing I see about it is that it's not as big as my current phone.

resume time?

I wasn't going to go to the upcoming resume workshop at school, but then I found out there's going to be pizza. I'll show up to nearly anything if it involves free food! And then I started thinking, it has been a while since I really updated my resume and I'm definitely going to be wanting to send it out in about seven months. So it probably would be beneficial to go. One thing I need to find out is how to balance education with work experience. I have three different degrees to list, which seems excessive on a one page resume. Maybe it's time for the two page resume.

cheesecake balls!

Tragedy struck a while back when I discovered Sonic was no longer selling strawberry cheesecake balls. I loved those things. Today I was informed that Arby's has raspberry cheesecake balls. I'm completely thrilled. I can only hope they taste as good. And if they do, Arby's had better keep them on the menu!!

there's things that aren't worth giving up

Procrastinating Your Novel 101

decide you need to "live" more
decide you can't possibly write the middle until you've figured out the end

Procrastinating Your Novel 102

decide your broken-hearted state is no condition to write a romance
abandon novel

Procrastinating Your Novel 201

decide your new murder mystery must be crime scene accurate
decide current course load won't allow for criminology course or reading
delay novel until grad school over
decide there's more money to be made in magazines anyway (or at least that it's more immediate)

Procrastinating Your Magazine Article 101

well, of course, you have to research all those potential markets first!

for your amusement

So I’m having fun with this website: http://www.freerice.com/

Don’t know how much it really helps people who need food, but it does help improve your vocab. My vocab level is 41; what’s yours?

yummy food, but...

I decided to try out one of those meal-prep places that seem to be gaining in popularity. I went to Cena since it's the closest to my place. I enjoyed the experience. They provide beverages and cookies while you prepare your food. It was definitely nice to have all the ingredients right there ready to go and to have them clean up after me. But now that it's all home, I've found one little problem: I still don't like to cook! This kitchen is terrible for one. And even though I didn't have to figure where to prep the food in the limited amount of space I have or clean up after preparing the food, I still have to clean up after cooking the food. And that sucks. Plus, I have to wait for it to cook. I think I'll be sticking to my high-end take-out (even though it costs way more than I should really be spending).

easy cash??

I just skimmed through American Carnival by Neil Henry for my thesis research. Doesn't look like there's a whole lot there that I'll be able to use in the thesis, but I did come across something interesting. He said that he had wanted some back issues of some magazines for some research. When he couldn't find them at the library, he called the publisher who suggested eBay. He then purchased the issues he needed from eBay. I had no idea people sold their old magazines on eBay. I just checked it out for myself, and sure enough, there are issues there. Now I don't know how many sell, but since I have tons of magazine subscriptions maybe I should try to sell some of the issues I'm done reading.

another election day passes

Election day is always stressful at work. I wish there was a way to avoid it next year. I really don't want to be around for Gregoire/Rossi Round 2 at the same time as the presidential race. Though at least for the national races, the national news takes over.

This year's election really didn't have much to it, at least for someone who is voting in Spokane Co. without having anything invested in the area. I honestly don't care about improving the water parks here or who wins the school district races. I'm not going to be here long enough to use the new water park facility nor will I ever send any kids to school here. I voted, but it was the statewide stuff that made me bother to stick the ballot in the library drop-box.

give the kids access!

Poll: Most OK birth control for schools
By ALAN FRAM
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- People decisively favor letting their public schools provide birth control to students, but they also voice misgivings that divide them along generational, income and racial lines, a poll showed.

Sixty-seven percent support giving contraceptives to students, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll. About as many - 62 percent - said they believe providing birth control reduces the number of teenage pregnancies.

"Kids are kids," said Danielle Kessenger, 39, a mother of three young children from Jacksonville, Fla., who supports providing contraceptives to those who request them. "I was a teenager once and parents don't know everything, though we think we do."

Yet most who support schools distributing contraceptives prefer that they go to children whose parents have consented. People are also closely divided over whether sex education and birth control are more effective than stressing morality and abstinence, and whether giving contraceptives to teenagers encourages them to have sexual intercourse.

"It's not the school's place to be parents," said Robert Shaw, 53, a telecommunications company manager from Duncanville, Texas. "For a school to provide birth control, it's almost like the school saying, 'You should go out and have sex.'"

Those surveyed were not asked to distinguish between giving contraceptives to boys or girls.

The survey was conducted in late October after a school board in Portland, Maine, voted to let a middle school health center provide students with full contraceptive services. The school's students are sixth- through eighth-graders, when most children are 11 to 13 years old, and do not have to tell their parents about services they receive.

Portland school officials plan to consider a proposal soon that would let parents forbid their children from receiving prescription contraceptives like birth control pills.

Teenage pregnancy rates have declined to about 75 per 1,000, down from a 1990 peak of 117, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research center. Still, nearly half of teens aged 15 to 19 report having had sex at least once, and almost 750,000 of them a year become pregnant.

The 67 percent in the AP poll who favor providing birth control to students include 37 percent who would limit it to those whose parents have consented, and 30 percent to all who ask.

Minorities, older and lower-earning people were likeliest to prefer requiring parental consent, while those favoring no restriction tended to be younger and from cities or suburbs. People who wanted schools to provide no birth control at all were likelier to be white and higher-income earners.

"Parents should be in on it," said Jennifer Johnson, 29, of Excel, Ala., a homemaker and mother of a school-age child. "Birth control is not saying you can have sex, it's protecting them if they decide to."

About 1,300 U.S. public schools with adolescent students - less than 2 percent of the total - have health centers staffed by a doctor or nurse practitioner who can write prescriptions, said spokeswoman Divya Mohan of the National Assembly of School-Based Health Care. About one in four of those provide condoms, other contraceptives, prescriptions or referrals, Mohan said.

Less than 1 percent of middle schools and nearly 5 percent of high schools make condoms available for students, said Nancy Brener, a health scientist with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Underlining the schisms over the issue, those saying sex education and birth control were better for reducing teen pregnancies outnumber people preferring morality and abstinence by a slim 51 percent to 46 percent.

Younger people were likelier to consider sex education and birth control the better way to limit teenage pregnancies, as were 64 percent of minorities and 47 percent of whites. Nearly seven in 10 white evangelicals opted for abstinence, along with about half of Catholics and Protestants.

In addition, 49 percent say providing teens with birth control would not encourage sexual intercourse and a virtually identical 46 percent said it would.

Though men and women have similar views about whether to provide contraceptives to students, women are likelier than men to think it will not encourage sexual intercourse, 55 percent to 43 percent.

Asked when young people should first be allowed to get birth control, ages 16 and 18 drew the most responses, while only a third chose age 15 or younger. Women's selections averaged just over age 16, slightly higher than men, while young people and Westerners preferred younger ages than others.

"I'd be pulling my kids out of that school," Ron Wrobel, 55, an engineer from Port Huron, Mich., said of the Maine middle school. He said birth control should be for teens at least 17 years old.

Mirroring the rift that has played out in countless battles in Congress, Democrats were likelier than Republicans to favor freer access to birth control and to have more faith that it reduces teenage pregnancies. Forty-five percent of Republicans - including 51 percent of GOP women - say birth control should not be provided to any students, compared to 19 percent of Democrats.

The poll involved telephone interviews with 1,004 adults from Oct. 23-25. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

---

AP Director of Surveys Trevor Tompson and AP News survey specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.

give me beauty or give me death

Who knew I'd get so many compliments for dressing up a boy! I took the kid (though he's older than me) who dresses in sweats all the time to the mall and made him buy some decent clothes. He wore them today and everyone said what a fantastic job I'd done. I doubt he'll maintain it even though everyone told him repeatedly that he looked great. Regardless, I'm thinking I can get paid for this. And why not grab a camera when I take badly dressed males shopping? What Not To Wear Spokane!!!

neighbors

One thing I really hate about new construction apartments is how much neighbor noise can be heard. I think (can't be sure) my neighbors have a car racing game. Whatever it is, the constant faint sounds of an engine are really annoying. And I thought the people with the screaming baby were bad!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is always kind of sad now. I have to work, so that's no fun. Plus, kids don't go out anymore. So for the little time that I am home for dinner, I don't get to see any trick or treaters. I feel bad for all the kids. We used to go all over getting candy. We'd come home with our bags full. Our parents had absolutely no idea where we were the entire night, but we always came back safe. Now parents are scared someone's going to run off with the kids, so they take them to the mall and that's it. Where's the fun in that?? Someone needs to bring back Halloween!

eek!

I decided I was too old for pimples, so I bought a prescription-strength face cleanser. I really didn't think it'd be that much stronger than the other non-prescription stuff I've used. I was wrong! I should've realized that anything that warns it'll make you vulnerable to sunburn was strong. I'm glad I tried it at night. It burned!! And my face was a little red. Luckily all was normal in the morning. But I think I'll only be using it at night and definitely not everyday.

sing me to sleep

The biggest problem with writing a book (at least for me) is that I love sleep. I cannot write a book while sleeping. Even if I have really great ideas as I'm drifting off to sleep, I don't remember them clearly enough by the time I have an opportunity to write it all down. I tried creating a schedule that said I should write every week. It looks great on the little MS schedule program, but it never ends up happening. I prefer to sleep. Or read, which I try to say is "research." My book will never get written.

Jewels doesn't like the soap!

Bath and Body Works had a sale so I bought some soap. It smells absolutely delicious, in my opinion. This one is Midnight Pomegranant. But something about the smell drives the cat crazy. She immediately attacked my hands after I washed them. I hope she gets used to it because the soap is going to be around for a while!

can't resist the new addiction

I went to the open house hosted by the place I got my laser hair removal done. I thought it was going to have a lot more to it than it did. The flyer said gifts and special promotions. Some people did get free facials after their number was drawn, but of course, mine wasn't. As for the promotions, I now have 25% off some other laser hair removals. So that's good, just not quite as good as I'd hoped for. Oh well. I did get a glass of wine and some yummy desserts.

dance, dance

I decided I wanted to take dance lessons, but it is proving to be impossible! They simply aren't offered at a time of day that works for someone who works nights. I know most adults get off work by 5 or 6pm, so it makes sense for all these places to offer night classes only. But that completely sucks for me! I already have to cut my work hours short in order to attend my grad school classes. I can't cut even more hours for dance. My one hope is that one of the colleges around here will offer dance classes at a good time for me next semester.

what's your carbon footprint?

There are a number of carbon footprint calculators. Do a Google search. But if you're lazy, here's one: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.html

Want to know one way to reduce your carbon footprint right now? Stop drinking bottled water! Most of it is just filtered tap water anyway. So buy your own water filter. It's cheaper and better for the environment. According to a 2001 USA Today article (http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2001-05-02-bottled-water.htm), bottled water plants use 1.5 million tons of plastic each year. So buy one container that you use repeatedly (be sure you clean it too!) and fill it with water from the tap.

germs attack!

So many commercials about germs lately. They're all a little ridiculous, but I especially love the ones about toilet germs. Honestly, I only care about germs on the seat and the handle. I never stick my hand in the bowl. I definitely don't get anywhere close to the pipe all the waste goes down. So what do I care if there are germs there? The scare tactics of these commercials shouldn't work on any rationale person. I guess the products are intended for all the germ freaks out there. But people should realize that we actually weaken our immune system when we aren't exposed to low levels of germs, bacteria, etc.

boring town

I'm so disappointed in Spokane (and for reasons other than the conservatives, high rents, pot holes, and bad weather this time!). Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living magazine’s 4th Annual Best of Spokane readers survey puts Azteca as the number one Mexican restaurant. Now I can't say that I've had any great Mexican food in Spokane, but certainly something must be better than Azteca. If not, I suppose it's another great reason to move away from here fast!

http://www.spokanecda.com/article.php?type=ci_features&id=14

will do

Regardless of what all the conservative crazies in this town think, we do need to do something to protect our environment after spending decades destroying it. And by the way, what the hell happened to the recycle bins my apartment complex used to have?? At least there are apartments with recycle bins on either side of us. I just have to carry it across the street now.

who knew?

I'm searching for books on online journalism, convergence, etc. to use for my 501 research paper (which will hopefully turn into my 680 thesis). Poynter has a list of books (though some are too old really) and on that list is a book published by a company in Spokane. I had no idea there were any publishers here. I found the website and they've actually put out quite a few books. The guy who owns it is a prof. at WSU so he probably has fairly good connections to academics who need to meet their publishing requirements for tenure. I think I'm going to hit this guy up for publishing!

another thing wrong?

I did quite a bit of searching and it appears that the people who ghost write those series books are professional writers not grad students. I do think it's entirely possible that people without much writing experience are getting the opportunity to write some of the books, but at this point it doesn't seem to be something that I'm going to get to do. Maybe in the future if I can get my act together and publish more things, but I don't think I'll be ghostwriting any books any time soon!

quit my day job anyway

Even though I know the Packaging Girlhood authors got some things wrong, I'm wondering if they didn't get one thing right. They said that some kid and teen book series are actually written by "starving grad students" as they called them. I know Gossip Girl was originally written by the woman listed as the "creator" but now isn't (and you can definitely tell which was the last book written by her!). So who does write them? I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't aspiring authors. If that's the case, how do I get that job?

so messed up

Read this:

Tampon protests distract N.Y. school
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

GRAHAMSVILLE, N.Y. -- A high school security guard is accused of asking girls whether they were menstruating, leading to a protest in which some students wore tampons on their clothing or carried purses made of tampon boxes.

Samantha Martin, 14, said she had a small purse with her at Tri-Valley High School in Sullivan County, northwest of New York City, when security guard Mike Bunce called her out of class Sept. 19. She said Bunce told her she couldn't have a purse unless she was having her period, then asked her whether she was.

Martin and several other girls who said they had been asked the same question were called to discuss the matter with school officials, the Times Herald-Record of Middletown reported.

The district had banned backpacks in hallways this year for safety and security reasons, school officials said.

"We are investigating the allegations and speaking with the students and staff involved," said Tri-Valley Central School District Superintendent Nancy George, who declined to comment further.

Calls from The Associated Press to principal Robert Worden were not returned Friday. A listing could not be found for Bunce.

Some students, including boys, have attached tampons or sanitary napkins to their clothing or worn tampons as jewelry in protest. Police even arrested one student protesting the backpack policy who ran naked through school halls with a paper bag over his head.

Grahamsville is 87 miles northwest of New York City.

but if your "facts" aren't right...

Packaging Girlhood started off well, but then I found some things that I just so disagreed with. I think the authors misintrepreted a lot of things. They needed to understand how their own biases would skew things. And think about the girls they interviewed--young teens who aren't exactly open and honest with adults. They also needed to understand a little something about target audiences. You can't criticize companies that exclusively show advertisments for products only the rich could possibly afford when the target audience is the rich.

As I continued to read the book, I started finding some little errors. For example, the authors get quite a few things about the American Girls series wrong. They write the original five girls were white. Having been a fan of these books and dolls when I was little, I know that there were actually only three girls originally. Yes, they were all white; but by the time there were five girls, one was black. They also say that Molly's mom is dead. Molly's mom is alive. It is Samantha who is an orphan being raised by her grandmother. So if these things (along with some others) are wrong, why should I believe the rest of the book is correct?

COML 680

So it sounds like when I take my thesis credits next semester, I might have to actually send a paper out for publication. While it would be great to get a piece of academic writing published, I have my doubts that it'll happen. Hopefully we don't have to actually get it published to graduate. Just go through the process to see how it works. That would be ok.

I have tried publishing things before. It's quite difficult and takes some dedication, which I end up lacking after the rejections roll in. So it takes me a while to start each round of sending things out. But here are two that actually liked me!

Spring 2006 issue of Poetic Hours. To order it, go to their website:
http://www.poetichours.homestead.com/

Down In The Dirt magazine has one of my short stories. The website is:
http://www.scars.tv

or maybe

Thesis problems. I started changing my mind on the topic. After doing some reading, I thought writing about the salary gap would be better. Then I realized this is Communication and Leadership Studies. So I'm pretty sure that somehow I have to tie whatever my thesis topic is into that subject. So now I don't know what to write about. I need to figure it out soon if I want to graduate next year.

why do you cut yourself to feel it?

On Wednesday I have a consultation with the laser hair removal people. Although I really want to get rid of my armpit and leg hair permanently (in all these years of shaving, I cannot seem to do a decent job of it), this does make me question the American obsession with women's body hair. If we weren't meant to have the hair, why is it there? I realize we have adequate clothing and heating sources so we don't need the hair for warmth anymore, but it seems ridiculous to remove something that isn't a hinderance. But then again, it is sort of a hinderance because the people you encounter expect the hair to be gone.

Anyway, I'm tired of shaving. And I've justified the expense by telling myself it'll save me money and time in the long-run. If you don't have hair to shave, you don't have to buy shaving cream and razors!

fantastic company

I ordered a custom-made purse from Laura Bee Designs. It turned out great! Jewels loves it too.

http://laurabeedesigns.com/
http://www.laurabeedesigns.blogspot.com/

don't be part of the problem

I'm reading Women and Men At Work. It's been interesting, but I just got to a part I completely disagree with. The authors recommend that more male-dominated jobs be made part-time in order to accomodate mothers. This is so far from a solution. Part-time work frequently doesn't provide benefits. If jobs "for women" are part-time, then women will continue to not receive as much compensation for the work done as men do. There's already enough of a difference in our earning power. We don't need to make it worse by making it appear we can only work half the hours men do.

possibly

I may have finally decided on a topic for my master's thesis! I got the books for my International and Intercultural Communication class (though now I've had an email from the professor indicating that those weren't really our books) and one of them made me think of a topic. It's pretty broad right now, but the narrowing can be done later since I have until next summer to get it written. I'm thinking of getting EEO numbers from places to see if the hiring of women and minorities has changed much over the years. Might include how many are in management/positions of power.

yep, me too

Read the following article, I've been saying this for a long time. I need a 1950s-style housewife! My apartment is a disaster (no thanks to the cat) and there's never any time to cook. I live on high-end take-out. I'd kill for a home-cooked meal.

This need should be addressed somehow. There was an episode of the sitcom Reba that brought up the issue, but are we actually doing anything about it? I bet someone could start a business around this. If it really does boost the career/salary, I'm willing to pay for the household services.



Working women could use a wife
A lack of spousal support is an impediment to career success
By SHIRA BOSS
THE NEW YORK TIMES

Now that women have solidly earned their place in the work force, many find themselves still yearning for something men often have: wives.

"The thing I most want in life is a wife. I'm not kidding," said Joyce Lustbader, a research scientist at Columbia University, who has been married for 29 years. "I work all day, sometimes seven days a week, and still have to go home and make dinner and have all those things to do around the house."

It is not just the extra shift at home that is a common complaint. Working women, whether married or single, also see their lack of devoted spousal support as an impediment to getting ahead in their careers, especially when they are competing against men who have wives behind them, whether those wives are working or staying at home. And research supports their argument: It appears that marriage, at least marriage with children, bolsters a man's career but hinders a woman's.

One specialist in women's studies dismissed wife envy as something women "are usually joking about" and another called it "a need for a second set of hands, regardless of gender." But therapists who work with couples on equality issues say it is no joke.

"I hear it all the time," said Robin Stern, a psychotherapist in Manhattan and author of "The Gaslight Effect." "It's a real concern. Things that used to be routinely taken care of during the week are not anymore."

With two-income families now the norm, and both men and women working a record-breaking number of hours, the question has become how to accomplish what used to be a wife's job, even as old-fashioned standards of household management and entertaining have been relaxed. Many men are sharing the work of chores and child care with their wives, and some do it all as single parents, but women still generally shoulder a greater burden of household business (or fretting over how to do what is not getting done).

According to 2006 survey data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in five men engages in some kind of housework on an average day, while more than half of women do.

"The real challenge is, companies expect you to perform as if someone is at home taking care of everything for you," said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. "Some men are better positioned to deal with these corporate demands, because they do have someone at home. Most women don't."

Working women have noticed, correctly, that their male colleagues with wife support -- whether or not those wives are themselves working outside the home -- get further at work than the women who are fettered by marriage and children. Women occupy 50.6 percent of managerial and professional positions, according to the research organization Catalyst, but make up only 15.6 percent of Fortune 500 corporate officers.

Married men and women, on average, earn more than those who are unmarried, with part of that possibly attributed to career and wage advancement as workers mature (and are more likely to be married). But the gap is significantly larger for men than for women. Married women make an average 17 percent more than unmarried women, according to 2005 B.L.S. data on the median earnings of full-time workers, while married men make 42 percent more than unmarried men.

A more statistically rigorous analysis published in 2004, using the Minnesota Twins Registry, tried to isolate the effect of marriage on earnings. It found that holding education and genetics constant, married male twins made 26 percent more than their unmarried brothers.

It is not as clear what effect marriage has on women's careers and earnings, but having children is, overall, an impediment. "There's a well-documented motherhood penalty: women with children are paid less than women without children," controlling for other factors, said Mary Blair-Loy, a sociologist and author of "Competing Devotions," a study of executive women who kept working versus those who discontinued their careers.

Fathers, however, are not similarly disadvantaged and might even benefit at the workplace from being parents, according to more than one study, including one published in March in The American Journal of Sociology.

In 1972, the first issue of Ms. Magazine included a now classic essay by Judy Syfers, "I Want a Wife." Her fantasies included her wife taking the children to the park and on play dates, arranging a social life, passing hors d'oeuvres to guests, planning meals, cooking, cleaning. The sentiment seems to persist among today's working women.

"On every level, I'm very resentful," Lustbader said. "Not of my husband, but of other women who don't work, or who have a stay-at-home husband." She calls her marriage a good one. She also has the benefit of a once-a-week housecleaner and had live-in help while the couple's two children were growing up. She did not pursue a tenure track because she wanted to be more available for her children while they were growing up.

While outsourcing household work is a potential solution for families that can afford it, it doesn't solve all the issues. Women are still predominantly the ones hiring and managing the help, according to Blair-Loy and other specialists. And, especially when it comes to child care, they feel there is no substitute for a spouse.

"The situation is, you have to have people doing it for you, or you do it," said Dawn Santana, a corporate lawyer in Manhattan who works part time. "I like to do it myself, and don't trust too many other people. But I would trust a spouse."

Even if the workload is divided, women complain that they are usually the ones organizing, juggling and filling their head space with the daily demands of family life. That leaves less time and energy to focus on the workplace tasks.

"Men lock the door and leave. Things could be a wreck or whatever and it doesn't affect their other world," Santana said. "I walk out and worry about the house looking nice, because the kids have play dates, etc. Someone has to worry about that, and it's usually not the dad."

Santana's husband, Gus Moore, who works in finance, does not see it the same way. "We both do whatever we can do while we're not sleeping," he said. Regarding the earnings advantage of married men, he commented: "I can't think of why that would be. I can't think of what they'd be doing that would cause that." He has noticed that some married colleagues bring a lunch from home, which he guesses has been packed by the wife, but he doubts that would positively skew earnings statistics

The argument is made, even by feminists, that an unmarried man might face the same challenges and wife-envy as does a woman without a non-working spouse to support her life and career. But a common response is that the situations are not the same, because of individual and societal expectations that tend disproportionately to pressure women.

"Women are held to higher expectations and hold themselves to higher standards," said Sumru Erkut, associate director of the Wellesley Centers for Women. Or, as Moore put it, "I assume most bachelors don't worry about how clean their houses are." Consequently, women tend to feel they should do more, even with a full-time job. "In the workplace, or any place men and women are competing, men who are married have an advantage over married or unmarried women," Erkut said.

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