Technology Issue

A very exciting development occurred recently – I got an iPad!! No, I did not pay for the new one – this is for the purposes of teaching. Gregg has had one for a while but I never had my own. I have been trying to be more productive and not having to haul my laptop around has certainly helped a person who already carries a massive bag, a diaper bag and frequently a child and a half!! But the minor problem has been that my home laptop and school computer are both PCs while the iPad and my phone are not. So the question has been – how can I work from both a PC and an iPad? iPads lack MS Office and powerpoint. Thus far, I have found Dropbox and an app called Documents to Go Premium that supposedly work together very well. However, I have not found the courage to pay the $17 that the latter needs. Nor the $20 that people recommend for QuickOffice. Instead I got the free app Onlive Desktop and am using it for now.  Any suggestions anyone? Have you worked with any of these products? Do you have an iPad app you would suggest?

Cleaning

This mundane topic has been a source of discord in our house for some time now. Gregg and I are not cleaning-oriented. Yes, we square away (sometimes) and make the bed. We always do the dishes and Gregg does all the laundry. But vacuuming, dusting and hard core cleaning has always been a chore we both tend to avoid. It used to get done more regularly BC (before child) but has been done less and less since. Gregg mows the lawn and does all the yardwork generally and the laundry. We both do the dishes (we have a dishwasher). I cook, square away, clean the kitchen, pay bills, make beds etc. I probably do more of the childcare but Gregg watches her when I am not home and sometimes when I am. Neither one of us cleans or wants to. The difference is that, while Gregg frets about it and complains about it, I let it go. My attitude tends to be: “I will do it just as soon as I am done doing the other million things I have to do.” Gregg complains that this is unhealthy, unsanitary (just to be clear, our house does not look like a pigsty) and sets a bad example for Asha. We have to “find time” according to him.

But if there is a secret to this, I would love to know it. How can a person (or two) hold down a full-time job, take care of a baby with zero help, do basic upkeep of a house, cook and clean? Either I am very lazy or others are super productive. But we have to do something. I have started vacuuming one room every morning after Asha wakes up but this sets her off and she screams and yells at the loud noise of the vacuum cleaner and at being left to herself. Currently, I am reading a book on feminist (she objected to that characterization) Charlotte Perkins Gilman (of “The Yellow Wallpaper” fame) and starting to like her idea of state-aided housework. Not the cooking (I like that part) but the cleaning.

Seriously, any ideas on how to balance cleaning against everything else? What cleaning is essential on a daily basis and what is not? How often do you clean the house from top to bottom?

Recapping 20 Months....

Is that even possible? But so much has happened during that time that I will try:

Sept. 2009: dissertation defense
Dec. 2009: Trip to India (lasted 3 fabulous weeks)
Feb. 2010: Found out we were pregnant (complications already started)
April 2010: Complications seem to be dissipating
May 2010: Trip to London with Gregg and his parents (took the heart monitor along)
June 2010: Closed on a house in Lititz, PA (spent the rest of the month moving which is very difficult when you are 24 weeks pregnant)
August 2010: Trip to Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota to attend Rob's wedding and see Mount Rushmore (including 3 days in a car driving 15 hours/day at 33 weeks pregnant)
August 2010: Back to work full-time (and work till the day before Asha arrives)
Sept. 2010: Finally start the nursery and register
Oct. 24, 2010: Asha arrives - little to no sleep since
Dec. 2010: Trip to CT to see Gregg's parents with a 2-month old (Asha meets Santa)
Jan. 2011: Back to work full-time with a whole new prep for a new class
Feb. 2011: Asha's first stay at a hotel for her Uncle Aaron's wedding (the wedding was lovely, the hotel stay for Asha was a total disaster)
Feb. 2011: My parents arrive
April 2011: My parents leave
June 2011: Finally start sleep training Asha out of desperation - still a work in progress

Brief Update

I know it seems like I have abandoned this blog. But I think about writing often. However, this past summer, I cut ties with anything that would distract me from the dissertation. I have worked on little else. Now, finally the end is in sight and I will resume blogging after I defend. A tentative date has been set for Sept. 11th (though it may be deferred if necessary). I do not like the date Sept. 11th for a defense - the only worse date would be Friday the 13th!!! So, look for the blog after the defense. In the meantime, I have kept up with all the other blogs and really appreciate your regular writing - it kept me sane and provided a few much-needed distractions.

Oh and btw, I still have the thyme and basil plants - so that experiment was a success.

Reality TV

This is a rant against reality TV. Let me preface this by saying that I have never watched reality TV, so it may be a little unfair. Also, I make a distinction between reality TV and competitive shows. So, shows like American Idol would not make it on this list. Actually, what started this rant is the recent publicity of the show “Jon and Kate Plus 8” and the news that “Octomom” signed a reality TV deal. Let me start by saying that I have never watched “Jon and Kate”. I have just heard a lot about it and read a lot about it since it is based in Lancaster. But here are my two cents on this type of show:

Reality TV appeals, in my mind, to the lowest common denominator in the human mind. The goal is to watch people make fools of themselves, watch obviously incompatible people interact or watch the inner workings of a social unit which has opened itself up for observation. However, any group that allows itself to be filmed is playing a part. So, by definition, it is not “reality”. And why are we so interested in reality TV? It is disgusting because it is voyeuristic. We are prying eyes seeking the scandalous, the sensational, the sordid. It demeans us as much as it demeans the people who agree to be on it. We are absolutely no better than they are.

Now, people would probably object that this rant cannot apply to the Jon and Kate show. After all, what can be wrong about watching a couple of parents deal with 8 cute children? But consider this: the show’s highest viewing has come from reports that the couple are having marital problems. In fact, I saw that in the Lancaster newspaper. What is this but an obsession with the sordid details of others’ lives? Granted, these people consented to put themselves out there but they are successful at it because of us.

Which brings me to “Octomom.” I read somewhere that she has signed a reality TV deal. This has led to some pretty mean comments. But here is the truth: it is the viewers of reality TV, the viewers of Jon and Kate that has created Octomom. Why do they think she will be successful? Because if a couple with 8 children can be successful, how can a single mom with 14 fail? An additional 6 kids – 1 parent = more dysfunction = greater success!!! That is the way TV stations tend to think and we are the ones responsible.

For all those out there who watch reality TV, I apologize for this rant. It does not make you bad individuals for watching reality TV. But as a societal phenomenon, reality TV is scary!!!

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Other News:

Giggs: He is so energetic. I am hoping that he calms down soon. After all, he is 1.5 years old.

The Plants: Both basil and thyme have survived – now it is officially over a month!!! In fact, the basil is thriving. Now I think I am going to buy cilanthro and parsley.

Work: Not going so well. I need to work faster than I have but it is so difficult. Giggs makes it more difficult because he tends to paw at my laptop any time I am actually working on it. He is a complete lap dog, so anything on any one’s lap annoys him.

Tending Herbs

Some people have green thumbs, I have a brown one. In other words, I have the thumbs of death. I have killed every plant which I have owned. My record is 3 weeks – that is the longest I have kept a plant alive. Either I water them too much or not enough. Either they get too much sun or not enough. However, one of the things I have always wanted to do is to have a herb garden. I love fresh herbs but they are so expensive. But, for obvious reasons, I have not tried this.

Now Lancaster calls itself a “garden city” with good reason. It is surrounded by farmland (Amish and otherwise) and has a lot of local greenhouses selling plants all year round. So, with the start of summer, I bought a small thyme plant and a small basil plant. It is my new experiment. If I can keep them alive for a month, I will get another plant – probably rosemary or cilantro.

Now, buying these plants did nothing to increase my self-confidence. We went to a local market which has very nice, personal staff. I asked one of them how much water these two plants needed. Here is her response: “Well, they do not like being very wet or very dry. Just touch the soil and let the soil tell you.” Thanks!!!! If the plants could talk, could tell me what they need, they would not be dead. So, I tried again: “So….water them every day, every other day???” Her response: “There is no real rule. It all depends…..” The only definitive thing she told me was that the plants need a lot of sunlight. Of course, that is the most difficult thing for me because they have to be on our back deck which gets very little sunlight – only about 3-4 hours per day.

So, I have had these two plants for about 2 weeks now. I re-planted them in bigger pots and with better soil. The basil plant was actually 2 plants, so I have 3 pots. One of the basil plants is looking a little droopy and I do not have high hopes for it. The other one looks OK though the thyme is the one which seems to be thriving. If they are still alive on June 5th, I am getting more. I have been using fresh basil and thyme for the past couple of days and I LOVE it.

Do you have herbs? And how much time and trouble do you spend on these plants?

Hallmark Holidays

Before I start this train of thought, let me say: Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and expectant mothers out there.

Now, let me ask: what is the difference between a holiday like Mother’s Day and a holiday like Valentine’s Day? My friend Jill does not observe Valentine’s Day (neither do I) on the grounds that it is a holiday manufactured by Hallmark to enable an already consumerist society (correct me if I am getting your position wrong, Jill). But isn’t Mother’s Day the same thing? Yet, it seems to me that it is more unpopular to voice this opinion about Mother’s Day than it is to voice it about Valentine’s Day. Maybe this is because Valentine’s Day seems more self-indulgent: celebrating oneself as well as one’s significant other (and your Romeo-Juliet-esque love no matter how short a time you have been together)!!!!! On the other hand, who can refuse to celebrate their mother or deny her a day in her honor? The problem is made thornier by the fact that when an entire society celebrates “Mother’s Day” it becomes an expectation on the part of the person being celebrated. So, even if you do not believe in it, you will probably hurt your mom by not acknowledging her on Mother’s Day. Once the expectation is created, Hallmark basically wins. Unlike Valentine’s Day which requires reciprocal action from two parties, Mother’s Day requires action on only one side. You and your significant other may be perfectly happy to not observe Valentine’s Day because each one of you is freed from the obligation to make the day special. But you cannot come to such a mutually satisfactory arrangement with your mother simply because there is no obligation on her part. So, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc. becomes an expectation like a birthday – one you cannot forget without hurting your parents.

This is what started my train of thought. I was brought up in India during a less commercialized time. We did not celebrate Mother’s Day. We celebrated our parents’ birthdays, their anniversary, Christmas, New Year etc. However, after we came to the U.S., Mother’s Day started to sink into our consciousness. However, I did not take it seriously for the first couple of years (I still have trouble remembering when it is). Then, my mom started spending her summers here. She spent a number of consecutive summers here starting probably around 2002-2003. Knowing the hype around Mother’s Day, I started calling her on that day. This was our routine till this year. This year, she is in India. So, I called her on Saturday night to wish her Happy Mother’s Day (it is Sunday morning in India). She started complaining that we (my sister and I) do not properly acknowledge this occasion because while we call on time, we do not send her any cards to mark the day. I pointed out to her that she did not even know there was a Mother’s Day till about 6 years ago. Her response: “So what? Now we do celebrate it and it is a real holiday.”

I refrained from saying what I was thinking. It is NOT a real holiday. It is manufactured by card companies and we have all fallen into the trap. But how do you say that to your mom? Plus, as Gregg pointed out, we should have sent cards to both our mothers anyway. Thanks a lot Hallmark!!!! You win!!!!!

Any thoughts?

Firsts

There are some “firsts” which people love and hope will be the first in a long line. Like your first real paycheck. Other “firsts” are special because they may not – and should not – happen again. Your wedding day, for instance. Other firsts you may never want to encounter again – like your first funeral. Unfortunately, my “first” this weekend falls into the last category – my first accident (where I was the driver).

The only time I have been involved in an accident before was at Converse when Wendy, my sister and I were driving to the mountains. Wendy was the driver at the time and the car was totaled. No one was seriously hurt, however. This Friday night, however, I was the driver – no one was seriously hurt that I know of. This is how it happened.

This was the first day it snowed in Lancaster since we have been here. We woke to a white blanket. I dropped Gregg off at the train station, got home, changed, drove to work, came back, picked Giggs up to take him to the vet and then drove home again. Then at 6pm, I set off to pick Gregg up. It had been snowing all day but now the sun had gone down and the snow had turned to ice. When I drove up to the bridge I regularly cross, I saw up ahead 2 cars at the side of the road which had obviously been in an accident. Then suddenly the car in front of me skidded and rotated (eventually hitting the car in front of him). I hit my brakes to stop but the ice gave no traction and the car just kept going. So, I ended up hitting one of the cars pulled off to the side of the road (one of the ones already in an accident).

Thankfully, no one was hurt. I have mild bruises and a pain in the neck (literally) and it hurts when I laugh but that’s it. Our car, however, is in very bad shape – we have to wait till we know if it is salvageable. Now the only remnant is fear – I am terrified of driving in snow – or rather ice – again.

On the bright side, the rental car we have is awesome. It is a Buick with heated leather seats, XM radio and even heat for the steering wheel. Awesome!!!!

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone – and drive safely.

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IN OTHER NEWS:

Work: Only one more full week of classes left. Cannot wait.

Thanksgiving: I made a turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing etc on Saturday. It was a nice way to forget the accident. We are going to CT for Thanksgiving but with the end of the semester almost here, we will stay only a short time. Have to prep for the last week, write exams, write study guides, grade papers etc.

NPSA: Went well. More on that later.

Giggs: He is now 9.8 pounds and almost a year old.

Eating in your office

Since the beginning of last year, I have been eating lunch in my office. Unfortunately, I do not like sandwiches and I do not like going to the common area to use the microwave or ‘fridge. So, I have been keeping a box of pistachios in my office and snacking on it throughout the day instead of having a proper lunch. This is made possible by the fact that I live very close to my school and therefore, my longest day has (in the last two years) been from 9am-4pm. Usually my longest day is from 12pm-5:30pm.

However, I am getting a little tired of pistachios. What do you guys do when you have to eat at school? Is there anything that does not need refrigeration or heating up? Or do you make yourselves a real meal every day?

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In Other News:

NPSA: We just returned from Boston where Gregg and I presented at NPSA. I actually thought that, by simply writing out my presentation, I managed to develop my paper considerably. The comments were not extensive but they were helpful. Plus, we had a chance to catch up with Sara which was great. It was nice to spend some time walking around Boston as well.

Weather: It is now freezing in Lancaster. We have even had a snow flurry already. In fact, a flurry is in progress even as I write. I am clearly not equipped for this weather in terms of clothes – I definitely need new shoes and warmer shirts etc. The sandals I wear are not for this weather. Maybe I need Cuddl Duds as Jill suggested.

Work: I cannot wait till the end of the semester. The grading for 120 students, working on prepping 3 classes, advising students for spring registration, deciding books for the next semester and writing reports for committees is now more overwhelming than usual.

Life and Death

Today, we got news that Gregg’s maternal grandfather passed away last night. Obviously, Gregg, his mom and the entire family are upset especially as it was sudden and somewhat unexpected. I feel so bad for them all.

This incident got me thinking about death in general. Any death leaves one with not only a sense of loss but brings home the mortality of human beings. So, it is both sad and scary. And, for some morbid reason, it gets me thinking: how do you want to be remembered when you die? For whatever reason, I cannot come up with anything more specific than that I want to be remembered as a nice cheerful person. More importantly, however, the question is: should we live each day thinking of our deaths (as some writers suggest)? Live as if each day was our last? And if we did, what would be more likely: that we would indulge ourselves because this is the last day or that we would live virtuously/kindly etc. hoping that we would be remembered this way?

At this time, I just want to say how much I appreciate all my friends and relatives. Thank you for your presence in my life. And I want to take this time to take stock of all the ways in which I am fortunate – because if death should teach us anything, it should teach us to enjoy and appreciate life.

Addendum on Facebook

This is why I did not want Facebook. Today, a student added me as a friend on Facebook – and of course, this awaits my confirmation. Now what? I do not like to hurt people by rejecting them. But I do not want my students to be involved with me through Facebook or through my blog.

I have been wondering what my response should be and this is what I decided. I am not going to add her but I will talk to her in person and tell her that I will add her after the semester is over. I would like to keep in touch with former students, just not current ones. She will be graduating this year anyway.

Is this the right approach? Any thoughts?

Facebook Etiquette

Forgive my obsession with Facebook but since joining it, I am realizing all sorts of things about this social networking site. First of all, I realize the draw of Facebook now. It allows you to communicate with people in small quick exchanges. You can divulge your mood, what you are currently doing, intimate and/or useless pieces about your life to people at any time through the simple act of writing on your/their Wall. Thus, you give people access to yourself without really any trouble on your or their part.

Second, Facebook does not make distinctions between “friends” and “acquaintances”. Thus, everyone is your friend. I enjoy this feature but in sending friend requests, I did not send requests to all people that I knew. I just sent requests to those I had considered my friend in the past. Since then, many people have sent me friend requests and it has occurred to me that people either define “friend” much more loosely than I do or have some kind of competition about how many friends they have on Facebook. Some of the people were merely nodding acquaintances. Others I was delighted to establish contact with again. I don’t mind this at all but the nuances of relationships can obviously never be replicated on Facebook.

Finally, Facebook does allow you to interact with a large and diverse group of people. In this sense, this tool is unlike any other – unlike telephone conversations, email or anything else. But does it minimize one-on-one interactions? I called Jill about a month ago and she said she thought that I was calling to tell her that I was pregnant. Since this was absolutely crazy, I asked her why she would think this. She said, “That’s the only reason people call anymore.” Is this true? Is all our interaction now on internet – IM, email, Facebook?

On the whole, though, I must say that I have enjoyed Facebook – and am totally hooked. Also, thankfully, after the first couple of days, my activity on it has reduced significantly, so I do not worry about it any more.

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In Other News:

Work: I am way behind. I need to grade 40 papers, prep a class, teach 4 classes and decide on 3 paper topics by the end of the day Friday. I also need to find time to work on an article and a conference paper for NPSA.

Weekend: Gregg’s parents will be here this weekend – we are thinking of taking them to Lititz, PA to do the “Chocolate Walk”. Thankfully, I do not like candy much so it should not make me put on 30 pounds.

Giggs: He is now 9 pounds – up from the 6 he was when we got him. He has been a little sick but is recovering now.

Caving in – and joining Facebook

After my rants against Facebook, I have finally thrown in the towel and signed up for it. I talked to Stacie about it and was surprised when she said she had joined it. Stacie also enumerated the positives: you can contact all the people you have lost touch with, you tend to talk to people more than you otherwise would and just reading their pages keeps you in touch with others. This got me thinking about it more than usual. Then, she sent me an email today with the message that I should join Facebook to keep an eye on Gregg – his marital status does not say “Married”!!!! Well, since Gregg does not even add his own friends (I do it for him), I was not worried but I finally decided to jump into the fray. So at 7am this morning, I joined.

However, I have checked it incessantly since then. I have spent 4 hours on Facebook today – I did not even bother to prep for my Intro to AP class. So, anyone who is like me (with an easily addicted personality) – BEWARE!!!! It is addictive. On the other hand, I enjoyed myself. I have reconnected with at least 4 friends who I have not talked to in years. It is so nice to hear their news. Plus, I have exchanged emails with tons of others – very funny emails at that!!!

So, what does this say about me? First, I clearly lack will-power. In spite of having tons of good reasons for not joining, I joined regardless. Second, I am never on the cutting edge of technology. I shy away from it until it becomes a phenomenon and then give in to it. I came into blogging late and to Facebook late for that reason. Third, as I said before, I get easily addicted. Lastly, I am a joiner, a member of the masses, a person with a mob mentality. I am a follower. If others do it, I tend to join in.

Wow!!! Joining Facebook clearly shows off some of my worst qualities.

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In Other News:

Fall Break: This is fall break which means I have Monday and Tuesday off. Though it will be very busy (I have to grade 80 exams, prep for next week and work on my tragedy chapter) at least I can work from home.

Midterm Evals: I did midterm evals in my classes and got solid 8s and 9s (out of 10 points) for all my classes. My Introduction to Political Theory class was the worst – have to work harder to make that entertaining. Problem is, I think it is entertaining and thought-provoking – my students do not.

Consoling Fallacies

Whenever something horrible happens that is unthinkable or unexpected, people have to bow down under the stress of bad news or learn to cope with it. This is what I saw after Tom Brady got his season-ending injury in the first few minutes of the new season. Gregg pointed out how the Patriots’ fans and commentators were coping with the news. “Games will be much more interesting now that Matt Cassel is quarterback instead of Brady (winning apparently did not make games interesting).” “This is the time for Belichick to show his real caliber (as if this current record is not enough).” And on and so on and so on.

Similarly, I have been trying to see the bright side of this economic downturn that we are in. While my consoling thoughts may not be very sensible, they do work nonetheless. Reading about how peoples’ investments and retirement accounts may be in trouble, I found myself selfishly thinking: thank goodness we do not have any of that stuff. Reading about how people are worried about the costs of their homes, I thought: well, that is one thing Gregg and I do not have to worry about.

How monumentally stupid of me!!! This is what my thoughts translate to: thank goodness that we have no money. Thank goodness for the years in graduate school during which we did not live an adult financial life. This silliness is on par with the conversations about how Brady’s injuries benefit the team. Good things are good things even if they bring some inconveniences and worries with them.

Having said that, the one thing which this economic downturn has taught us all is how to save. Instead of depending on credit or spending down savings, most people are cutting down their budgets, using coupons and doing everything to pinch pennies. This is hopefully a long-term change – and if it is – it will be a positive change for us all. I have certainly been more budget conscious and I hope to be this way for many years to come!!! Is this just a consoling fallacy too?

Cooking as Relaxation

A lot of people find cooking relaxing and so do I. I never cooked as a child (or as an adult) until Gregg and I started dating about 5 years ago. It always seemed a waste of time to cook for one and I lived off the potato chip, frozen yogurt diet at the time. I have gradually honed my cooking skills since then. The one thing which I have started doing now (which I never did when I began cooking) is experimenting. Initially, I followed recipes to the “t” but now I rarely do that. I also never measure ingredients which is annoying when I have to give recipes to people. But experimenting is the reason why cooking is so much fun and so relaxing – you never know where you will end up (rather like reading a good book). Like with cooking, you can start a good book and at the end, you either keep it for posterity or it makes you want to throw up!!!!!

The other thing I have tried to do in the past couple of years is to eat better. I am a meatetarian – I do not like fish or vegetables. But one of the things I have been experimenting with is cooking vegetables or beans (or even fish) – things which are better for you than red meat. The only way to make myself eat vegetables or fish is to experiment with them – use them to make dishes which I would like.

This is what I set out to do yesterday. I had not eaten any vegetables for a couple of days. Plus, I had cans of garbanzo beans and red kidney beans in my pantry which I wanted to get rid of. I wanted to see what I could make with it. It ended up being a twist on a traditional Indian recipe which uses chick-peas. I wanted color in the food, so I put the vibrant red kidney beans in with the chickpeas, green peas, sautéed paneer (an Indian cheese) and some diced tomatoes and onions. Add a dash of heavy cream to finish it off and it looked – and tasted – really good. And it was a completely vegetarian meal.

Today, I tried making ghee (clarified butter). This is a very popular cooking ingredient in India and something I use frequently. It is almost the oily part of butter with the milk evaporated. Some lactose intolerant people have reported that they can eat ghee for that reason. Making ghee is both an attempt to save money and an attempt to get it fresh. The Indian store in Lancaster sells it but it does not have the fresh smell I love. Plus, a small tin of ghee costs about $9-$10 at the Indian grocery store. I made the same amount of ghee for only $6. A savings of $4 every 4-6 weeks!!!! The ghee came out quite well though I thought I might have overdone it by a fraction (it turned out to be a little darker than ghee should be). However, the dark color was because of the residue which is supposed to be strained out at the end anyway – the ghee now looks as it should!!!!

Anything you are experimenting with that you want to share (not necessarily in cooking)?

Double Talk

I studiously avoid politics on this blog but this controversy regarding Sarah Palin has put me over the edge. But unlike others, I am not simply outraged on Palin’s behalf. I am outraged at the hypocrisy and illogic and double-talk which has been washing over us since this pick. So, here are some of the threads I think we should untangle from each other and think about separately:

The Sexism Issue: A lot has been said about the sexist media coverage of Palin. So, what exactly is the sexism issue? There is the argument that with 5 children including a baby with Downs’ syndrome and a pregnant daughter, Palin will not be a good mother if she takes on the job of the Vice-President. I think this is clearly the sexism issue – this argument is out of my grandmother’s generation. As many others have pointed out, what she does to balance work and home life is her decision. Many women have to work to simply support their families and they should never be considered de facto bad mothers for making this choice. Nor should women be considered bad mothers for simply choosing to work. Is this argument made because people feel threatened at a woman having the second-highest position in this country (and potentially the highest)?

Having said that, let me make one thing clear: not everything said criticizing Palin is sexist. Questions about her capacity to do the job are not sexist. Questions about her experience are not sexist. And questions about her political history, her experience or lack thereof, are not sexist. We do no favors to women when we incorporate all attacks on a woman into “sexism”. To fight sexism, we should be clear on what it is – and what it is not.

The Experience Issue: This, as said before, strikes me as being a valid line of inquiry. There has been a lot of talk about whether Palin is experienced enough for the job. Inevitably, this is bound up with the question of whether Obama is experienced enough for the job. There are many people who claim that Obama is inexperienced while Palin is not (see Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show for a bit of humor on this issue). A couple of things are worth saying on this point:

First, the Constitution has no qualifications for the Presidency or the Vice-Presidency except age and residency requirements. Of course, the reason is that they thought the electors, men with political knowledge, will be making the choice and therefore, only people with national reputations/ national political service would pass the test. Now, on the grounds of national reputation and political service, one may argue that Biden and McCain are most qualified for the office of the President (in that order). Biden has been in the Senate since 1973 and McCain has been in office (first in the House and then in the Senate) since 1983. Obama falls a far third with 2 years of Senate experience and Palin a distant fourth with no national service at all. Thus, while all are qualified according to the letter of the Constitution, some are clearly more qualified than others by the intent of the Founders.

Second, the Electoral College does not operate today the way it was intended to. So, experience as an issue has become more thorny. Since we all vote, we all have the right to determine what constitutes experience and of course ideological predilections influence our judgment. Some opine that any executive experience prepares one for the Presidency – whether it is being the Governor of New York, Virginia, Alaska or North Dakota. Sometimes they argue that while executive experience prepares you for the Presidency, a short legislative experience does not but a long one does. Others say that you need to be on the national stage (reminiscent of the Founders) because that is where you see first-hand how Washington operates. And, so the argument goes, to change something, you need to know how it works. Still others, like Gregg, argue that the discussion of experience is silly because nothing can prepare you for the Presidency of the United States – the job is unique in its nature. To sum up Gregg: Observing the president – whether as a spouse, cabinet member, senator, governor, mayor, political scientist, etc. does not make you ready to be president. If candidates have a minimum threshold of credibility (he thinks all four candidates do) then the experience question becomes largely immaterial.

Before revealing my own views on the subject, I want to talk about how people seem to be using “experience” in this election. “Experience” has become a justification of sorts. While everyone running for this office has some sort of experience, none of them have actually experienced the office. Most people vote on ideology or just because they like the candidate (for whatever reason). Since that sounds like a bad reason for voting, they have taken to using “experience” as justification. But everyone disagrees on what relevant experience is, making the choice as difficult as before.

This is becoming too long of a rant and so let me conclude by saying this: for me, experience counts but not in the way that people seem to use it. Experience counts in conjunction with intellectualism and judgment. The latter qualities determine what use you make of your experience. I do not think either McCain-Palin or Obama-Biden will come into office and automatically know the ropes. But experience does not mean executive experience or legislative experience (for me). It means life experience. I believe that your life experiences shape who you are and how you behave. Now simply having lived a long life does not make you more experienced. Some people live long insular lives. But being open to alternatives, to new ways of thinking, to seeing the shades of grey in issues which are usually considered in black-and-white – hopefully that is what experience does for you. This is why I had been defending Hillary Clinton’s candidacy earlier in the election. It is not that being the wife of a President makes you an expert. But it does open your eyes to the world, it forces you to take things into consideration that you may not have, it gives you a different perch from which you see things. There may be people who have had many different life experiences but remained insular and dogmatic in spite of them. That is the person I would rather not have as President. And this is why experience alone is not enough – it has to be experience combined with the intellect and willingness to make the most of that experience. And this is why picking a President is so difficult – because whereas you may know their political history and experience, it is much more difficult to determine their mind-sets, proclivities and what they will do with that life experience once in office.

We know the political service and history of all four candidates. We know what experience they have. Let us stop the silly debates about whether a two-year Governor of Alaska is better suited to be Vice-President/President than a 2 year Senator. The “Ready on Day One” argument is pointless – none of them will be ready on Day One. Instead lets focus on the issues and decide the way we almost always decide – who do you feel more comfortable with given the issues at hand and your own worldview?

Trip to Boston

Gregg and I got back from APSA on Sunday. It was an exhausting but satisfying weekend. My panel went well – good feedback but no severe critique – and we got to see a lot of people who we rarely see since we moved. Stacie, Evan, Dave, Zach, Abhishek, Rebecca and even my cousin who lives in Boston.

Giggs got to spend the weekend with Gregg’s parents. They spoil him completely. When he is with them, he refuses to eat his food and so they give him tons of treats, a lot of walks and buy him toys. Every time he is with them, I come back with more toys and treats than I took with me. What worries me, however, is that they never like leaving him alone. They never put him in his pen or his crate except at night. While this is great for him – he gets constant attention and companionship – I worry that they will get tired of running around him constantly. It is so nice to be able to leave him with them and I do not want them to get exhausted running after him all day. I know that sometimes I am so ready for him to grow up, to not be such a puppy – it is tiring to keep entertaining him or watching him. Did I mention that he shredded both our phone chargers last week?

This is my third time visiting Boston. I must say that the city is growing on me. I hate the traffic but I love the architecture and the history. You pass a random graveyard and there is a plaque commemorating some Revolutionary hero buried there. The buildings are old and though some are dilapidated, others are not. The structures are imposing but their age and history give them dignity (I do not like ultra modern architecture). I love the quaintness of some of the areas and the openness of others like Boston Commons. I am not saying I would like to live there (I do not really want to live in a big city) but unlike, some other cities I have been to, I think Boston is a peculiarly old city living in modern times.

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To-Do List for this Weekend:

1. Give Giggs a bath
2. Prep for my American Political Thought class tomorrow
3. Do laundry from my first full working week and APSA
4. Do some grocery shopping
5. Set up some things at my office

Becoming An Adult

Gregg and I have been discussing the logistics of commuting to Philadelphia. As I mentioned earlier, Gregg will be taking the train there and back. I will pick him up and drop him off at the train station. The problem we have is during his orientation week. Unlike my extended orientation, Temple only has a two-day orientation. However, the orientation starts at 8am which makes it necessary for Gregg to take the 5:30am train get there on time. The next train is at 7am which will be too late.

While discussing this, it suddenly hit me. We are now adults. We are living an adult life. You see, in the 5 years that Gregg and I have been together, we have never simultaneously held full-time jobs. In fact, last year was the first time that we did not work together in the same location. Before that, we worked together in adjoining cubicles at the Miller Center. When that was done, we could go to a coffee shop and read or go home. There were days when we did not have to go in to the Miller Center at all and these were my favorite. We studied at home, moved to a coffee shop, then to a B&N and then went out with friends at night. So, this is the first time we will be driving off to work every day in different directions.

Most people will find it sad that Gregg and I are embarking on full-time jobs this late in life. Certainly, I have never been the one to eulogize graduate school or deny its tendency to delay significant life events. But this is a milestone which, in my mind, deserves comment. And while I am excited about it (and not merely for financial reasons), I also feel a little sad at the end of an era. But then again, as I always remind myself, we are academics and our lives, however full it is with committees, advising and classes, have a flexibility which allows us to approximate graduate student life at least some of the time.

Orientation and Disorientation

The line between hope and fear, orientation and disorientation is so thin!!! This is something which has been brought home to me this past week while going through the grueling orientation schedule I mentioned earlier. Orientation has been both a positive and negative experience this week. Negative because I have had to work on my APSA paper after getting home around 5pm every day. Positive because I met a lot of nice people and got to know a lot more about the school than I did before.

However, as you can imagine, I feel overloaded by information. This happened by the end of Tuesday which was only my second day of orientation. This may be because that was the day we listened to Human Resources personnel talking about disability benefits, health insurance plans, retirement plans, dismemberment benefits, life insurance etc etc. Now, I am an excellent money manager (I balance the checkbook and make sure we stay within budget) but I know nothing about investments, retirement plans etc. To make matters worse, all the people I asked (both at the University and outside it) had different pieces of advice. The situation was not made any easier when Gregg sat down with a calculator and said, “It all depends on how long you live!!!!” My head, already reeling from all the financial and academic advice I had received in the past two days, felt like it was going to burst. Orientation was clearly disorienting when it came to financial matters.

When it came to academic matters, things went well. I learnt a lot about the policies of the school, its student body and its campus life. But even here, lines became blurred. Any talk of tenure led to an increased heart-rate. Since the tenure system is divorced from the promotion system here, promotion was just as frightening a subject as tenure. The large chunks of information regarding the various services available to faculty and students – how to deal with students with disabilities, class reserves, FERPA, disruptive students, academic support, student affairs etc. – were overwhelming. While I am starting the school year hoping that this is the beginning of a successful career here, I am also terrified that this is not the case, that something will go wrong, that I will not get tenure etc. etc.

The good thing about such an extensive orientation is that while you may not remember all (or, in my case, any) of the information you are given, you do get information about who to contact with questions. It also gives you a good idea of the culture of the school. What do they value? What are its students like? What is the relationship among faculty, students and administration? By reading between the lines as well as talking to people, I have gotten a lot of good information about the nature of the school. You also get to know the people who are starting with you, giving you a ready-made group of acquaintances.

How do you feel about new faculty orientations? Did you go through one? If yes, what was most helpful and unhelpful? If no, would you have wanted one?

The Olympics

Gregg and I watched the opening of the Olympics in China tonight. It was absolutely beautiful – a spectacular display of art, harmony, discipline and power. Having read a lot of utopian and anti-utopian fiction for my dissertation, I was intrigued as I watched this awesome spectacle.

A lot of utopian works speak of mobilization of people in the service of the common good. For the utopians, this mobilization is not like an army recruitment – it is almost always voluntary. The desire to showcase the arts, crafts, beauty and talent of a utopian regime is what motivates its people to put on a performance like the one we witnessed today. People are proud of their country, their culture and their own talents and this is what makes something like this possible.

Obviously, anti-utopian writers turn these arguments around. According to them, efforts like this also require stringent discipline and it essentially needs centralized direction. The anti-utopian writers use the analogy to the army and argue that displays like this are essentially displays of power as well as art and beauty. The perfection demanded from each man, woman and child in the program, they would argue, cannot be extracted without power and authority. Therefore, they argue that it requires an authoritarian regime to spend the time, money and discipline which makes these national shows possible.

As I watched the show, I wondered, which of these two positions were true this time? Can they both be true? And, by thinking of these things which watching this show, was I missing some part of its beauty?

Having said all that, let me add that the grand scale of the program and the breathtaking, dazzling, stupendous performances by each of the 15000 participants was stunning.

If you watched the show, what were your thoughts on it?

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Last Weekend: Gregg and I spent last weekend in Boston. Gregg was a groomsman for his friend Keith’s wedding. It was a beautiful wedding though we stayed up way too late every night. I also got to hang out with my cousin who lives in Boston and meet his girlfriend.

This Week: Betty came to visit on Wednesday and left today. I had so much fun – we did not really do anything much, just sat around and talked. On Thursday, we went to this little place called Kitchen Kettle Village which has a lot of little artsy shops and on Friday we went to the Farmers’ Market. Betty also went with me to the outlets to help me find a couple of jackets for the school year – I got one from Ann Taylor and one from Banana.

Things to Do: This weekend I have to finish all three of my syllabi. Next week, I start a grueling 8am-5pm orientation schedule on Monday and that continues till the Monday after that. Sometime next week I also have to write my APSA paper - which is still in its first 3 pages.