I'm back in the cable news world. I'm watching a mass of people outside the Apolo theater holding up radios and dancing. It's strange. Keith Olbermann, how I've missed you. Thanks for taking me through this evening.
My first thought when I heard that Michael Jackson died was of him as a little boy. As someone who didn't really get to be a kid, and how that likely set him up for a tragic life and maybe predictably tragic ending. That maybe if he was just playing with trucks and hanging out at the pool when he was a kid, he might have lived a happier life?
I am also fascinated by the way that *we* build famous people up, celebrate them (hence "celebrities), then tear them down and crucify them. Then they die and *we* glorify them again. I don't know that I have any insight into why, but I think it's irresponsible and in some ways, inhumane.
I was out for happy hour with folks from work when one of my paralegals got a text saying MJ had died. On my way home a couple hours later, I turned to B96, which is the main hip-hop station in Minneapolis. I think it has the most street cred among pop/rap stations, know what I mean? Anyway, it's not a station I listen to, but I turned to it to hear what they had to say. They were playing a bunch of old MJ songs, including Man In the Mirror and Black & White. Totally awesome. Then, the DJ started giving some commentary- he pointed out how MJ was the first black artist to get airtime on MTV. How his videos were unprecedented in form, content, and length. He ended by responding to those listeners who were calling MJ's character into question, especially the criminal accusations. He pointed out that he was found not-guilty. An obvious statement, but I'm glad that he said it. Does that mean innocent? I don't know- but that's the justice system we have. Trials, juries, the presumption of innocence. Sometimes the results aren't what people want but it's a pretty phenomenal system and I don't think any of us would really have it any other way.
There are moments in pop culture that remain vivid in my memory. I remember watching the OJ car chase on TV with my mom the night before I went on a church trip to Washington. I remember wearing black to school for 3 days after Kurt Cobain died, even though I didn't really listen to Nirvana. I remember the Challenger exploding on TV at Kindergarten. I remember the phone calls and text messages on Election Night 2008- watching MSNBC and realizing that Obama only needed California and Oregon to win.
I remember singing a version of We Are the World at pre-school. I remember watching the world premiere of Black & White, the MJ video with Macaulay Culkin and all those multi-racial people's head and shoulders during an episode of The Simpsons while laying on the floor in my dad's sun room. While I wasn't a huge Michael Jackson fan, his impact on music is extraordinary and his impact on anyone born in the 1970s or 1980s can't be disputed.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Johan the Barbarian
I don't know if it's nursery school influences or just the toddler inability to control emotions and reactions, but Johan has started hitting and kicking. Not fun. When he does it, Eduardo and I look him in the eye and sternly tell him NO, we don't hit. If he does it again right away, then we say NO and place him on a chair for a 1-minute time out. It seems to work for the moment- after the time out he doesn't hit again, until the next time he's frustrated...
Anyone have any other creative solutions to deal with this problem (that don't involve hitting or kicking him back thankyouverymuch.)
Anyone have any other creative solutions to deal with this problem (that don't involve hitting or kicking him back thankyouverymuch.)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Rated DP
Last night Eduardo and I watched The Changeling. It's that Angelina Jolie is a mom in the 1920s whose kid gets kidnapped movie from last year. It's the first "new" movie I've seen in a long time. It's mostly been catching bits of Wedding Crashers and Romy & Michele on TBS since Johan was born.
The movie was decent, but not awesome, and it made me decide that there needs to be another rating system. I need a warning before watching when a movie features an execution. Since watching Dead Man Walking (which certainly gave a warning in its very title) at the Boulevard Theater when I was 12, movies that deal with the death penalty affect me strongly. It's not even the watching of the execution- I am not a lightweight in terms of being able to see violence on TV or in cinema. It's the feelings that get stirred up me; the disruption of my equilibrium; the physical changes that happen in my body- heart racing and irregular breath. All this doesn't last for too long, but nevertheless an intense reaction.
I can think of a few movies I've seen that should have been rated DP for death penalty, including The Changeling. Another is Chicago (I love the movie and the music, but the death penalty is an over-arching theme and the ballet dancer is actually hanged) and by far the most disturbing one is Dancer in the Dark. When I started watching it, I expected a quirky and cute Bjork-y film. I can't even remember exactly why the execution in that movie happens, but I can recall vividly my physical reaction to it. It wasn't pretty.
Anyway, I need movies to be rated DP- not because I won't watch them, but just so I am prepared.
Also, I just googled The Changeling and I see its original release date was October 31, 2008, just a few days before the election. The last line of the entire film is Angelina saying "Because now I have something I didn't have yesterday- hope." Coincidence? I doubt it. Way to go, Clint Eastwood.
The movie was decent, but not awesome, and it made me decide that there needs to be another rating system. I need a warning before watching when a movie features an execution. Since watching Dead Man Walking (which certainly gave a warning in its very title) at the Boulevard Theater when I was 12, movies that deal with the death penalty affect me strongly. It's not even the watching of the execution- I am not a lightweight in terms of being able to see violence on TV or in cinema. It's the feelings that get stirred up me; the disruption of my equilibrium; the physical changes that happen in my body- heart racing and irregular breath. All this doesn't last for too long, but nevertheless an intense reaction.
I can think of a few movies I've seen that should have been rated DP for death penalty, including The Changeling. Another is Chicago (I love the movie and the music, but the death penalty is an over-arching theme and the ballet dancer is actually hanged) and by far the most disturbing one is Dancer in the Dark. When I started watching it, I expected a quirky and cute Bjork-y film. I can't even remember exactly why the execution in that movie happens, but I can recall vividly my physical reaction to it. It wasn't pretty.
Anyway, I need movies to be rated DP- not because I won't watch them, but just so I am prepared.
Also, I just googled The Changeling and I see its original release date was October 31, 2008, just a few days before the election. The last line of the entire film is Angelina saying "Because now I have something I didn't have yesterday- hope." Coincidence? I doubt it. Way to go, Clint Eastwood.
Monday, June 15, 2009
My Dad
Well, as most of my readership likely knows, my dad is right up there among my favorite people on the planet. My bosses and co-workers could tell you how many times I reference my dad's intelligence, wisdom, and insight on any given day. It's a lot more that once. Believe me.
Today my dad announced that MS has forced him to retire. In my previous post that mentioned his health, that was his diagnosis. While I am angry and sad that my dad has MS, the doctors first thought it was a brain tumor. And I will take MS over a brain tumor any day. I need my dad, and his mind is clear as ever, and much more brilliant than mine.
He announced that he will be done as CEO of Sons of Norway as on July 31, 2009, and this is what the International President had to say:
Dear International Board and District Presidents,
It is with a great deal of regret that I must inform you that John Lund had decided to retire. John feels that his MS is preventing him from performing his duties as CEO to meet the high standards that he has set for himself. John is the type of person who if he can't give a task 110% then he feels he is not doing his job. The job and the energy that it requires has taken a toll on his health. We have indeed been extremely fortunate to have John as our CEO for the past 9 years and before that as Legal Counsel. His leadership skills, his people skills, his wealth of knowledge about Sons of Norway and Norwegian Community, and his great sense of humor will be missed by us all. We retired folks welcome him to our ranks and know he will enjoy retirement as much as we do! John's last day in the office will be July 31, 2009.
John has told me that he will only be a phone call away to answer questions and serve as an advisor for the Interim CEO and the new CEO when that position is filled. I have already put John's number in my speed dial!
I have appointed Eivind as Interim CEO in accordance with the Succession Plan that was updated during our Spring Board Meeting in April. Appropriate agreements are being drawn up.
I am appointing the Executive Committee as the Search Committee for a new CEO. The Executive Committee with Legal Counsel held a teleconference on June 11, 2009. I will be keeping you posted every step of the way.
If you have any question feel free to give me a call.
International President
Sons of Norway
I am sad to see my dad leave a job he was so good at, but these days his energy is limited, and I am thrilled for my Johan that he gets to aprovechar (Spanish for take advantage of/enjoy) more of his Ba-pa's energy in the form of kisses, hugs, walks, and playing.
And I am pretty sure I need to sign up for an MS walkathon. That's a goal for 2010.
Today my dad announced that MS has forced him to retire. In my previous post that mentioned his health, that was his diagnosis. While I am angry and sad that my dad has MS, the doctors first thought it was a brain tumor. And I will take MS over a brain tumor any day. I need my dad, and his mind is clear as ever, and much more brilliant than mine.
He announced that he will be done as CEO of Sons of Norway as on July 31, 2009, and this is what the International President had to say:
Dear International Board and District Presidents,
It is with a great deal of regret that I must inform you that John Lund had decided to retire. John feels that his MS is preventing him from performing his duties as CEO to meet the high standards that he has set for himself. John is the type of person who if he can't give a task 110% then he feels he is not doing his job. The job and the energy that it requires has taken a toll on his health. We have indeed been extremely fortunate to have John as our CEO for the past 9 years and before that as Legal Counsel. His leadership skills, his people skills, his wealth of knowledge about Sons of Norway and Norwegian Community, and his great sense of humor will be missed by us all. We retired folks welcome him to our ranks and know he will enjoy retirement as much as we do! John's last day in the office will be July 31, 2009.
John has told me that he will only be a phone call away to answer questions and serve as an advisor for the Interim CEO and the new CEO when that position is filled. I have already put John's number in my speed dial!
I have appointed Eivind as Interim CEO in accordance with the Succession Plan that was updated during our Spring Board Meeting in April. Appropriate agreements are being drawn up.
I am appointing the Executive Committee as the Search Committee for a new CEO. The Executive Committee with Legal Counsel held a teleconference on June 11, 2009. I will be keeping you posted every step of the way.
If you have any question feel free to give me a call.
International President
Sons of Norway
I am sad to see my dad leave a job he was so good at, but these days his energy is limited, and I am thrilled for my Johan that he gets to aprovechar (Spanish for take advantage of/enjoy) more of his Ba-pa's energy in the form of kisses, hugs, walks, and playing.
And I am pretty sure I need to sign up for an MS walkathon. That's a goal for 2010.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
New York
At the wedding last weekend, an old friend who I hadn't seen since my wedding 5 years ago asked about my plans to move to New York. I didn't even remember that having been my plan, which I told her. She gave me a look like she felt sorry for me. It's entirely possible I read way too much into her face and she was really trying to work a seed out from between her teeth or something. But, the vibe I got was that she saw me as tragic. Ugh.
Digging back into my memory, I certainly remember talking about wanting to live in New York. I love it. I've loved it since my dad first took me there for my golden birthday in 1992. I love the energy- how it makes me feel so alive. I love the anonymity - that I can sit on a park bench in Washington Square with Sarah, Starbucks, and cigarettes, and cry big crocodile tears and nobody walking by even thinks twice about it. And, even when I first started law school, Eduardo and I thought we might move to New York after I finished.
But a lot happened. When my Grandpa got sick in 2006 and died within 6 weeks of finding out he was sick, while at the same time my Dad was having a health scare, it changed my perspective about how far (near) I want to be to my family. If my Dad had been dying, there was no way in the world I would leave him for any job.
Then, in early 2007, we found out I was pregnant. It was earlier than we had planned, but it only reinforced how important it is to me to be near my family. I don't want to raise a kid in New York. I never have wanted that. I don't want to raise a kid without lots of family around. I always felt very lucky to live so close to my grandparents (Eduardo was very close to his too) and to have real relationships with them. When I see Johan start clapping and laughing when we turn onto 42nd Street before my Dad and Ev's house even comes into view, I know we are doing right by being in Minnesota. When Johan leads the way up the stairs and through the hallway maze to my mom's condo without missing a beat, I know we made the right decisions.
This isn't meant to be an excuse. But sometimes plans change. It's not tragic. It's not a pity. It's a fulfilling job; a lovely house; deep true friends; close family; a stable, loving marriage; and the best little bebe in whole wide world.
So, maybe I didn't remember that I was going to move to New York. Or maybe I just had some wine and she was trying to get a seed out of her teeth. Life is long; there's a lot ahead of us and I have a feeling that Washington Square will still be there when I get back.
Digging back into my memory, I certainly remember talking about wanting to live in New York. I love it. I've loved it since my dad first took me there for my golden birthday in 1992. I love the energy- how it makes me feel so alive. I love the anonymity - that I can sit on a park bench in Washington Square with Sarah, Starbucks, and cigarettes, and cry big crocodile tears and nobody walking by even thinks twice about it. And, even when I first started law school, Eduardo and I thought we might move to New York after I finished.
But a lot happened. When my Grandpa got sick in 2006 and died within 6 weeks of finding out he was sick, while at the same time my Dad was having a health scare, it changed my perspective about how far (near) I want to be to my family. If my Dad had been dying, there was no way in the world I would leave him for any job.
Then, in early 2007, we found out I was pregnant. It was earlier than we had planned, but it only reinforced how important it is to me to be near my family. I don't want to raise a kid in New York. I never have wanted that. I don't want to raise a kid without lots of family around. I always felt very lucky to live so close to my grandparents (Eduardo was very close to his too) and to have real relationships with them. When I see Johan start clapping and laughing when we turn onto 42nd Street before my Dad and Ev's house even comes into view, I know we are doing right by being in Minnesota. When Johan leads the way up the stairs and through the hallway maze to my mom's condo without missing a beat, I know we made the right decisions.
This isn't meant to be an excuse. But sometimes plans change. It's not tragic. It's not a pity. It's a fulfilling job; a lovely house; deep true friends; close family; a stable, loving marriage; and the best little bebe in whole wide world.
So, maybe I didn't remember that I was going to move to New York. Or maybe I just had some wine and she was trying to get a seed out of her teeth. Life is long; there's a lot ahead of us and I have a feeling that Washington Square will still be there when I get back.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Bummers and Fun
The bummer is that even though the jury awarded some money, we get zip due to a legal sort of technicality. Bummer. My boss was still pleased with my work and said some really nice things to/about me so that made me feel good. There will be many verdicts, more losses than wins, which is why 98% of cases settle. Even so, it would have been nice to win my first trial. Enough said.
The day after the trial ended, Johan and I flew to Chicago for Michelle's wedding. It was a great weekend spent with fantastic college friends who were either meeting Johan for the first time or re-meeting him in his new toddler stage. There was drinking and dancing and laughing and loving. It was Johan's first bachelorette party and his first slow dance. During the reception of the wedding, Johan absolutely stole the show with his dance moves. He then went to sleep underneath a table for 2 hours while the adults continued dancing. (Don't
This was my first time being a bridesmaid and being so close to the couple during the ceremony is a cool experience. As Michelle was placing the ring on Chris' finger, his hand was shaking. A lot.
I don't think the "audience" could really see that and it was a nice thing to watch. All the love and fun, of course, made the bummer of my Pyrrhic victory a somewhat distant memory.
A couple of post scripts:
1) Be wary when Bad Sarah tells you she knows just where she's going. And try to avoid the Green Line.
2) I had the most amazing mascarpone stuffed french toast in Chicago and learned that is mascarpone, not marscapone. Good times.
The day after the trial ended, Johan and I flew to Chicago for Michelle's wedding. It was a great weekend spent with fantastic college friends who were either meeting Johan for the first time or re-meeting him in his new toddler stage. There was drinking and dancing and laughing and loving. It was Johan's first bachelorette party and his first slow dance. During the reception of the wedding, Johan absolutely stole the show with his dance moves. He then went to sleep underneath a table for 2 hours while the adults continued dancing. (Don't
This was my first time being a bridesmaid and being so close to the couple during the ceremony is a cool experience. As Michelle was placing the ring on Chris' finger, his hand was shaking. A lot.
I don't think the "audience" could really see that and it was a nice thing to watch. All the love and fun, of course, made the bummer of my Pyrrhic victory a somewhat distant memory.
A couple of post scripts:
1) Be wary when Bad Sarah tells you she knows just where she's going. And try to avoid the Green Line.
2) I had the most amazing mascarpone stuffed french toast in Chicago and learned that is mascarpone, not marscapone. Good times.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Bill O'Reilly will never be on MY jury.
I will finish my jury trial tomorrow. One of the things the Judge tells jurors every day before letting them go home is not to watch any news or TV about civil trials and not to do any research about civil trials or court. Fair instruction, yes?
Today during the lunch break I was sitting in the cafeteria eating a make-shift beet salad (the cafeteria had nothing close to warm goat cheese). On the TV in the cafeteria was Fox News. Uhmm...where do they think jurors go during the 2 hour lunch breaks judges tend to grant? Isn't the fact that jurors are being exposed to the ranting and bitching of Fox News commentators enough to get a mistrial or win an appeal (if I lose...please don't let me lose...I hate to lose...) I mean, Fox News can't go more than a couple of hours at a time without railing against Plaintiffs, the civil justice system, trial attorneys, and the 6th Amendment. Cripes, not only do I have to try and overcome all the common misconceptions and prejudices against my clients- now I have to try and undo the hate speech from Fox News that the courthouse is feeding the juries at lunch?
Today during the lunch break I was sitting in the cafeteria eating a make-shift beet salad (the cafeteria had nothing close to warm goat cheese). On the TV in the cafeteria was Fox News. Uhmm...where do they think jurors go during the 2 hour lunch breaks judges tend to grant? Isn't the fact that jurors are being exposed to the ranting and bitching of Fox News commentators enough to get a mistrial or win an appeal (if I lose...please don't let me lose...I hate to lose...) I mean, Fox News can't go more than a couple of hours at a time without railing against Plaintiffs, the civil justice system, trial attorneys, and the 6th Amendment. Cripes, not only do I have to try and overcome all the common misconceptions and prejudices against my clients- now I have to try and undo the hate speech from Fox News that the courthouse is feeding the juries at lunch?
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