Straight up and with a twist please

If feeling a little rowdy and in the mood for rap listen to this while reading the below entry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC--NX8252c

If feeling a little more old-school and chill, listen to this while reading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cbX4DUACYU

If at work and you don't want to draw attention to yourself just read in perfect silence.

I always enjoy finding a little nugget of political news. It gets me fired up because there is always room for debate. I like reading different angles and then deciding which side I agree with and then of course I identify those that oppose my side and dance around saying "that guy is dumb." So adult of me, I know.

I have received feedback from some of my readers telling me they appreciate when I blog about these nuggets of news, because they feel the responsibility to stay up-to-date on the political news front. However, as is true for many, reading political news can be so boring. Especially when we can read about Britney Spears or Brangelina - that takes way less brain cells.

Keeping with the party theme here, there is a bit of news that I want to share. Before we get started, ask yourself this, do I live in a state where the selling of alcohol is privatized or government run? Do you know this answer? I don't. But I am going to find out right now....please stand by. No, New York is not a controlled or aka "monopoly" state where the government is in charge of selling me my Absolut and Tanqueray. Instead, the selling of alcohol is considered a private retail practice and the government does not sell to me. The same is true for Arizona and Indiana so I am yet to encounter the government controlled experience. However, a friend of mine does live in a controlled state - Idaho. I am currently waiting for her to get back to me and let me know what her experience has been.

According to wiki and several news reports there are 18 controlled states. Five of these states are currently considering a switch to privatization. What are the five states and why are they considering a switch? How does this affect tax-payers in those states? Who is for the switch and who is against the switch and what is their reasoning? Let's break it down folks....

The five states that are currently controlled and considering privatization: Virginia, North Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Mississippi.

These five states are considering a switch to privatization because the selling of government-owned distribution centers among other facets of biz ops would generate some major muhla, something local and federal government is in major need of at the mo. For example, if the state of Washington sold their 250,000 sq. ft. spirits distribution center to a private company that single sale would generate $33 million for the state.

Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) of Virginia just won his seat with a major part of his campaign pushing for the privatization of alcohol. McDonnell argues that liquor sales is not a top government function to be providing to tax payers, especially in a time where we are having to slash budgets. State Senator Rodney Tom (D) of Washington makes a good point saying that when money is tight you have to identify the difference between wants and needs, making tough decisions on what stays and what goes. He claims that he would rather cut government liquor jobs than cut teacher jobs. I can't argue with that point, which is good to keep in mind since the privatization of alcohol will cut about 800 union jobs. With those jobs out of the picture, the state will save $$ on long-term pension plans and health costs that will no longer cost tax payers. Instead, in my eyes, perhaps some of those 800 workers will take jobs with the new privatized companies that will sprout up now that they have been given the authority by the government to open shop.

Apparently Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) of Washington opposes the privatization saying that the state won't experience those savings until 2012. Personally, I feel that's not a long time to wait. Gregoire's opponents say that she is just trying to hold onto those 800 votes from the union members. What do you think?

More arguments from opponents of privatization come from Rick Garza, the deputy director of the Liquor Control Board. He says that controlled states have almost a perfect record for not selling to minors and he fears that the competitive practices of private businesses will keep them from following the law, thus selling to minors. PUH-leeeez! As I mentioned earlier, I have lived in three of the private states and NEVER in my minor years have I been able to waltz into a liquor store and pull on their private practice heart-strings. A minor buys alcohol from you and gets caught, talk about there goes your liquor license. It just doesn't work that way Garza. What does happen in the private sector though is competitive pricing. According to a reader of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer he was paying around $23 a bottle for Potters vodka. He drove a few hours into Northern California (a privatized state) and bought the same bottle for $9. So aside from saving your state budget on costs, ie: a chance to keep your taxes low, you will also experience direct out-of-pocket savings. Just sayin'.

Another argument for keeping monopoly states comes from the Virgina Assembly of Independent Baptists. Executive Director Jack Knapp says, "we oppose anything that we think would expand the sale and use of alcohol." I just can't even go there on this one. That takes me right to the beginning. Why was liquor government-controlled in the first place? I mean other consumer goods are not government controlled such as our clothing, food, cars, makeup, books, etc. so why booze?

Prohibition I say. For all you history buffs out there...in 1933, the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition. However, all those pols were still a little skittish about giving total control back to the "reckless" public so instead, the feds passed it off to each individual state and creating the controlled model. As society modernized, many of these states have privatized the booze biz in effort to save their tax payers money, except for the last 18. Those that are holding on for control are religious communities and lawmakers and union workers, the latter because the controlled model keeps them employed. I understand losing your job, it sucks, but as Senator Tom said - we've got to make some decisions and if privatization works well for 32 other states why not the last 18 who could stand to use the extra cash flow?I think to myself, there must be some valid points as to why states should remain controlled, but then I go back to the fact that 32 other states are operating under the private sector models so why not the last 18? I think the argument for controlled states all about power and money. People that have power and money don't like losing it, but right now the well-being of American citizens and the stability of state budgets is more important. So in summary - I am all for privatization.

Now, as always I WELCOME opposing point of views. I am always malleable and open to change my mind if someone provides me with a good argument. If I disagree with you do not worry. You are a valued reader and I promise not to dance around saying "that guy is dumb."

Gimme a beat!

Bad girl drunk by 6
Kissing someone else's lips
Smoked too many cigarettes a day......

Ok, so those words aren't exactly literal in my case, but I have been a bad girl and whenever I or anyone else I know has been bad I always break into song. The above song to be exact. Does anyone know this song or who "wrote it"? (I am using the term wrote loosely here). I'll give you a clue, this 80s queen of music has a global taste in men.

So I have been a bad girl for obvious reasons - not sharing the blogin' lovin'. I have been a little M.I.A. and there are two reasons for this:

1) I am no longer sitting at a desk for 10 hours a day a la my job with King of Yelking

2) I am at Mrs. Steinman's bootcamp in Arizona preparing for lift-off

I do not view these as excuses or suitable reasons for my absence, just letting you know what I have been doing otherwise. I am going to try harder, my goal was to never leave you for more than one day. So please know that you will be getting a double dose today and very soon you will see another lovely post from your favorite train.

Now - what song am I singing when I have been bad.....oh so bad.

Price-points in the finance world

Friday was my last day with King of Yelking, however I don't think this will be the last time I will see him or you will hear of him. He is a really great guy. He had so many complimentary things to say about me, my intelligence and professionalism. Damn, everyone should have a Yelker in their life. He paid me good money to start a blog and on top of it told me how great I was.

Since his office, as always is a place of amusement and constant study, I thought I'd share this last little tid-bit with you. A possible new business associate decided to send Yelker a thank you letter in the mail. Yelker's office is located in midtown right at W. 50th Street. The possible new business associate sat cozily in his office up on W. 60th Street. Ten blocks. Yes, ten blocks. I once walked 44 blocks in a rage during fashion week because the D train dumped me in Harlem instead of my normal stop. That adventure and its accompanying story is for an entirely different post though.....

So this thank you letter that was sent from W. 60th, just a mere 10 blocks downtown was not sent via postal mail. You know the kind of delivery that would cost a rough 42 cents. Instead, for whatever reason this thank you letter was sent via UPS. And how much did this cost?? $13.65! Yes, nearly $14 to send a typed, thin little piece of paper. Welcome to the world of finance people where $14 is totally reasonable for sending a piece of paper the distance that would take a person 10 minutes to walk. That's more than a dollar a block. Hmm...something to look into.

Regrets

I am a member or as they call it, an 'insider' of the OWN Network - the one that will eventually take over the world. That's right, the Oprah Winfrey Network, in partnership with Discovery Communications. As an insider you are sent a question to answer and through the insider feedback there is a possibility your answer could spark a show idea. Yesterday I was prompted to share my regrets. I don't really believe in regrets because the choices we make are what makes us who we are in the present and if you have regrets it indicates that you are regretful or disappointed in the result that is YOU.

However, there is one thing in my life that I can 100% say I regret. This is what I shared with Ms. Winfrey. Probably not going to make for a great show idea, but it felt good to write this down. Now I am going to share it with you.

I have only one regret in my life. I quit dancing far too early in life. Growing up I was a talented dancer of many styles including ballet, jazz and lyrical. I quit in grade school to only start again in high school and then quit again before college. Instructors could always see my talent but because of insecurity (feeling I wasn't good enough, sensitive to competitive girls that were envious of my quick advancement in class) I quit. During the times when I wasn't dancing and thus just watching a performance, my body would ache to be up there. It still does. I often dream about dancing and I have all the strength and flexibility I would have today had I stuck to it. The feeling in my dreams is exhilarating, like flying, but I am soon met by morning light knowing it was only a dream.

If you too want to share and/or join the OWN Network visit this link: http://www.oprah.com/own

Or if you just want to share via the comment section please do! And remember the Question Mark Train rules - you must have a username. :) Love.

Hi my name is....

QMT is a little over a week old now. I am so thankful for all of my readers and participants who comment and share their thoughts and ideas with me. With that said, I really appreciate your feedback and I want to know who is saying what. Therefore, I have made a setting that requires you register in order to leave a comment. Please, please do not let this intimidate you. It is very simple to create a username and best yet, you don't need to include anything that reveals your personal identity. Some readers are simply using their first names and others are creating aliases.

Why is this so important to me? I want to understand each and every one of my readers. I have several anonymous comments that are very compelling and offer different points of views or sometimes the same point of view with additional information. Because these are listed as anonymous I never know if it's a different person or the same person leaving a comment on a different post. I am sure as a reader it is fun for you too to read comments from the same person on different topics/posts allowing you to understand their personality. Please work with me and those who have registered already to make the QMT community a strong one. I look forward to getting cozy (my favorite word) as a group. Thank you!

I'll trade Wilbur for Chicken Little

Because my tribe and I love to eat while watching the Biggest Loser (please refer to 'Lighten Up Fatty' 2/4/10 post) we threw together another magnificent meal! So good that I packed - well I should say my house guest packed it (who also happened to do most of the cooking too!) for my lunch this week. Just as good the next day I say.

This meal, which was even healthier than last week's meal is called Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork with Ginger Sauce, from one of my favorite cooking sites, Cooking Light.

Now, I love pork but the last time I pan-fried pork it kind of freaked me out and I ended up wasting a lot of food. So I suggested we substitute the pork for chicken. This is a fine example of making an executive decision that proved to be a succes. Everyone loved dinner this week. What more can I ask for - happy, tummy-filled friends while watching quality reality TV from the comfort of my family room? It's awesome!

Check out the photos and link to the recipe below. Enjoy and let me know if you choose Wilbur over Chicken Little. Sorry...I know this is kind of sick, especially since I am an animal lover, but I couldn't' help it. Man would PETA be pissed.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1160662

Don't get lost in the haze ladies

Did you watch the Jenny Sanford interview with Barbara Walters last week? Mrs. Sanford, in my opinion, is a cold fish, no wonder her husband went looking elsewhere. Ok, that was harsh and you know what, he sounds like a little weirdo himself. Let's start with Senator Mark Sanford - wait is he still a senator, no I don't think so, hmm...well someone needs to do their research.

Anyhow...it's somewhat common knowledge now that he decided to remove 'forsaking all others' in his wedding vows, you know the part that says you will be FAITHFUL to your spouse. He decided to take that out and lil' ole Jenny thought it was "a bit odd," but she got past it. What?! That would be one giant red flag that I would heed and believe me, I have ignored many a red flag, it's my specialty when it comes to dating, but the buck would definitely stop there.

Let's also point out that Mark's idea of a good Christmas gift for his new wife was half a drawing of a bicycle that she would one day receive. For the next special occasion Jenny received the other half and then finally the real bike, all $25 of it from the nearest Play-It-Again-Sports.

Now I don't know the background story here. Jenny, with good reason could be leaving out points of nostalgia, to make her husband look like the sack of shit that he is, but perhaps this was early in their marriage when they didn't have much money and the bike and its respective drawings were in reference to some flirtatious inside joke. I don't know! This is how my brain operates - so many 'what ifs' or 'maybes'...thanks MOM - I inherited this from you, you know.

Let's also discuss what a moron he is for emailing his Argentine mistress. Do you want to get caught? Do you want this stuff out there for everyone to read? Did you think about your kids?! Way to set an example for your four sons. Jenny makes a good point that of course Mark would think this Argentine yummy hunny (who happens to look like Jenny, erieeee...) is his soulmate. I mean, what do they really have to deal with in life besides how horny and revved up they are for their next encounter? Forbidden lust is the best, come on Mark, get real.

Now let's talk about Jenny....she was a 23 y/o from the solid suburbs of Chicago when she moved to New York. She blazed her way onto the male dominated Wall Street scene in the 80s, quickly elevating herself to an executive role. Sounds like a solid chic, at least in terms of being smart, strong and ambitious. So what was she thinking when she met an unemployed, 28 y/o from South Carolina at a Hamptons party? I've been to the Hamptons, especially a party like this and I can tell you what most of these independent, successful women are looking for - a husband! These parties are just ooozing with women foaming at the mouth to find that Ken doll who will hold their hand and wear those (awful) pastel whale pants at the next Hamptons BBQ. It's sick.



I think a marriage ending is always sad. I have good examples all around me of people that work very, very, VERY hard to make it work. So to me, it is sad to watch it end and I am sure those four boys are devastated to witness what has happened to their family. Honestly though, I think Mark and Jenny Sanford sound like two of the weirdest people out there and I am surprised they made it last as long as they did.

Now - a huge point that no one has mentioned nor have I read it anywhere. Maybe it was brought up on the View this week (haven't had a chance to watch it yet) but did anyone else find it odd that Barbara Walters was interviewing Jenny about her senator husband having an illicit affair with another woman? You know, Barbara Walters was the other woman with a married senator for many years in the 1970s. Go on, Google it if you don't believe me. I just find this to be an interesting twist and I can only hope Jenny brought it up between takes. Hopefully there is still a shred of that Wall Street pit bull in her.

Eavesdropping in a financial office part 2

King of Yelking has been pretty chill today. However, his normally uber chill office neighbor had a few choice words for an associate on the phone today.

**Ring, Ring
Chill Man picks up his phone. None of the normal salutations with this guy. Instead....

"Now, don't get all fu**ing crazy on me because China and India changed their rules on foreign investors......ok, good. Yea, see you today, bye."

Man, I love this office.

I'm watching you Obama

I just read an article about political conversations being a part of day time TV. Specifically, an LA Times article regarding The View. I love the View. My dream would be to serve as a regular co-host on The View...hear that Babs??? Apparently the ladies will be dissecting President Obama's State of the Union Address and discussing key initiatives he plans to implement in 2010. Well guess what Bill and Barb - I too dissected the SUA and have opinions and questions on many of the key points! I love to see that I am so on topic and ah hem, aligned with what the View is working on! I totally deserve a job there. The guy below clearly agrees.

Seriously though, I think it is fantastic that day time TV geared toward women is focusing on current events and politics. Women are not just interested in fashion and sex. Yes, those are high up there on our lists, but in these modern times we are just as entrenched in hard news items. Now as you probably can tell, Daddy-o is big on discussing politics. He is probably one of my most favorite people to sit down with and discuss the current estate of affairs. (And yes, if someone famous were to play my father in a movie it would WITHOUT DOUBT be Jack Nicholson). Since he still lives on the ranch in AZ with Mrs. Steinman, Daddy-o and I have a Skype date on the books to go through the points and decide what we want to happen, what we don't want to happen and then of course we will keep tabs on the President's progress. I am sure he and I will agree on many points and disagree on many points as well. Should be interesting......

Because I think every American citizen should be apprised of the President's goals I have listed my own little dissection of the SAU. It's 5 pages front and back, hand written, so can't promise I will include all of them in this post - believe me you will thank me for that one. So please look for future installments.

Now let's get started.

• Elimination of capital gains taxes on small business investment and provide tax incentive for large and small businesses to invest in new operation facilities and equipment. The first part sounds good to me, not sure how great the second part is. Insight from a professional please???? Or just a really opinionated person will do too.
  

• Asking Congress to enact a comprehensive energy and climate change bill. This encompasses a cap-and-trade model that may include incentives for companies that do the following: oil/gas development, accelerated construction of nuclear plants and new research for clean coal. What's the point you ask - to create green collar jobs and remain competitive on emerging clean energy technologies. I think this sounds good to me. Anyone that can provide further details or a solid example please share with us.
  

• Freeze spending on domestic programs and if Congress doesn't work to do this Obama will utilize executive power and veto anything. The day after the SAU, Obama announced that he was cutting federal spending on NASA. That's quite ok with me. Senators and other state officials from Florida are clearly pissed because some people will be losing jobs. How do you feel about it? Do you know of any other programs that have recently been cut? Or can you think of a program other than NASA that should have been cut first?
  

• Remove ALL combat troops from Iraq by August 2010. It still appears to be one big shit show over there so I am not sure how safe this will be. I think it's clear to many people that we should have never gone in the first place, however we went and we've made some things better but we have also made a big fat mess. Like in pre-school, you are responsible for cleaning up your own mess. Thoughts?
  

• Most troops in Afghanistan will be removed by 2011 and Afghan security forces will take control. Scary. Again, I believe in peace and feel for any family and friends that have loved ones over seas - you would always rather them be home, but Afghanistan is entirely unstable. How squeaky clean is the Afghan security force? Riddled with corruption or headed to a better place?
  

• To repeal "don't ask, don't tell" in the U.S. Military. I am an avid supporter of this. Please refer to this recent CNN article that really puts this law into perspective. If someone is willing to serve our country they deserve to be entirely themselves and benefit from the civil rights that every other American enjoys. http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/03/darrah.personal.history.gay.military.experience/?hpt=C1
  

• Propose a fee on the biggest banks. Ok, I need further information on this one. Does he mean only the big banks that accepted bail out money or every big bank? Additionally what criteria defines a "big bank?"

That's all for now kids. I hope to have more solid opinions on the next installment as Daddy-o and I will have had our Skype date by then. If you have strong opinions or questions you'd like me to ask Daddy-o, among other trusted sources, please let me know via the comment section. Look forward to a democratic dialogue!

Embrace thy genes

I have cankles. My sister has cankles, Mrs. Steinman has cankles, some of my aunts have cankles, some cousins have cankles, both grandmothers have cankles - I mean it is pretty evident here that this gene was not going to skip me. As a young girl you don't really notice the cankles (ladies who are in this lucky club and feel differently please let me know). I guess you start noticing them in your teens, high school perhaps. I honestly can't recall the exact moment I realized I had cankles but unfortunately as I get older they get more...uh, authentic.

Now I am not one of those girls that obsesses about her body and complains about everything. If I could change anything on my body it would most definitely be my cankles and to be fair they're really not that bad. But that is the only thing I would change. Oh yeah, and my bat wings too, if I could, but that is it! I swear.

Cankles have been an obsession for Koosh and I for quite some time now. Her cankles are more authentic than mine, but she has longer legs but who's really keeping score here right, certainly not me.....

Whenever one of us spots a celebrity with cankles we are sure to happily show one another and say, "Look! Even these famous, talented beautiful women know how to rock their canks."




Then you start forming some cankle pride. Not that I would choose to KEEP my cankles if I could have a re-do with the big guy upstairs, but sometimes it's fun laughing in disgusted yet endearing amazement of whose cankles are bigger. Earlier this year while in Indy visiting family me, Koosh and our cousin Sarah threw down and compared authenticities.....

You decide who claims the crown. Women out there (and some men I might add) are now seeking cosmetic surgery to reduce their cankles. Most notably a woman and her surgeon appeared on Good Morning America last summer to tell her story. Man does she look stoked. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_hs7pvy_8c And she has zero issues with having paid $8,000 for the procedure. To be honest I would have taken that money and gone on an international adventure but to each their own. I personally don't think the results are that great, however this one is a pretty good example, but still, this woman's procedure cost $16,000! http://www.5min.com/Video/Cankle-Liposuction-Explained-125205199

It'll be interesting to see where the cankle trend heads next. I am sure this is not the last we'll hear of them. I don't think they will ever be considered sexy, but let me tell you, it's all about camouflage (no ankle strap shoes!) and plane old embracing who you are. Love those cankles, even if it is sometimes a love-hate relationship because, baby they're YOURS.

Lessons from Papa

This one from Daddy-o. When not busting his 'hind at work he often times tries his hand at educating his children. This is done in the form of forwarded emails. [Sigh] The intimacies and personal bonds that are formed during parent-child lessons. Agree with the below point of view or not, I personally like this one:



Economics 101

An Easily Understandable Explanation of Derivative Markets

Heidi is the proprietor of a bar in Detroit . She realizes that
virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such,
can no longer afford to patronize her bar. To solve this problem, she
comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink
now, but pay later. She keeps track of the drinks consumed in a ledger
(thereby granting the
customers loans).

Word gets around about Heidi's "drink now, pay later" marketing strategy
and, as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Heidi's
bar. Soon she has the largest sales volume for any bar in Detroit.

By providing her customers freedom from immediate payment demands, Heidi
gets no resistance when, at regular intervals, she substantially
increases her prices for wine and beer, the most consumed beverages.
Consequently, Heidi's gross sales volume increases massively.

A young and dynamic Vice President at the local bank recognizes that
these customer debts constitute valuable future assets, and increases
Heidi's borrowing limit. He sees no reason for any undue concern, since
he has the debts of the unemployed alcoholics as collateral.

At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert traders transform these
customer loans into DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS. These
securities are then bundled and traded on international security
markets. Naive investors don't really understand that the securities
being sold to them as AAA secured bonds are really the debts of
unemployed alcoholics.
Nevertheless, the bond prices continuously climb, and the securities
soon become the hottest-selling items for some of the nation's leading
brokerage houses.

One day, even though the bond prices are still climbing, a risk manager
at the original local bank decides that the time has come to demand
payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at Heidi's bar. He so
informs Heidi.

Heidi then demands payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being
unemployed alcoholics they cannot pay back their drinking debts. Since
Heidi cannot fulfill her loan obligations, she is forced into
bankruptcy. The bar closes and the eleven employees lose their jobs.

Overnight, DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS drop in price by 90%. The
collapsed bond asset value destroys the banks liquidity and prevents it
from issuing new loans, thus freezing credit and economic activity in
the community.

The suppliers of Heidi's bar had granted her generous payment extensions
and had invested their firms' pension funds in the various BOND
securities. They find they are now faced with not only having to write
off her bad debt but also with losing over 90% of the presumed value of
the bonds. Her wine supplier claims bankruptcy, closing the doors on a
family business that
had endured for three generations, and her beer supplier is taken over
by a competitor, who immediately closes the local plant and lays off 150
workers.

Fortunately though, the bank, the brokerage houses and their respective
executives are saved and bailed out by a multi-billion dollar,
no-strings attached cash infusion from their cronies in Government. The
funds required for this bailout are obtained by new taxes levied on
employed, middle-class, non-drinkers who have never been in Heidi's
bar.

Now, I understand!

Eavesdropping in a financial office

So as I work for money this month, I am filling in as an executive assistant to a high powered CEO of a financial company. This man is great. He is so hyper and loud. He yells all day, even though he just means to be talking. I have labeled it yelking.

Since I sit right outside his office and he is in the habit of yelking I hear everything. Today he was on speaker phone, which is great because this really kicks up the volume of his yelking. He was on the line with one of his sales reps telling her she couldn't read her own emails. Take this as an example kids, you should try your best to never take anything personally while at work. I am still working on this big time.

King of Yelking: Carol, in that email he is clearly telling you to buzz off.

Carol: No, he said he would keep us in mind and that he found our product interesting. So I followed up.

King of Yelking: Carol, he is telling you to buzz off.Do you not see this in the letter?? I mean hell, someone's gotta read through this shit for you [laughter]."

{Speaker phone now off....random ok's, yea's, sounds good from King of Yelking, then...}

King of Yelking: Ok, have fun in the Everglades, talk to you later. Bye.

Lighten up fatty

Why is it that when people watch Biggest Loser they want to spend those two hours EATING as well? This has to say something about how truly twisted we are as human beings. I, along with several friends of mine, represent this food-gorging-Biggest Loser-watching-breed.

So in effort to support the whole weight loss thing that the show perpetuates, I decided to crack open one of my favorite cook books, Cooking Light. Instead of ordering in pizza or some heavy carb-fest dinner, we now are cooking delicious, healthy meals. This week, per suggestion of a very dear friend in good 'ole AZ, we made Green Chile-Chicken Casserole. I HIGHLY recommend you whip this up for next Tuesday. Therefore while watching, you can nosh on something not quite as bad as that cheesy baked pasta with a side of frozen Snickers you had last week.


Off the hook recipe found here: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=550015

I did opt for the side of frozen Snickers though, what can you do???

Earmark of the week

Ok folks, in my opinion if you are over 25 you should know who your state senators are. This age should probably be pushed to 21 or even 18, but since I am the conductor of this train and ruler of my universe I will push it to 25. Even though it wasn't until YESTERDAY that I knew who BOTH my state senators were. Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer.Something I like about Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: she posts all of her earmark requests online for US, the people to read. Something I don't like about Senator Gillibrand: she is requesting federal funding for broadband Internet in corn fields. Now I am OK with the Net having a strong presence in the corn fields, heck I am from Indiana so don't you be talkin' smack about corn fields, however I am not sure if we need to be spending $418 million on this little (pet) project. I mean aren't we dealing with some major issues: unemployment, terrorism, immigration a ginormous deficit, not to mention Daddy-o will be PISSSSSED if Medicare disappears. I wonder if these children of the corn have cell phones and laptops. Probably. Did you know you can get high-speed wireless Internet for $40 p/month from your cell phone provider? See, problem solved. If these people want the Internet they can go and buy it and instead, we can use the $418 million to pay off some debt. Just my opinion folks. You can see the earmark (also supported by the Prez himself) in a press release from Senator Gillibrand's office: http://gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=2c05b42f-0005-45a5-b06e-6abbff232a1a

And if you don't think this one is bad you should hear about the funding she wants for grape research. Yea you read that right. Grapes.

Small Talk

Hi, my name is Question Mark Train. I am 27 years old, single and living in Manhattan with my sister. It was my lovely sister who gave me the name Question Mark Train because I don't mind getting lost. Matter of fact I am pretty lost right now and I feel great. I quit the job I loathed (fashion PR - barf) over a year ago and at this moment I am sitting in a finance office working for a hefty hourly sum as an executive assistant. I am only doing it for three weeks, thank the good Lord for that. Some people may call me crazy for liking this constant shift and change in my life (especially during the worst economy of our modern time) but it feels good to me; I'm not doomed to a never-ending ground hog's day. I've gone from logging 60 hours a week at a job I detest to doing nothing but drinking in dive bars with recent college grads (yes 5 years younger than me), to getting my shit somewhat together and substitute teaching (only once, does that count?) to temping at boring offices. Oh and I do freelance on the side...yes in PR, but I gotta pay those bills somehow! Eww why is this all about work?

Anyway this is my first leap into participating in the blogosphere. Instead of sending every thought, interesting article, rhetorical question and beyond to my friends and family via email - clearly demonstrating to them that I am surfing the web and NOT working, I will instead just put it all here. All aboard this train is leaving.....