Category Archives: Unsolicited Opinions
Flying With One Foot on the Ground
There’s a blog post making the rounds right now about returning home, making friends, being an expat, etc. It’s a good post, with some truth in it. But, being contrary by nature I suppose, I wanted to blog about the lessons I see between the lines about how not to readjust to the U.S. Quotes […]
I Can’t Believe We Still Have To Protest This Sh**
I attended Georgetown University in the 1980s. It was a Catholic university: had I actually been Catholic, or known more about the church, I might have thought twice about that decision. In addition to the restrictions on health care imposed by Catholic affiliation, the university had just admitted women about a decade earlier. At the […]
Some Things I Am Still Smiling About Today
Yesterday, “Election Morning” in Vienna, I got up at 5 AM to see the returns. Just in time to see Tim Kaine win in Virginia! So, that is the first thing I am still happy about. Kaine is not only a good guy, but way smarter than his notoriously dim-witted opponent. George “Macaca” Allen, is […]
Disenfranchised!
I am not a person who would ever claim to be above politics. In fact, I love politics. I think this stuff matters. I truly do believe that if you don’t vote, you have no right to complain. So, you don’t like the political system. So, “all politicians are the same.” Well, it’s YOUR system. […]
State Is Wearing Those Mad Men Goggles Again
A good friend whose husband is on a UT has just posted about her reaction to FLO’s advice regarding communication. The reality is that a UT can be a really crappy time. (And that’s not to say we are having a bad time right now, just that given the circumstances, a UT could be a […]
Somewhere Between Vanity and Creativity
Last week, the husband called my blog a “vanity project.” I wasn’t offended. It was a definite step up from calling it “your latest attempt to get me fired.” He is an FSO, after all, and discretion is therefore his middle name (except when he talks to his wife, apparently…) But, I got to thinking: […]
Just Shut Up And Vote
My Facebook timeline goes back to 2008, so I guess that’s when I first got on Facebook. Kind of weird that the one thing you can’t see on your timeline is the the day you signed up, but anyway…. Something I have learned: Facebook can be a terrific window into American society. Like most people […]
What’s In A Name?
A few days ago, at the peak of the hype about our latest village idiot, Congressman Todd Akin, I found myself wondering: who would marry such a person? No, seriously, I really wondered! So a bit of Googling, and I found Todd Akin’s wife. Here she is, listed as “Mrs Todd Akin” on this page […]
Regarding Those Gay Chickens
Lucky me, to be back in the U.S. in the middle of another battle in the “culture war.” Well, the odds were pretty good, weren’t they? And it’s an election year, oh boy. Now, I’m not a person who flits off to Europe and suddenly decides everything is better over there. No way. They have […]
Your Taxpayer Dollars at Work
Well, I was shocked to find that my blog has still not been included on the State Department’s recruitment page. Even with all the posts about fab Italian vacations, which are, after all, absolutely typical of the Foreign Service lifestyle. I guess I’m still not topical enough, sigh. So, I decided it was time for […]
Defining “All”
The last week or so, two articles about “having it all” by women connected with the State Department have been making the rounds. Why Women Still Can’t Have It All by Ann-Marie Slaughter and How to Have an Insanely Demanding Job and 2 Happy Children by Dana Shell Smith. I’ve read both, and discussed them a bit with friends […]
Top Tens for Vienna
A fellow blogger in Brussels just posted her top ten favorite and least favorite things about her current post for the reference of anyone who may be considering a bid on it. I thought this was such a good idea that I wanted to do the same. Of course, I’ve been blogging about Vienna for […]
The N Word (and the C Word and the A Word)
The kerfluffle about Jen Dinoia’s blog being removed from the State Department website due to her use of the word NIPPLE (yes, that’s right, NIPPLENIPPLENIPPLENIPPLE!!) seems to be over. But wow, what a ride. You might wonder: what is the big deal here? In fact, my husband asked me just that. After all, I had […]
It’s the Little Things…
…that can just make you crazy if you let them. A Foreign Service blogger and longtime friend of mine found out this week that her blog has been removed from the Careers page at the State Department website. Why? Because she blogged about her boobs too much. No, really, apparently that was it. She was […]
You Learn Something New Every Day
More consequences to my inadvertently viral contraception rant. Today, I learned that I am a “progressive feminist.” And that apparently really annoys some people. From a blog post that quotes me extensively: Progressive Feminists. Often demanders of free contraception and morning after pills for all menstruating females and unrestricted abortion without parental consent (including late term and for […]
Dear Southerners
You know I love you. Heck, I’m related to most of you. At least once. I was born, raised, and still make my permanent home below the Mason-Dixon line. (OK, just slightly below, but that’s as far south I can drag my humidity-averse husband.) When we are posted to DC, I live on the south […]
All Politics is Local – Even When You Are Overseas
Well, maybe just one more little item about women’s health. I have been so impressed the last few weeks by a new PAC that formed in Virginia. It’s called the Women’s Strike Force. At first I thought: Lady ninjas! Cool! McDonnell and Cuccinelli are toast! But no, it’s even better. This is a bipartisan group […]
Meet My Inner Raging Feminist
I am not in the habit of reposting Facebook memes on my blog, but this one is just so perfect. And yes, I am one of those women who very recently discovered her inner raging feminist! In fact, am so thoroughly and completely annoyed at recent events that I could go all Rachel Maddow on […]
In Which I Stir the Pot
Last week, I did what I occasionally have done before, and posted an unsolicited opinion on this blog. It happened to concern contraception. It might best be described as primal scream of frustration over the current political climate in my beloved home country and adopted home state. It was just one of those days. Generally, […]
Contraception: A Foreign Service Perspective
This blog is really all over the place isn’t it? On the one hand, it’s my blog, and I can write about whatever I like. On the other hand, since I am the wife of a Foreign Service officer, there is a general theme at work (most of the time). Because being a Foreign Service […]
Whining Versus Criticizing Versus Enabling And So On
Recently, on one of those ever-lively Foreign Service email lists, the subject of “family friendliness” came up. Apparently, our beloved State Department ranks highly as an employer, but for family-friendliness…not so much. In fact, since the list is mostly spouses, most responses could be summed up like this: *SNORT!* Of course, the FS is unique […]
It Takes a Village
It takes a village, they say, to raise children, but it also takes a village to take care of old people. My grandmother just visited me here in Vienna for her 92nd birthday. Dear Vienna – thank y’all for taking such good care of her! The Viennese are extremely polite but they are not always […]
Is It Just Me?
So, AFSA put out a press release in response to Rick Perry dissing the Foreign Service (pasted in below). I’m glad they did it, but I was also disappointed by it. Basically, it’s a litany of names of FSOs who have died in the line of work. Why does this bug me? Well, for quite […]
I Think She Just Got a Little Ugly With Him
Rick Perry is an idiot. A blow-dried blowhard who talks out his behind. With a megaphone <insert Pythonesque mental image here> There, I’ve said it. Because I ain’t no diplomat. But you know who said it really well? Donna at Email from the Embassy. Check out her most excellent post: I Bet I’ve Met More […]
Quickie Review: We Meant Well
Just finished reading Peter Van Buren’s “We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People.” You know, the book that is causing such a kerfluffle at State and in the FS blogging community. What – you haven’t heard about it yet? Click on over to Diplopundit […]
