This is a very interesting article in the Washington Post about how women in Rwanda are proving to be the wiser investors. I've been reading it on and off for the past few days, and have been fascinated. I really hope that some researcher out there puts some effort into studying this phenomenon, because I'm really curious as to why this is the case, and if it extends across cultural, sociological, and class lines.

Current Mood: quixotic

I made my hair all funky for the performance tonight.

( Picture behind the cut. )

Current Mood: quixotic

HOORAY!

Current Mood: quixotic

By the way, I am going to continue coverage by being put on my mom's policy in the interim. So I do have a solution to this, but it seems to me like it's a poor one as a general case (what about people who don't have parents they can go to with this problem, for instance?)

To address this point, though, the agent's solution other than going on my mom's policy (which she also handles, so that was easy) was to reduce my coverage to minimum coverage, but leave it attached to the last vehicle I owned. This is also the solution I was offered the last time I did something like this.

The problem I have is that.... I don't care about the money spent in this interim, I'm more worried about still having any responsibility attached to a vehicle I no longer own. So while this "solution" is technically available, I found it less than suitable and also half-assed of the insurance industry.

So, I talked to my auto insurance agent about the fact that I sold my car. She wanted to send an insurance cancellation policy, but I pointed out that I was looking for options to continue coverage, but not have it attached to the car I have sold (as a "just in case" measure, so that nothing involved with that car is my responsibility). The conversation went something like this:

agent: Why would you want to continue coverage when you don't own a car?
me: Because I've had the issue in the past where it is considered a "lapse in policy" even though I didn't own a car in the interim.
agent: Oh, that doesn't make sense. If you don't own a car, why would you need coverage?
me: I didn't think it made sense either, but it bit me before, so I'm trying to protect myself now.
agent: Let me contact the underwriter and see what we can do.
[time passes, agent calls back.]
agent: Wow, you are right. They will penalize you for the lapse in coverage, but there is no way to fill that gap unless you're on someone else's policy.

So, yes, I have confirmation that the insurance industry penalizes you for a lapse of insurance, DESPITE NOT HAVING A CAR TO PUT IT ON. Is that messed up or what?

Current Mood: quixotic

This is probably badly timed, but kudos to Congress anyway for working on making shady credit card practices unlawful. I mean, given that the credit card industry is already in a bit of a crisis, this definitely won't help things... but I am really callous and want to say that they got themselves into this bind by pulling stunts. And really, Congress is there to ... *shock* ... REPRESENT US, not the credit card companies. So, I praise Congress on this one!

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The car is sold now. I'm going through the paperwork on Monday and handing the keys over to a nice young guy in the psychology department.

Hooray, one more thing off my back!

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Renaissance City Choirs Rainbow Broadway
May 16th and 17th at 8:00 pm
The Ellis School
6425 Fifth Avenue

Yah, we're singing fun broadway songs. I have five tickets each for May 16th and 17th (Friday and Saturday) for $20 apiece. Saturday's tickets are otherwise sold out. Let me know if you want any of these tickets, first come first serve!

Current Mood: quixotic

This made me almost laugh out loud in the middle of my meeting:

Bush Blames Democrats for Sliding Economy

Current Mood: quixotic

2006 Hyundai Elantra, just under 21000 miles on it. $10,000. It's for sale. I want a Jeep Wrangler, and while I'm not planning on getting that quite yet, I figure now is a good time to try to sell my current car.

Here are the details for the car.

Pass along to your friends who might want to buy a car right about now!

Current Mood: excited

2006 Hyundai Elantra GLS - $144,488

In case the entry is corrected soon, I screen captured it:
( screen capture )
Of course I suspect that the data entry person typoed, but hey, it's funny. :)

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Yah, I should actually mention this. I do have a Twitter account. And yes, I've been using it.

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Although he suspended troop withdrawals, Bush tried to assure the nation that they might resume. "While this war is difficult, it is not endless..."

I'd just like to point out that since there has been no end to the war, and since there is no end actually given, the war is, at this point in time, "endless".

Oh wait! I'm wrong! Dubya did declare the end to the war way back when on that aircraft carrier! So, in fact, the war is not "endless"... we're, uhm, just buffer overflowing or something.

Current Mood: quixotic

So, the big reason I heard intelligent people make the argument against DeSantis was about how he was for merging the counties. Let's not vote for the smart guy with some tough ideas for change in our city, let's stay with the proven to be inept mayor because he won't try to merge us! Well, guess what? Ravenstahl supports merging the city and county.

Yes, folks, this is what you get when you vote in a puppet. He'll do exactly what you don't want him to do.

Yah, I know this is a bitter post, but I was bitter about that election. Pittsburgh just cannot seem to get rid of bad mayors, and it's always for reasons which are later disproven, like this one.

I'll point out now that I distiinctly remember Murphy (who was proven to be not only inept, but corrupt at that point) was re-elected because his opponent was rumoured to be worse..... and his opponent? The now hailed Bob O'Connor, who finally did get elected, but too late when his illness took him away within a few short months.

We really need to quit with the stupdity here. Seriously. It's just going to keep repeating itself.

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I realize I'm probably very much behind the times here, but why are some people's journals now indiscriminately clothed in adult content warning cut tags?

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17 females answered. Of them, 7 would be more offended by their partner having an affair, 10 would be more offended by their partner hiring a prostitute. Further, 5 expect that their partner would would be more offended by them having an affair, 11 expect that their partner would be more offended by them hiring a prostitute, and 1 expects that her partner wouldn't be offended.

19 males answered. Of them, 8 would be more offended by their partner having an affair, 5 would be more offended by their partner hiring a prostitute, and 6 would not be offended. Further, 8 expect that their partner would be more offended by them having an affair, 8 expect that their partner would be more offended by them hiring a prostitute, and 3 expect that their partner would not be offended.

2 non-gender identified people answered. Of them, 1 would be more offended by their partner hiring a prostitute, and one would not be offended. Both expect that their partner would be more offended by them hiring a prostitute.

So, overall, it's pretty close between the two cases. The sample size I have is too small for any real conclusions, but if these results are any indication, there appears to be a tendency for men to be more offended by their partner having an affair, where the women are more offended by a prostitute (of those who are offended). Oddly, the stronger expectation from women is that their partners would be more offended by them hiring a prostitute, whereas men are evenly divided on if their partners would be more offended by either choice.

The full data is as follows (as a .csv):
( the full data behind the cut. )

Current Mood: quixotic

My officemate got me interested in this question, so I'm putting this here for people to answer.

Poll #1158149 Relationship poll
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Are you:

If you were in a committed relationship and your partner admitted to sleeping with someone else, would you be more offended by:

In the above scenario, if you were the one having the affair, do you think your partner would be more offended by:

I didn't want to post anything until I got permission from the Ceremony DJs for this, but both of the DJs for this Saturday have responded positively, so here it is.

Since Howard's favorite place to go while he was in Pittsburgh was Ceremony, we thought it would be a fitting place to say goodbye to him. This Saturday, March 15, friends of Howard can gather at Ceremony to dance in his memory. Bring a picture or some memorabilia or a memory about him written on a card; I will be bringing a corkboard and push pins on which we can place these. Pghgothers who are now out of town can email me same for putting on the board (I have access to printers, after all).

I'll send out a better and more official announcement after dinner tonight.

I just received news that Howard died of Lymphoma. I confirmed with Wandi, so this isn't just rumour. Apparently he'd been in the hospital for the last month and didn't tell anyone about it.

I had been meaning to visit him up in NYC since he's been back from Japan. He was a fantastically good friend back in the goth club days here in Pittsburgh from '97-'99, and then he was a better friend when we both moved out to the Bay Area around the same time. I lost close touch with him when he moved to Japan, because of the time zone differences, and well... just haven't managed to get back in touch with him since.

I have missed him, and will miss him more now.

Current Mood: melancholy

I think this article on the plight of women in Iraq is worth a read.

Current Mood: quixotic