Extremism in Equality?

Having worked for a gender-specific organization for several years, I saw lots of stats comparing the sexes. Sometimes I think these stats are relevant. For example, the fact that 100% of US Presidents have been men compared to 0% of women, that's fairly significant. (Yes, I'm giving an extreme example for a reason.)

However, I saw lots of stats about disparity that were just silly. Do we really think the genders are ever going to be split perfectly 50/50 on anything? Will 50% exactly of college students ever be girls? Will exactly 50% of teachers ever be men? Not but for maybe a split second. Of course things are going to be a little off balance.

I'll admit, this particularly drives me crazy when I hear statements like (note: just making up a number here) "We must encourage girls in the chemistry because only 45% of chemistry majors are women." What happens when we push girls into our hypothetical chemistry classes and they start to outnumber boys? Will we start to ignore the girls and push the boys? Will we not rest until it is 50/50 exactly?

I think we have much bigger things to worry about than extremely perfect equality. That just seems like a goal not worth stressing over in my mind. We're such perfectionists about stats that at the end of the day, probably don't really matter, and all the while the big picture - like how many kids will graduate high school and possibly be prepared for a college education with any major - is pushed aside.

Nonprofit Carnival

Even though I work in the for-profit sector now, I still consider myself a nonprofiteer at heart. And I hope to always be one no matter where I work. I think the elements of creativity, thrift, passion and compassion that make up the nonprofit sector rock. That's why I'm so excited that being at Convio let's me do and engage with all those and with so many nonprofits and nonprofiteers. It kinda makes me feel like I make the world a better place times 1300 (clients).

I read many many nonprofit blogs, both for work and because I find them interesting. Here's a post about what its like to work in the nonprofit sector. Pretty spot on if you ask me.

http://blog.execsearches.com/2011/02/24/nonprofit-carnival-nonprofit-jobs/

If you are considering a gig in social good, nonprofit sector or for-profit but serving nonprofits, here are three things I think you should consider.

1. Do you love to be creative? Even if you aren't leading art projects, I'll bet you that you have to be creative with something, at the very least, your budget.
2. Do you care? Whether it's trees or kids or horny toads, you have to care about the mission or the organization. In fact, if you consider mission fulfilment part of your compensation package, right up there with health insurance and PTO, you're in a real good spot.
3. Is it worth your time? Think about how much time you spend in the office, on the phone, checking email, brainstorming etc. It's pretty cool that nonprofiteers can think about all that time in terms of lives changed, species saved, environments improved, laws passed. Way more fun than emails sent, accounts rectified, data entered and items sold.

Three Part Weekend

Since my big TV debut on Friday, we've had a great and signficantly more low key weekend.

First Saturday morning I bought our Ranger-Red Sox tickets. We're going up to DFW for opening weekend and I am super excited. I haven't seen a Sox game in many moons. What makes it even more fun is our friend Chris is from Lynn and thus a big Sox fan. He and his wife will round out the Sox cheering section with me. Also, it is Ross' first game at the Ballpark at Arlington and Ryan's first MLB game ever. We've got a group of nine going and I'm really looking forward to it.

Second I had a masterful shopping trip. In the fall I finally really decorated our guest bathroom by adding flow blue accents. It was a piece from this store, another from that store. The nice thing about flow blue is the pieces are all supposed to be a little unique but in that style. Now for Christmas I got these great Vermont soaps from my dad (yup made in America) and I wanted to put them out in the guest bathroom but had no soap dish. I've literally been looking for a flow blue soap dish for more than two months now. Well I must be a trendsetter because Target is now carrying a whole blue-and-white bathroom line with almost all the accents done in modernized flow blue. I was practically giddy when I came across this great soap dish. Maybe soap dishes aren't a big deal to everyone, but it was to me.

Also in my shopping trip, I finally came across an accent piece for the other side of the TV/entertainment center that was in my price range. I've been struggling for nearly a year and a half to balance out this little section of the house, only forgoing the mission at Christmas when the tree resides in that corner. My favorite part of my new decor is that the reed things have little silver bits in them so when you are in the room with a candle lit, it reflects and feels super fancy.

And part three of the weekend was an adventure to the Auditorium Shores Dog Park. Lexi ran and ran and ran. And got MUDDY! She had to have a second bath after our little family outing. It was a perfect day weather wise and all of Austin was out. We ended up parking downtown and walking across the bridge to the dog park. I felt like such a an urban yuppie couple walking our dog downtown and across the bridge to the dog park that sits right next to the performing arts center. Such Austinites we are! I love when we all go out together like that on the weekend. It's the best.

So yup, that was our weekend. It was one of the last really low-key weekends we'll have til summer. In the next two months there's SXSW, my DC trip, Junior League new member welcome party, Clay Walker at the Austin Rodeo, Fonda San Miguel date night, my Atlanta trip, our Rangers-Sox weekend, Cattle Baron's Ball volunteering, Ross' 30th birthday, Easter, my birthday and BenAnna's Charleston wedding. Yeah, its busy. Expect lots of pictures!

My World News Debut

Tonight I made my debut on World News with Diane Sawyer.

And OMG I AM SO EXCITED!

As you may know, I love love love Diane Sawyer. When I was 16 and working as a receptionist at a hair salon in Seabrook, I told my co-workers that I wanted to be her Good Morning America co-host. Her 20/20 special about life in Appalachia was so jaw-dropping, Ross and I still reference it. (Note: we will never let our kids have Mountain Dew.) We DVR World News and I watch it every night, without fail. Yes, Diane and I have a long history together.

So when I heard from a senior producer at World News that they wanted us to submit video and photos for their Made in America series, well...I nearly peed my pants with excitement.

And then I spent two days waiting to see if we made the cut. As you can see in the video above - we totally did! My cameraman/hubby and I may have screamed through the whole segment tonight. AMAZING.

Also, a big thank you to my parents who called every family member we have to inform them of my national TV debut. It was a very exciting moment for the Black/Lowe/Woodacre/Turner families.

MUST SEE TV: World News with Diane Sawyer

I was going to write a longer post last night but as its now morning and I need to get to work, you get the Cliff Notes version.

World News with Diane Sawyer has been running a series called Made in America all about how if we each spent a little more money on American made goods, we could create a lot of jobs. They had a little online pledge and Ross and I took it. We figure we can check the tags on things and when there is an American made option, be sure to purchase that one. This was all a couple weeks ago.

Fastforward to Wednesday when I get an email from a senior producer at World News. OMG! She asked for us to submit video and/or photos of us trying to buy American or surveying our home to see what we already own that is American. The clips were for consideration in Friday night's broadcast.

Well its now Friday night and all this makes World News with Diane Sawyer (5:30 CST) MUST SEE TV for you. Make sure you tune in. We might have our 15 seconds of fame.

And PS I love Diane Sawyer. She's one of the few people I am full-on star struck by and it would probably make my whole life to be on her broadcast in one way or another.

Creepy Moustache Man

This is my husband and his creepy moustache. Really creepy right?

He was on vacation for roughly a week so went all-natural on the shaving front. Tonight he had to shave the beard part (so his firefighting mask can fit flush to his face) but he did not have to shave the moustache. So he didn't and now he's creepy looking.

Ross has always enjoyed a good moustache. Usually he and his buddies all bust out with them in October for the UT-OU game. That weekend Nick hosts his annual Moustache Party where the chicks vote on who has the best moustache.

(Note: The boys take this very seriously. Last year Jon actually dyed his moustache [UT] orange in an attempt to win but was still beat by Stacy. You should see Stacy's moustache; I swear he can grow a full Yosemite Sam handlebar over night.)

I've told Ross that this year if he is going to grow a moustache for the party, and look like a total fool in the process, then he also has to participate in Movember, a fundraising campaign for prostate cancer. If you are going to look like this much of a creepy lame-o, you ought to at least be doing it for charity. Can I get an Amen to that sistah?

Given the pending Moustache Party and Movember, you could say Ross is in training. And despite the total and utter creepiness, I guess I have to let him do it...in the name of the Moustache Party competition and Movember.