Early Mornings

Sometimes I wonder if I'm secretly a morning person masking as a late night person. I made the transition senior year to being a morning person. But, have since returned to my night-owl ways. However, there was surprising satisfaction for me in sipping a warm cup of tea, munching on a scone, and conversing with friends as I let the day begin. Maybe this means I'm going to like waking up early and going to work? Probably not, but one can hope.

This morning I bring you a little three-course meal of articles. All of which can be enjoyed and pondered somewhat seriously.

Appetizer: Apparently researchers have found that it's actually possible to die from heartbreak. At least that's how this article is portraying it. Really, though, all it's saying is that close negative relationships (even friendships) can cause major stress on your heart and up your chances by 34% for chest pain or a heart attack.

"'If you have good people around it is good for your health, ... If you have negative people around it is much worse for your health.'"

Just in case you guys weren't sure that negative influences aren't fun. Haha.

Main: So, if Gen-X is pushing 30 now, what the heck are we? Ask Thomas Friedman, an Op-Ed contributor for the NYtimes, and he'll say that 20-somethings are Generation Q, a generation of Quiet Americans. Friedman discusses his recent visits to college campuses around the country, and reflects on what he sees as the general mentality of our generation. Curious? Three ideas, friends: optimism, idealism, and political apathy. I'd have to agree with Friedman and say that he is spot on. If I am representative of the happy medium of our generation, I do indeed embody each of those ideas. While we may be really doing something through our commitment to relief causes, we're not nearly active enough about being heard. Anyone else miffed that Social Security is basically a moot point for us? Even now, I'm sitting here blogging to you as opposed to picking up a mic at some rally and making my voice heard. Maybe Berkeley's tree-sitters were leading the way. At least they stand up for something that isn't only a cause on Facebook.

Dessert: Just in case anyone was wondering, I will only marry a man who makes at least half a million a year. I'm not remotely serious in saying that, but there was a woman on Craigslist who actually was. Subsequently, one of these potential Wall Street half-mil hubbies answered her query by stating that her offer as a currently bombshell gold-digger, as compared to his ever growing stock portfolio, was "plain and simple a crappy business deal." This was an article on the posts, but if anyone is interested I can put the actual postings up here as I have them in my inbox somewhere. Here's an excerpt from Mr. Wall Street that I particularly enjoyed:

"Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So,
I wonder why a girl as 'articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful'
as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to
believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K
hasn't found you, if not only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn't need to have this difficult conversation."

Hah. Eat that, woman who's giving my gender a bad name! And, isn't that such an interesting thought? Doing something myself to make money and pursuing my own career. Oh my gosh! It's almost as though I had a brain just like men! If she were really as smart as she claims, wouldn't she have figured out how to get one of those earning asset husbands already? Ok, ok, the snark ends there. But, I do have a particular revulsion for women like that. And, similarly, men who are so insecure that when faced with a woman's intelligence and skill, they recess into a tiny shell of misogyny to hide the fact that they're incompetent. Hrm, tastes like bitter man-hater talk to me. Just had to put that out there though.

I guess my dessert comes out just like I seem to appear in candy form. A la dark chocolate, a little bitter kick at the end. (Thanks to Holla and Nigerian Prince for defining my candy form, by the way.) But, regardless, hopefully you guys found the meal enjoyable.

And now, to find myself some coffee.