TresSugar

40 Years Later: Woman in Famous Photo Recognizes Herself

TresSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:00:00 -0700

I love this story! The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is currently exhibiting Robert Frank's photographs from his landmark 1959 work The Americans, widely viewed as the photographic analogue to Jack Kerouac's beat classic On the Road. Frank and Kerouac both had similar sensibilities, wanting to show the sprawling, diverse, and melancholy side of postwar America. Kerouac, in fact, wrote the introduction to The Americans. Regarding the above photograph, "Elevator - Miami Beach, 1955," Kerouac asks, "That little ole lonely elevator girl looking up sighing in an elevator full of blurred demons, what's her name & address?"

Turns out, "lonely elevator girl" turned 50-something Sharon Collins saw an exhibit of "The Americans" a few years ago and recognized herself as the 15-year-old in the photograph: "When San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art first opened, I think it was more than 10 years ago . . . I stood in front of this particular photograph for probably a full five minutes, not knowing why I was staring at it, and then it really dawned on me that the girl in the picture was me." To hear what Collins has to say about the photograph, read more

An NPR reporter asked Collins what made her come forward as the elevator girl now and not ten years ago when she recognized herself. She said that a recent San Francisco Chronicle review of the exhibit used this photo on the front page of the entertainment section, and when she told her husband and sons about it, they urged her to call the paper.

Sharon Collins was then 15-year-old Sharon Goldstein, living in Miami Beach and working as an elevator girl at the Sherry Frontenac Hotel in 1955. Her mother was single, so instead of being able to go to Summer camp, Sharon worked to help out. Asked what she thought of the photo, Collins explains what it was she thinks Frank was able to capture in his image and Kerouac in his words:

"I think he saw in me something that most people didn't see. You know, I have a big smile and a big laugh. So people see . . . one thing in me. And I suspect that somehow Robert Frank and Jack Kerouac saw something that was deeper that only people who were really close to me can see, and it's not necessarily loneliness, it's, I don't know, dreaminess."

I've always wondered whether people in documentary photos ever know that they're in museum exhibits. It's fascinating to hear about one woman who discovered that a wistful expression from her teenage years became an iconic photograph in the oeuvre of a major American artist!

Robert Frank/Courtesy National Gallery of Art

Writer Boldly Goes Where No Mother Has Gone Before

TresSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:30:00 -0700

I've had a love/hate relationship with Ayelet Waldman for some time, but the more I read her work and listen to her speak, the more I realize that my ambivalence is with the subjects she discusses more than it is with her: motherhood, work, feminism, and the idea of "having it all."

Waldman, whose husband is writer Michael Chabon, caused a bit of controversy a few years ago when she declared (in a rhetorically bold and questionable move) that she loved her husband more than her children. She said she wanted to contrast herself from the women in her circle she noticed were no longer sexually involved with their husbands because they'd subsumed their identities to being mothers. Although she loved her children, she wanted to make a point she wouldn't sacrifice her identity and sexuality on their behalf. (Needless to say, if I were her kid, I'd have been pretty hurt by that statement!)

To find out more about Waldman and her relationship to feminism, read more.

In an interview with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air, she discusses her new book Bad Mother and the dissonance between the feminism she inherited from her feminist-consciousness-raising mother and the one she and her generation of women inhabits where the lines of choice are blurrier. Particularly, she talks about the abortion she had after a bad amniocentesis result.

"I’m 44 years-old, and I think I’m part of the first generation of women raised with feminist mothers, and when I first was feeling frustrated, angry and depressed about being stuck at home, I really kind of turned on that message. I said this was a lie, this whole thing was a lie. We can’t have it all...

At a very basic level we have the same idea of what it means to be a feminist. I absolutely call myself a feminist, and what I mean by that is that I think your opportunities should not be constrained by your gender, that women should be offered the same opportunities as men, and my mother feels that way too. I think the difference is...a kind of gradation and shades of grey.”

Did your mother teach you, directly or indirectly, about feminism? What lessons did you learn and do you think they're relevant to your life now?

Have Hookups Triumphed Over Dating?

TresSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:00:00 -0700

The hookup is spreading! First high school students were too cool to attach a relationship to sex. Then college students followed the trend. And now- working single people can't give up their friends with benefits. NPR reports: Young people can tell you all about the rules of casual sexual encounters, but they're hard pressed to describe a conventional date they've been on lately.

One 25-year-old woman told NPR:

"Going out on a date is a sort of ironic, obsolete thing."

Call me old fashioned, but I still love being invited to get to know a potential lover in a more formal context. That doesn't mean dinner and movie is the only way I will spend time with a romantic interest, but I still think it's a nice way to get to know someone first.

NPR says that perhaps because young people are more focused on their careers and friendships and less interested in starting families until much later, hooking up has more appeal for them than traditional dating.

While new priorities might encourage young people to put off marriage for a while, what's your experience? Is the date really dead?

Source

OMG: It's International Nachos Day!

GiggleSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:00:00 -0700

You'd think the self-described Queen of Nachos would just know in her gut about the following, but alas, this is how I was informed that it was International Nachos Day. A transcript of this morning's Blackberry text messages, verbatim:

CasaSugar: Do you know what today is? It is the day that nachos were supposedly invented!

GiggleSugar: Holy crap!!! I am on it.

So without further ado, the legend of how nachos were born: 65 years ago, a genius maitre d' named Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya (perhaps my firstborn son's name?), was just doing his thing at a restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico near the Texas border. As legend has it, some Americans came in right after the chef had stepped out, so ol' Nacho Anaya whipped up a tasty treat of chips and cheese melted under the broiler - with some spicy jalepenos thrown on top just to be jaunty. And there you have it, my friends, the story of nachos. Celebrate this hallowed day, Oct. 21, by eating a pile of cheesy chips and saluting its inventor! I know I will. Click here to read the more sober NPR version of the story.

Source

Iran's Ahmadinejad: We Don't Want Confrontation With Anyone

LibertySugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:45:36 -0700

Anti-Ahmadinejad rallies outside the UN today turned into anti-Obama rallies critical of the senator's support of talks with Iran. Meanwhile, NPR opened a dialogue of its own with the Iranian president. Here are some highlights from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's interview with the station, during which he says Iran seeks no confrontation.

On Iran's stated plans to enrich uranium for energy, not for a bomb:
The people of the world, the majority actually, support our stand. One hundred eighteen member states of NAM have declared their commitment to our program and supported it. The Non-Aligned Movement. And 57 member states of the OIC, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, too have supported our position. . . . You are speaking of only three or four countries, led by the United States and with a couple of their European friends, and we don't care about them, because they don't represent the whole world.
On whether international confrontation is in Iran's interest:
We do not have any confrontation with anyone. We seek relations based on respect and justice. . . . Why is it that the US administration and two or three groups that follow it allow themselves to speak for the world?
On the American elections:
I ask you, can anyone in fact become a president without the support of either of the two parties here in the United States? . . . Are 300 million people here in America members of either of the two parties? No, not necessarily. People have no other choices here. You only have two choices. In Iran, at least, we have eight. Who is more free? Who has more confidence in its people?

To find out how Iran's president addresses his statements toward Israel, freedoms in Iran, and how he thinks the US and Iran can move forward, read more.

On whether rhetoric about wiping Israel off the map plays into the hands of Bush:
You are aware that 55 years ago, the US government overthrew the national government of Iran. . . . For over 25 years under the dictatorship, hundreds of thousands of our people went to prison . . . whilst our oil was being looted by American companies. Our people were demeaned. Our independence was harmed. Until the Iranian people rose [in] a popular and democratic event to create the Islamic revolution. . . . While America was there, we had no elections in our country. . . . The eight years of war between Saddam [Hussein] and our country were actually supported directly by the United States. From day one, our people were - sanctions were imposed on our people. So who exactly is the provocateur? Who is the one who seeks war?
On whether the US and Iran can move forward:
Well, yes. Of course, we've never entered the US and caused problems for the people here, but the American government has done that to us. So our first proposal is that they have to stop doing that.
On what Iran could do:
I sent a letter to Mr. Bush. That was a very good opening. I even said that I am prepared to talk at the United Nations with them. We responded positively to the request made by US government to extend a hand of cooperation in a joint security commission involved in upholding a security force for Iraq.
On freedoms in Iran:
There's a lot of freedom in Iran. The example is our interview with you. Can you ask your own president these questions? Can you really so freely meet with him so easily? Never.

After reading Ahmadinejad's interview, would you like US leaders sit down with him?
Source

Citation Needed! Wikipedia Police Protect Clinton and Obama

LibertySugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:00:04 -0700

The biographies of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are under siege. Whether we like it or not, tons of us turn to Wikipedia for digestible background information. Because any of us can edit an entry, we all hold the power of truth in our hands. With that much influence at stake, why wouldn't a prankster, or worse, a political opponent, try to include not so flattering, and not so true, information?

Luckily two unpaid and unofficial wonks are on the case. NPR profiled Jonathan Schilling and Tina Vozick, Clinton and Obama supporters, respectively. These two dedicated defenders of truth, and their candidates, police the pages around the clock, protecting their candidates in this Wiki-warfare.

Sometimes the most offensive material pops up at inconvenient times. For an example, read more.

Vozick visited Obama's page one summer late at night. "There was a picture there of naked men, black men in a sauna. It wasn't there very long, but it was put back a couple of times."

These monitors are self-trained. Schilling explained to NPR: "I've read any number of books about her. I've gone to libraries many times to research it, I've gone to university libraries to find political science papers about some aspects of her public reaction. I'm pretty familiar with her whole biography."

Why do they do it? Schilling likes the large audience, and the chance to research something he's passionate about. But it's not all good. Vozick said: "We put in a lot of hours and the pay is absolute zero." I'm sure Clinton and Obama appreciate this complimentary support; but I wouldn't be surprised if they also had a few paid staffers on hand to monitor the internets.

Source

Where I'm Clicking Now: NPR's Candidate Bingo

LibertySugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:03:00 -0800

Yum filled me in on an interactive way to keep up with the 2008 Election-Candidate Bingo. NPR.org has a bingo card with all the attributes you see in today's candidates. Squares include: "Kiss Babies," "Follow NASCAR," "Point with Thumb," and "Empathize with the Middle Class."

Fill out a card for your favorite candidate to see if s/he is really committed to this race. I wouldn't be surprised if Fred Thompson is further from Bingo than Michael Bloomberg. You can get the Candidate Bingo card here.

You Asked: Should I See a Psychic About My Future?

DearSugar — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:00:00 -0800

DearSugar --

Hi. I am going through a difficult time in my life at the moment. I just graduated college a little while back and have no idea what I want to do with my life. I have no career path lined up like most of my friends and to top if off I just went through a terrible break-up. I am so sick of crying everyday and feeling confused and am pretty much willing to try anything to help me get out of this funk I have been in.

I have seriously been considering seeing a psychic. I just wanted to know if it's something I should pursue and if any of the readers have been to one themselves. I am very fearful I'm going to be conned. I am really just curious to hear people's experiences on their psychic meetings. -- Psychic Curious

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Psychic Curious --

It's really very tough to feel directionless after college, though it's not at all an unusual experience, despite the fact that many of your friends have found a path. You haven't failed or faltered, yet, Psychic Curious; these next years are exactly the time for you to experiment, wander, dabble and explore.

Passion and focus do not immediately come to all of us; we must discover those qualities in ourselves through trial and error. Unless you attended a vocational school, you are exactly where you should be. You are at the beginning.

Perhaps our community here can make some recommendations or share their experiences with psychics. I think it's possible any holisitic health practitioners in your community might be able to recommend reputable astrologers or tarot card readers, should you decide to go that route.

That said, Psychic Curious, nothing will substitute for getting to know yourself, exploring different subjects and careers, test-driving a few jobs, asking people for informational interviews, and reading some books that might inspire and guide you. Have you considered talking with a career counselor? They'll often help you evaluate, through various tests, your natural skills, your personality and temperment, and careers that might suit you.

There's also a great book called Roadtrip Nation: A Guide to Discovering Your Path in Life, written in 2003 by two college graduates who spent a summer in an RV, traveling the country, interviewing successful people, and trying to suss out their own career paths. That link will send you to Amazon.com, where you can find out more. Here's a great NPR interview with them, too. Another nice book to check out is called What Should I Do With My Life, written by Po Bronson. Several big universities now assign this book for all incoming freshman.

We'll be thinking about you, Psychic Curious. Check back in and let us know how you are and what you're discovering! Please.

Source

Bra-Burning Never Happened!

TresSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:24 -0800

Jessica Valenti, founder and editor of Feministing, recently told the New York Times Sunday Magazine bra-burning is a myth. This I did not know! She said:

"Bra-burning never happened. It was completely made up by the media. A couple of women protesting a Miss America pageant threw some bras into a garbage can, and somehow that became this longstanding idea of feminists as bra-burners."

We doubled checked, and Snopes - the Internet's definitive, if sadly designed, myth-busting site - confirms bra-burning never happened. Born out of the 1968 Miss America protest and the dissent du jour being draft-card-burning, a journalist, hungry for a headline, coined the phrase. However, NPR talked to Carol Hanisch, an organizer of the protest, last year and she said, "We had intended to burn it, but the police department, since we were on the boardwalk, wouldn't let us do the burning." Oh, well - maybe the next myth will be true!

Source: Flickr User (nz)dave

Front Page: Oprah Opens Up About Interview With Sarah Palin

TresSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:06 -0800

After wrapping up her interview with Sarah Palin, which will air next Monday, Oprah gave fans an idea of what to expect. - Twitter
At least 4,000 swine flu deaths have been reported in the US. - MSNBC
Balloon Boy's parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, are expected to plead guilty to criminal charges. - NPR
Recent sales suggest the art market is rebounding. - Blomberg
President Obama will not accept a plan for Afghanistan unless it involves details for a US exit. - ABC News
After Lou Dobbs revealed he was leaving CNN, the network announced John King will replace him. - Huffington Post