Why You Should Be Up in Arms About Losing Ann

If I were to rank my favorite celebrity females, Ann Curry would fall at number 2, just behind the wonderful Meryl Streep. (Sorry, Ann, but I think you get this one.)  Not only is she an amazing journalist, a strong female professional, but she also has a great fashion sense. (And I mean, how do you not love a woman who reacts to her fans this way?)

That coat! Those Shoes!

I cried today when I watched Ann say her final farewell. Friends and I have been discussing the rumors for the past week, and I kept dismissing the possibility that she may really be in danger of losing her job. She has delivered some of the most poignant journalistic moments of the last 50 years (rough estimate), and I felt certain that NBC could appreciate what role Ann played for strong women every where. I was wrong. Ratings are down, they say her and Matt don’t have chemistry, and instead of questioning the $25 million golden boy, it must clearly be time to oust the woman. THE WOMAN WHO USED TWITTER TO REUNITE A LOST AMERICAN WOMAN WITH HER FAMILY POST 2011 Japanese earthquake. Clearly, she must be the problem.

Yes, selfishly I will miss hearing Ann’s voice every morning. I am one of the ridiculous people who actually talk back to the Today show cast in the mornings, complimenting Al on his outfit, warning Savannah when she gets a little too close to the guests, and most of all watching Ann be a moving storyteller. But even more, as I watched Ann cry this morning, I felt ache and pain for what this means for women in our society. Ann speaks her mind. She strives to do her best. She does less fluff and more hard hitting journalism. She visits war zones. She looks deeper. She has a strong voice. And today, a room full of (mostly male) executives told her that was wrong. And that it wasn’t good enough. Maybe should could have stayed around longer if she learned how to better bake cookies with Paula Deen and stopped showing too much empathy. F#@% that noise.

In a USA Today article released earlier this morning she says, “My father used to say, ‘Well, Ann, maybe the best thing you’ll ever do, you haven’t even thought of yet.’ And as I think about this, maybe that time is now.” To that I say, Ann, take a moment, listen to the cheers and applause from those who love you and recognize you as the strong, trail blazing, amazing female journalist you are, and know that we will always be standing in your corner waiting to see what you do next.

Just Call Me “Pretty Hipster Girl”

You don’t really have to call me that, but when reviewing blog stats, it came up as one of the search terms bringing folks to my blog, and it made me feel special. My second favorite was “dark Disney princess”. Ladies and gents, I am a bad ass.

I signed on to blog with Reverb Broads again for the month of June, but life has decided regular participation was not in the cards. But, I really want to catch up because 1) The other folks also doing this are awesome, 2) I really like the prompts that have been suggested so far, and 3) There was a thick layer of dust on the blog.

So, because I believe in the power of a perfectly placed one-liner, and nothing beats a good list — I will now respond to the first 12 prompts of June.

June 1st: With what fictional character do you most identify?

If you had asked me 20 years ago, I would have said Kristy from the Baby Sitters Club. Now I would say I love the idea of somehow being a perfect mix of Hermione Granger, Angela Chase, and Punky Brewster.

June 2nd: What gives you nightmares?

Eating really rich foods before bed.

June 3rd: Who are your role models?

Single moms and Meryl Streep.

June 4th: What did people tease you about growing up?

Check out these glasses. They called me “Sally Julie Rafael”.

June 5th: Come up with a new constitutional amendment.

All the gays/lesbians/transgender folk/queer folk can get married and because they are awesome higher education is now free. (Gotta get the most bang for your buck.)

June 6th: Share a recipe or a meal that is a summer time favorite.

I make a really good bruschetta. Roma tomatoes, more garlic than you think you need, more capers than you think you need, 2 parts olive oil for every 1 part balsamic vinegar, lots of fresh basil.

June 7th: List 8 reasons it’s okay to lie.

1) When my mom asks me how she looks in that one floral print jacket. 2) When I know that if I go to work I may physically harm someone. 3) When Creepy McCreeprsen asks me if I’m seeing anyone. 4) When the doctor asks me if I’ve had a tetanus shot in the last 5 years. 5) When I am asked to go to an office baby shower. 6) When my friend asks me if I’ve seen the movie that we were supposed to watch together. 7) When the officer asks if I know how fast I was going. 8) When someone calls while I’m watching Battlestar Galactica on hulu and asks if I have time to talk.

June 8th: What are your favorite decorative items/pieces of furniture?

Two weeks ago I turned this dresser from Ikea into this:

Who’s fancy?

June 9th: What skill have you learned in the past year that you are proud of?

BLAM. I am also reattempting to learn some HTML. Made a table this week. Holla.

June 10th: What was your hardest parenting or partner moment?

I am 30 years old and cannot answer this question. Don’t worry, that doesn’t raise any sort of self doubt, or questioning of my life experiences at all.

June 11th: If you were to play hooky from work today, what would you do instead?

Take a road trip.

June 12th: What was the best decision you ever made?

There is no way I can narrow this down to just one, so I guess I’ll say allowing myself to trust my gut, being willing to move to new (yet sometimes strange) places, and not going on a second date with the guy who wore white slouch socks with his fancy dress shoes.