I am a woman. Simple statement I know but complicated undertones. I am a woman. I am smart, I am kind, and I am worthy. With every positive aspect from my womanhood comes negative aspects that men do not often face.
Read MoreThe whole debacle started with a proposal by French left-wing president Emmanuel Macron to raise the age required to receive government retirement pension from 62 to 64. Given that you need to be 67 to receive your full social security pension in the United States, I was shocked to hear that this was even an issue. Now I am by no means a French legal expert, so I cannot speak much in depth of the debate on this issue. However, while retirement at 62 seems fanciful to me, I too would be furious if I had been promised it and then the president (who is quite wealthy) proposed taking it from me.
This was the general reaction of the French public, and they expressed their anger in the way that they knew best: strikes. However, French strikes are not quite the same as those seen in America. They are typically the first step of a bargaining process, rather than a last resort. Whereas American unions tend to hold out on declaring a strike in hopes that an agreement will be reached, the French public start with strikes, almost as a reminder to the government or powerful company that they are the ones who truly hold the power, often before negotiations are made. Thus, the moment the retirement reform was proposed, the French had taken to the streets in protest in Paris. This mass public movement overtook the entirety of France, and by January 19, a national strike was declared. Not a single tram was running in the city of Montpellier where I live. Few buses were running and most businesses were closed.
Another difference between French and American strikes that typically occur, is that French strikes have a declared end date. Whatever unions involved will declare a strike for a 24 or 72-hour period, and then business will resume as normal. This was the case at the beginning of the strikes. After a total shutdown on Thursday, everything was back up and running on Friday. However, the reason most strikes in France last a brief predetermined time is because they remind those in power of their place (in service of the people) and lead to successful bargaining and resolution. However, in this case, the French government did not stand down. Thus, another strike was announced the following week, and then the next, but the French government did not stand down, so the protests intensified.
Read MoreThe Avalanche only played two games this week (or at least in the Saturday-Friday timeline I cover). It is a much smaller sample size, but no less important to the analysis of the Avalanche’s play. They beat the Wild 4-1 and then lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime.
Things to Fix:
Will the Avalanche ever play a full 60 minutes of hockey? The world may never know. In all seriousness, even when they win there have been periods in which they take their foot off the gas. In the Wild game it was in the second period and had no real consequences, but in the Columbus game it allowed the Columbus Blue Jackets to score 4 uninterrupted goals. The Avs came back by the skin of their teeth and by two bad icing moves by the Blue Jackets. I really sound like I’m a looping recording, but if you cannot play a full 60 minutes of hockey it is much harder to win. There should be no moments off, the Avalanche need to come out of the gate fast and dominant, then maintain that. Kuemper really saved them in that second period against the Wild and when he wasn’t in net Johansson, despite a tremendous showing in the first and second periods, could not pick up the slack.
Read MoreThose familiar with the K-drama scene will know instantly what the phrase “Second Male Lead Syndrome” entails. But for those who aren’t K-drama connoisseurs, Second Male Lead Syndrome refers to when the female lead is stuck in a love triangle with two male leads, and the viewer ends up rooting for the second male lead (the guy does not get the girl).
It’s a painful and heartbreaking experience, for both the viewer and the second male lead. So why is it such a popular trope in so many K-dramas?
Read MoreThe Avalanche are one of the best teams in the NHL, hands down. They are perennial Stanley Cup Favorites and my pick to win the Stanley Cup this year as well as the previous two years (despite the fact that I am a die hard Leafs fan). How can they not be? Their roster is absolutely stacked with legitimate generational offensive and blue line talent. On the night of October 5th, the Colorado Avalanche took on the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena for their 4th game of the preseason.
Read MoreTake a moment and think to yourself, ‘What makes me happy?’ Don’t overthink it, it can be as simple as mac and cheese (yes, that is on my list).
Now I want you to think of how you can bring more of what makes you happy into your life. The important thing here is just being intentional with how you bring happiness into your life. Something that has taken me a while to accept is that you make time for what is important to you. If it is important, make time. Maybe watch one less episode of Netflix or spend 30 minutes less on your phone. There is time, you just have to find it, and put it toward what is important to you.
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