The Name Change Game

The Name Change Game

                The name change has been a rite of passage for women throughout the “ages.” A woman takes on her husband’s name as a sign of possession—ownership—adopting one as a family name. Take the change of name at marriage however you want to describe it. As I embark on this journey to marriage, I was faced with a tough question… Do I change my name?

                It is nothing against my husband to be or his name. In fact, a name change would be easier for my twelve letter last name that took me all of my first year of preschool to figure out how to finally spell (Thanks to a song from my Dad). I’d be going from that long, difficult to pronounce twelve letter Polish last name to a short four letter, easily recognizable name. And somehow—I am hesitant. What’s in a name anyway?

                Well, I started a long introspective voyage as to why my name was important to me. I thought about what I had done as a “Bartosiewicz.” I thought about all my life changes that happened as a “Bartosiewicz.” I thought about every first day of school when the teacher would glance down the attendance roster and stare silently, flustered at the last name before her. I always knew she was stuck on my name. I’d politely raise my hand and state my name. The teacher was usually grateful. Having the last name that was so difficult for everyone to pronounce gave me unique opportunities. It gave me a chance to stand out. It gave me an unbelievable knack to pronounce or spell other people’s difficult names. I’d always try to get it right because I knew they (like me) like when people try. But I thought about being a Bartosiewicz—and what that name meant.

                Bartosiewicz is a Polish name, however, my ancestry is Irish and Hungarian as well. Bartosiewicz links me to my cousins, my paternal side of the family. When I look at my last name, I think back to my great-grandparents who came to the United States with next to nothing. I’m unique among most of my friends. My family lineage is easily traced back to the “mother land” (though for me it’s three “mother lands”) for three generations. I am a proud third generation American, whose last name means a bit more. It reminds me every single day that my great-grandparents came to this country unable to read or write in English. They took the most humble jobs, and they taught every one of their children and grandchildren the importance of education. They without question handed their sons to their new homeland to fight in wars so far away. They did not know if their sons would come home—but they trusted. The next generation went a bit further. My grandparents graduated from high school, and they were for the most part bilingual. They understood English, they were educated, and to my great-grandparents that was something to be proud of. My grandparents taught my parents (and aunts and uncles) to always invest in education, do the best you can, and remember who you are. My parents (and aunts and uncles) became the first in their families to go to college. To my grandparents (and my great-grandparents who saw the track my parents were on) this was an incredible achievement. Just two generations before, my grandparents worked humble jobs. To them, college was a dream, and to my parents it was a reality. I grew up (along with my cousins) with a strong ethic to work hard for everything. I learned that education was liberating, freeing, and an investment in my future. I worked hard and pressed. I achieved a dream—that I can only wonder what they would think—I received a Juris Doctor from law school. I went to graduate school. The dream that in just three generations, immigrants who came to this country with nothing, could achieve this achievement to me—symbolizes my last name and everything it ties me to.

                So this article isn’t so much about what dilemma to do to solve the name change game—to me it’s a reflective trip back to realize where I came from. It’s going to be a hard decision, but I cannot totally abandon the “Bartosiewicz” roots from my name. It links me too much to my past—from everything we have done—to everything that will be done.  

                So brides to be, women, feminists, and liberals—and ALL ladies—I encourage you before you change your name to think about it a bit more. Not so much in a professional sense, but think about where it links you to.

Wind Energy--End of the Road?

I started to fish my paper around for publication, and it was rejected. So, I decided not to waste the writing, and share it.... so below, here's the Introduction to my paper I completed during my last year of law school entitled "Wind Energy and The Endangered Species Act: End of the Road?"

Please share your feedback. I really do like feedback--and if you want more of it--well, let me know too :). 

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The planet is at a crossroads in its decisions to address climate change. Our nations need to take immediate action to curtail greenhouse gas emissions, while also focusing on a sustainable energy source for a growing population. The solution for some regions has come in the form of the wind.

Wind energy is a viable source for sustainable energy on our planet, and could very well be the future of sustainable energy. Depending on wind speed, certain areas of the United States are more hospitable to wind energy than others. These areas can be used to install commercial or residential wind turbines to generate energy for use within the area. Wind energy is entirely a clean energy source because there is no release of emissions or any environmental derogation through emissions. It is sustainable because wind on our planet is abundant.

However, problems have arisen with wind energy being used in certain parts of the United States where endangered species are known to live. The Endangered Species Act then becomes an integral part of the planning process.

This paper will address wind energy and its connection to the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). The paper will discuss wind energy and its benefits, and the hurdles the ESA poses. Also, it will discuss possible ideas and solutions to work with the Endangered Species Act regulations.  Specifically, the paper will focus on the Indiana Bat (an endangered species) and the Beech Ridge project,[i] which the courts halted after environmentalists discovered the bat. The bats could be killed due to the project because of the close proximity to their habitat. Beech Ridge’s failure to secure a “take permit” before construction will be discussed in this paper. The paper will further discuss a take permit process from start to finish and what should have been done in the situation of Beech Ridge. Finally, this paper will advise the possible solutions wind energy companies facing similar struggles can undertake, regardless of geographic location, and also how to lower the bat fatalities.

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[i] Animal Welfare Institute v. Beech Ridge Energy, 675 F.Supp.2d 540 (D. Md. 2009).

The Return of the Median Voter Theorem?

It’s been a while.. my apologies. I’ve been wanting to write about this for some time, so I thought why not blog it!

As some of you may know, I am a Political Science major, and was in college during the time that President George W. Bush was running for re-election. During this interesting political time, our classroom discussions mainly centered upon “What makes a voter?” We often spoke about the “Median Voter Theorem.” The Median Voter Theorem is a theory, or theorem in the political science world that the average candidate caters his opinion to the “median,” which would be your average American. Your average American is not usually a polarized liberal or a staunch conservative, rather it is a person who works, comes home, and cares about his/her family. They usually do not organize the rallys, watch CNN and write in and blog, however this idea is changing.

During former President Bush’s successful re-election bid, the theory of the Median Voter was thrown completely out the window by his political advisor, Karl Rove. Call him what you want—a political genius, horrible theorist, a gambler… but he changed the Median Voter Theorem forever. His campaign focused on the far right conservative vote—the evangelicals that most candidates did not even think to. He theorized if they could be reached, and they could be pulled to  President Bush’s favor—they would win. And as history tells us—it worked. The theory completely was changed, and the idea of polarization happened.

Flash forward—8 years later—we have a Democratic President in office. Running for re-election with an undecided Republican candidate. It begs the question I dare to explore…. Is this the return of the Median Voter Theorem?

Why do you ask? Lately, I have been tuning into the debates. I’ve been watching the votes turn up. I see discord in the Republican party. We do have very staunch conservative candidates such as Rick Santorum—Newt Gingrich. However, we also have a more moderate candidate—a candidate who the Median Voter Theorem would say no brainer to put as a candidate, and that would be Mitt Romney. Romney is a Northern New England moderate Republican. His main challenges right now are conservative republicans. Romney has been dubbed the “electable” candidate for his ability to take on Obama. Why is this—I question. I wonder if the conservative based has been unnerved. If we were looking at the same conservative base that elected George W. Bush—they should easily run towards Santorum or Gingrich—yet we have a divide. Ron Paul even came out strong pushing him as a possible third party candidate. But where, oh where, is that conservative vote? It seems as though the vote is confused  for a conservative candidate.

Romney by far is not a clear cut victory—however—he seems to have the most pull for the job. It seems as though the GOP is in the push for a median moderate Republican to take on Obama. Obama during his earlier days would to me be considered a left wing liberal, however, when in office to be bipartisan—I think he has become more moderate.  And that’s fine. However, I am seeing now the development of Romney as a candidate, and to me—that is a return to the median voter theorem.

Take for instance, the campaign of 2008. McCain was a more moderate candidate than George W. Bush was, however, now—Romney is a lot more towards moderate—even a liberal Republican (dare I say it) than McCain. Romney right now faces an uphill battle because when he was a senator from Massachusetts his state had state wide healthcare. He also came out relatively moderate on most social issues. However, now, in the race for the White House although he has flopped a bit on his issues leading me to question would we elect a Candidate Romney versus a Senator Romney (huge difference), I still say the Median Voter Theorem has returned. If it had not, we would be seeing Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich on the GOP ticket. But hey, the race isn’t over yet.

Climate Change these days

                                                                                   Image courtsey of ABC6


It's been a while since I posted something since I am awaiting a new laptop. However, late last night reading on my blackberry, I came across an interesting piece.Most people would not nearly even care about Kyoto or Durban. Probably your first question if you are not acquainted with climate change is, "What's Durban?" The significance of Durban is that the climate change talks are currently taking place there. The important part is this--Kyoto is losing its grip. Many people think Kyoto is a binding power. They fail to realize the US has not signed onto it, and from the looks of the article I am posting many other powers are finding it reluctant. Certain countries are refusing to sign it unless the biggest emitters sign on. By "emitters," I mean air polluters.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45459824/ns/us_news-environment/t/kyoto-protocol-its-death-throes-countries-gather-climate-talks/

Crash course in Climate/Energy Reform
Many smoke-stacks, factories, cars, homes, etc. emit CO2 into the atmosphere (CO2=carbon dioxide). CO2 is what causes the layer around the earth to act sort of like a greenhouse, or plastic wrap holding in all the warm air. This causes glacial melt, stronger storms, and climate changes to adapt. It's a US problem, but it's a global problem, too.

Many people do not realize a couple interesting points. China is one of the big emitters, but is also a developing nation. Yes, they are emerging as a power, but they are growing--much like we were (oh say...) 100 years ago. They need to have cheaper power in order to manufacture and produce. Who's to say one country's development is necessary over another. Because of this shift and opinion, many countries are refusing to sign on, and therefore, Kyoto is dying.

So what does Kyoto mean to you...
To the guy sitting next to me reading on his Ipad on the train commuting home.... or the kid with his ear buds in walking down the street... it probably means nothing. Kyoto to them is "something environmental." Durban probably is not even a thought in their mind that it is occurring. But I beg you to look at it from a different perspective.

This morning, I was enjoying the ABOVE average temperatures outside the New York City area (60 degrees on the brink of December?!). The air was humid and warm, kinda like September or Spring-time. There was a meteorologist speaking on the news about these weird weather shifts. Someone asked, "Is global warming really happening? What's up with that?" This is probably one of the better explanations to what climate change is happening. Climate change is not global warming. Climate change means more violent storms, and less of your Springs and Autumns. Climate change means you lose those seasons where you transition, and storms become a lot stronger. Not necessarily more storms, but more intensity.

So to the US, what does this mean for me and you....
Okay, remember Hurricane Irene? For those of you who lived along the Eastern Seaboard, you probably can't forget her. I never recall in my lifetime, and in my parents' lifetime, of a hurricane coming up along the coastline able to sustain its warm water temperatures to keep its intensity. What did it mean for us? Areas that are not usually accustomed to flooding, flooded. Many areas sustained a lot of damage to their property, and some tragically lost their homes. What does that mean for the US government? Money needs to spend for FEMA and disaster relief. How much? Billions. Will it happen again? Probably.

Fast-forward to October....
October brought about an ice/snow storm on Halloween. This also was a record setting storm. The damage was caused to people by way of power outages, and damages to people’s homes and vehicles from falling branches. This storm caused a lot of headaches, and again, the US would have to apply its disaster relief funds to those affected.

So two storms that were substantial just in the last year. It cost our government billions. Suddenly, an idea of just putting "scrubbers" on smokestacks and investing in cleaner energy reform does not seem so bad.

My proposal (if I could suggest anything) would be if you are already building with resources from the ground up--or building a home for that matter--why would you not do so sustainably? It seems to make sense. What better time is the present to change the course of our energy reform?

Please, feel free to comment! I'd love to hear your views on this.

Thanksgiving Recipe!!!

Hi Everyone:
It's been a while since my last blogpost. I'm also without my laptop these days. However, I LOVE to cook--well, really bake. So I thought I would share a new recipe that I am trying this Thanksgiving. I'll let you know how I'm putting my own unique touch to it. Perhaps, you may be inspired to try it. I'll try to post a picture of it too online after the holiday.

I'm making a Pumpkin cake (a cake that looks like a pumpkin--not necessarily taste like one), real cranberry/chutney sauce, and a Cran-Apple Pie. Since I was 10, I always made an apple pie. This is my first Thanksgiving adding some cranberry to it! I got it from Epricurious.com!

For pastry dough:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (trans-fat-free)
• Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

**Tara version: You can try the Pilsbury dough crust--save some time**

For crumble topping:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

**I don't like nuts so much, so you don't have to include it. **
For fruit filling:

• 2 pounds Gala apples (about 5), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces fresh or frozen (not thawed) cranberries
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

**I'm using fresh cranberries and apples**

• Equipment: a 9 1/2-inch glass deep-dish pie plate (6-cup capacity)

Directions:

Make pastry:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together (using a pastry scraper if you have one) and form into a 5-inch disk. If dough is sticky, dust lightly with additional flour. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make crumble topping:
Stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until large clumps form, then stir in pecans. Chill until ready to use.

Make fruit filling:
Stir together apples, cranberries, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl.

Assemble pie:
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp decoratively. Transfer fruit filling to pie shell and dot with butter. Loosely cover with foil and bake until apples droop slightly, about 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Sprinkle crumble topping over filling and bake, uncovered, until crumble is browned, filling is bubbling, and apples are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Prince Charming in a modern world?

 

For my girls, this is for you….

Most of us (if not all of us) grew up in the era of the Disney Princesses. You know, the fairytales, where every time things went bad, Prince Charming rushed in and saved the day. I don’t know about you, gals, but I haven’t really had that experience yet. I’m not saying chivalry is dead—I went school in the South! But, I will say to my girls, don’t count on Prince Charming…. Instead gain some independence!

As a child, I grew up IN LOVE with Cinderella. In fact, when my mother announced the birth of a sibling before we knew the sex of the child, I even proposed the name Cinderella! I loved the idea of a girl with a bunch of bad things in her life, going to a ball (made over) and finding a handsome Prince to fix everything.

Fast forward nearly 23 years later, and I am starting to have these doubts about this Mr. Prince Charming who fixes it all. Sure, I have fascinations with celebrity Princes and feed into that whole idea of a princess, but I also have reality.

The reality is simple. Ladies, if you want it, you have to get it. Don’t wait for Prince Charming to make you a lovely Stay-at-home-Mom. Have goals, find them, and achieve them. Yes, men SHOULD hold the doors for you—but you should hold the door to for them. It’s called courtesy. Yes, men SHOULD offer a seat to someone they see flailing around the subway, but you should also for an elderly man/woman or a lady who is expecting. It’s called common decency.

An important lesson I was taught from a young age was “depend on yourself” and “don’t let anyone tell you—you can’t because you’re a girl.” I think I was 6 years old on a car ride with my Mom when I heard that. I remember having an argument with a boy in my 1^st grade class, when I told him I wanted to be a doctor one day. His response? “Girls can’t be doctors!” Oh, yes, I could.

In fact, I think with a vigor and subconscious passion, my entire life I have pursued mostly male dominated fields just to prove that point. I played soccer during my adolescent years while most girls took dance and cheerleading. I played aggressively and in a contact sport. I would gladly take on ANY neighborhood boy in a challenge. I was often asked by the neighborhood boys to play in ball games, and almost always accepted.

In school, I didn’t join organizations that were “society clubs”—I went again for competitive groups such as Mock Trial and Model United Nations. I enjoyed competition.  When it came time to major in college, I chose Political Science. Post-9/11 most girls went a different route, and I quickly found myself surrounded by mostly male colleagues. Eventually, I pursued law school.

The point of the story is, ladies, don’t wait for Prince Charming—make it happen for you.

Looking for a Prince Charming to Love

Most girls at a young age fall in love with the fantasy. You know the fairytale… maiden/princess in distress, in search of a Prince Charming to right the wrongs… go to a castle and live happily ever after. Why are they feeding this to young girls, seriously?

I admit, I fell for the fantasy. I loved Cinderella—I was enthralled with the Royal Wedding this past Spring, but I take a different look at relationships.

I think many women may settle a lot more than they should. Your next question will be: Well, if there’s no prince, why should we wait?” I’m not saying to WAIT for your prince—I’m just saying it’s an equal partnership.

I’m approaching my marriage in this way, and here are some things I think are helpful. Believe me, I’m NOT giving advice here, just perspective:

You’re going to fight…. Yeah, you’re going to. I sometimes think it would be a fun sit-com, or romantic-comedy idea to feature “Prince Charming: The after years…” etc. But yeah, you’re going to fight. You’re going to cry. It’s not going to be perfect. But through the fights, is where you learn when it’s real. So embrace the fighting as a chance to grow. But seriously, when you’re fighting, that seldom happens.

Equal Partnership! So, you want flowers and chocolates everyday… and romantic love letters. Sounds perfect, right? Total Prince Charming? Yeah, well, I’m sure Prince Charming has a list of “perfect mate” ideals too. And I’m willing to venture the guess you’re missing his goal marks too. I’m looking at my marriage as an equal partnership. Basically divide it in half (work load), trying, etc. But one very IMPORTANT thing is this: sometimes, you can’t give 50%; and sometimes you’re only giving 20%. Life is hard. You have to look to your partner to give that extra percent. And this is where love comes in. Sometimes you can’t carry the whole relationship by yourself, and sometimes you have to carry for your partner. Just look at it that way.

If you want the romance and the flowers, seriously, get real. Think about the PERSON behind it first, and then figure out the flowers and romance every day. Sometimes romance comes over a glance at dinner, or when you’re doing so much in your life and stop to take a breath, and then realize they’re there. Just perspective.

It’s NOT perfect… it’s not perfect, and here’s why: YOU’RE not perfect. None of us are perfect. You’re never going to get the guy who says ALL the right things. You’re never going to get the guy you NEVER fight with. And if you do, there’s probably a problem. You should fight—that’s communication. The one thing you have to look at is if you grow from it. You should be able to come back to it based upon the reason you love that person. If you can’t then there’s the issue.

Back to the Real World

So Prince Charming may not truly exist. But I’m willing to guess that a person who stands next to you through everything can come pretty close. Chivalry is not dead, but it’s a two-way street, Ladies. I think in a modern era, when we are not necessarily looking for a man to “take care of us”, we should also look with equal eyes to the relationship. I think this and by this, it’s the only way to figure it out.

Reality is that most women work (and some have kids), and see their significant other here and there. Most women have goals, dreams, and desires.  So in this modern world, it’s only natural to ask for equal approach to the Cinderella/Prince Charming dream.

This is probably the worst topic to write on because I’m not qualified to give advice, but these are my views. So, Cinderella, love the story, but we have to think in the real world terms these days :)

*PS The first google search image for “princesses” was Disney. So special thanks to Disney for the image :)