Dressing for success
… is something that I never really got to master until now.
The intricacies of formal dressing have always been lost on me, for shame, granddaughter of a fashion designer, niece of an acknowledged fashion plate. However, give me urban clothing and I can raise the guts to go anywhere, even into the middle of a formal ball — that is, if they let me in in the first place.
The thing is I’ve never really been comfortable with wearing clothes that limit my movement. I’m not exactly an active person, but being a mom for a time meant that I had to go into places that might make me show more than I’d care to if I had been wearing skirts and stuff. But put me in clothes that I am comfortable in and my level of confidence builds up, no matter what situation I’m in.
Black Friday
Black Friday is the discount shopping day that follows American Thanksgiving, which is always on a Friday. Retailers promote Black Friday as the day to start shopping for Christmas. Black Friday is often advertised with “Christmas Sales” as well as “Thanksgiving Sales.”
The word “black” in Black Friday refers to the term “in the black” meaning making a profit. Today, Black Friday is not an important source of profit to retailers, but is important in driving traffic in to stores. Lots of retailers mail special Black Friday circulars to consumers, announcing deeply discounted items in the hopes that consumers will visit their store on Black Friday.
However, the Black Friday that comes to my mind is the Steely Dan song:
When Black Friday comes
I’ll stand down by the door
And catch the grey men when they
Dive from the fourteenth floor
When Black Friday comes
I’ll collect everything I’m owed
And before my friends find out
I’ll be on the road
When Black Friday falls you know it’s got to be
Don’t let it fall on me
and while totally inauspicious compared to the one first mentioned, I’m starting to think that I’m bound for the latter one …
Bawal Magkasakit
Our company provides insurance for all its workers, with special coverage for those of us who travel and spend time on the remote sites that we service. One of the leading health insurance providers, Blue Cross, takes care of our insurance needs.
The Blue Advantage may not be available for us here in the Philippines, but the package we do have takes care of us adequately, and provides for emergencies that will require us to walk in to an accredited hospital or clinic. Since the plan covers our dependents, I was also able to take advantage of it a few years ago when my son was admitted into hospital for dengue.
I have not used it personally, and for practical reasons I hope I never will — in these tiring, taxing and stressful times, hospitalization is not a welcome option.
Dear Bambit …
Got another message in my Facebook box today with this request for advice. I’m not really sure why people are asking me as I am not as experienced as most people I know. I do have a passion for photography and for teaching and it’s perhaps why I get these questions every now and then:
hi, ms. bambit! im a newbie in photography and owns a d60. i recently bought a speedlight (sb600) for my cam and is saving up to buy lenses. aside from the 50mm, what can you recommend that would be handy wherever i go? thanks! (i like taking pictures of my children, sceneries and hopefully will go into macro photography)
This is what I replied:
Children – you got that covered with the 50mm — you have the f/1.4 AF-S, right? If that’s not the one you have then go out and get the 35 mm AF-S, which you can use both on your children and on scenery and street.
But in truth the kit lens will serve you very well as long as you take the other elements in consideration — ISO, Aperture and how they work with shutter speed and focal length.
I’m sure you have the money to spend on lenses but like everyone else who asks me similar questions — I will tell you to spend a little more time with your kit, understand the trinity of ISO, Aperture and Shutter speed.
All the photos I have been taking in the past four months are with the kit lens. If you’ve seen the toys and the old cameras, they were all shot with the kit.
If you MUST invest, please invest in training. Get a teacher or join a seminar. Having all the gear is nothing compared to knowing what you can do with what you have.
About Me
