Category: Background

Leaders

Political Leaders

Who do I admire, and who do

I dislike in politics (from 2004)

35. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AMERICAN PRESIDENT?
Jackson WHY? Stud. Handsome stud. He's not on the

20 for no reason. He was our most handsome president. Oh, and he transformed the nature of the presidency through shear charisma.

36. WHO IS YOUR

LEAST FAVORITE AMERICAN PRESIDENT? Taft
WHY? Well, aside from the fact he was a fat slob, he also presided over a major financial scandal that

passed public oil land to his friends for pennies.

37. WHAT CURRENT POLITICAL LEADER (ACTIVE WITHIN LAST FIVE YEARS) DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?
Koizumi, the Prime Minister of Japan WHY? Despite a scandal, he is a good reformer who has tried to take on the mafia and change the power structure

of the country and still get re-elected. He is not perfect by any means, but he is a very charismatic person with some good ideas about moving his

country forward, even though the thought of changing their constitution to allow for an offensive military scares the crap out of me.

38. WHAT

CURRENT POLITICAL LEADER DO YOU LEAST ADMIRE? Karl Rove
WHY? He is an evil fundie theocrat. Anti-American to the core.

Spirituality

Religion/Spirituality

HOW DO YOU DEFINE

YOUR RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY? I am an atheist and an agnostic. I don't know if there is a god or gods, but I don't believe that there are. That

being said, I don't think the question of is there or isn't there is a very interesting question to discuss. It is a personal matter of opinion,

nothing more. I agree with the Universal Church Triumphant of the Apathetic Agnostic. I don't know and I don't care. To me it is more important

to know if a person is a good person and it is perfectly clear to me that belief or non-belief is not an accurate predictor of goodness. As I said, no

group corners the market on stupidity. What I care about, and is a requirement for friendship with me is 3 basic qualities, that are independent of any

religion or creed. If a person is ethical, responsible and compassionate, they are a good person. If they are lacking even one of these qualities, they

are not someone I will trust or be friends with. Religious beliefs are irrelevant. I don't care how someone gets to the point that they have these

qualities, just that they have them.

 Philosophically – I am a Humanist!

Personal Qualities

Personal Qualities

67: WHAT ARE

YOUR THREE BEST QUALITIES?
1. Ethical

2. Responsible

3. Compassionate

68: WHAT ARE YOUR THREE WORST

QUALITIES?
1. Confidence that can be read as being egotistical

2. Self centered at times, it's all about me

3. I can be short with

people sometimes

69: DO YOU CONSIDER ANY TOPICS TO BE OFF-LIMITS IN CONVERSATION? No, but then again, there are plenty of topics I will not

introduce into a conversation myself. But if someone else brings up a subject, I will be happy to discuss it with him or her.

70: WHAT KINDS OF

SUBJECTS DO YOU TALK MOST ABOUT AROUND YOUR FRIENDS? Politics, movies, music, food.

71: WHAT KINDS OF SUBJECTS DO YOU TALK MOST ABOUT AROUND

YOUR FAMILY?
Science, politics, our work, and our suspicion that cats are superior creatures and are really gods, TV shows, bad commercials, what

we want to eat.

72: DO YOU EVER FEEL INTIMIDATED BY OTHER PEOPLE? IN WHAT KINDS OF SITUATIONS? Not normally. I am comfortable around all sorts. I

have dealt with people from all economic backgrounds and have stood my ground against people who have millions of dollars. I have quite an ego on me,

and view myself as the equal of any person. And, as a humanist I know that people are just people, they have the same concerns and fears I have, and

they all have to use the bathroom, same as me. I remember feeling really nervous when I met Spandau Ballet when I was younger. Martin tried to talk to

me and I was so nervous I just shrugged in answer to his question. I did manage to share a couple of words with Tony, but with Martin and Gary, I was

incapacitated by nerves.

Best and Worst Days

Best Day/Worst Day

74: DESCRIBE THE BEST DAY

OF YOUR LIFE THUS FAR: There are many days, like the day I first saw Loretta move on an ultrasound. The day I got married, or the day I met my first

dolphin. However, I have to say, my best ever day was a day I had while living in Los Angeles, which was a day I could only have in Los Angeles. I went

cross-country skiing in the morning. Went boogie boarding in the afternoon and went dancing at a club at night. It was a great day.

75: DESCRIBE

THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE THUS FAR: Loosing my daughter Loretta.  

Crazy

Craziness

76: WHAT'S THE CRAZIEST THING

YOU'VE EVER DONE? Chinese Fire Drill on a bus in Shanghai or Hiking nude in Hawaii.

77: WHAT'S THE BIGGEST SCAM YOU'VE EVER PULLED?

It was more of an April Fools Day joke. There was a very bad volunteer I inherited when I began work at the LASPCA. Her name was Donna. Anyway, it

didn't take me long to fire her (and yes, you can and should fire volunteers when they are more trouble then help and this one definitely fit that

qualification). My boss, Lt. Havard, took some flack from Donna's supporters to keep her on, and I told him that I would not be responsible for her

actions, since she did not recognize the authority of any of the staff that had supervised her. He fired her the next week after she refused to adopt a

dog to Shari Bellefonte, despite the fact that it was not her decision to make. April 1st 2 years later, me and the shelter supervisor played a joke on

Lt.Havard and told him that Donna had called and was planning to come by and that she had something to discuss with him. He was so nervous he had a

really long meeting with our President in order to plan and prepare for Donna's arrival. He was so nervous and upset that we broke the joke early.

It was really funny because he was really upset.

Accomplishments and Regrets

Accomplishments and Regrets

78: WHAT

WAS YOUR MOST HUMBLING MOMENT? This is an interesting question since I am aware that I am a dork and I have known this for years. So, when I do

something stupid, I am not at all surprised, because, I am a dork, what would people expect? I struggled to come up with an answer to this question,

because to say I have never been humbled sounds egotistical, but because I am aware of my fallibility, when I fail, I am not shocked, so… it is

hard to be humble. I would rather not list all of the stupid things I have done over my life, despite not being humbled by them. The only incident I can

think of is one time I was talking to my friend Jason. I was talking about how selfish I am and how "it is all about me," and he rejoined that

I was one of the most giving people he knew. I was really taken aback because that was not how I thought about myself. I like to think of myself being a

firm believer in enlightened self-interest. I also like people to do nice things for me. I hadn't realized how much I gave back to my friends. I

mean, I have always been proud of my friends and the fact that every friend I have ever had has become friends with my other friends. I have excellent

taste in friends. But, I was shocked that they got something out of being friends with me and that it wasn't just me taking from them.

79:

WHAT ACTION(S) OR ACCOMPLISHMENT(S) IN YOUR LIFE ARE YOU PROUDEST OF? Feral Cat Management programs. As the Director of Volunteer Services at the Los

Angeles SPCA, I wrote their Feral Cat Management program. This program was very successful and reduced our cat population by 18% over a 5-year period.

In practical terms, it meant cat season went from a 5 – 6 month long affair (where litter after litter is brought into the shelter for euthanasia, to

about a 2 week period where we actually had too many cats, and during some months, actually had no cats to adopt in the shelter. All at a cost of only

$10,000/year to administrate. My management system and description of what and why was adopted by the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA),

and eventually the American VMA. I have seen copies of my program put into practice all over the country and around the world. Every once in a while I

get sent a copy of a program by a friend, as they want to know if I think the program is operating ethically, and I always laugh because it is almost

always my exact program photocopied with a different logo on it. I am proud of this not only because it worked so well and was extremely cost effective,

but also because it is the one thing I have done that has reduce suffering for cats all over the world.

80: WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST REGRET? This

might seem strange, but I strive to live a life without regret, so I don't have many. People regret what they don't do, not what they do. I have

known this for years. The truth of this is that my greatest regret is that I went to a club in Los Angeles one time with some friends. I remember we

went to go see a band called Babushka. I think it was at the tick tock. Anyway, we got there and sat down at a long table and I sat next to a woman and

we immediately hit it off. It was like we were old friends. So immediate was our friendship that the guys I had come with couldn't understand why I

didn't introduce them to what was obviously a good friend of mine. The reason I didn't is because I was just getting to know her myself. At the

end of the evening, I wanted to get her phone number and keep in touch, but felt weird because I didn't know how to ask without it seeming like I

was hitting on her, which I wasn't because I am hopelessly heterosexual. Anyway, we didn't exchange numbers and I never saw her again. My

greatest regret is not just being forward and suggesting we keep in touch and become friends. I know I lost out on a good

friend.

What Shaped Me

What Shaped Me

81: DESCRIBE A MAJOR EVENT OR

ISSUE THAT'S AFFECTED YOU PERSONALLY: The Women's lib movement. I would not be who I am today if it had not been for the women who came before

me who worked to free women from a narrowly defined life of marriage and children. Women of my generation and those that come after us should be

eternally grateful to the women who fought to make us free to make our own choices about what kind of life we want for ourselves. Along these same

lines, we are no longer chained to motherhood, and instead, for educated women in western societies, we can decide if and when to become a mother making

society better for everyone.

82: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE OR PROBLEM FACING YOU TODAY? My husband and I need to decide if we want to try

and get pregnant again.

83: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE YOU'VE HAD TO OVERCOME IN YOUR LIFE? The terror of being stalked and coming to terms

with the after effects of this sort of mental abuse. It took me a couple of years to come to terms with the constant terror I was experiencing. I found

a very good therapist, who had experience with PTS, and she helped me learn some coping techniques and within a month my panic attacks had stopped

completely. The most important moment in my emotional recovery occurred in England in 2001. I had a consulting job in Swindon and was taking weekends to

do some sightseeing. I re-found myself and shed the fear that had been my constant companion for the previous few years. I rediscovered my wonder and

the confidence that I could make my way safely in the world. I no longer needed to be the prisoner of my fears that I had become. It was truly

liberating.

84: IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I would have the body I had when I was about 34. I think

that was about the height of my physical best. I was no longer the scrawny little girl, but I hadn't yet put on extra weight. I was a woman at her

physical peak.

Work and Education

Work and Education

89: HIGHEST LEVEL

OF EDUCATION (PLEASE LIST ANY AND ALL DEGREES YOU HOLD): I hold a BA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu HI 1990.

90: NAME AND

LOCATION (CITY, STATE) OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL AND YEAR OF GRADUATION: Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach CA. Graduated 1984.

91: NAME OF

ACADEMIC/TRADE INSTITUTION(S) ATTENDED AND # OF YEARS COMPLETED (PLEASE INCLUDE DATES OF ATTENDANCE AND MAJOR/MINOR OR COURSE(S) OF STUDY) : Hua Dong

Shi Fan Daxue. East China Normal University. It was a summer course in intensive mandarin, course credit through Hofstra University of New

York.

92: PLEASE LIST AND INCLUDE ALL AFFILIATIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS TO WHICH YOU BELONG, (E.G. TRADE UNIONS, FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS, NON-PROFITS,

NGOs, CIVIC, CHARITABLE, VOLUNTEER, RELIGIOUS, OR POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS ETC.) YOU MAY LIST AS MANY AS YOU LIKE: NARAS, Council for Secular Humanism,

American Humanist Association, ACLU, Sierra Club, Democratic Party of Manatee County, Florida Progressive Network, Planned Parenthood.

93: HAVE

YOU EVER SERVED IN THE MILITARY? NO

96: IF YOU COULD HOLD ANY JOB OTHER THAN YOUR CURRENT POSITION (OTHER THAN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES), WHAT WOULD IT BE ? I am currently holding the job I want, except it would be nice if it paid better. I also wouldn't mind making my living

as a playwright. Also, I miss doing strategic analysis.

See also my CV for further

My Life So Far

My Life So Far

The following questions

explore my personal life, upbringing, friends, etc.

98: WHAT WERE YOUR FAMILY'S ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

Solid upper middle class. My parents were both computer programmers. My dad was a senior computer programmer, my mom was a computer specialist. I grew

up in Hermosa Beach CA, exactly 4.5 blocks to the beach. Aside from my bro locking my out of the house every once in a while things were pretty good. My

mom and dad made a very radical decision to not raise us in any particular religion on the belief that religious indoctrination is inappropriate and a

child is a person and have the right to make their own decision about what they believe. My mom took a lot of crap in the community for that decision,

but I am grateful for her courage. While this is a common practice now, it was unheard of back in the 60's. At some point I became interested in

religion and my mom and I explored the religious options in our community and had a great time and learn a lot together. About all I came away with is

that Catholic Churches have great music, but the Krishna's put on a better party. My mom and I would volunteer together, and she taught me my

volunteer ethic. My father taught me to think critically, but playing devil's advocate in debates. I am very close with not only my immediate

family, but also my extended family.

99: DESCRIBE YOUR CHILDHOOD: Aside from my bro locking my out of the house every once in a while things were

pretty good. My mom and dad made a very radical decision to not raise us in any particular religion on the belief that religious indoctrination is

inappropriate and a child is a person and have the right to make their own decision about what they believe. My mom took a lot of crap in the community

for that decision, but I am grateful for her courage. While this is a common practice now, it was unheard of back in the 60's. At some point I

became interested in religion and my mom and I explored the religious options in our community and had a great time and learn a lot together. About all

I came away with is that Catholic Churches have great music, but the Krishna's put on a better party. My mom and I would volunteer together, and she

taught me my volunteer ethic. My father taught me to think critically, but playing devil's advocate in debates. I am very close with not only my

immediate family, but also my extended family. I was a beach kid and spent most of my free time at the beach. As for friends, I am still close with some

of my childhood friends. I have almost always had more male friends then female friends. I remember finding girls pretty stupid. Boys talked about

interesting things. Girls talked about hair, which seemed stupid to me. Now, I wish I had paid attention. Then I would be able to do something cool with

my hair aside from just pulling it back out of my eyes.

100: IF YOU CURRENTLY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT OTHER, TELL US ABOUT HIM/HER. HOW DID YOU MEET?

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THEM? I met my husband when I first moved to Florida. He was playing fiddle in a local contra dance band. I thought he was

really cute. I tried to get his attention and failed. I thought he was married, he thought I was just being nice. Anyway, a few years later, we catch up

again. Both of us were coming out of horrid relationships. I was at a Christmas party and he was there, and he was talking to my best friend, who, as it

turned out, new him pretty well. So, I sidled up and started talking to him. Things went well after that. Aside from the fact that he is super cute (and

yes, cuteness counts), he likes me for me. I don't have to be something I am not around him. Plus he is really patient. I can be really clueless,

and he had the patience to wait for me to come around.

103: TELL US ABOUT YOUR TWO BEST FRIENDS.
1.Heidi Lovett. She is one of my

best friends. We were introduced through a mutual friend when I first moved to Florida. We both think it is rather funny that neither of us keeps up

with the friend that introduced us. I like Heidi for a whole lot of reasons. She is nice. Truly a nice person. Compassionate, responsible and ethical

(which is my criteria for friends.) She is also very smart. An environmentalist and marine scientist. I am so proud of all she has done and

accomplished. She is an amazing woman and an excellent cook to boot. I love her family. I like the man she married this past year (a man my husband and

I feel is actually worthy of her), and am honored that they asked me to sing the Sheva Brachot at their wedding.

2. David Lapides. I met

David when he was working at a bulk mail house that I was doing business with. We became friends when we realized that we both liked the same comic

books (the Sandman Series). He decided that we should be friends, despite the fact that I am a chick. And, we have been great friends ever since. Again,

he has the traits I look for in a friend (ethical, compassionate and responsible – although he would argue that he isn't that compassionate, but he

really is). Dave and I have been through a lot together, and I cherish his friendship. What I like best about him is that he is the friend who calls me

up and says things like: "Muppets from Outerspace – lets go!"

104: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE IN YOUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS? Well, it

used to be that I was the one who got everyone together. I am not afraid to make decisions and that is required if you are to get a large group to do

anything, just make a decision and move forward. Nowadays, my circle of friends is smaller and closer, and much more of a homebody. I don't waste

too much time with acquaintances as I had in my past. So, I don't know what role I play with my friends. I try to be a good friend and that is about

it.