FULL QUESTION: It’s been a year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, what are your thoughts on abortion law?
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It’s been
a year since the Supreme
Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and unlike many other things that make
headlines and then disappear, the abortion issue is still very much with us. And very political. Just look at how voters in state elections voted
in favor of abortion rights in the last year, and it will no doubt
be a major
issue in the 2024 presidential election.
Not to avoid answering the question, but it’s a very personal and emotional one. However, since I’m past the child-bearing age, I look at it from the perspective of a mom to two girls in their 20s. It takes away women’s rights to make decisions over their bodies and gives it to the states where they live, making them subject to the political positions and moral opinions of others vs. their own values. I also can’t help but think about when there are medical issues (either the woman or her unborn child) that could be lessened if abortion was still an option. It makes me want to both cry and scream. I feel like we’ve taken a step backward, 50 years to be precise, rather than moving forward. |
| When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, I wondered if the future of a wide range of rights already provided would be at risk of being taken away (such as women’s rights to vote, Civil Rights legislation, etc.). It made me question the integrity of the highest court in our nation. The supposed “logic” of allowing states to decide abortion rights is very different from allowing voters to decide. (Why not make it a separate referendum?) Now 25 million women live in states with tighter restrictions on abortions or total bans because of laws changed by elected officials (and interpreted by judges), many of whom were elected when abortion was a non-issue since it was protected by the Constitution. Some states now have almost draconian laws, such as the six-week abortion ban (most women do not even know they are pregnant at that point) or no exceptions for rape or incest. Given how old I am, I was often the “token woman” as I moved up to management in male-dominated industries (or even when I raced Ferraris), so have faced many challenges being a woman. But, I never felt like a second-class citizen … until now. |
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So much of what we had to say about March Madness in our 2023 post still holds true … Red’s lack of interest and Black’s love of …
| Until a few years ago, I would have thought March Madness had something to do with Spring Break. I’ve never followed sports (pro or college), but once my younger daughter started playing competitive high school volleyball, and then applied to colleges, I learned all about college sports and division teams. This year, living in the Greater Houston area, I couldn’t help getting caught up in March Madness since the University of Houston was a No. 1 seed. (I hate to admit it, but it’s the same with the Houston Astros. I’m not interested until they make it to the playoffs.) But now that Houston has been eliminated, my only real interest in March Madness is avoiding Houston’s NRG Stadium since that’s where the Final Four playoffs will be held, and the traffic will be, well, madness! |
| I love March Madness. Not because I love the sport but because the statistics are fascinating. (Plus, it is a great name.) The odds of filling out a perfect bracket (correctly predicting all game winners once the March Madness teams are selected) are almost too small to calculate. Out of a record 20 million brackets submitted on ESPN this year, just 37 picked the men’s Final Four. That's 0.000185%. And, this is the first time all four No. 1 seeds were eliminated during the Sweet Sixteen, not even making it to the Elite Eight, let alone the Final Four. Which improves the odds of this being a “Cinderella Story” year. |
FULL QUESTION: Asking Again: I love how Red & Black is run by two sisters. Is one of you “the boss”?
We thought this would be the perfect question to rerun on National Boss’s Day. Why? Well, we think the responses below say it all …
| Oh yes, definitely! Without question, that would be Black. In fact, on more than one occasion, I've been known to refer to her as The Boss (and I'm not talking about Bruce Springsteen). It's usually me kidding around and saying something along the lines of "I'll have to check with The Boss." (Even my daughters have heard me refer to their aunt that way, and they've never questioned me, so there must be some agreement, at least in my family, about who's the boss.) To a great extent, it may be because if you were to compare our bios, I don't think my background as a mom prepared me to be a businesswoman, although Black has tried to convince me otherwise. On the other hand, Black's bio makes it painfully obvious she's "all business" so better suited to be "the boss." |
| It depends on how you define "boss." If you are referring to who owns more of the company, I hold 1% more than Red, which technically means I have more"authority". And, I will admit that as the older sister, I have more practice being bossy (especially as she has always tried to avoid conflict), but when it comes to business, I value teamwork. Red has a perspective and background very different than mine (that is an understatement!), but the key is acknowledging that – and learning from one another in order to make the best business decisions. The bottom line is there would be no Red & Black … without Red or without Black. It is truly a partnership. |
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