A Documentary You MUST See

Today, I gathered a random sampling of items from around my home to check out where they were manufactured. This is what I learned.

CD Case: Made in Philippines

Cocktail Dress: Made in China

Laptop Computer: Made in Japan

Pen: Made in Japan

Steam Iron: Made in Germany

None of these products was manufactured in the United States. Hold your horses; this is not another post about the loss of the U.S. manufacturing base. However, it is a post about a new documentary showcasing something just as important: the lives of long-haul truck drivers. That’s right. I’m encouraging you to check out a new documentary about truck drivers, one of the most under-appreciated professions around. Think about it. I have never visited China or Japan (although I would certainly like to). I did not have to save thousands of dollars to pay for an “around the world in 30 days” trip to gather all these items. Instead, I drove approximately 5 miles up the highway to my local discount retailer and shopping mall where I spent a mere $6 to buy a ball point pen produced thousands of miles away.

Long-haul truck drivers, these unsung heroes, did all the heavy lifting for me (and for you). Their efforts are detailed in a new documentary, Drive and Deliver, filmed by Academy Award-nominated director, Brett Morgen. Get a behind the scenes look at the men and women who spend hours at a time on the open road so that you don’t have to. Drive and Deliver premiers Friday, August 22nd at the Angelika Film Center (5321 East Mockingbird Lane, Ste. 230) at 6pm. The premier coincides with the Great American Trucking Show taking place in Dallas, TX at the Convention Center.

Update: I just got some bad news. The premier is a private screening for participants of the Great American Trucking Show only. But never fear, eventually the documentary will be released on DVD for us all to enjoy and to help us appreciate our friends driving the huge trucks that we can’t see around and never take off quite as fast as we would like. For more information visit: http://standalone.internationaltrucks.com/default.aspx .

Are you into documentaries? Leave your recommendations in the comments section.

Mmm Mmm Good

Christian Louboutin Shoes: $790
Gucci Dress: $1595
Gucci Clutch: $685
Dinner and drinks at the hottest, hippest newest restaurant in town: $200

Living Like a Celebrity:
A heck of a lot more than I can afford when gas is $4.20/gallon, milk is $4/gallon, and I live in a constant state of fear that I am going to be downsized on the job.

What’s a hot, hip, fashionable chic (of any age) to do? Maybe the Christian Louboutin shoes become Steve Madden. Maybe the Gucci dress and clutch become BeBe and Nine West respectively; BUT thanks to KRLD Restaurant Week, women (and men for that matter) can still dine at the hottest, hippest restaurants in Dallas like Nobu, N9NE Steakhouse, NOVE Italiano, and Cru for just $35/person from August 11-17, 2008.

$35 gets you a 3-course meal at participating restaurants (sorry, drinks not included so get liquored up before you leave home); and because every hot, hip, and fashionable chic needs a charitable cause du jour, you’ll be happy to know that proceeds from KRLD’s Restaurant Week benefit North Texas Food Bank in Dallas and the Lena Pope Home in Ft. Worth.

Reservations are an absolute must and they are going fast so don’t delay.

Visit http://www.krld.com/pages/2566177.php for a complete list of restaurants and to make your reservations.

Bon Appetit!

Have a favorite restaurant? Let me know about it in the comments section.

Have you heard about the Texas Conference for Women?

http://www.txconferenceforwomen.org/





Sponsored by Governor Rick Perry and his wife, the Texas Conference for Women is a full day of motivation and empowerment for women of all ages. The Conference is a wonderful opportunity for three reasons:

1) Registration fee is only $100 ($50 if you're a student, and there are discounts for group tickets and early registration).
2) Its Houston location is easily accessible for women all across the great state of Texas.
3) A phenomenal lineup of speakers and panelists that includes:

Cherie Blair: mother, human rights lawyer, and wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair
Sarah Jones: Tony Award Winning playwright
Meg Whitman: former president and CEO of eBay from 1998 - 2008

Join me in Houston to meet new friends and create new opportunities!
I hope to see you there.

Have you attended the Texas Conference for Women in previous years? Leave a comment telling me how you liked it.