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Here are the Top 10 Reasons FUSER ROCKS, From the Mind of NEENZ: 10. The Fuser mascot is so cute, take a look at the rejected ideas. 9. The LEADERBOARD tells you exactly who’s dropping and poking the most love on you. One day you may need this data, oh perhaps while petitioning for a restraining order? 8. You never have to log into MySpace again to read and reply to messages and bulletins. 7. You never have to log into Facebook again to read and reply to messages and wall posts. 6. If you insist on “dropping some love” complete with glitter graphics or participating in super…

When I was 14-years-old I had enough skills to make my high school Varsity basketball team, not because my Dad was my coach but I had earned it. Now, nepotism would have had me monopolizing minutes per game, however my skill set was not as good as many of my more seasoned and talented teammates. I understood my role, and accepted it. I was to practice as hard as anyone else, learn the game, develop my skills and encourage my teammates from the bench prepared to enter the game at a moments notice if the score warranted. Like it takes a village to raise a child, so it takes an entire team to…

At 2, Taimane has an itinerary when she travels to Oahu which is a short list that includes visiting Papa and Tutu, swimming in the pool at my home and to Chuck E. Cheese in Aina Haina, “where a kid can be a kid.” She may be young, but she already has a growing bank of miles with Hawaiian Airlines, and sadly had to forfeit her miles with the unfortunate close of Aloha Airlines. I miss my Tai Tai, so befitting to the category Family, this post is dedicated to the captured memories of Taimane’s most recent visit.

“Burt Lum is Bytemarks and Bytemarks is on the pulse of the technology movement here in Hawai’i.” I first met Burt at the inaugural and very successful Unconferenz here on Oahu, but it wasn’t until we were both pitted to challenge each other in the White Crane stance that I grew to truly respect his leadership abilities. If given the opportunity, Burt and I could talk for hours about everything and anything because he is just that interesting and very well versed. Many of you may recall the Bytemarks name from a column that Burt wrote for the Honolulu Advertiser or his…

I received an email from one of my readers, Bruce Wheeler of Seventh Wave PhotoGraphics on Maui that Tony Roma’s in Lahaina had shutdown. Living on Oahu now, I immediately dispatched my protege and Maui correspondent, my 2-year-old niece Taimane. NEENZ: “Hi, Tai Tai.” TAIMANE: “Hi Auntie. What are you doing?” NEENZ: “Working. Can you ask Mommy to confirm that Tony Roma’s in Lahaina closed down.” TAIMANE: “OK.” NEENZ: “OK. Tell Mommy.” TAIMANE: “OK. What are you doing?” NEENZ: “Still working. Tai can you…

When I left Charleston to travel around Asia for six months and then move to San Francisco, I didn't think I'd be away long. I figured I'd hop a cheap flight back sometime soonish, see all my friends, hit up my old haunts. But now here we are just shy of two years later, and I haven't been back since Sean and I drove that big old U-Haul down our street on a blistering June morning, waved, wept, and were gone.  read more

Hi! Are you from a country that isn't America, but also isn't England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or pretty much any other country where English is the first language? If so, do you live in America (or Canada)? Do you have a blog? Could you please email me if you meet all of these criteria? I promise it's not as mysterious as it sounds. I mean, I'm not, like, going to ask to see your Green Card or anything; I just need to ask you something. All will be revealed, I promise. Leave the briefcase on the bench. The red bird flies at midnight. read more

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I don't know why it always takes me such a long time to realize it---or why it's such a huge surprise to me every single time---but when I'm going to the gym regularly, I just feel a whole lot better about things.  I sleep better, I work harder,  I worry less. My body morphs from something that frequently irritates and disappoints and surprises me into something strong and proud, something capable of speed and agility and momentum. My mind is clearer, my skin is clearer, and sure, it doesn't hurt that my pants fit a little better too.  read more

We were at our friends Alison and Nathan's house on Friday night, playing Trivial Pursuit and drinking Kahlua and cream---hey, we know how to do the weekend up right---when this amazing sound suddenly started coming through the iPod speakers, the sort of sound that stops you in your tracks and makes you sit up a little bit straighter. "What is this?" I asked, like a vegetarian who's just tasted bacon. Or a person who's just tasted Kahlua and cream. read more

It is Mothers' Day today. And it is tragic. It is confusing. It is melancholic and anxious. There is some relief mixed up in there, a little hope, and a lot of wishing.One year ago today, I announced that I had cervical cancer.All these emotions are here somewhere, but I am not truly feeling them. I am taking muscle relaxants and listening to CocoRosie and wondering why I cannot turn any of these anniversaries over to see what they mean. It is as though they have no underbellies.What does it mean to be told you have cancer? What does it mean to go through invasive examinations and day…

You spoke to me like a grownup, asked me questions to which you wanted to know the answers, and collapsed with laughter at my sense of humour. I was unused to that kind of attention. It made my twelve-year-old self feel strong and large and intelligent. Thank you.I am a participant in x365.contact | suggestion box | archives | best of | search

I'm not sure what it is. I am either okay with the present state of things in my life, or I am on the verge of collapse. It could be one or the other.It could be neither and instead be nestled somewhere in that infinite array of greys between extremes. I'm not good with the shades of grey, though. I seem to prefer throwing myself out onto one ledge or the other.I suppose that I could just stop thinking about which it is and go on with getting myself cups of coffee and meeting work deadlines and knitting the partners to the lonely, single arm warmers I've created, but that would be dull. It…

I wanted to like you, because my brother was crazy about you, but after you picked fights for attention, lied to my mother, laughed openly about my brother's morals, and confessed you'd lied to him about how many others you'd slept with, I gave up. You were one sneaky bitch.I am a participant in x365.contact | suggestion box | archives | best of | search

I sat in the back of your stripped-down van smoking hand-rolled cigarettes in the dark while you made several stops around the city to unload your merchandise. It was all I could do after sampling it. The swirling in the dark held me against the cold metal like a mother.I am a participant in x365.contact | suggestion box | archives | best of | search

I found an awesome skin care website that offers free samples for your specific skin type. Check out Mario Badescu's website, click on the MyMario button, register for an account, and take the skin care questionnaire. If you're not too sure on what products you should be using in your 20s, this is a great way to find out. The samples they send are extremely generous. So, get on in! And remember, take care of your skin :-)

Since Sex and the City wrapped, Kristin Davis says she's been taking time to enjoy life in her 40s. Looking back, Kristin says her 20s were miserable and her 30s were better, but filled with work. "I do think that the 20s are overrated," she says. "I was just kind of miserable in my 20s, you know? I didn't know who I was."Compliments : Oprah.comThere is hope for us, folks!

I always get hung up on guys and fight for for every relationship I get into. But, after talking to one of my past "flings", I was utterly grossed out! It took me practically a year to get over him and now I cry out, WWWHHHHHYYYYYYY, Nancy Kerrigan style. This older gentleman is STILL living with a bunch of guys, has one failed company under his belt, and just got laid off from his stable job. Keep in mind, that this male does yoga, doesn't drink too much (and scolded me when I did - tsk tsk), and will put up with whatever his mother tells him (including his current girlfriend).I cried and…

Sometimes I just get fed up with the friendships I have (or had). There's times when no one is around, there's no one to talk to, and it's just absolutely frustrating. We live and work in very stressful environments and aren't friends supposed to be your support system?So, as twenty-somethings, what should we expect? Maybe a group of drinking buddies, work colleagues, and a posse of shoulders to cry on? As for me, I'd like my friends to be grouped in one category... DEPENDABLE. But, that's a lot to ask for, right?I think finding and keeping friends in your 20s is probably one of the hardest…

....then we fuck things up!Yes, I think that question and statement is true. I feel that every situation I get myself into with friends, lovers, and even jobs, I wind up fucking things up. I recently had this conversation with three of my friends and they all seem to agree.So, why are we so afraid of getting hurt? And better yet, why do we most always fuck the situation up? I know in my case I'm too mean, arrogant, lack confidence and am sometimes needy (mostly in relationships). We're scared of being hurt, but we also have to stand up for ourselves, which is often mistaken for being rude. In…

“Have you heard from Dave?”, I asked Stinking Pete in Ron’s last night. “No, I haven’t. And I’m getting a bit worried now. I tried to call him but his answering machine message is now the theme song from M*A*S*H. What do you think it means?” “I suspect he’s probably going to kill himself because he’ll never find true love”. “Really? Oh no! We have to do something”. “Yes, I agree. We definitely need to do something to take our minds of it. How much money would I have to give you to let me kick you in the balls…

Head hurts. No sign of Dirty Dave. Rang him last night, phone was off. His message said something about moving to Bridgend and opening up a Bebo site. Fucked if I know.

*bring bring* “Hello?” “Twenty, it’s me, Dave. Dirty Dave.” “What’s up, Dave?” “I’m in love!!” “Oh fuck, have you been watching Fast Times at Ridgemount High again? I thought we told you about that. If Phoebe Cates’s lawyers get wind of this-” “No, with a real person this time”. “Really?” “Who is she?” “She’s gorgeous. She’s got lovely long brown hair and a great figure and a sexy way about her. Oh yes”. “But who is she?” “I…

You know how much I love Guinness. It is my soup, my cup of tea, my mouthwash, my holy water, my milk for my cornflakes, my maple syrup for my pancakes. It is my first, my last, my deep voiced everything. And part of what’s great about Guinness is the tradition. Brewed for hundreds of years at St James’s Gate it’s a big part of this city. You don’t get it so much any more but the smell that used to waft across town from the brewery was the most Dublin smell I can think of. Not even the Liffey on its most stinkingest days came close. But now they’re moving.

250 Gardai raided 150 premises in Limerick today but only three people have been arrested. That’s a bit crap, isn’t it? I’m pretty sure these new recruits aren’t being taught how to plant evidence properly.

I thought about Self Portrait Sunday when I was painting the front door yesterday, so here ya go. You can see who else took a photo of themselves over at Midlife Musings. Happy Mother’s Day! Technorati Tags: self portrait , meme

I’ve been working on my security door for a couple of days. I live on the Leeward Coast, the dry side of Oahu. We don’t get much rain, but the ocean is just a few blocks from my home. Rust is an inevitable part of life even here. My poor door has not been looking very welcoming, so I tackled it this week. On Thursday and Friday I sanded. I know you can’t tell in the picture, but that’s the door after many hours of sanding by hand and with a belt sander. I didn’t make much headway. This morning I taped the hardware and draped sheet vinyl all around the door. As…

Val is focusing on chicken this week for her Four Foods on Friday questions. I eat a lot of chicken, so this one is right up my alley. If you’d like to join us, just copy the questions below and answer them in a post on your blog. Leave a link to your post at Val’s place. She’ll have comments about all of our answers later, and will give us all some good link-lovin, too. Here are this week’s questions: #1. How do you make chicken salad? I don’t. #2. Fast food chicken. What fast food restaurant makes the best chicken? Fast food is another thing I don’t do…

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with the bad news that we forget that there are good things going on around us all the time. We can’t change the headlines, but we can seek out that which is good, that which is uplifting, that which shines with a positive radiance - the good stuff. Here’s some good stuff sent to me by my readers: Val is the most frequent contributor to Good Stuff. Yep, the Val at I know EVERYTHING - just ask my hubby is the same Val who also brings us Four Food on Friday. She often submits stories that focus on kids with special needs. This week she foud a story in…

I told you a few days ago that I was working on the carport roof again, and that I was determined to stay motivated to do things around the house. Today I finished applying the roof coating. Here are some of the other things I’ve done in the last few days. Those are my inspection report files for the last few months. They are all entered in the books and have been alphabetized. I hope to finish purging the file cabinets in the next day or two so I can get these filed away. I have more than four years of files in the office, but the file cabinets only have room for about three years, so…

I wrote about my mom on her birthday a week ago. And lo, since today is Mother’s Day, it only makes sense I will write about her again. But, the thing is, I already said a lot of the stuff one might normally say on Mother’s Day already, AND I did it in the form of a list, which knocks out two of my default settings for writing about things. Last year, I even wrote her a letter. So that’s been done, too. Sheesh. In fact, one of the most popular searches that leads to my blog is “reasons I love my mom”. Well, that and “look at my boobs”. Ahem.

Try this. From me to you.

I’ve written about you a lot. I hope you don’t mind… it’s just how I tend to figure things out. I mean, I guess I didn’t always know what I was talking about (and I still don’t), so I likely scuffed up your reputation now and again. But I meant well. And mean well. Thing is, I think you’re amazing. At the same time as I think you are confusing and elusive and complicated and problematic and incomprehensible and irresistible and irreplaceable and insane, I find that there’s nothing in the world I want more. That’s sappy. I know. But the…

1. The discovery of actual science in Scientology. 2 Ralph Nader, POTUS. 3. Independent musicians discover shampoo 4. Heat rash: The New Tan 5. McDonalds and Starbucks compete for slogan: “Cheaper than gas!” 6. Baseball players without itchy parts 7. Blogging: Olympic Demonstration Sport Vancouver 2010 8. Tequila Altoids 9. Oprah Winfrey: “Don’t put my name on that one…” 10. Global Warming offset by overproduction of Ben and Jerry’s 11. You aren’t turning into your mom 12. Meg Fowler: “Oooh, this is too salty.” 13. Everyone looks…

HAPPY DESERVED 60TH ANNIVERSARY ISRAEL!This proud nation is an example of liberty, courage and hope for all. May it thrive, grow and prosper for centuries and centuries to come! Please take time to read or re-read an essay I wrote last year called 'Why I Strongly Support Israel'.Many people have an idol or hero. Someone or something to look to with deep respect and try to emulate in areas of courage, stamina, ethics, beauty and individualism. In my case, this champion is the nation of Israel. I salute this most misunderstood but extremely valiant, spirited and gallant country! You'll never…

A few days ago I was invited to contribute to a new and quickly growing online political magazine. I gladly accepted. NeoConstant is a grassroots journal of politics and foreign affairs from a Neoconservative perspective. All articles I place there will also be posted on this blog but that shouldn't stop anyone taking a look at the other contributors.As some readers have probably noticed, my political stance has gradually moved from the Liberal Democratic to the NeoConservative position. This is not exactly true regarding many social and domestic issues but is an exact definition of my…

I've long thought of Agnosticism as the lazy thinker's way out of cerebral toil. Whilst not personally sharing the militant atheism of Richard Dawkins, I had concluded before I read his fascinating book, The God Delusion, that people who declared there might or might not be a divine being, were as bad as those who caught splinters sitting on the political fence. Surely if the agnostic in question has delved into the history of man's belief in Gods and the religious and cultural evolution of such concepts, then there would appear to those with doubt, that indeed God does not exist, except as a…

Happy St George's Day to my fellow English countrymen!For more information on England's National Day click here.(More regular blogging will continue soon)

I'd like to wish a very Happy Passover to my Jewish friends and readers.To know more about Passover visit this post by Smooth Stone.H/T: Jeremy Jacobs

I happened to be watching the Sci-Fi Channel tonight. What, you may ask, was on? Well, it was a fine movie called Tyrannosaurus Azteca, or its far cooler American title, Aztec Rex. Now, this movie, like many on the Sci-Fi Channel, was complete crap. A group of Spaniards lands in Mexico and finds a group of Aztecs who sacrifice people to a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Of course, one of their number falls in love with a local lass (as I was researching this, I noticed the actress who plays her was born in Kathmandu, which is kind of neat), and the two fight against the dinosaur and an evil Aztec shaman.

Napoleon and his Collaborators: The Making of a Dictatorship by Isser Woloch. 281 pages, 2001, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.If you've never read anything about Napoleon, this is not the book to start with, as Woloch freely admits in his preface. He ignores pretty much everything that we think of as "Napoleonic" history - his military victories, his coronation, his law code - to focus on the men around Napoleon who helped him take power and ease his creation of a dictatorship. In fact, after the first chapter, detailing the coup of 18 Brumaire (9 November 1799), which made Napoleon the first…

In today's newspaper, there's a brief mention of Zach Feinstein, who has declared for the NBA draft. I think every team should give this guy a look. Let's check out his web site:"As a 5'8" 130 pound Caucasian, I am the perfect candidate for professional basketball. Also, I do not play basketball.You see, I am not currently on my college's basketball team (Division 3 just for reference) nor did I try out to be. I was at no point on my high school's basketball team nor did I try out to be. I was at no point on my middle school's basketball team nor did I try out to be. The last time I was on a…

Last Friday night, I was lying in bed reading, and Krys was out in the kitchen getting ready to come back to the bedroom. Suddenly she heard sirens. She went outside and saw a fire truck right outside our house. A police car was blocking the street, and the firemen were putting out a fire in an SUV sitting across the street from our house. We have no idea how the truck caught on fire, but it's still sitting there! Sheesh - get rid the damned truck, people! Here are the photos:This is the SUV:Here's a close-up of the window:Here's all the shattered glass on the street next to it. How charming.

Saw this on The Daily Show ..."Police in Congo have arrested 13 suspected sorcerers accused of using black magic to steal or shrink men's penises after a wave of panic and attempted lynchings triggered by the alleged witchcraft."What a lede! The absolute best quote in the article: "But when you try to tell the victims that their penises are still there, they tell you that it's become tiny or that they've become impotent. To that I tell them, 'How do you know if you haven't gone home and tried it'," he said.Penis theft: Is yours safe?????

Unfortunately, I have had to set this blog to full moderation. I received some spam that was autposted despite the fact that the settings allowed only those who had previously commented this privilege based on trust. So that’s a pretty strong indication to consider. I have previously published a post on spam attacks and this [...]

Most folks tend to socialize with people of the same age and with similar interests. Most couples hang out with other couples. This isn’t the case with me. I live in a very small place with a low population so that may be a factor. I was raised in an extended family and friends [...]

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The final story in the week-long series for Mother’s Day is posted at The Elder Storytelling Place today: Happy Birthday, Mother. Where Are You?

Because it has been an unexpectedly busy few days and I have a house guest, there is no This Week in Elder News today. It will resume next weekend. But don’t forget the continuing Mother’s Day series at The Elder Storytelling Place where there are new stories today and tomorrow, Sunday. Today, Remembering Mom Mom McGarvey.

I learned the hard way why there aren’t more write-in answers offered in professional surveys. One reason is how difficult it is to place them in a reasonable number of categories to make useful graphs. The other reason is the number of messages that instead of answering the question, take the surveyor to task for how the survey is constructed. The Crabby Old Lady in me pitched a minor fit about the second reason: “Run your own damned survey if you can’t be polite about your critiqueing. Crabby spent several full days creating it, making graphs and sorting answers like yours that…

Today, the final group of findings from The Elderbloggers Survey is all about blogs and blogging. It is the longest section, but graphs are easy to read. Before we get started, here again is the standard reminder about this Survey: It is not balanced against the general population It is not balanced against even the elder population Respondents are self-selected, so not a representative sample Therefore, the survey has no statistical validity Nevertheless, because the survey was distributed mostly among elderbloggers themselves and other elders who read blogs, we can get a bit of an idea of…

Today, day three of The Elderblogger Survey results, we’ll take a look at the questions about technology and the internet. Before we get started, here’s the standard reminder about this Survey: It is not balanced against the general population It is not balanced against even the elder population Respondents are self-selected, so not a representative sample Therefore, the survey has no statistical validity Nevertheless, because the survey was distributed mostly among elderbloggers themselves and other elders who read blogs, we can get a bit of an idea of who we are and what we are like.

Something I’ve always wanted to do is chronicle the people I see on the street or at coffee shops and tell m version of what their stories might be. The Scene Just outside the door of the coffee shop is an older couple. They are playing Scrabble. She has her pieces laid out on the little easel and has her hand on her chin, trying to form works with the scatter of tiles in front of her. She picks up a small dictionary as the man scratches his head. He is balding, with long, scraggly hair. they both wear glasses. He stares at the board, then at her, waiting. The Story “Phillip,…

You did not just lecture me on not including the fact that this guy was a pizza delivery man. You just misspelled “committing” and a city in this county. What do you think is the more grievous error?

I am a girl. Girls, especially my kind, make plans. I have plans for the future, a little dream of how things will work out. So, this morning, when he said that realistically it might not work out…I hung up and wanted to cry. I was watching my plans fall, piece by piece, like a very ill-built jenga tower. I’m watching it fall and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I can’t move my life around anymore. I can’t move out of state. I worked hard to get here and I’m not letting that go. I don’t know what to do. None of this is up to me. And I cannot, just…

No plans. Just me, some liquor, my computer and a good movie. Everyone is out of town. My cat is being nice. Now if only i had someone to share this glorious moment with.

I don’t often take time to think about this, but I love food. It’s not that i just like eating, but I love eating. Eating is my reason for being. When I finish lunch, I am thinking about dinner. Even if I am stuffed to the gills, I will find room for something tasty if it passes me by. I fail, miserably, at diets. It’s my mother. It’s my family. It’s my heritage. Even before my mother entered culinary school, she was a cook. My earliest memories are being woken up on a Saturday by my brother jumping on my bed (even though he’s the older one) or my mom…

Ok I really like this girl and I'm trying to make her my girlfriend and I haven't seen her in about 5 days and I'm in major depression mode, I've just had some ganja and I'm feeling much calmer about it now, but I also know I'm going to have to talk to her about it the next time I see her and honestly I am kinda pissed about it cause she made me feel like shit. But I can be wrong sometimes and thus could be a bad mistake so any input would be great! :) thannx

Okay I love this guy to death and he is absolutely amazing. I haven't been the best with present giving and need some help. He deserves a lot but I just don't know what to get him. He has always given me something for things like this but I just want to make it special. Help

So me and my boyfriend have been together for 2yrs may 22nd and I wanted to do or get him something special? Because last year we were going to go out for our anniversary but I went away on holiday with my college. But I still have no clue what to do or get him for it?. I don't even know what to get him for his birthday. So guys what kind of presents do you like getting from a girl?

Are you glad you enjoy this beautiful mothers day? You almost went for abortion that day, and you thought there was no hope, no one will share your joy. Yet you choose to keep the baby, and look what happen now? Your baby is looking at you smiling, you have a wonderful family. You have a great mother's day OR. I can no longer fit in all the pretty dress and clothes, No more dating and fun for me, all my girlfriends are having a great time yet I am home sitting. My dating life went down to hell, my baby is the major deal breaker. And I give up my future my youth and my life.

How should I act on a first date?

(typical mommyblogger) “God couldn’t be everywhere, so he created mothers”  - Jewish proverb

Are my current posts so boring that everyone seems to be reading my entries from… 2006?  First I received that nice email from the Sun-Maid raisin girl about a post from that year.  Today, I received a different type of response to a ”humorous” post I wrote in May 2006 titled “Seven Reasons to Abolish Mother’s Day.” The comment: You are, by far, the biggest loser that has ever lived. I challange you to a debate on the reason for mothers. Obviously, yours has failed you and you are tainted in your view of mothers. What about father’s day??? How many…

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot. But people were pissed at losing paradise. So they paved the parking lot and planted paradise. But people now had no place to park at paradise. So they raised taxes, spent 6 billion dollars, and built a light-rail system to paradise. But now any shmuck could get in, and the place was swarming with trailer-trash who took the light-rail in from the boonies, ruining the appeal of paradise. So they privatized paradise and made it into a gated community. And they build underground parking for the residents.

I’ve been depressed. And lonely. And needy. And horny. And looking for love in all the wrong places. And pissed off at mommybloggers for naming every other blog MommySomething. And finding Twitter superficial. And I have high cholesterol. Is it any wonder that I haven’t blogged all week? Do you really want to read this crap? Call me co-dependent. I need a woman at my side. Who is Adam without Eve? Without Eve, Adam would still be walking around the Garden of Eden, eating mud, and playing with himself! “Hey, Adam, why don’t you try this delicious Apple?” said the…

Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this golden ticket, from Mr. Willy Wonka!  I shake you warmly by the hand!  Tremendous things are in store for you! Many wonderful surprises await you!  For now, I do invite you to come to my factory and be my guest for one whole day — you and all others who are lucky enough to find my Golden Tickets.  I, Willy Wonka, will conduct you around the factory myself, showing you everything that there is to see, and afterwards, when it is time to leave, you will be escorted home by a procession of large trucks.  These trucks, I can promise you, will be…

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Like most of you, I thrive on doing several things at once. But sometimes I don't realize just how much I am taking on until it is too late. Then, I have already veered into what I call "overload territory." That's the place where you're practically drowning in your obligations. I'm sure you've been there too. What I really think would keep us from ending up in this state is a mechanism that gives a warning when we're venturing into unhealthy territory. It hasn't been invented yet but wouldn't it be a dream come true? In the meantime, I amuse myself by picturing the robot from Lost in Space,…

41 years after Benjamin Braddock (in "The Graduate") was succinctly advised to pursue a future in plastics, everyone is once again talking about the material. Perhaps you have heard news reports about the potential dangers of a chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used in many plastic containers (as well as a host of other everyday goods). Perhaps you have friends who have ransacked their homes trying to rid themselves of their BPA-containing plastics. Well, while the verdict is not yet in on whether the purported link between BPA and certain cancers as well as reproductive problems in…

So from time to time I'm going to report on fitness trends, gear, and gadgets that I come upon and give it a test run—so hopefully you can get inspired or at least know when to save your money. This weekend I tried something called Cardio Tennis.Now, I'm no stranger to tennis. I took lessons all through childhood, went to some summer tennis camps and played on my high school's Varsity tennis team for four years. But since those glory days, I haven't been on the court much. But I've been hoping to get back into it—if only to warrant purchasing some of these cute items—so last weekend I…

I’ve been trying to do more smiling lately. I feel as though I’ve become more somber, more preoccupied, and distracted over the past few years. I feel friendly, but I don't think I always look that way. As obvious as it sounds, studies do show that I’ll be perceived as more friendly if I spend more time with a smile on my face during a conversation. Also, because of the phenomenon of “emotional contagion,” if I seem friendly and happy, I’ll help communicate that mood to other people. And because we tend to like people who seem to like us, if I’m smiling and friendly to a person,…

My mother used to call me her most unforgiving child. Yes, I admit it. I nurtured a grudge like it was a plant that needed to be watered. But after a while I learned that all I had was a garden of angst and unhappiness. Now, I don't have time to waste on reliving events or conversations to build up those feelings of righteous indignation. Instead, I look at forgiveness like flossing; it is something that we're all supposed to do that is ultimately good for our health. At least we all want to forgive. Unlike flossing, where your dental hygenist uncovers the truth when she starts your cleaning,…

Here's a bit of what I do when I'm not writing speeches for work or writing meandering stuff of my own. In a startling departure, I write for others! Here's soemthing I wrote for prairie dog magazine recently. The shtick? Review trailers for upcoming summer blockbusters. INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (TRAILER 1) In a move sure to thrill no fans, the first 40 seconds of

[Almost lunch. Clouds proceed across the sky. Trainyards across the nation are busy. Palinode (that's me) phones Schmutzie (that's her).] Palinode: I'm stuck in one of those agonies of indecision. Schmutzie: And? Palinode: I don't know what to eat for lunch. Schmutzie: Have something with fruit. Palinode: In that case I'll have a pie for lunch. Schmutzie: A whole pie? [pause] Schmutzie: A

I saw Diary of the Dead the other day, George Romero’s latest installment in shuffling undead horror. For most folk this kind of movie is an opportunity to watch something else, but I always look forward another one of Romero’s jaunts into the fun-filled world of shuffling, moaning dead people looking for a bite of living tissue. The best part of Romero can be the subtext, chewy as brains, in

Every so often I watch an episode of CSI: Miami. I don't know how I get to that point, from the happy state of not watching CSI: Miami to the morally compromised state of watching CSI: Miami, but I obviously get there somehow. It's strange - I could be out rescuing a family of star-nosed moles from evil carnies at one moment, and then there's a kind of warp in front of my eyes and then the

It’s true, on Tuesday I attended a work retreat for a group to which I do not properly belong, I was an adjunct, a recombinant trail disengaged from my nucleus, I was a special guest who, it was hoped, would add to the positive dynamic of the group. It’s nice to be the special guest. It’s worrisome to be the special guest. I look on these kinds of invitation with great suspicion, even when

Protecting Yourself against Apartment Fires Residential fires, either in your single-family dwelling or apartment, are frightening for all involved. However, there are steps that you can take to help insure that you, your pet and your family are safe even in the incidence of a fire. Before you rent an apartment, perform a fire inspection and make sure that it is up-to-code. Make sure there is an adequate number of working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. If there isn’t, have the leasing agent correct this before signing the lease. Top Causes of Apartment Fires Although apartment…

Tips for Having a Green Apartment Green apartment dwellers make better neighbors. Why such a bold statement? Frankly, it’s because it’s true. When you live in a green apartment, you are helping to make the world a better place for you and all of your neighbors. So in order to assist you in becoming a better neighbor, the following are some tips on how to have a green apartment. Green Apartment Tip Number One One of the easiest ways to move your apartment in the green direction is to simply turn down your thermostat. By lowering your thermostat one degree in the winter and raising it one…

Busy, on the go entrepreneur and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki knows what busy, on the go people need. That’s why he and the folks over at Nononina have created Alltop.com, which is the perfect site for busy, on the go apartment dwellers. Alltop is an information aggregator. That is, Alltop is a website that collects top stories from all over the web and groups them based on topic. News You Can Use Alltop can make your life easier. For instance, if you want a quick fix of environmental news, you simply visit green.alltop.com. There you have all the top environmental news stories…

Spring Cleaning Your Apartment: It’s That Time of Year Again Spring is the time of year when everything is turning green, the flowers are blooming and the space under your couch is full of dust bunnies – time to spring clean your apartment. To Toss or Not To Toss The first step in spring cleaning your apartment is to go through all of your belongings, almost as if you are planning on moving. Decide what to keep, what to sell at a yard sale or what to donate to charity. Clothes are the easiest to go through. The general rule of thumb is that if you haven’t worn it for at least two…

You Need to Sublet Your Apartment There are many reasons why you might need to sublet your apartment. You could have gotten a better job, but it requires your relocation to a different city. Maybe you lost your job and you can no longer afford your apartment. Maybe you and your significant other have decided to make it official and get married, but his/her place is so much better than yours. Or maybe, just maybe you have decided to run away from it all and move to the Caribbean. Whatever your reason, your lease isn’t up and you need to move out. Subletting Your Apartment: Step One The first…

I think I reached the limits of what I described optimistically just a few weeks ago as my blended life. Lately, it is more of a blender. Quick update: WestwoodBlog, the site I set up to get more involved in my town, really took off over the past two weeks as we had a town election and then town meeting. Lessons learned from all that will make a post of their own, but suffice it to say that facilitating a site like that is more involved than just turning it loose and hoping people will show up. We have now had over 1200 people access the site in the past month, with nearly 300 visits…

Check out my other blog at http://westwoodblog.org. That site is more of a community information site that I used the blog format to create. We have a town election on Tuesday and I have been stirring up interest in the blog by getting the candidates to post. Additionally, I conducted 4 podcast interviews with the candidates for Selectman. It is a different approach than this blog--I strive to be a neutral facilitator--and I will have more to blog about here after the election as I believe this experience has taught me a number of things about the potential and limitations of new media in a…

Parents who tell parents of newborns to cherish these times as the best of their lives are seriously delusional. But, having been through this a couple of times before, I think it's more a case of amnesia. We don't remember much a few years later. Maybe it is a result of sleep deprivation and the sleeping cycle. I vaguely recall, and now, re-experience, that for the first 3 to 6 months, we seldom sleep more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. My wife and I take turns...and our babies have been bottle fed, so I can do the midnight/2am feeding and then she gets 4am or so...and then we're awake at 6…

The New York Times story of writers "blogging until they drop," is the kind of silly story we worry our parents will read. Don't worry Mom, I'm not going to blog myself to death. But upon closer examination, the story did make me think about my own limited, idealistic perception of this field. My first reaction, upon reading that people were working nonstop blogging was that this article was just another workaholism piece, about how bloggers are martyrcizing the fact that they like to spend long hours on their computers writing. But the blogging world described by the New York Times is very…

I produced my first Podcast last night when I interviewed Greg Agnew, a 20-year old Assumption College student who is running against three other candidates for selectman in my town of Westwood. Check out the 40-minute interview over at my other blog, WestwoodBlog.org.Powered by b2evolution.

Student: I don’t want to.Master: You must.

This picture is screaming for a caption! Almost looks staged. Here’s the original picture:

From @oldsillybear: oldsillybear The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. ( Samuel Johnson )

Goodbye

Have y’all seen the little old lady in the buffet line? You know the one I mean. She drives you nuts, because she is so dadgum slow! While you stand there grumbling, she carefully fills her plate. She dawdles around while you fume. She takes a little bit of this, and a dab of that, and then some of that over there. She has to have a taste of everything. Well, just be nice to her! That little old lady was me! I want it all! And, that’s my problem. In my life, I fill my metaphorical plate so full that I can’t balance it. I asked for help in finding life’s balance,…

I watched him in fascinated horror. He was on his side in the shallow water; his body was heaving as he gasped for breath. It’s hard to determine the expression in a trout’s eyes, but I’m sure I saw his fear. My ex-husband had caught him, and stuck a yellow nylon cord through his cheek to attach him to the bank so the fish couldn’t escape. Mr. X wanted him fresh for dinner. At first, the trout had struggled mightily. He flipped and flopped attempting to escape. As his strength waned, his struggles diminished. Each time a fresh wave hit him, his energy was renewed and…

I got an e-mail from a friend of mine. She sent me the results of the Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. “Mensa.” Isn’t that an organization for really smart people? She would belong to that. My husband says there is a lesser known organization for the rest of us, called “Densa.” Anyway, I thought it was funny (it cracked us up, anyway) and that you should see the winners: Cashtration (n.): The act of…

When it comes to the use of a cell phone, I’m a dinosaur. I don’t need bells and whistles, and I don’t ask much from my cell phone. All I want to do is be able to make telephone calls with ease. When are the cell phone companies going to cater to simple folks like me? I’m not extinct (yet) and my money is green. I don’t need the internet on my phone; I have a computer at home. I don’t want to write a letter (I tried texting a message one time and I can leave three voice messages in the time it took me). Yes, I Twitter, but I don’t delude myself into…

I was hoping for a knight in shining armor this morning, as I sat with my coffee in the darkness on the porch. My dream was fading. I needed help, but couldn’t find what I sought: something BIG to get you to donate. So, I was trying to decide how to gracefully back out of raising money for Camp Sanguinity cancer camp. I was discouraged! All of this week, I approached local merchants asking for donations so I could have a raffle, but was met by a polite wall of “no.” The economy is just too scary right now, and (though they liked the cause) the merchants couldn’t…

I feel like I've been on a never ending quest to find a shampoo and conditioner that keeps my hair and scalp healthy. We live in an area that has hard water, so a good shampoo and conditioner are often essential, especially for my color-treated hair. Getting ready for my day this morning, I thought, I must really, really love Terax. I have 5 bottles of it in my shower from their classic Delicato Shampoo for daily use and Bosco Shampoo, which I use once a week for my scalp. I have one and a half bottles of the Crema Conditioner and I just started to use the Hydrate Botanica, which is a leave…

There are some exceptional beauty products emerging on the market now that take preserving our environment seriously. One eco-friendly line, Eco Tools caught my eye for their earth-friendly beauty tools and bathing products. The Eco Tools make-up brushes, for example, are made from all natural and recycled materials. Their BAMBOO brush collection is made from soft, synthetic taklon bristles, which are 100% cruelty free. The brushes' handles are made from bamboo - a low impact, natural resource, which is considered highly sustainable. Even the Ferrule is made from recycled aluminum cans. Eco…

A world-renowned asian art glass studio has opened its first gallery store in the United States, Liuligongfang in San Francisco, right off Union Square. Artist, Loretta Hui-Shan Yang is internationally recognized for perfecting and reviving the ancient Chinese art glass technique called Liuli (literally "beautiful glass").  She has devoted the last 20 years of her life to Liuli and seeks harmony between art and life with every art glass piece she creates. Yang compiles each Liuli collection to reflect the beauty of life and nature, "revealing both authentic and modern expressions of…

If there is one "guilty pleausure" I give in to, and feel good about it, is dark chocolate. I love dark chocolate and make a point of having some in the house at all times. So when I learned of TCHO, I realized I found a chocolate manufacturer (not a "re-melter") who was really extraordinique. Sold in Beta batches, by design, TCHO's recipes continually evolve and adapt as a result of customer feedback. Sold exclusively at the TCHO factory store on Pier 17 in San Franscisco or online at TCHO.com, the chocolate, sold in plain brown paper pouches, note the chocolate flavors in terms much like a…

With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, I realize it is time to break out my recipe for "Guac'n de Casbah" mint-infused guacamole. It's definitely a stretch from its original fan-favorite "Rockin' Guac," but both are scooped up, nonetheless.Because I like to make lots of guac, I am always keeping my eyes out for some good tools to help create these fan favorites, 10-12 avocados at a time.Chef'n has some innovative and fun kitchen products and I just found their "Flexicado" Avocado Slicer. I used to have something similar to this and it disappeared somewhere between parties.The Flexicado…

I suppose with all the wars Republicans have going on, such as the war on terror, war on drugs, war on illegal immigration, war on crime, war on gay marriage, war on abortion, war on the environment, war on science, war on education, war on health care, and many others, it should come as no surprise they have been fighting a war on economics since the Reagan era. As successful as Reaganomics has been in widening the gap between rich and poor, skewing the distribution of wealth further into the hands of the few, putting increased burden on the middle class while expecting them to go into debt…

As promised, I am posting the full chat log from the IRC channel #PennsylvaniaPrimary, created by @davewiner. This started around 7:30 CT and the log posted here goes through about midnight. I thought it was a great live backchannel in addition to Twitter (@scobleizer even joked that he thought Twitter was IRC) that wasn’t part of the public timeline, so here it is. It the raw IRC log file so you’ll see lots of superfluous information about people coming and going and other myriad IRC messages. Enjoy! Now talking on #PennsylvaniaPrimary <davewiner> Thanks to @adarg for the…

If you are not seeing updates for people you follow on twitter through the web or your favorite client (e.g., twhirl, etc.), you are not alone! Be sure to go to this page and report it! Furthermore, tell everyone to do the same if they’re also experiencing the same problem. Let’s see if we can get about 20,000+ people to get the attention of the twitter people and at least get an update to what’s going on! (UPDATE) It appears if you visit this page, they have acknowledged the problem (I presume it’s the same issue noted here from a month ago). See if having them clear…

So every once and a while you read something that really fires you up. Yesterday was one of those instances. I was lying in bed, peacefully scrolling through the last several hours of tweets that I had missed while sleeping (in today’s case that would have been between 7 am and 1 pm; yeah, my schedule is that screwed up), and I came across a tweet from @nprnewsblog, whom I follow on Twitter: Intriguing, I thought, and hardly debatable. I usually read the really controversial stuff and would have typically passed this over completely but thought I would at least get the pulse of what…

Well I’m not 100% sure if it’s in the same tier as beer when it comes to the hierarchy of needs, but being on Alltop.com is pretty effing bad ass. And check this out - I’m listed twice on Alltop.com. Once under life.alltop.com and once under twitterati.alltop.com (apparently my irreverent drunk tweets are amusing to some)! What can I say? (In reality I stole Guy Kawasaki’s Glock from him and demanded the listing, but it’s the results that count, right??) Alltop.com is a virtual magazine rack, where you can choose from a huge variety of topics and get a quick scan…

I come from a family that left their homeland with nothing but the clothes on their backs, so it's interesting that I have little, if any, attachment to personal belongings. I detest clutter, but my mother hoards all her countless knick-knacks with the possessive zealousness of a child. Her life is measured by an inventory of things she owns, whereas my life is measured by an inventory of things I've done.I sometimes wonder if her sense of loss inspires the compulsion to be a pack rat; I also wonder if my seeming detachment betrays some fear of loss. This much I do know: what I possess should…

A funny thing happens when you decide to let go of all your material possessions. You realize that they were never really yours and that those things you do own -- your heart, faith, purpose and love -- are the things that no one person or circumstance can take away from you.An even funnier thing happens when you decide to let go of your attachment to place. You realize that as a spiritual being on a human journey, being rooted anywhere is just a temporary illusion. The most important anchor you have is yourself.I'm getting a divorce and having an affair all at once -- separating from places,…

"When the quest to fill your inner emptiness by appropriating something from outside becomes desperate, repetitive, or automatic you have what is called an addiction." -- Edmund J. Bourne, The Anxiety & Phobia WorkbookAddiction. That's brilliant. There's no better way to describe my relationship to this place. I was addicted to the idea of the beach, even though, two and half years ago, I started this blog in a process that was really the beginning of the end. I had some kind of unnatural attachment to the island and everything it represented -- a life of longing, a life of being single…

Well, lots of change going on ... "we" may be moving off the beach, but no matter ... this blog has always been about sex and relationships. Relationships with self, with others, with sex, even relationships with ... especially relationships with place ... stay tuned.And besides, who wouldn't want Manola reporting from other locales?"Everything is about relationships. The most important relationship you can have is with you.""I think most of us in social media realize this -- it's not the media, it's the relationships that are formed that are most important.""Relationships shouldn't be a…

All the news that's fit for bed, served between the sheets. Don't ever say you aren't getting any!Yay! Miami has sexist clubs! To see some real hardcore pussy, scroll down. Photo by Ade Peever.These Butts Were Made for Walkin' ...... well, sort of. A pensioner in Germany went in for leg surgery and got a refurbished bunghole instead. Clearly, someone at that hospital wasn't anal retentive enough about surgery scheduling, so our medical correspondent Dr. Suckmy Gupta just had to get to the bottom of this case. In an exclusive interview, he asked surgeon Herr Doktor Feindass if he knew the…

Today, I have a post on Life Before Noon as part of the blog's "Weeks of Wisdom" series.Rather than giving advice, I decided to share experience. I talked to some friends about some of the best aspects of being out of college and some of the less-than-fun stuff and then compiled two lists based these discussions. I've pasted the lists below, but be sure to check out the full post here.The Good:5) No papers, no exams, no homework. EVER. When you leave the office at the end of the day, you’re DONE. Unless of course you decide to go back to school. Then you’ll be stuck studying while…

You might have seen the 60 Minutes segment last November about millennials.Ryan Healy, a founder of Brazen Careerist and Employee Evolution, was one of the people interviewed for the show.I liked the segment and thought it covered some good ground. But the folks who created this YouTube video, clearly didn't feel the same way.

A friend sent me this New York Times article, which summarizes a heated confrontation that took place on the HBO sports media show Costas Now. I'm not usually interested in professional sports-related topics, but this discussion got my attention.On the show, Buzz Bissinger, the author of Friday Night Lights and other books let rip on Will Leitch, the founder of the sports blog Deadspin. Shortly after the show started Bissinger interjected himself into the conversation."I really think you're full of shit," he said to Leitch. Bissinger then launched into a full critique of blogging."I think…

At 29 years old, Misti Burmeister, has founded her own company and is developing a reputation as a leading expert in coaching and empowerment in the workplace. She focuses on working to bridge generational communication gaps in the workplace, which is a passion she developed during her own transition from college to the "real world."Misti recently published her first book, "From Boomers to Bloggers," which aims to help "individuals and organizations achieve success across generations." The book outlines "corresponding viewpoints" of young professionals and seasoned employees in an effort to…

Well, it's the title of a new blog by Mark Smith, a lawyer based in Johannesburg, South Africa. His introductory post explains the title.I have to disclose that Mark is my cousin. We grew up together in Joburg and I've always appreciated his sharp wit and sarcastic sense of humor. Recently, we've been talking about blogging and when he mentioned starting his own blog, I jumped at the opportunity to encourage this pursuit. I knew his tone and writing style would go over well in the blogosphere and if you check it out, you'll see why he's already making a splash.I really enjoyed Mark's second…

Hey, I forgot to tell you about something exciting that happened this past week: I got a call from the editor who gave me that cookbook proofreading job over the winter, and she asked me to copyedit two—count 'em, two!—cookbooks coming up from the same author. One is a revision of an existing book (about pickling), and the other is a new book (about jams, jellies, and preserves). I'm just thrilled—I do so much prefer copyediting to proofreading, although of course I'll take whatever I can get when it comes to cookbooks. The schedule is going to be a bear and will take me…

Mother's Day started off in the usual way, with Andy telling me to stay in bed so he and the kids could prepare a breakfast tray for me. They came in with all my favorite Sunday morning things—tea, toast, Times, MacBookPro—plus lots of hugs and kisses and cards and drawings. Then they all left me alone! Bliss. Later was the annual Mother's Day party, but without Grandma for the first time. It was of course obvious that she wasn't there, but no one got weepy, and it didn't feel as though there was such a gaping hole when I wasn't thinking about her. I tried out a…

Whoops, I knew I forgot to do something yesterday! 1. Busted - George Jones*2. Wish We Were Back in Missouri - Emmylou Harris3. Hold Me Back (Frankie & Johnny) - Michelle Shocked 4. The River in Reverse - Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint 5. Here Am I, Oh Lord, Send Me - Alvin Youngblood Hart  6. Harry's Wall - Loudon Wainwright III 7. You Can't Resist It - Lyle Lovett  8. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon9. Willin' - Little Feat & Ry Cooder 10. Canned Goods - Greg Brown *This one wasn't really random; it just happened to be the last song I purchased. I heard it on…

This week I happened upon a way to unite two of the more obsessive parts of my persona: the Relentless Copyeditor and the NPR Junkie. Via Twitter, I "met" Ken George, who is the New Media Guy at WBUR, my local NPR affiliate. He recently started a blog called The ConverStation, which is meant to be a public forum about how public radio can connect with listeners through "Web 2.0 and other things." He put out a call for anyone who might be interested in getting involved and taking home a really high salary and lots of extravagant perks. Oh wait, I got that wrong. He wanted…

Appetizer: When someone smiles at you, do you smile back? Always. Soup: Describe the flooring in your home.  Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix? Ceramic tile in the kitchen, something old and icky and unidentifiable in the bathrooms, hardwood (beautiful parquet) throughout the downstairs, carpeting in all the bedrooms. Salad: Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name. Karen keeps kissing kindergarten kid. Main Course: Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption? Yes, Andy and his sister were both…

I desperately want to be one of those people who is truly accepting of everyone else. Someone who helps each and every one of us accept our inner beauty, celebrate our individuality and revel in our individual power for joy exactly as we are, without looking to media depictions of love and beauty for validation. I want to be that person. Family Farming read more

My family and I spent yesterday evening at a lecture called The Challenge of Climate Change, which was given by Dennis Dimick, editor of National Geographic, as part of their National Geographic Live Lecture Family Farming read more

I've never considered myself an environmentalist. I care about the environment, and I behave as environmentally correctly as possible, but it's usually not the thing that gets me up in arms. Except this morning. Did you know that our government is building a wall that will keep jaguars, bears, antelopes, migratory birds and countless other species of animals out of the US? read more

New York State now boasts the first legally blind governor in U.S. History. By the way, he is black and a strong supporter of gay rights, so, "Thanks, Kristen" you've done us all a service! I find myself thrilled by this, like a child with proof that there is a Santa Claus. read more

I was watching the Today Show this morning (as every morning,) and saw a brief news bit about a diamond reported to be "worth" 13 million dollars. While I was grateful for the break from the Elliot Spitzer call-girl scandal, (she, apparently, is "worth" a cool $4,300 per night,) I couldn't get past the idea of a rock being worth 13 million dollars. Wow. read more

I have three children: two boys, and a girl. The boys have been using the toilet independently for a few years, and my daughter is just learning. As any parent can understand, I am really looking forward to the day when we are a diaper-free household! Even though the boys can take care of their own business in the bathroom, there are still some improvements to be made. For one thing, I wish they would be more careful with their aim. I am so tired of cleaning up after them! These nifty stickers are designed to help guys with piss-poor (ha ha) aim do a better job of hitting the mark. Of course,…