The heat is on
This fall I’ve been engaging in the popular annual New England sport of thermostat avoidance. The idea is to see who can be last to turn on the central heating in house or apartment. Last one to do so wins. … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Me, myself, and I
Phoning home
My mother has always loved the telephone. In the more leisurely era in which she lived most of her adult life, she touched base with about a dozen friends a day. Not to mention the need to talk to her … Continue reading →
The big yawn of political oratory
I’ve said before that I’m not an auditory learner. Although dialogue is fine, and I never had a problem listening intently to clients, the prepared speech has always been an enormous bore to me. This was a big problem when … Continue reading →
More proof that neo-neocon is no fun at all: on being a nondrinker
I don’t drink. Oh, I can take a sip or two of almost any alcoholic beverage—sometimes even three or four sips on an especially wild night. And I enjoy them, as many of my friends and dinner companions have discovered. … Continue reading →
Fireflies and other childish pleasures
I saw some fireflies the other evening while I was taking a walk at dusk, the first time I’d seen any in many years. Ah, fireflies! One of the wonders of my youth. On warm summer nights—which are very common … Continue reading →
Nursing home baby talk: the goo-goo makes me gaga
I’m with Rachel Lucas on this one. Boy, am I ever. Rachel has unearthed a study that should be nailed to the doors of every nursing home in America. It found that the widespread practice of talking to the elderly … Continue reading →
The case of the flying thong buckle: I can relate
A 52-year old woman has sued underwear giant Victoria’s Secret for an eye injury caused when a metal clip securing a rhinestone heart to a thong flew off and injured her cornea. This is another example of just how readily … Continue reading →
Arguing politics
Since I became a blogger I don’t enter into political arguments too often in the real (as opposed to the virtual) world. One reason is that I’ve found such talks only rarely to be fruitful and civil, even though I … Continue reading →
Writing by hand: the medium affects the message
[NOTE: I’m trying to make this blog an Obama-free zone for at least one more day. One day at a time, they say.] This Atlantic article by Nicholas Carr is a recommended read, about the reported loss of concentration and … Continue reading →
Happy Mother’s Day: mothers and babies
Okay, who are these three dark beauties?
Continue reading →A host of Maydays
Today is Mayday. As a child I was confused by the wildly differing associations the word conjures up. It’s a distress signal, for example, apparently derived from the French for “come to my aid.” That was the first meaning of … Continue reading →
The other Taxman
Today is April 15th. This means that, along with millions of others, I’ll be making my way to the copy machine and then on to the post office so that my filled-out tax forms will have the proper postmark. Ah, … Continue reading →