Thoughts from a Slight Cynic.
About a month ago, a ton of us made proclamations to lose weight, kick a bad habit or become an all-around better human. The dawning of a new year always seems like the most opportune time for making personal commitments we hope to keep. An estimated 40-45% of American adults make annual New Year’s resolutions, yet studies show only 20% of us actually keep those proclamations. That means four out of five people fall flat on their … [Read more...]
'Tis the season to be steamy. That is, if you're a typical red-blooded male seeking to peacefully co-exist with a typical uber-chilly woman. Such thermal inequality was in full force during my annual Christmas pilgrimage to the motherland (Ohio, land of my mother). Mom, of course, was perpetually frosty, in direct contrast to my absolute stuffiness. Navigating this duality required some creative ingenuity on my part: closing the … [Read more...]
This year marks the 20th anniversary of my 20-minute lapse in judgment. That’s when I first set the clock radio in my bedroom a full 20 minutes fast. And while the clock radio has been replaced by a slick Bose Wave Radio, the 1,200-second time warp endures. I must have read about it in some productivity article or self-help book as a way to trick my mind into thinking it was running behind schedule. To a recent college … [Read more...]
I find it amusing whenever I observe that someone has a favorite catch phrase. You know, it’s one of those personal buzzwords/phrases that (s)he involuntarily favors and repeatedly inserts into conversations. Sometimes it’s a simple filler word, as in "um" or "like." Often it’s a more full-fledged anchor phrase, a la "Quite frankly." One of my co-workers (let's call him Frank) loves to insert "sort of" into every verbal nook … [Read more...]
For a sweet-toothed male like myself, Halloween remains a highlight of my fall season. I love candy and sweets as far as the eye can see. Yet the holiday also evokes some remnants of trepidation – and not because of the ghosts, goblins and witches wandering the neighborhood. You see, my prime trick-or-treating years took place during the 1970s, when stories of treat tampering ran rampant. Caramel apples and popcorn balls (two of my … [Read more...]
One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one where Jerry starts dating a woman whose name he doesn’t know. His only clue: she discloses how tough it was growing up with a name that rhymes with a female body part. So, he and bumbling buddy George brainstorm some possibilities: Celeste? Aretha? Gipple? Bovary? Finally, they settle on Mulva, as they can’t think of anything more plausible. After a series of failed attempts to … [Read more...]
I remember when I first discovered how deceptive the notion of privacy could be. It happened during a nighttime game of hide-and-seek with my neighborhood pals. I was scurrying in front of my house in search of a suitable hiding place when I noticed I had a crystal-clear view into my kitchen. Bright light streamed out the large windows, beckoning me (and anyone else in the vicinity) to take a look around. “That’s weird,” I recall … [Read more...]
In its latest marketing / branding / PR gaffe, Netflix announced it was splitting into two entities and launching Qwikster. No, it’s not a convenience store, quick-lube franchise or concrete alternative. It’s the new name for Netflix’s DVD-by-mail service (its core business, but one that will likely be diminishing as video streaming becomes more prevalent). Unfortunately, those wacky folks neglected to verify that the @qwikster … [Read more...]
"Mystery," a song on the new Sara Groves record, speaks to her recent bout with anxiety, depression and writer’s block – the longest she had ever experienced. On the director’s cut of this striking album (“Invisible Empires,” currently downloadable from her website), she shares some candid commentary about the frustrating season she endured. And she credits her husband Troy for convincing her of the need to write through … [Read more...]
There's one maxim from my early school days that will probably be etched into my mind forever. The paper cutter maims. It's the sole universal truth that each elementary teacher -- from Mrs. Tortorello in kindergarten to Mrs. Hundertpfund in 4th grade -- could rally around (yes, I had to learn some doozie name spellings in my early years). With the fervor of religious zealots, these ladies convinced me and my fellow pupils of the … [Read more...]
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