Why do people leave their car running unoccupied in order to keep it heated when its 50 degrees outside?

Why do half of children's movies involve a parent dying?  From Bambi, to the Land Before Time, to Finding Nemo...

Why do people think pot is such a greater… Read full post »

Aspiring writers!  Wannabe bloggers!

Everyone wishes for the same thing: To earn enough money to quit that dreaded day job and become a full-time, successful member of the creative class.

So how do you do it?

Hint: It's not  by asking for tips that requires potential tippers to jump through… Read full post »

UPDATED IV: Because I filed a BBB complaint, I've been shuffled to a BBB case manager and out of the hands of the previous Sears customer care person with whom I was working.  This happened just before he was able to credit back my account with the promised discount.  So… Read full post »

I know I may be late on this.

I've been reading Salon.com just every couple of days in the last couple of weeks with the new Beta version of Salon.com .  For some reason, I got signed out of my Salon Premium account, and was dealing with the stupendous number of… Read full post »

ADVENTURES IN EDUCATION

Teachers are heros.  Most of them are truly devoted to our kids' social and academic growth.  Teachers are not compensated anywhere near where they should be.  (Full disclosure: Both my parents are retired elementary school teachers.)

Yet there are alway… Read full post »

"You know what I think needs to happen on Open Salon to make my experience richer and without frustration?"

"Do I care?"

"They need to make it possible for individuals to block certain annoying people."

"You mean kick them off the site?"

"No. No.  I just want to personally filter out… Read full post »

I can't been the only person in the country who woke to the announcement from the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee this morning and thought, "What the fuck? Am I dreaming?"

In fact, I'm willing to wager Barack Obama himself had a similar response when he received the… Read full post »

Ten years ago we were alone in a car, driving back to Northfield from Decorah.

Ten years ago we were young.  It is embarrassing to recall how young we once were.

Ten years ago we had it all figured out.  We were confident in our prescriptions for the world… Read full post »

Why do we remember some things so clearly and let mounds of other experiences pass through our minds?

I recall my earliest memory with clarity.  It was my birthday.  I was turning three years old.  My brother was just over a week old and my wonderful mom baked a… Read full post »

I wrote about my September 11, 2001 on last year's 7th anniversary.  I can't compare my story to those who suffered terrible tragedies on that day.  But that day did have an impact on my life, as it did for most of us.

• My September 11, 2001: Part 1
… Read full post »

My father in law likes to recall his surprise when he first started bring his first child, my future wife, out in public.  "All of a sudden, women started noticing me and talking to me!"

All new parents notice this change.  I suspect that dads in particular are struck by it… Read full post »

A week or so ago, GOP strategist Mike Murphy asked: "If Sarah Palin looked like Golda Meir, would we even be talking about her today?"

I wish that both Palin detractors and supporters would not focus on her appearance in such degrees.

That being said, to answer Murphy's question, of course… Read full post »

Abortion Doctor George Tiller Killed

Dr. Tiller was an outspoken defender of a woman's right to safe abortion.  It's a sad day that our country has a movement that inspires people to murder. Read full post »

Media reports: Justice Souter retiring

That's right.  Justice David Souter is said to have informed the White House he will retire.  Souter will evidently stay on the Court until his replacement is confirmed.

Why is this such a big deal?  

First off, just imagine had John McC… Read full post »

Thanks to those who participated in the joint poetty venture!  Due to lack of full participation I had to cut the exercise short and we only got two of the intended three poems.  Which is a shame, because the third one had the most potential.

Here ya go!

 … Read full post »

Thanks to everyone who participated in our first Mad Libs style exercise!  This time we're broadening our scope and are going to make some poetry.

Each person, please take five (5) of the words below and fill them in the comments like this:

1. Noun: Lamb
2. Verb ending
… Read full post »

This TOTALLY makes me want to submit a Land's End order right now.  Don't I look so spiffy?

Thanks Verbal! Read full post »

Friends!

I need your help!

The neighbors and us are having a big Easter celebration.  It features an egg hunt for the kids, chocolate for the kids, and lots of eating and drinking for the adults.

So what's the quandry?  I am bringing a coffee-based cocktail and need a clever, thematic… Read full post »

I don't know what it means that I, an avowed atheist, always love listening/watching Jesus Christ Superstar on Good Friday.  It's a tradition I've kept since the days I sorta believed in Christianity.

I'd say I'm being ironic, but that's not it.

They don't make musicals li… Read full post »

Thanks all for your contributions!!  Here is the resulting story...

One day, at 3:33 AM, mad_typist checked out Open Salon. “Who dat?!” she said as she saw the lead headline. “The Successful Whore again!”  “Are people so inebriated that they click on something… Read full post »

Among other things, a friend is person you can be apart from for a long time, and then pick right up where you left off.

Recently, I got to meet up with two college friends I hadn't seen in the 5 and 9 year ranges.  With both, I had kept up… Read full post »

Evidently some members of the public have gotten themselves in a tizzy because a couple who operate a day care center and have adopted two children, used to have an active sex life.

The couple in question once posted nude and sexual pictures and videos… Read full post »

Nearly ten years ago I was in a head-on car collision on a Minnesota state highway. This is the story.

I met my friend C my first day of college. You're told on the first day of college that some of the people you were going to meet that… Read full post »

Most of us have them. Sometimes you say the label out loud. Sometimes it's just understood. I'm talking about the work spouse.

Who is that person with whom you work closely nearly everyday? You're friendly. You talk about all work related things to each other.… Read full post »