SomersaultingIt might seem strange that with war in the Middle East, a paralyzed US Congress, and the meteoric box office eclipse set off by Taylor Swift's Eras Tour "The Movie," that the thing that captures my eye and attention is a breaking news alert on my phone Sunday evening as I'm getting ready for bed. Actress Suzanne Somers Dead at 76 After Battling Cancer I am young enough to remember watching Somers in her break-out role of Chrissy Snow on Three's Company as the episodes air live. On TV, Somers…Keep Reading
Paying to PlayThis past week something very interesting happened in the world of social media and it’s probably not what you’re thinking. It has nothing to do with the latest celebrity coupling or uncoupling, MeToo scandal, or ‘people behaving badly’ viral video. It’s actually something far more insidious. The dawn of paid social media access. Just a few weeks ago the hot mess that is the owner of X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk, floated the idea of charging all users a monthly fee to keep using the…Keep Reading
Saving for a Rainy DayShortly before I graduated with my MFA in Writing, I turned my temp job into a full-time job offer. The money wasn't good—I had to take a second job once my student loan repayment kicked in. Eventually, I negotiated a raise for myself that enabled me to quit my moonlighting. At that point, I set-up a separate 'rainy day' savings account into which I direct deposited $25 dollars per paycheck without fail, even though I was literally living payday-to-payday. When I decided to leave that…Keep Reading
It's a Small WorldI probably spend about one to two weeks per month staying with my mom so she has support and company, because living and doing things alone all the time isn't healthy. Loneliness, after all, is an epidemic for pretty much every generation and that was before the pandemic forced us all into our cocoons and pods. The last time I was home, finding something both my mom and I wanted to watch was a bit of a challenge…after Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, of course. We're puzzle people in my…Keep Reading
I Don't Want No SatisfactionHow satisfied are you with this survey? Oh, the fury this incites in me whenever I'm asked it on a survey I've just invested my precious time completing! Why do so many companies want to gather this useless information and alienate me in the process? I just don't understand. And I can't believe I'm the only one who feels this way. In the first place, the concept of satisfaction as it relates to evaluating experience is problematic all on its own. I categorize it as ‘dead language’ because it…Keep Reading
The Sound of SilenceHave you ever seen the movie Stranger Than Fiction (2006) with Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson? In it, Will Ferrell's character hears this voice in his head (Emma Thompson) narrating and commenting on his life. After a fairly mundane action, resetting his watch, the voice tells him that this one act will eventually lead to his death. Comedy and drama ensue. The premise of the film is predicated on the assumption that most people have an inner monologue—though for most of us it's some version…Keep Reading
It might seem strange that with war in the Middle East, a paralyzed US Congress, and the meteoric box office eclipse set off by Taylor Swift's Eras Tour "The Movie," that the thing that captures my eye and attention is a breaking news alert on my phone Sunday evening as I'm getting ready for bed. Actress Suzanne Somers Dead at 76 After Battling Cancer I am young enough to remember watching Somers in her break-out role of Chrissy Snow on Three's Company as the episodes air live. On TV, Somers…Keep Reading
This past week something very interesting happened in the world of social media and it’s probably not what you’re thinking. It has nothing to do with the latest celebrity coupling or uncoupling, MeToo scandal, or ‘people behaving badly’ viral video. It’s actually something far more insidious. The dawn of paid social media access. Just a few weeks ago the hot mess that is the owner of X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk, floated the idea of charging all users a monthly fee to keep using the…Keep Reading
Shortly before I graduated with my MFA in Writing, I turned my temp job into a full-time job offer. The money wasn't good—I had to take a second job once my student loan repayment kicked in. Eventually, I negotiated a raise for myself that enabled me to quit my moonlighting. At that point, I set-up a separate 'rainy day' savings account into which I direct deposited $25 dollars per paycheck without fail, even though I was literally living payday-to-payday. When I decided to leave that…Keep Reading
I probably spend about one to two weeks per month staying with my mom so she has support and company, because living and doing things alone all the time isn't healthy. Loneliness, after all, is an epidemic for pretty much every generation and that was before the pandemic forced us all into our cocoons and pods. The last time I was home, finding something both my mom and I wanted to watch was a bit of a challenge…after Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, of course. We're puzzle people in my…Keep Reading
How satisfied are you with this survey? Oh, the fury this incites in me whenever I'm asked it on a survey I've just invested my precious time completing! Why do so many companies want to gather this useless information and alienate me in the process? I just don't understand. And I can't believe I'm the only one who feels this way. In the first place, the concept of satisfaction as it relates to evaluating experience is problematic all on its own. I categorize it as ‘dead language’ because it…Keep Reading
Have you ever seen the movie Stranger Than Fiction (2006) with Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson? In it, Will Ferrell's character hears this voice in his head (Emma Thompson) narrating and commenting on his life. After a fairly mundane action, resetting his watch, the voice tells him that this one act will eventually lead to his death. Comedy and drama ensue. The premise of the film is predicated on the assumption that most people have an inner monologue—though for most of us it's some version…Keep Reading