The United States of Excess
Last night at a Chicago Council on Global Affairs talk I heard one of the most engaging, yet disturbing, speakers I've ever seen. Robert Paarlberg, author of The United States of Excess: Gluttony and the Dark Side of American Exceptionalism, talked about what he...
Depression Is Not Productive
On this April Fool's Day, I feel like stating the obvious: depression is not productive. At the age of 49 and three quarters, I'm still learning how to manage my chronic depression, which sometimes gets triggered by a specific circumstance, but often shows up with no...
One Mexican’s View of Trump
Hi. I'm a Mexican and I'd like to give you my view of Donald Trump and his campaign. I've already blogged here about the racism of Trump and his followers, people who want to ship ALL Mexicans out of the country, keep ALL Muslims out and take action against anyone...
Trump Is Still on a Roll
Don't you dare think tonight will be the beginning of the unraveling of Trump's campaign. Don't allow yourself to dream that the protest that shut down El Idiota's rally in Chicago tonight will slow his ascent to the Republican presidential nomination. The people who...
Go, Old White Guy!
I agree with Bernie that if so many other industrialized countries can afford universal healthcare, free higher education, maternity leave and a livable minimum wage, we can, too! It's just a matter of drastically reorganizing our national budgeting priorities and...
As Slow as Weight Loss
Previous post on weight & health: Wheat is the culprit I've spent most of my life as a thin person. I was a skinny kid and then a gym rat who constantly struggled to stay down at a size 10 or under. My raging sweet tooth that never stopped somehow never tipped the...
Stop Using Mental Illness Terms Improperly
Bernie Sanders has my vote, which I plan to cast later this week during Illinois' early voting period. But I was disappointed by his remark in last night's debate: We are -- if elected president -- going to invest a lot of money into mental health. And when you watch...
Where to Invade Next?
Michael Moore's latest movie, Where to Invade Next is instructive, disturbing and infuriating, but Moore ends it on a note of hope. He "invades" several countries, supposedly stealing their great ideas about education, women's rights, treatment of prisoners and other...
Yes, Trump. Of course.
It's time to stop saying we can't believe how anyone can support Donald Trump, or as I call him, El Idiota. It's time to stop pointing out his inconsistencies, his rough character, his racist attitudes and how little policy he's actually explained. It's the backlash,...
Walking Dead Makes Less and Less Sense
I'm caught up on all the episodes of The Walking Dead and here's my main question: if more humans turn into walkers every day and the remaining humans are increasingly unpleasant -- as one must be to survive in such an environment -- what's the point of trying to...
Clear Your Clutter
I have friends who won't invite anyone over because their place is a mess. As a big party hostess, I know the joy they're missing out on by never having people over, plus living with the anxiety that someone might just stop by unannounced (horror). No one should let...
The Walking Dead
In November I began watching The Walking Dead. I plowed through all the seasons available on Netflix and then downloaded part of season six from iTunes. Season six resumes tonight. Here's what I think so far. 1. What insanity/stupidity leads women (Lori, Maggie) to...