Gun Control: The Rivera Proposal
Of course I'm upset about the slaughter at [insert most recent event here], but I don't even bother to blog anymore about mass shootings because there's nothing new to say. After each incident people offer "thoughts and prayers," gun control advocates and gun lovers...
The Halloween Whopper
This was just too ridiculous for me to ignore. First, I LOVE Halloween and foods that are black, like jelly beans and olives. Second, I still like hamburgers, even though I now eat them without the bun. Third, the idea of a scary hamburger made me laugh out loud. A...
Wheat Is the Culprit
Previous post on weight & health: Physical vs. emotional Last November I cut grains, sugar, dairy and caffeine out of my diet. That means that on most days of the week I didn't indulge in any of those things, but periodically I had each of them in turn as the...
Sick of Summer
I've had enough of this Chicago warmth. I want the cicadas and crickets to shut up, the humidity to go away and the clouds to roll in. It's so BRIGHT all the time...come on, we're at the end of September now. I need darkness and it's time for autumn.
“I Don’t Consider Myself Elderly”
I was at a party on Saturday, talking with a group of women who were all over the age of 50. One of them had recently recovered from a terrible bout of food poisoning. It had taken her the entire summer to regain her full health because of complications. She looked...
Dreaming of Failure
One of the most annoying recurring themes of my dreams is being back in school. Sometimes I'm back in high school or graduate school, but most often I'm back in college. It makes me suspect I have a secret terror of being a student again. This occured to me again...
Suicide Prevention Day
By the way: last week I celebrated National Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th by not wishing I were dead.
National Suicide Prevention Week
This is National Suicide Prevention Week and Sept. 10th is National Suicide Prevention Day. I'm actually ambivalent about suicide prevention (I feel equally strongly both ways). I believe people have the natural right to decide when they die, but I'm also sensitive to...
The Ber Months
This is my favorite time of year: the months that end in "ber." My favorite month of all is December (because of Christmas), but I also love the autumn months that lead up to that. These days I'm in rapture because I made it through another summer, soon the hot...
My New Business!
I am very excited to announce the name of my new business that helps recent immigrants adjust to life in the U.S: Welcome Dialogue. Click on the name to see my brand new website that just went live last night! (Can you tell how excited I am?) UPDATE 2019: Sadly, I...
September Is PCOS Awareness Month
PCOS stands for polycystic ovary syndrome and increasing numbers of women are being diagnosed with it. It's a hormonal imbalance that can cause problems with periods and make it hard to get pregnant. The most obvious symptoms are acne, weight gain, increased hair...
How Old Do I Look?
I'm writing this post to make one thing clear about the website How Old Do I Look? On this website you can temporarily upload any photo and it will make a guess as to whether the face(s) in that photo are male or female and how old that image appears. The program...