"I'll be the first to praise the sun
the first to praise the moon
the first to hold the lone coyote
the last to set it free"

~ Amy Ray

Somewhere I have heard that research into consumption behavior is mainly funded by large store chains.  Isn't there a professor at Cornell who has done some startling work on supermarket selling strategies?  I am ( Read more... )

Actually, I just want to save some article references, goodies found while doing my Sunday morning surfing.  I really do not mean to offend and realize that other people are passionate about their issues, whatever they may be, just as much as I am.  Gee, aren't I willing to offer up placatory qualifying statements, today.  Usually I say something ( Read more... )

I am grateful for hot showers.
No, I am not reading the paper while getting warm and clean!  The shower was last night and I was struck by just how much I love those hot blasts of water.....[insert wiggles of delight here!]

This morning, sitting in the workroom with my computer and a second cuppa I was distracted by a squirrel in the Larch.  I think ( Read more... )

Choices are wonderful things aren't they?  It has been asked by people new to this country, though, why do we need 20 brands of toothpaste?  The first chapter of  "The Paradox of Choice" by Barry Schwartz is titled 'Let's go Shopping' and covers this very issue ( Read more... )

This one isn't scary so read on!
The other day I got a forwarded email from a friend, containing a quote purportedly from Theodore Roosevelt, on the topic of immigration.  The quote was actually appropriately attributed, just inaccurate in the details, as shown here:

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Well, we all get interesting email.
I read more points of view than a lot of people, taking in: the online NY Times (to great excess), the online parts of the Wall Street Journal, a few tidbits from CNN occasionally, the Onion, Mother Jones, BuzzFlash and NPR.  Oh, yes, I read the local birdcage liner - it gets delivered to work every day but Sunday ( Read more... )

Okay, I realized that I had read way too much election stuff when I would load the Times homepage and wince.
Thankfully, the top articles are now back to Hurricane Gustav, economic doom n' gloom and pix of soldiers patroling in miscellaneous arabic settings.  It has been enough to gag: I got so tired of the photo montages that were first reminiscent ( Read more... )

I have a dream ( Read more... )

Actually, I haven't had my second cup of coffee, yet, which reminds me: I truly hate Equal 'cupful' as a sweetener.  [gag]  But weighing less than 170 pounds (the 30 pounds lost mark) continues to get closer.  [sigh]  I'll put a Splenda packet in the next cup ( Read more... )

Yes, I am an allergic person.  We may all be, to some extent, simply by living a modern life and being exposed to, quite frankly, unnatural things.  I do wonder about people who are allergic to animals, though, as critters are 'natural' (more so than us, I often think) and, of course, so many of us are sneezing right now as ragweed pollinates most ( Read more... )