The recession is over! Really??

Posted on September 20, 2010 | By Christian | No Comments

June 1 2009 - the new groundhog day?

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has announced the Great Recession is over!  Apparently the experts have decided it began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009.  I don’t know what to say other than “what??”.

Just Don’t Call Me Mr. Rob

Posted on August 4, 2010 | By Christian | No Comments

Check out this article by Rob Sachs, or Mr Sachs, in today’s Huffington Post “Just Don’t Call Me Mr. Rob“.  He discusses the way our generation has brought up our children to refer to their elders as Mr/Miss First Name as opposed to the way we were raised to call them Mr/Mrs Last Name.  Mr Sachs expresses his dilemma of how he should teach his children to refer to adults.  Close friends can be Uncle/Aunt but at what point do we delineate between who is worthy of such a grand title or relegated to Mr/Miss First Name?  And is Mr/Miss First Name really expressing the respect our children should learn to have for adults?

My wife and I have also wrestled with this (and I lost).  I tend to agree with Rob, err Mr. Sachs, that some sense of respect seems lost in the change of title.  Teachers and people in authority are typically Mr/Mrs Last Name so thats fine, but neighbors and friends are less formal?  To be honest, if I were a kid today I would prefer we go one way or another.  I have enough to think about other than worry about what/how I should call someone by name.  And what if the child should choose the wrong way to go?!?  Is this just going to add to the stress of the whole thing?  As a kid I thought trying to figure out if a woman was Miss or Mrs was hard enough!

If I had a vote (which I don’t) I would rather we went back to the good ole days of Mr/Mrs Last Name.  I’m ok with the Aunt/Uncle thing, but come on people lets all get together and make a real change!  ~cg

Watch The Stress Melt Away

Posted on July 14, 2010 | By Patty Pino | 1 Comment

I bought a watch this weekend.  Not the most provocative of things, I know, but I haven’t worn a wrist-based timepiece in years.  Why?  Because, who needs one?!  I decided, years ago, that my computer, my cell phone, my cable box, and my car have all the clocks that I need.  They keep me on time, or remind me when I’m late.

Let me stress the decision to abandon a watch was made years ago.  Recently, I had a revelation; I, again, need a watch.

Learn the way of the Watch

Years ago, I simply had a cell phone; now, I have a BlackBerry.  Years ago, I had a computer with email and a by-request internet connection; now, I have constant internet connectivity plus instant messenger.  We have evolved to that connect-me-to-everyone-right-now stuff and instead of living in the moment, we are living outside the moment.  I have become so busy responding to the immediate requests of others immediately, that I completely ignore the people I’m with and the actual conversation we’re having.  To put it bluntly, I’ve become an anxious, rude, half-listener with attention deficit tendencies.

How many of you can say the same?  Do you hang out with one group of people, but spend all of your time with them communicating with other people?  Catch up with friends at the bar, and you’re all standing around texting friends who aren’t with you?  Sitting in your living room with your family, but completely distracted from your kids conversation because you’re too busy updating your Facebook status?

Part of the problem is, when I go to check the time, I am sucked in to my email, my voicemails, my alerts, messages, tweets and the like.  And, damn the moment and what I may be doing, I must reply immediately. I’m guilty if I don’t respond and I’m guilty if I do.  Stress Recipe 101.

Hence, the watch and my new commitment to bringing myself back into the moment.  I’m hoping it tell me what time it is – literally and figuratively. Looking at my wrist will unplug me from the device-dependant ridiculousness that has been so overwhelmingly distracting.  Maybe you should consider conquering your time differently, too.

~pp

Now this is how you do a rant!

Posted on July 12, 2010 | By Christian | No Comments

I’m posting this not because I find Mel Gibson especially compelling as a person or actor, but I have to say the man knows how to rant!  I could just hear him doing this from horseback with his face painted blue a la Braveheart.  Mel you are an inspiration!

WARNING: This audio contains graphic and profane language.

Prince is Homeless and Deranged

Posted on July 6, 2010 | By Robert LaFrance | No Comments

The only format that Prince is releasing his new album on

I’m sure I don’t need to remind you but Prince is bat-shit crazy!  In a rare interview with a UK newspaper, he had the following pearls of wisdom: 

“The Internet is completely over,” Prince told the Mirror. “I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won’t pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can’t get it.” 

Riiiight, Mr. Symbol.  If Prince had his way, all modern technological advances would suddenly cease to exist.  So, the Internet is over like the airline industry is over.  He would prefer we travel to other regions of our expansive country via horse and buggy while panning for gold and trying to avoid being scalped by Indians.   Read more