Memorial Day Weekend

May 25th, 2013

Walnut Street Bridge pedestrians

Recently, in a span of 8 days, I attended or hosted the following events in recognition of people in my life: a college graduation, a 40th birthday party, a memorial service, and Mother’s Day.

All the transitions in the lives of people I care about caused the reflections one would expect. A few days after the memorial service, I found myself huddled with my yoga teacher, agreeing to treasure each breath.

I’m torn by two urges: Read the rest of this entry »

All that glitters

May 2nd, 2013

Killers 5.1.2013

I just got back from a Killers concert in Anaheim.

What I love about the Killers is that they will just pile it on. There were lasers. Pyrotechnics. Glitter. Fog. None of it was ironic, although they’re aware that some people might consider it cheesy. The Killers hail from Las Vegas, where it is normal to have sequins on your work clothes. It seems more like as rock stars, they want to be sure to give the audience a good time. And it was! Lasers and glitter and fireworks are fun!

The music is fun, too. Read the rest of this entry »

Review: Free Online Classes

April 13th, 2013

LAPL online classes

I recently discovered how to get good free online classes through the library! I noticed that the Los Angeles Public Library offers classes through the online provider Ed2Go. These are the same classes some college extension programs offer for $70-100 per class. A search revealed that several other libraries offered them, such as those in Houston and Muncie. Therefore, if you’re in the market for classes, it’s a good idea to check the library first.

I wondered what the quality of the classes would be like, given that they are offered at such low prices. Read the rest of this entry »

Drops in the bucket

March 29th, 2013

I got an e-mail from Senator Boxer in response to my environmental activism!

Thank you for writing to express your support for addressing the imminent threat of climate change and building a clean energy economy. I have been a longtime leader on these crucial issues, and I appreciate hearing your views.

As Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I recently hosted a Senate-wide briefing on climate change with four of our nation’s leading scientists. The scientific information presented was truly alarming, and it made clear in stark terms that the future of our country is at stake…

Clearly a form letter, but then what I sent her was also a form letter. Read the rest of this entry »

Causes

March 13th, 2013

During the heat of last summer, I decided to research and select an environmental organization to donate to/get involved with. I finally chose the Natural Resources Defense Council. I admit that NRDC always reminds me of the show Curb Your Enthusiasm, but I’m also impressed with the conviction that landed all the mentions of it on that show in the first place.

So far, it’s pretty easy. I donated. On the website, they have action items you can click on. They prepare a sample letter for you, but you can modify it. You can still do your own research and write your own letters, but they’ve done some work already, so if you’re busy, you can work with what they’ve already started. It was convenient, and I think they know what they are doing. So I’m against carbon pollution and for whales. Officially.

Tragic Flaws

March 2nd, 2013

Like many people, I was mesmerized by the hunt for Christopher Dorner, the former Los Angeles police officer who went on a killing spree in revenge for what he believed was an unjust firing.

First of all, what Dorner did was ultimately wrong. The defense attorney’s daughter and her fiancĂ© did nothing to Dorner. By murdering two innocents, he lost his claim to being more righteous than the officers he was accusing. Read the rest of this entry »

Learning the hard way

March 1st, 2013

Dollar symbol

I confess that at this point I’m actually looking forward to the federal budget explosion known as sequestration at the end of today. It’s not that I’m one of those people who think life would be better if the government were starved of all funds. Read the rest of this entry »

Moderation for Fun & Profit

February 16th, 2013

Truffles with nuts and chocolate dusting in detail

I recently discovered a personal finance book that brought me joy. In All Your Worth, the authors advise allocating:

  • 50% of your budget for must-haves (shelter, transportation, basic foods, basic utilities)
  • 20% for savings (or consumer debt repayment)
  • 30% for wants (movies, ice cream, restaurant meals, clothing beyond the basics, travel, video games, etc).

I found this book enormously liberating. Read the rest of this entry »

Identity Crisis

February 2nd, 2013

Now that I’m making my way over to Windows 8, it seems I need to figure out who I want to be.
Read the rest of this entry »

A Plan

January 29th, 2013

I’m going to try writing about a bunch of different stuff. The topics may range all over the place: technology, food, personal finance, books, whatever else I’m interested in.
I want to see what I like writing about in a blog format.

I also want to see which posts find an audience.