With the election season bearing down on us, we thought it appropriate to feature a conversation about our what our civic and social responsibilities should entail in what has turned out to be a pretty contentious time. I invited Ed Sabatino, Suzanne Cahill, Christopher Korenowsky and Justin Gill to talk over chicken wings and a […]
Archives for September 2012
Clutter This
When Siddhartha sat meditating under a Bodhi tree for six years, he came to understand that the desire for worldly comforts was a poison. And that our need to constantly accumulate possessions was the source of all the miseries of mankind. After sitting under a palm tree on a Caribbean beach with a cooler for six hours, […]
Episode 59: Organizing Stuff
“That’s meaning of life isn’t it – trying to find a place for your stuff.” George Carlin. The man is a genius. Our family downsized about three years ago, and, after we donated/sold/pitched out box after box of junk, it occurred to me that “stuff” might be a good topic for the Guide. I invited my architect […]
The CT Watchdog on Shopping
Because of the Internet combined with the global economy, shopping has gotten more complex: it is easier to find the best deals and it is easier to get ripped off. That means consumers have to be educated. A couple of rules: Nothing – except for free samples at a grocery store – is free. Anytime […]
Episode 58: Buying Stuff
Having just arranged for the payment of a rather large college tuition bill (“arranged” meaning we borrowed most of it), the topic of “buying stuff” has begun to occupy a lot of my attention. Not only do I question the usefulness/necessity of some of my past purchases, I wanted to get an idea of what criteria others use […]
Special needs are no laughing matter… or maybe they are
Last night was open house at my kid’s school. Open house is the evening where parents go to school and learn the exciting news that their kid’s classroom has awesome beanbag chairs that constitute the “Reading is Fun!” pavilion next to the coat rack. I jest of course; open house is important. It’s where you learn your […]
Episode 57: Educating Our Children
When the calendar switches from August to September, I can’t help but think about the various ways I have felt about fall over the years: nervousness and corduroys, preseason soccer, returning to college, and now, taking my son to college! Remembrances aside, it seems to me that any “manual for living” must contain a section on […]