This one touched off some quite interesting back and forth during a recent RLSG recording session. (Duo was amazed that I went from an OCD-ey neat freak to a… well, slightly less OCD-ey neat freak.) (How) did your marriage change you?
What are some of the best ways to express condolences?
This question is a direct result of the loss of Steve Jobs this week. I thought about how sad I was that he was gone, and realized that my pain was noting compared to the grief being suffered by his family and close friends. Which inspired this question; What are some of the best ways to […]
Should you treat all of your kids the same?
In our conversation at Geronimo, Paul Schatz noted the fact that it used to be common to treat all children the same way, but wondered if there needs to be “different ways to raise each kid to make sure they excel the most”. Great question. This is one of the most confusing things for me […]
What is a good philosophy for parental involvement in schools?
Mark Oppenheimer raised this question during our conversation at Claire’s about the whole “back to school” phenomenon. We also discussed those tiny chairs they make you sit in for parent-teacher conferences. Are they kidding? If you can’t find me an adult sized chair, let’s just meet at Starbucks. So, what is a good philosophy for […]
What is your favorite smartphone app?
In Episode 12 at the New Haven Open, Gary Choronzy (our web guru) complained about what he perceived to be “techno bashing” in previous conversations. Invoking the story of the Luddites, Duo Dickinson “manned up” and took responsibility. So, in deference to our previous “Neo-Ludditeism” (Duo’s term), I pose the following question: What is your favorite smartphone […]
When you greet someone: handshake, hug, or kiss?
One of the leading causes of awkwardness these days seems to be the art of figuring out what’s appropriate – especially if you hadn’t been thinking about the subject just before you encounter someone. I’ve noticed recently that right before I greet a member of the opposite sex, my brain is forced into overdrive to […]
What’s your “go to meal”?
Everyone has one: the quick, easy delicious dinner, and we had a lot of fun batting ours around during this week’s editorial meeting. (In a perfect world, they’re all healthful, easy to prepare, and go nicely with a buttery chardonnay. For Duo, the the on-the-go architect, the solution comes in the form of the pre-cooked […]
How much information about yourself should you share online?
This is a topic that was touched on by CT Out and About Publisher Ed Bartlett during our editorial meeting at Ashley’s Ice Cream, and again by Yale Rugby Coach John Broker during our most recent gathering at the New England Brewing Company. Everyone seemed to agree on one important fact: that while we’ve been […]
When is it okay to correct a friend?
Mary Scanlon wants to know! If one friend says Ne-veah-dah and the other “Ne-vah-dah” (Duo’s a toe-mah-toe guy), when is it okay to correct the other person? Our editorial board seemed to agree that the intent provides an important piece of the puzzle. What do you think – when is it okay to correct a […]
What should we all be doing to prepare for the possibility of unemployment?
This question is especially important – especially if you work in the media, as our guest editors can attest – and it sparked a lively discussion during our editorial meeting at Miya’s. Pam Landry, former host of “The Blue Plate Special” on WPLR pitched the topic because it’s something she experienced first hand: “Our parents […]
What’s the secret to receiving good customer service?
A story from Gary Choronzy during this week’s pitch meeting involved his frustration with cell phone and cable companies – and this evolved into a conversation about how tough it can be to get good customer service from any company. The recurring theme was how difficult it’s become to speak directly with a decision maker, […]
Where (and when) is it absolutely NOT appropriate to use your cell phone?
This is a question that arose from Joanne Kahan’s pitch about the noise that comes from people wearing headphones in public places. This, in turn, let to a conversation about what seems to be a need, on the part of many, to control the “noise” of everyday living – by creating their own! Cellphone use […]
How do you make mutually satisfactory compromises?
This question arose from Sarah Kyrcz’ story about going to a NASCAR race her husband wanted to attend… and how she ended up actually enjoying herself! (One of her secrets – just go with it.) Compromise is an issue we all have to deal with, and the ability to “give a little to get a […]
How should we teach our children good manners?
Guest editor (and Yale soccer coach) Brian Tomkins raised this issue in the Glenwood episode, having witnessed ill mannered kids taking more than one hot dog in a long line at a camp lunch this summer. The simple answer, of course, is for parents to model considerate behavior themselves: but based on the seemingly “epidemic” […]
Is there a safe way to protect yourself from mosquito bites?
And this BONUS question: how to handle the itching from when they (inevitably) get you. This topic was pitched by by guest editor Ann McGuire in Episode 5 at The Glenwood Drive In. Ann complained that “I can spray myself, it doesn’t work. I can sit in front of a smudge pot, it doesn’t work.” […]
How are we supposed to be raising our children?
This extremely important question was pitched by provocateur (or should it be ‘provocatress’?) Danielle Ginetti from one of Duo and my favorite New Haven watering holes, 116 Crown in New Haven. In Episode 3, Danielle shared her concern that “…there’s no set standard”, and I have to agree. How are we supposed to be raising […]
How do you find happiness?
Guest editor Matt Scott is a man in transition. He’s just been through a divorce and a major career transition. His *BIG* question: how does one find happiness?
Are there rules for clothing any more?
“…and what are they?” wonders guest editor and New York Times columnist Mark Oppenheimer. (I became a huge fan of Mark’s when he wrote “It’s a Wonderful Block“. about the Westville section of New Haven.) In particular, Mark wanted to discuss the proper attire for men at weddings these days. (Mark doesn’t feel the Oakleys-over-the-baseball-cap look […]
How should you deal with someone who is snarky with you?
I had the good fortune of meeting guest editor Christine Ohlman (aka “The Beehive Queen”) when I was doing mornings with Brian Smith on WPLR in New Haven. She was smart , funny… and I was sitting in the studio with the vocalist for the Saturday Night Live Band! In Episode 3, Christine posed the question of “how to […]
How can I help my teenager find a good summer job?
There don’t seem to be any job openings for XBox players this summer, which is unfortunate, because I have a couple of highly qualified applicants living with me: my two teenaged sons. I learned some valuable lessons while working on my own summer jobs: the fine art of getting a lot done in the morning, […]
What’s the most effective way to cut back on spending?
When you’re single, you don’t need much money. You need a place to live, a nice TV, and hopefully some cash left over for a social life. If the social life works out, you get married. Then there’s the mortgage, and the baby, and the minivan, and before you know it, the lessons and the […]
What’s the best way to treat – or prevent – spring allergies?
The big downside to spring for any allergy sufferer is the knowledge that your eyes nose and throat might, at any moment, stage an “uprising” against your face. We’re told to stay indoors to avoid the symptoms. Yeah, right. Have you successfully treated your spring allergy symptoms – OR – have you discovered a way to […]
How do you transition to a less physically challenging occupation?
From Pete: “I was in plumbing and excavation for over 20 years. An auto accident has made me ‘fragile’ and as a manager in today’s world you have to be in the field working with the troops. I can no longer use my body as my source of income. I’m afraid I may no longer be able […]
How do you find a good job after college?
From Benjamin: “I graduated college in May 2009 with an A GPA from a top 50 school. My first job was a 100% commission based commercial real estate sales job in NYC. I lasted 9 months before I left without making a dime. Its been about 4 months now, and I havnt been able to […]
What should you do when your toddler throws food?
This question comes from comes from Erik: “My 21 month old son … loves to throw his food while sitting in his high chair. I’m sick and tired of finding food all over the dining room wood floor. So what do [I] do? Need some answers … Debating whether or not to break out the flip […]
What’s your favorite healthy summer meal?
I have written before about one of the many banes of my existence: figuring out what to serve for dinner. Oh, and it also seems wise to think about the summer meal in a way that doesn’t require us to heat the oven to the “gates of hell” setting. You’ve GOT to have something to […]
What’s your favorite inexpensive form of entertainment?
I know this is going to make me sound old, but I can’t believe how expensive something as simple as going to the movies has become. With popcorn, candy and soda, a family of four can easily run up a tab in the hundred dollar range. I’m sorry, but when I spend a hundred bucks, I […]
Kitchen clean-up: sponge or paper towels?
One of the things that screws us up in life is the fact that we often end up doing something the way we’ve always done it, without stopping to think about about whether or not it’s really the best way. In my case, it’s an ongoing insistence that the proper method for cleaning your kitchen […]
How do you cope with burnout at work?
One of life’s cruel jokes is that no matter how great your job is, there are going to be parts of it that you will despise. Be careful if you find yourself surfing the web. Constantly. Please share your coping strategies…
How do you change a behavior you don’t like?
There are lots of things we do in life that we know we shouldn’t do – anything, from shoplifting to smoking to eating the wrong foods – but often it’s difficult to stop ourselves from doing them. Why to we do these things? That’s one for the ages. Better we spend our time trying to […]