The ink on Bella DePaulo’s new book is barely dry, and we’re again bombarded with matrimanical, scientific sounding articles. MSN asks “Can Love Be Unhealthy?” And they’re oh so surprised that it can be! (Maybe they should’ve talked to a battered woman…). Their scientific sounding – 88%! – bites are linked to studies. Well, not really, the studies aren’t cited, the link doesn’t bring me to a citation page but rather to a page that has the exact same sound bites. And no citation either. A quick search shows a lot of UCLA studies that found 88 percent of something … Continue reading »
Aug 212009
I am reading two books right now that are touching on the ideas of machines in modern society. The first book is by Erich Kästner: Als ich ein kleiner Junge war (when I was a little boy). In this autobiography, Kästner describes how in his father’s lifetime craftsmen, like his father, lost their livelihood and ended up working in factories with machines to create more, cheaper goods. Or maybe they worked like machines. That is where the second book picks up. Bruno Bettelheim suggests in his book The Informed Heart that the existential struggle of our time is the balancing … Continue reading »
Aug 152009
Yupp, I mean exercise. To me, the most important question is: How much and how hard should I work out to live a good life? That wasn’t always the key question for me. A couple of years ago, I got wrapped up in the San Francisco overachiever exercise madness. “What are you training for?” seemed to be the key question then. And you better not answer that with anything less than a 10K! 5Ks are for losers – and not the weight-loss kind of losers… At least that’s the message. It never quite jived with the anecdote from my mom’s … Continue reading »
Aug 122009
Even though my official walks for this uphill battle fundraiser are done I did another walk today! It was gorgeous weather here in San Francisco, even in the Outer Richmond, where it was very foggy this morning. We’ve raised $808 so far ($40 more since week 8)! Can you help me reach my $1,000 goal? I am only $192 short of this goal! I very much appreciate the support I have already received both financially and otherwise! It’s not too late to donate either – I will appreciate the reward for a walking goal met! You can either donate online … Continue reading »
Aug 072009
My bed was rather sticky this morning. No, not the kind that comes from eating breakfast in bed. The kind that comes from not wanting to get up. As my vacation is winding down, I am noticing the brewing of what Eric Maisel has called a meaning crisis. Some might call it a low grade depression. Either way, it’s making it more difficult for me to get out of bed. I managed to get up half an hour late and still go out for my morning walk. During the walk I realized what I was telling myself: I spent part … Continue reading »
Although I am happily unattached, I realize that unmarried couples face another set of prejudices: Primarily the “you’re not serious until you’re married” myth. Just like David Letterman’s relationship of decades wasn’t serious in the eyes of many until he married his long-time partner. Amy Williams describes on AlterNet some of the things she has been facing along those lines when the simple act of not marrying became subversive in the eyes of others. I wanted to blame films like Twenty-Seven Dresses and My Big Fat Greek Wedding for brainwashing my friends and family into believing that a wedding is … Continue reading »
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