Susan Van Sciver

Category: Soapbox

Opinions and other ramblings…

  • Spring Fashion Trends for the Feminist

    IMG_6840

    1. Tassels

    “Tassels are so fun! You can wear them as earrings, on a chain as a necklace, or even lining a top!” — SexyMagazinewithMalnurishedModels

    When I see a tassel, I think stripper. Thank you, cable television, for giving me images of strip clubs that I can’t unsee. I’m sure there’s some man I can blame for that.

    Who brought this trend back anyway – a cowboy?

    The grouping of cutoff strings on a tassel remind me of Aunt Edna’s pillows in the formal living room where no one sits except ladies awaiting a gentleman caller.

    To use the word of the moment, let’s RESIST, shall we?  Or we could just call this trend fringe..so much edgier!

    Which brings me to….

    2.  Pom-poms

    “Pom-poms are so fierce.You can line a pillow, your dress, your handbag, and, of course, your ears! Plus,they can be rainbow-colored. O-M-ROYGBIV!” —SexyMagazinewithMalnurishedModels

    I see pom-poms, and I think cheerleading; then I stop thinking. I’m not sure pom-poms are part of this girl’s “squad goals”.

    And, by the way, aren’t items named with a repeated word meant for toddlers? Do you think Anna Wintour can say “pom-pom” without breaking into a giggle. It’s like a grown up saying “doo-doo” or “wee-wee”.

    I say this trend is a “no-no”.

    3. Frayed hems

    “Intentionally distressed jeans are so 2016, to look effortlessly chic, try frayed-bottom jeans!” —SexyMagazinewithMalnurishedModels

    I’m sure I won’t look like Huck Finn getting ready to paint a fence; I’ll look like a liberated woman set free from a double-stitched hem.

    I think I rocked this trend back in the eighties when my mother was too cheap to buy me new pants and cutoff my sisters so I could wear them.

    Speaking of my mother, I’m sure she can relate to this type of rebellion. Wearing frayed hems is just like burning a bra, but without the fire hazard.

    4. The Cold Shoulder

    “Showing a little skin in an unexpected way is way sexy; try a cold shoulder top!” —SexyMagazinewithMalnurishedModels

    In some ways, this is exciting. I feel like us ladies have “cleaved” enough over the centuries to finally take ownership of what we’d like to expose. Why not don a blouse that’s just as butchered as a late-night Trump tweet?

    Michelle gave us the right to bear arms; 2017 is giving us the right to bear random ovals of skin.

    Personally, I like the cold shoulder turtleneck. It’s like the clothing equivalent of a mullet — business on the neck and party on the shoulder! Could there be a better look to thwart pussy-grabbing?

    Just remember:

    Whether you choose to accessorize yourself like a curtain tie-back or a throw pillow, whether you show flesh through frayed cloth or laser-cut holes, just remember it’s your body.

    It’s all about CHOICE, ladies.

  • “Gimme Dat Trophy” – 3 reasons why school didn’t prepare me for life

    “Gimme Dat Trophy” – 3 reasons why school didn’t prepare me for life

    I wonder if our education system really prepared me for the real world.  3 things that bother me:
    1. Trophies for participation.
    2. The grading system  – “A”, “B”, “C” and “D” are all good enough to get to the next grade.
    3. Everyone gets to the next level the same way – Everyone has to pass grades 9, 10 and 11 before they get to grade 12.

    Gimme dat Trophy

    In  my mother’s house, there’s a vast collection of small, medium and large gold trophies with little girls in action.  They’re swimming, holding a bat and getting ready to shoot a free throw.  There’s also a box of multicolored ribbons, a binder of Certificates of Excellence and the occasional newspaper article mentioning my name.

    Sounds impressive, right?  It’s an illusion.  It’s years of “awards” for participation, for showing up and for not quitting.  Some kids collected bugs, stuffed animals or comic books.  Me?  I collected awards.  My collection hasn’t had a new addition in a really long time…

    It takes a lot of drive, determination and passion to be a winner and, often, a lot of failed attempts.   As a kid, I wasn’t competing out of passion.  I was competing to win a trophy – a plastic, gold-colored dust-collector.

    “Gimme dat trophy….”  was the mindset.

    In my head this mantra is set to the tune of “Gimme Dat Oscar”, a gangsta rap skit from Mad TV.  They did a spoof on Forrest Whitaker’s nomination for the Oscar in 2006 for his role as Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland”.  Hysterical clip – check it out:

    I fall somewhere in between Generation X and Generation Y, which apparently, is also called the “Trophy Generation”.  Both Ron Alsop and Bruce Tulgan have written books using this term to descibe children who are so used to being awarded that they may be ill-prepared to excel in the corporate environment.

     

    The Grading System

    In school, there are 5 grades:  “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” and “F”.  The first 4 are all considered passing grades.  All you have to do is not get an “F” to get to the next grade.

    Of course, everyone knows that you have to get the higher grades to be college-eligible, but, nonetheless, you can still be a high school graduate without ever doing your “best” work.

    In the real world, the only grades that count are “A+” and “C”.  To get a promotion you have to be the best of the best or an “A+”.  Even if you’re slightly above average, it counts for nothing.  You get little recognition and seldom get promoted.  To make sure you get to keep your job you have to be at least “C” or average.  Anything less than that and you’re considered a failure and will likely end up on the chopping block.

    There has been a lot of debate among educators and parents on this very topic.  I just think that the focus should be on the joy of learning and less on the need to get perfect grades.

    Everyone rises at the same pace

    Each child must spend one year at each grade and cannot skip ahead.  Occasionally, some smarty pants will get to skip a grade, but everyone will know why.  “He got a 1600 on the SAT in 7th grade!”

    In the real world, some people get promoted multiple steps without any explanation at all.  Sometimes it is obviously for merit, but other times, it may just be a matter of being in the right spot at the right time.

    I don’t think it makes sense to accelerate children through school because they need to be mature before facing the real world.  However, somewhere in the curriculum someone should explain that success may come sooner for some than others and that the only real measure of success should be your own metric.

    It’s not that bad.  Just gimme dat trophy!

    I am being a bit facetious here.  I’m doing just fine in the real world.  And don’t let my grammatically incorrect blog post title fool you –  I did very well in school.  Obviously, I learned enough to use big words like “facetious”, which is a word I use frequently in the real world…

    I also know that children are sensitive and need positive reinforcement.   That’s the thing  – I am still sensitive and need positive reinforcement.

    Trophies for participation and a generous grading system may have let achievement come too easily.   I was a great student and got mostly “A’s” simply because the “A’s” seemed quite attainable.  It’s as though we were given permission to set the bar low – a height that I grew accustomed to.

    It has taken me a long time to realize that really successful people keep setting the bar higher for themselves without anyone setting it for them and that true ambition and drive propels one toward reaching goals – not recognition.

    Disclaimer:  I am fully aware that my tune will likely change when my son is in school and particpating in sports and activities.  I’ll want that little bugger to feel good about himself and get as many gold dust-collectors that make him happy…

  • Another warning label to ignore…

    Another warning label to ignore…

    Today, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ruled against the FDA’s proposed warning labels for cigarette packs.  See story here

    Currently, there’s a succinct warning label on the side of the pack that we have all seen and many have chosen to ignore:
    The proposal by the FDA was to include graphic images that include rotting teeth, a baby enveloped in smoke and a body on an autopsy table.  The label would be placed on the upper half of the pack.

    If you don’t think smoking is terrible for your health, then you must in a) living under a rock, b) deaf, dumb and blind or c) a rock star that believes he/she is immortal .

    Warning labels are meaningless to us.  Jerry Seinfeld astutely pointed this out 18 years ago on episode #84 of Seinfeld, “The Wife”.

    (from Google Images)
    Thanks to the TBS reruns, I have seen this episode at least 3 times.

    Jerry’s stand-up: Of all the places that you go all the time, the dry-cleaning relationship is one of the most bizarre. Because you keep giving each other the same thing, back and forth, over and over again. He gives it to you, you give it to him, he gives it back to you. It’s like it’s half his shirt, in a way. He has it as much as you do…you oughta go shopping with him. ‘What do you think of this shirt?’ ‘That would look good with a light starch.’ The only warning label people really respect is ‘dry-clean only.’ Y’know what I mean? Speed limits, lung cancer, cigarette warnings – your very life is at stake! People go, ‘Ah, the hell with it!’ But dry-clean only? ‘Oh, don’t put that in the wash! It’s dry-clean only! Are you crazy?!’

    Maybe the FDA needs to team up with the makers of the clothing labels….

    I am not an advocate of smoking, but I am an advocate for upholding the First Amendment.I can only imagine what type of warning labels would be next if these had been approved.

    I don’t really want to see a picture of a fat person splayed across the next bag of Cheetos I buy or a diseased liver on the label  around the neck of a bottle of beer.

    I don’t want to have to explain to my kid why there’s a picture of rotting teeth on the package of all the candy in the store.

    Maybe they should go ahead and put those labels on.  I doubt it will deter people from enjoying their vices.  I ignored the Do Not Walk sign today when I crossed the road to make sure I caught my train.  I also texted a message to a client while driving.  I’m also consuming a Maker’s Mark Manhattan despite the label warning me that consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.  Does my laptop count as machinery???

     

     

     

  • My kid – the bargaining chip

    My kid – the bargaining chip

    If I had Gisele Bundchen’s long legs, I would absolutely use them to flag down a car to assist me if I was broken down on the side of the road.

    If I had piercing blue eyes, I would stare at men until they bought me drinks and offered me trips.

    If I had unwitting charm, I would use it to get better seats on the plane, prime reservations and rooms with a view.

    I have none of these things.  At best, I have had a handful of moments where my wit or smile may have granted me a few perks.  The problem is I am not always witty and friendly, so I need something else to win me VIP treatment.  That something is my undeniably, adorable son.

    Is it wrong to use my 16-month old kid as bargaining chip?  I don’t think so.  I am not causing harm nor deceit.

    You see, Old SensibleSusan would say that the only way to get decent service is to look both presentable and approachable.  And so, in most circumstances, I will put on makeup before leaving the house.  I will try to make sure toilet paper is not sticking to my rear end.

    New SensibeSusan believes that there are times when looking put-together can work against you.  Looking a little disheveled can be advantageous.  Looking a little disheveled and carrying a toddler can be really advantageous.

    Example #1:  We had to replace 2 cable boxes because the toddler lost the card that makes these things work.  I rather put a stick in my eye than pay any more money to the cable company.  So I went  to the cable store with 2 heavy cable boxes in a bag on my left shoulder and a wiggly toddler with precious curls bouncing on my right hip.  One look at his super blond curls, and I had all 3 service people behind the desk trying to help me.

    Cost:  10 more minutes of aggravation trying to get the toddler in and out of the car while balancing the boxes

    Benefit:  $75 card replacement fee waived, 2 stickers for the kid and curbside delivery of new boxes

    Example #2:  We had the joy of dealing with a leaky kitchen sink this week.  The plumber said it was the faucet.  I did the research online, found the lowest price and went into the local plumbing supply store.  I knew the poor local businessman couldn’t compete with Amazon.com.  So I printed out the online price including 1 day shipping cost and brought the paper and the toddler in to the store.

    Cost:  down to only 8 more minutes of aggravation trying to get the toddler in and out of the car

    Benefit:  $50 savings.

    Example #3:  When my son was 9-months old, I took him on his first plane trip to see my family down South.  At the desk, the agent offered to switch my seat to another area of the plane where there was an unsold seat so my son could sit there, even though I had not paid for him to have a ticket.  When we landed in NC, my luggage came off the carousel with the entire top ripped off and about a roll of duct tape now securing it to the rest of the suitcase.  The baggage claim center gave me a brand new black rolling suitcase there on the spot.

    Cost:  I don’t know if you can measure the aggravation of traveling alone with an infant

    Benefit:  extra seat on departing flight, new luggage and emailed picture from the flight attendant of my son on his first plane ride

    I’m not saying that this always works.  For every kind flight attendant, there’s some jackhole who cuts you off and doesn’t open the door for you.  In life, you have to use what you have, and right now he’s the best thing I have – so I will use him as my little bargaining chip.

    If it works this well for me, imagine how well it might work for you if you’re a dude….nothing screams “help me” more than an unshaven dad in a ratty t-shirt with a kid in tow..

    **Poker chip above was by made by a friend and owner of www.bestpokerstuff.com**

  • Operation Tech and Balances – Results

    How much do I use the computer?  I overindulge.  A lot.  I did the math.  After tracking my use for 1 week in Operation Tech and Balances, I discovered that I spend about 48% of my time awake each day using the computer!  Now, most of that is for work – I work about 10 hours/day.  So excluding work, I use the computer about 12% of my time awake.  That’s almost 2 hours a day!

    How do you find the time, you may ask?  Well, it’s split between pre-work and post-work, and is usually in 5 to 15 mins intervals.  It’s sneaky time that adds up throughout the course of the day.

    Exactly what am I spending my time doing?  Here’s the breakdown:

    31% (36 mins) Blogging

    24% (27 mins) Reading news

    18% (21 mins) General internet surfing

    17% (20 mins) Email

    10% (12 mins) Social Networking (Facebook and LinkedIn, mostly)

    So I spend most of my time blogging.  That makes it sound like a super busy posting all the time.  Well, all that time includes drafting blog posts, reading other blogs on WordPress and checking my blog stats.  Hopefully, I’ll become more efficient with my time…

    A lot of my time reading news is in lieu of watching the news on television.

    General internet surfing includes researching recipes (I have to feed the family).  However, it does include a lot of time on my favorite time sucking site – Pinterest.

    I was surprised to find that I spend almost 20 mins a day emailing, because I don’t feel like I am writing that many emails.  Well, a lot of that time is spent checking (1-2mins every hour) and responding to emails.

    I’m not a huge social networking person away from the Blog.  I check Facebook once or twice a day to catch up with folks and to see their kids’ pictures.  I also used LinkedIn for a couple of minutes a day to catch up with the professional peeps.  Still, it takes up about 12 minutes of my day.

    So how do I think I fared in Operation Tech and Balances?  Um, I think my balance is a little off.

    I complain about not having enough time for a number of things – house chores, working out and keeping up with family.  Um, well, I think I’ve been lying to myself.

    I don’t have time to take care of broken things in the house.  Um, yes I do, if I spend 10 minutes less a day reading the news maybe I could call a plumber or chimney sweep.

    I don’t have time to call back so-and-so.  Um, yes I do, if I spend 5 minutes less on Facebook maybe I could directly talk to a friend.

    I don’t have time to workout.  Um, yes I do, if I cut blogging time by 16 minutes and Internet time by 4 minutes I could do a 20 minute workout DVD.

    I don’t have enough time to spend with my son. Of course, I can never have enough, but I can certainly find more time.  I’m guilty of trying to multi-task by checking email while the little guy plays with blocks next to me or reading news while he reads his books.  Yes, I do need time for myself, but I should try to be more engaged with him.  Also, I need to lead by example here and show him that the computer is not used all the time.

    Oh, technology!  I do love you, but love is blind sometimes. I need to get my life back into balance and get back to my senses.

    Anyone else out there feel the same way?  If you feel up to the challenge, take the 1 week Techs and Balances assessment and share how you’re spending your time?  If you want a quick and dirty spreadsheet to calculate your time, let me know, and I’ll send one to you.

  • Do Bee a Dick

    Do Bee a Dick

    I wrote a while ago about  my love of books.  I claimed it started with the Nancy Drew series, but maybe it really started with Golden Books.

       

    They were colorful and had this beautiful gold strip lining the binding.  I am told they occupied quite a bit of my time when I was little.

    Another childhood favorite was the Do Bee Books.

    I loved these, as well. They were guideline books telling little ones how to be good little girls and boys or “Do Bees”.  I wanted to be a “Do Bee” and not be a “Don’t Bee”.

    I think these books largely did their job.  I grew up a fairly considerate kid and, I think, a well-mannered and diligent adult.  Even today I think of trying to be  “Do Bee”.

    More seriously, I try to be like the best “Do Bee” I ever knew, my father.  My father’s name was Richard, but everyone called him Dick.  It’s not a very popular nickname now.  In fact the derogatory nature of that nickname is something I encounter on a regular basis.  I work on Wall Street.  I encounter Dicks everywhere I turn and very few of them are actually named Richard.

    When we were little my cousins wondered what they should call their uncle.  And so they asked my mother, Aunt Helen, if it was okay to call their uncle, Uncle Dick.  She said yes.

    My father, Dick was a very practical, well-read and economical man.  I always admired him, and when said with the right tone, I am flattered to be called “Little Dick”.

    Unfortunately, my father is no longer here, but his legacy remains.  I find myself constantly trying to be a “Little Dick”.  I think Big Dick would love that I created a website about sensible things.  Sensibility is one of the many traits we had in common.  I think if I had to write my own children’s book of manners I might entertain the idea of  using the title “Do Bee a Dick”…then I might come to my sense and rework that title…

    Perhaps a better way to honor him is to start another category on this site – “Do Bee a Dick”.

  • Tech and Balances

    Tech and Balances

    I have a confession.  I am an information junkie.  I have always enjoyed reading, but this crazy thing Al Gore invented totally blows Encyclopedia Britannica out of the water!

    Back in the day I could get direct information without banner ads screaming in my face and without access to shopping, entertainment news and social networking all a mere click away.  Most junkies can at lease avoid temptation trying to accomplish everyday tasks.  Alcoholics can typically do their jobs just fine without fear that a liquor store will one day pop up next to the copy machine at work.

    The real problem is that I have a kid now.  This little toddler is looking to me for guidance on everything.  I can’t have him thinking that the virtual world is more appealing than the real world.  I have to lead by example.  It’s complicated by the fact that I work from home sometimes.  He sees Mommy on the laptop, Blackberry, PC, iPad…balancing the paper in my lap.

    I don’t want this to bite me in the you-know-what one day.  I can already hear him using that line from that anti-drug commercial in the 80s – “I learned by watching you!”

    So I found myself in a precarious situation today.  There’s a little alphabet and animal game he likes online.  I say to him, “Owen, you only have 10 minutes.”  He’s 15 months old with no concept of time, but I hope by the tone in my voice he understands that I am setting a limit.  I realize I am setting limits for him without setting any for myself.

    I thought parenthood would make me think more of my child than myself, but it has actually make me hyper aware of myself.  When I look through his giant blue eyes, I can actually see all the flaws in myself that I need to fix so I can be the best role model as possible.  This kid is tough…

    Alright, buddy, you got me.  If I set limits for you, I must do the same for myself.  So for the next week, I’m going to track my time online like a fatty keeping a food diary. I know it will show I’m over indulging…

    So the only sensible thing to do here is to start “Operation Tech and Balances”.  I will record how much time I spend on the computer every day for 1 week, and I will categorize how I spend that time.  Some will be useful, like ordering groceries, paying bills, reading news, but some may be entirely futile.  I’m pretty nervous to see the results, but this is why I love numbers…they don’t lie.
    By the way, I’m starting tomorrow…
  • Matt Damon for President

    Matt Damon for President

    Watching the most recent Republican debate last night I walked away more confused than ever.  I’m just not in love with any of the candidates or the incumbent.  Sorry, but it’s true.

    Why can’t we have a young, hard-working, honest, ambitious, well-educated candidate with great stage presence and phenomenal speaking skills?

    Imagine if Matt Damon ran for President.

    I realize he’s a movie star,  but Hollywood and Washington commingle every once in a while.  I know what you’re thinking.  He’s an ACTOR!  When he saves he world or sounds really smart in a role it’s because he is ACTING!  Well, every time we see the President in public or on television, he’s also acting.  He is acting like he has everything under control.  He is acting like the economy and world are heading towards a better future.  He is acting that he really enjoys every single public appearance he has to make.

    Why Matt Damon would be a good president:

    1. He’s well-educated.  He went to Harvard and his alter ego Will Hunting was a well-read, math genius.  See this YouTube clip from August when he rallied in defense of teachers, including his own mother.
    2. He can lead people.  In Invictus he led the South African rugby team and helped a world leader (Nelson Mandela)  bring people together.

    3.  He has great political potential.  See the Adjustment Bureau.

    4.  He will do whatever it takes to get the job done, even if that includes gaining weight (like in the Informant!) or losing a ton of weight (like in Courage Under Fire).

    5.  He could use his alter ego, Jason Bourne, to tackle international enemies.

    6.  He fights for what he believes in.   In 2008 Matt started Water.org to help develop clean water solutions for Africa since so  many illnesses are caused by contaminated water.

    7.  He admits when he’s wrong.  He worked hard campaigning for Obama in 2008 and recently slammed the man in Elle magazine.

    “You know, a one-term president with some balls who actually got stuff done would have been, in the long run of the country, much better.”

    See the entire article here

    8.  He’s very likable.  People voted him Sexiest Man Alive, which was kinda weird, but it means he would definitely win the popular vote.

    I’m not the only one who thinks so.  For better or worse, he has an endorsement from Michael Moore and there’s a Facebook page dedicated to the cause.

    Sadly, I hear that his partner Ben Affleck is the one with real political ambitions.

  • How to Literally Exercise Self-Control

    How to Literally Exercise Self-Control

    I have always thought that the world was divided into people with good self-control and the rest of us.  There are those who workout every day at 5:00am and the rest of us.  There are those who stay focused and ignore the office chitchat, and there’s the rest of us.  There are those who don’t watch the Real Housewives of Fill in the Blank City, and there’s the rest of us.

    Self-control for me has always been like a flaky friend.  I am always hopeful it will show up, but I never count on it.  Even when it does come through, I can never be sure when I will see it again…

    So I am always looking for ways to get that elusive self-control.  I am not a huge fan of self-help books, but I do like science and I can always appreciate research.  I recently read a great book called “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength”.  It is written by psychologist Roy F. Baumeister and NY Times science writer John Tierney.  They believe the key to self-control is willpower and that willpower is actually a muscle.  Like any other muscle, willpower needs glucose and willpower can strengthen with exercise.

     

    I was initially very excited to hear about this glucose thing.  Could this be another excuse to eat and not feel bad about the extra calories, like when I was breastfeeding?  Yes and no.  Not surprisingly, the authors suggest maintaining a healthy diet as key to strengthening willpower.  Apparently, that old wisdom of eating a good breakfast before school has some science behind it.  The authors believe that we lose self-control when our glucose is low, and that’s when we make poor decisions.

    The book gives real life examples of people (including some famous people) and their experiences with willpower (or lack of).   I found these stories fascinating, particularly the one about a former street performance artist.  There’s also an interesting section on Eric Clapton and his struggles with addiction.

    Once again, a lot of what I read in this book seemed like common sense.  For example, some of this stuff sounds like “practice makes perfect”.  That’s nothing new, but what is interesting is that practicing in one area of your life may be making you better in more than one area because you’ve strengthened your willpower muscle.  The authors caution against trying to tackle more than one area for improvement at a time because when you’re trying to build the willpower muscle, you don’t want to strain it until it is stronger.  This is the same philosophy behind telling drug addicts to wait to quit smoking until they’ve kicked their drug habit.  I am using this guidance as an excuse to continue pursuing hobbies.  If being disciplined about doing Sudoku makes me a better Sudoku player, then maybe it will make me a better worker in general…

    The authors also give examples of ways to exercise the willpower muscle that seem very easy and can be applicable to most people.

    One of my resolutions last year was to read more non-fiction books, and I am glad that I read this one.  It’s a quick read.  I read it almost as fast as the first Hunger Games book.

    Now I feel like I have the tools to get that self-control I have always been after.  Apparently, I just need to literally exercise it!

  • Characters are People Too

    Characters are People Too

    Have you a read a book that changed your life?  For me, that book was The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene.

    I got this book from Santa in 1987 – the year that I really wanted a computer.   The home computer was not popular just yet, so I knew I was dreaming when I put it on my list.  However, my mother, I mean Santa, knew that this book would be better for me than any piece of technology.  Despite its old-fashioned image on the front, I decided to read it.  It was love at first read.

    It wasn’t the plot line of the book that had a direct impact on me, but it was the character of Nancy Drew.  She was attractive, smart and polished.  She was everything I wished I could be.  Nancy Drew made me a book lover, and I read every book in the series.

    Once I became an adult, I had to leave behind childish things like the Nancy Drew books.  Now it is increasingly hard to justify reading fictional characters doing fictional things when there are millions of real people living real lives.  On my iPad, I feel compelled to read each newspaper app and consolidated news app before letting myself dig into pretend worlds on my Kindle app.

    So last week, I was reading one of those news apps and discovered the following article:

    The Business Case for Reading Novels by Anne Kreamer

    Apparently there is a scientific reason to read novels again since reading about people in the fictional world can help us relate to people in the real world.  This is great news for us book lovers.  I can now justify reading any 99¢ option on my Kindle even if it isn’t a historical biography or business book.

    I hope everyone has a similar story about a life-changing book or character.  If you haven’t, I highly recommend the Nancy Drew books.  After all these years, I still think Nancy Drew makes a much more sensible role model than any pop star, movie star or Kardashian.

  • Beating China with Brownies

    Beating China with Brownies

    If the race to be the world’s super power includes a bake-off, we’ll be all set…

    In case you have not seen this before, let me show you what  America’s young innovators are creating:

    It’s called the Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan.  Like me, you may have seen this in a store.  It’s apparently life-changing enough to have made it to Oprah’s Favorite Things show.  I saw it and never thought of it again until I read the following artilce:

    Fans Play Favorite With Food

    I’m all for innovation, but something is seriously flawed with our society if our engineering minds would rather create brownie pans that no one really needs.  Aren’t there real problems that need real solutions.  Plus, does America really need any more encouragement to consume more brownies?!

    I am not blaming the inventor, Matt Griffin.  He’s certainly smarter than me.  He figured out how to sell a $35 dollar product to a whole bunch of people who didn’t need it.   I hope he continues inventing stuff.  Maybe he will develop the edge-less cake pan.  I really hate the crunchy cake pieces.

    I just think it would be nice to imagine a country that values true innovation and science just as much as this stuff.  Perhaps we need an Oprah-like person to be the champion for the real innovators.  Then maybe we’d have more cutting-edge ideas than brownies without edge…