the subway chronicles
Young and foolish
2008-09-27 21:37:55
The train screeches into the 7th Avenue station while I am descending from the street. By the time I swipe my Metrocard and take the stairs two at a time down to the platform, I hear the annoying bing-bong sound of the doors closing, [ READ MORE ]

the subway chronicles
Digging up the good dirt
2008-09-16 15:14:18
I think most people are basically good (yes, even in New York City). [ READ MORE ]

the subway chronicles
You know you've been riding
2008-09-16 15:12:30

the subway too long when...

you don't even notice that your jury summons lists directions to the courthouse by subway and by bus but not by car.

writegal
Threats to womanhood
2008-09-15 21:51:17
In reality, and on the big screen, women are taking a hit. [ READ MORE ]

ever green
Alternative-energy-powered gadgets
2008-09-12 14:33:03
Wind-up and/or solar-powered chargers, radios, and flashlights are environmentally-friendly alternatives to the usual plug-in or battery-powered versions. [ READ MORE ]

writegal
Palin
2008-09-03 19:29:16

And thus McCain did say, "be a good little girl and vote for the pretty lady." Replied the American women, "Please, old man." And Writegal did rejoice.

political prose
Obama's Reagan moment in Denver
2008-08-29 01:00:00

The stadium-sized acceptance speech that Barack Obama gave tonight has been compared to those of FDR and JFK, but the note he struck by the speech's end reminded me of a Republican: Ronald Reagan.

the subway chronicles
Pickles 1, me 0
2008-08-28 14:33:22
There are several things one doesn’t expect to see while riding the subway, among them: wheelchairs, pets, people having sex, aerobeds, Santa Claus, and rain inside the station. I’m not saying that these things never appear on the subway, but it’s rare. So when you happen upon one, you are stirred out of your general comatose-like state and take notice.
[ READ MORE ]

ever green
What it's like to walk to and from work
2008-08-21 01:00:00
Forget the hybrid vehicle or even a bicycle; the most eco-friendly way to get to work is by your own two feet. [ READ MORE ]

pulse
The bicycle I found in my sister's shed
2008-08-19 01:00:00

Sometimes I find true freedom in the night when everyone is asleep. The darkness has this way of inviting me in.  This poem describes the way I calm my mind when counting sheep just doesn't seem to work.

political prose
Hershey's not-so-pure chocolate
2008-08-18 01:00:00

Pringles are not potatoes. And now Hershey's Kissables are no longer "candy coated milk chocolate," but "chocolate candy."

pulse
Being broke is making me rich
2008-08-16 01:00:00

Twenty-three dollars to my name, driving a car on the verge of a breakdown to a house for which I pray I will have enough rent for September.

ever green
Eating bugs is good for the environment
2008-08-15 01:00:00
Every news outlet that is reporting from Beijing during the Olympics always has the same slice-of-life report about eating barbecued bugs on a stick. They only care about the ick factor, not about the eco-friendly nature or history of why Chinese would eat bugs in the first place. [ READ MORE ]

the subway chronicles
Dear Oprah
2008-08-12 01:00:00
When I was planning the book launch event for The Subway Chronicles two summers ago, I knew the party wouldn’t be complete without good music. It was apropos to ask a subway busker to play. [ READ MORE ]

political prose
Another dream team
2008-08-12 01:00:00

A Hollywood ending in yesterday's team finals in men's gymnastics, and a racist beginning for Spain's basketball team. 

» Rule no. 1 of political campaigning: Embrace xenophobic patriotism

» The Jewel of Medina

» Chinese pollution vs. U.S. pollution: media misses the big picture

» Is our food made from petroleum?

» Examining the Environmental Protection Agency

» Eco-shaped bottles — better for the environment?

» An honest audience

» The race war in Darfur

» Breaking our addiction to oil, cold turkey

» Cleaning green

» What's all in a word?

» Study: Mice who stop drinking booze swim less

» Onward, Christian soldiers

» The politics of Pringles

» Movie analysis: Spielberg's A.I., a fable about life's loss