My Bit of Earth

Wednesday Poll: In Defense of Cooking

The other day, Janet at foodperson wrote this post discussing how she can make a good, healthy meal in the same amount of time it takes her neighbor to open his prepackaged box of hamburger helper.  She provides a nice example in the form of an egg and asparagus omelet, which she calls "convenience foods that Mother Nature makes." 

As a person who often finds herself quoting Michael Pollan's Twelve Commandments for Serious Eaters (from his book "In Defense of Food"), I say, "Amen sister!"

I'm always a little flabbergasted by my friends who say they have no time or energy or whatever to cook.  It's like, the word "recipe" scares people off or automatically signals something hyper-complicated.  But really, it's not.

Maybe it's just that we've gotten into a good rhythm with it, but I've found that nine times out of ten, the stuff we put together from scratch tastes incredibly better, is better for us, and doesn't take significantly more time (if any) to make.  I don't think we spend more money on it, and I know we go out to eat less when we have tasty stuff to look forward to at home (which is a real money saver at our house!).  I have a lot of trouble understanding why people eat the stuff from boxes and the like, especially as a regular habit.

So, for this week's poll:

What is your favorite non-prepackaged "convenience food"?  What's your favorite slap-dash, made-from-stuff-you-keep-around-the-house recipe?  Do you find cooking "from scratch" to be easy or difficult?  If you think it's difficult, what part is it that you have difficulty with?  And since I brought them up, what do you think of Michael Pollan's Commandments?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: "Loving" and Discrimination in Our "Enlightened" Times

It's been all over the news of course, but Mildred Loving died last week.  In case you're unfamiliar with the Supreme Court case that bears her name:

"Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving grew up as friends and neighbors in Caroline County, Va. In June 1958, Richard got 18-year-old Mildred pregnant, and the young lovers decided to get married. Ordinarily, that would have been the respectable thing to do. But Mildred was black, Richard was white, and the Commonwealth of Virginia and 15 other states still had laws on the books prohibiting miscegenation. Mildred and Richard had to travel to Washington, D.C., to get married in a civil ceremony. Then they returned home to Central Point, Va.

"A few weeks later, the local sheriff literally burst into the newlyweds' bedroom and arrested them for violating Virginia's Racial Integrity Act. ('If any white person intermarry with a colored person, or any colored person intermarry with a white person, he shall be guilty of a felony.') The Lovings were convicted by a judge who wrote, 'Almighty God … did not intend for the races to mix' but agreed to suspend their one-year jail sentence provided they left Virginia and didn't return for 25 years.

Wednesday Poll: No Commentor Left Behind

As a late comment to last week's "rant" question, my Nice-Mom-In-Law said she would rant about "No Child Left Behind."

I was chatting about that with a friend this morning, and we ended up coming round to the idea that policies such as NCLB are symptomatic of a greater societal problem--we really don't allow people not to be good at certain activities anymore. 

Don't misunderstand, I'm not arguing that every child shouldn't know how to read, write, and do at least basic math, and I'm not saying every child shouldn't be encouraged to try.  But should everyone get a ribbon at the track meet, even the person who came in last place?  Should everyone get a prize at the spelling bee, even the kid who didn't make it past the first round? 

And to expand that thought, should everyone be asked to excel at academics or sports or whatever, even when it's apparent that a person's talents might lie elsewhere?  And does pressuring someone who's not good at one thing to keep trying to do that thing deprive them of the chance to learn to do something they really might have a gift for?

In the spirit of that discussion, and for this week's poll:

What's something you're not good at?  Was there a time you felt pressured to excel in that area despite the fact that you're just not good at it?  Conversely, what's something you're good at?  How does it all fit together for you?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Rant On!

One of the reasons I like the show "Boston Legal" is because they always deal with legal issues that are fairly current.  And--although it's so unrealistic--I love it that Alan Shore (James Spader) gets to say stuff I wish I could say in court, but can't because, well, I like my law license. 

This evening's episode was more current than usual.  It featured Shore arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case where the defendant had been sentenced to death for raping a child in Louisiana.  In case you don't keep up, that exact same case (Kennedy v. Louisiana) was argued in the real U.S. Supreme Court just last week.  And Shore didn't pull any punches.  He called the justices out, went off on all the hypocrisies inherent in our capital punishment scheme, and more! (UPDATE:  I found a clip of it!)

It was the same stuff my co-workers and I go off about, but really can't say in front of an actual court.  And even though it was a fake lawyer ranting at fake justices I just about stood up and cheered when he was done.  Although who knows if any of the real justices watch the show, somehow it's almost like my own rants on the subject were delivered (minus all of the unpleasantness that would occur if I were to deliver said rants personally).

So, for this week's poll:

If you could go on an all out rant on someone about an issue you care about without having to deal with any of the repercussions of said rant, who would you go off on and what would you go off about?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Sorta Senseless Safekeeping

I was putting some stuff in my cedar chest the other day when I uncovered a set of dish towels that my grandmother embroidered for me as a wedding present.  At the time I decided they were too pretty to use, so I put them away for safekeeping.  As I pulled them out of the chest though, I thought to myself, "I really should throw some of our old towels away and use these instead." 

But then, as I unfolded each one and laid them out together, I realized I couldn't bring myself to do it.  Although I know my grandmother herself would laugh at my silliness, as I looked at the bright colors of the thread and each perfect little stitch...and pictured myself using them to wipe up spaghetti sauce and grease spots and to wring out spinach...nope, just couldn't do it.  Back into the cedar chest the towels went, for a time when I have a place to display them with no danger of them actually being used.

Thinking about it logically, it's a bit ridiculous.  They're dish towels.  Their whole reason for being is to clean up messes.  I'm keeping them from their purpose in life.  But that doesn't change my mind!

So, for this week's poll:

What's something that you have (or had in the past) that you keep safe by not using it for it's intended purpose?  Why?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

This winter Moe and I got into a new bad habit.

See, I'm a cold blooded person, so I always want someone to snuggle with when I crawl into bed on chilly winter nights.  Unfortunately, Sweet Husband is just the opposite, so there are nights when he's too warm for a snuggle.  This winter I discovered a solution to our problem in the form of a certain wee terrier.  With Moe cuddled up against my chest I stayed nice and toasty, and Sweet Husband stayed cool as a cucumber--a win/win situation for everyone, including Moe who thought the idea was just swell.

Except now that Spring is coming I don't necessarily need my furry heat pack anymore.  Said heat pack however, now thinks that laying down his fuzzy head anywhere other than next to mine on my pillow is not an option. 

So, for this week's poll:

Where does your dog sleep at night?  How did the arrangement come about?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: How 'Bout Those "Three Things"?

Remember back in January when I did a Wednesday Poll (based on this post on BlogHer) asking everyone to essentially make three non-selfish New Year's resolutions and commit to them for three months?  Well, it's been three months so, for this week's poll:

How did it go?  Did you stick to your three things?  Or have some fallen by the wayside?  Have any of your "things" inspired you to do more?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Fighting Back Against Poor Customer Service

I was watching the news last night when I saw this story, about Mona "the Hammer" Shaw, a little old lady who--when presented with horrible customer service from her phone company--grabbed the aforementioned tool, took it to the phone company's office, and began smashing office equipment.

While I don't know that I can condone such behavior, I have to think about what it must really have taken to get this woman--who has probably hardly had so much as a speeding ticket--to this point. 

For this week's poll:

Ever had customer service that was that bad?  What did you want to do?  What did you actually do?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: The Five Year Old Within

For those of you who don't know, I argued my first case in front a court yesterday.  (To answer the inevitable questions, I thought it went OK.) 

During the couple of days beforehand, I was having a lot of trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I am, in fact, qualified and grown-up enough to have another person's freedom in my charge.  I kept having to issue these little mental mantras to myself, reminders like, "I am 27 years old", "I am a smart person", "I am a competent attorney".  Even once I was all suit-and-heeled-up standing at the lectern in front of the judges, it felt like my Mom should duck into the courtroom and say, "OK sweetheart, enough playing pretend for now, it's time to clean your room."

So, for this week's poll:

Is there a time when you stopped and wondered, "When did I become such an adult all of a sudden?"

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: The World is Full of Nice People

I was reading this post on BlogHer the other day (short story--the author gave a woman her ferry ticket and made a new friend) and it got me thinking about all the wonderful friends I've made while traveling.  Most moved in and out of my life in an evening--a few drinks, a few stories, some much needed help at just the right time--but they were friends all the same.  I like to think they're all happy, and I always hope their kindnesses to me were credited to them somewhere down the road.

For this week's poll:

Tell a story of a friend you made while traveling.

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: I Shouldn't Have Said That

I've always had a little problem with verbal diarrhea, but lately it seems to have morphed into a full blown case of foot-in-mouth disease.  And--although the moment the words come out is bad enough--the worst part about it is the way I can't help playing the conversation back in my head later and wincing at myself.  I'll be chopping veggies for dinner and just suddenly exclaim, "Ohmygod, I can't believe I said that!"  It makes Sweet Husband give me funny looks.

So, for this week's poll:

Make me feel better--tell me about a time you said something completely stupid, silly, or otherwise inappropriate.  How did you help yourself get over it afterward?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Hollywood Here We Come

I haven't seen any of the movies that were nominated for best picture, but nonetheless, watching the Oscars on Sunday got me in a movie kind of mood. 

So, for this week's poll:

What's your favorite movie?  And just to make it fun, pick at least one modern movie (say, post 1990ish?) and one classic movie.

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Ch-Ch-Changes

For those of you who don't already know, I started a new job this week.  I'm pretty psyched about it.  While I mostly liked the old job, the new place was where I really started out wanting to be.  (And I can now introduce myself as a bona fide "defender of truth and justice"--how cool is that?)

But with change comes, well, change. 

So, for this week's poll:

Are you a creature of habit?  Or do you like change?  In either case, why do you think that is and how do you make it work for you?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Join My Etsy Insanity

It could be my rabid crafty kick.  It could be that it's nasty outside.  It could be that it's been a slow week.

Whatever the cause, I have spent the past 48 hours freaking obsessed with etsy.

For the uninitiated, etsy is a website where people can buy and sell handmade items.  Everything must largely be the work of the person selling it, and no mass produced items are allowed.  The result is a very artsy, fun, and neat little marketplace.

My very favorite local artist, Rachael Sudlow, has a little shop.  I'm getting some great ideas for felted bead necklaces here and here.  This little heart would be the most perfect thing ever for Valentine's Day.  And I just bought the pendant pictured above from Littleput Books.  (Her little recycled scrabble tiles are so pretty, it took me almost an hour to pick the one I wanted.)

I'm usually so against promoting the accumulation of stuff--'cause don't we all have enough?--but today I'm making an exception.  For this week's poll:

Do a search on etsy--you can search by category, location, or even color, but personally I'm a big fan of the "pounce" feature.  Leave a link below to one thing you absolutely love and tell why.

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: What Breed of Dog Are You?

I'm surprised I haven't thought of this one before!

For this week's question:

If you were a dog, what kind would you be?  Take this quiz (or another one of your choice) or just make it up and say why.

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Dreaming 'Bout My Crazy Life

Whew!  This one's almost a "Thursday Poll", I know, but these past few days have been crazy.  (Well, crazy compared to my normal days.)  And to top it all off I haven't been sleeping very well because I've been having the weirdest dreams.

The other night I dreamed one of my great-uncles--whom I barely even knew--was showing me how to plant baby beets in my grandmother's back yard.

The night after that, I dreamed I went to work with a bath towel on my head.  Our secretary was in her pajamas, and all kinds of important people (including the Democratic candidates for President of the United States) were in my office.  I don't remember any of the conversation, just that I was way stressed out about how I was going to get the towel off my head without anyone noticing.

The same night I also dreamed our security guards were charging people $10 to ride the elevators.  Some of my co-workers and I were running covert-ops--complete with walkie-talkies and camouflage gear--to sneak past them without paying.

The really scary thing is some of this actually makes sense.  For example, I've been looking for baby beets for a recipe I want to make.

So for this week's poll:

Anyone else had any crazy dreams lately?  Did any of it make sense based on events in your life?  Or was it all total nonsense?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Theme Songs

I have this maybe-kind-of-weird habit of assigning theme songs to people and events in my life. 

My first big, dramatic high school break-up?  "Never is a Promise" by Fiona Apple.  (Important lyrics:  "I realize what I am now / Too smart to mention / To you.") 

The first few months of dating Sweet Husband?  "Bucket Seats" by Cake.  ("Stick shifts and safety belts / Bucket seats have all got to go. / When we're driving in the car / It makes my baby seem so far.")

Nice Sister?  "Brown-Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison.  ("Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah.")

Even my dog Moe has his own theme song--"Upside Down" by Jack Johnson.  ("I can't do everything / Well I can try" and "There's no stopping curiosity".)

For this week's poll:

If you had to pick a theme song for yourself, what would it be?  For someone else?  For an event in your life?  Share some of the lyrics to help explain why.

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Pay the Writers What They Want...Seriously

I've never considered myself a TV junkie.  I'm a big fan of "Grey's", and I'll watch "Dirty, Sexy, Money" and "Private Practice" if I happen to be home and not doing anything exciting.  But really, as far as planned TV watching goes that's about it.

So why is this writer's strike thing making me so crazy?

Well, in short, I think it's because it's January.  It's too cold and dark to really be outside, I've read most of the books I got for Christmas, and there's only so much you can do after 7:30 on a week night that doesn't involve needless eating, drinking, or shopping.  (And I'd rather ram toothpicks under my nails than watch reality TV.)  I've signed up for a little of this and a little of that at least a few nights a week, but on the whole--insert whiny four year old voice--I'm borrrrred.

So, for this week's poll:

What are you doing in the time you used to spend watching TV?  And does the fact that "American Gladiators" is now a prime time show completely disturb anyone else?  Or is it just me?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Three Things

The other day, this BlogHer post popped up on my Google Reader:

"I used to think that I needed to be 100% green, needed to boycott all the businesses that engaged in unfair practices, needed to be entirely scrupulous about every aspect of my moral life.

"And if God had made me a saint, maybe I could do that. But He didn’t; and I am not; and I can’t.

"All I know is that I can do more than I am doing. I can be more active than I have been in making the world a better place for all. In terms familiar to me, I could be living my faith more fully.

"So……….. I want to start thinking about what three things I can do in the next few months that I am not doing now. And then I want to do them. And then I’d like to challenge all of you to do the same. Pick three things to do that you are not doing now that can help the world be a better place. Then do them.

"They can be tiny or big. They can cost money or just time. But whatever the thing is, it will help someone else, or improve the world in some way. Do them by April 1st."

I think many of the typical New Year's resolutions people make are a little selfish--losing weight, reducing debt, being more organized--and while those are admirable goals, I like this idea of making some unselfish "resolutions" as well.

So, for this week's poll:

What are three things you are not doing now that you can do in the next three months to make the world better?  I've picked my three and will list them in the comments.  Then on April 1st I'll post again and let everyone know how it's going and visa-versa.

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Like Mother....

When we want my dear grandmother to have a stress-free visit with us, we don't tell her we're coming.  Why?  Because when she has a head's up she plans for what seems like weeks in advance--menus and schedules and who's sitting where.  And, of course, we tease her about it to no end. 

But, a full two weeks before Christmas at my house this year, Sweet Husband found me sitting down with pad and pen mapping out...you guessed it, menus and schedules and who's sitting where.  After a suspicious cough that sounded a little like my grandmother's name, he hurried away before I could ask his opinion on side dishes. 

This is just one of the many ways that I am slowly growing into my mother and grandmothers.

For this week's poll:

What is a good habit that you have that's like your parents or grandparents?  A bad one?  A funny one?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: The Clark Griswold Award

Although I'm usually all about tasteful and understated, I confess a certain weakness when it comes to over-the-top, embracing-the-tacky Christmas light displays.  Be it a blow-up Santa in a pontoon boat or a polar bear in a stock car (you know who you are!), I love the dedication and effusion of Christmas spirit that such displays suggest. 

And gosh darn it, it's fun!

So for this week's Wednesday poll:

What's the craziest, tackiest, most all-out Christmas lights display you've seen?  Be specific!  Bonus points for pictures (which can be sent to blackbird13ATgmailDOTcom, and will be posted!)

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Christmas Changes

I really thought it was just me, but after reading this article and this one, I realized other people have gone through it too.  One year the holidays were just...different.  Still wonderful and happy, to be sure, but no longer truly magical.  It didn't have anything to do with presents, and I had stopped believing in Santa over a decade before, but something was just missing.

For a few years after, I tried so hard to get it back, but whatever "it" was it was gone for good.  And although I'm now very much at peace with this new, grown-up version of Christmas, I sometimes still can't help but wonder about the transformation....

So, for this week's Wednesday poll:

As you got older, was there a year that Christmas changed for you?  Why do you think it was?  Is there a cut-off age for "the magic of Christmas"?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Think a Happy Thought

I've been trying to work this into a post for months now, and it seems this is the week for it. 

You know how you just get overwhelmed sometimes?  Not by anything in particular, sometimes not even by stuff that's going on in your own life, but just a little of this and a little of that until finally all you want to do is curl up in a little ball and lock the door?

When I feel like that, I watch this video.

You don't have to watch the whole thing if you don't want to (although I would suggest it), basically it's about five minutes of Welshie puppies frolicking to cheerful music.  I don't know what it was made for, I don't understand any of the words, but it just makes things better.  It's my happy thought.

For this week's Wednesday poll:

What's something silly that makes you happy?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: I've Got (Ear)worms

Lately, I seem to be having issues with earworms--you know, those songs that get stuck in your head that you can't get rid of.  It's so weird because, while sometimes I can figure out where I've picked them up (a week of "Jenny From the Block" after watching Jennifer Lopez in "Enough"); other times they just seem to come from nowhere ("Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog" as soon as I opened my eyes at 6:30 Monday morning).  I'm starting to wonder if the dogs are secretly playing annoying tunes to me in my sleep.

So, for this week's poll:

What is the worst song you've ever gotten stuck in your head?  Longest duration?  And, most importantly, how do you make it stop?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Should Sports Be Politically Correct?

I am not an expert in or avid watcher of anything athletic.  My glorious sports moment growing up?  Scoring eight points in one game on the "C" team in my 8th grade intramural basketball league.  Number of college sporting events I've been to of my own volition and not because I had to be there as a member of the band?  Two, and I left at halftime of one.  I don't know a tight end from a wide receiver.  I mumble my way through my workplace's March Madness contest.  I'm just not that into sports.

Nonetheless, as you may have noticed by my asides these past few weeks, even I have been perking up for this 11-0 Jayhawk football team. 

But, of course, true to my band geeky/social science major roots, while I'm enjoying the games, I'm enjoying watching other people's reactions to the games even more--how people get excited at big guys beating each other up (the gladiators of our time); how much self-worth gets tied up in whether "your" team wins or loses (when you really don't have anything to do with it); and, above all, the way a lot of the normal rules of politeness and politically correctness just go away when you're cheering for your team to wipe the floor with the other guy (because, ya know, you can really only be so polite about that).

Wednesday Poll: Saving Thanksgiving

It's not that I don't like Thanksgiving.  I'm actually very fond of Thanksgiving. Really--stuffing, chicken and noodles, pies, parades on TV, a four-day weekend--what's not to love? 

It's just that, being rather young-ish still, I always celebrate at someone else's house.  Which, even if I volunteer to bring a few things, leaves me without much to do in the time leading up to Thanksgiving.  And without stuff to do, I get into trouble.

Because, you see, although I'm trying my darnedest to hold out until next weekend, I'm beginning to feel my fingers prickling to go dig through our big red box of decorations for that other holiday--you know, the one in December?  Every year it seems that particular box starts calling me just a little bit earlier, because, after all, I don't have Thanksgiving to get ready for, so why not?

In an effort to make Thanksgiving a bit more interesting and stem the December holiday spread, for this week's poll:

What is something unique that you are thankful for?  Canned answers like "family and friends" are not allowed (because we're all grateful for those if we've got 'em).  Go outside the box a little--maybe something that might seem silly to everyone else, but makes you happy nonetheless?  Maybe something with a little story behind it?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: I Google

Not long ago, I read a big-brother-is-watching-you themed article about how Google is slowly and steadily gathering more and more personal information on people who use its services. 

Now, I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist, but I think the author has a good point.  Chances are you use at least a few Google applications.  Think about it--Gmail, Picasa, YouTube, Google Reader, Blogger--they're just all so darn nifty!  And when you put together a little information here, a little there...well it's easy to see how it could start to add up to a pretty good profile of who you are.

As the author points out, most of the ramifications are in advertising (as in, companies can target ads at you) but I also think it can be surprising what someone doing just a regular old search can bring up. 

So, for this week's Wednesday poll:

Go Google yourself.  Are you surprised by what came up?  Do the results paint a good picture of who you are and what you're doing?  If an old friend were trying to look you up, would those be the things you would want them to see?

Comment and discuss.

Wednseday Poll: Halloween Edition

As no one should be answering serious questions or thinking deep thoughts on this most mischievous of days, for this week's poll:

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a child?  Your favorite candy?  Your least favorite candy?  Any other good Halloween stories?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Bury Me Not On the Lone Prairie

I have a--some would say morbid--little fascination with alternatives to traditional burial.

I think its roots go back many years to the times I visited my grandmother's grave with my mom.  She would always notice the older, broken down headstones in the cemetery, and say how sad it was that no one remembered them or cared about them anymore. 

Then, a few years later, when someone told me what embalming actually entails...(ick!)....I decided then and there that I wanted no part of it!

And it seems like the rest of the world is finally catching up with me, at least in theory--for example, this article on MSN discussing natural burial (i.e. no embalming, no casket, etc.); this article about at home funerals; an article in Popular Science (that I blogged about way back here) discussing promesion (basically a good, quick way to become tree food); the LifeGem company (where they can make you into pretty, pretty jewelry).  But I say "in theory" because, despite the many options out there, I haven't been to a funeral--and I can't think of anyone else I know who has been to a funeral--where the deceased wasn't traditionally embalmed and buried.  I'm not sure if I even know someone who has been cremated.

So, for this week's poll:

Have you been to a funeral where the deceased person's body was taken care of in some way other than being embalmed, buried in a casket, and so forth?  What did you think of it?  Would you consider being buried (or otherwise) in a non-traditional way?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: A Dillar, A Dollar

This past weekend Sweet Husband and I sat down and did a huge overhaul to our budgeting system.  We'd reached a point with the old system where, while we weren't getting into more debt, our level of debt was not decreasing either.  Which is not so good for the savings-thing, or the wanna-be-house-buying-thing, or a lot of other grown-up-y things. 

So we plugged some holes, looked at where we can cut back, and I think hammered out a new in-flow/out-flow that will make us a little more accountable. 

And because all this has me thinking about the subject, for this week's Wednesday poll:

How does your budgeting system work?  What's your favorite tip for cutting back?  What's your worst splurge?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Breast Fest

Although you may not yet know it, at 10 a.m. today several bloggers and moms will be taking part in the Great Virtual Breast Fest, posting pictures and videos on the web of themselves breastfeeding.  The Fest was organized by two "mama vigilantes" after it became known that Facebook is deleting pictures of nursing mothers--this despite the fact that Facebook apparently has actual harmful fish to fry, such as pro-anorexia groups and pedophiles using their service to seek victims.  (See more info here, an article from the Sydney Herald here, and the original deleted picture that seems to have started it all--which doesn't show any breast as far as I can see--here.)

I have (many) thoughts and theories, but in the grand Wednesday Poll tradition I'm going to shut-up and give you all a chance first.

For this week's poll:

Should Facebook be deleting pictures of breastfeeding mothers?  Is a breast always a sexual body part regardless of the context?  Any thoughts on breastfeeding in public in general?  And lastly (especially if you think the pictures are OK) would you post a picture on the internet of yourself breastfeeding?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Censored?

In honor of banned books week....

The other day I was talking with a few friends about the adult "classic" books we read at what now seem like shockingly young ages--Wuthering Heights at 9, The Catcher in the Rye at 8.  The conversation predictably turned to whether kids should be reading such books, and then to broader topics of censorship of books in general. 

For three girls Midwestern girls, our experiences were surprisingly different.  Nice Friend One remembered actual school sponsored book burnings.  Nice Friend Two joked that she had watched an episode of "Family Ties" where a book one of the kids wanted to read was banned by their school, "so it was sort of like it happened" to her.  My own experiences (which I will share after allowing you all to comment a bit) were somewhere in between.

So for this week's poll:

What are your experiences with censorship, of books or otherwise?  And if you feel comfortable saying (since I noted it above) what general area of the country are you in?  For a bonus point, check out the most frequently challenged books of 2006 or the most challenged books between 1990 and 2000--which one surprises you most? 

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Employment Nostalgia

Lately Sweet Husband and I have been doing a lot of reminiscing about some of the jobs we had in high school and college.  They completely sucked at the time, of course, but looking back--no real responsibility, lots of good friends to commiserate with, no worrying about serious advancement or broader goals.  I like my job now a lot, but, at the same time, I don't think I really appreciated what I had back then.

So, for this week's poll:

What were some of your first jobs?  What did you love and what did you hate?  What did you fail to appreciate about them until you were older?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: The Bad Men?

(I feel like I have to include a disclaimer here to warn you this is not your typical warm-fuzzy Wednesday poll.  But it is something that really got me thinking, and I hope it will do the same for you....)

I am a faithful reader of slate.com's "Dear Prudence" column.  I don't always agree with the author, Emily Yoffe, but I do often find what she has to say thought provoking.  For example, in last week's column, she printed this letter:

Dear Prudence,
My younger, 13-year-old sister is having a slumber party for her birthday, and invited three or so of her 13- to 14-year-old girlfriends to our house. Shortly after, "Sara's" mother suggested that my sister's party should be held at "Tammy's" house. Why? Because Tammy has a single mother. Sara's mother is concerned that my father will be in his house during the festivities. There is no reason to be concerned about my father doing anything inappropriate to any of the girls (all the parents have met each other), but she is just uncomfortable about the idea of her daughter sleeping in the same house with another nonfamily man. She has also convinced the other parents that a change of venue would be a good idea. Although Tammy's mother is willing to host the event, my family is offended that the situation has come to this. Since when is it a crime to have a happy two-parent household? Should we cancel the event altogether, at my sister's expense? Ask my dad to go on a mini vacation? Go along with the venue change? Tell this lady she is overreacting?

—Befuddled

Wednesday Poll: Is There a Doctor in the House?

When I woke up Monday morning, the tickling sore throat I'd had all weekend had blossomed into a full blown, achy, nose-dripping, sinus-pressure-so-bad-it-felt-like-my-right-eye-should-be-popping-out cold.

After calling in sick to work, I started casting around for some drugs--I sincerely believe knocking yourself out and sleeping through it is the only cure for cold and flu--when I realized we were out. Even more troubling, I realized--with Sweet Husband gone on work and Nice Mom several hours away--there was no one I could call to get me NyQuil or soup or 7up or any of the other things essential to weathering out whatever bug I'd caught.

As much of a ninny as this makes me sound like, I was a little forlorn. As I sat on the couch sniveling into a rough paper towel (no Kleenex in the house, of course), I thought back and realized that between my mother and my father and my husband, I've never had to completely fend for myself when I've been sick. In almost 27 years, there has always been someone else there to take care of me.

Eventually, I made it to the store and got what I needed, of course. But it made me feel a little silly at what I had taken for granted--that everyone has someone to take care of them when they're sick, that everyone has close friends and family that love them enough to bring them a bowl of chicken soup. I thought of all the people who are alone in the world for whatever reason; or even just some of my single friends who moved away from their parents for college or married later than I did--all of whom surely have had to fetch their own cold medicine from time to time....

And, although I also felt like a big baby, I felt blessed that I had always had someone there. Well, at least, as blessed as you can feel between sneezes.

So, for this week's poll:

Who took care of you as a child when you were sick? What did they do that was especially comforting? When was the first time you had to entirely take care of yourself?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Have You Noticed Them Yet?

The ads to your left right, I mean.  I debated long and hard about putting them up--it seemed a little like tattooing my baby.  But, although the wonders of Typepad aren't terribly expensive, they aren't free; and I ultimately decided that if they can pay the bills (and maybe even for some upgrades I'd really like to make) they'll be worth it. 

I also really like the Blogher Ads' (the company I chose to go with) set up.  You can object to ads with any content you disagree with and they throw in some public service announcements.  Further, they also include four or five rotating headlines from other blogs who've signed up with their service, to give everyone increased exposure (see directly under the ad).  I've already noticed some extra traffic from the headline that went up for my "California  Moe" post.  While my attitude has always been that I write what I want to and everyone else can take it or leave it as they please, it is nice to have more ways to get stuff out there.

With all that being said--although I know it's not nearly as fun to think about as last week's question was--for this week's poll:

What do you think about the ads?  About ads on blogs in general?  Do you just ignore them?  Do you ever click them?  Do you believe they influence what or how people write?

Comment and discuss. 

Wednesday Poll: VACATION Edition

For this week's VACATION poll:

You have one week, you can go anywhere in the world, you have enough cash to do whatever you'd like to do comfortably--where would you go on VACATION?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Take a Whiff

"Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived."--Helen Keller

For this week's poll:

What are a few of your favorite smells?  Why?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: The Stuff We Keep

In my experience, whether they admit it or not, everyone collects something.  The only question is the the extent of the collection and how unusual it is.

So, for this week's poll:

What's the strangest thing you've ever collected?  What's something you're collecting now?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Becoming Jane

For this week's poll, something a little different....

Go here and take this short quiz to discover what Jane Austen heroine you are most like.  Then come back and leave your result--and any discussion related thereto--in a comment.

Wednesday Poll: We're All Winners (In Our Own Special Way)

When I was little, we had (for the most part at different times) a small herd of goats, several dogs, rabbits, and even a few cows.  But with all that barnyard fun, I somehow was never a 4-H'er and never entered anything in the local county fair.

Not a big deal, but still one of those things I'd like to do before I die--I don't know why, just do.

So, this evening I am planning to enter a batch of Nice Mom's cranber