Thumb Pain From Cell Phone Use

I love reading the New York Times on my iPhone when I have spare moments. Sorry to say that this is the first and last activity I do while in bed.

Over the last two weeks I have noticed that my thumb joints have aches. I just wrote it off to aging. As I observed the use of my thumbs during the day I realized this pain has increased with my reading of the NYT. It is exacerbated by writing emails on my phone.

I also notice that using my eyes this way - narrow, small focus and squinting - also causes ocular pain. Lesson I am learning: relax in bed and buy a paper.

Healthy Peeps

My mom alerted me to the New York Times article Chicks with Something to Peep About by Melissa Clark in this week's Dining Out Section. Clark provides some ideas for creating your own healthy peep marshmallow delights including unique ideas about coloring and flavor.

I love peep season!

Designers as Constant Arrangers and Vignette-Builders

Today's New York Times' Home section has an article about Best Made Company's Peter Buchanan-Smith and his change of career from graphic designer to ax designer. I found this piece hugely inspiring as it is about living your dreams - taking all of the seemingly-random experience in your life (at least that's how my life feels) and building up to something so simple and satisfying as designing a useful tool.

I especially like one of the article's photo captions which states, "Designers like Mr. Buchanan-Smith don't just have 'stuff'. They are constant arrangers and vignette-builders. One a window sill: a plumb bob, a bottle of cogne, a moth." Sounds a lot like my design aesthetic.

Buchanan-Smith is also brave to publicly share his many life-changes including divorces from his wife and also his business partner. Out with the old and in with the new.

Facebook Measures Happiness Factor

One of my favorite topics - Gross National Happiness (Thank you Bhutan) - is now being measured by Facebook based on the happy and unhappy words used in status updates. Read today's New York Times article Is It a Day to be Happy? Check the Index by Noam Cohen.

Adventures in Bento Making

I've had an inspiration, after reading an article in the New York Times called Bento Boxes Win Lunch Fans, to make a bento lunch this weekend. My friend Jess is coming over for lunch on Sunday and she is my first dining guest in the new apartment. Unpacking my stuff from storage, I realized that I have tons of Japanese bowls and plates - perfect for a bento meal. Also many cute cookie cutters for shaping veg.

I am further inspired by the blog Adventure in Bento www.aibento.net.

Also found this fantastic website called I Love Bento for Bento supplies.

Stay tuned for photos of the meal and the apartment.

Photo from Adventures in Bento. Don't those rice guys look like peeps!

Fw: News Alert: Senator Obama Will Win Presidency

From: NYTimes com News Alert

To: Amy

ReplyTo: nytdirect@nytimes.com

Sent: Nov 4, 2008 8:11 PM

Subject: News Alert: Senator Obama Will Win Presidency



Breaking News Alert

The New York Times

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 -- 11:08 PM ET

-----



Senator Obama Will Win Presidency



The New York Times projects that Barack Hussein Obama will be

elected the 44th president of the United States, sweeping

away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease.

Read More:

http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na

Fw: News Alert: Connecticut Ruling Overturns Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

------Original Message------

From: NYTimes com News Alert

To: Amy

Sent: Oct 10, 2008 9:17 AM

Subject: News Alert: Connecticut Ruling Overturns Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Friday, October 10, 2008 -- 12:17 PM ET

-----
Connecticut Ruling Overturns Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

Connecticut's Supreme Court ruled Friday that same-sex couples have the right to marry, making the state the third to legalize such unions.

Connecticut's in the house!

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Political Snap Shot

Does this look awkward or what? Read more from the New York Times here.



Governor Palin met with former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. (Photo: Stan Honda/ AFP-Getty Images)

Living Sustainably

For the past few months I've been writing about finding personal sustainability most often in the emotional realm. Now that I'm back in San Francisco I feel like that is so quickly becoming a reality. But sustainability is more than just about emotion it encompasses economic and environmental issues as well.


I experienced this in action when I stayed with Matt and Rachel in DC for May and June. They are living what I would call a sustainable lifestyle and perhaps others would call it Green. Their home operates more as a collective in terms of sharing a house with roommates, keeping expenses down through conversation, a focus on recycling and using public transit and bicycles as much as possible.


Last night I had the most wonderful conversation with a new friend Miriam who is a sustainability consultant who believes that collaboration is the key to success. Needless to say we had a lot in common. During our conversation I reflected on my choice to rent a room in my friends' house, to use public transit and my bike to get around. Yes, some of this is motivated by the high costs of living in the Bay Area, but it also stems from my desire to live sustainably.


Sustainable living in the East Bay of San Francisco seems to be the wave of the present (as opposed to the future). In a conversation this morning I learned that the Fruitvale BART station has a free valet bike parking from 6am to 8pm at the Fruitvale Bike Station operated by Alameda Bicycle. I was so concerned about riding my bike and parking it at BART. Today I tried it out and the service is fantastic! Riding my bike adds 20 minutes on to the commute into San Francisco but it saves me $1.75 each way and I get my exercise. Plus, the route is direct and safe with a really wide bike lane.


In yet another conversation today I was thinking out loud about how long I will live with Stacey and Stefan. The woman I was talking to said that I should stay as long as possible to save my money. Rents are going up as people move out of their houses and rent apartments instead. Living arrangements such as mine are going to become more common. Yesterday's New York Times confirmed this with their article, Homeowners Take in Boarders in order to make mortgage payments. That's exactly my current situation. It is such a lovely deal for all of us, especially since we've been friends for over ten years.


As the economics of living in the US get more challenging with costs of fuel rising, job market potentially dipping, food costs increasing - you'll start to see more people evaluating their lifestyle choices in order to live more sustainably.

Post #601

Amazing but true, this is post #601 of The Kweskin Report. What a fantastic coincidence that today is a monumental day in American politics with the looming Democratic Primary. With Obama and Clinton in the running and my ability to vote as a Democrat here in the UK I decided to leave behind my No Party Affiliation status and go for the vote.

Obama is my man. He speaks to me. He speaks of change. He gives me hope.

At a rally in California yesterday four powerful women stood together to bring Obama's message of change - California's first lady Maria Shriver, Daughter of President JFK Caroline Kennedy, Michelle Obama partner to Barack and Oprah Winfrey. In the February 4 New York Times Editorial Observer Michelle, Maria, Caroline and Oprah on the Hustings in California Andrew Rosenthal wrote,

Ms. Winfrey — finally — spoke to the most emotionally fraught aspect of this contest. “Now look at this campaign: the two front-runners are a black man and a woman,” she said. “What that says to me is we have won the struggle and we have the right to compete.”

Instead of seeing a painful choice, voters, Ms. Winfrey urged, should see a moment when they “are free from the constraints of gender and race.”

That is a truely inspirational reason to celebrate posting #601.

The Web They Weave - only follow links if you don't mind critters

All the rains in Texas may be creating a tropical rain forest. The New York Times reports today about a giant spider web growing 50 miles from Dallas. Scientists think that with all the rains there are more mosquito's, flies and other grossness for spiders to enjoy. More food + more spiders = more webs.

Imagine the size of the "palmetto bugs" (aka cockroaches) that would be in our house this year if we still lived in Houston.

Location-neutrals A lifestyle I can get into

In today's New York Times, John Leland describes the location-neutral lifestyle in Off to Resorts, and Carrying Their Careers. This is a growing choice amongst professionals who can do their job from almost anywhere. Telephones, email, faxes (yes, they still exist) and the internet allow them to connect virtually.

Now this is a lifestyle I can get into. In fact, I was doing this when we first moved to Houston. There were folks who didn't know I wasn't in San Francisco and I didn't drop any hints. It was easy since we usually communited by email. Of course I wasn't living the resort life in Houston. It has been more difficult from London but with a US phone line into our flat (Bravo vonage) I do still participate in regular conference calls with San Francisco associates.

Whole Foods New Business Paradigm

Whole Foods opened a London mega store two weeks ago in South Kensington, just a 20 minute walk from our flat. The place is HUGE and some have said soulless, although with all the customers packed in it is quite soul-full. Stephen compares the experience to his first US visit to Ikea. People stare open mouthed at all the products.

Bulk foods seems to be a new phenomenon requiring a black board with instructions. Some differences to the US Whole Foods - an egg section, unrefrigerated, that includes quail and ostridge eggs, a muesli bar and an entire cheese room.

I've been there twice and will classify the experience as a food field trip. Stephen and I went to compare it to the US stores - filled with Americans. The second visit was with my friend Shelley who, like me, has some food choice "issues" meaning that it is a real challenge eating out with us.

Both times I arrived at the end of my shopping to face the world's longest check out line. With just a few items in my hands I've wondered if I should just plop them down and walk away. In fact, the lines are speedy. Today's New York Times has an article about Whole Foods mastery of the check out line. Apparently one long line moves more quickly then having many short lines in front of each checkout.

Here's an interesting blog posting and illustration about the Whole Foods New Business Paradigm (scroll down interview post). Mission, vision and core values are more important than making money.

Pigeon Feeding Eccentrics

Pauline, one of my work associates, identified with my pigeon frustration story and explained that here in the UK there is a brand of person called the Pigeon Feeding Eccentric. I think she coined the phrase.

I could immediately picture the type. There is definitely one of these PFE's providing our resident pigeon and his ladies with plenty of dry lentils and rice – directly below our bedroom window.

Photo provided by Pauline.

The following is a link to a New York Times article from October 2006 called Pigeon Wars. It even mentions pigeon feeding and eccentrics in the same sentence. I think we’re on to something.