General

man riding a horse in the grass valley

Putting the “Car” Before the Horse

My recent blog post about – not quite embracing, but – giving AI a loose bro hug attracted some interesting comments and dredged up some feelings about the way the world is headed. AI is a tool, not a competitor – so far. But I wondered: Did horse riders refuse to ride in the new invention, the car, because they were so comfortable on the back of their trusty steed? Did they think the automobile was a fad they could crush by refusing to purchase one?

An ornament featuring a cat wearing a Santa hat.

Merry Christmas to All – My Christmas Poem

I published my take on ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in 2012. As we head into a short holiday break, I decided to rerun it because a) I still believe in the message (LOL) and b) when I was a kid, I wrote poetry all the time. Family and friends got poems in their Christmas and Birthday cards. I think I could have been Weird Alina if I’d put my mind to it. Anyway, please enjoy and we shall reconvene here in 2024!

black meme with writing that reads: How to support small businesses after Black Friday? Small Business Saturday.

What the Dickens is Up With Small Business Saturday

We sometimes buy things from Amazon. I shop at a couple of online grocers who carry specialty items I can’t get from anyone near me. We are not perfect beings and I despise helping a billionaire like Jeff Bezos get richer. But Amazon didn’t become the monolith it is without doing a few things right.

woman sitting on chair while leaning on laptop

Sleeping Like a Baby…with Colic and a Full Diaper

Have you ever had something in your life that felt so big and overwhelming, that the thought of talking about it made you feel like you might explode? Of course you have. We all have. And that’s what this post is about. It’s the reason why I haven’t broached the subject here, or on our Gracefully and Frankly podcast, or with anyone except those closest to me, and one nice woman I recently met.

lgbt flag

Pride – In the Name of Love

Recently, the couple at the center of this story told it, and I was there. I’m retelling it here, albeit without some specific, identifying details, because it isn’t my story. But I have two reasons for wanting to share it. 1. I think it’s awesome. 2. It shows once again that, in the words of my former KOOL-FM colleague Brian Bourke, “criminals are stupid”.

theater interior

Reviewing the Reviews of Reviewers, Including My Own

I used to review events as part of my work in broadcasting. It was never comfortable. TV shows, movies – not so bad. But live productions that cost a lot of money? I had a hard time telling people to pay to see something I had seen for free. Unless I was completely blown away by it. And few things blew me away.

grey metal case of hundred dollar bills

Billionaires Owe the World That Made Them

We like to watch old reruns of Shark Tank. For me, it’s not about seeing people become rich. It’s about people who need it getting a hand up from someone who has already been there, trying to make a dream come true. As we watch, I Google the company name and find out whether they are still in business, or what happened to them. But there’s an aspect of the show that I despise.