Hurricane Irene Devastates Amtrak Customer Service

Hurricane Irene ripped a swath of destruction from North Carolina to Maine during the final week of August but one of the unexpected casualties of the storm was the customer service delivered by Amtrak. The government-owned rail system extends more than 21,000 route miles, but employees at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia failed to extend some common courtesy to me and my family in the midst of the travel woes created by Irene.

Androgynous Progeny?

I read an article recently about Egalia, a Swedish preschool that refuses to use gender identifiers when referring to the children enrolled in their program. Instead, children are referred to as "friend" and visitors, such as a firefighter who recently visited as part of a series on careers, are referred to by the made-up pronoun, "hen", instead of the Swedish "han" and "hon" (the equivalent of "he" and "she" in English).

On first thought, I found it kinda weird, but not necessarily a bad idea. The underlying theory is the children are released from the standards and expectations placed on them by society because of their gender. Girls are pretty and boys are strong. Girls wear dresses and boys wear pants. Girls play with dolls and boys play with trucks. These rules do not apply to children at Egalia preschool.

Jack Kevorkian - Death of controversy? Or controversial death?

A controversial man is laid to rest never having completed the work he sacrificed his career for. Jack Kevorkian, nicknamed Dr. Death by the media, died at 2:30 a.m. on June 3, 2011, almost 21 years exactly after he gained notoriety for helping Janet Adkins end her life in the back of his van in a quiet park in Detroit, MI. He spent his life as an advocate for physician-assisted suicide and described it as a compassionate act and a mercy that eased the suffering of terminally ill patients.

Happy Memorial Day? Hmmm… maybe not

As is usual, I posted my daily Quote of the Day on my Facebook page Monday (a thoughtful quote on freedom by our former president, Ronald Regan) and at the end, wished everyone a Happy Memorial Day. After all, it was a holiday and that is what you do on holidays, isn’t it? Then a reader and long-time friend of mine responded and made me think. (That is one of my favorite things about my readers!) 

Is it appropriate to wish others a “Happy” Memorial Day?

Hitting The Mark... Jason Pinter

A friend recently gave my husband and me a copy of The Mark by Jason Pinter. I had never heard of him before and had not had the opportunity to read his work, but he has quickly become a delightful addition to my regular list of authors. His style is easy to read and reaches through the pages to pull the reader into the story. Henry Parker, an ambitious young New York journalist, is a well-developed and believable character with a self-deprecating style that endears him to the reader within the first couple of pages. I was even more excited when I realized The Mark was the first in a series of books following Henry as he inadvertently finds himself smack in the middle of some hairy situations.

THINK! - Looking for someone to blame?

Katie Granju is a popular mommy blogger, author and activist who lost her son, Henry, to a drug overdose last year at the tender age of 17. Henry struggled with addiction throughout his teen years. He attended rehab programs with the support of his family but still could not seem to kick the habit. He was attacked and severely beaten and he overdosed on drugs before being taken to an area hospital where he died on May 31, 2010.

The Death of Osama bin Laden

Here we are nearly a decade after the al-Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and the United States is celebrating the death of the mastermind behind the attacks. Nearly three weeks after the raid that killed the al-Qaeda leader, the dust has settled, the flood of news reports has subsided, and the American people are moving on to the next order of business. I can’t help sit back and consider the implications of such a momentous event for America and the effect the behavior of our government and society at large has had on me. 

Do You BLUE?

My husband, Michael, and I just celebrated our second wedding anniversary. We are a combined family of five children and one grandchild. My husband works full-time and I have a home office, attend school full-time online and stay home with our youngest child who just turned one. Needless to say, we don’t get out much. This year, Michael decided he wanted to do something special and get us out of the house for the evening. He made arrangements for his mother to babysit, sent me shopping for a dress, and took care of planning the rest of the evening. The result… A fabulous dinner at Mamma Maria’s in Boston and tickets to BLUE MAN GROUP!

Finally, a book worth watching...

I love to read. Mostly crime drama. Some sci-fi/fantasy. Occasionally a romance well-buried in something intriguing and usually scientific or criminal. One series I was turned onto several years ago is A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. This is fantasy world building at its finest. Martin develops a couple dozen characters that you can't help but love to hate. Before you know it, you're talking about them as though they are real and you know them personally.

THINK! - Funeral directors harvest tissue without consent

The loss of a loved one is a difficult time made even more difficult if the burden of making final arrangements falls on your shoulders. There are so many details to address: where to have the services, burial or cremation, music, flowers, pallbearers, and more. Often the director of the funeral home you choose will help guide you through some of these arrangements. During an emotional time when you may not be thinking clearly, this is someone you can trust to have your best interests at heart, right?

Not necessarily…

THINK!

It should be no surprise to many of you that I like controversy. I love a good debate with intelligent arguments forcing people on all sides of an issue to think about how they truly feel about something that engages their heart as much as their mind. So, it should come as no surprise that I’ve decided to stir the pot and invite all of you to participate in a new series here on Take It or Leave It.

The new series is called THINK! and it is an opportunity for you to give me your reaction to controversial and hot button issues in the news. Fans of my Facebook page have already had a taste of the issues being discussed for the first article and I’m compiling opinions as we speak. 

The Joke’s on US!

I’m not really a prankster. I enjoy a good laugh and I think I have a pretty good sense of humor but the idea of dedicating an entire day to pranking others has always seemed a poor use of my day. It hearkens to my days of being picked on and made fun of in grade school – a time I’m not in a rush to revisit.

Yet millions of people will be celebrating today by playing tricks on their family, friends and co-workers.  I must ask myself, who’s brilliant idea was this? As is usual, I did a little research…

Science-Fiction becomes Science-Fact

Disclaimer: Video contains images of Wiens pre-surgery and may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion advised.

"What is now proved was once only imagined." - William Blake

This aptly describes the medical miracle that took place at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston last week when a medical team of more than 30 professionals performed the first full-face transplant on 25-year-old Dallas Wiens.  

Rebecca Black: Living her dream… or a nightmare?

Every child dreams of becoming famous. Either being a movie star, rock star, famous model or athlete. For one little girl, that dream recently came true… but has turned into a potential nightmare. Rebecca Black, a 13-year-old from Anaheim Hills, CA is feeling the power of social media and both the love and hatred of millions of people around the world.

Robbers, thugs and theives...

I am thoroughly disgusted...

The people of Japan have been experiencing a waking nightmare as aftershocks from a 9.0 earthquake shake the ground beneath their feet. Workers are still sifting through the debris left by the earthquake and the tsunami that struck shortly after trying to find anything salvageable. Bodies of people lost in the disasters are washing up on shores and engineers are scrambling to keep several nuclear reactors from melting down.

In the midst of all this, as the rest of the world rallies together to do what they can to help, there is a small percentage of our population who can’t help themselves. They absolutely must try to cheat the system and take advantage of those who want to help.

Luck o’ the Irish to ye!

Today everybody’s Irish and many will be celebrating by wearing green, eating traditional Irish dishes like corned beef and cabbage, and drinking green beer. There will parades, traditional Irish music, and other activities in honor of all things Irish.

But what does the holiday really mean? Why is it a holiday in the first place?

Prayers and Blessing to Japan

On Friday, March 11, 2011, the country of Japan was struck by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami that added to the devastation. The official death toll rests at 1,900 people so far but this figure is suspected to be extremely low compared to the reality. More than 24,000 people are stranded in the worst hit areas and close to 430,000 are living in shelters or with relatives.

It is impossible to conceive of this overwhelming reality without having lived through a similar disaster. Too often, we watch the news and sit in awe of the destruction that has happened to “someone else.” But disasters like this don’t just happen to someone else. This event has affected our entire planet.

Time to Spring Ahead...

If you’re like me, you value your sleep. So Spring-time Daylight Savings changes are not necessarily welcomed. This is the time of year when we turn our clocks forward one hour so we can take advantage of the earlier sunrise caused by our seasonal rotation on the Earth’s axis. Now that we in the Northern Hemisphere are leaning toward the sun, we have more hours of sunlight, therefore more hours to get up!… Get out there!... Get things done!

Or, if you chose to be cynical… to lose an hour of sleep… Trust me, my 11-month-old daughter has no concept of daylight savings time and won’t understand that it’s bedtime when my clock says 8:30 p.m. and HER clock says “one more hour to play!” And even though the clock will now read 6:30 a.m. when she wakes up, MY body will still know it’s only 5:30 a.m.

So who came up with this brilliant idea anyway? And why are we subjected to it year after year?

Mega Swagbucks Day!

Happy Friday! and Happy Mega Swag Bucks Day!

Those of you who know me know I love a great deal. I'm a sucker for saving money and if it's free, it's for me! I try to keep it in check and make sure the effort I put out doesn't negate the benefits of saving money. Let's be honest, if you have to spend an hour combing through magazines and newspapers and only come up with 2 or 3 coupons, it's not really worth your time. But if you spend that same hour doing something you would normally do... like, say, researching a current writing project... and you can earn money, I say you're spending your time wisely! That's why I'm a member of Swag Bucks. 

Don't get plutoed...

What? You've never heard the term? This neologism began to show up in pop culture following the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) reclassification in 2006 of Pluto from the 9^th planet in our solar system to merely a dwarf planet. The American Dialect Society chose “plutoed” as the 2006 Word of the Year in honor of this change and defines it as “to demote or devalue someone or something.”

...9-1-1...What is your emergency?

If you've ever had an emergency, hearing the operator speak those simple words can mean relief. Dialing 9-1-1 connects you to the police station, fire station or emergency medical personnel or sometimes all three, depending on the nature of the emergency. Whatever the circumstances, the right professionals are on the way to help with just one phone call. But this system wasn't always in place.

Did you hug your Valentine today? ...why?

Happy Valentine's Day! Does everyone have their sweetheart handy? If not, borrow one, just for the day. Promise you'll give it back when you're done...

For some, today was a chance to celebrate that special someone in your life, for others it's a painful reminder that they are single. But do you know why we celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14? Don't feel bad. Neither does anyone else!

Gettin' ready for Spring!

The weather report is calling for two more feet of snow here in Massachusetts. Good thing winter is almost over.

I can say that with complete confidence because tomorrow is Groundhog Day and, let's be honest, do we really think the groundhog is going to see his shadow in the middle of a blizzard? We'll be lucky if he can dig himself out of his hole in the first place!

In Remembrance of...

On January 28, 1986, I was sitting in my 8^th grade classroom in a small private school in South Jersey. Each class only had about 20 students but that day it was packed with three other classrooms worth of kids. Our's was the only classroom with a television and we were gathered to watch history.

New Year - New Attitudes

Welcome, 2011!

Well, it's a brand new year and we are faced, yet again, with a wonderful opportunity. We can approach the next 365 days with the same attitude we carried through 2010 or we can hit the mental reset button and head into the new year with a brand new attitude.