Fall Fun

A few weeks back I organized a little day trip in celebration of fall. We rented a much loved minivan (read: old school ghetto Dodge minivan complete with dents -- thank you All Car Rental at the BK Marriott), gathered a few friends, and took to the highway at about 11 a.m. on a Sunday morning.

Since, lots of people have asked me where we went and how we planned it. Well, for one, I planned it all by my little self (thank you internets -- mostly chowhound). I specialize in cuteness, so the idea of a quaint little trip upstate was too much to pass up - and resulted in probably a good 5-6 hours of research online. Let's just say if there was a Jeopardy category on orchards in the Hudson Valley, I'd ace it.

Here's what we did:


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First Stop (b): Bob-O-Link Dairy. A tiny little cow farm that sell artisanal cheeses and fresh, hearth baked breads. We sampled the delicious cheeses and bought some - along with a load of ciabatta bread - for noshing on later. Note for the next trip: bring a knife to cut the bread and cheese!

Second Stop (c): Pennings Orchard. For apple picking, of course. Unfortunately, Pennings apple picking was done for the season (on Oct. 19), but they provided directions to another nearby orchard that also sold among the best apple cider I've had along with apple and pumpkin butter. Yum! Unfortunately, they didn't have hayrides or farm animals to pet :(

Third Stop (d): Demarest Winery. Not your average winery, this one had some R&B pumped out of outdoor speakers and was manned by the Italian/Venezuelan equivalent of the soup nazi. This man makes everything - from wine to balsamic vinegar to mamajuana. And, if you don't folow the rules, he'll cuss at you in Italian (while his wife chuckles to herself). Charming (really). We got some wine and ate our cheese, bread and apples here.

Fourth Stop (e): Bellvale Farms Creamery. This stuff is among the best ice cream I've ever had. Flavors included s'more, pumpkin, coffee (with toffee pieces in it), and white chocolate with dark chocolate chunks and raspberry swirl. Line was long, but goes fast, and there was a gorgeous view of the valley.

Fifth Stop (f): Applewoods Orchard and Winery. A bit of a madhouse (and we got there only about 15 min before they closed), but satisfied the need for hot cider, cider donuts and farm animals.

Sixth Stop (g): the town (um, street) of Sugar Loaf. Essentially a craft village and the place where we got real food to offset the apples, cheese, bread, wine, and ice cream we had already consumed. There are quite a few foodie-type restaurants in this area, so I'd recommend looking those up and skipping Sugar Loaf.

Now this is where our little trip got interesting -- and also where we, as fearless trailblazers, make your life easier when you take this trip.

**There are no gas stations on the route from Point E to Point G**. In fact, there is only 1 gas station from Point G to Point H, and that gas station is a good 10 miles or so from Sugar Loaf.

You see, we had started out the trip with only 1/4 of a tank of gas -- falsely assuming we could get some along the way. Yes, we passed up numerous gas stations in NJ. And, yes, I was keeping an eye on the gas meter.

Needless to say, when the red light went on, there were no gas stations to be found -- even on our trusty iPhones. We were then caught driving across Harriman State Park (of Bear Mtn fame) in the dark on a two lane highway, with no gas and -- even more alarming -- no cell phone reception. Concerned? Yes. Panicked? Eventually. Usage of the 'neutral' gear to coast down hill while other cars followed behind? Most definitely. We even managed to make a u-turn, *up-hill* in neutral after one wrong turn. (This made us very proud.)

Thankfully, iPhones saved us, and we coasted (literally) into a gas station and fueled up which took us to our final,

Seventh Stop (h): The Great Pumpkin Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson. Over 4,000 hand carved pumpkins light up the night at this annual event. It is truly spectacular and deserves its own blog post. Get your tickets early in 2009. They sell out quickly.

At 11:30 p.m., after dropping our friends off and dividing up our apples, we arrived home, let the dogs out, and summarily went to bed (or I did anyway - the boy, of course, was up for another few hours).

Photos to follow.

Dear Blogger

Can you provide a function wherein I am able to keep a list of all of my blog ideas?

It would be much appreciated.

Best,

Amy

In the meantime, I will write a blog reminder for myself (for those who are actually reading: if you can decipher, I suppose you deserve to scoop my yet unpublished words.)

- how we get scooped
- who will women voters be when i'm old (like me, I think)
- rectifying the need for indulgence and brains
- why must my dog lick his foot until the pad is gone? (oh wait, that's a question for my vet -- unless someone out there has an answer)
- must-see list
- Netflix...and why I'm always last on the bandwagon
- MFK
- food, politics -- metaphors
- new Microsoft commercials? Brilliant or just silly?
- why is my computer screen pink? (ask the BF tonight)
- contest (make my readers do something)
- why the Ds need a CMO
-haiku

BIG News

That's right, my loyal readership (you know who you are), there is big news today. I mean B-I-G.

Today is...

The 80th Anniversary of the day Tich Freeman became the only bowler to take 300 wickets during the English Cricket Season.

Well, that AND...

The official end of my 3 month hiatus from blogging!

I just can't help myself. I mean, Gossip Girl was sooo good tonight. Love the steamy steaminess between Blair and Chuck.

You'd think there was something else going on in the world that would spur me to re-engage with my short-lived favorite hobby (a big 'I told you so' to anyone that read the post where I made that prediction...don't say I don't live up to my word.)

In all seriousness, I've been meaning to write. I really have. It's just that nothing was getting me riled up. Well, there were those 2 turtles and that nasty man who accused me of not being a responsible dog owner (different incidents). Oh, and the delicious pork stir fry I made the other night. Yet, I still wasn't feeling as feisty as Maureen Dowd.

But, then they couldn't let it rest: this whole Sarah Palin and the election thing. And, I had the best blog title in my head all weekend ("It's not about Sarah Palin, stupid."...I didn't say it was the most original.) But, real life scooped me. The economy is in shambles, and so it actually just might, just maybe, just possibly COULD be about the economy...stupid.

Now, can we get down to a real election, please?

p.s. Don't get me wrong, I do want to see more of Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Foghorn Leghorn as John McCain. Oh yes, and more of Maureen Dowd's snarky columns. And just one more thing: keep the smut coming Gossip Girl (and don't forget NY Mag's next-day reviews) Please. Pretty please.

Sometimes Marketers Are Just Plain Brilliant

Zipcar IKEA brooklyn

We're sure you've heard all the hoopla and hype that IKEA Brooklyn is opening up this month. And well, we know how much you love your IKEA trips and how much of a madhouse it's going to be there and we wanted to make your life a little bit easier! So, to save you a little bit of time, Zipsters who drive their Zipcars to IKEA will be getting VIP Treatment in the form of 6, count 'em, 6, designated parking spots near the entrance! This means less circling the lot like a hungry shark, and more time for assembling later!

Author's note: I'm not going to deny that I am a HUGE fan of Zipcar. Nor will I deny that, while waxing poetically about the beauty of Zipcar to my Aunt from Ohio, she laughed out loud at the idea of renting a car by the hour. Only in New York (oh, and about 45 other cities. Take that Aunt Sally.).

Feeling Patriotic

It's summertime...but even more importantly, we have a candidate for President. Hurray!

I've jumped on the bandwagon early on and am hosting a bakesale for Barack next Sunday, June 22nd at 1:00 pm on my stoop. You can find more details at:

http://political.moveon.org/event/bakesales08/47997

I'm thinking the bakesale will be much less dangerous than my door-to-door effort for Gore.

Long story short: me and my girlfriend. bright eyed and bushy tailed. steel working town in Pennsylvania. we split up thinking we can cover more territory. me ringing doorbell at my first house. alone. large man (we're talking 300 lbs) answering and grabbing my arm and pulling me into his house (without a word). me. throwing up my Gore for President leaflets and screaming bloody mary thinking this is my last day on earth (also thrashing my arms and legs as much as i am able). friend running across the street to save me. large man (and equally large son) freaking out almost as much as me claiming they are trying to save me from their dog who was about to bite me. friend standing at the end of their driveway unable to save me due to the large dog. me. seeing dog and (sort of) understanding the assault. father and son feeling REALLY badly and offering my friend and I cookies and a coke. me. making sure they went out to vote the next Tuesday.

All for the cause, people.

Yes, bakesale is predicted to be MUCH less eventful. In a good way.

Tickled My Fancy

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

Apparently I'm behind the times as this blog caught the attention of the greater tech-geek-types a while back. But, it makes me snicker (and even snort once or twice), so I thought worth sharing with my vast readership.

Goal Accomplished

I create lots of "to do" lists. Weekend to-do's, career to-do's, house to-do's - and on and on. It makes me happy to make lists and cross things off. As the boy will tell you, I am very goal oriented.

The thing about my lists -- especially the more long term lists -- is that I'm not so great at tackling them. Keeping up with my blog is one such example. Updating my resume is another (that one's been on the list for at least 2 years).

But, I am proud to say that this dreary Sunday morning, I have crossed a major item off my list!

I began the creation of an online recipe book.

You see, I'm not an especially creative cook. But, I do like to follow recipes (it pleases the left side of my brain). And, I'd wager that I've tried at least 100 new recipes in the last year and a half or so, all of which are either scattered around my kitchen or in one of my e-mail inboxes.

So, here it is:

www.desktopcookbook.com

Thing is, the site isn't super advanced (read: some programmer dude -- or dudette -- could make a MUCH better site, and I would actually pay for a subscription). That is, I can't just share the URL, I have to share my login info. So here you go:

login: aefitzgibbons
password: recipes123

Enjoy!

A Mighty Wind

So apparently ConEdison is doing some marketing at the Banff Mountain Film Festival (how do I get that job???) because that's where my friend and her husband found out about this cool dealio:

You can now switch your traditional Con Ed power to Con Ed Solutions Wind power.

All you need to do is visit the following link and enter your Con Ed account number. The financial implication for most NYC apartment dwellers is about $10 per month. Your electricity will still be supplied by Con Ed but it will be non-polluting and will generate no greenhouse gases.

Here's the link:

www.newwindenergy.com/switch

Building a Loyal Base

Ok, I'll admit it: I'm a bad blogger. Well, not bad in the sense that my postings aren't interesting (b/c I know all of my loyal readers wait on the edge of their seats for my written words). Bad in the sense that my posts come in spurts.

As a marketer by vocation, I should know better. You know, customer loyalty and all of that. I'd also eventually like to get, you know, ONE comment on my blog (the 1% rule means that I need to get 100 ppl reading before 1 person actually posts).

Now, I will also admit that I haven't actually publicized my blog. I was hoping for the word of mouth thing to catch on...create some FitzThis evangelists. You can't even find it if you Google it.

I'm ready for the big time, but I have to confess to some angst when it comes to either a) writing on a daily basis and/or b) writing about one subject in particular -- 2 of the key ways to actually get some people reading.

But, here's my shot at some really advanced Web 2.0 marketing techniques:

I have come up with a series of series of blogs that I may actually commit myself to*. If you, my loyal readers, would like to VOTE on which series you would like to read about, I will be happy to oblige. They are:

- A post-modern** comparison of teenage angst tv shows through the decades: 90210, Dawson's Creek and Gossip Girl (I like this one, in particular, b/c it justifies me watching re-runs of the former two and current episodes of the latter).

- Real life episodes of "The Office". I would need some reader contributions for this one, people.

- Only in New York. Little daily happenings that remind you that you live in this wonderful, crazy ass city. (Photo submissions encouraged.)

- A hobby a week. In which I try out a new hobby and report back. This one would be a lot of effort, so maybe it'll be a hobby a month. And, no, I will not take on any hobbies having to do with sex, drugs or snakes.

A note to my current readership: FitzThis will continue its free-form, random postings between postings on the above.

Let the votes start pouring in!



* As an added incentive -- to "tell a friend" -- I won't commit to any of the above unless I get at least 20 comments.

** I don't really know what this means, but it sounded smart.

I Heart My Crock Pot

That's right people. Call it what you like. I will defend it to the end.

Ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic.

But, I do love my crock pot.

Many people will tell you that I become infatuated with new things very easily...cute new towns I find, cute old men who I want to be my grandpas, cute little gadgets. I'm big on cuteness. My boyfriend calls it being "focused". I have no shame in it. Not everyone can focus as well as I can.

My crock pot isn't so much cute (though it is a nice red color and has a handy handle) as it is just plain awesome. It is my new focus...just like my Cuisanart was. For about a week. (Note: there are some cool ass videos on YouTube demo-ing what you can do with a Cuisanart).

I fretted for a while about using it. You have to plan in advance. You have to get up earlier in the morning. I was also a little suspicious about leaving an appliance on all day and coming back to a house that wasn't burnt down. And, let's admit, I don't exactly make roasts for Sunday dinner.


But, I took the leap this morning. The recipe: beer braised pork and black bean soup. Daring, you might think. Why yes, thank you. I thought so too. It's not exactly your traditional crock pot recipe.

I dumped all the ingredients in at about 8:45 a.m. (yes, I got to work late). Cumin. Chiles in adobo sauce (I don't know what that means either). Sam Adams lager. Onions. Salt. Water. Beans. That was it. I turned it on and...

presto changeo 10 hours later...scrumptious black bean soup and mouth watering pork.

It's like magic. And I'm fascinated.

Mind you, I know people have been using these for years. But, per the above: I'm like a kid in a candy store when I discover something new. And, just like that kid, I will likely toss away the new toy within a few weeks.

But for now, I am seriously hearting the crock pot.

I would do anything for meatloaf

But I won't do that. No, I won't do that (cue the big hairy singer guy)...

Made a tasty dinner on Sunday, hearkening back to my Midwestern roots. Meatloaf. Yes, we Midwesterners love our Meatloaf -- and the singer too.

This recipe hearkens from Everyday Food. You can go to it directly here.

Thanks, Martha, for the fantastic photo...though I have to admit, this was a rare time when my food actually looked like the photo. Too bad I ate it before I thought to take a pic.

My only addition: maybe some fresh garlic or rosemary to give the meat some extra flavor. Or Worcestershire sauce (that's an old trick from my mom). Oh, and I used ground turkey.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey mustard
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar (about 4 ounces)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound white new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 head Boston lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons mustard and ketchup.
2. In a medium bowl, combine beef, egg, panko, 1/2 cup cheddar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Form into four 2-by-4-inch loaves; place on baking sheet. Brush with mustard mixture; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer meatloaves to upper rack of oven, and place potatoes on lower rack. Bake until loaves are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets after 10 minutes. Remove loaves from oven; continue to roast potatoes until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together remaining tablespoon oil, remaining teaspoon mustard, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce to bowl, and toss. Serve meatloaves with potatoes and salad.

Dogs vs. Kids

I was going to write about how my new goal in life is to organize a dog cooperative in my neighborhood. The reason being that my dog walker increased his rates by $3/walk this year (that's $720/year), and I think there's a win-win in it for dog owners and dog walkers alike. Plus, it vaguely gets me back to my political roots which I sometimes miss.

But, my dog just threw up...on the carpet.

So, I've decided to write about a topic that I think about often.

Caveat: I don't have any kids. I have 2 dogs...in an 750 sq ft apartment. But, I like kids. I'm just not sure I can have 2 crazy dogs and a kid at the same time. Also, I love my dogs (in case that doesn't come across here).

Just how are dogs and kids alike, you might ask? Well:

1. Dogs and kids throw up at inappropriate moments. (see above)
2. Dogs and kids like to be in your space, especially when you don't want them there.
3. Dogs and kids require your life to be organized around them (though kids definitely more so).
4. Dogs and kids need day care.
5. Dogs and kids require you to be the pack leader, if you want any kind of respect.
6. Dogs and kids frequently choose to not obey you (though at least kids understand English).
7. Dogs and kids are pricey (kids win in this category).
8. Eventually, dogs and kids grow out of all of the above (well, most of it anyway).

More on how the Clinton Hill Dog Cooperative will save the world another day. I have to go clean up dog puke.

Recipes Win

I have a minor recipe obsession. Ok, major. Not a cooking obsession, mind you.

My excitement lies in finding recipes and trying them out. I don't spend a lot of time online, but I can spend hours hunting for instructions to make tasty morsels. I get teased because I can't actually cook without recipes. I have mastered following directions. I always liked studying, and I think this is just a continuation of that.

My favorite founts of recipe bliss? Real Simple. Everyday Food. Fresh Direct. The last is especially dear to my heart as you can choose a recipe, have it emailed to you, and have all of the ingredients dropped into your shopping basket with just one click.

I've maybe repeated a recipe just 3 or 4 times in the last year and a half...mind you, I only cook 2-3 nights a week, and that doesn't count stand by's like Annie's Mac & Cheese, fried egg sandwiches, and the like. Impressive you say? I think so. I must have tried out at least 100 recipes by now.

So my new goal is digitizing all of my recipes -- to create my own little web-based collection of our favorite all time recipes. And, I've decided to start with the a little curry treat I made last week.

Curried Chicken and Apple Stew

From "The Dinner Doctor" by Anne Byrn

Serves 4

To Prep: 10 Minutes
To Cook: 9-12 Minutes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium-size onion, sliced (for about 1 cup)

1 pound chicken tenders (about 12), rinsed, cut into pieces, and patted dry

1 can (10 ounces) Indian coconut cooking sauce, korma.

1 cup diced peeled apple

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream (optional)

2 tablespoons toasted pre-sliced almonds (optional)

Sweetened flaked coconut, for garnish (optional)

Pour the oil into a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it browns slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and cook until they also brown slightly all over, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the coconut sauce, apple, cinnamon stick, and 1/4 cup of water. Let simmer, uncovered, until the chicken cooks through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream, if using, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid thickens a bit, 2 minutes longer. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Serve the stew garnished with the almonds and flaked coconut, if desired.

Excerpted from THE DINNER DOCTOR copyright © 2003 Anne Byrn.
Reprinted with the permission of Workman Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In case you do order from Fresh Direct, I highly recommend the prepared coconut rice. Yum.

p.s. Did I mention that one of my recipe stipulations is that it doesn't entail too much chopping (though I did get a Cuisanart for Christmas) or that it calls for ingredients that I have to call my mom to ask what they are?

Recipes or Politics; Politics or Recipes?

Don't think because I haven't posted in almost a week that my love for blogging has waned. I think about blogging a lot...really.

My best blogging thinking happens on the subway where I simultaneously observe how bizarre humans are (take the woman this morning preaching about Jesus and the other woman, who didn't know the first woman, shouting "praise Jesus" in response to the preaching) and ponder random things like how Bed, Bath and Beyond and Barnes & Noble keep ending up in the same shopping centers. (I'm not completely crazy. Such a mecca just opened up in Tribeca.)

I've been meaning to share some recipes since I started my blog, but somehow I've gotten a little distracted by the election (incidentally, my neighborhood in New York had the strongest turn out for Obama...at a whopping 73%.).

I promise to lay off that topic. For now. One thing I will share is that the boyfriend and I had an interesting gmail chat going on at work today about which election is most watched by the international community: 2000 or 2008. My personal thought is that the rest of the world doesn't really get the black and the woman thing. But, they did get that one of the most advanced countries in the world can't count ballots. I'll let you have your own opinion.

Ok, ok...digressing.

p.s. Today's blog title is for the Chris Rock fans out there.

Washington Insider? Update

Wow, there are a lot of things to blog about today. The Super Tuesday results, the sad excuse for an advocacy campaign on behalf of the unions in my neighborhood, the way that companies like to chase trends they know nothing about, the potential of a mud wrestling match between Paul Krugman and Maureen Dowd that I think would be hilarious (Krugman = Hillary lover; Dowd = Hillary NotSoMuch), the yummy curry recipe I made last night. You can see my quandary about what to write about.

But, I do have to follow-up on my posting about the Krugman piece. Apparently, this topic -- Krugman vs. Obama -- is a hot one. I (mistakenly) thought I'd find a simple response from the Obama camp to Krugman's piece.

No such luck.

What I did find was a maze of articles covering the topic. Apparently Krugman's issue with Obama's health care plan, and some of his other policies and political tactics, go back much further than Monday's article in the NYT. The Huffington Post (the soapbox for the ultra conservative and slightly off kilter Arianna Huffington) has even written about it.

From what I can tell, their little tiff dates back to late last year, if not earlier. (Note to self: Start a website that tracks the history of ongoing news stories like these.)

It's basically a he said/he said at this point. I can't figure it out . Obama's camp claims that Krugman once supported Obama's health plan. Krugman claims Obama mis-represented what he said.

Seriously, all I'm really looking for is the answer to why Obama decided against putting mandates in his bill.

The one answer I found, interestingly on Krugman's blog, is that Obama doesn't believe that mandates are enforceable. Obama has actually asked Clinton publicly about whether she would penalize people for not getting health insurance, so Krugman may actually be on to something.

Regardless, I'm not sure I even care anymore. I'm exhausted (and bored) after trying to mine through the google results in search of an answer to my somewhat simple question. Time that I could have used to say, write another blog entry. Yeesh.

Tenant's Revolution (sort of)

Walking to work today, I was handed a flyer denouncing the condo development across the street from me (note: I usually always take flyers or postcards handed to me on the street as I feel bad for the person who has to stand there and hand them out like I used to do at political rallies.)

A worker died there last week (see update on this tragedy in the Brownstoner). And now the union has posted its infamous inflatable rat across the street -- which, incidentally, threw both my dogs into a barking storm when I took them out this morning.


I understand the need to bring sub-standard workplace practices to light. I even told the man I would call the number on the flyer to denounce the practice, especially he told me that the company didn't even help with the worker's funeral expenses (which swayed me even more despite knowing that it may or may not be true). However, I don't get one thing.

The number on the flyer was that of the building's owner, Dani Weiss. Now, the flyer doesn't say who Dani Weiss is, but a quick google search revealed him (or her) to be representing the company that is constructing the building.

Here's my question: Why complain to the owner? Clearly s/he didn't care about the worker conditions to start with. And, given the tight housing market in New York, these calls aren't going to prevent him from selling every condo for above market rates.

Now, I have some experience on the housing front here in the city. You see, I started a tenants' revolution in my old building. After several instances (in the middle of winter, mind you) with intermittent heat and electricity and after several calls to the housing authority (HPD), I posted signs in my building alerting other tenants to call to file complaints. Thing is, most other people in my building were Chinese, and most didn't speak English. The reason I call this act a revolution (in the Chinese sense, of course) is that when I came out the next morning, my signs had been translated into Mandarin characters!

The Chinese were pissed too! Several of the women in the building nodded their heads toward me as I left for work that day -- clearly a vote of confidence in my act. (I know this because we had developed a certain level of c0mmunication via body language.)

Oddly enough, the following summer, after I had left the city but was back interning, I got a phone call from a lawyer identifying herself as representing HPD. They were actually filing a suit against the owners (read slum lords) of my old building. And, they asked me for a deposition given the number of complaints I had filed.

Ahh, the sense of vindication. (never mind you that I'm not exactly sure if the slum lord ever got forced to pay any sort of retribution)

So, here's my lesson for the union with the rat...

Please put a phone number for someone who care on your flyer.

Clearly, the building owner does not, or s/he would have insured safe working conditions from the start. Why would s/he then care about a few nasty phone calls from local residents, many of whom have probably wondered what the fabulous new condos will go for?

People who might care, for example: the city authority that manages building construction, your local city council representative, the neighborhood community council, etc.

They might do something.

The owner of the building will most certainly not.

Washington Insider?

One of my hobbies (read: fascinations) are the Top 10 Most Emailed Articles on the New York Times website. I think they say something about our culture. What we read and like to pass on is a reflection of who we are.

Today, the most emailed article is Paul Krugman's article comparing Clinton's and Obama's health care initiatives (does anyone else have an issue with calling Hillary by her last name?). In fact, the top 5 articles are about the presidential race (the 6th is about the Irish and plastic bags). Not surprising as tomorrow is Super Tuesday. So, today my insight is not so much about the list itself as the actual article.

Big caveat here: I am undecided. I have never been undecided. I used to work in politics. I am a card carrying member of Emily's List, the PAC that supports pro-choice women candidates. I used to work with Hillary's office all the time. But, still, I haven't decided who to support...this may be an entire other blog entry at some point.

It's a good piece. It describes the key differences to the respective candidates' health care plans. Now, I already knew about some of these differences. And, I think they are one of very few policy differences between the two (reason #1 that I'm having issues deciding).

I won't wax on about the policy differences, but what struck me after reading the article is that Obama has decided not to mandate coverage for all.

The interesting piece about this, as Krugman adeptly refers to, is what it says about Obama's negotiation starting point on this topic should he get elected. We all know that national health insurance is unlikely to get passed by the Congress, at least in its full glory. But, isn't the number one rule of bargaining (other than having a BATNA) to ask for it all, fully expecting to only get a portion of it that you'll be happy with at the conclusion? If Obama has already given up mandating that everyone be covered, what will be the next piece to be compromised?

It makes me slightly concerned about his political saavy-ness...his ability to work the Washington machine where your job as a politician is to ask for it all, and then make compromises to get the best result you can.

I'm sure Obama has his reasons. Maybe he decided that he'll get more independents voting for him if he doesn't go all the way...if he stays on the fence, just like they like to.

Anyways, I'll be looking for his response to Krugman's piece tomorrow.

I Heart Blogging

In just 48 hours, I have discovered the true reason for blogging -- and the reason I can't stop thinking about what I'm going to blog about. Blogging is the perfect outlet for those, like myself, who like to share. For those of us who drive people nuts when we are in our "chatty Kathy" mode, we now have a place to express all of those things that are going on in our heads that no one really wants to hear about. The revelations about life, the cool little boutiques and trinkets we find, the articles we read in obscure magazines, the recipes we tried from Food Everyday Magazine.

And so, I'm addicted. Mind you, I've been addicted to a variety of hobbies, each for a flitting moment in time. As we speak, I'm reminded of my 24-hour hobby of learning water colors as I catch a glimpse of the dust-filled paints that the boy bought me last Valentine's Day (stuffed conspicuously under the bookshelf in our office).

I've discovered that my hobby is actually searching for hobbies. Politics, cooking, hiking, water colors, movie watching, biking, volunteering, knitting, kickball...I've tried them all. I focus all day long at work, and that's about as much as my brain can take. Therefore, outside of work, I fiddle. I dabble. I flirt. I twiddle. But, I don't ever really commit.

My blog will dabble, just as I like to dabble. Why? Because dabbling makes me happy.

Entree Into the Blog-o-sphere

It's Groundhog day, and I did it. I created a blog.

I've always wondered why people create blogs. Here are my top reasons:

- People are bored (though I would contest that there are lots more productive things to do with oneself other than blog).

- People want to be famous. (duh)

- People think they are smarter than they are and that the rest of us really want to read what they have to say.

- People like to have a permanent place in this world. This is also why we name buildings after people.

- People are weird. (you'll hear this theme from me a lot)

There's probably a plethora more, but I digress.

So, why am I starting a blog? I wanted to try it out. See what the craze is about. And, along the way, keep a record of my own musings for my children to amuse themselves with one day.

One last admission: I have failed miserably at similar efforts in the past...keeping up a slam book in middle school, writing about my teenage angst in a diary, pretending I was Felicity and recording myself, logging my travel adventures in a journal.

We'll see how this one works out.