Glossing Over Childhood
One of the 12-year-old junior high girls I work with at church has 27 tubes of lip gloss—and counting. I am not kidding. She had everything from Bonnie Bell to Bath and Body Works and even Sephora in her make-up case. I know this because a few months ago she proudly, almost lovingly, laid each […]
Media Names the Babies?
When I was born, the name Meredith was so unusual that people, when they heard it, looked at my mother funny. One older woman scrunched her nose up and said, “Why would you saddle a little girl with that?” Mom says she had to bite her tongue to keep from saying, “Well, Mrs. Mudd, I […]
May the Fourth Be With You
Today is Star Wars Day. I know this because a friend told me, and not because I’m a Luke Skywalker fanatic. Apparently, the phrase, “May the Force be with you” has been cleverly translated into May fourth (get it?) and turned into an international holiday in tribute to George Lucas’ franchise and other cult films. […]
Pulling the Plug
Slate writer James Sturm is doing something interesting. Impossible for the long term, maybe, but still thought-provoking. I wish I could try it, too. He’s giving up the Internet for four months. Now, the net has some really great stuff, including Google Earth, the “Chick-fil-A” Song and, of course, Plugged In. But moderation in life […]
They Came, They Saw, They Bought It All
I was born without a shopping gene. While my girlfriends drool over blouses in clothing stores, I get antsy and fight the urge to flee. Shopping is more of a search-and-destroy mission for me than a fun time spending hours looking for a perfect [fill in article of clothing here]. Thankfully for the U.S. economy, […]
Cat (Litter) Tales
Heard any of today’s “news of the weird” yet? Before I continue, I’ll let you get a cup of coffee. You might need it in order to ponder the following. (pause) Recently as I was thumbing through a magazine, I saw a picture of a cat’s litter box immediately following an article on the entertainment […]
iWonder About the iPad
Apple sold about 300,000 iPads during its first day on the market in the U.S. alone, according to analysts. And Apple said it sold more than one million apps from its App Store and 250,000 e-books from its iBookstore on Saturday—again, the first day of sales. In a tight economy that’s already seen Amazon’s Kindle, […]
Madam, 4-Year-Olds and R-Rated Content Don’t Mix
It burns me up every time. Without fail there are young children at the R-rated film screenings I attend as a Plugged In reviewer. At Repo Men—a sci-fi/action flick that has so much blood, violence and sexual activity that no adult should see it either—there were three young kids there with their grandmother. The oldest […]
Gagging Over Gaga
Last week Lady Gaga released a nine-minute-long mess. Sorry, but there’s no other way to say it. She fashioned the track “Telephone,” from her album The Fame Monster, into a Thriller-esque film that’s rife with lesbianism, sadomasochism, murder, bizarre outfits, nudity and Tarantino-inspired violence. The video features Beyoncé as Gaga’s partner in crime and even […]
He Said What on Facebook?
Have you ever been told something so personal that you wish you could remove the resulting awkwardness from your brain forever? A few months ago, someone on my Facebook friends list announced to a gazillion people that he was about to have a medical “adventure” that most would want to keep utterly private. (I’ll keep […]