Monthly Archives: September 2006

Not the change they had in mind …

Sept. 14, 20062:11 p.m.

You may have seen the billboard for the new "Change Something" campaign that the Kansas Health Foundation launched to urge the public to make healthier choices. On the billboard, a sprinkled doughnut morphs into a pineapple ring. A female friend who shall remain nameless and I had this funny conversation:

Me: "Is it bad that the sprinkled doughnut looks just as good as the fruit to me?"
Nameless friend: "Nope. Heck, I’d want them both."
Me: "The point is to change something."
Nameless friend: "Well, I’d have them both with a glass of milk."
Me (laughing): "I’m not sure that’s the change they had in mind."
Nameless friend: "Yep. That would make a balanced meal."

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

A (shopping) sign of the times

Sept. 14, 200610:42 a.m.

Wal-Mart announced today that it is ending layaway service.

Remember when Mom used to take you to the store to shop for a winter coat, then put it on layaway? It didn’t take up closet space until the weather turned cold. And by then, it was paid for.

Now, we store it ourselves, in bulging closets. And pay off a little of its cost each month with the credit card bill.

Which way is better? And what memories do you have of layaway? Post your comments here.

Posted by Karen Shideler

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Shopping | Comments (0)

Tell us about your favorite toys…

Sept. 14, 20063:23 a.m.

Hasbro’s newly redesigned Easy-Bake Classic Oven doesn’t require a light bulb?

What?! That’s right, no bulb. Which means thousands of parents who buy the toy for their children for Christmas won’t be left scrambling for that 100-watt bulb on Christmas morning — taking it off a lamp, asking the neighbors, running to the nearest drugstore, you know the deal — so little Susie can bake overpriced cookies.

Whew.

Do you have any Easy-Bake Oven memories? (Personally, I loved my Easy-Bake, which I got from Santa when I was about 7 or 8. I’d mix and stir and bake and frost for hours, then enjoy the two- to three-bite result. Talk about controlling portion sizes.)

Post your Easy-Bake or other toy memory here, and make sure to include your e-mail address. One lucky participant will win the all new! amazing! Easy-Bake Classic Oven!!

– Posted by Suzanne Perez Tobias

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Shopping | Comments (0)

Kansas tourism

Sept. 13, 20065:16 p.m.

Check out a recent travel article in the Boston Globe newspaper highlighting Kansas. (The headline says, "Under the rainbow: Roadside attractions range from prairie to prehistoric."

Where is your favorite Kansas place to visit? In the fall, I love the rolling leaf-covered hills in the Lawrence area.

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Dictionary update

Sept. 13, 20065:06 p.m.

The newest edition of Merriam-Webster’s dictionary this fall will contain these words,
among other additions. How many of them do you already use? I’m surprised that some of them hadn’t found their way into the dictionary years ago.

  • mouse potato
  • ringtone
  • spyware
  • avian influenza
  • soul patch
  • supersize
  • wave pool
  • drama queen
  • unibrow
  • big-box
  • aquascape
  • sandwich generation

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

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Self defense: What worked for you?

Sept. 13, 20065:26 a.m.

It was annoying when I was younger, but what Mom said was right: There is strength in two. As a teen, I rarely was allowed to run errands without a friend or family member along for the ride for safety. As an adult, I still stick to that when I’m walking to my car at night, shopping late, etc. More than once, having another person at my side has made me feel more comfortable when passing a curious person or encountering other seemingly odd scenarios, such as a stranger approaching me in the dark for directions. I’ve taken karate and kickboxing classes, but I’d rather not have to test those skills.

Have you found yourself in an uncomfortable situation that required you to take preventive measures or use self-defense techniques? Share your story by clicking on "comments" below.

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

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Cheer them on

Sept. 12, 20067:11 a.m.

Today’s WichiTalk introduces the six volunteers in the Weight-Loss Challenge. They were feeling slightly nervous about the undertaking but excited about being accountable for their actions.

Here’s where you come in:

Wish them luck. Give them ideas. Encourage them to exercise. They’re looking for our help! Post your comments to them here.

There’s something in it for you, too: Your comment enters you in a contest to win a WichiTalk Weight-Loss Challenge T-shirt like those worn by our volunteers in today’s section.

Posted by Karen Shideler

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Health & Fitness | Comments (1)

Chai tea or tai chi?

Sept. 12, 20063:56 a.m.

It’s a mouthful just to say chai tea and tai chi. Imagine hearing a debateabout which is better. I’ve tried both and found them to be soothing diversions. Curling up in my overstuffed chair by the fire with a good book and some yummy chai tea is easier, though, than trying to figure out the tai chi movements. (I have a 101-type tai chi DVD that my husband gave me for Christmas last year. I still don’t have the basic moves down.)

Do you prefer chai tea or tai chi? Check out Eagle writer Suzanne Tobias’ comparison of the two in today’s WichiTalk.

One final thought: If you follow tai chi with chi tea, does that give you feng-shui?

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Sept. 11, 2001: Where were you?

Sept. 11, 20062:43 p.m.

The anniversary of the day I started my full-time job at The Eagle is easy to remember: My first day was Sept. 11, 2001. As the nation tried to understand the terrorist attacks and horrors of that day, I was at the airport interviewing travelers stranded when planes were grounded.

As with the Pearl Harbor attack and the day JFK was shot, it’s difficult for Americans not to remember what they were doing that morning five years ago when the Twin Towers collapsed.

Share your story about what you were doing when you heard, saw or read about the news by clicking on "comments" below. And check out wherewereyou.org, which features more than 2,000 first-person accounts from people about their stories.

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

License plate laugh

Thursday10:26 a.m.

About 15 minutes after I saw on TV this morning that Paris Hilton was taken to jail last night for an apparent DUI, I saw this license plate on a car driving on Kellogg: HAMMERD.

It’s one thing if the guy driving it is a builder or something, but wouldn’t that one be ironic pulling through a DUI checkpoint lane …

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

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