So asks Cliff Mason at CNBC after reflecting on a new study written about by Steven Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics, which says that popular kids make more money in life: Here's his summation of the results: "They find that each extra close friend in high school is associated with earnings that ar...

Helen writes at the Cast Iron Balcony. She’s a blogger, she’s a grinner, she’s a mother, she’s a sinner. She plays her music in the sun.     There wasn’t any buzz about IWD last week among friends, family or workmates. I didn’t even get an oversized email from the Dogs ...

One of our Neighborhood’s most significant meetings, to be led by Ben and Dee Andrews and featuring fellow Board member Bill Smith plus angel/developer Ted Mischaikov, will be Tuesday’s (March 10) 7 p.m. session at Birchwood Presbyterian Church, 400 Meadowbrook Ct.   Ben, Dee, Bill a...

Did we dream too hard of Prussia, Prague and Paris Did we fly too close to the happiness of Icarus Did we melt beneath the fire of the things we felt in flight Did we dream too hard of tomorrows that still pummel us at night Did we speak too soon of things that never end Did we promise little foreve...

As Der Spiegel reports: An international conference in Egypt on Monday resulted in $4.48 billion (€3.5 billion) in new pledges to help rebuild the Gaza Strip and fund the Palestinian government. The donors who gathered in the resort of Sharm el-Sheik gave a powerful boost to the moderate Palestini...

Just to prove that what I sounded (for the time being) was the Reveille, not the Last Post, here is an article about the latests brouhaha between UKIP and the Conservatives. Disregarding past experience the Tories have decided to go for what they consider to be their greatest enemy - UKIP. Tacticall...

My intention was to start this week by putting up my last post on EUReferendum but, for the time being, I have been dissuaded, there being better things to do with one's time or so I am told. There are various reasons why I have been having problems with the blog and the forum. No need to rehearse t...

Helen writes at the Cast Iron Balcony. She’s a blogger, she’s a grinner, she’s a mother, she’s a sinner. She plays her music in the sun. Last year, some cartoons which appeared with two of Miranda Devine’s articles caught my attention. One article (they’re both in...

CNBC conducted a poll asking people if they thought they would be a winner or loser with Obama's current proposed budget. The result? Last time I looked, 72% of the respondents (out of 15198) thought they would be losers. I would say it will be closer to 100% before this is all over....

Hurry Up and Dream I’m currently in the throes of an 80’s music fixation.  So, this song is an attempt at the dream pop of the time.  I’m also a little under the weather, and I hardly rehearsed the song before committing it to tape.  Ergo, the heavily processed vocal to (attempt...