1.) Ads. Don’t want ‘em. I’m jonesing for readership, not dollars.
2.) Hatchet jobs on anyone or anything. I’m here to be constructive, not tear things down. I’ve angered some people with some measured criticism, but at the same time I’ve suggested a positive path they might consider taking. I’ve even rewarded someone who took me up on such a suggestion.
3.) Desperate, Cosmo-style sex tips on what men really want in bed, that you never could have imagined. My husband actually knows how to speak (i.e. to me, i.e. about what he wants) and we’re in a happy, stable marriage with a good sex life. Crazy.
4.) Bernie Madoff-type Ponzi schemes, clever stock tips or any other get-rich-quick advice. I believe in building your skills, doing work you like, living within your means and saving/building reserves. Like Gandhi, I don’t believe in wealth without work.
5.) Miracle tips on anti-aging products or services. Aging is not a failure. Our looks will fade with age. Aging is something we’re supposed to do . . . . hopefully gracefully. You won’t find me lying about or obscuring my age, either (I’m 48).
6.) Breathless commentary on lifestyles of the rich and famous. I can’t say I’ve heard of anyone rich and famous who is more consistently happy, and surrounded with genuine friends, than I am. (They are definitely more beautiful than I am. However, see the third sentence in #5.) In fact, the rich and famous seem on the whole to be pretty troubled, and not especially good at enjoying what they’ve got. The counselor in me wants to help them sort out their nonsense and start being less self-centered (Brangelina’s good works notwithstanding).
7.) Links to bargains at any cost. Heaven knows I believe in being thrifty. But a lot of cheap stuff gets made on the backs of people who aren’t paid enough to live on, from resources being stripped from the earth way faster than the earth can replace them. Instead of bargains, I write about saving money by slashing our electricity bills, heating bills, and what we spend on gas for our cars.
8.) Reports of my dramatic weight loss or discovery of a new fad diet. I’m no Oprah. I weigh a little more than when I was younger, but I feel fine about how I look. It’s good enough. I’ve stayed active and I follow the very best diet.
9.) Recipes for meat dishes. Wait, Hear me out. I get it: meat tastes good. But consider that it takes more than 4,000 gallons of fresh water to produce a pound of beef — in a world increasingly strapped for drinkable water. And the methane cows emit is a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. So, I suggest cheap, tasty, healthy dinner menus that don’t involve meat.
10.) Ogling of cutting-edge technology, including electric cars. I think the most powerful, underdeveloped technology we have is our personal power to make good choices about what we do on a daily basis. I support our helping and saving ourselves, not hoping and wishing that technology can bail us out of our problems. And I even think we can enjoy ourselves and find exciting opportunities in that process. I definitely am.
Related Posts:
- The Very Best Diet, Part I
- Twenty Ways To A Simpler, Happier Life, Part III
- Celebrating the Fourth, Diamond-Cut Style
sounds good!