The Best 90s-00s Sitcom: Friends

The article written by Geraldo Russo
I'm usually not a fan of sitcoms, but I must admit that Friends has always kept my attention for all these years. Friends is about six, well, friends - Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey - who live in New York City. We laugh at their silly exploits and cry at their heartaches as they grow up through their 20s and 30s. I try to catch this show at least a few times a week, as it's syndicated on many different channels which I can view with direct tv.

One of the strongest aspects of the show is the excellent writing. The jokes and crazy situations the characters find themselves in are genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny. The actors themselves also have a hand in the script, as they will often use their own wit and knowledge of the character to give line suggestions. At times, though, the constant wittiness of these characters strains credulity, but it's best just to laugh and enjoy the show.

The writing is perfectly complemented by the strong ensemble cast. The cast members have great chemistry with one another, and they all play the quirks, strengths, and weaknesses of their characters very well. The actors believed so strongly in the 'ensemble' nature of the show that they all agreed to sign contracts as a group - if one member bowed out, the rest would follow. Due to the show's popularity, guest stars frequently appear on the show, some for one-offs, others for more extended runs. Overall, Friends is a show that will only get better will age, as it handily depicts the innocent, carefree mid-to-late 1990s.

I Miss The Snow

I msis the snow. Well, I will qualify that. I miss the snow in my old hometown in PA. The snow is different there--it is not icy like it is where I live now. You can drive around in it and not worry that you are going to slide off the road or into the next car.

But I remember when I was a kid that sometimes you had to put on a tire chain. That was only in the worst of the worst snow days. But we lived up a pretty big hill and on the days of the big snowfalls, that is what we had to do.

When the tire chain came out of the trunk, that is when we knew the snowstorm was a big deal. It was kind of fun actually.
Of course, with the tire chain on, we had to drive slowly. But that was Ok. The snow there was so pretty, it gave us more time to look at the winter wonderland.

When You Really Need Money, What Do You Do?

Haven't we all been in tight money situations where we need some fast cash? Goodness knows I have.
I have been money stupid most of my life. I hope I am finally coming out of it. I am paying down debt and making more money, not using credit, so I am making progress and am so excited about it. I want to stay in that place.

I know people knock payday loans, but I have to admit that in some situations they may not be so bad. Like you are going to bounce a bunch of checks if you don't make a deposit. Now, I know you shouldn't be in that position anyway. You shouldn't have outstanding checks that you can't cover.

But we all know there are extenuating circumstances from time to time. Maybe it is better to pay $30 interest on a $200 payday loan, then pay a couple of hundred dollars in overdraft fees? Maybe the better of two evils sometimes.

I hear that you can get payday loans online, which would make the process a lot easier. But better to get hold of your money and not need loans of any kind!

Joints Are Feeling Better

I mentioned in a previous post that I don't have arthritis, even though some of my family members do, but a few times last year my ankle joints have felt wierd. I am not sure how to explain it, but when I had been sitting for a long time and suddenly got up, it was like my feet wouldn't move well for a few seconds. And then, they would loosen up. I don't know what that was, but I was worried it might be the early stages of arthritis. I thought about trying some of the supplements I see advertised, like joint juice or glucosamine sulphate but never got around to getting any. For almost a year now my ankles have felt fine, and I haven't experienced that. Maybe it is because I have lost a little weight, am eating little better, or have exercised some. Just glad it isn't happening anymore.

Arthritis Can Be So Painful

I don't have arthritis, but I am lucky in that because several people in my family do. They didn't have the worst cases, but it did seem to be very painful. I had a friend who was in sales and she said some days she can't even get out of bed. Now I have a disability client who has RA, and she has the same situation. Most days, she isn't able to be mobile until afternoon. She is trying to look at different treatments for arthritis. Hope she can find one soon. She is a single mother with several small children, so her health is a huge problem for their family. Heartbreaking.

Setting Up A 529 Account For Niece

I got a wild hair today. Maybe I'll set up a 529 educational trust for my niece. And then my nephew. I don't think their parents have saved any money for their college or even thought about it, for that matter. And time is marching on. I looked it up and decided to open one in their state, but they can use the money to go to school wherever they want. I won't be able to save much money, but at least enough to help out. I am kind of excited about it.

Pimple Preventers?

Talked with my niece again last night about what are the best acne products  She says she hasn't found the perfect product for her skin yet. Her skin is looking better though--maybe it is just a product of her getting older. Nature is taking its course. Her skin has never been as bad as I remember from my high school days. You really saw some pimply kids back then! Maybe there has been some great progress in acne treatments that I don't know about.

Looking Better But Have A Ways To Go

I keep thinking I must be losing weight, because I am not eating all that junk food that I did in law school. And I am at least exercising a little bit more. I'm probably not sleeping more though. Still addicted to staying up too late and night and catching up on sleep on the weekends. They say a lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain. Maybe that is it. I haven't gained any weight, but I haven't lost enough. Still looking for the magic formula. I have started to drink green tea in the afternoons at work now. It is my newest ritual. I am still wondering what are the safest diet pills that work. I am a healthy person, so I don't want to take something that could harm me. So I want to find out what the safest weight loss products are.

DADT Has To Be Repealed

I was shocked at the news that the repeal of DADT faltered yesterday. Because they didn't get enough votes. And they are trying to blame it on the democrats again, when it is the repubs that won't budge. I keep hoping these shenanigans will backfire on the repubs in the upcoming election. They should. And I hope they will.

Herpes Is Still A Problem

You don't hear much about herpes thiese days, and the tendency is to forget about it. It doesn't quite carry the stigma, at least publicly, that it once did. But for those who have it, I am sure it is still a hassle and an embarrassment. I don't know if there is a cure for herpes yet, but it would be great if there could be one someday. I know the sufferers would feel better and there would be an end to the spread of it. And that is always a good thing.

Stop The Tea Party Now!

Really, how much warning do people need? First Sarah Palin. Then Christine O'Donnelll. Two of the biggest lightweights and they may be put into positions of power? How scary is that? Ignorance is not a trait to be
encouraged or revered. Please vote democratic on election day. We need to keep our country strong. And smart.

It's Football Time In Tennessee!

And you know what that means! A trip to the Smoky Mountains. I go up about once a year on average and either rent a hotel room and or a cabin. It is fun to rent a chalet or cabin if you have several friends with you.
Some of the chalets are so high up in the mountains with such windy road that it gets a little scary. I don't like to drive when there are big dropoffs with no guard rails.

But other than that, a weekend in a mountain cabin is great. Usually we go to the grocery store right after we get there and stock up. Then we hibernate in the cabin all weekend. We may to go a football game or go to once of the nice restaurants in Gatlinburg one night, but other than that, we are holed up. And it is so nice--the view of the mountains and all the trees is so beautiful. Especially in the fall. And they are decorated so tastefully with wonderful cabin furniture and modern conveniences. It is always so much fun. Can't wait to go again.

Outlook Dismal For Unemployed Older Workers?

It has been no secret for some time how hard it is to find a job and how many jobless people are out there. And how much harder it is to find a job if you are unemployed. I can't imagine being unemployed as long as some have been.

I read this article in the New York Times today that broke my heart though. It is about how some people over the age of 50 are afraid they will ever work again. I am sure that is an exaggeration, but if someone has been looking for a job for four years without one offer, that is how you would feel.

Even more important today to always keep up your skills and continue learning. Never has it been more important than today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/business/economy/20older.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&sq=over












http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/business/economy/20older.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&sq=over

Dealing With Debt

I am happy to say that I am on the downhill slope from debt. I have been in debt my whole adult life, some to a scary degree. I could have easily been forced into bankruptcy. Or other humiliation. I was able to handle it on my own through sheer perseverance. But I can't say I didn't suffer. I think my blood pressure became worse because of my debt situation.

At one point, I did credit card consolidation. That made it easier to keep up with my payments, since I just had one. But to be honest, after I paid off the consolidation, I got in debt again.

I didn't do any kind of unsecured debt relief or credit card debt relief. I finally just cut up the credit cards and bit the bullet. Several years later I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. In two years I should be DEBT FREE! And never again.

Buying Tickets Online Is Easy

I love music and going to concerts. Any kind of concerts--outdoor amphitheaters,  large indoor venues, outside street festivals, and small intimate music houses. I was perusing concert tickets today to see if anything looked good. Now that money is tighter, I don't go to as many concerts, and I pick them more carefully. It is a realy treat now to go to a concert.

While online, I realized you can also buy sports tickets online. I don't think I have ever done that, but it too is so easy. I love basketball. I like college basketball the most, but also enjoy professional games as well. I watch a variety of teams on TV including Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, and the Chicago Bulls. I would love to see them in person too!

Speaking of New Orleans.....

Rotary International is having its annual convention in New Orleans this coming May, and I am hoping to go. I have been looking for an opportunity to go back there, and this may be it. I haven't been there since Katrina, so I am sure it will be a moving experience for me. I have always loved NOLA. I am glad to go and  help out their economy. As part of the convention happenings, I think we will get to participate in a service project, helping out those who lost their homes a little bit. I would like that a lot. I have wanted to be down there doing that for some time but had no opportunity. Maybe I can help out, at least a little.

Nawlins!

Guest post written by Kat Solomon

My favorite things to do on trips is go on ghost tours. Part of me wants to see a ghost, another part of me is terrified of seeing one and then I also just love the history aspect of hearing about all of these people that lived in places before us, rather than if they're haunting the places they lived in before us or not. So, I had been waiting to go to New Orleans to hear the great ghost stories there for a long time.

One tour was a vampire-themed tour and the tour guide was talking in a low, creepy voice that so many tour guides like to talk in on those things, except i was having a tough time understanding her. It really bothered me that I didn't understand a lot of the storytelling that was going on, but I didn't want to ask my family what was being said so I wouldn't ruin it for other people.

When I was talking about it later that night at the hotel, so I looked up Miracle Ear on my smart phone. I ended up buying some free hearing aids in Cincinnati when we got home from our trip. So I'm not worried about getting spooked on future ghost tours!

I Miss Con Law

One of the law classes I miss the most is constitutional law. While it sounds dry, it was anything but. I had no idea had fascinating it would be. How everyday things can be constitutional problems. And how the courts scrutinize the cases and make their decisions.

Like I remember one case--can't remember the name--that involved snow chains. At one time, one state was not allowing tire chains, while the neighboring states were. That meant that trucks that were going from state to state would have to stop and to take off their chains in order to travel through the state that would not allow them. And it was too expensive for the trucks to go way out of their way to avoid that one state. So can't remember exactly how things came out, but basically it was deemed to be unconstituional for that one state to not allow snow chains.  Because it was impeding interstate commerce. (Can't remember the exact wording, but it was something like that.) Who would have thought?

Want To Take My Websites To The Next Level

I have had several websites for a while, and am wanting to spend more time on them and take them to the next level. I need to do a number of things including build links. I need to continue adding good content, geared to my audience/s. I love blogging, so that will not be hard.

Some people have said you can get free links through a free link exchange. Or you can just get links naturally by building your content and attracting readers, who then may leave links to their sites. That is probably the better way.

But at any rate, I am looking forward to working on the websites/blogs and making them soar!

Hoarder Blows Through Retirement Fund

A woman on Hoarding: Buried Alive tonight is in his situation because she is a compulsive shopper. She has spent all of her retirement fund. That is so frightening. It is scary that people get in these situations. I know that after they become hoarders, they also tend to become recluses. But I wonder if they have somewht tendency towards that to begin with. Because if they had a steady stream of visitors, it would be harder for people to become hoarders, I would think. There would be pressure to pick up and keep things clean.

Learning Poker

I am going on a cruise again in January and love to spend some time in the casino. I mainly play the slots and love it, but want to expand my horizon. I am thinking about learning how to play poker.  I watch the people play the game, especially late at night, and they seem to have so much fun! And they can win some real money.

My brother-in-law, when they lived in my town, used to belong to a poker club. They would get together every Friday night, rotating the homes, gets some wings and beer, and play poker. It was a great way for him to get to know some guys in town.

I may buy some books on poker or look online for some instruction. I would like to be at least a little knowledgeable before January.