Cheryl on the Web

Is it justifiable? By now you’ve probably heard about the news: this Friday in Holland, a state-sponsored network will be airing “The Donor Show”, in which 3 dying candidates between the ages of 18 and 40 compete for the kidney of a woman who wants to give one up. Viewers can SMS (text message) the woman giving up the kidney to influence her decision of who will receive it. Holland is famous for exploring the limits of liberality, as well as promoting health and the environment, but this seems to top it all.
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Today I feel surrounded by family but I am really all alone. My parents are actually on the same continent as I am for a change, they are in Austria right now and we are sms’ing back and forth (Mom is beginning to catch on how that works). Tim is on a business trip in Japan (reference his blog) but staying in touch. I just called my great-grandmother in Oklahoma to congratulate her on her 95th birthday and felt like she was almost right next door. And my sister in Florida is going to call soon so we can catch up!

You know, when my great-grandmother was born in 1912, staying in touch wasn’t nearly this easy. I think of my grandfather who emigrated from Germany to the US in 1922, looking for better work; he was in the US for some time before he brought his mom and siblings over to join him, and I imagine it wasn’t that easy for him to stay in touch with his family in Germany either. I am lucky to be alone but still feel surrounded by family thanks to modern technology. I suppose I’ll only have to wait another 20 years or so before the telephone is video-based, that will be even more “face-to-face” contact .. no pajama calls then!

No, I’m not in a particularly morbid mood, I’m just 1 1/2 hours into my Friday night relaxation and watching a program on BBC titled “50 Things to Do Before You Die”. (more…)

A colleague said to me on Friday that summer is his favorite season. I replied that spring is my favorite season. “Why?” he asked. “Anticipation”, I answered.

January might be the month to make new resolutions, but to me spring is the beginning of the year. The taste of the good weather to come, the smell of grass in the air and the sound of the first birds of the spring fill me with fresh resolution. What do I want to accomplish this year?

I ran into this wisdom in one of my favorite books, I think it makes a good if lofty goal for what I want to accomplish this year:
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I know a number of people who have started their own companies or who work as freelance and have a lot of success doing it. I used to do quite a bit of freelance work before I graduated from the university - first as musician and then as techie - but the last few years I’ve gone the steady job route. (Not that “steady” jobs have meant I always got paid - I worked almost 3 years for a company that paid me irregularly or not at all for the last 2 1/2 years I worked there.) Steady jobs have their advantages in theory, particularly when you’re the only working partner.

My personality tests in school always showed me as a risk-taker, and at the moment I’m not the only working partner.. so what if I were going to do something else, something as an entrepreneur? What would it be? (more…)

I don’t know what it is this year, but I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas this year like I did when I was a kid. I mean, thinking about the holidays makes we want to jump up and down and totally lose all concentration on what I am doing. Luckily I work at home or my colleagues might think I had lost it.

I can’t quite put my finger on what in particular is causing this tinteling (sp?) excitement. (more…)

What do you think? When is life perfect? :) Leave a comment with your answer.

I say: life is perfect when you’re not afraid of the future.