I’ve been suffering from eczema for about 10 years now. Even though I have a very mild case as far as eczema goes, it is nonetheless annoying (not to mention uncomfortable) when the condition flares up. My dermatologist prescribed a very expensive ointment (about $89 per tube) that works well, and also recommended that I try adding dead sea salt to my bath for temporary relief at a much more reasonable price.

I haven’t actually done that yet, but I think I’m going to start soon. The hot, humid summer months always make my eczema worse and I don’t really feel like spending $300 or $400 on prescriptions. Hopefully, the dead sea salt idea will work for me!

Well, you knew it was going to happen. There were long lines of people at just about every cell phone/tech store today, as the long-awaited Apple iPhone was finally released to the public. I have never been one to stand in line for products, movies, concert tickets, etc. so I don’t understand this mentality at all. Sure, it would be pretty cool to have an iPhone, but I certainly wouldn’t want to waste several hours in the attempt.

The retail price of the phones is about $600. If there’s a shortage at retailers, what do you suppose the asking price on eBay will be?

I was just reading an interesting press release about the research habits of today’s consumers. It said that 75% of consumers research big-ticket items online, and then 90% of those people go on to purchase those big-ticket items from a local store. Based on my own habits, I have to agree with that assessment. I’m all about shopping online for small items, but when it comes time to buy something big, I head out to a bricks and mortar store.

As a matter of fact, I just went through this very scenario a couple weeks ago. I was helping my aunt research the latest models of Maytag refrigerators since her old one sounds like it’s liable to quit working at any moment now. I looked up models, features, reviews, and pricing information online, and then took my aunt to the store to actually look at the ones that she liked. She hasn’t actually made a purchase yet, but I’m sure when the time comes we’ll go back to that same store — which would bear out the data set forth in the press release!

I can’t believe he went there. As most Grey’s Anatomy fans know by now, Isaiah Washington, who played Dr. Preston Burke for three seasons, was fired from the show at the beginning of June. Well, technically he wasn’t even fired; his contract just wasn’t renewed. Most people thought this was a result of the anti-gay slurs Washington directed towards co-star T.R. Knight (Dr. George O’Malley), but Washington has come right out and said that wasn’t the case.

About a week ago he released a statement saying he’s not going to take being fired (or let go) without giving his side of the story. He then went on to blame Knight and co-star Katherine Heigl for teaming up against him.

And today, I just read an article where Washington says the real reason he was fired is that he’s a black man who doesn’t speak like he “just left the plantation.”

Well, this really makes no sense to me and leads me to believe that Washington is coming completely unhinged over this whole situation. First of all, Grey’s Anatomy is known as one of the most diverse shows on TV because their main cast featured the likes of Sandra Oh, James Pickens, Chandra Wilson, and Sara Ramirez in addition to Washington (when he was on). Plus, executive producer Shonda Rhimes is black, so from an outsider’s perspective it hardly seems like a racism charge is accurate here…

I don’t know about you, but I really miss the days when the evening news actually contained meaningful stories. These days, the major news networks seem to be more concerned with entertainment value than anything else. Paris Hilton has dominated the airwaves for the last month because of her jail term, and before that, it seemed that every news program was focused on the paternity test results of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter.

Please bring back the substantial stories and leave the celebrity stories to the gossip magazines! I’m not the only one who feels this way, am I?

My friend Christine from The Passionate Ailurophile (whoa, I spelled that right without even looking!) is in a heated battle to win her very own soda machine, courtesy of the BenSpark Refreshing Soda Club Contest. I’m admittedly a little late in getting the word out, as there’s now less than 24 hours left in which to vote, but since Christine could still use some help, I figured I’d go ahead and post this info.

Just yesterday I think she was down by more than 100 votes, but now she’s staging a comeback that is eerily reminiscent of her beloved Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS. As of 9:25pm EDT, she’s only trailing the leader by 18 measly votes. Since you’re allowed to vote once per day until the contest ends, there’s still time for everyone who reads this to vote twice before all is said and done.

Oh, and if you want to spread the word to help Christine rock the vote, just make a post like this one on your blog, linking to both The Passionate Ailurophile and the BenSpark voting page. You’ll then be entered into a drawing to win a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate whether Christine wins the contest or….. What am I talking about here? Of course she’s going to win!

Vote for Christine NOW!!

I’m currently looking for fun ways to get in shape and think that taking up martial arts would be perfect for me. I am not the kind of person who can just go outside and run 5 miles on my own or go to a gym for aerobics, pilates, or weight training. The only time exercise is ever fun for me is when it comes as the result of playing a sport, so that’s why I’ve got a good feeling about martial arts.

I’ve got to do some research before signing up for a class because I’m not even sure which discipline I’d like to pursue. All I know is that I want it to be something that uses weapons, so no karate or judo for me! It’s not that I have a violent streak or anything like that; I just think it would be really cool to learn how to handle weapons like that. I once saw a demonstration with some guys using Boken and Bo traditional weapons, and I was just blown away! I’ve never forgotten those images, and would love to be able to do the same things some day.

Once I settle on a particular martial art that I want to study and find a place that offers classes, I know right where to go to buy the weapons I need: GlobalSportsWarehouse.com. This site has a huge selection of martial arts equipment, as well boxing and kickboxing gear. Plus, their prices are some of the lowest I’ve seen, and you know that’s always a concern for me.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to pursuing this idea further. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried a new sport, and I’m very excited about getting into martial arts!