The Silver Lining

A Big Decision...

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:52:28 -0400

Based on some feedback from fellow bloggers and friends, I have made the decision to transition "The Silver Lining" to another host. Due to the inability to post comments, track traffic and interactively connect with others in the blogosphere, I've started The Silver Lining II.

So if you see the blog postings on this site slow down, no worries, I'm just going to be focusing more on SLII and eventually will be exclusively posting on there. So add the new site to your favorites and don't miss any "blonde insight"!

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No leaves yet, but Flowers everywhere!

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:24:39 -0400

A sign that Spring has sprung? Well, that would be green buds and little signs of life where ever you look. Since, however, this reality is still a bit out of reach, why not enjoy the Flowers that will be everywhere at the Bayside Expo during the New England Spring Flower Show! This year's theme is "Yes You Can!" and even though I don't know exactly what that means and how it ties into flowers, I still say BRING IT ON! Any greenery to simulate the feeling of spring will do at this point.

The show runs from March 17th - 25th so you have a week to get down to Boston and enjoy the food (yes I said food), make overs, perfume testings, live music, contests, crafts, expert lectures (check out the website's Special Events section) and the general wonder of having an entire show dedicated to one of nature's most beautiful things; flowers. Okay, I admit that was slightly corny, but it's the end of the day what do you expect?

See Pictures of 2006 Flower Show

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March Madness Begins

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:55:20 -0400

This week's hottest story isn't some celeb death or birth, it isn't even an inane Bush-ism. No, no, this week all the news is about the beginning of March Madness baby! The emails were flying around this morning after Selection Sunday posting the Tournament Brackets and going over rules for various office contests. Experts from every media outlet including ESPN and FOX covered their predictions and insight, opening up polls for the common man to voice their thoughts.

Since I'm not much of a basketball follower though, I'll be following the analytical approach of March Mascot instead. Written by a true sports fan, this blog is a wild experiement to test the team stats against the mascot costumes. With a little bit of something for everyone, including some interesting links and funny comments, March Mascot will be an interesting test to see if all those girls who pick the cutest mascot had something more to them then just a buzz and a bad dye job.

P.S. Do not plan on me to supply you with an ongoing update of the NCAA stats, I've already chosen my two favorites based on states. I'll give you a hint...

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Lost an Hour of Sleep - Coffee Helps Get Us Through

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:35:37 -0400

If I wasn't so excited that we have an extra hour of light tacked onto the end of our days, I would be extremely crabby today. I feel jet lagged and lazy on this otherwise sunny and mild (by New England standards) Monday morning all due to one meezely hour of missed sleep (thank you DST). Now that I've armed myself with a grande Starbucks though, I feel ready to take on the day (mind you it's almost noon now, but whatever).

Speaking of coffee though, I have some related announcements that will help get you through your Monday though... free coffee! Both Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are ringing in the spring with some coffee giveaways! So mark the days on your calendar and take advantage. Once you settle down at your desk, take a look at this Freshly Brewed blog and take pleasure in reading the dark humor of one Boston coffee addict's view of the world.

Now if only I could get my Outlook to read the correct time...

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Local Golden Boy's Image in Jeopardy?

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:16:18 -0500

I know that everyone (including my short friend) have been and will be writing about the news story that caused waves across the entertainment, sports and general media worlds yesterday. Tom Brady is another baby's daddy. I know there are a lot of mixed feelings about this once could-do-no-wrong local football hero, but come on! My curiosity however, lies not in when he knocked who up, but rather with what this whole fiasco will do to his previously pristine image.

The publicist in me is spinning the different ways he can try to salvage his image, while also thinking how this could be a great thing for him and push him beyond the locked role of the "good boy". Perhaps if he plays his cards right, some new doors will open to him. There will be a price to pay of course, and there is no doubt that doors will slam shut in his face as well, but that is the intriguing part. The only thing that I know for sure is that both his babies are going to be GOREOUS.

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Healthy Soda: Oxymoron or just Moronic?

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 13:40:02 -0500

I'm biased, I'm a water drinker. I only have a cup of coffee a few times a week, stay clear of the sports drinks, and don't drink juice or flavored water, but I especially don't drink soda (closest I get is the carbonated water that is paired with vodka). So when I was reading this morning's New York Times and came across this article on how soon companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi will begin marketing their soft drink beverages as healthy, I almost choked on my latte.

Beware all fad-dieting followers, marketers for the leading soda companies are fortifying their sugary carbonated soft drinks and slapping a "diet friendly" low cal sticker on them. Despite the fact that recent research proves that these drinks are linked to obesity and diabetes, people will fall for it.

I can only hope that the more aware and educated out there will take the time to understand that this is a marketing scheme with the sole purpose being to make companies money. Don't let the bubbly goodness fool you, these sodas still have a dark side

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Mind reading machines - now a reality

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 13:18:21 -0500

Forget the psychics, and take the scientific approach to mind reading. Oh yes, some genius scientists at Berlin's Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience have finally figured out how to read people's thoughts.

Holy crap. Please do not make this a common staple in our lives, there are some thoughts that run through my head, that even I don't want to know about.

This donut shaped machine has been tested on 21 people so far and been 71% accurate in predicting a person's next move, literally. Check out the blog about it on Gizmodo.com or from it's original AP source.

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Tonight's Dinner - Green Eggs and Ham

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 17:10:48 -0500

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss! Yes, that's right it is legendary author and illustrator Theodor Geisel's birthday today. Kids are celebrating across the country by reading some of their favorite books like The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, and my personal favorite as a child, Oh, the Places You'll Go! (classic). So reminisce by visiting SeussVille.com or just eat some Green Eggs and Ham for dinner. It's close enough to St Patrick's day where you might actually find it somewhere.

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When I'm feeling lazy...

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 14:52:49 -0500

Lately I have been too busy too keep up with the blogs. A couple of my colleagues however seem to have mastered this multitasking. One especially i am in constant awe of. So I'm going to save myself a little time today and send you over to Becki's "PR, Babies and All the Rest" and Lindsay's "Short is the New Tall" blogs for some good reading.

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If Basketball was this funny, I'd watch it more...

nobody@vox.com(SjP) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 14:19:44 -0500

I'm not a fan of watching basketball, but would probably reconsider if things like this happened more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HozY8A3_Yro

That is the best shot I've ever seen! I hope they got points for it.

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