Don't be caught without a topic!
- Tightwads and Spendthrifts We all know a total tightwad or a reckless spendthrift. You might even be one. Things to debate: What kind of marketing makes you open your wallet? Why do people spend money? In relationships, who determines what is reasonable to buy and what isn't? (American RadioWorks)
- Study: Yes, Lobsters Feel Pain The study was about physical pain, no word yet on emotional distress. There's a couple angles beyond the good old, "Did you ever see that scene in Annie Hall?" approach. Why isn't there a good vegetarian version of shellfish? What does a grant application for lobster study funds look like? (NPR's Bryant Park Project)
- Thousands jam recycling event The old Met Center parking lot isn't just for nostalgia anymore! It is for tons of people to wait in line, idling in their running cars, in order to save the earth. Inspired by Bob Collins: When will they make saving the earth easier and more convenient? (MPR News)
Share your own conversation-starters suitable for making small talk with a cashier, during brunch, or to while away time waiting for a hybrid bus.
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Comments: 6
2) I can't afford lobster. See: 1).
3) My husband was looking forward to disposing of some old electronics. See: 1).
B. I might have to have lobster on Sunday to celibrate! MMMMMMMMMM Lobster tail! I don't have vegitarian guilt. The lobsters die in seconds, no big deal.
Here's my topic: If you can't find someone guilty of the original crime, then question them long enough so they get their stories crossed or have to lie, then nail them for perjury! Ask Scooter Libby and Barry Bonds!
C. Yes, cars do sit idling waiting to drop
In this house, I am the tightwad, my wife is the spendthrift. When she tells me, she can see underwear through the hole in my jeans, I take that as the signal to begin the process of putting off shopping. This process takes several seasons and involves a great deal of denial and procrastination. If one of those season happens to span the holidays, I count on a new pair of jeans for Christmas.
She, on the other hand, is who Thorstein Veblen had in mind when he wrote The Theory of the Leisure Class. She has little home life; coming home only to sleep off her mall binges. Work exists solely to finance her addictions. I love the girl, I tried to get her into therapy, but then she went shopping for a therapist........