Pope Benedict XVI ended 2009 much as he began it -- with a major gaffe that angered Jews.
Pope Benedict XVI ended 2009 much as he began it -- with a major gaffe that angered Jews.
I'd never been one of those girls who'd dreamt about her perfect wedding. The white wedding dress, the exorbitant costs, the fuss over a big, shiny rock -- none of it ever appealed to me.
CNN.com readers' response to a story Tuesday about a grass-roots charity has been anything but modest.
Each Christmas, Christians tell stories about the poor baby Jesus born in a lowly manger because there was no room in the inn.
Children point at the glass as a long train rounds the bend and Thomas the Tank Engine passes overhead. Outside, a flashing red signal tells neighbors it's time to hop aboard.
As Christmas season went into full swing this year, Glen Fullmer's 7-year-old son came home from school with an assignment: Make a poster illustrating his family holiday traditions.
I'm probably as sick of writing about job loss as you are reading about it. But I have some good news to report.
New Orleans architect Mark Ripple only plays the occasional game of poker, but he's willing to put all his chips on the table and risk at least $150,000 on somebody else's dream.
Long before company celebrators bench-pressed fax machines, partygoers performed competitive face-plants into ice water, or family members gathered around an aluminum pole to wield complaints at one another, the common people of ancient Rome began to act up.
Gary Ribble would not be able to read this story if not for people like you.
Holiday gatherings can be rough. You have a sneaking suspicion Uncle Joe is going to have a drink or five too many, and you're still wincing about that great gift your brother's girlfriend gave you last year, when you didn't get her a thing.
Joan Hornig's jewelry comes from the heart. And 100 percent of the profits go to a charity of your choice.
Have you seen that Target commercial where the guy gives his date a beautiful necklace, only to have the woman look kind of uncomfortable and announce that she didn't think they were quite "there" yet?
Sure, conventional wisdom says that in life you only get one chance. But in love, there are no rules. However, there is good advice, not to mention learning from your mistakes.
Nothing quite expresses love and joy like gifts of food -- especially for those loved ones on your list who may be at higher risk for heart disease.
Over the years I've attended all kinds of work holiday parties. From the afternoon punch and cookies where you just have to show your face for five minutes, to the intimate and extravagant fine dining meal, to the huge blowout with endless food, open bar, chocolate fountains and partying until the wee hours of the morning.
Carey Carter and Mitchell Barnes, owners of the posh Carter Barnes salon in Atlanta, Georgia, have never underestimated the gift of a good blowout.
Christina Powell folds the red, white and blue quilt before it is packed up and sent to Andrews Air Force Base, some 400 miles away in Maryland.
A white van sits at a warehouse loading dock in Boston. Buckled in the front passenger seat is Eeyore, the donkey friend of Winnie the Pooh.
A story is always better if you have someone to share it with. What could be better than sharing it with a group of friends who have read it too? Starting your own book club is an endeavor that we applaud! And we've made it easy to do with these tips and resources.
For the men in your life, here are some heroic biographies that make great gifts.
The mysterious, but not unknown, caller phoned a few weeks ago.
There are many practices from biblical times that are best left in the past. Stoning adulterers comes to mind. As does sacrificing oxen.
December 18, 2009
December 18, 2009
Brothers Peter and Marty Brown scraped together $4000 in 1992 to follow in their father's footsteps and launch their own commercial sign-making business called Colite, International LTD.
"O, The Oprah Magazine," asked some of our favorite authors which books they plan to give this season, and which they'd most love to get.
I'm bad at commitment. Heck, I can barely spell it.
It could have been any other night at the Aspen Social Club in midtown Manhattan, except on this evening more than 100 New Yorkers mixed, mingled and sipped free booze for the worthy cause of providing toys for kids in need.
Ben & Jerry's Bagels? Sonic Steakhouse? Be glad that some of our favorite quick-service places evolved into what they are today.
When is it best to take short-term pain for long-term gain?
When Sadako Sasaki lay in her hospital bed sick with leukemia, she showed her father origami cranes from local school girls. "When you fold 1,000 paper cranes, you will get well," her dad responded.
December 17, 2009
December 17, 2009
If you are already in college or headed there, sit down. If you're the parent or friend of a student, listen up.
Scenario: You've met someone, and you've been dating a month. He's all you've been talking about with your friends and family members. Co-workers notice a visible pep in your step, and you seem to be smiling for no reason whatsoever.
YouGov published its list of the 10 worst business sayings months ago. Some I more than agreed with ("thinking outside of the box," "blue-sky thinking," "heads up"); some didn't bug me too much ("at the end of the day," "going forward," "credit crunch").
There is not always time to wait for fire trucks or ambulances to arrive. Sometimes an emergency situation is so dire, the danger so imminent that there is need for people to take immediate action.
These are the books that gave us comfort, joy -- and lots to talk about.
December 16, 2009
December 16, 2009
Every family has its own set of holiday traditions. Some spend the day opening gifts and stuffing themselves with turkey, while others volunteer at soups kitchens, sing in the church choir or take in a movie.
In 2000, Brenda Allison graduated from law school and moved to Chicago. There, she found a supportive group of friends, an apartment within walking distance of the city's hottest spots...and absolutely no time to date.
Do you ever think your boss behaves like a child going through the "terrible twos," throwing tantrums or reverting to a little lost lamb when in over his or her head?
In a warm, fluorescent-lit clay studio at the Corcoran College of Art + Design, students, faculty and a soft-spoken priest are embarking on a mission. Their goal: Create 500 bowls for a fundraiser to help feed the hungry.
December 15, 2009
December 15, 2009
Kevin Garibo hasn't known life outside a hospital. Born three months ago with respiratory issues, he needed a procedure to breathe on his own. Nurses prod at him, medical machines hum around him and tubes are more present than teddy bears.
December 14, 2009
December 14, 2009
Women always seem to ask me where all the good men are, as if these near-mythical dudes are hiding behind bushes, chained up in some vampire's basement, or are just rare and elusive, like the snow leopard.
A man sees a 75-year-old man stuck on railroad tracks and pulls him to safety. An off-duty emergency worker pulls a woman from a van after it crashes into an icy pond. An NBA star saves a woman from drowning.
Oprah.com caught up with the women of "Nine" to find out a few of their favorite things.
December 11, 2009
December 11, 2009
When Columbia University student Sean Udell Manning enters his senior year next fall, he wants to share a one-bedroom apartment with one of his closest friends.
Dianne McLeod recalls her husband, Stanley, getting so visibly upset when the debt collectors called that she had to take the phone away from him. She believes constant harassing phone calls and other tactics eventually killed him.
December 10, 2009
December 10, 2009
Chemistry -- just how important is it in any relationship or when you're dating?
I saw Michael Bernard Beckwith perform a re-commitment ceremony for a married couple a few years back and it blew me away. He looked at the husband and said, "Your job is to be her biggest fan and her greatest critic for the purpose of her spiritual development." He then turned to the wife and said the same thing to her about him.
Holidays in the office can be predictable: coffee mugs for your boss, a gift card for your co-worker, fruit baskets for clients. This holiday season, however, may prove to be a little different, as there is less money to spend and fewer co-workers on gift lists.
December 9, 2009
December 9, 2009
The next time a married man or woman glances your way, you might think twice before acting on impulse and frolicking between satin sheets. The scorned spouse could sue you.
Last night I was thrown for a loop when I ran into a long-ago ex at a party that he had no business (that I could fathom) attending. I was not happy to see him. In fact, over the past 10 or so years, I've made it a point to avoid being anywhere he might be.
Erin Crispin feels a great deal of empathy for Tiger Woods' wife, who has been thrust into the spotlight.
December 8, 2009
December 8, 2009
Ever since the economy went south last fall, workers have considered themselves lucky just to have jobs.
Amber Lemna says studying "The Secret" is changing her life for the better.
December 7, 2009
December 7, 2009
Forget spray-painting crude symbols under the cover of night. Colorful knitters armed with needles and skeins of yarn are unleashing their own brand of colorful guerrilla art to breathe new creativity and spirit into the machismo of urban art.
It's early on a Saturday morning, and Sarah Markowitz limbers up before her dance class begins.
It wasn't that I couldn't write. I wrote every day.
December 4, 2009
December 4, 2009
Out of all the seven deadly sins, Envy is probably the least attractive (with Gluttony hot on its heels).
When my kids were younger, friends with tweens gave me dire warnings: "It's a whole new world -- much worse than the terrible twos." "You won't believe the change in your kid -- like night and day." "Just wait until they hit middle school; brace yourself."
We all hear the horror stories about runaway spending in government. In fact, the feds recently reported that we had 13 consecutive months of budget deficit. Clearly, we can't control federal spending. Nor can we control state spending all that effectively.
December 3, 2009
December 3, 2009
When did the term "boyfriend" become obsolete? I must have somehow missed the memo.
Can an innocent Christmas present plunge a normal family into consensual madness?
Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, are nearing retirement age. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are 78.2 million boomers, and that every hour, 330 of them turn 60.
December 2, 2009
December 2, 2009
Aren't we single ladies always on the quest to find the perfect man? Just yesterday, I was on that quest. And then I met him. For the sake of this post, let's call this perfect man John.
Readers offer small-budget Christmas-gift ideas and other insights on cheap holidays:
The day Charles Moses Martin Goodrich entered the world, a new community was conceived.
December 1, 2009
December 1, 2009
On the season finale of "Entourage," one of the characters, Eric, proposes to his girlfriend, Sloan, only it wasn't a romantic get-down-on-one-knee proposal, so much as it was a seemingly spur-of-the-moment declaration of his commitment to her.
Do you remember the feeling you had when report card time rolled around in grade school?
Dads in short shorts and moms in beehive hairdos are becoming all the rage on the Internet.
November 30, 2009
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