Archive for February, 2009

A Fountain Of Face-Yoga Youth?

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

My niece, who holds yoga classes in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, recently launched a yoga blog. And in her latest post she includes a video that demonstrates face-yoga.

So what the heck is face-yoga? According to the instructor featured on the video, certain face poses (including something called “the lion face”) can tone your face and reduce facial lines and wrinkles.

Hey … at least you don’t have to move your whole body.

I thought I’d celebrate with a limerick:

A Fountain Of Face-Yoga Youth?
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Can yoga de-wrinkle your face?
Your forehead and frown lines erase?
With its face-moves like “lion” —
Not certain I’m buyin’.
But maybe I should … just in case.

My Twitter Motto (Haiku)

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Aim for brilliant
In just one-forty characters.
Settle for inane.

Facebook Face Off?

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Many Facebook users are angry or at least concerned about Facebook’s revised and more aggressive terms of service (TOS).

Consumerist has some good info here about Facebook’s perpetual content rights grab, and WebTechLaw explains the legal ramifications and what Facebook’s revised terms mean for your content.

I’ve never been a Facebook fan and now I like it even less. But at least it’s provided inspiration for a new limerick:

Facebook Face-Off
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Greedy Facebook has published new rules
Which play all its users for fools.
It’s a content rights grab—
A perpetual nab
Of your stuff just for using its tools.

UPDATE: Facebook has reversed itself about these new rules as a result of bad press and membership ire. I’ll be activating my account and I’ll see how it goes.

Multi-Task Madness

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Perhaps I’m out of line, but I think that when you get behind the wheel of a gazillion pound motorized vehicle, turn the ignition key, get into gear, hit the gas, and begin to move, you should maybe … I don’t know … PAY ATTENTION.

This approach has many advantages. For example, if you carefully observe your fellow drivers, you can:

a: Pick up lipstick application tips from the woman going 65;

b: Place bets on how far into your lane the guy next to you will swerve while switching CD’s or poking his iPod; … (Multitask Madness continues here.)

Valentine’s Day Verse (Limerick & Haiku Prompt)

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Valentine’s Day is coming up — an ideal topic for my very overdue limerick and a haiku (senryu) prompt. First, my limerick:

St. Valentine’s Day’s coming soon.
It’s a choc’late and rose-sellers’ boon.
Will your loved one come through
And make festive ado?
Or just buy you a five-buck balloon?

And now my haiku (senryu):

St. Valentine’s Day—
One day each February?
No. Daily each year.

Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about Valentine’s Day. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. And please post a comment as well.

(For more Valentine’s Day cheer, my Valiant Guy’s Guide to Valentine’s Day humor column is here.)