Stuff I Like #17: The Sun Magazine

I subscribe to only a couple of magazines. Two are writing related, and then there is The Sun. I don't remember how or exactly when I discovered the magazine. I might have come across a link online while using StumbleUpon. I might have heard someone mention it. For whatever reason, I subscribed and have never, ever been sorry. In fact, I spent over an hour and a half reading it today.

The Sun contains one interview per month, several black and white photographs, some essays, some memoir, some fiction, a couple of poems, a page of quotes, and my favorite section: Readers Write. Each month, the magazine provides a topic and the subscribers and readers of the magazine write in about that topic. The stories are funny, poignant, heartbreaking. I really love that dense little section of pages that I try to leave until last but inevitably end up reading first. It honestly brings a smile to my face every month when The Sun shows up in my mailbox.

Twice in my life have I met other people who subscribe to The Sun. Once was at a job where I was on 2nd shift supervising individuals with brain injuries. I often ended up staying late to talk to one of my coworkers when she would come in for 3rd shift. We had spent several nights just talking before one of us pulled out The Sun. The other kind of gasped and was like "I didn't know anybody else subscribed!" She is the one person that I am still in contact with from that job, and one of those people that I think I will always find something to talk to about.

The other time was at last year's BlogHer conference. I was rooming with three other ladies, two of whom I had never met before and one who I've known for more than 10 years. Two of our roommates had gone out to socialize, network, party, whatever you want to call it, and the two of us were left in the room. We were more introverted I guess, and the day's slate of events had worn us out. The other lady, one I hadn't known before the conference, pulled out her copy of the month's magazine. I think I might have squealed like a little girl when I saw it. She and I spent several hours that night chatting about the meaning of life and everything. I haven't spoken to her since, but I really believe we could pick up where we left off no matter how long it had been since I had seen her.

I love The Sun so much that it is one of my life's goals to be published in its pages. I want to have some of my photography, some of my poetry, an essay, an interview, and a Readers Write piece to be published in The Sun. Not a small goal, I suppose. I will be a subscriber as long as the magazine publishes and as long as I can scrape together the yearly cost of subscription.

One of the best parts of the magazine? There are no advertisements. It makes it cost a bit more each month to publish, but in my opinion, it's worth every penny.

Go. Read their website and some examples of the writing inside. You won't be sorry. I promise.

Stuff I Like #16: Outsourced

No, I'm not advocating sending jobs overseas! I want you to watch this awesome new sitcom from NBC.

One of my college roommates used to call me the sitcom queen. I love humor, and I love laughing. Since I'm not married, it's often difficult for me to relate to family sitcoms. I love twenty- and thirty-somethings sitcoms, but it seems like a lot of the humor is based on making fun of someone else. There's enough meanness in the world that we shouldn't find it funny when people are mean to one another.

There's a lot of humor in the difference between cultures, however. The basis of the show is a recent graduate who comes to start his first day as manager of a call center only to find that his call center has been moved to India. He has student loans, and if he wants to keep his job, he has to move to India as well. So, he packs up and moves himself to India where he finds that his call center is what another American call center manager terms the "B" team.

There is humor in the Indian misunderstanding of American novelties such as Cheeseheads for Packers fans, and bachelorette party favors. The assistant manager tells the American that there is a celebration called "Vindaloo Day" and that they take half a day off for that day. The sexual harassment seminar provides for a lot of laughs, and the manager is shocked when he has a harassment charge filed against him.

If you want a good laugh, and are tired of seeing only white actors and actresses on TV, tune in on Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m. on your local NBC station.

Stuff I Like #15: Jim Henson

Jim Henson is an American Legend, in my opinion. I honestly feel sorry for the kids growing up today who didn't have The Muppet Show to watch. He created such memorable characters--Kermit, Miss Piggy, Beaker, Animal, Fonzie! Not to mention the Skeksis in The Dark Crystal. I never would have imagined that puppets could be so expressive, memorable, and become such beloved icons.

One of the things I loved most about The Muppet Show was that Henson brought actors, actresses, musicians, and I believe even some politicians onto the show. It was satirical and fun, and not the mean humor that I see so often these days. It was a way for kids to relate to these public figures. I would love to see someone bring it back!

At the same time, Henson left a legacy. The Jim Henson company is still very involved in movie making now. I love their work in the Sci-fi show Farscape. I am so glad that Henson's spirit still lives on.