The findingDulcinea Blog

Kicking Off the Summer on a Positive Note

Memorial Day may have started as a tribute to war veterans following the Civil War, but in modern times, it also marks the beginning of summer and is often celebrated with cookouts, parades and general warm-weather revelry. Although Weather.com says it’s expected to be rainy “for much of the nation” this weekend, that won’t stop millions of us from taking day or weekend trips to visit family, or explore new or familiar getaway spots.

This summer, we're in a recession, but that needn’t make us any more glum. Recent polls encouragingly suggest that money isn’t strongly tied to happiness. One poll by the Associated Press and mtvU shows that a higher percentage of college students are happier this year than they were last year. Many people are stressed about the economy and job market, including college students, but there is also evidence that those with higher incomes aren’t necessarily happier than those who aren’t. Education level more strongly correlates with happiness, says a study by Britain’s National Literacy Trust, so take some time this summer to feed your mind.

The recession “may actually be good for people,” as our positive news columnist Anne Szustek wrote earlier this week. Follow the lead of New Yorkers, who are reportedly volunteering more, shirking their “self-insulating” stigma. For families, summer is an especially active time, and it shouldn’t be any different this year. Sticking together and sharing experiences is even more important now. Find affordable alternatives for your family to enjoy this summer.

Liz Colville
Senior Writer
Audience Development

April Fool's Day Jokes that Could Have Saved You Time and Money

 Just because yesterday was April Fool’s Day doesn’t mean you had any less work to do. In fact, maybe you were so busy that you jumped at the chance to enlist Gmail’s help in responding to the numerous e-mails you receive every day. With the newly released Autopilot, Gmail takes its service one step further. Now, Google’s Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed Intelligence Entity—otherwise known as CADIE—will assess the tone of the e-mails you receive and respond to them for you.

With the time you save by letting CADIE respond to your e-mails, you’ll have plenty of time to download music. The owners of the BitTorrent site The Pirate Bay have made it easier for you, too, by selling their site to Warner Bros.

When they faced their last round of legal charges in Sweden this February, they argued that even if they got sued, they wouldn’t have money to pay the damages. Now they’ve got the cash (around $13 billion) and Warner Bros. can deal with the legal complications.

You’ll also save time now that The Guardian plans to eliminate its print version and switch entirely to the Twitter platform. After all, you knew perfectly well that any story worth telling could be expressed in 140 characters or less. Thank goodness that dinosaur newspaper finally caught on after 188 years!

So you’ve streamlined your day. It’s time to sit back, relax and have a good hearty laugh over all the April Fools’ Day jokes that exploded on the Web. Because as it turns out, no matter what is bothering you or causing you stress, laughter is the best medicine. No…really! It’s not a joke!

Rachel Balik
Senior Writer

Get Ready to Celebrate Mardi Gras!

The Krewe du Vieux march, one of the earliest Mardi Gras celebrations, through the streets of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. This year's theme for the march was the economy (Bill Haber/AP).

The parades, bright beads and King Cakes of Mardi Gras are fast approaching. New Orleans Mardi Gras, perhaps the biggest party in the U.S., begins on Feb. 24. Below are blog posts and travel sites divulging what makes the city and the celebrations tick.

The “only thing this city is serious about is having fun” writes Janelle Nanos of the National Geographic blog Intelligent Travel. New Orleans gets even more serious about good times on Feb. 24 when Mardi Gras kicks off. Nanos also details a Krewe of Zulu exhibit at the Louisiana State Museum, and will be updating readers on the remainder of her stay in New Orleans in upcoming posts.

In case there was any question remaining, “New Orleans is better than ever, and definitely open for partying,” writes Neala Schwartzberg of the Offbeat Travel blog. She describes the food, music, attractions and hotels that are making news in the city, including the trendy Warehouse District, full of museums and galleries.

Nola.com lists the 2009 Mardi Gras parades schedule by parish.

Visit findingDulcinea’s Mardi Gras Web Guide for more Mardi Gras history, international celebrations and Mardi Gras party ideas.

Sarah Amandolare
Senior Writer

Everyday's a Holiday. No, Seriously.

National Pig Day revelers in Central Park, New York in 2008. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

With the Internet comes a Web site for everything—maybe even several. The Internet also brings more awareness of holidays you never knew existed. Take today: Feb. 5 is World Nutella Day. According to its Web site, the day is not actually affiliated with Ferrero, the company that owns Nutella. But it is a wholehearted celebration of the “chocolaty hazelnut spread.”

Here are some other holidays that really exist:

National Pie Day occurred on Jan. 23, and we created a whole feature to help you bake, buy and eat pie to celebrate this special day (belatedly, if you’d like).

National Handwriting Day also occurred on Jan. 23, and handwriting, or lack thereof, has gotten a lot of press lately. The Handwriting Without Tears project, a “complete handwriting curriculum for students," celebrated with an initiative to send students’ handwritten letters to President Obama.

National Pig Day is coming up on March 1. Serious Eats has an article that can help you make the most of the day with recipes and other fun resources from the Serious Eats archives. If that’s not enough, pig out with the article “The Bacon Explosion” from the New York Times.

Singles Awareness Day occurs on Valentine’s Day’s hangover, Feb. 15. Don’t make singles feel singled out on Valentine’s Day—give them their own, standalone cause for celebration!

Holiday Insights has information on a lot more holidays of the strange, funny and well-meaning variety.

Liz Colville
Senior Writer
Audience Development

Keeping Those New Year's Resolutions

For many of us, every New Year’s Day is the same. We declare our regrets, recognize our shortcomings, make resolutions, and then a few days later bid farewell to the year that was and forget it all.

Whether your pledge is small and simple or frustratingly hard, New Year’s resolutions can seem impossible to keep for a week, let alone a year or more.

However, as we all follow in the footsteps of the mythical King Janus—who was said to have had two faces so he could look forward and backward, and who inspired early Romans to pledge to make themselves better each new year—we must remember that there is no shortage of help available to each one of us.

Whether you want to shed pounds, quit smoking, or make the world a better place, there are Web resources available to help make your resolution become a reality.

Those who are getting ready to quit smoking can start by watching introductory videos on Joel's Quit Smoking Web site. A professional cessation coach, he offers clips that can be read or watched sharing advice for your first two weeks of the quitting process.

If shedding a few (or many) pounds is one of your goals this year, the Weight-Control Information Network is provided by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The latest research on weight control sits alongside several downloadable publications on nutrition, physical activity and diet.

Or maybe you'd like to do some good for the world. Visit VolunteerMatch, which matches up volunteers and organizations according to their preferences, almost like a dating service.

Chris Coats
Senior Writer

For a comprehensive collection of New Year’s resolution resources, check out finding Dulcinea’s Guide to New Year’s Resolutions.

Get Holiday Hangover Relief

Dr. Aaron Carroll and Dr. Rachel Vreeman of Indiana University's Medical School specialize in "medical myths for the holiday season."

They've done two lists so far, and 2008's, summarized by the New York Times blog Well, includes more evidence that there is, sadly, no cure for that peskiest of holiday guests: the hangover. The, ahem, sobering reality: "The researchers found no scientific evidence supporting any type of cure for alcohol hangovers. Because hangovers are caused by drinking too much alcohol, the only way to avoid one is to drink very little or not at all."

While there may not be a cure to over-drinking (or, for that matter, overeating), there is still a trove of good Web sites and products that can help you feel better after one or several nights of dehydrating, calorie-packed revelry.

Coconut water is "nature's sports drink," and you'll be seeing it populating more and more supermarket shelves as beverage companies catch on to this simple and delicious potassium-sodium cocktail. BeYouTV, an online health magazine, explains that the drink is low in sugar, cholesterol-free, 99 percent fat-free and low in calories.

Acetaldehyde may sound like something you find in a petrie dish, but unfortunately you'll also find it in your body after you drink. In a very interesting article about what alcohol does to your body, educational site SoYouWanna explains that it's a "nasty chemical critter" that has a starring role in every hangover. Arm yourself with knowledge to help you minimize overzealous drinking.

Pricky pear cactus extract was studied by some researchers at Tulane University in 2004 and discovered to be helpful in preventing the symptoms of a hangover. The extract can be found at some health food stores; take it a few hours before drinking commences and it may "alleviate symptoms such as dry mouth and that nauseated, can’t-stand-the-sight-of-food feeling."

Bananas can help counteract the diuretic (dehydrating) effect of alcohol and caffeine, which many people use to minimize hangover headaches and fatigue. An article on holiday hangovers from the Food Network Web site explains that bananas are full of the electrolyte potassium, which, together with sodium can help get you upright again. The article adds that different cultures have different ideas about which foods can help you overcome yet another hangover symptom, nausea.

Food and timing play a crucial role in hangovers; the site RealBeer has some great tips about drinking water, drinking on a full stomach, knowing how different alcohols affect you and spacing out your drinks adequately.

Liz Colville
Senior Writer
Audience Development

Now that you're sufficiently educated about the effects of partying too hard, find resources on "Making the Most of New Year's" in our Web Guide on the subject.

And if you're still craving more hangover science, read Newsweek's 2007 article, "Why Hangovers Can't Be Cured."

Beat Winter Fatigue

As the cold, dark, damp nature of winter sets in, reclaim your positive spirit online by managing your energy levels during the season.

Elemenja will mentally prepare you to keep up with a winter exercise regimen. Don’t let yourself join the 30 percent of the population who lets their exercise routine hibernate during the winter months. Find encouragement for getting exercise indoors, or embrace the cold air by participating in one of many great outdoor activities, including Nordic walking, trail running, snowshoeing and skiing.

Stimulate yourself intellectually and emotionally by creating or revamping a list of things you want to do in life that you haven’t done thus far. My 50 helps you to discover your wishes, interests and goals, and connects you to others who have the same interests.

Food cravings change seasonally, and The Skinny Chef will help you prepare winter-specific meals to boost your energy levels. The site offers hearty and healthy recipes, loaded with the vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants needed for the cold months.

Healthy Discovery explains how to create your own spa experience at home. Reward yourself with rest and rejuvenation without breaking the bank, or even leaving the comfort of your own home.

Jen O’Neill
Writer

Cold and dark getting you down? Read “Tips for Beating the Winter Blues.”

“6 Sites for Conquering Holiday Stress” can help before and during those tense moments at Christmas or Hanukkah.

Stress-Free Online Gift Shopping

Shopping for holiday gifts can go from hectic to relaxing if you just go online. Overstock and Amazon are obvious places to begin, but there are other excellent sites that will enhance your gift selections and help you stay within your budget.

Bluefly comes to your rescue when you’re shopping for the most discerning fashionista. Find designer clothing, shoes, handbags and other trendy bargains sure to make you, your bank account and the gift recipient pleased in one fell swoop.

Graveyard Mall dubs itself the place “where high prices come to die.” Check the daily deal, offering items 80 percent off the retail price, or visit the dollar store, where items actually are one buck, or close to it.

Froogle lets you and the other gift shoppers in your family create and share shopping lists, keep track of the products on it for potential bargains and search for items by category from many vendors.

NetGift helps you select the ideal present, from the mainstream to the obscure, available at up to 50 percent off the retail price. Browse gifts by type or recipient (man, woman or child).

Etsy is the online marketplace for handmade goods. Support up-and-coming artists by purchasing high-quality and unique artwork, knickknacks, jewelry, clothes and more.

Red Envelope helps you select just the right little something for the person who seems to have just about everything.

Jen O’Neill
Writer

Check out feature on "5 Sites for Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas" and our Web Guide to Gift Giving for more great Web resources for holiday shopping.

September 11: May Their Love Give Us Love

Robert Spencer/AP

Before last year’s sixth anniversary of 9/11, The New York Times published an article in which many wondered if it was time to put 9/11 behind us. As one psychologist said, “Our society has a very low tolerance for grief—it’s exhausting and unrelenting, and we don't want to hear about it.”

But a focus on the tragedy and grief ignores what should be the central takeaway of 9/11. Because to me, the enduring memory from 9/11 is about love.

On 9/11, we were humbled to learn that a good number of remarkable people are willing to put their lives at grave risk so that others, unknown to them, may live. There is no greater love. And many of the victims at the WTC and on Flight 93 lived for a desperate hour or more after their fate was sealed, with access to phones, and used the last precious minutes of their lives to call family and friends to express their love.

As I thought a few weeks ago about how our company should commemorate 9/11, I recalled the memorable words of firefighter Mike Moran at the Concert for New York in October 2001. Moran paid tribute to his brother and the dozens of other colleagues, loved ones and neighbors he had lost. And in his most noteworthy line, he said, “They are not gone, because they are not forgotten.” And surely we can spare an hour or two to remember the love we witnessed on and after 9/11, so that those who were lost are not gone, are not forgotten?

And then last weekend I experienced the joy of Ronan Tynan in concert, singing with a children's choir. Tynan makes every song sound as though you are hearing it for the first time. As they sang Bruce Springsteen's "Into the Fire," from the album "The Rising," I realized for the first time that Springsteen also beseeches us to remember the love of the heroes of September 11, and their strength, faith, and hope as well, so that we may draw from it:

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love 

May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your love give us love

So our company policy is set. From 8:46 a.m. until 10:29 a.m. EST, our employees will stop work and think about the remarkable manner in which so many people responded seven years ago to the challenge of their lives, or the certain end of their lives, and recall a time when all of New York, and much of the world, recognized our common humanity.

For my full blog post, click here.

Mark Moran
Founder and CEO

NYC & Company

Photo by Vincent Laforet for The New York Times

Last night we attended an event for NYC & Company, the official marketing and tourism partnership for New York. The event was at TheTimesCenter, part of the New York Times Tower. Most of the guests are involved in the NY tourism industry, so a lot of people from hotels, theaters, tour guides, etc.

We are involved in the group primarily because we wrote the ultimate Web Guide to New York City Survival, but also because we are a New York-based company, and it's always good to get involved in the local community and stay informed on what is happening around the city.

Appropriate for Earth Day, the folks from a new Web site called Greenopia.com introduced their concept: a local directory of eco-friendly products and services. The site is in beta, and they've started with listings for New York, Los Angeles, and San Fransisco with more cities to come.

Another person we were excited to meet was from Not for Tourists, the publishers of a series of guides to major cities (of course we link to them in our NYC Survival Guide). If you haven't checked out their Web site recently, I recommend you do. They have some great features, like every single page of their book is available in PDF format, they have a database of recommended business listings, and an Ultimate Web Index for more sites to explore.

Katie Hartsough
Audience Development