Gadget Geeks and Digital Disasters Welcome

In these pictures New York Times Technology columnist David Pogue and I are trying to figure out how to launch our shuttle in the Challenger Learning Center at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport. But it wasn't until we put on our proper space suits that we were able to figure out the process.

Whether you are technically challenged, meaning that you still haven't figured out how to program your phone or TiVo, or if you're always looking to learn what is new and hot in the tech world, you will want to stop by the Consumer Tech Fest at the museum this weekend.

You can get your hands on the items David Pogue has reviewed for the New York Times. The Fest is Saturday and Sunday, September 30 - October 1, with a preview cocktail party and auction Friday night at 7:00 pm.

See exhibits and demonstrations of all the newest gadgets. Plus, the makers will be there to give you hands-on help. Exhbitors include Apple, Best Buy, Bose, Canon, Dell, Edge Lab, JVC, Lego, Nuance, Panasonic, Pentax, Plantronics, Sonos, Star 99.9, TiVo, Westport Magazine, XM Radio and more. Here is a list of the top 10 Hottest Hi-Tech items at the fair and in the live and silent auction Friday night.

Speaking of Friday night, David Pogue will serve as MC of the preview cocktail party. But like in real life, he'll have more than one role. You might know him as the Technology Correspondent for the New York Times who has a daily blog, a weekly column and email column, plus a weekly video review of a product. He is also currently shooting for his new series for the Discovery Channel called, "It's All Geek To Me."

Friday night not only will David lead the live auction, he'll give his advice on all the toys, plus entertain with his musical antics on the piano.

If only I spoke with David before getting my new phone!

I've had a thousand calories, but I haven't really EATEN yet!

After 45 minutes on the treadmill last April, I vowed to give up my favorite candy, Cadbury Creme Eggs.  The counter showed I had burned around 400 calories, still not enough to burn off the three chocolate covered, creamy centered seasonal savories. Three eggs have 510 calories, 18 grams of fat and 84 carbs. Plus I knew I'd eat a fourth one later on since they come in a box of four.

I gave that fourth one away and didn't buy any more even when they were on sale after Easter. But I started thinking about them again recently as Halloween candy has hit the shelves. I wonder when they'll make Cadbury Creme Eyeballs? I'm thinking I would have to forbid myself from eating those as well.

Most goodies like Creme Eggs come in packaging that tells you how many calories and carbs and grams of fat are in them. Fast food places have even started posting nutritional information. However, many restaurants still don't list such information on menus. As for the ones that do, like Red Lobster, do you really want to know?

Yes,  you can enjoy an entire Broiled Maine Lobster (no butter) for a mere 145 calories and two carbs. But don't touch any of those what they call "Cheddar Bay Biscuits." Each has 160 calories, nine grams of fat and 17 carbs. I usually eat three, inlcuding one to soak up all the blue cheese dressing in my salad.

If your favorite national chain doesn't list nutritional information, you can find it at CalorieKIng.com.

You can also search the website for information on specific food items like an an apple. 80 calories. Or traditionally prepared foods like meatloaf. 205 calories. (Hey- that's less than a chocolate cake donut at Dunkin and an Egg McMuffin, both have 290 calories.)

Now, find out how many calories you need to maintain, lose or gain weight.

Happy Eating! Oh, and this season's candy is nearly harmless. Candy corn doesn't have any fat and one serving only has 104 calories.

View my "What's Bugging You" on counting calories.

Dine Out Help Hunger

Like I need any incentive to eat out.

If you've read my blog in archives from May 22nd, you've seen my kitchen (not conducive to cooking; not even re-heating.)

However, you still have another week to try out some fine Fairfield dining while at the same time helping to end childhood hunger in America. The  5th annual Dine Out began last Monday the 18th. But it continues through this Friday. I've even drawn you a map to one of the participating restaurants, the newly re-opened Ralph 'n' Riches in Bridgeport. Take a look, then scroll down for the rest of the story. Click on the pinpoints for details of what they mark. Click on Map for streets and Hybrid for both streets and satellite. Click and hold anywhere on the map and you can scroll all around Fairfield County. You can even make your own maps for your blog.

At participating restaurants, you get a special three course prix fixe; $20.00 for lunch and $35.00 for dinner. You also get a bottle of S. Pellegrino or Acqua Panna. It's actually a nationwide project, with restaurants in Chicago and on the West Coast participating, as well as in Westchester and Fairfield counties. With each meal served, S. Pellegrino, which is a brand of Greenwich-based Nestle Waters, will donate $1.00 to Share Our Strength, the nation's leading non profit organization to fight childhood hunger in America.

The promotion began last Monday, September 18th, the same day Ralph 'n' Rich's reopened in its new location on Main street, across from the Barnum Museum. The original opened 16 years ago on Wall street. Owners Ralph Silano and Richard Ndini say despite warnings not to open in downtown back in 1990, they wanted to be a part of the restructuring of their hometown. Now they feel they are once again movers in the recent renaissance of Bridgeport.

Sisters

I'm an only child.

So the only sisters I have are the ones I pledged allegiance to in college. That oath was taken 13 years-ago in Dallas as a Tri-Delt at Southern Methodist University.

I have to admit I wasn't the best Tri-Delta in the house. For some reason Monday evening chapter meetings became difficult for me. I was either working or involved in some new internship. My senior year I went inactive and after graduation I lost track of most of my sisters as I began moving around the country.

SMU Delta Delta Delta house

It wasn't until I was living in New York City that I found that one of my pledge sisters was working at a law firm there. I contacted her, and she said a group of seven to twelve of SMU Deltas get together once a month in the city for dinner and that I should join. I've been involved in their group for about two months now. I have great fun announcing when I have a "Dallas Delta Dinner." It is difficult to coordinate schedules, a little more than when we were college gals, so we miss a month here and there. We also try to some other fun outings.

Here we are a few years ago at Silverman's Farm in Easton and

at  Jones' Family Farms   in Shelton. Hey girls, its almost pumpkin pickin' time again! Let's Go!

On our trip to Connecticut we also ate brunch at the River House Tavern in Westport.

Now I'd like to congratulate one of my pledge sisters who is in all of the above pictures, Betsy Wilson.

She and her husband Doug, who also went to SMU, just had a beautiful baby boy, Griffin. They live in Fairfield County.

Does this make me an aunt?

Is It Monday Yet?

Large letters across the billboard read "Is It Monday Yet?"  Not until you get closer can you see the small ESPN logo, realizing its an ad for the cable sports network's Monday night football coverage.

However it makes me smile every time I see it.

Its common to hear people say "I hate Mondays"  or "Thank goodness it's Friday!" or even "It's humpday, we're half way through the work week!"

But to be excited over Monday is a different psychology.

I was considered a lunatic when I professed on the air that Monday was my favorite day of the week. Paul Piorek quipped back, "I'm calling Bellevue because you're crazy!"

Hating Monday didn't begin with us work-obsessed Americans. Here is a quote from English writer Charlotte Bronte's novel, "Shirley," published in 1848.

"Something real, cool and solid lies before you; something unromantic as Monday morning, when all who have work wake with the consciousness that they must rise and betake themselves thereto."

While I don't see Monday as romantic, I see it as a new beginning. Its the start of the week. Think of all the things you can accomplish in the upcoming week. And you have time to get them done. Plus, if you are a bit slow to get started on Monday, the old apologetic, "it's Monday" excuse always works! Yet if I start the week dreading the week, each ensuing day seems worse.

I'm happy to see ESPN promoting Monday as a day to look forward to. (Though I'm sure Bronte wouldn't agree with me because she probably wouldn't see Monday Night Football as romantic.) But with Monday as a "start the week right" and "night to look forward to" day, Wednesday as "we've almost made it, we're halfway through the week" day, Thursday the "early start of the weekend" day, Friday of course as "TGIF," the only day left to worry about is Tuesday.

Will we make it through?

It really is coincidence that I do my What's Bugging You report on Tuesdays. So whether its "terrible Tuesday" that bugs you, or anything else, let me know. Send an email!

Text, Email or Write

Last week I did a "What's Bugging You" report on the vanishing practice of handwriting letters.

I blamed our reluctance to put pen to paper on technology such as instant messages, email and online social networking like Myspace and Dogster. Even my dog, Willamena, insists on having a page because her boyfriend, Otis, has one.

Don't get me wrong. I like the ease and immediacy of keeping in touch and getting to know new people. I just want both! But I can't remember the last time I received or mailed a letter. I started thinking about it while I was digging through an old popcorn tin of letters, all about 20-years-old. With it, I have a  stamp collection, cool postmarks from all over the world, pictures and interesting letters from people, some I have to admit I don't even remember. However, young people who rely on the internet to communicate with pen pals and write love letters aren't going to have the memories. I mean, really, when is the last time you printed an email that you ended up saving? Plus I only keep sent pictures as long as they stay in my inbox.

I started thinking about the issue again yesterday after receiving an email from a Peter Kovar in Germany. Attached was this picture to the left, with a message reading: hi heather,
my name is peter kovar and i'm a university lecturer in germany.
i find your e-mail adress by seaching a picture of my own. do you know something of your regional provenance?
i wrote this e-mail simply because of your friendly picture and your name.
i send you greetings from germany
peter kovar

I think getting an email from someone with my same last name in Germany is pretty cool. It didn't come with a postage stamp, but it did prompt me to look again at the region my family is from.  I thanked him for the email and told him my Kovars were from Ublo, Moravia Czechoslovakia. He wrote back saying that's the basic area his family is from as well.

I'm not sure how long his picture will remain in my inbox. I'll try to find a way to save it like I try to save some email addresses that somehow have disappeared whenever I need them. But another thought about those old letters: I wonder what I wrote in return and if anyone still has mine? Oh, no! Maybe instantly deleted text messaging is the way to go.

Five Years Later

Its one of those moments in history where you will never forget where you were when you heard.

I was getting ready to spend the day covering the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary. When the first plane hit, I started worrying how the "accident" would affect my planned political coverage. Things unfolded pretty quickly after that, and ultimately the New York City Primary Elections were re-scheduled for September 25th, 2001.

Everyone remembers where he or she was on September 11th, 2001. It's known as a day that changed the lives of Americans forever. So it seems appropriate on this five year anniversary to take a look at where we are today. Yes, the country is still involved in war and security measures have been tightened. However, are we any different as individuals than we were five years ago? For the families who lost loved ones in the attacks, I'm sure their hearts will never be the same. I can't begin to understand the loss for them or their struggle to ensure a proper memorial. Can the average American name at least one of the nearly 3,000 people killed that day?

Needing to do a little meditation on the subject, I jogged along Riverside Park from the Upper West Side to Chambers Street yesterday. It was a nice sunny breezy day that had rollerbladers, bikers, families and all kinds out enjoying the view and the weather. Steps from the World Trade Center site, families were in the park in high spirits. One of the most touching images was a little girl singing while shaking some sort of tambourine over her head, and behind her I could see a crane with the American Flag still hanging on it. I haven't been to the area in at least two years. But instead of the fence memorial with posters and teddy bears and messages, it seems the area has picked up life. I noticed many new residential high rises surrounding the site. Of course the site itself is still empty. But it's cleaned up. There is even this website dedicated to renovation in the area.

Anything so painful is bound to be controversial. The planning and rebuilding hasn't come easy. Memorials have been placed around Connecticut to commemorate the lives ended that day. This picture is an artist's rendering of a memorial proposed for Greenwich. The statue would be placed where the Twin Towers were visible from Connecticut. Robert Perless has an exhibit at the  Flinn Library.

Looking back five years, thinking about where we are today, makes me wonder what it will be like in 2011.