A gluten free me

What if someone told you could never again eat pizza that was delivered? or drink a beer? or have a donut? or order a Reuben sandwich? or how about ordering any sandwich for that matter? This happened to me all at once... My doctor just recently told me that I am most likely allergic to gluten.

Gluten is the protein that is in barley, oats and rye and it's in freaking everything. Okay, I'm being a little hyperbolic. I can get gluten free bread, beer and probably donuts; and its not in everything; most fresh foods are okay, but wheat and flour and everything they are made of is out of the question.

Ease and accessibility is totally out the window. Hello, compromise.

So... I guess I need to make this as easy on myself as possible. I am on my quest to become a gluten foodie. Look for my new blog: "gluten is for chumps" - coming soon.

Henson Heeds Headlines

In the insanity that is my morning routine, I can never find the time to read the paper. I can only squeeze in a quick look at the headlines. Alright! I admit it. I'm hopelessly addicted to my snooze button. I need help.

Anyway, with this quick glance, usually while I'm guzzling coffee, I need to get an idea of what's happening, and the headlines usually give me the rundown. That's their only job as far as I'm concerned. Headlines are the quickest way to the news, and you should not have to read any further.

A perfect example of what I mean appeared in the February 26, edition of the Valley independent. The headline: "House sends Patriot Act extension to Obama" is a perfect headline to me. It tells me what is happening. It's concise. I need no more.

Photo courtesy of reinvented @ Flickr

The blogosphere

There are millions of blogs out there dealing with every topic imaginable -- from recipes to ideological rants -- and Journalism, obviously, is no exception. Here are two of my favorite blogs dealing with the written word.

Regret the Error:

This blog was started by a freelance journalist in Montreal named Craig Silverman and is dedicated to reporting "media corrections, retractions, apologies, clarifications and trends regarding accuracy and honesty in the press." I just love it. Sometimes, it can be hilarious. Other times, it can be very serious. I find gratification knowing that every publication makes mistakes -- even the New York Times.

The Journalist's Toolbox:

I didn't know about this blog until my Journalism III professor introduced it in class. I have since marked it as a favorite on my browser. The blog is exactly what it says it is and includes all kinds of tools a journalist would find useful, including public record databases, measurement converters and the newest job listings.

Photo courtesy of Ann_Moles @ flickr