Guest Post

When asked to write a guest blog post for the venerable Mr Jones my initial thought was to write something witty and succinct. However upon realisation that being neither concise nor humorous are my greatest talents the following ramblings seem appropriate.

The majority of those who read this don’t know me and never will, I like that anonymity. There’s something about writing something out for the whole world to see that’s very therapeutic. The thought that someone might read this and find the slightest interest, enlightenment or inspiration from it makes me smile.

I’m going to write about accomplishment, progress, recovery. However you deem to express it for me they all boil down to the same basic principle. That principle to me is (if you’ll excuse my French) getting the f**k on with it. I mean, obviously it’s not that simple, so, let’s give some background here.  Wait for it, here comes the big confession:

My name is Andie, I’m 24 years old, and I’m an alcoholic.

Read the rest of Andie’s post

Back when the web was young and I was younger, I tried my hand at web design. It was the days before web editors and when the early web editors arrived they were often more trouble then they were worth.

I discovered my magazine work had given me a pretty good eye for how a web page should look. It was in the early ‘90s that a friend and I formed a partnership to offer web development.

Our venture didn’t last long. It wasn’t lack of customers; it was the difficulty in supporting them. The web was so new that very few really understood what it might do for a business or an individual.
Read more of Anne’s guest post

One of the disadvantages of doing scientific research is that you spend and awful lot of time producing not very much, and even then you’ll be met with total indifference from anyone but the tiny band of people working on similar stuff. Frankly, it’s enough to make you to jack it in for a glamorous career in public relations. Still, in recent years, a new career has blossomed that combines both PR and scientific research – and all it will cost you is your principles. Oh, and any respect and credibility you enjoyed from your peers – but what do they matter in PR?

Read more on Scuff’s view of journalistic science

Buying my first home was a difficult process for me, as I expect is for a lot of people.  First, it was difficult for me to decide I even wanted to start looking for a house.  I rented an apartment for 71/2 after I graduated college.  I had always pictured myself purchasing my first home with my husband.  I always thought I would rent my own apartment until that time.  I didn’t know it was going to take me until my late thirties until I found someone I might be interested in spending the rest of my life with.  I finally decided it was time to make a move, make a change, and make an investment.  Over the 7.5 years I had rented I was able to save enough for 20% down on a nice home.  It was time.

Read more about Erin’s first home

When I look back at my 18-year old self, I think that that age is way to one for someone to choose what they want to do for a living for the rest of their life.   I suppose that is probably why many people switch careers one or more times in their life.  I know that at 17, when I was asked what I wanted to major in and what I wanted to do, I really had NO idea.  I knew that in High School I really enjoyed and seemed to be good at Spanish.  I knew I liked helping people, and had lots of patience, so the idea I had in my head at the time was I may want to be a Spanish teacher.  My dad had casually recommended that I might want to try a computer science class.

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