Just to be clear, I DON’T think I’m famous (I put that in because I have brothers out there who will give me grief about this when I see them). That said, I’m pumped to be part of the Australian Electoral Commission’s Famous People Vote gee-up to get everyone enrolled to vote for the upcoming Federal election (likely to be around September).

This is how excited I am (I’m almost falling off my chair):

Another installment in the series. This time, it’s by a reader with CFS – Natalie, who writes a very sweet blog, lemon butter. I really do believe that AI is something that’s going to become more prevalent…I think it’s a symptom of our stressful, A-type and toxic times.

Which is not to say I’m totally dark on life and all it sends my way. No fear. Having an AI is a great wake-up call. I’m healthier than I’ve ever been. And I’m in a great position to issue warnings and advice and love to others who push their bodies a little too hard…(yes, do as I say, not as I did).

Enjoy Nat’s e-share. I totally get the peanut butter thing and the vegemite thing. I do both when my body is craving instant energy hits….

I’m Natalie, also known as the girl on reception, Max’s girlfriend and the girl that had that sickness where you’re always tired.  I prefer to call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Mylagic Encpehalomyelitis, or for practicalities sake; CFS/ME, which is an autoimmune disease that has ruled my life for the past 5 years and although always tired, gave me chronic insomnia, too.  Other symptoms like paralysis and loss of speech got me too.  A quick Google search will show you more.

It just so happens I’ve stumbled across a few tidbits that appeal to my geeky side recently. I know lots of people like to say they were geeks (especially models). Well, I was one, fair and square. I was in a “special” class, I got the maths prize in Year 12, and the double major maths prize. And the physics prize. I wore an eyepatch for a year when I was 11-12. Need I say too much more…?

1. Guess what released this week? The Huffington Post FREE iphone app. Neat.

2. Do you have a stack of old National Geographics?  Sean Miller made a very cool bookshlef out of his. Public holiday craft project, anyone? (PS he coated the magazines with a a water/starch mixture;  placed them under pressure for about a week; carved out space for a shelf with a bandsaw; about 80 mags were used.)

3. Fun clip of psychologist Philip Zimbardo lecturing on how different cultures’ attitudes to time affect the wellbeing of that society.

This week I annihilate my unfinished tasks

I call it the Un-Albumed Photo Problem. In households around the world, shoved at the back of some cupboard, is a box of old photos with negatives that have come loose from the packet. This box elicits much guilt. It probably hasn’t been touched in years; I mean, who gets photos printed these days? But rarely does a week go by when someone in said household doesn’t say to themselves, “I really should put those photos in albums”.  I had dinner this week with a frazzled TV executive toying with taking extended leave so she can regain control of her life. “If I could just get time to put the baby photos in albums,” she said. “That’s all I need.” The “baby”, by the way, is now 18.

I’ve just got back from New York. Somehow I managed to sleep 8 1/2 hours on the plane. Which is so weird given I don’t sleep that long in a bed…ever! I adore the city. It makes life feel expansive. But before I forget, a flotsam of observations:

1. I don’t like shopping, but I like checking out shop names. This city has some great ones. Like this one:

2. On my last day, I spent the morning with Oprah’s life coach Martha Beck. She is a Dead. Set. Legend.  A wonderfully wise soul who has LIVED. She was raised a Morman in Utah, raped by her Dad, had a Downs Syndrome child then shortly after her husband announced he was gay and left. Not long after that she realised she was also gay. Hmph.

As we drank tea, she bent a spoon.

I mentioned yesterday my love affair with The New Yorker. I equally love The New York Times. Especially the columnists. My friend Kersti was saying the NYT  encourages a workplace structure where they give their top journalists time off the newsdesk to reflect. And write considered pieces. Which explains a lot.

David Brooks is a New York Times columnist who I follow and yesterday he wrote the kookiest column ever about the importance of delving deep and exploring what he calls The Big Shaggy. It’s an insane concept for a conservative columnist to tackle. The Big Shaggy is the inner beast within that controls our yearnings.