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Sleeping in Public at the Queens Mall in New York City

I work near a bunch of shopping malls in Queens.  There’s one mall, in particular, that I call the “Sleeping Mall” because random men, throughout the day, flop on couches and take over chairs for hours at a time to sleep in public.

I can understand this sleepy behavior if you’ve been shopping all day and you sit down to rest your feet and you happen to nod off — that happens to all of us at times — but these men are dedicated, daily, regular ,snoozers who, as you can see in this photo from yesterday morning, even remove their shoes and fall over because they are so thoroughly swimming in deep REM tides.

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On Yawning

Are you already yawning while reading this?

If you are speaking to someone — in a formal or informal setting — and they keep yawning in response, are you insulted that they are tired and not paying attention?  Or are you in some way complimented that someone is showing you the back of their throat?

For much of my life, I took a yawn from someone as an affront that I was somehow boring the point of my interest, and if a student dared to loudly yawn in class, that was of even more concern that I was losing the accrued interest of a topic I was divining to share.

Then I met a good, and ancient, friend, who happened to also be an excellent stage director — and professional theologian — who taught me my thinking was wrong.

A yawn is a compliment, he argued — a good thing — and you should work a room, and conversations, to get that open mouth staring back at you.

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Pat Metheny's What's It All About Review

Pat Metheny is a magnificent musician who just happened to make his fame by playing a rousing Jazz guitar.  Metheny’s long career in Jazz has been vibrant and punching.  He always takes you on a rapid, breathless, journey and then plunks you back to earth.  Metheny’s new album — What’s It All About — dropped today, and the album consists of a curious, non-Jazzy, covers of several classics.

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The Baby Activity Logger Review

Eating, sleeping and filling diapers — this we are told fills the entirety of a baby’s existence for a good long time. There are many months between birth and the change in this truth. While it holds true (and even for awhile afterward) it is important to be able to be aware of the baby’s status regarding these three activities. When the question arises “when was the last time we changed his diaper?” The correct answer is never going to be “I don’t know.”

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While All The Little Googles Are Sleeping

Okay, it’s 6:00 AM on the East Coast of the United States and I’m ready to work and win the world and, meanwhile, all The Little Googles are sleeping! I need them awake and working with me, not against me!

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Sleeping with Your Cell Phone

Over the last couple of years I have done an informal survey over the web. This survey is not scientific, but it is telling, and over 361 students between the ages of 15-22 and provided these results:

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Places I’ve Slept… Or Not

by Diane Buccheri

Oh so many places! Being an avid adventurer, ready and open for new experiences, my willingness has led me to some unusual places in which to rest my body and mind at night. These out of the norm places enveloped me with an escape from my usual habitat. Being one who lies awake in the deep of the night, right before it becomes morning, worrying, thinking, imagining, about little things and about big universal ponderings, my familiarly comfortable bed at home does not necessarily comfort me. Rather, it allows my usual night-time mind and soul workings to keep me awake. New, unusual places bring me away from my habitual mind and soul workings into another realm. They can allow me to actually relax and let go of all the workings and I sleep. Sleep, sleep, sleep, so very peacefully. Not all of these unusual places of night-time resting, though, afforded me rest. Some were just too utterly frightening or uncomfortable.

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