Sure, it's important to give thanks. But sometimes, don't you just want to complain a little? This week, we contemplate some of the less pleasurable aspects of life, from getting the flu to finding rats in your apartment. But don't despair; we've also got advice from a life coach, in case you'd like to try to turn your life around.



I'm Sick

As December gets underway, we find ourselves embarking on the dreaded "flu season." In anticipation, we offer you this griping session from a few early victims.

Reflections on Illness

Lying in bed, too miserable to move, people enduring seasonal illnesses may find themselves newly empathetic to the suffering of others. But does the feeling last? The Next Big Thing's Curtis Fox ponders the question.

Chowhound on a Bender

What's a food lover to do when the taste buds are off-duty? Chowhound Jim Leff has a cold, but he's not totally despairing, because this gives him an excuse to gorge on one of his favorite foods. We'll give you a hint: it comes in a cardboard box.

Ask the Rabbi

After Rabbi Roderick Young settled a debate on the morality of egg-throwing a few weeks back, listeners came to us with more ethical dilemmas. Is it wrong to pour hot sauce onto an intruder on the fire escape? Here's what Rabbi Young has to say to this and other burning questions.

A Growing Profession

By training, Lance Gregson is a contractor. But a few years ago, he decided he'd like to help clients restructure not only their houses but their lives. Are life coaches the next big thing?

Get a Life (Coach)

In Australia, you can get a life coach to help you do just about anything, from finding a job to finding love. Alan Jacobs seeks the latter. First step: To become irresistible, to himself and others. The highs and lows of Alan's coached life come to us by way of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's program Radio Eye. Produced by Natalie Kestecher, with sound engineer John Jacobs.

Rat Tales

Experts say New York City rats outnumber residents eight to one - and most of them are NOT pets. Urban dwellers Peter Marks, Joe Richman and Margot Tenenbaum bring us true stories of their uninvited encounters with rodents.

Border Patrol

Canadian exterminator Don Poulin knows about rat elimination. It was his father who instituted a zero tolerance policy in Alberta successfully eradicating all rats in the province. So what advice can he give to the rat infested states to his south?

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