cactus i.v.

So, truth be told, the cactus has been a little slim around these parts.
That’s not intentional, but life sometimes gets in the way.
DA Southern is back, posting his awesome television columns, and Ben and James are awesome cornerstones, but the rest of the staff has been given a little vaca by yours truly.
The cactus will […]

It’s been a while since we had any sort of contest on this site, so guess what’s coming for September.
You got it.
Since we have some prizes left over from our old contests, this one will be sponsored by the lovely Michael J. Media.
The premise is simple: Post a link to the cactus anywhere on the […]

Dear boys and girls:
I’m going on vacation.
Oh, I know you will miss me and my witicisms, but don’t worry, I’ll be back in a week. The cactus will be slightly anorexic in my absence, but rest assured, when I’m done tanning, I’ll be back behind the glow of the computer screen.
Until then, you’ll just have […]

Come one, come all to the new and improved cactus.
I think you’ve noticed that we’re bulking up on content. We noticed that you noticed since more of you are coming to the cactus on a daily basis.
We love that!
And we’re ready to give you another reason to keep stopping by. Our super good friend Amy […]

We’re living in a time of financial crisis, where things like milk are too expensive to buy on a regular basis. Try getting calcium in cheaper places — like chewing your teeth. Okay, so that’s not really a solution that makes any sense at all, so thank goodness for you, my dear readers, that Beth […]

Michelle Riccardi has found her way back to the cactus. You may have found that out yesterday when her column ran, but in case you missed it, that’s why I’m here.
She’s going to start writing again every Sunday. That much is set. The topic, well, that’s always going to be up in the air. The […]

If you are a loyal reader of the cactus, you’ve noticed something different — and I’m not just talking about how Jim Montana is full time ’round these parts.
I’m talking about the artwork.
The category, which has been a cactus staple since the very beginning, has moved to Wednesday. What does that mean, you wonder. Well, […]

Today we wish a huge happy birthday to Sooz, sometimes known as Susan, always known as the poker writer.
She turns the big 2-8 today … one year shy of the dreaded 29. You know how women get. They’re so scared of turning 30, they turn 29 about eight times before finally admitting it. Sure, age […]

When you’re on fire, what they teach you is to stop, drop, and roll. And that’s what we’re doing at the cactus right now.
As Jim Montana humorously pointed out to me, it seems like the catucs is suffering the effects of a writers’ strike. Not everyone of course, but a lot of the writers are […]

Part of creating the cactus was to give writers the freedom to write. I wasn’t a music writer at the time, but I wanted to be. So I started a site where I could have the independence to do what I wanted. Other writers, who needed experience to get a job but needed a job to […]

Hello boys and girls.
You may have noticed there have been quite a few shakeups over here at the cactus lately. We didn’t have this much downtime during last summer, but it seems this summer is turning into a lack of content.
If you’ve noticed that, and it’s KILLING you, drop us an email and let us […]

I’ve been very fortunate here at the cactus to have two incredible food writers. Lanie, and before her Michelle, kept my mind filled with recipes that — don’t tell them — are sometimes out of my league.
I can get Lanie’s butter column this week, but usually I read the recipe and just wonder and hope […]

So it’s once again that time when we put out a call looking for another writer.
If you haven’t noticed, Caitlin had to step down as the movie writer.We’re looking for someone to fill her shoes.
If you think you’ve got what it takes — an interest in movies and the ability to put together a sentence […]

So we’re once again making a few changes around the cactus. On Friday, we welcome Ionna Vixen… sort of. That’s actually former food and drink writer Michelle Riccardi, but she wanted an alias, so there you go.
She’s going to write Springer-like columns. They’re going to be completely ridiculous, but that’s the fun in them. The […]

I had a dream this weekend that I was running through a casino, looking for the promotions booth. When I finally got there, I found uncirculated slot tokens that were in half-oval shapes. I was so excited, I decided I was going to write a column about it.
You know what this all means? It means […]

I don’t know how many of you know this, but I’m in transit right now. My stuff is in a storage box in Pennsylvania, so that’s my physical home, if you will. If home is where your heart is, then my home is both equally New York and Colorado, where I’ve split my sleeping time.
I’m […]

To celebrate birthdays here at the cactus, we usually post a picture of a cake and write a little happy birthday bit.
We thought about wishing Dizz a traditional cactus happy birthday with a picture of a traditional cake — but then we realized there was nothing about Dizz that was traditional. She’s a standout fashion […]

I randomly remembered my first job today. It was cutting out coupons for my parents. My dad would get the Sunday paper and sit the coupons aside. He’d cut out the ones we needed, discard the others and be on his way.
Well, I wanted in.
I was probably six at the time, and I knew nothing […]

It would make sense to wish Melanie a happy birthday today since, well, she was born today many, many, many moons ago [[okay, not that many]].
But we here at the cactus also want to wish her congratulations for getting engaged to her long-time boyfriend Brian.
So, we’re torn: Which do we wish first?
Brian asked her to […]

I got this letter in the mail today, and it means so much to me, so I decided to share it with the world [[I hope the sender doesn’t mind]].
Dear cactus i.v.,
This letter is dedicated to the editor in chief, Lisa Sokolowski.
A few years ago, my cousin told me about this amazing conversation he had […]

I was getting gas the other night in Jersey, where it is illegal to pump your own. It works out well for me on those cold night, but not necessarily for the pump attendants.
It was pretty cold the other night, but I was driving from my parents’ house in New York, and I wouldn’t make […]

I read this online, and I enjoyed it so much, I had to share it with you all. Have a great week. - Lisa
A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to […]

I’ve had some pretty weird New Years in the recent past; I’m sure a lot of you have.
None of mine have included me drinking, but one included a drunk man falling down the stairs at Grand Central Station — and Susan pulling me out of the way, so he didn’t knock me over.
I’m sure you […]

And to all, a little bunch of gifts from us to you.
If LISA SOKOLOWSKI [[Monday’s music columnist]] was Santa, she would give…
1. Jordin Sparks a new team of writers. That Tattoo song should really be banned from radio.
2. A new process to the Grammys. It’s way too hard for a small band to get nominated.
3. […]

It’s Christmas Eve, a day for family, friends and, for some, presents.
Yes, there is the materialistic side of Christmas. There’s the religious side that everyone tries to avoid — “Take the Christ out of Christmas,” they scream as they write X-Mas on the store windows — but no one ever says, “Take the presents out […]

CrazySexyCactus.
… Baby One More Cactus.
A Bunch Of Songs On The Internet That We At cactus i.v. Enjoy.
Would any of these titles entice you? Make you want to throw in the CD?
Okay, maybe not. The titles are works in progress. And so is the idea. So, we’re throwing this out there: We want to put […]

Today is James “Tattoo” Chapracki’s birthday. He’s not quite 100 yet, but he is old enough to have invented fire and the wheel.
Just kidding.
But, it is his birthday, so happy birthday from everyone here at the cactus!

I knew the Internet was full of sex. I’ve never gone searching for it with the fervor of a 14-year-old boy who has yet to find his dad’s Playboys, but I’ve had no choice lately.
No, no. I’m not researching lucrative Internet porn businesses. People are thinking the cactus is full of sex.
Weird sex cactus. Cactus […]

I may have mentioned this along the way, but I really enjoy the show Beauty and the Geek. I haven’t seen any other season because I’ve been anti-television for the last eight years or so. I only started watching it this year because of Cathy S., the cactus’ American Idol columnist. But that’s besides the […]

The cactus is getting a new feature in a couple hours. It’s going to be called “Newsmaker of the Day.”
Lisa’s going to read that day’s news [[at least, the news until 5 p.m.]] and at or about 6 p.m., we’ll claim someone the “Newsmaker of the Day.” We’ll give them a N.O.D. of a cactus, […]

My friend Keri says, “Tis easier to be mad at someone than to miss them.”
Okay, she doesn’t say “tis.” She might admit to be a little wacky at times, but she would never admit to using the word “tis.” It just sounds better that way, more quote-worthy, I guess.
I don’t know if she’s really right, […]

We at the cactus want to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.
We also want to wish Jim Montana a very happy birthday.
So, eat some turkey for the holiday, cake for Jim’s birthday and spend tomorrow on the couch, reading up on cactus columns you may have missed!