Below, you’ll find links to some of my humor pieces and reported stories, many of which fall into the health, lifestyle and singles/dating categories.  I’ve also included a few travel essays and other odds and ends. Thanks for taking the time to look at my work!

BODY ODD

Itchy ears? Could it be an allergy … or a bug?
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | November 9, 2010

‘Walking corpse’ syndrome and more tales of the undead
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | October 28, 2010

Forget Team Jacob. Are there real life werewolves?
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | October 25, 2010

Being a supertaster is no piece of cake
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | May 11, 2010

Loud crash at 3 a.m.?  It may be your exploding head
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | February 17, 2010

See ghosts? There may be a medical reason
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | October 29, 2009

Can you really be scared to death?
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | October 27, 2009

Can hair really turn white from fright?
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | October 26, 2009

Congratulations! That stomach cramp is a full-term baby
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | September 30, 2009

Are some women superbreeders?
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | September 9, 2009

Ah-ah-achoo! Does that sneeze mean swine flu?
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | August 19, 2009

Hairy guys need love, too
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | June 10, 2009

Is your iPod making you itch?
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | April 23, 2009

These aren’t devil’s horns. They’re real!
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | April 15, 2009

Blinded by the lyric? Study reveals why we get the words wrong
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | March 27, 2009

The curious case of the stone baby
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | March 4, 2009

White House leans again to the left(ies)
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | January 21, 2009

When it comes to breasts – three’s a crowd
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | December 22, 2008

New Bond girl is a polydactyl
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | November 28, 2008

Warts and all
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | October 28, 2008

Too much of a good thing: The 4-hour erection
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | September 10, 2008

‘I’ve fallen asleep and I can’t get up!’
MSNBC.com | Body Odd | May 7, 2008

HEALTH

Mom-daughter duos go under the knife
MSNBC.com | Skin/beauty| May 7, 2010

Instant dimples a cheeky fad
MSNBC.com | Skin/beauty| March 3, 2010

Does this city make my butt look big?
MSNBC.com | Skin/beauty| February 2, 2010

Shoes on/shoes off? Policy polarizes partiers
MSNBC.com | Behavior| December 15, 2009

7 strange plastic surgery procedures
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty | November 18, 2009

In lust for lashes, few bat an eye at odd risks
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty | September 23, 2009

Hair here, then there:  Odd transplants take root
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty | July 15, 2009

Money hiders risk a wealth of woes
MSNBC.com | Behavior | July 13, 2009

Prostate cancer yet another worry for women
MSNBC.com | Cancer | May 26, 2009
Walking disaster? Why some are accident-prone
MSNBC.com | Behavior | May 14, 2009

Losing my mom — and finding her in my sisters

MSNBC.com | Women’s health | May 10, 2009
Unraveling psoriasis at a genetic level
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty | April 2, 2009
Recession F-bombs: Why swearing feels great
MSNBC.com | Behavior| March 17, 2009

In many cities, tanning salons exceed Starbucks
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty | March 9, 2009

Bed-wetting blues: Millions of adults suffer, too
MSNBC.com | Health | February 18, 2009

Hairy economy trend: Beards are back
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty | February 10, 2009
Fastidious spelling snobs pushed over the edge
MSNBC.com | Behavior | February 3, 2009

Final touch: A cosmetic lift for your funeral?
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty| December 9, 2008

The fallout of hair loss: Suffering in silence
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty| September 29, 2008
For women, too much body hair can really hurt
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty| September 29, 2009

Engulfed in clutter, hoarders keep heaping it on
MSNBC.com | Mental health | March 11, 2008
Gals make passes at guys who wash glasses
MSNBC.com | Behavior| February 13, 2008
Suffering for beauty has ancient roots
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty| January 11, 2008
Frozen in time: Botox over the years
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty| October 27, 2007
Condition distorts self-image, destroys lives
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty| August, 2007
Blindingly white: Teeth bleaching gone too far
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty | January 17, 2007
Extreme sweaters soaked with shame
MSNBC.com | Skin/Beauty| April 23, 2007
Oddballs abound when you’re a freak magnet
MSNBC.com | Behavior | August 4, 2006
Killer fashion: Looking good never hurt so bad
MSNBC.com | Women’s health | June 23, 2006


HEALTH PRODUCT REVIEWS

Read my lips. Gloss tells your mood
MSNBC.com | Does It Work? | April 14, 2010

Foot funk? Insoles claim to keep shoes stink-free
MSNBC.com | Does It Work? | July 3, 2009

Can a plate help you lose weight?
MSNBC.com | Does It Work? | May 8, 2009

Reflexology mat walks line between ‘om’ and ‘ouch’
MSNBC.com | Does It Work? | December 17, 2008

Flex-Away Facial Exerciser:  Anti-Aging or just scary?
MSNBC.com | Does It Work? | August 13, 2008

PedEgg sweeps us off our feet
MSNBC.com | Does It Work? | May 22, 2008

Mobile massager can caress as you commute
MSNBC.com | Does It Work? | February 14, 2008

Boob-a-laxer? Staying abreast of the Still Point Inducer
MSNBC.com | Does It Work? | January 29, 2008  

HUMOR (Single Shot columns)

Get on with life, no matter how you were dumped
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | March 13, 2009

Health coverage might be the latest reason to wed
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | February 27, 2009

Desperately trying to make sense of men at a seminar
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | January 29, 2009

Surfing sites for smart singles made me testy
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | January 15, 2009

Need a reason to break up? ‘Seinfeld’ has you covered
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | December 4, 2008

Plenty of singles do wrong in their craigslist ads
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | November 20, 2008

How to be a cheap date
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | October 9, 2008

The eco-dating game
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | August 14, 2008

‘Cougar’ moniker can go both ways for older women
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | July 31, 2008

Why do people have sex in public places?
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | July 18, 2008

O say, can you see how great living alone can be?
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | July 3, 2008

Finding Mr. Right
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | June 5, 2008

Spill it, Carrie: How are you ‘Sexy’ on a writer’s budget?
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Single Shot | May 23, 2008

Author urges broader definition of family
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | April 24, 2008

End your dysfunctional relationship with money
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | April 10, 2008

There’s no good time to leap into marriage with Mr. Good Enough
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | February 28, 2008

Single bells? It’s no jingle all the way
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | December 20, 2007

Scared single
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | October 10, 2007

Dogs are men
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | September 13, 2007

Only the hottest survive on Darwin Dating site
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | July 19, 2007

Dating shows: Must-flee TV 
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Single Shot | June 7, 2007

Competition for a spot in firefighters calendar is a sizzling affair
Seattle Post-Intelligencer | May 10, 2007

MISCELLANEOUS (Money, pop culture, TV, tech)

How far off are real ‘superhero’ powers?
MSNBC.com | Tech | April 16, 2010

Are you ready for the toilet of the future?
MSNBC.com | Tech | March 10, 2010

Staying in touch with loved ones during war
MSNBC.com | Tech | March 1, 2010

Converts sing praises of credit unions
MSN.com | Money| February 23, 2010

New online annoyance:  the ‘elationship’
MSNBC.com | Tech | February 11, 2010

Frugal failures: when DIY goes wrong
MSN.com | Money| December 10, 2009

DateCheck app gets the 411 on suitors
MSNBC.com | Tech | October 29, 2009

‘Mad Men’ characters abound on Twitter
MSNBC.com | Tech | September 28, 2009

Search questions often both wacky and weird
MSNBC.com | Tech | August 3, 2009

Recession lessons from the movies
MSN.com | Money| June 30, 2009

Holy Twitter! They’re tweeting from the pews
MSNBC.com | Tech | June 2, 2009

Customer service ‘vigilantes’ target executives
CNN.com | Living | May 27, 2009 

Are you ‘app-noxious?’
MSNBC.com | Tech & Science | May 13, 2009

Dear Bloggy:  Digital diaries tell all
MSNBC.com | Tech & Science | April 2, 2009

Bury me with my cell phone
MSNBC.com | Tech & Science | December 16, 2008

Shelter shows — with a reality-TV accent — are popping up everywhere
Seattle Times | Health and Family |  August 9, 2004

Martha wannabes: Who’ll be the next queen bee of fabulous living?
Seattle Times| Health and family | April 6, 2004

Why stop at naked sushi?
Seattle Times| Northwest life | November 20, 2003

Law & Disorder: Crime-scene investigation class sets CSI junkie straight
Seattle Times| Health and family | August 1, 2003


RELATIONSHIPS (dating, marriage, singles issues)

No time to date? Outsource it!
MSNBC.com | Tech | May 10, 2010

Silver singles
Happen Magazine (Match.com) |  April 2010

Niche matchmaking sites attract date ‘crashers’
MSNBC.com | Tech | March 29, 2010

How to compete with Don Draper
Happen Magazine (Match.com) | December 2009

Some day my prince will come
SingularCity.com | November 1, 2009

Dating a younger man
Happen Magazine (Match.com) | September 2009

Do the typos in your profile spell disaster? 
Happen Magazine (Match.com) | May 2009

The Gift of Being Single
Singular Magazine | Dec/Jan 2009 issue

We’re married, sleeping separately
CNN.com | Living | September 12, 2008


How to survive a wedding from hell
CNN.com | Living | June 2, 2008


Get your BlackBerry out of our bed!
CNN.com | Living | May 12, 2008


Friends with Benefits. Booty Calls. Is this what dating has become?
The Seattle Times | Living  | December 11, 2005


Check your baggage:  It’s the men’s turn to offer dating complaints
The Seattle Times | Living | October 30, 2005


Looking for love after 40
The Seattle Times | Living | October 2, 2005


How to find the right site and avoid online horrors
The Seattle Times | Living | September 7, 2004


Pitching woo pretty scary for guys, too
The Seattle Times | Living | July 13, 2004


What does a single have to do in Seattle to get a date?
The Seattle Times | Living  | June 8, 2004


TRAVEL

Three women take the “girls’ night out” concept on the road
The Seattle Times | Travel & Recreation | September 16, 2004

Confronting the secrets of Victoria’s Chamber of Horrors
The Seattle Times | Travel & Recreation | October 9, 2003

A trip to Emerald Downs reignites a childhood love of horses
The Seattle Times | Travel & Recreation | July 24, 2003

Tulip festival: A Skagit ‘Valley girl’ remembers her past
The Seattle Times | Travel & Recreation | March 27, 2003

Day-spa debutante: Testing the waters in Langley
The Seattle Times | Travel & Recreation | March 13, 2003

The red earth of Alabama
The Christian Science Monitor | Home Forum | September 3, 1992
  

 


What’s the story?

Meet Diane Mapes, your friendly neighborhood freelance writer. My regular beats include health, lifestyle and singles issues, but I also love writing about history, natural history, pop culture and TV/film. On this site, you'll find links to my latest stories, media appearances, and, yes, a bit of social commentary on the single life. Also here, info on upcoming classes and events, a library of clips, and a few shameless plugs about my books (hint: see links below). Have fun, glad you're here and hope to hear from you soon!

Oh! And if you're looking for my breast cancer blog, go to Double_Whammied

Check out my books!

How to Date in a Post-Dating World A dating manual for the modern, mangled single.

Single State of the Union
Single women speak out on life, love and the pursuit of happiness.

Follow me on Twitter!

 

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