A distraction..

Got this via email today.  The instructions said:

Procedure of  Flash Fabrica Game: 
1. Touch 'start'
2. Wait for the countdown to finish, i.e., 3...2...1
3. Memorize the number's position on the screen and their numerical order, then click the circle from the smallest number to the biggest number.  This sequence will repeat ~ 10 times until the game ends.
4. At the end of game, the computer will tell you how old your brain is in years.

http://flashfabrica.com/f_learning/brain/brain.html

If the English sounds awkward, it's because the site is in Japanese. I don't know what science this test relies on for accuracy, but it's only a minute or so.

And what I want to know is... does a lower number mean your brain is nimble or that you're just immature (or have bad eyesight and hand/eye coordination)?

I don't really like Sarah Silverman, but this was amusing.

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

The Ice President

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Friday parable.

Got this via email:

While suturing a cut on a 75-year-old Texas rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Sarah Palin and her bid to be a heartbeat away from being President.

The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Palin is a post turtle."

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was.

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle." The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain. "You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, she doesn't know what to do while she is up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put her up there to begin with."

To which I would add, there are only two outcomes from this scenario –- do nothing to maintain position or make a move and crash to the ground.

Grrrrr...

That's all I'm saying.  But ya' know I've got a whole lot more that could be said.

Ebay... feeding my addiction(s).

And I'm liking it!!!

I just bought this.



Never saw a campaign pin from Dalip Singh Saund before now.  Don't know if it's real, but for the few bucks I paid, it's worth the gamble.  After all, I can't imagine it would be worthwhile to counterfeit it.  As demonstrated by the fact that I was the only bidder, there is clearly no profit to be made on fake Saund pins.

But I am thrilled to add the first Asian American elected to Congress to my political pin collection!

Yay!

Burning question

Am I the only one who thinks that David Blaine is an ass, and his stunts are just stupid?

If I am, so be it.  I'll stand (or hang upside-down?) alone.  But I kinda think I'm not.

The Pudge Report

I did weigh-in (this morning rather than yesterday), and I can report that I have pudge.

Gained a pound last week.  D'oh.

We are #3! We are #3! We are #3!

And damned proud of it 'cuz we didn't cheat.  Last night was pub quiz night at our local.  With a paltry team of four (some teams are 6+) and many beers, we pulled off a third place finish with the only slightly-inspired name of "My Sarah Palin name is Cracker".  We didn't win the team name contest because ours wasn't nearly offensive enough.  Seriously.  The more obnoxious and rude the name, the better the chance of winning.

Anyway, thank goodness J knew that I, Claudius was written by Robert Graves 'cuz I sure didn't.  Nor did anyone else.  J was our Michael Phelps anchorleg coming up with several clutch calls.  We did fairly well on the general knowledge questions, until the golf round.  Could they have chosen a worse sport for trivia?  Um, not for us.  We had to name the nationalities of various golfers.  After Shigeki Maruyama, J. Choi and Chi Chi Rodriguez, we were just plain guessing.  Fortunately, we guessed three more right, but that round took us down hard. And so did the "fill in the connecting word" round.

E.g.,
paper ____ bone (what word connects those two?)
seconds _____ cast
penny _____ stop

And then there was the bonus, double-point round where we kicked butt.  We got 9 of ten right, leading us to a tie-breaker for third place.  Kudos to SM for knowing the seven continents in order of size¹ 'cuz in this case, size definitely mattered.  And C knew that Charmin's advertising campaign was all about being soft enough for a bear's bottom (whereas all I remember is Mr. Whipple).  SM knew that Ryan Howard was the quickest player in the National League to reach 100 homeruns in... something.  I forgot the rest of the question because as soon as I knew it was about baseball, my brain skipped to the next one.  And our brilliance on this round led us to the tie-breaker to take third place.  The question was something like "What was the median price of a home in the US in May 2007?"  The winner was determined by who came closer without going over.  We guessed a paltry $125K, and the answer was something like $212K.  But the other team in the tie-breaker guessed too high (ya' know, like "The Price is Right"?  Sometimes $1 is the right bid!), so we won the $10 gift certificate and a Smithwick's baseball cap (which SM took and wore proudly -- despite being offered $20 for it -- because it signified the victory and it goes with his Smithwick's t-shirt).

So now we've got a $10 (woo-hoo!) certificate to blow on our next pub quiz night.  Hopefully we'll be able to get our acts together to get there again sometime before it expires next year.

¹_{Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia.}

I wonder...

As I've mentioned before, I'm stealth-reading the blog of the husband of my roommate from college.  Most of his posts are either weight-loss-related or about football.  Occasionally, politics (and he's as far right as I am left).

But his most recent post mentioned that he was celebrating something.  But he didn't say what because he didn't want to jinx it.  So I'm wondering if my roomie is pregnant.  She has been wanting kids since I can remember (and we went to college 20 years ago), so hmmm... could that be the prelim celebration?  Wouldn't it be ironic if I read about it first on his blog, rather than hearing from her?

Then again, it could be just that he was celebrating winning this week on his fantasy football league.

Still collecting

A new addition to my collection. Just bought this on ebay.



Gotta be from his first Congressional run, so that's 1974. A kewl addition to my burgeoning collection.

Car free day in DC and Montgomery County?

Fat chance. I just don't see anyone ditching their cars for the day just 'cuz.

People who are inclined to consider the environmental impact of their commutes are already curbing their consumption. The rest won't, unless and until the pain of the pump exceeds the convenience factor.

But I could be wrong. We'll see.

I'll be doing my usual walk to the metro to walk to work commute.

Live Emmy blogging

(because it's less annoying to SM than talking back to the TV...)

Oprah, I hate to say this, but you look like you've put on a few. Great color on you, though. And you sound funny. Why are you talking that way? Like a Madonna-Brit-poser... or are you just trying to enunciate? Either way, you sound like you've got cramps or something.

Stupid, stupid opening with the reality TV hosts. SHUT UP and get off the stage. If you have "nothing", then quit talking about it. Shut up and push off.

Oh, how sexist, pulling off Heidi's clothes like that. But it's not like I didn't see it coming. Still, gimme a break. Dumb. But if you're going to have someone pull a sexist schtick like that, it may as well be William Shatner. He is sexist schtick personified.

Oooh, Tiny Fey. We are not worthy. LOVE that dress! Never thought of Tina Fey as having sex appeal. Well, she has smarts-sexy appeal, but she looks damned good in that dress. Guess she won't be doing any Palin impersonations. Too political. Too bad. Fingers crossed anyway. Amy Poehler... sorry you're leaving SNL after the elections, but you look great.

Jeremy Piven. Good line about "what if I just talked for 11 minutes... oh, that was the opening."

Commercial for Macy's showing all sorts of clips where they are mentioned in various movies and TV shows? Well done.

Back to Tom Bergeron (don't know how to spell his name) and Ryan Seacrest. Bleh... and they're talking about nothing again, a.k.a. Seinfeld. Master of my domain! Julie Louis-Dreyfess. Nice dress? Hmm, not sure of the color. Love it in theory, not so much in reality. She kinda looks like a popsicle.

Jean Smart wins. Damn! She looks fantastic! Great dress, great figure. I remember her from Designing Women days... boy, she has come a long way from that stereotype. Speech was too long, though.

Interesting dress, Heidi. It looks like it doesn't fit right. What would Michael and Nina say? There's her clover-shaped jewelry line. Way to advertise.

Ladies of Wisteria Lane. Ooooh. Fun looking at their dresses. Best supporting man... who's gonna get it? Who's gonna get it? I can't say that I watch any of these shows. Sad, very sad. Zeljko Ivanek? Nothing like having your name mispronounced on the Emmy's.

How to accept an Emmy. Great clips. Ricky Gervais... you funny!

"I could do anything. This is live. I'm nobody here. Gimme my Emmy."

Great deadpan, Steve Carell.

Nominees for best supporting actress -- two older women, two women of color and an Australian (as well as a Canadian). LOVE the diversity.

Jennifer Love -- you all grown up. Don't really like the bangs, though. Hayden -- you all grown up too! Yay, Colbert Report! But I could definitely go a long, long time and live peacefully without ever seeing Stephen Colbert again in nothing more than boxers, without a shirt.

Does anyone else find Howie Mandel as annoying as I do? When he's "on", he's great. When he's not "on" -- oh the humanity!

Nice tribute by Steve Martin to Tommy Smothers. Very nice. Considering The Smothers Brothers was on TV about 40 years ago, Tommy Smothers looks fantastic. I wonder how old he is? Quick google... he's 71. Well-deserved Tommy. Congrats.

A new dress for Heidi. Like the cut, not the print.

Josh Grobin sings us down memory lane. I didn't know the words to the theme song to the Andy Griffith Show. I didn't even know it had words. Yay, Ed McMahon. Hope he got paid for that appearance so he can afford his rent to Donald Trump. That's gotta be the first time the can-can was performed to "Suicide is Painless". Kinda a strange combo. Good job, Josh. That was fun.

Oh gawd, Alec Baldwin looks old. Congrats Laura Linney. Didn't see the series, but I heard it was good. "Community organizers who helped form our country..." Ba-ha-ha-ha! Great line!!!

Sock it to me!

I actually don't remember Laugh-in from when it was on. I was too young. But I have seen clips. But I'm guessing that no one under 35 will get any of the references or cameos. Ruth Buzzi doesn't look like she's aged at all. Too bad the bit wasn't very funny. Hey, notice that Jay Leno didn't get nominated? But yay, Jon Stewart. I heart Jon Stewart. He made that show. 27 nominations to date? Wow. Jon is yummy.

Another dress for Heidi. Very Mrs. Roper. And Christian "Fierce" Soriano designed some of the Emmy girls' dresses? Let's see 'em!

Yay Tina for winning the writing Emmy. You rock x 30 (okay, dumb joke). She still looks fabulous in that dress.

So I have a question. Shouldn't it be the "Emmies" rather than the "Emmys"? Or is it the "Emmy's"? And if it's a possessive, then it just doesn't make sense. I'm confused.

Oh, the West Wing. That was so much fun to watch... ah, the good ol' days. As one conservative wrote "soft porn for liberals"... oh yea, bring it on!

Christina Applegate looks like a Christmas present. Don't really like the dress. Kinda like a sari, but not. She also looks much older. Hey, way to bump into the cameraperson on your way up to the stage, Paula Weinstein, award-accepter for Recount. D'oh.

Lawrence Fishburne's suit is tomato-reddish orange with stripes? It totally blends into the background. Whodda thunk that a pinstriped tomato-reddish orange suit would ever blend into any background?

Ooooh, Sandra, LOVE the dress! Love the line about her parents, who "...couldn't actually be prouder, unless I actually was a doctor."

Kathy Griffin... looks terrible. The hair looks like a bad wig. And when Don Rickles looks better than you, that's saying something. But the "Get up!" demand was cute. Nice tribute.

6th consecutive win for reality show by The Amazing Race? Wow. I'm stunned. I had no idea that the category had been around that long.

Ha! Tom Hanks called Sally Field "Momma." Ha!

What is this "National Stay at Home Week"? Is it when all the shows will be premiering? 'Cuz it doesn't take much for me to get my couch-potato on...

Another dress for Heidi. Nice color. Hey, notice that tattoo on her arm? Never saw that on Project Runway... hmmm... Too sexy for Bravo?

Colbert called it. Don Rickles won for best variety show. First, Barry Manilow. Then Tony Bennett. And now, Don Rickles. Is this the homage award?

Oooh, Kate Walsh is a hottie. How is it possible to have such a teeny, tiny waist? Very nice, classy dress. She looks amazing. So does Cynthia Nixon. That dress has a great shape, but she looks so pale in it. Maybe it's the toned-down hair color when I'm so used to the SATC flaming red?

Miss America Ferrara and Miss America, Vanessa Williams on stage together. Fun.

Yay Glenn for her win. Is it me, but doesn't she look a little bit like Felicity Huffman? Something in the mouth...

The "In Memoriam" tribute was, as always, a bitter-sweet reminder of those who will be forever preserved on film and who are no longer with us. But why did they list George Carlin twice? Private joke, tribute or serious oversight by the producers?

Who is Bryan Cranston? I guess I don't watch enough TV, contrary to popular belief...

Craig Ferguson. Ha! But Brooke sure did look purty. And YAY Tina Fey again! Not only writing but acting too. She just went on about how she loves being a writer. So I'm wondering how the actors who didn't win in this category are feeling, having lost to a woman who is clearly more proud to be a writer than actor? Great line thanking her parents for raising her to have confidence disproportionate with her looks and talent. Very nice.

Another dress on Heidi. Love the skirt and cut but not so much the color combo. Yellow and gray? Um, no.

(SM has been asleep for at least 45 minutes now...)

Jeff Probst -- so much for being short, knowing the show is running long because of your babble. Babble on and on... No, the "nothing" bit didn't work. Jimmy was right.

Mary Tyler Moore. How much plastic surgery have you had? Too skinny.

Now Betty White... that's what you are supposed to look like when you're 60+ years old. She looks like a real person. MTM looks plastic. And did I say too skinny? Yeah, too skinny.

Didya' see Tina Fey pull her notes out of her cleavage?

Tom Selleck. I can't help but think NRA when I look at you. But you do fill out a tuxedo well. So Mad Men is the winner. Glad I'm tivoing it. Maybe I should start watching the shows I've recorded?

Whew, they got the show in under the wire. Barely. 10:59 at the "good night". Yeah, I'm guessing they won't let anyone go unscripted like that again. No one wants to hear reality show hosts blathering. We want to look at the dresses...

And there ya' have it. My stream of consciousness as I watched TV. If you're still conscious and reading this mighty babble.

Time to take the hint?

My dreams are stressing me out. Work-related. Deadlines missed. Bad conversations had. Etc., etc., etc...

Hmmm, think there might be a message in there somewhere?

I wish...

I wish a mental health professional would take a look at McCain's various positions, speeches and general rhetoric and evaluate him for a medical condition. Obviously, I can't do that, nor do I want to diminish the seriousness of those with psychological issues.

But from this lay-person's perspective, McCain sure does look like he might suffer a dissociative identity disorder or be a pathological liar or something that would explain the lies, lies and more lies that he spews...

Or perhaps the explanation is something simpler? Merely that he suffers an extreme case of election dysfunction and hyper-ambition?

(P.S. my sister suggested that McCain might have a "God complex"... I just say we look at his behavior and go from there to draw any conclusions.)

Best line I've heard about the Wall Street bail-out

"We've seemed to have reached a point where we're privatizing wealth and socializing debt."

-- Senator Christopher Dodd, quoting someone else (whose name he couldn't remember)

And by the by, McCain is just sickening me. This man will say anything to get elected. It's disgusting. He has changed his position on so many things that I can't keep track. But I'd love to see someone make a chart on his flip-flops. His head is spinning more than Linda Blair's...

The latest I've heard? Obama is part of the Washington old-boy network who is responsible for this latest financial debacle.

Hello? Um, pot calling kettle black? (Oh no, don't say that -- that could be construed as racist!)

But I'm wondering how Obama can be so entrenched in the DC machine while at the same time having no experience. After all, he's only been in the Senate for four years?

So which is it?

Or maybe McCain is just full of crap?

First encountered this when I was teaching English in Japan

And it reminded me how freakin' hard English is to learn, so I was more sympathetic to my students.

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, lough and through?
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps?
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead: it's said like bed, not bead -
For goodness sake don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).

A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's dose and rose and lose -
Just look them up - and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart -
Come, come, I've hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Man alive!
I'd mastered it when I was five!

Got this in an email today

We must polish the Polish furniture.
He could lead if he would get the lead out.
The farm was used to produce produce.
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
The soldier decided to desert in the desert.
This was a good time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
I did not object to the object.
The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
They were too close to the door to close it.
The buck does funny things when the does are present.
They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.
To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
After a number of injections my jaw got number.
Upon seeing the tear in my clothes I shed a tear.
I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
I read it once and will read it again
I learned much from this learned treatise.
I was content to note the content of the message.
The Blessed Virgin blessed her.
It's a bit wicked to over-trim a short wicked candle.
If he will absent himself we mark him absent.
I incline towards bypassing the incline.

Try reading these aloud. It's tough!

For more of these (and these too), check out this page from the Spelling Society.

Blast from the past.

Saw an ad for the Marine Corps Marathon on the metro today, and it sent me straight back to the 1980s.  Their post-run concert features the BoDeans.

Oh my.

Good news and bad news

I just got off the phone with my dad.  The good news is that he's doing better -- his energy is up; he's taking less medication; he feels more optimistic (and so do his doctors).

The bad news is what I haven't posted until now.  He's in kidney failure.  Almost.  Both kidneys have been in steady decline for some time with something like 20% function.  He has been seeing a myriad of specialists who have been discussing dialysis with him.  And possibly a kidney transplant.  That scares me.

The good news is that his health has improved such that he may not need a transplant (yet).  Just dialysis (probably).  He has additional appointments coming up.

The bad news is that he steadfastly was refusing to even consider a kidney donation from one of his kids (all of whom are adults, ranging from 24 to 43 years old).

The good news is that I just argued him into recognizing the stupidity of his intractability, and now he's open to the idea that if he needs a transplant, then he might consider accepting one from a family member if there's a good match.  He'll at least discuss the matter with the family rather than making a unilateral decision.

I am a good lawyer!  I just won my case. But more importantly, I got my dad to open up to possibilities that may help his health.

But I'm still scared for Dad.  Hopefully unreasonably so.

But then again, since when is fear reasonable?

Tryple whammy...

I ate late.

I ate quickly.

I ate turkey.

Now the tryptophan is kicking in, and I am sooooooooooo sleepy.

America's Biggest Loser

I got into watching that show a year ago when I decided to take my weight loss seriously.  I used it as motivation, sorta.  I didn't want to be that fat.  And I wasn't.  But I figured if folks that out of shape could change their lives, so could I.  And it worked to the extent that my weight-loss tracked theirs, sorta.

Well, it's been approximately a year since I started that original diet journey.  In the first three months of it, I lost approximately 30 pounds and then plateaued.  I didn't lose more.  But, I have also pretty much maintained that loss, give or take (right now, I'm on the "ooof" side of that 30... meaning, not as close as I used to be).

But my original goal was at least 40.  So I've decided to begin anew.  The number of pounds I need to shed to reach 40 is much fewer, but they will be harder.  Since I've gained a few pounds in the past week, I think the total is now 15 more to 40 off.

And, I also decided that if I get to the 40 mark and keep it off, I'm buying myself an iPhone (that is, if I still think I want it when I reach my goal).

Game on!

The Pudge Report

I'm at a low ebb and not very happy with things (other than SM, that is).  So it's no wonder I gained two (count 'em T-W-O!) pounds this past week.

I guess my copious intake of bagels was not a good idea.  Fine.  I get it.

Back to salad for lunch.

An oops...

I’m not trying to embarrass anyone, so I’ve removed the sponsorship names… but check out this email announcement I got yesterday.
------------------

 

Presented by [XYZ] 

and [ABC] Club 

Friday September 26 6:30pm 

Case Closed:  

The Time Bombed Skyscraper 

A Detective Conan film

 

When a mad bomber is on the loose in the city, only whiz kid Detective Conan Edogawa can solve the case.  No place is safe from this maniacal fiend as he places his deadly packages all across the town.  Can Conan discover the madman’s identity before the next timer hits zero?  This film provides an introduction to the world of Conan and the many intricate storylines and characters that make up his world.  

 

Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper is the first film based on the popular Detective Conan comic book and animation series.  The comic book has been published since 1994, while the television series has run since 1996.  Twelve Detective Conan movies have been made, the latest one was released in April 2008. Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper, 1997 Japan rated PG  95 minutes 

----------------
I was horrified. My first thought is, “Holy shit, what were they thinking???”  So I immediately emailed the sponsors with an ever-so-tactful (for me at least) reminder:

To whom it may concern:

I believe it was in very poor taste to send this announcement out on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States seven years ago.   I was disturbed to receive this today and suggest you consider carefully the timing of such emails in the future.

-- She Says

Within 45 minutes, I received this email:

Dear Friends of [XYZ],

The September 26th screening of the Conan animated film has been cancelled.  We will be sure to notify you when a new film has been scheduled.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and look forward to seeing you at the next event.

Sincerely,
[XYZ]

Note the lack of any reference to the title? Just the producer. And no explanation about why it was cancelled… Interesting, I thought. Clearly, they were mortified at their gaffe and didn't want to point it out to anyone who might not have put two and two together and come up with a bad taste in their mouth (although, how could anyone miss it? Especially here in DC where the pain is still all over the city?) And immediately after getting the above email, I got this one:

Dear She Says,

On behalf of [XYZ], I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere apologies for our poor choice of timing in sending out the Conan movie flyers today.  Although there is no excuse for the offense we have caused, I assure you it was not meant to be offensive or hurtful.  We are grateful that you took the time to bring this mistake to our attention, and have cancelled the film’s screening in respect of this solemn occasion.

Thank you again, and please accept our deepest apologies.

Sincerely,
Director, [XYZ]

I have to admit that I was pleased at their immediate response. I didn’t think it was necessary to cancel the movie, but I am glad they took prompt action, even though there was no way to recall the movie announcement to prevent further offense.

I forwarded the original flyer to SM and asked him what he thought (giving him no hint of why I was asking). His response? “Um, did you want to see it or something?”

I then asked him to think about the movie theme (madman bombing skyscrapers) and the day (9/11)… and he said, “Oh.”

Remember how I wondered how anyone could miss the "d'oh" factor in that email? Yeah, well, I should have known better. That would be my dear husband. He’s pretty dense sometimes but very loveable.

Flags at half-mast, eyes downcast

Hard to believe that seven years have passed.  I hope we are healing.  But I'm not sure.

Note to Obama campaign:

Please stop responding to Palin. She's not the candidate; she is the backup (kind like Matt Cassel is for Tom Brady...). Deliver the message that she doesn't play in the same league as you by ignoring her.

Tackling the myriad of hypocrisy that is Palin may be fun, but leave that to the media to dig into her background -- or occasionally, Biden, as appropriate. The more attention you give her, the more the right-wing base will get riled up. Take on McCain. Focus on McCain. Continue the drumbeat of McCain = Bush. Remind the American public that we had a huge-antic budget surplus before the Bush administration. Now we have a huge-antic deficit. People cannot afford to stay in their houses, and the national debt is hitting numbers with more zeroes than ever before in history, leaving our grandkids to pay for this past eight years.

Okay, I'm done for now.

Another reason

So, yesterday and today I've had the pleasure of hearing everyone -- and I mean everyone -- in my department around me being informed that they are getting bonuses.

Me? Dunno.

Ya' see, the way the gov't works is there are two different bonus systems. One for the lower grades -- which I am -- and one for the higher grades -- which everyone else in my office is. Don't ask my why I, as an attorney, am the lowest graded person in my office (other than clerical staff). Mostly it's because (almost all) my co-workers have been here for 15 years minimum (seriously!), so they have worked their ways up over time. I've been here less than two years, so I haven't gotten all those promotions.

But anyway... so they are all getting told about their bonuses. I don't know if I'll get one because I don't qualify under that system (and I don't know if there is any notification process under the other one). So it's kinda tough listening to everyone saying "thank you" because it reminds me how undergraded I am and makes me wonder if I am the only one who isn't getting a bonus (which wouldn't surprise me), despite working as hard or harder than the rest of them.

Another great way to start the week! Yippee.

The Pudge Report

Yeah, I'm back. I actually had the courage to step on the scale this morning. I admit that I was quite worried because previously loose pants weren't so loose anymore... But I had told myself that I was taking August off after the wedding, and now that our one monthiversary has passed (yesterday), I need to start being accountable again.

So on I went.

And the news was better than expected. I had been gaining weight in the week before the wedding (major stress-eating), so I was slightly up from my low then. Well, I'm pretty much exactly in that same place now. Which means that my tremendous enjoyment of any food I've wanted (including literally pounds of left-over chocolate from the wedding) didn't adversely affect my progress.

Super-dooper yay!

Officially, I am now -27.5#s. If my goal was -40, then I'm 12 TG... but my goal may have been -45. I don't remember. If it was -45, then I am 17 TG, which is fine too.

Back on it.

ANTM

Okay, the next season is underway. #11 in, what, five years?

I have to pull for Sheena 'cuz she's a sista, the only Asian in the house. I also have to root for Isis because she's a local girl from PG County (and wat up wit dat? everyone else is from a town, but she's from a county?). Now, rooting for these two doesn't mean I think they'll do well. Although I actually do think Sheena will get pretty far.

I do think Clark will do well 'cuz there's no denying how pretty she is. Elina seems to photograph well and knows her angles already -- although it's clear that she was picked for the show to make for good TV as she tries to hook up with one of the other girls. And Analeigh is cute too -- she's got that Denise Richards look. I also like McKay (formerly known as Brittany S.) and Marjorie because they are different.

Okay, so that doesn't say much about anything, does it? Oh well. One thing though... I guess this season is off to a better start than previous cycles because I know a lot of the names already, as opposed to previous "seasons" when it took several shows for me to remember them.

Anyway, I was glad that Sharaun was kicked off. She annoyed me. Nikeysha needs to go too.

And who the heck does Joslyn look like? It's driving me nutz.

"Bad things happen when good people stay silent."

If you haven't already read the letter from Anne Kilkenny, a resident of Wasilla, AK who has known Sarah Palin for years, you need to read it.

More of the same...
Kilkenny provides her first-hand observations of Palin's political career and unravels the Republican spin on their veep choice. I was particularly surprised to learn that when Palin was mayor of Wasilla (1996-2002), she took the town coffers from debt-free to $22 million in the red. Considering the population of the town at that time was approximately 5,500 (according to the 2000 census), that's a per capita debt of $4,000. Sound familiar? Very scary. Who in this economy can afford such a public burden strapped to their backs?

Kilkenny also debunks some more of the R rhetoric. E.g., she points out that Palin did cut property taxes (which are progressive) but raised sales taxes (which are regressive); notes that Palin has a history of seeking revenge against those who oppose her; and confirms that Trig is indeed her baby (not her daughter's).

Bad things happen when good people stay silent.
Kilkenny says she wrote this letter because she wanted to offer people her opinion about Palin, and, unlike many others who know Palin, she is not connected to a job or organization that would make her vulnerable to Palin's retribution. Of course, she also says that Palin has hated her since 1996, so this letter could be all about spite. Who knows what Kilkenny's motivation was..?

If nothing else, this is another (probably better-informed and more personal than most) opinion on who Sarah Palin is. If even some small portion of this background is true, it paints Palin as power-hungry, smart, and ambitious. It also raises huge questions about how whether the public interest is truly at the heart of Palin's policy decisions.

An interesting read.

As seen on TV...

I got a fish pedicure today.

Yup, that's right. A fish pedicure. Little fish nibble away the dead skin on your feet to soften them, etc., and then you get a regular pedicure to make your tootsies all purty.

It definitely tickled a little. Kinda like how your foot feels when it falls asleep... pins and needles. But not painful, just ticklish.

It was expensive for a pedicure, but a fun experience (went with a friend). I'd go back, maybe in a month or so.

My friend got in first. She couldn't stop giggling. Here are the fishies tasting her tootsies.


And my feet. They nibble everywhere -- in between the toes, the arch, wherever they find something to snack on.


Yeah, I guess they were hungry, feasting on my feet.


My left food... um, I mean, foot.






After the fish feasted, we got regular pedicures. Here are our shiny happy feet!

I heart Jon Stewart

...or his writers anyway.

I've got to hand it to the Republicans...

I wish the Democrats could manipulate the spin at the same level as the Rs. The Rs do know how to do it quite well.

This whole Palin thing typifies their strategery. To wit...

I was wrong to think that the Rs were trying to woo the female vote simply by adding a woman to the ticket. Oh no, that's much too simple. The Rs are trying to woo female voters by stirring up the gender issue and then defending Palin against the alleged sexist attacks. That way, the Rs look like the good guys, especially when compared to the Ds, who didn't do squat to defend Hillary against the sexist media attacks.

Ya' see, the Rs are creating the story about the evil east coast media machine beating up on poor Sarah. Every time you hear a Republican operative speaking, s/he brings it up. They are very disciplined at sticking to message. Poor Sarah. It's not fair that the media is investigating her. It's sexist to criticize her. Would they do this to a man? It's out of bounds to subject her family to any scrutiny whatsoever. (Never mind that she absolutely invites voters to buy into her "compelling personal history" as somehow further proof that she has what it takes to be veep by touting her role at a hockey mom, parading her kids around, etc..)

It doesn't matter that the MSM have not done anything the Rs are accusing them of. The investigations and stories have been on legitimate grounds. The media is just uncovering the hypocrisy and lies spewed from the Rs. Hillary, on the other hand, was called a "bitch" and "shrill" and told to go home and iron shirts and all sorts of nasty nasty in the media and by the punditry -- and that was clearly sexist. Palin has not been subjected to any of this. The closest anyone has come to a sexist question is asking how she will manage having such a large family -- including two children who are exceptionally in need of parental support -- while campaigning full-time and, if elected, as veep. I don't think that's sexist, but it might border on it if you think that a mother has a special role to play in the raising of her children. If, on the other hand, you think a father or a nanny can do it or that it's legitimate to ask about a potential veep's time management skills or how she will prioritize demands on her time, then it's fair game (so long as it's not done in a "your place is in the kitchen" kinda way).

Anyway, so the Rs are ginning up the "sexist" story.

Make no mistake: they are not highlighting it; they are creating it. And the media is buying into it by defending themselves against the accusation.

Bad move, media.

The media doesn't need to defend themselves. They need to call out the Rs for this artful dodging. Please, please, please, someone call this one for what it is. The Republicans are using the media. They are saying that the media's portrayal of Palin is sexist (to deflect people from focusing on the real story: her qualifications, or lack thereof). Then they are staunchly defending Palin against the alleged sexist treatment.

In doing so, the Republicans are changing the story from Palin's abysmal qualifications while also trying to win the votes of those who were so offended by the media's/Democrats' handling of Hillary by showing what "good guys" they are, not letting the media get away with "it". Clearly, the Rs are trying to set up a foil to the Dems and show in stark relief how they came to their female candidate's defense, while the Democrats didn't (thereby showing how sexist the Dems must be). The Rs think that women will be swayed by this "knight in shining armor" defense that was so lacking by the Dems.

Problem is -- women who supported Hillary aren't so naive as to think that the Republican party is somehow better on women's issues than the Democrats just because the Republicans created this bru-ha-ha in order to make themselves look better.

Problem is -- there hasn't been a sexist attack against Palin by the media (unlike Hillary, who was absolutely subjected to it). It has all been created by the Republican spin machine.

Problem is -- Palin's credentials and qualifications and any official actions she took or authorized as a public official are absolutely fair game. This attempt by the R machine to define the story as sexist is a red herring. The Rs want to control the stories about Palin and paint her in the "reformist" light that serves their message. But the truth is interfering with this message control, so since they can't change the facts, they are going to attack the messenger (typical R tactic) and say the reporting is sexist. And hope that women swoon at the chivalry of the Republican party in defending their "gal".

Media, please stop buying into the Republicans' hands. Don't let them get away with this little tactic (ya' know, when you can't assail someone's actions, attack them personally instead). Do your job and investigate what is fair game when it comes to Palin and all politicians. Call out the Republicans for trying to create this story to somehow set up a dichotomy between how the R's have defended their candidate but the D's didn't.

(BTW, you should definitely read the story that I linked to above -- and here again and this one too. Good stuff!)

End rant.

D'oh!

Some pix of the chop.

Here are some pictures of the chop, pre- and post-chop. For more pix of the 'do, check out my Facebook site.

Basically, I now have a very boring, blah bob. Like someone's auntie or Hillary Clinton from the late 1990s. Not a pretty image, eh? That's why I'm bummed. There's nothing exciting or interesting about my hair. But whatever; it will grow. I haven't decided if I'll get another cut to give it more shape or just leave it alone for a while. It's probably better to leave it alone for a while and figure it all out before I take off more length.

Anyhoo... This is my third donation of about a foot since 2001. No regrets on the donation, but I won't be going back to that salon.

Watching the RNC

oh yes I am, believe it or not.

And what I've noticed is that tubby white men seem to be disproportionately represented among the delegates.

Chop.

All gone.

Okay, mostly gone. Two thirds anyway. And I'll donate the two ponytails of hair. That's at least something good.

The rest? Not so much.

I have to say that I hate the haircut. And I don't hate haircuts. I'm usually very sanguine about this kind of stuff. I never get upset about haircuts. My hair grows too quickly to care that much. But I really don't like this one. I look too generic, too boring. It has no style and is exactly what I asked the "stylist" not to do.

Oh well.

It'll grow.

Meanwhile, poop.

I'll post pictures later, when my funk has subsided.