Priorities

Sometimes I feel guilty about the leisurely nature of my blog, and I wonder if I should be writing about more meaningful topics, like education or politics. Or spending my computer time on something good for the community. Then there are days when I wake up to story after story of disturbing news. I could spend all day venting about the many things that are wrong around us, and what we should all be doing to make the world a better place.

Well, I don't have all day. So I will stick to celebrating small wins. Like the fact that Britney seems to still be in rehab. And that not everyone is gleefully watching her self-destruct. And that, according to MyBlogLog, more people have been visiting my blog, and some of them have even clicked on my text ads. Thank you, whoever you are.

Over It

Katharine McPhee's music video for Over It is finally out. (The video will start playing in the upper left hand corner after the MTV clips. I'll update the link to some other site once it's not exclusively on MTV any more. The MTV site is just not user friendly.)

I like that the video has a story line that matches the song, but I don't really get the multiple scenes where she's clicking a remote at the camera. It's unclear if the remote is malfunctioning or if she just enjoys the clicking motion. I also do not understand why she seems so sad to be over this skinny, unattractive guy. Anyhow, take a look. She's very easy on the eyes. So much so that I suspect someone at RCA is trying to sabotage her debut album. Why else would they release the music video more than 3 weeks after the album release? I think a simultaneous release would have totally boosted her first-week sales.

Oh, don't watch it while you're cooking. My soup boiled over because I couldn't resist watching the video twice in a row.

Hygiene

"Why are you such a butt? Do I need to send some toilet paper to wipe you up?"

Marketing Slogan

Courage

Life is unfair. Whatever your opinion is about Britney, you cannot deny that she was born a pretty pretty girl. How many people do you know can shave their heads and still look this pretty? Not to mention how most people aren't even brave enough to shave their heads. And maybe, just maybe, she was actually thinking logically, "Everyone thinks I'm crazy anyway. I might as well take advantage of the situation and shave my head. There's no way I would get to otherwise."

For my own enjoyment, here's her I'm A Slave 4 U video.

Yummy

One of the inconveniences I've had to deal with for the last 18 months is the lack of fast food offerings along my daily route. It is a testament to my laziness that I have chosen to be deprived of fresh french fries and nearly-meatless burgers instead of walking 4 blocks in the other direction to the nearest McDonald's.

What I do pass every day is a Ben and Jerry's and a Haagen Dazs store. I would be able to count the number of times I've been into these stores on one hand if I actually kept track of those visits. Unmemorable? Absolutely.

But now, I have a purpose. The great Stephen Colbert has gotten an ice cream named for him. And tomorrow, I will go forth and conquer the Americone Dream.

Update: The people at Ben and Jerry's had no idea what I was talking about. Ugh. The official press release seems to imply that the flavor is only available in pints. Does that mean supermarkets only?

Geeky Fairy Tale

I'm not so sure about the Commodore 64, but I love the lightsabre scene.

I Saw It Coming

I remember promising myself, in second grade, that I would stay the same weight forever. It did not cross my mind then that (a) I was still growing and would have to gain weight, or (b) eating a lot is not conducive to maintaining the same weight. Luckily, I exploited the great loop hole of unit conversion. I went from 50 lbs as a 6-year-old to a steady 50 kgs as a teen and adult.

For more than a decade, people have marveled at the disconnect between my appetite and my physique. Many kindly informed me that my luck - or as some would call it, metabolism - would not last forever. So I knew the day would come when I must start to watch what I eat. I also expected this to happen around 30. What I did not expect is for it to happen the week I turn 30.

I first noted a 4-pound gain over my birthday weekend. No big deal. A little too much House of Prime Rib and Baskin Robbins, but that doesn't happen all the time. I'll be back at my regular weight in no time.

A few days later, Tony catches me heading for free chocolate in the Admissions Office and points out that I've gained weight. No, he wasn't being mean. And he didn't know I was going to get chocolate. But that made me think.

Then this weekend, I can't fit into my dark jeans, and the scale now says I'm 7 pounds over the standard. Now this is getting serious. 7 is only one meal away from 4, but I will not let me closet full of clothes become obsolete. The horror of having to shop for new clothes! No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Clocking In

I look forward to my Fridays in the office. If I'm lucky, I get to hang with people who regularly tell stories like this one. They also teach me about important things like how the French get paid for smoking.

I also get to work with people who have become so dependent on the calendar event invitations that they cannot attend non-invitationed events. You know, because it would be unreasonable to expect that they enter an appointment into their calendars manually. That would be demanding too much.

Morality 101 for Mothers

Two attorneys were overheard discussing whether they should depose the plaintiff's mother.

Attorney #1: "That's pointless. Her mother's going to lie for her."

Attorney #2: "I disagree. My mother would not lie for me."

Attorney #1: "Well, that's not normal."

Attorney #2: "You would lie under oath?"

Sharing

Anonymous #2 found this blog post about hotel service. It's long, but a nice read, especially those who appreciate good service.

The Joy of Tech collected some of Bill Gates' recent fibs into a great ad with PC of Mac-and-PC-ad fame.