Interesting Headlines of the Day

"Dwarf galaxies gobbled by their giant neighbors"

"Church defiant over Koran burning"

"US college offers zombie studies"

Headline I'm waiting to see: "Defiant Koran-burning churchgoers disappear after being converted into living dead by overworked, fatigued college students-- hungry neighboring galaxy declines to comment"

And because I can't help myself, click here.

I Spy with My Little Eye

If you walk around your house in your underwear with the blinds open, who's the weirdo: your neighbor(s) for looking at you or you for walking around in your unmentionables? Can a Peeping Tom really be considered to be peeping if you openly prance about in your undies? Is a Peeping Tom creepy because "peeping" sort of rhymes with "creeping"? Which Tom was first caught peeping, and how did he feel about his name being attached to such ignominious behavior?

Twice the Work and Half the Fun

Today I couldn't help thinking how sometimes technology complicates things way more than it simplifies them. Between converting Word documents to PDF files, checking if all the hyperlinks work in each document type, realizing they don't all function properly, discovering that they work on my colleague's computer but not on mine, trying to edit said document and finding that the same options don't even appear on my Adobe Acrobat toolbar because I wasn't the document's original creator (who must have been either my colleague or Satan), trying to delete images from the pre-formatted PDF document without the page numbers and footers disappearing--well, by golly there must be an easier way to do the simple task of making sure all the hyperlinks work in a document. It's no surprise that a handful of hours got sucked into doing a measly assignment that should really only take 30-60 minutes max.

Unfortunately I can't blame all of this on my computer. After all, I can be admittedly inept at times and not realize there's a handy shortcut until after the fact. But still, links that work on one computer but not another? That's just spooky--or at least a pain in the ass. There are days that I jump for joy for having a computer to do all my dirty work, and then there are days where I curse this hunk of metal, silicone and plastic for making my job twice as hard as it needs to be.

What's in the Air?

Certain types of weather and scenes outside my window are like an open invitation to take a stroll down memory lane. Today it was the bright blue sky, cool breeze filtering through the apartment windows, the bright green leaves dappled by the sun's rays, and the comfort of looking out my window at the idyllic images and knowing it was the weekend. Whatever was in the air today, like certain other days, summoned a nostalgia and remembrance of things past. I'm still not sure why this happens every once in awhile, but it usually has to do with clear days, a certain type of crisp, fresh air, and looking out the window.

A Laugh a Minute (at least!)

Someone who consistently cracks me up: Joel McHale from the E Channel's The Soup. I'm sure many people could take or leave the E Channel, including most, if not all, of its programming. But I have to say, Joel McHale consistently cracks me up with the delivery of his lines and his off-the-cuff quips, not to mention the nonverbals he weaves in like his silly facial expressions. His timing is also always on the money. That, combined with his sarcasm and quick comedic reflexes, is reminiscent of talents such as Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report. McHale might not quite have reached Colbert's level yet, or it may be that his personality lends itself to a slightly different style of comedy, but either way he delivers a good laugh--and that's what it's all about!

The "Bee-Stung" Look Gone Bad

Quick question: is there anyone whose look has exponentially benefited from lip injections? From what I can tell it never looks natural, nor does it improve one's physical appeal at all. Breast implants I can understand. Tummy tucks and lipo, okay, I can see why someone would undergo those procedures. Even botox, as damning as the trail of evidence it leaves behind is, can be rationalized. But lip injections? Better get a veil ready because you're going to want to hide those babies until kingdom come!

Chew on this

What does it mean if you can chomp practically a whole pack of gum in the course of an evening? Most likely that your gum loses flavor too fast and that if you keep those kinds of rates up you'll be paying a visit to the dentist in no time with holes in your molars. At least chewing a pack a day is less damaging to your health than smoking a pack a day, so if you're going to do one or the other, chew away!

Word for the Wise

Value what you have rather than longing for what you don't. Sounds simple, but is it really so easy to put into practice when many of our societies tell us differently? Looking at things from a distance, it's comical to think about all the products, services, and ideas that are pushed on us as various stakeholders attempt to convince us that their product will bring us one step closer to being a completely fulfilled, enlightened, sublimely happy individual. It's certainly easier to scan a credit card than to do the heavy spiritual lifting of being content with what one has and what one is--that can be pretty hard work--but it goes without saying that the payoff of the latter is much greater. Now that my PSA is almost over, I'll end this thought with a final question: how many times a day do your thoughts turn to a material thing that you don't currently have but would like to own at some point? It's hard to attend to every single thought in the course of a day, but maybe for one afternoon I'll try and count the number. Whatever it may be, with more practice and increased awareness I hope to lower it and enjoy what I already have in my life to the fullest.

First Impressions

It's hard to know what to make of first impressions. First of all, they're often based primarily on appearance, which is problematic because appearances can be extremely misleading, especially if you're basing someone's entire personality and quality of character on how they look. On the other hand, sometimes a first impression is all you get, so it's logical that people will assume things quickly about you, even if their evaluations are based on a cursory amount of information or interaction. What's so fascinating are the times when I've completely written off people based on my first impressions of them, and after getting to know them I realized what great people they are. I'm sure that experience resonates with many other people out there. The question is, how often are first impressions correct, or at least pretty close to the mark?

Moral of the story? Do your best to make a first impression, but don't beat yourself up if others don't see the real you after a brief encounter. It's also wise to remember that even if you're not initially enamored with someone after meeting them, at least give them a second chance. It's helpful to have additional evidence before deciding what you think someone is really like.

The Basement

Yesterday I went shopping in the basement--Filene's basement, that is. After a fairly long shopping hiatus, especially for someone who thoroughly enjoys the acquisition of new clothes, it was a treat to rediscover The Basement, as I like to call it (because frankly, "Filene" is a rather odd name). It seems like there's always a sale going on and there's an abundance of items that not only fit well but they cost way less than they would elsewhere. I hate to sound like I'm endorsing Filene's (let's recall, I'm not earning a dime from this post), but as someone who loves shopping but doesn't necessarily do it all that often, it's nice to find a place that has what you're looking for and doesn't completely wreak havoc on your bank account.

The "Hello" Game

Today I played a little game: while walking down a narrow corridor at my government office, how many people will make eye contact with me, and better yet, smile or say "hello"?

Out of three people I passed, one made eye contact and said hi--a whopping 33.3%. I'm going to play again next week to try and get a bigger sample size and perhaps some more compelling results.