Pachelbel Rant

This one's for Pete.

What Time is It?

Brilliant.

However, I have to say this: I know it's a cool idea and all, but how can you charge $50 for a watch that doesn't actually tell time? I mean, granted it is by far the most accurate timepiece ever created, yet if it can't help me be on time for an important meeting, I'm not sure it's worth $50.

Whaaaaaa?

From an email sent to me by Brookline Adult Ed:

Dear Friends-

New this summer, we are pleased to present an intensive August term filled with shortened versions of some of your favorite classes. Here is just a sampling of some of our cool August offerings:

August Course Sampling

• Pinhole Photography

Yep.

• Painting from Nature

Yep.

• Getting More out of Microsoft Word

Ok.

• Ballroom Dancing Latin-Style

Uh huh.

• Spanish, Chinese, Italian, or French for Travelers

Yes.

• Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Corn

Uhhhhh, what?

Does anyone have any idea what one does in an "Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Corn" class???

Whose Idea Was This???

Why is this the first I'm hearing about this rediculousness??? (yes, it's for real)

Better Late than Never

Hopping on the bandwagon started by LB and MOMP, I've got to echo their sentiments about the loss of Studio 60. I just watched the last 3 episodes of the series last night, and found myself alternately laughing out loud and being brought to tears. In my life, I don't think there's any writer who has been able to do that to me nearly as well as Aaron Sorkin, and his absence from the line-up next year will leave a noticable gap.

And though I'm all for a Flaming Lips musical, I hope that Sorkin makes his way back to television in the not-so-distant future. Until then, I've got the first 4 seasons of the West Wing to help me get my fix.

Long live Aaron Sorkin!

It's All the Same, Really.

Many of you have already seen this. If you have, watch it again. It's still funny.

For those of you who haven't seen it, watch it a few times. It gets funnier every time.

(And for added amusement, check out this video with the hiker's reaction.)

Note to Really Good Causes and Organizations: I Have Nothing to Give

I'm not sure what credit card company or other organization that has access to my address shared it with every existing good cause and organization, but since I moved here in August, I have received in the mail (in no particular order):

A free world map from Doctors Without Borders.

Personalized sailboat address stickers from The Smile Train.

A collection of notecards from Save the Children.

Personalized animal address lables (and an exclusive tote bag offer) from the World Wildlife Fund.

Personalized heart, flower and bird address labels from the American Heart Association.

Not one but TWO envelopes with personalized flower address labels from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Personalized flower and butterfly address labels - and a nickel - from UNICEF.
(If that nickel could save a child's life, why are they sending it to me???)

A notepad, caledar, and two bookmarks from Easter Seals.

And (because you just can't make this stuff up, folks)...

... a calendar, flower stickers, a notepad and a dreamcatcher from St. Joseph's Indian School in Chamberlain, SD.

To all of you wonderful and worthy organizations, please know that though I very much support your efforts to make the world a better place, I cannot financially support your efforts at this time.

Please stop sending me free gifts - especially the address labels - as I would have to live at this address another 50 years to go through them all. It is a waste of your money to ask for my money. Track me down in another 30 years, after student loans are paid off and my as-of-yet-unborn children are through college and I'll be happy to give you whatever is left.

Parade!!!

So I went down to RI yesterday for the 4th of July. I spent the day with my cousin, her husband, and their 3 boys. The men in the family decided to participate in the Green Hill Annual July 4th Parade, and my cousin and I set up chairs on the lawn and waited for the parade to come by.


My cousin told me that the parade was pretty small - just a boombox and banner at the front, followed by a few bikes, some walking people, and perhaps a wagon or two. Well, apparently the parade grew since they last saw it, because this year it was HUGE. I swear that we must have been the only spectators, because everyone else was in the parade. There were bikes, wagons, cars, trucks, golf carts, John Deere lawnmowers, walkers, and dogs. There were even a few people who threw candy into the "crowd." pretty awesome.

Also awesome are the decorations on the unicycles and bicycle that my cousin's family rode in the parade. They are seriously awesome (both the people and the decorations).