Misc. thoughts

A couple of things I learned while making pot roast for the first time:
1) There is a difference between a clove of garlic and a bulb of garlic. (Luckily I realized this in time.)
2) It helps to have swim goggles handy when chopping onions.

I got an invitation to join AARP today in the mail. Sweet. Early retirement, here I come....

Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour this weekend.

Political ad satire

I think whether you make this apply to Republicans or Democrats, this is not far off from a lot of the attack ads I've seen from both sides lately. Thanks to Alicia for passing it my way. (Click on the photo for a larger image.)

A trip to the grocery store

I entered Cub Foods this afternoon and got some fruit, something I've been pretty good about buying and eating lately. And then I stood looking at the adjacent section ... the one I never venture into ... the vegetable section. And in a rare moment of adultness, I decided that I'm going to try everything in the vegetable section. I'll simply start at one end, buy one item a week, and give it a try. I'll buy a few so that I can try them a few different ways and I'll see if I like them. I thought I was beginning this foray into the unknown with cilantro, but it ended up being green onions (the cilantro was on the shelf above the green onions). Like I can tell the difference. From what I can ascertain, you usually eat green onions raw but can also grill or saute them. Of course, I have no idea how to saute anything, so I guess I'll stick with grilling and eating it raw.
I'm also going to use my Crock-Pot for the first time since my parents gave it to me several years ago (sorry, Mom and Dad). I've decided to make pot roast, but the recipe called for a boneless pork loin roast, which I couldn't find. I could find a pork loin roast that wasn't boneless and some boneless pork butt roast (yeah, I laughed, too). I opted for the butt roast, even though it's got "butt" in its name. But then again, I originally wanted something with "loin" in its name, so I guess I can't be too judgmental.
I highly recommend Strawberry Burst Cheerios if you haven't tried them. I think they're quite yummy. Just don't let them sit around for terribly long or the frozen-dried strawberries get rubbery.
Does anyone else miss Apple Newtons? They seem to have stopped making them and I mourn their passing every time I see all the packages of other Newton products.

A few random TV thoughts

After so many exciting playoff series, the World Series feels rather anticlimactic.

I freakin' love "Lost." You just never know what's going to happen. Not so thrilled with the musical montages though.

Speaking of not thrilled, I am not pleased with the direction "The West Wing" is going. Not pleased at all.

Good old "South Park." You can always depend on them to match satire (on voting and the election for tonight's episode) with irreverent humor.

It ends up I don't like reality TV with animated characters any better than reality TV with real people. Who'd have thunk?

On a non-TV-related note, the stupid sky was all cloudy tonight in Duluth, so if you missed the lunar eclipse like I did, you can see photos of it here: www.spaceweather.com

Just in time for Halloween

Don't forget to check out the total lunar eclipse tomorrow night (or tonight -- Wednesday -- by the time most people read this). It should be pretty cool.

Justices, spies and the In-ter-net

Something else to consider in this presidential election: Given william Rehnquist's surgery this weekend, it's very likely that the next president will appoint a new chief justice of the Supreme Court. The chief justice is the major determiner of the court's docket and, if someone young enough (relatively speaking) is picked, the choice could determine the direction of the Supreme Court for decades. That's a big deal.

Now onto a few things less serious:
1) For the scoop (including some spoilers) on the coming season of Alias, check this out: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/041024a.php
2) For an incredibly funny view of how real life is different than the Internet, check out www.ifilm.com under the "Viral Video" section and look for "Red vs. Blue: Real Life vs. the Internet." Good stuff.
3) I really hope Ashlee Simpson's 15 seconds of fame are up starting tomorrow. I admit to putting her "Saturday Night Live" faux pas into Monday's people column. (Again, see www.ifilm.com for the clip. Quick synopsis: Ashlee was lip-syncing and the wrong song started up. She hopped around a bit and then walked off stage.) It was funny and a talker. And I saw several stories about it come across the features wire Monday, which was fine. But I started to get concerned about the news media's infatuation with entertainment after seeing it repeatedly on CNN Headline News all night. But the icing on the blown-out-of-proportion cake came in the form of a 20 inch story by the NEW YORK TIMES that moved on the NEWS wire. Come on, people! While I think she handled the situation like an idiot, the fact that she lip-syncs is not news to make anyone stop the presses. A lot of people who are actually capable of singing better than her do it all the time. Not a big deal. (Although the New York Times story did have my favorite line of the night, referring to her appearance Monday on the Radio Music Awards: "Ms. Simpson's panting performance of the song made it clear that she was indeed performing live.")

Let's talk politics

Disturbing story of the day: "Poll finds reality gap among Bush supporters"
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/
special_packages/election2004/9980622.htm?1c

It's about the disconnect between what a lot of voters think and what's reality. I'm not sure if this pervasive misinformation is the fault of the media or the fault of voters for not seeking out any information. Probably some of both. But if you're relying just on the candidates' TV ads to make your decision about who to vote for, please, take a minute and check out www.factcheck.org. (Yes, the Web site that Dick Cheney unsuccessfully tried to steer viewers to during the vice presidential debate.) It's a nonpartisan site run by the University of Pennsylvania that sorts fact from fiction in a lot of the charges that BOTH candidates are flinging at each other. If you're going to vote (and you should), it should be an informed vote.

Here endeth the sermon.

Game 1

Part of me hopes that the World Series goes to seven games, just so that it's exciting. But another part of me hopes it only lasts four games, just so I can minimize my exposure to commercials for Fox TV shows.

On an unrelated note, a friend and colleague on the copy desk, who has chosen to go by the pseudonym Captain Dusty McAwesome for the purposes of this blog, keeps a list of funny headlines that he can use in case the right story ever comes along. One example is: "Looking for love in all the wrong blazes." It would go with a story about underappreciated firefighters. In the middle of trying to come up with a headline for one of my stories tonight, I came up with a completely random headline that could one day go with a religion story: "Sowing seeds of ascension." I have no idea what exactly the story will be about, but, like indecency, I'll know it when I see it.

Bizarre story of the day:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/
2002070907_stranger23.html

Christmas came early for everyone this year

Target had its Christmas decorations up at the same time it put its Halloween stuff out.
I walked into the Gap today and they were playing "Walking in a Winter Wonderland."
What kind of madness have we wrought?!?!?!

That being said, I contributed to the problem today by buying Christmas cards. Normally, I refuse, based on principle, to consider anything Christmas related before Thanksgiving. I firmly believe in keeping my holidays as separated as the food on my dinner plate. But every year, I struggle to find decent Christmas cards because, by the time I'm willing to buy them, the good ones are gone. I was in Hallmark today and there they were -- rows and rows of box sets of Christmas cards. And a couple of funny ones caught my eye. And I knew they wouldn't be there in another month. So I broke down and bought them. I'm not proud of this. In fact, I feel a lot like the retail industry's bitch.

About me

Alright, if you're reading this, you probably already know me. Otherwise, why would you be inclined to read my random thoughts? But just for kicks, I thought I'd post one of those old e-mail personality quizzes that used to be so popular back when I was a freshman in college and everyone was passing the dang things around. It's kind of long; I apologize. Anyway here we go...
Name: Brian
Age: 25
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Brown
Favorite relatives: That's not nice to pick.
What do you remember most about this year: I have a feeling Nov. 2 could be pretty memorable -- in an election-debacle sort of way...
What do you think of Ouija boards: I've never used one, and I'm generally skeptical of such things.
How are you feeling right now: I'm good, thanks.
Guys, with or without hats: Umm... if it's asking about me; I rarely wear hats.
Girls, with or without nail polish: I really don't care.
Favorite TV shows: Current shows -- Alias, West Wing, Lost, Celebrity Poker. Past shows: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Quantum Leap, MacGyver.
What's on your mouse pad: It's plain black.
In the car, AC or windows: I usually roll down the windows.
Do you believe in yourself: Yes.
Favorite board game: Trivial Pursuit or Scattergories
Favorite magazine: Electronic Gaming Monthly; Time is a solid second place.
Favorite sound: Laughter
Favorite smell: Buttered popcorn or homemade cookies
Drinks -- with or without ice: Without; it dilutes the drink too much after awhile.
Worst feeling in the world: Knowing you've hurt someone you care about. Or accidentally getting yourself caught in a zipper. It's a toss-up.
Best feeling in the world: Laughing with friends
Favorite thing to do on a weekend: See above (just one above, not the zipper thing)
Favorite soundtrack: I just bought the "Garden State" soundtrack, and it's pretty cool. I'm not sure really.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years: At the age of 35. Everything else is a little hazy. But I plan on being happy.
Favorite place to live: In terms of simple location, I probably liked Colorado the best of any of the places I've lived thus far. There are probably some other places that would be pretty fun, like Paris. Or the moon.
What's the first thought you had this morning: Don't really remember, but it was probably something like "uuuhhhhhhh ....."
Do you get motion sickness: I did a lot when I was a kid; very rarely now.
Roller coasters, deadly or exciting: What, they can't be both?
Pens or pencils: Depends on what I'm doing, but I generally prefer pens.
Favorite author(s): David Sedaris, Dave Barry, Jonathan Kozol; I'm sure there are many others.
How many rings before you answer the phone: At work, 1; at home, 2.
Future son's names: I haven't really given this any thought, but I think Thor, God of Thunder, has a nice ring to it.
Future daughter's names: See above. (OK, maybe Thorette)
Are you a good friend: I try to be.
Chocolate or vanilla cake: Puh-lease ... chocolate.
Do you like to drive: Yes.
Thunderstorm -- scary or cool: Cool. Very cool.
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
What do you wear to bed: Wouldn't you like to know?
Do you eat stems of broccoli: Ick. I try to avoid veggies as much as possible.
If you could streak in front of one person's house, who would it be: Wow. That is one bizarro question. And the more I think about it, the more disturbed I become, so I'm just going to stop thinking about it.
If you could have any occupation when you get older, what would it be: Teacher or politician.
Future goal for next summer: Enjoy the outdoors more.
If you could dye your hair one color, what would it be: I like my hair as is, thanks.
If you could have a tattoo, what and where would it be: Not really my thing.
If you could turn into an animal, real or imaginary, what would it be: A monkey or an otter. Or, since they can be imaginary animals, too, how about a flying monkey that can swim like an otter?
What is your favorite brand of gum: Don't know, don't chew it.
What is your favorite quote: "You really can change the world if you care enough." -- Marian Wright Edelman (yeah, I have no idea who that is either.) Close second: "I hold these treasures close to my heart: The first is love; the second, simplicity; the third, overcoming ego." -- Unknown. And my third: "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." -- Henry David Thoreau
Is the glass half empty or half full: Depends on if you're pouring or drinking.
Pick a song that describes yourself: I always think of myself when I hear John Mayer's "My Stupid Mouth." But there's really no basis for it. I just think it's funny.
What is your favorite Snapple flavor: This must have been a question from when Snapple was much more popular. I don't drink Snapple, so I don't know.
Favorite movie(s): "Spider-Man 2," "Office Space," a little known movie called "Faces of Undeath."
Coke or Pepsi: I can't tell a difference between them, to be honest. But all things being equal, I tend to choose Coke; I don't know why.
Which is your favorite kind of milk: I always get 1% low-fat milk. But if we're talking about drinking it straight, it's gotta be chocolate.
If you were to kill someone, which method would you choose: Hmm ... an interestingly disturbing question. Something quick and painless. And then I'd burn the body to ashes because buried bodies always show up sooner or later.
Are you a righty or a lefty: Right-handed
Do you type with your fingers on the right keys: Yes
When you meet a person of the opposite sex, you first notice: Hair color, probably. And whether she's smiling.
Have you ever been attacked by a big dog: No. But I bet I could take one. Maybe.
Do you save your e-mail conversations: Many of them. Be warned.
Do you eat chicken fingers with a fork: No. That would be barbaric.
If you could be a gardening tool, which one would you be: Umm... a shovel. Why not? Better than a hoe.
What kind of shoe would you be: Probably a running shoe -- comfortable but practical.
Would you rather be an ear of corn, canned corn, dried corn or creamed corn: An ear of corn. I have no idea what that says about me.
If you could do anything to the person you hated most, what would you do: I don't like hanging on to hate. There's no point.
Which do you prefer, mud wrestling or Jell-O wrestling: Well, mud wrestling is less expensive. You'd have to buy a lot of Jell-O if you were to wrestle, I would think.
What's the best number: 19
Who is your biggest crush right now: Natalie Portman, but there's usually a string of lesser crushes on a permanent cycle.
Favorite album: Bare Naked Ladies' compilation CD or John Mayer's "Room for Squares"
Most important thing in a friendship: Trust
Guys, if a girl asked you for the shirt on your back, would you give it to her: What are the circumstances of this strange request? It would have to depend.
What's on the walls in your room: Pictures of friends and family and a couple of wall calendars (one an Alias calendar, the other a Chik-Fil-A "Cow Superheroes" calendar).
Whew.... sorry that was such a long quiz. And I deeply apologize if it was boring. But there you go -- more than you probably ever wanted to know about me. :-)

Getting started

I feel like I'm jumping into the blogging scene a little late. (But then again, I don't even own a cell phone, so is anyone really surprised?) A lot of my friends have blogs, though, and I think it might be fun. So I'm going to give it a try. But I don't think I'll tell anyone about it for a few days. See if this thing takes, you know? I've noticed, though, that I've started thinking in blog entries. I think it's a combination of reading other people's blogs a lot lately and too much time to think during a recent roadtrip.

I think I'll mention more about myself later, but I have to relate a bizarre incident that just happened. I was sitting here at the computer, when all of the sudden, there was a sharp rap on my sliding glass door. I live on the second floor of an apartment building, so it seemed unlikely to be anyone but a superhero stopping by for a visit. I went to investigate and was quite surprised to find an owl sitting calmly on the floor of my balcony. I quickly turned out the lights to avoid scaring it and sat down to check it out. I've never actually seen an owl before, except in books and at the zoo. It was pretty cool looking. It didn't seem to be hurt (I assume the sound I had heard was that of the owl running INTO the window); it was just sort of hanging out looking over the field that my apartment overlooks. I briefly wondered if it was bringing me an invitation to Hogwarts. (It IS an owl that does that, right? I'm a Muggle; I've never read "Harry Potter.") After watching it for a bit, my curiousity got the better of me and I got a flashlight to shine at it so I could see it better. Dumb move. Of course, after a few seconds, he noticed the light, got spooked and flew off. I felt really bad. It was just sitting there and I scared it off.
Plus, what if it HAD been inviting me to become a wizard??
I hope it comes back.