Karma

Please visit the Red Cross website and give a ton of money (if you're rich or a celebrity) or whatever you can spare (if you're like me).

Please donate here!

I'd like a wohpper, no maoy

Up until about a couple days ago, the local Burger King displayed on their marquee, "Try our new Wohpper sandwich!" The sign had been unchanged for at least 4 months or so.

To think that this could happen, when the name "Whopper" is displayed promiently on the windows, the signs, the menus, the placemats. It's quite a shame. Okay, so the sign was pointed away from the actual store. Still, though, I'm surprised that the employees had not discovered or been alerted to the mistake.

It kind of reminds me of a sign I saw on a local Hooters restaurant here in Irving. As you may or may not know, Irving is the home of Texas Stadium, the eyesore home of the Dallas Cowboys. According to the signs, Hooters offers bus rides to the game, and also the game on big screen TV. Big Cowboys supporter, apparently. One day this past football season, I'm driving past the restaurant and observe the sign outside. I actually tried to come up with a logical reason for the mistake, like maybe they were trying to be funny and doing a "dumb blonde" kind of thing. Then I came to my senses and realized that as crazy as it was, they made a spelling mistake.

"Go Couboys," it said. :)

The Cat Quiz!

Have you ever considered adopting a cat, but holding off doing so? Maybe you don't have the time, or maybe.. you're just unsure of yourself. You're just not sure if you have the ability to take care of a cat.

Well, now you can verify whether or not you should own one with this easy quiz. Five multiple choice questions, asking general knowledge and situational informational. Write your answers down, check your answers at the end, and check your score. You'll then know whether you are right for a cat or not.

QUESTION ONE: Your cat just walked up to you and rubbed up against your leg. This means that:
A) your cat is expressing its love for you.
B) your cat is wiping some dirt off itself and onto your leg.
C) your cat is giving you the equivalent of a "property of..." sticker.

QUESTION TWO: Catnip is:
A) legalized crack for your cat.
B) when your cat lightly bites your leg.
C) when someone is able to grab a running cat.

QUESTION THREE: Your cat just walked up to you and dropped a dead mouse at your feet, and is now sitting and looking up at you. Do you:
A) Get up and call your leasing office/landlord and offer your cat's services as an exterminator.
B) Say "Good Job," pat your cat on the head, then when it's sleeping, dispose of the mouse.
C) Scream and run away like a little child.

QUESTION FOUR: You return home to find your brand new curtains shredded, and your cat triumphantly lying on its back with curtain remains all around. Do you:
A) Go about and do what you normally do when you come home.
B) Yell at your cat, ask it "do you know what you've done," and chase it into the other room.
C) Get slightly mad at your cat, but return the curtains to the store the next day, hoping to get a replacement set.

QUESTION FIVE: You are watching television and notice your cat sitting and staring at you for no apparent reason. Do you:
A) Stare back at the cat, telling it that you will not be dominated.
B) Look at the cat in confusion, and ask it "What? What do you want?"
C) Turn the volume up and continue watching your show.

Good job! You're done. Now scroll down a bit for the answers and the results.













QUESTION ONE: The answer is 'C'. Cats have several scent glands over its body, and will actually rub up against things to say "this is mine!" And you thought the cat was expressing affection.
QUESTION TWO: The answer is 'A'. Come on, this was a given! And if you think I'm overreacting a little when calling it "crack for your cat" you've obviously not seen a cat around catnip.
QUESTION THREE: This one is 'B'. Your cat is actually trying to impress you with its skills. While a dead mouse may be gross, you don't want to insult your cat by screaming or removing the mouse immediately. And while hiring your cat as an exterminator may seem like a good idea, its more likely going to get you kicked out, as your leasing office/landlord won't want to get reported for having mice around.
QUESTION FOUR: A tough call, but the answer is 'A'. The other two answers are likely going to encourage your cat, especially C. If you buy new curtains, you are showing your cat that it did such a good job on the last set that you want it to top itself. If you get really mad at your cat, it is pointless, as your cat will simply forget later what you got mad about and continue what it was doing. Best to forget it ever happened, and your cat will get bored.
QUESTION FIVE: The true test of a cat owner. The correct answer is 'C'. Unbeknownst to most people, cats are actually jedi, and possess the ability to do jedi mind tricks. Staring back at them will be pointless, as your cat will be able to sit there for hours on end just staring at you. If you talk to them, you are simply weak minded and your cat has broken you. Show your strong will and go on with your business.

And now on to the scores.
5 out of 5: If you got all the questions correct, either you cheated or already own a cat. Why are you even taking this quiz? Cheater.
4 out of 5: You're fairly knowledgable about cats. You should feel comfortable now going to a shelter or pet store and adopting a kitty of any age.
3 out of 5: You missed a couple of questions, not bad at all. You're fairly qualified for cat ownership, although I would stick with adopting a kitten just so you can study the cat's behavior as it grows.
2 out of 5: You're probably not ready for a cat just yet. Move in with someone who owns a cat, or just observe the cat of a friend or neighbor until you're ready.
1 out of 5: You were able to get the catnip question right, which was a given. If you adopted a cat then it would probably be running the place within a week.
0 out of 5: You are nowhere near qualified to own a cat, and probably shouldn't own a pet of any kind. Expect the police to be waiting for you outside the pet store if you decide to go.

Thank you for taking the cat quiz. You should now be fully aware of your ability to care for a cat.

The ceiling fan dilemma

Over a month ago, I broke the pullchain off of my ceiling fan. I pulled it to change speeds, and it came off. And I mean completely off. As in, it was completely separated from the mechanism. The fan was effectively stuck on its current speed.

Try as I might, I could not repair the fan. I tried feeding the chain back into the fan to see if it would catch, no luck. I even took the bottom off the fan to see if anything could be done from the inside; still no luck. It was beyond my repair skills. So, I gave in and called the leasing office and put in a repair request. They said there were some people's ACs that needed fixing, but they would get to the fan ASAP.

In the meantime, I had to figure out a way to turn the fan off. The fan had gotten stuck on its highest speed, and was making a lot of noise, too much to sleep. So, I was able to get the fan turned off by switching the "blow downward"/"blow upward" switch to halfway inbetween the two directions. I left the bottom of the fan along with the pullchain on the counter for use by the maintenance guy when he had the chance to stop by...

A week passed, and he didn't stop by. I checked with the office, and they said the delay was because of the broken ACs, and that my repair wasn't "priority," but they'd try to get it done by the end of the week. Another week passed, still nothing, and was told essentially the same thing when I checked with the office again.

I waited longer... a lot longer than I should have. Until finally, a month after my request was submitted, my fan wasn't fixed and I'd had enough. I called the office again and a very nice, very sympathetic woman told me that she'd get maintenance to come by "first thing Monday."

Monday rolled around, and I started the day like every day. Before I left, I turned the fan "off." When I returned home, I was pleased to see a note on my door, indicating maintenance had indeed come by. I walked up to my door, and looked at the note, left at 1:30pm ("first thing"?). The note described the "fix" as, "turned fan on, switched directions." A feeling of dread passed over me. He didn't just turn the switch down to turn the fan back on and call it a "fix"... did he?

Sure enough, I enter my apartment to see the parts and pullchain still lying on the counter, the wires still hanging out of the fan, and the fan was churning away at full speed. The maintenance guy obviously thought that I was too stupid to think of his "fix" after a whole month. And that the wires hanging out, the chain off to the side, and the parts lying around were there for decoration.

I angrily walked over to the leasing office, note in hand, and waited for someone to talk to me. When they had the chance, I took a deep breath and handed them the note. "He didn't fix it," I said. "Maybe you can get him to come by again and fix it for real?" I then got the usual apologies, and that they'd "try to get (the maintenance guy) out again" and that they would "really push it." I was back to where I started.

But, things ended happily. I returned home the next day to another note, and a brand new ceiling fan (complete with a light that the other one didn't have). A nice gesture, but its unfortunate that it took over a month.

What's the point of all this? None, really. It does remind me of a quote from The Simpsons, which went something like this: "It just goes to show that if you don't like something, you should complain and complain till all your dreams come true."

The quirks of driving

Everyone seems to have their own little way of driving.

Some people, like myself, use driving as a simple "get from point a to point b" exercise. I need to go to Best Buy to get that DVD I like, so it's time to hop in the car. Driving speed and the time it takes to get there usually means little.

Others seem to see driving as a mission. "I must get to where I am going in the shortest amount of time possible, and will do whatever it takes to do so. Those who do not share my belief can suffer eternal torment." You've seen these people. You may BE one of these people. Weaving from lane to lane, tailgating, running red lights. It's people like this that are to blame for my hatred of driving.

That's right, I HATE driving. If I could get to my stores and work via public transportation, I would GLADLY do so. It's probably due to again, those crazy drivers. It's also due to some of the quirky things people do while driving. If you've been a regular reader of my posts, you'll notice I often post on things and behaviors that I don't understand, but would like to. For example,

• Not using the turn signal. Okay, I've already discussed this in my first blog, A simple flick of the wrist. I'm not going to go into detail with it, other than to say this quirk is increasing. People would rather drift into your lane, scaring the crap out of you, rather than use their signal.
• Red light oddity 1. I can't really describe this one well, so it's best to just give an example. We're coming up to a red light on a three lane road. I come to a stop in the middle lane, becoming the fourth person "in line." The driver behind me sees this, and also sees that the right lane only has two cars. So at the last minute he changes lanes so he can be third, instead of fifth. Congratulations, you've just saved yourself 2 or 3 seconds, maybe?
• Red light oddity 2. People stopping too far ahead in an intersection so that drivers turning right can't see. The lines are there for a reason. Too often do I have to inch forward and strain my neck if I want a shot at a right turn on red.
• Red light oddity 3. Inching forward at red lights, even when the light just turned red. (when you're not turning right) I've seen people inch forward 5-10 times in the course of a minute. Is this inching forward going to provide them a speed boost when the light turns green? Is this some time saving measure? Got me.
• Stop sign? What stop sign? I remember in driver's ed, and in the drivers license exam, having to know who has the right of way. At a stop sign, its the person who stops before you. People seem to forget this. People turning right at stop signs generally slow down at best, rather than stop. Or a person goes at a stop sign because the person next to him is going, even if the driver wanting to turn stopped first.
• Tailgating. One of the biggest mind-bogglers, for me anyway. I despise it. I want to make a bumper sticker that reads "I brake for tailgaters." I've caused many a driver to be upset when I tap or slam on my brakes for tailgating. The funny thing is, they genuinely seem confused as to why I would be doing that. Of course I just laugh at them when they pass by. Even more puzzling is tailgating while in a traffic jam. The traffic ahead goes as far as the eye can see, but you feel that somehow I could be driving faster, so you tailgate me? *scratches head*
• What is this strange liquid falling out of the sky? All in all, drivers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area are maniacs. I "speed," but only by about 5-9 mph over the limit. This while people cruise past me at 15-20 mph over. This changes though, when it rains. I don't know what it is, or how to explain it, but these drivers will generally slow down to 10-15mph below the speed limit. Now I'm the one cruising past them.
• Slowing down when seeing a cop has pulled someone over. Do these people actually think the cop is going to say "Whoa! That guy is driving even faster than this guy was! I better ignore this guy and go after him!"

I'm sure there are many more I'm neglecting to mention, but those are some of the big ones. Now, people can drive however they want. The above quirks may apply to you, but again, these quirks are annoying to me and not necessarily anyone else. You can be as reckless as you want. Just keep in mind though, that is exactly what I'm going to be when you tailgate me.

Mashed Burgers GRRRRRR

I usually don't get bugged over t.v. commercials, but there is one that always gets to me. I don't know if any of you have seen it so I will briefly describe it. The commercial starts with this young man (about in his early twenties) talking about how his girlfriend's family are awed by his wonderful grilled hamburgers. Then he goes on tell the audience his "secret" to his grilling success. The secret ( get ready to gasp dear readers) is mixing the hamburger meat with Worcestershire Sauce. What? No gasps of shock. Well, I can't say I blame you all, but wait it gets worse. Anyways, the "great chef" continues to blather on about the sauce and THEN HE DOES SOMETHING SHOCKING! HE TAKES HIS SPATULA AND SMASHES THE BURGER. Yes, he smashes the patty thus letting out all the flavorful juices (natural and added) and makes his whole cooking job worthless.

I don't mean to sound high and mighty about this, but it really gets to me. I am a single guy that lives alone, so I take it up on myself to learn to cook. This is skill I want to get good at and not just for survival. I want to be able to cook for a gal that I hopefully will be able to spend the rest of my life with.

I am a constant viewer of cooking shows on Food Network, and I find their shows informative and entertaining (well if I like the host's/chef's personality that is). I really tend to pay attention if the host is a real chef (some hosts are not chefs) and one thing I learned is that you do not smash the patty. Am I guilty of this culinary mistake? Yes, but the thing that separates me from "golden boy" in the ad is that I make the mistake alone. While I am broadening my culinary horizons, I am also making sure I don't forget the basics. One day, I might make homemade potstickers ( well I will eventually) and another day I might make a batch of macaroni and cheese (from scratch I might add).

So, as you can see I take cooking seriously. I don't feel confident in the many things I do (like writing blogs), but I get a little satisfied feeling when I cooking something on my own and especially when it tastes great. Besides, if I mess up a meal well no one has to know and I can make my famous recipe of calling in for pizza. To sum things up here, I really don't care for the commercial that I previously mentioned. The "cook" in the ad seems to insult us that want to learn to cook by his infamous "patty smashing." Oh and another thing, the ads sports an indoor charcoal grill built into the counter top. What is that? I mean, I can't think of one person that I know that has one of those in their kitchen. I really hope that you find something you are interested in and get good at. We all need some kinda of hobby or skill that gives us pleasure, and do not let any annoying person tell you differently.

WANTED: CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Hello, dear readers. I know it has been awhile since you have heard from me. Ok, let me pose a question here. Did any of you ever have a favorite childhood toy that you intended to keep but was sadly ended up missing? I did. Well, I did until it was found. Umm ok I lied, I didn't find it but I found a great replacement.

Let me back-up here. The toy in question was a die-cast model of the "General Lee" from the "Dukes of Hazzard". Ahh, I remember seeing the weekly adventures of Bo, Luke, and Daisy (mmmm Daisy) and their constant struggle against the local corrupt government.

Anyways, I received several "Dukes of Hazzard" toys during my childhood. It wasn't much of collection, but it did consist several size versions of the "General Lee" cars and one small version of Daisy's jeep (mmmm Daisy). The one toy I mainly remember was this die-cast model of the "General Lee". Among the many features it sported was: turnable front wheels and a hood that could be opened. Hey, for a kid my age (oh no I am not gonna give any hints, so you can calculate my age) those features were amazing. Unfortunately for me, I lost my prized toy. Whether it is placed someplace uknown in the attic of my parents house, or I accidentally gave it away, I will never know.

Like most happy discoveries, I found a suitable replacement by complete accident. The other day I was browsing at a local entertainment store, when I found it. Yep, I found a die-cast model of the famed car. It matched my old one perfectly. I quickly bought it and raced home (ok excitedly drove within the speed limit) and found a suitable place for it on top of my t.v.

Ok Ok, I know what you are thinking. What's the point? Ummm, not really a point here. It's just that I find it nice to have little reminders of where one came from. It doesn't have to be a toy exactly, it could be anything that you attach memories to. For me it was that toy. Memories are fragile things and we all need a special something to anchor our memories in our brain. Besides, if I ever find my old toy maybe I could sell it for a bundle on E-bay.

A use for those summer berries...

I thought I'd be a little different today and post a recipe. This being summer and all (well, late summer) and berries being in season, I thought I'd try a Blackberry Grunt recipe from one of my books. It turned out great.. I looked around on the Internet and found some different variations. I tweaked the version I found in the book (see the last line in the post for which one). This version is finished in the oven, while other versions are cooked on the stovetop. I suppose you could try doing this on the stovetop, if you don't feel like using the oven in this heat. :) It's a lot like a cobbler, but it's preparation reminds me of chicken and dumplings.

Berry Grunt

4 cups berries (any variety, or a mix of varieties. they can be fresh or frozen)
1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
spices (see below)
1 cup water
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk

In a dutch oven combine the berries, water, 1 cup of the sugar, and spices to taste. You can use any spices you want, this recipe goes good with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, or any combo thereof. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat.

While the berries are cooking, sift together the 2 tablespoons sugar, the flour, soda, and powder. Add in the butter. You can do this by cutting the butter into the flour, or, just put the whole stick into the bowl and work it in with your hands. When combined, make a well and add the buttermilk. Mix with a spatula until a dough forms.

Drop the dough by the spoonful on top of the berries, making sure to cover them evenly. Sprinkle the top of the dough with some cinnamon sugar.

**Oven method: Cook the mixture, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven, about 15-20 minutes, or until the dough is cooked. Let sit about 10 minutes to cool.
**Stovetop method: (Note: I have not tried it this way, so use at your own risk!) Cover the pot, and cook until the dough is cooked through.. if you've made dumplings before, the concept is the same.

Variations: The dumpling dough is fine without the sugar in it, if you'd rather not have that much in there. Different liquids could technically be used in place of the water. And I'm sure regular milk would be fine if you'd rather not go with the buttermilk.
Serve as is, or with ice cream, whipped cream, or whatever you want.

This recipe was adapted from I'm Just Here for More Food by Alton Brown, which is highly recommended for those who like baking. Also recommended is his show Good Eats on the Food Network.

*****Edit, Aug 18: I tried the "Stovetop only" version of the recipe.. instead of popping it in the oven, I covered the pot and let the dough cook for about 15 minutes. It turned out great, obviously the look/texture of the dumplings will be different, but the dish still turns out very tasty.

Show me the money!

Many kids look up to sports stars. Sports stars are kids' heroes. Kids want to hit home runs like Alex Rodriguez. Slam dunk like LeBron James. Throw touchdowns like Michael Vick. So now will kids want to demand more money like their favorite sports stars?

Too many sports news stories seem to be filled with players demanding more money from their teams, and its becoming a despicable act.

The National Football League (NFL) is beginning their training camp and preseason, and with it, comes the news of the holdouts. To those not familiar with the term, a "holdout" is when a player refuses to show up for team practices/meetings because he is trying to get a new contract (with more money, usually). One of the biggest stories has been that of Terrell Owens of the Philadephia Eagles.

Owens joined the team last summer, signing a seven year contract, worth roughly $49 million. Owens had a great season, but about 3 quarters into the season, he was injured. Owens heroically returned in the Super Bowl, playing against doctor's orders, and in the process, caught 9 passes for 122 yards. Had the Eagles won, Owens might have been named the MVP. But after the Super Bowl, the "acting up" started. He called out teammates for their performance in the Super Bowl. He fired his agent. Then, as training camp drew near, he declared his intention to hold out. That's right, after only 1 year of a 7 year contract, Owens believed he deserved more. He even mentioned phrases like "I have to start thinking about my family" in interviews. This, despite about $7 million a year, and more in endorsements? Why even sign the original contract in the first place? Who knows. At this time, Owens is practicing, but is still desiring a new contract. Another player on the team is also holding out, less than one month after signing a new contract.

There are several reasons why the National Hockey League had a dispute between players and owners, which cancelled all of last season. Of course the main reason was, money. The owners wanted to establish a salary cap for the teams, which players opposed. Again, for those who are not familiar, a salary cap is a limit in the combined amount of money a team can pay its players. This eliminates "wealthy" teams from paying large wads of money to get all the best players, while the less fortunate teams get the "mediocre" players. It also provides a good deal of competition. Of course players wanted their 10 year, $100 million contracts. That's not to say the owners are innocent of blame. Of course your hockey team isn't going to be popular in Florida. It's a cold weather sport in a warm climate. Brilliant!

Other sports are filled with similar stories. Players demand higher and higher salaries, and the dedicated fans pay more and more in ticket prices. Forget taking your family to the ball game. It'll be cheaper to buy a High Def television. Why do players want the higher amounts of money? Granted, they are very talented. But most of these players could (and do) retire by age 32. Even the bench warmers on a team can get a contract of $400,000 a year. That's right, sit on the bench and cheer your team on, and you get more money in a year than most people will see in a lifetime, or even a decade.

I'd much rather see stories like that of Shaquille O'Neal. Dominant basketball player, highly paid. O'Neal joined the Miami Heat last year for a wad of cash. Just recently, O'Neal decided to restructure his contract. The contract had more years on it, but with LESS money. The reason? He wanted to free up some money for his team to be able to sign more players, to help it win a championship. Putting team ahead of money. What a concept.

I shudder sometimes about what kids might be learning from these money grubbing players. I just hope they don't try to "hold out" in real life.

"I refuse to do the dishes until I get paid more allowance!"
"Fine, we won't feed you then."
"I'll be good!"

Adults make up the darndest excuses

In general, kids just don't know how to back up their arguments, or come up with good excuses. The backbone for most arguments seems to be the reason "Because!" i.e.,

"You can't cut in line!"
"Why?"
"Because!"

They don't seem to fare any better when coming up with excuses.

So one would think, that as adults, we are capable of backing up our excuses and arguments with logic and facts. So one would think.

I work in the technical support field. This means that often I have the sad duty to tell why something is not working. I'm usually very specific about it. Even though I'm specific, and back up the reasons with facts, people still seem inclined to argue. The problem is, they don't argue well. I get claims such as, "but it was working yesterday," as well as, "I haven't changed anything," to, "but my neighbor has it!"

Let's apply these "reasons" to other real life situations shall we?

"But it was working yesterday!" Such is the nature of electronics, or any piece of technology for that matter. Your car can work great for years at a time and then one day not start. Are these people honestly going to go to a mechanic and argue "what do you mean the battery is dead? it was working yesterday!"

"But my neighbor has it!" Let's say your neighbor gets a shiny new Hummer at a local dealer. He got a great loan. You go to the same dealer, and apply for the same loan, and are denied the loan. Honestly, do we expect the dealer to give the loan because "my neighbor got it?" Pretty silly, isn't it?

Silly logic and excuses exist elsewhere. I'm sure when it comes to car accidents, or being accused of a crime, the same silliness ensues. When a person hit my car after totally ignoring a red light, she told me "but you came out of nowhere!" Yeah, my car materialized suddenly. Sure. Don't you have three mirrors on that car of yours? When it comes to crimes, I'm always entertained to hear people's excuses on the news.

On some message boards I like to visit, people will badmouth, lets say, a movie, and call others stupid when they say they like it. "How could you like Action Blockbuster 3? It sucked! You're stupid." (these are the actual arguments most of the time)

Adults seem to come up with ways to exempt themselves from responsibilities others must face. I don't have to be on time, because the meeting never starts on time. I don't have to throw away my trash, someone else will do it for me.

And while these people seem to be giving, to them, valid arguments, all I can seem to hear is "Because!"

Cell phone etiquette

There's no question that cell phones are one of life's great conveniences. They've gone from shoebox-sized monsters that only government-types used, to phones only the rich and hip used, to something that just about everyone has.

Stuck in traffic and want to let someone know you're going to be late? Use your cell. Your car broke down and you need to call a tow truck? Use your cell. See something at the store your significant other has looked everywhere for and you need to find out what color they want it in? Use your cell. It's great to have that sort of power when you need it.

Note the word "power" though. And the phrase, "power corrupts." With cell phone companies competing with each other, prices are lower and lower.. and people are using their phones like a stereotypical teenage girl on a Friday night. In other words, people never get off their phones.

I've noticed because of this, there needs to be some kind of cell phone etiquette. Heck, even some general cell phone knowledge would be great.

As far as knowledge, here is a fact that many people don't seem to be aware of, or just don't seem to use: When your cell phone is off, calls generally go directly into voicemail. That's right! This means you don't have to keep your phone on at all hours of the day with the fear that you might miss a call! You can turn your phone off, and when you turn it on, there might be a message from your friend. And hey, armed with this knowledge, your friends will know that when they get voicemail immediately, you are otherwise indisposed! Wow!

Let's move into etiquette.

• When using a cell phone in a car, use a headset or radio device. You know why many states have a law against cell phone use in your car? Because idiots don't pay attention to the road while on the phone, that's why. I can't count the number of times I've almost been in a car accident, then observed the offending driver with one hand on the wheel, and their head dug into their neck talking on the phone. There are headsets and devices to talk/hear through your car radio people! Use them!
• Just because you have been indisposed for a few hours, doesn't mean you have to jump on your phone. It's like clockwork.. something ends/lets out and then out come the cell phones. As soon as coworkers get out the door at the office, out come the phones. I've seen people whip out their phones at the movies, literally as soon as the credits start rolling. Is there some need to be on the phone immediately? I mean, I understand if you have one of these parents/significant others that want to know where you are at all times, okay. But if not, well, I guess I don't understand. I'd like to though.
• For the sake of all things good and pure, DO NOT use your phone in the bathroom. By far this is the most disturbing trend I've seen. Men chatting on their cellphones while at the urinal, or, far, far worse.. while in the stall. I don't mean to be gross, but too often I hear something like, "Oh yeah, I've seen that *plop* ughh.... movie too. I liked it." I mean, good grief people!! Can you not wait 5 minutes to say what you need to say on the phone? Are you that pressed for time?! I wonder how the people on the other end of the line would react, knowing the person they are talking to is in the can. I've told friends and family members.. if I ever find that you are in the bathroom while I'm talking to you, hang up the phone, and don't EVER talk to me on that specific phone again. Might as well flush it.

Again, I'll say cell phones are great conveniences. And yes, they are yours to do with and use as you wish. Just, please, keep other people in mind when using your phone. You may be conveniencing yourself, but you may be inconveniencing someone else. I mean, cell phone conversations in the john?? EWWWWW!!!

Okay, you know what? I think you should leave.

This'll be a short one today.. got more coming later this week. I had so many ideas last week I had to abandon. :)

Anyway, there is this show called Cinematech on the cable network G4TV. It's an interesting show to watch, it's basically 30 minutes of video game footage strung together, usually to a particular theme. Plus, it doesn't have the generally obnoxious hosts that the other shows on the network do.

This weekend I see 3 separate bits of footage from a game called Facade. The game was so interesting, I looked it up online and found out the game is available for free download. It's a hard game to describe.. you are invited to an evening with a married couple. You interact with the couple by typing dialogue on the keyboard. It can be anything to a compliment to an insult. The couple will react with facial expressions and dialogue of their own. The "goal" of the game is to get the couple to reveal some things about themselves. That, or you get kicked out of the apartment for being rude.

The game is fun, simply because you can act however you want just to see the reaction of the couple. Even better, when the game is done, it generates a "stageplay" that tells you all that was said and done. You can send these to friends.

Check the game out at http://www.interactivestory.net. Keep in mind you will need a fast connection to download it, as it is about 800mb. You can always order it on CD for $14.