My Newest GooglyToob Discovery

For one, this guy is so easy on the eyes, it's disgusting. Every time I look at him, I feel like an adolescent Claire Daines goofy over Jared Leto in My So-Called Life (why did those ABC assholes cancel that show?!) His rant near the end is absolute perfection.

Two, even when he's being serious, there is a part of me that is constantly laughing inside, I think, because he's so serious. It's not that I'm laughing AT him. It's just that his raw sincerity incites my giggles.

Three, he's incredibly smart.

Did I mention how good-looking he is? The eyes, the hair, the mouth....he's like a human chocolate souffle.

Bloating: tryptophane, BND & TomKat

The American holiday season is upon us. My neighbors are bringing in their plants (we had a bit of a frost overnight) and putting up their Christmas decorations. This embodies one of the problems I have with the Christmas steamroller. Can't I enjoy Thanksgiving before you overachievers string your lights and hang your holly?

And of course, there's the inevitable feelings of depression and dissatisfaction that accompany the next thirty days. Not enough money or time to do what you want to do. I've decided the only way I'm going to survive this year is to take a cue from one of my favorite running gags on MadTV: Lowered Expectations. It's the only way I'll escape into the new year relatively unscathed. Expect nothing; then it can't possibly suck!

Canadian magazine Adbusters has created a holiday that I can finally really put my heart into: International Buy Nothing Day. I've been unofficially celebrating it for years, ever since my post college years of working in retail. Once I hung up my hat as a consumer concierge, I said goodbye to Black Friday. Now, my avoidance of the mall (and the dreaded "mall headache") has turned into a protest. Nifty!

Speaking of headaches and bloating, the entire TomKat thing is so hideous, but their recent wedding at an Italian castle looked gorgeous. Romance in spades. There's enough coverage on People's site to choke a horse.

While we're on the topic of celebrity marriages -- when are these people going to learn that a reality show in which both parties appear is a kiss of death? The short list: Jessica & Nick, Whitney & Bobby, Shannon Moakler & Travis Barker. It's only a matter of time before Danny Bonaduce and his long-suffering co-dependent spouse hit the skids. Maybe Mr. & Mrs. Cruise will actually learn something and stay out of the public eye altogether. It's the only way you can survive longer than your own press.


Dinner is at five. As I dine on the "traditional" Thanksgiving fare, I'll give a passing thought to the customs at hand, along with an article I found this morning: As American As Pumpkin Pie. It's a tidy little diatribe regarding the origins of Thanksgiving from the Plimouth Foundation; dispels commonly held myths regarding the holiday, which could pretty much be summed up as harmless propaganda to indoctrinate the teeming immigrants at the turn of the 20th century, along with impressionable schoolchildren. I like the distinction the author makes between the history of the holiday, and historic fact itself.

I give thanks for my health and the health of my family. I also give thanks for my daughter, who gives me new eyes.

Happy Turkey Day!

Meltdown

I'm having one of those days....they seem to come closer and closer together, lately. Melancholy mixed with anger, leading to random bitchiness and eventually, emotional collapse. On nights like these, I say a little prayer for myself, and also express deep thanksgiving for the following:

1. Micheal C. Hall in Dexter
2. A fresh Heath Bar
3. Early bedtime facilitated by extended bath play

For quite some time, I could actually hear my daughter in the bedroom, singing. But at least she was singing, and singing in the confines of her own personal space, leaving my much needed boundaries uncrossed for another 12 hours. I always awaken the following morning feeling recovered, and as soon as I hear the sleepy but joyous "Mommy, mommy!" when I open her door, feel her arms squeeze my neck and her cheek grazing mine, it's like a brand new day. Let the sun shine in!

But for now, I sip Bailey's Mint and await the replay of my current cable obsession.

Delta Airlines vs. Breast-feeding Moms

A woman was apparently asked to deplane a Delta/Freedom flight, when she refused to cover up with a blanket while breastfeeding her child.

I actually heard about the story last night on an 11 o'clock newscast. It was so cool seeing all the mothers in front of the Delta ticket counter. I am absolutely certain they regretted their lapse of reason after the "nurse-in."

I'm at once disgusted and amused by this story. Disgusted, because it's a clear indication of the American penchant for dirtying up something that is natural, and also protected by law (in every state of the Union, as far as I know). I'm amused because I know what it's like to try to breast-feed a toddler with a friggin' blanket on her head. It just doesn't work. My daughter started whipping the blankets off of her by the time she was physically able, right around six months. I rarely breast-fed in public, but when I did, nobody except the people with whom I was sitting (family & friends) had any clue what it was that I was doing. Throwing a blanket over my activity would only have brought further attention to my already discreet behavior.

How can people be so clueless? And when will our culture catch up? We've got Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis making enough money and garnering enough attention to choke a sensationalist horse (despite his admission of knowingly using underage girls in his videos) but yet providing the absolute best in nutrition and bonding is viewed as something that should be covered up, as if it's a shameful secret. *cough* bullshit *cough*

America the Beautiful.

New Interface + Google?

New software, and a google account? I love how it announces it, as if having a google account is a foregone conclusion. I don't have one -- I don't ever remember having one. How out of the loop am I? So I guess I'm going to have to google this crap. Ugh. I much prefer Ask.com.

New York Times Day

I really like their online version. Makes me almost want to shell out the cash for porch-front delivery. Almost.

The Golden Torso. I am a sucker for a purty face, and this guy is particularly yummy, but what really got my rocks off was the play on words. Am I that much of a geometry nerd?!

According to the people who know about this kind of stuff, China will soon be at the top of worldwide emissions. Cool. We get to be second on the list of "Things That Suck To Be First At."

I found this article about Lebanon's Christian population interesting. But I have to ask -- did the guy's daughter have a say?! I mean, how do you make a personal statement with someone else's soul?!

John McCain has resigned his position at Gallaudet, after faculty and students ousted their incoming president -- who claims she wasn't "deaf enough."

This was the by far the coolest article Thursday; an interview with one of the people involved in the ever-changing, always evolving world of the Oxford English Dictionary: Cyber-Neologoliferation.