Breakfast at Tiffany's

This is one of my favorite songs. I remember watching the video in the '90s and thinking they were cool. If you don't watch all of it, at least watch the jumping sequence that starts 40 seconds in.

She's What?

The Office, Season Four, "Goodbye, Toby":

Did anything in the above photo catch your eye? If you're a guy, you didn't see anything strange. If you're a gal, you noticed something. Angela Kinsey, who plays uptight accountant Angela Martin, is wearing a light blouse and a dark jumper. And wait! Her arms don't look right. Why would her arms be folded that way? It doesn't look natural... She must be pregnant. And she was for most of Season 4, but her pregnancy did not fit in with her character's life, so they used little tricks to hide it. On many occasions, she would hide behind her desk, the copier, a bouquet of flowers, another actor, or a door.

Sometimes they just shot her from the chest up.

If you're a guy and still don't believe me, take a look at the following photo. It shows Angela (and Rainn Wilson) at her onset baby shower. There's no getting around the fact that she is expecting.

While watching the later episodes of Season 4, my mom and I immediately picked up on Angela's pregnancy and would mention something about it, with my dad being oblivious: "What? She's pregnant?" Upon talking to other fellow Office fans, it seems the trend is strong: Gals were aware of Angela's pregnancy, while guys were clueless.

TV Unity

Last night at my house...
Me: Everyone [political hopefuls] always says they want to make the world a better place. No one ever says they want to make it worse.
Dad: That's right! I need to find that party and join.

My parents have been lamenting recently. They know what is ahead. For two weeks our television showed nothing but Olympic coverage. Then came Democratic National Convention coverage and commentary. This week is the Republican National Convention. But after a four-week span of athletic and political intensity, what's to come?

I comforted Dad with the knowledge that The Office will be starting up again on September 25 (mark your calendars!), but this doesn't do much for Mom. Our house needs more unifying televised events!

How the Day Sounds

I love this music video. First off, I love the grocery store (as long as there aren't too many other people). Secondly, the nerdy choreography is too cute. Finally, it's Greg Laswell!

The Dark Knight

I saw The Dark Knight on Saturday. I only went because a group of friends were going, and I wanted to tag along. I had heard it was going to be dark, but I was surprised by how dark it was. I didn't like it so much, that I have expressed to multiple people my disdain.

But recently (I think it was yesterday) I started to have positive thoughts and feelings toward the movie. Yes, I think I actually like it. But I don't know if my opinions of the movie have changed or if what I'm choosing to remember about the movie has changed. Maybe I'm blocking out the darker moments and focusing in on the parts I found intriguing.

Nightly Conversation

Monday night I didn't fall asleep until 5 a.m. Wednesday it was 4 a.m. There is a plus side to this. I get to spend time with my brother who doesn't come home during the week until 2 a.m. So we've been talking.

Last night was Watch C-SPAN and Make Fun of the Democrats Night. Loads of fun. Honestly, the average republican was more respectful, articulate, and fact-focused than his democratic counterpart. It was almost unreal at times.

We also found ourselves on a bit of a rabbit trail. It went something like this:
Me: Do you want to see The Dark Knight on Saturday?
Bro: No. What is it?
Me: It's the new batman movie.
Bro: It has Heath Ledger as the joker, doesn't it? A female coworker of mine was raving about him at lunch.
Me: I'm not surprised.
Bro: It was so annoying when he died. That's all the girls on campus were talking about. They were walking around campus holding up dvds with his face on them saying, "Heath Ledger this. Heath Ledger that. OMG!" So I joined in after awhile... "Heath Ledger? Heath Ledger! Heath Ledger!!!??" [sporting a crazed look on his face].
Me: That's mean.
Bro: So?
Me: Can Heath Ledger help it if he makes girls swoon?
Bro: No, he can't help it if he makes girls swoon. But it's counterproductive to society. They [the swooning girls] could use their time better. In the 19th century the national pastime was politics. Now it's sports and entertainment.
Me: You like sports.
Bro: Yes, but it doesn't consume me. If a team wins or loses, it doesn't really have an effect on me.

At one point it shifted in direction to:
Bro: I can't tell if a guy is hot or not. I don't look at guys that way.
Me: That's good to know.

My brother's the best.

Driving...driving...driving...

Wow. Two posts in one evening. But they're more complaints than anything else, so don't get too excited. We wouldn't want that.

Driving to and from South Bend a few days a week is starting to become old. I know people who drive more, but that's them, not me, and I'm only thinking about me right now. I mean, you can only listen to the same top 40 songs on the radio so many times.

It hit me this evening that maybe I should get an audio book and listen to that. It's worth a try. I'm thinking something cutesy. A year or two ago I listened to a Scott Adams (Dilbert author) book while doing this or that and found it so funny that I actually laughed out loud on occasion. Maybe I'll see what I can get of his.

5 Dollar Footlong

I've got "5 Dollar Footlong" in my head, and you should, too...

Happy Thursday!

Two good things about today:

1) My brother comes home for the summer.

2) The Office season finale (sniff) is one hour long (yay!).

Pigg's Coffee

After hearing "Coffee Shop" aka "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" on the radio recently, I found out who sings it: Landon Pigg. My immediate thought was, Poor guy. Not the best last name. But I'm sure he's used to it by now.

"Coffee Shop" sounded familiar. And then I remembered a jewelry commercial from Christmastime. It was one of the few that I didn't mind and actually thought was sweet.

I like his sound, but I've got the feeling that if I listen to it enough, it'll get on my nerves.

The Ideal Ideal-Cut Diamond

I've been hearing an ad for the ideal ideal-cut diamond that can only be found at Jared, The Galleria of Jewelry of the "He went to Jared!" and "It can only be Jared!" fame. These ads are causing me to think. If an ideal ideal-cut diamond is better than just an ideal-cut diamond, then wouldn't an ideal ideal ideal-cut diamond be even better? And hold it right there! An ideal ideal ideal ideal-cut diamond would kick the ideal ideal ideal-cut diamond's you-know-what!

Imagine a man on one knee looking up at his girlfriend. He just popped the question and is holding out an opened box with a ring in it. The box's lid clearly states "Jared, the Galleria of Jewelry," but the girlfriend isn't fooled. She exclaims, "This isn't the ideal ideal ideal ideal-cut diamond. It's only the ideal ideal ideal-cut. I only want the best! It's just not... ideal enough!"

Weekend in Review

Friday night I found myself perusing the shelves at Blockbuster. After looking for non-cookie cutter movies, I walked out with two:

Lars and the Real Girl tells the story of a twenty-something guy who wants a relationship but is too scared of a real one. His solution? Get a life-size doll online and dote on her as if she was real. His sincerity is endearing, but what also stands out is how his family and small town embrace him and his "girlfriend." The care and patience they modeled is uplifting and moving.

I followed this up with Once: a musical set in Ireland which captures the friendship between a guy and a girl. I knew it was a movie and not a documentary, but it felt real. The flow of it and the earnest lyrics gave me the feeling that I was peering into the lives of these characters that meet, share their lives and their music, and then part ways. The sense of community that the music created is what sticks with me.

Night Out

My family and I sat down last night to watch The Office, as we normally do when it's a new episode. This one, entitled "Night Out," did not have the usual office setting. These episodes tend to be sub par.

Dad still thought it was a good episode, but he kept expressing his sadness that Ryan now seems to have a problem with drugs. I tried to tell him that Ryan's just a character; he doesn't really exist. But my dad is still disappointed with one of his favorites.

I guess I shouldn't make fun. I do get caught up in the Jim/Pam plot. I mean, it's Jim and Pam! Come on!

March Madness

Easter weekend I did something I wasn't planning on doing. I sat down on the couch with my dad and brother and watched some basketball. I know. Big shocker.

During the commercials, I noticed that my brother would turn his head away from the television and stare at a nearby object. Now this wasn't during crude or extremely annoying commercials, but for almost all of the commercials. I found this odd. What about you? What do you do during commercials? (See my newest poll.)

Sweet Talk

Have you seen the commercial where a guy is ordering inside of a fast food restaurant while talking on his cell phone to his significant other? He says something into the phone, but the lady taking his order thinks he's talking to her. I was reminded of this commercial today.

A guy called the office asking to set up an appointment. No problem. I can do that. When I start questioning him as to what day and time would work best for him, he pauses and says, "Sweetie, are you going to be working then?" When he said this, he sounded muffled. However, every other word he had said previously was also muffled. I pause, thinking him strange, but not wanting to make a big deal out of it, I say, "Yes." He then says, "Oh, I was talking to my girlfriend."

I felt silly finding this out. But this being the case, he should have put his hand over the phone, preceded his change of direction with, "Let me ask my girlfriend," or some other distinction. Then again, I should have known better. Ah, well. At least he wasn't some creep who called me "Sweetie."

"The Office" Personality Quiz

I have now taken a quiz to see what character from "The Office" I am most like. I guessed it would figure me as a Pam type, and I was right. Considering she's one of the more normal people, your average female quiz taker will probably come out as a Pam type as well. (But if you come out as a non-Pam, that's okay.)

If you want to take the 20 questions, click here. If you couldn't care less about "The Office," you might be finding me mingling in your crowd soon. The lack of new shows (or even the playing of reruns) has contributed to my growing lack of enthusiasm for the sitcom.

What Song Is This?

When I first saw this, I was honestly trying to figure out what the heck he was singing. I thought all the things he showed us were clues. Halfway through, when I realized what it was, I thought that I should have known. It sounds really good, though. Like it's a classic in another language or something.

P.S. I Love You

It appears I have let the term "idiot" slip into my vocabulary recently. If I use this or another negative term, feel free to call me out on it.


Last night I started reading the novel "P.S. I Love You." (Thanks, Miranda, for the tip!) It must have been July or August since the last time I read for fun (not including the newspaper or internet).

So far it's a nice read. Sad but cute and an easy read. No terms to recognize or ideas to understand! So if you already know how the book or the movie go, please don't tell me!

Why I'm Glad I'm Not Brian Williams

Brian Williams was recently asked a question. It's a very simple and straightforward question. It might take a little time for someone to come up with an answer he or she likes, but most people should give a viable answer. Brian Williams, however, must be difficult. Read on:

The question: Who Will Be Person of the Year in 2007?

Mr. Williams's answer: "My nominee for 2007 Person of the Year is a woman--a woman with a history of abuse, a woman who has never run for elective office, someone we all know, someone who makes her presence known on a daily basis in all our lives and, for my money, is better than any male alternative. That woman is Mother Earth. I think the environment is the compelling issue of our time."

Okay, so who can tell me what Mr. Williams did wrong? Think really hard. Do you think he should have chosen a person instead of a planet? Almost any person who has been mentioned on the news could do. It would be debatable, but it would be an answer that fits the question. I have to give it to him for starting to fool us at the beginning of his answer. It was very creative and humorous; but in the end, he showed himself to be the idiot environmentalist that he is.

I am not saying that if you are an environmentalist you are automatically an idiot. I won't agree with you, but I'm sure I can respect your opinion to some degree. But to stoop so low as to pretend the earth is a person is ridiculous.

Maybe Brian Williams could have used an example answer to help him create his own. Here's what Aretha Franklin's answer was:

"There are a number of people who truly deserve this award. However, Bill Cosby is my selection because of his work and involvement in the crisis in the African-American community. Bill's objectives are to alleviate some of the problems and issues facing the community today. He truly represents a universality and global brotherhood, and in his heart and soul, he cares deeply about people."

Wow. First off, she mentioned a living person. Good start. Then notice how she actually listed very compelling reasons why the mentioned person should be 2007's person of the year. I now have a deeper respect for the lady who asked for it back in the day.

Hickspeak Revisited with Snow

Okay, my friends... Remember when I was poking fun at my dad's side of the family for how they pronounce some words as if they might be hicks? Well, I might be a hick, too.

Yesterday evening my Advanced Tax Topics group gave a presentation on illegal trust schemes. Whenever I was supposed to say "illegal" I ended up saying "eellegal!"

Maybe I should just give up and let my hick side envelop me, much like how Peter Parker gave in to his dark side in Spider-Man 3.

On my drive home there was enough unplowed snow that I needed to significantly lower my driving speed, but it was worth it... pretty snow! I love it when you can see the individual flakes softly falling from the sky against the backdrop of the night.

In honor of the first decent snowfall of the pre-winter season, here is Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, and some other person singing "Snow" from "White Christmas."