I'm just going to say it.

She looks like a transvestite prostitute from bad porn.

I hate the Pussycat Dolls (and that was before their stupid video beat Hung Up for Best Dance Video at the VMAs). They have no talent and no charm whatsoever. Say what you want about the Spice Girls, but at least they looked like girls and were rather charming in their own dimwitted way. These sluts have absolutely no redeeming quality whatsoever. You can't even tell them apart.

This is what's wrong with the American Music Industry. Ugh.

So I can rent cars now...

without paying through the nose. That's right, kids, it's my First Annual 25th Birthday™. It's my First Annual because, obviously, I'll be celebrating my Annual 25th Birthday™ every year well into my 30s.

Took yesterday and today off. As I do every year, I took myself birthday shopping yesterday. Festivities are tonight, though I managed to bungle those. Forgot to call the bar we're going to until yesterday, and they told me they had no more reservations and they were expecting to be packed because of Christmas. Oh well. I don't know how Jesus does it, but his birthday celebrations seem to outshine mine every single year. Anyway, now I'm going to go online and map out a couple other places in case this place really is too crowded. :(

Anyway, today I finished the last of my Christmas shopping, treated myself to breakfast, and now I think I'm going to take a nap. Ever since college, it's been my policy not to do work (or, at the time, go to school) on my birthday. The policy's treated me well. :)

I'm baaaaaaack!

What? No ticker tape parade?

Well let's see, I've been:

Working


I can see my office from my apartment. It's rather frightening. You can also see my cameraphone is of little use, but trust me, that's where my building is.

Pug-Sitting


This is yours truly and Oscar, Jim and Nancy's pug. He pretty much didn't leave my lap the entire time I had him.

and, last but not least, Christmas Shopping


Unfortunately, I neither purchased nor received a new laptop. I did, however, use this laptop to do all my shopping online and had everything shipped directly to my parents. Unless you can deal with the crowds and enjoy shopping in person, I highly recommend this to everyone. Except not now, because for most places, today is the last day for standard shipping.

So that's pretty much been my life in a nutshell. Oh, and I decided I need to be dating a lawyer. A hot one.

You need to be watching this show!

If you don't watch Brothers and Sisters at 10 on Sundays, you need to begin watching online immediately. They're showing a Boston Legal (ick, right?) in its timeslot this Sunday (curse you, ABC!), so you have 2 weeks to get yourself caught up.

All I have to say is this shit better clean up at the Emmys. It's well-written, well-directed, and well-acted. It stars Sally Field, Rachel Griffiths, Calista Flockhart, now Rob Lowe, and Alias vets Ron Rifkin, Balthazar Getty, and Patricia Wettig. Let's face it, if it's COMPLETELY erased my distaste for Calista Flockhart and Rob Lowe, it MUST be good.

The storylines are realistic (no bombs inside surgical patients!). The characters are real, relatable people instead of caricatures (I'm talking to you, Bree Van De Kamp and Susan Mayer!). Escapist fantasy is fine and dandy, but this is just better all around.

The best part is the rampant text messages that start between Jen and me about halfway through the show. Here's an example from last night:

Me: I totally see a Rob Lowe/Calista Flockhart/Other Hot Guy [Warren] love triangle developing.
Jen: Kitty gets to sleep with all the hot guys.
Me: I mean really. I support my brother joining the military and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.

And by "lousy T-shirt", I, of course, meant "clingy mother."

So anyway, you have two weeks to watch this shit and get yourself ready for the holiday episodes. And it's a holiday weekend, so there's no excuse not to!

So much for THAT.

So I was planning to run up to The Apple Store to get the lanyard headphones to go with the nano we're getting grandma. The MTA had other plans. Apparently, this weekend was a good weekend to make it next to impossible to get into Manhattan.

Something was going on between the 2/3 and 4/5 where the 4 was running on the 3 or something. The Manhattan Bridge was under construction, so the B/D and N/R/Q were rerouted to the tunnels.

WHY ON EARTH DID THE MTA CHOOSE TO COMPLICATE 4 LINES IN THE SAME WEEKEND??? It makes no sense. Fucking government.

Madonna kicking more ass

I may love her, but Madonna has certainly deserved (and arguably asked for) some of the criticism she's received over the years. This attention is a good part of the reason she's stayed in the spotlight for over 20 years. However, it's absolutely ludicrous the negative attention she's been receiving about this adoption. So thank God she's shouting from the rooftops what asshats the media has been about this.

To say that she "bought a baby" is to say that everyone who adopts a child buys a baby. I know it sounds horrible to say, but international adoptions cost tens of thousands of dollars. That's the reality of it. Most of the time, people see the good in adoption (someone opening their home to a child who otherwise wouldn't have one), but when somebody who has wealth chooses to adopt, the bitter Bettys who envy that wealth say that these people "bought a baby." It's a double standard and a shame.

At least Madonna is trying to do some good with her money and fame for these poor children (most of which die by the age of 5). AND, by adopting a child, she's showing a true commitment to the cause. Anyone with her wealth can cut a check and say "see ya!" but she is willing to be a bigger part of the solution.

So anyway, read the article. And watch the concert on Wednesday!

We now return to your regularly scheduled sarcasm.

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOO ANGRY ABOUT THIS!

Some of you may remember me referring to the Nov. 1 Starbucks transition from the fall to the Christmas drinks. Well, needless to say, not only was the transition LATE this year (Nov. 9 instead of Nov. 1), but Starbucks also spent those extra 8 days ROYALLY FUCKING UP THE GINGERBREAD LATTE RECIPE.

Gone is the sugary sweetness with a hint of spice. This year, they are all spice and no sugar, causing my tastebuds to go on strike. LITERALLY. My tongue is numbing.

I know, I know. The world keeps spinning. Whatever. But you see people, fall is my transition time. I get my body used to caffeine again so I can enjoy the Venti gingerbread lattes without getting the shakes. Then in April, I endure the headaches associated with caffeine withdrawal when I move away from the lattes back to summery Passion Tea and Blended Strawberry Lemonades. The OLD gingerbread latte is worth these two tumultuous periods. This new drink is garbage. I put my heart through that rigorous training period for NOTHING.

While I love me some Pumpkin Spice lattes, had I known there were no reason to get used to the amount of caffeine in a Venti, I would have just gone with Talls and called it quits when they ran out of Pumpkin syrup. Now, I have to find another drink or quit caffeine cold turkey.

I am taking drink suggestions now.

:(

My grandpa fell off a ladder onto pavement this morning and it's really bad. He fractured his skull and did something to his spine around 11th and 12th vertebrae which has paralyzed him from the waist down (at least for now, probably for good). They had to helicopter him to TJUH in Philly for care...

There's no brain damage they know of, but as of a couple hours ago there was bleeding and swelling in his brain, so who knows what will happen if they can't get it under control. Though he really couldn't talk much, he did at least recognize everyone there, which is good. He's going in for surgery tomorrow morning around 7:30 to see if they can repair his spine, though the doctor said they probably wouldn't be able to help him regain any use or feeling, just prevent further damage.

Just serves as a reminder that at almost 25 (I said ALMOST), I'm really lucky to have 3 healthy (until today) of my 4 grandparents (and even then, my grandma died only about 4 years ago). Most of my friends only have 1 or maybe 2, if any. So for that I'm lucky.

Sorry for the downer. At least the VD public service announcement is still funny. :\

I thought the Hokey Pokey was what it's all about.

I present to you all my newest obsession: retro public service announcements.


They just don't make PSAs like they used to.

I'm improving!

I almost told a woman off in the deli today, but instead, I took the high road. I left the deli completely unsatisfied, but oh well. Here is how it actually went:

Deli Guy: Can I help you?
Me: French toast, please.
Woman Ahead of Me: You know, I was in line ahead of you.
Me: He asked what you wanted and you didn't respond, so he moved on to me.
Woman: ::::eyes roll::::

Here's how I wish it went:

Woman Ahead of Me: You know, I was in line ahead of you.
Me: Yeah, well he asked what you wanted and you didn't respond. The rest of the world isn't going to wait for you to finish your call about your kid's Halloween costume to order breakfast. Get over it.