Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills

The Setting: Monday Night Football, November 17, 2008. Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills at Buffalo.

I don't typically watch football on Monday nights, or any night, for that matter. I used to be into it, but not so much anymore. But I watched most of this game and I picked a good one to watch as it was actually very exciting. Several interceptions, lots of breakaway runs, a couple of back-to-back long yardage touchtowns, last-minute field goal, last-minute field goal miss, score close enough to keep it interesting. Final score: Cleveland 29, Buffalo 27.

I also discovered that this guy named James Walker, who works for ESPN.com, has a live blog going during the game. He posts about every half hour or so on the status of the game. Interesting. I'm gonna have to think of a reason to do a live, ongoing blog one day. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow at work: "OK, I'm going to the bathroom again. Finally, time for lunch. Now I'm staring blankly at my keyboard. Uh oh, here comes my boss..."

Movies of 2008 Christmas Season

The Setting: The five movies of the 2008 Christmas season that I am most looking forward to.


December 12 – The Day the Earth Stood Still
Keanu Reeves pretty much acts robot-like in all of his movies so he will probably do a good job playing space alien Klaatu in this remake of the 1951 original movie. Also stars Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates (love her!). And I’m sure there will be lots of things blowing up. Woo hoo!

December 19 – Seven Pounds
Will Smith stars as a suicidal IRS agent who is changing the lives of seven people. But we don’t know why. There is enough of a mystery here to make me really want to see this movie. That, and the fact that Will Smith is in it and he usually makes great movies. Plus, he’s fine as hell. Also stars Woody Harrelson and Rosario Dawson.

December 19 – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Brad Pitt plays a boy who was born into a 70-year old body and he’s aging backwards. No, I don’t know how it all works, but this is a funky enough concept that I wanna see it. Also stars Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton.

December 25 – Marley & Me
Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson star with a very cute Labrador named, you guessed it, Marley. It is about various adventures in this wild and crazy dog’s 13-year life. I know, I know: it is a feel good movie. What’s wrong with that? Hey, any excuse for some popcorn and a Slurpee.

December 26 – Valkyrie
Tom Cruise and friends plot to assassinate Hitler in Nazi Germany. Um… I don’t think they succeed, but what the heck? Interesting story, probably has some great action, and Tom Cruise is in it. Eddie Izzard is also in it – he’s my future husband, although he probably doesn’t know yet. Oh, and I get another Slurpee!

"America is a place where all things are possible..."

"Rosa Parks sat so Martin could walk... Martin walked so Obama could run... Obama ran so our children can fly..."

~ Author unknown


Photo: Kyle Almond/CNN

Vote Vote Vote!

The Setting: Early October in a westbound Delta flight. A 23-year old female is talking to a 26-year old male whom she met during the flight. Valley Val is eavesdropping (mainly because she hadn't bothered putting on her noise canceling headphones).

Female: "Yeah, my sister and I are so different. We're nothing alike. I'm short, she's tall; I have blond hair and blue eyes, she has brown hair and dark eyes; I'm Democrat, and she has a stick up her ass..."

Those were her words, not mine.

I voted during early voting, but I took my mother to the polls this morning. Very early this morning. We got in line just before 5 am. There were around 20 people in front of us. The doors opened at 6 am and we were back in the car at 6:15. By then, there were probably another 200 people in line. What I noticed about the crowd was the mixture of people: older people (definition: anyone older than I am), younger people; black people, white people, brown people (a lot more white than black or brown); people (supposedly) with sticks up their asses, others (allegedly) with no sticks up theirs.

The polls are beginning to close in the eastern states. CNN just projected that McCain won Kentucky and Obama won Vermont. Hopefully, by the end of the night, we will know which one is our next president, and it won't drag on for days. No matter what happens, history will be made tonight. I kinda like this strange new world in which two young white people can sit on an airline flight and openly discuss why they're voting for a black man. Another thing that's for sure: this has been the most interesting, exciting, mud slingingly, emotional election in which I have ever voted. And I am SO glad it's (almost) over.

Happy All Hallow's Eve

The Setting: Halloween. What is it, anyway?

According to Sabbatarian.com: "Samhain is the original festival that became "All Saints' Day," or "All Hallow's Evening". The day before Samhain is the last day of the old year and the day after Samhain is the first day of the pagan "New Year". Being a day "between years," it is considered a very magical night, when the dead walk among the living and the veils between past, present and future may be lifted in prophecy and divination."

And mysteriousbritain.co.uk:
"Traditionally, it is when the gates of the otherworld are open, a time when dark forces are abroad in the realm of humans."

Yikes! That's too much for me, man. All I wanna do is watch scary movies and eat some crown-threatening Tootsie Rolls, Dubble Bubble gum, and Dots. Happy Halloween!

Press Send and Watch the Fun Begin

The Setting: You have just sent an e-mail to a friend or co-worker of yours, saying something negative about someone else. Only after clicking Send do you realize that you actually also sent the e-mail to the person you were bad-mouthing.

I can’t recall ever doing this myself, but I have had several experiences where I sent an e-mail to someone and included some unflattering things about someone else, and then the person I originally sent it to responded and copied several other people on the e-mail (bastard!). This typically happens when there's a long e-mail string and people aren't thinking about what may be included in one of the earlier e-mails.

Basically, I’ve learned to not include anything in an e-mail that I wouldn’t mind someone else seeing because I know I have zero control over what happens to that e-mail after I send it. But I am an idiot, after all, so I am sure I will continue saying things I later wish I could take back. Just refer to any of my previous blog postings for examples…

Here is the article I read today on this topic. The comments at the end of other people’s embarrassing examples are hilarious. I would love to hear your embarrassing stories, too.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/10/20/lw.recovering.email.mistakes/index.html

That One 08

The Setting: Tuesday, October 7, 2008. The presidential debate.

John McCain: "“By the way my friends, I know you grow a little weary of this back and forth. There was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate – loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies,” Mr. McCain said, winding up to it. “You know who voted for it – you might never know?”
He then pointed at his rival, Senator Barack Obama, and answered his own question: "That one." He continued, “You know who voted against it? Me.”"

http://www.thatone08.com/