The Apocalypse and the Bird Flu

So loyal readers, I'm sure you've noticed the lapse in entries by the blog's principal 3 writers. That is because we were all struck at the same time for about 2 weeks (in 3 separate states mind you) by some ridiculous illness/cold/flu/getting over wisdom teeth surgery/possible bird flu. I am well again and have taken it upon myself to get this ball rolling again!

So what Apocalypse you say? Well I'll tell you....
Just in case you haven't heard, JT matched for his medical residency at the Cincinnatti Pediatric clinic-- this is really amazing folks. Be super happy for him! Here's a picture of him with his letter:




So I live in Columbia, South Carolina and JT currrently lives in Augusta, Georgia. It normally takes me 50 minutes to make that drive. Well on the most important day for me to get there on time, it takes me 2 hours. Yeah that's right. Apocalypse people....

First there was construction, at 3 different points along I-20 Westbound. This never happens. Then some pickup truck flipped over and spewed its contents all over the highway. Then someone else got in a wreck. And then 11 miles from JT's exit, they diverted the entire highway off at an exit and detoured us on side roads. An entire highway. That 11 mile detour took 45 minutes. But it was all good cause I arrived in time to see JT get his name called 5 minutes later and was witness to the exciting letter opening moment. He then proceeded to get all giddy and freak out cause he's going to Cincinnatti. I got it all on tape-- it will be playing at his wedding. There were no mishaps on I-20 Eastbound going back to Columbia. Figures.

Who says Wal-Mart is bad?

So I just saw one of the best commercials. The kind of commercial that makes you sit back and ponder life while snacking on your couch. It was a Wal-Mart ad in support of their Second Harvest "Help End Hunger" March Campaign. They plan on matching any donations that people make during the month of March. The commercial had a bunch of little boys sitting at a lunch table. The kids pull out their lunch boxes and start trading stuff, all except for this one sad kid at the end. He doesn't have any food with him, because the implication is that he is too poor to have lunch with him. So the boy across from him starts trading his stuff and then passes an orange and a milk carton under the table to the kid without food. Then that kid is able to join in and start trading stuff like the orange for chocolate pudding. Ok, so they're still Wal-Mart... you can't expect them to advocate healthy eating habits too otherwise they might go out of business. But the point is that for those of us that went to a private school like Woodward, we never saw things like this. But in the schools I work at now, this is an everyday occurrence. It was sad and touching at the same time. So for those of you that are anti-Wal-Mart... is it really that bad of a place? It provides jobs, revitalizes small towns, provides a way to buy things in bulk for cheap and makes great commercials with swash-buckling happy faces. What's not to love?!

Here's to you Mr. Ear Muff Man....

I came across this interesting little tid-bit today. Where would the world be without innovators such as this man?

Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine, invented earmuffs when he was just 15 years old. As he was ice skating, he wrapped his head in a scarf to protect his ears from the cold, but found this method too bulky and itchy. To solve the problem, Greenwood constructed two ear-shaped loops from wire and asked his grandmother to sew fur on them. He later patented an improved version, Greenwood's Champion Ear Protectors in 1887, that featured a steel band that held the earmuffs in place. Greenwood established Greenwood's Ear Protector Factory and supplied earmuffs for US soldiers during World War I. Greenwood accumulated over 100 patents in his lifetime, including one for the steel-tooth rake.

Ahh... I just love ingenuity. Where would we be without the steel-tooth rake? Would we still be picking up leaves by hand, or just letting them decompose on their own in our messy yards. And the ear muffs? I mean that stuff paved the way for headphones and we all know how I feel about the heaphone... it paved the way for IPod earbuds!!! I want to invent something one day... I'm just not sure what yet. Any suggestions?

Men are Stupid

Seriously... men are stupid. My mom and I just watched "Memoirs of a Geisha" two nights ago and rarely do we agree on anything concerning men. But when the movie was finished, the first thing I said was "Men are stupid" and my mother agreed with me.

Don't get me wrong though, I loved the movie. It was beautifully done and I found myself entranced by it for 2 hours straight. I've heard the book is even better and I am anxious to read it now. It's more than just a romance, but mostly an interesting perspective into a sacred Japanese culture that is normally kept secret. I had the modern day view that geishas were basically Japanese prostitutes. But the picture of them painted in this story is a thing of beauty and grace. You almost aspire to be one yourself after watching the movie. I think most people will find it enjoyable to watch. But just like guys were walking around saying that women were the devil after watching King Kong (come on though, what woman should be expected to choose an overgrown ape over a nice looking man? What would her kids look like?) I have to say men are stupid after watching this one. Don't worry, I'm not giving anything away, but if you don't think the same thing after the last scene in the movie, then feel free to comment and tell me why I'm wrong!

Is it just me or was Jon Stewart a poor choice?

Ok, so I just feel sorry for Jon Stewart. That poor man was trying so hard to make it work tonight. It just wasn't happening for him. The only funny part was the opening skit with all the past hosts pretending to get a call to host again and then turning the Academy down. It was funny right until Jon Stewart came into the skit. That was a bad sign.

Why are the Oscars so boring? The excitement leading up till the event on the red carpet is great. The after parties are great. But it's like when these people enter the Kodak theater, all their acting skills and emotions are sucked out of them. Reading a teleprompter becomes a challenge and no one seems like they really want to be there.

What's up with "Crash" winning best picture? Everyone in that theater looked shocked including the people who were in the movie. Was Brokeback just too controversial or was nothing that good? Where was North Country or Walk the Line? Now I didn't see "Capote" but Joaquin Phoenix was amazing in Walk the Line and should have won best actor. And what was with the song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" winning? Poor Jon Stewart tried to latch on to that gem for some jokes, but once again no one in the audience was buying it. I thought Dolly Parton was gonna pass out when she heard that her song had lost to the pimp song. And was this the George Clooney show? Everyone was fawning over him and his 3 nominations to the point where even he seemed embarassed. But he was right when he accepted his award for best supporting actor and said that he knew he wasn't getting the directors award then. Why do I keep watching this mess year after year?

What the hell... just bring back Billy Crystal. The man does a better job at hosting than his acting in most of his movies. Lightheartedness is the way to go in Hollywood. You're too real Jon. Just go back to your real job. We understand you there....

Move over Simpson, here's my new favorite Jessica

Does this picture look familiar to you? Well not only is it one of the promo shots for one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life (Into the Blue-- I was forced to see it I swear, although Paul Walker is pretty easy on the eyes too) but this is also the pic gracing the cover of the March issue of Playboy-- minus the water background of course.

Playboy had a poll of the sexiest women this year and Alba topped the list. So Hugh's guys put in a call to Jessica's guys and asked her to pose on the cover with high hopes that she would agree to shed her knickers for a centerfold as well. Well she declined the cover and therefore the centerfold by default. Did that stop Playboy? No way. They called Sony and wanted a promo pic to use on "the inside" of the magazine for their top 25 sexiest women article.

Check out this article and vidoe clip from CNN

Now, as I was walking through the store the other day, I saw this particular issue of Playboy and have to say that I was surprised to see her on the cover. It just didn't seem like the innocent yet way too sexy for her own good image that she usually portrays. Jessica agrees with me and is currently suing Playboy for damage to her image by insinuating that she was going to be naked inside. People are jumping all over this poor girl and asking why she cares so much. Why shouldn't she care about this?! She didn't give them permission to profit off of her-- if she's on the cover promoting their magazine, they need to be paying her. Besides, she told them no to being on the cover, what more did they need to understand that?