I Love Top Ramen

OK, I now that Ramen noodles are horribly unhealthy caused they're fried and have a gazillion mg of sodium but I love them and I'm pretty sure I could eat them everyday for the rest of my life if I had to. I guess I should look into the healthier versions... I used to eat the baked ones but now they're harder to find and not nearly as cheap. I mean nothing against healthy but why would I want to buy healthy ramen 3 for $1.00 when I can get the original for 12 for $1.00?

According to one website I read, the average Japanese person eats about 45 packages a year. And aren't they the healthiest country is the world? So clearly, (much like fast food) ramen noodles can be part of a healthy & balanced diet...

No Sharona???

I hate when they fuck with my favorite TV shows...

No Sharona -- actress exits USA's 'Monk'

How can you have no Sharona on Monk?? How??

That's like The O.C. without Seth... stupid f*ckin' networks. They ruin everything.

Where Am I?

I hate when I make the effort to get to blogger and then forget what I wanted to post. Oh wait... I remember now.

This is a message for Barberton Will. I replied to your email but it bounced back so to answer your question: I went to Cloverleaf.

:-)

The Great Starbucks Tipping Debate

There's always been this debate about whether or not you should tip at Starbucks... I do. Usually a buck but sometimes just whatever change I can dig out of the bottom of my purse. I understand the whole debate: the theory of people who don't tip is that Starbucks pays more than minimum wage and their coffee is already over-priced. I tend to think of this as cheap-ass BS.

First off, if you're so concerned about the cost of your coffee why are you buying it anywhere other than a gas station? Or better yet - make your own coffee. (Shock!) And btw, Starbucks is not any more expensive than any other coffee shop I've ever been to.

The second argument is a little trickier. It's hard to argue this point without getting into politics and how minimum wage doesn't equal cost of living, etc. So the rumor is Starbucks employees do make more than minimum wage, I don't doubt it. Most restaurants - fast food or otherwise - do, it's the only way they can get employees. When I started at Bob Evans in high school they paid me $5.25 an hour, which was $1 more than minimum wage at the time ($4.25). When I got a second job at Mcd's a couple years later they started me at $6.50... $1.75 more than the just raised minimum wage (4.75). Since 1997 the minimum wage has been a whopping $5.15 an hour (which would bring your annual income @ 40 hr a week to $10,712 before taxes). So yes, they probably pay more than minimum wage at Starbucks but just think about this: how much money would you do that job for? It's $15 an hour for me. Seriously... have you ever seen how people treat service employees?

Another theory is that there is no "real" skill involved in pouring coffee - this is more or less true. But there is skill in not pouring the scolding hot coffee on the impatient prick who parked his Mercedes SUV in the fire lane and then yelled his order over the four people waiting before him. And as for specialty drinks, have you ever tried to make those yourself? It's just not the same, is it? Trust me, if I could figure out how to make an exact replica of a Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino at home, I would.

My point is: tip @ Starbucks. Not because you have to but because you're not an asshole. Meanwhile, here's why I started with this in the first place:

Tipping debate: How much should you tip for a cup of coffee?

And I love the tagline on Starbucks Gossip:

"Somebody has to monitor America's favorite drug dealer."

Oh, Britney...

What's with all the barefoot public restroom visits? GROSS...



I see a Neverland Ranch in Brit's future, only instead of an amusement park there will just be trailers with all her friends and relatives. Although, she may allow some traveling carnies to set up there between state fair gigs. You know, for the kids.

The Moss-Have List

Vogue is loving Kate Moss this month with a feature article and Kate's favorite picks from the fall collections.

Not So Fast...

I forgot about diving when I declared my Olympic experience over... so I'll have to watch them one more day.

Why Is It?

That I notice I'm out of water at work the day after I go to the grocery store?

Let's Go to the Movies Pt. 2

Remember when I made the it a goal to see 10 movies this summer? Well, summer is racing toward it's ending and I've still got 6 to go. Some of these aren't even in the theater anymore... Grrr.

The Original List:
Troy
Spiderman 2
Before Sunset
The Day After Tomorrow
The Terminal
Coffee and Cigarettes
Garden State
Raising Helen
Anchorman
Saved!
The Bourne Supremacy
The Stepford Wives
The Village
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
The Manchurian Candidate

Movies I've Seen:
Troy
Spiderman 2
The Terminal
Before Sunset

Movies I'd still really like to see:
Garden State
The Bourne Supremacy
The Village
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

New Potential Choices:
Vanity Fair
Touch of Pink
Wimbledon
Collateral
Napoleon Dynamite

Potential Fall/Winter Selections:
First Daughter
Team America World Police
Alfie
The Motorcycle Diaries
The Phantom of the Opera
Ocean's 12
The Aviator
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

And thinking way too far ahead:
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Batman Begins

(Most of the teasers/trailers for these movies are available at Apple.com)

Poor Sexy Alexei

Did anyone watch the Olympics last night? The gymnastics high bar in particular?

Personally, I feel bad for both Paul Hamm and Alexei Nemov. I admittedly don't understand how gymnastics is scored so it may just seem like Nemov's routine was more difficult than Hamm's. Plus I don't tend to notice the tiny mistakes the judges are suppose to... but it does seem like Nemov got screwed over and if I'd have been there, I probably would have joined in on the ruckus over his score. But I would have shut up when Paul Hamm's score was posted because it's not like he's some evil gymnast... I still think he is worthy of his all-around gold even if there was a scoring mistake. And he totally doesn't deserve to be booed because of the what the judges do.

Gymnastics Fans Sound Their Fury in Athens

But let's say I was judging the high bar competition. Here's how my untrained eyes would have scored it:

Gold - Alexei Nemov
Silver - Paul Hamm
Bronze - Morgan Hamm

I just feel like Morgan Hamm deserved a medal for being the only guy who stuck his landing. I might have picked the Italian guy but if I couldn't remember his name, he clearly didn't make a big impression on me. And now after the gymnastic exhibitions tonight, I'm totally done with these Olympics.

Budget Decorating

Since my current money situation is forcing me to stay in my current digs for another year, I've decided I need to make the space more to my liking. This involves finishing lots of projects that I've put aside for too long. Of course, being on a super strict budget is going to slow me down but I'm great at thrifty so I expect it'll all work out for me. I'll be focusing on 1 or 2 projects a week - everything from basic decor to art to storage solutions. I'm thinking about posting some pics when I'm done with stuff but until then I'll just be describing it...

This week's projects: stylish storage for all my purses & an art project for my dining room.

Weekend Update

It's a good thing I'm going on a super strict budget next month because expensive weekends are also very exhausting!

Friday evening: Joined Rocky, Sage, Alicia, Deborah, and Mike the Northside bar for the relocated Nantucket Nights. It was loud but good. Then we headed to Two Amigos for dinner where we were told there was an hour wait. So we killed some time at Metropolis (formally Babylon) where I enjoyed a Blue Berry Martini. Yum. 15 minutes later our table was ready and I had a delicious grilled chicken mexican pizza. And just like that the night was over. Back at home by 10 pm (lame), I settled in to watch Monk and continued the hunt for my Grandma's b-day present. After I found it, I poured myself a congratulatory drink! Then I stepped on a magazine, lost my footing, fell, broke the glass, spilled my drink and bruised my right leg & arm... Ouch! Then I sat my ass down on my couch and watched Friday's GH and Before Sunrise. End Friday.

Saturday: I started my day early at 9:30 (!!), left my place about 11 for the bank, Starbucks and an oil change. Then I picked up my brother and went to my Mom's house. We started going through the attic including an old toy box... Unfortunately, we didn't find any action figures to sell on eBay. But I did find lots of shoes for my old Barbie who I dressed all 80's trashy and renamed Paris Hilton. Anywho - we trashed a good amount of stuff and then ordered pizza. Mmmm. Afterwards, I went to Shani's where I learned (once again) that you can't reason with a 7 year-old. We watched Starsky & Hutch. It was pretty funny. Then we watched EdTV. Then I went home cause it was 2:30...

Sunday: Woke up at 11:00 and went back to the bank. Then went home, ran across the street for coffee at the local unStarbucks and then up the street for the some Art in the Park. It was cool. I didn't buy anything. Then Alicia picked me up and we headed to Legacy Village where we met Pat & Sandy for lunch and shopping. we ended up checking out Crate & Barrel, Joseph-Beth Books, Z Gallerie, April Cornell, and Lush Boutique. I ended up with a very cool beaded bracelet, two magnets and some mints. Plus a wedding present for my cousin, Laura. Then we headed to the 2-story Target which I expected to be the coolest Target ever but was just Target with an escalator for your shopping cart. Then it was movie time. We saw Before Sunset which was just as good as the first. I loved it. My only complaint is that Ethan Hawke is too damn skinny these days. And my other only complaint is that the screen was too small. And finally we went to Coventry for dinner at the Winking Lizard. Also good. Then home. Then bed. Then Monday...

Yeah, It's Olympic Fever

Alright, now that remembered that they're on, I'm clearly loving the Olympics. I watched pretty much the whole 5 hours last night and even enjoyed the all the swimming... I especially enjoyed the women's gymnastics though. I forget how impressive that balance beam is... it's hard to believe I could ever even stand on one let alone do cartwheels & flips on it. But enough about me...

Unlike Wednesday's men's all-around competition, I didn't know the outcome of the women's finals. I was so nervous when Carly Patterson started her floor routine that I fast forwarded to see if she won or not and then went back and watched it. It was all very dramatic in my TV room... and now we have both the men's and women's champions. Yea for us.

Leap to Glory

I feel a little bad for Carly Patterson though because she's now being dubbed "the new Mary Lou"... isn't Patterson's achievement a little more impressive given that Mary Lou won in a boycotted year? I didn't hear mention of that at all after she won and usually the announcers love bringing up the boycotts. It's like Mary Lou's feat has achieved a myth-like status where you shall not tarnish it by mentioning it in the same breath as the boycott. And I've got nothing against Mary Lou, I enjoy her Sprint PCS commercials a bunch... I'm just saying.

And how about that crazy Russian chick... I'm sorry I didn't get to see her freak out again. That girl has some major issues. You can totally tell none of the announcers or press like her. And I don't blame them, even if she's at the top of the sport she clearly doesn't respect anybody so why should anyone respect her?

Then there was that whole swimming drama: Will those super low rise swim shorts stay up? Oh, wait that wasn't it. So Aaron Peirsol (total hottie, btw) wins a gold medal by like a mile and then same asswipe judge disqualifies him for being American, oops, I mean an "illegal" turn:

Peirsol wins gold after DQ overturned

Whaa?? And the Austrian guy who won silver was like, "That's bogus. You should protest." Now I don't usually fall for conspiracy theories involving politics and sports but it was all very suspicious. And I wouldn't have thought of it if the Austrian guy hadn't said it first.

But really, what I want to know is - how do those shorts stay up?



Not that I'm complaining or anything...

Oops... I Married My Sister

What's with the cover of the upcoming People mag:



Did Nicky Hilton marry Paris in a freak drunken accident? If you're going to pimp out you're wedding pics wouldn't you want the one that makes the cover to include your new hubby?? Of course, if I was a young hot heiress and married that guy, I probably would choose the pic w/my sister, too. It just makes me laugh that Paris is in her usual strut-pose in the picture. And see what I meant about Nicky's hair? She's a much better blonde...

Paul Hamm

Wow! The olympics were pretty exciting last night. I don't normally watch men's gymnastics but hadn't seen any olympics so I took a shot. This guy went from the top 3 down to 12 and then came back and WON the gold medal... crazy:

Hamm's victory was high drama

New Newlyweds?

Even though I predicted they'd never get married, I'd totally sign a petition if it meant I got to witness they're marriage via reality show:

A Call To Action For Britney And Kevin

Because it would be just like this:

I can't think of a better way to spend my Wednesday nights at 10pm then watching the burning wreckage of that car crash, Cheetos aflame and all. Will Britney think that Miller High Life (the "champagne of beers") is actually champagne a la Jessica's Chicken of the Sea confusion?

The Saga of Tinkerbell

I've been following the story of Paris Hilton's missing pup since 8 am this morning... I think it would be the absolutely worst day of my life to lose one of my dogs. Even though it's my worst nightmare, I couldn't help enjoy the snarky coverage of it by my favorite gossip blogs - Defamer and Gawker. Luckily the dog is OK and back in couture as I blog this. And if this rumor is true - no, it's just too funny to believe:

Tinkerbell was found sleeping in one of Paris's Ugg boots.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA! Those Uggs are comfy... anywho, we'll all have to watch Entertainment Tonight or Extra for the details. Until then, enjoy the snark:

BREAKING! TINKERBELL HILTON LIVES! OMG!

Breaking: Tinkerbell Found...In Ugg Boot?

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

I. can't. wait... for this movie to come out. Wes Anderson might be my favorite director and Bill Murray (yes, Bill Murray) is my favorite actor. Plus there's Owen Wilson... drool. The trailer is online and looks HI-LAR-IOUS.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

If you have no idea why I love Wes Anderson movies, maybe you've never seen one. Check them all out: Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tennenbaums.

And if you don't understand why Bill Murray is my favorite actor, may I suggest (in the order you should watch them): Caddyshack, Scrooged, Mad Dog & Glory, Groundhog Day, Rushmore, Charlie's Angels, and Lost in Translation.

Memo to Akron Postal Service - You Suck!

Maybe I grew up spoiled in a nice town with a nice post office with a nice post master but there is something seriously retarded about the postal service in Akron...

Exhibit A: The lazy ass who delivers my mail on the weekdays often shoves each piece into the box separately causing half of my mail to become crushed at the bottom of my box. Where I'm from they attach a note when the mail is beat up during the delivery process.

Exhibit B: I'm expecting a package at the office today. I'm waiting and waiting... keeping an eye out for the mailman all morning so that I can beat office dog to the door. I finally go out to check the mail and find a "sorry we missed you" notice in the box. Sorry We Missed You? Try knocking on the door, idiot. I sit no more then 10 yards away from the front door and we have a dog who slams his body into the window anytime there's a knock on the door. The only conclusion I can come to is that the guy was too lazy to open our gate, come to the door, knock and actually attempt to deliver the package.

Exhibit C: They lock post office doors after hours. Just block off the window area w/a gate... it's ridiculous that people can't pick up their mail after 4pm on Saturday. I can pick up my mom's mail in my hometown at 4am or any other time of day 7 days a week.

Exhibit D: Let's get back to the moron who delivers my mail during the week. On more than one occasion he's shoved my magazines into the box in so that the pages are blocking the lock. Thus delaying my precious magazine devouring hobby and further trapping the crushed mail below the magazines. Because, I guess, it's just too hard to take all the mail for one box, fold it and place it into the box correctly so that the box will open.

Exhibit E: We never get mail at our office on Friday and Saturday... WTF? How likely is it that there is never mail for us every Friday & Saturday? Not very...

F'idiots.

And that's the end of my "I hate the mail system" rant.

Nicky's Big Week

It's a big week for Nicky Hilton... first comes marriage then comes hair dye?

Before:



After:



Since the blonde pic is from a British tabloid, it could be current or 2 years old. But I hope it's current cause I like her better blonde... and yes, I actually spend time thinking about these things.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm

Wow! I would have never guessed Nicky Hilton would get married in a quickie Vegas setting, that seems much more Paris' kinda thing...

Vegas wedding bells ring for Nicky Hilton

Is Stupidity Contagious?

Proof that there are just as many stupid liberals as conservatives. Last night I'm at Border's where I witnessed the most shockingly idiotic use of a Geo Metro as political propaganda. This car looked like the Unibomber's manifesto exploded on it. I don't know how this person drives down the road with all the windows covered.

Now, I couldn't care less if people want to diminish the re-sale value of their cars (and you can't much further diminish the value of a Geo Metro, what are they $100?) but this was overdone. I wish I had a camera phone. Anywho - I was slightly enjoying the novelty of this sight until I noticed the driver's side window, which said:

How does Ohio spell Apartheid? E-check.

What the fuck is that suppose to mean? I could equate a lot of different words with E-check (inconvenient & [mildly] stress-inducing, for instance) but apartheid is not one of them. In fact, I don't think you should ever just casually proclaim something you don't like or you think is unfair as apartheid. Especially not when you're talking about a biennial $20 vehicle emissions test. Idiot. What is wrong with people?

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

From this week's Popbitch:

LaToya Jackson now wants to be known as Toy.
(She is made of plastic after all.)

Mommy Selfish

Jesus, this girl is in trouble... how sad is it when you're Dad is about to marry a multi-millionaire and the family portrait still looks like it came from WalMart?



And Britney just met this kid and she's already splashing her across the cover of People magazine for her own self(ish) promotion? I hope their setting up a therapy trust fund for this kid...

Big step for Britney

Vogue Team T

I wasn't joking when I said I wanted a Vogue soccer team t-shirt and I want one even more now that I know they really exist:




They should give those away w/subscriptions. I'm sure they'll be the new "it" item soon anyway. Kitson will be selling out of them before the Ugg Poncho ships. Oh, Ugg - please stick to boots. Which I still love even though they are no longer "hot" - I won't suffer another Ohio winter without them. Anywho - back to that cool t-shirt... I'm making my own.

And yes, I find it hard to believe that Vogue has a soccer team...

:-)

Olympic Fever... or Not

I didn't even know that the Olympics were starting this week... I think that alternating the Olympics every 2 years has made it less meaningful. I used to look forward to them but now it's like they never stop. At least the networks finally stopped doing that Olympic countdown:

The 50 millionth Olympic Games is only 978 days away!

Right, I'll put it right in my datebook. Plus, there's no drama anymore... no boycotts or hostages* (I hope) or divers smackin' heads on the springboard. Maybe there is and I'm just not paying enough attention. There was that "will Athens be ready?" drama but it seemed to go away when Athens got ready. Oh well, I'll give it a chance...

*I'd like to clarify that I don't want any hostages at the Olympics or anywhere else. Ever.

Vogue

I want one the Vogue team t-shirts, too!!

'Vogue' (Literally) Pounds 'Real Simple' In Mag Soccer League

Team America

I've got to go see this when it arrives in theaters:

Team America

Yea!!

Seinfeld is FINALLY coming to DVD! I'll have to put that on my Bday/Xmas wishlist.

Early 'Seinfeld' episodes coming to DVD

NOOOOO!

I hope the dumb CSI: Miami producers realize that I will not be watching the show when Rory Cochrane is no longer on it. He's the only reason I watch it... but apparently it was his decision to leave the show. Hey, maybe he'll go make Empire Records 2 or Still Dazed & Confused... hee. That would be great.

'CSI' TO CUT A MAJOR PLAYER

TV. Ruining every good show it has.

I Love Will Ferrell

No really, I do. I want to marry Will Ferrell... Hee.

Will Ferrell - A message from White House West

I Couldn't Agree More

In this day and age it’s important for a girl to be up-to-date concerning current affairs, so it was imperative that I learned all of the latest news about Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton, and The Olson Twins.

Holly Dunlap

But she obviously isn't paying enough attention... it's Olsen, honey. And they prefer Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

:-)

But This I Love...

Ogden Little Weekender Bag

The Anti-Panti

Target has this new (?) thing called the Red Hot Shop that calls to me via banner ad above the latest Gawker news. So I finally gave in and clicked on it (who says banner ads don't work?). And I had to spread the word of what Target considers hot this week:

The Anti-Panti

OK, I've known people in my life who've embraced "going commando" but I am not one of them. I can't even fathom not wearing underwear. There is a time and place for not wearing underwear and it's NOT when you're wearing pants. Or clothes in general. Now there's a product out there that is encouraging this. My head might just explode...

That's Chicago!

I love Chicago... I'd say it's my 2nd favorite U.S city. That said I found this article interesting because it's so true. Everytime in my life I've had a flight delayed it's been to or from O'Hare. Because of thunderstorms. But is it really that bad? I don't fly enough to know.

U.S. May Limit Flights at O'Hare, Official Says

Growing Up Gotti

Because it's all they make anymore, it was only a matter of time before I ended up addicted to a few reality shows. Right now, I love Amish in the City & Growing Up Gotti. I especially loved the preview (?) for next week's Growing Up Gotti... where the boys fight over hair gel. I'm not kidding. The best part is when one of the boys yells, "I swear to Grandpa, I didn't use your gel."

I swear to Grandpa? What if he's lying? Does Grandpa come back from the dead and smack him up side the head? Over hair gel? I don't think I'd risk it. At least he's not swearing on people's eyes, like Robert Blake does...

Stick 'em Up

What's-his-name Phoenix

There's something I've always wondered... Joaquin Phoenix used to be Leaf Phoenix, right? Which one is his real name? And why did he change it?

Joaquin Phoenix and a remote 'Village'

Meanwhile... I miss River Phoenix. He was cool. And cute. And talented. Favorite River Phoenix movies: I Love You to Death & The Thing Called Love.

Don't mix coke & heroin, kids.

That's Hot!

I think my favorite part of Howard Stern is where they play tapes of celebrities fawning over each other... especially when it's Halle Berry and Howard brings up her hit-and-run. Mm-hmm, it's the little things that amuse me at 10am.

Or I'll Just Make One...

Pot racks are expensive... but that's what HGTV is for. My favorite HGTV show, Home to Go, done taught me how to make a pot rack out of copper pipe. It's very cool looking, too. I'll snap a pic when it's done and hanging up.

Btw... I forgive Blogger cause I found my Bermuda Triangle post.

Not Cool, Blogger.

Dammit Janet! I just lost a really good post that I spent 1/2 an hour writing... I hate when that happens!!!!

The Bermuda Rectangle

Longtime, no blog... so i was watching a documentary last night (go figure) about the Bermuda Triangle. I love crazy supernatural shit like this... give me a Atlantis & the Bermuda Triangle mystery any day. I'd love to spend my entire life "solving" one of those.

The first thing I learned from this doc was that the Bermuda Triangle is no longer just a triangle stretching from the bottom of Florida over to Puerto Rico and up to Bermuda. Now it also includes the entire coast of eastern Florida up to North Carolina and then extending to Bermuda. So it's more like a rectangle. And the reason they did this was stupid. But I'll get to that later.

The second thing I learned was that there is enough natural gas under the Atlantic off the coast of the Carolina's to power the entire United States for 70 years. That's handy, eh?

The third and final thing I learned was that they really don't have any clue what happens in the Bermuda Triangle. This doc raised more questions than it answered and that tends to tick me off.

The reason that the triangle is now a rectangle is because of the giant amount of natural gas off the coast of the Carolina's. Let's say there's a landslide or earthquake under the ocean that causes a large sudden release of this natural gas... that would cause an "explosion" on the surface of the ocean that could literally swallow a ship. Without a trace.

This is all very interesting except that this part of the rectangle (a) isn't part of the original Bermuda Triangle and (b) isn't where most of the real mysteries occurred. Including the two they were trying to solve in this documentary. The "mystery" of Flight 19 and how another grouping of 5 navy planes off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale got there. Nowhere near all the natural gas! It's like they added on to the triangle because this particular stretch of ocean has an environmental phenomenon that could cause problems that would scientifically explain the mysteries the real triangle is known for. The only problem is that it's not really part of the Bermuda Triangle!!

Two hours of my life. Gone. Grrr...