It's That Time Again

The above is as close as you're gonna get!

Happy Birthday Kellie!

Old Navy Commercials, Part II

So I wrote earlier about the Old Navy Mannequin commercials and how I absolutely abhor them. Well, honestly, they just keep getting worse and worse. Pregnant mannequins? Mannequins overboard? (Does this put me in the mood to shop/have sex appeal/elicit any positive feelings?)

Anyhow. I happen to notice there are quite a few other hits on google for old navy mannequins/old navy's worst commercials, etc. I know I am not alone in feeling this way. Are Old Navy's sales up? (Actually, despite it all, I think they might be, because they are more reasonably priced in these hard economic times. That, and regardless, there advertising is ever-present, so they are getting noticed, for better or for worse.)

Let me ask this again - does anyone like the Old Navy mannequin commercials? Are they getting any good feedback? Does anyone not hate them? Is this blog post deja vu? Are they getting better or getting worse? Do they put anyone in happy buying mode?

Apple vs. PC

So, as you know, I am an Apple user. I am in no way shape or form a computer expert (shh, don't tell my coworkers), however, let me say this:

I bought this apple four and a half years ago. Knock on wood, it has never once had a virus, crashed, or lost anything of value (or, for that matter, anything not of value). Going 'Mac' was a decision based on three factors:

1) I had just acquired an ipod a couple months earlier and I really liked how it operated.
2) I'd had a bad experience with my college computer (every roommate I'd ever had made fun of it - I somehow ended up with a lemon).
3) Honestly, I was impressed with the aesthetics and marketing of Apple. I, as an advertising major, would tell you firsthand that this is not a good reason to buy something, but, I did have some backing with reasons 1 & 2.

Anyhow - as I said earlier, despite the fact that I don't do video-editing or various other Mac-specific activities and that I probably paid $200 more for my computer than say, the PC equivalent, my Mac has given me peace of mind, and one can't put a price on that. I am very happy with my decision and, honestly, I don't forsee myself needing to buy a new computer any time in the next couple years (knock on wood...), but if everything continues as is, my next computer will for sure be a Mac.

Unrequited Love, Part 2

So I just made an interesting discovery. If someone googles 'unrequited love', this blog comes up in the top ten google results. Actually, me writing this post right now probably strengthens that result.

So what is google trying to tell me? Am I an expert in 'unrequited love'? If so, well, ouch, google.

I guess my next question is this - are people searching for ways to cope with unrequited love on the internet? For as funny as this sounds, I do understand that unrequited love is quite a state of desperation, so I'm certainly NOT judging. Like everyone, I know the lonely sad state of heartache and how one could look for comfort in anything to make himself or herself feel better.

I don't know what there is to really make one feel better - I know there are many vices (some unhealthy, some perfectly fine) that people turn to for some self-medication in these times, but I'm not sure what really cures the sad state of the broken heart. As Whitney Houston asked back in the '80s - where do broken hearts go?

I feel inspired by this subject. There'll be a couple more posts later.

I'm So Proud!

The Chicago Sun-Times won the Golden Local Debates!

The Chicago Sun-Times is an example of fate in my life. I very very randomly at the last minute decided to go to a career fair back junior year of college (the alternative option was going to class, but going to the fair was an excused absence). I literally wrote my first resume (after googling 'how to write a resume') 15 minutes prior to said fair. Anyhow, long story short, fast-forward to an internship at the CST that summer. I was all ready to go back to Chili's for the third summer in a row, but life had other plans.

When I came back recently, it all started by me, at the very last minute, deciding to go to a former coworker's happy hour, which I really had to squeeze in amongst several other plans for the evening. Again, it really wasn't in my plan for the evening, but it was there I ran into my current boss and, as they say, the rest is history.

Sigh. It's good to know that, no matter what happens, the CST and I just keep finding our way to each other. I guess it must be my soulmate (hey, someone had to be).

Reality TV....

Normally, I HATE reality shows. I mean, I liked them back in high school (like the Real World), which is probably part of why I hate them now. I like to think my taste is much more dignified and I have moved on to finer things.

Editor's sidenote: Anyone else remember the Real World New Orleans - the season with Julie, Matt, Jamie, Kelley, etc.?! That was quite possibly the best season I ever caught. What are they all up to now? I think I once saw the uber-hot gay guy in a spot on Dawson's Creek. I believe I read somewhere the Julie was supposed to be on September 11th's United 93 flight, but I'm not really sure. I would sacrifice all dignity and reservations about the real world to watch a reunion of this season's cast. Sigh. Anyhow. MTV, for a stupid as it might be at times, was really quite possibly ahead of the curve on the reality TV phenomenon.

Ok. So there are two reality shows that I absolutely LOVE....Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. I feel inspired when I watch SYTYCD, cause, quite frankly, I think I can dance. Anyhow -the new season starts tonight. I can't wait. There's always something good. I mean, sometimes Mia is being a bitch and Nigel's hair is a little out of control (well, that, and if you can get past the fact that Nigel doesn't really have a dance background like the other judges), but it's really some great TV out there.

My favorite dancer on the show is still Allison Holker from season 2 - I was SO MAD when she left the show before her time. GRR. I'm over it. I think. Almost. Well, it takes me a long time to get over things. She was in High School Musical. I wonder where she is now....maybe hanging out with the cast of the Real World New Orleans. Hmm.

For Those Watching My Social Calendar....

I will be seeing "Piper II" tomorrow. This is important because she and I don't get to see each other all that often. We are going to celebrate with some high quality Mexican food and good conversation.

Something Crazy Happened....

I went to church!

It's the first time in a long time that wasn't Christmas or Easter. Anyhow. I won't get into it. I hate it when people try to impose their religious beliefs on others. I also hate it equally as much when people try to impose their lack thereof on others.

So, long story short - I happened to be walking by the local Catholic church and remembered there was a mass that had started 15 minutes prior. Well, I was late, but let's be frank - the Catholic church really can't be choosy about its attendants. When I walked in, I felt a little out of place, like the person who has to be escorted in late into the theatre - but then I saw a toddler running around in the middle of the place and I figured he was causing more of a ruckus than I was and he was still perceived as welcome, or so it seemed, so I must be in the clear.

Anyway. The main reason I went was to light a candle - I never have officially lit a Catholic church candle, but I've always been curious. It took me a little while to find the candles, but, for some reason, at this local church, the candles were not actually candles but lightbulbs with mini 'on/off' switches (possibly they saw the toddler coming). Sure, I felt a little ripped off, but something about this church (St. Andrew's on Paulina in Lakeview) had a very real, sincere, simple, unpretentious, comfortable feeling to it, so I let it slide.

Anyhow, I'm not sure if I got what I was supposed to or what I was looking for out of the mass, but there's a couple lights on in my name there.

No Regrets?

I don't know why I'm feeling so philosophical lately....

So, in theory, we're supposed to live life without regrets. Is this possible?

For me personally, I definitely have a couple things I would have done differently - as we all do. However, I do have a couple regrets. Not things I said or did, or didn't say or didn't do - but rather, how I reacted to certain situations. I regret letting some things bother me as much as I did. I regret carrying anger over certain situations for so long. I regret letting certain experiences get the better of me. Letting the terrorists win, if you will.

Is it possible to live without regrets? Everyone seems to say we should, as a sentiment, but is it even possible? I think regrets are a sign that someone cared. Is it possible to not have regrets and have still cared?

I honestly dunno where these posts are coming from....but your thoughts are appreciated.

Everything Happens for a Reason, Part 2

All this talk of 'everything happens for a reason' is reminding me of my favorite Sex and the City episode, EVER. The one where Carrie and Samantha smoke pot.

Carrie : People say 'Everything happens for a reason.' These people are usually women. And these women are usually sorting through a break-up. It seems that men can get out of a relationship without even a 'Goodbye,' But, apparently, women have to either get married or learn something.

Miranda: If I hadn’t accidentally gotten pregnant by Steve, I never would have had Brady.
Charlotte: Oh.
Miranda: I’m not finished. And had no time to eat.
So I never would have fit into my skinny jeans and realize this city is full of cute men.
Samantha: Now that’s my kind of thinking.

Thought of the Day....

The above quote. Everything happens for a reason.

What do we all think of it? Do we believe in it?

Now, I, like almost everyone, can think of a couple distinct times in my life where a specific series of events led to a certain pleasant outcome - one example would be how I ended up in my current job back at my company. Once it all came together, it seemed to make sense why other job leads panned out, etc. Also, I just happened to run into my current boss at an event I hadn't planned on going to - everything was a very last minute, spur of the moment decision.

I know a lot of people will cite circumstances such as running late for work and then missing being part of a huge 5 car pile-up or having some hitch thrown into their plans that lead to them meeting their future spouse to argue that everything, does, indeed, happen for a reason.

However, what about the people who weren't running 5 minutes late and find themselves in the midst of some tragic accident? I'm guessing they don't find comfort in 'everything happens for a reason'.

Anyhow.

Now, like I said earlier, I've had multiple experiences in life that have really lead me to find some truth in 'everything happens for a reason'. For example, a couple years ago I experienced a tragic circumstance (I'm kind of kidding....), however, through it, I found a good friend, Emily, and, through her, the world of blogging. So, for all my readers - well, everything happened for a reason.

However, there have been a couple incidents in my life in which I just can't quite figure out why things happened the way they did. It's not necessarily that these were tragedies or even that big of a deal in the end, per se. It's not that I'm angry or bitter because, obviously, in life, we all have our moments of not getting what we want and being disappointed - it's not like I wasn't due for it. It's more or less that I still can't figure out the reason for things playing out the way they did. Maybe I'm foolish for thinking there should be one.

This makes me wonder - is it not that everything happens for a reason, but rather, is it just that people find connections amongst series of events at times when things end up working out for them? Or, do some people just sometimes make the best of a bad situation, instead of it 'everything happening' for them?

Anyhow. Does everything happens for a reason, or is this just something people tell themselves to comfort themselves? What do my readers believe? Your thoughts?

Trivia Results....

There you have it.