Crazy Noise on Fox

Ok, last week I posted about the annoying, cell phone-esque noise during the Emmy's.  Apparently, it wasn't just an Emmy's thing.  One of my other readers noticed it during an episode of Glee.  It's now going strong during Sunday football.  I read on facebook that tons of other people notice it, and that it was also noticed during other shows (Fringe was the one referenced).  It apparently isn't every Fox show, because it was absent during The X Factor.

Ok - two questions:

1)  What is it?

2)  It's all over facebook/twitter.   Mind you, there has to be some Fox employee somewhere watching the shows as they air, I am assuming.   Or, at the very least, there must be some PR person keeping a watch on social networks...my point being- it's been a week of this nonsense - FOX has to be aware of it at this point.  Why can't they make it go away?  Is it some bizarro glitch they can't fix?  Is it, as someone suggested, an attempt at a subliminal message?  Are they trying to force me to vote republican?  Will it work?

Ok, that was was more than two questions.  Sorry, my readers.  Your thoughts?

Does Everything Happen for a Reason?

So earlier today, I was supposed to go to the dentist at 9:30.  I worked from home to accommodate this.  So I'm in my car, running right on time (for one of the first times in my life, mind you).

All of a sudden, I hear an unusual, consistent noise.  It sounds like something may have gotten wrapped around one of my wheels or something.  I hope whatever it is can free itself.  As I continue on for a block, said noise continues.  I pull over to the side of the road, ironically right across the street from an auto-body shop.  I check the wheels.  I check underneath my car.  There's something long and silver, in the middle of my car's underbelly, that's dragging.  As you can tell, I'm a car expert, so I know the exact part.

So, I'm feeling pretty dumbfounded about what to do.  I know nothing about cars.  I don't have triple A.  Is it safe to drive a car with a metal part dragging?  I was guessing the answer to that is no.  It would appear someone would have to seriously get underneath the car or lift the car up to fix it.  Well, I'm a little nervous.  Since I have no idea what to do from here, I call the dentist to tell them I'm going to be late.  They tell me to do what I can, but they can't promise they can keep my appointment if I'm too late.  The least of my worries.

Anyhow.  I happen to be across the street from a car dealership with an auto-body repair shop attached.  Again, I wasn't sure what to do - could I safely drive my car back to my apt if I didn't want their service?  What were my choices?  I had no idea what to do.  I figured I'd go in and ask if they knew what was wrong with my car and start from there.  They seem to have already seen my troubles through the window and are mildly amused.  They know exactly what's wrong.  Something (they named it) became disconnected.  They could reconnect it for me.  What does it cost?  Don't worry about it.  So, 30 minutes later,  I was all fixed up.  I called the dentist.  Unfortunately, I lost my appointment, but I couldn't be too upset based on the kindness of strangers.  My dentist's office said he could take me at 2:30.  Since I was working from home, this worked.  Again, the whole circumstance was mildly inconvenient, but I couldn't be too upset because it obviously could have been much worse.

Now, this leads me to the question - why do random things like this happen?  Granted, this isn't cut from the same cloth of 'why do bad things happen to good people', but just plain why - what was the point of this?  I know many people would say there isn't any profound meaning to something like this (and that's usually where I am on things), but I know there are also people who believe everything happens for a reason and perhaps this car malfunction saved me from some impending car accident up ahead near the dentist's office or perhaps a car malfunction at a more inconvenient time in a dangerous neighborhood or something.  Your thoughts?  Do you believe things happen for a reason?

Committed to my Blog

So, as I touched on earlier - one of the biggest challenges of being a blogger is coming up with material on a regular basis and consistently posting.  Most blogs don't last more than 6 months to a year.  

I am not one to not own up to something.  This blog has suffered lately - partially out of my busyness (not an acceptable excuse), partially out of a lack of material (again, a good writer will tell you there's no such thing as writer's block - just work through it).  I have noticed my blog has suffered in other respects - complaints from regular readers and fewer comments, to name a few.  I am not happy about this.

Anyhow.  I remember in 6th grade, there was a poster in my homeroom:  Don't make excuses, make improvements.

Since this has been a somewhat consistent problem, I have decided to put forth more effort to fixing it.  I am going to try to make more physical notes on things in life that are worthy of a blog post.  And, more importantly - I have put blogging on my calendar.  I am carving out several times a week dedicated to addressing this blog.  Blogging used to be something I did for fun - I remember times I was rushing home because I had such a great post idea in mind.  Now I am working it into my schedule, homework-style.  I feel like I am part of a married couple that has scheduled sex.  Dear married readers - believe you me, I will not judge you right now.

Do any of my fellow bloggers have similar problems?  How have you gone about combatting them? Your thoughts?  

Get ready for a better, more improved blog.  I'll be back, stronger than before.

Old Faithfull

So, recently I was cleaning out my closet.  Every time I decide to go through and pare down the wardrobe (out with the old, in with the new), the above sweater seems to make the cut to stay.

It's a simple, plain black cardigan sweater from Express.  It has no holes.  There is no logical reason to get rid of it.  I would probably have to go spend money on a new solid black cardigan sweater.  What would be the point of that?!

I was thinking back to when I first got this.  Drumroll please....  Sophomore year of high school.  It is from the days of when Express used slashy sizes (remember?!  1/2, 3/4, 5/6, etc.)  I have owned this sweater for...almost half my life.  It's coming up on being with me half my life.  And, as I've already established - there is no end in site for our relationship.  How long will our love last?!

Anyhow.   Does anyone see a reason to give this gem away?  Does anyone else have long-term clothing relationships?  Is it a very basic piece or more of a statement item?!  I used to give away 'statement items' fairly quickly because I felt it was easier to get tired of wearing them or they went out of style quickly.  I don't regret the extra closet space, but there are some quirky items I wish I still had, just for the fun of it (gold leather pants, I am looking in your direction).  

Is He Crazy?

So, as my readers know, I am part of a brilliant blog network.  One of my fellow bloggers raised an interesting point.  Basically, the question is if his exes are crazy, is he too?

Now, don't get me wrong, I know firsthand that there are PLENTY of crazy women out there.  However, whenever a guy tells me his ex-gf is crazy, I default to blaming him for either a) doing something to piss her off, and she reacted with the normal human emotion of anger or b) having bad judgment in partners (which then opens the can of worms of 'does he have bad judgment in general? does he not have a keen sense of the obvious? etc., etc.)

What are your thoughts?  When a guy says his ex is crazy, do you take it at face value, or somehow place some of the blame on him like I do?  What if there's more than one crazy ex?  Is this red flag of the year?  Did he then pick you cause he's in a pattern of picking, well, crazies?  Has anyone out there dated a guy with a 'crazy ex' who turned out to be totally normal?   Do normal, functioning members of society sometimes just go crazy on a dime, or did they always have it in them in the first place?!

Emmy Recap.

There is only one thing I want to say on the subject on this past Emmys.  It has nothing to do with the winners, the losers, the host, anyone's dress, etc.

What the F was that random recurring background noise?!  It drove me f'ing NUTS.  It sounded like a cell phone alarm (eh er eh eh), only it NEVER stopped.  I know it had to be coming from the tv - when I turned it off or put it on silent, it went away.  I know, per a facebook post, that I was not the only one who heard this.  What WAS that?!  Does anyone know?  I'm not going to ask if anyone else heard it - I KNOW I'm not alone!!!

What is it?

What, exactly, is it?  I'm not talking the candle, or the crisco.  The yellow, vegetable-like thing.  Half of me think it looks like a flying saucer.  The other half thinks it's like giant yellow mushroom without a stem.  

Your thoughts, jury?

Full Moon

So, tonight is a full moon.

I know someone - a sane, logical person - who works in a hospital.  She claims that she knows when it's a full moon - strange things happen in the hospital, people come in with bizarre injuries, there's general odd/erratic behavior.  She also claims that one can ask anyone who works in a hospital - she's not alone in this line of thought.

Not that I necessarily think this blog has the market cornered on hospital employees, but I'm curious, dear readers - does anyone out there agree with this theory?  Does anyone else notice odd occurrences surrounding a full moon?  Are there any other lines of work that are affected by lunar cycles?  Or, instead, has someone just yanked my chain?  Is gullible really not in the dictionary?

Your thoughts?

You Like?

You know what I find funny?  When I run into an acquaintance with which I have a facebook friendship, and they randomly mention to me 'oh, I liked you facebook status the other day about (...)'

It always makes me wonder 'if you noticed it, and you liked it, well then, why didn't you, well, 'LIKE' it?'  That, and why are you, if you will, 'commenting on my status' in real life?  Why didn't you do it on facebook?  It's not that they didn't like or comment on my status, it's more that they, apparently, wanted to but, for some unknown reason, refrained.  Please, dear facebook friends, don't be shy.  Don't hold back.  I don't bite.  I will like your comments.  Even if I don't officially 'like' them.

Dear fellow facebookers - why are we sometimes like/comment shy?   Dear blog readers - if you are, at all, tempted to comment or like something on this blog some point - PLEASE don't hold back.  Please go with it.   I say this, that is, until I receive some hate mail.  Please hold off on that.  Maybe.  

J'aime.

It appears that I should move to France.  

(This is their Facebook like button.)

Are Men @ssholes?

According to glamour magazine, roughly 16% of men are assholes (their words).

Even though the whole article doesn't seem all that scientific, I could see this being accurate.

Here's the signs that a guy may be an asshole:
1)  He only wants sex
2)  He's a chronic drunk dialer
3)  He texts and bails
4)  You're always making excuses for him
5)  He makes you feel like crap

Now, in the spirit of protecting the guilty, I can think of at least one person's boyfriend who has an, ahem, perfect score on this.  I think #4 is especially true.  If one has to tell others that her guy is not all that bad, that pretty much says it all.  I can think of a couple friends, even, who might complain about their guys about little things and, ultimately, I think their guys are better than they get credit for.  However, whenever a friend goes out of her way to point out that her boyfriend is wonderful, I know that's the first immediate red flag.  I never trust anyone who goes out of her way to point out how spectacular her boyfriend/relationship is or how incredibly happy she is.  Generally speaking, I think people who are nitpicking and complaining about little petty things are oftentimes in the ones sitting in the most enviable positions (both in relationships and in life) .  Tanget.  Anyhow.

Agree or disagree with this list?  Agree or disagree with this percentage of less than favorable men?  Anyone feel she's met all 16% of them?  

The Most Important Thing I Learned From Being a Waitress.

So, as most of my readers know, I worked at the fine establishment best known as 'Chili's' for around 4 years.  It was quite the life learning experience, as many people believe working waiting tables is.  I can tell you, for me, there was one distinct lesson.

Now, let's take out the fact that there are plenty of variables that can affect one's tip - financial situations, cheapassedness, obnoxiousness, stupidity, lack of basic math skills, etc.  Let's say, hypothetically speaking, a tip is a direct reflection of what one thinks of the service he or she was provided (even though, at times, there are other factors).

The biggest lesson, I found, was that sometimes, I was very very wrong at guestimating what people thought of me.  Sometimes I felt like I was having a great time with a table and then didn't get a good tip.  Sometimes I worked with some very cut and dry folks who left me over 20%.  Most tables were predictable; however, there were always a few curveballs.

One thing that I sometimes found hard to deal with was when it appeared that some table liked me but the tip the left didn't reflect that.  It wasn't the couple of dollars, but rather, the insult.  Sometimes one of the biggest surprises was thinking that someone liked me and then realizing I was wrong.   Granted, it never really had any real impact on my life when someone I waited on didn't like me, sometimes it was just a minor surprise that kept me on my toes.

Anyone else have a shocking moment when it seemed like someone liked you, but then you realized you were sorely wrong?  I suppose these moments could potentially happen all the time (job interviews, dating, etc.).  Granted, when waiting tables, it's easy to quickly put these moments behind oneself and move on - sometimes in other aspects of one's life, it's hard to deal with when someone doesn't feel the way he or she initially appeared to feel.  Anyone out there know how to best handle it when she realizes she is wrong about how someone feels about her?