046

$2.5 million per day
the approximate cost to operate the USS Ronald Reagan, which carries as many as 6,000 crew members, while not in port

Damn, that's an expensive boat...

Source:
Navy saves teen whose appendix burst on cruise.

045

James Blunt's song "You're Beautiful," that is supposedly sweet mom-rock, came on a radio station at work (I didn't pick it). The lyrics are not only poor, with forced rhymes in his wheezing choking-on-painkillers voice ("My life is brilliant / My love is pure / I saw an angel / Of that I'm sure."), but they're also pretty damn creepy:

She smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
But I won't lose no sleep on that
'cause I've got a plan.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'cause I'll never be with you.

So you have a plan but you don't know what to do? That doesn't even make sense, dickhead.

Here's what you should do: You leave this poor woman alone before her much more deserving boyfriend/husband beats the piss out of you. In public.

You're obsessing over someone you saw in the subway once? This dude must not see attractive women very often. I can understand remembering her, but this piece of voyeurism is kinda trashy and very alarming.

Sorry, moms [and daughters]; holiday-themed fabric-painted sweatshirts are one thing, but if you actually like this sugary turd, your crappy taste is also really uncomfortable. So stop it. Unless you really want to patronize inept perverts everywhere.

044

...dumbest fucking headline I've seen in a while:
Female suicide bomber dies in Pakistan
from the Associated Press via MSNBC News via MSN.com.

According to the AP article, this is Pakistan's first known case of a suicide attack by a woman. This is a story of desparation, most tellingly of the sad state of humankind.

And the goddamn headline makes it sound like it's from The Onion.

043

Though I assume certain recent advertisements are for people who can afford to pay for a car in full, cars do not make good Christmas presents.

They usually require monthly payments, sometimes loans, and must be frequently checked. This includes washing and waxing, scheduling appointments, checking the oil, all that shit. Who wants a long-term commitment for Christmas? This holiday is supposed to be about instant and temporary gratification! A car, like an engagement ring, is not a gift, not something to buy because of a seasonal sale...unless you're a moron, in which cause you totally deserve it. And a Merry Christmas to you, dumb-ass.

This is why iPods, cell phones, and things make such great, long-term Christmas gifts, until they become outdated like all technology. Really good, simpler gifts would include art/framed photography (not the tacky shit they show you how to make on HGTV on Sunday mornings), a peak lapel blazer (sorry, seven-year-olds, but clothes are cool gifts when you're older!), classy serviceware (the more substantially weighted, industrial/minimalist kind), or a gift card to buy music (because you really should pay for music).

So, family, there is a little wish list. Don't send me yours; I can't afford it.

And if all else fails, go to the wine/good beer section and stick with the classiest bottle/six-pack you can find. Don't even bother with a bow. Just remember: the holiday five-pack, like anything purchased at 2:30am at Wal-Mart, is an insult, a desecration of our (everyone's) most beloved holiday.

042

I want this:
Alessi Diabolix bottle opener.



And:

Congratulations to Matt Damon and Charlize Theron, named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, and Esquire's Sexist Woman Alive, respectively.

I really do like their work, the sacrifices they make and the principles they uphold for their craft. Matt Damon believes that the more you know about an actor's personal life, the less believable they are as a character (he's right!), and Charlize Theron went through some intense shit for her role in Monster. And the Esquire cover is simple and cool.

041

I don't usually post videos, but here's one that's worthwhile:
Garry Marshall un-Happy Days
via United Hollywood.

I drove through Burbank Wednesday, past the NBC and Warner Brothers and other lots along Olive Avenue. The WGA picketers were everywhere, and most people who passed honked their car horns in support.

Later in the day, I was in Ralphs, and I think I saw one of the guys in the first few seconds of that clip there. If it was the same guy (and I believe it was), his Audi TT was parked next to my car as we both loaded our groceries in the parking lot.

One great thing about the WGA strike is that *all* the WGA writers are involved in supporting the cause that affects them. Even if they're like Kevin Smith and admit that it doesn't really make a huge financial difference to them, they're urging the studios to come to their senses. Garry Marshall is picketing just like Guild members who probably make slightly more money than I currently do.

This strike is about their jobs and being fairly compensated for brilliant work that entertains billions of people. And just like you, part of that money goes to putting food on the table.

040

From MSNBC.com:
Oprah wept after hearing of alleged abuse.

I'm certain Oprah will fix this problem, and my thoughts are irrelevant to that article.

Oprah is setting an example, but she could be setting an even better one. My compaint is not with Oprah's giving; she has a right to spend her money as she chooses, and she gives millions to charities and her audience members every year. The students at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls are receiving hope beyond their dreams, a new future, a new life. She is a huge promoter of the (PRODUCT)RED campaign/The Global Fund, which have served as a blueprint for me and several others at my college to raise money and awareness for projects which aim to transform the quality of life in Africa.

At a $40,000,000 cost with 152 students, Oprah's academy costs approximately $263,158 per student. You have to subtract salaries, operating costs, construction, upkeep, supplies, and other costs, but I still wonder why she built one school like this for so few when EduCongo builds schools for about $10,000, if I remember correctly.

The stores I've heard from Lou Radja, co-founder and executive director, are amazing; of his father teaching to scores of young people wherever there is the vast space because they have the drive to learn; of the difference that even my yearly earnings (which can make to so many.

I would spend the money differently, but unfortunately for me, it's not my choice and not my money to spend. You don't have to live like a saint, but you should give to something. The ethics of when to give and how much are as follows: Giving is a good thing. And that's why we can't talk shit on Oprah for building her academy, for helping people.

Where I'll give when I have a little more money saved:
EduCongo: http://www.educongo.org.
The Gentlemen's Fund: http://www.thegentlemensfund.com.