This just in....

I really like grapes. Red, green, or black. Preferably seedless. I've been eating a lot of them recently.

I'm also a big fan of Hy-vee brand Crunchy Granola Raisin Bran. It's tasty, cheap, and it's got partially dried grapes in it (as implied by the name).

Links of the Day

Performance art.
Skills.

Those are some more random internet videos sure to brighten your day.

Oh, and here is what charms dooce. The oldest ones start at the bottom of the page.

Current song: "Sullivan" by Caroline's Spine

How to Charm Me

Don't respond to a message I sent you, whether it be by phone, IM, or email.

(Note: The "How to Charm Me" concept is lifted directly from dooce.com. The entries may range from completely sarcastic to completely not. I'll leave it up to you to figure out which are which.)

Finally.....Thanksgiving break is here. It's about time.

In case you haven't yet seen it, here is another classic internet video for your enjoyment.

My cousin, who I visited in the hospital in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, had a baby girl early Saturday morning. Suzanne was only at 25 weeks so it's hard to say if little McKenna will pull through. So far it seems she's doing fairly well overall. A year and 10 days ago, Suzanne and her husband, Dale, lost their first baby, Ian Joseph, a day or two after he was born, which was also at 25 weeks. They're not sure why either were born prematurely. I'm sure Suzanne and Dale would appreciate any and all prayers or good thoughts.

I don't really have anything else to share tonight.

Current song: "Heart and Soul" by T'Pau

I...ahh...disagreeably agree or agreeably disagree...

I read on mlb.com today that there are rumors that Ichiro might want out of Seattle. I'm pretty sure he has multiple years left on his four-year $44 million contract, which would mean a trade. So what team is in need of not only a rightfielder, but a leadoff hitter? I know! I know! Too bad it won't ever happen....I am not that lucky (and neither are the Cubs). Plus, who knows if the rumor even has any truth to it.

So the time has come to try and get SOME kind of job just to be bringing in a little bit of income. I applied online for the Best Buy at Coralridge Mall. Part of the application process was a 20 page assessment test (~5 questions a page). Much of it was fairly ridiculous. For the most part this was because the questions completely lacked context and the only possible answers were: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree. Here is an example: You get mad at yourself when you make a mistake? Well my answer kinda depends on some variables. Should I have know better than to make it, or was it a completely honest mistake? Did I inadvertently misspeak? Or did I accidently run over a baby with my car through carelessness? See what I'm saying........context. Needless to say, it was a poorly conceived and executed test to "assess" people.

My weekend was pretty uneventful and quiet (aka not exciting or interesting [aka boring]). I need a new hobby (aka girlfriend). And probably a job. Preferably the "real" kind. 'Tis the life of a recent college graduate.

Current song: "Heavy" by Collective Soul

This message is brought to you by GE. They've got be behind it on some level, right...

Tonight while watching yet another excellent episode of Lost, I saw a few new (to me at least) commercials that I thought were good and fun. The first was an ad for the Xbox 360 with a city-wide water balloon fight. I think that's a good idea, let's organize one. Although it would require summer-like temperatures.....damn. The second commercial was for Zales. I think a signicifant part of the reason I liked it was the song it featured: "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie. As I'm sitting trying to recall what the people in the commercial were doing exactly, I'm realizing it was slipped my mind. I remember liking it though. Moving on....the final advertisement of note was by eBay with the "It" campaign they have going on. There was another good song playing during this commercial. It seems my mind actively purges itself of memories of advertisements almost as quickly as they are created. I'm going to view this not as a failure of my brain, but a bonus feature. Way to go brain!

Current song: "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" by Don Henley featuring Patty Smith

Remember, remember, the fifth of November...

But why? Guess we'll find out in March.

Newly viewed movies this weekend (with micro-reviews):
Chicken Little: Not up to Pixar quality, but still funny (especially the fish).
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: Good British humor. I'm a big fan of interweaving plotlines like in this flick.

The O.A.R. concert on Saturday night was excellent. Look here for more info.

The other highlight of the weekend was attending the ISU women's basketball team's first exhibition game of the year against Concordia University. I do love live sporting events. Here is a recap of the game. I'm really not sure what kind of year the team is going to have. With five true freshmen that will be getting a lot of playing time, the success or failure of the team will reflect the success or failure of those five I believe.

Current song: "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve

I think this line's mostly filler.

It's weird being able to run outside in November. I'm not one to bundle up and run in the cold (relative cold...), so I have been using the treadmill at the rec center since it got cool out. Today it was a comfort 70 degrees out, though, so what the hell.

In other news, I got the ole rejection via email today from Software Architects. Sorry, no downtown Chicago flat is in my immediate future. Back to the drawing board it is. At least I have a better idea what a future technical interview might involve.

CLR? Ahh...no, I don't recall. Common Language Runtime.....Oh right, well I know what THAT is. Shit.....stupid acronyms.

I'll be in Ames AGAIN this weekend. Friday till Monday. OAR concert on Saturday night. Yeah! I'm hoping to also attend the first exhibition game of the year for the ISU women's basketball team early Sunday afternoon. I'd like to go the men's game too, but it's on Saturday night and the concert takes precedence.

Current song - "Walk Through the Fire" by Anthony Stewart Head, Emma Caulfield, Hinton Battle, James Marsters, Nicholas Brendon, Orchestra & Sarah Michelle Gellar

Heh.

Put your troubles down...

I was in Ames from Thursday till Monday this past weekend. Friday night while at People's watching Hello Dave the lead singer/acoustic guitar player, Mike, came up behind me during a song as I was sitting on the end of the stage and put his guitar over my shoulders. This happened not once, but twice. It was fun, even if I don't know how to actually play guitar. It was a fine evening overall if I do say so myself.

I think I'd post more frequently if I felt I didn't need to put a lot in each. So I'm gonna try that. Not that I'll never have long(er) posts.

Newly viewed movies this weekend (with micro-reviews):
House of Wax: A better comedy than horror movie.
Life as a House: Powerful, good.

Current song: "Pantala Naga Pampa" by Dave Matthews Band