My work has this little event usually held on the workday before Halloween. It's like a cross between a costume contest and a Halloween party. Regular, middle of the road, hum drum for the other 364 days of the year people, come to work dressed in costumes ranging from the mundane, like an arrow through the head, to the elaborate, like a full on Cleopatra outfit complete with small polystyrene cat. It's hilarious to see people try to manage TPS reports while clad in a full witch makeup. It is apparently hard to type with 3 inch black fingernails. Go figure.
     Anyway, they sit around in this getup all day, then around three o'clock they all head up to the conference center, drink punch, eat pumpkin shaped cookies, and get judged for the best costume. I don't know what they win, but I hope it's worth it. I am going to avoid quirky people amateur day as if my life depended on it. There is very little more annoying than a normal person in costume who thinks they are cute.

I have been hard at work today, crawling around the Internet looking for ways to promote this site. I have put on my flashlight hat and have been diligently exploring every dusty corner of the web for opportunities to expand and maybe add a few friends to our little geek party. Are there BIG SCARY SPIDERS on the web? You bet. But I will brave them for the good of the site. Am I a hero? Maybe. But we are on Google now, which is cool, so I should be rich and famous and properly compensated in no time.

     The election is in a week. It seems like such a big deal right now. So much has been said about its importance. I have on several occasions heard it referred to in language like, “THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN DECADES”, and talk of how it will, “DETERMINE THE COURSE OF THE WORLD FOREVER”. So, I ask: Will it? In eight months will it seem like such a big thing? Two years? Maybe.
     I mean I'm still pissed about the last election. As you may remember, we democrats got robbed. I remember how I felt on that overcast and stormy inauguration day when Bush emerged from his limo, put his hand on the bible, and pledged to serve the country and its ideals. I was sick. It felt like a coup. It was bullshit, and everybody knew it.
     But I looked at Al Gore and thought about how strong he was having to be. How much strength of character and integrity it would take for you to stand by and witness the man who lost to you take your presidential oath? How painfull must it have been for him to see Bush do what he was supposed to be doing? Could you do it? I don't think I could.
But he stood there, and took it like a man.
     I thought about how THOSE were the qualities that I wanted in a president. That’s how strong I wanted the leader of MY nation to be. He showed, by his cool headed and inspiring performance that day, what building and maintaining unity was all about. He stood and did his duty, and followed the word of the court for the good of his country, at the cost of his own political life. For America. He didn't have to. He could have stayed home and cried into his pillow and thrown a temper tantrum, but he didn't.
     That’s tough. And I'm still pissed. If you think W will handle defeat with as much decorum and grace, I beg to differ. Im so pissed that November 2nd I am going out to vote for the first time in my life, and I'll be doing it for John Kerry. And Al Gore.
     So yea, these things matter. To me at least.

To anyone who doubts me, his new movie opened as follows:
 #7. Surviving Christmas (2004)  $4.5M

I'll bet that hurts.

Why, WHY, do people keep letting Ben Affleck make movies? If you eliminate any non-Jersy-Girl Kevin Smith movies from the mix, what has he ever done to deserve this staying power? Discuss.

I have a right wing republican friend at work that I over heard today trying to stand up for embattled right wing pundit Bill ORielly. My friend, with whom I have almost no political view in common, was taking a good bit of abuse from a classically loud left wing associate over the defense and was having a hard time making his point. It was some kind of tired, convoluted tripe about the girl setting her self up for it, and how she could just hang up the phone if she wanted, and she is probably in it for the money, and other assorted blame the victim bullshit.
     Whatever. I could expect no different from this Rush talking point filled blow hard.
     But the something occurred to me while he was yammering on. What would his opinion be if the pundit in question were Michael Moore? Or Bill Clinton? Would my opinion be any different? I would hope so, but I'm not that sure. Would I find myself standing up vigorously for, say, Al Franken if the tables were turned?

I bought a package of socks yesterday. Not a phenomenal act. But on the outside of the bag, in impressive italics, was written: Resealable Bag. And sure enough, the bag did have a zip lock style plastic zipper fastening the socks snugly inside. I found it odd then, and have not in the subsequent 18 or so hours since I purchased the afore mentioned bag of socks been able to come up with EVEN ONE LEGITIMATE REASON why such a thing would be even necessary, much less envisioned in the first place. Is this a selling point for anyone? Anywhere? Am I supposed to be keeping my socks in that bag for like, freshness purposes? Just wondering.

A few Links:
They picked a Superman for the new movie. Some totaly unknown guy, which I think is a great Idea. Find out all about it and all other super hero movie related news at Super Hero Hype.

Ifilm has the clip of John Stewert tearing Crossfire a new asshole. It is awsome.

And,

Is this for real?

I was only pan handled on three occasions, including twice by the same person. All three were people trying to sell me a copy of Streetwise. Is this a real paper? I almost bought a copy just to see what was in it. Has any ever seen one?

I am in Chicago today attending a Todd Snider concert. It is going to be fun. I will count the number of people who pan handel me and report back on Monday.