Post Secret

I have a confession to make. Every Saturday night, right around midnight, I start thinking about Post Secret. Twenty juicy new secrets are posted every Sunday. And I'm addicted.

The All American Rejects did a great video featuring Post Secret submissions. This video is a fun, too.

Rock Stars and Baloney Sandwiches

I talked to some friends who went to a Christian rock concert tonight. One of the performers, Chris Sligh, sang this song which got right to the heart of the matter.

Vernaculary

You know those words that aren't really words, but they sound like they could be words and we hear people use them like they are real words? Not exactly a malaprop, a totally made up word. Like "nother." And "flusterated." And "InMyFaceSter." All words that aspire to achieve the greatness of truthiness and insinuate themselves into our collective vernaculary (vernacular + vocabulary), not a traditional dictionary.

I went down this little path while waiting in traffic and listening to the news on the radio this morning. A report about a "cautionary landing" of a commercial airliner at the Denver airport got me thinking about how much less sensational the phrase sounds compared to "emergency landing."

Then I started wonder--what is a cautionary landing? Is it like a cautionary tale? That didn't sound right.

So I looked it up.

Turns out the technically correct phrase is "precautionary landing" (although I can't cite an online source--if you can, leave a comment). Maybe "cautionary" is one of those concepts that has moved in and rooted itself in our collective unconscious on January 21 of this year (remember when Obama and Roberts did a second take of the oath out of an "abundance of caution?") But that's a whole nother story.

Hope you get to end your day like I did with a Stephen Colbert nightcap. Have a laugh at the skit with his Spanish speaking friend, Estaban.

Alli's Birthday

Yesterday was my sister Alli's birthday. And yes, I procrastinated, so her birthday links come today.

You'll love this scene from Take the Lead, a B movie that I've never watched all the way through, but I love the strappy shoes, the super cool tango moves, and the music.


Kudos to the genius who thought of casting the Muppets in Oceans 11. I'm staying in.

And since you like cool photography, you might like pix of this performance artist. Just don't try it at home.

So sorry to hear you're birthday panna cotta was disappointing. Next time I see you, remind me to make you a better panna cotta (minus the molecular gastronomy).

Rainy Day

It's a rainy day in my little part of the world--a perfect day for listening to Jack Johnson and catching up on some reading.

Have you read The United States of Arugula yet? I might pick it up again, being a rainy day and all. If you've got less time to procrastinate today than I do, check out Maureen Dowd's Aura of Arugulance instead. (The George Lucas commentary on Bush/Cheney vs. Darth Vader/the Emporer does lead somewhere, I promise.)

Brian Williams blog led me to this essay about a book titled The Narcissism Epidemic, which was released last week. When I think of how many kids I know who BELIEVE that they will one day appear on American Idol and win, I wonder how many of them know the story of Ethel Waters. In Episode Three of Ken Burns' Jazz she is quoted as having said "God made me headstrong, stubborn, and resilient." You don't meet many kids like that today.

And if all this is too heady for you, check out Glamor Magazine's advice on the 7 friends every woman needs.

Finally, a little potty humor. I'm not a fan of potty humor, but this article had me laughing hard enough to almost wet myself. Locations across the nation, and online.

Bookcrossing

Horray! I've found a bookcrossing book! It was totally wonderful and unexpected! I was spending in the day in DC, enjoying the beautiful sunshine and warm weather, and took a detour into the sculpture garden on the mall in front of the Hirshhorn.

I hadn't ever ventured into the sculpture garden before. It was lovely, but I always have mixed feelings about outdoor sculpture made of metal. Won't "the elements" cause damage to the sculptures? Maybe that's part of the art.

Around one corner was a lovely rectangular reflection pool. At one corner of the pool, sitting on the edge, was a book in a double ziptop bag. Hmmmm. I went over to look at it, then looked around for someone missing a double bagged book. Two guys and a girl walked by. The exchange went something like this:

We all look at the book in a bag.

me: It's a book. (Call me Captain Obvious)

her: Yeah, there's another one over there (gestures to a park bench)

me: (thinking I'm being punked) I keep looking around for the candid camera. I think someone's watching to see how people react to this situation.

We all laugh politely. They walk on. I regard the book again.

Then a light bulb goes on. I pick up the bag. Written on the side I see "http://www.bookcrossing.com/."

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaim to no one in particular, "It's a bookcrossing book!" Jumping up and down with glee (like my three year old niece) I open the plastic bags like it's Christmas morning. I may have actually squealed with delight.

Remembering myself, I looked up and around. Several people were looking at me and smiling. I figured it was because I had made such a spectacle of myself.

Now, after reading that there was a BC in DC event today, I'm wondering how many of the folks hanging around might have been watching and waiting to see how the book was caught.

I did go over to investigate the other book that was on the bench. It, too, was in a ziptop bag. I decided to leave it for another book lover. Finding this one had already made my day.

Fun With Fire and Moments of Unexpected Dancing

Men have been fascinated with fire for as long as they've known it to be around. (I say "men" rather than "people" because women always seem to be able to cling to common sense when men take it just a little too far.) I honestly believe there's a little pyromaniac in each of us. It's not a bad thing--as long as you proceed with caution.

Take these resourceful folks. Fun with fire. And bacon. And a vegetarian option. Nice touch. But what impressed me most is that the guy on camera had the presence of mind to use a welding mask and insulated gloves. That's a man who has evolved.

Elsewhere in the world, at the Central Station in Antwerp, Belgium, while folks were headed to and from trains on no particularly special day, Julie Andrews burst into song (as she is wont to do) and people unexpectedly (but obviously with intention) broke out into dance. What a delightful sight! Can you imagine this happening in Grand Central Station in NYC? Something tells me TSA would bust up the party before it even got started. Maybe I should move to Belgium. They have good beer there, too. Mmmm, beer.

Well, at least tomorrow's Friday. So long for now. I'm off to neti.