I'm really getting sick of media spin

It's been obvious for years (to me, at least) that news reporters and their networks don't report news, they create it. They take a non-event and sensationalize it until it becomes news. Last week a whale was spotted in the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa. That alone is news because whales don't usually come that close to shore. The first news teaser said just that: a whale had been spotted near the coast of Tampa... details at 11:00. I guess that wasn't enough of an attention-getter because every teaser after that stated that a "sea creature" was spotted near Tampa Bay, without mentioning what the "creature" actually was..

Unfortunately, in America bad PR can kill a company (or a person's image), so everyone is on the bandwagon. Which is why Dunkin' Donuts was pressured into pulling an featuring Rachel Ray.

But what's wrong with the ad? Well, according to conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, the scarf Rachel is wearing looks like a traditional Arab headdress (called a kaffiyeh). Since Yasser Arafat and other terrorists wear kaffiyehs, Dunkin' Donuts must support terrorism.

This is stupid on so many levels. First off, she wearing a SCARF, not a kaffiyeh. secondly, it's wrapped around her neck, not her head.

Just because the kaffiyeh is worn by some terrorists doesn't mean that only terrorists wear them. By Malkin's logic, everyone wearing a black and white scarf supports terrorism.

You know how much it costs to produce a commercial? Neither do I, but I'm sure it's a lot, even before paying for the star power of Rachel Ray (I seriously doubt she gave back the money she was paid to do the commercial). So Dunkin' Donuts just took a financial soaking because Ms. Malkin wants more face-time on Fox News.

And if DD hadn't pulled the ad? A PR nightmare, all because people are too stupid to think for themselves.

I guess I won't be wearing a tie to work anymore... Hitler wore one too.

A day of rest.

I am intentionally not doing anything physical today. The carport/tool shed combo is as good as finished, and just in time - I'm starting to catch a cold, and I would rather rest for a day or two than be sick for a week or two.

Yesterday I went to the beach to watch the sunset. People always think it's weird when I tell them that I do that alone, but I just like the atmosphere. I like the sound of the breaking water, the smell of the cool salty air. Whenever I look at the endless expanse of water I always think of the line from "Dust in the Wind," "nothing lasts forever but the Earth and sky." It's true. The sand, the water, sky, the clouds, the sun. It all looks exactly the way it has for thousands of years... and I think that's pretty cool.

Good News

I called the vet for the results of Levi's bloodwork, and everything is normal. I was really expecting another case of kidney failure or cancer. Everything's fine, he just has a high metabolism.

I can think of better ways to burn up gasoline

My cat was due for his shots today, so I took him in at 2:00. While there, I asked what my other cat's weight was last time he was in. He looks to me like he's lost a little so I was concerned. They said 11.5 lbs., I made a mental note of it, and weighed him on my scale at home. He had indeed lost some weight (about a pound within a few months), so I called them back for an appointment to have him checked out.
Being that no one in the office knew the circumstances, I must have sounded pretty foolish. "Weren't you just in here?"
"Yes, but this is for Levi, my other cat."
"OK, when would like to come in?"
"Do you have anything today?"
"We have a 3:30."
"That will work. See you then."

What they didn't know was that the second appointment was spur of the moment, and that I could not have easily taken both cats in together anyway because my car is too small for a 2-cat-sized cat carrier.

Regardless, I went right back to the same office across town that I had just left an hour earlier. As for the cat, that story will be continued. They drew $269.00 worth of blood, but I won't get any test results back until tomorrow.

Your calendar is wrong... summer started today.

It's not the heat, it's the humidity. Putting fans in the window no longer does any good. Neither does cool showers, light clothing, or tall glasses of iced tea. Hot, sticky, clammy. It was finally time to kick on the air, and at about 8:00 this evening I did just that.

People up north say they dread that day each year when they bring in the lawn furniture, prep the house for winter, and close the windows for good. It's the end of an enjoyable season, and the beginning of being stuck indoors. I dread the first time I turn on the air each year. I always put it off as long as I can. I really enjoy the outside air, the smell of the grass, and - if the wind is blowing right - the salty breeze blowing in from the gulf. I like to sit by a window at night and feel the freshness of non-recycled air drifting from one window to another in its honeysuckle perfume.

I also like not being sweaty and not sticking to furniture. And when your furniture has cloth upholstery, that's pretty hot.

Whack-a-Mole

For as long as I can remember, I've had a flat, red mole on the back of my shoulder. Then this weekend I noticed that it was raised up and bumpy. The next morning I called the doctor and set an appointment. He saw me in the afternoon and said that it's not a mole at all. It's a small, harmless cluster of blood vessels called a manglealoma, or mangianoma or some name that reminded me of "Chuck Mangione." Either way, it was a relief. I celebrated with a large chocolate shake from Wendy's. One of life's little rewards.

After my afternoon nap I painted some more on the Endless Carport/Utility Shed until sundown. I'm almost done, maybe an hour more of painting. After a hot shower and a change of clothes I grabbed some dinner from Taco Bell. Driving home with the top down, I looked ahead at the rim of purple sky fading into the horizon. I felt the May wind teasing through my hair, and thought about the way I'd spent the afternoon: how I chose. I just smiled and told myself, "This is what it's all about. This is freedom. This is why I'm not a manager anymore. It's why I no longer work 11 hours a day, only to come home pissed off and too tired to do anything else."

Maybe a ten-minute drive in a convertible doesn't sound like a big deal, but believe me, after doing the management gig for three years, the contrast glows with intensity. It's been over a decade, but I'll never forget my last day as a Suit. Leaving the store that night, I felt like I did on the last day of school, like a ton of bricks had been lifted from my shoulders. It was pure freedom. Kind of like this afternoon.

ZZZzzzz...

Well, today was a sleeper of a day. Up at 9:00, goofed on the 'Net until noon, then went back to sleep. Got up at 3:00 and spent the rest of the day lying on the couch watching T.V. until 9:30. No biggie. I was exhausted all day, and rather than wipe myself out I figured I should use a day off to rest up. So I guess it's back to housework tomorrow. I finally finished painting the Spider Wall. Now there's just some touching up around the carport and a second coat on the utility shed and I'll be done with Phase One of painting. I still need to pressure-clean the carport and then I can install the shelving unit out there.