Tuesday, July 01, 2003

Oooh, my mother will not be happy to hear this:

Researchers haven’t found enough evidence to prove conclusively that vitamins can prevent conditions like cancer or heart disease, a U.S. government panel of experts says.

In fact, the Preventive Services Task Force says certain supplements can actually make matters worse…

[...]

“Vitamin supplements may be necessary for individuals whose diets don’t provide the recommended amounts of specific vitamins,” said the panel’s vice chair, Janet Allen, dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “However, the benefits of vitamin supplements for the general population remain uncertain.”

** By healthy eater, I mean she eats healthy stuff.

This post is for my parents, in case they take a minute to go online while they’re vacationing in upstate New York.

You know how I mentioned that I was thinking about taking Thursday off? It’s going to be Monday instead.

I realized that if I took Thursday off there would be no one up front for the one visitor we may have on that day. So I’ll be here.

Mrs. Cootiehog has been eliminated from the competition because I just emailed her the movie title.

A quick reminder on what the contest is:

I had a post title yesterday

Server Down, We’ve Got a Server Down!

Carlos had a good guess with Black Hawk Down, but it’s from a comedy not a drama.

And that’s the first clue I’ll give you.

There is a prize for whoever can figure it out and be the first to answer correctly in the comments.

WE HAVE A WINNER!! Timothy guessed So I Married an Axe Murderer, which is the movie from which I parodied my post title. Although as Jaynee pointed out in a comment, I was slightly off in my wording. But it was close enough, I think, for not having seen SIMAAM in years.

The exact quote (to be quoted in your best Scottish brogue):

We’ve got a piper down, I repeat, the piper is DOWN!

Congratulations, Timothy. Email me with your mailing address and I will get your prize in the mail to you.

Monday, June 30, 2003

Oh my…

Yes, I’m drooling…

The LOTR: Return of the King movie poster has been released.

Isn’t he purty?

[via chewie]

Is it really after 4pm already?

Sheesh.

LATER (4:53pm): Payroll is complete and we will all get paid.

In an interesting wrinkle, MD (my supervisor friend) handed me a weird note when I walked into her office to get a timesheet signed. She was on the phone so couldn’t explain what it was. So later she came to explain that it was for a job that’s just come open with Justice that she thought I’d be good for. Looking at it, I’m excited at the possibility even if it means commuting to the main Justice building in DC. And it would involve some travel. So I’m going to think and pray about putting in my resume for it. It would mean a lot more money and a promotion too if I got it.

I had a moment of panic at the thought of no internet access today when I powered up the computer at work and Netscape didn’t want to open. Rumor has it that the entire USMS server system was down this morning. So instead of playing around in the blogosphere this morning, I was able to get a lot of tedious tasks done in my first two hours on the job.

I was facing a boring day (with the exception of payroll, but I’m halfway done with that already). Half of the office is on vacation this week. A lot of the judges are on vacation this week. So there’s not going to be a whole lot going on.

I’m thinking of taking Thursday off. Just thinking at this point. But I’m thinking hard.

Oh, and who can name the movie I parodied the post title from? I might have a prize to the first person who answers correctly in the comments. Or you might just get the satisfaction of knowing you were the first to answer it correctly.

Sunday, June 29, 2003

I was going into the kitchen and I noticed that the TV in the living room (tuned to Fox News, of course, has announced the death of Ms. Hepburn.

I know that my sister will be very sad about this news as am I. She was a great old dame from the Golden Era of Hollowood.

My favorite Hepburn movies: Bringing Up Baby and Philadelphia Story.

I love CMT. Have I mentioned that? Their show Inside Fame is country’s answer to VH-1’s Behind the Music. This afternoon’s artist was John Denver. And I was reminded how much I love his music. I grew up listening to John Denver, I saw Oh God! in the theater, I used to wonder, “Who’s this chick, Annie, of Annie’s Song?”

Did you know that he started out in folk music - and by folk music I’m talking A Mighty Wind style folk music? I cracked up a little when they showed the groups from those days. Now I know why A Mighty Wind resonates with folks of my parent’s generation so well. Christopher Guest et al, completely nailed it in their parody. But I digress…

In one hour I learned a ton of info about JD. It’s too bad he died so young.

Saturday, June 28, 2003

I just saw an ad on Fox News Channel for the Baseball All-Star Game coming up.

I haven’t watched much baseball this season, so this was the first time I heard about the new twist. And I think it’s an excellent idea.

The league that wins the All-Star Game, gets home field advantage for the World Series.

That is such a great idea.

Today is Hootinanny, Part Two for the Summer of 2003**.

This weekend, rather than the typical bluegrass band, they have a southern rock band that reminds me a little of Lynard Skynard, but they’re no where as good. To me anyway, the crowd is really whooping it up back there.

**In case you missed it from early May (I think), there is a house behind my apartment complex that looks like it came straight from Deliverance. Every spring/summer they have what I call hootinannies - barbecues, with roasted meat, horseshoes, live music, and a ton of rednecks.

You know Kelly? The redhead chick who’s engage to Jon on The Amazing Race?. You know...I mentioned her yesterday, she’s a little catty about Millie-the-virgin.

So I was watching something on TV this afternoon when a Priceline ad for hotels came on. The last chick to rave about her cheap-but-nice hotel room was KELLY!

I wonder if she told the TAR people that she’s an aspiring actress...not that it matter that much, but I thought it was an interesting discovery.

My mother had loaned my her copy of Road to Perdition weeks ago, but I just got around to watching it today.

I loved it. Tom Hanks is a great, great actor. Paul Newman still has it. And that kid...oh my.

That is all…

I downloaded IE 6.0 here at home early this morning and when I loaded my blog I noticed that my text boxes aren’t right. I didn’t want to take the time to investigate then, I thought maybe it was a fluke.

But they’re still not looking right to me. And they’re not right in the Earthlink browser I ocassionally use at home too.

So are they OK for you? Because I haven’t changed anything that would make them not work. As far as I know, because I haven’t touched the weblog.css file in more than a week.

Friday, June 27, 2003

From Tony:

I was out surfing around a bit, and came across this question:

Why aren’t conservatives interested in conservation?

Umm, I don’t know. How about this one from me:

Why aren’t Democrats interested in democracy?

Idiot.

[ rant ]

Somehow the idea that we need or want a National HIV Testing Day bothers me. Do we have a National Test-for-Every-Other-Disease Day?

Here’s my beef: Most (if not all) who have or get HIV these days, get it through specific behavior, that if stopped would prevent the spread of the disease.

Yes, I understand some who have/get it are seemingly unwitting “victims” of those who pass it on. But not really, because they could have done plenty to prevent it, including abstinence.

Yes, I understand that a rare few get/have it from tainted blood donations. Although I am confident enough to say that since the Red Cross and hospitals started testing the blood supply, there are no cases today.

So I go back to my main point - HIV/AIDS is a disease that is spread through specific behaviors, that if stopped, would stop the spread of the disease. So it galls me a little that we have a National HIV Testing Day because this is a disease that I believe could easily be wiped off the face of the earth if people changed their behavior.

[ /rant ]