Just some random thoughts

I'm at work. No one's here-they're all on vacation for the holiday. Because no one's here to give me work, I have no work to do. I asked the Main Boss if I could leave, since I have no work to do. He says no, I have to stay until quitting time. ...Does that make sense to anyone else? Because I don't get it. They'd rather me stay here and use their electricity and be absolutely unproductive than send me home to use my own electricity?

So I've been reading online about - what else? - Katrina and the chaos in New Orleans. It's surreal, isn't it? For those of us who wake up normally, take our showers, eat our breakfast, don't have to worry about anything, it's surreal to think that just a few states away, a city - one of our cities! - is in anarchy. And there's no food, no water, everything's contaminated, looted, destroyed. I want to yell, "I HAVE FRESH WATER! TAKE MINE!" But there's nothing I can do. No- I can pray.

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A man after my own heart.

Have you ever seen Joe Vs. the Volcano, that movie with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan? (If you haven't, you should. It's great.) There's that first scene where he's plodding into his factory job with all the other identical workers, through the high chain gates and across the gray cement lot into a gray cement building. The soundtrack plays "Sixteen Tons": Saint Peter, dontcha call me cause I can't go- I owe my soul to the company store. My job isn't as thankless as Joe's, and I certainly don't owe my soul to the DoD, but every time I get off the metro and shuffle along with the hundreds of other people bottlenecking up the multiple escalators, all wearing identical badges and sensible dark shoes, I think of that scene. (Especially when they make me stay despite the fact that I have no work to do...but I mentioned that already.)

Try this. I don't know if it's authentic, but it's yummy.

Those Frilly Miniskirts and Why They Need To Stop

I do not understand the frilly miniskirts that every single girl in the country seems to be wearing. They defy every fashion rule I've ever been taught.

1. They make your legs look short, particularly when paired with flip-flops, which, although a wonderful shoe, do nothing to enhance your gams. Worse, they are sometimes paired with Uggs. It creates the Stubby Leg Effect, and which of us really wants to be known for her stubby legs?

2. They sit below your natural waist and the frilliness begins right above the largest part of your caboose. This has two effects: making your derriere look about twice as large as it is (You know what they say about horizontal lines making things look wider? It's true.) and highlighting that little pudge above your hips and below your waist. I have nothing against the Pudge. It is a natural part of a woman's body. But it's nothing we need to highlight, is it? It can be wonderfully incorporated into an outfit that makes you look slimmer instead of stubbier.

3. They are usually made out of the sort of cotton that pills, fades, and generally falls apart. I notice that the skirts on the street in August are significantly duller than the skirts I saw in June. Maybe it's the bright sunlight. Maybe it's my eyes. Maybe it's the cheap quality of said skirts.

Thank you. I am done.

Various Articles for Your Edification

A New York Times op-ed I wish I had written. (For those not yet tired of hearing about the Gaza pullout.)

Why is everyone named John Roberts? What if they get confused? It could be embarrassing...

And this is just weird.

How do you say "daytime television" in Arabic?

In my CSIS days I did a bunch of research on Oprah's popularity in Syria (go figure) and here, I have this to prove it!

On an unrelated note:
Oh, to have Paris Hilton's worries: "It's very heavy," she revealed, "so we got two other bands that are just lightweight for when you're iet-skiing and doing water sports. I don't want it dropping in the ocean." She was talking about her diamond engagement ring.

Six Happy Weekend Events

1. 8 o'clock, summer Saturday morning, good friend Lisa, Tryst coffeehouse, mocha in a tall clear glass with lots of foam and a long spoon.

2. New pair of size 6 jeans. Yes, size six. S. I. X. On sale.

3. www.gizoogle.com and this fresh take on White House news.

4. Habana Village's mojitos with sugar cane and fresh mint.

5. Homemade (by me!) mini peach pies, one for Sunday, one to make everyone at work jealous on Monday.

6. All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot