models courtesy of mvm.com

I heard a few guys on campus arguing over a style question that I’ve often wondered about myself: why is it okay to wear short sleeves and long pants, but not okay to wear long sleeves and shorts? I must say, I do think that long sleeves and shorts don’t mix, but when I stopped to think about why, it was difficult to come up with an answer. In the end only one thing really came to mind: When you have short sleeves with long pants, it makes you look longer and slimmer, whereas when you have long sleeves and shorts it makes you seem shorter and wider? Given society’s propensity toward being thin, this is really the only reason I can think of. That and maybe because you can put a jacket on if your arms get cold but they don’t make leg jackets. So what do you think the reason is? Or do you think that it is okay to wear long sleeves with shorts?

I love infomercials. The Shamwow guy cracks me up every time, and you can’t help but love the family jumping up and down in their Snuggies at the ball game. But, I think this one is my new favorite.

I just can’t get over how funny this infomercial is. It actually seems like this product is covertly promoting eavesdropping and spying. My personal favorite part is when the announcer says “You can easily hear sounds that other people can’t, and even hear conversations from clear across the room!” They might as well come out and say “Hey, have you always wanted to eavesdrop and spy on everything that other people are saying? Well then here’s the product for you!” I don’t know whether to laugh at whoever buys it, or be creeped out that people might have it.

I’ve blogged in the past about washing your hands after using the bathroom. However, there is another piece of bathroom etiquette that has been getting on my nerves as well: cell phones. Seriously, do you really need to be on the phone in the bathroom? Do you really think the person on the other end really wants to hear the noises that happen in there? Ew! There are so many reasons not to do this, yet so many versions of the bathroom phoner. I’ve personally gone into a public restroom and encountered the loud cell phone yeller, which, in my opinion, is worse than encountering them in a restaurant. There’s also the person talking on the phone that makes it seem like they’re talking to you, which is just plain uncomfortable. Not to mention this makes the phone horribly germy, even if you wash your hands. Honestly, if the call is that important, wait to use the restroom. If you get a call while you’re in there, call them back! Please, for the sake of the rest of our sanity!

from goclipless.com

I hate winter sometimes, especially when I see people like the ones I saw this morning on the road. Now, we had a big snowstorm here yesterday (see post below). Most people who live through winters in New England know that when it snows, your car gets covered. And when your car gets covered, you need to clean it off to drive safely. In fact, at least in Connecticut, it is the law. Now, I’ll admit, I’ll leave snow on top of my car if it’s just a dusting, maybe half an inch. But, we had over 6 inches yesterday. There is no excuse for people not to clear off their car. I don’t care how late you are, it is in everyone’s best interest that you clean your car. Imagine driving on the highway and having a huge chunk of snow come flying at you with no warning. I can understand if you have a large SUV or truck that you may not be able to get every speck of snow off the top, and that’s fine, as long as you get off what you can. However, it’s almost always the tiny little sedans I see that still have 6 inches of snow on top of the car. If the people with the SUVs can get their cars clean, I’m pretty sure you can clear off your tiny little sedan. Yet without fail, every storm brings these drivers. This morning alone, I saw at least one car with snow all over the top, one car with a full load of snow covering the back windshield, and one that was completely covered except for part of the front windshield. That is just plain dangerous. Please people, please, clean off your cars!

Well, this year is certainly living up to the saying that March comes “in like a lion, out like a lamb.” Just three days ago, on Friday, our weather was this:

Today, the weather is this:

Seriously, the biggest storm of the season in March? Isn’t March supposed to be the month that starts spring? I don’t know about everyone else, but I am personally getting a bit tired of the snow, and would love for the weather to just  make up its mind in favor of spring.

I’ve had this conversation more than once with my friends: whatever happened to the original screenplay? Why does it seem like all the movies nowadays are one of four things: a remake, a (usually bad and unneccesary) sequel, based off real events, or based off a book? Take, for example, the movies currently playing at the theater I work at (and please correct me if I am wrong about any of these):

• Confessions of a Shopaholic – based off a book
• Coraline – based off a book
• Fired Up! – original story
• Gran Torino – original story
• He’s Just Not That Into You - based off a book
• Hotel for Dogs – based off a book
• Milk – based off real life events
• Paul Blart: Mall Cop - original story
• Slumdog Millionaire – based off a book
• Taken – original story
• The Pink Panther 2 – sequel
• The Reader - based off a book
• Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail – sequel

Okay, so out of 13 movies currently playing, we have 4 original stories, 2 sequels, 1 based on real life, and 6 based off books. So where are all the original storylines? Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy seeing my favorite books in movie form, or seeing movies based on real events. I even have been known to enjoy sequels occasionally (Pirates 2 & 3 yes, Matrix 2 & 3 no). However, we see all these remakes of older movies (Day the Earth Stood Still 1951 to 2008, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 1971 to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005). Where are the great original movies for our generation? If we don’t start spinning out some good original stories, what are they going to want to remake in 20 years?

I was watching TV the other day when this new McDonald’s commercial came on.

The first time I saw this commercial I just kind of sat and stared at the TV with my mouth hanging open. There’s just something about singing fish that grabs a person’s attention in general. The fact that it was singing in a bit of a strange voice AND singing about a McDonald’s filet-o-fish sandwich is just…interesting. I don’t know if it’s the idea of the fish being aware of the fact that the guy was eating the sandwich, or the extremely catchy tune that’s already getting stuck in my head, or the creepy look on the guy’s face, but it’s difficult for me to decide whether this commercial is hilarious or creepy. Maybe it’s just both. One thing’s for sure: I certainly won’t be forgetting this commercial anytime soon.

So what do you think? Creepy or funny? Or both?

from ironmanfootballleague.com

I completely intended to blog much earlier today about something completely different. My computer, on the other hand, had other ideas. I still don’t know if I got a virus, or if a file was corrupt somewhere, or if my computer was possessed, but whatever it was, it decided to be out of commission pretty much all day. Two virus scans AND an adware scan, and nothing but cookies show up. I’m still pretty convinced that it had to be a virus or spyware of some sort. What else would cause my Internet Explorer to randomly reset its settings, and then the background of the computer to reset itself? Luckily, I didn’t lose any of my files, or this would be a much angrier post. Although, I did spend almost 3 hours backing up my files to DVDs just to find out that the system restore didn’t require me to do so. Oh well, at least I have new copies of my data in case anything does happen to my computer. Whatever it was, it’s gone now, so I should be back to regular posts tomorrow. As long as nothing comes to possess my computer again.

I’m convinced. Music has got to be the modern day form of magic. How else can you explain the power it has to completely transform a person’s state of mind? It helps that there are so many different types of music: rock, country, hip-hop, pop, oldies, etc.

courtesy of Julien Houbrechts

Take, for example, when my ex-boyfriend broke up with me. This put me in a bit of a conundrum, because many of my favorite songs are love songs, and obviously I didn’t want to listen to those right after going through a break-up. Bring in the awesome breakup songs. I changed my playlist to songs like Daughtry’s “Over You,” Leona Lewis’s “Better in Time,” and Rise Against’s “Blood to Bleed.” These songs helped to see that I wasn’t alone, and allowed me to still listen to songs I enjoyed that I could relate to and weren’t depressing me.

Or, when I was having a terrible day, you know the kind. It seems like every person that comes to the theater is either rude, an idiot, or both, you have a thousand tests the next day, and you can’t seem to get any of your homework right. Enter songs like Linkin Park’s “One Step Closer,” Rise Against’s “Life Less Frightening,” and My Chemical Romance’s “I’m Not Okay (I Promise).” Nice angry, energetic songs to help diffuse your anger/frustration. I know I can’t really stay angry when I’m singing along to songs like these.

So what are some of your favorite songs to listen to when you’re angry/upset/happy/in love/etc?

Okay, I’ve worked with the public for about 5 years now, I know that not everyone is a horrible customer. However, I would love to know where some people purchased their manners, because I think they ought to issue a recall.

from aol.com

Case 1: This one’s a classic. They walk in between movies, get up to the box office, and ignore me when I ask how I can help you. They’re going to stare at the movie board, again ignoring me when I say that there  are no movies starting for another hour, as they have all started already. They will then ask me if anything’s starting now, and get angry with me when I repeat that nothing starts for an hour. Because it’s obviously my fault that they didn’t check the movie times beforehand.

Or the other variation on time: They walk in half an hour before/after their movie starts and ask for the tickets without looking at the board. I ask if they wanted those for the one that’s already in progress or the later show. They look at me like I’m stupid and say, “The X:XX show.” I tell them I’m sorry, but we don’t have a show at that time. “The newspaper said you did.” Well, then that changes everything doesn’t it? Let me just go up to the projectionists and tell them they need to stop the movie and play it from the beginning now, because that’s when the newspaper said it was on.

Case 2: They come up to me and chomp away at their gum making gross noises with it while they’re talking to me, and continue chomping with their mouth open so much that I’m amazed that the gum hasn’t fallen out. That’s just rude and disgusting.

Case 3: (this is one of my personal favorites) They come up and buy tickets to a movie that is available in 3D in select theaters, but not this one. Even though there is a notice on the movie board that it is not in 3D, I warn them before ringing them up, because I know that most people don’t bother looking. First they look at me as if I have three heads, then give me some variation of “Are you kidding me?” as if I have just ruined their life. Then come the dirty looks to everyone else in the party, then the angry, “Why not?” I inform them that we unfortunately do not have the correct projectors to show that type of movie. Then comes my favorite: “Who does?” Why do people think that I have every theater in the area memorized? I work at this theater. I know what movies we have playing here. If you would like to know what movies are playing at the other theaters, try calling them. And no, I do not have their phone number.

And yet I just keep smiling through them all…