I’m not quite caffeinated enough to make a comprehensive (or comprehensible) comment, but you really should go check out Christopher Niemann’s napkin-blog entry in the New York Times.

Coffee - Niemann Opinion Art Blog – Abstract City – NYTimes.com

Drink up!

Time once again for early morning musings on all that I am thankful for over the past year; which given the current state of the economy and world politics might be a difficult task:

1. My condo actually increased in value, it would seem, which given he current real estate market conditions is a minor miracle.
2. My company is still trucking along, and while we suffered during the recent panic in the financial markets, it appears that we are back on somewhat solid footing, and of course, I’m still employed, which is always a good thing.
3. I was once again able to participate in the democratic process, helping to elect a fresh face to the White House, a person who has the ability to inspire people and bring out the best in them. If anything will help turn this country around, it’s not what the government can do, but what the people can do when inspired.
4. Just in case it’s not clear, I’m really thankful that Sarah Palin is nowhere near holding the highest office in the land
5. I still have a family that loves me, even though I’m still not the easiest person to be around.
6. And again, last but certainly not least, I have good friends, both old and new, who all seem to genuinely care in one way or another.

Thank you Mom & Ralph, Kim, Ben & Doris, Geraly & D.J., Clem & Joanna, Steve & Amy, Ryan, Dan & Karen, Art & Rachel, Richard, Matt, Scottie, Carol, Jon & Ellie, Marit, Sly & Shauna, Darrell, Theresa, Dayna, and Jennie & the entire Wade family. I just hope I haven’t forgotten anyone.

THE THANKSGIVINGS

by Harriet Maxwell Converse
(Translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer)

We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here
        to praise Him.
We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered
        that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.
We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products
        to live on.
We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs
        for our lands.
We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.
We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming
        from them for us all.
We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadows
        for our shelter.
We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunder
        and lightning that water the earth.
We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest brother, the sun
        that works for our good.
We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees and vines.
We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests, and thank
        all its trees.
We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and for the kind Being
        of the darkness that gives us light, the moon.
We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give us signs,
        the stars.
We give Him thanks for our supporters, who had charge of our harvests.
We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can still be heard
        through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o.
We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant
        occasion.
We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit’s music,
        and hope they will be privileged to continue in his faith.
We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who perform the ceremonies
        on this occasion.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone …

Anybody who knows me well knows that I’m not much of a vacations kind of guy; which means that doing things like scheduling vacation a year in advance (which for some reason, the management of my office wants us to do) is difficult.

So what ends up happening is that vacation time sort of sneaks up on me unawares.

I’ve been scheduled for vacation days the past two Mondays … of course, I didn’t know it, and showed up for work. And, since my company requires us to use our vacation time or lose it, I’m forced to take the time off. And since I have no money, I’m sticking close to home.

This may come as a surprise, but for the most part, I actually like my job; and like going to work everyday … so finding things to keep myself busy when I have time off work can be a challenge. If there was a bit more snow on the ground, I’d be up one of the canyons skiing, but alas, it’s not to be this early in the season this year.

So, for now, I’m spending my time cleaning my apartment and watching a movie. Perhaps I’ll make it out for a bike ride a bit later. And then I’ll figure out what to do tomorrow.

I’m going to take a page from the Book of Dug today, and discuss … bathroom issues; specifically, toilet paper.

Now, I try to be a fairly environmentally conscious person; not overloading on the toilet paper, and buying Seventh Generation 100% Recycled, which I’ve always assumed is made of recycled paper, rather than recycled toilet paper, but I really don’t want to know.

Now, when you spend $12.00-15.00 on a 12-pack of toilet paper, you should expect some consistency in product, right?

But the stuff I get at Dan’s in Olympus Cove, vs. the stuff I get at Whole Foods is vastly different.

The Dan’s SG100%RTP is strong, but rough, almost like wiping your ass with paper towels and wood chips. The Whole Foods SG100%RTP is soft, but rips far too easily; making me debate buying a box of latex gloves for use when I’m plopped on the crapper.

Of course, then I’d need a HazMat disposal box for the gloves, because I certainly couldn’t flush them … and ultimately, I think that would be worse for the the environment, as well as more expensive.

It’s either that, or getting used to friction burns or excessive post-wipe sterilization.

I’m beginning to think I’m going to have to give up on this particular aspect of environment consciousness, and go back to plain old normal everyday toilet paper … which means trying to find the right combination of comfort and strength; toilet paper experimentation.

Sigh.

Who’d have thought that the process of choosing the right toilet paper could be such a bitch?

I’m not sure what I’m more excited about.

Barack Obama’s landslide victory tonight? Or the dinner I had with an old friend from high school.

The first was history in the making; the latter is history … but both were extremely pleasant.

One of the waitresses at the Bayou may have a mammoth rack (at least according to the Cunning Vulpine, and the 8th Avenue Express), but I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I have a preference for something a bit more petite.

So imagine my joy when I came across the following study, initially through a Twitter reference, followed by a confirmatory search on Google.

Coffee can make women’s breasts smaller: Swedish study - The Local

Women who drink a lot of coffee may see their breasts become more petite, according to the results of a new Swedish study.

Around half of all women possess a gene shown to link breast size to coffee intake.

“Drinking coffee can have a major effect on breast size,” said Helena Jernström, a lecturer in experimental oncology at Lund University.

But while a regular brew appears to have a somewhat deflationary aspect, there is also one very positive effect in that coffee reduces the risk of breast cancer.

Woman with an average weight but big breasts and a high number of mammary glands run an above average risk of developing breast cancer.

Previous studies have shown that women can reduce this risk by drinking at least three cups of coffee a day.

Jernström wanted to know if there was a further correlation: If drinking coffee and breast size were both connected to the risk of developing breast cancer, could there also be a link between coffee and cup size?

Studies carried out on almost 270 women showed that there was indeed a clear connection between coffee and smaller breasts. The results of Jernström’s findings have been published in the British Journal of Cancer.

So, women … shrink them ti… errr … protect yourselves from cancer! Drink more coffee! B-cups for everyone!

I’ve written in the past about how much I love David Sedaris’s essays on This American Life; and I remember a wonderful one-man show of The Santaland Diaries put on by one of the local theater companies a few years ago.

But tonight … tonight I get to see the man himself, giving a reading (presumably) from his most recent book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. I’ve been looking forward to this show since KUER did their spring pledge drive. I couldn’t afford to pledge then, because I was still in the midst of a $300 pledge from the previous fall drive; so when the tickets went on sale to the public, I pounced.

Two pair, front row balcony, have been stuck to my refrigerator for the past 5 months and some-odd days … awaiting their opportunity to put butts in seats for an evening full of laughs.

I can’t wait for the workday to be over.