Medical Marijuana

I saw a tiny news report discussing the rights of employees who use medical marijuana. Apparently, in Oregon, there are 16000 people who are allowed legal medicinal usage. The subject was brought up in court over the rights of these people to use drugs to control pain, versus the rights of employers to fire individuals for drug use.

It was a very short story, but the main point they brought up was, can employers "discriminate" against medicinal users? They also had interviews with each side: One man said it would be dangerous to have people high on marijuana in his line of work (construction), and the other man said he drives a pavement roller at work while high, citing that his boss knows about it and he is careful.

It is an interesting subject. I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks.

The Unveiling

Microsoft announced today that it has invented a desk. This desk is special however, in that it is also a computer. It looks an awful lot like a mini air hockey table or something, with an interactive screen which requires no keyboard or mouse. I think it is a great idea, but I do see one minor detail that for a person like me is a deal breaker. Being that the screen is literally the desktop means that the user has to look down at it. Since my neck injury, looking down is a problem. (The pain I get from it is bad to the point of nausea.) Therefore, I cant see a future in which I am the proud owner of such a machine.

Prediction

Some things will never go extinct.

I doubt that when President Bush said corn derivative ethanol would be a good alternative to gasoline did he expect Mexican farmers to torch their own fields. As a result of Bush's statement, farmers have decided to scrap their agave fields for the much more fetching price of corn. And what, you may ask, is agave? It is the plant from which Tequila is derived.

So back to my previous statement: my prediction for the disavowed agave is that it will rise again. I don't think ethanol has taken the place of gasoline yet, which means this preemptive act on the part of these farmers could saturate the market with corn, which will thus drive the price back down, which will thus make it less profitable, and thus the farmers will replant with agave, which, due to the fact it has all but been driven to extinction will cause its prices to soar. Also, do we really think that all those drunkards out there will allow an entire species of alcohol to go out like the dinosaurs? Simplistic supply and demand.

Side note to help dissuade dissenters. There is always, though, the potential that people stop demanding Tequila and other things made from agave altogether, and considering corn is always a staple and the largest crop in the western hemisphere (literally, the Americas), there is still the possibility that these farmers were right all along. However, I am still going to play Devil's Advocate here and say nay to that. If corn were always more profitable, wouldn't they have made this change long ago? As the article says, they are going for what is most profitable now.

Bad News Bears for Soda Drinkers

According to a new report, soda is bad for us! I am almost as shocked as when I read that Lindsay crashed her car after drunk-driving.

Unfortunately, I doubt that reading this article will cause a sudden 180 in, dare I say, most of us who indulge, even though a more health-conscious society would probably take the purported/reported information to heart. I mean, telling the public they may risk liver cirrhosis and Parkinson's by drinking soda should shock them into change! Nevermind all the other ingestibles that can cause these diseases.

Spider Man 3

I saw this movie last week and have been hesitating to write about it. Frankly, I am appalled. THIS is what society has come to---indulging in what can only be called a musical masquerading as a comic book-action movie.

I have deleted the seemingly erroneous information. Thanks for pointing out inconsistencies. However, the movie did top the bar for the highest grossing in the opening weekend. There appear to be a plethora of reasons for its monetary success, but it is impossible to say anything about beating out other, higher grossing movies, let alone becoming numero uno of all time, considering it is still in theaters.

The Cat is Officially Out of the Bag

Friends, I come to you with shocking news. As was reported by MSN, our loveable, tragic, linguistically challenged teen-queen Lindsay Lohan learned very little in rehab, as was evidenced when she crashed her car yet again while driving under the influence of alcohol, or maybe cocaine.

Shall we take bets on whether she will share a "cell" with Paris? The reports did mention Paris might have a roommate...

Work Burnout

I had been contemplating off and on what to write about today. At first, I was going to bring up this interesting article I read about babies who are exhibiting extraordinary intelligence...But then I thought, I don't even like babies, so who cares?

Then I stumbled upon another article that hit much closer to home---"5 Signs of Job Burnout."

I read the bullet points. While it doesn't translate exactly to my situation, it does illuminate a few warning signs. I can easily refute all or parts of the five warning signs, but only because I have made a conscious choice to not behave the way the points suggest.

1) Coworkers walk on eggshells around you. This is not true of me, typically. There have been a couple times that someone said I sounded stressed out, but never has it been because of the coworkers.
2) Come in late and want to leave early. I never come in late to work. In fact, there is absolutely no lenience on lateness, nor would I consider lazing on the job to appease dissatisfaction. As for leaving early, no, I don't do that either; I don't feel like wasting PTO.
3) Apathy has replaced enthusiasm. Actually, I have to admit that there is almost no erroneous information here. The thing is, I may have all those symptoms, but I choose not to let it affect my performance. Regardless, any amount of loathing couldn't force me to give less than 100%.
4) Lost camaraderie with coworkers. The ones I have camaraderie with feel the same way I do, but we don't go talking about it.
5) Feeling physically sick. Yeah. Constantly tired, no energy.

So what does this mean for me? I don't want this blog to become my platform for complaint. This will be the only entry where I discuss dissatisfaction with my current occupation. With hope, it will only be a reference to a time in the past.

Yay! Hooray for NBC...Sort Of.

Well! Where to begin---NBC has brought back "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," at least temporarily. Of course, I am ecstatic. This show has been my favorite from the past season, topping out above "Heroes" and even, yes, "America's Next Top Model." It is different, the writers are good, and even though tonight's episode lacked three key, major characters, they will be back next week, and their mysterious absence did little harm to the show in this instance.

This is my plug. Everyone must watch it. And even if you don't want to watch it, you still must turn your TV on to that channel merely for the ratings. NBC has clearly pulled the stick out of their asses for the moment, and I would like for it to stay that way. It is historic and classic for TV stations to pull the best shows due to poor ratings, replacing them with mindless drivel such as "Deal or No Deal," "One vs 100," "America's Got Talent," hours and hours of "Law and Order" (all be it not really mindless as the aforementioned duo, but quite overplayed). These are just to name a few shows on our lucky subject station.

If you've never seen "Studio 60" you can get episodes here. Watching the episodes online doesn't get the ratings though, which is probably why the fantastic convenience of the internet actually hurt the show.

Manolo Blahnik

I always thought it was weird that there was no website for Manolo Blahnik. You can google "him" or "them" and find out where to purchase these lavish ladies, but there was never a site quite like the newly unveiled.

Not only does his site contain his bio, the shoe collections, and the other usual digs, it has scans of his actual drawings, which can only be called art. The Maestro Blahnik draws in sort of an abstract way, but they are the first manifestations of his fantastic shoe creations.

The pictured are, of course, the ever-so famous Silver Sedaraby. These shoes are the ones from Sex and the City---Carrie Bradshaw is forced to take them off at a birthday party for a kid, when, presumably, one of the other guests literally walks off with them.

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

I am a collector of shoes. More than any other part of fashion, they are the best way to portray my mood.

How many pairs of green heels should one girl have? If I got these, that would put me at 3.

And with that, it is time to introduce everyone to The Manolo, whose shoe blog I've been reading for over a year. But it is more than just a blog about shoes---it's a gathering of people who share a common interest in laughing at stupid celebrities, fawning over gorgeous shoes, and even indulging vicariously in delicious cuisine...

What Some Do For Religion

Now, I know most of you wouldn't necessarily be reading FoxNews on your own, and probably think I'm a bit crazy for looking at it from time to time. However, in perusing for the hilarious "Out There" column, I stumbled upon this atrocity.

It's basically all in the name of religion. Or at least, a part of religion is to blame. Specifically, the Devil.

Rumor Mill

Can it really be a rumor if it is on www.imdb.com?

According to the site, Atlas Shrugged is being put into movie production. I've known about this for several months, but of course, I've heard this rumor before.

The screenplay is supposedly almost complete, and they have signed the very high-profile Angelina Jolie to star as the leading lady. What surprised me most about that fact is that it was SHE who requested the role. Apparently both she and Brad Pitt are quite the Ayn Rand fans. Also, she is not the person I imagine when reading the book.

The major problem I can foresee in this production is that the book is over 1200 pages long---a bit longer than I feel can be adequately portrayed in a two to three hour movie. I would be greatly disappointed if the integrity of the novel were compromised just to make a buck...

The Empire Room

This is my plug for an intimate little bar. The Empire Room is run by a couple of women who seem more likely to offer tea and crumpets. But this is one of the unique aspects. There is interesting decor and a quiet atmosphere. These ladies can make a good drink to boot. Those of you who know me know how I like my vodka. Next time I'm in there I'll try some food and report back.

Es ist fertig!

Now this is a subject that strikes my fancy. America's Next Top Model. Out of my character, I am addicted to this show.

Last night's finale promised to be "surprising" and it was, indeed. I wasn't shocked by the win of Jaslene. Of the three that began the episode, I wanted her to win. Renee was pretty, but she was fake and mean spirited and her best picture was the one Tyra took. I still expected her to be number two though. Natasha was...unique looking, but had a perpetual blank stare. I often questioned if there was anything going on in her mind. I feel her spot as number two was a bias against Renee, even though she was the prettier, more photogenic girl.

What was a surprise was how two-faced Tyra seemed, particularly in this episode. In the final stages of judging, I was sure, based off how she spoke to the judges, that they would pick Natasha. They kept going on and on about how Natasha's Cover Girl shot was the best and that Jaslene could not be commercial. Clearly they are insane. Jaslene's was one of her best shots. It was, in fact, one of the few times she looked completely feminine.

More Ranting on the Public Trans...

So, anyone who lives here knows by now that the bus mall has been ripped up and it is SLOWLY becoming the path of the new light rail. No, not the Streetcar. It is the new, improved MAX.

That's right. We are going to have five different types of light rail trains. The new MAX trains are almost futuristic compared to the boxy monstrosity we are used to seeing around town. Apparently, the new trains are going to be incorporated into the current MAX system, running on the existing lines and also the new lines whose building is causing mayhem for drivers in Downtown (of course sensible Portlanders know that causing drivers headaches is what the City of Portland is all about).

The price tag for each car on these new trains is $3.5 million. I got this figure directly from TriMet. They fail to mention in any detail, however, the shiny new streetcars I've seen parked under the Freemont Bridge entrance. Those will be the fifth type of train we have running around here by sometime 2008 once we throw the adorable Vintage Trolley into the mix.

I like the train system here...see my post from yesterday with my suggested improvement.

I borrowed the pictures. I'll probably upload ones I've taken soon. The larger one is the Vintage Trolley juxtaposed with the Streetcar. The other is the MAX, of course.

Loving to Hate Public Transportation

I am not sure I even know where to begin on this subject. Pardon any holes in my points, but that is why it is in rant format. There are plenty of ways to find out that I'm right, regardless...

Portland is known for its MAX (Metropolitan something---who knows) light rail. But beyond that, we also have the Portland Streetcar and a bus system like pulsing veins. Additionally, there are a lot of people who live here who consider themselves "green," that new term given to the environmentalists or those striving to be such. One would think this is all well and good---a bunch of "green" people who never have to drive. And many don't.

Rant 1. People will crowd the mass transit no matter the weather. It is raining? Who needs an umbrella when I can ride the train? It's beautiful and 75 degrees? I think I'll ride the train---it's too hot to walk. In fact, I'd venture to say equal numbers of people ride it when its beautiful out as when the weather is typical Portland (raining, 50 degrees).

Rant 2. And this is a two-part rant. Am I the only person who sees a gross contradiction to being "green" and riding the public transit? First off...don't get me started on how much more pollution is caused per rider by buses than a fuel efficient car like mine (a 1998 Neon). Secondly, the idea of being "green" seems to be somehow equated to being healthy; often it's the vegetarians, the bicyclists, the people who bought PGE's wind power. Why then, aren't they walking around Downtown? Wouldn't that be the healthiest, "greenest" option?

Rant 3. Tax payers pay for TriMet, Portland's mass transit system. Also, anyone outside Fareless Square is supposed to pay to ride it. So, some of us have to pay twice to use the service. Meanwhile, others don't have to pay at all. (To spell it out, the homeless.) The most fair way, if they insist on having this system, is to charge everyone to ride it via making it impossible to board without paying.

Done.

At last: Resurrection

Good news everybody! I heard a rumor and I've done a little research, and by a little, I mean almost none and found out that it is true. Futurama is coming back for the 2008 season.

There are two key elements that must be brought from the original series to make this new crack at it a success. One, they simply MUST bring back the writing staff. Two, they must bring back the original cast. No one likes it when a character is replaced---even if it is only voice acting.

I know. Futurama is adored by nerds, right? Wrong. It is clever. It isn't that only nerds like it; you have to be smart to understand it. And even if you are smart, and don't like it, you can appreciate good writing, especially for a cartoon whose biggest competitors were The Simpsons and Family Guy, two shows packed with toilet humor.

So yes, it is coming back, and along with it, the entire original cast and most of the original writers. This comes from directly from executive producer David X. Cohen's head.

I was gonna include a picture, but I don't wanna get sued.

FEI Equestrian World Cup Finals

Watching the Equestrian World Cup Finals last night has made me think about life before grad school. I was a pretty decent equestrian, mainly hunters, and some Dressage. I had a couple talented horses at different times but I let them go for many reasons. I had somewhat deluded dreams of becoming a top book editor; I knew the chances of making a great living in the horse industry are poor; I never had enough money to buy a horse that would take me to FEI level.

But watching the horse show has confirmed one thing for sure. I definitely need to return to horseback riding. If not for my health (it is rigorous work) , for my sanity. And, I think I could be content with letting it be a hobby than a way of life.

The picture is of my former horse Eugene. He was a second level Dressage horse. The rider is not me, but the girl who used to lease him for showing purposes.

The Worst Part

The worst part of setting up this blog was trying to find a clever url that wasn't already taken by some imbecile who discarded his or her blog five years ago. It took me over an hour. The next worst part was trying to figure out if I have anything worth saying.