Facebook!

I still think it's evil. It's a scary stalking tool.

Granted, I'm trying to harness some of it's evil power for good and get some involvement for our upcoming Relay For Life event. But still, I don't know what's more disturbing to me: That someone would accept a random friend request from someone they don't know, that people put up so much personal information, or that I felt like a stalker trying to find people in the community to get involved.

It is funny, however, to see how many high school seniors list beer pong as an interest or hobby. Oh children...

Perhaps I don't understand. Do you really need to get in contact with that kid who pushed you on the playground in 2nd grade (Thank you, Jonathan)? Or that punk who mercilessly harassed you throughout those awkward middle school years (Ricardo, you moron, I do hope your pumping gas somewhere instead of in jail or dead).

I can see wanting to keep in touch with people and I see how much easier this makes it. But I don't think everyone needs or even wants to know what I'm thinking at all times (Of course, you could just ask me). And if you are just going to use the mailing feature of of Facebook, why can't you send an email to begin with? Am I old-fashioned? Is "e-mail" actually old-fashioned now?

Damn.

I admit I've been tempted and sometimes succumbed to the urge to see what my friends are doing. And who knows, maybe someday I'll have a change of heart. If I work up the gumption to move across the country where I'd be leaving everything behind, maybe then I'd yearn to be in touch with "everyone." Maybe then I'd want you all to know what I'm doing in a vain attempt to feel somehow connected.

For now though, I'd rather the dialogue. The rapid-fire bitching emails during work. The camaraderie over a few beers and some cheesy appetizers. Or just sitting there with the people I love around me.

Lame, Mikaroni, lame! Hahaha. Oh well. I never said I was cool.

Cannonball

"Stones taught me to fly

Love taught me to lie

Life taught me to die

So it's not hard to fall

When you float like a cannonball"

I lost my keys...

on Tuesday morning. At the dentist's office of all places. Halfway through the cleaning, I felt my pocket in a panic and what do you know. Empty.

So naturally I got a little worried. Naturally I they weren't in my other pocket. Or my jacket pocket. Or in the snow or on the sidewalk to where I parked the car. Not even in the car or the ignition. And not on the way back into the office. Or the chair. Or on the way back to the car again.

I had a spare car key that I keep in my wallet, so I was thankful that I could actually leave. But c'mon now. Where the hell could they have gone?

It threw me off all day. Not to mention it wasn't a normal day to begin with. I was psyched for the inauguration, so for me to have any type of positive emotion on a Tuesday morning is unusual (Tuesdays are my least favorite day of the week... Like a friend that keeps reminding you about all your faults). I managed to calm myself down enough to watch Obama and feel good.

Then off to work. First day in a new building. Shouldn't have been an issue, but I was thrown for a loop. Gotta love working for the public.

Got home at 9, tired and drained. Gave up, went to bed. Before work Wednesday morning, went back to the office. To and fro and lo and behold, nothing.

Then I did something I didn't really expect to do. I have a tenuous relationship with religion. I wrote the keys off as gone. But then I said a little prayer and gave the problem over to God.

Ever heard that quote: "Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway." Well, I wasn't that messed up about it that I couldn't sleep. But what the hell, right?

Before I left work that night, I got a call. The dentist's office found my keys on a ledge inside the building while a patient was waiting for a ride home.

The Mikaroni Playlist!

I tried to keep it to one song per artist, but I wasn't totally successful. (Can you tell I'm a Guster fan?)

1. Subtitles -- Eric Hutchinson
2. Be Yourself -- Audioslave
3. Just Pretend -- The Bens
4. Overkill -- Colin Hay
5. Two Points For Honesty -- Guster
   
6. The Recluse -- Cursive
7. Lonely Soldier -- Damien Rice
8. St. Lawrence River -- David Usher
9. The Crane Wife 3 -- The Decemberists
10. Overdue -- The Get Up Kids
11. Funeral Dress -- William Fitzsimmons
12. I'm Through -- Guster
13. Echo -- The Hush Sound
14. Bruised -- The Bens
    
15. El Capitan -- Idlewild
16. The Trapeze Swinger -- Iron & Wine
17. Believe In What You Want -- Jimmy Eat World
18. In The Sun -- Joseph Arthur
19. Closer -- Joshua Radin
20. Born Losers -- Matthew Good
21. Hover Near Fame -- The New Amsterdams
22. Undercover -- Pete Yorn
23. Fireflies -- Rhett Miller & Rachael Yamagata
24. Hands Open -- Snow Patrol
25. Parachute -- Guster
26. Let's Dance to Joy Division -- The Wombats

Mitochondrial Eve

Browsing CNN this morning I came across an article that suggests we were pushed to the brink of extinction. I wonder if we made any sort of list 70,000 years ago. Ha. But it also referred to something I think is fascinating: mitochondrial Eve. Here's the article: Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago, study says - CNN.com and the quote:

"Studies using mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down through mothers, have traced modern humans to a single "mitochondrial Eve," who lived in Africa about 200,000 years ago."

If you're bored research it a little more. Makes ya think! Or it did me at least.

Tibet

This can kind of toss things into perspective.

Free Tibet

Who beats a monk?

Now maybe this guy was violent in his protests. Maybe he broke away from the Dalai Lama's peaceful approach. Getting the crap beaten out of you is enough to make anyone look abused. But who's fault is it that there has to be protests in the first place? Why can't diplomacy be the preferred tool?

This is one reason why I'm proud to be American. Because I can look at this picture and feel disgusted that a government would sanction this kind of treatment against its "people." That a part of me can feel righteous outrage at the subjugation of those who don't blindly cow to oppression.

And there's a certain amount of admiration and awe as well. Would I have done the same thing if I was in his position?

I'd like to think so.

Stuck.

I am indeed.

Boo.