Airline food Mar 16, 2007
There once was a time when you were served a meal on every commercial airline flight.  And the food was totally free.  But "to save money" (the end user obviously hasn't seen much of these savings) the airlines cut down on amenities like that, so that only 5-hour flights got free meals, and now no flights get free meals (depending on the airline).  Consumers were outraged that they were charged $5 for something that used to be completely free.  What a ripoff.  And in addition to a $13,000 plane ticket to Florida?  Forget it, jerks! 

But something recently changed my entire way of thinking.  Wendy and I were in LAX for a layover, so we went to one of the fine airport eateries to get some lunch.  We got a couple of simple sandwiches, a soda, and a water.  The bill came to $25.  I'm more than willing to spend $25 on a lobster or a really good steak, but $25 for a $7 meal is a ripoff.  But that's how it is everywhere in the airport.  Burger King meals for $10?  Ice cream for $6?  It's ridiculous, but what's the alternative?  Leaving the airport, walking around a dirty city like Newark to find some disgusting hot dogs, then going through the whole airport security fiasco all over again?  Heck no.  So we spend $25 on a couple sandwiches and drinks and then pee all over the bathroom to make up for it.  Just kidding. 

The alternative to overpriced airport food should now be quite obvious:  Less overpriced airline food, and all the free liquids you can possibly drink, all for a measly $5.  That $5 doesn't sound so bad anymore.  Plus, airline food has been gradually shifting away from the "microwavable steak sandwiches in plastic wrappers" and moving onto healthy things like salads and wraps.  The ham and cheese wrap I had on the flight home from Hawaii was pretty darn good, and that free Pepsi was even better.  I've made up my mind:  $5 on the plane is better than $25 in the airport. #food
Stranger Than Fiction Mar 16, 2007
I saw Stranger Than Fiction on the plane last week, and I really liked it.  It wasn't a typical Will Ferrell movie, but he played a fairly typical Will Ferrell role (which was good).  The movie has been compared to Being John Malkovich, the Truman Show, Fight Club, and others.  It has that moment where all the smart kids say, "I knew that would happen" as I sit there in complete life-changing amazement (I have poor reading comprehension [and therefore also movie-watching] skills).  My favorite line was when the main character said, "I'm somehow involved in some sort of story, like I'm a character in my own life."  It's just such a cool idea, and it's something I've thought about myself.  Unlike some of the movies it's been compared to, this one has a happy ending and doesn't leave you feeling like your head's on backwards. #entertainment
Self-centered Mar 16, 2007
I've noticed that certain people are very self-centered (by making this statement, I'm sort of grouping myself in the same category ["I, I, I..."]).  These people tend to concentrate entire conversations on themselves, and even when an attempt is made to change the topic, it still somehow centers around them.  These people aren't fun to talk to, and identifying these people makes me want to steer clear of them in the future.  Sometimes I can be other-centered for a little while.  I occasionally care about other people enough to hear about every minute detail of a specific event in their miserable lives (I'm thinking of a specific example right now; not everyone has miserable lives).  And I'll sit there and listen and ask questions to further the conversation.  It's not a show or a formality; I genuinely care and am interested.  But sometimes I wish I was mean enough to say out loud what I was thinking in my head:  "Hey, the world doesn't revolve around you.  This isn't the biggest problem in the world, and nothing good can possibly come from complaining about it.  Get over yourself and realize that other people, events, and things exist, and that conversations can focus on something other than you."  Instead, I'll write it on my website. #psychology
Scooter (2) Mar 16, 2007
I don't trust anyone with the name Scooter.  And seriously, how can I?  Scooter can only refer to one of the following 3 things: 
  1. The thing from the Muppets
  2. A device used by children to achieve linear motion
  3. A verb meaning "To go suddenly and speedily; hurry."
So to have a major political figure named Scooter, we as a nation should've realized we were heading down the wrong path.  Whatever this guy Scooter did, I'm sure he had it coming to him, what with a name like Scooter.  It's his own fault. #psychology