I can't imagine how a non-smoker could marry a smoker.  Such is the case with a couple I know.  The guy smokes; the girl doesn't.  Doesn't he taste like an ashtray?  Doesn't everything you own smell like smoke?  Don't you feel weird that you have a very high chance of outliving him and of witnessing his brutal death from lung cancer?  It's one thing if you're old and you got married before anybody knew anything bad about smoking.  And it's another thing if you both smoke.  But it's entirely different to be a young couple, full of knowledge of the effects of smoking (both the cancer-y effects and the it-smells-gross effects), and be entirely ok with marriage, or even just a relationship.  It boggles the mind. #lifestyle

Every time I see the preview for that new movie Lakeview Terrace, my heart rate and blood pressure increase in anger because I think that's how cops really think of themselves:  Above the law.  In fact, I know that's how cops think of themselves, as witnessed by daily cases of speeding, disobeying traffic laws, and other such nonsense. 

On an opposing note, I just saw a cop in Maryland this morning who actually pulled his car onto the shoulder of the highway and ran into the road to remove an object that had fallen off a truck.  Seeing a cop do an unexpected nice thing was quite eye-opening. #entertainment

I saw the movie Iron Man a few months ago, and while it was cool, I was disappointed that the Black Sabbath song "Iron Man" didn't play until the last five seconds of the movie.  I was really expecting them to use the song throughout. #entertainment

A friend was invited to our house last Sunday to watch some football.  He wanted to bring something, and we were all out of beer, so we asked him to bring a 6-pack of our favorite, Yuengling.  He hesitated and mentioned his lack of knowledge about beer, then repeated, "Ying Ling?"  The situation was made even funnier by the fact that he's a Filipino, which is close enough to Asian to make the joke complete. #food

Speaking of Chipotle, I have an issue regarding the consumption of fajitas:  I suck at it.  I don't know what my problem is, but every time I try to eat a fajita, it splits open and spills its guts all over the place.  Or the ends that are so carefully folded over so as to keep all the guts inside magically unfold themselves and spill the guts everywhere.  By the end of the meal, I'm always reduced to scooping the guts off my plate with my fingers, since utensils are never provided for a meal of fajitas.  I'm thinking about seeing a counselor. #food

Chipotle may be the best faux Mexican place on earth ("faux" because I'm sure all the smart kids would comment, "It's not real Mexican.").  Their "Food With Integrity" philosophy says,

"...we can always do better in terms of the food we buy. And when we say better, we mean better in every sense of the word- better tasting, coming from better sources, better for the environment, better for the animals, and better for the farmers who raise the animals and grow the produce.

The hallmarks of Food With Integrity include things like unprocessed, seasonal, family-farmed, sustainable, nutritious, naturally raised, added hormone free, organic, and artisanal."

This goes well with on-the-fence hippies like me.  Plus they use the super spice cilantro, adding that mint/lime flavor to everything.  Muy delicioso! 

The first time I went, I got the "hot" variety of salsa, which was a huge mistake.  A few years later, I went again and got "medium," and my life has never been the same since.  I recently went to a Qdoba for the first time in 8 years to see if their food compares.  To put it lightly, it doesn't. #food

It's weird how the mind creates dreams. 

The other day I was reading a book, and my dream that night expanded on the topic I read about in the book.  It was weird because the topic was mentioned almost in passing, but my mind seemed to take it and run with it.  I awoke wondering how those thoughts got it my head in the first place, then realize it must've started with the book. 

Even more recently, I dreamt that I was mad at someone, and when I awoke, I felt the same way and had to convince myself that my feelings were based entirely on a dream.  It was exactly like this Brevity comic from last week. #psychology

I've mentioned this before, but most hotels these days have a sign on the bathroom door saying something about their desire to save water and detergent, thus asking you to hang up your towel if you plan to use it again.  The thing is, I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel that followed its own advice.  Hotels always replace all the towels in and around the bathroom, whether they're used or not.  Good idea; bad implementation. #travel

This month's political comment:  John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate because she's the complete opposite of him.  She's

1. A woman
2. Under the age of 80
3. Not painful to look at

#politics

I spent last week in beautiful, sunny, tropical Bermuda, riding a scooter around and snorkeling at several of the island's gorgeous beaches.  It was excellent.  I know what you're thinking.  "Dave, what are you, like a bazillionaire?  Didn't you already go to Germany and Arizona this summer?"  Yes, I did.  But if you'll remember, we slept in a tent and ate crappy food in Arizona, and Germany was unexpected, but still a large portion of it was covered by Wendy's employer.  So no, I'm not a bazillionaire.  I just know how to travel cheap and often.  Case in point:  In traveling to Bermuda, we used credit card points to get airline tickets, then stayed in a bed and breakfast (and dinner) because hotels cost $200-$300 per night.  It wasn't a cheap trip per se, but it was cheaper than it could've been, which makes me happy.  Anyway, here's what we did: 

Day 1 - Arrived via plane; checked into the bed and breakfast; walked around the rocks at Devonshire Bay

Day 2 - Took a bus to Hamilton; rented a scooter; walked around to City Hall and Fort Hamilton; ate lunch and watched some opening week football; drove to John Smith's Bay for a swim

Day 3 - Drove to Hamilton; took a ferry to the Royal Naval Dockyard; snorkeled in Snorkel Park; took a ferry to St. George's; walked around Ordnance Island and Town Hall; walked further to the Unfinished Church and Fort St. Catherine; snorkeled in Tobacco Bay; took a ferry back to Hamilton; watched Monday Night Football

Day 4 - Drove to Horseshoe Bay (and left because it was crowded); snorkeled in Church Bay; climbed the Gibb's Hill Lighthouse; swam at Elbow Beach

Day 5 - Hiked in Spittal Pond Nature Reserve to Spanish Rock; stopped at Blue Hole Park and saw a blue hole and some caves; climbed up St. David's Lighthouse; snorkeled in Turtle Bay; snorkeled in a downpour in Tobacco Bay; watched the sunset

Day 6 - Walked through Paget Marsh; snorkeled at West Whale Bay; snorkeled and rode some waves at Warwick Long Bay

Day 7 - Snorkeled at Tobacco Bay; flew home

Pictures: more »