Meme mimicry

Nik started this, David picked it up, Joe contributed, so I guess it's the in thing to do.

Four jobs you've had in your life: 1st job - working at a print shop, 2nd job - swimming pool lifeguard, 3rd job - Radio Shack crap pusher, 4th job - Ad layout for the New Albany Gazette

Four movies you could watch over and over: "Star Wars," "Snatch," Fight Club," Room With a View"

Four places you've lived: Anniston, Ala.; Oxford, Miss.; Pontotoc, Miss., Natchez, Miss.

Four TV shows you love to watch: "My Name Is Earl," "Medium," "The Young Ones," "Pete and Pete"

Four places you've been on vacation: Monticello, Miss.; Washington, DC; Orange Beach, Ala.; Rome, Italy

Four websites you visit daily: ATW, Spatula Forum, CNN, NYT

Four of your favorite foods: Red beans and rice, my grandmother's turkey and dressing, my grandmother's fruitcake, and, currently, Qdoba. I just can't get enough of it for some reason.

Four places you'd rather be: David struggled with this one, and so am I. Right now, at this stage in my life, I'm very happy. But if I had to choose, it would be somewhere with Christina. Somewhere warm like the beach. Or maybe somewhere cold, but festive, like Memphis on New Year's Eve. Then again, Oxford's always a good choice. That's only three. Hmm. How about behind the wheel of my AC Cobra at Barber Racecourse. Yeah.

The POY toy

Time Magazine is currently promoting its upcoming Person of the Year (POY) award. One of their promotions is a chance for you to be POY over Times Square. All you need do is submit a photo of yourself or someone you love (or I guess someone you hate who is wanted by federal authorities). If your photo is selected, Time will email you back with a photo of your picture above Times square.

Christina and I were persons of the year Saturday morning around 12:19 a.m.

I'd love to see others do this too.

Animal control

Our house has an amazing gadget. It's a Domestic Animal Control Device. It works like this. If you want your domesticated animals fully alert and active, you set the guage near 100. If you want them calm and cuddly, set it around 60. The animals just love curling up with us on the couch and, amazingly, each other. They're so cute when they aren't shredding the rug or chasing each other around or chewing on the plants.

As if you needed another reason not to buy a Ford

After a boycott by the American Family Association (yes, based in Tupelo, Mississipp, only 10 miles from my hometown) Ford has agreed to pull almost all its advertising from gay and lesbian-targeted media. Apparently the executives at Ford agree with AFA Head Donald Wildmon and God that gays are an abomination and therefore shouldn't drive Ford branded vehicles. Except Volvo. Volvo (which, if you didn't know, was bought by Ford a few years ago) will continue to target gays and lesbians. I guess it's considered a liberal enough brand that a few gay buyers won't hurt the image.

Has Ford looked at its image lately? Has it looked at its sales numbers lately? Ford is currently planning to shut down as many as 10 plants and get rid of 30,000 workers. If I were in charge of their advertising, I'd be targeting anyone with a driver's license and $150 a month to make a lease payment.

Good luck Ford! I hope there are enough right-wing conservative Christians out there who need new 10 mpg SUVS to keep those remaining factories humming.

Merry happy Kwanhanukamas holiday! And a happy New Festivus

Sometimes, just for fun, I listen to conservative talk radio.

It always, no matter the topic, gets me enraged. Which is great if I'm travelling a long way and get sleepy. Wakes me right up.

But, yesterday, I was on my way to work and listening to a local right-leaning talk radio station. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the show. But they were discussing Christmas. Specifically, Wal-Mart's alleged mandate to its employees not to say "Merry Christmas" to its customers.

According to the show hosts, Wal-Mart was trying to be all-inclusive to its varied customers and their many religions and backgrounds. I can understand why a business would want to do that. And, suprisingly, the show host agreed with me. Why alienate customers? If you're in the money-making business, you don't make money by pissing off your customers.

What surprised me was the host's next statement. He wasn't upset about the ban on "Merry Christmas" (Which, by the way isn't even true. Check out this story.). He was bothered by the fact Wal-Mart's current ad campaign was "Home for the Holidays," instead of "Home for Christmas." He was outraged that a national retail chain would choose to slight the most major of Christian holidays. And I think his views are colored by this Fox News' commentator John Gibson's book, "The War on Christmas."

But wait.

I thought Christians were sick and tired of the commercialization of Christmas. I thought it was about the birth of Jesus.

So now that Wal-Mart has agreed with the Christians and taken Christmas out of its advertising, the Christians feel left out and want back in?

Ok. Now I'm really confused.