When someone is throwing a party — let’s say a wedding reception — he always buys cheap beer, ostensibly hoping to save money on the party. You’d have to do a cost analysis on it to prove the point one way the other, but I think you’d save money by providing good, tasty, expensive beer:

1. Normally, people who overindulge don’t enjoy flavorful beer.

2. It’s more difficult to drink too much flavorful beer.

If you ever try it, let me know how it works out.

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There is this nebulous phrase I keep hearing in studies about religion or exercise or food. Namely, “a general sense of well-being.” I executed a Google search for this phrase and got over 10,000 results. I found out that one can get “a general sense of well-being” from the following:

– Music Therapy

– Religion/Prayer

– Somatic Reintegration

– Laughter

– Sports

– Thermal Spas

– Nutrition

– Transcendental Meditation

– Peruvian Maca Root

– etc.

So at least you have a host of choices.

Pop quiz: Name the worst video rental store. And the answer is….Blockbuster. Where else can you rent a video for 2 days and find out that it’s due back in 18 hours? I fully expect the Oshkosh Blockbuster to bust *again* within 3 years.

More recently, I’ve been a little worried about the emasculation of the American male. As always, an anectode is in order. A certain “man” just said to me, “I can’t forget my lunchbox at work. If that happens, my wife will kick my a**.”

Just picked up the new Coldplay — X&Y. I’m pleased that Coldplay, or the label, or the suit that makes these decisions kept the FBI anti-piracy warning very small, nearly unreadable, on the disc and case. Especially, there is not the gimcrack FBI seal that I’ve seen on a few albums. These things make me want to *not* buy music.

Oh yeah, the music is enchanting, the melodies are well-crafted, the lyrics are keen. It is good. That is to say, it is just, pure, and lovely. It is of good report and I shall think on it for quite some time to come.

…Oops, just caught the gimcrack FBI seal on the back of the case. Well, it’s small and unobtrusive (that is, it doesn’t take up 1/4 of the “behind the disc” space and isn’t in colour…ugh).

MG, a graphic designer responds: “Indeed. That FBI notice is a designer’s nightmare. It’s like someone painting a huge ‘do not touch’ sign right into the Mona Lisa before hanging it back up in the Louvre. It’s really disgusting, and I’m sure it’s not effective enough to justify making it that much more difficult on the eyes of so many brilliant designers and the album consumers.”

(It’s sad that a quick comment on such a beautiful record has degenerated into a discussion of the FBI anti-piracy seal.)

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I don’t know what it is but I’m going to go with “the weather.” For two days, we’ve been able to hear almost every jet aircraft that flies overhead. Normally, you’d see the planes by their vapor trails and not hear them. Now you can’t see them but you can hear them. Really, it’s uncanny. But it’s been hot and humid for exactly that long so the things coincide and that would be the only logical explanation anyway. How fascinating!