Archive for the ‘Found’ Category

Despite predictions by a broad spectrum of economists and Obama Administration officials that improvements in the housing sector are imminent, signs on the street indicate otherwise.  A dramatic increase in pet homes foreclosures in the past two months stunned experts. Trends indicate the market may be more mired than many had hoped. Dogloos, cages and cat scratch towers litter sidewalks and back alleys lately as owners and lenders reclaim these domiciles from cash-strapped pets.

Martin VanKeuren, head of the California SPCA admits, “It’s a dog eat dogloo world out there.”

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Since the advent of gym class, black socks have been a ‘scarlet letter’ for geeks everywhere. Black socks worn with shorts are a blaring beacon for pale, scrawny legs. No ‘true athlete’ would  dare approach a court, field or track in anything but white hosiery.

It took a man’s man to finally make black socks cool. And not any jock could achieve this feat. Such a challenge requires one of the world’s strongest and most successful. After winning the Tour de France an unprecedented seven times, Lance Armstrong could make his ’09 comeback wearing a muumuu and scarf and still scare the shorts off his competitors. Much has been written in cycling blogs about this break in bicycle tradition, but it’s implications for the mainstream fashion world are immense. And sporting black socks  in the French countryside is not simply a Beaujolais and massage induced faux-pas. He also wore black in the 2009 Tour of California and Giro d’Italia. Fashion world take note!

Two months after the Tour of California wound through Southern California, blogger Jeff  Ircink reported that LA has already begun to embrace the new trend.

Update July 15th: Robin Williams ribs Lance for his black socks in this Livestrong video. In addition, Jeff Bean reports that Lance first sported black way back in 2004! Apparently it takes a major comeback to start a fashion revolution.

Doing things yourself is overrated.
My two-year-old  insists on doing everything himself. But age and wisdom, have taught me that life is more relaxing when you allow others to do work for you. For instance, is there a more thankless task than letter writing? Especially ‘thank-you’ letters. Why should I write them myself when I can delegate to an assistant? A personal assistant. Pictured below is my new assistant (although he prefers to be referred to as my ‘apprentice’). He was  a gift for my 40th birthday, and has turned my life of drudgery into a worker’s holiday. Most days I forget that I am not a spa-pampered retiree.

Does he bring me pencils and paper clips? Whenever I need them. In truth, I never do need them since he does all my menial desk work. Does he bring me beverages on his ‘included’ tray (not pictured)? Not yet, but he will when I finish training him.

Many friends have purchased sleek personal digital assistants with bright colors and fancy applications they can flick away with the wave of a finger. …How ‘early 2009.’
Analog is  the future. My Personal Analog Assistant never needs recharging or software upgrades. With a simple wind-up he springs into action. And with the magnet glued to his chest, he’s ‘future-ready’ for when mag-lev becomes the dominant mode of travel.

Ok, I will admit that his range is currently limited (about 3-4 inches in whatever direction I point him). His tray won’t stay in his hands (thus all the spilt drinks). But what new technology does not come with a few bugs? And what apprentice does not require some training? Drop by sometime to say hello, and I’ll ask him to bring you the mini-umbrella for your piña colada.