Fun Fact #50: Palin is from Alaska? Really?!

Today was a big day in politics. Now, thanks to Palin becoming McCain's running mate, getting either McCain or Obama into the White House will be a historical event. A lot of people have issues with Palin considering her stances on abortion and off-shore drilling. Personally, I think it's an obvious ploy to try to get the disgrunteled Hilary voters and I hope those voters will realize that though Palin is a woman, she might not be the best person to push a lot of the "women's" issues forward. And while it's always nice to see a woman "break the glass ceiling", it's also kind of uncomfortable to realize that the main reason Palin got her position is due to her gender. I don't see how a man with the same experience (or lackthereof) would've even been considered by McCain.

McCain's choice of Palin seemed like it took a lot of the media by surprise. The NYT.com seems to have been going through all their footage of Palin to try and find one that conveys the proper image as their main picture has been changing constantly. They seemed to have settled on one and it's certaintly an intersting choice:


I love how Palin is dwarfed by both the bear carcass she's sitting on and the giant crab in front of her. It's really just such an awkward picture for the NYT to chose, though I guess they could be trying to showcase her Alaska roots. I'm not a fan of Palin, but I think a lot of their earlier picture choices were more appropriate. Maybe, if we're lucky, tomorrow's picture will have her frolicking in the Alaskan wilderness with some huskies and polar bears while wearing an Eskimo outfit!! Because what could get more Alaksan than that?!

Fun Fact #45: 3-D Films Terrify Me

I can watch almost any film and read any sort of book without getting scared, I'll get disturbed if something is really horrific but usually not scared. Though there are exceptions, I'm totally terrified by 3-D films. I assume that my fear started after some traumatic viewing experience when I was an overly imaginative child, an experience so traumatic that it was entirely wiped from my memory. Either that, or I'm just a baby when it come to images leaping at me from the screen.I've only seen a few 3-D films and they were all at amusement parks (i.e. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience at Disneyland). I never even thought that they'd come to theaters since that seemed to have gone out of style in the '50s, so imagine my horror when I discovered that 3-D films have made a comeback. In fact, I was almost dragged to see the horrible looking (due both the the story and 3-D images) Journey to the Center of the Earth. Luckily, I managed to get out of the viewing but I can only assume that had I seen it my entire experience would've made up of me cowering in terror.

But perhaps I would've gone with my other coping mechanism, which involves me refusing to put on the stupid glasses they give you. I might have occasionally put them on for a minute, but they would've been torn off the minute something came flying toward me. Oh, and viewing a 3-D image without the glasses means that the film is weirdly colored and distorted.

If you've been privileged enough to never have seen a 3-D film, then you'll have to trust me that even a cute rabbit hopping towards you becomes horrific in 3-D.

Fun Fact #33: I'm terrified my toenail is going to fall off

I was trying to be a "good sport" in December when I decided to embrace the miserable cold and snow that winter brings to Pittsburgh by going skiing. I used a pair a pair of my cousin's old boots and things seemed to be going to well, I mean the boots hurt a little but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

The next morning I woke up to find the toenail on my big toe was throbbing and turning unpleasant colors. I realize this sounds like a pretty mundane "injury" to complain about but now, about three months later, the nail is dark black and feels (and looks) like it's going to fall off. The thought of that happening makes me nauseous.

I've been unable to stop focusing on my "deformed" toenail. I just want the nail off to fall off quickly, but I don't want it to be a surprise. I realize that it almost sounds like I'm discussing giving birth or something. Anyways, one of my newest fears involves taking off my shoe and having my toe nail fall off in the process. I now take my shoes off very carefully...

I'm super impatient and like being in control of things, I'm not into anything unexpected. I was totally the kid who would basically tear their loose tooth out to avoid waiting for it to fall out. I would head to the bathroom the second I felt that my tooth was loose and sit in front of the mirror twisting it until it came out.

I obviously cannot follow the same tactics for my toenail since it would probably lead to excruciating pain, so I just have to wait it out. I realize this is not a very significant event to write about it but it's probably the thing I'm focusing on most. For better or worse, I tend to obsesses about things I have no control over.

UPDATE: My biggest fear came true and I tore my toenail off when I was removing my shoe. I can't even look at my toe without feeling nauseous but I guess it can start healing now.

Fun Fact #19: There is such a thing as a "Precious Moments" casket

I've never been a fan of "Precious Moments" figurines. It's okay if others like them (each to their own after all), but I personally find them to be cloyingly sentimental. Maybe it's because I'm somewhat emotionless and don't like overly religious things, but the figurines just kind of creep me out. I tend to have a relatively cynical view of life, and "Precious Moments" products seem to embody a polar opposite view.

Even though I hate them, a lot of people are totally obsessed with them. I guess some people are obsessed to the point that they want to buried for all eternity in a casket with creepy little dolls all over it. Yes, there is a "Precious Moments" casket and it's every bit as glorious as one would imagine it to be.

This is the lovely casket. I can only kind of imagine the individual who would want to be buried in such a casket, and it's a pretty depressing image.

But if a burial isn't your thing, there's nothing to be depressed about because there's also an urn!
The urn even has a creepy figurine proudly attached to it. Imagine the questions that would be asked if you had this displayed in your house. Kids would probably assume it was a toy or something and knock the whole thing over.

The whole "Precious Moments" obsession just confuses me. There must be a market for the casket and urn, otherwise they wouldn't be made. The level that the obsession must reach in order to want to be buried in that casket just amazes me. I mean I was obsessed with Titanic during what was probably my least cynical phase, but I never wanted to be buried in a casket shaped like a replica of the boat or anything.

Fun Fact #8: I recently experienced the most awkward date of my life

So, since moving to Pittsburgh I've gone on a lot of dates with various guys, some have obviously gone better than others. But nothing will top the sheer awkwardness of the one I experienced last week.

This kid was relatively good-looking, albeit in a slightly nerdy way, and he was had a degree from Carnegie Mellon University, so there seemed to be some potential. But the date rapidly went downhill due to his need to tell me the most absurd things. CKC has heard them, but I still felt the need to share them. So here's a list of the "fun facts" my date told me about himself:

1.) His mom was a lesbian but he was totally against gay marriage. He got so worked up that he across as blatantly homophobic.

2.) He told me, in his words, that he was a "xenophobe" and didn't like any "foreigners".

3.)He hates all "intellectuals" and doesn't understand why someone would want to go law school. His time at CMU, according to him, was a nightmare because he was surrounded by lots of "Asian intellectuals, most who couldn't speak English".

4.) He somehow plans to be successful in life by getting his current boss fired and taking over the company, even though no one really likes him there. I think his attempt at a coup is doomed to failure due to the total lack of support he'll have in the aftermath.

5.)He loves musicals and plays, but he's only seen two in his entire life. I've never had someone tell me mundane details of Rent than this kid. He seemed to totally fixate on things.

6.)His favorite TV show is "Sex and the City" and his favorite character is Charlotte. Not because she's the prettiest (which is reason most guys give), but because she behaves how all women should behave...

7.)He believes women today are far too aggressive and need to learn how to be "sweeter". Ambition is not a plus in a woman.

8.) He's 25 and divorced because his ex-wife didn't want to have children immediately.

Obviously, this date did not end with a promise of a second date. There was something totally off about this kid, but I cannot place it. Maybe he had Asperger's or something like that? I'm totally going to assume that's what the problem is, because I did that with someone else once and I still believe my diagnosis was right on the money.