NY Times

I come up with all these good ideas to blog about at work but then I feel bad about taking time out of my day to blog. Instead, I think about what to blog about & then I can't get any work done. I probably should just blog at work to get it out of my system.

At work, I have tons of distractions...but don't get me wrong...its not one of those jobs. I love work & I kinda hate distractions b/c they get me off schedule & I really feel the fire under my ass.

Pittsburgh is in Act 47 status - we're pretty much a distressed city working under the bright eye of Harrisburg & the state government. The rumor is they want us to "town" status. Basically, it means we have a shitload of work to do b/c we have to rework everything that we had been doing under major budget cuts & big brother's discretion.

I'm also a measley law clerk & I work for cheap (in comparison to a real lawyer). I'm the best bang for their buck. Don't get me wrong though. I love my work environment & I really love what I do & I am learning so much.

Back to what I wanted to blog about while I was @ work...

One of my distractions is reading the NY Times headlines.

I may have blogged previously about my newest goal: to read the sports page of the Pirrsburgh Gazette or Espn.com headlines (or, I heard the NY Post) so I can be "in the know" & able to shoot the shit w/ male attorneys. I'm not one usually to conform to gender roles & I hate that I have to go out of my way to "crack the code" of male lawyer banter...but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. I'll kick all men down when I am the head honcho (enough feminist ranting for one day!).

...but that was yet another sidenote!

We're talking about the NY Times headlines.

I am a subscriber to the "advertising" section too. Recently, I got an e-mail advertising update about Absolut Vodka campaigns. I guess Absolut Vodka is gearing their campaigns more for the newfound "cocktail culture" & asking consumers to "Find their flavor".

I guess this makes perfect sense in a world that is woo'ed by Sex & the City. We want flashy drinks. We also want to be "unique" and "find ourselves" by matching ourselves to "the type" or "the flavor" that sits well on our tongue (pun intended...maybe pushed too hard even...).

But I remember growing up & buying Guillaume (my first boyfriend...he's French!) "The Absolut Book", filled with all the absolut vodka ads. It was a pretty kitchy (i never use that word, may be used incorrectly here...) "cocktail table" book. What I liked about it is what I think people believe about absolut ads - they were the prime examples of subliminal advertising. They were the New Yorker covers of vodka ads.

So, fine. You business majors may say that Absolut took another genius advertising move. They switched from subversive to allegiant; tricky to honest; undermining to helpful.

Now their message is more "help me, help you" but quite frankly I liked the more edgy, more blunt - "deep down inside, you want some absolut".

just some food for thought.

In other headlines - I guess gaydar is becoming foggy.

Also, the most important recent headlines (but I feel I should put it on its own post but no time for that now...I have a 8:30-5 job & I have to go to sleep!) - um, have you seen the two recent death penalty cases from the Supreme Court? Awesome. (one is from texas about racial discrimination in jury selection since the prosecution got rid of qualified potential black jurors under prextual "race neutral" terms & the supreme court saw through their B.S!...the other is from PA about the inadequate assistance from the defendant's attorney) (<-- sorry this is not legal jargon, i'm too tired & too tipsy to think) (<-- I am getting to be a real lawyer now since I drink every night!!!). Thank you Justice O'Connor for switching sides in the PA case. You my girl (for the time being.)

p.s. when picking font size you get to choose from: "huge" "large" "normal size" "small" or "tiny"

trying to concentrate

Ever have one of those days where you think you are working hard but nothing is really getting done. Yea, that is me right now.

Some comments:
Utne: I’ve been trying to cancel my subscription for months now & whenever it is about to run out they always slam me with a really good issue, making me give in & pay for a whole new 6 month run. This time no more. Even if the issue is freakin’ amazing, I’m selling out (if that is what you want to call it) to my new favorite magazine ‘Radar’. (http://www.radar.com) ß may be incorrect.

Drug tests: I am a pro on employer drug testing. I know the best defenses, the best way to get out of it & also all the chemical procedures that the labs do. Anybody who wants to drug test me…WATCH OUT! (I love how the more I research how an employer can comply w/ reasonable drug tests, the more I find out how an employee can get away with one).

Batman: I saw this last night. I have lots of comments. I will blog when I am not at work.

Love thy Neighbors!

I have a new neighbor on blogger.com. I love him. Despite his incorrect rants.

http://kdr78.blogspot.com

comments

thank you K for letting me know about my comments section.

i think its fixed now.

Michigan Blues

When it comes to law students, I would say that Kirk is the least competitive one I know. True, he sometimes jokes that the law clerks at the City of Pittsburgh are not true "law students" b/c none of us are on a journal...but I know this is his jealousy speaking (we make $2.50/hr more than him!). Except there's one thing that can get KDR's blood boiling: where we went to undergrad. Proud as he may be of his alma mater (University of Rochester - I know, who has even heard of it?!?!!), it will never be University of Michigan.

Still, he can't seem to reason with this. Instead, he takes low blows & he tries to defame the Maize and Blue.

So, when I told him that I heard a flag with the University of Michigan was on the moon - little Kirky had a field day. He went to NASA'S website & searched the FAQ - only to find 6 pictures of American flags. Proof that there was no Michigan flag on the moon.

Delighted, he teased me to the end. "Where did you hear this? At Michigan?" (Then, like a good researcher, he checked for Michigan urban legends on www.snopes.com...nothing came up about the flag on the moon...).

Tumbling down the rabbit hole w/ envy, Kirk did what any rational man would do. He stopped fighting with me & the Big House &amp; the Diag & the Arb & the Rock & the Cube.

Not only did he stop trying to compete but he found a picture of the astronaut putting the flag on the moon & he photoshopped a University of Michigan flag onto it just to make me happy.

Awww, nothing like a man who makes me breakfast in bed on a Sunday!!