The World Around Us

I love the Internet. This post is just about some random things I found on the Internet today.

Celebs
I like to read celebrity news and gossip. Once you read it every day for awhile, you realize it's just the same stuff over and over. However, here's a pretty weird one that's new to me. This is from MSNBC's gossip column, "The Scoop". I feel that it speaks for itself so I'm not going to add my own editorial comment.

The Scoop is shocked that Matt Damon didn’t fall all over himself thanking Jennifer Love Hewitt for giving him a bed. “There was this article and it was about Matt Damon, and he was saying that he works so much that he doesn’t feel like he has a bed of his own anywhere. And it really struck me as this sort of sad thing,” the "Ghost Whisperer" star said, according to ContactMusic. “I was like, ‘He’s famous and he’s so cute and he’s Matt Damon and he should feel like he has a bed.’ It just made me sad. So I sent him a bed. I sent him an AeroBed and a comforter and sheets. I wrote in there that I was a huge fan and that I wanted him to travel with it and feel like he had a bed wherever he went. I never heard back from him. I have [seen him since] and he’s kind of looked at me a little weird.”

Advice Columns
I also really enjoy advice columns. There are tons out there. There were two items that got me thinking today.

Here's what Dear Abby said today.

In the Jewish religion, in the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the faithful are commanded to ask forgiveness from anyone they may have wronged or offended during the year. In Judaism, God cannot forgive the sins a person has committed against another unless the sinner has asked that person for forgiveness. If the injured party rejects the apology three times -- and by the way, in the Old Testament it says it's a sin to carry a grudge -- the wrongdoer is then released from the obligation to ask forgiveness. This year, the 10 days to ask forgiveness begin today.

This seems like a great idea. I am not very religious but I have always wanted to be Jewish instead of Presbyterian. I don't know a lot about Judaism but from what I do know, it's pretty cool. Also I like the idea of sacred rituals. It seems to me that these ancient rituals would help ground you and get you serious. Whereas the church I grew up in was kind of casual and I never felt very serious there. (Please note that reading Nancy Drew and having giggle fits with K every Sunday during the service didn't help to promote seriousness.) Don't get me wrong there were plenty of serious people there. But it was almost like this church was self-serve. Like you show up and you can have any level of faith, and you're welcome however you want it. Which is great. But my level of faith and interest were not too high. But in theory, I think if I went to synagogue I would have more desire to be serious and faithful. However all this is moot, as I'm not very religious and I think the rabbi would see right through me and be like "this lady just likes the rabbis' outfits and the bagels and Neil Diamond."

Anyhoo I thought about if I'm holding any grudges right now and yes, there's one I can think of. And after reading about this atonement business, um, I'm going to keep holding it.*

Today, Annie's Mailbox said:

This is a good time to mention that Thursday is National Depression Screening Day. If you or anyone you love is suffering from post-partum disorder, bipolar disease, post-traumatic stress syndrome or any other form of depression, please call (800) 437-1200 (http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/) for a free, confidential screening.

The only reason this jumped out at me is that one time in about 1998 I went to one of these free depression screenings. I left work early to get there in time. (I had to tell a lie about where I was going and I was super nervous about that.) Anyway I got there 20 minutes before the advertisement said they closed. I walked in and they said I was too late. And I was like Well Fark! How farking depressing is that!! That's not helpful at all you assholes!

And finally here's a good one from Miss Manners. This is not from today, it's from awhile ago.

Dear Miss Manners,

Let's say someone passes gas. They say, "Excuse me." Do you say, "You are excused"? My wife does this … I find it strange.

Gentle Reader,

Miss Manners has something even stranger for you: Etiquette's way of dealing with things that shouldn't happen is to pretend that they didn't. So you—or, rather, that unfortunate "someone"—need not say, "Excuse me." And you are right that the response of "You are excused" has an unnecessarily imperious feel to it, as if you could equally well have refused.

Admittedly, the definition of things that shouldn't happen is arbitrary. Passing gas meets the definition, although, oddly enough, burping does not—unless you are doing it on purpose, in which case stop that this very minute.

* no, it's not anyone who reads this blog.