Lecture Notes

"We have 3 rules in this house.

1. Be honest...with us, yourself and others;

2. Respect...people, animals, things... there's a lot of depth to the respect rule and

3.

3. Dammit, what's the third thing?

3.

3. Right. Accept responsibility."


Content: A
Delivery: C -

Yeah, I'm still here.

Well Heeled

They're here. Convertibles for your feet.
Lauren Handel introduces The Camileon- shoes with retractable heels.

Handel describes making the conversion: You simply would just pull down on the lower half of the heel, you push straight under and then push straight back.
	Discussion on Today New York

In seconds it converts from a 3-¼ inch heel to 1-½ inch heel. The mechanical design was developed by Handel's brother, but the styling and production is Italian. '"There's no one like the Italians when it comes to footwear," said Handel.'
Prices start at $260.

It's really hard to walk in a woman's shoes -- that's why you sometimes need really special shoes! (Sex and the City, Season 6, Episode 9: A Woman's Right to Shoes)


Tags: [Camileon Heels] [Lauren Handel] [Eneslow Shoes]
[Sex and the City]

Go, Go engadget Blog

Want to know the power of a blog?

Yesterday, a popular technology blog, engadget, put Apple investors into a panic.

At 11:49 a.m., the blog featured a post that declared it had information "from a trusted source" that the long-awaited Apple iPhone release would be delayed until the fall. It went on to state that Apple's much delayed new Mac Operating System, Leopard, wouldn't be ready until 2008.

Over the next 6 minutes, Apple stock tanked on massive selling. The sell-off trimmed an estimated $4 billion off Apple's market capitalization value. Market cap is just one indicator of a company's value (shares outstanding x current stock price).

It turns out the email engadget received was fake! Apple quickly notified engadget that the email "did not come from Apple. Apple is on track to ship iPhone in late June and Mac OS X Leopard in October."

engadget retracted the post, but insists the phony email originated at Apple.
Dr. Claw was unavailable for comment.

[engadget] [Tech Crunch]

[iPhone]

[Apple Computer]

[Most Widely Read Blogs]

[Market Capitalization]

[Inspector Gadget]

Tales From the Waiting Room

A woman carrying a stack of papers rushed in and explained to the receptionist that she was submitting the required forms for her surgery which was to take place the following day.

"I've been trying to reach you," the receptionist said smoothly. "We need to reschedule some of tomorrow's cases. We have 3 emergency cases that must be handled. We have to move our elective cases to make room."

"Well, if it's for a different time," the patient agreed.
"Dr. K. will do your augmentation next week," the receptionist explained.
The patient became incensed. "I've arranged to go away for a vacation after the procedure and recovery. I need to have the procedure tomorrow."

She pleaded her case a little more then eventually left, her procedure scheduled for next week. She displayed her displeasure with an 'Harrumph' as she stomped away.

Was it really possible that she felt she deserved her breast augmentation ahead of someone with an emergency? So as to not screw up her vacation?

I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she meant that she had made arrangements for someone to help her with her children. Maybe she meant that she had taken time off work.

I couldn't find any excuse to justify her behavior. It was looking like she was just selfish. And not very discreet.

[Plastic Surgery] [Makeovers, not Do-overs]
[TLC Life Lessons]

Tales from the Exam Room

It was my first meeting with this specialist. He had received detailed information through the referral process. He entered the exam room and started to summarize these facts both to confirm and add to them.

The history verified, he began to scold me. "Why did you wait until you were 40 to do anything about this? You should have been seen at age 37!" And on he lectured.

When there was a break in his objurgation, I said, "Hold on a minute. I've been 40 for just 4 days! And when I was 37, none of my sisters had been diagnosed with breast cancer."

It's only been 9 months since Roni was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Michelle is just 3 weeks post-op.

There was no way I was taking heat for this. His tone changed after that.

Mc Sidebar

From CBC News (May 9,2007) :

Chewed Gum found in Big Xtra

A Vancouver man says he's concerned about the possibility of contracting hepatitis after he found some chewed gum inside his McDonald's hamburger on Tuesday.

Max Ipinza was eating lunch with his co-workers at their office in Vancouver when he bit into his Big Xtra and tasted peppermint. story continues

He says "...immediately I knew something was wrong, because this is not what a typical McDonald's burger tasted like."

He's right. According to McDonald's Canada Food Facts, a Big Xtra® sandwich includes

Quarter Pounder Beef Patty
Sesame Seed Bun
Ketchup
Pickle Slices
Slivered Onions
Tomato Slice
Lettuce
Mayonnaise-style Sauce and
Grill Seasoning

Unless, the test-kitchen is trying out a burger that freshens your breath while you eat it.

[McDonald's Canada] [Fast Food Nation] [Chewing Gum]

Mc-Urgent

I heard the sirens before I saw the emergency vehicles.

A procession of various emergency service vehicles early in the afternoon, travelling along a major east-west artery. Lights ablaze, sirens wailing.

Two lead police officers on motorcycles entered the intersection and motioned for traffic to stop. Two more officers on motorcycles sped through followed by 2 marked cruisers. Next came an unmarked cruiser, an ambulance and then an unmarked Regional Police SUV. A fire hall ladder truck sped by trailed by another ambulance. A fire engine and one final cruiser anchored the convoy. Did I mention that each vehicle had its lights and siren in action.

The big emergency?
Upon each vehicle was a sign, the kind used to identify funeral processions. On the face of each sign,

McHappy Day.

That's some marketing muscle. Stop traffic on a major thoroughfare until your advertisement passes.
I'd consider it a stroke of genius if the 9-1-1 Dispatch script was changed to: 9-1-1 Emergency. Do you need police, fire, ambulance or a Big Mac?

The Dog Guide Program is our designated local charity.

[McHappy Day] [McDonald's Restaurants - Canada]
[Guide Dogs]

¡Viva!

Cinco de Mayo is widely thought to be the Independence Day of Mexico. Mexico's official Independence Day is in September. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the day of Mexico's Great Battle at Puebla.

Napoleon III's French troops occupied Mexico for five months in 1862. On May 5 the Mexican military overcame the French soldiers at Puebla. In defeating the French Foreign Legion, supplies to the Confederate Rebels in the U.S. Civil War were cut off. The U.S. rebuilt their own forces and beat the Rebels at Gettysburg the following year.

The French recaptured Puebla on May 8^th but were finally expelled from Mexico in 1867.

Así que qué, you ask?

A while ago, my brother and I were talking about Cinco de Mayo. Our sister, who was with us, said, with much disbelief, "Like you guys know when Mexico's National holiday is."
"It's the fifth of May," we replied together.
Joe turned to his son David, 4, and asked, "David, do you know when Cinco de Mayo is?"
"Yep," David answered. Maybe he did know, but he was preoccupied with removing the pepperoni from his pizza slice.

She wouldn't believe that we knew the celebration takes place annually on May 5^th.

We explained that Cinco de Mayo translates literally to May 5.

In her most scholarly voice, our sibling declared, "Well, the national holiday of Norway is November 3^rd."

"No it's not." Joe and I laughed. In fact, it's May 17^th.

So - ¡Viva Cinco de Mayo!
Today, celebrate a battle you've won.

[Cinco de Mayo] [Napoleon III] [Norway]