While not actually blogging lately, I think about blogging all the time. And really, it's the thought that counts, no?

Feeling crappy today...I have a class tomorrow afternoon and, as part of the class, we are to include an analysis of a magazine and interview someone who works for the magazine, including their quotes in our report. It doesn't have to be a high-up person; an intern will do.

Naturally I have put this off and put this off since it's much better to dread something than to actually do it. Anyway today I called and, surprise, I didn't get some intern answering phones at the front desk but I got the switchboard for the conglomerate that owns the magazine.

After convincing the operator to find an intern for me, I got an intern's voice mail. Sigh.

So it's entirely possible that I will not have any quotes tomorrow which would be a bad thing (and a bad grade.)

*UPDATE* total false alarm; I got through to an editor, got my quotes, all is fine.

Thanks for scrolling past my whining though; it's genuinely appreciated.

My new, favorite place on the web is called 43 folders (not to be confused with 43 things) which is one big Virgo Nerd Central. All sorts of interesting solutions to too much chaos, not enough productivity.

Going through the archives, I found an interesting tip-Vaccuming The Lungs or How To Breathe Deeply When You're Nervous. It goes like this:

1)Exhale everything
2)Bend over at the waist (which gets the last bit of air out) and don't let any new air in
3)Stand up and wait about 10 seconds...by this time your body is craving a nice inhale
4)When you can't stand it anymore, breathe.

As the author says, this "reboots your lungs." and moves you away from nervous breathing.

Seth Stevenson writes for SLATE about television commercials, among other topics. From his review of the Superbowl ads:

Cialis runs a spot backed by old-time pop hit "Be My Baby." And I have to say, erectile dysfunction and the Philadelphia sound go great together.

It's a big day for dolls in the news.
There is, of course, the hoax photograph of the captured American soldier who is, in fact, a doll (nice pics here)

Here in Chicago we are into the second day of the story about a new doll from the American Girl collection. I pass by "American Girl Place" every day going to and from work...it's sort of a Nike Town of dolls. "Marisol", the newest American Girl doll is being hyped in one of the store's display windows (she likes dancing lessons too apparently.)

All the American Girl dolls have stories outlined in books. Marisol's story is that she grew up in the (real) Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen. In the story, Marisol's parents say that the neighborhood is a bad place to grow up-they move the family to the suburbs.

Pilsen residents are pissed and local politicians are speaking out. Leading to today's headline in the Sun Times:

Politicians beat up on American Girl doll