In case you were wondering...

When I order a steak rare, I mean rare. Not medium-rare. Not medium. And, certainly not cooked to any temperature that is described in any way as "well".

To all you back yard barbeque-ers, gourmet chefs, Suzy homemakers, restaurant cooks, and you too: this is what my steak should look like. Any thing other is really great quality dog food.

This steak was the most perfect, exquisite piece of meat I have had in a long time. The potato: a little dry. meh.

(disclaimer: I would like to assure anyone who feels the necessity to comment on my eating habits: yes, I do know that meat is murder. I respect your beliefs, but I still enjoy it very much. And for those of you who are convinced that beef must be cooked to a certain temperature to be safe: I will be okay. It will be ok. No worries.)

What's wrong with a few little germs?

Why, oh, why must everything be anti-bacterial? What's wrong with a few friendly little germs hanging out and keeping your immune system in tip-top shape?

I can't take it anymore!

Yes, I use anti-bacterial soap (really, I will use what ever is available, I don't search out the anti-bacterial stuff), but I refuse to go beyond that. That ewwy, gooey gel that you're supposed to rub into your hands. What is that made from? Do I really want it to be absorbed into my skin? multiple times during a day? Do I want to touch my food after? It seems like a fate worse than germs. This has become clearly ridiculous. I am a healthy person and I don't need an anti-bacterial bubble to keep me from getting sick. My body is designed to that on it's own.

And what of the super germs? You know, the ones that are created by regular germs mutating to evade the ever increasing army of anti-bacterials. Those of us who are putting up a fight against the anti-microbial pushers may have more of a chance (as our immune systems have been working out). But, hold on Purell lovers, how will you protect yourself from these super germs? That gel isn't going to cut it.......

Death of the Hummer

I know, I know, I'm a little behind on this one. Though I'm still not sold on the idea of blogging, how could I not comment on the downfall of one of the most ridiculous miscreants of our time? The Hummer. Don't get me wrong, our military men and women deserve a rugged vehicle that will protect them and help them to navigate all different types of terrain, but you and I? The Hummer for the mass market, the "civilian" vehicle, if you will, is no more than an embodiment of the culture of gluttony and overuse that has pervaded our societal makeup.

How is it necessary to use gallons of gas to get to the grocery store, or better yet the mall to continue the spree of useless wasteful consumption? Why does one, 20-something, childless, 100lb woman need a tank to drive from the tanning salon to the yoga studio? What is she packing in there? Or is he, the Vin Diesel look-alike, trying to compensate for a lack of something? Intelligence perhaps? Social responsibility, anyone? As NPR's Brian Unger says, on the Unger Report, it's "a steep price to pay for the confidence of knowing that, when a blizzard hits Vegas, you've got 4-wheel drive to weather the storm". Gee, isn't it comforting to know that?

So I say, huzzah for the death of the Hummer. It is a real sign that the exorbitant price of gasoline has begun to force the hand of consumers to think about just what they are consuming, even if they are still only thinking of themselves. I feel more comfortable knowing that, though there is still a long way to go, one of the worst automobile choices is permanently parked.

Three cheers for Grammar Girl!

So, I finally got an ipod. I have been saving up for this pocket sized dynamo for years. On every gift giving occasion, I would receive gift cards for the apple store (by the way, thanks again to everyone who helped). I love this little thing! I got the 160 GB, figuring it would allow me to put anything, and everything, I wanted onto it. So far, I have barely made a dent.

I recently discovered podcasts. It was like going to the library and realizing that next door was another library, full of more adventures and references to paw through and discover. I started with the podcasts of NPR's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" (one of my favorite radio programs). I couldn't get enough. One day, while downloading some "Wait Wait", I came across a little podcast called "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips For Better Writing". Mignon Fogarty (a.k.a. Grammar Girl) puts a fresh face on what some people think of as the stodgy, dusty world of grammar. Short snippets of humorous and informative grammar bites are the perfect additive to any car trip. Who doesn't want to write better? Who can say no to more reference materials? Not me!

Blogging? Me?

Here I am. I never thought I would be writing in a format like this. I don't really have a clear idea of what blogging is, even though I am doing it. How bizarre!

I argued back and forth with myself for quite a while, about whether or not to actually start a blog. Obviously, the blog won. It's been up for some time now, though this is officially my first post. I don't really know what I should be saying, or even if I should be saying it. Who am I that my opinions require being posted on the Internet for the world to see?

I suppose this will, most likely, end up as a space to compile my thoughts, so they don't clog up my brain and keep me from thinking properly. We'll just have to wait and see. Wish me luck.