Interesting article about Bill Watterson for all the Calvin and Hobbes fans out there.

I know I will be alienating women everywhere by admitting this, but I am so, so sick of shopping right now.

Something to think about on this 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight:

In the century since, travel by airplane has gone from a barnstormer's novelty act to such a routine that it brings more complaints than ruminations on the extraordinary fact that it simply can be done. - Associated Press

Joy to the World: Peggy Noonan on the capture of Saddam Hussein

Advertising and marketing executives were asked to describe the strangest responses potential employees have given when asked why they should be hired. Some of the responses:

• "The candidate noted there were no redheads in the company and said we should hire one."
  
• "The applicant said he'd been rejected by the good agencies."
  
• "The job seeker said he just won big in Las Vegas and was on a roll."
  

From Dynamic Graphics magazine

One of my favorite Christmas specials, "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was on tonight, but I couldn't bring myself to watch. The part with the Island of Misfit Toys is just too sad.

I found a set of DVDs that seemed like the perfect Christmas gift for my dad, so I e-mailed my brothers to let them know what I was buying. I suggested they choose something other than DVDs for their own gifts, so that my dad would enjoy some variety.

A week later, my younger brother called to admit - somewhat sheepishly - that he'd just ordered the "Shogun" DVD for my dad. (His reasoning: "It's not really a movie. It's more of a miniseries.") In that same conversation, I mentioned a CD I was thinking of buying for his girlfriend. Tonight I came home to a message that he just bought her the CD today, and that he hoped I hadn't already bought it for her.

It's like having a gift idea Pac-Man following me wherever I go.

Last week I interviewed a dentist for an article I'm writing for Children's Dental Health Month. I couldn't let a perfectly good opportunity pass me by, so at the end of our conversation I asked him, "I've always wanted to know - do dentists floss every day?"

He laughed, then proceeded to sidestep the question. He made a reference to doctors who smoke and eat poorly. Then he mentioned that using Listerine is just as effective as flossing. Just as I figured he was leading up to a confession that he personally didn't bother with the ritual, he said, "But I'm a geek. I floss." I think I would've felt a little disappointed otherwise.

About a month ago, a public relations director I know vaguely contacted me about a position opening up in his department. I was surprised, because I had never sent a resume or talked with him about a potential opportunity. I got the impression that he was targeting me specifically. I was flattered, excited, and relieved to think that my job situation might finally be stable before Christmas.

He was required first to post the position internally – a formality, for the most part – and asked me to contact him in two weeks if I hadn’t heard back from him. I’ve now left two messages and have yet to get a return call. At this point, I’d just like to know one way or another – is he still interested, or isn’t he?

Job hunting is way too much like dating.

The holiday greetings I find most intriguing:

• Store-bought cards that come with just a signature - no photo, no personal news, not so much as a simple "Let's get together after the holidays!" scrawled at the bottom. Why bother?
  
  
• Newsletters that begin with something about how quickly the year has flown by, and how they can't believe it's already Christmas. You half-expect them to throw in something like, "Here we are, one year closer to death...."
  
  
• Depressing letters. Every year, I like to rummage through my parents' stack of Christmas cards to find one relative's annual letter, which inevitably includes something about the sorry shape of the world. One letter ended with a cryptic "It's later than we all think." Of course, this came with a cheerful card wishing them the warmest of holidays.