Mishmash Musings

As an average computer user who just uses my machine for word processing and connecting to the Internet, I’ve never quite understood the whole Mac vs. PC debate. I suppose people who are into programming and designing would have their reasons for choosing one over the other, but I merely tune out whenever I hear people start to argue about this kind of thing.

Nevertheless, even I have to admit that the new MacBook Pro laptops look really good. I would love to have one of these, not just because it’s a Mac, but because it’s so sleek and stylish. It also comes with a bunch of awesome features, like a Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT chip, DirectX 10, and tons of Mac memory, making it the most powerful entry in this lineup yet.

I wish I could afford one, but at $1599 and $2499, these MacBook Pros are way, way, WAY out of my price range!

Gale Harold, the actor who plays Teri Hatcher’s boyfriend Jackson in Season 5 of Desperate Housewives, is in critical condition after a motorcycle accident earlier today in Los Angeles. At this point, there aren’t many details available, such as what exactly happened, if other people were involved, or if drugs, alcohol, or inexperience were factors in the crash.

Most reports I’ve read have indicated that Harold suffered some sort of shoulder injury, which doesn’t sound that bad on the surface — but then those same reports go on to say that the actor is in critical condition, which doesn’t really make sense to me. Was there head trauma as well? Cuz I don’t understand why Gale Harold would be in critical condition otherwise.

Anyway, here’s hoping he makes a full recovery soon!

I’ve been watching the Red Sox a lot this postseason, and I’ve noticed that guys like Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Dustin Pedroia, and Hideki Okajima all wear necklaces that look very similar to each other. No, they’re not part of some secret fraternity or anything like that; the players are just hoping to ward off extra pain.

Apparently, these are called phiten necklaces, which consist of titanium coated with nylon. They were developed in Japan, and are supposed to help improve circulation, reduce stress, and promote pain relief. Hmm, seems like a tall order for these little necklaces, but whatever. They’re not FDA-approved, of course, so it’s not as though those claims have been evaluated.

Anyway, these are a hot item right now, especially with so many players wearing them. I’ve seen golfers using them too, so this phiten necklace trend (which is 5 years old already) is by no means limited to baseball.

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

When I was a kid, I loved to look through detective magazines, not for the mystery stories that were in them but for the advertisements. That’s because I always saw tons of cool gadgets that I imagined undercover agents using on a daily basis. I coveted things like lockpicking sets, surveillance cameras, microphone pens, and even talking watches, and asked for these items every time Christmas or my birthday rolled around. Needless to say, I never got any of them, but I still remember how badly I wanted the gadgets.

In fact, it takes a lot of willpower for me not to break down and buy these spy toys now that I can afford them. Come on, haven’t we all made purchases based on nostalgic childhood wishes? I would have absolutely no use for these things, obviously, but still… My inner child won’t be silenced!

For all of you planning to go into the city tomorrow, October 12, don’t forget that the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is being held. That means tons of street closures and lots of extra traffic, as an estimated 35,000 participants plus tens of thousands of spectators flock downtown for the event. Trust me when I say that traffic is an absolute nightmare on marathon day — definitely far worse than on ordinary Sundays!

Personally, I don’t get why marathons are such a big deal. I don’t understand why anyone would want to run in them (besides the truly elite runners who earn a living and Olympic medals this way), nor will I EVER understand why anyone would want to sit around watching a marathon. It seems so damn boring, ya know?

Anyway, I just wanted to post this reminder for those of you who might have forgotten. Stay away from Chicago tomorrow unless you enjoy sitting in traffic!

I totally forgot that this weekend is the U.S. Open of Supercross in Las Vegas. It’s a 3-day event that is billed as the “richest race in Supercross” — probably because the winner gets a check for $100,000! I have wanted to see this event for the longest time — both because I’m a Supercross fan and because I would love to gamble in Sin City at least once in my life.

While it’s obviously too late for me to go this year, I’ve started peeking at las vegas hotel reservations for October of ’09. Maybe if I plan the weekend far enough in advance, I’ll actually have enough money saved by the time the event rolls around next year. Hey, it’s worth a shot!!

What’s the best way to ensure that your magazine sells thousands of copies? Put Angelina Jolie on the cover, of course!

Apparently, the latest issue of “W” magazine (whatever the hell that is) is causing a bit of a stir, and it’s not even on newsstands yet. That’s because it reportedly features a picture of Jolie breastfeeding one of her infant twins. The shot is supposedly one of a number of “private photos” taken by Brad Pitt that are to be highlighted in that particular issue.

Frankly, I don’t get what the big deal is. Is it because part of Jolie’s breast is shown? Who cares; it’s not as though it’s done in an erotic setting. People need to either grow up or stop worrying so much about what these “celebrities” do. Is it any wonder that the latest ridiculous celeb trend is selling baby pictures? This kind of stuff absolutely boggles my mind….

I’ve been wearing glasses for about 10 years now. I am near-sighted, and used to have to wear my glasses only while driving or attending sports events, movies, or anything else that required me to be able to view things from a distance.

Recently, however, my eyesight has been getting progressively worse — to the point where I might need to wear my glasses all the time. If that’s going to be the case, then I think I’d prefer trying contact lenses instead. I’ve never used contacts and don’t know if I’d be able to put anything directly onto my eyeballs like that, but it would be worth trying. My husband has used both contacts and glasses, and he prefers contacts by far, so we’ll see how it goes….