List of the week:
17 Reasons Why I'm Glad I Moved to NYC {ongoing}

Because:
1. I pay city, state and federal tax and don't mind.
2. 40% of the people here look like they walked straight out off of a magazine cover.
3. My kitchen, foyer and living room are one in the same.
4. "Calling for a car" doesn't sound pretentious.
5. Mass transit is so easy yet so hard.
6. As hard as I try, I know I'll never accomplish even a third of what NYC has to offer.
7. Sparking mineral water is served.
8. Wearing a scarf is an art in of itself.
9. Gourmet food is more abundant than fast food and cheaper.
10. I can get a bagel with coffee for $1.25.
11. Ordering food and groceries online works.
12. People here don't gawk at celebrities.
13. I finally have justification for owning a flat screen TV.
14. People actually go 'have a coffee'.
15. I can have brunch. Any day.
16. There's a mutual empathy and understanding of "rough night" and "coffee...[grunt]"
17. I ended up with lottery tickets for Secret Santa.

Check it out! I'm giving away Season 1 of Alias on DVD (brand spanking new) but it's not that simple. You've got to be the 365th comment made from a particular date in time that I've either already chosen in the past or upcoming. 365 comments later some lucky fellow or fellette (?) will be the proud owner of the show that changed Jennifer Garner from a Felicity occasional to a bona fide overrated lolita. Hmm, kind of like Heath Ledger.

Anyway, making a comment is about as easy as searching for yourself in Google (and you know you've done it). Just click that comments link below the post, think of something, type it, and hit the button. People who leave 'anonymous' comments are obviously not going to count. You know who you are.

I even put up a little nifty reminder up there in the upper right corner to remind you.

So comment. Comment away. Not for me. For Jennifer Garner... rather Sydney Bristow.

* Click here or up on that pic for more info & rules (all two of them). *

Couldn't have said it any better myself. Someone get me tater tots, post haste.

The strike continues and New Yorkers forge on with their pedestrian commutes further losing weight that liquid alcohol diets and widespread exercise obsessions have not already rendered.

I realize three things:
1. People in NYC are diehard when it comes to working.
2. New shoes are imminent. This does not dishearten me.
3. Subway drivers make roughly $18k-31k more than the national median income.
4. I should consider a new line of work...



UPDATE: STRIKE IS OFFICIALLY OVER! SOMEONE DESERVES A COOKIE.

midweek-Movie Review: The Family Stone
Ensemble Cast. Sarah Jessica Parker plays an uptight version of Carrie from Sex-I-t-C. Durmot Mulroney trying to pull a tearjerker scene? Luke Wilson is underused. Rachel McAdams is still gorgeous. Coach, rather Craig T. Nelson, looks elderly - really elderly And Diane Keaton is exactly what I imagine her as being outside of a movie set... spunky. It's a pretty weak attempt, cliche' laden and awkward at the wrost times. This year's attempt at being 'Christmas Story' goes unloved from moi.

[ 3 out-of 5 ]

One of the best things about the Christmas Season (i don't care about being P.C) is the overabundance of victuals. Especially chocolate snackamondos.

Not only is it a time for giving but also a time for gorging on fantastic items such as the ones you see to the right. My counterpart here at work just got back from a trip to London (Marks & Spencers is roughly the Anglo equivalent to, say, Macy's). The description says it all.

"Extremely Chocolatey MINI BITES - 18 delectable chocolate mini bites with yummy chocolate buttercream, smothered in milk chocolate"

Now imagine saying that out loud in your best British accent and biting into a little piece of heaven. Ahhh....

Has become an absolute media mogul. She has at least three dozen tv shows on the Food Network, she's on magazines in addition to having a new circulation of her own, on syndication, on a new CBS show, on posters, on books, on milk cartons, on cereal boxes, on hair care products, on food products smiling at me saying "EAT THIS MANGO IT WILL MAKE YOU SPUNKY LIKE ME" ...

I'll spare you the rigmarole, this man needs no more EVOO.

Take it to the lunch room. Take it to the bathroom. The midweekpost is just prime for the printing. You know you want to click on that button in the upper right hand corner of this screen. Oh yes, you do.

I thought I could do it. I thought I could hold out. I thought I was strong. I thought I could persevere.

I thought wrong.

All I wanted was internet. Then suddenly I found myself succumbing to the pressure of the operater's pitch. You should've heard it... I was a pillar of strength.

Operator: Hi, thanks for calling Time Warner cable, my name is...
Eric: I WANT CABLE.
Operator: Ok... well, how about we talk about packa-
Eric: I WANT HIGH DEFINITION. AND... AND... HIGH DEFINITION.
Operator: Ok sir, let me see what optio-
Eric: INTERNET, CABLE, HIGH DEFINITION... UH UH... SHOWTIME, THE MOVIE CHANNEL... ON DEMAND... PAGE TWO OF YOUR BROCHURE.
Operator: Sir, please calm down.
Eric: HOW MUCH? I DON'T CARE, SIGN ME UP!
Operator: [hold music]

My first program was Coldplay on Austin City Limits in high definition glory. A single solitary tear was shed.

Swarovski has a display for all their crystals near Rock Plaza. I snapped this picture of a particular display because I found it funny and depressing. All the other displays had multiple figure(ines) but this one had a lone snowman next to a gift box. [just so you know - that snowman is probably only an inch and a half in stature.] So, yeah, that was the funny part. The depressing part was that the snowman probably cost two point five weeks worth of salary.

Click pic for larger version.

Looks like there's going to be a strike now. Freaking brilliant.