Adios 2007

It’s New Year’s Eve and, like many news outlets, talk show hosts and fellow bloggers, Panda!!!! is reflecting upon the year MMVII. It was another fun-filled, work-filled year like most others. Nothing hugely notable happened this year (for better or for worse), but there were definitely some highlights. Here are Panda!!!!’s top ten of 2007 (in no particular order):

The Corporation’s Social Responsibility Report – Most of Panda!!!!’s professional life this year was spent producing this monster report. It was a bumpy road, but I’m thoroughly pleased with the final product. Plus, now I can proudly boast that I’ve been to the Commerce Casino Resort and Hotel.

Labor Day Camping – I’m a city boy at heart, so the idea of camping struck some trepidation in me. Turns out, if you camp with a group of pals and a few crates of drag paraphernalia, a weekend in the woods can be hugely entertaining!

Pride in New York – It wasn’t so much the pride festivities themselves as it was the chance to spend a week in the big apple without work obligations. I enjoyed catching up with friends from high school, college and business school whilst exploring the New York scene during pride week.

Ella Ella Eh Eh Eh – To me, 2007 will be the year of Rihanna. I cannot count the number of times my friends and I jumped up and down frenetically to “Umbrella” or “Don’t Stop the Music.”

Building a Sustainable Future – The Nonprofit’s annual conference is always a highlight of the year, and this year’s conference in Nashville proved no different. It was also here that I got pulled into an impromptu interview which was made available on the internets in podcast form. I must say that it turned out well, despite my nerves.

So Yesterday – Meeting Hilary Duff was certainly a moment I’ll remember, mostly because she looked so pretty, engaged me in conversation about Lindsay Lohan and used a swear word!

Set a Series Recording – Thanks to my new DVR, I am hooked on Gossip Girl, The Hills, America’s Next Top Model, Pushing Daisies, Chuck, Heroes, and the like. I thought this gizmo was supposed to make television watching more efficient. Instead, I get stressed out that I have so much to catch up on! But I love it.

Real Pandas at the Zoo – It was fun seeing the real live pandas at the San Diego Zoo, followed by a rollicking good time with Kitten at the zoo party for San Diego pride. It also served as a good excuse to see Lil’ Sis Panda!!!! and Guido.

Chiieew! – I became a blogger this year!

The Great Pot Pie Incident of 2007 – I won’t soon live down the moment when Mahogany Sparkle and Roommates A&J caught me at the grocery store, arms filled with frozen pot pies, about 10 minutes after I declared that I was leaving the bar to go home.

Breakfast buddies

Before leaving the 'burbs last night, I got to have breakfast with Franny in a little cafe. It was great to catch up with her since I hadn't seen her in so long, what with her living in Berlin and all.

Most of our conversation centered on her impending nuptials and the fun, fun, fun celebration that will take place in the fall. I think we took over a table for about two hours, and when we finally got up to leave, we realized a huge line had formed out the door.

I had a pretty standard omelette with bacon and spinach, but I totally had order envy when I saw Franny's poached eggs.

Sweet Sixty

Panda!!!!'s been spending a lot of time in the 'burbs this week. Last night, I returned to the parents' house to take Panda!!!!Pop out for his sixtieth birthday. The real date isn't for another week or so, but we decided to celebrate while everyone was in town.

We went to a "fine dining" establishment where we treated ourselves to four courses (and a wine pairing for Panda!!!! and Panda!!!!Pop). It was a lovely meal and the food was excellent, but probably could have been more interesting, given the steep prices.

One of the most interesting dishes was the arpege egg, a specialty of this particular restaurant. It was a partially cooked egg with seasoning and maple syrup. Kind of what I imagine a McGriddle sandwich would taste like, only fancier.

Ghost town

It seems that everyone here at The Corporation is either still on holiday or out sick. Consequently, it feels like I'm one of only a handful of people at work today.

Alas, that handful of people is comprised of my department colleagues. So I guess I'll stay put, continue IM'ing with Blanca and resemble someone who's hard at work.

Shop 'til you ... eat

Yesterday, Lil' Sis Panda!!!! and I got up early for our Boxing Day ritual - hitting the stores to take advantage of post-holiday sales!

Our original plan was to leave the 'burbs and to head up to the big city, but we couldn't master the difficult logistics involved. See, I didn't want to drive her back to the parents' house after shopping and I also didn't want to leave all the stuff in my car as we spent the day at the stores.

So instead, we headed to a mall that had many of the same stores we would have hit in the city, but only on a smaller, less glamorous scale.

Once we got to the mall, we realized that it was going to be a crazy day. Hordes of people were already there, snatching up marked-down items and elbowing each other out of the way! The parking lot was nearly full and we were ... gross ... in a mall.

We lethargically made our way through, returned a hat for Panda!!!!Pop, and sort of browsed. Then we gave up and treated ourselves to a huge lunch before returning to the parents' house.

Pretend it's a ride and it's going really fast

The other day, Selives and I went to the Marc by Marc Jacobs store where they had installed a winter wonderland scene. It was akin to a Disney-fied version of "Swan Lake" where a gigantic swan rested by snow-covered pine trees.

Staff members were taking photos of customers in the swan, accompanied by a Nutcracker and Snow princess brought to life. Of course, Selives and I wanted to take a photo, so we climbed into the swan and prepared for our close-up.

After posing like it was a prom picture, Selives exclaimed, "Pretend it's a ride and it's going really fast!" So we all braced ourselves and made faces to express our delight.

When we received the photo, we realized that the Snow Princess had made a face that expressed delight, awe, horror and Christmas spirit, all rolled into one! Meanwhile, the Nutcracker appeared to be doing his best gangsta impression, as if "Lean Back" were stuck in his head.

The Snow Princess's expression was similar to the photo I've posted above, but obvisously those girls are not Selives and Panda!!!!

You Rock!

Panda!!!!Mom, Lil' Sis Panda!!!! and I introduced my brother to the wonderful world of Guitar Hero III for Christmas yesterday. Since he is an avid fan of video games, we thought this, or a Nintendo Wii, would be a good gift.

Turns out, most everyone else is an easily converted Guitar Hero III fan as well! I typically bore of video games after several minutes, but I was transfixed to Guitar Hero for several hours yesterday. Whether it was watching our relatives play or whether it was trying to make "Cherub Rock" by Smashing Pumpkins sound right, I pretty much am thrilled we gave that gift to Lil' Bro Panda!!!!

Deck the halls

It's Christmas and Panda!!!! is in the 'burbs with the family. Even though we're less than an hour away from my home in the city, it's an entirely different world.

Last night we saw monstrous Christmas decorations - a giant inflatable chimney with a motorized grinch robotically ducking and creeping into it; a huge inflatable carousel wherein inflatable horses rotated; countless inflatable snowmen (some with globes in their abdomens!) and blinking lights gone awry. Now I understand firsthand what Gleemonex was talking about.

Per tradition, our family is sleeping in, but I went to sleep so much earlier than normal so I'm wide awake, tapping away at the computer and waiting for my laundry to finish. Later today we'll join my grandmother and her seven siblings and their families for a raucous holiday dim sum. Every year it's the same - my siblings and I sit with our first cousins and we struggle to remember people's names and we try to figure out how we're all related. There will be approximately 50 people in all, so it doesn't feel that rude when we keep to ourselves.

Later in the night, PandaMom!!!!'s side of the family will arrive at our house and we will feast again. Typically we end up watching a movie that Lil' Bro Panda!!!! has newly acquired or whatever marathon of television madness is on MTV or VH1. Of course, we all open giftss, then finally succumb to food coma.

Merry Christmas, Internets! Hope your day's as food- and family-filled as mine!

You can pout your cherry lips

When Lil' Sis Panda!!!!, Lil' Bro Panda!!!! and I entered the car to drive to dinner tonight, this song was randomly on the radio. In 2007!

It made me wonder what became of Diddy's girl-group Dream. I know they went through a line-up change (doesn't every girl-group?) and failed to release a sophomore album in the US despite teasing me with the ditty "Crazy."

Celeb sighting: Anna, Anna, glamorous Anna, Anna Nicole

Bobby Trendy was at last night's Big Top, presiding over the festivities and rocking a relatively demure look. Compared to his outlandish red carpet outfits and my friends, Bobby was quite understated. But he did wear a jacket with a soft fur collar, which he allowed me to pet.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

I don't think there really was a theme for last night's Big Top party, but Mattress and Selives decided to introduce their own theme anyway. Wearing white bedsheets, pounds of white face powder, blue eyeshadow, crazy white wigs, fake birds, sparkly butterflies, high heels and silvery tinsel, the pair transformed into "crystal queens dressed as snow princesses." In reality, they resembled deranged versions of Carol Channing and Phyllis Diller.

With Beetle, ChickenHawk, Blanca and me leading the way, I think we were quite a sight, walking down the street toward the bar. Some stopped. Some stared. All marveled.

You had the time of my life

Last night Mattress and Beetle hosted a lovely dinner party where Selives, Blanca, Roommates A&J, Conan O'Brien and I ate, drank and celebrated the holidays! It was a delicious meal that began with Selives declaring "What I want to know is how did she get her invisible jet overneath the stage?!" when referring to Tandi Iman Dupree and her legendary Wonder Woman performance.

And it ended when Selives and Mattress practiced their "routine" for tonight. A version of "Dirty Dancing" where Selives kept singing "You had the time of my life" before leaping and being hoisted into the air by Mattress. So graceful! So elegant! So typical!

Slowly but surely

Internets, it's taking me longer and longer to recover from my escapades. Does this mean I should pull back on the drinking? Stop altogether? Uh, no.

It's nearly 6:30pm and I'm finally starting to feel better. Though my recovery time is slowing as I age, I know I'll surely be ready to hit the town again tonight!

Working lunch

Panda!!!! has had the pleasure of being taken out to lunch by colleagues from other companies this week. Typically for lunch, I race down to our cafe, grab some food and shovel it into my gullet at my desk.

Both yesterday and today I've had the chance to delight in civilized lunches at some of the city's best restaurants. It's so much nicer to enjoy a dungeness crab salad whilst talking business than it is to scarf down another chicken quesadilla whilst reading about pregnant celebrities on the internets.

The only thing better would be to follow in Blanca's footsteps and partaking in a leisurely 3-hour lunch with a bottle of wine.

Leaving behind my name and age

Last night I saw Britney's new video for "Piece of Me" and I was struck by how much she resembled a plump zombie who felt unsure of her "choreography." It made me long for Britney of yore. Svelte Britney who wore crazy outfits and danced with pythons.

It's a McDilda!

Gleemonex recently posted her annoyance (too gentle of a word, mayhaps) at today's super-sized Christmas adornments. And apparently, it's a sentiment that's sweeping the nation.

I read in today's newspaper an article that begins with the paragraphs below. While an interesting article, I was especially struck by the fellow's last name. Poor guy. I can only imagine the ribbing he took as a kid.

Abominable Snowmen: The War on Lawn Decorations
Over-the-Top Displays Inspire Loud Complaints, Even Rage; An Inflatable Santa Beheaded

Jim McDilda's holiday display last year included a 28-foot lighted arch, a 50-foot tree, 50,000 lights and dozens of animated silhouettes. The spectacle -- he needed a crane to set it all up -- lit up the sky and drew thousands of gawking visitors to his Redding, Calif., house.

But nearby neighbors weren't so thrilled. Cars, limos and tour buses clogged the cul-de-sac, and trash was strewn across lawns. Christmas music blasting from Mr. McDilda's display kept neighbors awake. They complained to the city, which required that Mr. McDilda get a special-events permit and demanded that he remove the nearby cargo containers he used to store the display most of the year. After months of sniping between Mr. McDilda and the city, he decided to throw in the towel. This year, his house is unadorned.

"They gave me so much trouble, they took the fun out of it," he says.

Look out, Santa: There's a backlash brewing against over-the-top holiday displays. With community associations ramping up holiday decorating contests (some in the hopes of attracting potential home buyers) and manufacturers pitching an increasing variety of yard decor -- think 8-foot inflatable snowmen -- some homeowners and cities have had enough.

Disgruntled neighbors complain of everything from traffic to wasted electricity. In places like Redding and Aurora, Ill., people called for the city to crack down on loud music or decorations that linger after holidays. Police in some areas of the country even report that the growing number of blow-up Santas adorning people's yards are targets for stabbing and other forms of violent deflation.

Laguna hills??

Last week, I reported how much I missed Kristin Cavallari of Laguna Beach fame. And yesterday I read the story below on eonline. Could it be? This might be beautiful television in the making...

Sources tell me that Kristin Cavallari—you know, the OG Laguna Beach girl—might be coming back to the small screen again. (She had a guest spot on CBS' Cane a couple of months ago, as I'm sure you know.)

Miss Cavallari was spotted entering the NBC Universal building today for a casting meeting for Lipstick Jungle (the new dramedy starring Lindsay Price, Brooke Shields and Kim Raver). But wait, it gets better. According to inside sources close to The Hills, the show's producers are looking into the possibility of bringing Kristin onto their series to reunite with Lauren.

Let me be the first to say: Hells. Yeah.

Not surprisingly, according to the same insiders, Lauren is less than thrilled with the idea of Kristin coming onto her show, possibly due to their previous love triangle with Stephen Colletti. But as we've seen from Heidi and Lauren this season, that sort of tension can also make for very good TV. (Sad, but true.)

As for whether Kristin would agree to hit The Hills, we shouldn't forget that when Laguna Beach ended, she said she was leaving reality TV behind in order to focus on her acting career. But with The Hills' newfound über-audience and über-presence in the media, I'm thinking this show may be well worth her time.

Mother of the year

It was laughable when Lynne Spears announced in October that she was writing a book on parenting since her eldest daughter Britney had such a meltdown of a year. When your daughter becomes more famous for bad parenting, uber-ingestion of Starbucks frappuccinos, shaving her head, running over paparazzi, poor lip-synching and flashing her cooter than for her professional accomplishments as an "entertainer," you probably aren't in a position to dole out the mothering advice.

But now, when you announce that your sixteen-year-old daughter and star of a very popular children's show is pregnant? Lady, it's time to stop the manuscript and start providing guidance for your own children.

Obviously, the Spears family has been emphasizing the fact that Jaime Lynn's babydaddy is her "longtime boyfriend." Clearly, if you've been in a long-term relationship, the next logical step is to begin a family. Especially when you're sixteen.

Santa fetish

This little holiday item in the newspaper made me giggle. I love that the accused was trying to flee on crutches!

Woman Accused of Groping Mall Santa
(12-18) 08:52 PST Danbury, Conn. (AP) --

Santa Claus says that a woman who sat on his lap was naughty, not nice.

A Santa at the Danbury Fair mall said the woman groped him.

"The security officer at the mall said Santa Claus has been sexually assaulted," police Detective Lt. Thomas Michael said of the weekend complaint.

Sandrama Lamy, 33, of Danbury, was charged with sexual assault and breach of peace. She was released on a promise to appear in court on Jan. 3.

Police quickly found and identified Lamy because the woman was described as being on crutches, said Capt. Bob Myles.

A call seeking comment from Lamy was answered by a recording Tuesday morning. A woman later called back and said: "It's a false report and I don't have any idea."

Police did not give the name of the disconcerted Santa, but they said he is 65 and felt badly because children were waiting to see him. "He was apparently shocked and embarrassed by the whole incident," Myles said.

A man who teaches hundreds of prospective Santas a year — "Santa Tim" Connaghan, president of RealSantas.com — said he's never heard of a similar incident, though it's not unusual for adults to want to pose with Santa.

"I've had some very nice ladies sit on my lap," said Connaghan, who did not train the Danbury Fair Santa. "Once in a while they'll say 'I hope Mrs. Claus isn't going to be upset.' You have to be discreet and kind and say 'Oh no, she'll be OK. You can sit here, but only for one photo.'"

A spokeswoman for Cherry Hill Photo, the company that coordinates Santas for Danbury Fair, declined to comment Tuesday.

Party pooped

It was a very festive weekend of celebration and I'm exhausted! On Saturday, after a lovely dinner with VALedictorian and Leedle Zeester, Roommate J and I headed to the bars to meet Selives. But the bar was empty and Selives left to go home, so Roommate J and I left. We ended up crashing a house party and making some new friends but ultimately we knew it was time to move on.

So, we parted ways and I continued to do the bar-hop thing. Meanwhile, Roommate J took a nasty tumble and was whisked off to the hospital in an ambulance. It turns out he busted his arm in several places, thus requiring surgery later this week.

And yesterday, between parties, I stopped by the hospital to visit Roommate J. Since I had been enjoying the free-flowing champagne at the party, I may have been a bit inebriated. And apparently, I was a loud and clumsy hospital visitor, knocking things over and trying to turn on Roommate J's television. I also kept trying to peek around the curtain to catch a glimpse of Roommate J's suite mate who had yelled at us earlier that morning for being "loud." Essentially, Roommate J kicked me out and I returned home where I "fell asleep" on the couch.

Hours later, I woke up to learn that I had nearly completely missed my dinner engagement. I rushed to the restaurant just as the meal was ending, then enjoyed the rest of the evening with my pals.

My poor liver. It probably wonders why I hate it so much.

Do you like the things that life is showing you?

Last night we celebrated Mahogany Sparkle's birthday over a bawdy and drunken dinner of Asian fusion delights. Per usual, we were the loudest, most obnoxious group in the entire restaurant, thanks mostly to Roommate J's screeching!

Even though Selives and Bill Paxton got Mahogany Sparkle a performance fleece from Old Navy, and although Blanca wrapped up some of his old clothes and returned them, I think my gift of the Mahogany DVD was the best.

Of course, we headed to the bars after dinner and we continued with the festivities. Selives entranced everyone with his signature dance move - suddenly dropping to the ground with his arm thrust upward so as to save his drink from spilling.

Happy birthday Mahogany Sparkle!

Jessica, he's cheating on you! Take it from someone who used to cheat on her boyfriend

Last night, Roommate J alerted me to the fact that the noggin was broadcasting a marathon of season one of Laguna Beach. An avid fan of The Hills, Roommate J had never seen Laguna Beach so he was understandably sucked into LC’s high school world.

I watched a few episodes and it reminded me how much I miss Kristin Cavallari. I’ve always been on “team LC” – especially now that the alternative is Heidi – but I really did love Kristin. While LC was the underdog you rooted for, Kristin was the alpha-dog, the queen bee of all the gals and the vixen that all the boys wanted to be with.

What I loved about Kristin was that she was unabashed in her bitchiness. She stayed in control and played all the boys. She may have pined after one or two, but she always regained the upper hand. Moreover, she was loyal to her friends and could always be counted on to support them in a crisis.

I’ve always found it easier to sympathize with LC, but for whatever reason, I’ve always wanted to be more like Kristin. In many ways, I wish Kristin and LC were friends and Kristin could stomp on Heidi and Spencer. That would make for great television.

Partway through the marathon, Roommate J texted, “I don’t get why anyone ever liked Kristin.” To that, I answer: wait until the season 2 marathon airs!

Tangerine splash

I'm thrilled that Saleisha won America's Next Top Model last night! I've been rooting for her since the beginning even though some claimed she wasn't "edgy" or "editorial" enough.

She was the prettiest, sassiest and friendliest contestant this entire season (er, cycle) and Mahogany Sparkle unsurprisingly echoes my thoughts: "she had a great personality and rihanna looks!"

Annyong!

Thanks to netflix, I'm watching the last season of Arrested Development, which I stupidly never watched while it aired on television. Why, dear lord, was this show cancelled? It is so well-written, so smart, so freaking hilarious! I feel a particular affinity for the family matriarch, Lucille Bluth, who's a pill-popping, vodka-downing mess of an uncaring mother. God love her.

We love love this banana!!

A few months ago, a fellow requested to be my friend on yelp. I've never met this person before, but based on his reviews, he appears to be a gay man from Thailand living in Chicago.

What I love about his reviews is how enthusiastic he is, how concise his reviews are and how some of them simply don't make much sense. I also enjoy how he writes directly at the reader or at the establishment he's reviewing. Here are some of my favorites:

Sidetrack
We love love this bar!!! The gorgeous gay bar in Chicago!!!! Don't you think? :) We've been here many times and always fun . They have a lot of cute, hot and handsome bartenders in the boystown.
The slushy was just perfect. Yummy!!! Now, this place is not popular only LBGT community but ,it's also famous for straight couples. BRAVO

Dharma Garden Thai
Be careful for this place!! I used to go there all the time but they cheated me, charged me over prize(many time) !! I won't comeback !!

**GOOD FOOD + DISHONEST = DISASTER***

Hydrate
The bar is nice decor but the music is horrible! Many twinks in this bar. I don't know why they re not provide the great songs. I hope they will do it better soon.

Hooters
I like the steamed oyster,buy the oysters were smaller than I thought.The waitress were nice and has a great smile . I had chicken wing with some butter on the top it was different than other restaurant .

Nookies Tree Restaurant
Honestly I wasn't pretty much enjoyed food here ,but the service was very nice and they were friendly. We had roast chicken with fried. It was blended. My husband had jumbo burger and he was very enjoyed that .
However it is good spot to hang out or meeting with friend.

Minibar
The most elegant bar in Boystown!! We had party here and it was fantastic! The bartenders are cute ,carry a great smile and hung :)Oops!
We miss u!!

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
I'm not a big steak fan,but I tried the stone crabs . It was pricey but It was fresh and yummy. The Madagascar Shrimp and Oysters Rockefeller were fabulous :) Don't forget to try Banana Cream Pie with Foster Sauce, It was really good. We love love this banana!!

Finger lickin' good

A lesson from the weekend:

Just because you're hungry and a friend brings a bucket of KFC into your proximity, it doesn't mean you have to eat two pieces of greasy fried chicken in a crowded bar!

Shady lurker

Over brunch yesterday, Roommates A&J and I were discussing a fellow that we often see out and about. Dubbed the shady lurker, this man never seems to engage anyone in conversation and remains seated in a corner of the bar, sipping his beer or his white wine.

Often, he seems on the verge of speaking to us, but he never musters enough courage to actually make contact. Is he shy? Socially awkward? Maybe he has some form of Asberger's Syndrome like Heather from this season (ahem, cycle) of America's Next Top Model.

Roommate J posited that, since he's never talking to anyone, he must rely on the Internets for his sexytimes. I, on the other hand, prefer to think of him as asexual.

Later yesterday evening, we were visiting with Beetle and noted that it felt strange that he wasn't at the bar. Lo and behold, he arrived five minutes later, ordered a glass of white wine and slipped to a corner to quietly observe. Rather astutely, Beetle refers to this fellow as "Waldo," on account of his spectacles and his demeanor.

Be every color that you are

I heard a souped-up remix of this song at the gym today and it reminded me how much I love this song. The video is like an Abercrombie ad and it makes me think like I'm a tween. I sort of don't understand what Aly & AJ are though. I think they're sisters or something. I'll have to dive into the Disney channel...

Get over yourself, goodbye!

Roommates A&J and I were out for a drink when the Pussycat Dolls came on the screen. I mentioned how lead pussycat Nicole was really discovered on the WB show Popstars, but neither Roommate had heard of it. And surprisingly, neither had seen Taryn Manning's rendition of "Genie In a Bottle" when she unsuccessfully tried out for the group.

It made me think about the only song Eden's Crush released. But it was enough to inspire butterfly tops (for VALedictorian) and a fire drill gone wrong (with Eden's Crush herself).

What happened?

Why is it that my friends and I spend our weekend mornings re-creating the previous night? I can't say how many times I've woken up to a text that reads "What happened?" And today was one of those mornings.

While watching a marathon of America's Next Top Model on MTV, I've spoken with Blanca and Roommate J and this is what we've pieced together:

* Someone may have or may not have yelled at someone else undeservedly.
* Someone may have woken up alone in a strange bed, now remembering how he arrived there.
* Someone may not remember having been poured into a taxi.
* Someone may have spent his shift at the bar instead of at work.

It's all sort of a mystery to us, but I don't see our routine changing anytime soon...

Scavenger hunt

Oh, wise Internets, when will Panda!!!! grow up? To this day, I continue to scavenge for free food. This was true in college, when I was cash-strapped and this type of behavior was normal. I would eat my meal at the dining hall and quietly wrap all the leftovers desserts into a napkin and slip the package of goodies into my ginormous purse. Or swim bag.

This was also true right after college, when I would attend an event and eat as much as possible so that my caloric intake from one sitting would equal that of an entire day.

And today, we're hosting meetings at The Corporation where we offered lunch to some guests. Since there's left over food, I've naturally been inclined to eat it all. But I'm not even hungry. And I have a big dinner planned. But these free lemon bars are too enticing. And I know they won't spoil my appetite. All 13 of them...

Hack-daddy

I've received numerous messages today that my myspace account has been hacked! Apparently, I've been sending messages that go something like this:

You gotta send my friend a message. She thinks your really CuTE! Addher on (MSN)Messanger [e-mail address].

I don't even understand how hacking works. Or why someone would want to hack into a myspace account. Or why anyone would think that my friends would want to add some girl named "Emily" to their myspace friends. Or why "CuTE" is an acceptable or interesting way to spell a word.

Does this have something to do with porn? Oh, Internets, you confuse me.

Blog-o-licious

I just came out of a meeting with a member of our Corporate Communications team where we discussed blogging. Every time we talk about blogging at The Corporation, I get a little nervous about my own contributions to the blogosphere.

Is Chiieew! in violation of a newly designed policy? Is Panda!!!! about to receive a pink slip? I never really know...

Fortunately, we were talking about whether or not we should consider creating a blog, rather than punishing all the employee bloggers who might write mean things about The Corporation. Not that I ever would. Are you reading this, Corporate Communications? I would never malign The Corporation! I am a happy, happy employee working for a lovely and respectful, perfect-in-every-way company!

Panda pooch

Selives sent me this photo of a panda impostor (impostinator?). With its wrinkled little face, I have to wonder if this is what I'll look like when I'm aged. Truth be told, the photo scares me a little bit.

All day and all of the night

I'm working with a team of three other individuals at The Corporation on a presentation we'll be delivering it our senior team on Wednesday. My teammates, from Pakistan, Mexico and the UK, have flown in so that we can adequately prepare our thoughts.

Unfortunately, this means we've been stuck in a room together all day, arguing over presentation details and such. I haven't really been involved in a group project of this nature since grad school, so I feel a bit out of my element, but I'm sure we'll pull it together.

Panda-dee, panda-da

The other night, GarGar and I heard this song and changed the lyrics to Panda-dee, panda-da...

Popular

One of the best things about the show Pushing Daisies is Kristin Chenoweth. Simply fantastic as Olive Snook, Kristin has definitely been a scene stealer this season.

I first learned about Kristin when I saw her as Glinda in the play "Wicked" and she enchanted me with the song "Popular." She's a treasure!