“So people who don’t know what the hell they’re doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self”

Another long night at the reference desk tonight, and being that my favorite local cafe closes at 4, I had to stop at Starbucks for a bit of java to compliment the shift.

“I’ll have a medium cafe au lait with skim, please.”

They must have known I don’t stop there often because I was given a grande non-fat caffe misto in return–which, just happens to be exactly what I ordered.

Title compliments of my dear friend, You’ve Got Mail.

totally worth the trip

oooooyeah.

In case you’re wondering, that’s lemon, red velvet, strawberry, banana turtle, pistachio, and Oreo.

And Jake is not above too-pretty-to-eat cupcakes.

So we ate them.

And there was happiness.

He’s got great manners and stops talking at your request

A few weeks ago at the office my boss and I were going over a mailer he was about to send out–making corrections, discussing grammar, and making sure it was 100% professional.

“I know this is super nit-picky,” I said, “but Internet should have a capital ‘I,’ because it is a proper noun.  It describes a specific place.”

“Really?”  He replied.

“Yeah.  I am certain on this because it just so happened to be the topic of the grammar podcast I listened to this morning.”

Note to self: do not admit to listening to grammar podcasts.  I’m still living it down.

 Grammar Girl was just finishing up her segment yesterday when she gave a shout-out to Mr. Manners.  A had a fleeting moment of glee.  A manners podcast?  Right-on!  Now, I’m no Emily Post or anything (and as the maid-of-honor to Stephanie’s upcoming wedding she can certainly attest to this) but I am all about etiquette.  I think somewhere it falls in line with that whole Catholic/drum corps/gets excited about APA style books/wants to be a nun/librarian-in-training thing.  I like knowing that there is a proper way of doing things and as much as I don’t like being told what to do, I sure do like knowing that someone else has things in control. 

Mr. Manners and I–we’re going to be good friends. 

Is it lustful if it is already an object?

In my design history class, my hip British professor would always bring in the DWR catalog and tell us how excited she was.  “Product pornography,” she called it as the entire class ooo-ed and aaah-ed over its glossy pages.

I now get daily emails from the company, which I find more exciting some days than others.  Today’s newsletter had the subject line “Shapely contours and  mid-century playboys.”  I cannot help but think it product pornography to the extreme:

1961 Playboy photo featuring left to right–George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Eero Saarien, Harry Betoia, Charles Eames and Jens Rison

And for those of you who do not know, these are a few of the men that have made sitting functional AND beautiful.

Hott. 

Not my style

I only bring this up because I’ve always thought the bags to be quite hideous.  Even if they’re supporting terrorism:

HAND BAGS OF DOUGH AT STAKE
Louis Vuitton Malletier v. Dooney & Bourke, Inc. (2nd Cir. 2006)

Louis Vuitton sued Dooney & Bourke for trademark infringement of its Multicolore patterned pocketbook. Early in the case, Plaintiff Louis Vuitton filed and lost its motion for preliminary injunction to stop D&B from imitating its “LV” logo style with its “DB” logo style. In denying the motion, Judge Shira Scheindlin said that issuance of an injunction would hurt competition by giving the French luxury goods company a monopoly over a look.

On Appeal, the Second Circuit affirmed the denial of the injunction based on Federal dilution, but vacated and remanded the portion of the order addressing the remaining claims, including Lanham Act and New York state trademark infringement and dilution claim. Among the reasons for the remand were that: 1) the District Court placed too high a burden on Plaintiff by requiring a “strong” likelihood of success on the merits as a opposed to a mere “likelihood of success”; and 2) the Court inappropriately focused on the similarities of the marks in a side-by-side comparison instead of viewing the products sequentially in the context of the marketplace.

The Second Circuit concluded by indicating that “on remand, [the court] should consider the precise trademark claimed by the plaintiff and whether, under market conditions and when viewed sequentially, Vuitton can prove likelihood of confusion between its Multicolore mark and the pattern of the D&B’s It-Bag.”

With much at stake, I am certain this case will be revisited in a later newsletter.
http://www.ipcounselors.com/newissue.htm

Did NO ONE else notice this?  Or was it just me…?

If you eat it fast you can trick your body into thinking there are less calories involved

Knowing that I needed to pick up a few things for dinner, I tried to do the urban-girl thing and head to Whole Foods after getting off the train.  I don’t go there on a regular basis because, as much as I love it, I simply cannot afford it.  Plus, although everything might be organic, it certainly doesn’t have the low-fat selection I’m used to.

I was just about to leave when I rounded the corner of the bakery.  They had a sample of some sort of pumpkin spice bread out that I kind of pushed someone out of the way for.

While enjoying this I spotted crushed up scones that were also for the taking sampling.  Not one to pass up free food, I figured a bit of scone would do me (and Whole Foods for that matter!) a bit of good.  As I was attempting to push my cart and chow down on…I don’t even know, but it was delicious, when I saw the angel food cake.  I flipped out a little.  And then I picked up the biggest peace.  I had a hard time deciding which thing to finish first.  I simply could not put them down, but I also realized that–O MY STARS ARE THOSE CARAMEL APPLES?!?!?!?! Pardon the interruption, I just got a little distracted.  On my way over to the caramel apple deliciousness I finished the scone.  Thank goodness, cause otherwise I would have looked like a total pig with THREE samples in my hands.  I surely hope no one was watching me.

I bought 2 tomatoes and a bag of chips.

((so long sweet summer))

School starts tomorrow.  Eeeeh.  I should be more excited.

I’m waiting for my planner to arrive from Franklin Covey.  Until I move into I don’t really feel like my life can start.