You'd think that leaving a message with an actual human would be a novelty, but the caller is almost invariably bewildered and mournful at the prospect.

I'm kind of like Jessica -- I prefer voice mail because that way I can leave a longer message. With a person, I feel bad if I leave anything more than a name and phone number (because you can't ask some poor receptionist or assistant to take a 50-word message), and I'm always nervous I won't get called back.

But I understand why obvious disappointment at talking to a person would be wilting to said receptionist or assistant.

Cable people are evil. I'm warding off the evil cable vibes as we speak. Neither pitas nor pickles are involved, however, so that's kinda sad.

Warding with pickles is kinda creepy.

I'm trying to work out if a guy at work said I was attractive. Something to do with Batgirl's emotional damage, so it's hard to tell.

On the upside, he gave me chocolate. Well, allowed me to take chocolate. On the down side, the kaju kathli is done.

Hi msbelle! Sorry to disappear for an hour. I had to go teach.

On the down side, the kaju kathli is done.

The whatha whatha?

Cable people are evil.

This is true. Every time someone moves out from the upstairs apartment, they turn my cable off. You'd think sometime in the last 5 years and close to a dozen complaints about this the cable company would figure out not to cut service to the entire house.

I just realized something about this week's Alias. There were no wigs or skimpy outfits. It was a really good episode, but that just seems wrong somehow.

This, Burrell. An Indian co-worker introduced me to this cashew/butter paste silver-lined concoction.

Are there commercially available products that do that ear irrigation thing, without, you know, having to talk to a human and go actually see a doctor? I seem to remember my mom doing it to me when I was a child, with the little blue ball squegee/syringe/squishy thing.

Yeah, Debrovax (or something like that). And you get the little blue ear bulb flushy thing.

that just seems wrong somehow

Yes, but SCRUFFY HOT ALKIE PRIEST. God, that still makes me nod appreciatively, and wish Ryan would do it too.

Well, that part didn't do anything for me, ita. But obviously YSHAPMV.

(Almost white-fonted the appropriate letters, but then decided that would be little silly.)

mmm. sounds good, ita, except for the silver foil part, which sounds suspiciously less edible than the rest of it.