I love gift cards. As long as they're for places I frequent. I have this tendency to just buy things as I want them, which is hell on anyone trying to shop for me.

I love gift cards. Part of this is due to the fact that my family rarely knows what to buy me, especially regarding clothes. I'd prefer as elegant, tailored, dark, and timeless as possible. Mom and Sis's idea of Clothes for Calli tend toward pastels, bright florals, and, in one memorable shirt, pastels with bright florals surrounded by gold puffy glitter. There may have been allegedy cute animals involved in some way, too. Or maybe I'm conflating gift flashbacks. Mom says my taste is boring. I say standing in return lines is pretty dull, too.

However, Mom did come through with a long black leather coat last year, so I may have finally convinced her that I'm not Pastel Floral woman.

I love a mother that buys her daughter a dagger.

I'm going to split with my wife and proclaim that I am pro-gift card in a lot of cases. Especially people who aren't close enough to know my callous and arbitrary tastes.

I find them portable, flexible and (if approved by a shadowy secret court) entirely constitutional.

But please, keep it generic, people. Amazon.com - yes. Unicorns.com - no.

Getting FISA warrants is almost a rubber stamp, so I gotta wonder what the heck are they doing that they won't even go to FISA.

Yeah, that creeps me out big time.

Ha HA! I'm not going to have to go in for a final tomorrow night. That is AWESOME. I love the fact that even though the University says they're open, my academic dean says it's "unacceptable" to make us come in for a test.

You know, it is very interesting avoiding the holiday party when your office is 3 doors down from your big boss's and it is a party-in-the-halls.

I try not to give gift cards because of the whole "If everyone gives each other gift cards/cash, why bother?" thing. But I'm also not above asking family members "Hey, give a few ideas of what you want for Christmas." which helps. I had to get my brother a gift card this year because I normally get him a video game of some kind, but he's been off in the Navy and buying video games left and right to give him something to do while at sea, so I have no idea what he does and doesn't have at this point.

As for recieving gift cards, I don't mind, as long as it's somewhere I shop anyway. Best Buy being the the preferred, simply because I'm likely to spend money there anyway, so if the card doesn't cover the whole thing, it's fine.

In the north side where? That's more than enough time for the highway part, but how far you have to go from the highway can make a difference.

Cicero and Altgeld.

Excellent, Jesse!

Sarameg, have you tried under the desk?

I love a mother that buys her daughter a dagger.

Guess what my dad brought me back from China?

Guess what my dad brought me back from China?

That guy from Lost?