I want the CSR girls to stop doing choral singing late in the day when they're bored. Yes, they can carry a tune, but I'm trying to work! And some of hte people in my office are working with clients on the phone!

This is our problem, too. When 3 people who are 30 feet away start pounding on their desks in some rhythmic drumbeat, I about jump out of my skin.

(My specific department was made to sign documents saying that *we* -- the 4 of us who sit near each other -- wouldn't listen to the radio or iTunes or make/receive phone calls at our desks, because "the Editorial department's needs are different from the rest of the comapny and require minimal distractions." Hand to god. And yet the continual distraction of the cretins on the other side of the glass wall who beat on their desks is allowed to continue.)

JZ-- I don't know if you saw my post in Music, but Hec was really wonderful yesterday. The bus tour was not only fascinating, it was way wicked fun. It was a perfect combination of cool rock and LA history, intriguing and funny personal anecdotes, well-chosen video (we got to listen to "On the Nickel" while actually cruising up 5th--it was magical!) cool scenery and enthusiastic geekitude. And thank you so much for the bath oil--it should make my winter baths quite luxurious!

Steph, have you ever considered the possibility that you're actually working at Dunder Mifflin?

Journalists need to develop new filters for the Internet age, and one of them is this: just because a nominally large number of people say something, doesn't mean they're important.

Yes. This could not be said enough.

A bizarre Jack Chick tract about how Jesus can protect you from vampires: [link]

All you have to do is raise your arm and say, "Jesus, please stop him," as the vampire approaches you....

It's almost like a Mad Magazine parody. Oh, and Osama Bin Laden is a member of the vampire/witch coven.

Good day at the Open. Really good matches. Mac made it just over 5 hours, but almost half of that was outside a stadium. Still, it was hot and his first experience watching tennis, so I think a win. Next year we will go to more, and hopefully we can start lessons later this year.

That Chick tract is bizarre.

I remember in the Tulane library I once found a shelf of these Christian booklets from about 1900-1915. I read through one of them. The basic story was a little girl who lives on the streets tries to steal something from rich man. The rich man tells her that she shouldn't steal, because it's a sin and Jesus loves her. She replies something like, "Really? Jesus loves me? Then I love him too!" And the rich man essentially says, "That's wonderful. Now that you love Jesus, you will have a wonderful life."

It was so odd. No discussion of who Jesus actually was or said or did, just the statement "Jesus loves you." And no attempt to help the little girl other than telling her that Jesus loves her. I mean, the man could have at least bought the girl a sandwich or something.

msbelle - that's excellent.

NYC must be having similar weather to Illinois - it was supposed to be pleasant and unrainy - instead it's hot and humid.

Msbelle, I was watching part of the Federer match and wondering if you were there.

Vortex, I am so sorry for your loss.

We saw maybe 5 points in the Federer match. The sun was killer and mac was "scared" up so high.

I think I will try to get seats two sections over, but just as high for next year. They actually are in the shade almost 100% of the day.

We saw 3 full sets of the Muller/Almagro match - set 1 and 3 went to tie breaker with Almagro leading 2 sets to 1 and after we left, the 4th set also went to tie breaker (Muller won) and the 5th I can't tell from the official score if Almagro conceeded or if Muller actually won on points. The crowd was behind Almagro, but mac was rooting for Muller, so I am glad he won.