That's an awful lot of trauma all in one place. I would have thought Elian Gonzales was earlier, but maybe I can still make an argument that culturally, the decade didn't start til the election, if not 9/11.

Our holiday party is this afternoon. I'm supposed to be one of the official photographers. I just know that all afternoon I'm going to have Brian Krakow in my head saying, "The thing is, when you're yearbook photographer, you're never, like... in the picture."

Come to think of it, I've missed Brian Krakow. Maybe it's time for a rewatch.

Well, if you are one of the official photographers perhaps one of the others will shoot you. In fact, perhaps the photographers should make a pact to shoot each other.

Wow. Those pictures made me tear up, and I didn't even click on any of the traumatic content. I hope no one here noticed.

At least Usain Bolt makes me tear up in a good, amazed way. When the vendors found out I was Jamaican the conversation quickly turned to him. And then from there to Tiger. I think he's as good a topic as weather these days, if you want to get a little casual.

That's an awful lot of trauma all in one place. I would have thought Elian Gonzales was earlier, but maybe I can still make an argument that culturally, the decade didn't start til the election, if not 9/11.

Certainly the decade will likely be thought of as the Bush-era (or error). One can argue that there was another president named Bush, but that's a presidency that will be forgotten pretty quickly. Bush senior is the Millard Fillmore of the modern age, whereas Bush junior is more the James Buchanan.

The 00s sucked.

How sad is it that Paris Hilton is one of the more pleasant pictures in that set?

Consider that lots of young girls regard her as a role model, and suddenly she's not so comforting in the midst of the gunfire and natural disasters.

She kinda freaked me out.

eta: I've just been invited to have some of the potluck. I can't! I'm a slacker! I'd feel like shit. I need to vanish. But it was a very nice offer.

And then from there to Tiger.

One of the Cincinnati Bengals' wide receivers (Chris Henry) died yesterday morning, apparently after having had a "domestic disturbance" with his fiancee the night before. Whatever transpired indoors, she went out, got in the pickup truck, and started to drive away. He got in the truck bed, and somehow fell out, had a traumatic head injury, and died Thursday morning.

Anyway. We had our office Xmas dinner last night (to tie together a few themes), and I cannot believe how many people went from Chris Henry to Tiger Woods, suggesting that maybe his wife should kill him for cheating on her.

1. Chris Henry's fiancee didn't kill him; he was a jackass who got in the back of a moving pickup truck, which even kids know not to do.

2. Uh, no. Cheating on your wife is wrong, but I can't really get behind death as a fitting punishment.

Then one of my co-workers (who is known as the queen of the inappropriate comment) started talking about women who eat their placentas after giving birth.

So, your typical holiday party, really.

Ew! Ew!