Department of small pleasures.

I chose the email address rugraham2 @ gmail.com because I was a late adopter of Gmail, and decided to use the same prefix as my old Hotmail address, blah blah blah. I have regrets in life, and this is one of them. “Rugraham2” is a terrible email prefix. I constantly have to spell it out, explain that it’s “the number 2,” etc. OH WELL.

Anyway, today it became clear that my entire decade of having this horribly clunky address occurred so that the following exchange could take place on March 29, 2011:
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Filately Korner

I was recently browsing the awesome vintage stamp store Champion Stamp, which I read about in Martha Stewart (of course), and the thought occurred to me: Just what does it take to get on a stamp in this country? And if you think you know the answer — be distinguished, like a former president, or pretty, like a flower — then why do the following three stamps exist? And once you’ve answered that, try to decide which of these is the most awesome:
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Four facts I read in magazines at least 15 years ago and still think about at least once a week, though I have no idea if they are true

1. Eating the white part of an orange is good for your arteries.

2. The average human being eats eight spiders while sleeping over the course of a lifetime.

3. Madonna pees in the shower.

4. Most people should be using less conditioner and more shampoo.

Top 10 books about animals and the afterlife

10. “The Divine Life of Animals: One Man’s Quest to Discover Whether the Souls of Animals Live On.”
Author: Ptolemy Tompkins
Product description or key review: “You’ll never look into your pet’s eyes the same way again.”

9. “Will I See My Dog In Heaven?”
Author: Jack Wintz
“Franciscan friar and popular writer Father Jack Wintz brings a love for all creation and infectious enthusiasm to the serious task of exploring answers to these long-asked questions.”

8. “Will I See Fido in Heaven? Scripturally Revealing God’s Wonderful Eternal Plan for His Non-Human Creatures
Author: Mary Buddemeyer-Porter
Product description or key review: “Years of research went into establishing the accuracy of ‘Will I See Fido in Heaven?’ delving into the original Greek and Hebrew translations covering such topics as the innocence of animals, their obedience to God, their intelligence and sacrifice for mankind and the understanding of symbolism as it applies to man and animals.”

7. “Cold Noses At The Pearly Gates: A book of hope for those who have lost a pet.”
Author: Gary Kurz
Product description or key review: “In one section he proposes that animals will have the ability to speak in the afterlife.”

6. “The Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss Is Heaven’s Gain
Author: Niki Behrikis Shanahan
Product description or key review: “As you read this book you will learn about: People who have seen their pets in Heaven through near-death, out-of-body, and deathbed experiences. You can look to your future with your animal companion family member. Realize Heaven is a very real place. Find out if there is recognition in Heaven. How you can overcome depression. Learn about a special white angel cat, and the miracle cross formed out of snow.”

5.”Animals and the Afterlife: True Stories of Our Best Friends’ Journey Beyond Death
Author: Kim Sheridan
Product description or key review: “Mysterious things began to happen that she couldn’t explain, which led her on an incredible journey to uncover the truth.”

4. “Animals in Spirit: Our faithful companions’ transition to the afterlife
Author: Penelope Smith
Product description or key review: “Perhaps most helpful is the chapter in which animals counsel their human friends not to grieve for them but to seek joy instead.”

3. “Animals, Immortal Beings: Evidence of the Immortality of Animals
Author: Mary Buddemeyer-Porter
Product description or key review: “considered by many reviewers to be the most comprehensive source of scriptural proof on the topic of animal immortality.”

2.”There Is Eternal Life for Animals.”
Author: Niki Behrikis Shanahan
Product description or key review: “All animals go to Heaven. How do we know? We look in the book that God left us, the Bible.”

1. “I Will See You in Heaven
Author: Jack Wintz
Product description or key review: “Now, the question mark is removed! The answer is Yes!

Bold prediction: 2011 is going to be a rough year for celebrity couples.

“This is not a good year for famous couples.”
-New York magazine, December 14, 2010

“2009 was a big year for celebrity breakups.”
-Hollywire, December 27, 2009

“2007 was full of celebrity breakups.”
-Bonny’s Dating Blog, December 26, 2007

“It has been a bad year for celebrity marriages.”
-Daily Mirror, December 27, 2006

Ok, everyone, once and for all, can we please retire this trope? Guess what: Every year is a bad year for celebrity marriages.

Celebrities are all horrible narcissists. They travel constantly, they have 24/7 access to willing sexual partners, they’re millionaires, they’re smoking hot, and they’re used to getting exactly what they want. They do not have normal lives, and they are not normal people. The fact that they cannot manage to build a decades-long bond with another human being is not shocking. Let’s all agree, right now, to stop being shocked.

When Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie break up, we’ll take it in stride. When Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher eventually divorce, we’ll shrug. Even when Matt Damon and his adorable, normal-seeming wife announce their inevitable amicable split, we’ll play it cool even though we might die a little inside.

We will steadfastly refuse to be shocked, because we know the truth: Every single celebrity couple except Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward breaks up eventually. And guess what: Joanne Woodward was Paul Newman’s second wife.

The news that this couple lasted two years instead of 50 should not faze you.

 

Martha Stewart and I are both VERY Martha Stewart

Travel tip: Always bring enough lemons to share with the whole plane!

I have written before about the nutso US Weekly feature “25 Things You Don’t Know About Me.” This week, the magazine features Martha Stewart. Obviously “Martha Stewart is a perfectionist” jokes are old and plentiful, but they’re funny because they’re true! Here are some tidbits she shared with the magazine:

When I travel, I like to bring my own fresh lemons, just in case they don’t have them on the plane.

I tend to keep a light on near my bed when I sleep (about four hours a night) so I can write notes or do work when I wake up.

When I first wake up, before the sun rises, I say hello to all the animals on my farm.

I have over 2,040,000 Twitter followers.

I do yoga every day for an hour.

Let’s review: Martha Stewart brings her own fresh lemons onto planes, sleeps with a light on for four hours a night, personally greets many animals every morning before dawn, has millions of fans, and does a full hour of yoga every day. What a woman!

But the really remarkable thing about the list is how similar my life is to Martha’s. In fact, it’s almost weird that we haven’t become best friends yet.

When I travel, I like to bring my own contact solution, but I usually forget to.

I tend to turn off all the lights near my bed when I sleep (about 8 hours a night) so I can actually rest like a normal person, though often my laptop is next to me in bed because I’ve been watching old episodes of “The League” before passing out.

When I first wake up, long after the sun rises, I say “Thank god I don’t have any animals to take care of, because, ugh.”

I have over 200 Twitter followers.

I do yoga every year for almost an hour.

Call me, Martha!

Fascinating thoughts about candy, rental car companies, and toothpaste.

A new study from the USC Marshall School of Business founds that our attachments to brands are more powerful than previously understood: People are willing to sacrifice cash, time, energy, and reputation to maintain connections to particular brands. As the press release puts it, “It is brand attachment that explains consumers’ devotion to the iPod, fans’ intense reaction at celebrity deaths and the torment of teenagers who are denied their favorite brand of jeans.” Ha! Teenagers are the worst.

In general this doesn’t sound that earth-shattering to me, but it did get me thinking, fascinatingly, about brands and feelings. Continue reading