Bob Loblaw Law Blog

Where do you get recommendations for new books to read?

I get most of them from friends.  Sarah is a total bookworm and has never led me astray.  I heard about some at work, some from Entertainment Weekly, and some simply from what's hot at Amazon.

My mom loves to read, but she's also a very pragmatic person.  She doesn't like big showy gifts.  It's her 60th birthday on January 2, and I already bought her a trip to Korea with her sisters.

For Christmas, I know she'd like nothing more than a nice big collection of books to entertain her for a few months.  She's enjoyed most of the books from my collection the last few months, particularly: Kite Runner, Marley & Me, Freakonomics, The Tipping Point, Bringing Down the House.  She's fluent in English so she has no problem with them.

Any other recommendations so that I can go to Barnes & Noble in the next few weeks to grab some of these? 

Some ideas I've gotten: The Memory Keeper's Daughter, What the Dog Did, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Interpreter of Maladies.

They say they'll save $600m annually by:

1) pre-loading trucks in the morning
2) routing trucks according to volume
3) favoring right-hand turns

OK, wait, they didn't already pre-load trucks and route them according to volume?  Doesn't this make sense?

What is really interesting is 3).  I guess all that extra time waiting around at left-hand lights can add up, huh.

article here: http://zdnet.com.com/1606-2_2-5967129.html

I saw this set of cat images yesterday and was dying of laughter all morning.  I sent it out to some friends and now I'll share it with you.  I'd post the image here, but it's one long vertical set of about 20 images (1MB) so I'll just have to link to the page itself.

OK to heck with it, here's the ginormous image.  Here's the link to the webpage, too:  Hilarious cats

Enjoy!

I just got my cell phone bill last night.

Text messages used: 44 out of 100.
Peak time minutes used: 350 out of 700.
Night/weekend minutes used: 3640 out of unlimited.
Bill: $67.42.

67 hours on the phone.  Holy shat. 

You can't tell me I'm not getting my money's worth from Sprint.  Unfortunately, all that saved money is now going to Southwest.

The rumors are true!  I'm so getting the red iPod Nano.

http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/red/

Choose the iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition and Apple will give $10 of its purchase price to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

Red Nano

What gameshow or reality show would you kick butt on?

I would kick butt on "The Mole".  Or "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"  50/50?  Please.  Lifeline?  Who needs it.  Audience vote?  Jiggawhat?  Phone a friend?  Please.

Do you play any musical instruments?

I used to play several instruments.  It's a shame I'm no longer proficient at any of them.

cello: 3 years.
violin: 1 year.
piano: 3 years.
trombone: 13 years.
guitar: 2 years.

I'm slowly learning to play guitar again.  Damn callouses.

What TV show(s) will you be watching this season? Why? 
Submitted by ducnly.vox.com.

24.  After a season or two of complacency, the last two have been stellar.
Lost.  This well-written show always has these crazy season-ending cliffhangers.
The Office.  Because it's the funniest sitcom on these days.
Grey's Anatomy.  Despite Meredith's incessant whining, it's a lot of eye candy.
Battlestar Galactica.  They did such a good job with the re-creation of this show.
My Name Is Earl.  It's such a goofy, silly show but with a underlying good message.
Good Eats.  It's like 'Bill Nye the Science Guy' for food.
Scrubs.  Still one of the funniest shows on air.
Studio 60.  I heard the pilot was great.
Without a Trace.  Poppy Montgomery.
CSI.  One of my old favorites, I lost touch with it last season.
30 Rock.  Tina Fey is a great writer, and I am curious to see her post-SNL work.
House.  House's sardonic demeanor.  And dood, did you see that teenage girl?  Rawr.
Six Degrees.  I'd like to see how this show's widely-known premise plays out.
Heroes.  I really want to see if this is simply 'X-Men' Lite.
American Idol.  It's the only reality show (aside from Big Brother) worth watching.

Nip/Tuck.  Too much fluff now.  And no more Famek Janssen.
Standoff.  Pilot didn't impress me, despite the attractive redhead.
Cold Case.
Numb3rs.
ER.
CSI: New York, Miami, Schenectady, Alburquerque.

Amen for TiVo.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Yes.