Tera's Random Thoughts for Thursday

None of these things is big enough to warrant its own post, but maybe together, they'll add up to something profound...ok, something mildly interesting.

First off, I was watching The Daily Show with John Stewart two nights ago, and all of a sudden, there's a new guest host segment hosted by Demetri Martin!! Who's Demetri Martin? He's this dry, understated comedian who I've seen on Comedy Central's Friday Night Standup, and I think he's hilarious. I really like how The Daily Show is becoming this generation's SNL--it seems that it is where young comedians go to get their foot in the door to television or the movies. It kind of makes me feel better about how SNL is no longer either funny or cool. At any rate, I hope Martin is a permanent addition to the show, rather than a one-time guest.

Also on The Daily Show was Bruce Willis, promoting his new movie Live Free or Die Hard. They showed a clip of him with his nerdy sidekick--the guy from the Mac ads. You know the one? He's ubiquitous these days--I'm sure you recognize his face. Not only is he in the Mac ads, but he was the nerdy kid in GalaxyQuest and the nerdy kid in Dodgeball. Oh, and he was the slacker-turned-nerd in Accepted and the nerdy kid on the TV show Ed. I kind of feel sorry for this guy because I don't know his name; I just know him as the nerdy guy. But then I realize he's getting paid a gajillion dollars to be the nerdy guy, so the feeling passes.

I looked it up. His name is Justin Long. But I won't remember.

Moving on to something completely unrelated...is anyone else completely confused by those Airwick commercials involving cartoon animals? It's this series of ads for an air freshener that automatically releases fragrance, to save you time and effort. One ad has an octopus married to a centipede, and his shoes stink up the house so badly that her 8 arms aren't enough to do all the work--she needs an Airwick too. And then there's the one where the giraffe has two teenage warthog sons, who are such filthy slobs that she can't keep up with their messes. Playing off animal traits to make a point is cute and all, but mixing them all together is weird and confusing, and makes me think about logistical questions rather than about the effectiveness of Airwick as an air freshener. How can an octopus live out of water? Isn't the size difference between the centipede and the octopus a problem? Why are the children of these hybrid couples non-hybrids? Shouldn't the warthogs have long necks? Already I've spent way too much time on this, but I just can't stop wondering...

And to end today's post, I'd like to tell you about my neighbor's dog, Max. I'm not really a dog person, to be honest. I'm pretty sure that I'll never get a dog, although many of my friends have dogs that are quite cute and charming. But I feel sorry for Max. Max is a black lab (I think), and he lives in a townhouse association where the houses don't have yards of their own. There's plenty of common green space around the association, but none that belongs to individual residents. So, as a result, poor Max ends up tethered to the front railing of his house for several hours a day, where he sits close to the sidewalk and morosely watches the people who are walking by. Honestly, I've never seen a dog look this sad. And he's out there in all sorts of weather. If it's 95 and humid, he's outside. If it's 20 below and snowing, he's outside. Last winter, my husband and I got so concerned for the welfare of this dog that we actually wrote the owners a letter, suggesting they find a more sheltered place for him to hang out. I'm not sure exactly why I'm telling you this, except to point out that big dogs need space, and that if you don't have the space for a big dog, then perhaps it's not the pet for you. And because I feel sorry for Max, and want him to have good vibes sent his way.