RANDOM NOTES and THOUGHTS

WORD OF THE DAY: smirting \SMERT-ing\ v, flirting that takes place among smokers forced outside of bars and restaurants by smoking bans now in effect in many cities. Common icebreakers: "Do you have a light?" "Can I bum one?" and "This sucks- what are we, lepers?"

BY THE NUMBERS:

$300 BILLION: The total cost to put the class of 2009 through college.

6 BILLION: The estimated number of solicitations credit card companies sent through the mail- or 27 for each adult in the U.S. The average American household has about 8 credit cards.

$3.6 MILLION: The amount CHRISTINA AGUILERA received to sing three songs at the wedding of Russian billionaire ANDREI MELNICHENKO and model ALEKSANDRA KOKOTOVIC in the south of FRANCE.

$600,000: The amount Russian SERGEI ZUYKOV offered to sell the company (STARBUCKS) the rights to its own name in order to move into RUSSIA. (He owns the Russian rights to at least 300 trademarks).

$1,100: The amount the CATHOLIC CHURCH spent on advertising for new priests on beer coasters in U.K. bars last summer.
*source: Playboy Magazine, March 2006

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

*WASSUP with the Dept. of Sanitation trucks plowing the streets with no snow, yet not picking up the three-day-old garbage that's now overflowing all of the trash cans?

*WASSUP with folks dropping off resumes at the bar wearing stained sweats and smelling like MOFUNGO? Talk about leaving a good impression.

*WASSUP with foreign-students ordering ten rounds of dollar-draft mugs, NOT TIPPING and then being demanding about the pace of the service? Did they not read the memo about tipping courtesy at the ASPECT INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE SCHOOL?

*WASSUP with the growing number of hookers walking up and down 3rd Avenue? What's wrong? Is business running flat on Lexington Ave. that you have to now ply your trade amongst the drunken Bridge and Tunnel Frat Boys spilling out of the bars? Hmmm....

*WASSUP with my fascination with the U.S. WOMEN'S CURLING TEAM? They don't seem to be very good (although they finally won a match this morning), but dammit, they are cute...

Just thinking out loud.

I'm feelin' like some Mexican food tonite. Anyone have any local recommendations? Discuss..

NUFF SAID