Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Summer Plans
Wednesday
May 11, 2005
I've been watching some of the UK version of The Office, which airs on Saturday night on BBC America (with an early morning replay of the same episode a few hours later). The timing of it is horrible, but thanks to my DVR, I can watch it when I want.
When I first saw it, I agreed with the critics who thought it was much better than the US version, though I also liked the US version. But as I've watched subsequent episodes, I don't see it as being worlds better or anything. Maybe if I had watched the show for 4-5 years and become used to all of the characters as they were and then had the United States cast thrust upon me, it'd be a different story. But for now, I like what season one had to offer. I just hope NBC brings it back in the fall...
My 16-year-old sister Mary Beth made a list of things she needs to do this summer. Here it is, along with my comments:
***TENTATIVE LIST***
1. Work ('cause heck, they need me, I like it, and they pay well!)
Lou: All of the above is a good reason to work out at the River Road office. Trust me, you'll enjoy it much more than retail or fast food. Plus you won't have to work out in the fields, which was the really hellacious part of the job for me when I was your age.
2. Have some Indian food! (I might not get to go to QU camp this year, so I don't want to miss my yearly dosage of Indian goodness!)
Lou: Here's a tip: go easy on the curry. Trust me on this one.
3. Try fondue! (I saw a $10 fondue kit at Michaels...)
Lou: Just don't burn yourself making it. You'd be surprised how many people do that. It is good, though.
4. Make that video game I've been planning since spring break
Lou: Always good to have long-term goals.
5. Parasail (It may as well be now as later!)
Lou: My friend Gary Graham did that a few years ago and said it's a blast. Just don't collide with anyone on a beach and collapse their face, a la Brutus Beefcake in 1990.
6. Do that reading for APUS...
Lou: That's AP U.S. History, for those of you who don't recognize the abbreviation. And yes, get to work on that reading early. It's no joke. I speak from experience...
7. Stay up for 24 consecutive hours!
Lou: It's overrated. Trust me, the time will come when you'll have to do that, and it's not fun. Ever watch 24 on Fox? They've waaay undersold the sleep deprivation angle this year versus years past (where Jack would be fighting off sleep late in the season, etc.)
8. Catch up with old friends...and reconcile with newer ones
Lou: Easy to say, harder to do. Don't let the summer go by and think, "Oh, I should've done that."
9. Convince Mom to let me dye my hair red for a little while
Lou: Why not? C'mon Mom, Mary Beth is a superior student, a hard worker and an overall good person. Let her do it, I say. Though I'm a non-voting member of the security council...
10. Thoroughly enjoy the extra time I don't have to spend toiling at band camp!
Lou: What, 90+ degrees in August on a roasting parking lot for hours at a time isn't fun? Good choice of word in "toiling" with marching band. Sometimes you have to prioritize what you want to keep going on in your life.
11. Buy my car!!!!!!!!
Lou: I know you (Mary Beth) want a turquoise car. I know how it can be; in 1993, when I turned 16, I very much wanted a 1987 red Chrysler LeBaron convertible with a black top. I lucked out and got what I wanted in a bank auction (except it was one year newer, a 1988). In your case, because turquoise is a seldom used color in cars, your options are going to be very limited. Take my advice and locate a car that will hold up well that will fall in your price range. I bought my 2000 Honda Accord last year knowing that Hondas have a rep for holding their value and operating without requiring a great deal of maintenance. Read up ahead of time, unless your idea of a fun weekend is spending hours under your car working to take three parts out so you can access and replace your timing belt. I had to do that with my LeBaron (and missed some of the mini-series on ABC for The Stand in 1994), and I assure you that it was not fun at all.
My point? Buy the car for the car, not for what color it is. If you can find a turquoise car that has good recommendations that fits in your price range, perfect. If not, don't sweat it. You can always buy a turquoise car at some point on down the line. But take my advice and buy the car for the car...
12. Take Joe to Mama Mia's, which is, in my opinion, a really great idea for a restaurant date
Lou: I like Mama Mia's. Non-Nashville readers won't know the place, but it's a hidden restaurant just off from the I-65/Harding Place exit, right next to the Mapco Express where I bought my first legal beer. The candles that burn at the table add to the ambiance, but at the same time they don't keep the candles looking nice and neat, so there's candle wax all around the candle area. Anyway, check it out, it's a place worth going.
I've been trying out the Google AdWords program, as the company that hosts
LouPickney.com had a special offer for a free $20 AdWords credit. So far results are mixed; AdWords is real picky about what words can and can't be used in an ad (or keywords), which includes prescription drugs. Xanax or ephedrine or even Vioxx I can't use, which is problematic if I want to do an ad about lawsuits regarding those drugs. CTR (Click Through Rate) is required to be kept at a certain level, or else the particularly keyword associated with the low CTR will be put on hold, if not outright disabled.
Along with the prescription drug ad attempts, I've also been promoting my new VarietyHits.com site, as well as a page on here (the 2003 Las Vegas trip story). I'm not sure if this little bit of advertising will actually make a difference, but I'm giving it the old college try. I also went through to make sure that my Google AdWords wouldn't show up on any of my pages that use Google AdSense. Buying CPC ads on my own pages is not my idea of a good time.
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