I was going over the statistics page for the blog and it notes that I passed 150,000 words. Oh my, I don't know what's worse, the realization that I wrote 150,000 words or the possibility that some guy out there has had their life ruined by wasting their time reading these 150,000 words. For the record, this is post #457. My skills as a math major tell me that there are 43 more posts until 500.

So I took that appraiser test today. 100 fellow test-takers (plus many more with the announcement that more groups were expected later in the day) tackled the 75-question exam, ranging from basic math to understanding basic appraisal rules. Those appraisal passages were very lengthy and I wasn't taking this test very seriously so I just chose the answer that seemed right. Maybe I wasn't taking the test seriously enough. Once I got to to question 60, I looked around and people were just on #20 or 30. I finished a hour early and got out of there as quickly as I could.

This week, with the return of my manager, I actually had work to do as the first full week of the quarter was underway. It mainly dealt with in-quarter tracking. The business unit is really bad at this. It can't predict how many drives it will sell one month ahead, let alone one quarter ahead. So continuing the work a contractor did before, I updated the data and saw what developed. Next week, I begin my training of a new supply chain management system, in which I am a so-called super user.

Last night, with Jeanette along for the ride, we got to see Jon's new place in Mountain View. It's a remarkably clean studio apartment nestled by Highway 237. From the outside, it looked nice enough, and it was quiet. That's always key to any place. But with the darkness, we didn't get to see what Jon considers the gem of the complex, the deserted pool.

We also got to see the new Camera Cinemas downtown, watching Anchorman. What used to be an 8-screen theatre for United Artists is now a 12-screen theatre. But one thing remains from its predecessor: the emptiness. On its grand opening Friday night, with a major movie opening, the theatre was only half-full. Take advantage of the special offer: $1 popcorn and drinks for the rest of the weekend.

Last Comic Standing is hitting the home stretch with only two more comics to kick off before the final event. I might be going to that final event in L.A. in the first week of August, so we'll see what happens. Who do I want to see take it? Probably either Corey or Kathleen.

I applaud Kerry's choice of Edwards as his VP choice. But if somebody mentions that Edwards is the son of the millworker again, I'll have to scream. During the primaries, I privately wished Edwards was the nominee. But then again, I'd rather see Bush re-elected. Edwards certainly makes up for Kerry's lack of charisma. And Kerry makes up for Edwards' lack of experience. It'll be a powerful combo, but not powerful enough to sway votes. It will ultimately be Bush vs. Kerry that'll decide it. I'm betting Bush wants Cheney to have a heart attack or something so he could get Powell or McCain or Giuliani to run in the VP spot. J/K.

Finally, my brother pointed this out to me earlier. Robot is not the Spanish word for robot, but advertising in Latin America has the title for "I, Robot" as "Yo, Robot" which can be said in many, often funny, ways.