Ur

I can't quite explain why I so love the Internet phenom phrase, "I'm in ur base, killing ur d00ds."

Variations on the theme are just about the only text messages I enjoy sending, such as when my brother-in-law was meeting me for lunch, and I texted him, "I'm in ur base, eating ur bread."

Well, Mental Floss has delved into the issue pretty thoroughly. (Mostly as a good excuse to show funny pictures of cats.) So if you've never laughed along with me at things like this...



...then you should probably read the Floss post.

Vader's comic genius.

Sorry for the very few posts lately, but work is eating me like Cookie Monster with a bag of ... um .... broccoli?

Anyway, here's a clip that gave me a much-needed laugh-until-I'm-openly-weeping moment today:



Via Mental Floss.

Well, it's one-third right. I am hot.

Random stat thrown out on the Mental Floss blogs today...

If you’re turning 30 this year, you’re probably good-looking and might have marital problems, because you’re so fickle.

Since Karen and I are both turning 30 this year (she'll hit the landmark in just a few days, while I have a good six months left), this seems doubly pertinent.

But maybe it's that double dose of beauty and fickleness that is offsetting the potential for marital problems. Woo...hoo?

So many Ethiopians, so little room in my inbox.

Today's Mental Floss blogs included a mention of Spamusement.com, a site where a guy makes cartoons based on the subject lines of spam e-mails he's gotten. It's worth checking out.

The one shown here is called "Your dog will love it!"

But be sure to check out "You were wrong cabinet Sanchez" and "Who will know?"

What's the best subject line in your spam folder right now?

I'd have to say mine is "Over the past year, you have received letters from a number of Ethiopian politicians, academics and citizens backing our claim."

Yes, that's literally just the subject line.

Do you secretly long to help out a Bulgarian dairy farmer?

Bear with me for a second here. (Especially Karen's relatives who think my blog drifts entirely too far from interesting stories about our lives...this post likely will just prove your point.)

Many moons back, I heard an NPR interview about the emerging concept of "micro-lending," which more recently got a ton of international attention when the idea's pioneers won the Nobel Peace Prize.

I instantly loved the concept, which is to give small loans to impoverished entrepreneurs in developing countries or struggling communities. The loans (often as low as a few hundred dollars) are generally for tools or equipment that can help the entrepreneur get started or expand a small business.

Here's the strange part. When the micro-lenders won the Nobel Prize, I remember thinking how great it would be if I could help out on a project like that. But how do you get individuals in America connected with needy businessfolk in Asia or South America?

Well, I obviously wasn't the only one thinking that. Yesterday, Mental Floss posted a blog item about the Web site Kiva.org, which lets visitors lend money to countless specific business projects across the globe.

(And yes, I'm sure I shared some of your same concerns about keeping the money away from scammers. There's a ton if info in their FAQ, if you're interested.)

Anyway, just passing this on because I know many of you, like me, have little to give and are reluctant to hand money to a faceless charity. If we set aside enough to try one of these micro-loans, I'll let you know how it goes.

Be sure to browse the profiles of the entrepreneurs seeking money. There's some amazing stories there.