I really hate getting mail. Sure, when I'm expecting a new lithium-ion powered something or other it's sort of fun, but mostly the mail just brings bad news. Car decal renewal notices. Guilt-laden postcards from mom. And, most recently, collection notices.

The creditor in question is CogniDial, and they and I have been through this before. I used their cheap phone service to call Catherine when she was in Italy, way back in 2002. They had some sort of automatic billing thing, for which I used a credit card that expired without my noticing. Much later some not-so-nice folks from a collection agency in San Luis Obispo informed me that I owed $45. After some tooth-gnashing, I ponied up the dough.

It was my fault, but I still made a point of never using their service again. For one thing, I didn't have to make any international calls. For another, I'd hate to be denied a mortgage because of another misunderstanding with some fly-by-night internet telecom.

Now it's much later, and I'm told I somehow owe them $40some dollars again. I'm starting to seriously consider whether they're just shaking me down. I've left an irked message with the collection people, and an irate one with CogniDial, but what can I do? It's hard to convince nameless functionaries that you don't owe their bosses money. The computer says so, even though I asked not-so-nicely to be removed from the computer after the last fiasco. I had a similar experience in college when my phone started reliably ringing every Saturday morning, then playing a recorded message telling me that I owed money and warning me not to attempt to deny that I was [name other than my own]. Reality eventually helped me win back the right to sleep it off. But this time the only reality is that some people are getting paid to believe that I owe $40, while my own conviction is funded solely by righteous indignation — which is plentiful, but likely to produce poorer results.

so, is there, like, anything we can do to not get the bird flu? i'm starting to get a little worried. i wash my hands about 16 times a day and i take my vitamins. do i have to start wearing masks as well? and we don't have to worry about eating fowl, do we? cause i just ate like half a roast chicken and i would hate to have to give that up.

another day, another spinning class, another crappy musical playlist. highlight of the hour: hmm, it would have to be either that sappy corrs song or the five-minute out-of-the-saddle uphill climb set to jason mraz IN THE DARK. you don't know from inspiring.

sigh. at least at this point i've gone through most of the instructors so i know which ones aren't likely to cause me to think homicidal spinning thoughts. and i know i bitch a lot about it, but it's such an addictive workout, even if the music is crap and i can't see my water bottle and send it skidding across the studio floor. to wit: i hadn't gone running in a long, long time, but this weekend, after spinning for nearly two weeks, i was able to run five miles in just over 40 minutes. them's results.

one thing i don't think i'll be doing anytime soon, though: this, which i saw advertised in a poster at the gym. climbing two billion stairs? no thank you.

unrequited narcissism is now the #3 hit on google for "shrinking boobs."

due to this post. for those who care, the shrinkage seems to have stabilized. if only it would start on the stomach.

okay, i know "halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it," but when you see costumes like these, you know shit is getting out of hand. you should just give up on the entire pretense of having a costume and dress yourself in a saran wrap mini skirt or something. i mean, the slutty ref? SERIOUSLY? and WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GO SLUT UP STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE? fine, rape my childhood. that's cool.

i had hoped to be leela, but frankly, i don't think any of my school friends have seen an episode of "futurama" in their lives, so the joke might be lost. any other suggestions?

UPDATE: quote from the thread:

I love how any uniform can be made into a Halloween costume if you cut off six inches and throw on some fishnets.

I'm skanky fast food girl! Skanky chef! Skanky doctor!

I want someone to get a pink suit, cut off the skirt and go as skanky Laura Bush.

i forgot to mention that i went to see nada surf's show on friday at the metro. the show overall was pretty good - it was actually quite good the first 2/3, then lost all steam when the band decided to play all its incredibly slow, lullaby-ish songs for the last part. but it was still a good time, especially since matthew caws is adorable, and the bassist, though he is rocking terrible, terrible disgusting dreads, was fun to watch as well.

anyway, since i went to the show on my own i had the experience of eavesdropping on absolutely everybody around me, which was kind of fun. and what i discovered that many, many people seemed to be there solely in hopes of hearing "popular," nada surf's hit single from, like 1998. you know the song - the video got heavy rotation on MTV, and the song consists of spoken lyrics about rules for breaking up with your boyfriend with a chorus of "i'm a quarterback/my mom says i'm a catch," etc. it's a fun song, but the thing is, it's TOTALLY misrepresentative of all of nada surf's sound. nada surf is just good, solid polished pop with thoughtful lyrics and pretty harmonies. pretty straightforward guitar-driven stuff.

so anyway, a lot of people that i was listening to were seriously pissed that nada surf didn't play "popular." which, well, i don't understand. one, the song is like 7 years old. two, pretty much all of their other songs are better. three, are you seriously paying like $20 to hear one song that you liked when you were 17 and you're pissed the band doesn't play it? but i was wondering if in general bands like nada surf purposefully don't play their one hit single and if they should feel obligated to, especially if they have a catalog of material that excels far beyond the hit single. i've seen radiohead play "creep" twice in my times seeing the band, but most of the times they don't play it, not that they have to any longer - i mean, they're effing radiohead. but when i saw them in the years like '96-'98, people around me would be pissed if they didn't play "creep"/utterly ecstatic if they did. not that nada surf is radiohead. not at all. but judging by some of the audience's reaction, they were 'bout ready to riot because they didn't get to hear "popular." just, what is up with that? why do people feel like they deserve an old hit single that's not at all the kind of music that the band is really about?

anyway, whatever. it kind of pissed me off. i recommend that you go listen to three free songs on nada surf's site. they're purty.

Some DCist commenters are saying that Miles O'Brien mentioned Butterstick by name on CNN this morning — but the official panda-related video and transcript don't offer confirmation. Personally, I suspect a coverup.

You should still watch the video though — the cub is pretty goddamn adorable, whatever its name.

For those interested, my review of Saturday's New Pornographers show is up at DCist. Behold the fruits of taking notes at a concert like a complete and utter dork.