Friday Debriefing

What's up friends and frienemies?

I won't whine that it's been a long week, 'cause no doubt plenty of you have had one too. I will say though, I've been swamped working on feature stories for the paper. On a good day in a good week I can slip in a blog post during the work day. But frankly, in weeks like this, by day's end sometimes - especially at the end of a long day - the last thing I want to do is come home and sit back down in front of a keyboard.

All that being said, this week is officially over. So consider this our board meeting. Let me fill you in on the lot and the little of the past few days:

1. My next article, the one that took up the early part of the week, will run in Sunday's paper and, as usual, will e on MiamiHerald.com. It's a profile of IndyCar racer and Dancing With the Stars Season 5 winner Helio Castroneves. The story's more about Castroneves' life at home and his unique design and decorating tastes.
2. People can change in a good way, I guess. That guy who tried to bully me off of a public sidewalk near my job last fall, smiled and waved at me earlier this week and asked how I was doing, while I was strolling on a coffee break. Maybe it was for embarrassment. But I give him the benefit of the doubt. If you don't remember that story, say so, and I'll amend this post and put the text of the column I wrote about the incident at the bottom.
3. Like dance music? I've never been a huge fan. I've never quite been able to tell the difference in "electronica" and "dance" and "techno" and "house." And it all makes me think in the back of my mind of A Night at the Roxbury. I really liked that movie. Either way, I know who some of the big DJs are, and I respect their work. It's entertaining, and it's an honest living. Mrs. B knows more about 'em than I do. Anywho, while on assignment Wednesday night I got to meet Paul Oakenfold. If you're into electronica music, you'll know that name. Nice guy.
4. I finally lost some of my fickle nature and picked a name for my Web site. I hope to unveil the site within a week or so. Until then, you have to wait to get the name.
5. It never ceases to amaze me what people will do to themselves in the name of good looks. I stopped in Whole Foods this afternoon to grab lunch and saw a woman with a swollen mug. I was about ready to offer to call 911 for her, under the assumption that someone had just punched her in her mouth, creating a permanent pout, when I realized that she was fresh from a collagen injection. I hope that swelling goes down at least a little, 'cause she looked like she'd been pimp-slapped. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, I guess.