7 Quick Takes about Comet Sightings, Algorithms Gone Wild, and Reuniting With Jillian Michaels

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?

—1—

I saw the comet!! All people can talk about is seeing the Northern Lights and Comet A3, and I haven't caught any of it, until I randomly saw the comet twice this week.

The first time I was in the kitchen when the 10-year-old looked out the window and said, "Mom, I see a shooting star, I think!" He often does this annoying thing where he tries to get a reaction out of me by claiming there's something behind me or saying something bad happened like the garage door falling off, so this time I was 100% not even going to look.

Until my 16-year-old muttered, "It better not just be a jet... wait, what is that?" Do you hear what I'm saying? We stood in our kitchen and watched a fiery comet streak through the sky. It was only a minute or so before it disappeared below the horizon, but it was probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

Later that week, my 8-year-old and I saw it in the car while we were driving around. This time, it looked like a jet with a too-short tail, although pointed in an oddly diagonal direction, and it wasn't until I saw a post about it on my neighborhood Facebook page a few days later that it hit me: I'd seen the comet a second time.

Both times, I took no pictures so you'll just have to believe me.

—2—

Is it  just me, or are Facebook algorithms are starting to feel a little unhinged lately? 

First, my feed is now peppered with home makeover "before and "after" photos and I have no clue why. At first I liked them, but it isn't long before you start to feel like something isn't quite right, like a lot of the photos are at least partially AI-generated.

Then there are the fake, weird videos that exist for no other purpose than rage-baiting people into commenting. (Example: a short titled "Money-Saving Hack" shows somebody freezing water in a gallon Ziploc, smashing it with a hammer, then reaching inside the mangled bag to grab pieces of ice with their hands and put it in their drink.) Which boost it in the algorithm and then it gets shown to more people to make them mad, I guess.

Social media is starting to feel like watching The Polar Express. It's almost real enough to be compelling, but also fake enough to be completely unnerving. On the plus side, I'm spending less time online now because that place is getting weird.

—3—

Saw this awesome school bus for sale in a parking lot!

My favorite thing about this is how the 'S' and 'H' were removed to make it the cool bus.

—4—

My 7th grader likes me to drive her to school in the mornings as soon as possible to maximize time with her friends, and one morning I was taking too long to get out of bed so she came in to see what was going on.

I'd slept terribly the night before and felt awful, but ignoring my grumbling and complaining my daughter coaxed me out of bed, anyway. When I finally rubbed my eyes and opened them, I saw her looking at my disheveled hair.

"You look like Einstein," she said.

I stumbled across the room and tried to find my slippers. "I don't feel like Einstein."

She thought for a moment. "I think you feel like Frankenstein."

That was accurate.

—5—

I've wanted to go see the fall colors at one of my favorite hiking spots in New England before it's too late, and the trees have already started dropping their leaves so I seized a brief window of time after school one day and took my 10-year-old on a speed hike.

We got there just before the sun was setting and it was totally worth the view. 

I think I've said before that I love living in New England, have I said that? Have I?! I LOVE IT HERE.

—6—

When I decluttered the house several years ago, I got rid of all the DVDs we own. For the most part, we stream everything or get movies from the library so it works for us. But one of my favorite workout DVDs from about 20 years ago came back to me this week.

I saw a copy of Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred in the swap area at our local dump, and brought it home on a whim. I'll bring it back when I'm done with it, but for right now I'm having a lot of fun using it. I still remember each and every one of Jillian's little quips throughout the video:

"Suck in those abs, stick that tush out! If you've got it, flaunt it, ladies. No shame!" 

"For those of you at home looking for the modified version of a jumping jack, look elsewhere. I'm not gonna give that to you... I've got 400-pound people who can do a jumping jack, so can you."

"I want you floating off the ground right now! Because you strong! This is eeeeaaaasy for you!"

I just don't understand how anyone can stand those HIIT workout videos with no talking and only music. I need a trainer who makes dumb little comments in between all the moves. Give me a workout with some entertainment value or it's just not worth it to me.

—7—

I took my 12-year-old clothes shopping and found that they are selling parachute pants again:

Seeing this tag takes me right back to M.C. Hammer's Taco Bell ad, which was probably the best thing to come out of the year 1991.

On a related note, this same 12-year-old saw the movie Legally Blonde at a friend's house and came home telling me how good it was. Then she asked me, "What other classic movies should I watch?" 

I told her that was a tough one and I'd have to think about it. When it comes to cinema classics, it's pretty much:

1. Citizen Kane
2. Legally Blonde

I can't think of anything else, really.

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