First of all, thanks for all the input in the previous post.  I think they're all probably going to go.  Though some people liked a couple of pairs, it certainly wasn't overwhelming love--not enough to overcome the combination of unfashionable elements and pain.  I'll wear a killer pair of shoes even if they are, literally, killer--but if they're aren't cute, why deal with the pain?  I also realize that my taste is often a little more out there than some people's (I've maintained for a while that once your skirt has fallen off onstage in front of 2000 people, there's not much left to be embarrassed by, thus I'm willing to take more fashion risks than some.) so I'm sure there's a few pairs in the Shoe Box that most of you secretly wince at every time you see them, but I'm not ready to part with any others yet.

So, on to the cautionary tale.  Misty's a bit of an impulse buyer, says Obvious Man.  Last summer I decided I had to have a pink Razr.  No matter that if I waited till November my cell contract would be up and I could get one inexpensively by renewing my contract, I wanted one now.  I decided eBay was the way to go.  I am not a overly paranoid person (remember how I almost wired a couple hundred dollars to Australia for non-existent sunglasses?) and though some people won't buy electronics from eBay, I think that's silly.  I bought my last phone on eBay and it worked great.  However, I'm really not the best eBay shopper because I hate waiting, so auctions don't really work for me.  So I decided to buy one from a company that was just selling them straight out, since it was still significantly cheaper than full price.  This company was located in China, which didn't bother me too much.  The mailman thought it was cool I was getting a package from China, my phone had cool Chinese symbols on the keypad, and I got to exchange lots of emails full of Chinese characters and adorably fractured English..  Anyway, this phone gave me problems from the very beginning, which I rationalized away for a while until I realized that the whole point of a cell phone is for the person on the other end to actually be able to hear you when you talk.  Anyway, when my contract was up I bought another Razr (through Cingular this time), so now between the two phones I've essentially paid full price for one anyway.  My old phone died permanently (save an occasional pitiful flash from the screen) the morning my new one came in.  So I learned my lesson.  This lesson is very fact specific (going to law school and reading US Supreme Court decisions makes you very good at limiting things to their specific facts instead of applying perfectly good lessons to situations where they really should apply).  I'll still shop on eBay, I'll probably still buy electronics--but I will not buy cell phones from Chinese companies. 

MASSIVE Shoebox Update!  I haven't updated in 6 months, and had 23 new pairs to add--I even managed pictures of most, despite still not having pictures from Europe up, 4 months ago.

This brings the grand total to 127, which I admit might be a *tad* ridiculous, if only because I almost can't get into my closet anymore.  So I need your help: Below I have the pairs I'm considering getting rid of, and I'd appreciate input.  It's like torture to get rid of any, because they take up such little room (individually, anyway) and I'm convinced I'll need them again one day.  So if I have someone else tell me that these shoes are past their prime, and unlikely to come back into style during my lifetime, it will be much easier to part with them.

These hurt my feet and I'm not crazy about the chunky heel.

Platforms aren't quite as cool as they used to be, and the strap broke the first time I wore them.  Is it worth getting them fixed, or just toss em?

I just don't know.  Can anyone even suggest anything these would go with?

Again, I'm kind of over the chunky heel.  Plus, they make my feet really sweaty, and they make a squishing noise that seriously sounds like I'm uh, tooting, with every step.

Same chunky heel problem, actually the whole shoe just looks kind of clunky.  And they hurt. 

Kind of hard to see in the picture, but they're pretty beat up.

Due to the clear plastic panel (is that ever a good idea?) these are probably goners no matter what.

1. When a girl sees you spit, her first thought is:

A) Ooooh, what a manly specimen of the male gender. 

B) I can’t resist the testosterone oozing from his every pore; I want to jump him immediately like a crazy orangutan.

C)  Eww. Yuck. 

2. When a girl notices that you are chewing tobacco, her first thought is:

A) Ooooh, what a manly specimen of the male gender. 

B) I can’t resist the testosterone oozing from his every pore; I want to jump him immediately like a crazy orangutan.

C)  Eww. Yuck.

Hint: It’s not A or B.

I watched a couple of (manly) guys strutting their (testosterone overloaded) selves across the law school parking lot the other day, both of whom spit at some point for no apparent reason, which made me want to jump them both like a crazy orangutan gave me the initial idea for this post. Then, I noticed that there is a guy who sits down the row from me in class and chews tobacco.  Yes, in class.  He gets points for being tidy at least (ß sarcasm)—since he keeps his handy dandy spit cup right there on the desk. 

I just don’t understand guys.  If nothing else, go smoke a cigarette.  It’s still disgusting, but at least I don’t have to watch you spit into a frakkin’ cup—IN CLASS.  As far as spitting—why?  Are you choking?  Did a bug fly in your mouth?  I’ve managed never to spit in public in my life, and given that the salivary glands in question are no different in males and females, I seen no reason why guys can’t similarly restrain themselves.  The only plausible explanation is that somewhere, deep in their pre-evolutionary DNA, is the thought that it somehow makes them more manly and attractive.  Well, let me clear up that erroneous belief right now.  The idea that anyone would think a modern woman would be the slightly bit turned on by that is laughable.  Thus, it makes me even angrier when a guy assumes such male superiority as to make a comment like “Girls are guys without logic or accountability.”  (Yes, those words were actually spoken this weekend.  The guy was drunk, and frankly I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.)  Well, guys are just girls without sensitivity, emotions, or the ability to keep it in their pants.  Generalizations, what?

So chewing tobacco and making inane comments about women really aren’t all that connected, except that it just feeds my irritation at the clueless-ness that so many men exhibit.  Luckily, most of us women actually manage to feed and clean ourselves without any male assistance, and this modicum of intelligence we’ve managed to scrape together has given us the ability to choose what males we let come anywhere near us.  I would advise some of these men to take a close look at their own actions and words if they seriously expect some poor little ole girl to want to spend the rest of her IQ-challenged life with a spitting, chewing, inanity-spouting caveman. 

(By the way, I hope this post was intelligible, seeing as how I am devoid of logic.)

There's a new post before this one, but you have to be logged in to see it.  Figured I better not take any chances...cause the part about MySpace in the post is true (it just didn't happen to me, thank God).

You have to have a reader accout (if you don't, click on the link at the top of the left column) AND I have to give you restricted access (email me and I'll give it to you).