Intellectual Poison

This was an absolute trainwreck of a Sunday for football for me. I got utterly crushed in the fantasy league games and am an almost certain lock for the hall of shame in our local pool. Shockingly bad picks.

Ouch. At least the Giants ended the season on a high note and beat the crap out of the Dodgers.

Labels: baseball, fantasy football

Sullivan has decided that there is absolutely nothing as fun as trying to shove things up his nose. He used to shove everything in his mouth but now he can get his shoving in without having to remove his pacifier. Peas are good, broken up tater tots are too, popcorn works as well. If it fits, its going in so we're constantly on the lookout

Plus he's teething again as some of those back teeth start breaking through. He's like a 26 pound Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, sweet as can be one instant and screaming and punching the next. Luckily he does like his pacifier and that'll help drop the volume from screaming to moaning, usually.

Just tonight he climbed up on to the kitchen table and looked straight into Paula's eyes and then into mine and then he smiled. And if he gets no reaction then he moves on to the next activity.

He also seems to be well ahead of where Grady was at the same age. Mostly because he's got his big brother to emulate and chase and get knocked down by and steal his toys and food and taggies.

The best is when they are able to play together without one screaming at or about the other. It involves two of something, I know that much.

Labels: raising children

You know what grinds my gears (aside from branches and leaves picked up on the trail)? When fast food places advertise a burger that costs ninety-nine cents when it does not actually end up costing ninety-nine cents, it ends up costing a buck seven with the tax.

A dollar and seven cents is definitely not ninety-nine cents.

You want to make me happy? Charge ninety-one cents for your burger and then, with the tax, it comes to the ninety-nine cent deal you promised. When they make the claim that they have ninety-nine cent burgers when they really have a buck seven burgers makes me distrust them from the start. Not that it matters, of course, but it would be a nice change and a good precedent to have the advertised price reflect the actual out-the-door or drive-thru price.

Which brings me to my second gripe of the morning. The Myth of Free.

Free is free, it isn't free plus shipping and handling. Especially not shipping and handling that is grossly overpriced to recoup the loss on giving away the product. Free is free, free is not taking a single penny out of my pocket. If you are offering something for free and then charging for shipping and handling then it is not free. Cost to the consumer makes it not free. Please stop lying and pretending that it is free. This Oprah recommended Free Popcorn costs almost six bucks. How is that, by any stretch, free? And if you live in New Jersey, they'll charge you thirty-one cents tax. On Free?

I hate such blatant, stupid and overt lying.

Labels: free, myth, retail

Wish me luck, we're heading out to the trail again this morning. I tried to mount up my DV cam but it bounces around waaaay too much, even on smooth concrete in the driveway. I don't think that will work unless I want to make people motion sick.

Anyway, I've changed some camera settings and should hopefully capture some better video this time around. I've also doubled my actors so we'll have two dogs and two bikes this time. That should help too. The only downside is that I've got a mere eight and a half minutes of video memory to fill and that goes quickly.

See you in a few hours.

Labels: bicycling, videography

Suspects in killing of PC World editor could face death penalty

Rex Farrance was a tech editor and a gentleman I had some dealings with as a high tech publicist. Among a sea of brusque replies and curt rejections, he took the time to actually listen to me, hear what I was trying to offer him and gave it real thought. That he was interested and wanted to meet but we had a scheduling problem is irrelevant. Unlike the majority of editors I've spoken to and worked with, I didn't mind giving him a call.

He definitely did not deserve to die in such a cold and callous manner. He was not a drug dealer, he was a father allowing his medical marijuana prescription holding son to grow pot at his house. An activity that is legal under California law, both the possession and cultivation, regardless of your personal beliefs on the utility of marijuana for medicinal use.

And the three men who murdered him for weed and a safe full of guns now face the death penalty for the extenuating circumstances of the crimes they committed. These were bad people who targeted, invaded, assaulted, robbed and murdered a good and decent man. And all because his son happened to be talking about the garden without regard for who might overhear him and that's a pretty hefty cross to bear no matter what happens to the criminals.

I'm glad that it appears that justice will be served. I'd be gladder if justice didn't have to be served. But that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

Labels: crime, murder

It was announced earlier this week that Barry Bonds, perennial All-Star and home run king, will not be playing for the Giants next season. As with all dealings in baseball and pro sports, there are upsides and downsides to this announcement.

The upside is that the Giants will free up a rather substantial chunk of payroll in releasing him. His departure also opens the door to new and (much) younger talent to show off their left field skills. At this point in his career, Barry is a liability in the field and he will not be getting better in the off season.

The downsides include the loss of an icon and, in many ways, the face of the Giants. He has been very much the franchise player here and it always hurts to have an era come to an end.

Drug use allegations aside, he was and is one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Before he became a home run machine, he was a base stealing machine and a playmaker in the truest sense of the word. He is a deeply feared hitter even now, in his 40's.

It is a shame that his legacy appears to one of alleged cheating without real substantiation. And there's the other side of the coin, if he cheated then he most definitely was not the only one doing it. He just happens to be the best and that makes it okay to single him out and try to hang the steroid scandal solely on his shoulders.

Which is, of course, grossly unfair and overlooks the players have tested positive. It overlooks players who got out before the testing really got underway. It overlooks the managers, owners and GM's who looked the other way while stuffing their pockets with money.

Many fans hate Barry Bonds with a passion that surprises me. I like Barry but I don't love him, I wouldn't go especially far out of my way to meet him or get his autograph. But I do appreciate what he has done with his career, not only for himself but also for his contributions to the game of baseball. Love him, hate him, he really couldn't give a damn one way or the other.

I just hope he doesn't end up going to the Yankees. Anybody but the Yankees.

Labels: baseball

Widgetbox has a cool new tool to allow the easy addition of a blog's feed into another blog. As in, on this page, down below everything else on the right, is my What Not To Do feed. Its a blog that highlights the idiotic and sad ways that people screw things up, either intentionally or accidentally. I think it is, occasionally, pretty funny.

They call it a blidget (blog widget) and I wholly agree that it is a painful word to look at it or sound out. But the service is pretty sweet. I'd like to shorten the box some to make it easier to add more than one, like the feed from NorCal Bikers which has been getting better and better posting (maybe good enough to actually repair the wonky posting code).

Let me know if you like it, hate it or if it makes the page load hang.

Labels: blog, rss feed, widget

I came away with some good lessons from my first ever mountain bike mounted video recording yesterday afternoon with Nande. The most important is to set the camera for faster recording. And some decent footage that I've put to music and am uploading to YouTube as we speak.

The best part, in my estimation, is Nande playing "rabbit" and running out in front of me for a good portion of the ride.

Anyway, here's the video for your enjoyment. Let me know what you think. As usual, YouTube's compression algorithms have made the video alot smaller and alot less viewable. I think I'll upload my own local copy and replace the one below. YouTube makes it easy to get online but I am never very happy with the product they produce, too grainy, blotchy and hard(er) to watch. I uploaded the larger version over on NorCal Bikers, don't know why the title page is posted beneath the vid though.

Labels: bicycling, video, youtube

It isn't so much that I have nothing to write about these days. I have plenty of topics and news things that are on mind and would make adequate blog posts. So I don't have writer's block, I've got writer's dam. They probably come from the same roots but I keep starting posts, stopping, coming back to them later and then just adding them to my drafts. Where they will wither away until eventual deletion during a clean up.

I guess I don't really care to share the dreary frustration of hunting for a job. You've all done it, it blows donkey chunks, let's move on.

One thing I am rather looking forward to trying out today is my newly built bike camera mount. I've had the instructions and most of the parts for many months now, I was just missing the main mounting body. And there was an old bike lamp mount on Paula's bike. I took it, drilled it out, inserted the bolts and tightened up my washers and then tested it out. It should very, very cool on some of the descents. I just hope I don't eat it and destroy the camera, or that the mount doesn't disintegrate under bouncing stress and destroy the camera. But if it does, I really hope I've got the camera rolling at the time!

My other worry is that the camera will shake too much during the ride to produce any usable video, which is why helmet mounted systems are so nice. But we'll see what happens. At the very least it would make a great system for using on the cruiser while out on West Cliff.

Labels: bicycle, photography, videography

Joe Francis Launches Web Site From Jail detailing the way he's being specifically targeted and abused by the justice system.

Not that he's wrong but who cares? He's an exploitive douchebag who gets teenagers drunk and then deflowers them, on camera for wide distribution.

Does that make me wrong? I'm not a judge, a lawyer or a jurist, just a parent.

Some good friends of mine are in the home stretch final month to have their first child, a little girl. They've been doing the classes and I think the reality of a pending baby is actually starting to settle in on my buddy. I'm pretty sure his wife has been on it it for awhile since she's carrying the package, as it were.

And everytime I see them, I impart a bit of wisdom from my years of being a poppa. Something about mountains of diapers, not sleeping for a year or the wear-you-down style of assault crying that beats down any defenses over the course of hours and hours of crying. You know, the good stuff! But I do also try to balance it out with the joy beyond words that kids bring as well. That there is nothing that will ever compare to the first smile your baby gives you. Or the sweet, sweet gift that is a full and uninterrupted night of sleep.

Because we have been there, we have done (and are doing again) teething and sleepness nights full of rocking, cooing, praying and bargaining (I promise to believe in God if you'll go to sleep, etc.). And I thought we had things well under control. I presumed that we had things well in hand.

Sullivan is here to let me know just how out of control we really are. What a silly illusion our control was and is. He's been teething and fighting a cold that's exascerbated by the teething. And he slept, well, like shit last night. He was up at least three times, crying and requiring. At 2:30 this morning, I changed a big wet diaper and put him down again, he slept for a bit until about 5. Then got restless again.

It is a few minutes past 7 now and we're UP. Oh boy! And he's already been very demanding of food, drink and satisfaction. He is quick with a smile or a scream depending on his satisfaction.

My lesson is learned and I will not presume control that I do not have. Now please go back to sleep, Sully. Pretty please? No wait, its too late now, you'll just take a nap later this morning, how's that sound, boss?

Labels: control, raising children, teething

The new season of The Ultimate Fighter (Matt "Teh Dominator" Hughes vs. Matt "Da Pretenda" Serra) starts tonight and the new season of Survivor: China starts tomorrow night.

Woot!

Labels: reality tv, survivor, the ultimate fighter

Every so often, I'll surf member blogs via BlogExplosion

There are alot of really bad blogs. And there are alot of really religious blogs. Some of the really bad blogs are also really religious blogs.

Also, spelling seems to be optional. Same goes for coherent design and readability.

Labels: blog, blogexplosion

This is a little creepy but also pretty neat.

Consumer Reports will show you what happens when your car crashes. Choose a make, model and year and then they'll load up a video crash test for your viewing discomfort.

Our Ford Escape does okay in the front offset impact test but scores a rather scary Poor in the side impact test (on the model without side impact airbags) although the rear passenger compartment fairs well.

And then the video wraps up with an ad to subscribe to Consumer Reports for more info. Not a bad argument really.

How does your car score?

Does it make you want to go get a tank?

Labels: car crash, test

But we are certainly going to finish it and win.

I am not talking about Iraq, I'm talking about the mice that have decided that our house is a safe haven. I wonder if they know our cat has been declawed (not something we did, she came that way when we adopted her)? Or maybe they just came over from the wankers who used to live next door but had to move because he couldn't afford his mortgage and child support payments to his daughter because she sued him for them?

Either way, it doesn't matter, traps are being set and placed, the mice are no longer welcome and though we are engaging in a catch and release war, we shall prevail!

The question is where to release them when we do catch them? My wife thinks the slough is fine but it isn't all that far from here and they could pretty easily just wait until nightfall and then come back up the hill.

The traps we're using are the kind that you put some cheese or peanut butter in the end and then set the door. When the mouse enters, its own weight triggers the door to drop down and lock it in.

We don't want them dead, we just don't want them living here.

Updates as the war progresses.

Labels: mice, mouse, traps

O.J. Simpson accused in Las Vegas robbery over sports memorabilia

Boy, talk about living inside a bubble. How could this double murdering moron not know that his every move was going to be scrutinized and that committing (allegedly) a strong arm robbery wouldn't come back to bite him in his double murdering ass?

And then we find out that one of his own goons taped the incident and we might as well skip to the sentencing phase.

OJ now faces up to 30 years in prison for his actions and I'd imagine that a judge would be hard pressed to not bring the heaviest smackdown he could on him. Call it karmic backlash, call it justice, call it whatever you want but it appears that OJ is going to prison.

And that's fine by me and, very likely, the majority of this country that was outraged when he was found not guilty that bloody double murder of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman.

Labels: crime, karma, murder, stupidity

This is beyond belief, not only at the incredible cruelty but the inhumanity of murdering an innocent child for absolutely no reason at all.

Suspects shoot father, murder infant son execution-style

Whatever the father does or did, his child did not, in any way shape or form, deserve to be murdered so callously.

And the two scumbags who did it? They just bought themselves a one way ticket to hell via lethal injection. And I really can't think of any two bastards who deserve it more.

Labels: depraved, execution, murder

Domino's has a new specialty food item that is almost as gross as the fudgies one of the pizza places were peddling last summer.

Its an Oreo dessert pizza and is basically crushed Oreos with sugar syrup poured over the top. Pretty awful sounding, eh? It looks worse.

By the way, have Oreo's stopped using trans fats? Yep, I guess they did. Good for them.

Labels: nasty food

I've often thought how useful it would be to have wind powered turbines installed on homes. Not only to ease our power consumption problems here in California but to also empower (literally) people to take some control over their lives and lifestyles.

Wired's NextFest is highlighting some very cool new technology, the Urban Wind Turbine being one of them.

Another er neat tech in the link is a power cord that glows according to the wattage flowing through it. If it is intense then the power being consumed is very high. And, as the commercials say, knowing is half the battle.

I love, love, love that responsible environmentalism makes better and better sense from a business perspective, its been a great idea from a personal perspective for a long time now. I figure I'll have an electric motorcycle within the next five years.

Labels: environmentalism, wind power

Big Ben to donate to police K-9 units

"The grant will be distributed to the Cleveland Division of Police's Canine Unit to purchase an explosive detection canine, dog training and a canine protective vest," the news release from Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, read.

"It's something we decided to do, my foundation is doing, after the police dog in my hometown got shot and killed. We decided to do it for every away city I play in and every time we play at home -- pick a department here in Pittsburgh to donate to," Roethlisberger said yesterday.

Now this makes me incredibly happy to be a Big Ben fan and a Steelers fan. The example he is setting is one I hope other players decide to emulate.

Found via David Grenier, a blog I need to get back to reading regularly again. Done (added to my Bloglines) and done (added to my links on the right there).

Labels: dog, football, police dog, role model, steelers

I'll go with No Deal, Howie.

At least there wasn't a deal to be had in terms of tickets. Tickets for adults were $9 at the door or $8 online. Which sounds like a little bit of a deal. However, for each ticket purchased online they assessed a "convenience fee" of $1 which completely negated the deal. And you have to pay to print out the tickets yourself as well.

No Deal.

But the fair was a good time and we had alot of fun exploring things, petting llamas and emus and having corn dogs and strawberry lemonade. And Grady really, really, really enjoyed the chance to explore a real fire truck. He must have climbed into it fifteen times.

The best part is that we hit it before the final weekend madness. Tonight, tomorrow and Sunday are going to be crazy out there and we really wanted no part at all of that. There was a crowd today but it was far smaller than what we'd face tomorrow.

And I got some really good photographs of some award winning Dahlias, among other neat stuff. But $18 for two adult tickets and $5 for parking turned out to be a pretty good deal for all the entertainment we got.

Labels: county fair, dumb marketing

The cable company would have you believe that cable data speeds absolutely smoke DSL, no matter the local area load or time of day.

But I have anecdotal proof of the inferior nature of cable modem access to the internet. The main drawback of cable that I can see is that there is only a certain amount of bandwidth available to an area. And when everyone else on that pipe gets on then you get almost no connectivity. Slower than dial-up even.

DSL may not be as fast during the off peak hours but it also doesn't slow to a mind-numbingly pokey speed when I want to use it. And that makes it far more practical to me.

And, oh yeah, cable also costs twice as much as DSL.

Of course, cable runs like a freaking top during the off peak hours but what good is that if you work regular hours and want to check your email when you get home at 6.

DSL beats cable for practical usage but definitely get a cable modem if you work nights and surf during the day when most of the rest of the people you share bandwidth with are at school or work.

Labels: cable, dsl

Congratulations are in order, I have, as of 10:12 pm this September 13th, cleared my entire queue of posts and updated websites on my Bloglines feed page. I haven't had a clean slate for many months now and I actually even read the posts as I moved down the line.

Labels: bloglines, rss

I finally got around to posting a new and I invented a new word too, excusification. Anyway, let's get to the Cheese.

1. Where is your favorite place to relax?
Hidden Beach in Aptos, California with my dog, my wife and my kids and maybe one extra person to help keep track of the kiddies since they like to run now.

2. Where is your favorite place to cut loose and have some fun?
The lower trails at Nisene Marks have been a favorite place of late. We've been getting out for rides on a weekly basis now for a couple of months. It helps re-energize and de-stress me tremendously.

3. Where is your favorite place that reminds you of a special time?
Seabright Beach because we got married there.

4. Where is your favorite place to sit and watch the world go by?
It depends, if I want to people watch then the Boardwalk is perfect. If I want to nature watch then I'll go to Hidden Beach by myself. Its a wide open expanse of sand and it is very easy to get close to nature there.

5. Where is your favorite vista point?
Any of the dozens of wicked spots along Highway 1 down in Big Sur. The dropoffs are stunning!

6. Where is your favorite place to waste time online?
Skyrates.

7. Where is your favorite place to waste time offline?
My backyard with my boys and my hound.

Labels: cheddar x, favorite

I noticed a link to some Military Photos of the Twin Towers in my Del.icio.us popular widget on my Yahoo homepage. Some of the photos are just shocking, as they have been for years now, and some go a very long way towards really capturing the scope of the damage and how widely the cloud of debris and dust and fumes spread.

Looking at these photos made my blood run cold.

Labels: 9/11, photography

A new quiz in Japan will test your knowledge of subjects that are directly applicable to your ability to be a good parent to your child. Things like how much of the Gross Domestic Product is spent on parenting support? Or who was the father in "Kramer vs. Kramer"?

Depending on how well you score, you'll be labeled a "Super Dad" or a "Challenge Dad" but I'd add "Sucker Dad" to anyone lame enough to pay thirty four bucks (yes, that's $34) to test something that means almost nothing in the real world of being a parent.

A better test would be to place a man in situations and see how they deal with the stress of being a parent. Say, not letting them sleep for three days and then having a baby puke all over themselves and you while getting loaded into the car for a meeting or appointment that you're already late for.

That'll really test your abilities. Not stupid trivia questions about parenting in general.

Labels: parenting, suckers

I just got back from another successful Craigslist purchase. A guy posted an ad for an Adams Trail-a-Bike last night and I emailed him shortly after it went live. He replied this morning and I headed over to check it out.

I am aware of the recall on the Adams line but wasn't concerned about it so much since I could get it fixed easily if it needed it.

The best part now is that the entire family can go biking together. Sully in the Wee Ride, Grady on the Adams Trail-a-Bike, Paula on her mountain bike and me on mine. The fact that I got the Adams for a really good deal just makes me happier.

Now all we need is a better bike rack that lets us take the cruisers instead of the mountain bikes but that'll have to wait until I've got a job or something.

I can't wait to go out riding together as a family and I hope Grady really gets a kick out of being a more active rider. We stayed away from the carts because they are far too passive for me. I want my boys to get into biking as much as I am. Well, maybe not that much but some interest would be fine!

Labels: bicycle, family

Anyone want to get into a league that needs a few more teams? Leave a comment or send me an email

Labels: fantasy hockey

Sometimes spam is pure comedy gold. Like the one I got this morning, which has quickly become my favorite of all time.

It was sent by the ECONBOMICAL FINANCIAL CRIME COMMISSION with a subject line: BEWARE OF INTERNENT FRAUD STAR THAT HAVE BEEN SCAMING YOU(MONEY)

Econbomical is my new favorite word followed quickly by internent.

And no, I did not read the spam message contained within though I'd guess its more comedy gold but I'm getting up in years and don't think my funny bone could handle the overload.

I should read it? Okay. You want to read it too? Brace yourself because it may permanently warp your Englishes. The only changes were to the formatting since it was already crazy over long. I especially like that the only non-all caps text is the name of the commission.

Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

EFCC HeadQuaters,Abuja,Nigeria.
Tel:+234-xxxxxxxx.

GOOD DAY,
FIRST WE INTRODUCES THIS COMMISSION, Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) WE FIGHT CYBER CRIME FRAUD SCAM MONEY LAUNDERING IN AFRICA.OUR COMMISSION HAS BEEN IN EXSITANCES SINCE 2004.

OUR DUTIES IS TO STOP INTERNET FRAUD SCAM. AS FOR TODAY WE HAVE PUT ALOT OF PEOPLE FRAUDSTERS BEHIND BARS ALOT OF THEM ARE IN JAIL WE GO ALL OVER AFRICA TO PICK THIS THIEF'S.

WE HAVE OVER 687 OF THEM IN OUR JAILS ROUND AFRICA AND WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR MORE, WE ARE AWARE THAT A LOT OF FOREIGNERS OUT THERE HAVE BEEN DECEIVED TRICKED AND LOST A LOT OF MONEY. TO THIS FRAUDSTERS AFTER PROMISING YOU PERCENTAGES IN THEIR LETTERS FOR YOU TO HELP THEM MOVE FUNDS AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY WILL COLLECT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM YOU MAKING YOU A POOR PERSON.

ALL THE AFRICAN CRIME FIGHTERS LEADERS HAS COME TOGETHER TO INFORM THE WORLD WHAT IS GOING ON NOW AND WE HAVE RECOVER OVER $322 MILLION DOLLARS(THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO MILLION DOLLARS) FROM THE PEOPLE WE HAVE BEHIND BARS. THE ONLY REASON WE ARE WRITING YOU THIS LETTER, IS BECAUSE YOUR NAME WAS GIVEN TO US BY ONE OF THE FRAUDSTERS IN OUR JAIL HOUSE, THAT HE COLLECTED MONEY FROM BY TRICKS.

OUR ACTION NOW IS TO REFUND BACK MONEY TO FOREIGNERS WHO LOST MONEY TO THESE THIEF'S. WE ARE PAYING BACK FROM THE MONEY WE RECOVERED.

WE CAN ONLY REFUND YOU IF YOUR NAME IS MENTIONED AND YOU SHOW US PROVE OF HOW MUCH YOU LOST.IF THIS LETTER GETS TO YOU THEN YOU ARE MENTIONED. BUT IF IT’S GETS TO YOU BY MISTAKE AND YOU HAVE NOT LOST ANY MONEY THEN PLEASE DISREGARD IT.

IF YOU KNOW ANY PERSON FAMILY OR FRIEND THAT HAS LOST MONEY TO FRAUDSTERS PLEASE TELL HIM/HER TO WRITE TO THIS COMMISSION WITH PROVES AND WE WILL HANDLE HIS/HER CASE THEN PAY BACK AFTER VERIFICATION.

WE ARE AWARE THIS FRAUDSTERS HAS BROKEN ALOT OF HOME, MADE ALOT OF PEOPLE TO LOSE THEIR JOB, SELL THEIR PROPERTIES, CLOSED THEIR BUSINESS, PUT MANY ON THE STREET, AND MADE ALOT TO EVEN LOSE THEIR LIFE. PLEASE YOU ARE TO REACH US IN OUR EMAIL ADDRESS ABOVE FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATIONS ON HOW YOU ARE TO RECEIVE YOUR LOST FUNDS YOU ARE TO FORWARD YOUR FULL PARTICULARS AND RECENT TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS TO OUR EMAIL ADDRESS ABOVE ON IF YOU ARE A VICTIM.

REGARDS
ALHAJI KOFFI WILLIAMS
DR. VICTOR PAM AND OTHERS
(CHAIRMAN EFCC).

Ouchie, that hurt to read.

Labels: comedy, spam

You'd think he was enjoying some Spongebob on the big screen but he's actually gesturing at a passing plane. I like how Grady has tucked his feet up on the car and I just think he's pretty darned adorable.

I derive such an amazing amount of joy from my two boys. When we wrestle together, they laugh long and loud and I can't help but join them. I will miss all of the time I've been able to spend with them once I start working regularly again.

Which means that I try to maximize our fun while I am still off. Not sure what we'll do today but I bet it'll be fun either way. I'm currently trying to get a ride along bike for Grady so Sully can ride up front in the Wee Ride and we can all go bicycling together. That will be super awesome!

Labels: children, photography, raising children

Today I have turned 38 years old. That seems like an alien number and I have a hard time believing that I've been on this planet for 38 years now. Nine eleven sixty nine. I used to love my birthday and still like it quite a lot. I expect and hope that it will, eventually, become a national holiday and a day off.

But we'll have to have a more compassionate president for that.

Anyway, thirty eight years. Maybe I should take a little stock and see where we are now.
I weigh 170 pounds and am still five feet nine or ten. I've been 170 or close to it for the last 20 years. I still have a 32 inch waist and my feet remain as flat as pancakes, well pancakes with metacarpals and such in them.

I've got lots and lots of scars, some with cool stories behind them, some with stupid stories behind them. I've had several operations, mostly on my right ankle after a stupid accident.

I've broken my share of bones, abraded my share of skin but still done a reasonably good job of keeping my body in something resembling decent shape.

At one point, after I'd been training with powerlifters, I set new personal bests in the bench press, the leg press and in the squat with 305, 740 and 415 respectively. A few years ago, I was watching the Olympics while working out and successfully benched 310.

But I get most of my exercise on my bicycles these days. Well, mostly just my Ibis Mojo which I go trail riding on at least once a week. I'll try to get out for a road ride at least once a week as well but it is hard to get to and easy to blow off sometimes. But I also know how important the pedaling is for my sanity and health so I try not to.

I'd talk about career stuff but I don't currently have a career. I've been trying to kickstart a professional photography thing but it is taking some time to start up. And, in the meantime, I need to go back to working for someone else. The only thing I want for my birthday is a call from Santa Cruz Bicycles asking me when I can start the training process to be the Production Coordinator. That would totally make my day a very, very happy birthday indeed!

Here are some folks I share my birthday with.
O. Henry - short-story writer (1862)
D. H. Lawrence - author (1885)
Paul (Bear) Bryant - football coach (1913)
Tom Landry - Football (1924)
Daniel Kahikina Akaka - U.S. Senator (1924)
Brian De Palma - director (1940)

And they probably approach their birthdays with the same mixture of anticipation and sadness that so many died and are still dying on our day of birth. I'm reading an article in Discover about the downstream effects of the inhalation of toxic dust and fumes at ground zero causing up to 300,000 post attack deaths. If I dwell on it then I tend to become very melancholy and depressed. And that's no way to spend your birthday, even if the rest of the world calls it Patriot Day.

I hope you have a nice and thoughtful Patriot Day, I'll try to have a nice and enjoyable birthday.

Labels: birthday, patriot day

Harshest words saved for Britney's body

Sure, she may have sucked nuts on her performance and made a bad choice for costume. And granted that I haven't seen a moment of any video from the event. Nor did I have the slightest interest in watching since MTV long ago lost me as a viewer.

But I have seen a bunch of photos from her performance and I find it kind of amazing that people are people so harsh on her for her body. For a mother of two, she looks pretty excellent and I think the critics just pounced on what they felt was an easy target.

I wonder how any of them would look in a wee number like Teh Brit sported? Not half as good, I'd wager. She looks healthy, she doesn't look like a malnourished heroin addict with blond extensions.

There's a reason she's not a skinny teen with big boobs. She's not a skinny teenager anymore. I think expectations were way out of line with reality, ten years is ten years on anyone. And the criticisms do further harm to a generation of teen girls looking at her and being told she's fat.

[Update: Apparently she showed up several hours late for a rehearsal, drunk. That can work for you if you're Frank Sinatra but he didn't have the complicated dance moves or a bikini on. And she refused to wear the outfit MTV chose, a corset-ty number that would have covered her up more. But she chose the skimpy bra and panties numbers, which I maintain looked pretty damned good. And I did see some video of her "performance", it was worse than bad, it was pitiful. And awful.]

Labels: celebrity

There's nothing so long as waiting to hear about a job offer. Especially if the interview was on Friday and there are more this week. And doubly especially if its a job that you really want and need.

Hopefully I'll hear some good news from the job prospect that I really want. But I'll keep beating the bushes in the meantime.

If you want to, keep your fingers crossed for me to get a call earlier in the week and that they'd like me to start working later this week. That would be a nice birthday present.

Labels: employment, waiting, work

This doesn't need an intro, just watch and enjoy it.

Yesterday afternoon Grady tried to put me in a timeout and the way he tried to do it was pretty darned hilarious. He stomps his foot, thrusts his finger out and says "Poppa, you go timeout!"

Of course it doesn't come out quite like that, it sounds like, "Poppa, gotimeout!" and he has the most serious look on his face.

One of my other favorite things he says is in response to me telling him, "I love you Grady" and he will sometimes reply, "I love you, Poppa" and it is about the most heart warming thing you could ever imagine.

He also likes to declare that a particular route is now off limits and he'll stand in the way with his arms stretched out and a very serious look on his face.

Kids are more fun than I ever could have imagined, they are also incredibly tiring and frustrating sometimes. Like last night when he decided that shouting at full volume at the dinner table was not only alright but really, really fun. And then Sully joined in too.

Labels: funny, raising children

...it is almost odd to be able to use the bathroom alone.
...you can be up and walking towards your kid's room before you're even fully awake.
...you know all of the characters on Sesame Street and their theme songs.
...you consider "Some Assembly Required" to be a challenge.
...you can change a diaper without even waking up.
...you catch yourself singing kid's music during the day.
...you think nothing of kissing a bloody scrape on your kid's knee.
...you have more kid's shows than anything else on your Tivo.
...you have learned how to fall asleep anywhere, even if just for a minute or two.

Labels: parenting, raising children

Dear Ex-Senator Larry Craig,

Apparently you are the only person in the universe who is unaware of the fact that your political career ended when you pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct for trying to pick up an undercover police officer in that airport bathroom.

Your party does not want you, your constituents do not want you and the cop you tried to solicit did not and does not want you either.

But please continue to embarrass yourself and your party. And then, finally, reality will set in and you'll retire in abject humiliation to your ranch in Idaho.

You and politics were good friends but politics has left you at the bus station with a one way ticket to Go-away-ville. Get on the bus or don't and continue to be cannon fodder for comedians.

Note, the fact or unfact of your supposed "gayness" is NOT the issue. The issue is that you solicited a cop for sex in a public place and then plead guilty to doing so in the incredibly stupid hope that it would "just go away". Maybe you panicked, maybe you knew you'd been caught trying to get your hands on another man's cookie jar? Who knows? Who cares? You're done so maybe you should get the fork out.

Sincerely,
The Universe at Large

Labels: dumbassery, politics

Have you seen the show, How It's Made on Discovery?

It absolutely fascinates me. Industrialism fascinates me and seeing the high speed automation of just about everything is incredibly cool. But not everything they cover is automated, the making of acoustic guitars, for example, is largely done by hand and involves an awful lot of precise work to end up with a nice sounding guitar.

It is also very cool to see how many steps there are in creating something as "simple" as a toothpick or book of matches.

Check out some of the videos on the site and tell me they aren't fascinating.

Labels: automation, how it's made, manufacturing

It is monetarily official, I am a professional photographer (among other things). I just got my first revenue share payment from Backprint for the University Road Race I photographed last weekend.

No, I'm not going to be able to retire yet, nor could I buy a full tank of gas, unless it was for the motorcycle, but it does feel pretty damned awesome to get a payment for taking photographs.

Truth be told, I'd hoped to generate more money from the race and am not quite sure where the disconnect was as there were a much larger number of people interested in buying photos than have bought photos.

Perhaps the time delay caused a loss of buyers, perhaps they had difficulty finding their photos. I'm not sure.

I do know that I learned alot and will improve my output for the next race. Especially since I plan to rent a high powered auto-focusing and image stabilized telephoto lens to make each shot count a little more.

Still, I'm smiling all the same.

And I got some really cool shots at the Seymour Marine Lab earlier today, we'll see how they look when I get them loaded up later.

By the way, thanks for the comments on my professional photography site, CarpeVivo.com. I am planning on beefing up the photo galleries when I can get the time.

Labels: paid, photography

We had a nice little Labor Day weekend, the weather was gorgeous, we went to the Capitola Begonia Festival but couldn't see any of the floats because of the throngs of people and then went for a walk along West Cliff above the ocean.

Nothing spectacular but pleasant nonetheless.

The Begonia Festival was a waste of time though. The crowds were too thick, we had to park a half mile away and there was pretty much nothing for us to see or do. But we did stop by Hot Dog on a Stick and got a big cherry lemonade which made the trip worthwhile. That and the 'roided up muscle guy on the beach who was overpuffed and impossible to not stare at.

The walk on West Cliff yesterday was really nice though. It was sunny and warm but not too hot, there were plenty of people out and surfers in the water and nudists on the tiny clothing optional beach below 2222 West Cliff. Nothing shocking, just a few white butts and boobs hanging out. But it was fun to watch the tourists reaction.

"I think that man is naked."
"Oh no, he couldn't be."
"No, he is, look."
"Oh my, he IS naked. Oh, the water looks rather cold! Is there anyone else?"

I love this town.

Today is job application and cage rattling day. I'm applying at a few more places and making follow up calls to places I've already applied to make sure they know I'm still here and eager for an opportunity to kick ass for them.

And maybe I'll get a chance to do some bike repairs too.

Labels: begonia festival, jobs, labor day

The local news did a quick bit this morning on the average numbers of hour worked by folks in various countries and it was interesting enough to pause it and write it down for you all there.

Hours at Work:
US - 1804 per year
France- 1564 per year
Norway - 1407 per year
China - 2200+ per year

Yes, Chinese workers average 400 more hours per year than Americans. They've got to keep up with demand for badly designed and lead painted toys for kids, ya know?

And I will try to do my part to get to 1804 hours next year since there's no way, no how I came close to that this year.

Labels: labor, work

Facebook Users Hijack Wal-Mart's Roommate Style Page

Woops, guess they didn't really think that one all the way through either. Just like hiring a PR firm to make a "grassroots" blog about how great a company they are.

Until Wal-Mart stops treating the web like a bunch of fools, they'll continue to get pwned. Which is, of course, fine by me. I like seeing them look like the terribly uncool trying to come off as cool.

Nice to know that Facebook's got a vocal group happy to expose corporate megaliths for the discriminatory and exploitive juggernauts they are. There's no reason to shit all over the world, you can make a decent buck and be a conscientious corporation too. Yes, your margins may shrink in the short term but you'll make far, far more longterm.

And they'd shut me up, which would, also of course, be fine. I have no axe to grind with Wal-Mart, all they have to do is change how they operate their business from supply and manufacturing to employees and customers. Revamp it from the bottom up or top down and I'll be the first in line to applaud.

Labels: bad marketing, exploitation, facebook

During our trip to the aquarium to see the new White Shark, we stopped by the Dennis the Menace park. And, of course, I wanted to snap some pics of the cool blue tunnel to the slide. This time there happened to a little blond girl in a blue shirt and blue jeans, which worked out perfectly for the color scheme.

I just wish I'd had the camera set to regular full sized images instead of the wee 640x480.

Labels: photography