Intellectual Poison

I used to check my SiteMeter stats compulsively as if those random visitors were ego manna or something. And then something changed and I just stopped caring about my traffic. I'm not sure what did it but it just became unimportant to me. Sure, I'd like 20,000 visitors a day and decent money rolling in from Googles advertising (yes, I'm well aware there are no ads on this blog, that is for a reason).

But I do still check in on my site stats every so often just to get an idea of what's going on.

My hits are up markedly again and, when I checked my referrals, the vast majority of the traffic is coming to read What Every American Needs to Know, a book synopsis about the business evils perpetrated by Wal-Mart written by James Hightower. Which is kind of interesting seeing as how that post is now almost three years old.

But the information is still relevant and important to disseminate. Wal-Mart may be trying to change its spots but its like putting lipstick on a pig, its still a pig underneath. My brother, who's a high powered businessman, takes the position that corporations cannot be evil. But I disagree. The codified business practices, the lawsuits, the exploitations, the stories from previous employees, all of it adds up to a corporation that behaves in a way that is detrimental to America. Maybe that isn't evil but it sure as shit isn't on the side of good.

I will never set foot in one of the stores again and urge everyone I know not to. I understand that there are places where there are literally no other options and hate that reality forces people to shop there.

Anyway, the traffic has been solid for the last couple of weeks and, hopefully, most of the people visiting the page are leaving with some new knowledge about what Wal-Mart represents and does in the course of its business.

Labels: traffic, wal-mart, walmart

Meannui (mean-you-eye) - tired and bored with the prevailing meanness in America.

The venality of the last eight years with the Bush camp in power and the "right" spewing wrong after wrong and smear after smear. The subjugation of a presidential election by smear boat vets, Dick Fucking Cheney, anti-choice, shrill PETA moralists, shout-them-down politics and shitty driving manners, all are solid examples of the pervasive meannui in the world today. And it almost goes without saying that asshats like Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter are perpetuaters of the culture of meanness and intolerance and hate.

Cross-posted to the Fictionarium, as always.

Labels: nwotd

Sometimes it is hard being the youngest sibling of three when my two older sibs are both highly educated, extremely successful and driven individuals who are also married to highly educated, extremely successful and driven individuals. The combination of those marriages results in incomes and freedoms that I can only imagine and hear about second or third hand. As in, trips to visit family in Florida, a week long break in Belize, taking a year off and traveling the world with the family.

All of this is sometimes really hard to read about and not feel the twinges of jealousy. Mind you, I know my brother and sister busted their asses to get where they are and deserve every accolade for achieving as much as they have.

And I know that I could have gotten there as well if not for a few character traits that might be considered faults or obstacles or impediments to success. But I hate excusifying, I think its cheap and lame to look back and excuse away opportunities untaken and unexploited.

The most difficult thing about being me with my family right now is reading my brother's new blog about his year off and the travels that he and his family are undertaking and enjoying. Its fantastic in the abstract, trips to the Bahamas to plan it out (which would be a highlight vacation on its own for us), staying in a real castle that costs more per night than my entire month's mortgage, summer camp in upstate New York, a side business trip to Turkey. It all sounds so very, very far from what my reality is and will continue to be.

My reality is looking at a job in the school district that pays me less per year than others in my family make in a month (and that's probably being kind to my salary). My reality is struggling to pay our bills each month, wondering what corner will be cut this time around, figuring out how to keep food on the table, electricity flowing and out phones turned on.

Yes, I know where I am is the result of choices I've made and where they are is the result of (better) choices they have made. But it mitigates the reality of the situation not in the least.

Extended beyond my immediate family things get even more difficult. One side of my family is really rather wealthy and I basically stick my fingers in my ears and go "Lalalalalala" whenever talk of the villa in the south of France comes up or the month long trip to Iceland or the new house my cousin bought with a nice big theatre room in it.

And I know that one of the unfortunate effects of the pretty gross economic disparity is that I don't really go that far out of my way to see my family that much. Not only can I not really afford to economically but I can't really afford to emotionally. There's only so much happy face making I can swing when I have to listen to how fan-fucking-tastic other people's lives are.

I don't begrudge anyone the success they've achieved. At least I try not to but it is hard to not feel like the pauper in the room whenever I am around my family. Because I am.

I do try to not let the disparity in my life and the lives of my siblings and their families affect me too much. I try not to look at my world and wish for things to be different. I try not to look at our monthly bills and wish there were enough to pay them all and have some left over. I try to find some silver linings where I can and I try to convert the envy I have for those "better lives" into motivation to improve the lot of my family, to create additional income streams and claw our way upward.

I love my brother, love my sister, love my brother and sister-in-laws and adore my nephews and niece. I really and truly do. But sometimes it can be easier to be ignorant of the benefits of having big income and just not knowing.

Yes, I do know that it is a clear sign that my life is out of balance if I'm looking at other lives and comparing them to my own. But knowing and not doing are two different things. I try to focus on the things I do have in my life and quite a number of them really are beyond awesome and I do count myself to be truly blessed (by whom is up for debate) to have a beautiful wife, two healthy and incredibly awesome little boys and a house I can, mostly, call my own.

But sometimes the grass on the other side of the fence is so green it just dazzles me and I can't help but stare and wish I could get a taste of it.

Labels: money, siblings

Today's new word is an outgrowth of a post I'm working on about my brother and sister. Take it with a grain of salt as I think the word is harsher than my real feelings as I don't really think of myself as inferior to either of my sibs though a glance at a comparison of our net worths would easily dispel that quaint notion. However, net worth isn't the only metric to measure anyone by. Anyway, here's the new word, I'll get back to working on the post.

Subling - an inferior brother or sister is a subling.

Cross-posted to the Fictionarium as always.

Labels: nwotd

It took something slick and nice for me to make the move away from Bloglines and over to Google Reader. Something like, say, a Brand new Google Reader for iPhone which pretty much kicks ass.

That plus Bloglines slow as molasses in January in Anchorage update speeds, the occasional hiccups where they'd grab 200 old, old posts and pretend they were new.

Sorry Bloglines, we partied like it was 1999 for a long time but I've found myself a new feed reader and it integrates with the rest of my Googleverse spectacularly (though I'm not especially thrilled with the iGoogle home page widget).

Also, the ability to embed read articles and posts in a sidebar on the blog is pretty sweet and easy to do which adds alot of utility and practicality to the whole deal.

Labels: bloglines, google, reader

The best part about getting older is caring less and less what other people think of you.

Labels: quote

I just returned a movie to the redbox at my local Nob Hill. I had rented it yesterday morning at a little after 8 and returned it tonight, a little after 8, some 36 hours later. The total cost of the rental?

A buck and eight cents.

Bargain.

No, the movie I rented wasn't of any interest to adults, I think it was a Word World disk.

So I had an epiphany while I was laying down with Sully and waiting for him to drift off to nappy time sleep. Probably already been "discovered" by others but ziplock baggies are a pretty easy and perfect way to protect your iPhone while in the pool or hot tub.

Because I'm super-anal retentive about protecting my goodies from watery destruction, I'm double wrapping mine. Heck, I'm thinking about putting a tissue in the outer layer baggy as an early leak warning system.

The only reason I want to have it available is to use Remote to keep some quality music playing. I don't need to check my email or Twitter updates, really.

And, with boys happily snoozing away right now, I think I'll go and soak in the tub as my back is a bit twisted out of shape right now thanks to all the lumber I hauled around over the last couple of days. Did you know how tough it is to heft a sheet of half inch (actually it .56 inches) plywood up and over your head to load on a roof rack? Its alot easier than the three quarter inch but its still pretty tiring stuff.

Post hot tub soak update. The iPhone in a baggie worked perfectly. The only snafu was when my screensaver came on and added the sound of a fish tank to my music. And I did use the internet while in the tub but only to get my chiropractor's phone number to make an appointment for Monday before I go riding.

Labels: iphone, waterproof

Send calming and fun thoughts today, we're watching a friend's two little boys all day because she'll be in LA for a conference or meeting or something. They are both good kids and not screamers or trouble but doubling our "child load" means that today is going to inevitably be tiring.

I'm heading out to the store to get some food supplies, maybe I'll swing by Long's and see if I can pick up an inexpensive water slide or other fun group game toy too.

I've been pretty lax on the blog recently, not that I don't have stuff to write about but more that I'm having a hard time keeping my brain focused on one subject long enough to tap it out.

Ooh, just checked the news and saw that Randy Pausch passed away. I started reading The Last Lecture last week and like it so far (then it got buried on my desk for a few days).

Okay, off to the store, maybe with Sully since he just came wandering into the office.

Labels: daycare

Today's new word is yet another in the long line of words inspired by yet another public stupidity performed by everyone's favorite transvestite socialite, Paris Hilton.

Bumbo - dumb bimbo.
Alternatively...
Dimbo - dim bimbo.

I'll have to come up with a new word to describe Benji Madden in this picture, I see some Corey Feldman as a kid crossed with a giant used tampon and a Dodgers cap on top but no single descriptive for him yet.

Cross-posted, as always, to the Fictionarium.

Labels: nwotd

Mark Morford - John McCain, please log on

Heck, I guess I wasn't even aware of what a Luddite McCain is. And yeah, I do think it matters that the man is utterly clueless about computers and the internet. It is a part of the culture, it is a part of the country, it is a part of our social interaction. It is part of our social evolution and being unaware or incapable or unwilling to keep pace seems like a pretty good indicator that you aren't really "of the people" at all.

A vote for McCain is a vote for trying to stop moving forward. A vote for McCain is a vote for a pandering waffle with gnarly jowls and a deathmask perma-grin.

The bunk bed restoration and restain project is proceeding apace (always loved that turn of phrase) with the old stain being removed by some citrusy gel that is slightly less awful for the universe than the standard stripping agents, it smells nicer too.

With some luck we'll get them sanded down and ready for a new stain by this afternoon. Which means we be able to put them into the boy's room tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the upgrade as it will save space and knock a big ToDo off the projects list. Before and after photos are forthcoming.

Labels: house projects

John McCain is a creepy, jowly nutter. His grasp of the universe is tenuous, the shaking of his jowls when he turns his head too quickly is tremorous, his attempt to blame high gas prices on Barack Obama is ridiculous and he shows more and more everyday just how much worse we could get after Dubya goes away. His grasp of reality and his willingness to lie knowing that people know he's lying is very difficult to even consider overlooking. And then there is his desire to occupy Iraq indefinitely despite the Iraqi and American people wanting the end the war as soon as we can and bring our troops home.

If the election were between McCain and a slightly retarded goat, I'd go with the goat. Luckily his opponent's Barack Obama, a guy who looks more and more presidential, more and more like the obvious clear choice for everyone regardless of political affiliation (he, I wrote affliction first).

I kind of expect an absolute landslide crushing of McCain by Obama. I'm starting to think most other people do to. But over-confidence is a good way to get a kick right upside the head, just ask Brodie Farber.

Labels: election, knockout, mma, president, UFC

Everything's already been said about the free UFC Fight Night event over the weekend where Anderson Silva, the best fighter in the world at 185 pounds, moved up to 205 to see if he was as good there.

Short answer is yes, yes he is just as good. He's bigger, he still strikes sharply but with more power and he looks damned near unbeatable. Really impressive first round knockout victory over James Irvin, who is most assuredly no slouch.

It was a good fight and quick enough to watch a couple of times in succession thanks to Tivo. But the slo-mo replays make me really wish for a HD-Tivo setup. But that won't be happening anytime soon.

And oh yeah, Jesse Taylor's return to the UFC was marred by a little thing called the Peruvian Necktie as performed on him by one CB Dolloway. Still a pretty good fight and I think we'll see more of both moving forward.

Labels: fight night, mma, UFC

Sackrifice - taking a kick to the balls to prevent something else from happening. I can most relate this to the penalty kick in soccer where the defending team lines up with their hands over their groins. Inevitably, he flinches to cover his face (facrifice if he does not?) but takes the kick in his junk instead.

I suppose facrifice could be used when someone uses their face as a brake pad on the ground.

Labels: nwotd

Dinky (who's real name is now Chico but he had no name when I first met him and I started calling him Dinky) enjoyed his special place on the couch outside at the yard sale all weekend. Not because he's so well behaved (which he was) but because his owners don't really trust him inside on the carpets without direct supervision.

But he is an adorable little pit. With a huge mouth.

Labels: life with a dog

That about sums up the yard sale weekend. Although I should add that we've hung out with our neighbors, played with the dogs, played with the various kids, cleaned up, cleared out, sent a load to the dump and made a decent chunk of money in the process.

Plus, we've gotten some new toys to replace the old toys, found new life in old toys that we thought we were done with but we are definitely not done with them yet thankyouverymuch, and found new ways to use other things as toys (the straight tube on our vacuum cleaner works quite well as a rifle).

It has been a pretty good time overall and the upside is that we'll reclaim a good amount, though not enough, of space in our garage.

The weather could have been better but there's no helping that really.

I also have a cool write up with pics over NorCal Bikers which will, eventually, also have video as well. I am finding iMovie '08 to be substantially kludgier to use than iMovie '06 and much less intuitive.

Labels: yard sale

It occurred to me today while splashing around in the warming up and newly refilled hot tub, that my summer vacation has been really pretty wonderful in most respects. No big trips to exotic destinations, any trips I'd planned to head down to Big Sur have been scrapped as the area is still burning and not especially scenic right now unless you like lunar landscapes. Also, with gas costing so much even a trip up to San Francisco takes on a whole other level of expense (we're about 70 miles from SF, that's nearly three gallons of gas there and then three back for a minimum of $25 just to drive there).

But not every vacation requires a destination, sometimes a vacation just requires the right company, some nice weather and some fun stuff to do.

Like yesterday, I went swimming with the boys in our hot tub that's not back up to full temp again yet (I just refilled it the other day and it takes about 36 hours to heat back up). The water was around 85 degrees and just perfect for playing in. And boy did we play. We three splashed around for about an hour and a half and we all laughed so much that my neighbor commented on it from his room above our deck.

Sometimes a vacation is just spending smiling time with the ones you love. Not that I wouldn't complain if we were spending that time on a beach in Hawaii but I'm certainly not complaining about spending our time together here. I'm sure I'd feel a bit different if I didn't have access to so much cool stuff so close by.

Labels: vacation

I swear I was nowhere near that toxic waste spill.

Sadly the big head does not make me smarter since most of that added mass is bone. One nice side effect is that I can use my skull to pound in railroad spikes. And that monster jaw? Rather than throw out the leftover parts of my last motorcycle, I'm eating them. The main drawback to the new me is that my eyes are so close together that I have a really hard time with depth perception. Oh and my skull now weighs like two hundred pounds.

Fun with Photo Booth. I think Grady might be a little sore today from laughing so hard yesterday.

Labels: hall of mirrors, photo booth

It is time once again for bad singers to emerge from the woodwork to warble for American Idol judges to shred them for having no talent at all. I have no problem with people trying out for the show, heck I just tried out for Survivor. But there is apparently a Tryout Tour taking place that involves following the tryouts from state to state across the country so they can wait in a stupid long line again. Again to be told that they cannot sign. Again.

Far be it from to judge another's choice of leisuretime activity but this one of touring a tryout to get rejected time and again seems dumber than most other reasons for a road trip I've ever heard of. When I was a kid we would go on tour following the Grateful Dead, this AI Tryout Tour just seems kind of desperate and pathetic.

I am sure that some are doing it because they feel they could have sung better during their audition and I am sure that's true in some cases. Just as I am also sure that many on the tour are repeating their audition to try and get on tv for their moment of fame.

Besides, American Idol is ageist as they cutoff contestants at 35, or they did the last time I checked or cared.

Labels: lame, reality tv

The Parajet Skycar: Britain's zero-carbon flying dune buggy makes use of some existing technology in a new way to arrive at a whole different way to travel.

A paragliding car would make getting to work absolutely easy and fun. Think how awesome it would be to cruise up to speed, pop up off the ground and then float (at up to 70 miles per) over the grid-locked traffic full of deeply, deeply jealous people.

What a sweet way to get to around. Oh yeah, it also runs on bio-diesel, is optimized for lightness, uses a continuously variable transmission and the production model will sport an aluminum frame for greater weight savings. The engine is a modified Yamaha R1 motorcycle engine for good efficiency and speed.

Future enhancements should include: whisper mode to sneak up on people, downward facing speakers to annoy the hell out of people stuck in traffic, laser light shows built into the undercarriage to give the cage ragers something to look at as you pass them by (doubles as a UFO hoax propagation device), sidewinder missiles, water balloon launcher and deployable pontoons for water landings.

I want one of these. Badly.

Labels: flying, skycar

I noticed that the annoying Yahoo Beta My Yahoo home page upgrade bar at the top of my old My Yahoo homepage has become more sinister. It is now a countdown clock to when my current and well liked page will be forced to upgrade to the new look and site.

Here's the thing, I've seen the My Yahoo future and, frankly, it sucks ass and I won't use it. I've already migrated my widgets and feeds to my iGoogle home page which isn't being forced to do anything except work for me.

Yahoo is also being courted again by the idiot bastards from Redmond that suck the life and fun out of pretty much everything they touch. Its time to put Yahoo on a liferaft with a token bottle of water and a handful of saltines and push 'er off.

Forcing me to upgrade to the new Yahoo home page is the last straw, this relationship has been strained for months now.

What don't I like about the "improved" home page? The layouts force me to have a big honking and annoying ad in a prime real estate spot well above the fold on the left column. The text is a lot harder to read, they changed fonts, sizes and other stuff to make the text more difficult to look at, read and understand. I'm sure I could eventually figure out how to get the font to look like the old homepage but that's a pain in the ass being arbitrarily just handed to me.

There's no reason to change over to a new page and, in doing so, Yahoo will lose a few more customers that it can ill afford to lose. I'm one of them. There will be two reasons for me to visit any Yahoo pages from here on out, I have an email address I tend to use for throwaway sites that require my email before allowing me entry. Two, I do play Yahoo fantasy sports. Sorry, there is a third reason, Yahoo's coverage of MMA (that's mixed martial arts) is better than any other site I know of. Good columnists, a good mix across the mma spectrum (or did you think the UFC was the only game in town? that'd be the excellent marketing job done by Dana White's boys).

Three things, Yahoo. That's all you've got left for me. And once I integrate Yahoo Mail into my Google homepage, that'll be one less thing.

Labels: fail, upgrade, yahoo

Craigslist: Santa Cruz has been added as a region to base from. Previous to this simple and seemingly small addition there was no easy way to search job listings in the Santa Cruz area, just individual towns. Now I can very easily keep a watch on jobs, gigs, barters and freebies.

There is no better place I know of to do business online and it just got way easier. I'm off to update my search feeds.

Labels: craigslist, web

I've been fooling around with the iPhone 2.0 upgraded software since I installed it late yesterday. So far the most fun I've had is playing with a free app called Remote that lets me control my iTunes with my iPhone.

I can instantly see a couple of uses for this. With some external speakers, you've got a total solution for music at a party. With some remote speakers, you could play whatever music you wanted into the kid's room while they slept.

But I'm going to try something different to see if it'll work or if I'll just tear a hole in the universe. I'm going to connect my Bluetooth headphones to my laptop and see if I can listen to iTunes on the computer but controlled through my iPhone which doesn't support stereo Bluetooth usage for some ridiculous reason (unless this has been fixed in the 2.0 release but I haven't heard of it yet).

I just got finished trying this setup out and it did work perfectly. Kind of nice if you want music and aren't going to be much further than 20 feet from the laptop.

One app that I wish worked better because it strikes me as a goofy and grin producing little thing is called World 9. It is supposed to tap into the accelerometer and produce sound effects based on the movements. Which are supposed to be played through headphones but who knows, might be fun to amplify them.

Yeah, definitely liking being able to control iTunes in the living room now with my laptop hooked up to the speakers in the kitchen (yeah, I do keep a set of speakers in my kitchen for iPods and laptops, don't you?).

Labels: iphone, itunes, remote control

One trouble with little brothers is that they always try to steal your thunder.

This is Grady being very proud of the map we drew together. It includes a mountain region, a lake with a big shark in it, a rainforest and a city. And Grady drew the roads in between them all.

He was only too happy to pose for a picture and Sully was only too happy to keep running through the scene with his Dennis the Menace grin in full effect.

Labels: funny, kids

I drove out to Salinas this afternoon because KION was holding open casting for the next season of Survivor. It took a long time to fill out the application and I probably got a little too irreverent in it but I hope the reviewers see it as funny and not annoying.

The process was kind of cool but I wish it weren't quite so hot, over 90 in the sun, and that I hadn't been dumb enough to wear a long sleeve shirt with shorts (I figured I might be there until it got darkish and cooled off).

There were already thirty or forty people waiting before I got parked and in line. Actually there was no line by that point. I just checked in, the very cute girl checked my paperwork, stapled it all together and gave me a number, 44. That was it. Then I got to sit, listen to music on my phone, read my Popular Science and read the first thirty pages or so of The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

I did, of course, size up my competition and saw a couple of folks that might make for interesting contestants but none that were as undeniably awesome as I was/am. There was the short older guy who wanted to be the clown, he even rode a unicycle and juggled with plungers stuck to his bald head. I didn't find him very entertaining and felt he was trying way to hard.

Then there was Xena the Warrior Princess' sister and a couple of guys who looked like there were on day 15 already (beat up clothes, hat and scruff).

All in all, I'd say I did well for not really knowing what to expect. I got called in with the others near my number. The last group is just winding up so you get to sit and watch for a minute. When my number was called, I took my application up, got mic'ed up and stepped up on to the stage with the camera and the really bright sober light in my eyes. I was tempted to put my sunglasses on but its much harder to tell when someone's being earnest when they're eyes are obscured.

Anyway, I had two minutes to sell myself. I started out with the requisite reason for why I wanted to be on the show, I've been a fan since the first season and wanted to see how well I could do. I talked about my little family and setting a positive role model example for my boys to look up to.

Before I knew it, the guy was flashing the sign for 30 seconds left and I wrapped up with a bit about what I like to do for sports and that I'd be a great contestant because I'm smart and physically capable of handling and excelling at the challenges and surviving.

Now I get to wait a few weeks while someone somewhere reviews all the submissions. I think it would be a total hoot to get on the show and, once I was there, there's no telling just how far I really could go since I really do think I've got a great set of skills to take into one of these games. Plus, I'd be able to show everyone that the flint is buried in magnesium and you can just about start a fire in a monsoon if you get a pile of magnesium shavings before you start sparking the flint. I can't believe no one's done that thus far, drives me crazy. Or I'll make a fire bow and start a fire by friction. That would be fun, start a fire like four different ways.

No idea where the show would be taped, maybe Gabon on the west coast of Africa under the "nose" but I might be conjuring that up. Either way, a fun experience and I hope it leads to something more fun!

PS And no, no Jeff Probst roaming around giving wry encouragement.

Labels: casting, survivor

John and I got out for a morning ride today with the dogs. Before it got too hot and before the trail got too populated with walkers. I had my camera mounted on my handlebars, shot some good dog-chasing video, missed John's arse over handlebars get-off and suffered this little gash on our way up and out of the park.

All in all, it was a great way to start the day. If only everyday could begin with some pedal mashing, gear grinding, dog chasing fun like this.

Labels: biking, wound

The New York Times has an interesting article about the 11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating. The foods are listed below with my ever-so-important comments in italics.

1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power. Not a big beet fan but maybe I'll have to take another look.
2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes. We actually eat quite alot of cabbage, my wife makes a fantastic cabbage salad. I'll try to get the recipe and post it here.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and sauté in olive oil.
4. Cinnamon: Helps control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal. The worst way to get cinnamon is to take eat a big heaping spoonful. But, if you do, make sure you videotape it for YouTube fame and hilarity. I put cinnamon into our pancakes for some extra flavor and spice.
5. Pomegranate juice: Lowers blood pressure and loaded with vitamin C and other antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it. Great stuff when mixed with other juices as its pretty harsh on its own. Its also really expensive right now but I think that's because the market is so new.
6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad. Pumpkin seeds taste awesome but they are really high in L-Arganine which can make people susceptible to cold sores have wicked painful breakouts. Counteract the seeds with Lysine supplements and eat the seeds in moderation.
8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.'’ They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread. Do Kippered snacks count as sardines? Because I liked Kippered Snacks but can't stand sardines. Though the dijon and onions spread idea might work.
9. Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,'’ it has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds. We get the big fresh pack at CostCo and eat them by the handful. Everyone in my house loves the blueberries.
11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Labels: food, health, nutrition

Making sense of Rush Limbaugh's $400 million deal

This disgusting turd of a human being without a shred of decency or honesty in his corpulent pus-ridden carcass is going to make $38 million a year and keep spreading his disinformation, hate and divisiveness.

Let me be perfectly clear. If you listen to Rush Limbaugh then you are a fucking idiot. He's a liar, a cheat, a hypocritical shitbag who should be publicly humiliated wherever he goes. He pretends to speak factually but his facts are made up, figments of his imagination. He has no interest in an even field, he's a crooked dealer who can't face objective scrutiny without coming up in the FAIL column.

Rush Limbaugh is part of the problem. Just like Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage and all the other spreaders of hate in the name of family values and the GOP agenda of hate, intolerance and racism.

What's wrong with this picture? Why is America so fascinated with being angry and hating our own people? Its sad.

My only hope is that Clear Channel will go bankrupt and his ridiculous contract will turn into smoke. I know I'll be going out of my way to avoid anything they've tainted with their poisonous touch. They are haters, they hire haters and they have no place in my universe.

Seeing this fire boat was the highlight of Grady's afternoon out on Fisherman's Wharf but he really enjoyed just about all of it. We got to see a submarine up close and he exclaimed "That boat goes underwater!" We also got to the the liberty ship already in my photostream, a big cargo ship, a ferryboat docking and a high speed ferry boat ripping it up as it made its way across the bay.

Labels: harbor, san francisco, water

Because of the wild fires raging all across the state, fireworks sales were blocked locally and there were flashing signs on the entrance roads to Watsonville warning against the use of illegal fireworks.

In Aptos, there were still some fireworks being shot off but it was nowhere near like years past. The crowds were much sma