Advertisers Getting Wise?

Much like the RIAA ignored the business potential of the Internet and instead tried uselessly to fight against it, advertisers have struggled about DVR technology, especially the dreaded "30 second skip". So far, Amex is the only company I've seen using the most obvious solution. While their advertisements aren't *in* the television show, they're closely related. You may have seen the ads that Tina Fey (of "30 Rock", and formerly "SNL") has been doing for Amex. They are playing her ad (and another by one of her "30 Rock" co-stars whose name I do not know) during the airing of "30 Rock", in a manner that makes them look like they are a part of the show. Genius. Lots of potential there.

Favorite Bands/Artists

Rabbert posted a lists of some of his favorite bands/artists and their songs. I don't think I can do this, because my taste in music is too varied. Its impossible for me to pin down my favorites without leaving dozens out. :) But...one day I started to, and here's what I had when I gave up (I didn't get very far...maybe I should just print out my WMP playlist):

• Tupac - When We Ride
  
• Randy Travis - 1982
  
• Dixie Chicks
  
• Led Zep
  
• Nirvana
  
• OAR - Crazy Game of Poker
  
• Otis Redding - Sittin on The Dock of the Bay
  
• Ozzy
  
• Pink Floyd - Money
  
• Allison Krauss and Union Station
  
• Lori McKenna
  

ATT on Flickr

There are quite a few shots of the American Tobacco Trail on Flickr (some of them from me).

Cry Laughing

The funniest email I ever got, I laughed so hard that I cried. I have saved the email for years (I received the email in the mid 90's), and it came up in conversation over the weekend and the last post also reminded me of this, so I am posting it here for all to enjoy. I've no idea the origination of this email or who wrote it, but it wasn't me. Enjoy!

INEXPERIENCED CHILI TASTER

Notes From An Inexperienced Chili Taster Named FRANK, who was visiting Texas from the East Coast:

"Recently I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment, and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking directions to the beer wagon when the call came. I was assured by the other two judges and (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted.

Here are the scorecards from the event:

Chili # 1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili

JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick.
JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
FRANK: Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me
two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.

Chili # 2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili

JUDGE ONE: Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight Jalapeno tang.
JUDGE TWO: Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
FRANK: Keep this out of reach of children! I'm not sure what I am supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

Chili # 3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili

JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans.
JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.
FRANK: Call the EPA, I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now, get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced from all the beer.

Chili # 4: Bubba's Black Magic

JUDGE ONE: Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
JUDGE TWO: Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
FRANK: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it, is it possible to burn-out taste buds? Sally, the bar maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills; that ugly bitch is starting to look HOT, just like this nuclear-waste I'm eating. Is chili an aphrodisiac?

Chili # 5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover

JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef; could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
FRANK: My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from a pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off? It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks!

Chili # 6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety

JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spice and peppers.
JUDGE TWO: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.
FRANK: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I shit myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that slut Sally, she must be kinkier than I thought. Can't feel my lipsanymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone!

Chili # 7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili

JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
JUDGE TWO: Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. I should note that I am worried about Judge Number 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.
FRANK: You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a damn thing. I've lost the sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava-like shit to match my damn shirt. At least during the autopsy they'll know what killed me. I've decided tostop breathing, it's too painful. Screw it, I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4 inch hole in my stomach.

Chili # 8: Helen's Mount Saint Chili

JUDGE ONE: A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili, safe for all, not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
JUDGE TWO: This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge Number 3 passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor Yank, wonder how he'd have reacted to a really hot chili?
FRANK: --------------(editor's note: Judge #3 was unable to report)

China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission

In today's stupid news, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without permission.

White Chicks

(12:54) lancer: is it odd that I think white zombie is one of the best bands ever?
(12:54) lancer: and I also think the same thing about the dixie chicks?
(12:54) jamesn: yes

Linky links - Aug 3 links

From "The Sneeze": the "Steve, don't eat it!" series. I think my favorite was the one for cuitlachoche. "If you're having trouble with the pronounciation, it's: Cuitlacoche (kweet-lah-KOH-chay) or Huitlacoche (dat-sfuckin-NAS-tee)."

Southparkify yourself, and Simpsonize yourself.

Linky links - July 27

• From the Consumerist:
  
  

  Aquafina labels will soon say "Public Water Source,"
  

  
  
  

  Universal Music Group issues DMCA takedown notice on low quality video clip of 18 month old boy. Now the EFF is suing them back. Go EFF!

  
  
  
• XKCD, the best nerd comic of all time: "My profanity usage by cause".
  
  
• Pork:
  
  (09:34) jamesn: Guess how many earmarks in the House Defense spending bill
  (09:34) lancer: 250
  (09:34) lancer: :)
  (09:35) jamesn: It is a more patriotic number than that
  (09:35) lancer: hmmm
  (09:35) lancer: 17
  (09:35) jamesn: 1776
  (09:35) jamesn: http://porkbusters.org/DefensePork0726.htm
  
  
• The YouTube debates (democratic candidates), very nicely done!
  
  
• I was telling James the other day that lately when I walk around all I see are gigantic fat people, just extremely overweight. We decided maybe I was just hanging around in the wrong places, like the Papa Johns parking lot. Nope, that wasn't it: US obesity map.
  
  
• Scott Adams has some unique ideas about immigration. Scott has become my favorite blogger. If you don't know his name, you know his work: Dilbert.
  

I am now officially divorced

... I'll have to write more on this later. Right now my mind is kind of swirling.

Ok I'm back...

I've been waiting for this day for a long time now. Almost two years really. I finally filed in May, and thought it was going to take forever to actually happen. But I got the call today. Its final.

As soon as I heard that my brain kicked into this weird other gear that I'm not sure I've experienced many times before. Maybe gear is the wrong word...it was (and still is) more like in a blurry state of daze. My skin feels tingly.

I'm not upset, but I'm not happy. Maybe I am a little happy, but only the kind of happy feeling you get from a weight being lifted off your shoulders. Of course I'll never be happy that my marriage failed, though.

Woah this is weird.

The picture above is the actual hand of the one who left me. That's the actual ring that the one who left me decided she was not going to give back to me (I'm not going to get into that particular classy move). The picture below is one she did with charcoal, called "Two Faced". Funny how the meaning of that one changed looking back.

Ow, my back! Ow, my legs! Ow, my back and my legs!

This past weekend I did something that no overweight, out of shape, ageing 30 year old (or older) should attempt.

I woke up early Saturday morning and ran the Race For the Cure (5k). Hmph, no big deal, thats not so tough!

But then I left the race and headed straight to an all day doubles volleyball tournament. From about 9:30 until 6:30 I was there. Did I mention it was outdoor? In the Sun. Yes, the heat. Uh huh, mid 90's.

During the very first doubles game both my calf muscles cramped as I jumped to spike the ball. I guess I let them get to cold after the run. I took a shot of pickle juice, ate a banana, and rubbed on some Aspercreme and went on about my games with no further trouble. I even played pretty well (6 points behind 2nd place on my net). I did pay the price the next day, when it took me a couple tries to get out of bed.

So as I drove on to my tennis league match on Sunday, I wasn't exactly sure how well I was going to play. My tennis doubles partner probably wasn't happy with my game, and we got clobbered. :) My legs have recovered but back is still (even 3 days later) a little sore.

Another goal...

"Boys will be boys, and so will a lot of middle-aged men."
- Kin Hubbard

Race For the Cure

Yep, its that time again. Time for the Race For the Cure to support breast cancer research.

I'll be running on June 9th. If you'd; like to join me, send me an email. If you'd like to support the cause and contribute with a donation, you can do so online right here. If you would prefer, you can also send your tax-deductible contribution to the
address listed below.

Komen NC Triangle Affiliate
2314 S. Miami Blvd, Suite 154
Durham, NC 27703

A real marathon

Ho

ly

cow

North Pole Marathon.

Sahara Marathon.

Come race for the cure with me

Race for the cure info.
Email me if you will be there.

Knowing Yourself

When I had the phrase "I need to get to know myself" thrown at me during the process of separating from my ex, I questioned its meaning. I hate those words, they are nothing but a cop-out, in the same category with another meaningless phrase: "it's not you, it's me".

Yeah, I always thought "I need to get to know myself" was just a stupid thing to say. I mean, after 30 years of life, if you don't know who you are you must be braindead. Maybe you mean to say "I need to re-evaluate what I really want in my future", but certainly you must already know yourself.

I came across this quote on the Google personalized homepage literary quote of the day:

"Know thyself! A maxim as pernicious as it is ugly. Whoever observes himself arrests his own development. A catepillar who wanted to know itself well would never become a butterfly." -Andre Gide

Someone shares my opinion of the RIAA

Check out this fabulous product from Jinx.com:

Ok, so, we are STILL laughing every time we see this product on our shelves...LMAO! Nothing compares with the way it feels when that text slides across your butt. Sorry for the high price, but you're buying it for the novelty. When it comes to functionality, stick to Charmin.

Weebles Wobble But They Don't Fall Down

Remember the Weebles? I had some when I was a kid.

I feel a bit like a Weeble right now, in that my legs are feeling awfully wobbly. I played in a King/Queen doubles volleyball tournament thsi past Saturday. It was a blast but I could feel the resulting jello-ish-ness in my legs all the way through Sunday and Monday. Tuesday I couldn't take it anymore and I just decided I just had to go running before I throw away all the good progress I've made recently. I wasn't sure how far I'd be able to go on my tired legs, but I made it for a slow 4 miles. Now my legs are weebly wobbly again. :(

Speaking of old toys, I want to buy a Rubik's cube again, after seeing these people solve the cube in only seconds (I saw videos of it on the special features of the "Pursuit of Happyness" [sic] dvd.

Tackling My Biggest Flaws

Here are three things about myself that I want to change. I'm not sure how except to be cognizant of them throughout the day.

I'm too judgemental. Often times I decide that I dont like someone that I don't even know because they dress like a thug or they talk about themselves too much or they look weird.

I'm too negative about things in general, and when I get in a bad mood I spread that negativity around instead of moving on. I wasn't like this when I was younger - if something bad happened I just went on with my life the best I could. I'm not sure when this changed.

I dont know how to make (or keep) friends. I'm too shy around people I don't know. I can't be myself around them so I just don't speak (or smile). I don't keep in touch with the friends that I do have, and when I do I'm too self centered to know what's going on with them.

Let the markets regulate themselves...to a limit

Tonight's 60 minutes had an interesting story about the government "nanny state" versus self-regulation. Here's the jist.

It hit a nerve with me because of a recent discussion I had with some friends about the possibility of a new law banning smoking in NC. At the time of our "discussion", the proposal bill would have banned smoking in all indoor public places, including restaurants and bars. To me that is just ridiculous. No smoking in a bar? Thats stupid. My argument is that it is not the governments place to force such a ban on private business owners. Their argument was that smoking in those places infringes on the rights of non-smokers at the same location. I gotta call bullshit on that one though, because those non-smokers are free to visit a non-smoking establishment. By the way, I'm a non-smoker.

If tobacco were an illegal substance, sure. In truly public places (ie, town hall, the library, etc), great. But not in a business owned by an individual - restaurant or not. If someone is so offended by the cigarette smoke or they worry about its effect on their health, then they should not visit that place. Perhaps they should choose a smoke-free alternative.

Fortunately, the bill was changed. Apparently someone added a cup of common sense to the bill, which is amazingly unique in government. The new version would not ban smoking in 21-and-over-only bars. Its interesting now also because the new bill will give local governments more control - so expect no smoking ANYWHERE in Chapel Hell in the not-so-distant future. Unless its marijuana, I think everyone in Chapel Hell smokes marijuana.

Fortunately again, this proposal was pulled from the agenda last week. Maybe later the NC house can try again at trampling on the rights of the business owners in this state.

In the 60 minutes interviews, Michael Jacobsen attacks Berman saying sarcastically, "Its terrible, we have health departments that are trying to clean up restaurants, environmental agencies that are trying to clean the air in the water, its just terrible. I think its great that government sometimes protects the public's welfare."

Jacobsen is right to some extent, but he is doing exactly what Berman says he is fighting against: exaggerating and over-stepping bounds. Berman said "Government has a role, but let the marketplace self-regulate". Thats right. Let the government regulate things that the public would have a hard time self-regulating fairly (ie, CFCs, cocaine, murder), but stay away from things that restrict my personal freedoms.

If I want to smoke in a bar owned by a private business owner that wants to allow smoking, then mind ya own! Don't take away my ability to eat a big fat cheeseburger if I want one. Sure, don't put that cheeseburger on the daily elementary school menu (thats called common sense, please make a note of it) - but give me the benefit of the doubt that I may be intelligent enough adult to regulate my own food intake. Make the health effects known to me if you like, but let me choose as long as my decision doesn't restrict the rights of other people.

The inter-trestle run

I have now officially visited every mile of the American Tobacco Trail. Tuesday after work I went for a 5.5 mile ATT loop between Panther Creek and Northeast Creek trestles. This part of the trail is very peaceful. I think I did see one person during the hour or so that I was there.

My next run will be my first attempt at 8 miles starting at the White Oak Creek trailhead.

Modern technology at its finest

Oh, I'm sorry, this title is confusing. When I said "modern", I meant "modern in 1908". Unfortunately for the world, that technology hasn't improved much in the last 100 years. I'm not sure how we aren't all disgusted at the current state of the automotive industry. And what's to blame? I'll point my finger at the long history of corruption in the US Congress (Hello, ever heard of campaign finance reform? Ever heard of term limits? How many 90 year old senators do we need making laws about modern technology?).

In 1908, the Ford Model T got 25 miles per gallon. Thats much better than my Ford Truck gets today.

Avg miles per gallon of all cars in 2004: 21!

I hope the X-Prize Foundation will help open some eyes. You might remember it from the 10 million dollar prize it gave to the first private organization to enter space twice in two weeks. Now the new Automotive X-Prize aims for a 100 mile per gallon consumer (i.e. "production capable") vehicle. Awesome.

100 miles in 30 hours

Here it is, the Umstead 100. I don't plan to ever attempt it. I can't imagine ever completing it. Here it is, the Umstead 100. A 100 mile run in 30 hours.

I don't even think I could bike 100 miles in 30 hours. Running it? Wow. Amazing. What kind of toll does that take on the body of even a very fit person? Is it worth it?

TBD: ATT KMZ

update: I just realized the link for the .kmz file was off, it is fixed now. update#2 - if you have anything to add, feel free to send it my way.

No, I don't just like to use acronyms whenever I get the chance. :) I started a Google Earth map (.kmz file) of the ATT (American Tobacco Trail). Download the KMZ here. I'll update it when I can with more points of interest and pictures.

• The red path is the trail itself, it is highlighted from the southern-most trail head in Apex up to the interruption point just south of I-40. Then it is highlighted again just north of I-40 in Durham up to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
  
• The green push-pins are trailheads, or entrances to the trail where there is available parking.
  
• The yellow push-pins are general points of interest, some of which have photos linked.
  
• I will attach photos soon.
  

I find it pretty useful because I can plan a run or bike ride, and use the ruler feature of Google Earth to check out the distance of my route. For example, next time I am going to start at O'Kelly Church Rd and run north to Northeast Creek trestle, turn around and run south to Panther Creek trestle, and then back to O'Kelly Church Rd again. This will be a 4.6 mile run with a rewarding view at each turnaround point.

Northeast Creek Trestle

I took a bike ride today down to Northeast Creek Trestle and took some pictures. Here are a few of them.

I was surprised to see James' car in the greenway:

Work on the ATT

Bill Bussey of the Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy set me up with some volunteer work on the ATT this past Saturday morning. I learned a few interesting things about the trail, and I felt good giving back (even though it was just a little) to the trail that I have enjoyed so much over the past year and a half or so.

A group of about 6 of us started our work just north of New Hope Church Rd, at the Panther Creek trestle (this was my first time at that location). Later we were joined by a few others. Basically all I did was carry some logs and limbs off the trail into the woods, and pick up whatever trash I saw. Shortly before noon, as I was returning across the drainage ditch after having moved some logs, I felt something funny about my shoe. I looked down and the sole of my shoe was going one way and the rest of my shoe another! The sole fell completely off. That was a first, and made for a long wet-footed walk out of the woods to my truck!

If you are interested in volunteering to help out with the trail, you can read more and sign up for the email list here.

ACC Fans

It annoys me when I see people cheering against ACC teams in the NCAA tournament. Sure, I understand that its fun to hate certain teams like Duke or Carolina (I hate Duke myself). But after the regular season and the ACC tournament, there is no excuse not to pull for the ACC as a conference to do well. The better the ACC is as a conference, the better recruiting we can do as a conference.

The way I see it, even though I hate Duke, they let down the entire ACC when they lost in the first round. They played sloppy, and they did not represent what is supposed to be a "powerhouse" conference. It even looks worse considering all the bitching that coach K did about how the ACC deserved more teams in the tourney. Now all we have left is UNC.

While I'm on the topic of sports fans that annoy me, last week I sat beside these two guys at Peak City who were eating and watching the Duke game at the bar. I heard comments like "I hate that Nazi", referring to Coach K. You don't have to like him as a person but I don't know how you can not respect him as a coach. I heard "why is it that every game Duke plays in somebody is bleeding" (at this point it became obvious that they were UNC fans)? Ok, thats just a stupid comment, plain and simple (especially given the fact that the VCU player bleeding in this particular instance fell over his own teammate).

Good Eats: Homemade Corned Beef

Some people know that my favorite nerdy tv show is "Good Eats" on the Food Network. I like it because its the nerdiest show on tv about food, and I'm a nerd and I like to eat. Its a match made in heaven. :)

This past week there was a rare new episode of Good Eats in which Alton Brown shows how to make homemade corned beef. I'm going to try it. Basically you buy a brisket, soak it in a brine for 10 days in the fridge, take it out and simmer it with some aromatics, and slice it up.

I learned 2 things that I have always wondered about:

1. Why is it called "corned" beef? Because in middle age England, "corn" referred to the curing salts that were used. Corned beef is just cured beef.

2. What is the difference in pastrami and corned beef? Pastrami is corned beef that has been smoked and seasoned with pepper.

Mission Accomplished: 7 miles

Tuesday after my 50 minute run I decided the next things I wanted to do were to finish the whole southern Durham portion of the ATT, and complete my first 7 mile run. After that run I felt so energized, I told one of my friends that I felt like I could run five more. Well, now I know I was wrong, I could not have run five more. How do I know?

Today I can proudly say: mission accomplished! I ran the trail from its start at Massey Rd down to its interruption at the Northeast Creek trestle (This picture from Wikipedia shows it. Much like me, its old, rotten, and weak, but still beautiful), and back. 6 miles. Then I did a little loop just to make it 7. I could not have made it 8, I don't think. My back hurts (maybe I need to correct my running posture!), and I can definitely feel it in my legs!

Isn't it ironic that the only structures in greenways are built by the power company?

Its also ironic that the guy who runs the drivers education business downstairs rides a bike to work.

Tobacco Trail: Trail or Paved Path?

I recently came across this nicomachus.net blog, which has a category of posts about the ATT, and saw this old post which almost made me throw up in my mouth: "The Outspokin' Cyclist: To pave or gravel part of biking trail under debate".

Check out these quotes from the posting, which quotes from a Phillip Barron
article in The Herald Sun from the Fall of 05.

• Chris Sevick to The Herald Sun: "Given the long distances that the trail connects, it would be more efficient to use a road bike on a paved trail..."
  
  Me: Well duh! But then the ATT would not be a trail, but a paved path. I sure hope the awesome natural beauty of the southern parts of the ATT don't get spoiled by paving, as the northern Durham section is.
  
  
• Bob Morris, vice president of the mountain bike club NC Fats, says that if the existing Wake County section of the ATT is an example of how the rest of the trail might be finished, he wouldn't want to ride it either. The loose, softer trail surface attracts equestrians, but the impact of the horses' hooves contributes to the fairly steady erosion of the trail. The ATT is pocked with rough sections that, even on a "cushy" full-suspension mountain bike, leave the trail difficult to ride, Morris says.
  
  Me: Wait just a second...did you say VP of the mountain bike club or the bike sissy club? What mountain bike owner is worried about the cushiness of his ride? I have been on nearly every mile of the trail personally, and I've seen plenty of hoof prints, but certainly nothing that I would even notice on a mountain bike or even on my runs.
  
  
• "So, if like Sevick, you've ever wished that you could continue riding your bike the entire length of the planned 23 miles of greenway"...
  
  Me: Then I would suggest you get a bike with a tire that is more than 1 inch in width. I sympathize with those cyclists who would use the trail as a commuter path (its a great alternative to riding on the road), but its not worth sacrificing the beauty of the current southern trails. Go out and buy a beefier bike, especially if you are a member of a mountain biking club.
  

Running the American Tobacco Trail in South Durham County

Yesterday during lunch I took a 50 minute run down a part of the American Tobacco Trail that I hadn't been to yet: the 3 mile southern Durham stretch which goes from Massey Rd (just south of I-40) down past Scott King Rd (the picture below, from Wikipedia, is about halfway through this stretch). I remember that little fence because it struck me as odd to have this fence out in the middle of this "natural" part of the trail. Overall there is a lot of great scenery in this area, and it made for quite a relaxing run.

This part of the trail itself is great, in fact parts of it are amoung my favorite parts of the trail (that I have seen so far). One complaint is that several parts of this stretch of trail have large (ie, bigger than golf ball sized) gravel. That seems potentially dangerous to me as a runner, should I land on one the wrong way. I understand this part of the trail is under a re-construction plan right now so hopefully they will be using a fine gravel next time like they have in the Wake County parts of the trail. Surely they will also add mile markers.

There is a parking area close to Fayetteville Rd, but it is roped off right now for some reason. I found plenty of roadside parking on both Massey Rd and Scott King Rd.

My next short term running goals for this spring:

1. Run this southern Durham part of trail down to Chatham County line (I didn't realize how close I was yesterday time when I turned around after 25 min).

2. Run 7 miles for the first time. I will probably combine these goals into one: 3 miles down, 3 miles back, and then a little half mile up and back loop. Since there are no mile markers here I will have to do the last mile by time.

A longer term goal for the year 2007: A 12 mile run (half-marathon).

I am NOT smarter than a 5th grader

Tonight on Fox was the premiere of "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?". You know I couldn't resist it, not to prove that I am smarter than the 5th graders but to laugh at all the stupid adults. Unfortunately it didn't work out so well for me.

It also didn't work out so well for the show, which will never be a success because the pace was so slow they only asked 6 questions in the entire half hour show! Stupid. Anyway, here are the questions (and my score).

1. In what month is Columbus day? Wrong.
   
2. T or F: Polar bears typically feed on penguins Correct.
   
3. If a triangle has an area of 16 inches, and a base of 8 inches, how long is its height? Wrong (yes, I was a math major).
   
4. Who was the first US president to be impeached? Correct.
   
   
5. Name the ship the pilgrims sailed from Plymouth, England, to the Plymouth colony in America in 1620. Wrong (no excuse).
   
6. What does REM stand for? Correct.
   

My total: 3/6. Definitely NOT smarter than a 5th grader.

This is your brain on fun, late night weekends

After a hard week at work, my brain turns off for the weekend.

...But I like to start my weekends early (say, on Wednesday).

Of course, after the weekend is over, my brain is a little slow to turn back on, so Mondays are kinda tough.

So I guess Tuesday is my only actual productive day of the week.

Hidden musical gem

I've posted before about Damien Rice. I first discovered his music when I was watching the movie "Closer" and this song in the movie was just so...hypnotic...I was just shocked and amazed at how captivating it was.

His music made another surprise appearance tonight in Grey's Anatomy. Unless you're one of those people who only likes certain genre's of music, regardless of its quality - you'll love Damien Rice. His music would probably be categorized as "folk" just because he doesn't really fit anywhere else, but really his taste seems to be all over the map. Mostly his songs are very slow, soulful, and relaxing. There's only one other artist/band that can relax me more, and that is Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon.

I just bought Damien's most recent cd on Amazon a couple week's ago. That makes two that I own: "O" and "9". I like "O" more, but both of these CDs are fab.

The worst smells ever

In all my life, I can only think of two smells that I literally could not get out of my nose. Even after leaving the source of the smell (or after the source of the smell left me), it had already invaded my my body and clothing and would not go away for several minutes.

One of those smells was this dude's breath. I know it sounds like I might be exaggerating, but believe me I'm not. The first time I smelled it I gagged in shock. Luckily I only had to deal with that a couple of times. If I ever have breath that bad I hope someone tells me.

The second smell I experienced tonight, but I've come across it many times before: that unmistakable mosh-pit of dozens of different kinds of mens deodorant combined with B.O. that over time has been absorbed into every grain of wood, and every pore in the paint of mens locker rooms everywhere. After I left the gym tonight, got into my truck, and was halfway through the parking lot I could still smell it. Ugh!

Wii have a problem

Well, *we* don't have a problem, but I do - it looks like I might get re-addicted to video games again since my friend James snagged me a Nintendo Wii. Cool! I never have been a huge gamer, although back in college I could kick your ass at some mario kart on nintendo 64 (I know a bunch of you just said "yeah right" in your heads, but seriously, you'd have had no shot against me back then. I mean it. Really.), and I was a Team Fortress/Counterstrike addict for a few months.

Now if I can just avoid destroying my wonderful beautiful tv like these people at wiihaveaproblem!

Chili with beef and veggies

Brown 2 lbs of ground beef (I use lean) or turkey, stir in 1 chili spice packet (I used mcCormicks but there are tons of different kinds, also I use less than the packet recipe calls for, it calls for 1 packet per 1 lb of beef) and 2 regular 15oz or whatever cans of hunts tomato sauce and two regular cans of light red kidney beans. Bring that to a boil and then simmer for 10 mins. Then throw in 1 large chopped onion, about 2 cups of frozen corn kernels, 1 package of fresh sliced mushrooms, pieces from 1 large broc crown, and however much pepper you like. I prefer cayenne and a lot of it, but I'm a heat freak. :)

I let that cook on med-low for a half hour or so while I cleaned out my fridge, but that part is optional. Hah!

Other options that I haven't tried yet:
red bell pepper
canned chipotles
12 oz beer or beef stock, cooked down
worcestershire sauce, cooked out
garlic
cellery
black beans (no need to drain)

Krispy Kreme Challenge

If ever a "Great American Race" there were - would this be it? The Krispy Kreme Challenge. The challenge is a run from the NC State belltower to the Krispy Kreme on peace streat, where each participant must eat 1 dozen doughnuts, and then run back to the belltower - in less than an hour. A total of four miles.

I wonder what is the record for the most puke in a 2 mile stretch of road?

So far 800 doughnut loving people who can still run 4 miles have signed up. Proceeds benefit NC Childrens Promise. Neat.

I've been pre-qualified!

I am so awesome. I am so awesome that big companies all over the country are desperate for me. You know those bags that they give to celebrities at awards shows that are worth like $10000? Thats nothing. Jessica Simpson's gift bag has nothing on what I get in my mailbox every week. For example, just in the last couple days I received the following invaluable free gifts:

- A check for $6000 from Bank Of America. Yes, I do have to pay it back, but its at the low low rate of 24.7 percent interest.

- A free plastic phone complete with service outages from Alltel Mobile.

- $129 from BellSouth just for signing up for their phone, internet, and mobile service!

- 6 pounds of yellow paper bound together in one large yellow book complete with millions of phone number listings that I will never need.

- An offer to save hundreds of dollars a year with a new mortgage at a fabulous new rate only a few points above my current rate.

- A check for $8000 from Capital One. Again, I do have to pay this one back, but they gave me a great deal on the interest rate.

I'm expecting to start receiving letters in my mailbox from a wealthy nigerian who needs help retrieving millions of dollars.

$10,000 worth of Pizza

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a great television show, IMO. Papa John's pizza is tasty pizza, IMO. But the two should not mix.

I find it kind of odd that they decided to give away $10,000 worth of free greasy pizza to a bunch of poor children. They already struggle to make ends meet, now you fill them full of trans-saturated fats and cholesterol for a full year. Good thinkin'.

Sony: NOT a software company

Sony, let's face it, you're not a software company. We all loved your VCR's back in the day...but the software on them sucked. We all love your DVD players, but the software on them sucked for years. Then at some point presumably you hired a software usability guy and things slowly improved. Sort of, at least. I don't want to get out of control with compliments about it though, because it still sucks.

I'm pretty sure that Sony knows they're not a software company. We all know where their expertise lies. So, with that in mind, I have a simple question. Why is it so freaking hard to find an mp3 player (not just Sony, but any brand) that doesn't suck?

The intelligent side of my brain said to me, "Woah woah woah, don't buy that Sony mp3 player...don't you remember the whole rootkit fiasko?". But...the stronger, more childlike and excitable fun side of my brain said, "Ah, they suffered enough embarassment, this one is probably a good product. After all, Sony used to be a respected name." So...I took the plunge...into a big cesspool of stinky Sony sewage.

All I ask for is an mp3 player that:

1. Is light, so I can run with it
2. Is reliable, so it doesn't break down after 2 months
3. Respects my privacy, and doesn't install viruses on my computer
4. Is smart, so I don't to have to install 8000 software applications on my PC just to be able to put songs on it.
5. Plays mp3-s.

Sony now has strugged over the hill to get past criterion number 3. Unfortunately they haven't figured out number 4 yet, apparently. Even more incredibly, this product didn't even give me number 5. Can you believe that? Yes, you read correctly. This is an mp3 player that doesn't play mp3 files. Yes, you can give an mp3 file to their required music player and transfer it to the mp3 player device itself, but in that process they transform the mp3 into another format. So I can't just manually copy mp3's onto my device. Ugh! Get real!

To Sony: I already have a media player application, thank you very much. I don't need yours. I don't want yours. But you, in your infinite wisdom, have decided to force me to. Well, at least I don't have your widespread rootkit crap hiding on my machine. As for forcing me to use your crappy music player on my desktop just so I can use your mp3 players when I run - screw you. Thats one more Sony product back on the shelf.