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9.30.2004
Debatable Choices
Two shiny pink suits.
That's no way to help all those undecided fashionistas.
C'mon ladies.
posted
by Valerie at 11:05 PM
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Why Does My TiVo Insist On Taping BEAR IN THE BIG BLUE HOUSE?
In an effort to return this blog to its weightless, trivial roots in utterly useless minutiae and pop culture detritus, I thought maybe I'd talk a little bit about the new fall television season, as seen through the eyes of a TiVo-beholden parent of a toddler big enough to find the entertainment system endlessly fascinating but not yet quite cognizant of the fact that no your fingers don't go there that's for Daddy's DVDs. I sometimes think that we don't get to watch that much TV anymore (or simply aren't interested), but as I think about the (ir)regular viewing schedule we're on, that's probably not entirely true.
Mondays: I think we're still taping EVERYONE LOVES RAYMOND, but I'll be damned if I can remember the last time I watched it, so apparently, NOT EVERYONE.
Tuesday: SCRUBS. Val has commented more than once that my pal Casey and I would probably be an awful lot like JD and Turk if we worked together in real life. Probably best that we don't. Also, it pleases me no end that this show remains as gleefully absurdist as ever (though last season's ep with Brendan Fraser remains probably one of the most moving half-hours of television I've ever seen -- proving, like SPORTSNIGHT did five years ago, that one can do comedy and drama in the same twenty-five minute span and make it convincing.)
Wednesday: LOST. Holy cow, was this AWESOME. Both parts of the pilot are airing in a rerun this Saturday night -- and man, if it's not one hell of a setup. I can't possibly imagine how you'd credibly stretch this show out beyond more than a year or so -- but then, I suppose that's the mark of the potential of a good show, because if you could predict it, it wouldn't be all that much fun, would it? (Who else screamed "WEISS!" upon the castaways' discovery of the pilot?) (More: I almost wish they hadn't actually shown the Monster at the end of last night's -- the whole thing was, quite frankly, MUCH more terrifying when I didn't have the slightest idea what was in the jungle.)
SMALLVILLE. Shut up, I like Superman.
Thursday: THE APPRENTICE, God help me. The cast is much more hateable this year -- don't know if that was the producers' intention or not. Val points out that Trump's ascension to godhood is much further along this year; see, e.g., the trumpet fanfare that blares in the lobby of Trump Plaza as The Donald and his entourage of hatchetfolk descend the escalators toward the waiting contestants. Much more arbitrary this time around, too, which displeases me. This was supposed to be about who was performing the best, after all, not a predetermined outcome shaped specifically for television. Also: isn't TRUMP: THE GAME like, twenty years old?
Friday: for the time being, reruns of THE PRISONER on BBCAmerica. Never had the chance to see most of this series, and they've been running it in "chronological order", or at least as best one can do, given the slightly nonlinear nature of the series. Those who've heard of it will smile and nod at the thought of watching the more-than-slightly-mental series unspool for the first time, and reflect on just how much its inherent paranoia informed later works like Grant Morrison's THE INVISIBLES; those who haven't, should.
Sunday: THE WIRE. Third season just started up, and renewed my love for this series. Stringer Bell may be one of the single best "villains" (a word which doesn't really apply in this instance, but go with me on this) in television, ever -- ruthless, clever, a drug kingpin as middle manager/small business owner. It's an incredibly smart drama that's a lot more involving than the police procedurals that capture the public's attention (CSI, LAW & ORDER, *snort* MEDICAL INVESTIGATIONS, NAVY NCIS, RENO 911).
Waiting in the wings: ALIAS (lame-o cliffhanger needs to be resolved -- in this episode, Sydney reads a piece of paper and is shocked by the arrangement of words on the page!), THE WEST WING (which I'm kind of not even really looking forward to -- what does that tell you?)... Man, I think that's it. Wow. Funny how, when we've got the least amount of time to spend on it, most of what we're watching is dependent on continuous, sequential viewing rather than piecemeal status-quo-preserving television.
posted
by Gus at 2:42 PM
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Waiting for the Crop Report
Peej found Jeremy's blog, ha ha!
Consider yourself linked, pal.
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by Gus at 1:23 PM
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Whoa
I've been so distracted by the presidential election and debates over Iraq that I didn't even tune into international rumors about the possibility of Israel launching an offensive against Iran.
Does this scare the crap out of anyone else?!?
posted
by Sarah at 12:00 PM
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Baseball is back!
Well, all the folks here in DC are doing lots of back-patting about baseball's so-called triumphant return to the Capital.
I'm excited to see a baseball game here in town. Though I've been to a few games up in Camden Yard, it's an especially difficult trek to make on a weeknight, involving either a tedious drive through rush hour traffic or a train ride up and a looooooong bus ride back. Yuck.
And I also think (unlike O's owner Peter Angelos) that having two teams in close quarters will actually increase the fan base for both teams and inspire a neighborly B'More/Washington rivalry.
BUT--and there's always a but, isn't there??--I'm concerned. I've seen Washingtonian's sports enthusiasm. It isn't good. Especially for a sport like baseball that doesn't have the fast-paced, intense action that football has.
A style writer in today's WaPo says it best...The sport of baseball, the skeptic must note, is rather serene by the visceral standards of contemporary entertainment. There are moments when the only movement on the field is the pitcher almost imperceptibly shaking his head at the catcher to decline the suggestion of throwing a curveball. There are moments when the pitcher will make such a desultory pick-off move toward first base that time itself will threaten to come to a standstill.
Washington, by contrast, is a city in a rush. Some fans will spend the entire game pounding out e-mails on their BlackBerries.
Good grief. I can just see it now.
posted
by Sarah at 10:57 AM
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9.28.2004
I Am At a Loss For Words
9.27.2004
Being the Wave
Click the photo above for complete event photos!!
Whew! You can all take a collective deep breath--I did not, in fact, drown on the 1.5K swim over the weekend. It was, however, a tremendous experience that has left me eager to do it again soon--only next time, with the bike and run as well.
The short, $2 summary for impatient ones: I finished the swim in about 35 minutes--5 minutes beyond my goal (for reasons I will explain shortly). Though I was disappointed by my time, I felt good about finishing the swim, and my teammate, Donna, kicked some serious ass on the bike/run part of the race. (She both biked the 36K and ran the 10K after I finished the swim.) We ended up in third place overall for the women's relay teams. Not too shabby for a first "tri" for both of us. We have awesome sand dollar trophies to prove it.
So what was it like to swim 1.5K--about .9 miles--in the ocean? Incredible. If you've never competed in an open water swim before, the experience is like no other. For a well-trained lap swimmer, the chaos of fighting waves, currents and 50 other bodies for the best possible position is a pure adrenaline rush.
The weekend started out for me on Saturday. I drove out to Bethany Beach on Saturday afternoon to check in, get all my gear and hang out with the other athletes. But the real fun started about 6:30 Sunday morning--the time all athletes needed to report to the race for body marking.
In most triathlons, each athlete wears his or her number in several places, including on your actual body. Race organizers take a permanent black magic marker to you, writing your race number on both your arms and down your quads. Your age is displayed prominently on one of your calves. Even as the swim member of a relay team, I still had to be marked.
At about 7:30 a.m., all the athletes trekked down the beach to where the swim would begin. Walking out onto the sand and looking out over the "course" was enough to make any seasoned swimmer a little queasy. Out in the water, stretched in a long, daunting line were nine buoys, one bright orange at each end and seven yellows in between.
When I think about how long a mile is, I think in terms of laps in a 25-yard pool. Thinking about 68 laps doesn't sound so frightening. But when you take those laps and stretch them out into a big, long line and mark them with buoys, it's a long damn swim. It stretched out so far that I couldn't even capture them with my camera.
I didn't care. I was excited.
All the athletes, execpt the relay teams, were divided up into waves by gender and then age group. My friend Julie, who got me into this in the first place, was in wave 4. As a relay swimmer, I was in wave 7, the final wave. This also meant that there were both women and men in our section. We spread out across the sand, capped, goggled and wet-suited, ready for action.
The start of the race is the most stressful. When the airgun goes off, everyone rushes out into the water. Not only do you have to contend with the mass of people, but you often have to fight off a wave or two before you can swim out to where the water is calmer. When the airhorn went off, I sprinted out into the shallow water and ducked one or two waves before I could start swimming. I got kicked and swatted and did some kicking and swatting of my own. I just had to make it out to that first orange buoy so I could start the swim.
When I finally put my head in to start swimming, I was completely shocked to find that I couldn't see a damn thing in the water. Not even my hands out in front of me. I don't know why I assumed that just because I was wearing goggles, I would be able to SEE with them. Clearly, it was a miscalculation; the murky waters of the Atlantic are definitely not as pristine as the Gulf Coast. It threw me a bit, and instead of breathing every third or fourth stroke as I trained, I started breathing every two just so I could see where I was going.
Beyond the buoy, though still completely dark, the water completely calm. Race organizers had described it earlier that morning as a "sheet of glass," and it was. Though occasionaly, a ripple would travel under you on its way to breaking on the beach. It was a strange sensation.
I tried to settle into a pace and to pull away from the pack that was still kicking and swatting around me. (Apparently, no one else around me could see, either.) I managed to pull away, not realizing that I had actually drifted much farther out to sea--almost to where the lifeguards and saftey boat were waiting to pluck overcome swimmers from the water.
Of course I tried to correct myself and swam back to my left, toward the buoy. But each time I got back in position only to find myself drifting back out to sea. Others later reported having the same problem. As our team captain, Earl, said later, "I looked up and I was in Portugal!" Ultimately, I think my zig-zag patterned swimming was what killed my time. Let's just say I was trying very hard to swim more than a mile. I always have been an overachiever.
The swim seemed to drag on and on. Each time I passed another buoy, I was convinced it HAD to be the number 7 yellow buoy and the last orange would be next. I was tempted to peek at my watch to see how I was doing, but I kept plodding ahead. When I finally did see the orange buoy, I kicked up my stroke a notch and swam as hard as I could for it. I turned the corner and started sprinting toward the shore.
Coming in, however, is almost as hard as going out. You may be riding the waves, but it's still unpredictable. When I got close to the shore, I tried to stand up. I found my footing just long enough to feel the strong pull of the undertow. I tried to hold on but couldn't. The wave sucked me up underneath and smashed me hard into the sand, tumbling up toward the beach. Fortunately, it left me much closer, and I was able to scramble out of the water and start the run up the beach.
Once out of the water, there is a short run up the beach, up a flight of stairs, around a wooden deck, back down the stairs and through the parking lot to the "transition area," or the place where the athletes are supposed to transition between the three different sports. My relay teammate, Donna, was waiting there for me with her bike, ready to go. It took everything I had to put one foot in front of the other and jog up the pavement. But I made it. I handed off our timing chip, which was strapped around my ankle, and she was off.
After I caught my breath and ate an apple, I stripped off my wetsuit and headed out to spectate for the rest of my team. I found Julie's friends, Mel and Cheryl, and became part of their cheering section. We enthusiastically rooted on bikers as they passed. When Julie finally went by, we did a transition of our own. For the running part of the race, we became the Mobile Peanut Gallery, following Julie and others around in Cheryl's cherry red Ford Explorer, hanging out the windows and sunroof and honking and cheering. Heading to the finish line, we watched many of our teammates cross over, exhausted but happy.
Although the swim completely wiped me out, just watching the rest of the race had a tremendous impact on me. The sheer guts it takes for each athlete out there is nothing short of inspirational. They endure not just one but three grueling races. And in most cases, they walk away plotting their strategy for how to tackle the next tri--faster, harder, more training.
Well, congrats team, you've passed the bug on. Next year I'll see you at the finish line.
posted
by Sarah at 9:32 PM
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9.25.2004
Bart's bike
posted
by Gus at 7:45 PM
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9.24.2004
The future looks GOOD!
albeit a little sad...
Gives new meaning to the term "TV Dinner"
posted
by Valerie at 3:24 PM
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Drop the Gloves! Drop the Gloves!
The NHL lock out may have postponed the 2004-2005 season, but disappointed hockey fans can still watch the puck drop in more than 50 million U.S. and Canadian homes when the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning face off against the Philadelphia Flyers in the season opener of the video game NHL season on G4techTV. The hard-hitting action begins with highlights, scores and stats, airing daily on the network's sports program "Sweat," premiering October 13 at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT.
###
...I miss my Sega.
posted
by Gus at 9:53 AM
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9.23.2004
Greetings Starfighter!
May the luck of the Seven Pillars of Gulu be with you at all times.
The Last Starfighter, the Musical, Beams Down Into World Premiere in NYC
The Last Starfighter, a world premiere science fiction musical inspired by the 1984 screenplay of the motion picture of the same name, will open the 2004-05 season of Off Broadway's Storm Theatre, Oct. 15-30.
The musical marks the return of lyricist-composer Skip Kennon (Herringbone, Time and Again) and draws on the Jonathan Betuel screenplay, about a teen video-game player enlisted to save a universe. Fred Landau penned the libretto. (The movie marked the last film appearance of Robert Preston.)
###
... the hell?
posted
by Gus at 1:23 PM
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What Will Become of My Twinkies?
Wonder Bread and Twinkies have fallen victim to the low-carb craze. At least that's the idea Interstate Bakeries (IBC), the maker of those iconic products, put forth on Sept. 22, when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
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by Gus at 1:16 PM
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Which candidate is more like you?
Take 15 minutes to take this little quiz that compares your own personality to that of the two presidential candidates. The researchers are looking into whether most Americans tend to support candidates whose personalities they perceive are most like their own.
An interesting, fun distraction from the Thursday slog.
Via Andrew Sullivan.
posted
by Sarah at 1:10 PM
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9.22.2004
Live From the Moon
I just got done rereading one of my favorite comic series, and now here's a little bit of synchronicity to go along with it: a story about how the Soviet Union had planned to build a strategic military base on the moon.
ON.
THE.
MOON.
Think about that for a minute. Then go read up.
posted
by Gus at 8:58 AM
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9.21.2004
Asleep
posted
by Gus at 6:29 PM
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A Reasonable Voice on the Right
All right, since this blog has been accused as "leftist" by some, I thought I'd post something on the other side today. Check out Jonah Goldberg's column today in the National Review. He lays out an extremely rational take on why this war is different from any other previous conflict and that the criticisms of Bush's handling of the war shouldn't necessarily mean he should lose his job--particularly because he thinks Kerry doesn't get the big picture.
Tawk amongst yowselves.
posted
by Sarah at 1:13 PM
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Stand Up and Cheer
Ok, so SUAC it ain't. But here is WNCI's moving tribute to the OU fight song, in light of our recent designation as a true party school.
posted
by Sarah at 11:58 AM
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BUSTED!
RE: post from Friday. Apparently, guilty conscience kicked in for the editor of I Found Some of Your Life. The site is now defunct.
A shame, it was one of the most creative blogs I had seen. Never thought looking through someone's random photos could be so fun--the concept had great potential for hilarity. At least he revealed the celebrity (Vanilla Ice, aren't you sorry we missed it?).
posted
by Sarah at 10:56 AM
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Someone Call Dan Brown
So, I finished reading Dan Brown's ANGELS & DEMONS last week (a much better book, by the by, than THE DA VINCI CODE, despite my belief that Brown is unable to write expositionless dialogue, and I once again find myself marveling at why some books are swept up by mass audiences while others aren't) which, as those of you who have read it will recall, is in part concerned with the selection of a new Roman Catholic Pope.
But: did you know that the guy in Rome isn't really the Pope? That's right. The REAL Pope lives in Delia, Kansas. He wants to make sure that we don't read bad books, aren't addicted to television, and refrain from drinking too much soda pop.
You can check in with him if you like, but you should bear in mind that the Pope is having computer problems and might not get back to you right away.
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by Gus at 10:54 AM
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Grand Moff Unification
More Trilogy Zen: check out digital artist Jason Salavon's "Grand Unification Theory",
and in particular his abstract re-rendering of every frame of THE PHANTOM MENACE.
(The rest of his work is cool, too, though some is most decidedly Not Safe For Work. View at your own peril.)
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by Gus at 1:27 AM
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Primer
So I'm reading AICN, and my pal is raving about PRIMER. Hard, smart, cheap sci-fi flick about... time travel, I guess, but you'd never know it from the very nice but subtle trailer (a 4.3MB QT download, but oh so worth it -- there's different sizes at the main site, as well, bigger and smaller.)
Damn, did that look nice.
posted
by Gus at 1:12 AM
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9.20.2004
Arrrrrr!
Tangential to my inevitable visit to Target tomorrow in search of DVDGeekNirvana: Jason Kottke takes George Lucas to task about his pivot on releasing the STAR WARS Trilogy on DVD now, as opposed to after the theatrical release of EPISODE III in 2005 (Lucas's reason? The threat of piracy.)
posted
by Gus at 4:14 PM
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9.19.2004
One week and counting
One week until the big swim, and nerves are beginning to set in.
I actually wasn't really nervous at all until I picked up my wetsuit today--a full body, sleeveless piece of rubber. (I look hilarious in it, by the way. Like a big, freaking seal.) There was another girl at the counter, returning her suit from this weekend's sprint triathlon in Dewey Beach, which is a mile or two down the road from where we'll compete next weekend.
"How was it?" asks friendly salesman. "I got in the water, but couldn't finish the swim," the girl says mournfully.
Couldn't finish the sprint swim, which is half the distance of the 1.5K.
I called my friend, Julie, who recruited me to do this in the first place. She was in Dewey, too, this weekend. Apparently, Ivan had fun with the surf, making it one of the most challenging swims for even experienced swimmers. Gulp.
Note to Jeanne: stay the HELL away from Bethany Beach next weekend.
Seriously, it's not the distance that worries me. I've only been training for about a month, but I'm confident I can finish a one mile swim. And not at the back of the pack, either.
It's the waves that scare me. I get frazzled by the little baby three footers that you body surf in. If the water is at all choppy, it could get dicey. Then again, I'm swimming, not surfing, so it should be easier to get under the waves to the open water.
Either way, I'm counting the days!! Now to actually try out the wetsuit... this oughta be fun in the lap pool...
posted
by Sarah at 6:13 PM
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9.18.2004
New Moblog
posted
by Gus at 10:42 PM
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9.17.2004
Not As Gullible As You Might Think
Kids today. The jig is up, apparently.
[via waxy]
posted
by Gus at 2:53 PM
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Do You Know These People?
I found a year of your life in a digital camera memory card left behind in a taxi, so I'll post the contents on the internet and tell stories about the real/imaginary people in the photos.
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by Gus at 2:18 PM
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9.16.2004
Sneezer remains top service-related retribution
In other service industry news, and updating an earlier post from this week, all charges have dropped against the man jailed for not leaving a big enough tip.
Apparently, the "automatic tip" is only enforceable when it is labeled a "service charge" or "surcharge." Though I don't think I would quibble with the manager at a place called Soprano's Italian and American Grill. You might be asking for more than just a sneezer with that one.
posted
by Sarah at 3:42 PM
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Customer Service
I'm ashamed to say, I've misbehaved.
I was a bad customer (sorta), and I (kinda) admit it.
But after a month of moving and all the complications that have ensued, I'd had it. After getting a retarded amount of run-around to cancel our stupid little Earthlink DSL service (because they couldn't transfer our EXISTING service to our new phone number for 30 DAYS!) and after being told that - for my own protection- I was going to have to call the office and get four kinds of super-secret numbers from our cantankerous accounts manager, (because you know everyone's going around with our account number, invoice number, and order number just trying to undue our accounts)
Well, I lost it.
I quietly told her I'd have to call her back and then I proceeded to slam the phone's receiver down over and over on it's base.
When I called back with my information she nabbed me. Evidently they can hear that sort of thing. She proceeded to scold me for doing such a disrespectful thing and told me she expected more professional behavior from me. I tried to explain that if only she had been through what I'd been through and fallen prey to the ridiculous amounts of bureaucracy that I had lately that surely she'd have done it to. She wasn't buying it.
So now I'm stumped. Do not-very-nice-in-the-first-place-pain-in-the-process customer service representatives get to scold people for something they didn't even think the aforesaid customer service rep would even *hear* or was I really wrong in need of the scolding? So I took it.
I did not bang the phone again when I hung up despite my dire need to show her that she wasn't the boss of ME. But I was too shamed by it all. Did I back down too soon? Should I send her a note? Take my favorite (and probably much more talented) customer service pal out to clear my karma?
All I know is that I feel yucky and I never want to move, schedule, cancel, call or interact with anyone in any way that has anything to do with telecommunications again - EVER.
(except of course the aforementioned super professional pal that I have to believe will forgive me on behalf of her industry - Viva Verizon!)
posted
by Valerie at 10:35 AM
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Fall bookshelf
A must-read booklist for the fall from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
1. I Am Charlotte Simmons, by Tom Wolfe
2. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
3. The Plot Against America: A Novel, by Philip Roth
4. The Grim Grotto, by Lemony Snicket
5. Chain of Command: The Road From 9/11 to Abu Ghraib, by Seymour M. Hersh
6. Devil in the Details: Scenes From an Obsessive Girlhood, by Jennifer Traig
7. Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose, by Paris Hilton
8. Runaway, by Alice Munro
9. The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty, by Kitty Kelley
10. The Double, by Jose Saramago
Writer Christopher Kelly explains each of his choices as selections that will "intimidate both good friends and complete strangers at our very next cocktail party." (He even offers mini-cliff notes appropriate for idle chit-chat.)
Hmmm. Can't see how many people will be dazzled by my thorough knowledge of Paris Hilton's "memiors" or Kitty Kelley's trashy expose. But I'm definitely planning on picking up Roth's newest novel--Kelly hits it on the nose when he calls Roth the greatest living novelist.
Also another one I give a thumbs-up to, the new Lemony Snicket book, which comes out next week. If you aren't familiar with the Unfortunate series, check it out. The snarky tone of the books makes for interesting reading. Like Harry Potter, it's not just for kids.
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by Sarah at 10:17 AM
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Long Way Down
Here's a picture of Hurricane Ivan as seen from the International Space Station. (Too big to link inline here, but holy cow, you should see that thing.)
posted
by Gus at 9:06 AM
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9.15.2004
We always knew they were good
An article on Slate gives a shout out to E.W. Scripps, the namesake of OU's J-School and the Cincinnati-based media company that is a current and former employer for more than a few fellow alums.
Apparently, the company's stock price is outpacing other media giants, including Dow Jones, Time Warner and the NYT.
Nice to hear something positive about a media company, for a change.
posted
by Sarah at 4:44 PM
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There Goes the Winter
9.14.2004
Why I buy the cheap seats
You've heard of fan rage... here's a pitcher from the Rangers who got a little agitated at a surly fan during the game and fought back.
Bringing new meaning to the term "Nosebleed Row."
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by Sarah at 11:47 AM
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Confluence!
My pal and World's Greatest Grandpa Fraction somehow winds up commenting on boingboing about Xeni Jardin's upcoming zero-G flight.
posted
by Gus at 8:44 AM
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9.13.2004
Be nice to your server day
Never thought that stiffing a waiter could actually land you in jail, as it did this fella in NY.
posted
by Sarah at 5:31 PM
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Internet surfing heading for a wipe out?
Is the world wide web heading for a major crash? the tech companies seem to think so.
posted
by Sarah at 11:38 AM
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9.10.2004
Fun with Bushisms
Ooooh! This little gadget is fun!
(via Andrew Sullivan)
posted
by Sarah at 1:08 PM
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Damn those Bucks
So I've been sitting here at my desk all morning, humming the damn "I wanna go back to Ohio State" song. It motivated me to look it up online (so that I could hear it for real, not just in my head). Here's what I found... note that the song actually originated from MICHIGAN! GASP!
posted
by Sarah at 11:20 AM
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Float On
Anyone got a couple of thousand dollars they can spare for a plane ticket?
(via boingboing -- apparently, the company's big debut will be next week, with tickets for about $3K per)
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by Gus at 8:47 AM
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9.09.2004
Forget About Principles, Just Let Me Have The Damn DVD
Then:
Now:
Lame changes aside: eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
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by Gus at 3:25 PM
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Father of the Year
LONDON (Reuters) - Half of British fathers either continue to doze or pretend to be asleep when their babies cry during the night, making many mothers resentful, a survey released on Thursday shows.
In addition to the 52 percent of dads who do not get up with their wailing children, a further 22 percent only get up after their partner has already crawled out of bed.
The lack of support leaves six in 10 mothers feeling bitter toward their partners.
###
I'll have you know that I get up as soon as I hear Carl...
...which generally isn't until some time after Val's already gotten up.
posted
by Gus at 1:09 PM
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Dose of daily inspiration
More proof that the world gets smaller every day. I had drinks last night with some members of the OU Alumni chapter out here in DC; joining us were a couple folks who played on our softball team but didn't hail from A-town. I was chatting with the roommate of one of the non-Ohioans, and when he found out I was from Mansfield, he said he knew someone from Willard. Apparently, this fella is pals with Sean Swarner. Though I didn't know Sean personally, I definitely knew his name--he and his brother were kick-ass swimmers back in the day. Anyway, read his story; Sean was the first cancer survivor to reach the summit of Everest. Pretty inspirational.
posted
by Sarah at 12:18 PM
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Captain Awesome
Confidential to my cousin Matt: you are THE MAN. Haven't heard the stuff on that tape in probably ten years or more.
But I have to ask: why is it square in the middle of a Tracy Chapman tape?
For all: I'll post sound clips as soon as I can figure out how to transfer them from analog (cassette tape) to digital (mp3). Anyone got a cheap and easy solution for that problem that doesn't involve me buying a new computer or lots of equipment?
posted
by Gus at 8:47 AM
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9.08.2004
Conflict
Via Andrew Sullivan: looks like Paul Begala and James Carville, who last week joined the KE04 campaign as advisors, will be maintaining their positions as co-hosts of CNN's CROSSFIRE, apparently not seeing any conflict of interest in those two roles. CNN's rationalization -- that Carville and Begala are "unofficial" advisors and aren't being compensated for services or otherwise maintaining offices -- seems pretty freaking weak to me.
Of course, I wonder: this isn't the first time either Carville or Begala have advised a Democratic candidate during this campaign. Was it a conflict of interest then, or just now? Was it even really "campaign advice" in the show's context of entertainment? When does a consultant and part-time anchor stop being a consultant? Is there even a way to tell?
Still stinks here, though.
posted
by Gus at 5:13 PM
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Senior photos run amok
Pal Kristie forwarded this link to some of the most heinous senior photos of all time. Not that mine were the most artistic or brilliant in the world, but these pics will surely make you glad for the good old standard headshot of yesterday. Also while you're there, check out planetdan's blog, an interesting collection of randomness (not unlike some other blogs we know). Notably, he mentions a new movie I had no idea was in the works--Strangers With Candy.
posted
by Sarah at 3:25 PM
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Save Betamax!
Online activists Downhill Battle have a new idea: put a phone call in to your Congressperson on September 14, 2004 in opposition of the INDUCE Act and Save Betamax.
(Well, not really Betamax per se, since they went out of business years ago. But you get the drift.)
posted
by Gus at 2:45 PM
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Crashdown
The Genesis space capsule, which had orbited the sun for more than three years in an attempt to find clues to the origin of the solar system, crashed to Earth on Wednesday after its parachute failed to deploy.
###
So much for catching a bullet with a helicopter.
posted
by Gus at 2:00 PM
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The First Rule of Film Club: You Do Not Talk About Film Club
Everyone's blogging this this morning, but it's still a cool story:
In a secret Paris cavern, the real underground cinema
Police in Paris have discovered a fully equipped cinema-cum-restaurant in a large and previously uncharted cavern underneath the capital's chic 16th arrondissement.
Officers admit they are at a loss to know who built or used one of Paris's most intriguing recent discoveries.
"We have no idea whatsoever," a police spokesman said.
"There were two swastikas painted on the ceiling, but also celtic crosses and several stars of David, so we don't think it's extremists. Some sect or secret society, maybe. There are any number of possibilities."
"...The whole thing ran off a professionally installed electricity system and there were at least three phone lines down there."
Three days later, when the police returned accompanied by experts from the French electricity board to see where the power was coming from, the phone and electricity lines had been cut and a note was lying in the middle of the floor: "Do not," it said, "try to find us."
posted
by Gus at 8:52 AM
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9.07.2004
Freaky
What the hell is that?
[via Engadget]
posted
by Gus at 4:55 PM
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A Tale of Two Plane Trips
So, I broke down this weekend and tried out the new airline, Independence Air. I couldn't resist; their fares were low (I think I paid $120 roundtrip to get in and out of Columbus) and though Dulles isn't the most convenient of the three airports, I DO live in Virginia so it's not terrible. The results? One Fabulous trip, one Forgettable.
On the way out to Ohio, the plane was cozy and comfortable. Right now, they fly only regional jets, so they seat about 50 people, but the seats are all leather and they aren't too small. My seat was near the front, so I was very close to the flight attendant, who was perky and humorous. [Incidentally, the pitchman for the airline is Dennis Miller, who gives the safety briefing over the intercom while the flight attendant shows you how to buckle up.] The pilot even came out of the cockpit to personally welcome us all and introduce himself. I couldn't believe it. The flight was short and uneventful, and to top it all off, our chipper flight attendant ended the flight by distributing HOT WET NAPS to everyone on board. From a basket. With tongs. I mean, why hasn't anyone thought of this before? HOT WET NAPS. Never mind that mine was blazingly hot and I nearly burned my fingers. It was still such a nice touch.
On the way home, I can't give glowing marks. I sat in the last row on the plane--so not only can you not recline, but it feels as though you are actually leaning forward in your seat. The AC wasn't working so well, and even the air vent above me wasn't giving me any relief. There was a baby screaming off and on for most of the flight, and the flight attendant was not nearly as friendly and certainly didn't pass out any wet naps.
Of course, I don't know how much karmic energy contributes to the overall quality of any flight--outbound was a Friday night, with everyone excited in anticipation of the weekend. Homebound was Labor Day Monday, with back to work looming over most of the passengers. It's also quite possible that I was just in an incredibly snarky mood.
Regardless, I will flyi again, if only in hopes that there will be more hot wet naps...
posted
by Sarah at 2:31 PM
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On Demand
NEWSWEEK reports that TiVo and Netflix will be joining forces later this month to offer downloadable movies from the Netflix library to broadband-connected TiVo boxes.
NICE.
posted
by Gus at 9:30 AM
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9.02.2004
Required Reading
A transcript of last night's HARDBALL on MSNBC immediately following the Miller and Cheney speeches at the Republican convention. Highlights: Ohio governor Bob Taft manages not to say anything more substantive than parroting the "security" line, Zell Miller challenges Chris Matthews to a duel (no kidding -- former Oklahoma Congressman JC Watts wants to sell the popcorn and Cokes at the door, he says), and a pollster in Cincinnati quizzes reportedly undecided voters about their reactions to the evening's speeches.
Full personal disclosure: IMHO, Cheney's speech was a reasoned critique and comparison of the Bush and Kerry positions and approaches, without really touching on the specifics of the Bush record (but I frankly wouldn't expect that anyway -- it was a pretty good speech.) Zell Miller came off like the wildly gesticulating anti-Bush crazy man everyone expected the Democrats to present during their convention (but, you'll recall, never really did, Al Sharpton aside) -- only this was some weird tirade about Kerry's voting record, which Miller had effusively praised three years ago.
posted
by Gus at 3:48 PM
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9.01.2004
Meet Frances
EDIT: check out the satellite photos at NOAA...
posted
by Gus at 1:36 PM
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Branded?
Here's an odd thing: branding firm Landor Associates and research firm Penn, Schoen and Berland have released a joint study which attempts to compare and contrast the current presidential candidates with the brand names for some well-known commercial goods and services, and then draws some conclusions about their "marketability" among voters based on those comparisons.
Fer instance, here's a chart ostensibly showing how undecided voters view the candidates:
The study claims these results are neither good nor bad, but provide an interesting view of the brands and candidates as having both good and bad points to consider (i.e. reliable but stodgy brands versus flashy but untested brands).
(via waxy)
posted
by Gus at 9:43 AM
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WINNING NOTIFICTION !!!
You know, for as many times as I apparently win huge sums of money in these foreign lotteries, I still haven't seen a dime...
("notifiction"? Oh, the irony...)
-----Original Message-----
From: KARFOUR LOTTOS INTERNATIONAL [mailto:karfourlottos@netscape.net]
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 7:58 AM
To: Gus Dahlberg
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICTION !!!
Karfour Lottos International
Via cassele 55
10123 Rome.
Italy.
GOVERNMENT ACCREDITED LICENSED LOTTERY PROMOTERS.
Ref Number: 75-722-5643
Batch Number: 53127563483 KLI
Sir / Madam
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the karfour
programs held on the 27th of Aug 2004 Your e-mail
address attached to ticket number 4129763654978 with Serial Number
65012331283 Drew lucky numbers 5-9-9-6-2-1 which consequently Won in
the 1st category with another lucky winner, you both have therefore
been approved for a lump sum pay of US$1,400,000.00 (One Million
Four hundred thousand United States Dollars)
US$700,000.00 (Seven hundred thousand United States
Dollars) for each winner.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your
winning information confidential until your claims has been processed
and your money paid out to you. This is part of our security protocol
to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some
participants.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn
from over 200,000 companies and 30,000,000 individual email addresses
and
names from all over the world. This promotional program takes place
every Two year.
To file for your claims, please contact our FIDUCIAL AGENT in Italy,
for your Winning claims and Processing, on
TEL 0039-347-4891517.
BELTO SECURITY COMPANY.
Contact Officer- MR. JOHNSON DAVIS .
Please, be aware that our Paying Bank will effect Payment Swiftly upon
satisfactory report, Verifications and validations provided by our
processing Agent that would be designated to your file.
Remember, all winning must be CLAIMED not later than 20th of Sept
2004. After this date all unclaimed funds would be included in the
next stake.
Please note that in other to avoid unnecessary delays and
complications
remember to quote your reference information in all correspondence.
Futhermore, should there be any eventual change of information please
inform our Agent as quickly as posible.
Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thanks for
being part of our promotional program.
Note: Anyboby under the age of 18 is automatically
disqualified.Member
of the affiliate agencies are automatically not allowed to participate
in this program.
Yours truly,
Mrs.Odille Cavalli.
Games / Lottery Coordinator,
Karfour International Lottos
posted
by Gus at 8:57 AM
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