Whatever Happened To Richie Cunningham’s Brother?
Posted on | May 27, 2008 at 10:31 pm | 2 Comments
Tonight I watched the original HBO movie Recount, which was about the 2000 presidential election and the whole Florida mess. It was directed by Jay Roach, who is known mostly for comedies such as Austin Powers and Meet The Parents. It was written by Danny Strong, best known to me as a TV actor – he played Nerd of Doom Jonathan on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Paris’ boyfriend Doyle on Gilmore Girls. It starred a whole mess of people, including Kevin Spacey as Ron Klain (he doesn’t really look like him), Denis Leary as Denis Leary playing Michael Whouley (who says the F word a lot), and Ed Begley Jr as David Boies (he does look like him). Most fascinating was Laura Dern as Katherine Harris – a really good, funny imitation. Harris came off as both a crazy person and a dolled-up puppet who depended totally on the advice of others. Her performance was almost like a Saturday Night Live parody, though I’m not sure how much of it was actually parody.
There was a lot of suspense for a movie that basically revolved around people counting things. I learned a lot about what went on during that time that I didn’t know (or didn’t pay attention to) at the time. It made very clear how flawed the voting system was and how everything is open to interpretation. It really did make me wonder what would’ve happened if the US Supreme Court hadn’t stopped the recount. And it made me sad because even though I didn’t like him much at the time, I wish now more than ever that Gore had been declared the winner.
But the best part was the discussion about how “dimpled chads” and “hanging chads” makes no sense because the plural of “chad” is “chad”, not “chads”.
Latre.
Pet Peeve of the Day: Having to turn the furnace on tonight because the house was damn cold when I got home. I thought it’s almost June?
Poignant Search Term Of The Day That Led To This Blog: “red light right turn citation bay area”.
Music Vs Feet
Posted on | May 26, 2008 at 12:17 pm | Comments Off
Jogged Today: Yes (@ 54°F)
Songs That Came Up On The iPod While Jogging:
- “Ditch Digger” (Anne Summers)
- “Cream and Bastards Rise” (Harvey Danger)
- “Tristesse” (The Church)
- “In the Core of a Flame” (The Go-Betweens)
- “You Don’t Live Long Enough” (Winterpills)
- “Good News For The Pus Pickers” (The Danielson Famile)
- “Hate” (Moist)
Yes, I jogged today even though it’s a holiday and I slept in. And even though I was a bit sore from all the walking I did yesterday to go down to Coors Field for N’s company picnic and the Rockies game. (The Rockies beat the Mets 4-1, BTW – yeah! The game was pretty boring though, with very few hits. In fact, I think it tied the Coors Field record for fewest hits.) But when I got up this morning, it was 54 degrees and cloudy. It had rained some during the night. I just couldn’t pass up that kind of jogging weather! I’m glad I did it.
Once again, it made me realize how much the music being played on my iPod during the run affects it. To remind everyone how this playlist works, I have run all my MP3s through a BPM (Beats Per Minute) analyzer and recorded the results in iTunes. This “Fast Tempo” playlist in iTunes randomly picks 6GB of songs that are 125 BPM (or faster) and less than four and a half minutes in length to fill my iPod nano video. I go through this random playlist sequentially while I’m running, which is pretty much the only thing I use that iPod for. So I really never know what’s going to come up next. There are some 20,000 songs in iTunes for it to pick from, though far less than that have the right BPM and song length. I frequently find that when I’m running, my stride will match the tempo of the song currently playing, which is why I like listening to fast songs when I run. But then again, I prefer fast songs in general.
The opening song by Anne Summers (which is a band, not a person) is pretty snappy, and it got the run off to a good clip. And then the Harvey Danger song, which is really good, cemented that. At first, I almost thought it was a New Pornographers song. I love “Tristesse” by The Church, and it comes from my favorite Church album, but it’s slower (and the volume is lower) than the proceeding songs. Near the end of it, I was getting to the halfway point of the run and was starting to slow down. It was just the right time for the Go-Betweens song (which should really be called “The Right Word”) to show up, as that re-energized me and helped me get up one of the hills on the run. Although since it comes from an older CD, the volume is pretty low on that one too. (The iPod’s “sound check” feature, which is supposed to equalize volumes, really doesn’t work very well.)
Then the Winterpills song was up. That was the first song during the run that I didn’t recognize at all and I had no idea who the artist was. Although the beginning instrumental part of it sounded like an Al Stewart song from one of his very early albums. The song mixes sparse/slow parts with faster/noisier bits, which makes for a schizophrenic running experience. I was starting to run out of energy again and it didn’t help much, though it’s a pretty song.
And then… The Danielson Famile: “Good News For The Pus Pickers” . Oh boy. That song was from an album I downloaded from eMusic because some people I trusted liked them and I thought I better check them out. I didn’t like it enough to download any more of their stuff – too weird. I couldn’t figure out who it was until I got home and checked the playlist. My best guess was The Fiery Furnaces. The vocals are extremely irritating, especially the really high ones, and the tempo bounces all over the place, which does not make it an ideal running song. My feet didn’t know what to do. Nevertheless, parts of the song were catchy and I found myself actually somewhat enjoying hearing it out of context from the rest of the album. At this point I was coming into the home stretch of the run and was just focused on getting through it.
The last song was from Moist, who showed up on the previous run as well. What’s up with that? Well, I do have all three of my Moist CDs in iTunes for some reason. This is another song that alternates slowness and sparseness with sudden bombasticity – Moist is a leftover from that loud/soft dynamics grungy Nirvana era. Not an ideal song to end the run on. I needed something somewhat familiar and snappier to fuel me through that last quarter mile or so. But again, at that point I was just focusing on running through the pain. My muscles still ain’t up to snuff after the illness-induced jogging hiatus. So I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to the music. The playlist started out strong and then petered out for the last half. I could’ve really used that extra musical boost near the end like the one the Go-Betweens song provided for me at mid-run. I really miss the Go-Betweens.
Happy Memorial Day! May all your running be running from something important.
Latre.
Poignant Search Term Of The Day That Led To This Blog: “in the throes of love’s young dream”.
Radioactivity Needed
Posted on | May 25, 2008 at 10:21 am | 2 Comments
Pet Peeve of the Day: Insects are ruining my life. Firstly, I had to do battle with a wasp yesterday that had made a nest inside my barbecue grill. I should’ve taken a picture of the nest, but I forgot to do that before disposing of it. Instead, you can check out this entry from Memorial Day two years ago when I had the same problem. Man, those wasps sure love my barbecue grill. I think part of the problem is that I pretty much didn’t use the grill at all last summer because it wasn’t working well and I wasn’t getting much flame. So without the occasional blast of hellfire, those little buggers find it easy to establish domiciles within the dark metal vastness of the grill. Ever since the end of last summer, I’ve been trying to fix the grill, first by swapping out the propane tank. Didn’t work. Then I replaced the burner assembly. No go. The only thing left is the propane regulator. Where’s Hank Hill when you need him?
In order to get the old regulator off, I had to make sure I could get close enough to work on it without getting stung. So that’s why I had the wasp battle. I was able to dispose of the nest but the lone guard wasp eluded my every attempt to smash him. I just made him mad, yet he retreated long enough for me to detach the regulator. I brought the regulator down to the local hardware store, but unfortunately they were sold out of most of them. I guess a lot of people are repairing their grills at the start of summer. I wanted to get one with a dual hose like the old regulator (since my grill has a side burner), but they were definitely out of those. I could see the shelf sticker for it, so maybe they’ll get some in later.
So anyway, when I got back to the house, the wasp was back and was trying to make another nest. He had a friend with him too. I just can’t win. What I really need is some wasp-deterrent substance to smear on the inside of the grill to prevent them from finding it such a hospitable home. But I’m afraid that would poison anything I cooked on it.
After dealing with the wasps, I went inside with a vague intention of napping on the couch. And there it was: a devilish little eight-legged creature (yes, I know spiders aren’t technically insects) there on my green blanket, just waiting to kill me as I slept. I encountered the same thing a couple of weeks ago, when N grabbed the blanket off the couch and a spider came tumbling out, freaking us out. They sure like that blanket.
I was on the phone with N during this spider-sighting, and she made me capture it in a jar and relocate it outside, as always. I used to just smash the buggers and toss them in the trash, but now that course of action is forbidden. It’s another way my life has changed recently. I remember early in the relationship, she spotted a dead spider in my bathroom wastebasket and let me know in no uncertain terms that killing the hellspawn is unacceptable. Good thing she doesn’t feel that way about the wasps.
Actually, I should be grateful. Compared to other areas of the country I’ve visited, the insect population around here is negligible. Spiders, wasps, flies, the occasional ant, crickets, moths – that’s about it. I don’t even see grasshoppers around much anymore. Global warming must’ve killed them off. Or maybe it was all those spiders I set free.
Latre.
Don’t Poke That Sac!
Posted on | May 24, 2008 at 7:28 pm | 2 Comments
Hey, trying new things is cool! This is another in the continuing series (last entry here) about how my relationship with my girlfriend N has changed me. Or at least how it has changed my eating habits.
Up until I met N, I preferred my eggs cooked only one way: scrambled. I knew how to cook them that way – my mom showed me how when I was very young. It was one of the first things I learned how to cook. I don’t think we ever had eggs any other way when I was growing up, though I seem to remember my dad occasionally eating a fried egg, which I tasted and didn’t like. In more recent years, before I met N, I branched out a bit into occasionally ordering eggs Benedict when out for breakfast. The hollandaise sauce, the ham, the English muffins – it all conspired to hide the true taste of the eggs.
And then one morning, shortly after we started going out, N introduced me to Eggs Over Easy on Toast. Or maybe Eggs Over Medium – we’re really not sure which. The line between them is fine. It just depends on how runny the yolk is. If you let Eggs Over Easy cook like an extra 30 seconds or so, you get Eggs Over Medium. I was always hesitant to try this sort of thing before because 1) I was so used to scrambled eggs, 2) my taste of fried eggs didn’t do much for me, and 3) I was afraid of being poisoned by undercooked eggs. But I got past all that and gave them a try anyway. Yum! Buttered toast under the egg is essential – it soaks up all the yolky goodness. The sweeter the bread, the better. Now I will even cook them for myself when she’s not here, and sometimes order them when eating out. I hardly ever do scrambled eggs anymore.
I’m still not that great at cooking them. It’s hard for me to determine the right timing to get the correct yolk consistency. And it’s really difficult for me to flip them correctly without getting the whites all folded over (N is still better at that). But I’m learning. Someday I’ll be a master. At least I don’t accidentally break the yolk sac anymore. Mostly.
This message has been brought to you by the National Dairy Council.
Latre.
Jogged Today: Yes (@ 45°F)
Songs That Came Up On The iPod While Jogging:
- “That Is the Way” (XTC)
- “One Flesh” (Chameleons UK)
- “Hang on to the Night” (XTC)
- “Tell Me the Truth” (Midnight Oil)
- “Perfect Girl” (Yuji Oniki)
- “Why, Why, Why” (The Lightning Seeds)
- “Creature” (Moist)
Flying Naked
Posted on | May 23, 2008 at 10:03 pm | 4 Comments
Pet Peeve of the Day: Recently, American Airlines announced they are going to be charging $15 for the first checked bag. Now, other airlines are considering following suit. This means that you will be unable to fly with checked bags on these airlines without paying an additional fee. It’s one of many cost saving methods the airlines are using to offset the high price of fuel and the other financial problems affecting the industry.
Fine. I have nothing against the airlines trying to recoup costs. The industry is in trouble and needs help. Airlines are going belly-up faster than Hillary Clinton’s campaign. But people like and need to travel, so there will always be a need for airlines. They’ll weather this.
I don’t mind paying the extra fee if I have to. And I don’t mind paying higher fares if it keeps them in business. (However, this idea of flying slower to save gas has got to go. The sooner I can get out of the plane, the better.) What I do mind is how this is going to make the act of flying less pleasant. Once everyone starts charging for checked bags, that means fewer people are going to check bags. Which means more people will be bringing carry-ons onto the plane. Which means longer security lines. Which means less space in the overhead bins for my carry-on. Which means a mad rush to be the first on the plane and the first to get your carry-on into the bin. Overhead bins are already seriously overcrowded as it is.
When I told N about this, her reaction was “Each passenger is still only allowed to bring one (large) carry-on”. True. But now, a lot of passengers check bags that they could carry-on. I know I do that. All of the bags I own are small enough to fit in the overhead bins, yet I will frequently check my bag instead. I don’t like dragging it all over the vast expanse that is Denver International Airport, I don’t like hassling with it through the security lines, and I don’t like finding space in the overhead bins for it, especially if I’m one of the last people on the plane. So I check it. If other people who used to check their bags suddenly start bringing them onto the plane to avoid paying the extra fee, then that means there is going to be more carry-ons. It’s going to be chaos, I tell you… chaos!
Maybe the airlines should just charge for each bag regardless of whether it is checked or carry-on. Yeah, that would go over really well.
So, just my two centavos. Nothing good will come of this. I’m not looking forward to future trips.
Latre.
Vespa My Love (Not)
Posted on | May 22, 2008 at 7:40 am | Comments Off
Pet Peeve of the Day: Scooters. The high price of gas is evidently bringing them out in droves. Suddenly these two-wheeled motorized motorcycle-lite vehicle menaces are everywhere. There’s even one taking up a space everyday in the parking garage at work. I guess everyone was just waiting for the warm weather to buy them and/or start using them. They are cute little things. I can’t fault people for buying and driving them. They do save on gas and are more environmentally friendly than cars.
And they are faster than bicycles and so interfere with auto traffic a little less. But when they’re on the street, they’re harder to pass than bikes. I don’t mind them on side streets where the speed limit is low, but once they start getting on the main drags, that’s a different story. On the way to work yesterday morning, I got behind a couple of them on Kipling, which is a fairly major thoroughfare with a speed limit of like 45 (but everyone goes 55). I was able to get ahead of them fairly easily, but I kept watch on them in my rear view mirror and saw how much the dynamics of the rush hour road flow changes as car drivers maneuvered to get around them. It was chaos.
At least you don’t see them on the highways, which I’m sure must be illegal. I wonder how come they don’t have to have license plates, like motorcycles? Bicycles don’t have them either, but they’re not motorized and generally go slower. What if I want to call the police about an out-of-control drunken scooter driver messing up traffic on a major street? Out of luck.
And I worry about roving gangs of scooter drivers, pillaging the local Wal-Marts and setting up shop in Starbucks to taunt the regulars. But I’m pretty sure I’m the only one worrying about that.
Latre.
Jogged Today: Yes (@ 56°F)
Songs That Came Up On The iPod While Jogging:
- “What Makes You Happy” (Liz Phair)
- “Desperate For Dawn” (Shalini)
- “All We Have Is Now” (Gem)
- “I Wonder Why” (Uncle Green)
- “You’re The Reason I’m Leaving” (Franz Ferdinand)
- “After Work” (Baskervilles)
- “Nirvana” (Blake Babies)