Nat's Spot

Changes are Changing Me

2011-12-28T01:35:00.000-06:00

Hey. I'm back.

Been a long time...a real long time...

Y'know, It's a good time to start letting some stuff out. If I can get back into blogging, I know it will facilitate some much needed emotional and spiritual growth.

Lots of life lessons are being thrown at me these days. I want to say I'm learning from them, but I know most of the time I go right on doing the things I've been doing the exact same way. Treating people the same way...acting the same way...making the same decisions. I reckon at least now I recognize that changes need to be made.

I'm 34 years old. Thirty-four. Wow. I already feel like I'm staring down 40. When I get there, I want to be able to look back and say, damn! Those were the best years of my LIFE, and look what I still have in front of me. So how many people out there in the world say that, at every point in their lives. We all say that we want to make these positive changes so that we can one day feel like we've accomplished something. The thing is, how do you get there?

I don't want to turn this outpouring of my feelings into pithy platitudes that I heard at some Wayne Dyer seminar. And yeah, I actually went once. He played this cd of whales hollerin' out while this chick sang Amazing Grace or something. We were all s'posed to "get connected." I'm not knocking that stuff. I love it. Eat it up. Meditation. Breathing exercises. Yoga. Mantras. Reading spiritual guidance books. But when you turn the page...when you put the book down...when the chanting stops...suddenly there it is. The rawness of the world (sue me if that's not in the dictionary). But to me that's it. Everything is raw. And jagged. It's at that point that I want to feel that change. That I need all those techniques to help me deal. That's when I have to apply those changes I so desperately need to work on.

I'm starting now so I can achieve that. Ok ok, it's not like I'm gonna throw my computer down, flip on the light, jump out of bed and start vacuuming or something. I just want to start doing what's right. I mean, I'm not a total shithead...I do a lot of good things. But I wanna do more. Do what I do better. Like ironing! I'm super good at that. And no I won't; you can take yours to the cleaners because I've got enough of my own. But no, for real, I want to actually think about someone else for once, instead of me me me. And I know the process will be painful, but that's ok (Well, I say that now, but I'm sure there's gonna be a lotta crying and gnashing of teeth. I'll have to invest in one of those jaw guards.) I can also sorta immerse myself in this self-discovery process. I don't want to be thinking about getting to some point and saying I'm done. Saying yeah, here I am, all grown up.

God, I sit here and see what I'm saying...It seems sorta contrived. Just a bombastic lesson in disguise, straight from a Franklin Covey program. But ya know, I guess we all just do the best we can with what we have. And what I have now that I didn't have in the past is a small, tiny bit of self awareness. Just a little insight as to who I am and who I want to become. So the best I can do is just take it a little at a time. I want to just focus on each day...just do the

NEXT.
RIGHT.
THING.

Here I am. Such an environmentalist at heart. But for some reason I swear I'm actually putting effort into trashing my side of the street. Problem is, that's the one place that's the hardest to clean up. It'd be nice if I could hire someone to do it for me, but it's my mess...I gotta fix it.

I'm facing some things right now that are "problems of my own making." I've gotta do what I can to fix what I've done, to the best of my ability and then just sail on. Leave that shit in my wake.

If you read this far (I'm a motormouth), lemme give you some daily motivation...Maybe getcha going today.

Who sets your limits? How far will you go in this life? Who will you affect? Whose life will you change by being here on this earth? Yeah this is a cool vid...makes me wanna jump up and go biking. But you don't have to be an athlete to go big. Just be there for someone. Just give. At least, that's what I'm shootin' for.

Danny MacAskill - "Way Back Home" - NEW street trials riding short film

2010-11-18T19:04:00.000-06:00

And I just want to be able to hold a wheelie longer than 2 seconds.

The final forward flip...I've never seen anything like that before. It has to be incredibly difficult. He just flows with it.

This video took me away. Watching things like this get me thinking about all the possibilities. I know I'll never be a professional cyclist, but I'm driven right now to become the best cyclist that I can be. In other words, I'm pushing myself to my farthest point. I want it. I can't imagine the countless hours he put into practicing.

I'm seeking things right now to inspire me. It certainly helps to surround myself with positive energy, in all areas of my life.

Obama Speaking to Schoolchildren

2009-09-07T23:52:00.000-05:00

A little commentary on Obama's upcoming speech from The Wonkette blog. In the comments, someone says that the reason people are in an uproar is because they sent out packets for the children to work on which included a question asking the kids to list ways they can help Obama. I think people are blowing this out of proportion. I don't think there was much of a political angle here. I can't believe people are going crazy over this, as if it's the Antichrist speaking to their children.

Bicyclists and the Law

2009-09-03T20:55:00.000-05:00

I think this is a hot topic for cyclists right now, and according to this article, many places are starting to consider these "stop as yield" laws.

People Watching at Walmart

2009-08-28T13:03:00.000-05:00

I feel guilty admitting that I shop at Walmart, but in my small town, it's the cheapest and most convenient way for me to get my groceries and household items. Anyhow, Walmart is also the place where rural Alabamians come out of the woodwork. As this website shows, these curious shoppers are not unique to the South. Take a look!

Whales and Sonar

2009-08-06T22:04:00.000-05:00

This is an excellent NYT article about whales. It goes into extensive depth, covering sonar's effects on whales, human/whale interactions, and general whale behavior. It's rather long, but definitely worth the read.

Test

2009-08-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm testing out a firefox addon called Scribefire. It's a way to blog about stuff while surfing the internet. I'd probably blog a lot more about different things that I want to share if it wasn't a pain to login. Maybe this will be a good solution.

Vacation!

2009-06-18T02:30:00.000-05:00

I'm in Middlesboro, Kentucky right now in a motel room watching Women Behind Bars. I'm up here for my 130/190 Basic Wildland Firefighter's Course, given by the Cumberland Gap National Park Fire Module. They're a group of guys who are a mobile fire unit working mostly with prescribed fires locally and wildfires out West.

Middlesboro is in the tri-states area, where Kentucky meets Virginia meets Tennessee. It's a prelude to the eastern Blue Ridge Mtns, and there's a definite Appalachian feel to the region.
Above: The tunnel going through the Cumberland Gap. I enter in Tennessee where my motel is and come out the other side in Kentucky to attend my class.

During our lunch break yesterday, I headed off to town to the only listed bike shop, while another girl in the class (Ami) went to the other nearby town to inquire about trails at an outfitters store. We agreed to compare notes afterwards to see what information we could come up with about biking trails in the area. After listening to that bitch on my phone that's supposed to be a GPS--I think I would have done better with a sextant and compass--, I finally found the hole-in-the-wall store. I walked in to a bizarre sight: an elderly man was resting in a recliner that was probably nearly as old as he was, and the entire room was dimly lit. From what I could see, he possessed about 2 teeth (upper -- maybe 1 or 2 lower, but I wasn't doing a dental exam). He was stroking a cat that I imagined wasn't a very effective mouse catcher anymore (you starting to get the picture?). Despite the comical situation, the man was extremely nice. I probably could have stayed for a nice town history lesson, but I had to get back to work. Although he wasn't familiar with the trails, he referred me to the neighboring town to an outfitters store, which incidentally ended up being the same one I mentioned earlier.

Once class let out yesterday, Ami and I jetted to the outfitters store where we had agreed to meet Joe, the bike store owner, who was going to give us a tour of the local mountain biking trails. During the ride, I got to talk at length with him about his running, as he is an ultramarathoner. We got to the top of the hill/mountain/road and started to turn back down the access road because the weather was rapidly deteriorating. A dark bluish-purple cloud had moved in so fast we didn't notice it until the trees started bending over. It reminded me of Alabama pre-tornado weather. Within a few minutes, we were all soaked and could barely see in front of us. The mud was spraying up from my front wheel, and I had to slow way down at each corner. It was thrilling and a tad bit cathartic.

I had planned to campout at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (where I'm doing my training), but I'm kinda a fair-weather camper, so I bagged it in after the ride & headed for a motel. I was glad to be able to warm up, and I also was able to utilize the tub to wash my new 29er. Can't have it staying dirty for too long! I seriously love riding that thing. The only problems I'm having is getting my shocks dialed in. For one thing, the rear shock on-the-fly lockout is not working, so I'm going to have to see about fixing that. Everything else seems to be in working order. The XTR gruppo is smooth, and it's nice to have precise shifting when I want it.

As far as the quality of 'singletrack', the trails around here are surprisingly disappointing. On top of that, there doesn't seem to be any sort of bicycling community. I was shocked about the lack of cycling here, because it seems like such a prime area. I'm going to investigate the surrounding areas to see if there is a local group of riders somewhere nearby. Very weird.

Meanwhile, the weather has been spectacular. The cloud to ground lightning has been like a theater for the gods. It prevented me from getting a run in with the bike shop guy & his friends today, but hopefully it will clear up by this weekend. My plan is to stay in the area or maybe somewhere in Tennessee since I'm already up here.

Last week was equally exciting. On Monday the 8th, I flew out to Seattle to meet up with Meegan, a good friend of mine who was graduating from the University of Washington. I was excited about going out there since the last time I went was the disaster of a climbing trip to Vancouver (which I don't think I ever blogged about because it was so emotionally taxing. Basically, I took a trip to Vancouver and Squammish, one of North America's climbing meccas to boulder and climb for a week with 3 friends last summer. Although we managed to salvage some fun out of the deal & I got some good climbing in, it really turned out to be a bad trip). I was looking to reclaim the area as a place of enjoyment rather than bad memories. I also wanted to visit some of the places where I had lived when I was stationed on Whidbey Island & see some of the folks I hadn't seen since I got out of the Navy.

I spent the first couple of days hanging out with Meegs and cruising around the Queen Anne and Capitol Hill districts. Love it! I had a great time. It was nice to be around an eclectic crowd that was more liberal and open than what I normally see in Alabama. If a gay couple walks down the street holding hands there, for example, they don't get gawked at like they do around where I live. It's awesome to have some quality coffee, too. There are over 420 Starbucks in Seattle! And there's still enough coffee that you could get a cup on practically every block withOUT having to be a Starbucks whore.

Above: Deception Pass Bridge, connecting Whidbey Island with the mainland.

During the middle of the week, I drove up to Whidbey & stayed a couple of nights on the island. I even went for a run on the base trail that I used to run every day.

Thursday I went back to Seattle, and that's when the Corcoran family came to town. Man, they are a hoot. I am now officially a part of the fam. We had a great time, going to Pike's Market, seeing Meegan graduate, and just hanging out and laughing.

We took a Duck tour (those old amphibious boats that were used in WWII) which was a blast. The boat part of it took us out to Lake Union, which is at the heart of Seattle. These floating houses in this picture are not houseboats. You can't move them. However, they sell for right around a million, and that's for about 1500 to 2000 square feet. The picture below shows a tiny light blue floating house with a grey roof. This beauty is 250 square feet, and recently sold for $150,000.

The Corcoran Clan has adopted me as part of their fam.

I was reluctant to go back home, but I knew I had to.

I flew out early Sunday morning, getting up at 4:30 a.m. Pacific Time. I landed in Huntsville at 3 p.m. Central. After waiting 30 minutes for my luggage (slowest airport ever!), I spent a couple of hours with my mom, eating and visiting. By the time I drove my car over to Fort Payne to pick up the government vehicle to drive to Kentucky for my week of fire training, it was about 6:30 p.m. I limped on into Middlesboro, Kentucky at nearly 2 in the morning. Can we say exhausted?. I've been here since, doing my training & getting excited all over again about another adventure in a new place.

I'm hoping the rain will pass tomorrow so I can pitch my tent!

Story of Stuff

2009-06-05T10:42:00.000-05:00

In the vein of environmental activism, this is a short video on where things come from.

Work and Life...or just...LIFE.

2009-05-26T01:37:00.000-05:00

We did some burning out at Russell Cave a few weeks ago, and I was able to get a good amount of overtime in. I spent most of the second day out there tending a maintenance fire, which was my first experience with using a drip torch. By the end of the day I was covered in soot. After I worked with the fire, I went out to where our Fire Effects Monitoring Team was laying out a new plot. The area in the forest where they were working did not have an empty space that wasn't covered with poison ivy. I didn't think I was allergic, but I found some areas on my arms later on that have made me rethink that theory.

The guy that I was doing the burn with was David, who is one of the Park Rangers. He's a super nice guy, and I really enjoyed spending the day with him. He's from Bridgeport, and his family still lives right around the corner. For lunch, his mom & dad came out and actually brought us lunch. We talked about going out fishing with David & his dad, because they are the local experts. I was looking forward to going. So the next weekend, David emailed me to ask if I'd like to go with them. I was busy with other stuff, and I declined, thinking I could go another time. I really regret not going...Tragically, his father was killed that weekend in a freak car accident. He was on his way to church with his wife and had forgotten his hearing aids, so he turned around to get them. He ended up pulling out in front of someone that barreled right into the side of the car, killing him instantly and injuring his wife. I didn't know them other than the lunch I shared with them on that Friday, but it was so sad. Everyone at work went to the funeral that following Friday, and we were all in uniform. I was glad that we were able to support David as a unit. It was amazing how many people were at his funeral! That man had really made an impact. He was a veteran & got the proper military burial. It was definitely moving.

The funeral made me think about a lot of things. How much of a difference one person can make...how short our lives are...It made me realize that at the end of my life, I want to be able to say, "yeah, I made a difference. I impacted someone in a positive way. I did the best I could to live a good life & help people." He did a lot of missionary work, and there were people from Africa that came to his funeral because he had apparently done a lot of work over there to help impoverished and under-privileged people. He was just a good person.

I want to be like that. I'm not religious or anything like that, but what I'm saying is I want to make an impact. I want to make a difference. I want my life to mean something because I helped someone. Not for me...but for them. Talking with those people from Kenya...I realized that they had a great life because of this one person who had made a difference.

I think I'd like to start volunteering. I'm not sure where or how. I used to do quite a bit of volunteer work while I was in the Navy, but since I've been out, I haven't done a thing. It's time I found something to spend some of my energy on.

On a lighter note...on the way back to Fort Payne, Mary noticed an inchworm on the radio antenna. I insisted she pull over so I could rescue the little guy. As hard as he was hanging on for dear life, I figured he deserved a fair chance!

Craziness

2009-05-01T16:09:00.000-05:00

Well, the past couple of weeks have been insane for me. First off, I had a major term paper due, as well as my finals to take. The paper was no joke. I guess I shouldn't have waited until the end of the semester to do it, but I think I work better under pressure. hahaha It came out pretty good, and I did good on my finals, too, so it all worked out. I'm so glad to be done with all of that now.

After that, I was washing my mountain bike when I discovered a hole in the frame. I was completely shocked, especially since I had raced it at Tsali recently (where I had a blast, by the way). During the race I had some chain suck issues that kept the chain rubbing up against the bike. There's a longer story here, but I'm not going to get into it. Nevertheless, there's a hole in the bottom part of the frame near where the big ring comes close. I was sick because that was my only mountain bike, as my other one is still in parts. I'm looking at ordering another frame, but a replacement Trek 9.8 is gonna be way more than I was wanting to spend this time of year. I have a few options, though. For one, I hear there's a re-wrapping company out of Cali that may be able to repair the carbon. Another option, or in addition to getting it fixed, is to look into a Haro frame, which I hear is the same carbon-fiber but way cheaper. My final option, and one that a friend is raving over because he just got one, is to get a titanium Motobecane from BikesDirect. I'll have to do some more research first, though. I really liked my Trek... :(

Incidentally, I finally gave up on the bike build; at least, doing it myself. After a few wasted weekends trying to put the thing together with friends, I took it to the local bike shop & asked him to put it together. It's a good thing too, because apparently I ordered a bunch of wrong parts (major parts, like the shifters, wheels, and front deraileur -- all wrong sizes). That's got me a little stressed because I'm not sure I can send back some of the parts this late in the game. I may have to sell them on ebay or something. I am glad, however, to have someone else that knows what they're doing putting it together. Maybe later down the line I'll get into bike building, but I just don't have the time nor do I have the patience to do it now. I'd much rather just ride the dang thing.

So the bike issue has halted my riding for the past few weeks on the mountain bike. I've been getting out on the road bike, which is actually going to be good since I'll be doing the Cheaha Challenge Century that my bike club sponsors on Sunday. It's going to kick my butt, but this ride is special to me. It was last year that I first rode the Challenge, and it was my first organized ride on a road bike ever.

Another thing that happened recently is someone has been harassing my grandmother. Namely, they've been coming up to the back porch and ringing the doorbell at odd hours in the night. The first night it happened was a week ago Thursday. She called the cops, but they never found anything or anyone. The second night it happened was Saturday night, and I happened to be there staying the night, as was my mother who was in town for a visit. About 4:30 in the morning, the doorbell started ringing. I got on the phone with 911 while they dispatched the police. I was in the living room looking out the backdoor. It's glass, but there's blinds hanging, so with the flood lights on outside, you can just make out the shadows. While I was on the phone with 911, I saw a figure walk up to the door and then we heard it ring again. That really got my adrenaline flowing! The 911 operator wasn't making it any easier, because she started freaking out too, saying, "I heard it, I heard it! Oh my God!" So here's three women running around the house, my mom with a gun, scared half to death and another woman on the phone scared for us. Looking back it was almost comical. Of course, the police came out again. I think they sent some guy from high school. Anyhow, he looked around but didn't find anything. He ends up leaving and we go back to bed (not back to sleep though). As soon as we get the lights off, the doorbell rings again. These people have balls! We call the police again, and they ended up staying with us until the sun came up. Come to find out later, my grandmother's neighbor had dogs that started going crazy just a little before all this happened. Since my grandmother lives way out in the boonies, we think that whoever it is walked through the woods and just hid back there when the cops came.

With all of that happening, I have decided to get a gun for protection. I never have been a big fan of guns and really never wanted one for myself. That's not to say I don't know how to fire one; I was awarded an Expert Pistol Medal in the Navy, which is the highest you can get. I just never wanted to have one. I have changed my mind and have started to look around for one. I stayed another night at my grandmother's house to give her some company, and I didn't feel safe until I put my grandfather's pistol on the bedside table before I fell asleep.

The next day after all that drama, I decided to catch up on some things with email. Grades for my students were due the next week, so I figured I'd get those turned into the professor. I went to turn my laptop on, and all I could get was a BSOD that said "Unmountable Boot Drive." My heart sank. I tried various things to no avail. I thought, no big deal, I've got a backup copy online that I can access the next day. Monday rolled around, and I quickly discovered that my backup copy was corrupt! Who else does all this crap happen to, tell me!?! So I began making arrangements to take my computer in to a repair shop in order to get those grades off. I mean, we're talking over 100 students that will by default have to get A's if I don't recover the grades they actually made...not to mention, I will lose my job as a student teacher. Meanwhile, I had asked the computer gal at my other job with the Ntl Park Svc to look into recovering the online file. As I was driving off to the computer shop, she calls saying that she managed to recover the file. Thank the baby Jesus! I was saved again.

Later that day, I made the decision to just get a new computer all-together. I'm tired of having all these near misses with my old one. I found a great deal at Best Buy, and I got a 3 year extended warranty that covers just about everything. I'm extremely pleased with it, and it's just in time since summer semester starts Monday. It is funny to note, however, that after I got home, unpacked & turned on my new laptop, I thought I'd give the old one another try. I used a boot disk and, voila! it worked. I managed to get all my data off. Now I can reformat it and use it as a backup computer.

Whew! It's been crazy, like I said. Other than that, I got some sweet overtime this week at the Park. I had a great time too. I must say there's something to really busting your ass at work. It's so satisfying. It's been some hard physical labor and I got to work with fire a little bit, learning how to use a drip-torch. Once I get red-carded I can go fight fires out West with some of the crews. I hear you work like a dog, but the pay is great and they tell me it's really a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it.

Today I've been catching up with emails, phone calls, and everything else I've neglected for the past few weeks. Tonight is the pasta dinner before the crit tomorrow hosted by the Northeast Alabama Bicycle Club. Frankie Andreau and a bunch of other pros are supposed to be there, and I have the task of 'escorting' him around, along with another gal. What does that entail? I guess I'll find out. Should be fun regardless.

Recycle Old Magazines

2009-03-30T21:52:00.000-05:00

This is kinda cool. Over at re-nest.com, they've given instructions on how to use old magazines to make a small stand, such as for a plant. Innovative.

Spring Break Came & Went

2009-03-23T11:33:00.000-05:00

It's over now. I don't feel like I accomplished much, but it was nice to have a few extra days off. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, so I was able to get out and do a little bit of riding.

I did my first road race on March 8th at Camp Sumatanga in Steele, Alabama. I was in the beginner's bracket (C), and it nearly kicked my ass. My goal was to keep up with the main group for the duration of the 32 mile ride. We made 3 laps along a road that was pretty hilly in some places. I almost got dropped twice, but through the encouragement of some other riders, I bridged the gap & came back. I found myself surging up hills, but then would blow up at the top, or even just before. Lesson learned here was to hold back & ride on someone's wheel. Also, I was wasting energy charging up the hills. I do think that my style is going to be more of a climber than a sprinter, though, because I don't mind the hills so much as the sprint at the end. About 400 yards from the end, the peloton took off & left me in the dust. I had nothing. It was all fun though, and it was just a training race, so it was good to get out there.

Here's the Mellow Mushroom Racing guys that came to Sumatanga. L to R - Me, Ian, Curtis, & Preston.

My second road race was in Guntersville on March 15th. It, too, was a training race. I did a whole lot better that time. I conserved my energy, but I seemed to still have enough to pull a few good times. Some folks didn't pull at all, so I was glad I was able to do that. I also stayed up front with the pack. At first when I would move to the back after pulling, I went all the way to the back. I quit doing that real quick, though, because whenever those guys would fall back, it was hell getting back. So I started to find an in somewhere in between. This put me in rotation for pulling more frequently, but it was worth it to be able to stay up front. About 300 or 400 yards from the finish, I saw the finish & got excited. So I went for it, and began sprinting. It was too early, because about 40 to 50 yards from the end, I was passed by about 5 people. I was so glad that I had improved, though, and I actually beat a few people out that had been in the peloton. As long as I keep improving & keep training, I'm happy.

Meanwhile...one day a little while ago I went to visit my grandmother. I was on the couch when I heard a noise coming from the fireplace. The cat kept going over there and pawing at the glass. Finally, I realized what was going on - there was a squirrel that was trapped inside. I guess he had been there for awhile, because he didn't move much when the cat was trying to get at him. I called a neighbor, and we forced the squirrel to run out. He ran straight to the door, and then off the back porch, flying in the air. He immediately ran up a tree, so he's ok, but it was funny nonetheless.

This weekend I spent with Laura in Birmingham. I went to one of her indoor soccer games, where I caught a funny picture when Todd went for a goal.

On Saturday, I went to watch her play a game of tennis. She's really good. I'm hoping to learn how to play from her, since she played collegiate tennis & now is a coach.

Workshop in Cleveland, Tennessee

2009-02-12T21:50:00.000-06:00

I've been up here just about 20 miles north of Chattanooga since Monday for a workshop hosted by the US Forest Service for my job as a Forestry Technician with the National Park Service. It's all been computer-based training, and I've gotta say that it's been incredibly boring! I was really excited about going on my first real business trip out of town until I actually got up here. Thing is, I got to thinking about it, and I've been on some 'business trips' with the Navy before. I flew into San Diego for a 5 week GCCS-M training. I actually had a whole lotta fun on that trip, and I can't believe I almost forgot about it! I miss San Diego. While I was actually living there in late 2002, the weather was absolutely perfect. Maybe one day I'll go back. I've got to say that I'm glad to be done with the training. I even managed to get some of my student's papers graded, which takes a big stress off of me. Now I've just got to study tomorrow & I should be able to have the weekend free to just hang ten.

How to be a Smartass

2009-01-23T23:41:00.000-06:00

If you're halfway technologically minded, you probably get asked questions all the time that you end up looking up and subsequently reporting back to the person asking. Most of the time, when I get asked something, I end up googling it to find an answer. If you find that you are fed up with doing the legwork for others, send them the hint by providing a link to "Let Me Google That For You." The process is simple. You visit the page and enter the question to which this person wants an answer. The website provides you with a link to send to the asker. When they click on the link, it takes them to this website, which shows a short video of how easy it would have been for them to enter the question themselves into google, and then provides them with google's answer. You'll have to visit the site to see what I'm talking about. Kinda funny.

Credit Card Follow-Up

2009-01-23T23:04:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with those $0.25 charges appearing on people's statements, but a major security breach was reported by Heartland Payment Systems. This company processes many purchases made by consumers on their credit cards. It is reported to be one of the largest infiltrations, and it could turn out to be the biggest one to date. Just another reason to keep up with your bank accounts and charges made on your cards. I use Quicken, and although it has its quirks, I still love it. It has an intuitive interface, and you can connect it to just about all your accounts. Some accounts, such as through Chase, require you to login to your account online and download from the website, but most are available as a direct connect through the program. For you accounting types, QuickBooks may suit you better.

Temple of Beer

2009-01-23T03:39:00.000-06:00

Here is a temple made out of recycled bottles.

Hipster Bingo

2009-01-23T03:31:00.000-06:00

Check Your Credit Card

2009-01-23T03:24:00.000-06:00

I heard this report that there are tons of credit cards who have been recently compromised. Thieves are charging a minimal $0.25 charge on millions of cards in an apparent effort to deposit millions of dollars. Check your statement.

I'm So Bad

2009-01-19T23:35:00.000-06:00

Well, today was supposed to be a day of catching up...of doing homework. Yeah, I got a little done, that's for sure. I was definitely glad I had the day off. I had to prepare for my labs tomorrow, for one thing. It'll be my first Geography Labs for this semester. I really lucked out this semester, because I've only got one class. By that I mean I only have one class to teach. I have 4 labs this semester, but they'll all be the same class. Last semester I had 3 different labs (5 total). So this semester will be a lot easier.

Anyway, I haven't exactly been just working on getting my syllabi ready. I've been shopping too. I'm so bad!! Ok, I just couldn't help myself. After being out on the trails with my buddies this weekend I was resolved to move on up to a 29" mountain bike. I've been thinking about it for a while now. I honestly felt like I was out of the loop with my measly 26" frame. I've just heard so much of the hype about 29ers, that I had to give in. Plus, I wanted to build my own bike up because I thought it would be fun. I test drove one at my LBS last week, and I was totally sold. I did a lot of online research, and for the price, I found that the Niner RIP 9 was the bike that would be ideal for me. So I bit the bullet and bought a Niner R.I.P. 9 frame tonight. I debated on whether or not I wanted to go with the '08 or '09 frame, as there were some differences. However, for the price I went with the '08 frame, which I feel will still be just as good.

Do You Bike to Work?

2009-01-19T17:03:00.000-06:00

Then a new law passed the beginning of this year applies to you. Your employer can apply for a $20 per month per bike commuter tax rebate. This rebate is intended to be used one of two ways. The employer can use the money to supply things for bikers, such as showers and bike racks, or they can pass the rebate directly onto their employees. There's a broadcast from Minnesota Public Radio that explains the incentive. If you'd like to read the actual law passed by congress, you can find it here at the League of American Bicyclists' webpage.

Awesome Friends

2009-01-18T20:48:00.000-06:00

So look what I found in my mailbox yesterday! An invitation to a "Faux Inaugural Ball" for President Barack Obama. (I covered up their personal info so I could put it on my blog) I'm glad to be a part of the liberal minority here in my little corner of Alabama. It should be fun to watch the festivities with a bunch of other commies. tee hee!

Good Ride

2009-01-18T19:39:00.000-06:00

I made it out to Choccolocco yesterday at noon, where I met up with the gang. Preston showed up with MMR Mascot Punk, but he didn't end up riding after having ran in the 1/2 Marathon that morning.

I saw some folks I hadn't seen in awhile, including Jan who just returned from his visit home to the Czech Republic. Glad to see him back.

Tony was there sporting his Euro-style socks. We try around here.

Do we look a little cold?

Today I went back out to Iron Legs, where Preston, Robert, Jan & Bobby were doing some trail maintenance in preparation for the BUMP group coming tomorrow from B'ham. The trail looked great, and the ride was way smoother with all the leaves cleared. I didn't get to help that much, except for a little raking, but I'm hoping to get more involved with helping to maintain the trails in the upcoming weeks.

Mom's Bike

2009-01-17T19:00:00.000-06:00

The other day, I went down to Alabaster to pick up some chairs I found on Craig's List. I figured I could go riding at Oak Mtn aftewards, since it's right next door. When I got down there, I stopped of at Cahaba's Cycles to look around. I found a bike for $50 that was an old Schwinn. I so want to get my mom into cycling, so I ended up buying it for her. It has so much potential!! I'm going to fix it up and then hopefully we can go out for some rides. I'm hoping to paint it after I get some of the rust off. Here it is pre-fixed up:

As far as my OMSP ride went, I got all the way on the other side of the park (other side from my car) when my chain popped off. It's not an old chain, either, so I'm not sure what happened. It was already getting dark, so I found the road & stuck my thumb out. Some guys in a pickup gave me a ride back to my car, thank goodness, b/c it would have been a really long walk in the dark. Now I'm trying to figure out how to fix my chain as I'm learning how to do maintenance on my own.

Weekend of Freedom, or Weekend of Laziness?

2009-01-16T23:04:00.000-06:00

Probably a little of both. I don't have any obligations this weekend. I was thinking about hitting either the double cross up in TN, or a half marathon here in Anniston, but honestly i just really hate the cold. I have no desire to be out in it. I had thought about doing the half because it's sponsored by my running club, and I know a lot of my buddies will be there. Some of the guys who don't even run that much that I bike with will be there too. I'm wussing out because I don't think I want to be out in below freezing weather.

I will have a schedule of runs that I will follow, though, coming up because they count for points in my running club. Actually, I never blogged about it, but back in December I won 2nd place in my age group in a competition for a series of runs. The Anniston Runner's Club sponsors so many runs throughout the year and you get so many points for placing in them. It's a really competitive thing where people kinda get obsessed about it, because they want the end-of-year t-shirt. Yeah, I got caught up in it, too. So, my age group got so competitive that it came down to that half marathon back in December. I was able to maintain my position, and secure my t-shirt. It's alotta fun to have that competition.

Here's a pic from the annual banquet. Both of the gals in the pic are phenomenal runners. I've got some serious competition!! But I gotta say that everyone I've had any contact with in the club are really friendly. So it's awesome to be able to run with such cool folks.

This is the sweet shirt:

Anyway, I've got a chance to redeem myself for this weekend, and not be known as the wusser-outer. Everyone's going riding at noon out at Choccolocco. *sigh* My name is mud if I don't go...Just when I got myself comfortable on the couch, too!

Freezing Weather Up on Cheaha Ride

2009-01-12T01:23:00.000-06:00

I was planning to do an easy ride with some friends out of Jacksonville today, but they cancelled, saying it was too cold to ride. So I went over to Cheaha to meet up with Preston & some other guys. We started at Abel Mall, turned onto the Scenic Drive and hit Horseblock. It's the dreaded hill on the Cheaha Challenge. We continued up to the top of Cheaha, stoppping at the store. It was really cold; I think from the reports and the way it felt, by the time we got to the top, it had dropped to the low 30's. It had to be below 30 at some point, because ice covered all the trees. I wish I would have had a camera.

We stayed at the store long enough to get cold again, & then started on our descent. I was surprised, but I actually did pretty well. I couldn't keep up with Preston; he's been training so hard & eating right. However, there was another guy there, Keith, who I was able to keep in my sights. It turned into a game, because everytime I'd just about catch up with him, he'd pull a Lance, look back, and take off. I really had a good time. All the guys were fun to ride with, and Preston & I hit up Porter House afterwards for a good buffet.

In other news, I just dropped $90 for racing licenses for this year (Mountain & Road). It actually feels good, because it holds my hopes & expectations of so much for 2009!

Fort Payne Christmas Parade

2009-01-11T03:31:00.000-06:00

P1020071, originally uploaded by smithnb.

This is from December 12, 2008. We put together a float for the parade that had a fake waterfall off the back, a climber, a person fishing and hunting in a boat, and trees everywhere. I only contributed a little, as I'm only there working 2 days a week. I had a good time working on it, though. This picture was taken right before the parade, and it was also before it got dark. It was at night, so all the floats were lit up. Lots of people showed up.

As for me, my uniform is on order, so all of this was borrowed. However, I will have the same pants issued to me. Believe me, I could do without the ankle-choking-flashback-to-the-80's look! I did enjoy being in uniform again, though. I didn't think I'd miss it after being out of the Navy, but I do!

The funny part about the parade is there was apparently no pace car. So by the end, we had to jump on the back of the truck because we were running to keep up. I saw a friend near the turn-off point, but by that time she barely had time to make eye contact with me. Still, we had a great time passing out candy and waving to all the folks that came out.

Call me Holmes...Sherlock Holmes

2009-01-11T01:21:00.000-06:00

Mystery solved!! Ok, so my body has been going through some weird stuff lately. A few weeks ago, as I said in a previous post, I got so ill I could hardly stand it. After that, things were never quite right; meaning, I didn't feel back to 100%. So Friday I finally went to the doctor, telling her I had some constant pain in my abdomen. She starts pressing around on my stomach and promptly tells me I need to go to the ER because she can feel 'a mass.' Weird thing is, I didn't really freak about it at first. I even dropped by my grandmother's house to grab a book, b/c I figured I'd be stuck there for awhile. So I get to the ER, get checked in, and find myself in probably the only actual room with a door in that ER in a gown that...well, everyone knows the story on those freaking gowns. Inadequate, to say the least. Thank god she gave me a blanket! Just a wee bit breezy in there.

Anyway, they ran a bunch of tests, poked me with needles, IV's, etc, and then wheeled me upstairs for a CAT scan.

Not too dignified in my see-through negligee called a gown. The whole while I know I'm naked (nekkid here in Bama) under there, and everyone I see in the hallway knows it too, so they avoid eye contact. Or there's the people who gave me a sympathetic smile. That must be what it feels like to be in a wheelchair.

Well, after my bedside tour of the hospital, I found myself in the CAT scan room. Anybody had one? Extremely strange process. I'll try to describe it.

You lay down on the table while they hook some automatic dye to an IV. Oh, and this is after drinking a jar full of Barium dye. This is, of course, for them to be able to see the contrasts of your insides. The process is fully automated, including the voice telling you to hold your breath. The table moves back and forth under the cyclical imager, or whatever it's called, and somehow a 3D image is created of your body. Mine was just a lower quadrant scan. When they injected the dye through my IV, I could feel a warm sensation in different parts of my body. That was the strange part.

By the time I got back to my room, I had been there for several hours. Let me tell you that I do not like hospitals! I was so ready to get out of there. Nevermind that I hadn't eaten a thing all day, since all of this started in the morning before I had a chance to grab something. So by then, I had decided I would walk out of there, get something to eat, and worry about the results later. I was so aggravated. I found it a little difficult to get my clothes on with that IV still in my hand, but I managed. ;) Finally, the doctor came in a little bit after that, so I was able to find out what was going on.

The doc told me I have 'several' ovarian cysts, and that one of them had burst. The one that burst is what was causing me to have a distended stomach, because of all the fluid in there. I am almost completely certain that the cyst burst that week I got sick, causing me to be disabled for nearly a week. The repercussions of that is something I have felt since then. I really didn't know a thing about the 'cysts' up until this point. So I asked him, "how many is several?" All he told me it is "more than a few." Great. Real helpful.

There is not much they can do about them, either, unless they are deemed cancerous or become entangled in the overies. They are not life threatening, and actually are quite common in women. They're not really sure what causes them, but there is interesting information on how they form.
Most folks that I've talked with about this have either personally experience this, or know someone who has. One friend I talked with described the pain just like I experienced that week I was so sick. So what do I do about them? Supposedly they go away on their own. I just want to know how is that? Do they go away by bursting, or do they just shrink or something? B/c that whole popping thing sucked.

My biggest concern with all of this is my training. I was looking forward to getting back on track by doing either the Knoxville Cross or the 10 miler in Bham this weekend, but that all fell through. I have been virtually unable to do any strenuous activities since all of this began, and I am fearful of putting too much strain on my body & causing this to happen again. I've been thinking it over, and I believe I will do the gradual thing, and ease back into a schedule. I am eager to hammer myself & really suffer, but that will have to wait; at least for a time.
As for now, with all of this my sleep has been disturbed. So here it is 2 a.m. and I'm posting. *Yawn* need to hang it up for the night...

Thousands of New Species Discovered

2008-12-21T22:20:00.000-06:00

Here's a good story, for once. The WWF just released a report saying thousands of new species have been discovered in just a short decade over in the Mekong Delta region. From 1997 to 2007, they took surveys in this unexplored area, where they even found a rat that had previously been thought to be extinct...for 11 million years.

Some of the things they found sound exotic, which I'm sure goes with the territory. Here's a bright pink millipede:

Stare into my eyes...

Look at the coloration of this one, like he got some paint spilled on him:

The article is an interesting read, as it points out that some of the discoveries were not made deep in the jungle, but rather in places such as markets and restaurants. So much land, especially rainforests are disappearing at an astonishing rate, so this is hopeful.

What a Week

2008-12-21T21:53:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday night, I went out to dinner & ordered seared tuna. It was supposed to be sushi grade. About 20 to 30 minutes after I ate it, I got pretty sick. By the next morning, I felt a little better --not great, though-- and thought I was over it. Monday evening, I went out & got a greasy burger. I'm not sure what possessed me, because I hardly ever eat nasty fast food, unless it's a downright emergency. Anyhow, I think it put me over the top, because by Tuesday I was extremely ill. It was so bad that I tried to just sleep as much as I could, nonstop. When I went to the doctor, she gave me some meds for nausea that ended up completely knocking me out. She said I had food poisoning. It all just sucked. I couldn't go to work; I didn't even feel like watching television. It wasn't until Saturday that I was up walking around again. Now it's Sunday night, and I feel tons better. In fact, I feel great! I haven't been that sick in a really long time, and I'm glad to be over it for the most part.

Before all that, I spent the weekend moving. I had a great group of friends that came together to help me move. I really appreciated all their help. Now I've got to work on getting everything where it needs to be. At the moment, stuff is strewn everywhere. I took some pictures that I'll upload later.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-19T20:14:00.000-06:00

Legacy of Sasha Fierce

2008-12-12T11:22:00.000-06:00

In the ongoing saga of 'Single Ladies,' (see post here), I've come across 2 more vids. One is of Shane Mercado dancing his little gay heart out to Single Ladies. You can find the original here, where he's wearing his fabulous outfit. I'm posting the one where they invited him to the Bonnie Hunt show, so you can see how good he is b/c they put him in front of the video playing in the background. Who 'Bonnie Hunt' is, though, I don't have a clue.

The next I won't post here b/c of NBC, but I will link to a video that *happens* to be up right now. It's from the last SNL, where Justin Timberlake parodies the video. Leotards haven't been so hot since Eric Prydz's remix of Call on Me.

You Suck at Photoshop

2008-12-12T01:26:00.000-06:00

I do too, but you gotta see these videos. Freaking hilarious.

*Edit: Reposting with correct date.

...and Life

2008-12-08T21:06:00.000-06:00

I was watching Ellen the other day & she had Beyonce on to perform a couple of songs. The first one was 'Single Ladies.' Have you seen the video for this one? The first time I saw it, I thought I had seen the choreography before. I realized I had seen the moves on a video with 3 women dancing to 'Walk It Out.' It was actually Gwen Verdon and some backup dancers doing 'Mexican Breakfast,' which had been choreographed by Bob Fosse:

So, 'Single Ladies' has a lot of the same moves. Apparently, Beyonce did it as a tribute to Fosse. I think she just saw the Youtube video & liked it:

Her last performance on Ellen's show was 'Flaws and All.' I had never seen or heard this song before then, and it was really moving. She began crying during her performance. It seems that she cries every time she performs this song. I've read that some speculate it's just a marketing ploy, but I think it's real. Either way, it has the effect of intensifying the feeling of the song. One day I hope to be in love like that. Very beautiful:

Running

2008-12-08T20:32:00.000-06:00

Saturday I ran my 1st 1/2 marathon. I really enjoyed this longer distance. It gave me time to get in the groove & just go with it. The only problem I had was some stomach cramps, which eventually went away. I'm not sure why, but I get the same cramps whenever I'm on a long bike ride. It's not like a side stitch, because it actually feels like cramps in my stomach as if I ate something bad. I'm going to start experimenting with different pre-race nutrition plans to see if I can prevent this. Other than that, though, the run was good. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and I was able to run non-stop. Afterwards, I didn't feel too sore, and now that it's a couple of days later, I'm still doing pretty good. I was more sore after that stinking duathlon I did in Fort Payne where my seat broke. I ended up riding the entire 10 miles standing up on the mountain bike portion. I got severe leg cramps and had a hard time walking a few days later. This 1/2 marathon was pretty fun, though. Finished in 2:10, which I'm happy with for it being my first.
I'd like to use some sort of pacing method next time, like timing each mile. I used my HRM, but only for the actual rate. Which is something I'm still learning about & trying to figure out...I can't seem to push myself over the 170 to 175 mark, except for short bursts. Is this just a limitation of my ability right now? How do I push past this? I've started interval training on my bike, but it looks like I'll have to start doing the same with running.
Other considerations I need to look at include the clothes I wear. I seem to overdress at first, and then end up carrying all the extra stuff. It was so cold out there (about 29 degs), but I definitely warmed up after I got going. I'd like to find some gloves that would just cover my fingers and halfway down my hand. Maybe I'll try to do some mods on gloves I already have.

I had felt like I hit a plateau in my training for a bit, but I'm thinking that adding some long runs like this to my training will be just the trick to getting over the hump.

or Not to Buy

2008-12-02T13:46:00.000-06:00

For the past few weeks, I have been looking into buying a house. I figured that it would be worth the investment to go ahead rather than throw my money away renting. I was looking forward to having a place that was mine (or at least one I was paying on!). I had begun the application process for a loan and had even started to pick out houses that I liked. After some more thinking about it & talking with the fam, I have decided to not go ahead with it. I just don't want to get tied down with a mortgage that I can't get out of, especially with the high probability that I will be moving in a couple of years in order to move up in my job. I don't know where I'm going to end up, and when I get ready to move it'll be a lot easier to not have to worry about a house. Plus, there's no telling how the market's going to end up at this point. I'm going to wait until I'm done with grad school. Hopefully by then I'll have a better handle of exactly where & in what direction I want to go. So, now I'm off to find an apartment. Yuck. I swore I'd never live in one again, but shit happens & sometimes ya just gotta suck it up. Besides, it's not the end of the line. Things will get better...I've just gotta give it some time & have some patience.

Tire Danger

2008-12-01T00:48:00.000-06:00

Here's an article that was put out back in September that warns about the dangers of expired tires, of all things. The laws in the US are not stringent when it comes to regulating the sales of old tires, and this can be extremely dangerous if the tires' rubber is old. The article urges you to check the date, which you can find on the inner wall of the tire. More over at The Consumerist.

Awesome Vacation Spot

2008-11-30T22:51:00.000-06:00

I'd like to go here someday. I think there's something to be said for swimming right at the edge of the falls.

Here's some other high octane sports. Scroll down to the last one to see a guy skydiving with no parachute. Looks equally terrifying and exhilirating.

I coulda swore I did a post once on Dan Osman, but I reckon not. So I want to include a video of him here, too. He was a phenom back in the day, regularly climbing 5.12 +. He was notable for free climbing, and then, as if to had even more danger, he started speed climbing with no ropes. As he kept progressing, it was as if he just couldn't get enough. So he devised his own system of ropes for jumping from cliffs. Unfortunately, this cliff jumping is ultimately what killed him. I got a little fascinated with the subject a while back, and read quite a few posts & articles on the rope failure. It is generally believed that a last-minute unexpected change in positioning, coupled with the ropes being wet from an earlier rain caused the failure of the rope at a juncture. His achievements were spectacular.

Yes I am. An adrenaline junkie.

36 to Nuthin'

2008-11-30T15:28:00.000-06:00

It was a shutout game! Next stop: SEC Championship vs Florida...

So Much, So Much...

2008-11-11T19:25:00.000-06:00

Well. I can't remember the last time I wrote a meaninful post on my blog. This year has been full of changes for me, and it continues to bring me new surprises. I kicked it off in April when I graduated with a BS (which we all know what that really is), double-majoring in Environmental Biology and Geography. It's nice to finally be done. I turned right back around, and 3 days after graduation ceremonies, I started graduate school. My first class this summer was a Biology Study Tour to the Florida Keys. Freaking awesome! I had such a great time. If I can pull up some of the pics, I'll post them here when I get the chance. In fact, there's a couple of things that happened that would be worthy of telling in a whole 'nother post. Anyhow, right after that, I was back for a few weeks, and then I left for a bouldering trip to Squammish, British Columbia, which could be viewed as part fun/part disaster. More later. Later in the year, my life took a turn...I can't say for the worst (although sometimes it feels that way), but definitely different...A long-term relationship ended, followed closely by the death of my grandfather, whom I was pretty close to. Positive things have happened lately, too. I started September with my first instructor job as a GTA at JSU, teaching Geology & Geography Labs. That experience has been both frustrating and rewarding. I also scored a new job with the National Park Service, which seems to set me on the path to fulfilling my dreams of working for the Park Service. I am currently working as the Fire Technician out at Little River Canyon in Fort Payne, Alabama. I am excited about the possibilities for this job and where it can take me, both professionally and locationally. Good stuff.

I've really gotten into cyclocross this season, too. I've kinda become obsessed with cycling in general. If I'm not at a race, I'm training for one. It's definitely a bug I don't mind having. The people are rad & I have so much fun.

For the most part, I have to say that the lows have been devestatingly low. But the highs have exceeded my expectations. I don't know if this evens out or not, but that's just how it is...A year of extremes for me. I'd really rather not do it all over again.

Today I'm engaged in football. What's so awesome about today is that it's raining outside & pretty dreary, which makes for a perfect day for staying indoors & yelling at the TV. I'm watching GA/GA Tech right now, but the big game comes on at 2:30...It's time for the Iron Bowl, baby!! Been waiting for this for a long time. We've been beat the past 6 times we've met, but this time, we're gonna dominate them! Roll Tide!

Phoenix

2008-09-01T18:03:00.000-05:00

I've always heard about how a Phoenix 'rises up from the ashes,' but I never put much thought to it. I guess I just kinda envisioned this bird coming up from some fire to fly off into the sunset. Well, the myth is that the phoenix lives for 1000 years, and then sets fire to itself and its nest, in order to facilitate it being reborn. Everything burns to ashes, and then a new, young bird arises to live another 1000 years.

Sometimes we have to rise above the rubble and start anew.

Caminito del Ray

2008-08-26T00:45:00.000-05:00

To go along with my earlier post about dangerous roads, here's one I just learned about that's in Spain, known as 'The King's Pathway.' It's a footpath that was built in 1901 (completed in 1905) that was used for the transport of goods for workers. It has fallen into disrepair, and after 4 deaths around 2000, the government closed the main access points. People can still get onto the path by using abandoned tunnels, and the local government budgeted 7 million dollars in 2006 to begin a restoration. Until then, it remains one of the most dangerous walkways in the world. More info here. There's also a must-see video of a guy walking along the path that gives you the feeling of being right there.

Word 2007 Line Spacing

2008-08-07T01:11:00.000-05:00

Ok, so you've got the new Word 2007, and you love it. Only problem is, the paper you're working on has really wide line spacing that's not gonna fly with your professor. So here's how you fix it to look like previous versions of Word. Click on the Change Styles button, and set your style for Word 2003. I personally like the bigger line spacing, as it makes for an easier read. However, for school purposes, the tighter sentences will probably be what you want. Microsoft has a help article on this issue.

Coal Mining

2008-08-07T01:09:00.000-05:00

An unsustainable and ecologically devastating practice is happening all around the nation, and it's known as mountain top removal. Coal removal companies literally blow up mountains to find deep buried coal to be used for energy. There's a website that can show you how you are affected by this process, and it gives you avenues for protesting. For my area, I found out that Alabama Power buys coal energy from these mining companies.

Pinhoti Connected to the Appalachian Trail

2008-04-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Last month, on March 16th, 2008, the Pinhoti Trail was officially connected to the Appalachian Trail, fulfilling Benton MacKaye's original dream. You can now hop on the trail in Alabama and take it all the way up to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. The backpacking community, for the most part, is celebrating this achievement, which many groups have been working hard to accomplish. It must be noted, however, that the official southern terminus of the AT is still Springer Mountain. If you go there, you'll find that the trail continues down into Alabama along the Pinhoti.
The reason it is not official, is there is some resistance. First, it would take an actual federal act to make the connection. Secondly, many people are opposed because of the additional length. There is a feeling with some that the AT has long been established and any additions would change the purity of the original trail. Some people who have already thru-hiked it from Springer are not too keen on the change, for various reasons. The problem I see with this is the original intention was to extend the trail all the way into Alabama. In addition, the AT is intended to be hiked along the Appalaichian chain, and this includes the foothills of the mountains which are at Little River Canyon and Mount Cheaha. These are gorgeous areas in their own right.

Even if the Pinhoti never becomes an 'official' extension of the AT, it's still worth hiking all the way. I intend to hike it myself, as time allows. The portions I've already been on are a lot of fun. In fact, this weekend, we're hiking down into the canyon with the Little River Canyon Field School (which I'm getting involved with, along with LeAnne).

'Made in Italy' might still mean that it's made in a sweatshop

2008-04-03T22:18:00.000-05:00

That designer bag you're carrying around that touts itself has being hand-made in Italy may have actually been made in SE Asia. It may have been made in China, but then shipped over to Italy for a buckle or something nominal to be added so they can claim that it was Made in Italy. This was reported originally by the L.A. Times; carried by The Consumerist.

Benefits for the Elderly

2008-04-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

A guy I work with tried to sell me today on the virtues of life insurance. He's only 19! Makes me wonder...but if you ARE 65 or older --which totally sounds like the beginnings of a life insurance commercial-- you should check out a website which conveniently brings together many different resources for checking to see if you are getting all the help that you can from the government. It's called Benefits Check Up, and it's put together by the National Council on Aging. If banks can borrow $50 billion dollars from the Federal Reserve, then the public should also utilize government services such as this.

Organic Foods' Probable Origins

2008-04-03T20:18:00.000-05:00

Buying organic doesn't necessarily mean that you've beaten the system. Most organic foods are produced by names you recognize as purveyors of regular, mass-produced foods, such as Kraft, Coca-Cola, and Heinz. Here's a chart to help you sort it all out.

Bush's New Advisor

2008-04-02T22:17:00.000-05:00

The Bush Administration is replacing a scientists named Dr. Jim Hansen who warns people about global warming with this yahoo:

Found here.

The Most Dangerous Roads in the World

2008-03-01T00:39:00.000-06:00

Here's a compilation in in 5 parts of the most dangerous roads worldwide. It's provided by Dark Roasted Blend, which is worth seeing in and of itself, as it is a blog of other unique content. These roads have names like the 'Road of Death.'

Kitty Wigs

2008-02-15T22:39:00.000-06:00

Funny but weird - cats with wigs...

Another Voter Resource

2008-02-15T22:15:00.000-06:00

I heard about another great resource for voters called Glassbooth. You can rate certain mainstream issues on how you feel about them, and add weight to those that you feel are most important. The results display the people that you are most aligned with, and then you can click on each person to view their stance. The best part is the integration of the candidates' own quotes, that show you how they really stand on an issue. It's quick & easy; check it out.

GREEN PRINT IS NOW FREE!!

2008-02-11T22:10:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited, because Green Print (see my previous post here) now has an ad-supported free version!! There's no excuse why you shouldn't be using this excellent program now. Want to feel like you're making an effort to reduce your footprint on the earth? Well, here's one way to start.

Multiple Underwater Cables Cut; Implications Ominous

2008-02-11T15:30:00.000-06:00

Over the past month or so, 5 underwater internet / telecommunications cables have been cut. Why? What's the purpose? The blogger over at ilovebonnie.net has some interesting theories that are worth reading.

2008 Eco-Gadgets

2008-02-01T21:41:00.000-06:00

Here's a list of some cool gadgets that are eco-friendly. Most are made from recycled and/or recyclable materials.

Grayson Capps & Bobby Long

2008-01-29T21:54:00.000-06:00

Something extraordinary happened the other evening. LeAnne & I went out with some friends to see a guy named Grayson Capps play at a little blues joint in Gadsden. He was there with his band, The Stumpknockers, which consisted of a guy on drums, a hippie on bass guitar, and an electric guitar player that looked like a cross between James Taylor and Jimmy Buffet. We walked in and Grayson started off on the steel guitar, sitting down, with a cap tucking his hair back. He wiggled his leg around while he sat on the stool, much like Elvis would do with his hip swivel. All this while he slid his glass down the neck of the guitar. It was a bluegrass sound, with a hint of blues at first, which probably came just from the ambiance of the building. It was decorated much like New Orleans is during Mardi Gras--just an eclectic mix of everything from underwear on the wall to a life-size Homer Simpson doll to imaginative paintings. After several songs, he seemed to warm up, and switched to an electric guitar. He stood up, took his hat off, let his hair come down, and started to really jam. His music now had morphed into a Southern Bluesy Rock, with some hard driving licks from James-Jimmy.
In between the songs, he would say a little something about the background of why he wrote it or where it originated. So at one point, he starts talking about this guy named Bobby Long and Brewton. I was thinking, "I wonder if he's talking about Brewton, Alabama..." as in the place where I grew up as a child. Then I thought, nah, can't be...Until the opening line of the song was, "Brewton Alabama at the Colonial Inn." I was dumbstruck. During their setbreak, I talked with a friend and told him how I grew up in Brewton. So he tells me that this song about Brewton and about this guy named Bobby Long has some more history.
Evidently, Grayson Capps' father wrote a novel loosely based on a guy who lived in Brewton named Bobby Long. The guy was educated, and seemingly could have made something of himself. However, through some turn of events, he ended up becoming a destitute alcoholic. Anyway, back to Grayson...so his father wrote this novel, but never published it. Well, years later, Grayson is going to school at Tulane University in New Orleans, and is playing music in bars on the side. This woman happens to see his show one night and approaches him with an offer to be featured in her documentary about Americana music. She feels his music is just what she's looking for. So they eventually wrap up filming, and before she leaves, they sit down and he asks her what she's going to do next. He ends up offering her his father's yet to be published novel about Bobby Long. She says that she is intrigued, and if they ever end up making a movie based on it, she'll give him a call. Sure enough, a few years later, he gets a call from her saying they're going to start filming down in New Orleans. She had written a screenplay based on the novel and was about to turn it into a major movie with Scarlett Johansson and John Travolta called A Love Song for Bobby Long.
Back to the show...well, I heard from my friend about this movie & all, and I wanted to see what Grayson Capps would have to say about Brewton. Of course, I wanted a cd with that song on it, so I approached him and we talked a bit about Brewton, & then bought I a cd. He signed it "Natalie, To Brewton!" I was pretty tickled about that (My friends were laughing, saying that we were BFF's now. They show no mercy.).

Well, of course, all this reminescing about little ole Brewton made me want to go rent the movie to see what all that was about. LeAnne & I watched it tonight, and I've gotta say it ranks right up there with some of my favorites. I love movies that really make you think, and this one was so provoking. Of course, the movie really had nothing to do with Brewton, but it did tell a familiar tale of lives lost. I was extremely moved, and I already want to watch it again.
Now, this is all my perspective, so here's a link to Grayson Capps biography where he talks about this strange turn of events. Also, The Brewton Standard interviewed Ronald Capps about his novel and the direction the movie took.
If you want to hear some really good music, too, check out his website. I mean, this guy is awesome. Definitely worth the listen. Oh, and if you get a chance to see him live, do it. His band is interesting, too.
So that's my tale of my strange night out with my friends. I'm so glad I went.

Facebook's Ties With the CIA

2008-01-26T13:29:00.000-06:00

Technology experts and headhunters have warned the general public that posting any information on the internet can be dangerous and sometimes outright devastating to your reputation, career, and your life. In addition, there are many privacy experts and analysts (e.g., watchdog groups) who warn that having your personal information accessible by others online, especially in one central place, can be a cause for concern because of how others can use this data. There are many benefits to using a website that socially connects you with others based on private information, which are inherently obvious, like being able to reconnect with old friends. I believe that people's use of these websites should be tempered with knowledge of just what it means and what implications lie in providing everyone with this information.
I recently found out about a possible connection between the CIA and Facebook. I think anyone who uses Facebook should watch this video in order to understand the connections. Also, their privacy statement leaves a lot of room for the exploitation of the information stored on their servers. You may just decide to delete that profile you have, and move on to something less questionable. I had considered using Facebook as a way to connect with others until I read about their history. I have now decided against it.

1984

2008-01-22T00:40:00.000-06:00

Privacy is becoming more and more of an issue. I'll spare you the whole rigamarole about how in this day and age...with information becoming more accessible...yadda, yadda. Basically, we've all heard the reports about how technology is affecting our privacy. Well, here's something you should do about it. The World Privacy Forum has a list of their 'Top 10 Opt Outs.' They point out that this is not an all-inclusive list; rather, it's a list of the opt-outs they feel are most important. While you're there, check out the rest of their website.

On the issue of privacy, check this out. It's about how the NSA monitors web traffic. Telecom companies, like those that provide phone and internet services, have been spying on traffic for years, according to an AT&T whistleblower. I guess it's not anything that's a huge suprise, but I think it's important that this information be put out there. Also, when you visit this website, check out the video clip of Keith Olbermann interviewing this guy.

Just be aware that Big Brother is not going to come out of nowhere. It's going to slowly creep up on us. Check out this video on youtube about the North American Union, Real ID, and more. This scares me more than any horror movie.

FBI Forensic Test Shakedown

2008-01-22T00:25:00.000-06:00

The FBI for years has said that it is possible to trace a single bullet back to a particular box of bullets. The method that they have used for decades has never come under scrutiny, and it has generally been accepted as scientific fact. However, a couple of years ago, it was proved that the evidence used to trace a single bullet back to one single box is not valid, and these identifying marks on the bullet actually can link back to hundreds of boxes, thereby eliminating this as a factor for determining the origin of said bullet. Despite the fact that this was exposed as 'flawed science,' the FBI continued to use this evidence to help convict people for up to a year afterwards. In addition, they have made no efforts to review convictions in which the cases were hinged on this 'evidence.' So 60 Minutes teamed up with The Washington Post to expose this injustice. What came of it, so far, is an expose that you can read at The Washington Post's website and on 60 Minutes' website.

Test Your Speed

2008-01-18T00:39:00.000-06:00

Find out how your ISP stacks up!

Select a Candidate

2008-01-17T23:20:00.000-06:00

There is an amazing tool out there put together by USA Today that helps you to better understand each of the candidates that are running for their party's nomination. It includes both Democrat and Republican candidates, and aligns your answers to key issues with those of the candidates. You can even add 'weight' to your answers by indicating which issues are most important to you. I've always wanted to be an informed voter, but sometimes I find that I really don't know what's going on with the whole process. I think this website really adds something to my knowledge of how the candidates feel about important issues.

As far as the Independents go, I'm guessing that this year is going to be Democrats vs. Republicans. I found a site on Wikipedia in regards to Independent parties that provides a wealth of information for those who are interested.

Portable Applications

2007-12-24T03:46:00.000-06:00

When I went to the library this semester to do research, I would use my thumb drive to save anything important. It was great having versions of my own programs on hand as I didn't really trust the school's computers. I used a great application suite called 'portable apps,' which is a miniature version of many of the programs I use on my home computer. There are different types to be found all over the internet, but my favorite is at portableapps.com. This is a surefire way of keeping your data safe and allowing you to use a public computer in much the same way you would your own, by using the same programs when they normally may not be available. Here's another website, called pendriveapps.com where you can find more portable apps.

Social Bookmarking

2007-12-24T02:15:00.000-06:00

I love my bookmarks. I have spent many hours researching and organizing them. Whenever someone asks me a question that I have the resources to find the answer to, I consult one of the many websites where I can find the information. I've recently been exploring the options for sharing these websites I've accumulated with others and also of discovering what others have found. I can do this through social bookmarking, which is a way to share bookmarks with others. I discovered a concise explanation of what social bookmarking is and what it can do for you at Educause. If you would like to know more about the benefits, head on over.

Bed Bugs

2007-12-24T01:40:00.000-06:00

You may not know about bed bugs, but you need to. According to some recent articles, they're on the rise. They live in mattresses and in the bedding of affected beds, usually motels and hotels where they have been breeding. If you travel at all, it's important to know about this pest so that you can recognize the signs. NPR did a story about their comeback in August of 2007. Also, the San Fransisco Chronicle put out an article in April that indicates there have been recent reported cases all across the country. Scary stuff, but if you know what to look for, you can search your bed before you go to sleep if you're staying somewhere unfamiliar.

Inventory Your Stuff

2007-12-23T23:58:00.000-06:00

Here's a program for documenting your belongings. You can download the software at KnowYourStuff.org. It's free, and there is even a list of items to get you started. The software is comprehensive and easy to use.

Green Print

2007-12-23T21:14:00.000-06:00

There is an excellent program for helping to save the planet called Green Print. It sets up your printer to only print what you need. You know how there's always those extra pages and images that are unnecessary? Well, this program eliminates all that. It sets up your print job to only print what you need, thereby eliminating the extra waste. Check it out!

There is also a website where a former employee of Hewlett Packard reveals how the printing companies are only out to make more money. No big suprise there, but some of the underhanded things they do makes for an interesting read. Here is 14 Hewlett-Packard Secrets From a Former Employee, and it's follow-up, 9 More.

Unlose.it

2007-12-23T20:32:00.000-06:00

I am constantly finding myself slapping my hands over my pockets to check if my phone, wallet, or some other item is still there. When I find that I've misplaced them, the first thing I do is panic. I have lost my wallet a couple of times over the years, and it's such a stressor to have to replace what I lost. Now there's this service where you can register items for 4 bucks. They send you a sticker with the website's info and an announcement written on it saying if you find this item there will be a reward. The sticker directs the finder to the website, where they type in a number that matches up with the product that you registered. It's really quite ingenious. Of course, some people might just pull the sticker off, but I still this could be viewed as a some insurance against losing your stuff.

There's another website that appears has a different approach to tracking your stolen object called 'Gadget Track.' This seems to be a good alternative. One service this website offers is to find stolen phones by sending you silent messages in the event the SIM card has been changed. Their gadget track program works by sending silent messages to you whenever the stolen gadget is accessed on a PC. Whether or not someone could prevent this remote notification with the use of a firewall, I don't know. However, it's worth checking out.

Exploding Phones

2007-12-23T12:48:00.000-06:00

Okay, do you have a Nokia phone or a Nokia battery in your phone? If so, you need to cruise on over to this website: BL-5C Battery. Although it has been rare, there is evidently a danger of these phones catching fire while they're charging. At this site, you can find out if your phone is one of the affected, and you can get it replaced by the company.

While I'm on a roll...Printers!

2007-08-29T00:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been looking for a printer lately. I need one fast, before school gets into full swing. I've done a ton of research, and found one website extremely helpful because it is unbiased and thorough. I thought I'd share it with you as a resource if you're in the business for a new printer. Yes, it's a UK production, so everything is indicated in Euros, but the reviews are stellar.

Other good resources are Kim Komando, who also puts out an excellent newsletter regarding computer know-how that's easy to understand; and Cnet.com, who rates products on the standard 1 to 10 scale.

I think I've settled on the Canon MP600. I'm going to read a bit more, & then I'll let you know for sure, but this seems to be the best multifunction printer for the price range.

It's Been Soooo Long!!!

2007-08-28T23:49:00.000-05:00

I know a lot of you think I fell off the face of the internet, but I'm back. I'm slowly working through my emails & slowly updating my blog, etc.

I don't know about y'all, but I had an AWESOME summer!! I mean, totally fabulous. I finished my enlistment April 24, 2007. Yup, I'm out of the Navy! I'm still inactive reserves, which gives me the benefits of going on base, shopping at the commissary, and maintaining a military ID, but I don't have to deploy! Yay! I really had a lot of mixed feelings by the time my last day rolled around. It was hard--I mean, here I had spent 5 years doing something really fulfilling, and that part of my life was ending. It was like leaving a part of me behind. It helped that I was leaving for a cross-country trip with LeAnne, though. I was able to just relax and enjoy seeing the country instead of grieving.

So I moved out of my apartment at the end of April, but I still had some loose ends to tie up in Whidbey Island. I pitched a tent on base and camped out for about a week while I finished up everything, including selling my truck. It was really kind of miraculous because some guy just appeared out of nowhere and paid me a fair price for a vehicle I was desperate to get rid of. LeAnne and I had decided to just take her car to Alabama, since she was coming with me, and we figured my truck wouldn't make the trip. Besides, we wanted to really immerse ourselves in the land and culture as we crossed over to the South.

When everything was in order, we took off, heading first to Bend, Oregon. I won't go into the details here, because there is an entire travel blog that LeAnne and I wrote that you can see here, which details our super-fun trip. The only aggravating thing is the posts have rearranged themselves out of order, so here's the correct order: Pre Trip; Bend; Crater Lake; San Frannie; Vegas; The GC; and Alabama.

Once we got to Alabama, we didn't have a place to stay. The Navy had moved our belongings into storage so we had to find a place so that they could deliver our stuff. By the time we arrived, we'd had it. We were both sick of traveling, and we really wanted to settle back down into a routine. I mean, I just spent 5 years in a very regimented lifestyle, and then followed it up with 2 months of doing what I wanted. To be honest, I was sooo ready to get back into following a schedule, and having my own place to come home to.

We found a house in Jacksonville for a great price. We decided to rent because of various reasons, including the fact that neither one of us was employed at the time, so that really puts the brakes on buying a house. Besides, I really wanted to focus on getting ready for my Senior year, and being ready to be mobile once I graduated to find a good job. No sense in getting sucked into J'ville with a mortgage. Anyway, it was another one of those deals where everything fell into place. We looked EVERYwhere for a house to rent, and they were all either too expensive or too gross. This one was perfect. It's so close to the campus that I can walk to my classes.

Seriously, we are so blessed. Right now in my life everything seems to be working out great. I'm enjoying my time being back home in Alabama. It's so awesome to be able to go visit all my family. I love it!!! I've missed them all sooo much, and I feel closer to them now for some reason. Maybe my Paw Paw getting sick prompted me to realize how much they all mean to me...I mean, I've always been aware of it, but it really showed the importance of maintaining an active relationship with your family. No one's gonna love you like they do!

Classes start tomorrow. I'm so nervous. I've got one class where the prof wants us to buy 14 books. I thought it was so ludicrous that I went and asked someone else to verify it. My classes this semester aren't going to be a walk in the park. But everything about my graduation just fell in my lap. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to graduate in the Spring of next year due to a technicality. However, because I had completed some coursework in the Navy, everything again fell into place and I will now graduate in the Spring of 2008. I'm really excited!!! Finally. Yeah, I'll be 30. But I know I had to choose the path I did to get where I am now. I wouldn't change it for anything. I know that going back to school at my age gives me an advantage over traditional students. I just hope I don't get stuck in any classes full of freshmen.

Since I've left the Navy I've been lagging on my daily workouts. However, LeAnne and I have participated in a number of 5k runs in the area, and we also joined the Anniston Runners Club. I'm looking forward to meeting cool people in the club. We've had a great time going to these runs, but it's so different running in 95 degree heat with a heat index of 105, as opposed to running in cool, comfortable Washington. Who knew I'd miss it?!

We found a kickin' rock climbing area about an hour from J'ville that we've hit a few times. Lots of talented climbers out there. I've definitely got climbing fever, and I nag LeAnne all the time about going. This weekend was great because my dad and my sister were in town for a visit at grandma's. We took them out to Weaver Caves, where we harnessed Avery up and she climbed up the wall, showing some pretty impressive talent. I'm hoping that we can get her to come stay with us so we can take her to do stuff again. Grandma even came out there to watch, being a good sport about it. We had to leave after awhile, though, because the place seriously turned into Redneck City. I guess the caves is the local hoedown place for the weekend. The picture above is my grandma, my dad, my sister, LeAnne, and me.

This one's of Avery kicking ass on the wall.

That's about it for now. It's good to be back online!

Watch 'The Daily Show?' You probably know more than Fox Viewers...

2007-04-20T16:22:00.000-05:00

As reported by Editor & Publisher on April 15th, a new study out by Pew Research Center found out people who watch Jon Stewart's The Daily Show are more informed on today's issues than people who regularly get their news from Fox News. And to think that Bill O'Reilly has said before that the people who watch The Daily Show are only "stoned slackers."

Incidentally, I think I'll take this opportunity to express how much I dislike this hot-headed moron. You ever watch this guy? When he starts to feel like he's not 'winning' an argument, he resorts to name-calling. Then he justifies it by saying it's 'his house' and he can do what he wants because it's his show. That's fine, because it just demonstrates his true nature of hatefulness and how he's just pure poison with his bad attitude (and maligned viewpoints). He's such a prime example of everything that's wrong with the 'moral right.'

Here's a great website that has information in cold, hard facts as to how pervasive his lies are and just what a general creep he is, from how he claimed he had '6 million viewers' (grossly inaccurate), to numerous lies he tells on his show all the time.

Best Buy Busted

2007-03-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

A little over a week ago, Best Buy admited to scamming in-store customers after buckling under pressure from Connecticut's State Attorney General who launched an investigation into their practices. The way the scam works is a customer sees an advertised price for an item online, which brings them into the store. Once they get there, they pick up the item and bring it to the counter with the quoted price in mind. They tell the salesperson, who then pulls up a hidden 'intranet' site (fraudulent to the consumer) which indicates a different and higher price than the one the customer found online. By this time, the customer is probably going to go ahead and buy the item at a higher price. What a dirty practice.

Get Out of Your Cell Phone Contract

2007-03-12T21:53:00.000-05:00

Feeling like you're being nailed to the wall by your current cell phone provider? There are 3 online services available for you to get out of your contract by selling it to another person or by trading for a different contract. These websites offer a place for people to buy and/or sell cell phone contracts in order to make it more convinient. You can find them at celltradeusa.com, cellswapper, and resellular.

Free Copies of Microsoft Office Pro 2007 and Groove 2007

2007-02-06T09:45:00.000-06:00

Hey, want a (legal) free copy of the new Microsoft Office? Just attend one of their seminars. It's a promotional thing for their new products, of course, but if you go, they'll give you copies of the software. I've tried out the beta version of Office 2007, and it seems to be a big step up from 2003. The interface and styling have changed, and from the features I've played around with it seems pretty slick. Unfortunately, the seminar in Alabama has already come & gone. If you're in Washington, though, you're in luck...The upcoming seminar will be on the 26th of February.

As far as Vista goes, I plan on checking it out soon. I hear it's great. If you are looking at purchasing the new OS, first you need to make sure that your computer is ready for it. Go here to use Microsoft's Update Advisor, which will tell you whether or not you are equipped to upgrade to Vista. After that, look into upgrading to Vista vice paying outright, because the price difference is substantial. You don't have to pay full price for it, even if you do not have a previously installed microsoft OS.

Daily Rant

2007-02-06T09:34:00.000-06:00

Chinese Wonders

2007-02-05T14:43:00.000-06:00

Whoa is just about all I can say about this. There is a park in China where you pretty much shimmy your way around a cliff on wooden planks, while holding on with just your hands to a chain. My palms began to sweat as I looked at the pictures of people working their way up the mountain. The end seems to be some sort of lookout point with a building whose purpose is unknown. I have tried to find additional information about this park, but I can't seem to locate any through search engines. The link to all of the pictures is here.

Another thing I wanted to share is a link to an ice and snow festival that happens every year in Harbin, China. Both the snow sculptures and the ice palaces are amazing in their mass and are intricately carved to create a vivid picture. Teams come from all around the globe to compete for the coveted honor of first place. The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is a must-see, if only on the net, as it's one of the largest in the world.

BBC's mini-guide in pictures to the festival.

More pics here.

Bored? Check Out Some Weird News

2007-02-05T10:34:00.000-06:00

I found a great website that gives odd news, called Peculiarosities.com. There's one where a woman had a spider living in her ear for 27 days! Another was about a man who coughed up a nail that had been in his body for 35 years from a gardening accident.

Another site like this that has odd, sometimes important, sometimes inane, and just random news links is called fark.com, and it is a perma-link on my blog (to the right).

Finally, check out M-Law's Wacky Warning Label website (M-Law is Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch). There's some doozies. However, the one that got top prize, about not putting people in washing machines? Well, if you refer back to the first website, you'll find that maybe it's not that far-fetched to think that someone will stuff themselves into one (dryers too).

ESWS Qualification

2007-01-28T09:08:00.000-06:00

I finally got ESWS qualified back on the 23rd of January!! Yay! I am so glad to finally be done with all of that!! I am also glad I decided to go ahead and get the qual. It's great just for my own personal satisfaction to know that I didn't slack off at the end of my naval career; instead I stuck with it. Plus, it'll be great for my final eval & to put on my resume. I guess the best thing, though, is it reminded me on how much I can accomplish when I set my mind to it. I'm not trying to brag too much here, but I gotta toot my horn on this one b/c I'm just really proud of myself. I worked really hard to get this, and it's an honor. I have renewed confidence in myself because I accomplished this, when before I was having some doubts as to how I'd be able to jump back into college after being gone so long. I know I won't have many problems now, and it feels great.

Vitameatavegamin

2007-01-21T09:59:00.000-06:00

A recent investigation by consumerlab.com indicates that multi-vitamins may be doing more harm than good. They tested 39 different vitamins, and of those, 12 failed completely. You can get the complete results at their website; however, an article on MSNBC.com gave some of the results. It said one of the women's vitamins (The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins - Especially for Women) had an alarming amount of lead present, while a children's vitamin contained too much Vitamin A, which can be harmful, especially to youngsters. Although there are no regulations controlling the amounts of lead that can be in a consumable product, you don't want too ingest too much of it. Too much includes the amounts present in one of these vitamins! The good thing is most of the popular brands out there, such as One-A-Day Women & Centrum Silver, passed the test. It was suggested that this is probably because these larger companies have a lot more at stake - their reputation amongst consumers could cause serious damage to their sales if it was discovered they were not up to standards. Check out MSNBC.com's article for a good starting point on the topic.

For information on vitamins in general, check out the Harvard School of Public Health's website. Their site will give you a breakdown on the major vitamins and nutrients needed. An alternate site, which is equally informative, is put out by Oregon State University.

Port Visit

2007-01-19T18:24:00.000-06:00

We finally got to pull into port a few days ago on the 16th. It was such a relief to be on land again; we hadn't got off the boat since we left on the 27th of November last year. We ported in Naha, Okinawa, where we were able to get a few supplies, walk around and explore the area for 2 days, and just get away from the boat. It was so great -- I didn't realize how much I missed being able to have some freedom until we stepped down the gangway.

The sunrise was beautiful over the harbor as we entered. Physically & metaphorically, it was the best I've seen.

Our first day in port consisted of going to the NEX and restocking up on essentials. While we were waiting for the bus to take us from Camp Kinser to Camp Foster, we walked along the shore which was littered with trash. Someone had even discarded an old television. Is this a sign of the future?

That evening, we ate dinner in a restaurant that is literally in a tree. Fake as it may be, it was still quite an experience to be perched up over the harbor while eating dinner. The food was not so hot, though. There wasn't much appetizing to choose from: things like raw cod liver, bowels of something, chicken cartilidge, and pig ears just didn't spark my interest. I'm not exaggerating, either -- it was like a menu at a feed store. Anyway, after this, Amanda and I walked down to Kokusai Dori Street, which is Naha's version of Bourbon St. The gaudy neon lights made it seem like a full-on casino. This went on for miles, and we walked most of it that night, stopping in shops and taking pictures of the most interesting attractions.

Something unique to Okinawans, (and perhaps all Japanese, I don't know for sure), is 'habu sake.' It is made with the venom of snakes, and as you can see here, they pickle the entire snake in the jar. The effects are said to be much like absinthe, and one shot can knock you off of your feet. I think the price alone is enough to knock you down -- yen to dollar right now, just move the decimal over 2 places...These bottles are ranging from $400 to $600...and we saw some up to $800!

The gal I was shopping around with is Amanda, who is my roomate out here. We've become friends during the trip; she's turned out to be an exceptionally kind person, and a great roomate.

The next day, we decided that we would walk to nearby Camp Kinser where the closest phones were so that we could call home. We didn't think it would take very long, as it had only seemed like a few minutes ride by car the previous day. Two hours later...we finally got there, sweating from the muggy weather outside. We spent another couple of hours in the open foodcourt, calling people to see how things were going back home.

My grandfather is doing better in some respects, worse in others. It was really great to finally get to speak to my family without constantly worrying about the conversation dropping over the tenuous satellite connection. He actually recognized who I was, and we had a pretty good conversation, which was a relief from the previous developments to his health. I'm anxious to get back to the States so that I can have a reliable means of communicating with him.

After our phone calls, we gave in and called a taxi to take us to Shuri Castle, which was the Ryukyu Kingdom's central place. This was the ruling class from all the way back in the 1400's up until the late 1800's. The castle was impressive, and the workers were busy creating wooden and straw figures which lined the walls leading to the gates. These figures were adorned with flowers of various types and colors, giving them life.

We also witnessed a traditional Japanese fan dance, which was given outside of the courtyard entrance of the castle. Two women would enter the stage and perform a synchronous dance. We later spoke to one of the castle workers who helps to coordinate the dances, and she insisted on us telling everyone we knew to come visit the castle and to come see the dances. So if you're ever in the neighborhood, make sure you stop by.

Here is where the king would sit & look out to his people.

Here's a model photo of how the courtyard would have looked during a gathering.

After touring the castle grounds and surrounding areas, we walked around the park for a little bit, goofing off.

Later, I pulled the map out from my backpack and we began to walk in the general direction of where we thought the monorail was located. We must have looked lost because a woman approached us outside of a minimart and asked where we were trying to go. Her English was slightly broken, but she was fairly easy to understand. She proceeded to give us detailed directions on how to make it to two separate stations, depending on our final destination. Once she felt like we understood, she departed in the opposite direction across the street. As I was waiting for Amanda to use the bathroom, this same woman walks back across the street, grabs my arm, and says, "I will take you there so you do not get lost." We tried to protest her generosity, but she wouldn't hear it. She entered the store before we left and spoke with the worker, who followed her outside with two extra umbrellas, presumably for us. She ended up walking us all the way up the stairs into the station, which was about 3/4 of a mile away, telling us about her town and her people all the way. Once inside, she made sure we knew which stop to get off on. She even showed us exactly how much it would cost and tried to give us the umbrellas so that we would stay dry. Before she departed, she made us promise that if we were to get lost again, we would ask any Okinawan for directions because she said they were good people. We said goodbye to Naomi and boarded the monorail headed for Kokusai Dori, where we planned to have dinner. Once we got off, we headed to the main street, but we weren't sure whether to take a left or a right. Once again, we were approached by another Okinawan lady who asked where we were trying to go. She pointed us in the right direction, and then waited there on the corner while she watched us cross 2 crosswalks to make sure we had gone the right way. She missed her light because of this. I was impressed by the Okinawans we met.

We wound up our day by having dinner at a Japanese restaurant that required us to remove our shoes and sit on the floor on cushions. We were given a table option, but when in Japan...So I ordered a salad, which I have a habit of doing when I don't know what's on the menu other than by the pictures. I didn't know seaweed was salty. If I wanted that, I'd go down to the beach and just open my mouth underwater. It was ok, but I was really wanting some sushi. I swear, the last night in port I'm going to make it to a nice sushi joint.

That was it for our port visit. Now we're back out.

Happy New Year!

2006-12-31T14:56:00.000-06:00

To bring in the New Year, let's reflect on 2006 with Time magazine's 'Year in Pictures:'
http://www.time.com/time/yip/2006/

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, How Beautiful Your Array Is...

2006-12-20T10:51:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas, everybody, from the Mildet on the USNS Victorious! Here is our group photo with the Christmas tree that our SOC Techs made out of spare array parts. Isn't it lovely?

TA-DAH!

2006-12-14T09:25:00.000-06:00

What's up with the little-ol'-penguin in the background??

Road Bike Tip

2006-12-11T09:49:00.000-06:00

Here's a tip for you roadies. It's a makeshift stopper to keep your bike from rolling away when you park it somewhere. It involves taking a wine bottle cork, cutting it into a 'V', and wedging it in between the brake and your handlebars in order to force the bike to stay braked. When you don't have a kickstand, this could be useful.

Pepsi Can Stove

2006-12-10T10:24:00.000-06:00

Here's a neat idea where can take a soda can and make it into a stove. They are lightweight, and excellent for backpacking. If you already have a stove that you rely on, this one can be used as a lightweight backup. They weigh next to nothing, you can reduce your fuel weight, it's more environmentally friendly, and most importantly, they out-perform store bought models when the temperature drops.

The fuel you can use with these stoves is denatured alcohol, which you can find at most hardware stores or outdoor supply stores. As far as the can goes, Pepsi is the preferred soda because of its shape as it helps stabalize the stove better.

Wikipedia has a comprehensive explanation of how to make the stove, how efficient it runs, how it compares to other stoves, and every other little nuance about this stove that you could think of.

Here's a website that has 3 different versions of alcohol stoves.

A guy did a review on the pepsi can stove here.

If you're feeling a bit lazy, but you still want an alcohol burning stove, there's a company called 'Trangia' that makes them, with some variations.

Choicepoint

2006-12-10T09:39:00.000-06:00

Last year Choicepoint, a data broker, inadvertently sold over 163,000 personal records to criminals. They ended up settling with the Federal Trade Commission back in January to pay $5 million to consumers as a reimbursement for the expenses incurred as a result of the security breach. Another $10 million was tacked on as a fine for the company.

(As a side note, I did not exactly know what a 'data broker' was, so I searched for the term. I can vaguely put together what it means, but as a working definition, I did not understand exactly what these companies do with their data as a 'broker.' Evidently, these companies maintain gigantic databases of things like SSN's, birthdays, credit reports, and other sensitive data.)

The FTC has just begun mailing out forms to 1,400 victims that were identified as having spent money to clear up identity theft issues arising from Choicepoint's mistake. There is also a website where consumers can download a version of the file if they do not receive one by mail. This is for people who believe that they have had identity theft issues stemming from scammers getting their information from Choicepoint.

Alternately, if you are just concerned about the privacy of your phone records, check out EPIC's website. EPIC is the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and is a virtual clearinghouse for identity theft and privacy issues, mostly relating to the internet and other electronic forms of communication.

If you would like to have your address and phone removed from search engines on the web, you need to visit these sites independently. Here's the main ones:
Google Phone Book Removal
Infospace - On this one, you gotta search for your info, then remove
YellowPages Switchboard - Once again, search for your data, then click update
Yahoo People Search Removal
Verizon Super Pages Removal
White Pages - Search for it, then click on 'Privacy Concerns?'
AnyWho Privacy
Addresses.com
Intelius - Submit a request
ZabaSearch - You gotta submit an email on this one, & then they'll give you instructions

**These links are courtesy of Bob Rankin. He has an excellent newsletter you can catch at his website - the link is in the upper right corner.

It's interesting to note that a person's address and phone number could previously be found in phone books quite easily, but with the advent of technology like Google Earth, an address can be visually pinpointed on a map. Also, it's easy to plug someone's address into MapQuest which will give you step-by-step directions to get there. As this technology becomes more prevalent, we will begin to see more people concerned with how this data is handled. It's one thing to have your address displayed amongst thousands of others in a drab black-and-white phone book; it seems drastically different to have someone be able to see your car in your driveway, and you on the lawn when they look you up. Smile, you're on camera!

December 7th, 1941

2006-12-06T09:39:00.000-06:00

Pearl Harbor. I cannot begin to describe the emotions I felt when I went there this summer. It is so powerful. To think of all the fallout that occured from this act is overwhelming. So many sailors and others lost their lives there, just doing their daily jobs. I think about the ones that were probably standing watch, or lying in their racks, or sitting at the mess decks having some coffee when they were attacked...It was Sunday, which is 'holiday routine.' They were completely unaware of what was about to happen.

When you get there, you hop on a boat that takes you to the Arizona Memorial. Not before you watch a video describing how the memorial was built, though. They tell you all about why the design was chosen and how they went about setting it up. It's all well-thought out. Then the boat takes you to the memorial. While you walk around the memorial, you have a set of headphones on that tells you about the sinking of the Arizona...How the men became trapped below. It is a tomb for 1,177 sailors, and that's just one battleship that was moored in Battleship Row. There were a total of 2,403 that died and an additional 1,178 were wounded in the attack.

It's such a moving experience, and I recommend if you're in Hawaii, to go. I'm so glad that I did.

I also got to meet a guy who had survived the attack. He was a charming fellow -- had plenty of jokes, and was in good humor. Here's a picture of me with him.

Looking at the results and the retaliation that was brought forth from this event is staggering. I was looking at some pictures out here of Hiroshima. Someone on the boat had taken a trip on the bullet to see the town. There was a building that was nothing but a shell which they told me used to be the Red Cross hospital. After the bombing at Hiroshima, it was the only building, albeit a skeleton, that stood for miles. There were pictures of men whose clothes had been fused to their bodies. All this while Stalin marched his way through the islands.

The interconnections and implications of all of these events accumulated into a burst of emotion when I visited the memorial. I felt at awe, but at the same time I had that funny feeling in the pit of my stomach when something's not right. It's staggering. Being in Pearl Harbor at the scene of the attack reminded me that a few decades ago, the world went crazy.

Karl Marx said those who cannot learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. I hope that my generation can keep these events fresh. I hope that we do not let their memories fade, because then we will not understand the pain of those events; that time. I got a forwarded email the other day urging people to remember the Holocaust. My generation needs to remember another's pain so that we don't feel the need to experience it ourselves.

I found Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech that he said the day following the attack. Of course his beginning statement has been forever linked to the event itself. I've included it here, along with a link for you to read it in its entirety. There's also a site that goes over how the speech was prepared.

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of American was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan..."

So if you want to find out more info or read stories of survivors of Pearl Harbor, you can check out Pearl Harbor Attacked and the Pearl Harbor Survivors Project, which are both excellent sources.

Out on the Ocean Blue

2006-12-04T06:16:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share this picture...

I'm out on the USNS Victorious right now. We flew out to Tokyo/Narita on the 27th, and drove over to Yokohama. We had the 28th to beat around base & get a few essentials from the NEX, and then we pulled out the next day. I was really bummed that we didn't get any time in port other than on base. My roomie & I did make it to the 105 yen sushi joint before we left, but it was mediocre that day.

Not doing much out here except for trying to get into a routine. We start our full watches tomorrow, so I'm trying to get on a regular rotation of watch, working out, reading books/watching movies, and sleeping. If you don't find a routine out here, it can be maddening.

Another Bleak Day -- Football and Insurance Woes

2006-11-18T21:00:00.000-06:00

I keep thinking I'll feel better, but I just seem to feel blah.

First of all, I watched my football team get beat. It wasn't pretty. We put up a fight, but through many turnovers, some bad calls on Shula's part (4 & 15!? and call a timeout?!?), and just some weak playing, Auburn took us down to the mat. This on our own turf, and the fifth time in a row that we've met, at that. Ugh.

Really, Alabama is just now starting to recover from the wicked sanctions put on them in 2001. They lost 21 scholarships over 3 years! I didn't really understand the implications of the sanctions and where they had originated from. Evidently, University of Tennessee's head coach, Fulmer, is a snitch because he's the one that orchestrated the whole thing. I found an interesting article that explains the lowdown on what happened. With a loss in the recruiting class of 2002 and 2003, Shula still has a team that is low in talent compared to other SEC teams. He's probably going to be sent packing soon; definitely if things don't improve next season.

Also, it has to go back further than that, with the abandonment by Franchione -- what a weasel!! Follow that up with a scandal by Mike Price, and the rush of putting Shula in there...It just made for an unstable team. This carries on through the years, like a sickness.

I just really, really wanted them to win. I'm a fan who will root for Auburn when they're not playing Bama (which my cousin, who's a die-hard Alabama fan chides me and our grandfather for!), but I just want to see them win against Auburn for once!

--------------------

Well, let me take this back to Friday...I haven't really wanted to blog about it because it upset me so much. I finally got in touch with the other lady's insurance company (see Sept post here, and Friday's post here). I first talked to a guy named Bill over there who tells me the person I need to speak with is Mike, and he should be back from lunch any minute. I ask him to leave a message for me. Now, mind you, this is after I've spent the better part of the morning trying to track the right people down to get some answers as to why the liability has not been claimed for the damage to my truck. After getting off the phone with Bill (who tells me Mike should be in ANY minute), I sit around and wait for about 45 minutes.

About this time my mother calls to get an update to the situation. She advises me that I should call back to find out what's the holdup. So I call back and a woman answers the phone. She seems to be fairly harsh to begin with, but perhaps it's because my stance is already somewhat hostile and you can hear it in my voice. So I ask for Mike, and she says, "Well, I can either transfer you to his answering machine and you can leave a message, or you can call back." I say, "I'll hold, please," to which she barks, "You're not going to hold on my line -- this is MY line." I'm pissed now, b/c this woman is just being a bitch, so I say, "I don't care what you do to make it happen, but I want to speak to someone who is going to take responsibility for answering my questions. I've been put off by you people long enough, and it's time someone takes the time to speak with me." I guess she didn't like that, b/c she slams the phone on the desk, but I can still hear her bitching about me in the background. Oooh, I'm getting all upset now just thinking about it.

I finally get transferred to Mike, who is supposed to be the agent with whom I need to speak. We get down to the situation, and I tell him that I want to know what the problem was with liability, since it had been indicated previously that they would take responsibility. I said I wanted to know why when this woman backed into my truck, why her insurance company, whom he represented -- why after 2 months they have not come to the conclusion of whether or not they are going to take responsibility. He goes through the spiel of how the case got transferred from person to person, until he finally got it on the 26th. He apologized for not sending me a letter to indicate that he was now handling the case. He tried to be smooth when he kept saying, "...and I do apologize for that." He was patronizing me!! He was emphasizing his apology for not sending me a letter about the holdup on the case, when he knew the main issue was the fact they were probably not going to claim liability (because he had already indicated as much).

I went on -- meanwhile, he keeps interjecting with all kinds of lame excuses -- trying to pull some sort of 'I'm a man and you're just a woman, so I'll humor you for the time being' crap-- so I went on about how not only was I shocked that they had supposedly not come to the decision yet, but I was also appalled that they seem to have changed their tune.

**Basically, I had been told by one of their agents that they would take liability when she came to inspect the damages on my truck. I asked her at the time what I needed to do, and she said that as soon as I received an email from her company, I could take the paperwork to any shop I chose to have the repairs done. I even specifically asked her, "What if there is a discrepancy between the price you quote and the repair shop's estimate?," to which she replied, "It will be handled between us and them." I even asked again before she left that all I would need would be the email confirmation, and she said yes again. So I get an email a few days later that states (and this is a cut-'n'-paste job, so no b.s.):

"Dear Client,
This is a copy of the estimate written by our appraiser at _____. A copy of this estimate has been sent to your shop choice if you indicated one when we scheduled your vehicle inspection. If a shop was not chosen, please take this copy to your shop choice and tell them this is an insurance matter. The insurance company will typically pay off our estimate and any additional damage is handled as a "supplement" This is typically paid directly to the repair facility. ..."

It says right there!!! Naturally, this is why I took my truck in. I thought I had confirmation, provided verbally and through this letter. Wouldn't any reasonable person?!**

So, here I am, confronting him about why they've evidently changed their story. He denied that she would ever say anything like that. At least he was diplomatic in his approach here by not accusing me of lying, but he definitely made it clear that he didn't believe that she would ever say anything like this. ARGH!! She did say that all I needed was the email confirmation, I swear! And I have the email to prove it!

I also conveyed to him that I couldn't understand how they could NOT take responsibility, as the police report claimed the other driver (his client!) was at fault. He laughed -- actually laughed -- and said, "Well, that means nothing to me." And this is a quote!!! I was floored. I was like, "what?!?" So he goes on to 'explain' to me that the cop had no way to prove that it was the other lady's fault, and that the cop had only arrived AFTER the accident, so how in the world could he have known whose fault it was?! Can I just reiterate again here how I was completely flabbergasted? So, we kept arguing like this for awhile. Me saying that it was his client's fault, and that I had proof -- the proof of the accident report that the cop had filed VERIFYING that it was her fault AND the fact that SHE WAS TICKETED for improper backing!! His reply to me saying something about the ticket is, "Well, tickets get thrown out all the time." He goes on to tell me that unless I provide an 'independent witness,' this is basically just a she-says one thing, and I say another situation. So I keep saying, but no, I have something to back up what I'm saying, whereas this woman doesn't. He didn't care -- the way he made it sound, he said he MIGHT authorize half of the payment. Finally, the conversation of us going back and forth was getting nowhere.

Now, by this point, my voice is quavering, and I am crying as I speak to him. But that saying kept going through my head, "Speak your mind, even if your voice falters," so I did just that. I sounded like I was getting emotional, which I was, but I couldn't contain it. So I just tried to keep my mind calm on the words I was speaking, even though my body was betraying me. I made it clear to him that I needed an answer as soon as possible so I could decide on a course of action. I informed him that I would be flying out for Japan on the 26th for deployment, and because of that, I needed to know soon.

After I got off the phone, I cried. You know, it's not the money. I mean, it is, but it isn't. Yeah, I don't make that much, so over $350 for the repairs is no chump change for me. What I'm saying is that if I don't get reimbursed, it's not going to kill me. It's just that the whole situation seems so upside-down. I don't know...it just feels so wrong. And I guess that's what's got me so upset. I wouldn't exactly say it's the 'justice' of it...maybe that's part of it...b/c I know life's not fair. And I know that people will screw you over if you give them the chance. I guess it's just the way these people have been...from the lady that hit me and her psycho boyfriend, all the way to this guy. The whole situation just sucks.

Well, I called my mother and cried some more to her. She made an interesting point about the cop. She reminded me that how often do police officers see an accident as it occurs? Not many. When they get to the scene of an accident, they take into account the evidence and they make a determination based on that. So his decision that it was her fault was not just the fact that I told him it was her fault (b/c she was sitting there saying the same thing about me). So how can this insurance guy just say that's not valid at all? Mom thinks I need to report these people to the insurance commission.

After all this, I went to speak with the cop who had filed the paperwork on Friday. I wanted to know if the ticket had been thrown out or could it get thrown out. He didn't say too much, b/c I don't think he wants to take sides, but he said that 1) even if the ticket does get thrown out, the at-fault party still stands valid, and 2) I should have my insurance company handle this situation and quit dealing with them myself. Only problem with that is I'm a liability-only customer, and I don't know how this will affect their service to me. I'm going to definitely call them Monday to see what they can do for me, b/c they are aware of the situation already. And I think on top of that, I'm going to take this woman to small claims court to recoup the damages, b/c I had to fork out the cash to get my truck back. It's just frustrating, b/c here I am leaving in less than a week for Japan, and now I have to worry about setting all this up. Is there some sort of limitations on when you can take someone to small claims? I don't know these things, but I guess I've gotta find out. On top of that, Butch (the wannabe-gangster) threatened me at the scene of the accident. I'm not super scared of the guy, but who knows what he might do if I take his girlfriend to court.

Whew! That feels better. I just kind of slammed it out...

I'm not working right now b/c I'm on standdown to get ready for deployment, so I haven't seen any of my coworkers lately. Also, my friends are either out of the country or out of the state right now, so I really don't have anyone to talk with about all this. I guess it helps to dump it out somewhere!

That's why I've been blogging so much lately. I don't have a life right now! haha It's kind of nice to relax for a bit before I have to go to Japan. At least this will be my last deployment before I'm out of the Navy!

I want to say that I should not be getting so worked up about this situation. I heard once that you can 'should' all over yourself, though, so let me rephrase that. I wish I could take it in stride. This is definitely a learning lesson in many aspects. I know in the big scheme of things, it will all get worked out. I'll be a little more wise from it, too.

Breast Cancer Awareness

2006-11-18T16:12:00.000-06:00

Officially, last month was 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month.' However, now that it's in the headlines this month with the study I mentioned in my last post, I think this is an excellent opportunity for me to remind you to visit the Breast Cancer Site. Just by visiting their site and clicking on the links, you are helping to provide free mammograms for underpriveleged women. This is not a scam -- here is a link to the Urban Legend Reference Pages which confirms the site's validity. The ULRP is a great source for looking up questionable stories that you may receive via those notorious 'forwards' in your inbox.

For more information on breast cancer-- how to detect it early, symptoms, myths about breast cancer, and answers to any questions you may have --check out the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

By the way, there is a whole family of those websites where your clicks are for charity. If you just visit the Breast Cancer Site and look at the tabs on the top of the page, you can click on each one from there. Also, be sure to visit Campbell's site here:
Campbell's Soup Click for Cans - provides food for the hungry.

Is There Really a Link Between Red Meat Consumption and Breast Cancer?

2006-11-18T15:00:00.000-06:00

That's hard to say. The buzz is being generated right now from the recent publication of a Harvard Medical School study suggesting high red meat consumption can nearly double a woman's risk of getting breast cancer. At least, that's how The Washington Post and a few other media outlets, in print, online, and on television, are presenting the data. The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday.

The particular type of breast cancer that was linked to red meat consumption is called hormone-receptive. It should be noted that the study was only conducted on premenopausal women, and it was done by analyzing the answers that women provided for a questionnaire on the frequency that they ate particular foods.

Now, I'm not going to go into some in-depth analysis on what the results mean as the real experts have already hashed it out. I would just like to provide some links for you to follow in order to decide for yourself. I think what most of the skeptics are saying is that there is no real conclusive evidence to a link between red meat consumption and breast cancer. Objectively looking at the subject, I think most people took the reported results and ran with them. It seems there could be some sort of link, but there needs to be more research before a definitive association can be claimed. I personally feel that there are risks associated with eating red meat in excess, without supplementing your diet with alternatives. I also feel that there are risks with eating much of the meat that is processed here in the US because of the hormones that have been injected into the cows before they are slaughtered. That's why I always try to purchase hormone-free meat.

One very good analysis I found was written by a journalist for foxnews.com. I can't say that I much like the source, but his message is solid, and well-researched. It's worth a read here.

Another analysis is done by the much respected STATS at George Mason University. They also make a good arguement as to why this subject needs more research before these results can be found conclusive.

Now, on the same token, keep in mind that there is a definitive link between excessive red meat and processed meat consumption to colorectal cancer. So it would probably not be a good idea to eat red meat everyday. However, the risks for colon cancer and the danger to your overall health are smaller than those created by obeisity and lack of exercise. So, priority-wise, if you are obese, it would be more beneficial to bring your weight under control before you worry about your meat consumption.

OJ: Narcissistic, Arrogant, Sociopathic, I can go on here...

2006-11-17T15:41:00.000-06:00

Here we go again. You've probably heard a little about the book that was written by OJ Simpson that has recently been published entitled, "If I Did It." Once again, he is purported to speculate on the details of the murder and how it may have played out if he had commited the crime. It is being touted as a basic confession by the man himself. This is not the first time he's made comments along the lines of some sort of admission. I recall the stir he caused in 1998 when he commented to an Esquire reporter, "Let's say I commited this crime. Even if I did do this, it would have been because I loved her very much, right?" However, it is startling that he has become even more brash in his thinly-veiled admissions. The making of this book is an egregious act coming from OJ, as well as the publisher, that defies belief. He is so arrogant because he has already been acquitted in a criminal court, and he realizes that no matter what he does, he cannot be prosecuted for that crime again.

Not only has he put out this book, but on November 27th and the 29th, he is going to be on Fox television expose entitled, "OJ Simpson: If I Did It, Here's How It Happened." Oh yeah, and the publishers of the book fall under the holdings of News Corporation. Murdoch & Co. strikes again!

Everyone knows he did it. He has been convicted in a civil trial which unequivically proclaimed his guilt. In addition, I would argue that despite his acquittal in criminal court, he has not been exhonerated of the charges. If anyone has any doubt left as to the guilt of this man, then they are not taking the facts into account. I believe that this new book will clear up any misconceptions, as OJ virtually confesses to the murders. I understand and fully support freedom of speech. On the same token, I believe there are responsibilities that come along with what you say. OJ is a prime example: he wants to flirt with an all-out confession, then he needs to pay. He needs to be taken back to court, and any proceeds from the book need to go to his children. He should also be seen as an unfit parent. They do it to other parents for much less. Any other way he can be penalized should be applied as well. If there are any charges, such as perjury, or anything that would stick that can be brought against him should be applied. He needs to be nailed to the wall. He's a sorry SOB.

Oh, and one last thing, since it was a war-cry during the trial. The gloves DID fit. First, he had on latex gloves when he tried on the gloves in the courtroom in order to keep from 'contaminating the evidence.' This act was orchestrated by Johnny Cochrane. In addition, the gloves were leather, which had dried wet from the blood and had shrunk. Not only that, an investigator with the same sized hands slipped the gloves on without issue (Simpson made a big theatrical presentation of struggling to get his hands in the gloves.) OJ had also been pictured the previous year with those gloves on. Later in the trial, he tried on a brand new pair of Isotoners -- same size extra large -- and they slid on...like a pair of gloves.

Congratulations!

2006-11-17T15:12:00.000-06:00

Well, I've just got to say that Meegan called and told me she got accepted into the University of Washington! I'm so happy for her. At least something good is going on around me! Everyone knew it was coming, and I'm glad that they finally notified her. Awesome!

Frustration

2006-11-17T13:00:00.000-06:00

You ever had that mid-chest, sinking feeling before? It spreads upwards into your jaws? Of course, everyone has at some point. I felt it again today. I hate that feeling. It has a helplessness to it, that taste in the back of your throat...I feel like a got stabbed in the back.

I finally was able to schedule a time to take my truck in for repairs. I thought everything was good to go because the insurance company that represented the other driver had verbally claimed responsibility. They had sent out a claims adjuster who took a look at my truck, & who said she would send the information to me by e-mail. She explained that all I would have to do would be to print this out, take it to any car repair shop that I wanted, and that the paperwork would take care of the bill. I even asked her, what if there was a discrepancy between their quote and how much the shop said it would take, and she said that they would work it out with the shop. Well, I finally was able to take my truck in to have it repaired. When they called to tell me it was ready, I went down there excited to have my transportation back. The guy starts looking at the paperwork, though, and he says that it states I am to pay the charges. I was flabbergasted. He called the insurance company to verify, and they indicated that liability is still pending. Bullshit! Any reputable company would have 1) resolved this by now, and 2) claimed responsibility based on the overwhelming evidence that it was their customer's fault! I got on the phone and demanded answers from the insurance company. I couldn't get any straight answers, so I asked to speak to a supervisor. My request was met with, "That's not going to help you any." WTF?!

I was so upset. I was crying because I had gotten myself so worked up. I called mother, & she helped calm me down. Mothers are good at that. But I only slept for 4 hours last night, which is far too little for me. I laid there awake, mulling things over, getting mad all over again for about an hour. Finally I realized that was doing no good, so I got up and read a book. I kept re-reading paragraphs because I'd find my mind wandering back to the situation, imagining what I would say once I got those people on the phone again. It's so frustrating.

The whole situation is fishy. I don't know...they may yet claim responsibility, but it doesn't seem likely with their current reluctance. I never knew insurance comanies could be this way. I'd always had such great service from Progressive (awesome company), and even Geico seemed reliable when I was with them.

I feel physically stressed by this situation. I just can't believe that they're doing this. Needless to say, it may come down to me paying for the damages caused by someone else. It sucks. I'm waiting on a phone call from the insurance company to see what's going to happen -- maybe get some solid answers. I'm going to try and do other things in the meantime to keep my mind off of it.

More Fun Stuff

2006-11-12T22:18:00.000-06:00

The last time I left off on my adventures was back in September. On the 23rd of that month, LeAnne & I signed up for and completed a 50 mile bike ride through Whidbey Island, called the Tour de Whidbey. It was great that it wasn't a race, and there were break stations where people were set up with water, fruit, and a smile nearly every 15 miles. I had never ridden that far before on a bicycle, so it was definitely a challenge. We were nearly the only goobers out there with mountain bikes with slicks, but we managed to make it by that afternoon. I didn't really have any problems until the last 3 or 4 miles, when I just wanted it to be over. For the most part, though, we had a great time. The weather held up for us, too.

The next weekend I got together with LeAnne again, and we took off for Whistler in British Columbia to do some downhill mountain biking. We left as soon as I got off of work on Friday, and pulled into Whistler around 10 p.m. We decided to have a makeshift campsite in the back of her Suburu, which afforded plenty of room and best of all was free. Early the next morning, we got up and hit the slopes, sans snow. With an all-day ticket, you can take the gondolas up the mountain and ride down all day long. We both crashed a couple of times, but we got back up and kept going. The bruises stayed with us for weeks; I had a deep gash in my shin from hitting a hill too fast and flipping off of my bike. Next time I'll be wearing shin guards. Once again, we were the least equipped fools up there, but I've got to say we probably had the most fun. Everyone up there had these sick downhill bikes with mad travel, and here we came up with our regular mtn bikes. The guy I took my bike to for repairs after going to Whistler said my back shock pin looked as if it was going to fall out because it had seen so much wear up there! That made me proud. I rode hard and enjoyed every minute. Here's a picture of some of the trails from the gondola. Check out the crazy jump in the background, too:
We were beat by the end of the day, so we decided to get a room to relax, rather than try to camp out again. The next morning, we headed back towards Vancouver along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, which is renowned for its beautiful vistas and lookout points. I was amazed, because it was completely dark when we had driven up on Friday night. We stopped at a few places, one being Shannon Falls, which is BC's 3rd tallest waterfall. The flow was pretty sparse, but there was enough water to wash my hair:

We pulled into Vancouver around 2 p.m., and headed for an all-you-can-eat sushi joint. Unfortunately, we had just missed the all-you-can-eat part, so we ordered some general dishes, which still ended up being pretty cheap. After this, we headed over to Granville Island, a small area connected to Vancouver with an indoor market, arts, crafts, pottery studios, art schools, and the like.
After we had made the rounds through the market, we came outside to hear a Peruvian flutist who was perfoming. It was pretty funny because LeAnne had purchased the same guy's CD the last time she had heard him, a few years before. It had been relegated to her 'bad' CD pile, and of course, I poked fun at her for having it. As we watched, an Oriental lady began dancing around on the square, doing all kinds of eye-closed moved, swaying this way and that. It was a mixture of ballet and spinning. She was really getting into it, so we wondered if she was part of the act. Come to find out, she was just there watching the performance with her husband, and I guess she just got moved.

Opt-Out of Prescreen Offers

2006-11-12T22:02:00.000-06:00

Over the past 3 weeks, I have received 4 separate offers for the same credit card saying I've been pre-approved. This is ridiculous. I have subsequently sent in a request for a permanent opt-out for offers like this. You can find the website here, which is provided free of charge under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

You're Toxic

2006-11-12T20:39:00.000-06:00

I've been reading about the dangers of polycarbonate/Lexan bottles recently. The problem lies with HDPE bottles that leach out the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) into your liquids. Some studies have indicated that brand new bottles leach out the substance, and as the bottle degrades over time, the chemical begins leaching out at a faster rate, especially when detergent is used to clean them or if they are heated as with a hot liquid. Bisphenol A has been linked to cell mutations in humans which are of the type that lead to birth defects, miscarriages, and several types of cancer. I had no idea there could be any health hazards associated with drinking out of these bottles, and I have used them without thinking for years. The scientists that conducted the research and who linked this type of plastic to BPA did not specifically test Nalgene bottles, and it should be noted that the maker of Nalgene bottles maintains that there is no inherent danger in using their polycarbonate bottles. However, considering these bottles are made from the same plastic that was tested, I would find it hard to believe that these bottles would be found to not leach the chemical. Regardless, I am limiting my use of Nalgene and other HDPE bottles to just the ones I have recently bought. When a few months have passed, I will throw these out, too. I was told that a good measure as to when to throw out one of these bottles is when you see the writing begin to wear off the outside. No word on where that indicator comes from, so I am assuming this comes from this being a general indicator that the bottle is getting old. If you are looking to avoid these bottles, too, look for #7 on the bottom or somewhere where it says polycarbonate.

So what are the options for drinking bottles? There are aluminum bottles, glass, stainless steel, and other types of plastics. The Sierra Club recommends using HDPE #4 plastic bottles instead, which are not linked to the leaching of bisphenol A. The old-style Nalgene bottles that are cloudy or milky looking are made from this type of plastic. They also say LDPE #2 and #5 PP are safe for reuse. On a side note, it is also not recommended to reuse regular plastic bottles, like those you purchase for everyday use such as Evian due to the problems with them harboring bacteria, despite attempts to clean them. As far as aluminum bottles go, I'm not sure. I'm still trying to find research on this subject, but with no luck. Aluminum has been linked to all sorts of problems in humans including Alzheimers. I realize that most aluminum bottles are lined with epoxies, but personally I will probably avoid these as well. That leaves glass and stainless steel. Glass is not practical for outside of the home for obvious reasons. I have found a couple of stainless steel bottles that you can purchase online here:

Colored Stainless Bottles
Klean Kanteen
Nissan Stainless

What's the point?

2006-09-27T23:09:00.000-05:00

I was looking at my last post & realized I never finished what I wanted to say about ole Rita. I got off talking about what's-her-butt instead.

Free Dog

2006-09-20T00:13:00.000-05:00

So I watched 'Dog: The Family Speaks' tonight on A&E. I understand that Duane 'Dog' Chapman captured Andrew Luster in another country; however, I feel the U.S. should not extradite him. Here's a guy who has done a lot of good: for his community, for his family, and for himself. Yeah sure, there's a bit of white-trash element to Dog & Beth and the gang (ok, we can go with plural here on the elements)--it's part of why I watch his show. They're definitely not the most refined folks, but they really try to make a difference. If you're not familiar with his show, when he arrests people he tries to talk to the folks to get them to change their ways. He's not just out there bringing people in for the money; he cares about their well-being and where they're headed in their lives. Why this judge signed off on the warrant is beyond me. It's not just about following the letter of the law, because here in America, we allow bounty hunting. Mexico doesn't, and here is where the issue arises. According to this program, in Mexico this is considered a misdemeanor. If everything else is political, then why not make this a political issue too? What I mean by that is, if someone had murdered another in Mexico then yes, I believe they should be extradited. But this guy, no (and his brother and son who also face charges). He commited a misdemeanor, and it was to bring a criminal to justice. Not just any criminal -- this was Andrew Luster, who was charged with 86 counts of rape. Eighty-six!! Violent acts, too.

So here's another part of why I'm upset with this situation. Dog was originally arrested and held in a Mexican jail for a few days immediately following his capture of Andrew Luster. He made bail, and was subsequently told that charges would not be pursued if he just quietly left. So why now? Why 3 years later?

I think this whole situation is another example of what's wrong in America.

And I want to discuss Rita Cosby for a moment. Seriously. She's no ordinary talking head, this woman. She's a talking head with a voice that sounds like she gargled with brake fluid. After smoking 3 packs of cigarettes. I mean, how did she get to be in this industry? I understand that she's a decent reporter, albeit one who sometime still acts as if she works for what they call the 'Ministry of Propaganda,' (aka Fox News). I definitely like her better than, say, Ann Coulter. She seems to have a more caring personality. I think I found Ann Coulter's heart in my icebox the other day.

Brilliant! It's the Christian way.

Dale's Cone of Experience

2006-09-19T01:54:00.000-05:00

One of the newsletters that I subscribe to is the Internet Tourbus, and in one of the latest editions, they talk about 'Dale's Cone of Experience.' This is the term for the generally accepted idea that people most of the time remember:

10% of what they read
20% of what they hear
30% of what they see
50% of what they hear and see
70% of what they say or write
90% of what they as they do a thing

Here's a picture of what this looks like.

This information is usually considered common knowledge. Most people have seen it forwarded in an email or something similar. I believed it to be true after hearing people say you only remember 10% of what you read...Although I have always found that I remember things I read on an inverse scale, where the percentage I remember is inversely proportional to how much I need to remember. If it's some interesting biography or true story, I could probably tell you all about it. However, if it's, say, a reading from a textbook for some class, just forget it!

So, basically, according to the folks over at Work-Learning Research, this information is bogus. They did extensive research, and even contacted the supposed original researchers who formulated these statements from data. One of the researchers denied these statements to be a part of the research.

The Internet Tourbus folks have stated it best:

"Will Thalheimer at Work-Learning Research delved into
Dale's Cone and discovered that:

1. While Edgar Dale indeed did indeed create a model of the
concreteness of various audio-visual material back in 1946,
the model contained no numbers and no research was conducted
to create the model. Dale's Cone was just a hunch, albeit an
educated hunch, one that Dale warned shouldn't be taken too
literally.

2. The percentages -- 'people generally remember 10% of what they
read' and so on -- were most likely added to Dale's Cone by an
employee of the Mobil Oil company in the late 1960s. These
percentages have since been discredited."

The full report on this is here.