Hat tip to Stevil Kinevil (via Elden) for pointing me to this trailer. I have not been this excited for a movie in a while.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
We're going to need a bigger boat
The chatter amongst skiers and non-skiers alike this winter has been all about the lack of snowfall. Well, it finally snowed. And as Dug said, there was much rejoicing. For the most part at least.
For the past three and a half winters, every time it has snowed more than half a foot, I have cursed my snowblower for not being up to the task. Sunday night as it bogged down in the wet snowplow debris was no different.
Until it died, that is. Then I wanted it back at least long enough to finish the job. Turns out, I blew up the gearbox. Cost of repair was more than the machine was worth, so it went to the place consumer-grade snowblowers go to die. I just got a new, commercial-grade snowblower delivered today. Bring on the snow.
For the past three and a half winters, every time it has snowed more than half a foot, I have cursed my snowblower for not being up to the task. Sunday night as it bogged down in the wet snowplow debris was no different.
Until it died, that is. Then I wanted it back at least long enough to finish the job. Turns out, I blew up the gearbox. Cost of repair was more than the machine was worth, so it went to the place consumer-grade snowblowers go to die. I just got a new, commercial-grade snowblower delivered today. Bring on the snow.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Observations
Super Bowl: I thought for sure Gronkowski was going to scoop up the tipped Hail Mary pass to give the Pats the win. Six inches out of position. How many cases of a couple inches this way or that led to this result? The Ravens missed field goal in the AFC championship game, the 49er's punt returner brushing the ball with his knee, Mario Manningham's catch on what turned out to be the game winning drive. The list goes on. A game of inches.
Here's what I know from watching Eli Manning: the dude is cool under pressure. I guess he's used to it. Archie's son, Peyton's kid brother. If he didn't get used to pressure early on, he never would have made it. As good as Peyton, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady are, I don't think there's anyone I'd rather have throwing the ball with the game on the line than Eli*.
Lance: Investigation dropped. Meh. Couldn't make anything stick because the statute of limitations had expired. I think that's why we have the statute of limitations. Do I think he cheated? Of course. At this point does it really matter? Not much.
Contador: Two year ban handed down two years after the fact. Perhaps this would have been appropriate two years ago. But a full sanction at this point is a little absurd, especially given the minimal amount of clenbuterol in his system. His results from 2010 and 2011 are relegated, but at least he's eligible to compete in August of this year. Had CAS started the clock ticking on the ban now, it would have been more of a kangaroo court than it has been already.
I'm glad to see that cycling is at least acting like it takes doping seriously. I was going to say I would hate to live in a society that had a police force as draconian as the WADA, but then I thought about the Patriot act, border fences, billions of dollars and thousands of lives lost in retaliation for one tragedy, full body imaging at the airport, and the fact that I can't even carry a bottle of water onto a plane. Killing flies with cannons.
Here's what I know from watching Eli Manning: the dude is cool under pressure. I guess he's used to it. Archie's son, Peyton's kid brother. If he didn't get used to pressure early on, he never would have made it. As good as Peyton, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady are, I don't think there's anyone I'd rather have throwing the ball with the game on the line than Eli*.
*Unless Jesus is helping Tim Tebow, then Tim gets the rock.
Lance: Investigation dropped. Meh. Couldn't make anything stick because the statute of limitations had expired. I think that's why we have the statute of limitations. Do I think he cheated? Of course. At this point does it really matter? Not much.
Contador: Two year ban handed down two years after the fact. Perhaps this would have been appropriate two years ago. But a full sanction at this point is a little absurd, especially given the minimal amount of clenbuterol in his system. His results from 2010 and 2011 are relegated, but at least he's eligible to compete in August of this year. Had CAS started the clock ticking on the ban now, it would have been more of a kangaroo court than it has been already.
I'm glad to see that cycling is at least acting like it takes doping seriously. I was going to say I would hate to live in a society that had a police force as draconian as the WADA, but then I thought about the Patriot act, border fences, billions of dollars and thousands of lives lost in retaliation for one tragedy, full body imaging at the airport, and the fact that I can't even carry a bottle of water onto a plane. Killing flies with cannons.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Injury vs. illness
Injury sucks because one can't do what one wants to do usually because one injured one's self doing what one wanted to do and therefore the injury prevents one from doing said wanted thing. Injury tends to last a long time, but utter misery can be avoided by avoiding use of the injured part.
Illness sucks because one can't do what one wants to do because one's whole body feels like it was taped to the inside of one of those gigantic industrial rolling doors and then the door was opened. Turns out, such general malaise not only affects one's physical ability to engage in an otherwise enjoyable activity, but the will to actually raise one's self from whatever horizontal surface one finds one's self on is also crushed like the figurative body in the industrial door analogy.
The title of this blog contains "junkie," because I and my cohorts are addicts. On Friday the question is never "are you going to do something this weekend," but rather "what are your plans this weekend?" Putting a planned outing on the shelf due to injury or illness is like taking the cigarettes from a smoker who has no interest in quitting.
The demands of my profession have lately become such that I plan everything I do a year in advance. Professionally, my product plans always include some management reserve to account for time consumed by unanticipated demands. Similarly, my training plan for this season also included a week of reserve for injury or illness. My training plan* began this week. My reserve is already nearly exhausted.
*For the upcoming cycling season. Skiing has officially been written off.
Illness sucks because one can't do what one wants to do because one's whole body feels like it was taped to the inside of one of those gigantic industrial rolling doors and then the door was opened. Turns out, such general malaise not only affects one's physical ability to engage in an otherwise enjoyable activity, but the will to actually raise one's self from whatever horizontal surface one finds one's self on is also crushed like the figurative body in the industrial door analogy.
The title of this blog contains "junkie," because I and my cohorts are addicts. On Friday the question is never "are you going to do something this weekend," but rather "what are your plans this weekend?" Putting a planned outing on the shelf due to injury or illness is like taking the cigarettes from a smoker who has no interest in quitting.
The demands of my profession have lately become such that I plan everything I do a year in advance. Professionally, my product plans always include some management reserve to account for time consumed by unanticipated demands. Similarly, my training plan for this season also included a week of reserve for injury or illness. My training plan* began this week. My reserve is already nearly exhausted.
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