Infinite Monkeys
"...a sparkly blog..." - James Lileks"Read them only with extreme caution."- Hugh Hewitt
Infinite MonkeysFrom National Review's The Corner, Nancy "I'm too stupid to Breathe" Pelosi on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Kelo:
It is a decision of the Supreme Court. If Congress wants to change it, it will require legislation of a level of a constitutional amendment. So this is almost as if God has spoken. It's an elementary discussion now. They have made the decision.
Amazing. God? Not only elected and re-elected to Congress, but she is the Democrat House Leader! Do ya think she noticed the irony that shortly after the Supreme Court's indecipherable decisions on the Ten Coomandments she referred to the Supreme Court as akin to "God"?
Read the whole thing. She didn't even understand the question.
God what an idiot.
This wonderful article from a 1984 Byte magazine brings back memories. It's really the little things--that dot matrix printer, the fact that the keyboard cord was coiled like a phone cord (remember phone cords?). I think the connector was even a small version pf a phone plug. I also like the complaint about the location of the Command key...as I look down now, it's in the same place.
Immediately below, Monkey Brad links to an article by Lt. Col. Gordon Cucullu from Frontpage Magazine describing his actual experiences (as opposed to Dick Durbin's hateful comments) at Gitmo.
Add to this Hugh Hewitt's interview of Lt. Peter Hegseth, a New Jersey National Guardsman who served at Gitmo for one year, up until approximately April or May 2005.
A day later Powerline posted a letter Lt. Hegseth sent to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in response to that paper's editorial endorsement of Durbin's idiotic, hateful rant. A letter about first hand experiences which the Strib refused to run. See also this Powerline follow-up.
And, of course, some of the Congressional numbnuts finally make a trip to Gitmo to see for themselves. Of course their spin is that it was evidence of progress.
No, it was evidence that Durbin, et al., lied.
Oh, and then there's the Gitmo menu (the real one!!)
(What the hell are "Noodles Jefferson"? Sounds like a great name for a baseball player.)
One's opinion of Gitmo ought to have factored in the sort of evidence contained in this article by one who actually visited the place to assess what's going on there. [Hat tip: Dennis Prager]
As of Day 7, eleven of the 26 solo riders are out of the race; one death, six medicals, two exhausted, and one whose average speed was low enough to miss the cutoff time near the 1/4 way mark. Fourteen men and one woman remain. Two teams have abandoned the race as well; one for medical reasons, and the other for lack of funds. As I write, the lead soloist is in West Virginia and the lead team has leapfrogged all the way to Pennsylvania already. (Remember, the race goes from San Diego to Atlantic City.) The big news from today was the crash of the rider in second place. Last year's overall second place finisher, Mike Trevino, was heading for a repeat performance when he looked around behind himself for a moment and hit a bump in the road, crashing and separating his shoulder. One of the things I learned in the reporting of the story was that rules forbid RAAM riders from taking any pain killers of any kind during the race. [insert Jon Stewart eye-rubbing "Hwuungh?" here]
I've also learned of a few blogs; some by crew members of the actual riders, and one by a fan who's following the action closely and claims to have ridden a few miles of the race alongside one of the competitors. But what's really worth checking out is this 12 minute video on what RAAM is, made by the guy who puts together the NBC coverage of the event. [Warning: Fairly tame, but not for Rod & Todd. If the large file doesn't start playing, leave Windows Player open and click "Back" in the browser window or reload the page.]
Some on the blogosphere claim that newpapers' unsigned editorial (or even newspapers themselves) are going to vanish. I'm skeptical of that (even if the actual paper versions fade away), since editorial boards have unique access to those in power, and there's something to be said for opinions forged in group debate--in fact, as blogs become more common, it's the columnists who fire off narrow opinions who are more endangered.
The Press-Enterprise today has a fascinating look at the kinds of discussions that go into creating an editorial (in this, regarding Durbin). And even if you're not interested in the newpaper business aspect, this is a fine debate.
Matt Welch at Reason writes this post summarizing high-profile leftyblog reaction to the Kelo case. This quote from The Daily Kos left me speechless:
"Thank God we [RobbL - who's we, anyway?] stopped the property-rights extremists in their tracks."
Awful news today from the RAAM website. (My explanatory post on RAAM here.)
With profound regret, Race Across America announces that Bob Breedlove, competitor #188, collided head-on with a pickup truck at approximately 12.15 p.m. EDT, on [Thursday,] June 23, 28 miles west of Trinidad, Colorado. When paramedics arrived on the scene they pronounced him dead. The accident took place on a section of road that sloped very gently downhill for cyclists in the race. According to the driver of the pickup truck, Bob Breedlove appeared to collapse on his bicycle and swerved into the path of the oncoming vehicle.The last individual update (beyond numerical time-station check-ins and mph average) about Breedlove was posted early this morning before the accident, recounting:Cyclists competing in the Race Across America are offered the option of completing the race, should they so desire.
Race Director Jim Pitre said: "Speaking both personally, and on behalf of the entire management and all those associated with the race, I extend my most sincere sympathy to the family of Bob Breedlove."
At the time of the accident, Bob Breedlove was leading the 50+ category, and was 12th overall in the race.
Around Noon local time on Tuesday [the third day of the race], Dr. Bob Breedlove walked into the gas station at time station #12 in Mexican Hat, Utah [670 miles into the 3052 mile race] to cool off. With an ice pack on his head, he began reminiscing about his many past transcontinental crossings. He had ridden on this section of the course two times. He said that the Southern course he set the 50+ record on in 2002 (outside of RAAM) was much flatter the first half. ... Getting ready to leave, Bob put on a pair of thin orange long-fingered gloves overtop regular cycling gloves so people can see him waving at them across the country.Dr. Breedlove's bio, and pictures of him before the race and reaching the continental divide are now posted on the home page of RAAM's site. Breedlove's epic ultracycling resume and his back and forth competition with the legendary Rob Kish have been inspirational to me in my reading over the last several weeks.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. My thoughts also go out to the organizers, and volunteers of RAAM, and particularly the other riders whose emotions are likely laid bare at this point in their undertaking. Noteworthy in my mind are those in the trailing third of the field and all of the team riders who are likely headed past the very location of the tragedy as they complete the route.
Dr. Bob Breedlove will be certainly be observed and his memory honored. I hope that we will see an award created to commemorate the 5-time finisher of the world's toughest athletic event.
Living, breathing, and growing; like the plant in Little Shop of Horrors.
Hugh Hewitt makes a good point in a post on real estate bubbles that "The housing market is too vast to proclaim the presence or absence of a bubble across its entirety. The key seems to me to be regional population growth and housing supply." Then he goes on the make a ridiculous point about how if current trends continue, by 2025 the equivalent of the state of New York will move to California.
Of course, any time you hear "if current trends continue..." you should be skeptical. Based on past trends, President Bush will win the 2008 election with 57% of the vote. Based on the trends of the past four months, the temperature in Phoenix will be 200 degrees by December. Based on our hit counts on this blog for the past four months, we should pass InstaPundit by 2007.
What would change current trends in population growth? Well, for one thing, the fact that no one will be able to afford a $&!@ing house. For another, the fact that the baby boomers are getting older, and might want to retire somewhere less crowded, safer, and where--and I cannot emphasize this enough--they can afford a $&!@ing house. Even people who own homes and want to trade up are starting to wonder why they get so little here, and can get so much more elsewhere.
The only thing that is really keeping the migrations lower than they were in the 90's, when a number of Californians moved to the Pacific Northwest or Colorado, is that any market that begins to heat up is descended upon by speculators, so prices go up even faster. When interest rates go up (and they always do, eventually) there's going to be a lot of people with wacky loans in big trouble, and a lot of speculators (and lending institutions) looking to get out. Will the bubble burst in a terrible crash? Not in most places--and Hugh is right that it's a lot of very small markets. Places in La Jolla or Newport Beach may dip for a while, but there's only some much property near the ocean. $600,000 condos far inland or in dodgy areas (and that really is what they cost) will drop a lot, and may not recover for years. And then, if the whole economy doesn't tank, some young Californians might actually be able to buy a…well, you know.
Lileks (because somehow it's always about Lileks) has a few things to say about Australian wine. Two words, James: Wolf Blass.
Lileks also has a thing or two to say about how he would re-do the metropolitan daily newspaper. I think he's half right. Newspapers will survive only if it gets better at delivering unique local content. But I think the editorial pages can still serve as a forum for a much broader spectrum of opinion -- wide ranging views and topics.
I hope so, anyway. All politics may be local, but sometimes local politics is pretty boring.
But the papers cannot ignore the rest of the world. Not as long as the war is on. And even if some of them are stupid, others are smarter.
We've been tagged by Miller's Book Meme (MBM, for short). My answers are below, with this caveat: This is all off the top of my head without access to my library, because I'm not at home. I'm sure I'd have several different answers if my books were in front of me.
1. What is the last book you read, the book you are currently reading and the next book you plan to read:
• Iustitia Dei: A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification - Alister E. McGrath (I'm not 100% sure this was the last book I read, it's just the last book I remember finishing.)
• The Abolition of Man (re-reading) - C. S. Lewis
• The New Science of Politics - Eric Voegelin (I've actually already started this, but I'm taking a break for "Abolition")
2. In no particular order, what are your five favorite works of fiction:
(RobbL note: I don't particularly care for fiction, and I read very little of it.)
• That Hideous Strength - C. S. Lewis
• Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkein
• Ummm....ahhh....hold on, I'm sure I'll think of something. Oh yeah:
• Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein
• Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton (guilty pleasure, those Crichton books)
• Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - Douglas Adams
3. In no particular order, what are your five favorite non-fiction books:
• God in the Dock - C. S. Lewis (collection of essays)
• Le Ton Beau de Marot: In Praise of the Music of Language - Douglas R. Hofstadter (it was close between this and The Minds I)
• An Empire Wilderness - Robert D. Kaplan (hard to choose which of his books is my favorite)
• The Shape of Sola Scriptura - Keith A. Mathison
• Objections Sustained: Subversive Essays on Evolution, Law & Culture - Phillip E. Johnson
4. Who are your five favorite fiction writers:
• C. S. Lewis
• J. R. R. Tolkein
• Robert Heinlein
• Michael Crichton
• Douglas Adams
5. Who are your five favorite non-fiction writers:
• Robert D. Kaplan
• Douglas R. Hofstadter
• Phillip E. Johnson
• C. S. Lewis
• R. C. Sproul
6. What book[s] (other than Scripture) have you read more than once:
(RobbL note: I rarely read a book all-the-way-through more than once. This list would have been totally different if it asked which books I go back to and re-read lengthy portions of with some frequency.)
• That Hideous Strength
• God in the Dock
• Starship Troopers
• The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, Documented
• The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
7. What autographed books do you own, and who signed them:
• Systematic Theology - Wayne Grudem (signed by the author)
• Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope - Keith A. Mathison (signed by the author)
• Before Jerusalem Fell - Kenneth L. Gentry (signed by the author)
• Chosen By God - R. C. Sproul (signed by the author)
That's all I can recall at this point. Who's next?
Well, I've been hearing a lot about how certain people are "screwing up America", and of course the lists are full of Democrats, because apparently John McCain is the only Republican capable of doing wrong. I, of course, was not invited to offer my opinion, but through the miracle of MonkeyPower, I will share it anyway. In no particular order, a sampling of groups who are screwing up America:
1. The two major parties. To quote an article in the most recent issue of The Atlantic, "the Democrats can't win, and the Republicans can't govern." There has not been a year in my lifetime that the Republicans have shown themselves to be the party of smaller government by their actions. And for the last 6 years, they've been consistently trying to "out-Socialist" the Democrats, which has succeeded in driving the Dems into irrelevance, but not in re-establishing Constitutional government. (Okay, the quote was a non sequitur. But I'm leaving it in because I like it, and because the article is great.)
2. The minor parties. Hey, I love a good spoiler as much as the next guy, but unless and until one of the majors actually self-destructs, the minor parties only make themselves look like fringe wackos. Take a cue from Ron Paul, and combine principled candidacy with actually winning elections.
3. Americans. We've all figured out how to "vote ourselves largesse from the public treasury." And we do it exceptionally well. I've quoted P. J. O'Rourke here before, "Every government is a parliament of whores. The only trouble is, in a democracy, the whores are us." So we keep electing people who promise to make us "safe" and "secure" but who in fact just take away more and more of our rights, along with our money.
4. Public schools. Government does not and cannot produce a well-informed, reasonable, and dynamic electorate. They produce minions. Whatever else you do in life, if you have children, DO NOT LET THE GOVERNMENT HAVE THEIR MINDS! Take them out of the government schools, and make whatever sacrifice you have to make to keep them out.
5. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Whether it's celebrities like Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, "religious leaders" like James Dobson and Pat Robertson, or race-baiters like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, political wolves manipulate the public and the government by using their high profiles to give themselves artificial authority. As a Christian, I'm particularly incensed by the way many popular evangelicals beg their congregations/listeners/etc. for money that could be spent on missions, church-building, or mercy ministries, and instead use it to work the political machines.
Part Two, which given my track record I may never actually write, will contain some individuals I'd like to single out for abuse.
UPDATE: I added a bunch of links this morning. Couldn't get those on the plane. I also corrected the P. J. O'Rourke quote.
Mitch discovers the New Diet Coke. Welcome aboard, Mitch.
In other Splenda news, we made Kool-Aid using the boxed Splenda instead of sugar this weekend, and it worked perfectly. The little Monkeys didn't even notice, and I quite enjoyed it myself. I've gone about a month since having ANY NutraSweet-flavored products, and it's been great.
At press time: Mrs. Monkey just brought home a bottle of the new 7-Up, sweetened with you-know-what. Monkey Brad had just got through telling me that it was coming out, and she ran across it at the store today. Delicious. The Missus is excited because this probably means Dr. Pepper with Splenda is just around the corner.
The question I'd like to ask the Senator:
If Gitmo is like a Nazi camp, by the standards of Nuremburg, do you advocate that the guards disobey orders from their commanders?
The Washington Post publishes a review of Senator Klansman Byrd's newest effort to explain away his founding membership in a local chapter of the the Ku Klux Klan.
Byrd, who actually organized and solicited membership for his local "chapter" of hate apparently still does not think the Klan was all that bad:
"In [his book], Byrd says he viewed the Klan as a useful platform from which to launch his political career. He described it essentially as a fraternal group of elites -- doctors, lawyers, clergy, judges and other "upstanding people" who at no time engaged in or preached violence against blacks, Jews or Catholics, who historically were targets of the Klan."
The KKK. Just a fraternal order of elites. Now that's spin!
Ah, the folly of youth:
(From the WaPo) Byrd said in the Dec. 11, 1945, letter -- which would not become public for 42 more years with the publication of a book on blacks in the military during World War II by author Graham Smith -- that he would never fight in the armed forces "with a Negro by my side." Byrd added that, "Rather I should die a thousand times, and see old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels."
In the end, maybe a leopard can't change his spots:
"[In 1964], Byrd's Klan past became an issue again when he joined with other southern Democrats to oppose the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Byrd filibustered the bill for more than 14 hours as he argued that it abrogated principles of federalism. He criticized most anti-poverty programs except for food stamps. And in 1967, he voted against the nomination of Thurgood Marshall, the first black appointed to the Supreme Court."
Apparently The Atomizer at Fraters Libertas went to college with Jonah Goldberg of National Review? I did not know that.
The proof is this little snippet of college life.
Drudge is screaming "Patriot Act Axed." This is more than a typical Drudge exaggeration; in fact, as the WP story he links to reports, what the House voted to change in the act was the (never used) provision to allow Feds to examine library records and bookstore sales slips. Supporters argue that it important. And OK because it's never been used. But it's important. Just never used.
The truth is that this provision was one of the most chilling to those of us who still cling to old GOP ideas of limited Federal powers and liberterian ideas. Consider this quote from Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla.: "If there are terrorists in libraries studying how to fly planes, how to put together biological weapons, how to put together chemical weapons, nuclear weapons, ... we have to have an avenue through the federal court system so that we can stop the attack before it occurs." Your gut reaction to that probably tells you where you stand. Part of your gut is porbably telling you that yes, we want to stop terrorists. But I hope part of your gut (the wiser part--maybe the large intestine) is telling you that there's something really creepy about the words "libraries...learn...federal court system" being so close together.
There's a lot of good in the Patriot Act--better communication, some extension of investigative power--but it went too far in this case. Mindless defense of the Act by the Republicans would be disappointing. If they are worried about "chipping away" at the Act, that's all the more reason why they should lead the charge to fix the more anti-freedom areas of the Act, and extend the parts that are actually important. And used.
Why, the Race Across America (RAAM), of course. What is that? It's a bike race. Now hold on... It's not like your Tour de France, where the race is broken into stages, sleeping in hotels at night, with the occasional rest day. No, the RAAM is a race from San Diego to Atlantic City; once the clock starts, it doesn't stop. Riders will have to cross 14 states, climb more than 104,000 feet of elevation gain, traveling 3000 miles in just about 9 days. On average, racers will ride about 22 hours a day, eating on the bike, often riding the first 36-44 hours without stopping.
To put this in perspective:
In 1993 Outside magazine, the biggest and most popular magazine on outdoor sports, commissioned a panel of experts to rank the world’s toughest events. Using such criteria as the “Mule Factor”—the distances involved; the “Forum”—how tough the course is; the “Anguish Index”—how hard the competitors “have to work to convince themselves that what they’re doing is only mildly inane and self-destructive;” and the “O Factor”—a combination of the cost to do the event and the drop out rate. Given these criteria, as judged by a number of multi-sport athletes and observers, the ranking came out as follows:1. Race Across America 676.2 points
2. Vendee Globe Around-the-World Sailing Race 675.0 points
3. Iditarod Sled Dog Race 417.5 points
4. U.S. Army’s Best Ranger Competition 402.5 points
5. Raid Gauloises Wilderness Competition 399.0 points
6. La Traversee Internationale (25-mile swim) 301.4 points
7. Badwater 146-Mile Cross Country Run 113.4 points
8. Hawaii Ironman Triathlon 67.2 points
Fewer people have completed the RAAM than have climbed Mt. Everest.
For the 23 RAAMs from 1982 - 2004, 276 brave people have startedThose who drop out are often admitted to a hospital for kidney failure, dehydration, over-hydration (hyponutremia), or similar maladies. I know of one death that occurred in 2003. Several riders suffer from "Shermer's Neck," a condition in which the neck muscles that hold up the head simply give out, requiring abandoning the race, or continuing with a brace.141 or 51% have finished and 40 have finished unofficially (Solo riders have 12 days 2 hours to finish - 290 hours total - to be considered "official"- the record is 8 days, 9 hours, and 47 minutes)
12 people fall into both categories above.
This means that 169 people or 61% have ridden all the way to the finish line (over 1600 have scaled Everest).
107 people did not make it to the finish line.
The list of mechanical devices that have been used to support the head reads like a shopping list for an episode of the MacGyver TV program. Water bottles, Pringles® potato chip cans, bungee cords, boxes, even a hockey stick and duct tape (you can repair anything with duct tape!) have been used. For those who are prepared, specially designed head gear and chin rests have been created.Admittedly, long distance cycling (ultracycling) is not much of a spectator sport. But an event like the RAAM is rife with human interest stories and inspiring feats. Early in the history of RAAM, these were covered briefly on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Last year, NBC vet Jim Lampley's production company put together a masterful 2-hour program summarizing the event. It was good enough to get my wife, who had been listening from the hallway while doing laundry, to take the time to sit down and watch the second hour with me. There were segments that had both of us a bit teary eyed.
Just last night I read that Lampley's production company will be filming the 2005 RAAM for a 2-hour NBC broadcast this winter. A force 25 cameras strong will be divided across the field of racers and "embedded" with the support teams. Solo riders, 2-person, four person, and corporate 8-person teams will all be covered. It will undoubtedly be great television. Trust me.
One of the things that makes RAAM great is that so many participants are riding to conquer challenges greater than the race itself. Whether they are putting the exclamation point on their own recovery from tragedy or disease, or raising money for, or awareness of, particular causes. Last year Randy Van Zee's ride was dedicated to raising money for wheelchairs for the poor, through a ministry called Hope Haven. His neck muscles gave out, and he wore a crazy contraption, made by some of his co-workers, that looked like a back brace with a scorpion tail over his head to which a chin strap was hooked. In Ohio, Van Zee crashed, injuring his groin. He was unable to walk, but he could still ride. When he arrived at the finish in the dark of night, barely under the cut-off time, his feet swollen out of his shoes, his seat covered in multiple layers of padding and duct tape, it was a while before folks realized that he couldn't get off the bike by himself. It was later discovered that the 52-year-old's crash back in Ohio had cracked his pelvis. Watching his finish, greeted by his wife and daughter, was touching and inspiring.
Two weeks ago, I got to meet one of the guys who is representing my local club/team. He's the young one on one of the mixed foursome relay teams. They'll do 15 minutes on the bike, 45 off, in sequence, doubling or tripling up shifts once a day to give one duo a chance at 90-120 straight minutes sleep/rest per day. They'll be able to hold a much higher mph average than the soloists, and will be shooting for the mixed 4-person team record speed.
They have a website about their adventure. They have all overcome some daunting personal challenges in their lives, and they're using the event to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Please take a minute to read their profiles and be inspired by what they've overcome to get where they are and where they're going.
They will have a few RAAM support vets and several rookie support crew members. I was assured that someone is in charge of taking pictures to document it all.
This year's race is upon us. The soloists start June 19th. The teams start June 21st. They must all finish by noon, Friday July 1st. I've found the race's official website to be chock full of engaging reading.
Here's a frightening claim that's sure to hit all of the MSM outlets very soon. I have no idea if it's true.
Three safe bets:
Bonus prediction: Once again, Michael Medved will be the most annoying of the bunch, because you KNOW he's smart enough to do better but he'll take the cheap shots anyway.
Hat-tips and comments by Vox and Reason.
At press time: Little Green Footballs has already proven me right. Not only does he refer to Reynolds as a "Moonbat" [ding ding ding!] and a "full-time member of the Tin-Foil Hat Brigade," but he applies these labels SOLELY because Reynolds makes the claim, not because his argument lacks merit or because he has a history of saying crazy shit.
UPDATE: Here's the complete Reynolds article. It's long, so I have only got part way through it, but I'm giving y'all the link for your perusal and comment.
Inspired by Lord Lileks, who was inspired in turn by this fellow and this other guy (both of whose blogs I'd never laid eyes on before this hour), I confess my (anonymously) promiscuous and expensive musical tastes!
Total size of music files on computer:
85.68 GB
Last CD purchased:
On eBay, a wonderful out-of-print soundtrack, composed by James Horner. Although, the truth is, I buy albums all the time... just on iTunes. The three most recent were "Get Behind Me Satan," by the White Stripes, "Charge!!," by the Aquabats, and "Rock Swings," by Paul Anka.
Playing now:
"Shame on the Night," by Dio. Coming up next: "Ruby, My Dear," by Thelonious Monk.
Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me.
"Stardust," by Hoagy Carmichael, although just about any version will do and I have 50 or so. The song reminds me of my early 20s... and why I was probably born in the wrong part of the century.
"Brazil," by Geoff Muldaur. This is the version Terry Gilliam used. "Brazil" is one of my favorite films of all time. I think I first saw it when I was 16, and I was hooked instantly. The song is just so strange and sad.
"Subdivisions," by Rush. Or maybe "New World Man." No, wait, "Countdown!" Signals isn't the best Rush album ever -- not even close -- but it was one of the first albums I ever bought with my own money, on cassette! "Some will sell their dreams for small desires/And lose the race to rats..."
"The Warning," by Black Sabbath. Evil blues. Another reminder of my misspent youth. "Now you never said you loved me, and I don't believe you can/'cause I saw you in a dream, and you were with another man..." Had that dream once, and it came true. Things did get better, of course. They usually do.
Lileks excluded classical, and I can understand why, but it would be wrong for me not to include the first movement of Mahler's Eighth Symphony. I played Horenstein's recording five or six times -- very loud -- on the morning of my wedding. I played it again the afternoon of the day my son was born two years later. It is the closest earthly thing I know that expresses pure and perfect joy.
Five people to whom I’m passing the baton:
The other monkeys, of course.
Ever go to a World Team Tennis match? No? Well why would you.
While driving home from work today I pass the once grand Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, California, and see the "stadium" for the Sacramento Capitals franchise of World Team Tennis. "Allstate Stadium."
Nothing more than cheap bleachers.
In the parking lot.
Of a mall.
Sad.
(and it's not even in Sacramento)
Reason has one.
UPDATE: Here's more, via InstaPundit.
I'm sure that I am not the first person to mention this, but I think it's time for more talk radio folks to see the writing on the wall, and embrace the change that is Podcasting. In particular, those hosts who have been praising weblogs as "new media" and criticizing "old media" outlets such as newspapers should put their money where their mouth is.
Of course, my primary motive for this post is selfish: It is very difficult for me to listen to, for example, the Hugh Hewitt show in its entirety because I have a job that is not conducive to listening at the time the show airs. So far, all of his streaming Internet feeds are live-only (no archives last time I checked), so I get, at best, a couple of hours per week of listening time.
Ditto the Northern Alliance Radio Network. Living in Arizona, my only access to the show is via the Internet feed. However, the last time I attempted to listen to the show, they had switched to a streaming provider that didn't support streaming to a Mac. Boo, streaming provider. Boo.
If I had access to podcasts by these folks, I could listen to them at my convenience. On an airplane, for example. I have two iPods, and I'm almost never without one of them. If the goal is to increase the number of listener-hours consumed in a single week, I can't imagine how podcasting could reduce that number.
Now, you might suggest that I buy a RadioShark and/or a copy of Audio Hijack. Done and done. But it's still enough of a hassle that it's not worth my time unless I KNOW there's an episode that I want to listen to. And did I mention that the NARN feed doesn't support Mac? The RSS component of Podcasts enables me to "subscribe" to the show (just like TiVo!) and download it at the speed of my Internet connection.
The next version of iTunes is going to include built-in Podcast subscription and synchronization. This means that the "average user" of an iPod can easily subscribe to Podcasts and listen at their leisure.
Additional hint: Podcasting your show means more listener-hours. But not if you charge $50 a year like Rush and Laura. Boo, Rush. Boo, Laura. Podcasts want to be free! [tongue in cheek on that last line]
Via the fine boys at Fraters, we have the latest in Monkey Brad's Bike Blogging Adventures:
Sponsored, in part, by the "Work Less Party."
Monkey Brad: Do you need a special cycle seat to bike nekid?
*Fake, but accurate.
After reading this, I STILL don't know what that dumb song is about. But I'm definitely amused.
A little weekend fun:
Monsters are fun, but Monkeys are better:
Ah, what the heck. Robots!
So a bunch of alleged Jihadists get busted in Lodi, and you ask yourself, "Where the hell is Lodi? Is that a real town? Damn, who knew?" You know the song but do you know the town?
Yep kids, Lodi is for real. Good golly, the City of Lodi even has a website. (Check out the "Gifts From Lodi" link and get yourself a cool pen, watch, polo shirt, etc. Hurry, with the upcoming media frenzy this stuff will go fast!)
The best thing that can be said about Lodi is that it is not Stockton (Stockton actual was awarded one of those "America's Finest City" signs. Ever been to Stockton? Kind of gives the "America's Finest" award about as much credibility as Pulitzer given Walter Duranty and the New York Times). About 36 miles south of Sacramento, so a good place to stop and pee before you get to where you're really going. Or jump out of an airplane onto a landing field right next to the freeway (It's a little freaky to see people fluttering over the freeway).
All joking aside, Lodi still ain't much. I guess its one saving grace is that is it in the heart of one of the major wine grape growing regions in California. I confess I am only familiar with two of the wineries, Delicato and Woodbridge. Neither worth the effort of visiting, except Delicato is right on the freeway, so some may find that an attractive option. [ADDENDUM: I lied. I had a bottle of Borra Winery Fusion today. Goddamn that was good. My new favorite. For now.]
So I'll see y'all at the Wine & Sausage Festival this Sunday. Even better, at the Lodi Grape Festival, September 15-18, 2005 . . . Sponsored by Budweiser.
Via Reason's Hit and Run blog:
People for the American Way have compiled a list of JRB quotes that are supposed to show how awful and extreme and nuts she is. They tend to make me think she sorta kicks ass.
Last year one of the Monkeys declared that we were observing the Official Summer of Rum. It was a tremendous success. In similar spirit, I hereby announce (albeit a tad late) that 2005 will feature the illustrious Summer of the Sports Drink (aka "The Summer of Technical Hydration"). I'm not talking about Gatorade, Powerade, or the stuff you'll find in grocery or convenience stores (though the new gatorade Endurance Formula is a step in the right direction, and has clever print ads, it's got that PepsiCo connection).
For endurance athletes, especially those whose races may include great elevation gain, drastic pace changes, extended efforts near 95-99% of max heart rate, or sprint finishes, finding a product or combination that provides adequate calories, flavor-incentive to keep drinking (eating in the case of gels), sufficient electrolyte replacement, a suitable carb profile, and perhaps a balance of protein and even fat that doesn't make you retch, puke, or suffer gastro-intestinal distress is not easy. For the most part, it has to be discovered through personal trials. Worse still, often what seems fine in training displays its shortcomings when used for the first time under the unique intensities of a race.
Tomorrow evening I have another race. And today I had another disappointing and costly sports drink letdown...
Having run out of my current default standby, orange flavored Extran, I went in search of a canister full of a promising product I'd been given some sample of a few weeks ago, CytoMax Lite. I had been given a few single-use packets of the Raspberry Iced Tea flavor, and was not only impressed by its palatability, but also its promise of having a low glycemic index to improve blood glucose equilibrium, and a host of other benefits. Now, I'm not sure if the "Lite" is simply a stripped down version of the regular mix (at the same cost), or if there are any other changes than the addition of a bit of Sucralose. But at this point, I'm willing to lay out some cash to try it. But it couldn't be found anywhere. No, make that, couldn't be found anywhere except on the other side of town, and they would ship it to the closer store by the end of the week. Okay.
But what to get today for tomorrow? The store that sponsors my team didn't have Extran, but they did carry some of the Hammer Nutrition products. I'd been meaning to try them. I hadn't had anything of theirs since the very first gel I'd been given in a swag bag. Plain Hammer Gel. Plain. Ick. One of the problems with these kinds of products is that anything too sweet is just ultra nasty when you're holding a sustained effort near your maximum. So, the plain gel doesn't taste sweet. Not to me, anyway. I'm sure I've mentioned before that I'm a supertaster. So everything that most people find to have the right, subtle amount of sweetness for hard exercise doesn't taste super sweet; it doesn't taste sweet at all! All of the bitter and more complex icky flavors shine right through. Bleggh!
That's what happened to me again today. I bought Hammer's Perpetuem Ultra Endurance Fuel. I should have learned my lesson about sport drinks with protein after the Accelerade mistake (its orange flavor was just so-so, but it gave me horrible gas). With the Perpetuem it's the flavor. It's supposed to be "Dreamsicle," you know -- orange/vanilla. But to me it just tastes like straight-up plain (not vanilla) protein powder mixed in water with somebody whispering the suggestion of dreamsicle in my ear.
I probably can't remember all I've tried, but I'll give a shot at a review (your mileage will certainly vary, as some of these products are favorites of folks I know).
Gatorade -- Used during my first triathlon. Almost made throw up and prevented me from feeling like I could eat anything else during the rest of the race. ("Endurance Formula" -- boycotted due to remembering its PepsiCo connection.)I know you can't wait for more exhilarating drink mix blogging. Coming up soon: meal replacement mixes and ready-to-drink products for ultra-long-distance events, and the people who use them.Ultima Replenisher -- Great electrolyte profile. Decent flavor. "Light Lemon" is best; orange second. Unfortunately sweetened only with some odd fruit extract (not Stevia) so almost no calories. Gluten free. Vegan. (Rolls eyes.)
Extran -- Lemon/lime made my teeth sensitive; sort of scratchy taste; orange much more to my liking. Doesn't finish crisp or clean, so I still feel like I need water to quench my thirst at high intensity, though.
Accelerade - Have tried only the orange. Love the idea of the protein. Not great tasting, but could muscle it down. However, it gave me nasty gas. Donated the rest of the big container to the team. Didn't seem to quench well, either.
Gu2O -- Have only had a little given to me during a metric century. Felt very soft and wet. Seemed good. Must try more.
Power Bar Recovery -- Had only one package as swag. Hard to tell if it really did the trick; nothing noteworthy if I can't remember the flavor.
CarbBoom! -- Best gel I've found yet. Unfortunately, I've discovered that at race intensity it burns the back of my throat. Still good for training. Chocolate Cherry is better thinned w/ water in a flask.
Pro Boom Recovery Gel -- Got one swag packet; seemed to work fine in a flask. Upon review, this might be the best way I've found yet to get premixed protein in a race-ready consumable.
Clif Shot -- Man, you can really taste the brown rice syrup in the vanilla gel. Nice anti-litter tab attachment.
Gu -- One swag packet; VanillaBean tasted good on training ride. Not sure if it contained caffeine (checked - yep, it does. D'Oh! After my heart palpitation hospital emergency a couple years ago, I'm supposed to avoid caffeine).
I meant to blog this video weeks ago. It was forwarded to me by a friend who wrote simply, "There are no words to describe this."
Well, actually there are words. It's a Christianized version of Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back." But he didn't know that. Neither my friend nor his wife were familiar with the original. (He was sent this video through a Reformed Presbyterian discussion group email list-serve.) I explained that they were probably missing several layers of the humor involved. I had to marvel at how outlandish and unpredictable the whole song and its video intro must have seemed to them, not knowing that it was following a sexually charged and established template. I can't imagine just how it must have seemed to be coming at this without knowing its original.
For reference:
Baby Got Back lyrics (standard warnings apply: not kid-friendly, may not be safe-for-work, etc.))
Regular readers of InfMonks know that I have taken up cycling. But for me it's just an obsession, not a cult. But let me show you something I ran across on my beloved cycling message boards.
When you combine great talent with reckless abandon (okay, sheer stupidity), it makes for an extremely impressive spectacle (large .mpg w/ sound). I don't ride like these guys. I don't know anyone who rides like these guys. They're not really "roadies." They're bike messengers, racing one another. And they make The Real World's Puck look like a pansy poser of a bike rider.
Notes: You'll notice that many of these guys are not wearing helmets. They're crazy. What you may not notice is that a few of these guys have gone ultra hardcore and are riding not just singlespeed fixies, but track bikes, which are not only without a coasting freewheel (so if the rear wheel is moving, the pedals are too), but also without brakes. In-freaking-sane!
The guy's site has more videos, and some interesting articles on the how-to of shooting such images. No, I'm not condoning this guy's behavior, or his interest in or support of Critical Mass, or stuff like Cars R Coffins. Personally, I draw the line anywhere past Burning Man or the Ride of Silence.
I'm a little late with this, but reading a post at Cake Eater Chronicles on the 16 year Anniversary of "Tiananmen Square" (via Mitch Berg), I was reminded of a news story from Friday or Saturday on a protest march in Hong Kong commemorating anti-Communist Tiananmen Square uprising and one of the protestors was wearing a Che t-shirt. I knew "Che Chic" is in, but at an anti-Communist protest??? That's about as brainless as using a book-burner like Chairman Mao to advertise a public library.
Dude. Che was Fidel Castro's executioner. He was a cold-blooded killer and the architect of the real Gulag in Cuba. He's not just some guy who rode a motorcycle around South America. Take the shirt off, butthead.
I should have linked to this months ago, but I read Comics Curmudgeon every day. I recommend just going back to the beginning and reading through, because there's a lot of great stuff (and running gags). I particularly loved a bit of today's commentary on Rex Morgan, M.D.:
...his face is clearly modeled on Peter Lorre, which means that I can’t help but think that his voice is modeled on Peter Lorre, which means that I find everything he says hilarious. Peter Lorre could be forcing me to dig my own grave at gunpoint and I would find his voice funny. “Oh, hurry up, you! Stop laughing and keep deeging!”
Hal Lindsey is an idiot. He's the Paul Ehrlich of Dispensational Evangelicalism.
In his WorldNetDaily column today, he goes on and on about how President Bush's statements after his meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, "totally scuttled all the hard-fought, blood-bought gains Israel has made in the three wars forced upon her."
But never mind the ridiculous exaggeration and mischaracterization that fill the article. Skip down to the last paragraph, and see what lurks under the tinfoil hat:
But there is an even graver consequence for the USA. I have believed for decades that God has protected America despite our growing sin. He has done so because the USA has been a base for world evangelism and we have supported Israel's right to exist in the land God promised them. This betrayal, if followed through, will effectively remove God's protective shield. May God help us.
Read that again, and let it soak in, because this is one reason so many Evangelicals think it is CRITICAL that we continue to support Israel come hell or high water. All those folks lapping up the "Left Behind" books? Same ones that bought a gazillion copies of LIndsey's clueless piece of false prophecy "The Late, Great Planet Earth" back in the seventies. One more time, with some focus:
"He has [protected America] because the USA has...supported Israel's right to exist in the land God promised them."
May God help us, indeed. May he help us not to twist his words so perversely as Hal Lindsey.
Okay, so InstaPundit led me to this fun article by P. J. O'Rourke in the Weekly Standard. The paragraph that made me want to mention it was this:
Kerry smirked at Oliphant. Oliphant smirked back. Kerry went on: "A lot of the mainstream media were very responsible during the campaign. They tried to put out a balanced view, and they did show what they thought to be the truth in certain situations of attack. . . . But it never penetrated. And when you look at the statistics and understand that about 80 percent of America gets 100 percent of its news from television, and a great deal of that news comes from either MTV, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Jay Leno, David Letterman, you begin to see the size of the challenge." (Those were all Kerry supporters or, at any rate, Bush opponents, but this thought--if any thinking occurred--didn't slow Kerry.) "And so I don't have the total answer. I just know it's something that we've really got to grapple with."
So, the "problem" is too many people get their news from television personalities that constantly criticize President Bush? THAT is why Kerry didn't get elected?
President Bush announced today his nomination of GOP Congressman Christopher Cox to be chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Who cares? Nobody, I suppose. Except Rep. Chris Cox has been approached, if not begged by the GOP, in the past to run against our esteemed junior senator from California, Babs Boxer, only to eschew the race so as not to risk his safe and comfy House seat. He has always been one of the most appealing candidates and the one with the best shot at taking out Boxer.
But instead he give up his safe Congressional seat for the SEC? WTF?
Thanks a bunch Chris, thanks a bunch. Where were you when we needed you?
...now has a drive-thru Starbucks.
In other road trip news, my beloved Diet Rite Cola is now showing up in 20 oz. bottles in the refrigerator case. I found my first in an AM/PM, which by the way, may want to consider changing its slogan from "Too much good stuff" to "Too many freaky low-lifes."