Inside The Perimeter

Last month I went for a long bike ride, it snowed.
Last weekend I went camping, it rained, it rained, it rained.
Today’s high is going to be 71 degrees with rain.
My calendar tells me that it is the last day of May?

Strange.
Very Strange.

I’m Taking My Game Indoors Tonight
Ten years of living in Atlanta, zero trips to Center Stage -> Oscars -> Earthink Live. That all changes tonight as I am going to see The Faint and Bright Eyes. I am still trying to figure out which band I will really be there to see, as they are quite different.

Would You Like To Play A Game Of Cranium Too?
Looks like we’ve already had our first copycat crane climber (CCC). I think that this guy should at least get a little credit for following the local news. It’s not like he was trying to flee from a marriage he had upcoming this weekend or anything. Luckily for Atlanta’s traffic this guy was a chain smoker who ran out of cigarettes. Obviously he was never a Boy Scout, for he was certainly not prepared.

It’s On? No, It’s Off.
Sorry kids, On The Bricks, is a “no go” for 2005. No concrete (get it?) reason is given on their website for the cancellation. I think that’s too bad since it would be nice to have closure.

Eventhough I think that you usually get what you pay for, I did get to see a few decent concerts during its four-year run.

When Paris Met Paris
It looks like the love story of the year is…

Reality star and heiress-about-town Paris Hilton is engaged to her boyfriend of five months, Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis, People reports.

So let me get this straight. If Paris Hilton marries Paris Latsis and changes her name, she will also be named Paris Latsis? Of course being the “reality star and heiress-about-town” that she is, I am sure that she will become Paris Hilton-Latsis. Maybe she’ll just stay Paris Hilton in case the whole “marriage thing” doesn’t work out.

It’s your move Lindsay Lohan.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - wet, drained, achieving sobriety
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Of Montreal — “I Was Never Young”
Website Of The Day - Online refrigerator magnets make me happy!

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Blink Once For $20, Twice For $40
Remember VisaCash back in the hopping Centennial Olympic DotCom Days? Well, I do.

Seems like we Atlantans are poised to be guinea pigs for the next generation of credic — the “blink” card. A recent USA Today article (with “georgia” incorrectly spelled as “georiga” in the URL) discussed that about 400,000 of us will be testing a technology that will allow us to pass a credit card near a reader rather than swiping. One small step for technology; one large step for Technologykind I guess.

Here is my favorite part of the article…

The company selected Atlanta as the first test city because “what we see in Atlanta is very much on the leading edge of being trendsetting,” said Tom O’Donnell, senior vice president of JPMorgan’s card division. “It’s a dynamic place where people are on the go.”

Take That, Super Bowl Selection Committee!

Go here to read the rest of the article.

So Let Me Get This Straight
Guinea Pigs are neither pigs, nor are they from Guinea? Why the fuck are they called “guinea pigs?” At least they can be cute as hell.

I Wanna Buy Wiiiiiiine
I read with much joy that the modern-day Prohibition represented by my inability to buy wine via the internet is coming to an end. Does anyone know when? I keep going to Wine.com but when I tell them that I live in Georgia my selection is limited to cheese baskets and accessories.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for buying from the local independent retailer. However, in the wine world there are production runs that are so limited they can only be had from the vineyard. Ooh, don’t I sound stuff-shirted…

Movie Re-do, Movie Re-don’t
“The Longest Yard” (take two) opens in theaters today. Why must Hollywood do this to us? They have taken yet another classic (IMHO) and (most likely) destroyed it. Do yourself a favor and rent “The Longest Yard” (1974) instead of going to see “The Longest Yard” (2005).

Don’t believe me?

If it pleases the Court I’d like to introduce “Exhibit R”
“Rollerball” (1975) v. “Rollerball” (2002).

I rest my case…

Hey, Do Me A Favor And Be Safe Out There!
I need all of the readers I can get. Memorial Day weekend is definitely a big (drinking and) driving weekend; so big that the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles estimates that 2,550 accidents will occur throughout the state, resulting in 650 injuries and 17 fatalities.¹ Watch out for the “other guy”, be safe and return Monday, okay Tuesday, to read this space.

1. source: here on Georgia.gov.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - half day at work! woo hoo!
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Jonathan Rice — “Kiss Me Goodbye”
Website Of The Day - I can’t understand a single word on this website, but I do know that is streaming about a dozen (complete) cds. Last night I listened to the new (unbuyable) Stephen Malkmus cd, and the new Teenage Fan Club cd.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I own the “Inside The Perimeter” domain, but not the love of the local sports teams. Queens, New York born and reared; it’s where I learned the games and learned the love for the teams. Even in an age devoid of loyality I still love the teams — twenty-seven years after moving away.

Hatin’ The Game And The Playas
Braves
Far and away my greatest hate has been toward the Braves. Twelve years of my Mets being no better than second (I exclude 2000 when the wildcard Mets found their way into the World Series only to lose to the Yankees).

This week’s sweep, including two shutouts, has cemented Turner Field as the Mets graveyard. I’ve come to realize that I have a better chance at finding a quality $3 beer at the stadium than seeing the Mets dominate anytime soon.

Hawks
We’re #2! We’re #2! Ooops, sometimes the balls fall your way and sometimes they kick you in the balls. No further acknowledgement of the Hawks is warranted.

Thrashers
Hockey, I loved you. Once the players were tough, blue collar working stiffs with whom I could identify. Then came Wayne, good old #99. Salaries and ticket prices went through the ceiling.

Just when Atlanta had a team that I might be interested in following (don’t get me wrong, I am still a devoted Islanders fan) players and owners feuded and wound up hanging a “Gone Fishin’” sign on all the arenas. This would have been playoff time. They should be skating.

Falcons
I am now a season ticket holder (the check cleared, right Mike?). This will be a season in which I root for the Falcons in all but one game.

Monday, October 24th: NY Jets v. Atlanta Falcons

I’ll be the one in the Wayne Crebet jersey. Fuck, I might even wear my Mets hat, Old School Walt “Clyde” Frazier Pumas, and a replica Islanders Stanley Cup ring as well. Whitestone, NY representin’!

Perhaps It’s Because They Still Have Mons Venus?
Atlanta lost the bid for the 2009 Super Bowl yesterday. We lost to Tampa. Ugh. I guess I could take solice in the fact that Houston also lost out, but why would I want to compare our fine city to Houston?

I had no desire to go to the game. I had no desire to tailgate, nor go to whatever “Fan Fair” festivities they would have put on. It’s all about the economy. Super Bowls are good for the economy.

Mr. Blank, here’s your opportunity to roll Home Depot trucks up to your stores, pick up some laborers and start building a new outside football stadium! Do me a favor though and keep it inside the perimeter. Repeat after me “football should be played outdoors, football should be played outdoors.”

Grrrllaz
Too much of a mob scene for me to hang at Criminal yesterday. I purchased the new Gorillaz cd at the Target and have since found out that there is a ’super special’ limited edition that is to be had. Glad I haven’t popped the seal on my disc yet.

Stephen Malkmus, Stephen Malkmus, Where For Art Thou Stephen Malkmus?
According to the chap in Criminal Records, no one seems to have the new Stephen Malkmus cd that dropped on Tuesday. I checked the spiffy new Best Buy — nope. I checked the spiffy new Target — nope. Apparently he’s so “indie” he doesn’t want to sell a single cd. That’s Hard Core, dude.

Oh Look! Ms. Jennifer Wilbanks Has Been Indicted
Still want to see the haircut, babe. Quit hiding. Meh, she’s so played.

Looks Like Someone Kicked The Metroblogging Atlanta Ant Pile
Metroblogging Atlanta had a call for authors posting this week; low and behold, people started posting again. Good, I need the reads.

If it didn’t seem like picking up a second job I might have considered submitting an application to be one of there writers.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - look at the calendar! one of my six paid holidays is but two working days away!
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Kaiser Chiefs — “Everyday I Love You Less And Less”
Website Of The Day - Doug Henning (R.I.P.) said it best, “It’s all an illusion”. Here is a blog dedicated to optical illusions.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

btw - please don’t tell me that “If I love NY so much to ‘move back’!”, it’s not going to work…

I can’t tell you that today’s blog won’t contain some of yesterday’s lost material, because it will.

“Square One”
“Square One”, and “Back At Square One” are expressions I use often. They have always bugged me. Being a game player, and later in life a C programmer, I think that the expression the expression should be “Square Zero”. Afterall, once you roll a die and get a one, you move one space, therefore that square should be square one. Semantics, I know, but it bugs the shit out of me…

Taking A Vacation From My Life
I’ve been bound and determined this week to not be me. I am avoiding all of my routine activities, decided that I am not going to exercise this week, and am spending time at home.

The last two nights I have picked up a book and used it for something other than killing bugs and propping doors open.

The book I am reading is called “A Million Little Pieces” by James Frey. It is the (supposed) memoir of Frey’s time spent in a Minnesota Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility called Hazelden. So far this book has scared me more than any Steven King could possibly ever. I somehow identify deeply with a man who has destroyed his life and has little to live for. This bothers me.

Bank Withdrawal
I have few Rain Man abilities. In my ten years of living in Atlanta I have memorized the locations of all Wachovia ATM machines for the areas in which I roll. Need cash? Wachovia customer? No problem! Follow me to freedom!

With the acquisition of SouthTrust things have gotten a little harder. First, I had to start incorporating SouthTrust ATMs into the search routine. Second, Wachovia has started shutting down locations as a part of their Grand Merger Plan. Bring It! I can handle it.

Unlike many, I like banks. I don’t like the banking industry; I like the bank buildings. Walk into Old School banking locations and you will find some of the nicest architecture that this country has seen over the last one hundred plus years (really the Bank Building Boom probably ended in the 1980s when banks became more like 7-11s). Early 20th century banks contained wood, metal, and marble; they were grand in nature, and clean as a whistle.

Gorillaz In The Hood
There is discussion abound about going to Criminal Records for the in-store appearance of Gorillaz. (Where are they going to put people, Criminal is not exactly spacious?)

I’m not a huge fan of the in-store appearance circuit, but this could be fun. Maybe I’ll bring the new camera. Maybe I’ll bring my Steve Keene Gorillaz portaits for signing. Maybe I’ll do nothing but show up. These decisions need not be decided now.

Question
This rattled around in my brain on the drive into work.

Why do we put stuff in a “compost bin” to decompose. Should it not be called a “decompost bin”?

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - a pound of sausage stuffed into a half-pound tubing
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Ark — “One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young”
Website Of The Day - For the Simpson’s fan in you, the Last Exit To Springfield

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

fifteen minutes and I am still fuming that “Recover Post” became “Destroy Post” in one quick click.

summary
- hate Braves
- reading a book
- Gorillaz tomorrow @ Criminal
- lot of shit released today

too pissed to comment further. need a break. “see” you all tomorrow.

I just lost 90 minutes of edits because I accidentally clicked “Recover Post” instead of the “Link” icon. No time or desire to recreate the lost post.

HEY BLOGGER, HOW ABOUT A GODDAMN CONFIRMATION POPUP WARNING ME THAT I AM ABOUT TO LOSE ALL EDITS SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU DID AN AUTO-SAVE?

FUCK!!! FUCK!!! FUCK!!!

Today just became VERY FUCKING SHITTY!!!!

The first thing on today’s agenda:

• Wake up early enough to ride bike to work

I finally awoke at 7:00am, not nearly early enough to gather myself and my things so that I could make the forty-five minute ride into work. Just like that, my grand return to discipline has been forced to take a raincheck — and it’s not even going to rain today.

Camp Run-Amok
Although I didn’t expect to run well after five days of sickness, I kinda expected to at least want to run. My trail half marathon turned into a walk sprinkled with running. I was able to finish in a semi-respectable three hours, nine minutes.

Luckily the run was one of the few low-points of the weekend. With spectacular weather and enough food to feed an army, my friends and I feasted like we were kings. It’s a good thing that I don’t consider beer an intoxicant, for intoxicants were prohibted in camp.

Oh Sprint, Consider Yourself Lucky That You Have Me In A Contract
Here’s a spot of irony for you.

First, you must guess which of the following cell providers didn’t work inside the State Park

• Cingular
• Verizon
• Sprint

Normally, I don’t care since it’s a rarity for me to get calls on my cell. <insert pitiful face here>

Good, now you must determine on average how many times a month my mother calls my cell phone (keep in mind that she only does so as a “last resort”)

• 5+
• 1-4
• 0

Your doing great! Just one more…

Who had six voice mail messages at home and another four on his cell phone from his mother who was worried that she couldn’t get a hold of him?

• me
• somebody else

Yeah, it’s sweet. Yes, I love her. But why did the timing have to happen like this? Timing — “they” say it’s everything, I am starting to believe “they” are right.

Hooray! Kroger of Midtown Edgewood Is Open!
I’m not a huge fan of Kroger. What I am a huge fan of is having a decent grocery store near my house and on my way home. The Kroger in the Edgewood Shopping District has opened. Hooray!

The reason for the strikethrough? Stores which have opened up there have been identifying themselves as “X of Midtown”. First it was Lowes, then Best Buy. The intown neighborhoods have been disgruntled by the lack of “props”. Edgewood is not Midtown. Midtown is not Edgewood. Get it straight!

Margarita Or Beer? Yes
I met my friend Glenn at La Casita Cantina for a margarita last night. Quite tasty. Then I noticed that Cancun on draft was $2 all weekend. Even tastier!

Upon leaving I saw that La Casita has a different alcohol special every day. This won’t be good…

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - so tired I just remembered to update this at 10:50am
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Mooney Suzuki — “Alive & Amplified”
Website Of The Day - This Week In Tech - The Podcast for those of us who miss TechTV.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

The first thing on today’s agenda:

• Wake up early enough to ride bike to work

I finally awoke at 7:00am, not nearly early enough to gather myself and my things so that I could make the forty-five minute ride into work. Just like that, my grand return to discipline has been forced to take a raincheck — and it’s not even going to rain today.

Camp Run-Amok
Although I didn’t expect to run well after five days of sickness, I kinda expected to at least want to run. My trail half marathon turned into a walk sprinkled with running. I was able to finish in a semi-respectable three hours, nine minutes.

Luckily the run was one of the few low-points of the weekend. With spectacular weather and enough food to feed an army, my friends and I feasted like we were kings. It’s a good thing that I don’t consider beer an intoxicant, for intoxicants were prohibted in camp.

Oh Sprint, Consider Yourself Lucky That You Have Me In A Contract
Here’s a spot of irony for you.

First, you must guess which of the following cell providers didn’t work inside the State Park

• Cingular
• Verizon
• Sprint

Normally, I don’t care since it’s a rarity for me to get calls on my cell. <insert pitiful face here>

Good, now you must determine on average how many times a month my mother calls my cell phone (keep in mind that she only does so as a “last resort”)

• 5+
• 1-4
• 0

Your doing great! Just one more…

Who had six voice mail messages at home and another four on his cell phone from his mother who was worried that she couldn’t get a hold of him?

• me
• somebody else

Yeah, it’s sweet. Yes, I love her. But why did the timing have to happen like this? Timing — “they” say it’s everything, I am starting to believe “they” are right.

Hooray! Kroger of Midtown Edgewood Is Open!
I’m not a huge fan of Kroger. What I am a huge fan of is having a decent grocery store near my house and on my way home. The Kroger in the Edgewood Shopping District has opened. Hooray!

The reason for the strikethrough? Stores which have opened up there have been identifying themselves as “X of Midtown”. First it was Lowes, then Best Buy. The intown neighborhoods have been disgruntled by the lack of “props”. Edgewood is not Midtown. Midtown is not Edgewood. Get it straight!

Margarita Or Beer? Yes
I met my friend Glenn at La Casita Cantina for a margarita last night. Quite tasty. Then I noticed that Cancun on draft was $2 all weekend. Even tastier!

Upon leaving I saw that La Casita has a different alcohol special every day. This won’t be good…

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - so tired I just remembered to update this at 10:50am
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Mooney Suzuki — “Alive & Amplified”
Website Of The Day - This Week In Tech - The Podcast for those of us who miss TechTV.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Allergy / Sickeness Day Count = 5.

I thought that when I awoke today all would be gone (if it would have taken the spare tire from around my belly I wouldn’t have minded either). Not quite.

Going Mobile, But Not To Mobile
Tomorrow I am scheduled to run a half marathon called the Twisted Ankle; it’s a trail run that takes place within “Sloppy” Floyd State Park in Summerville, Georgia. I have been looking forward to running this since I signed up in February. Hell, I’ve even twisted my ankle twice since then so that I could be the Poster Boy for the run! Sadly, I think that this week of crappy health is going to force me to sit it out. Booo Hisss! Well, at least I’ll have the camping — unless tonight’s strong rain storms that are supposed to pass through ruin that too.

By the way, Georgia State Park parking fees are going up on May 27th. The daily fee will go from $2 to $3, and the yearly parking pass will go from $25 to $30. You have been warned.

[BEGIN: DISREGARD THIS, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I GOT THIS INFORMATION. I'LL BLAME THE SICKNESS...]

Got Nothing To Do Tonight?
Well, if I was going to be Inside The Perimeter this evening, I’d be headed out to see Mando Diao at The EARL tonight. These guys kick ass, you can’t go wrong seeing them. Well, maybe you could but I’d certainly enjoy the show.

Here is the line I read yesterday on www.AtlantaShows.org
Fri 20 THE EARL: mando diao (from sweden), the comas, danko jones 21+ 9:30 $10

[END: DISREGARD THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I GOT THIS INFORMATION. I'LL BLAME THE SICKNESS...]

This Kudzu’s For You
An interesting article caught my eye this week. The article explained how research has been done to see if taking (eating?) kudzu can help reduce binge drinking.

Findings show that subjects who took kudzu drank an average of 1.8 beers per session, compared with the 3.5 beers consumed by those who took a placebo.

Lukas was not certain why but speculated that kudzu increases blood alcohol levels and speeds up its effects. More simply put, the subjects needed fewer beers to feel drunk.

Who knew that such an invasive plant could possibly be useful? Is this the next hip “mickey” to slip someone?

I wish that I could have volunteered for this study. Anyone going to try the same test with marijuana?

Mad Magazines
I’ve decided that I can no longer subscribe to monthly magazines, okay I’m not giving up Cargo or Sync. The stacks of unread magazines that I made the other night made it clear that I am a irresponsible magazine subscriber. Shame on me…

Having said that, my friend Glenn has turned me on to a new quarterly publication called McSweeney’s. It’s a quarterly “book” that has a different theme each edition. I think that I’ll be buying single issues until I can prove to myself that I will read it. Last night’s attempt got me eleven pages into it before I fell asleep. And now you know why I don’t read that much.

An Open Letter To Online Newspapers
Dear Sir Or Madam:

Please stop attempting to make me register to read your content. I refuse to do it. At best I will either use BugMeNot or answer each of your questions with bogus information. At worst I will seek the same information from another news source. Seriously, you don’t think that you have ‘exclusive’ content, do you?

Sincerely,
Paulie — if that is indeed my real name

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - Fingers crossed that all goes to plan this weekend
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Shins — “So Says I”
Website Of The Day - Georgia State Parks / The Weather Channel

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

This fucking sucks. I have done everything I can think of to get rid of this cold (sickness). Nothing seems to be working.

I am trying to be optimistic, but waking up every day as sick as I was the day before is really trying my will to be optimistic.

But I Am In Better Shape Than Frank Gorshin
Sadly Frank Gorshin, best known for playing “The Riddler” on the television series “Batman” died at the age of seventy-two on Tuesday. Riddle me this Batman, “Is there life after death?”

The Number Of The Count Shall Be Three, Part Drei Or
Time To Go Vertical!!!
The largest gamer event of the year, E3, is happening this week. This year’s event maybe the biggest ever as the Big Three of the console gaming world Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo will be showing the XBOX 360, PlayStation 3, and Revolution respectively.

What is confusing to me is that all early shots of these consoles have shown them “on end” which makes them look more like desktop computers than gaming consoles. Haven’t these supposedly-intelligent engineers noticed that we, the public, are trying to get away from the desktop computer footprint?

Aw fuck, I tried, but this constant drained feeling and runny nose has really hampered my desire to write. Go read some of the other blogs I’ve linked to here on InsideThePerimeter and check back tomorrow. With any luck I’ll finally have kicked this bullshit by then.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - bleah
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Lou Barlow — “Holding Back The Year”
Website Of The Day - WebMD

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]