Inside The Perimeter

Many of you had a day off yesterday. I did not. So I am taking one today.

Paulie [eatl/ga]

But unfortunately for me his birthday is not as widely celebrated as His birthday, so I find myself at work. Yes, even in the city of his birth Martin Luther King Jr Day is not celebrated by all. Guess I will have to cancel my parade plans.

Oh Thank God, We Are Changing The Nickel Again!
Do you remember when I wondered aloud why the hell we changed the appearance of the nickel? Well according to this USA Today article it’s going to happen again! C’mon US Mint, can we please stop wasting tax dollars by redesigning these tiny denominations? This is just getting fucking ridiculous.

Two Things I Learned Friday
Friday was an educational day for me. I learned

1. If I am going to go to a concert at The EARL on a Friday night I might want to get more sleep than I did on Thursday
2. If Step 1 fails, I probably shouldn’t begin drinking at 5pm

I had all intentions of seeing Tiger! Tiger! at The EARL. After work some of us got together for happy hour drinks and after three beers I toddled off to Marta to head back to my neighborhood. Getting back to East Atlanta near 9pm I decided to stay out and then go to the show. Gravity was empty, so I decided to drink there instead of going into Graveyard. Amazingly I ran into some friends while I was sitting at Gravity, so I stayed there for another two beers bring the night’s total to six.

Near 10:30pm I went over to The EARL where a band (one of the three I thought were to play) was already on stage. I couldn’t hear/understand any of their lyrics. The next set started, complete with more vocals I couldn’t pick out of the loud-ass music, and I had a Miller High Life in hand. When they were done I was happy because I thought I was going to make it through the night. At that point I realized that the band coming onto the stage was still not Tiger! Tiger!. When they started to play and I once again I couldn’t hear/understand any lyrics I took it as a sure sign that the same would happen when/if Tiger! Tiger! took the stage, so I went home. Anyone else go? Was it just me?

You Must Grow Old, You Don’t Have To Grow Up
And thanks to friends like Stacy and Phil I don’t have to. Saturday was a day of childish games, outlet shopping, and goofing off. We were all headed up to a friend’s place on Lake Hartwell for over-endulging on food and beverage.

MY COW! (sorry, I guess you had to be there)

It’s Monday, There Must Be Trivia
Although there has been some disagreement, it looks like Meet The Hashers will be gathering at Johnny’s Pizza for some cheap food and beer for trivia. We will win, unless we don’t.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - pretty good
Current Music - none, listening to the MacCast podcast
Website Of The Day - You’re a Google Maps freak you say? Go see what others are doing with the Google Maps API at the Google Maps Mania Blog (pssst, my favorite is the beer mapping project). [thanks for the tip, Randy aka Banger Not!]

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I’ve picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as “blogged.”

Exercise (b)Log - walking 4 miles on Friday
Weekly Weigh-In - I forgot again! Check in tomorrow.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Pre-sale tickets for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s March 10th show at Variety Playhouse went on sale today! Go here to buy.

You’ll notice over there —> that I’ve already committed to going.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

These Are The Coffee Shops In The Neighborhoods
The “On Camera Weather Talent” is telling us that a big cold front is headed our way and we should expect rain (or worse) today. I checked the radar and I agree with them (which I am sure is comforting for them).

So today I tool a klaw, which is one of my walks to my car only in reverse. These are the coffee shops I passed until I blessed Aurora (Highlands) with my presence.

• Aurora (L5P)
• Starbucks (L5P)
• Java Vino
• San Francisco Coffee (closed when I passed)
• Starbucks (Highlands)

In the two minutes I was in the shop I heard one female employee tell another female employee “Girls I know how to handle, guys I don’t know whether or not to stroke their egos”. I wanted to tell her “Of course you should, we like that sort of shit”, but didn’t want to let on that I had heard what she was saying.

This morning I came to realize that there are a lot of people who get up and run early in the morning (I was walking from 6:30am-7:45am) around the Highlands/Midtown. Must be nice.

Hashers: They Are Everywhere
Yesterday I read an article on The Motley Fool that made me curious as to why the author said what he said. What I like about these Internet Times is that you can usually click on the author’s name and get an email address, or even more information about the author. Imagine my surprise when I saw the following line in the author’s profile:

Favorite Sport or Team: Hashing, ‘bent riding

Well, I for one don’t know what the hell “‘bent riding” is (Get it? “hell bent” Get it now?), but I certainly know what “Hashing” is! Now I know why the article didn’t make sense, it was written by a half-mind.

To The Person With The Fireworks: FUCK OFF!
My neighborhood has been far from perfect of late. We seem to be experiencing what the kids call an “increase in violent crime.” At 5am this morning, when my alarm clock is set to go off, I heard a series of about six blasts. My first thought? “Great, someone is shooting at somebody else.” Then not two minutes later I heard more noises, these more like the fireworks which get shot up into the air and then explode. I am starting to get really jumpy and I don’t like it one bit!

Hmmm, This Sounds Familiar
Here is one of the lead stories from today’s Atlanta Journal Constitution “Lowered thermostats haven’t kept gas bills from soaring.” Cool, I can now officially say that this blog is “ripped from today’s headlines”, or “based on a true story.” I am nowhere near arrogant enough to think that the writer of that story reads this shit.

On a side note: Hey developers and home buyers, keep building and buying 4,000+ sq foot McMansions. You are really helping solve these issues. Or perhaps not…

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - sweaty
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Avalanches — “Frontier Psychiatrist”
Website Of The Day - Are you the “curious” type? Go over to MetaFilter and see what sort of bizarre questions are being asked (and sometimes answered).

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I’ve picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as “blogged.”

Exercise (b)Log - none, took a day off

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I really don’t have too much to say today. My yesterday consisted of driving to and from work (no Marta for reasons of having to dress up for work), working, going to the post office, running and drinking at George’s and then going home to immediately fall asleep. There it is, you’ve read about my day in a nutshell. Here are some scattered thoughts for today.

I Am Jonesing For Live Music
It’s been a (recently defined) really long time since I have seen a live show. Looking back at my archives the last show I went to was on November 26th! Thankfully I still plan on going to The EARL tomorrow night to see Tiger! Tiger!. For those of you who read this from my site, keep an eye on the “Listening Skills Required” required section to see where I will be popping up [note: removal of [tentative] usually means I’ve purchased a ticket and fully intend on going].

Friends With The Trends
Man, it’s been amazing how a lot of my friends’ lives seem to run synchronously. First, all of the women were getting pregnant. Then, all of the couples were getting engaged (not necessarily in that order). Now, the long-time pet companions are starting to pass away. For the good I congratulate them, and for the sorrow I give my utmost condolences.

Sometimes I doubt the old saying that it is better to love and lost than to have never loved at all.

If You’ll Put This In Your Mouth, What Else Can I Get You To Put In Your Mouth?
That seems to be a bit long to have printed on a custom printed M&M, but I’d like to try. Custom printed M&M you ask? Yes, if you go to M&M’s Store you can order custom printed M&Ms. Do yourself a favor and stay away from those trite sayings like “Be Mine” that you can for cheap on those Valentine’s hearts.

TV Worth Watching
On Saturday night (7pm Eastern) the History Channel is showing the episode of its series Modern Marvels which talks about beer brewing.

It’s one of the world’s oldest and most beloved beverages–revered by Pharaohs and brewed by America’s Founding Fathers. Today, brewing the bitter elixir is a multi-billion-dollar global industry. Join us for an invigorating look at brewing’s history from prehistoric times to today’s cutting-edge craft breweries, focusing on its gradually evolving technologies and breakthroughs. We’ll find the earliest known traces of brewing, which sprang up independently in such far-flung places as ancient Sumeria, China, and Finland; examine the surprising importance that beer held in the daily and ceremonial life of ancient Egypt; and at Delaware’s Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, an adventurous anthropologist and a cutting-edge brewer show us the beer they’ve concocted based on 2,700-year-old DNA found in drinking vessels from the funerary of the legendary King Midas.

I’ll be recording so that I can spend an evening in the future drinking beer while watching a show about brewing beer.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - tired, my back is sore
Current Music - none, listening to the “KFI the Tech Guy” podcast
Website Of The Day - MacUser was once a magazine for Mac users (BRILLIANT!). Today MacUser is a really good blog for Mac users (like ME).

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I’ve picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as “blogged.”

Exercise (b)Log - running, approximately 5.5 miles

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I can’t give details, but this will be a quickie.

Apple had a big day yesterday. I am quite geeked up about their announcements. I don’t have time for details, but there are probably dozens of blogs/sites out there that can fill you in if you so desire.

Paste Has A Podcast
Those kids over at Paste Magazine have started a podcast that they are calling the “Paste Culture Club” (sorry, couldn’t find the link for the feed). I gave their first episode, which was a mixture of music, interviews and reviews, a listen and it’s pretty good. I look forward to hearing more from the folks over in Decatur.

Huh?
Try to figure this out. Studies are finding that people are listening to their music too loudly and could possibly be causing hearing loss. Recently I read where Pete Townshend (for those too young to know he was the guitarist for The Who. Look it up in your history books) is advising people to be careful with the earbuds which come with mp3 players. Given that Townshend was told that he would be going deaf if he continued to play rock music the way The Who did so many years ago, I think that he is almost an authority on the matter so I respect his concern.

Here’s where I prove my stupidity for the first time (?) today. I have always been a huge fan of The Who (no, that’s not the stupidity, keep reading). So, when I hear the names “Pete Towshend” and “The Who” I think to myself “Man, I haven’t listened to that music in years!” and promptly start listening via my iPod. The problem with this is that I can’t listen to The Who at a low volume so I crank it up, which is exactly what I have been warned not to do from no other than Pete Townshend! Thanks Pete. Thanks for nothing! At least breeding doesn’t seem to be on my To-Do list anytime in the near future.

A Recipe For Stupidity
Kids and impressionable adults should stop reading now and jump to the next section.

Take
- one part new exercise routine
- one part desire to eat pizza (not just any pizza, Fellini’s pizza)
- one part guilt for wanting said pizza
- one part stubborness that refuses to walk to pizza shop instead to car so that I can drive to Fellini’s
- one part desire to see different scenery

Voila, you’ve created the three hour commute home!

While riding the train home I decided that I would stop for dinner before getting to my car. The problem was that the place I wanted to eat was further away (which was much further than I realized) than my car. But, if I am going to eat, I am going to walk dammit!

To make it perfectly clear, this long commute was not Marta’s fault, it was completely mine. But that’s what makes me so “special.”

WTF? To BTUs
According to the gas company I used $212 worth of natural gas in my house for the month of December! Basically, I dropped the temperature, wore sweaters, used blankets, and generally froze my ass off only to use about the same amount of gas as always, just at double the rate. Bummer.

Here’s to Global Warming!

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - tired
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Wilco — “Handshake Drugs (live)”
Website Of The Day - Planning a trp to New York? Bone up on your pizza knowledge by reading SliceNY, the blog about the NYC pizzeria world.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I’ve picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as “blogged.”

Exercise (b)Log - walking, approximately 7 miles (not all to get pizza)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Here’s A Fear Of Heights I Did Conquer
Oddly while listening to the Five Hundy By Midnight podcast this morning I heard that the Stratosphere is closing their roller coaster; the one that encircled the observation tower at about 1000 feet above ground. While in Vegas some time back (2002?) I actually rode the coaster. Riding the ride was the fun part. Waiting for the elevator all the way up at the top of the Stratosphere was not.

This episode was their homage to the Boardwalk casino, which has recently closed. I can tell when they recorded their segments because they reference the Jets getting beaten by the Falcons on Monday Night Football. Seriously, can we stop ripping on the Jets already!

Stroke Me, Stroke Me
Anyone out there get to go to The Strokes concert at The Loft last night? Unfortunately, I heard about the show too late and have absolutely no pull in this city.

Peroni Ad Goes Bye-Bye
On my walk through the Highlands back to my car last night I noticed that the Peroni Storefront Billboard has gone away. There was brown paper covering the window so perhaps they are just changing the ad, but I doubt it.

Taco Mac, All Your Base Belong To Meet The Hashers
With the ending of the Monday Night Football season Meet The Hashers once again assembled to play Team Trivia at Taco Mac. This was also our first time back since our friend Amy moved to Los Angeles to pursue her filmmaking dreams.

I was in possession of the team’s house cash which consisted of two Taco Mac debit cards. Frustratingly, one of the debit cards had a zero balance. I was shocked that no one assumed that I had secretly used the card without their participation, but am pleased to know that my team knows that I don’t play that way.

It was a pleasant return as we managed to take first place! W00t!

My Two Cents Now Goes To The Post Office
In case you hadn’t heard, to US postal rates went up by two cents yesterday. I knew that I should have gotten that damn passport renewal mailed on Friday! Eh, at least this will force me to go to the post office and buy some two cent stamps to stick on envelopes when I use my old thirty-seven cent stamps.

CD Pick Of The Week Returns!
Who couldn’t get excited about a little morning wood? Get you mind out of the gutter, I’m talking about the band Morningwood. There self-titled CD drops today. I admit that I have only heard one song from it (btw - if any of you with contacts feel free to send me promo CDs), which is rather catchy eventhough it has self-referential lyrics (a practice that I usually cannot stand).

The kids over at kissAtlanta really like the CD from We Are Scientists. But since I have yet to find the time to hear the two mp3s that they have posted in their review (again - if any of you with contacts feel free to send me promo CDs), I have no opinion about the CD.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - foggy
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Primal Scream — “Loaded”
Website Of The Day - I’m not saying that I need to go to the gym, but rather bring the gym to my iPod using the cleverly named iPod Gym.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I’ve picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as “blogged.”

Exercise (b)Log - walking, approximately 6 miles
Weekly Weigh In - 203 pounds (bummer, I was hoping with all my walking this would have been lower)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Yes I do.
I’ve got phobias.
How about you?

I Don’t Like To Get High
I have an incredible fear of heights. When Sunday’s Black Sheep trail went over a train trestle that crossed the Chattahoochie, I not only said “No!”, I said “Hell No!” Unlike the other hashers, I really couldn’t convince myself that it was a wise decision to cross this trestle. After all, this was constructed for trains not humans so it wasn’t like there were consessions made for foot travel. I was told by those with the chutzpah to cross it that is was very scary.

My name is Paulie and I was unable to do what others were able to do. There. I admitted it — I am far from perfect.

White Elephant, Pink Elephant
So are you wondering what gift I brought to this year’s re-gifting party? It was this

(if you are having trouble seeing the picture, go here)
When I bought those sodas around Thanksgiving I was so excited to drink them; that was until I tasted them on Thanksgiving at a friend’s house. They were disgusting! I was flummoxed as to what I was going to do with my sodas until I remembered about the re-gifting party. I hope that the recipient enjoys them at least as much as I did.

Oh, and what did I walk away with from the party? A book called Who Pooped In The Park.

The wine part evening was a complete smash. I want to thank the hosts for allowing me to sleep over and avoid a DUI or worse. You kindness is much appreciated. And for those in need of hangover relief, I can highly recommend Crescent Moon’s “The Heap” (The Heap, $6.95/$4.95 half, A heap of seasoned potatoes topped with bacon, cheddar cheese and two eggs any style).

And Closer To Home
On Saturday night I stayed within walking distance of the house. Originally I was going to go over to the Young Blood Gallery for the Art Dorks show. However, it was a Lazy Saturday (sans chronic) so I bailed. The night’s meal was a delicious burro from Cantina La Casita, followed by a few beers at Graveyard Tavern while attending my friend Glenn’s fortieth birthday party.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - feet planted firmly on ground
Current Music - none, listening to the This Week In Tech podcast
Website Of The Day - Need some new workout tunes for your mp3 player? Try JogTunes.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I’ve picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as “blogged.”

Exercise (b)Log - hashing, well at least part of one
Weekly Weigh In - dammit, I forgot!

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

What am I missing? I get the fact that some guy named Craig from San Francisco started a website in the Golden Age of the Web to do classified ads and it spread like wildfire. What I’d like to know is why did it become popular?

I’d Buy That For $1, But Not The $1000 You Are Asking
For a while I have desired to buy a cheap, but serviceable computer to turn into a Linux box (yeah I know, I’m a fucking nerd). So for the past few weeks I have been checking out the computer section of the Atlanta listings. I have yet to find a bargain. People tend think that their electronics maintain a value based on the amount of money they spent to purchase it.

And yesterday I found this gem, which is even better!

Date: 2006-01-05, 2:18PM EST

Experienced computer tech willing to trade setup/repair/consulting services for time spent with ladies.

* this is in or around Gwinnett
* no — it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Oh why didn’t I think of this??? btw- you know it is not me because of the statement “this is in or around Gwinnett.”

On The Off Chance You Thought I Was “The One”

You, the cute girl on Southbound Marta Wednesday night. Me, the guy who was reading over your shoulder in hopes that you would notice me. We both got off the train at Five Points. Should I have read your lack of interest as playing hard to get?

That’s the sort of nonsense people put in the “missed connections” section. Does this shit actually work for anyone? If the same person I saw in a train was interested, and read this section of Craig’s List, and responded, I might as well go out and buy a lottery ticket that night since I think both have the same odds for me.

Vindication, It’s More Than Just A River In South America
Last night I stayed home to catch up on a couple of chores, and apparently re-correct my home network. Knowledge — not necessarily good for everyone.

However, while doing all of this I was listening to a show on Sirius called “Matt Pinfield Plays Whatever The Hell He Wants” (or something to that effect) [side note for the youngsters: Matt Pinfield is "known" for once being the host of MTV's "Headbangers' Ball" and "120 Minutes"]. Last night Matt Pinfield played a song by Piebald. Yes, the same Piebald that your’s truly went out and saw in concert back in November. As a matter of fact I am special!

On the local scene, good old Album 88 made me happy this morning by letting their DJs play whatever they wanted (should this have been called “Some Kid Who Never Heard Of Matt Pinfield Plays Whatever The Hell He Wants”)? Anyway, in the hour or so that I was listening I heard Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Granddaddy, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Maybe there is hope for this younger generation afterall…

The Gift That Keeps On Giving (no, not herpes)
Oh, someone will be very lucky tonight! Tonight I’ll be attending a Wine And Re-Gift party hosted by my friends (and former bloggers who are currently addicted to XBox 360) Phil and Stacy. Last year I re-gifted the Jesus clock that I won at Gravity Pub bingo (much like the lamp in the movie A Christmas Story, it was the Grand Prize that night). On Monday you can find out what my wonderful gift was. Tune in then, won’t you?

[UPDATE @12:45pm] My fortune cookie today reads “You may attend a party where strange customs prevail.” Too funny!

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - Fridaylicious
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Rilo Kiley — “Portions For Foxes”
Website Of The Day - Craig’s List, naturally.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I’ve picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as “blogged.”

Exercise (b)Log - walking, approximately 6 miles

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Never A Dull Moment In The Hood
Upon returning home from George’s last evening there was a SUV “parked” in the middle of my street in front of my house. The vehicle looked somewhat abandoned, so I naturally called 911. The police came out, investigated, took some fingerprints, and had the car hauled off.

This is the third time in the last three years that I have had to call the police to my house. In my previous thirty-seven years I think that I may have called 911 once. Frankly, I am getting a bit tired of this.

I’ll Try To Eat A Mango In Durango
I’ve planned my first trip for 2006. What I didn’t specify a few days ago is that one of my goals this year is to get out of Atlanta more often, regardless of whether or not I have a travel companion (don’t get me started on this, just accept the fact that this is one of my “issues”).

In September I’ll be travelling to Durango Colorado for the twelfth annual Colorado InviHashional. I am really looking forward to this since it will be the first time I’ve travelled for a hashing event.

More Trends I’d Like To See This Year
What has happened to mouth etiquette? Why aren’t people able to chew gum with the mouths completely closed any longer? Would it kill people to cover their mouths when the yawn, sneeze, or cough? C’mon people, it’s common courtesy.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Last night’s run was five miles long at a nice comfortable pace. I was quite pleased with the running effort. I wish I could say the same for my performance at practicing restraint from drinking and eating afterwards. Perhaps the burger (heaped with bleu cheese) was a bad choice? Who am I to turn down the offer of free beer? Could you?

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - pretty good
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Ween — “Gabrielle”
Website Of The Day - One of the new travel services I’ve heard about recently is OneTime. What’s nice about OneTime is that it will search multiple travel sites as selected by you. I just might use it for my trip to Durango… Oh you don’t like that one? Well try SideStep instead.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I’ve picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as “blogged.”

Exercise (b)Log - running, approximately 5 miles

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]