Inside The Perimeter

I really don’t have much to talk about today. Last night’s activities consisted of getting a haircut, eating mixed nuts and bread for dinner, catching up on a lot of tv, talking to my mother on the phone, doing a load of laundry, and then going to sleep. Don’t hate me because I have it all….

It’s Like Kissing Your Own Sister
At the end of the game it was
Paulie - 1
Marta - 1

I knew there would be issues with the train when it still sat on the platform five or so minutes after passing me on my walk to the station. I saw the guy finagling with one of the doors so I quickly stepped inside in hopes that he’d fix it swiftly and we’d be on our way.

A few minutes later we departed the station to the yells of those who were on the platform but not as sneaky as I was to squeeze into the only open door (the one being worked upon).

Score one for Paulie.

At Lindbergh we heard the news that our train was being taken out of service (to fix one door?) and that we’d all have to detrain (hell, if people say deplane why not say detrain?) and await the next southbound train which was “right behind us.” Knowing how long our train had waited at the Dunwoody station I actually believed the driver and got off with all of the other riders. A good four-to-five minutes passed before the next train arrived.

Score one for Marta.

The rest of the trip was rather uneventful, although I did manage to garner a few odd stares as I bobbed my head to the new Kill Gordon tunes on my iPod.

ITP Flickr Pic
Not Cupid’s arrow..

…but rather a demon’s eyes.

Half-Month Update Time!
More importantly that being a day for those in love, today marks the half-way point in February. Let’s take a gander at how I am doing this month. Warning: much like my love-life this is not going to be pretty

1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
I haven’t stepped on a scale this month. I think I am afraid to do so.

2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
I’m at 4.5 miles, only 20.5 miles behind schedule. As I mentioned Monday I have also hurt my knee so this once again looks like it’s going to be a missed goal.

3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
Not done it yet. I think in March I am going to draw up a schedule.

4) Read two books.
I am half-way through one book (”Eats, Shoots, & Leaves”) I plan on making more time for reading so this one looks likely to be completed successfully.

5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
I can honestly say that this one is done!

6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
So far so good. Look for me to up the regularity of this goal in future months.

7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.
I am working on this. I have a lot already entered and once I figure out the best way to publish this information this one will be complete.

Not bad, but not great either.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - pissy and wishing I had someone with whom I should not want to be an “just an Average Man” (thanks spammers!)
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Sleater-Kinney — “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone”
Website Of The Day - It’s a cold, windy, gray Valentine’s Day in Atlanta, Georgia. This is also the fourth consecutive Valentine’s Day that I will be flying solo so I can think of no better website for today than Despair, Inc.
Exercise (b)Log - none

February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I’ve just eaten one of the worst breakfasts I’ve had in a long time. Part of the problem was my laziness, part was not. The guilty breakfast consisted of a bottle of three-day-past-date-but-not-soured milk and a biscuit that I think may have been fried because it was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, both of these purchased from the cafe on the ground floor of my office building, and a piece of sausage-egg casserole that I was too lazy to heat in the microwave. The worst part of this breakfast was that I ate the entire thing because I am programmed not to throw out food. Lunch will be accordingly diminished to compensate for the amount of food I’ve just eaten.

I Hate Pant Shopping, I Love Old Navy
I have some work commitments over the next few weeks which require pants that are not blue jeans. Want to take a guess whose waistline has swollen beyond the legion of “nice” pants which hang in his closets?

Yesterday I marched into the Fantasyland known as Old Navy. According to the pants I purchased I am the same waist size as before and two inches taller. Man I love Old Navy! I’m not sure if their odd sizing is due to poor workmanship, or to make the customers feel better about themselves so they continue shopping at Old Navy — either way I don’t care.

ITP Flickr Pic
This was my dinner last night.

I had time to kill before my final Composition class, so I stopped into the Tin Drum at Lindbergh for a meal.

Gel Down, Stick Up
Lately I realized that I have seemingly been using far more deodorant than I have in the past. I know that I am not in need of this extra amount of deodorant, so I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because that I am using gel deodorants instead of stick deodorants. I have a suspicious feeling that popularity of gel deodorants has nothing to do with their superiority over stick deodorants. Instead, I think that the companies who produce deodorant have done massive studies and have concluded that people use more deodorant when they use gels over sticks and thus increasing their sales.

Anyone have a rebuttal?

CD Pick Of The Week
It’s obvious from the lack of new releases today that CDs make lousy Valentine’s Day gifts. I guess you are supposed to make mix-cds for this holiday.

Given the limited selection I’ll have to pick the new release from Lucinda Williams called “West.” I have not followed much of Williams’ career, but what I’ve heard I’ve enjoyed.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - meh
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Faint — “Desperate Guys”
Website Of The Day - If you are into the “Save the World” and “Treehugging” bullshit like I am, then you might enjoy reading the website Lighter Footstep. Lighter Footstep is a site dedicated to sustainable living.
Exercise (b)Log - none

February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I think only Chuck Norris could have gotten more accomplished this weekend.

It Wasn’t A Bad “Bad Date” But It Wasn’t A Great “Bad Date” Either
My friend Stacy and I went to the Horizon Theatre to see “Bad Dates” on Friday night. Being currently (and perhaps permanently) “unattached” I think really want to wallow in the misery of someone else’s tales, no matter how fictional they may be.

As we both found out that night, the play was a one-woman, one-set affair. I think that the play would have benefited from at least one other actor because playing off the audience didn’t seem to work all of the time. Both Stacy and I agreed that the actress did a fine job and that at some point we stopped seeing her as an actress playing a part and more like the person to which this was all happening.

I’d recommend you go see “Bad Dates” however the show has now closed. Don’t fret, Horizon Theater is now kicking off their 2007 season so you have plenty of opporunities to support local theater there.

One Goal Done, One Goal Dashed
As we near the mid-month update for my February goals I am happy to announce that I’ve accomplished one already, and have all but thrown in the towel on another.

On Saturday I met up with my friends Stacy and Phil for a breakfast / Survivor watching / photostroll / lunch gathering. Due to Survivor recording circumstances we gathered at my house early in the morning and headed up to Honey’s Kitchen for breakfast. Breakfast was good, although I do wish that Honey’s ran a little more efficiently.

Back to my house the three of us watched the first episode of The Apprentice: Fiji Survivor: Fiji. I enjoyed the episode even with the silly new twist thrown into this season. However I was very disappointed that one of the only two women that I looked forward to seeing for a long time, Jessica (the other being Rita), was booted immediately. To further drive the stake into my gut Phil correctly picked Jessica and will be assigning Stacy and me a song to purchase from iTunes.

Once Survivor ended the three of us headed out for some picture shooting. With the chill in the air, and a secret desire to mark off one of my February goals, I suggested that we head to the Center For Puppetry Arts. The lack of light in the building combined with the restriction against using flash (although I saw people do so regardless) made it a very tough photoshoot. I also realized that I’d like to go back someday without a camera because I felt I was too concerned about the shots and not as concerned about taking in the beauty of the puppets.

Sunday morning found me questioning my sanity because I was once again starting my training for the ING Half Marathon at the end of March. I ran 4.5 miles miles at a comfortable pace before heading back to my friend Betsy’s for some Tweety Bird waffles and beer. (side note: Betsy was this week’s host for our Sunday morning runners’ group) At the end of the run I felt the inner part of my left knee twinge a bit. I thought little of it. When I went to sit down I twisted the same knee awkwardly and felt considerable more pain than a twinge. I thought a lot about it, but hoped that it was nothing more than temporary discomfort. My knee still bothers me this morning when I twist it in certain ways. This is not good at all. I don’t think I’ve damaged the knee badly, but I do think that I’ve damaged my ability to train for the half marathon.

ITP Flickr Pic
From the Center For Puppetry Arts.

I didn’t get many quality shots there, it was rather a tough place for me to shoot.

But The Brick Store Doesn’t Sell Bricks
There is really only one answer when someone asks me the question “We are meeting at the Brick Store, do you want to join us?”

I met up with some Flickrites at Brick Store in Decatur for a few fantastic beers and as much people-watching as I could take in.

I learned something quite important to the rest of my life on Saturday night. I am a disturbed man whose appearance scares even me. There is a picture of me taken that night which helps me understand why the women I want to date have no interest in dating me. I’d link to the picture, but you may be eating a meal right now and I wouldn’t want to ruin that for you.

Dying alone…. here I come.

RTFM!!!
I think it’s time for me to re-read the manual for my camera. I’ve been really frustrated by my shots lately and think that either I am doing something wrong, or at least could improve upon my skills by using some different settings.

Tonight is the last night for my Composition Class. While I’ve enjoyed it, I think my current frustrations have limited my participation. Over the next few weeks I am going to re-read the handouts I received from the class to see what pearls of wisdom I missed the first time around.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - defeated
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Arcade Fire — “Intervention”
Website Of The Day - You have two more days to find love before V-Day. If you’ve exhausted all of the other online meeting sites, give Kizmeet. Don’t look for me though, I’ve thrown in the towel.
Exercise (b)Log - Fri, Sat, Sun; none, none, running, approximately 4.5 miles

February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

No I don’t mean this Office (which I watched and thoroughly enjoyed last night), I mean my work’s office.

It’s Friday and I am at work. Go me! Today will be a really busy day so expect this to be short and sweet, just like… nevermind.

Why Are You National Grain?
This was supposed to be in yesterday’s entry, but I forgot. However, it’s still applicable for today.

On Wednesday night I sat down the bar from Shane Joiner, who is one of the members of Atlanta’s (band formerly known as?) National Grain. The confusion in the last sentence is not because Shane has left the band, but as he explained to me, one of the other members (whose name I’ve forgotten) has. He told me that they have enough new material in the can to put toward a new album, but are waiting to see what happens before they do so.

While looking for news about the band (see, there are times I do some research) I found out that some of the remaining band members are going to join forces with members from a band called Sonoramic Commando and play an early gig (5:00pm!) at Atlanta Brewing Company. If I didn’t already have plans I’d probably be down there drinking a Red Brick Ale while listening to some cool music…

ITP Flickr Pic
The Jackmobile has 58k+ of rough roads under its tires. Like an obedient dog it was happily waiting for me at the Marta station when I returned from work last night.

I realize that this is not the worlds greatest photo, but for a camera phone it’s pretty decent.

Taking It To The Studio
After much deliberation I signed up for the Studio 1 class offered by Showcase on the weekend of March 10th/11th. I’ve never been trained in the techniques of proper photo lighting (can you tell?), and while I am sure that there are many great books on the subject, by the time I get around to reading one will probably be 2012.

Wide Open Weekend
This weekend is highly unusual in that I have nothing scheduled for either of the two nights. Sure, tonight I’ll be at the Horizon Theatre, but as for Saturday and Sunday nights I am free. Think you have a good suggestion what I should on either of those two night? I’d certainly love to hear it.

Go West Young Man
One final request….

I am contemplating a trip to Arizona over Memorial Day weekend (that’s right, no Hedon for me this year kiddies) plus adding a day or two on each side. Do you have any decent sites for learning where to go, and what to see in a city/state you’ve never visited? I’ll be dragging the camera with me so the more photogenic the scenery, the better. I expect to fly into Phoenix and rent a car but after that I am completely flexible.

And if Canadian Tamara is reading this, this trip does not put the kibosh on the idea of going even farther West to visit you.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - okay
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Bloc Party — “The Prayer”
Website Of The Day - I might be the only person in Atlanta who has not stepped inside an IKEA (not today’s link). However, others who do have figured out how to hack their IKEA furniture. Check out the IKEAhacker blog to see what they’ve come up with.
Exercise (b)Log - nada

February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I’ve been inspired by the mailer which found its way to my mailbox yesterday. The next play to be performed at the Shakespeare Tavern is “Romeo and Juliet.”

Wherefore Art Thou Ellen?
My stops at East Atlanta’ Joe’s Coffee Shop have been a little less pleasurable in the past few months because the lovely Ellen no longer seems to work there (at least the early morning shift). I’m a “drink my coffee black” kinda guy so it doesn’t really matter who draws the java into the cup, but as you might have picked up from my previous musings, I really liked Ellen.

Wherefore Art Thou Wii?
I understand why Sony had a difficult time manufacturing the Playstation3. In that instance there was a shortage of blue lasers are necessary for their BluRay discs.

Nintendo has no such excuse. Technologically speaking the Wii is the weakest system in the New World of console gamine (Xbox 360, Playstation3, Wii). Hell, the Wii doesn’t even play DVDs! Therefore I am wondering why I am still unable to purchase a Wii? It just makes no sense to me. Had the Wii found its way into stores by now I might have purchased one. The longer I have to wait, the less likely I am to buy.

Speaking of waiting… Lately I have been contemplating purchasing Guitar Hero II. I think about it, but then back off because I kinda feel like I’d be a total loser if I stayed home and jammed alone on a toy guitar. But, everyone who has played it says that it is really fun. Yesterday I heard that the game is scheduled to be released for the Xbox 360 some time in April. I guess I’ll be waiting for that…

Wherefore Art Thou New ITP Flickr Pics?
Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve got some pictures in-camera which need to get processed, but I haven’t had the motivation to do so.

There is something about the daylight moon that always intrigues me. I know why it happens, but it intrigues me nonetheless.

Wherefore Art Thou Atlanta’s Playhouses?
I’ve added a new list to the right-hand galley; this list is for Atlanta’s Playhouses. I really like to go see plays so I only think that it’s right for me to advertise for them so that they stay in business.

Hey Kathleen, what’s coming up with Out of Hand Theater?

Wherefore Art Thou Paulie
I am all over the fucking place!

Last night I hung with the hashers at George’s Bar. I miss being able to get there and run with the group. Since I haven’t been running with them I decided it was a bad idea for me to just show up and drink.

Tonight I’m hanging at home and catching up on some tv watching with friends. My crockpot is currently cooking up some beef stew for dinner. Tonight will be a multiple- episode The Office night, followed by the recording of Survivor: Fiji. (Hey Darren, I forgot that I can’t watch Survivor tonight. We could always play some Gears of War if you want to come over)

Tomorrow night will find me at the Horizon Theatre to see the play “Bad Dates” with my friend Stacy. I really want to see this play in order to find out if the dates of fictional characters are worse than the ones I have been on.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - Martarrific. Although I must admit that there is a sliver of my conscience that wonders that when I get back to the Marta parking lot tonight if I will be uttering “Wherefore art thou Jackmobile?”
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Now It’s Overhead — “Let Up”
Website Of The Day - Daytrotter is a really cool site for indie music. If you like the bands that I log from Sirius 26 each day, then I think you’ll really like Daytrotter.
Exercise (b)Log - none

February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I am not sure how this has happened, but today marks my tenth anniversary with my current employer. Technically it’s ten years and three months because I contracted with the company who later hired me as a full-time employee ten years ago today. And technically it’s really only eight years with my “current” employer because I was a member of the company who hired me when we were all acquired eight years ago. Isn’t math fun?

Even More Super Bowl Leftovers
How Do They Stay In Business?
I may have muttered aloud here once before wondering how Satellite Records in L5P stayed in business. I am well acquainted with Criminal Records and Wax n Fax (NFWS?), but had never stepped foot inside Satellite (hell, for a long time I didn’t even know that it existed).

I no longer have to wonder, as on Saturday I saw that the store was closed and cleaned out. The note on their door mentioned their web presence, and when I get around to processing the pictures that I took that morning I might look them up.

Ain’t That A Kick In The Pants
You know that big party I threw Sunday (with massive help from others, of course)? You know, that one that raised money for this year’s Muscle Mountain 50 Mile Bike Ride Against ALS just like two year’s parties before it? Yeah that one. Yesterday my friend (and ITP reader) Barb informed me that she has heard that the ride is not going to occur this year. Fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck! Nevermind that one of my goals for 2007 was to finish the damn ride, no mind the fact that the Atlanta Hashers ponied up over $400 for a donation. Sure, we can turn the money over to ALS research in the name of the Hash, but it’s just not the same. Phooey!!! This is officially the last year that I do a Super Bowl Sunday hash followed by a Super Bowl party fund raiser. Next year there will just be the party. Mark. My. Words.

Domesticated Paulie
Want to know how wild I was last night? How does vacuuming the basement, discarding all trash from the Super Bowl party, cleaning the bar area, and doing three loads of laundry (one of which remains in the drier) sound? Oh, I know how to live!!! Tonight will probably be more of the same. But you want to know the sick thing? Having a clean house makes me happy. It’s sick I tell you. See ladies, I do have a redeeming quality after all…

ITP Flickr Pic
I fucking love this shot! However it has generated no interest on Flickr.

Every time I look at it I laugh. Perhaps I’m just a sick bastard.

There’s Something Going On In L5P
My first clue was the completely-filled parking area at 7:00am. My second clue was the camera person standing on the corner of Moreland / Euclid. My third clue was the amazingly bright set constructed in the Homeless Zone of L5P.

I have no idea what was going on, but I wished that I had the time to take my camera gear out and take pictures of them.

If you know the details, please enlighten us with a comment.

I Fear The Gas Man
While it was refreshing this morning to exit my abode and not shudder from the cold, the last three weeks have been bone chilling. My house, which is now fifty-one years old, wasn’t constructed with the world’s greatest insulation. Double-pane windows? What are those? This is the time of year when I dread the bill notification from Scana (or whoever is my natural gas provider at the time).

I try to be frugal when it comes to heating my house in the Winter. I wear sweaters, and hats occasionally, however I draw the line at putting gloves on inside my house. Keep in mind that I’m the only one in the house, so any suffering is only inflicted upon me. I figure that if I can save $50-$100 dollars on the cost of heating that money can be spent elsewhere, you know, like on beer, toys, and hookers camera gear.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - glad I am not fucking freezing today
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Forward Russia — “Nine”
Website Of The Day - The people at Super Bowl Monday are trying to get the Monday following the Super Bowl declared a National Holiday. I support their effort 100%!
Exercise (b)Log - cleaning house for an hour, that was exercise enough

February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

For some reason I have started replaying the “Ratchet and Clank” series of games on my PS2. There are three games in the series, two of which I finished a few years ago and the third I nearly finished sometime last year. I have to say that I am enjoying the hell out of these even thought they are not the “latest and greatest” of games.

Super Bowl Leftovers
It’s Like Music For My Ears
On Saturday while I was out taking pictures in L5P I dropped by Criminal Records to pick up a couple of CDs. The CDs purchased that day were Of Montreal’s “Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?” and Beirut’s “Lon Gisland.” As an added bonus I also finally met Tessa, whose blog I’ve read for a long time.

Upon first listen I was a little underwhelmed by the Of Montreal disc and incredibly pleased with the Beirut EP.

Clap Your Hands Say I Bought Some Pre-Sale Concert Tickets
Pre-sale tickets for the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah concert to be held at Variety Playhouse on April 18th went on sale yesterday. You need to go to CYHSY’s website before February 8th in order to partake.

Class Registration At Showcase Begins Today
I’ve written about the fact that I’ve been taken photography classes. If you think my karate is skills are good you might want to sign up for classes yourself. Registration for the next round of classes begins today at Showcase School (this has been an unpaid endorsement).

My Winning Streak Hath Ended
Sunday marked the official ending of my sports betting winning streak. I conducted a “squares” pool at the house and joined one elsewhere as well. At home I was “in the money” in the third quarter only to lose it in the final minutes; in the other pool the same thing occurred to me in the final quarter. Oh well, it was a nice run while it lasted.

Nice, Very Nice
I am going to steal something I read recently because I think it is too funny. The following is a passage from sales pamphlet put out by Insound Records

Ode To Rachael Ray

Oh double R, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

Your endearing effervescent manner (your “how cool is that!” exclamations are more beautiful to me than the morning birds chirping), adorable abbreviations (who would even think to call extra-virgin olive oil “E.V.O.O.”?) and non-traditional travel techniques (”when you’re in a new city, check the yellow pages for handy restaurant tips!”) have left me wanting a plate full of you.

You wholly had my heart when you once took a sip of ice water and exclaimed, “Mmmm.” Only an angel could love water so fervently. But alas, you are far out of my little league. You can make meals in thirty minutes flat that would cost me many years and tears to replicate. My egg pasta frittata and macho gazpacho salad do not deserve to be in the presence of yours.

You have best-selling books, a new talk show (replacing Tony Danza, no less) and have set a new standard in entertainment television with “$40 A Day.” But it was that revolutionary program which ripped off to the fact that we weren’t meant to be together. You see, you think that spending $40 a day on food is a bargain, and I consider it a travesty. You’re an uptown girl, and I’m a downtown guy. You’re from the Hills and I’m from Reseda.

I’m sorry, Rachael, but it just won’t work out. It’s not you or, heaven forbid, your cooking. It is me.

So though I will still be passionate for your pureeing, and will continue to be bewildered by your bacon-wrapped asparagus bundles, our love shall never be. I’ll have to settle for Paula Deen.

The rest of the pamplet contained recipes for the indie rocker, but this made me laugh aloud so I just had to steal it.

ITP Flickr Pic
I call this “Suffering For My Art”

It was seriously cold the night I took this (a week ago Monday) with a wind chill that made my hands shake. At least I managed to get a picture I liked out of it.

CD Pick Of The Week
The Apples In Stereo have a new CD today (called “New Magnetic Wonder”)!

I said, The Apples In Stereo have a new CD today!

I’ve not heard the majority of the CD, but I have heard a few singles and was given the “bonus tracks” disc by the lovely Tessa whilst shopping in Criminal Records on Saturday and like what I heard.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - fair
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Apples In Stereo — “Can You Feel It?”
Website Of The Day - My buddy Darren turned my on to today’s pick; it’s the Young Gallery (and not the Youngblood Gallery as I identified it this morning). It’s a slick gallery site from which I will be trying to steal some of their photographic knowledge.
Exercise (b)Log - none

February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I do my best to stimulate the economy by throwing a Super Bowl party and what thanks do I get from the Government? Nothing but a “Get you ass to work.” statement. Hrmph! To protest this obvious oversight by the powers that be I am starting a hunger strike protest today. However to confuse the authorities I will call my hunger strike by another name — a “diet.” Damn I’m clever.

Many thanks go out to my friends Laura and Stacy who helped immensely with the food preparation, and to the countless number of people who helped clean up at the end.

Le Microwave Est Muerte
Sometime during the first half Mikey the Microwave died. He died a quiet death, no fantastic sparks or smoke (at least that witnessed). Mikey served as a trusted companion of mine for eight years. Before joining my team Mikey was much-used workhorse at the house on Melinda where I lived with my friends.

Mikey is survived by a wife, the Black & Decker toaster oven, and one daughter, the toaster.

He. will. be. missed…

ITP Flickr Pic
Hey I’ve got a great idea! Let’s create a sausage from beef and chicken and then stick it in a bottle which has a pig on the label. So not to confuse the consumers we’ll also affix a sticker to the label to alert the consumers that, even though a pig is pictured on the label, there is no pork inside.

Rats! It’s already been done.

It Was Nearly The Party That Wasn’t
On Saturday morning (5am) I awoke to the sounds of my bathroom pipe gurgling (technical term). Knowing that this was wrong I hopped out of bed and wondered if my pipes had burst. I flushed the toilet and much to my dismay the water was brown. Fearing the worst I rushed around the house like a chicken with its head cut off looking for water. Not finding any problems within the house I went out into the cold looking for water, again none was found. At that point I didn’t know what to do.

Later in the morning I decided to post to the EAV Buzz boards to see if I was the only one experiencing this. I quickly learned that a water main around the corner from me had burst. On the one hand this made me happy because I figured it shouldn’t cost me anything to fix the issue, on the other hand I wondered aloud why this had to happen the day before I was to have a ton of people at the house.

The problem was fixed on Saturday morning, but to play it safe I wound up buying an extra case of bottled water and ten gallons of water for cooking.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - okay, but exhausted
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Jesus & Mary Chain — “Happy When It Rains”
Website Of The Day - I’ve heard that this website, The Six O’Clock Scramble contains quick and healthy meals. I’ll be researching it soon in case my hunger strike fails.
Exercise (b)Log - black sheep hashing yesterday

February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Great fun at the Thrashers game last night. Too much beer consumed at the Thrashers game last night. Feeling the consequences today.

ITP Flickr Pic
Good morning sunshine…

It is going to be a very slow day…

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - lousy
Current Music - listening to the “Daily Source Code” podcast
Website Of The Day - I’m too worn out to come up with one so I am stealing this site from Susan’s blog. If you are training for a big running event and need routes, check out the USATF’s running routes.
Exercise (b)Log - none

We did it! It appears that we’ve survived ICE Storm ‘07.

Have You Been On The Edge Of Your Seat?
Here are my February Goals…

1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles. (hey, this time I also have two fewer days!)
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read no fewer than two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all my 2007 information into Google Calendar.

I realize that four of those are carryovers from January but they are the types of goals that should carryover. Besides, with the exception of the book reading, I failed with the others.

So It’s Spelled “Ilan?”
My bad. Now that Ilan has won Top Chef I should give him his due and spell his name correctly. Honestly I really thought it was spelled “Elan.”

I managed to resist the urge to read the article which contained the spoiler, and I am glad that I did. I did read the article after watching the show, however. For those of you who didn’t, it clearly stated that Ilan had won. Apparently some one at Food & Wine magazine erroneously posted the article to their website.

The finale was just “okay” in my opinion. I still don’t understand why Marcel would pick Mike who, at least by the show’s editing, looked to be the least trustworthy of the sous chef candidates.

Hmm, I wonder what Gail Simmons is doing these days…

ITP Flickr Pic
The genius behind this blog

I only wish that I was able to get better focus on the little guy. He works so hard…

I’d Buy That For $1, But Not $1.99
While I think it is great that avenues now exist for legally downloading tv shows (even though it may eventually lead to the demise of my industry) I have to balk at the price charged for an episode.

Let’s take iTunes for an example…

Let’s say that someone named, oh I don’t know, let’s say Betsy, was unable to watch one of her favorite programs, we’ll choose The Office as a for instance.

Now let’s say that even though Betsy has a really great friend who has a Dish Network DVR and will be recording the show because he too will be unable to watch it on NBC’s schedule. Let’s also say that Paulie, I mean Betsy’s great friend, has offered to have Betsy come over and watch The Office at a later date (have I mention how great Betsy’s friend is lately?) and she has agreed.

If for some bizarre reason Betsy decided to watch the show via iTunes instead of with Paulie her great friend she could do so at a cost of $1.99. On the surface this seems fair, but let’s do some math.

Assume that a cable / satellite user gets a channel lineup of fifty channels for $50 per month (keeping it really simple here). Therefore this person is paying $1 per month for each of these channels.

Assume that each of these channels broadcasts twenty shows a day on average. Since you are paying $1 per channel you are therefore paying five cents per show!

$1.99 >> 5c

See how I can make the statement that you are getting screwed by paying $1.99 per episode? Hell, I’ll even concede that there is a cost of storage and transmission in addition to the desire for Apple (in this case) to make a profit, but does this comprise of 95% of the cost of the product?

Just my two cents — which in my world should get me 40% of an episode of The Office.

Let The Only Ice Tonight Be Inside Philips Arena
Tonight I’ll be back down at the Arena rooting for my favorite hockey team, the New York Islanders. I was bummed when the Isles came to town and took an overtime loss home with them last Friday night.

If you are not into the hockey, but are into the big ass beers at Gorin’s in CNN Center then you can also find me there before the puck drops.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - renewed, although still not ready for Sunday
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Grizzly Bear — “On A Neck, On A Spit”
Website Of The Day - Somebody tried a social experiment by leaving a wallet with $2.10 on the ground and then recording what happened when a person picked it up. They repeated this experiment one hundred times. If this interests you, you can find the results at Wallet Test. What would you do?
Exercise (b)Log - none

February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]