29.8.07
Looking for Love!
In this age of interweb dating, it's refreshing to see someone looking for love the old fashioned way: one lamppost at a time...
24.8.07
Grind Update!
After my 44:41 time on the Grouse Grind, I wondered whether or not I would continue on or drink beer and eat poutine instead (never really thinking 'why not both?'). And, somewhat cockily, I asked Rob what he had in store for me? Well, soon after that he broke his 45 minute wall and finished in 44:48. While that didn't really frighten me (that much), it made me realise that my victory was not yet etched in the finest Italian marble with gold leaf to fill in the lettering and the silhouette of my face, so the next week it was back up the hill. I finished in 42:39 which I was obviously pleased with but as I thought about it more it became something of a curse, as I was now too close to the 40 minute mark to not have a crack at it. Onward and upward, this week's time was 41:33. I'll be happy when (if?) I beat 40 minutes. Because then I never have to do the Grind again. Go me!
17.8.07
Why the U.S. Legal System is Brilliant!
Michael Vick, currently facing charges for his involvement in dog-fighting, is now facing a lawsuit from a prison inmate in South Carolina, the Guardian reports. The $63 billion lawsuit claims that Vick stole two dogs from Jonathan Lee Riches, used them for fighting then sold them on e-bay. He then allegedly used the proceeds to buy missiles from the Iranian government. I highly recommend reading the transcript of the suit. Some of the other deeds Vick is alleged to have committed:
-He pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda.
-He subjected the plaintiff to microwave testing.
-He used drugs in a school zone.
-He stole the plaintiff's ID and used it to open an account to buy pet food at Petsmart and Doggie Warehouse.
Should Mr. Riches win his suit he would like the $63 000 000 000 to be backed by gold and silver and delivered to the front gates of the prison he is in, via UPS. He also apologises that the suit is hand-written. (Yes, it's a hand written lawsuit, rife with spelling mistakes and poor grammar.)
My favourite part, though, has to be his last line:
"Michael Vick has to stop physically hurting my feelings and dashing my hopes."
Let justice be done.
-He pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda.
-He subjected the plaintiff to microwave testing.
-He used drugs in a school zone.
-He stole the plaintiff's ID and used it to open an account to buy pet food at Petsmart and Doggie Warehouse.
Should Mr. Riches win his suit he would like the $63 000 000 000 to be backed by gold and silver and delivered to the front gates of the prison he is in, via UPS. He also apologises that the suit is hand-written. (Yes, it's a hand written lawsuit, rife with spelling mistakes and poor grammar.)
My favourite part, though, has to be his last line:
"Michael Vick has to stop physically hurting my feelings and dashing my hopes."
Let justice be done.
9.8.07
Contest Update!
Thus far in the pizza contest, we have one unnamed entrant, one joker and a serious lack of fresh ideas. Does no one crave the fame associated with having me name a pizza after them and posting it here? Have I overestimated or misunderstood your attention-whoring ways?
Motivational Messages!
Some days when I come into work in the morning, someone will have hung a sign at the top of the stairs for all to read upon entry. It usually has some type of nice, little, happy, thoughtful, reassuring and uplifting message to help everyone make it through the trials and tribulations of their work day. This is today's message:
8.8.07
Robots
Sometimes I know that I'm living in regular-normal-world. For example, when I'm sitting at my desk, drinking coffee and wishing that rather than being at my desk, drinking coffee, I were outside in the sun, drinking coffee. (Sometimes I will then go and sit at the picnic table outside and drink my coffee and wish I weren't at work at all.) But then there are other times when I am forced to accept that maybe I live in crazy-future-world. For example, when I'm confronted with one of those machines that can record something from the television and play it back later. ON A TAPE! (Seriously, ever seen one of those things?) Or, when a country (South Korea) feels the need to devise a Robot Code of Ethics. Haven't we all seen Blade Runner and I, Robot? Don't we already know this is going to end badly?
Barry Bonds Memorabilia!
This 120cm ceramic one of a kind bad boy is currently available on e-bay. It took over 400 hours to make. Wow.
The Grind
Alternate Title: My Cockiness and Stubbornness Pay Off!
Last summer a co-worker of mine was very pleased with himself for having completed the Grouse Grind in 44:50. And he should be pleased with himself as it is an excellent time. I'm not sure why but when I heard his time I told him that I would be beat him. At the time I was running somewhat irregularly and doing not too much else. I definitely wasn't doing the Grouse Grind a couple of times a week. Soon after that, two friends and I actually did the Grind and I finished in just over one hour. It seemed my cockiness was perhaps unwarranted and definitely premature. A couple weeks later I did it again and finished in 57 minutes. But, I was still determined to beat the 44:50 time. I'm stubborn like that. The first time I did it this year, along with my two motivator pace bunnies, who, lets not kid ourselves, after the first climb of the season, stopped doing their jobs very effectively, I finished in 52:46. I let my co-worker know but I also let him know that I still intended to beat him. The next week I finished in 49:50 or so, then after a two week hiatus, 47:40 or so. All the while I kept my co-worker informed of my improvements and took joy in his realisation that I would in fact beat him. Because I'm like that. This is where it became a little complicated. When I time myself it is from the post at the gate to the post at the base of the stairs to the lodge. But my co-worker's 44:50 time was from the post to the rock clearing, which is a bit shorter than to the post. He timed himself from rock to post, did it in 37 seconds, so we gave him a very unofficial time of 45:27, with an asterisk beside it. Last week, I did the Grind in 45:29, so close to the unofficial time I could have claimed victory and no record book would have stopped me. Thankfully, my co-worker did the right, honourable and proper thing, which was too go out the next night and set a new personal best of 45:15 thus removing the asterisk and giving me a target. Finally, today, I finished in 44:41, which, in case you hadn't noticed, is faster than the original time I set out to beat. Next week, I may do the Grind again. Or, I may go out for beer and poutine. I can't really say. So, Rob, what do you got for me now?
Last summer a co-worker of mine was very pleased with himself for having completed the Grouse Grind in 44:50. And he should be pleased with himself as it is an excellent time. I'm not sure why but when I heard his time I told him that I would be beat him. At the time I was running somewhat irregularly and doing not too much else. I definitely wasn't doing the Grouse Grind a couple of times a week. Soon after that, two friends and I actually did the Grind and I finished in just over one hour. It seemed my cockiness was perhaps unwarranted and definitely premature. A couple weeks later I did it again and finished in 57 minutes. But, I was still determined to beat the 44:50 time. I'm stubborn like that. The first time I did it this year, along with my two motivator pace bunnies, who, lets not kid ourselves, after the first climb of the season, stopped doing their jobs very effectively, I finished in 52:46. I let my co-worker know but I also let him know that I still intended to beat him. The next week I finished in 49:50 or so, then after a two week hiatus, 47:40 or so. All the while I kept my co-worker informed of my improvements and took joy in his realisation that I would in fact beat him. Because I'm like that. This is where it became a little complicated. When I time myself it is from the post at the gate to the post at the base of the stairs to the lodge. But my co-worker's 44:50 time was from the post to the rock clearing, which is a bit shorter than to the post. He timed himself from rock to post, did it in 37 seconds, so we gave him a very unofficial time of 45:27, with an asterisk beside it. Last week, I did the Grind in 45:29, so close to the unofficial time I could have claimed victory and no record book would have stopped me. Thankfully, my co-worker did the right, honourable and proper thing, which was too go out the next night and set a new personal best of 45:15 thus removing the asterisk and giving me a target. Finally, today, I finished in 44:41, which, in case you hadn't noticed, is faster than the original time I set out to beat. Next week, I may do the Grind again. Or, I may go out for beer and poutine. I can't really say. So, Rob, what do you got for me now?
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