Not Giving a Fuck!

amen brutha...wish I could!

DIY Shangri-La

seamster is accepting suggestions on what he should do with the glow in the dark helmet he just bought for a buck at the thrift store

fluctifragus converted his nintendo into a luch box

bradpowers is measuring the speed of light with chocolate

Cleveland Motley is generating electricity with his swing set

MacGyver is blushing.

visit www.instructables.com before you buy anything else

The Chemistry of Commitment

I'm no chemist and i'm certainly no genius when it comes to relationships (laugh track) but it seems like the neuropeptides, oxytocin and vasopressin have a huge part to play in how we connect....and also how we stray! Scientists At Emory are studying prairie vole culture to come to understanding about social attachment and love.

Take a look at their fascinating findings:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2004/3/monogamy.cfm

here we go again

Another memorial day weekend, another surge in gas prices. I have never been so thankful to be left out of the game!

The Ultimate Athlete

I'm blown away by the info I hear about sled dogs. A doctor at Oklahoma State has been studying the phenomenal muscle fatigue recovery process which allows these animals to traverse 1,100 miles in arctic conditions for 9+ days at a time. Dr. Michael Davis has published his findings in a report entitled, “Metabolic Strategies for Sustained Endurance Exercise: Lessons from the Iditarod.” He claims:

Conditioned dogs display most of the metabolic changes that are found in human endurance athletes during their first day of exercise, including depletion of muscle energy reserves, increases in stress hormones, evidence of cellular injury (such as to proteins, lipids and DNA), and oxidative stress. However, with subsequent consecutive days of exercise at the same intensity, these changes are reversed. Within four days after exercise begins, the metabolic profile of the dogs returns to where it was before the race began, despite their sustained, strenuous exercise.

also

Racing sled dogs have enormous aerobic capacity. While the untrained sled dogs have an average aerobic capacity of 175 ml/kg/min VO2 max (ratio of volume of oxygen to body weight per minute), the aerobic capacity of the fully conditioned sled dogs is estimated to be about twice that (300 ml/kg/min).

Absolutely fascinating! Now I have another spirit animal to channel when i think I can go no longer. Be the sled dog!

A or B?

attack of the drones

Wow! There's no reason why technology should stun me anymore but here we go again. Was watching the 60 minute piece about the Predators and Drones last week. Both unmanned aircraft are being used in the wars over there (is our campaign in Afghanistan a declared war or is it some kind of conflict or operation or something?) These spybots have the ability to fly undetected into hostile territory and literally send, via satellite, live ground footage with sparkling detail.

Not only that, these eyes in the sky are armed and can be controlled from anywhere on planet earth. The Predators wreaking havoc in the Iraqi war are being controlled from an airbase just outside Vegas. Doesn't that sound like a Vonnegut novel in the making if he had more time? I see the conflicted story of an anti-hero dad (or mom!) who balances surgical killings with little league practice and the other joys of suburban life just past the strip.

Last night I was watching the news and heard the Drones are flying constant missions over the Mexican border too. So much for that 1,969 mile wall the brown-hating racists want to commission. We already have a digital wall that's all-knowing.

So what about us? I wonder. I know ground level surveillance is already a norm in my peacenik community. We see evidence everywhere. I wonder what buzzes above our heads though. You can't hear 'em....you can't see 'em. They are just there when a pilot at some base somewhere says so.

In the 21st century anonymity is declared extinct.

Magic Bullet Review

no, not that one....the blender from the infomercial. I bought one yesterday at the "As Seen on TV" store after 2 days of torment and mental anguish. While watching too much tv with Laura on her last morning in town I saw this gem and what do you know, I'm in the market for a portable blender. Post workout shakes and smoothie making for summer seems delightful! So I pedalled to the mall and got the 17piece chicken dinner, winner, winner variety because the store won't stock the 22piece. The clerk told me he won't sell the later because the juicer, "doesn't work." I think he's just trying to clear stock though. Who cares?

Got it home and fired up a berry smoothie and what do you know, it works! So there! After one use I will give it my official thumbs up... that is until something stupid or devastating happens as a result of my new blending "system"

howahhya

...or is it spelled 'howahya', I don't know? My sister spent 7 days "livin' it" here, on the edge of the world with me; we had a blast, made the beer companies richer, invented a new sport, watched waaaaay more than 14 hours of television, ate like royalty, drank like pirates, missed pilates (and lots of other classes), biked 6 miles, stared at surfers and beautiful people, almost had a campfire, and more, more, more. What can I say, I love that tambourine-headed silly person! Come again!!

seriously, we did!

6 to go?

I sure hope. Anyway I used one yesterday. So I was saying how I have the course all to myself...I still do but the privilege proved near fatal yesterday.

Got to hole 11 and I was rockin' the ipod but decided to turn it off so I could listen to hear if a couple of other early bird friends were a few holes ahead. I saw their cars in the lot. The magic of the singing birds stopped me from wanting to listen to any more music. Wow, the birds were so alive and playing yesterday!

So I tee off (a horribly shanked hyzer cut to the left side...so pathetic) and begin walking down the fairway. I get 150ft when I hear it. CRACK,CRACK,CRACK,CRAAAAAACK. With the recent rains, the dead wood has swelled and right above me a widow maker was coming down. Did the only thing I could; without looking up I sprinted from the scene until I heard the wood crash down....and it did, right where I was walking. Had I been listening to the music on my shuffle I probably wouldn't have heard it in time.

Pretty sure dead grandparents had my back.

Caught my breath, gave thanks and praise to be alive on planet earth and then launched a very decent side-armed approach shot that I could appreciate.

= 160+ a month

I bike 40+ miles a week.

Why not?

I post this challenge to the owners of all the major league franchises in professional baseball: Why not be revolutionary this summer? Attendance is pathetic at the old and new ball parks; revenue is down. You are business people poised to make money....and you can....you should!!

Charge $11 a seat all summer long, from memorial to labor day. Bill it as the 'Recession Summer Special.'

If you do this I can personally guarantee that you will never, ever sell more jerseys, hot dogs or beer. More importantly you will grow your fan base back. Families will come back and cheer and learn who plays second base. When the hard times pass they will be willing to come back and pay full price because they learned how to care about the home team once again. Teach 'em!