paint a daisy

What's missing here is...

2006-08-21T09:38:00.000-04:00

tradition. i really can't stand the direction that baseball has gone. what the fuck. to be honest with you, i can't believe that these are the people youngins look up to. it just sucks. lets start with the small problems and i'll let the dan patrick show or the jim rome show fill in the big problems. where to start. well how about the size of baseball gloves? what would happen if the NBA made the hoop larger or the ball smaller? isn't this kind of the same thing? i think it's dumb to have half of a goddamned cow hanging off of your hand. jesus. if you can't reach the ball with a glove like joe jackson had then you aren't fast enough. that's right. if you need a 15" glove to snow cone a catch the shoeless joe could grab, then you have sand in your pussy. i'm sorry i had to tell you, but it needed to be said. moving right along.

lets talk rally caps for a second. a true rally cap needs to be goofy. the goofier the better. flipping you lid up or some bullshit just doesn't cut. a goddamn rally cap needs to be inside out, backwards, upside down, and containing a piece of buble gum blown to a bubble that is stuck to the top (now the bottom of the inside of your hat.) you have to get this shit right before you can play big league ball. mostly i blame the elimination of hazing. rookies need to know about this shit, and the vets just aren't doing the job. come to think of it, i can't remember when i last saw a rookie with his shoe laces on fire. whats the deal man?

finally i am going to hit on my big hate of modern baseball. pants. baseball pants end at the knees and are "bloused" to hide the meeting of the tall socks and the pants. baggy is better, sagging is fucking dumb. your pants should never, ever touch the cleats. Cleats should never be high tops. and jerseys shouldn't be sleveless with a spandex shirt under them. that's just wrong.

get rid of helmets too. in fact, all protective gear, save catcher's equipment need to go. but the catcher doesn't get to look like a hockey gollie either. that's just getting out of control. take your hat, turn it backwards and slap a mask over your face.

basic chest padding and shin gards are fine. but we have to lose those foam pads that allow catchers to "sit" on. jonny bench and yogi didn't have that shit. come the hell on. batters have a bat in their hand, if the ball is heading at your eyebrow, duck. if not, take a swing and hope for the best. that'll weed out those rookies batting .220.

Cheers

2006-08-18T09:06:00.000-04:00

I just don't travel enough. i want to go to europe. i have wanted to do so for quite some time now. i just have way too much that i want to do, and not nearly enough time to do it. this training for a marathon is like a part time job on top of my full time job, and not that i am complaining about it, but it really leaves little free time. i had to give up painting while i train. i can't have all my shit set up and not touch it for 2 weeks. it just doesn't work that way. anyway, back to europe, in england there is this bitchin pub walk. sounds cool. anyone want to go?

THE ALONG THE THAMES PUB WALK

"the most exciting walk in London...it can do more to interpet
the city than anything else, a real skeleton key"

7 pm on Wednesdays
from BlackfriarsTube Stop, exit 3
If you only have time for one walking tour, this is the one to go on - it's the classic London pub walk. It takes in London's last remaining galleried coaching inn, its best riverside walkway, its oldest market, the finest art nouveau pub in England, the most sensational art gallery in the world (on Fridays we pop inside for a quick look!), the church where Harvard University's founder was baptised, and an 18th-century pub that brews its own beer - plus lashings of Shakespeare, a jot of Dickens, lots of pub lore, and London's best skyline panorama. It gets better. Because there's also the recently discovered remains of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (and its sister playhouse The Rose)...and the thrilling, thatch-roofed reproduction that's risen, Phoenix-like, only a stone's throw away. Let alone the astonishing replica of Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hinde, the ship that the great Elizabethan mariner sailed around the world over 400 years ago. Anchored there in the murky Thames, its timbers creaking eerily in the misty London night and The Globe just yards away...it's a ghost ship lost in time. Go on this walk. (Food is available.)

It's getting hot in here

2006-08-15T10:17:00.000-04:00

it seems warmer than usual. i thought it was in my head. but it's not.

The average temperature for the continental United States from January through June 2006 was the warmest first half of any year since records began in 1895, according to scientists at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). As far as going before our written records, we have to look at nature's record keeping. There is sufficient evidence from tree rings, boreholes, retreating glaciers, and other "proxies" of past surface temperatures to say with a high level of confidence that the last few decades of the 20th century were warmer than any comparable period in the last 400 years, according to a new report from the National Research Council. Wait, it gets better. Temperatures are higher than in any period over the last 1,200 years, according to a study published in the current issue of Science. In reaching their conclusion, a research team from the University of East Anglia in Britain analyzed 14 sets of temperature records including data from rings, fossil shells, ice cores, temperature records, and historical documents from North America, Europe and East Asia.

You thought i made my point? HA! Carbon dioxide levels are now 27 percent higher than at any point in the last 650,000 years, according to research into Antarctic ice cores published Science. Analysis of carbon dioxide in the ancient Antarctic ice showed that at no point in the past 650,000 years did levels approach today's carbon dioxide concentrations of around 380 parts per million (ppm). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels could reach 450-550 ppm by 2050, possibly resulting in higher temperatures and rising sea levels. There is fear that climate change could create a class of environmental refugees displaced from their homes by rising oceans, increasingly catastrophic weather, and expanding deserts.

Using computer models, scientists have created a series of maps that show areas susceptible to rises in sea level. The above map shows that a 6-meter (20-foot) rise would swamp Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and the entire Florida coastline, in addition to parts of Orlando and other inland areas. IE everything in red goes under water. ouch.

some seats just suck

2006-08-11T09:40:00.000-04:00

there are times when you find youself sitting in a place that just sucks. you didn't think it was going to suck sitting there, but then you realize, this sucks. when you go out to eat and you get stuck sitting next to the kitchen, doesn't that blow? i hate it when i have people racing past my table at break-neck speeds. its horrible. or get this- there is a guy that i work with and i'm sure he has the worst office in the building, it's right across from the bathroom.
now, i'm sure it may not be as bad as i am making it out to be in my mind, but it may be. it would only take one bad incident and i'd be pissed. it's bad enough wrestling with microsoft word, never mind having to inhale the remainder of ass and lysol.

we've create laws governing shotgun so that we as a society can come to an understanding on how those who are negligent must suffer. yeah, that means getting crammed into the backseat of your best friend's 94 civic with that fat kid who doesn't bathe. 9 times out of 10 it's right after you finish a game of basketball (and everone wreaks of sweat and sometimes cabbage) at the park and then somehow the car ride ends up taking WAY longer that logic would dictate. so the you have to have your thigh wedged up against Harold's sweaty leg, so you try to pull the maneuver where you have figured out a way that you can hover your foot off the ground in oder to NOT have to touch Harold's leg. Then you realize that this particular position causes cramps in every major muscle group in your body and the pain is worse than the taste of Tab soda, but you don't give a fuck because it's so worth it. two days later you end up calling shotgun but it's for like a ride down the street. you know, walking distance. what a waste of a good shotgun call, but you gotta take a good seat when you can get it.

Movie hookup

2006-08-10T09:02:00.000-04:00

Looking for a good movie? Just got done watching this movie. It was a fantastic story without the hype. Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post describes it as "A thoroughly absorbing portrait of one man's discipline and commitment -- and, yes, spiritual transformation….Quite simply, a beautiful film, in both form and content. You'll laugh. You'll cry. And your heart is guaranteed to soar." This flick felt very candid to me. If you're ready to get away from $300 million movies about pirates this is a good start.

i could explain what it's about but i found a quote on rottentomatoes.com that does it better than i could. "An uncommon bond between man and nature is the focus of Judy Irving's wonderful and informative documentary, THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL. The film follows Mark Bittner, an unemployed aging hippie, who lives off the kindness of strangers in the titular San Francisco neighborhood. His life takes on new meaning when he starts feeding a flock of wild Conures, a breed of parrot noted for its green body and cherry-red head. Native to Argentina, the birds soon feel comfortable enough to feed while perched all over Mr. Bittner. Being outcasts who yearn to remain free, a mutual respect is born between them. Daily routine soon leads to growing crowds of curious passersby, as Bittner becomes something of a local celebrity. Based on his up-close observations, Bittner gains some keen insight into the behavior of individual birds, giving them names. The resulting portraits of Connor, Mingus, Olive, Pushkin, Picasso, Sophie, and Tupelo prove that these amazing creatures deserve star credit in their own right. WILD PARROTS features some incredible close-ups, rare in-depth glimpses into the unique and often amusing habits and activities of one flock of parrots, and a surprise ending."

Run, mamba, run

2006-08-09T15:36:00.000-04:00

The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is the largest venomous snake in Africa, with an average length around 8 feet, but may grow to over 14 feet. It got its name because of the black inside of its mouth; the actual color of the skin is a gun-metal grey. It is one of the fastest snakes in the world, capable of moving at 10 to 12 mph. That's sub 18 for a 5k. I'm pretty sure it lacks that kind of endurance, but if you are ever chased by a black mamba, just bump it down to your 400m race pace and you should be fine.

fruit loops

2006-08-09T09:31:00.000-04:00

i've been telling people for years that sugary cereal will be the death of them.

Running on empty

2006-08-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

my training is really taking its toll on my body. i'm fucking beat. i ran a 10 mile fartlek yesterday in the trails. it was kinda warm out there and yadda yadda yadda i'm really tired this morning.
i'm also having probelms taking in water while i'm running. they never taught us how to do that in high school. i was in the middle of my work out and i stopped at this waterhole, grabbed some agua, and about 5 minutes later my stomach was cramping up. i think the water is too cold or something.

every year there is a football team that everyone thinks will lay in the bushes and then they just tear out a crazy season and people say the same damn thing. man, i was thinking san diego was going to have a break out year. well that's fucking stupid. retrospect is always 20/20. i never believe fuckers that say that. well if you knew that, why the fuck didn't you log onto some international gambling website and throw down your dead grandmother's jewlery? yeah, that's right you weren't sure if a.) the quaterback was up to the task b.) if the tight end was in good enough shape c.) if the O line was as good as everyone thought. yeah the same shit that everyone was thinking. every godamn team looks good on paper. there is an arguement for every fucking squad on why they should have a good year. well, donovan is hungry. Eli just needed the experience. Seattle is only stronger this year. well whatever. blow me. aside from the few teams that are there every year. it's a crap shoot, and i don't want to hear everyone's theory on the season at adam's super bowl party. you know that guy. he is usually the high jumper who likes to one-up everyone. he needs to shut up. otherwise i'll just have to take his money, again.

Weekends rule

2006-08-08T13:19:00.000-04:00

i've gotta think that hyper drunk people are either awesome or fucking retarded. there is really no middle ground. that being said, i am glad i am not a hyper drunk. i was talking to dylan about this yesterday, and we both agree that sleep is the best route traveled when drunk.

i think we all knew that this poker thing was going to die eventually. it had to. it was like the housing bubble. ironically, they both ended around the same time. i guess now i have to bone up on darts. this seems to be the 'new poker.' i'm really no good at darts. i hate math and when i am drinking i just don't want to add subtract or any of that shit. i just want beer, food and a good view. that's about it.

mondays

2006-08-07T13:47:00.000-04:00

the only good thing about mondays are the football games. and if it's not football season, then they are totally useless.

i think it's been two months since i've seen a movie at a movie theater. am i that lazy or have movies been that bad lately?