coffee grounds for dismissal

Deb's Africa Trip 2009

2009-12-17T19:40:00.000-05:00

London and Paris

2009-10-27T13:42:00.005-04:00

Jigsaw Island

2009-09-03T22:34:00.001-04:00

Check out Jigsaw Island, a new writing experiment from a friend.

Amsterdam

2009-08-31T17:26:00.002-04:00

Flyer for upcoming show

2009-07-09T11:54:00.000-04:00

Jumbo Coins

2009-05-19T01:26:00.002-04:00

A quick practice clip of part of my manipulation routine. I shot this so I could try out the bill production at the end and see what it looks like.

Red hat

2009-04-07T12:39:00.002-04:00

Magic Performance

2009-03-31T01:16:00.009-04:00

A few candid snaps from my recent performance at the Northampton Senior Center's "Pot O' Luck" luncheon. I went from table to table doing close-up magic during lunch followed by a 20-mintue stage performance.

The performance went well. I had a great time, got great reactions from the audience, and a loaf of home-baked Irish soda bread. : )

"A new dawn of American leadership is at hand."

2008-11-05T00:47:00.004-05:00

Barack Obama: "We Have a Lot of Work to Do"

2008-11-03T23:49:00.000-05:00

Making it Count: How to Protect Your Vote & Spot Dirty Tricks

2008-11-03T11:57:00.000-05:00

Obama Ad Uses Winking Palin

2008-10-29T13:01:00.005-04:00

Via The Huffington Post.

Fitting

2008-10-17T13:01:00.005-04:00

Pancakes Barbara will be ending her reign as Miss Sobriety this Saturday after dazzling the crowd with a farewell performance. Here's a few shots of Michael at a recent fitting in a breathtaking gown created for the event.

(Click on images to view full size.)

Lovely studio on 58th and 3rd

2008-10-15T13:11:00.001-04:00

It's been three years since I moved from New York to Haydenville. No regrets -- I love love love my home here and life is good. However, I recently stumbled across the ad I created when I was looking to sublet my NYC apartment and I remembered how much I enjoyed that wacky little space.

Check out the picture below, or click here to view my advertisement with additional pics.

Sarah Palin: Flirting her way to victory

2008-10-03T14:07:00.000-04:00

Sarah Palin's farcical debate performance lowered the standards for both female candidates and US political discourse

By Michelle Goldberg via guardian.co.uk,
Friday October 03 2008 18.30 BST

At least three times last night, Sarah Palin, the adorable, preposterous vice-presidential candidate, winked at the audience. Had a male candidate with a similar reputation for attractive vapidity made such a brazen attempt to flirt his way into the good graces of the voting public, it would have universally noted, discussed and mocked. Palin, however, has single-handedly so lowered the standards both for female candidates and American political discourse that, with her newfound ability to speak in more-or-less full sentences, she is now deemed to have performed acceptably last night.

By any normal standard, including the ones applied to male presidential candidates of either party, she did not. Early on, she made the astonishing announcement that she had no intentions of actually answering the queries put to her. "I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also," she said.

And so she preceded, with an almost surreal disregard for the subjects she was supposed to be discussing, to unleash fusillades of scripted attack lines, platitudes, lies, gibberish and grating references to her own pseudo-folksy authenticity.

It was an appalling display. ...

...It's worth reading the transcript of the encounter, where it becomes clearer how bizarre much of what she said was. Here, for example, is how she responded to Biden's comments about how the middle class has been short-changed during the Bush administration, and how McCain will continue Bush's policies:

Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again. You preferenced [sic] your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future. You mentioned education, and I'm glad you did. I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and god bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right? ... My brother, who I think is the best schoolteacher in the year, and here's a shout-out to all those third graders at Gladys Wood Elementary School, you get extra credit for watching the debate.

Read the entire article.

I Made Art!

2008-06-03T10:43:00.009-04:00

I've had a mirror over my couch for some time. The mirror was fine but uninspiring and a little too small for the wall. I've been snooping around for an affordable large-scale art piece to put there, but any pieces bigger than 36 inches -- even from student artists are prohibitively expensive. So...I've been plotting to create something. And this weekend I did it.

The design was "inspired by" (nearly stolen from) a piece I saw hanging on the wall of an apartment featured on HGTV's Small Space Big Style. I don't know if it's a well-known artist -- if anyone recognizes the style, I'd love to know who it is.

In order to get a stretched canvas big enough, I purchased a giant, framed, cheesy print from IKEA for $50. (I think it was a photograph of yellow taxi cabs in an otherwise black and white Times Square.) It's about 3.5' x 5.5'.

I got it home and primed it with green tinted primer left over from painting my walls. On the second coat I added some off-white. After one botched attempt at using painter's tape to mask out the lines, which resulted in pulling off the primer, I decided to pencil in a few grid lines and do it freehand.

The process took quite a long time, and required a few coats of paint, a few trips to the hardware store and art shop, and a patient and helpful assistant. All told, I (we) worked on it for the better part of three days.

While the concept is certainly not mine, and the whole thing is more of a craft project than art, there is none-the-less some creativity and skill involved. The scale and composition of the maze is original, and I have to say, I really like it and am wicked proud.

I also worked on, and completed a second piece with a totally different look and inspiration. I will post about that soon. : )

asleep like cattle…

2008-05-23T12:20:00.003-04:00

I Go Among Trees and Sit Still

I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
Around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
Where I left them, asleep like cattle…

Then what I am afraid of comes.
I live for a while in its sight.
What I fear in it leaves it,
And the fear of it leaves me.
It sings, and I hear its song.

By Wendell Berry from Sabbaths, 1987, North Point Press

Paddle Withe Pride

2008-05-04T22:39:00.006-04:00

It was almost 4 years ago that my Dad and I paddled 27 miles down the Hudson from Nyack to Chelsea Piers to raise money for the LGBT Center in New York City. It was a great cause, a great event, and a great accomplishment.

Check out the Team Coyne Web Page to see more pictures and read a recap of the event.

Fierce Juggling Moves

2008-04-15T10:49:00.002-04:00

(But embarrassingly bad music.)

ABC3D

2008-04-04T00:34:00.007-04:00

ABC3D by Marion Bataille
Roaring Brook Press
October 14, 2008

Gilding the Lilly

2008-03-23T01:04:00.004-04:00

They're quite pretty in person. They ought to be -- it took 4 hours to do. :c P

Happy Easter

2008-03-22T12:43:00.009-04:00

Marcel Broodthaers. (Belgian, 1924-1976). White Cabinet and White Table. 1965. Painted cabinet, table, and eggshells. (Photographer by me at MOMA.)

Hi Bye

2008-03-06T22:59:00.002-05:00

From silhouettemasterpiecetheatre.com.

Cat of a thousand faces

2008-03-06T08:50:00.003-05:00

This is crackin' me up. Oh, the indignity.

P.S. I used to LOVE playing with Hugo, Man of a Thousand Faces at the Cirones.

Fly With Me

2008-02-29T09:03:00.012-05:00

Forget fairy dust and lovely thoughts, think jet engine turbo fans and 135+ mph air speeds!

In what is surely one of the coolest and most surprising birthday gifts ever, Peter got us a lesson and session at SkyVenture in New Hampshire. Check out their promotional video, and stay tuned for actual photos and video when we go this spring.

Update: here are some photos!

Juggling Practice

2008-02-19T02:37:00.002-05:00

Mom and Dan in NYC

2008-02-04T00:16:00.000-05:00

One of my mother's Christmas presents from Dad was tickets to Stephen's play, Speech & Debate at the Roundabout Underground. So here are a few snaps from our trip. (Click on slideshow to enlarge.)

Goodnight Butch

2008-01-19T17:51:00.000-05:00

This was our nightly routine. : )

My First Video

2008-01-16T02:46:00.000-05:00

Cross country skiing with my dad at Notchview.

Snowed in and working from home.

2008-01-14T18:15:00.001-05:00

Meanwhile I stand in the same dark peace as any pine tree

2008-01-05T01:22:00.000-05:00

Walking Home from Oak-Head
by Mary Oliver

There is something
about the snow-laden sky
in the winter
in the late afternoon

that brings to the heart elation
and the lovely meaninglessness
of time.
Whenever I get home - whenever -

somebody loves me there.
Meanwhile
I stand in the same dark peace
as any pine tree,

or wander on slowly
like the still unhurried wind,
waiting,
as for a gift,

for the snow to begin
which it does
as first casually,
then, irrepressibly.

Wherever else I live -
in music, in words
in the fires of the heart,
I abide just as deeply

in this nameless, indivisible place,
this world,
which is falling apart now,
which is white and wild,

Which is faithful beyond all our expressions of faith,
our deepest prayers.
Don't worry, sooner or later I'll be home.
Red-cheeked from the roused wind,

I'll stand in the doorway
stamping my boots and slapping my hands,
my shoulders
covered with stars.

Pancakes Barbara

2008-01-04T10:48:00.000-05:00

One of the highlights of the New Year's retreat I attended in CT was the No-Talent Show. Since learning of the show back in August, I had been wrestling with whether or not I would get up and do a little juggling. I brought some props and said yes when asked. I was ridiculously nervous, even though there could not be a more enthusiastic and supportive audience.

I worked up a little magic and juggling routine with my friend Nick who appeared as my lovely assistant, Miss Direction. Despite a modest number of drops, I managed to pull off a solid performance of juggling and card manipulation and some entertaining bits with Nick. I was having fun, and I think that came across (despite my wistful expression in the photo.)

However, the uncontested shining star of the show was the dazzling Pancakes Barbara who did an encore performance of the number that won her the Miss Sobriety crown recently in NYC. I'm told the gown, the hair, and the personality are an historically accurate nod to some movie musical performance, but alas I never paid attention in Gay Camp 101 so I'm not sure of the exact reference. However, it is obvious to anyone that Pancakes has class, poise, personality and a riveting connection with her audience. Her performance below from the Miss Sobriety Pageant is a study in specificity. That gal is going places!

Farewell Butch, Hello Kitteh

2008-01-04T00:40:00.000-05:00

This post is long overdue. At the end of the summer, Butch went snurfling off to greener pastures. He was ancient -- fully three years past his expiration date. On his last active day (he had a fall the following morning) he frolicked in the water at camp and gamboled around like a puppy.

We scattered his ashes over the lake. I miss him deeply. Even now.

After a few months of mourning, I began thinking about getting a Siamese cat. I researched the breed, and read that they have many dog-like qualities. And because I live alone, I thought a cat might more tolerant of me being gone for a day now and again.

I spoke with a few breeders and even went to a cat show in Springfield. (If you thought the characters in Best in Show were eccentric, go to a cat show!) After a few false starts, I arranged to adopt two adult sisters from a cattery in Eastern Mass. While pedigree kittens are expensive, breeders will often retire their adults after a few years virtually for free.

So, my sisters are retired show girls, mothers many times over, and are washed up and dried out at the ripe old age of two.

Their names were Glitter and The Lady Elizabeth. I didn't think I could be a gay man living alone with a Siamese cat named Glitter. So I renamed them. The seal-point is Sedna and the lilac-point is Ateh.

I'm so in love with them, it's embarrassing. They sleep with me, they curl up together, they play and wrestle with me and with each other. They fetch. (Really!) They come when I call them. They knock shit over. And they yowl and purr. Loudly. : )

Meet the kitteh!

Snow day!

2007-12-03T13:13:00.000-05:00

A surprise work-at-home snowday today! It's wintery grey out but beautiful, so I took a few snaps of the outside of the house (and one of the cozy living room by the crackling fire DVD.) I'll try for a few evening snaps as well.

Table and Tree

2007-12-01T23:27:00.000-05:00

Hosted my brother and family, my parents, and Peter for a Holiday kick-off dinner and tree trimming. It was a fun evening and gave me an inspiration to get the place decked out early. Photos of the outside to come...

Montreal Signage

2007-11-29T08:32:00.000-05:00

Two favorite photos from Montreal trip last May. Both pictorial instructions spotted in a public park. Civic signage or guerrilla art?

Potential Energy Art

2007-11-27T09:35:00.000-05:00

Here is an experimental art piece I made for my home office last spring.

From a few feet away it looks a little like some antique textile, but it's actually about 1,000 firecrackers. (Click on image to enlarge.) My friend Peter has suggested that I attach a countdown clock set to hit zero on my 40th birthday.

Why you liberals are so obsessed with Larry Craig's Personal Life

2007-09-14T12:22:00.000-04:00

Click image for full-size comic.

Via Crooks and Liars, originally published by Salon.com.

South Beach Bento

2007-05-01T23:23:00.000-04:00

I'm on day 9 of Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. (Not to make too big a deal about it, but I miss my abs and would like them to come out and stay with me for the summer.) I'm doing it with my mom for moral support. We're e-mailing each other our meal plans for the day.

I've done quite well: I've lost 6 pounds, spent a fortune on new foods, cooked every night, and stepped up the gourmet factor all at the same time. One difficult part for me is lunch-time. I tend to (over) eat (badly) to relieve stress. Pizza. Chicken Korma. Muffins. I've never been a pack-my-lunch kind of guy.

However, a post on Ishbadiddle introduced me to the strange fetish of bento, a Japanese tradition of artfully packing the perfect lunch in a small container. People (in Japan and in America) have taken this to staggering lengths, shaping sticky rice into portraits of their children and competing with the neighbors about whose kid's lunch is cuter. The following examples are not mine!

I am not ready to dive into competitive bento, but the idea of making an adorable little lunch somehow inspires me to make and bring a healthy lunch to work. Here are my first two modest attempts:

1. Turkey roll with fat free cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and wasabi sauce. Orange and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, side of hummus and olive.

2. Pork cutlets with basil, thyme, rosemary, lemon and capers. Steamed asparagus with grated parmesan. Salad with oil and vinigar on the side.

I set a mean table

2007-04-28T00:03:00.000-04:00

I'm not much of a cook (yet) so I try to distract my guests with a fussy table. It's one of my gay super-powers. I can't help it. Favorite place-cards I've created include:

Oranges with guests' names spelled out in cloves inserted into the rind. (In Snell Roundhand of course.)
Autumn oak leaves stamped with guests names.
Miniature juniper trees potted in personalized terracotta pots that I painted and lettered.
Snow globes with a photo of each guest inserted into the globe as a backdrop.
Clear glass Christmas tree balls personalized with silver metallic ink and tied with silver ribbon bows.
Chocolate hearts with guests' names drizzled on in rasberry icing.
Died eggs with guests' names and a stanza of different poems about spring spiraling around the eggs.

Drink more coffee...

2007-03-15T10:31:00.000-04:00

The FDA confirmed that sleeping pills can cause sleep-driving, sleep-eating, sleep-sex, and other nocturnal disorders. Reports include phoning people, painting, and buying things online while asleep. The agency wants clearer warning labels about these risks. Sleeping-pill industry spin: Such side effects are relatively rare. Rebuttal: Yeah, but when you spend $1 billion on ads to sell $44 billion in sleeping-pill prescriptions, relatively rare becomes pretty common.

Via Slate.

Coloring for the Complete Klutz

2007-03-08T23:27:00.000-05:00

Wicked cool coloring program. Almost impossible not to come up with a spectacular color-combo.

I actually found this while "researching" color palettes for an African web-site.

Another fun discovery is the Color Palette Generator. You enter the URL of an image to get a color palette that matches the image.

For example:

Mr. Coffee-All-Over

2007-03-06T12:49:00.000-05:00

(Submitted to Mr. Coffee March 6, 2007.)

Dear Mr. Coffee

I am totally baffled why you would make a coffee pot that spills coffee every time you pour it.

Granted, I went low-end. I got the $24.99 DR12. (Does that stand for Dribble 12?) I don't expect it to clean itself or adjust the brew strength according to my mood. I don't need it to play MP3 files or keep track of my appointments. I just want it to heat water, drip it through coffee grounds and pour the results into my cup. Am I naive to expect this from your entry-level model?

Despite having burned myself badly last year by knocking over a french press full of hot coffee, I am not a klutz. I can juggle five balls. I study slight-of-hand magic. I can spin a basketball indefinitely on any finger of either hand. I cannot, however, pour a cup of of coffee from my Mr. Coffee pot without spilling about 30% of it. Not just a dribble. A lot of coffee. And in case you think I'm crazy, go ahead and Google Mr. Coffee +spill.

What happened? Coffee pots are your core competency. Very little is expected of them other than to contain and pour liquid. To fail at one of these primary functions is ludicrous. This is mature technology--you've been making these since 1977. Other people have been making pots that pour nicely for over 7,000 years.

Please consider sending me a coupon for one of your non-spilling models. Or a gift card to Starbucks. Or a few rolls of paper towels.

Sincerely,
Daniel Coyne

Courage = Compassion

2006-11-10T16:34:00.000-05:00

I've avoided talking about work-related stuff here, but I'm kind of proud of this:

I've been working as director of marketing and communications for a small non-profit org that deals with engaging men in the prevention of gender-based violence in African nations such as Zambia, Nigeria, Liberia, and Rwanda. In fact, my two colleagues are in Nigeria right now conducting a men's leadership training.

I created a t-shirt for the participants in Nigeria, with a simple slogan: "Courage = Compassion". Compassion must become a valued component of masculinity, and I hope these shirts will help training participants feel a sense of unity, support, and pride, while inviting questions and discussion about gender-based violence. The shirts were printed by the Weston Rehab Center for Women. We have extras and are selling them to help pay for the shirts we brought to Africa.

Wear the message and support our efforts.
(Asking $20 for a shirt -- about 50% will go towards paying for the shirts in Nigeria.)

When Insults Had Class

2006-10-28T13:23:00.000-04:00

(Via my Uncle Jeff)
_______________________________

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." -- Winston Churchill
"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." -- Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." -- Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." -- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" -- Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." -- Moses Hadas
"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." -- Abraham Lincoln
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." -- Groucho Marx
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." -- Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." -- Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play. Bring a friend...if you have one." -- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one." -- Winston Churchill, in response
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." -- Stephen Bishop
"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." -- John Bright
"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." -- Irvin S. Cobb
"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." -- Samuel Johnson
"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." – Paul Keating
"He had delusions of adequacy." -- Walter Kerr
"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." -- Jack E. Leonard
"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of Human knowledge." -- Thomas Brackett Reed
"He inherited some good instincts from his Quaker forebears, but by diligent hard work, he overcame them." -- James Reston (about Richard Nixon)
"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." -- Charles, Count Talleyrand
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." -- Forrest Tucker
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." – Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." -- Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." -- Billy Wilder

Put your foot in your mouth.

2006-10-18T23:48:00.000-04:00

Too awful not to share. : )

(From the blog of Faces, a fun and wacky Northampton store.)

Sleep when you're dead.

2006-09-21T16:13:00.000-04:00

I love the little caffeine-energy lines emanating from her head, the taught expression, and the fact that it's unclear whether she is: 1) raising her mug in a toast, 2) about to throw steaming coffee in your face, or 3) recovering from getting clocked in the chin from a third party.

This image was insipred from a post on Ishbadiddle (as usual) about how to destroy the Earth with a coffee can via DeepAstonomy.com.

The Other White Meat

2006-09-13T08:27:00.000-04:00

This came from Slashfood, via Peter. I'm pretty sure it is an actual product. No wonder kids are afraid of clowns.

Childrens Books That Didn't Make It

2006-09-12T12:22:00.000-04:00

I had this printed out and sitting in a drawer for ages. I'm sure it's still scattered through blogs all over the Web. I've edited the list down to my favorites. (I got chuckling just typing this in.)

You Are Different and That's Bad
The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables
Strangers Have the Best Candy
Fun Four-letter Words to Know and Share
Hammers, Screwdrivers and Scissors: An I-Can-Do-It Book
The Kid's Guide to Hitch-hiking
Jill Was So Bad Her Mom Stopped Loving Her
All Cats Go To Hell
The Little Sissy Who Snitched
Some Kittens Can Fly
The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator
The Pop-Up Book of Human Anatomy
Daddy Drinks Because You Cry
Whining, Kicking and Crying to Get Your Way
Things Rich Kids Have, That You Never Will
Pop! Goes teh Hamster (And Other Great Microwave Games)
The Man in the Moon is Satan
Your Nightmares Are Real
Where Would You Like to Be Buried?
Places Where Mommy and Daddy Hide Neat Things

This is what I should be doing.

2006-09-12T00:55:00.000-04:00

Don't let the smooth hypnotic style fool you, these are impossibly difficult maneuvers and fierce juggling moves. Steven Ragatz is the real deal.

photoshopping the news

2006-08-17T14:17:00.000-04:00

http://www.aish.com/movies/PhotoFraud.asp

If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.
— Mark Twain

The Home Office

2006-08-10T23:57:00.000-04:00

Quick post to show a few images of the transformation my home office/guest room is undergoing. I hope to write more about it later...it's been quite a process.

The whole project was set in motion when Butch barfed all over the standard-issue industrial carpet. The stains wouldn't come out, and I planned on buying a new carpet.

My Israeli neighbor, Oded Peri (a bit eccentric, but a true genius), is an expert designer of hard-wood floors with exotic inlays. He offered to install a decent, simple wood floor for a very reasonable price. I don't actually recall giving him the go ahead, but he soon showed up with his tape measure and notebook. I inquired about a modest inlay and before long, the project had expanded -- and continued to expand to include:

A White Oak Floor, with a Black Walnut inlay, including French Keys at the door - one of Oded's signature details.
A custom desk of wide-plank White Oak with a double Walnut inlay surrounded by Zebra Maple. He spent many many gratis hours on this. It's truly a masterpice -- much better than I deserve.
Custom shelves built-in to the recessed area next to the window.
Then, somewhere along the way, this changed from a home-improvement project to an art installation. Oded showed me a gnarled trunk of a grape vine that had been drying in his studio for five years. We decided to install it, so that it appears to grow through the desk and the bottom shelf before branching out and twisting towards the ceiling. To say this is unique is an understatement.

This was all much more of an undertaking than I had intended, but the opportunity to have Oded design, create and install such a beautiful and unique room was too rare and wonderful to pass up. Oded is a designer, a philosopher, an artist, a mechanic, and many other things. He is totally manic and a total perfectionist. He is a great neighbor and friend. (Check out www.perisline.com for images of his incredible work.)

A month of running

2006-07-05T00:15:00.000-04:00

I plan to follow a 16-week training regiment to build up to the Philadelphia Marathon. The plan recommends that I shuold be running 15 - 20 miles per week for at least a month prior to launching into the official training schedule. So, guess what? The one month starts now. Or yesterday actually. And guess what else? I didn't run yesterday. And today I stuffed myself with cheeseburgers and baked beens and potatoe salad and cookies and ambrosia and watched fireworks at a family Fourth of July celebration until 10:20.

And then guess what. I ran! Two miles I ran -- uphill -- at 10:30 PM. I wore my reflective bib, carried my battery-less flashlight and ran along Route 9 from my house to Peter's house. And then made him drive me home.

It's bizarre running at night. It feels like being chased. Usually pretty energizing, although tonight I felt pretty heavy and hot. (It's muggy.) But, it's 2.2 miles I don't have to run tomorrow. One has to start somewhere.

Week 1

Monday, July 3, 2006: 0 miles | :c P
Tuesday | 2.3 miles | night run, 20:09 (did I mention it was uphill?)
Wednesday | 7 miles | 1:05 | hilly course (High Street loop)
Thursday | 0 miles | Went to Jacob's Pillow with Mom, Dad and Rebecca
Friday | 5 miles | 45 minutes | hilly
Saturday | 3 miles | 27 minutes
Sunday | 3 miles | 30 minutes (maybe a little more than 3?)
Week 1 total = 20.3 (hurray!)

Week 2

Monday, July 10, 2006: 0 miles | :c P
Tuesday | 4 miles | SMAC 5K (plus 1 mile warm-up) 26:42 (51st out of 70) -- hilly course, muggy day
Wednesday | 4 miles | in gym
Thursday | 0 miles | worked until 10:00 PM
Friday | 3 miles | with Donald
Saturday | 8.1 miles | with Donald
Sunday | 2 miles | gym
Week 2 total = 21.1 (hurray!)

Week 3

Monday, July 17, 2006 | 0 miles | :c P
Tuesday | 4.5 miles | SMAC 5K (plus 1.5 mile warm-up) 26:02 (38th out of 61) -- wicked hot.
Wednesday | 4 miles | bike path from the YMCA to Look Park and back
Thursday | 3 miles
Friday | 0 miles | :c P
Saturday | 7.2 | Race! 10K Meadow Run, Old Deerfield (plus 1 mile warm-up) | race time: 53.30 (course was long)
Sunday | 2 miles | gym
Week 3 total = 20.7 (hurray!)

Week 4

Monday, July 24, 2006 | 5 miles | ran from home to YMCA (with some bushwacking)
Tuesday | 4 miles | SMAC 5K (plus 1.5 mile warm-up) 25:43 (43rd out of76.)
Wednesday | 0 miles? | :c P
Thursday | 0 miles | :c P
Friday | 0 miles | :c P
Saturday | 6 miles | round the lake at camp | 55 minutes
Sunday | 4.6 miles | 43 minutes
Week 4 total = 19.6

Week 5

Monday, July 31, 2006 | 5 miles | ran from home to YMCA pretty durn fast
Tuesday | 4 miles | SMAC 5K (plus 1.5 mile warm-up) 25:12 (22nd out of 40.)
Wed/Thursday | 0 miles | :c P
Friday | 8.5 miles | 81 minutes
Saturday | 0 miles | :c P
Sunday | 6 miles | 53 minutes (charged the hills around the lake)
Week 5 total = 23.5

Week 6

Monday, August 7, 2006 | 3 miles
Tuesday | 4.5 miles | SMAC 5K (plus 1.5 mile warm-up) 24:21 -- finally broke 8 min/mile. (42nd out of 91.)
Wed| 0 miles | :c P
Thursday | 6 miles | beutiful evening run at camp - up 143, East Windsor, down August Smith
Friday | 2 miles
Saturday | off
Sunday | 13.6 miles! | w/DP in Central Park. Slow, but felt pretty good.
Week 6 total = 29.1

Week 7

Monday, August 14, 2006 | off (leg workout in gym)
Tuesday | 4 miles | SMAC 5K (plus 1.5 mile warm-up) 24:31 -- slower but still under 8 min/mile. (42nd out of 91.)
Wed | 7 miles | 59:01 | ran a smokin pace in the dark (time includes having to stop and crawl over rough roads in the dark.)
Thursday | 0 miles | off (saw Tallis Scholars at Tanglewood)
Friday | 12.5 miles | 2 hours | with Dad in Haydenville
Saturday | 0 miles | all day MRI Board Retreat
Sunday | 3.5
Week 7 total = 27

Week 8

Monday, August 21, 2006 | 5 miles
Tuesday | 6 miles | SMAC 5K (plus 1.5 mile warm-up and cool down) 24:00 -- best time yet
Wed | 0 miles |
Thursday | 0 miles | off
Friday | 5.8 miles | 54 minutes | with Dad in Hinsdale (around 143 loop)
Saturday | 0 miles | Cummington Fair
Sunday | 14 miles | Mt. Toby Trail Run
Week 8 total = 30.8

Week 9 (miserable cold)

Thursday, August 31 | 7 miles | fastest loop yet 1:59
Friday | 5.5 miles | cheshire bike path
Sunday | 15 miles | Mt. Toby Trail Run
Week 9 total = 27.5

Week 10

Monday, September 4, 2006 | 4 miles | recovery run along river
Tuesday | 6 miles | SMAC 5K (plus 1.5 mile warm-up and cool-down) | 24:28
Wednesday | 4 easy miles | with a last-days-of-summer dip in the river
Thursday | 5 miles | ran in the pitch dark on the bike path, through the woods, in the full moon.
Sunday | 12+ miles | w/ mom on the Cheshire bike path | friggin awful!
Week 10 total = 31.5

Week 11

Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2006 | 7 miles around the block | 59:34
Wednesday | 5-miles | left foot in significant pain
Thursday | off
Friday | got Cortisone shots in foot
Saturday | off
Sunday | Josh Billings Runaground | 8-miles (6 race, 2 warm-up) | 49:20
Week 11 total = 20 :cP

What are your favorite Onion headlines?

2006-07-01T00:54:00.000-04:00

I'll post a few Onion favorites, but I really want to hear yours...so comment!

In no particular order:

Gmail User Pities Hotmail User
Gun Owner Ready for Them
Church Group Offers Homosexual New Life In Closet
Sixth Grader Begins Work On Pony Trilogy
Kim Jong-Il Doesn't Know How He Keeps Winning Lottery
Bush Calls Cabinet Meeting To Get Story Straight
NASA Completely Forgot Probe Was Returning Today
Foster Mom A Total Cunt
Cocky Attempt To Operate ATM In Spanish Backfires
Local Puppet Ignores Repeated Audience Dragon Warnings
Let Us Freak. (By Smoove B)
Fourth-Graders' Button-Making-Machine Privileges Suspended Indefinitely

So Dark the Con of Mac

2006-07-01T00:30:00.000-04:00

For all my fellow converted Mac-fanatics, check out Apple Dei.

I've been a card carrying member of the iCult for a few years now, proselytizing shamelessly, converting at least three friends. In fact, I just ordered an iMac for my office today!

I think I found my way here from Ishbadiddle, though now I can't find where the mention was.

the goddamned running

2006-06-29T16:34:00.000-04:00

full disclosure...

Monday, June 26: 3.3 miles | treadmill | decent pace
Tuesday: 3 miles (maybe a little more) | stopped for a swim after 2, finished run carrying 6 rocks (Very Rocky III)
Wednesday: walked 3 miles with Mike
Thursday (today): committing to 6 miles around lake
Friday: 0 miles (dinner party)--I did, by the way, run 6 miles yesterday
Saturday: 0 miles. Worked hard all afternoon in the garden but no running.
Sunday: 6 miles | 1:02 hrs. | Tough course, but still not too impressive. Maybe it's longer than 6.)

Have to be doing 15 - 20 miles per week as of July 3.

Oh my God, Peter's got a blog

2006-06-28T01:15:00.000-04:00

Run, don't walk to The Lone Locust (of the Apocolypse.)

Saving the Day

2006-06-26T00:44:00.000-04:00

No need to worry about Global Warming anymore. I've switched the majority of bulbs in my house to new enviro-friendly compact florescent spirals from GE (via Wal-Mart.) Each bulb will save 150 lbs of CO2 a year.

I'm currently adapting to my new murky environment. The new enviro-bulbs have a slightly phlegm-greenish cast that makes me feel like I'm underwater. Maybe the soft-white is a bit too soft. I'll try the harsh-white and report back.

The good news is that I can leave my house ablaze 24/7 for a tiny-fraction of the energy consumption of my old ice-cap-melting incandescents. Hurray!

Peter urged me to hang onto the receipts so that I can get a refund if they burn out prior to the promised 8-year life expectancy. If someone offered to pay me the cost of the bulbs to store a receipt for 8 years, I’d laugh. Anyway, the world will probably be a scorched desert by then. Carpe diem.

One more thing about Gore's movie...

2006-06-24T01:30:00.000-04:00

"In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to."

--Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN TIMES / June 2, 2006

Read the full review.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-06-24T00:46:00.000-04:00

Please see this movie. I was fortunate to see Al Gore present this lecture live at the Milken Institue Global Conference in LA last year -- a thoroughly engrossing, utterly compelling plea to face the music about Global Warming. I shook his hand afterwards, but was rendered speechless by his presentation and all I could manage to say was "thank you."

After you watch the trailer, please visit http://www.climatecrisis.net and explore the many ways we can make a difference.

Here are ten simple things to do:

1. CHANGE A LIGHT
Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 lbs of CO2 a year
2. DRIVE LESS
Walk, bike, carpool or take mass transit more often. You'll save 1 pound of CO2 for EVERY MILE you don't drive!
3. RECYCLE MORE
You can save 2400 pounds of CO2 / year by recycling just half of your household waste
4. CHECK YOUR TIRES
Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere
5. USE LESS HOT WATER
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2/year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds of CO2/year)
6. AVOID PRODUCTS WITH A LOT OF PACKAGING
You can save 1200 pounds of CO2 if you cut down your garbage by 10%
7. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT
Moving your thermostat down just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer could save about 2000 pounds of CO2/year
8. PLANT A TREE
A single tree will absorb one ton of CO2 over its lifetime
9. BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION
Learn more and get active at ClimateCrisis.net
10. SPREAD THE WORD!
You can start by seeing “An Inconvenient Truth” and sharing it with friends.

Find a theater here.

Gotta Bounce

2006-06-22T23:43:00.000-04:00

Another list of unconventional (and unconfirmed) uses for a household product forwarded from my mother. After a quick search, this exact list is on a million blogs all over the place. (You’ve probably gotten this e-mail.) Oh well, still fun…and worth a try!

==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*

My mail carrier told me that the US Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to keep yellow jackets away. Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. I use it when I am working outside. It really works. The yellow jackets just veer around you. And all this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!

• It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them.
• It also repels mice..spread them around foundation areas, or in trailers, cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.
• It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.
• Repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.
• Eliminates static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.
• Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.
• Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.
• Freshen the air in your home. Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.
• Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.
• Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.
• Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.
• Freshen the air in your car. Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.
• Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between pan and the food.
• Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.
• Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
• Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.
• Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.
• Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.
• Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.
• Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.
• Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. Keeps them smelling fresh.

WD-40

2006-06-21T19:32:00.000-04:00

Forwarded by my mother--believe at your own risk. While I'm not sure of the original source, I did find a fun website dedicated to an exhaustive list of surprising uses for this miracle product.

==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*
WD-40
Or Water Displacement #40 as it is known. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water displacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

The workers were so pleased with the product, they began smuggling (also known as "shrinkage" or "stealing") it out to use at home. The executives decided there might be a consumer market for it and put it in aerosol cans. The rest, as they say, is history.

It is a carefully guarded recipe known only to four people. Only one of them is the "brew master." There are about 2.5 million gallons of the stuff manufactured each year. It gets its distinctive smell from a fragrance that is added to the brew. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.

When you read the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop...Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed. Here are some of the uses:

Protects silver from tarnishing.
Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
Keeps flies off cows.
Restores and cleans chalkboards.
Removes lipstick stains.
Loosens stubborn zippers.
Untangles jewelry chains
Removes stains from stainless steel sinks
Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
Removes tomato stains from clothing.
Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
Keeps scissors working smoothly.
Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
Removes splattered grease on stove. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
Removes all traces of duct tape.
Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers."
The favorite use in the state of New York--WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch

P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL

EZ Jackson Pollock

2006-06-21T01:42:00.000-04:00

This site is awesome. Create your own Jackson Pollock inspired dribblings. Just click the mouse to change colors.

Hurray for the Episcopalians & Presbyterians

2006-06-20T23:23:00.000-04:00

==*==*==*==*==*==*==*
Jun 20, 8:34 PM EDT
Episcopalians Reject Ban on Gay Bishops
By RACHEL ZOLL , AP Religion Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Episcopal delegates Tuesday snubbed Anglican leaders' request to temporarily stop electing openly gay bishops, a vote that prompted the church's leader to call a special session in hopes of reaching a compromise to preserve fragile Anglican unity.

The vote by the Episcopal House of Deputies came just hours before Presbyterians, at a separate meeting, approved a plan to let local congregations install gay ministers if they wish.

In Columbus, wrenching debate over the moratorium on gay bishops stretched over two days in the House of Deputies, a legislative body of more than 800 clergy and lay leaders.

Top Anglican officials had asked the Episcopalians for a temporary ban to calm the outrage among conservatives over the election three years ago of Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who lives with his longtime male partner.

(Read full story.)
==*==*==*==*==*==*==*

enjoy the coffee

2006-06-19T16:48:00.000-04:00

Forwarded from my Uncle Jeff:

==~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups-- porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite-- telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

After all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself, adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases the kind of cup just makes the coffee more expensive and even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups, and then began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the types of cups we have do not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cups, we fail to enjoy the coffee.

snake in the grass

2006-06-18T22:08:00.000-04:00

I saw a snake today while running. Just an ordinary snake. However, there is something unnerving about seeing a snake slip into the grass. Like Nature, upon being discovered, retracts it's tail.

I also saw a beautiful doe and fawn walk slowly across my path in Becket.

Philadelphia, Here I Come

2006-06-17T11:49:00.000-04:00

I have made a decision to run the Philadelphia Marathon — 26.2 miles — on November 19. This is an exciting and terrifying decision. Having run the New York City Marathon in 2002, I know what I’m in for.

My friend Donald in New York was recently informed that he did not get selected in the lottery to run the NYC Marathon this year, so he made plans to do the Philadelphia Marathon a few weeks later. Since the Philly race is not difficult to enter, I knew that I could do it if I wanted to. Hearing him talk about it made me a little jealous and a little guilty. I’ve been feeling fat and lazy, and I know training for a marathon will address both those things.

While Donald and I will probably not run together in the race, it will be good to have someone to commiserate with. Training becomes a somewhat obsessive focus, and it’s important to have people to blab with. (Civilians lose interest after a minute or two of talking about shin splints, goo, bloody nipples, etc.)

I’m not going to identify any goals yet other than to finish without any significant walking. My NYC time was 3:56, but I don’t know if it’s realistic to try to beat that time or not. I worked pretty hard to get to that pace. We’ll see.

There is adequate time for a slow start to the training. (Thank God.) I’ve been running in the gym a little bit through the winter, but I’m not in great shape. In fact I weigh about 206 lbs. — 38 lbs. heavier than when I ran in 2002. So, I’m going to start running outside regularly, building weekly miles up to about 15 – 20 miles a week. Starting July 3, I’ll maintain 15-20 miles/week for 4 weeks, and then start a 16-week build up, which will include some long runs up to about 22 miles.

I did my first “training run” on Thursday. A beautiful 7-mile hilly loop starting and ending at my house in Haydenville. I went slowly, but felt ok. That’s the longest I’ve run in quite some time. Yesterday, I explored the unpaved rail-trail that also goes right past my house. It’s a spectacularly gorgeous trail that follows the Mill River through the woods. I have only walked a short stretch of it before, and I’m thrilled to discover such a lovely place to run right from my door. If I run to the first road-crossing and turn around, I think it’s about 2.5 miles. This is a good distance to have in my back pocket. It’s a non-threatening default run for those days that I don’t have the time or energy for a longer run.

I think I’ll try to post my training log here online. I’ll edit the post each day so that I have a week’s record, then start a new post. So…

Thursday, June 15 | 7 miles | Haydenville loop. Very hilly. Slow pace.
Friday, June 16 | 2.5 miles | River trail. Felt okay, slow pace, stopped to explore a few times.
Saturday, June 17 | 0 miles | day off
Sunday, June 18 | 5 miles (plus 2 walking) | Very hot, very tired. It really depleted me -- I've been a bit dizzy and nauseous all day. Maybe a little sunburnt? I should stick to running in the evening.
Monday, June 19 | 0 miles | I have a miserable summer cold. Makes me feel better about having such a crappy run yesterday. I did however, by a watch to use for running. Walmart: $6.95. I love it! Why spend more? It's funny, I'm actually really tickled about the watch.
Tuesday, June 20 | 0 miles | Still sick, and gave an hour-long presentation to Greylock Staff on positive reinforcement, facilitating friendships, behavior management, conflict resolution, and survival strategies. Went over well. The alarm function on my new $7 running watch worked beautifully this morning -- even has a snooze! : )
Wedbesday, June 21 | 0 miles | still sick, but walked 2.5 with Peter and Butch. (Attacked by three Coyotes at dusk.)
Thursday, June 22 | 0 miles | still feeling punk.

Pics of my garden

2006-06-15T14:22:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of my garden. I wanted it to be lush, decadent, and a little fanciful (note the curtain on the right.) Also note the stone wall which I made from 2-ton of Goshen Stone. I cut the stones with a masonry hammer and chisel, and arranged the pieces. It was extremely satifying. It's not perfect, but I'm wicked proud of it.

Click on the images to see them full size.

More below.

More of my garden...

2006-06-15T14:14:00.000-04:00

I bought art

2006-06-15T01:35:00.000-04:00

I bought art!

For a long time I've wanted to begin collecting original art. I think it just began as a rejection of the tired old dorm-room posters. I soon opted for original photography (usually my own) or a few old family photos. I have also acquired a few unique odds and ends for the walls: an antique advertisement for plumbing fixtures from the Haydenville Brassworks, or a hand printed sign from a letterpress.

So...I somehow met and began keeping in touch with a local painter named Justin Kim. He showed me some of his work, and while I love his landscapes (and hope to acquire one soon), I also really liked a series of nudes painted with black ink (I think.) Like chinese calligraphy, the speed of the brush strokes is apparent from the spread of the pigment.

A little more affordable than a full-color oil painting on canvas, these seemed like a great start to the collection. As you can see, they are in the boudoir, which seems a good setting for their languid poses. It feels a little daring to have two males nudes prominently displayed, but I think they are very tasteful and it also feels like a bold declaration that this is my house and my tastes.

I hope this is the start of an expanding personal collection.

How does your garden grow? (Hey Mary!)

2006-06-13T21:09:00.000-04:00

I'm still determined to dedicate a number of blog posts to my Italy trip, but in the meantime, life rolls along. So...here's a quick post to start the blog ball rolling again.

I've been going a bit crazy in the garden (such as it is.) I have a little porch, and a few tiny bits or ground to work with, but it's been such fun. In such a small space, any new plant or improvement makes a noticeable impact.

Today I planted a hydrangea shrub. It's not blooming yet, but I think the flowers are supposed to white with a subtle blue tint. I also planted an Arbor Vitae shrub, 2 potted dwarf spruces, some morning glories to climb the fence and the wall and moved some lilies. I've spent a king's ransom, but it's giving me no end of pleasure both to work at it, and to admire it. I am forever wandering outside just to look it over. I still want to plant some Impatiens and ivy in the pots with the spruces. There's still a lot that I could do.

The porch is amazing. It's the gayest garden porch ever. It looks like some Key West guest house. Giant hanging baskets of petunias, fuchsia, and ferns. Wicker chairs and a couch. Pillows everywhere. A chaise for napping backed by billowy white curtains. Little wrought-iron tables, candles, window boxes, and glazed pots of mint and basil.

There's even a trickling little water-feature and buddha-ish statue sitting among the river-stones.

OK, so the whole thing is a bit over the top. But why not? It's my little decadent summer indulgance.

Poison Ivy

2006-05-11T23:51:00.000-04:00

I have poison ivy all over. It's awful. It itches, burns, oozes, bleeds. It keeps showing up in new places. Like on my face. Behind my knee. On my fingers.

I smear prescription cream on it. I slather benadryl gel over it. Calamine lotion. I get mild relief for about 4 minutes.

I've resorted to trying crazy remedies that I read online. Like aiming a hot blow-dryer at it from 4 inches away until it burns. I took a bath in Lemon-fresh Joy. I considered spraying myself with WD-40.

Arghhh!!! I'm mad that, as a grownup, I should have to endure what I always thought was a juvenile malady. Like chicken pox. I've never had it, and I sort of thought I was immune.

Here are some wacky facts about Urushiol Oil, the poison in poison ivy and its kin:

Only 1 nanogram (billionth of a gram) needed to cause rash
1/4 ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a rash in every person on earth
500 people could itch from the amount covering the head of a pin
Specimens of urushiol several centuries old can cause dermatitis in sensitive people
1 to 5 years is normal for urushiol oil to stay active on any surface including dead plants

Also note that while I look like a leper ("Unclean! Unclean!"), poison ivy is not contagious, nor does it spread. You breakout where you touch the ivy. It can, however take a while to appear, so that it looks like it's spreading. Or if the urushiol oil is still on your towel or shoes or jacket, it's possible to get a few bonus rashes.

Know, dear readers, that it is even worse than it appears in my picture. If you need any further convincing to pay attention the next time you go tiptoeing through the tulips, check out the Skin Rash Hall of Fame. (Not for the faint-hearted.)

Spiderwalk

2006-05-06T00:15:00.000-04:00

Just watched the Exorcist -- the version I've never seen. Scarey. I'll probably replay it later as I try to go to sleep.

Mostly I am impressed at how well it stands up after so many years. Often, when I see movies from a decade or two ago, I'm amazed at how dated it seems with embarassing writing, acting, and special effects. Not so this movie.

Top Horror Movies

2006-05-04T14:04:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite lists to contemplate and question others about : scariest movies. (Kind of revealing, too.) This post is prompted by a similar thread from Ishbadiddle.

Here's my list today (in order):

Honorable mentions: there are many movies that creep me out. Even if the movie ultimately stinks...there may be that one image that lurks and ferments and becomes part of one's nightmares and chills forever.

The Changeling (rickety wheelchair careening down the stairs.)
The Ring (creeps galore)
Twilight Zone ("Wanna see something really scarey?)
Pumpkinhead
Jaws (truly life altering)
Jacob's Ladder
The Shining
The Amityville Horror
Friday the 13th
Candyman
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Omen
Phantasm
Rosemary's Baby
When A Stranger Calls

And many many more.

Butch celebrates spring

2006-05-04T01:43:00.000-04:00

Wil Wheaton in exile

2006-05-04T00:39:00.000-04:00

Just tonight, I was talking with Peter about Star Trek: TNG and about the strength of the ensemble cast including Wil Wheaton. Then tonight, as I'm perusing popular blogs (research for work), whose candid and surprisingly human blog should make the top 100 list?

That's right -- Wil Wheaton. (Yes, it’s really him. He posts almost every day.)

See his original blog, which is currently under renovation: www.wilwheaton.net See his not-so-temporary back up blog, updated frequently while WWdN undergoes redesign and renovation. wilwheaton.typepad.com

If you weren’t quite sure just how dorky he was...(And yet, I sort of love him for it.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“...So, if this is really your first time here, you are in for a surprise! I can promise you that I'm not what you expected. By reading this website, you will get to know the real me, not the space-suited, enterprising young ensign, or the sweet, vulnerable little dead body seeker.

"I'm thirty years old. Although I don't always take myself seriously (if I did, I would be in an urn next to River Phoenix by now . . . those people who are the real life inspiration for The Comic Book Guy have been giving me shit for decades), I am politically active and aware. I passionately believe in progressive causes, freedom from religion and government intrusion, and the right to privacy -- on line and in your home.

"If you've come here looking for a washed-up, former child actor, I guess you could find that. But if you're willing to look beyond the surface, and challenge your preconceptions, you will get to know me for who I am now: a very happy husband, step-father, and writer. So now that you've been properly warned, you may enter, and experience the lameness that is WIL WHEATON DOT NET.”

(Note: excerpt is imperfectly quoted from the intro to wilwheaton.net, which is undergoing renovation. Current postings can be found here.)

Say it with crackers!

2006-05-04T00:31:00.000-04:00

Love this typface. Create your own hors d'oeuvre poetry.

http://bokstavskex.framtid.nu/agi.asp

Springing the Cards

2006-05-02T23:40:00.000-04:00

A quick post to set the ball rolling.