Mightor

There was this cheesy old Hanna-Barbera cartoon character named "Mightor." He was a caveman superhero of sorts, and he was kinda reminiscent of Fawcett's Captain Marvel. That is, his alter ego was a normal young caveman (almost a caveboy) who could transform himself into this mighty superhero.

I'll confess... it did annoy men that some of the kids I knew kept referring to him as "Mighty Thor." Not the same character, folks. Pay attention.

And yes, I know that this is a little thing. No big deal. It does remind me that some folks are just really, really bad when it comes to processing words.

Tom Stroup and the S.W.A.T workouts

I really like Tom Stroup and his S.W.A.T.-inspired workout DVDs. He's an affable guy, a fitness instructor, and an actual S.W.A.T. captain. His workouts are also pretty darned good, and he manages to keep them interesting.

If you look at Amazon.com, you'll find some very positive reviews of his DVDs. You'll also find a few people who complain about the fact that his DVDs feature a bunch of skinny, physically fit female assistants. These reviewers complain about the fact that Tom calls them "real people," and they wish that he'd feature women who weren't so skinny -- people who look like they're just starting out.

Personally, I think that's a petty objection. After all, Tom presumably wants to show that his programs work, and featuring physically fit participants is a good way to do so -- especially since these are women who actually attend his classes. They are REAL people in every reasonable sense of the word. They simply set out to be fit, and they succeeded, just as most people can.

What's more, beginners are unlikely to demonstrate proper form or the right kind of energy, so they wouldn't tend to make for good models. Heck, one of his DVDs is titled, "SWAT Workout: Extreme Weight Loss and Fat Burning." I think that it makes perfect sense to feature people who look like they have been successful in burning off fat in such a workout!

Snopes and Drew

I have a friend named Drew who keeps sending out these mass e-mails, propagating all sorts of half-truths and urban legends. I've repeatedly referred him to Snopes.com and truthorfiction.com, but he never bothers to check his facts. In fact, after one time when I suggested using these sites, he said, "Well, why should I believe them? Anyone can say anything on the Internet."

Um, Drew, do you realize how foolish your statement is? You're saying that you don't trust snopes.com and similar sources because they're just sites on the 'net, and yet you're willing to blindly trust all these e-mails that you receive, even though their sources are anonymous and they seldom provide any citations that would attest to their accuracy. Do you not realize the cognitive disconnect that's at play here?

R Beers

I lost a lot of respect for Mr. Beers. He's a man who has good intentions, and in his own way, he tries to do the right thing... but he has severely disappointed me. In more than one way, too.

FB's tongue

FB, an acquaintance of mine (loosely speaking, a friend) REALLY, REALLY needs to learn how to control her tongue. I swear, there is no filter between her brain and her tongue.

The Dino Martinis

I just discovered the Dino Martinis, this fabulous jive band from Calgary. I love them. I wish that they had more CDs on the market.

Originality. Creativity.

Most people aren't very original. They aren't very creative. That's not to say that they can't be; rather, they just don't try very hard.

Argh.

Typing skills

I watched this technician at my auto repair shop type into a computer using the horrendous "hunt and peck" method. It was agonizing to watch. I tell you, everybody should learn how to type properly.

The thing is, some people aren't really motivated to learn. They're kinda like those folks who just want to mess around arhythmically on the dance floor, and who aren't motivated to learn anything better than that. I'm not saying that people need to become expert typists, but really... in this day and age, everyone should learn at least some basic typing proficiency.

Preparing cheat sheets

I had a flashback to my college days. I was recalling the times when my classmates and I had to prepare "cheat sheets" for our Physics and Mathematics classes -- that is, lists of equations that we could use while taking a test.

I did these things sensibly. I made sure to list all the relevant equations that I might not necessarily remember. That's what a cheat sheet is supposed to be, after all -- a memory guide.

Practically every single one of my classmates, however, took a different approach. They copied down every equation that they could find in the book chapters on which we were to be tested. They even wrote down stupidly simple equations like "V=IR", which we had been using for years and should have had completely memorized. It was pathetic.

I also remember David, one of my Math classmates. He was a Computer Science major, and not a very good one. For one of the algebra clases, he wrote down an entire sequence of how to factor an equation. In other words, instead of learning the princples behind factoring, he wrote down an example (probably more than one) so that he could use it to truly "cheat."

This disgusts me. College students should know better than to do that -- that is, if they are genuinely interested in learning.

Trademarks

Somebody needs a serious lesson in intellectual property law... more specifically, trademarks. Yeargh.

Whose Line

I really, really miss the old "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" crew. That was a talented bunch of guys.

W.

W has a brain that works in strange, bizarre fashions.

And no, I'm not talking about the former President.

This can be truly aggravating, I tell you.

Kate Harding

I think that Kate Harding is doing her "fat acceptance movement" a great deal of harm. I understand her sentiments and all the emotion behind them, but she is seriously misguided.

Mr2001

Been reading some postings by this fella named "Mr2001." The guy is pretty ridiculous.

It's not just that I disagree with his reasoning. There are a lot of folks out there with whom I disagree. Rather, the nature of his reasoning is just kinda infantile. He decries music copyrights, for example, and insists that there's nothing wrong with pirating music. His defense? "It's just a sequence of zeros and ones!" or words to that effect.

Got a headache

Got a headache. Must be the stress.

Gym, yeah!

I was talking to some ladies in the gym. I was commending them for the fact that they work out so hard, clearly putting a lot of effort into their moves and meeting their fitness goals. In contrast, a lot of other folks in these classes are basically spinning their wheels -- completely wasting their time. They will never get any substantial results unless the start putting more effort into their workouts.

I've read some message board discussions wherein other gym afficionados made similar comments. Predictably, some other posters got offended. One person even said, "Who are you to say how hard other people should work out? Huh?"

The thing is, it's not a question of telling others how hard they SHOULD work out. Rather, it's simply a matter of recognizing that if you want to see results, you need to put in a respectable amount of effort. If you're doing practically nothing, they you will see practically no results.

Some people just "phone it in" during their workouts. Any physical improvements that they see will be utterly minimal.

More on the Real Ghostbusters. Also, GI Joe

Gotta say it again... The Real Ghostbusters makes for some great storytelling. The animation wasn't bad, either. That is until they revamped the format and made it worse. The first two seasons were some great stuff though.

We could say the same thing about G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The two seasons that were produced by Sunbow were pretty darned good. Then it was cancelled and revived under D.I.C. D.I.C. was capable of producing some pretty good cartoons, but their work with the Joes was utterly embarrassing. A total travesty.

IK

Just thinking about this one person I know whose mind works in rather bizarre ways. She also has strange ways of communicating.

As a friend of mine said, this person has a strong personality... and not in a good way. Seems like she never quite grew up.

The Real Ghostbusters

Now that's some funny stuff. Great storytelling, too.

This goes to show that animation can be a great way to tell an engaging story. Not just for kiddies, folks!

Doug Stanhope

Doug Stanhope is incredibly unfunny.

That is all.

Listening techniques

I wish that more people would learn how to practice reflective listening. It's a great way to communicate during meetings. It allows you to summarize someone's points, make sure that you've properly understood them, and affirm the fact that you value what they had to say.

At its core, it involves striving to understand the other person's idea, then restating that idea, phrased in one's own manner. By saying this back to the speaker, one can confirm the idea has been properly understood.

Hoping that I never get in a really bad car accident

I was in a pretty nasty car accident once. Thankfully, I wasn't seriously hurt. I do hope that I never get badly injured in one, and that I never hurt anyone else.

It get scary sometimes when I'm driving while tired. Can't ever let that happen again.

I LOVE IMPROV!!!

I love improv comedy. Good, clean improv comedy can be absolutely hilarious. It takes a lot of talent to pull that sort of stuff off.

I miss that event

I remember these guys with whom I was engaged in some shenanigans in Ann Arbor. We just kinda got creative and funny. I miss that time.

So I heard someone talking about plates...

I remember when I first heard someone who worked as a laboratory technician talking about plates. Turns out that she was referring to these things -- microplates.

They're nifty little things. Some kinds can be used as basically miniaturized Petri dishes. Others have membranes for their bottom surfaces, and this allows all sorts of interesting adhesions to be used in laboratory tests.

Birdhouse!

I just love the lyrics of "Birdhouse in Your Soul."

Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul

Oh, the pain

This knee of mine keeps hurting and just isn't getting a lot better. In fact, it recently got worse for reasons that I don't understand. Ouch.

What a piece of work

Been reading the Facebook statuses of some gal named Sepesy. She's a real piece of work with no shame or interpersonal skills.

Bittersweet

I remember some pleasant times during my high school years. Some pleasant people, too. So why do I often think back on those years and remember the unpleasantness?

Vocals

I wish I could sing. I really don't have any singing chops.

Kaley Cuoco

Man, that gal is funny! She has tremendous comedic timing and she's a darned funny actress.

Job hunters, look here.

Looking for a biotech job? This site might be helpful to you.

I know so many people who could use help with finding a job. My dear friend Linda, for example. It's sad.

The Slug, Part III

BTW, somebody complained to the class instructor that I was running into her during the class. I'm pretty sure that it was the slug, since she made some kind of remark when I was doing back kicks and supposedly tagged her or something.

The thing is, I was doing BACK kicks. I didn't run into her; rather, she was standing too close behind me when were were kicking. Common sense should dictate that if the class is going to be kicking backwards, you shouldn't stand too close behind another person in the class. What a diva.

The problem is that she doesn't pay attention. She often starts the moves late, acting as though the class was catching her by surprise. She doesn't have her head in the game. That's one reason why she barely moves -- because her mind isn't engaged by the class and she puts in no effort to speak of.

The Slug, Part II

Another thing about this sluggish gal at the gym... toward the end of the class, she keeps yelling out stuff like "Oh, yeah!" or "You go!" Something like that.

I don't object to that per se. Like I said though, she's barely moving in these classes! Why in the world would you let loose with these yelps of enthusiasm if you're barely moving at all? I'd rather that people put their money where their mouths are, so to speak.

The annoying slug

There is this woman in my gym that I think of as "the slug." It's not a kind nickname, which is why I don't share it with anyone. In my mind though, that's how I think of her.

She barely moves during the Saturday morning Hi-Lo class. From the very start of the class, she always adopts a hangdog expression. She doesn't really do the moves; rather, she moves as though she's dragging her limbs through molasses. Instead of doing a kick or a knee raise, for example, she just kinda lifts her foot a couple of inches off the floor.

No wonder she hasn't shown any results over the past couple of years. Working out the way she does, she's not going to get anything done. Heck, she'd get a better workout just by going for a brisk walk, since she hardly moves at all.

F.B.

Fenna can be very... problematic. She is so full of anger and negativity, and she's overly quick to jump down other people's throats, even without knowing the facts. She also has no grasp of diplomacy.

Gotta catch up

I need to catch up on my mail. Seriously.

Gotta catch up on my reading, too.

ALL CAPS

I met this one comic book store owner who always types up his messages entirely in capital letters. Argh.

Bad idea.

WKRP

I would like to watch some old WKRP episodes. Really.

Terry

Terry, you disappointed me. Greatly.

My thumb

My thumb hurts. Darned cut.

When communication fails

I think that the following comment that I once read makes a lot of sense: "If six people have understood the same thing, and it is not what you meant... you have, indeed, not made yourself clear!"

Hungarian Movie Night

I dislike it greatly.

The Cupid Shuffle

The Cupid Shuffle has got to be the most mindless line dance ever invented, right after the Chicken Dance. Even the Hokey Pokey provides more variety than this stupid charade.

That's why my mind was boggled when I attended a swing dance in Pennsylvania where the organizer actually took five minutes out to TEACH people how to do the Cupid Shuffle. Good grief. This isn't the sort of dance that you waste time teaching. Rather, it's the sort of mindless crap that people should be able to observe for a few seconds and then follow along.

Then again, the organizer of this particular event wasn't known for having a lot of dance expertise.

People who are ignorant about dance

Not everyone knows how to dance, and not everyone understands what goes into preparing a good dance event. I'm okay with that, as we all have different talents and backgrounds.

It does annoy me, however, when dances are organized by people who know nothing about dancing. Now, I'm not saying that the organizers need to be professional dancers. However, when they fail to understand such simple niceties as keeping the dance floor dry and mud-free... well, that's just dumb.

What's more, they typically cater to the lowest denominator. That's why a lot of dance parties have plenty of mindless line dances such as the Cupid Shuffle and the Cha Cha Slide. Don't get me wrong; I'm okay with having some of these dances, especially for the benefit of people with no dance expertise. However, when you have these kinds of dances over and over again in the course of the night, it gets to be a bit much.

10/10/10

Today's date is 10/10/2010 -- or if you wish, 10/10/10.

Makes me want to watch a Bo Derek film.

Tuberculosis screening

I came across the following in a paper from 2003.

"ELISPOT, an enzyme-linked immunospot that detects T cells specific for Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens, promises to be a major advance in screening for tuberculosis (TB), according to the results of a study published in the April 5 issue of The Lancet. In a comparison trial, ELISPOT was more accurate than the tuberculin skin test and was unaffected by BCG vaccination."

Personally, I would have said "The ELISPOT assay" rather than just "ELISPOT," but that's just me. At any rate, I like the idea of using this technology for TB screening.

G I Joe, a real American hero

I just love watching old reruns of the G.I. Joe animated series from the 1980s. Now that was some quality writing for a children's show.

Phil

I received a Facebook friend request from this guy named Phil. I don't want to accept, but I suppose that I should.

Batman TV series

I have been watching some old episodes of the Batman TV series. Boy. This isn't great writing and Burt Ward's acting is deplorable, but it is a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Appreciated

I received a bit of appreciation recently. I don't get that a lot, so I am thankful for that.

Writing

I have way too much writing to do. Ugh.

Bri

I really appreciate my pal Bri. She is such a sweet and appreciative person.

She is also very beautiful. That is part of why I appreciate her. Not because I appreciate her good looks, but because she doesn't put on airs about it. Some beautiful women act that way and they tend to be hypersensitive about men showing them attention. She knows that I don't just regard her as an object of beauty though, and that I respect her marriage. I am thankful for that.

Working out too little

I've talked about how some folks fear that lifting weights will cause people to put on too much muscle. These people have probably never lifted in their lives. If they did, they would know that it takes a LOT of work to pack on tons of muscle.

Most people overestimate the benefits that they'll get from exercising. They think that if they run a couple of laps, they've made a big dent in their fitness goals. Or worse, they think that they can indulge in that cheeseburger they've been craving.

I see this in our gym classes all the time. People do practically nothing in the cardio classes, scarcely working up a sweat. They probably figure that they've put in their time, and that that's what counts. No, it doesn't. If you consistently work out at a low level, then you'll scarcely see any results. You need to put in some real effort if you want to get real results.

I'm not saying that every workout needs to be intense. The occasional low-intensity workout can be beneficial, especially if it's an endurance exercise or part of one's recovery period. However, consistently working out at a low level is likely to yield low-level results and nothing more.

Rats

I sure could use a change. A real change.

This is kinda disappointing. And frustrating. And aggravating. And discouraging.

Could really use a change of pace.

Women who fear getting bulky

In my previous post, I talked about folks who fear that if you start working out, you run the risk of looking like some hideous bodybuilder. That's simply a foolish fear, unfounded in any sort of reality.

Most people don't go that far. However, a lot of women have more moderate fears. They don't want to lift weights because they fear that they'll develop too much muscle. Again, that's just a foolish concern. First of all, a bit of muscle on a woman is SEXY. Second, it's extremely unlikely that they'll develop so much muscle that they'll start to look masculine -- especially if they're generally feminine in their appearance. Third, when they do develop muscle, it will be a gradual process, so it's not as though they are likely to be taken by surprise at how massive their biceps have become.

Not bulking up too much -- oh, please

It gets a bit annoying at times. When I mention that I work out, there are ladies who say, "Oh, no! Don't overdo it! You don't want to look like Arnold or those other huge bodybuilders. That's just gross."

Oh, puh-leez. These people have no clue. They simply have no idea how hard it is to reach that level. You can't get to the grossly pumped up level by accident, folks. You have to work hard for it, and the entire process can take years, especially if you don't use steroids (and you shouldn't!).

These people are well-intentioned, but horribly naive. They must think that if you lift weights for a few weeks, BAM! You're going to get grossly overmuscled. Folks, that is NOT realistic. That is NOT how it works. Get a clue.

The 29th

September is almost over.

Stamina

Most people have rather poor stamina. Most people also allow their stamina to deteriorate dramatically as they get older. They get used to lounging around and being physically inactive -- sedentary, even -- and it shows.

I looked at some photos of my old elementary school classmates, and it was pretty obvious that almost all of them had fallen badly out of shape. And to think that I was one of the least athletic people in our class way back when.

I watch these folks who attend our cardio boot camp classes at the gym. Most of them can't keep up for very long, even when they're barely doing the moves. The worst offender is this rotund fella who barely moves at all during the exercises, and who gives up easily. I don't think it's a question of being tired, since he scarcely works up a sweat and there are no signs of exhaustion on his face. Rather, he just doesn't put much effort into his moves, and so he's never going to see any real results.

Birthday greetings, bro

Today marks the birthday of one of my brothers, a young fella who means the world to me.

Browncoat!

I was gratified to see that one of my former co-workers is a fan of Joss Whedon's short-lived TV series, Firefly. These people are known as browncoats, and they are a discerning bunch. What a terrible shame that this show went off the air so quickly.

It didn't help that Fox TV decided to air the action-oriented "The Train Job" in place of the originally intended pilot episode. It was a good ep, but it didn't do as good a job of setting up the story premise.

How to give good presentations

Most people -- and this includes college-educated folks -- do not know how to give an effective presentation. They tend to ramble, or they tend to focus on irrelevant details, or they use graphic ineffectively. Many of them also tend to read off of their PowerPoint slides, treating PowerPoint as though it were a teleprompter.

This generally indicates poor mental organization. It's one thing to use your PowerPoint slides to guide your presentation. It's yet another thing to read the content of the slides to the audience, treating them as though they were idiots. The same problem holds for those who ramble on and on, using a hundred words to explain something that should only require one sentence (and yes, I've seen my share of presentations like that).

Stupid EBAY stock

I wish that my Ebay stock were performing better. Darn. I blame Ebay's vendor-unfriendly policies for its decline. Amazon.com's second-hand stores seem so much better.

Kangaroo courts

A lawyer friend of mine says that the local municipal courts are pretty much kangaroo courts. That is, the judges are lazy and pretty much don't care about their work.

I don't know for sure if that's true or not, but I can believe it.

Incompetence

I had this encounter with an utterly incompetent person. More than one such encounter, actually. How unfortunate.

It's aggravating. This person must not be very well liked. That much is abundantly obvious.

She is in entirely the wrong line of work.

This illness sucks

Being sick stinks. It stinks to high heavens. Thankfully, all of the symptoms are above my neck.

Sneezing

I've got a bit of congestion in my nose, I have post-nasal drip, and I have started sneezing. I hate this. I hate this to high heavens.

I need my T cells to kick into high gear. Like, right now.

Gym slackers again

I'm still irritated by all these slackers in the gym. Why do some of these folks even bother coming? They take up space, they yap and yap and yap, and they put in practically no effort. If they were simply harmless, that'd be one thing, but they tie up valuable equipment and exercise floor space. What's more, by setting a bad example, they bring the energy of the entire room down. Sheesh.

Biotech

Ohio University has this here list of biotechnology companies. Good call. There's a lot of promise in biotech, so I think we should be doing whatever we can to promote it. What's more, I think that students should learn more about these companies.

AAPL

I sure wish that I had bought some Apple stock last year. Darn. At least I did invest in Google (GOOG), which has also done well.

One female attire and professional conduct

I just wanted to repost something that I read on a discussion board.

Now, if I made a point in dressing in very tight work clothes, or wearing shirts with a lot of cleavage, I'm not helping the situation at all. A gentleman would avoid comment, of course, but not all men are gentlemen, and some professional sports players are also quite young and thus not as experienced or polished as even a 25 year old man. If you're going into a male locker room then I think it's reasonable to expect a female reporter to dress in attire that, while feminine, is not overly revealing and for her to be strictly business - avoid flirting or sexual innuendo while on the clock. It makes it much easier for everyone to keep proper boundaries intact. On top of that, I think the women who adhere to those guidelines will find that respect is much more forthcoming from the men. In my experience men are much happier when the distinction between business and fun is kept sharp and clear and far more likely to conduct themselves in a respectful manner.

Coast to coast

I had a weird debate with someone over the meaning of the phrase "coast to coast." This expression clearly means "from the east coast to the west coast" -- that is, spanning the continental USA. In her interpretation though, it could mean from any coast to any coast -- the coast of Lake Michigan, for example.

What a strange thing to even debate.

Congestion

I hate being congested. Argh.

Weird guys at the gym

There's this weird Asian guy at the gym who can't seem to follow any of the moves during the cardio classes. He frequently winds up doing something completely different from the rest of the class. Instead of doing knee raises or lunges, for example, he kinda twists in place. He also reacts very slowly to the instructions. When the class turns in one direction, for example, it takes a few second before he notices and starts to face the same direction.

Then there's this weird middle-aged fella who does his moves at an extremely slow pace. He doesn't seem to be mentally handicapped, but he does move as though he... can't. Like he's dragging himself through molasses. It's not just that he's out of shape; rather, he has the coordination of a six-year-old. It's strange.

Bending over instead of squatting

I mentioned that a lot of people in my gym classes cheat heavily when they're doing their moves. These people, I hate to say, will not see much by way of results.

For example, instead of squatting, they will typically bend over a little bit. This requires a lot less effort, though their backs might feel a bit sore the next day. Our instructor routinely points out that they're cheating, but that doesn't stop them.

I'm also a little bit annoyed at this woman who joined our class, and who consistently moves with the wrong arms or feet. This is a problem when doing side kicks, since it means that she could wind up hitting someone. It could also be a problem if she were to move in the opposite direction as the rest of the class, darn it.

A day of infamy

This is the anniversary of a tragic day.

Gym cheaters

I am sick and tired of these people who blatantly cheat on their moves during our cardio gym classes. In a way, I shouldn't be; after all, it's their time, their money, and their business. At the same time though, I find it darned irritating, especially since this tends to be distracting and it brings the energy level of the class down.

I'm talking about the gal who comes in late during our Saturday Hi-Lo class, for example, takes up a spot in the front of the room, and who barely moves. What's more, instead of doing a grapevine -- a mildly vigorous lateral motion -- she simply faces sideways and slowly shuffles in the direction of travel. Good grief. If you're going to do that, you may as well stay at home or walk slowly on the track.

Or the guy who, instead of doing trunk twists, just kinda swings his arms back and forth. He's not really working out his body; rather, he's just moving his forearms a little bit. I suspect that he's gotten so used to moving minimally in the course of his day that he's used to finding ways to sorta-kinda mimic a move without actually doing it.

Great dialogue on "Psych"

I loved this little bit of dialogue from last night's episode of Psych:

Gus: I told you that newspaper thing was a dumb idea.
Shawn: Are you at all serious? We just captured a dangerous international spy. You're hung up on the newspaper bit?
Gus: No. I'm hung up on the fact that you've been obsessed with this woman this whole time. She makes the ultimate move on you and you shut her down? What's wrong with you? That makes no sense! Are you crazy?
Shawn: I know, it doesn't make any sense. Maybe I am crazy. All I can tell you is just now, in that moment, all I could think about was Jules. I just can't wrap myself around the fact that she's dating Declan. Actually… it's actually killing me.
Gus: Shawn, that is not fair.
Shawn: I know, I know it's not fair. And you're right. She likes this guy, who I am to stand in the way?
Gus: Exactly.
Shawn: You think I don't want her to be happy? I want her to be happy. But, serious Shawn moment here: I want to be happy too. But, for some reason, I can't imagine that happening without Juliet. How crazy is that?

Psych summer finale

Oh, my gosh. That was great. I watched the scene with Juliet in the surveillance van over and over again.

Iggy

I was reading the rantings of this unusual fella named Iggy. Iggy, from what I've read, is an outspoken atheist. I won't criticize him for that; however, he carries that torch a little bit too high and makes it burn a little too brightly.

I'm referring to the fact that he insists that the medieval Christian church was vehemently anti-science. According to him, they went around burning books, as well as burning and torturing men of science. Now, it's true that the Catholic Church did burn books and presecute heretics (John Hus was famously burned at the stake with Wycliffe's bibles used as kindling), but it simply untrue that they also went around killing and torturing people simply for being men of science. Nor is it true that they went around burning science texts; quite the contrary, the Catholic Church promoted the development of science, and some of its own clergymen were scientists.

Note that I'm not trying to excuse the abominable things that the medieval Catholic Church did. Not at all. I also think that it's unfair to accuse them of attempting to squelch science, though. It's also unfair to blame Christianity as a whole for their misdeeds. (Iggy did not specifically say such a thing, but based on his wording, it was pretty clear that this was his intent.)

Pain

Boy, do my legs hurt. My lower back, too. It's from all this exercise, and I could really use some more. I like it.

Excellence in exporting

Came across this site which lists various recipients of an "excellence in exporting" award. I wonder how companies are selected? What criteria are used?

I can think of a few Third World countries that might benefit from giving out such awards.

Old cartoons

Just watched a DVD of some old 60s cartoons -- Marine Boy, Space Ghost, the Impossibles, etc. Good retro stuff.

Typing

I once worked with a guy who was a bit freaked out that I could type while looking at him -- that is, without looking at the computer. "You're supposed to look at the keyboard!" he exclaimed.

No, you're not. What's wrong with you?

Lazy pool guys

Why is it that whenever I go to a Bally gym with an indoor pool, there are usually several guys lounging on the pool chairs and scarcely anyone in the pool itself?

Today, there were four guys in swimwear, stretched out on the pool chairs... even though the pool itself was out of order. Huh.

Articles on gym tips

I found this page which contains a couple of articles on gym etiquette, as well as one on how to get results from a calf workout. Strangely, the latter was cut off, as though the web designer neglected to include the latter half of the text. Too bad; that's where all the good stuff would have been.

The etiquette rules are worth heeding.

John Denver

Checked out a bunch of John Denver CDs from the public library. They contain a bunch of songs apart from his well-known classics. I can't wait to listen to them.

Crain's

Ya just gotta love Crain's. What a wonderful resource.

Working out or cleaning

I wanted to spend a large part of the evening working out. Instead, I had to put some clutter away... and I'm nowhere near finished. Rats.

Frustrating

I've got a friend, a very dear friend, who sometimes frustrates me greatly. It's like she keeps missing these points that I try to make, and so she barrels through the conversation as though I hadn't said these things.

For example, we were talking about why the parents of a certain friend of mine did not show up at her wedding. She said, "It's such a shame that they didn't approve of the groom."

I said, "Really? Is that why they didn't show up? Did the bride tell you that?"

"No, she didn't... but her parents weren't there, so they must not have approved."

"We don't know that," I pointed out. "It's plausible, but we don't know what the real story is. Maybe they simply had a fight."

"It's so sad that they didn't approve," she went on.

I tell ya, sometimes it's enough to make me want to tear my hair out.

The four kids at a swing dance

I was attending a swing dance last night. They were not swing dancing.

Instead, they were shaking around like maniacs. Not just for one or two songs, mind you, but for practically the whole dance. At least, for as long as they were there.

Some would say "Who cares?" At least one guy thought they were funny. Another guy said that they were annoying though, and I have to agree with that.

Here's the problem: It was a SWING DANCE. If you're going to attend a swing dance, you should at least make a token effort to dance swing. If you want to do your own thing, go somewhere else, please.

Mind you, this doesn't preclude acting goofy for a couple of songs or so. I've seen people breakdance during a couple of songs, for example, and I've even done it myself.... but not for the entire dance.

If you attend a country dance, the expectation is that you'll dance in a countrified style. You might not know how to do it well, but you should at least make some sort of effort. Shaking it around and doing wild stuff just isn't appropriate.

Go somewhere else instead, kids. Please.

He is aggravating

I have to deal with this one fella who is... problematic. To say the least.

He's arrogant, he's classless, he's selfish, and he's utterly dishonest. He's also manipulative and underhanded. I wish that he wasn't a part of my life.

What a jackass.

Too much stress

I have way too much stress in my life. It doesn't help that certain people in my life are infantile and extremely difficult.

What a jackass

This certain fella is a world-class jackass. He's arrogant, he's abrasive, he's tremendously dishonest and he can never admit to being in error. What's more, he has no people skills to speak of. No diplomacy, no ability to hold his tongue. Oh, and he has a tremendous sense of entitlement.

What a jerk.

Speaking of abdominals...

Speaking of abs, I wish that I had more time to work mine. I'd really like to develop some washboard abs myself. I have a pretty strong core, and my abs are fairly well defined. I can't claim to have real washboard abs yet, though.

It would help if I could drop a little bit more body fat. Over and above that though, I do need to develop larger, stronger abs muscles. I'd like that.

Erin Elmore and the abs

So I saw this clip on YouTube where Apprentice Season Three candidate Erin Elmore was washing the washboard abs of some male model. That behavior was just plain inappropriate. If a man had done that to a female model, he would have been considered a real creep.

It's possible that Elmore thought she could get away with it because of her looks. She was prone to reminding the viewers that she was a former beauty queen, for example, and she did like to flirt with the Trump. Ultimately though, that's no excuse. In fact, it's a terrible excuse.

The 21st

It's the 21st of August. Yay.

Shows I'm watching nowadays

Fringe
Bones
The Big Bang Theory
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Gilad: Bodies in Motion
Mythbusters
Human Target
Castle
Psych

Wrong line of work

I was looking at the work that this one woman I know created. Let's just say that I think it's perfectly clear that she is in the wrong line of work. No doubt whatsoever.

Riker

Say "Riker" and most people will think of the character played by Jonathan Frakes. Today though, I was reminded of Robin Riker, a successful but relatively obscure actress.

Boy, I haven't heard that name in a long time. Years, in fact.

Yow! Yowza!

Why aren't there any models like this out there anymore? Or if there are, I sure don't see them in the print media.

Actually, I take that back. I did see one such model in a print catalog once. Not often, though.

So envious

I am so envious of D. So very envious. He really lucked out.

Dang.

Hope this works

I really, really hope that this works this time. I hope it works.

Sadly, I've learned not to hope for much. Rats.

Trying to be optimistic, but I think I also have to be realistic. Ugh.

Firefly birthday

The following makes for a suitable birthday greetings for fans of the short-lived TV series, Firefly:

Couldn't get ahold of no flour, so it's mostly protein. In fact, it's pretty much what we just had for dinner. But I tried to get the frosting as chocolatey tasting as possible.

Student humor publications

I picked up a copy of the student-published humor magazine from a local university today. It was... bleh.

That's the problem. Most people think they can write funny stuff. Few people can.

Back in my high school days, I was on the staff of our school paper. Every year, we published a spoof issue. We also got students who wanted to write for the spoof issue alone, and not for our regular issues.

Needless to say, we turned them away. After all, why add someone to the staff if he or she is only going to write for one issue out of the entire year? They've got to prove their chops, y'know.

Barking Harley is back

The obnoxious barking guy is back at the gym.

He's the guy who insists on barking like a dog during the cardio boot camp classes. For a couple of months, he was absent, but now I see that he's back.

Rats.

He puts in scarcely any effort, then thinks that he can make up for this by barking enthusiastically, as though to suggest that he's on a big testosterone rush. No, you're not, you jackass. You're a poser, plain and simple.

Another gym encounter

So I was on one of the elliptical trainers at my gym. I was reading comic books, since the up-and-down motion of a treadmill or elliptical trainer makes book reading more difficult.

The fella to my right kept trying to chat me up. I guess he was bored, and I guess he didn't think that I might want to concentrate on my reading. It got kinda annoying, and so I was tempted to switch to another machine. I didn't though, since I didn't want to needlessly upset the guy. It's best to avoid that when you're at the gym, especially if you might encounter the fella again.

The worst part is that he kept making all sorts of inane comments. "So, that Wonder Woman, she's all about sex, right?" Ugh.

Looking back, I wish I had said, "Say, do you mind if we discuss this after I'm done reading?" And to be fair, the guy was probably a complete gym newbie -- the kind of fella who hardly ever exercises, and who didn't stop to think that it'd be good to have a magazine or an MP3 player with him as he stayed on the machines.

Lohan

Boy, this Lindsay Lohan gal is really messed up, isn't she? What a shame, considering how much talent she has.

On the one hand, I feel bad for her. I realize that her upbringing leaves something to be desired. On the other hand, I also think that people need to wise up. It's a matter of common sense.

Gym lollygaggers annoy me

It really annoys me when I see people attending the cardio classes in my gym who scarcely put in any effort. It's like they know they need to exercise, but aren't willing to put in the effort needed to get real results.

As another gym habitue said, if you're not going to work hard, then why bother? You're just wasting your time.

It's good to see the occasional person who really pours on the effort. There aren't many people like that. Most people need to power through with determination and really work out hard. When they are there, they help raise the energy level of the room, and they set a good example for everyone else. They're a blessing.

It's 8/8

Nothing much to say here. Just commenting on the date.

Jeric

I will never forget this fellow Jeric. He was a classmate in high school, and he was known for his rampant cheating. Nobody every cheered in class whenever it was announced that he got the highest scores during a test.

He later went to the same college that I attended. I ran into him toward the end of our freshman year, shortly before term papers were due. He pointedly asked me, "Where is the library?"

That slacker made it through almost an entire school year without stepping foot in the library -- indeed, without even knowing where it was. Lazy bum.

Really sleepy

I didn't get much sleep last night, thanks to some computer problems. Got to get to sleep sooner tonight.

The Big Apple

I want to learn the Big Apple dance routine from Hellzapoppin. Actually, there's an awful lot of stuff that I want to learn. When in the world will I have time for all of this?

No Harley? For good?

I love it. For weeks now, the ever-annoying Harley has not been showing up at the Monday night cardio bootcamp classes at my gym. He's a loudmouthed jackass who insists on barking loudly and calling undue attention to himself. He constantly cheats on his moves, and yet he acts like he's at the top of his game. "Look at me! Look at me!" is what his hooting and hollering amounts to. What a loser.

Haven't seen him in several weeks now. Maybe he's found something else to do during the summer, but I hope that's not it. I hope that he has left... permanently. That'd be great.

Half-baked solutions

More on the topic of poor preparation.

I was at a social function wherein the host had to entertain some foreign visitors. He wanted to show them a movie, but he didn't have the right DVD on hand.

This other fella -- a guy who had been tapped to help out with the event -- said, "Oh, no problem. We'll just go to Netflix and play the movie that way." Obviously, that was a poorly conceived idea; after all, Netflix streaming can be erratic at best. Unless you're lucky, it won't make for a smooth experience, and there's a very good chance that the movie might not be available.

This fella has a habit of coming up with half-baked solutions -- essentially bandages in place of proper fixes.

Poor planning

Here's another thing that I'd like to vent about. It's a little thing, but it makes my eyes roll.

So I attended a party recently where some dancing was involved. For the most part, this was not "real" dancing. Rather, it was people shaking around a-rhythmically and without much style.

Did the folks have any music prepared? Mostly, no. When they wanted music, they went to YouTube and tried to find the songs they wanted. That was just mind-numbingly dumb and a sign of poor preparation. Blech.

Speaking of encouragement

Speaking of encouragement, I'm glad that this guy Ross doesn't attend my Muay Thai classes anymore. I was frequently partnered with him, since we were at the same rank. He was a very dour fella. He routinely provided criticism, but he never provided positive feedback -- not even once. That got really old.

He was more skilled and more experienced than I, since he had prior martial arts training. He failed to understand that positive reinforcement is helpful and even necessary.

Some of the more advanced practitioners in our class understood that, which made them great to work with. Too bad he didn't. This made him a real pain.

Encouragement

I wish that the lady swing dancers would enthuse over me the way they gush over certain other guys. I don't think I'm that bad, even though I know that I'm not highly skilled. Would be nice to get a bit more encouragement now and then, just as I routinely try to provide encouragement for these ladies.

Disappointed

I'm so disappointed. But oh well, life goes on.

About swearing

Somebody on the 'net asked why children should be taught to avoid swearing. I like what one person said in response. Here is what he/she said, albeit paraphrased slightly.

It is a sign of maturity and intelligence to display the ability to moderate your behavior for the circumstances you find yourself in. You wear a suit to a wedding, but shorts to the beach. The same is true with language. People will respect you more if you understand the difference between swearing in the office and swearing at a backyard barbecue with your oldest friends.

Also, attempting to be offensive just for the sake of being offensive is manipulative behavior, and most people will recognize this and respond to you accordingly. If you can't communicate appropriately and effectively, it will affect your relationships with people, and this is true whether you're swearing or not.

I would add that one should avoid swearing around people that one doesn't know well -- people that you've just met at a party or on vacation, for example. One should also avoid swearing in the office, as a general rule, even when among friends.

Just a couple more

Just a couple more negative postings, please. I really did mean it when I said that I wanted to focus on more positive, uplifting things. On the other hand, I also meant it when I said that I need to unburden and vent now and then. Some of the things I'll be venting about will be fairly minor, but I still want to voice these things and get them off my chest.

More on the gym classes, continued again

Here's another gym annoyance.

We sometimes do these moves in the kicbkoxing classes where you have to bob and weave. Jumping jacks are also a frequent requirement. A whole bunch of people pretty much just shake their fannies slightly instead of doing the moves properly. It's kinda like simulating the move without having to put in much real effort.

On the one hand, I understand that it's their life, and if they want to cheat themselves, that's their business. The reality, however, is that they're a distraction and they bring the energy level of the room down. Energy is contagious, and when people put in very little effort, then their neighbors will also tend to be motivated to do minimal work as well.

One of the worst offenders is this woman who just kinda twists her booty around slightly during our jab-and-cross moves. Now, you have to understand -- jabbing and crossing are both strong, energetic upper body moves. The jab is a quick little punch with nearly full extension. The cross requires twisting one's body around so as to put a lot of power into a punch. This gal just moves her hands around slightly and wiggles her tushie. It's annoying and bloody painful to watch.

More on the gym classes, continued

Another complaint about folks in the gym classes...

A lot of people move very jerkily, even when it comes to simple moves such as knee raises. Now please understand, I'm not trying to cast blame here, nor am I saying that these people are crude louts or any such thing. I'll be honest, though... it's distracting and even painful to watch.

A couple of guys keep crunching their upper bodies during simple knee raises, for example. I don't know what to make of that. It does throw off their rhythm, and it's almost an eyesore. It could be that they just need a little bit of coaching, or it could be that they're led such sedentary lives that they don't know how to move anymore. I just don't know.

Several people look like they're about to tip over when they do moderate tempo knee raises. This is usually because they're standing upright instead of leaning over and bending the supporting leg, as should be done during proper non-alternating knee raises. I don't know... is this because they've never been taught the fine points of this move? Or is it because they're trying to do the moves with as little effort as possible, so they stand vertically instead of supporting one's self with a single bent leg? I honestly don't know.

More on the gym classes

I don't want to harp on the people at my gym too much, but I swear... some of them are just truly aggravating. Here are some of the annoyances in the various cardio kickboxing classes that I attend.

- People who groan and moan a lot. Folks, if you're having a hard time with the moves, please keep that information to yourselves. We can see that you're struggling; indeed most of the people do. You don't need to piss and moan about it during the class.

- Gigglers. Some folks giggle almost hysterically when they can't do the moves. I understand that they do this out of nervousness, and I understand that this is a natural reaction for them. Please though, you need to learn how to suppress that reaction. It's not polite to giggle during the class, just as it's not polite to giggle inappropriately in a classroom situation. Just relax. If you can't do the move, then acknowledge that and do your best. No need to go into hysterics about it.

- Folks who don't match the moves at all. At least try to move in sync with the instructor, please. I know that people will mess up -- I certainly do. Still, please try to move in more-or-less the same way as the instructor and the class; otherwise, you can wind up throwing other people off.

Again, I'm not saying that everyone needs to be in tip-top shape. That's not the objection at all. I do understand that some people will struggle. I'm just saying that they need to do their best, get their head in the game, and basically work hard and working out hard.

You're not that great, pal

There's this fellow that I'll call "M." M says that he's one of the very best dancers in town. I think that's a great exaggeration. He's very good, and he certainly has a lot of experience. He also throws a lot of energy into his dance, and I know that some gals just love him. I think that he greatly overrates himself, though.

For one thing, he puts a lot of body english into his moves, even when it's not warranted. During a simple swing dance, for example, he keeps twisting and rolling his body, and that doesn't really suit the music well. He also tends to do a lot of things to call attention to himself, flashy stuff that's designed to make himself stand out. A little bit of flash is good, but you don't want to overdo it. That's just poor dance style.

Need a new SD card

Drat. I wasted maybe half an hour of work last night, all because my SD card (or technically a microSD card with an adapter) chose to give out. Phooey.

I hate this. I hate losing productive time, especially with all that I need to accomplish.

Move your feet, darn it!

Some of the people in my cardio classes are darned annoying. I've talked about some of them before, but right now, I want to focus on one particular type -- the kind that scarcely moves.

It's very frustrating when the class is told to shuffle to the left or to the right, and the person to your left or right doesn't move. I realize that some of these folks might not be able to move at all, but frankly, I doubt it. After all, even a greatly overweight person can push himself hard for a while. I've seen it happen time and time again in real life, and you can also see it on a certain weight-loss competition program on TV.

Folks, if you don't want to move, then please stay on the sides of the room or to the back. Don't take up center stage, so to speak. Not only are you being an obstacle to other people, but you're also setting a bad example for everyone else. Either move it or take up a more discreet position.

More on the doctorate issue

There's a guy who posted a comment to this article that I previously cited. I liked his comment a lot, so I've reproduced it here in its entirety. I'm sure that he wouldn't mind.

I think this confusion starts from the fact that the medical profession took it upon themselves to use the title “doctor” inappropriately. First of all, the title “doctor” has a Latin origin that loosely translates into “teacher”. This is generally a function of the Ph.D. holder. There are other legitimate doctorate degrees that are equal to the Ph.D such as D.Sci, Th.D, and the D.D. The holders of these degrees are the REAL DOCTORS!

Another interesting fact is that the MD isn’t even a graduate degree. This is a “professional” degree, not an ACADEMIC one. Consider that lawyers with a JD (Juris Doctor) degree, go back to school to get a Masters of Law. What!? They have a “doctorate” degree, and if they pursue graduate studies, they go “back” to the Master’s level? How can that be? Simple, the Juris Doctor degree is NOT an academic, graduate degree. Same as the Doctor of Medicine degree.
In fact, other countries like India, and England have the right idea, and their medical schools grant the Bachelor of Medicine degree for the same amount of course work.

I remember speaking to medical school graduates from India in the past, and neither refer to themselves as “doctor”. They call themselves a “physician” which is far more appropriate. In Germany, you can’t even call yourself a “doctor” unless you have a Ph.D.

Understandably, our western society has linked the phrase, “he/she is a doctor” with those who possess an MD or a DO. Even chiropractors, podiatrists, and dentists are not considered “doctors”, even though they have a “doctorate” in their respective fields. This is unfortunate, and it will take a lot of effort to re-educate our society to change it’s perception on this honored title.

All this construction work drives me nuts

I lost about an hour of drive time last night because off all the construction work on the highways. Argh!

Of course, that was less aggravating that they time I wound up behind some slowpoke a couple of weeks ago. For about 20 minutes, I was stuck behind some bozo who was driving 10mph below the speed limit. Double argh!

Academically clueless

You'd think people would know better.

I feel like rolling my eyes whenever I hear somebody claim that PhDs are not "real doctors." In their view, only physicians are real doctors, and other people are just pretenders to that title. Not only is that historically ignorant, it also displays a severe lack of understanding of how the title is conventionally used.

No, folks. Physicians are not the only ones who are real doctors. In fact, the PhD holders have a more genuine claim to this title, as do people with comparable degrees (e.g. the ScD or the relatively obscure DBA).

That was a terrible dance

So I asked this older lady to swing dance last night. She seemed like she could handle herself on the dance floor. That was a mistake.

Turns out that she was one of these overly stiff ballroom-style dancers. There's nothing wrong with that, but it can really stink on the social dance floor. When they insist on doing everything in a prim and proper way, with no energy and flair, it can make for a heavily disconnected dance.

And it can be so boring. I found myself looking at the floor due to the awkwardness of the dance. She pointed this out and corrected me, and she was right to do so (though this wasn't great dance etiquette). Still, I think that the failure of this dance was due to her lack of energy, since I've had countless successful dances with women over the years.

Entering rant mode

In the past, I've acknowledged that I'd like to be more positive in my postings. I don't want to just post about frustrations and annoyances. And honestly, I still feel that way.

To be truthful though, I do feel the need to rant and vent now and then. It's cathartic, and it helps me deal with stress. So I hope you'll forgive me if I speak about various annoyances and grievances for the next few postings. It'd really help me a lot.

Boring photos

Some of the people I associate with take the most boring photos. Case in point: We were at a costume party. Did these folks take interesting photos that highlighted the costumes? For the most part, no. They focused on a whole lot of boringly posed pictures -- people just standing around, smiling at the camera, for example. Or worse, a lot of headshots. No real activity, very few interesting poses, and a whole lot of BORING.

Here's a clue, folks. Photos in which people look at smile at the camera are almost always mind-numbingly dull. They require no creativity, and they almost never engage the viewer's attention.

AbiLogic

I just discovered the AbiLogic directory. I don't understand their name, but I do appreciate the fact that they make a point of being a spam-free directory.

Gym slackers revisited

Continuing my previous rant about gym slackers...

I don't doubt that some of them are just doing the best that they can. Some of them may have joint problems, for example. Given human nature though, it's a safe bet that many of these folks are in bad shape precisely because they don't push themselves very hard. That's why instead of jogging around when the instructor tells them to, they just go for a slow an leisurely walk. Or why they just sit around and gab when the instructor runs late, as opposed to working out while waiting.

That's the key. If it was just one or two people who were "working out" at this minimal intensity, that'd be something to expect. When virtually the entire room is working out at such a low level though, it's hard to believe that they're truly putting in a major effort.

Just today, we did this drill wherein we were supposed to throw some medium-tempo jab and cross combinations. Virtually nobody was throwing a proper punch, though. Several folks just kinda moved their arms around a few inches while swaying their booties from side to side. It was painful to watch, and even a bit demotivating. I couldn't help but think, "Folks, even when I was in bad shape, I still pushed myself hard. Yet here you are, just coasting through. You're cheating yourselves, folks, and you shouldn't expect to see any results."

Complaining again about slackers

I know that I shouldn't fret over this so much, but I've got to say it again. I'm really, really tired of people who attend the cardio kickboxing and cardio bootcamp classes at my gym, and yet who scarcely put any effort into their moves. I'm talking about the ones who don't put any 'oomph' into their motions and who consistently adopt the posture that requires the least amount of effort and expends the least energy. (For example, doing knee raises while standing straight up, rather than leaning forward and bending the supporting leg.)

Yeah, I know. Ultimately, it's their choice, and that's true. The problem is that they're often distracting and even painful to watch. They're also demotivating -- and I'm not just saying that, since I've even heard an instructor say the same thing.

I know it sounds harsh, but it's kinda annoying to see people put in the time but not the effort -- to basically throw the time away. It's also annoying because some of these folks wind up chatting amongst themselves instead of doing the moves. They are also likely to let loose with whines or groans when the going gets tough, instead of just doing the best that they can.

More on Jesse Jackson

Today, I received an e-mail newsletter which said that Jesse Jackson is urging the creation of more jobs.

Yeah, that was brilliant, Jesse. Truly profound. Why does anybody bother listening to this parasite?

Jesse Jackson -- ugh

Jesse Jackson's latest tirade regarding LeBron James is really sickening.

Here's the story. Dan Gilbert took LeBron to task for his narcissistic media spectacular, in which LeBron hyped up his big decision to play for Miami. Gilbert correctly pointed out that this egofest was in poor taste.

And what did Jackson do? He said, "LeBron is not a child, nor is he bound to play on Gilbert’s plantation and be demeaned." In other words, he is insinuating that Gilbert thinks LeBron is some sort of slave who is obligated to play as Gilbert deems fit. Nevermind that Gilbert was not objecting to LeBron's career move; rather, he merely pointed out that this prodigy has exhibited poor taste in hyping up his move.

Jackson likes to play the race card at every opportunity. He is an opportunist, and his actions are slimy beyond belief.

Eakins

Gretchen Eakins is a relatively obscure actress/model. She's also perky, attractive, and seems like she's probably greatly underrated. I like her, and I wish that there had been some gals like her at my old high school and college.

So disappointed

Darn, drat, darn, darn, darn.

What a disappointment.

Psych

Man, I love that show.

7/7

It's 7/7 today. Do you feel lucky, punk?

Wonder Woman in the original SuperFriends TV show

So I'm watching this episode of the original SuperFriends where they have to deal with objects made of this plastic substance called FRERP. Wonder Woman had the task of creating a solvent to get rid of this substance. What's more, the villian even acknowledged Wonder Woman's scientific brilliance, predicting that she could indeed develop such a solvent.

Too bad the writers didn't treat her that way in subsequent seasons of this show. They sure dumbed her down.

Boot camp was disappointing

I was really disappointed in tonight's cardio bootcamp class. Our regular instructor is in Vegas, and I was told that this close friend of hers would be filling in. As in turned out though, another lady altogether led the class.

Some folks liked her. Personally, I thought she was mostly boring. She definitely didn't push me very hard.

The first half of the class was rather slow paced and low in intensity. She certainly didn't move as fast or as vigorously as our regular instructor. Some folks in the class probably preferred that, but personally, I didn't feel challenged.

Neither was the gal behind me, apparently. She's not a young woman, but she works out hard. The two of us agree that a boot camp class should be tough and demanding; otherwise, why call it "boot camp"? As she said, when it comes to the tough, physically demanding moves, we should say "Bring it!"

Judicious use of animation in PowerPoint

In an earlier post, I talked about how it's annoying to see someone simply re-read the text in their PowerPoint slides. I also said that trivial rephrasings aren't quite as annoying or insulting, but they do come awfully close. I also suggested that it helps if we keep the PowerPoint text brief, so that we can expand on their meaning as we speak.

It also helps if we use simple animation effects to make the text appear only as needed. It's trivial to learn, and anybody with even an average IQ can make it work.

Independence!

It's Independence Day! Don't take freedom for granted.

Manuals, dang it!

It's so annoying. So many companies don't produce decent documentation for their products. They're not interested in producing manuals that are intelligible, much less systematically written. Bah.

The problem is that a lot of techies don't develop their writing skills. What's more, a great many of them don't consider writing skills to be important. It stinks.

PowerPoint

I'll say it again -- I hate it when people give a presentation or lead a discussion by reading the text on their PowerPoint slides -- treating PowerPoint as though it were a teleprompter. It's colossally dumb and it's very annoying as well.

Now, some people don't actually read their slides. However, they will sometimes have detailed points listed in their slides, and then they'll state those points in their so-called "presentations." That is almost as annoying and almost as insulting.

A better approach would be to use a few short bullet points -- not detailed sentences, but brief phrasings. One's presentation can then expand on those phrasings.

My leg hurts

It hurts. I'm getting old. These tendons just don't take as much physical abuse as they used to. I wish that I had been a lot more physically active in my younger days. Now I'm trying to make up for that, and it's tough -- tougher now, since I can't jump and kick as much as I could have in my younger days.

Not enough time

I don't have enough time in my life, and I could really use a raise. Sigh.

Thinks I like

As I've said before, I know that I tend to rant and rail in these postings. It's cathartic. For that reason, I'll focus on some things that I like in this post.

I like frozen yogurt, strawberries, cantaloupes, reptiles, exotic animals, this obscure actress, another actress, Almond M&Ms, salt and vinegar Pringles, the website development company that I'm working with, the M sisters, some of my lindy hopping comrades, solo Charleston moves, the finale from "Hairspray," old Speed Racer cartoons, the Doc Savage movie and more.

Expenses

Argh. I have to pour thousands of dollars into some home repairs. I hate this. That's money that I'd rather not spend, especially since it's important to have a hedge against unemployment and unexpected expenses.

So much of this could have been avoided if I knew more about home maintenance, and if some of the previous owners had done their work correctly. Bah.

Stacey Williams, democrat

So I found out that ex-supermodel Stacey Williams is a supporter of the Democrat Party. Here is a photo of her which mentions her involvement in the Democratic National Convention.

I'm kinda disappointed. I prefer to think of these celebrities as being apolitical, even though I know that's not the case.

My knee hurts

Ouch. My knee hurts. I strained a tendon due to my workout routines. I tend to put a lot of energy into my moves, and I must have overdone it. Yikes. Ouch.

I'm getting too old for this.

Language

Some people are so inarticulate. So horribly inarticulate. It's very annoying, especially when they demean the value of a good vocabulary.

After King Kong Fell

I just read this classic short story by Philip Jose Farmer. It was amusing to me because of some unnamed cameos. It featured a bronzed heroic figure who was clearly meant to be Doc Savage, as well as two character who were obviously intended to be the Shadow and Margo Lane.

Tips for church secretaries

Get a load of this. There's a website that's devoted to providing helpful information for church secretaries. I'm not sure what their business model is, but I did think that this is a bit of a speciality niche.

They even have articles on the following topics, among others:

Tips to Time Management
Time Management and Planning Tips
Words Every Church Secretary Should Avoid
Ways to Become More Efficient At Work & At Home
A Habit Every Successful Church Secretary Must Have
Quick Keys to Managing Multiple Projects

The Real Ghostbusters

Been watching Season One on DVD. Loads of fun and lots of clever dialogue.

About website domains

Here's a little tidbit. If you type a domain name into your browser, you might find that no website appears. This does not mean that the domain is available, though. A lot of companies buy domain names for future use or for strategic value (for example, to prevent their customers from taking those domain names.)

So can you buy that domain name from the owner? Maybe, or maybe not. The reality is that if it's owned by a company, then they probably bought it for strategic purposes -- perhaps for some future product. They are unlikely to relinquish this domain, and frankly, it'd be foolish to assume that they have no use for the domain in question.

Whither Wendy Benson?

Whatever happened to actress Wendy Benson? She was never a big name celebrity, but I did like seeing her on TV. She also reminds me of an old friend of mine.

According to Wikipedia, she should be 39 years old by now. I wonder if she still has that sparkling youthful appearance. Unfortunately, with her fair skin, I suspect that her age will have started to show significantly by now.

Whining about having to wear seatbelts

I still remember this time when I was in a foreign country -- one where wearing a seatbelt was not legally required. Indeed, a surprising number of vehicles over there weren't even equipped with seatbelts, even in the 1980s.

I was riding with one family in a relatively modern automobile. This one did have seatbelts in it, and I noticed that one person wasn't wearing hers. I recommended buckling up for safety reasons, and she said, "But they're not comfortable!"

I couldn't believe it. Seatbelts are minimally intrusive, and one scarcely even notices that they're there. Even people who are severely obese learn not to take heed of the fact that they're strapped in, and yet this person thought that seatbelts were simply too uncomfortable to wear. Talk about being effete. Talk about being foolish.

USS "dances"

There are these monthly dances sponsored by a group called "USS." I won't be more specific about their name, since I don't want to embarrass them. I have to say, however, that their "dances" are incredibly dull. The regulars display no skill to speak of, and it's become obvious that they're not even interested in learning. I say this because they attend month after month, and yet they just do the same old squirming, swaying, and wiggling around. It's incredibly dumb -- kiddie-level, really.

Yakov Smirnoff

I just saw Yakov Smirnoff in "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension." He was even referred to as National Security Advisor Smirnoff, or something to that effect. What a movie!

Ruby-Spears Superman

I'm watching the short-lived Superman cartoon series by Ruby-Spears on DVD. It's not bad. Not earth-shakingly good, and not particularly memorable, but pretty decent. Ruby-Spears did good work, back in the day.

A tip for marketing design

Here's a little tip. When designing marketing materials -- whether they be billboards, flyers, magazine ads, or websites -- remember that effective communication is more important than artistry. It can be tempting for someone to try to make these materials as beautiful as possible, but that should only be a secondary goal. The primary goal should be to communicate your message, and excessive emphasis on artistry can get in the way of that.

Consider this. What if your website were to have such magnificently beautiful artistry as to captivate your readers. Where will their focus be? What will they remember? Will they be focused on the beauty of your website, to the point that they are no longer as engaged in reading its message? That simply isn't right.

Don't get carried away with artistry, folks. It's not a good idea.

Gotta take care of a mold problem

I have to take care of a mold problem in my basement. This is going to get expensive. What's more, it'll require cleaning this place up.

Oh, and to make matters worse, my knee hurts.

Buckaroo Banzai

So I've been rewatching the Buckaroo Banzai movie. It helps if you know ahead of time that the whole thing was based on the Doc Savage pulp stories -- and if you know who Doc Savage is.

Yep, he's like a modernized Doc Savage without the overhwhelming physicality.

Incompetence

Some people are incompetent. Simply incompetent. No systematic thinking, no common sense.

Dealing with them can be most aggravating.

PowerPoint

I hate it when people simply read off their PowerPoint slides when giving a presentation. It's especially aggravating when these folks are highly educated. Gagh!

Amazingly, one friend of mine said that she tends to be more receptive to vendors who give terrible presentations. She said that she thinks this means that the speaker must be highly intelligent, and that this must mean that their product or service must be worth considering. That is some of the dumbest logic that I've ever heard.

TPiR and Chantel

If I had to pick a classic line-up of models from "The Price is Right," I'd say that the all-time iconic line-up has to be Janice, Holly, and Dian from the 70s and 80s. Out of all these folks, Holly was my favorite, thanks to her sparkling smile and wholesome good looks.

My personal favorite individual TPiR model of all time, however, was Chantel Dubay. It's a terrible shame that she wasn't on the show for very long. The current batch of beauties seems to be very much interchangeable.

Ouch, that hurts

I'm still annoyed that I'm nursing an injury due to this accident that a co-worker caused. It was a really stupid mistake, and even though I'm very forgiving of such things, it does create a huge inconvenience -- especially since I'm trying to get in shape.

GrafTech

I stumbled across this page today. It mentioned GrafTech International Ltd, which brought back some memories. I thought, "Hey, I remember hearing about GrafTech. I was making chit-chat with an attractive woman who mentioned that she worked for that company." This gal was way too conscious of her age and wrinkles. That was a shame, since she was still quite attractive.

No Harley! Yay! Yay!

I am SO glad that Harley was not in our cardio bootcamp class tonight. He's the jackass who keeps woofing like a dog and yelling stuff like "I love this!" during class, even though he's working out at a very low level. He is so lazy, but he likes to act as though he's this bad*ss athlete who's at the top of his game. What a loser.

When he's not around, the class is more pleasant. When he is in the class, he sets a horrible example. It's bad enough that most people in the class don't work very hard, and that our instructor has to routinely stop the class and say "That was pathetic" or words to that effect. When he acts as though his lackluster attempts at working out make him an exercise dynamo, he's setting the bar tremendously low for the rest of the class.

Branicky

This guy was intelligent, but like many people with brainpower, he did not understand the limits of his intellect or knowledge. He was also severely lacking in people skills. I remember the comment of one person who heard him speak: "What an *ss."

MK does ramble

I mentioned that my dear, beloved friend MK tends to take up a lot of time in conversation. I honestly do love talking to her, but she could say so much more in so fewer words.

For example, she tends to say stuff like, "A friend told me... not Sarah, the really pretty one -- who by, the way, is really enjoying herself and is thankful for her marriage. Sarah is so sweet. Do you think that she has a good marriage? Anyway, this friend of mine...." She keeps getting off track, and it gets to be kinda annoying, especially when I'm trying to get stuff done.

MK rambles

I have a friend, MK, who is very dear to me. Talking to her can be very frustrating, though. She calls and says, "Can you spare five minutes?" but her conversations tend to go on for at least half an hour. Not such a big deal when I'm not busy, but when I am busy -- or worse, at work -- it's a bit aggravating.

This is especially true when she's going through some sort of emotional trouble, the sort of thing that takes a lot more than just five minutes to discuss. I don't mind talking to her about these things, but I have pointed out that it's unfair to ask for just five minutes of my time if she's going to go on and on and on... and that happens a lot.

I'll say more about her ramblings soon.

Real Ghostbusters

That show rules. Very intelligent and very clever. The voice characterizations during the first two seasons were outstanding, and the plots were absolutely amazing for a children's program.

New penny

I saw one guy complain obnoxiously about the design of the new US penny. Apparently, some people just don't like change.

Camo pants

I'd like to find some grayish camouflage pants. Unfortunately, they can be hard to find. (Get it?)

I miss me some Disney movies

I miss the old days of the Disney animation renaissance. You know -- The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and even the lesser lights such as Pocahontas, Tarzan, and the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

I'd love to see more of that stuff. Thankfully, Pixar is still producing top-notch stuff.

Paige O'Hara

Previously, I talked about the luminously talented Jodi Benson. I'd also like to say something about Paige O'Hara, who came right on her heels. Paige doesn't get the same amount of exposure as Jodi, but she also has an amazing voice, and she got to display more of her singing chops in Beauty and the Beast than Jodi did in her movie.

Jodi does gobs of voice work for Disney though, making it a regular gig on her part. Paige doesn't do nearly as much, for some reason. Is it a question of interest? And availability? I don't know; however, it does seem to me that Ariel is much more heavily merchandised than Belle is, which may suggest that Ms. Benson's character is simply more popular, even though O'Hara's movie did better in the box office.

This monthly so-called "dance"

I have almost totally given up on this monthly singles "dance" that I used to attend. It just wasn't any fun. The people there didn't know how to dance, nor were they really interested in learning how to do so. Rather, they just shook and wiggled around without any skill or style.

Mind you, I'm not saying that they need to become as skilled as a professional dancer. I'm not even saying that they should learn any ballroom dance styles, though that would certainly be nice. I'm just saying that it'd help if they learned at least some basic dance moves -- y'know, something at a higher level than the twist or a grapevine. The people there had no style.

The cupid shuffle was tremendously popular there. You know why? Because it requires no skill whatsoever. In a sense, that's a plus, but if you keep doing the mindless, skill-free stuff over and over again, then that's setting the bar awfully low. It means that there's no challenge and no art whatsoever.

More on Deborah

I remember how Deb reacted when I chose to search for other candidates instead of promoting her into the senior director position. She heard that I didn't think highly of her people skills, so she got me on the phone and yelled, "What do you mean, saying that I'm not a people person? I have GREAT people skills!"

The irony somehow escaped her.

Deborah

I wonder what happened to Deborah. She was this woman I knew who was intelligent, well educated, and even pretty despite her extra pounds. She was also abrasive and lacked people skills. When she was the assistant director of a charity, she tended to rub people the wrong way.

She said that she was a people person, but that she chose not to operate as one so that discipline could be enforced. Frankly, that's a cop out. A good people person can enforce discipline without having to abandon her people skills. Her problem wasn't that she was deliberately not operating as a people person; rather, her problem was that she was hostile, needlessly abrasive, and just all around tactless.

Learning to dance as a student

I've got some young college friends who seem to have plenty of time to learn how to dance. They take dance lessons and participate in all sorts of dance exchanges.

Personally, I can't imagine doing that as an undergrad. We always had way too much homework to do, and way too many tests to prepare for. It was a safe bet that we couldn't take a weekend off. I was a double major though, and I was in some pretty demanding fields.

I almost wish that I had pursued some more leisurely degrees, but that wouldn't have satisfied me at the time. I think I would have regretted it.

Software testing

Software testing sucks. It is boring, boring, boring.

I don't like doing this.

Cancer immunotherapy

I remember my grad school days. Back then, I got to talk to folks about various fields of research. Knowing a wide range of graduate students really helped, and I just wish that I had more time back then to absorb their knowledge and interests.

Some of them were involved in cancer immunotherapy or related fields, for example. Would have been nice to learn more about what they did. Unfortunately, too much of my time and mental energy was already being poured into my own research work. That required virtually all of my free time, especially with my limited funding. Ugh. I wish that I could have taken a more leisurely approach.

That just wasn't an option, though.

What a voice

This is worth repeating. Jodi Benson has an absolutely angelic voice, and she comes across as a wonderful performer. I wish that I had even a fraction of her talent.

Got to catch her on some YouTube videos recently. Man, what a voice. She also injects so much love and energy into her songs. I would love to see her perform more. Too bad her old "Crazy For You" videos aren't online anymore.

Got the P90X DVDs, but...

I got a bunch of inexpensive P90X DVDs off Ebay. I'm dying to try them out, but I just don't have the time. I still need to catch up on housework and yard work, for example, and I'm spending a lot of time with my dance lessons and practice. Yikes.

I really want to ramp up my exercise routine, too. I want to get leaner and pack on more muscle.

Cha cha moves I need to learn

I need to learn a few more moves before I can say that I've completed a bronze syllabus.

One is the cha cha shadow position. This is otherwise known as the cha cha sweetheart position. Another is the cross body pull back. The third is the crossover flick to side break.

Perhaps another private lesson would be in order?

Cha cha moves

I've recently expanded my repertoire of cha cha moves. Cha cha is a useful dance style to learn. It can be used with a lot of modern music (e.g. Brown-Eyed Girl), so even if you're not actually dancing to Latin music, it's still good to know.

Here are some of the moves that I currently know.

- Basic in place
- Side basic
- Progressive basic
- Outside partner position. This is where you turn the lady to one side. It also requires rocking forward with the right foot instead of rocking back.
- Crossbody lead. This is a little bit different from the salsa crossbody lead. You don't start turning until you rock back with the right foot -- or at the very least, until the final cha cha step before rocking back.
- Open break and underarm turn
- Chase turn
- Shoulder check. (Paul taught me this one, and then Lizzie did too.)
- Butterfly. This one requires touching her left palm with your right palm after a side break. It involves rocking forward with the left, alternating it with rocking back on the right.
- Alternating underarm turns
- Triple cha chas. This one requires using the progressive basic and steering the woman as though using a pair of rapiers. Also, with a little push, you can get the follower to turn during the second cha cha.

Gotta remember these moves and put them to use.

BodyShaping

I really, really miss the old ESPN show, BodyShaping. I was never much into watching televised sports (certainly not for hours on end), so ESPN never held much appeal for me. They did have a bunch of fitness shows though, such as BodyShaping, and I did like that one. Too bad they're not showing it in reruns anymore.

And yes, Jennifer Dempster was a cutie.

The flying guy in the red suit

I'm watching an episode of "The Greatest American Hero" on DVD. I remember this one. It's the one that had Captain Bellybuster in it. I remember thinking that this storyline was a bit implausible, even within the conceit of the series.

Charleston

Man, I sure would love to practice some high-speed Charleston moves sometime. Too bad most of my female friends are in such bad physical condition. They don't have much energy at all, even if they're not terribly overweight.

Mold

Got a mold problem in my basement ceiling. Gotta get that fixed. This means cleaning up the house a little bit more before the contractors get here... and I'm already plenty busy. Yikes.

Imad

I remember sending a Christmas greeting via e-mail to a bunch of people one day. One fella, Imad, send the following (paraphrased) response:

"Please don't send me any more non-business related e-mail. I receive plenty of e-mail as it is."

Gee, loosen up, grinch.

Autumn, please

I can't wait until autumn. I can't wait. I'd love that.

Oh, and I hate doing yard work in the summertime.

It's blank

This post has been intentionally left blank. Well, almost blank. Not quite.

It's getting progressively less blank, the more I talk about it.

Arnold, you stink

I won't go into detail, but there's this underhanded guy that I'm going to call "Arnold." As in "Benedict Arnold," mind you, not the powerhouse bodybuilder.

Arnold is a despicable traitor who would sell people out without any hesitation. He routinely screws people over, and it's detestable. No wonder nobody likes him.

Swearing like a sailor

I wish that people wouldn't swear so much. I encounter way too many people who seem incapable of expressing themselves without spouting the f-word left and right. It's jarring and annoying.

Some people say that the liberal use of profanity helps them express themselves accurately. I disagree. It might feel good to them, but it doesn't help with precision of meaning. Nor does it help much with emotional impact; after all, when profanity is used excessively, then its impact is diminished.

Dang

Dang. I'm disappointed. Bummed.

Not altogether unexpected, but it was unpleasant. Disappointed indeed. Darn, darn, darnity darn.

Cancelled plans

I had to cancel my workout plans for Monday. Why? Because some folks decided to organize a small trip to a local amusement park. I felt that I needed to be more sociable, and besides, one of the organizers was a pretty lady. That certainly can't hurt.

And a very cute lady she is, too. Not classically pretty, but she has a different sort of appeal. We only went as friends, but I have to admit that she was cute.

Another new kickboxing combo

Jab, hook, slip
Back kick, stutter forward, palm fist
Elbow to back, elbow to front, elbow down, switch

New kickboxing combo

Jab, cross, jab, knee
Jack, jack
Back kick, front kick
Side kick, hop and side kick

Repeat above using opposite side

HBD

And here's wishing a warm happy birthday to my beautiful sister.

That was kinda nosy

Get this. I was taking some photos of a friend at a recent swing dance. Upon seeing this, one lady comes up to me and peppers me with questions. "Excuse me, but what are you going to do with those photos? Are they going on your computer?" "Are you taking pictures for a newspaper?" "Did these people ask you to take photos of them?" and so forth, and so on.

I assured her that it was common practice for people to snap photographs at events like this. I'm not sure why she was asking, but I think it was kinda nosy. If I see somebody taking a picture of someone else, I'm not about to give that person the third degree regarding what they're doing.

I'm not sure what that was about. I don't think this gal was a swing dancer. She pretty much sat in the same place the whole night long. Maybe that's why she decided to pepper me with questions. Whatever.

BioMed

I'm always interested in hearing about technological developments in less advanced countries. That's why it's nice when I stumble across websites such as this one. It's a biotechnology firm in Thailand, a decided less advanced nation.

Now, I'm not trying to say that such companies are remarkable to find. It's just good to know that they exist, and I hope that they get all the exposure that they need. The design of this company's website could use some improvement, though.

Forearms

Gotta work in some forearm exercises, too. I think I'll plan those for Monday morning. They tend to be very much neglected, even by experienced gym rats.

Workout plan

Okay, here are my exercise plans for the weekend:

Thursday: Shoulders with a bit of chest and triceps work
Friday: Noontime walk with weighted vest, plus back and biceps work in the evening
Saturday: Cardio work in the morning and early afternoon. Some core work as well.
Sunday: Leg resistance training, followed by massage, followed by chest work
Monday: Back and biceps in the morning. Core work and a little cardio in the evening.
Tuesday: Core work and cardio in the evening. Maybe some balance exercises, too.

Celebrity Apprentice

What a waste of time. Donald Trump has no integrity -- especially after the way he screwed Annie Duke over last year in favor of Joan Rivers. Ugh.

Thirty days hath April

It's the end of April. Huzzah!

Brian

There's this strange guy named Brian who attends our local swing dance events. He's been coming for two years, but he almost never does anything more than the basic jitterbug step over and over again. He does ask women to dance, but he seems to be pathetically shy, and he obviously has no confidence when it comes to trying out moves. As far as I can tell, he has no friends there either.

I've tried to chat with him, inviting him to a workshop, for example. Doesn't seem to do any good. I wonder what the deal is with him.

Human immune system cells

A bit of educational information here. Here is a brief and somewhat fragmented discussion of some of the cells of the immune system. By this, I mean the human immune system, of course. Strictly speaking, this should be stated; however, when people speak of the immune system, it's normally understood to mean that.

Yay, Elizabeth!

Congratulations, Liz!

She'll never read this comment, but I did want to express my joy and appreciation.

Batman: The Brave and The Bold

This is a darned good show. Too bad it's in reruns right now. Sigh.

'I' is a crazy woman

This lady, "I", is a complete whack job. She is shrill, annoying, irrational and just generally trouble. Her mouth operates much faster than her brain does, and it's really annoying.

MK is a dear friend, but...

More on MK...

She's a wonderful person and one of my dearest friends. She tends to be completely irrational at times, though. She reads way too much into things, which causes her to tear herself up with worry and paranoia. What's more, she calls me and seeks assurance when she finds herself in these states. I don't mind listening to her -- she is a valued friend, after all -- but she does cause herself way too much aggravation.

Here's an example of how she blows things way out of proportion. I recently tagged a whole lot of people in somebody's Facebook album. This person then posted a comment on my wall: "You've been busy. Tagging, that is."

MK says to me, "Is this guy saying that you're being a nuisance???" With barely restrained exasperation, I said, "No, no, no. I love you dearly, but you read way too much into things. This is a good example of that. He was just saying that I was busy with a lot of tagging. You don't need to read anything more into it that that." I wanted to add, "For pity's sake! You are so completely irrational!"

Don't get me wrong. She is a wonderful person. She just needs to be more emotionally secure and stable, though.

MK drives me nuts sometimes

My friend MK drives me nuts sometimes. She is so insecure, so lacking in confidence, so lacking in emotional strength.

Consider this. A friend of hers, Bridget, got married recently. Prior to going out with her groom, she had been pining over this other fella. A fella who had expressed interest in her at one point, but who didn't make enough of an effort to pursue her. Eventually, she moved on.

For weeks, MK kept asking me, "Do you think that Bridget will regret her decision." I'd say things like "I doubt it" or "Probably not" or "I don't know." Yet over and over again, MK kept asking that question, as though she was intensely worried that Bridget would still be pining over this guy.

Eventually, I told MK, "Why are you obsessing over this? Look, you're beating yourself up over a situation for no good reason. Bridget knows far more about this fella than you do, and she knows far more about her own state of mind than you do. We've got no reason to believe that she's still carrying a torch for this other guy, so why keep fretting over this? She's a grown woman, and it's her decision."

What I really felt like saying was "WHO CARES!?!?!?!? Who cares if she'll regret it or not? If you want to know if she'll regret it, then wait and see. You're not going to get an answer by asking this question over and over again."

Sheesh.

Lines of Code -- a useless metric

I am astonished that anyone would choose to measure programming experience or programming quality in terms of the number of lines of code produced. That's an absolutely stupid means by which to measure either quality or experience.

I love this quote from Bill Gates: "Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft building progress by weight."

Jackass

He's a jackass.

There. I said it, and I got it off my chest.

Abusive cousins

Okay, okay. I know that this blog must sound like a series of bitter rants, and I do want to post some more positive remarks sometime. For now though, I want to get some things off my chest, even if they're from the distant past. I find that expressing these views can be therapeutic.

During my early childhood, I had a bunch of cousins who teased me and my brother mercilessly because of some innocent friendships that I had with girls my age. They did it because they took pleasure in causing us pain and discomfort. This is unacceptable behavior, since it's wrong to deliberately hurt other people just for the fun of it.

So what did the adults (my parents, my uncles, my aunts) do to solve this problem? NOTHING! Or rather, essentially nothing. Oh, they might have conceivably told our cousins to stop now and then, but for the most part, they put the blame on us. They blamed us for getting upset. What's more, they themselves frequently joined in the teasing, knowing that it made us upset.

And that's just wrong. I'm decades older now, and I'm long past the stage where I can deal with the teasing. Their approach to the problem appalls me even to this day, though. It was just wrong.

Bummed

I am so bummed. Very disappointed.

She sure does talk a lot

My friend MK sure does like to talk... sometimes on and on. She's one of my favorite people, but she tends to ask a lot of questions that she already knows the answers to. She also hopes for yes/no answers to questions where the correct answer is obviously "It depends."

A new word: exiguous

Exiguous. It means "scanty; meager; small, slender."

The sun... incandescent gas?

So the sun... is it a mass of incandescent gas? Or is it a miasma of plasma?

Darn. Rats. Darn.

Darn. Frustrated again. Somehow, these things never seem to work out. It stinks to high heavens. So very unfortunate.

Doc Savage movie

Been watching the old Doc Savage movie from 1975. Now that was fun. Ron Ely had just the right look and bearing for the Man of Bronze, and the casting of his five aides -- the fabulous five -- was just right.

I like the way they bronzed up Ron Ely. In the short-lived Marvel Comics series, the coloration of Doc Savage's skin was positively garish. In this movie though, he looked bronze without looking grotesque.

Not enough time

There just isn't enough time in the day. Argh.

Dempster

Jennifer Dempster has got to be one of the most appealing television fitness celebrities of all time. She wasn't as hard core as Cory Everson or Kiana Tom, but she was likable and attractive, and her life was a fat loss success story.

I also like Sharon Mann. Now that gal knows how to make a workout enjoyable.

Tarantulas for novices

I have just discovered the Tarantula Pages website (), which offers some valuable information for aspiring tarantula keepers. Among other things, it provides an article on suitable tarantula species for beginners, as well as various caresheets. Definitely worth checking out.

Balboa

I am having a hard time learning balboa. For this reason, I am deeply indebted to the efforts of one F.A., who is incredibly sweet and more than considerate in her attempts to help me learn. I just wish that I could practice regularly and devote more time to this endeavor.

Bernard Haldane

I will never, ever forget the time when some agent from Bernard Haldane tried to get me to sign up for their job search services. That was pathetic. He was promising me the moon, even stating that he "guaranteed" I would find a job through them. When I asked if this meant I would get my money back if they didn't land me a job, he went strangely silent.

People like that are scum. They prey on the desperate, as well as on people who don't necessarily have a lot of cash to spare. They are completely despicable.