Aphrodite -- yeah

Saw author and crime reporter Aphrodite Jones on TV. I like her.

I hate snow

I hate snow. I really, really hate it.

As a child, I enjoyed playing in snow. Nowadays though, I hate it, since it means having to trudge through the white stuff, shovel my driveway, and generally drive under hazardous conditions. Yech.

Lucky gal

My friend Hope looks like a movie star. Now, I would not be interested in her, since I don't think we'd be compatible (and because she's married anyway), but I have to say that she's very lucky. Those kinds of good looks must surely open up a lot of doors for her.

Manuals. We need manuals.

I am astonished at the number of companies that don't seem to understand the need for accurate, comprehensive user manuals or other technical documentation. Absolutely mind-boggling.

These folks do get the concept, though. They do understand. Hallelujah!

Levi is scum

Levi Johnston is scum. Utter scum.

Facebook status updates

I've found that most of the people I know on Facebook tend to post unimaginative status updates. Some of them (this fella, Eddie, for example) are especially unimaginative.

I think this is akin to the manner in which most people create boring photos. They just smile at the camera in different ways and expect to create memories that way. Well, they may create a few memories, but not in the same way that a creative or well-composed photograph would.

Need a nap

Dang, I'm sleep.

danceronice

Stumbled across some postings by a lady named 'danceronice'. She seems kinda edgy. Volatile, as though you have to watch your words very carefully around her lest she blow up in your face. She strikes me as the sort that you have to be very careful about speaking to. The kind who'd probably be quick to respond more to her gut sense of what you're saying.

I could we wrong about this, so I want to emphasize that in my own mind.

She's kinda like this woman I know, FBR. FBR is much worse though, and has gotten into numerous fights over silly little things. One really needs to tread carefully around FBR, that's for sure.

Gummi Bears

Watching the Gummi Bears on DVD. What a great show.

Padme and open-mindedness

This gal that I knew from grad school, Padme, said that people should strive to be rich because it stinks to be poor. I pointed out that one doesn't have to be rich in order to escape poverty. That is, she was guilty of committing the fallacy of the excluded middle.

Her response, "You're just being close-minded."

What a strange duck. Apparently, being open-minded means that one should agree with her. By her response, she showed that she was incapable of discussing the issue in a principled manner.

Biotech

Biotechnology: It's the wave of the future. I think it behooves everyone to learn a bit more about anatomy and cell biology. I benefited greatly from some of the "Great Courses" DVD sets from the public library.

Gretch, what are you doing?

Gretchen, what in the world are you doing? Have you no discernment? Have you no common sense?

Gretchen keeps making terrible decisions and spouting incredible foolishness instead of wisdom.

Yay

Whoopee do.

H.N.Y.

Happy New Year, folks. I wish I had a better place to ring in the new year last night. Got together with some friends for some quality dancing, but we could have used more space and a few more partners. Also some better music, though the band wasn't bad at all.

It was certainly a huge improvement over last year's New Year's Eve party. The dancing at that place was TERRIBLE. Blech. Amazingly, the folks I was with said that they had such a good time. I can guarantee that the folks I would normally celebrate with would have said that it was boringly bad.

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.