I'm In Love With Someone That Doesn't Exist

So, after I found out I was obese, I started working out more. My biggest problem with working out has always been boredom. I can't just run for 30 minutes with nothing going on. Even music doesn't do it for me. So luckily I found some podcasts to help me out.

The best is 7 Corners Podcast. It's done by some local service employees (They work at Bullwinkle's and The Corner Bar, thus the 7 Corners name) and a stand-up comic, one of whom is a friend of a co-worker of mine. The premise is simple; 3 or 4 guys sit around drinking and talking about stuff. It's pretty damn funny. The most recent episode involved lying as a party game, Ron Jeremy and the names of strange sex positions (which was also the subject of this week's "How I Met Your Mother"). Their standard fallback is the **DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK!!!!** chocolate waffle. (I told you not to click it.) Anyway, it's a good time, and if the chocolate waffle didn't make you run screaming, I'd check out the show.

I've also been listening to the Savage Lovecast, and the local Atheist Talk radio show. The Lovecast is no "Loveline" in Adam Carolla's day, but it's better than Dr. Joy Browne. So far, the Atheist Talk has had good topics, but I can see it being hit-or-miss.

Anyway, I really just wanted to give Tommy's podcast a plug. And I did.

Back to The Pitt.

Your Hanging Corn Screamer leader.

Secret Destroyers Hold You Up To The Flames

I didn't fill out an NCAA basketball bracket. This is because I don't follow college basketball and end up picking the local teams or the funniest team names. My Final Four ends up being Minnesota, Ball State, Gonzaga, and Morehead State. The fact that Ball State isn't even in the tournament this year wouldn't play into my picks at all.

So I cheered for the Gophers, and now I'm back to playing a villain in Fallout 3. I totally blew up a nuclear bomb that happened to be the hub for a small city. Mua ha ha HA!

In space, no one can hear you scream, "Hey! You're putting that together wrong!"

On a more somber note, , 3 cops were killed in Oakland. Let's keep them in our thoughts today. Oh, and if you want to make a Sarah Jane Olson joke in regards to this; fuck you.

Seriously.

Your Please Donate leader.

My Time Is A Piece Of Wax

Go Gophers hockey team.

That is all.

I Don't Have Any Messages

This video is because the weather is great and I have a few days off.



On a side note, I have it on good authority that you should not let Jonathan Coulton take care of your cats.

Your Beautiful Day leader.

Ron Silver R.I.P. (1946-2009)

He died of cancer. I didn't know he had cancer.

Apparently he went from political Lefty to Centery. Which is interesting, because I best knew him as Bruno Gianelli on "The West Wing," where he went from supporting the liberal democrat in one election to supporting the liberal republican in the next.

I don't know a lot of his work, but I was a fan of his work on "Wing," and that means a lot in my book.

Here's a great quote from Bruno Gianelli (probably written by Aaron Sorkin):

... I'm tired of working for candidates who make me think that I should be embarrassed to believe what I believe, Sam! I'm tired of getting them elected! We all need some therapy, because somebody came along and said, "'Liberal' means soft on crime, soft on drugs, soft on Communism, soft on defense, and we're gonna tax you back to the Stone Age because people shouldn't have to go to work if they don't want to!" And instead of saying, "Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-education, anti-choice, pro-gun, Leave It To Beaver trip back to the Fifties...!", we cowered in the corner, and said, "Please. Don't. Hurt. Me." No more. I really don't care who's right, who's wrong. We're both right. We're both wrong. Let's have two parties, huh? What do you say?

Next To This Mole See The Gaping Hole

UPDATE: Gophers get 10 seed in the East. Way to go, Tubby!

Mischke's back!

Sure, it's a web-stream, but hopefully soon it'll be podcasted so I can download it and listen at work.

Between Dan Savage and now Mischke, City Pages is keeping life interesting. I can forgive losing Tom Tomorrow for now.

Today is just beautiful. I actually opened the windows because I was hot. Awesome.

Not so awesome. First off, if you're contractually obligated to pay a bonus, doesn't that make it just a salary? Secondly, are 400 people really going to jump ship in this economy because they didn't get a bonus? How do you find a new job? "Yes, I caused my last company to be bought out by the U.S. government, and then I left because they didn't reward me for destroying the company. I'm looking for $2.5 million a year and guaranteed bonuses." Finally, if these are the best out there, how does any business survive? Maybe AIG should look into people at businesses that didn't die to replace these folks.

I haven't decided how I feel about this group. I may have to pop in and see just how serious they are. A zombie apocalypse plan for the U of M is a good idea, but it had better be solid.

Go Gophers.

Your On The Bubble leader.

Don't Know What It's About, But It's Good To Go

So, first my X-Box died. Then my laptop went dark. Both of those situations have been resolved. But tonight, as I was stopped at a red light in my squad car, something else happened.

See, we have cameras in our cars. And there are microphones we wear so there's sound when we're outside of the car on a traffic stop. The mic looks like a large pager. It sits in a battery charger next to the passenger seat.

Well, as I was stopped at the light, I heard a loud pop, and the next thing I saw was something on fire in the passenger seat. The microphone had fucking exploded! Which isn't good. Luckily the burning battery was sitting on my clipboard, so I was able to get it outside of the car and stomp the fire out. Also, luckily, there was no one in the passenger seat.

My point here is that I think electronics are out to get me. Or maybe I'm developing the superpower ability to manipulate electricity, like Black Lightning or Kristen Bell, and I just need to learn to control it. You know, I used to call Chris Walsh "Caucasian Lightning," but I think I could take up that moniker. Or, if the burning battery gave me abilities, I could be Ni-Cad Man.

Actually, now that I think of it, sitting next to a burning battery probably was not the best thing for me. Unless it actually did give me powers.

Fingers crossed!

Your More Powerful Than Superman, Batman, Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk Put Together leader.

Under the Sea

Well, I'm back from my cruise. While the weather wasn't perfect, it was better than in Minnesota, so I can't complain.

The last night was the only one that wasn't cloudy, so here's a beautiful Caribbean sunset and two Minnesotans who hadn't seen the sun in 5 months. (Yes, I'm wearing a festive shirt. Deal with it.)

I got The Affiliate an underwater camera for X-mas. This is what it can do.


Which was really cool, because after a day snorkling like any old chump, we got to go scuba diving.
That's me breathing underwater! Like Aquaman, but less lame.

"I just saw a fish this big!"

This guy wasn't interested in a photo ...


but this couple posed quickly for me.


Seriously, with friends like these ...


yeah, I'm not going to finish that one. (Sure I am - Who needs anemones?)

The highlight of the dive (and possibly of the trip) was the swim-by of this turtle, whom I named Señor Tortuga.


He was simply defending his 'hood coral.



Seriously, we're breathing underwater! How fucking cool is that? Apparently in the U.S. you have to have "certification" and "training" to scuba dive. Not in St. Maarten/Martin. We came out OK, so it turned out to be a great day.

I'll have some more when I figure out which pics are from where.

Your Fun in the Sun leader.