Tag: Link

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Vital Statistics

I loaded all of my Beatles onto my iPod last week so I could refer directly to any song when I was reading about it in the McCartney book. Last night I was reading about “Penny Lane” and I whipped out the iPod because I couldn’t remember the first verse. How shocked I was to find that I don’t have “Penny Lane”! I ordered Magical Mystery Tour as soon as I got home. That’s a hole that has been in my CD collection much too long.

Bike odometer: 5851 miles
Current reading: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
McCartney Trivia: “Penny Lane” was written mostly by McCartney about the same time that John was writing “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Both are nostalgic reminiscences of their time together 10 years before in Liverpool. Penny Lane was the name of a bus stop where they would often wait. There was a bank and a barber shop close by. The barber shop had pictures of the different cuts they offered (not “of every head he’s had the pleasure to know”). The fire station is down the road from the Penny Lane Roundabout.
Recent listening: Revolver, Back Track, Rubber Soul
Recent viewing: CSI: Miami, Monk, Sportscenter, Brainiac
Recently Accomplished: work
Imperative To Do: Get motor mounts fixed on truck, buy lug nut wrench and jack for van, start taxes
Cool link: Apocalypse Pooh: Make sure you watch at least half of it before deciding it’s boring. It’s a little slow to start but is hilarious later. If you haven’t seen Apocalypse Now, don’t bother with this link until you have. Say by tomorrow.

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Woke up this morning to a flat tire on the van. Tina drove Thomas to school in the truck (otherwise known as “Old Shakey”) while I attempted to change the tire. After searching inside and outside the van for several minutes, I concluded that we had neither a jack nor a lug wrench. Evidently they had been burgled during one of the break-ins we’ve had. So when Tina got back with the truck, I used the jack and wrench from it. Unfortunately, the wrench was the wrong size and Tina had to call a neighbor to borrow one from them. Ten minutes later the spare is on and I’m waiting for everyone to open so I can get the tire fixed and buy a jack and lug nut wrench. While I’m at it, I suppose I’ll get an estimate on the motor mounts for the truck.
Update: Had to wait over an hour to get the tire fixed but they did it for free. No time for motor mounts or purchasing.

Bike odometer: 5818 miles
Current reading: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
Recent viewing: March Madness (all caught up)
Recent playing: Poker Room
Recently Accomplished: changed a flat
Imperative To Do: Get tire fixed on van, get motor mounts fixed on truck, buy lug nut wrench and jack for van
Cool link: Bizarre Optical Illusion

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Vital Statistics

As I mentioned earlier, I had some problems with some popcorn stuck in my gums. Despite (or because of) my poking and flossing, it became very sore. I was resolved to have my Kakar Dental Group dentist take care of it, but thought I should leave it alone for a few days. Tina suggested swishing it a couple of times a day with Listerine which I did for about three days. Lo and behold, all is well again!

I watched my beloved Hawkeyes fall to Northwestern State last night. I think they drew the highest seed I have ever seen them get and they lose in the first round on a last second three pointer. I feel like Charlie Brown after Lucy pulls the football away. And if it wasn’t bad enough watching them lose it once, it must have been the upset of the day because they showed it about 20 times during the ensuing NCAA coverage on CBS. My bracket is completely blown.

Current reading: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
McCartney Trivia: A friend of Paul’s was in the “College of ‘Pataphysics”, which was a sort of joke organization for intellectuals, mostly concerned about drinking. Paul is proud that his mention of ‘pataphysics in “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is the only one of it’s kind.
Recent listening: My I’m Large, Somebody’s Miracle, Da Vinci’s Notebook
Recent viewing: March Madness, Suns vs. Clippers, Heat vs. Celtics, Conviction, Medium
Recent playing: Poker Room
Recently Accomplished: Truck maintenance (motor mount may be broken), called Kent and my mom, paid bills
Imperative To Do: Start taxes, retrieve Ryno mail, get truck fixed
Cool link: Battlestar Galactica Blog




Rob’s CD Collection – I will never catch up.

I found the White Album and several others without much effort. See any you recognize? (Hint: Click for a larger version.)

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Vital Statistics

This article caught my eye on CNN the other day. The father and daughter in the article are “early risers”, which is now described as ASPS (Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome). I looked it up on Wikipedia and soon found myself checking out other sleep disorders. I have had problems with sleep all my life and suspect that I have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS). I also believe that my father had it and probably several of my siblings. DSPS sufferers are often called “night owls.” Sound familiar?

Before we had kids, I entertained the notion that it was Non-24 Hour Sleep Phase Syndrome and actually tried a sleep schedule that wasn’t based on a 24 hour clock. Unfortunately, that and my adverse job circumstances eventually led to clinical depression.

Bike odometer: 5818 miles
Current reading: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
McCartney Trivia: Paul wrote the melody for “Yesterday” after he awoke from a dream in which he heard it. The original lyrics were “Scrambled eggs, baby I really love your legs.”
Recent listening: De-Loused in the Comatorium, Coverville, Da Vinci’s Notebook
Recent viewing: Sportscenter, Suns vs. Clippers, The Late Show with David Letterman, Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Recent playing: Poker Room
Recently Accomplished: Cleaned and lubed my rusty bike chain while waiting for the Max
Imperative To Do: Start taxes, retrieve Ryno mail, truck maintenance
Cool link: Death By Caffeine: How much of your favorite caffeine drink does it take to kill you?

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Vital Statistics

  Remember me? Dynamite Magazine

Bike odometer: 5805 miles
Current reading: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
McCartney Trivia: Nearly all Lennon/McCartney compositions can be described as verse/chorus/verse/chorus/”middle eight”/verse/chorus. John and Paul could not read music so they called all middle passages the “middle eight” regardless of the number of measures. The last verse was frequently just the first verse repeated to really drive it home and make it memorable.
Recent listening: Extraordinary Machine, Rid of Me, Avalon, De-Loused in the Comatorium, Frances the Mute
Recent viewing: Medium, Crime Scene Investigation, Sportscenter
Recently Accomplished: Sent in rebates, paid bills, mowed lawn, purchased new Quicken
Imperative To Do: Start taxes, retrieve Ryno mail, truck maintenance, bike maintenance
Cool link: The Covers Project

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Vital Statistics

At the beginning of the week Tina made popcorn one night for the two of us which we enjoyed as we watched TV. She’s found a really good brand of microwave popcorn that make some really good kettle corn and caramel corn. I don’t remember which we had, but evidently a husk from one of the kernels embedded itself in the gum near the back of my mouth and it’s been there ever since. I didn’t really notice until the area had swollen quite a bit. I’ve flossed many times as well as poking at it with a periodontal probe. Nothing has helped thus far so I think I’ll have to visit my dentist next week to get the problem resolved. The whole area is very sore.

Current reading: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
Recent listening: Coverville, the rest of the Christmas CDs

Recent viewing: Big Ten Basketball Tournament, Brainiac, Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Sportscenter
Recent playing: Poker Room
Imperative To Do: Rebates, renew prescription, start taxes, retrieve Ryno mail
Cool link: PhoneSwarm: Coordinated “swarming” of a particular pay telephone somewhere in the U.S. The number is changed occasionally. You call at your leisure and then post a comment. Or just read the funny comments from others.

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It’s snowing outside right now – big, fat flakes, too. However, they are hitting the ground and melting.

I installed a new plugin for the blog which allows me to pre-approve comments for certain email addresses. It should make it easier for people to post comments here now.

Current reading: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
McCartney Trivia: Paul wrote “Got To Get You Into My Life” as an ode to marijuana.
Recent listening: Coverville, KBOO Bike Show, Blame The Vain, New Roman Times, Michael Martin Murphy
Recent viewing: Oscars, Sportscenter, Pardon The Interuption, Crime Scene Investigation, ER, Drawn Together
Imperative To Do: Rebates, renew prescription, start taxes
Cool link: Calling All Wingnuts: A grassroots effort to hold right-wing radio hosts accountable

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Pinewood Derby is tomorrow and once again we’re down to the wire in finishing the cars. This year I had three months to get the job done, but that still was not enough. I am a lifelong procrastinator. Fortunately, we have Tina to help us with the finish, so the cars look really cool again this year. We’ll have to see how we do tomorrow.

Current reading: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
Recent listening: De-Loused in the Comatorium, 12 Songs, Dark Side of the Moon, The Beatles
Recent viewing: Sportscenter, Attack of the Show, My Name Is Earl
Imperative To Do: Rebates
Cool link: State of Oregon Surplus

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As the week ends, I will note that I am done with the testing project that brought me to San Francisco last week and that I finally have my Tivo back after one of the hard drives crashed a couple of weeks ago. Not only does it have more space for saving shows, but a co-worker “hacked” it for me to enable network access, a web interface and the ability to pull content from it for burning to DVD.

Current reading: Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
Recent listening: KBOO Bike Show, 12 Songs/Neil Diamond, Somewhere Far Beyond/Blind Guardian, Rid of Me/PJ Harvey, DrugMusic
Recent viewing: Six Feet Under: Season Three, Olympics: women’s curling, men’s hockey
Imperative To Do: Pinewood Derby: Sand and repaint, rebates, expense report
Cool link: Top Ten Most Welcome Movie Deaths