piercingwit

Gaining Momentum

2011-10-13T17:25:00.000-05:00

Last night, I had dinner with friends. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but last night was different. Last night, we filmed our dinner.

I created a project called WhyBHM at the beginning of this year. WhyBHM is simple. I ask a local resident to sit down with me and answer two questions: why did they come to Birmingham in the first place and why have they stayed. It's been a fun project and I've met a ton of wonderful, passionate people through it. After recording and posting over a dozen stories to the site, I've gotten to the point where it's pretty easy for me to maintain the project. So what's next?

After I spoke at TEDxRedMountain in May, Mark Kelly approached me about his new venture, Weld. He'd seen the WhyBHM project and wanted to know if I'd consider contributing to Weld. I told him I'd consider it and get back to him. A few days later, Andrea Walker and I sat at Rogue Tavern and brainstormed the next evolution of WhyBHM. We called it Momentum. Mark, I suppose I still owe you an answer on the original question.

WhyBHM is a lovely little project. It has a very defined scope. It's self-contained. I like it and I don't want to change it. But I look around this city and, especially after the civic involvement we witnessed after the April storms, I see the opportunity for its citizens to be active participants. WhyBHM is not a project centered on activism, but on reflection. I wanted a different venue, and out of this desire was born Momentum.

Momentum is a riff on Jon Favreau's Dinner for Five concept. In this show, Favreau sits down to dinner with four friends from the entertainment field and tell war stories: what it was like to work on this film, how they landed that job, how they approach their work. It's one of those shows that makes me stop and watch every time I come across it when channel surfing. There's something about people joining together over food and telling stories that's absorbing. Andrea and I took Dinner for Five, added a big gob of community activism and a sprinkle of agile methodology and came up with Momentum.

I've spent the last month calling up friends, acquaintances, and strangers asking for cameras, lights, microphones, riggings, make-up, flowers, set design, great food, and most importantly, time. Incredibly, all of these things came together on the first try. We started late and ran long and there were technical hurdles to leap over (and partially stumble on) but in the end we succeeded in what was important: we started.

I owe huge debts to:Robby Melvin, Michael Marlow and the whole crew at Salt Fine Catering. Seriously, that was one of the top three dinners in my life.

Ned Boggan, Noah Williams, (Dan) Greenough, Kenn McCracken, and Chris Hilleke for manning and remanning cameras, figuring out how to light a tiny room, and being able to rig out three sound configurations until we got one that worked.

Chance Shirley, Wade Kwon, and all of the folks at Vazda Studios for trusting me with some *really* expensive equipment.Celine Russell and Erin Street for making us all look fantastic.

Jen West, Shaun Chavis, Jamie Sandford, and Christopher Davis for not grumbling about a late dinner. And for being lovely dinner companions.

And an pre-emptive thank you and "dude, we have a lot of work to do" to Joe Walker, editor extraordinaire. Joe, we have a lot of work to do.

Kili 7

2011-09-09T13:07:00.001-05:00

2 Sept

Jambo (Hello)

Started the morning nicely with eggs, sausage, beans, and toast. Slept well though I woke early. Sitting at the Outpost waiting for the guide to arrive. Still haven't met any of the other hikers. Overcast today but it feels like it will burn off soon. Great temperature at 18c. Found a wifi spot here in the lobby and was able to tweet and post on Facebook. Should probably take pictures but I'd rather just sit here and rest.

---

Guides showed up at 09:00 and we set off at 10:00 for Machame Gate. Still overcast and haven't gotten a clear view of the mountain. Met the other six hikers: Anis and Angie from Chicago, Tom and Bec from Adelaide, Australia, and Macca and Nikki, also from Adelaide. Seven of us, with 28 guides, cooks, and porters in support. What a crew! .

---

Make it to the gate at 12:15, where we unload and get registered. We'll check in each day at ranger huts in each campsite. We need to get moving. We have 18km to cover and it's already 13:00.

---

15:30 - 2244m

Stopped for lunch of bananas, cookies, fried bananas, and some kind of odd sandwich - peanut butter and carrot? Still cool but sunny now. Lush rainforest greenery, and yes, we spotted monkeys! I can go home now.

17:15 - 2695m

Break time. Calves barking and I'm already planning on what I can drop out of the day pack tomorrow. Everyone's slowing down - except the guides and porters. Feet are sore but ok.

21:00 - 2918m

Day one complete! We did around 18km today with ~1200m elevation gain. After dropping our packs off we hit the mess tent for hot drinks and popcorn, then dinner. Dinner was quite good: zucchini soup, potatoes, fish, and stewed veg. Tomorrow we go to Shira camp, about 5.3km away and 818m up. Shorter but steeper climb.

Just after my last entry (17:15), Macca spotted the peak for the first time through the trees. It was both inspiring and daunting. All the progress and pain today only accounts for 1/5 of the journey. But tomorrow will count for another fifth and so on. Every day.

A bit more on my fellow hikers. Anis and Angie are married and in their early thirties. He's a lawyer at Abbot Pharmaceuticals and is bold and driven. She's in IT at JP Morgan and gentle and caring (though turns out she has quite the independent spirit!). Tom and Bec are in their late twenties and have been dating for seven years. He's a web developer (yes, they're everywhere) for a shop there in Adelaide and is goal oriented. Very heads down and let's plow through this attitude. Bec is a mental health nurse in the Australian government health system. Sharp wit and no nonsense kind of gal. Macca (real name Anthony) and Nikki are a new couple. He's late 20s, she's 21. Macca plays drums but has an IT job to pay the rent as well as some great tats. He's quite aware of his surroundings and very open and friendly. Nikki is full of verve and joyous. Even when she's not feeling great, she can still laugh and crack jokes.

3 Sept

Voombe (Dusty)

Camp is awake and moving at 06:00. I wash up and pack before breakfast. Anis started having head and stomach troubles yesterday and they're continuing today. He's hanging tough though, and everyone else seems ok so far.

14:50 - 3839m (Shira Caves campsite)

Today was a short day - shortest day hike overall. It was fairly steep and we made heavy use of the trekking poles (thanks Jimmy!). There were even times when we had to forego the poles and use our hands to clamber up. So much for the "no real climbing" thing - sorry mom.

It was extremely dusty on the trail. I had some sneezing fits until I made use of my handkerchief. Got dirt everywhere and I assume it will stay that way through the rest of the hike. We can't really get clean out here, just a little less dirty.

Tom really struggled today with headaches. Peter (one of the guides) ended up carrying his pack after lunch. Macca had a bad nosebleed start in the afternoon and just couldn't get it to stop. I imagine it was a combination of altitude and dust. He finally just stuck a tampon up his snout and carried on. Australians are a resourceful bunch. Anis is still fighting altitude sickness; it doesn't seem to be getting any better. The ladies and I are fairing well so far!

Lunch was in a large rocky field with a nice view and a lot of birds. White throated ravens, to be precise. One of them took up residence on the rock just behind me and watched me, well, like a hawk waiting for me to drop something. A little disconcerting. And rude, really.

Just after lunch, we passed a porter on the trail suffering from altitude sickness. You could tell he was in excruciating pain, jaw and fists clenched, skin pale, eyes screwed shut. He was being tended to by a couple of guides. You wonder that if a porter can suffer like this at only 3300m, what's going to happen to us?

I really like our group. No uber-jocks or ultra competitive types. We're getting along well with good conversation, cracking jokes on each other, and an overall good mood. One of the effects of altitude sickness is irritability, so I hope we can keep this up.

I'm feeing good overall. I get a slight headache from time to time but nothing unbearable. My left hip tweaked a little this morning but it worked itself out by the end of the day. My left ankle is sore. I may need to pack the tape tomorrow.

4 Sept

Mawengu (Clouds)

07:00 - 3839m (Shira Caves campsite)

It's chilly but warming up as I wait for the sun to rise over Kibo. My fellow hikers are waking up slowly. I have my silks on today; it's the first time I've needed them.

I had a slight chest cough this morning so I'm going to go ahead and break out the Cipro. I can't afford a sinus or chest infection up here. I think it's probably my sinuses brought on by all the dust yesterday.

The first battery for the video camera is already dead. I'll have to be careful about using it the rest of the way. I have to make sure I have enough power for the summit.

I'm looking down at the clouds this morning.

10:00 - 3964m

Quick stop above the Shira plains for water and a snack. Everyone seems to be doing ok so far; no improvements but no worsening. The route's getting a little crowded. Still warm but clouds are rolling in.

13:30 - 4620m (Lava Tower)

Lunch at Lava Tower. 4620m is just over 15000 feet so this is my new high water mark. Hopefully I'll be breaking that mark later in the week. The group spread out today; Anis, Angie, and I in the lead pack, then Tom and Bec, and finally Macca and Nikki. I'm worried about Nikki. She was up all night with gastric distress and she's running on empty today. Hopefully she'll recover by the time we get back down to Barranco. Everyone's drained from the hike up here.

Today's hike has been the most physically challenging. Foot placement has been tricky at times with all of the rocks. Made heavy use of the poles for that. And of course, the altitude makes everything more difficult.

20:00 - 3986m (Barranco Huts campsite)

Made it to the campsite around 17:00 today after a very difficult descent from Lava Tower. Tom's still feeling poorly with headaches, but Macca's nose finally stopped bleeding. It only took two tampons.

Barranco camp is pretty. We're at the base of the big Kibo wall; I can see it from my tent door. It's cold and windier than I expected. We bedded down early and while my thermometer says it's 18c, it feels closer to 10.

I'm feeling good. The ankle's still a little tender but not swollen and my right shoulder is bruised from the backpack strap but my GI system and my head are fine so I'm in the positive column overall.

I had a nice hike with Anis and Angie today. I'm really enjoying their company - they're smart and interesting people. Anis and I got into a fun discussion about agile systems and teams and how they can be applied to any sized company. Yes, I talked about agile process while hiking Kilimanjaro.

Todays scenery was magnificent, the best of the trek so far. It's arid and chilly, with lots of low scrub and thousands of tiny yellow and white flowers. There were some great views of Kibo. We ended up walking through clouds at some points.

I'm exhausted after today, especially after the descent from Lava Tower. Going to try to read for a while but I know I'm just going to go straight to bed.

5 Sept

Rafiki (Friend)

Happy 40th to me!

Slept well last night and I'm feeling good this morning. It's a chilly 5c but it's warming up quickly as the sun rises. Today we go over the Barranco Wall, a nice 90 minute scramble. Today's total hike is around 6km so we should reach Karanga (the next campsite) by lunchtime. Anis took a bad turn last night and is really struggling. Tom and Nikki have bounced back and Macca's nose bleed started again necessitating the use of another tampon. I think he's keeping it in just for show now. We're on the trail at 08:45.

13:15 - 4034m (Karanga Valley campsite)

Fun hike today! Lots of technical challenges and LOTS of rock climbing. It was a short day, only about 5.5km in around 4 hours but the best hiking by far. Had lots of fun on the trail not only with the hiking but also with the others, including singing Eye of the Tiger. Yeah. Goofy.

Anis is *still* fighting bad headaches but everyone else seems well aside from minor headaches and gastro distress. Karanga is not a pretty campsite, dusty and bleak.

20:00

Just finished dinner and bedded down for the night. Tomorrow is a short hike, only 4km or so, but quite steep. We have lots of elevation gain to make Barafu camp, where we bed down briefly before the summit attempt the morning of the 7th.

Today has been spectacular. As I mentioned, it was the most fun hiking day of the trek along with incredible views of both Kibo and the surrounding landscape finished off by a gorgeous sunset just before dinner. On top of everything else, the guides and cooks came into the mess tent and sang to us. They started with the Kilimanjaro song, then the Jambo song. Next they all sang Happy Birthday to me. The rest of the hike group joined in. It was very touching and unforgettable.

The only down spot of the day was Anis. He's still battling altitude sickness and the diamox isn't working for him. I really hope he can overcome this thing tonight and be ready for tomorrow. He's so close and I'd hate to see him miss the summit.

Finally, just before bed, we left the mess tent to see Kibo in moonlit glory. After some wrestling with the tripod (which got broken in the flight over) and the exposure settings, I think I got a great shot. Still, there's no way to do it justice. Awe inspiring.

A good night after a good day.

6 Sept

Porteza (Loss)

10:15 - 4025m

Stopped for a maji (water) break on the trail. Anis was forced to descend this morning. He simply can't keep anything down. He came into the mess tent for breakfast and after a small bite of plain toast had to jump outside to chuck it all back up. Agger and two of the porters are escorting him.

We left camp around 08:30 this morning. Today's hike is cold, 7c or so.

11:30 - 4218m

We're closing in on Barafu, our base camp for the summit attempt. Stopped for a water break at a ridge covered in broken shale. There was an altar of sorts; a heap of shale with slabs leaned against it with other groups' names. I scrounged a nice sized stone and made a "Kili 7" slab for us. Everyone signed it, and Angie included Anis. Even though he had to descend he's still part of our group.

12:50 - 4662m

Arrived at Barafu Huts campsite. The whole place is surrounded by clouds and covered in dust. No plants up here except very short weeds and the only fauna is a small chipmunk looking rodent. We saw a young woman being helped back down the summit trail by her guide. She looked completely out of it; if the guide weren't holding her up, she'd have simply fallen over.

13:15

Our campsite overlooks a valley with other campsites. It's chilly - around 9c - and we're about to have lunch. Our site is sheltered on two sides by rock walls so hopefully it won't get ridiculously cold tonight. The whole camp consists of dust, dirt, and shale. Walking back from the ranger hut to our site, Angie said it "sounded like we're walking on xylophones."

Still feeling pretty good. I have a slight headache but I think it's mainly from hunger. Feet and legs are good and I'm breathing well. Fingers crossed.

15:30

I think I'm ready for the summit attempt. My head is a little achy, but otherwise I'm good. I have all my clothes and gear laid out, and I've even made a playlist to try to pump the group up at tea before we head out.

I'm not nervous, but I reread the description of the summit route in Steadman's guidebook. It's going to be difficult, harder than anything I've done before. I'm afraid we may have more drop out before this is done. I hope not.

I'm tired, but sleep's not coming. It's noisy here at the site but maybe it is nerves after all. Ravens keep quorking outside. That must be a good sign, right?

7 Sept

Uhuru (Freedom)

I wake up at 23:30 (on the 6th) for tea and a snack before setting off on the summit attempt. We line up, all wearing at least four layers of clothing as it's neg 5c. Everyone had their iPods in; we know there won't be the socializing during today's hike like there has been on previous days. This will be heads down.

Times and altitudes are all estimated from here out. My altimeter started freezing up and giving bad readings.

00:00 - 4662m - neg 5c

We start off well and on time for once. I start off with Fleet Foxes in my ears. I'm following Angie. I told Anis we'd see her up the mountain and I intend to do so.

00:30

We see our first "descender" - what I mentally term the hikers that can't summit and are forced to turn back. It was an older woman being assisted by a guide and they were coming down quick. Within the first 20 minutes, we've all shed a layer. Body temps are keeping us as warm as can be but temperature control is difficult. I don't want to start sweating and then get chilled.

There's nothing to see here and it's not a good idea to lift my eyes from the trail so I occupy my mind with details. For instance, my grips on the poles are different for each hand. My left hand grip is a standard fist clutch but my right is in a joystick grip with thumb on top. I experiment changing up but nothing else feels right so I leave it.

01:30 - 4750m

Our order keeps shifting but I stay behind Angie. I listened to Avett Brothers and now the Veils. Had another descender go by a few minutes ago, slipping and falling as he passed. Focusing on the ground in front of me: Angie's heels a step ahead, the points of my poles digging into the dust, the shadow of my ski pants backlit from the guide's head torch.

02:45 - 4900

Just passed Kosovo Camp. Stop for a rest and snack. Everyone's dragging but advancing. I feel much better after the snack. Have to keep pumping in calories. Orion is rising over Mt. Mawenzi to the East.

03:30 - 4950m

Bec can't catch her breath and has to stop for a rest on the side on the trail. She's back up and moving after a few minutes though. Angie's stomach is really bothering her and her inability to keep anything down over the last day is starting to show in her energy level. The two of us are starting to fall behind the rest of the group.

Broken Bells' The Mall and Misery comes on the iPod. I choke up a little from the beauty of the stars.

04:00 - 5100m

Another stop for a snack. Bec had to stop again about 100m back. I was last in line at the time. When Tom came back to check on her she just said, "Go on, Tom." She sounded defeated. Daniel spoke to Tom briefly, quietly, then Tom turned around and got in line behind me and continued up the trail. This time the tears did come. They froze on my cheeks.

05:00 - 5300m

Been going up switchbacks for what seems like forever. Bec managed to catch back up to us at our last rest break but fell behind immediately. Temps remain between neg 5-7c but there's not much wind so it's bearable.

Been focusing on walking. Focus on every step. Make each one deliberately. A misstep means wasted energy and oxygen at best. An injury and becoming a descender at worst. No stupid moves. Always take the easy step. Use both poles on the ups. Don't worry about speed, the mountain's not going anywhere.

I haven't been using my head torch. It washes out the landscape in front of me and I lose dimensional perspective. I rely on the moonlight and the other's lights.

05:30 - 5500m

The sun's beginning to rise over Mt. Mawenzi and I'm looking forward to its warmth again. The familiar weight of my day pack keeps me pressed forward, pushing me up the slope.

It's still neg 5c. I'm wearing my camelbak under my parka so the reservoir hasn't frozen but though I blowback after drinking, I have to chew the mouthpiece to free it from ice with every sip.

I've been checking for Bec on every switchback. Each time, her head torch fades a little further and further back. Daniel and Raphael are with her, supporting her in the climb. I hope they can get her to the top and not have to turn around.

Macca is feeling drunk, stumbling around. Angie is beyond exhausted. I give her some of my glucose spiked water which seems to help. Tom is completely heads down. Nikki is tired but seems ok otherwise. She reacts quickly enough during a rest stop when I accidentally spotlight her with my head torch as she's, ah, taking care of business.

06:15 - 5600m

The sun has risen now. Angie is really struggling to find any reserves. She's moving on sheer willpower now. Tom is lagging now too. For a while, maybe 30 minutes, it's been Macca, Nikki, and me with Peter guiding us up the trail. The landscape is gravel and scree, hard going and treacherous footing, we're digging in with the poles. I have to remind myself to walk with the poles and not simply drag myself up the hill with them.

07:00 - 5745m (Stella Point)

We make Stella Point. The peak is another hour away. Tired, very tired, but finally warm again. I strip off another layer of clothes, now down to silks, long sleeve shirt and trekking pants and the parka. Gloves are off, literally and figuratively.

We rest here for a bit before making the final push to Uhuru. Angie made it just ahead of me; I'm not sure when she passed me. Nikki and Macca just after us. Thrilled to see Tom and Bec make it up around 07:30.

I strap the day pack back on and plug in the earphones. Music for the final push? What else: Muse, Resistance.

08:30 - 5895m (Uhuru Peak)

I made it.

I'm here at the top of Africa. I'll admit it, I shed numerous tears on the final walk and summit. It hit Macca pretty hard too. As we hugged he said, "I didn't think it would be like this." All six of us made it all the way up within minutes of each other, Bec last with Raphael holding her up the same way we saw the woman yesterday. I wander around stunned for a bit, taking pictures and video then it's time for the group picture in front of the famous sign.

We're not supposed to stay long but it's hard for me to leave. Angie, Tom, and Bec are already headed back when Macca grabs my arm and points back at the sign. When we first got to the peak, there were two dozen people milling around it waiting for their picture. Now there's no one! He thrusts his camera at me and says, "Last one for luck?" I snap photo of he and Nikki and then he returns the favor. I have a picture of just me, the sign, and the mountaintop.

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The final hike up took just over eight hours to cover 4.86km and 1233m of altitude. The average temp going up was around neg 4c.

After summiting we now have to get back down. There's a separate path for part of the descent that I call the "scree slope." It's a 30-40 foot wide swath of loose scree, gravel, and dust with occasional stones poking up out of the morass. It all slides under your feet so a single stride turns into 6 feet of movement. Peter guides Angie and I down the slope and we cover nearly half the descent in about an hour. It's really quite fun though absolute destruction on the knees.

Angie and I make it back to Barafu around 11:00 and I immediately collapse in my bag and fall asleep. I nap until around 13:30 then awake for a late lunch with everyone before we continue down to Mweme Camp, another 6.5km down, where I collapse a second time for the night. Total distance traveled today: 16.5km with a total of 4022m in altitude change.

8 Sept

Museke (Music)

We got up at 05:30 to make our last descent and exit Kilimanjaro National Park. Everyone is tired and sore but giddy happy. It turns out Bec was hallucinating during the entire trek up and Tom and Angie have spotty memories of the ascent. We swap stories over breakfast including was has now become the inevitable discussion of our bathroom habits. Or as we call them, poo stories. Aussies are a strange folk.

Around the third day I started bringing my iPad or iPhone to the mess hall for meals so we could have background music. I mentioned I made a playlist for the night before the descent. Now I made another for this, our last breakfast on the trail. I'll spotify both when I get back to the states. And no, neither one had Toto's Africa. Shut up.

The hike down from Mweka was hard but pretty. Muddy and slippery, we moved through the cloud forest and into the rain forest. The trees and other flora got bigger the lower we got until we saw some absolutely massive boles. Birdsong was everywhere as well as an occasional hoot of what I suspect were monkeys. It's always monkeys in my book.

We made it to Mweka Gate at 09:30 and made our final check in with the ranger hut. The hawkers swarm us and we all bought a few trinkets. I had an orange Fanta and it was the best thing I've ever drunk. About half and hour after our arrival, Agger shows up with Anis in tow. They both look so CLEAN.

We all loaded up on the bus and drive back to Arusha. It was a long trip but I sat next to Macca and we got to talk about things other than the condition of our bowels.

Back at Outpost, we all retired to shower after saying farewell to Daniel, Agger, Peter, Raphael, Saimon, and all the rest. Fresher and at least somewhat cleaner, we met in the cafe for drinks, snacks, and just chilling time. Macca and Nikki were flying out to Nairobi to start their safari in the evening so after a final group shot by the pool we say goodbye and they're off.

Anis had spent the time waiting for us to come back down scouting Arusha and suggested Mt. Maru for dinner. It's a new, posh hotel with a very nice buffet. After celebratory champagne poolside, we hit the food, the first meal we'd had in a week that wasn't cooked over a tiny propane burner. As we finish up dinner with pudding and creme caramel, the power flickers off and on as it had been doing throughout the meal. When it comes back up, you know what's playing on the overhead speakers?

TOTO. AFRICA.

I SHIT YOU NOT.

Cough syrup fever dreams

2009-10-23T05:00:00.003-05:00

Dreams are strong mojo. Add in exotic ingredients like tequila, love, or cough syrup, and you can get some really strange results. Hell, mine are pretty odd to begin with.

I've had the good old SWINE FLU this week. Came down with it last weekend and I've been nested on the couch with Tamiflu, juices of all types, and waaaay too many hours of SportsCenter. Normally, I get sinus infections which means a lot of crappy sleep and antibiotics. The flu is different. Aside from Tuesday being a complete blur, the flu has been weird periods of sleep, semi-sleep, and being not-quite-awake-enough-to-read (thus the overload of SportsCenter). I got through the worst of it by Wednesday but I'm still feeling crappy tonight. The cough picked back up a little today, probably because I got tired of taking the Hydromet. Smart move, Chester.

So I just had this strange dream that started with me at work about to head to lunch with friends and ended with me jogging down the street into the night in too-big dress pants held up by twine suspenders. It was one of those that was so truly surreal that when I woke up it not only took me a minute to realize I had dreamt the entire thing but that I was currently on the couch at home and not in a hotel somewhere. It's already starting to fade a bit but one of the things I remember is that when I gave someone my twitter account, they recognized this blog. When I woke up (and after I realized I wasn't staying at a Holiday Inn Express), I started remembering how fun it was to write this damned thing. I guess I've been missing it a little. Don't expect me to write as much as I used to...

So to the girls of my dream - Obby the WoW chick with the absent son and Tracy with the four dogs in Tupperware - if you're reading this, I think I may be back.

Death and Rebirth

2006-10-09T22:09:00.000-05:00

I've had a number of dogs as companions in my life, and the one I'm closest to is still with me, fortunately. But as Clooney is a man's man and an actor's actor, Casey was a dog's dog. Last year on October 6th, I came home from game night and took her and Hannah out to do their business. Mrs. P woke up when I got in (at midnight) and came outside with us. Casey was obviously not well. She seemed very tired and not her normal happy self. We checked her out; her normally pink nose was very pale and her mouth was dry. We knew something wasn't right and so loaded her up in the car and took her to the emergency vet. After checking in and telling the on-duty vet what was going on, they took her back for some testing. After a half hour or so, the vet came back out with a syringe full of blood. She had extracted it from Casey's abdomen and told us that they needed to go in. We went back into the prep room and held her while they sedated her. She was in good spirits (as always) and simply fell asleep. The last time I saw her was when the vet carried her out of prep and into the OR. She died a few hours later.

The diagnosis was splenetic tumors that ruptured. She had had a small tumor on her leg a year or so before, but regular check-ups hadn't picked up anything else. We went home around 6AM to a very empty house. The wife took a Xanax; I abstained in case anything else needed to be done. We laid down to try to get some sleep. I think I slept a couple of hours, but I kept waking up. Casey always laid in between us at night when we slept and I couldn't get used to it. For some reason, Muse's "Sing for Absolution" kept rolling through my internal radio.

The next few weeks were really hard, both for us and for Hannah. Hannah is quite a smart dog, maybe the smartest I've known. But she couldn't understand why Casey wasn't around. Of course, neither could we.

Halloween and Thanksgiving rolled by; we had our Christmas cards made. Each year, we have our picture taken with our dogs. Last year it was just the two of us with Hannah. Sending them out was tough, especially knowing that some of the folks we sent them to wouldn't know about Casey until they got the card.

We kept having to tell the story of what happened.

Mrs. P made me promise to post about Casey. I had already decided that I wouldn't post again until I could. Even now it's difficult to do, but it's time.

After a few weeks, I had started thinking about finding another dog. Obviously not a replacement, but a new companion. Someone that needed a home; we certainly needed a new pack member. Hannah had problems adjusting to being an only dog. We had problems adjusting to being a pack of three. But I didn't want to rush things and I didn't want to do anything without the wife's OK.

A few weeks before Christmas, we were out having dinner when she said she had been thinking about maybe getting another dog. I knew then that it was time.

One of Mrs. P's old friends has started a dog rescue non-profit called Two by Two Rescue. I emailed her and told her I was looking for a new dog. I went out a couple of times and looked at the pups needing homes and finally made a choice: Wilber. He was a big sloppy puppy - half St. Bernard, half Labrador. At nine weeks he was nearly 20 pounds. Because of our holiday schedule, we were going to be out of town on Christmas day, so I convinced a couple of our friends to hold him until we got back the day after.

I went on the 23rd to pick up Wilber. It didn't go quite as planned. First, I was running a bit late. Second, the couple was also going to keep Hannah while we were gone and I ended up forgetting to bring two crates - one for Hannah and one for the new pup. Next, I forgot to bring the collar and tag I had gone and had made for Wilber; Two by Two's policy is that you bring an ID tag when you come to pick up your adoptee. So after I dropped off Hannah, I drove back to the pet store and had another tag made. Except I misspelled my own damn name on this one. Since I didn't know if we were going to change Wilber's name, I decided to just put "Pierce" on the tag with out cell numbers. Unfortunately, I left off the "C" a it simply read "Piere." Yeah, that's a running joke now. Finally, I was all ready and made it to the kennels. However, the lady with the rescue operations was running late and I ended up standing around for nearly an hour until she showed up. Which really worked out for the best; I picked a different dog and our life hasn't been the same since. We ended up with Zoey.

Sometimes I feel like I'm projecting. Zoey has so many of Casey's traits it's stunning. She's playful. She gets the worried "Casey-face." She loves everyone she meets. She's the same build and color (that really wasn't planned!). She loves the cats. She sleeps between us at night.

There are differences. Zoey chases her tail; Casey never did. Casey always tore straight into her dinner; Zoey gets distracted too easily and will leave half her bowl at times.

I know that Zoey isn't a replacement. She's even better. She's what Casey would have wanted us to have.

POSTSCRIPT:

At the beginning of August, the Wife was driving around running errands and came across a stray barely hanging on to life. After a number of vet trips and nursing, we now have another member of the pack: Lulu.

Happy Anniversary, Shakes

2005-10-05T17:02:00.000-05:00

Shakespeare Sister turns 1 today. Here's Morrissey singing the Ruby O'Friday's "Happy Anniversary Song."

NBC13's online Poll has Baxley ahead

2005-10-04T14:16:00.000-05:00

Birmingham's NBC affiliate has an online gubenatorial poll today. With ~1400 votes in the survey, the results are:

Baxley-D - 29%
Riley-R (I) - 28%
Siegleman-D - 19% (ex-governor)
Moore-Crazy - 19%
Nall-I - 5% (US Marijuana party!)

My post on earlier polls can be found here.

It's on!

2005-10-03T23:39:00.000-05:00

al.com: NewsFlash - Ousted Ala. justice to run for governor: Roy Moore, who became a hero to the religious right after being ousted as Alabama's chief justice for refusing to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the courthouse, announced Monday that he is running for governor in 2006."

No surprise at all. I just want to re-emphasize this blog's subtitle:

Whenever 'A' attempts by law to impose his moral standards upon 'B', 'A' is most likely a scoundrel.

14

2005-09-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, two nights in a row of great sports stuff. I'm not a huuuuuuge sports fan, but I love baseball and college football. Last night's Tennessee come from behind win coupled with tonight's division clinch makes for a happy, happy Pierce.

That's not me in the photo, by the way. I wish it were.

23:5

2005-09-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

Meme from Rook's Rant:

I think that's gonna clash with your shoes, your Honor

I just know it's going to get pushed all the way through the court system wasting resources just like Reverend Judge Moore's plaque and monument cases were.

The good news: McKathan's robes haven't wasted taxpayer resources going through the courts.

The bad news: It looks like nothing's been done about it. I can't find any news on this at all.

Meme instructions:

1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.

From the "I shit you not" files...

2005-09-27T08:12:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Brown serving as consultant to FEMA - Sep 27, 2005.

Brown told congressional investigators Monday that he is being paid as a consultant to help FEMA assess what went wrong in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, according to a senior official familiar with the meeting.

So they're keeping him around to tell them in great detail just how badly he screwed up.

30-27

2005-09-26T23:00:00.000-05:00

Incredible.

Rhetoric 101: Welcome to Lake George

2005-09-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

A timeline.

Man, them evacuees have it good

2005-09-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

Barbara Bush: Things Working Out 'Very Well' for Poor Evacuees from New Orleans: "'And so many of the people in the arena here, you
know, were underprivileged anyway, so this--this (she
chuckles slightly) is working very well for them.' "

Geez.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2005-09-05T20:06:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Mrs. P for my cool cool present!

President Nero!

2005-09-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

Come get your commemorative t-shirt! I've set up a CafePress storefront to help raise money for Katrina relief. Come on by and pick up a shirt!

Recurring Behavior

2005-09-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

SEPTEMBER 14, 2001

Over now familiar refrains of "that's unreal," and "I can't believe it," and pregnant moans of "wow," a spectacle of a different kind captured unblinking New Yorkers yesterday afternoon. Out of Manhattan's Union Square came a welcome and commanding sight: former President Bill Clinton, surrounded by a growing mass of people.

Shortly after 4 p.m. Clinton walked south on University Place, starting at 14th Street. He immediately drew a crowd, most of whom just happened to be walking by. Others emerged from stores and apartments. Many snapped pictures or waved flags in a spontaneous moment of patriotism and giddiness over a celebrity. For his part, Clinton restrained himself from returning smiles, greeting people instead with earnest expressions of concern.

...

Many said Clinton's short appearance both magnified and made up for what they called President George W. Bush's shortcomings during this crisis. The White House announced that the president would visit New York, for the first time, today.

"So far he has not been a comforting presence," said Emily Vacchiano, 26, who lives in SoHo. "He has not conveyed compassion or strength. Just the sight of him [Clinton] cheered everyone up today."

Michael Siller, 38, also of Manhattan said, "I didn't vote for Clinton but at least I always felt he was in charge. That feeling has been missing here."

DECEMBER 29, 2004

President Bush said Wednesday that he has formed an international coalition to respond to the massive tsunami disaster along coastlines of the Indian Ocean.

The president interrupted his vacation at his Texas ranch to speak with reporters for the first time since Sunday's earthquake-triggered waves killed tens of thousands of people.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2005

This time, Bush has been just as flatfooted. He couldn't seem to break off his schedule in San Diego, where he was commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Japan, while New Orleans filled like a bathtub. His remarks to the country from the Rose Garden yesterday about the Katrina disaster seemed oddly terse; his litany of aid meaningless without context. Sending five million military MRE meals sounded impressive until you realized there may be a million American refugees at this point. Does that mean we're only handing out five meals per person? And his interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News seemed weirdly out of touch. His smirk came back; he stumbled into jargon like SPRo, the nickname for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and said things that seemed patently out of touch, including the now-infamous remark that no one could have foreseen the levee breaking. His inability to see any moral distinction between those who steal water and those who loot TV sets seemed odd—and at odds with local politicians like New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu. Then where was the call for sacrifice? While southern governors like Georgia Republican Sonny Perdue worried publicly about gas shortfalls as soon as this weekend and begged for conservation, Bush seemed to do so only as an afterthought.

Bush's behavior shouldn't surprise anyone anymore. It's only stunning that he keeps getting away with it.

...meanwhile

2005-09-01T13:22:00.000-05:00

Condi's showing her true side as well

I'm spittin' mad

2005-09-01T13:02:00.000-05:00

No explanation necessary:

President Bush plays a guitar presented to him by Country Singer Mark Wills, right, backstage following his visit to Naval Base Coronado, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Bush visited the base to deliver remarks on V-J Commemoration Day.

via BoingBoing

Surreal

2005-08-28T17:51:00.000-05:00

I have a feeling that one day in the future I'll be able to tell my unborn children that I watched the destruction of New Orleans on TV. From NOAA's site:

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED.

This is going to be bad.

FSM News

2005-08-26T10:18:00.000-05:00

New button linking to the FSM home page in the left side. Lots of other FSM in the news, including a guest spot in the Family Circus. Plus, don't forget about that holiest of holy days, September 19: Talk Like a Pirate Day.

ZING!

2005-08-24T10:05:00.000-05:00

While Bush is whining that war protesters are weakening the US, this gentleman has the right idea.

Go make your own

I didn't want this either.

2005-08-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

Ted Rall is sometimes hilarious, sometimes maddening. But he hits more often than he misses, and this time he's hit it out of the park (excuse my baseballisms, we're in the home stretch of the season).

Northwestern University professor Charles Moskos says: "The political leaders are afraid to ask the public for any real sacrifice, which doesn't speak too highly of the citizenry."

To which I say: Screw that. It's not my duty to suffer for this pointless war. I've been against it all along, and you can stick your victory garden where the desert sun can't penetrate.

Go read it all.

Thanks to Spontaneous Arising for the link.

Birmingham lands on most liberal cities list

2005-08-22T17:20:00.000-05:00

Even Roger Waters is confused at this one.

Click-y read-y.

the The? Sweet!

2005-08-15T15:48:00.000-05:00

I was just listening to Armageddon Days (Are Here Again) by the The and realized the opening was a riff on the old Sweet song Ballroom Blitz (featured in Wayne's World). Here's the comparison:

Armageddon Days:

Are you ready, Jesus? Uh huh.
Buddha? Yeah!
Muhammed? OK.
Well alright, fellas, let's go!

Ballroom Blitz:

Are you ready, Steve? Aha.
Andy? Yeah!
Mick? OK.
Alright, fellas, let's go!

The drum lick is pretty damn close, too. I've seen on most of the lyrics sites that I found had the first line of Armaggedon Days as "Are you ready for Jesus?" but I don't hear it. Anyway, I like the idea that the narrator is asking the three big guys if they're ready to go rather than asking some other unnamed person if they're ready for Jesus/Muhammed/Buddha.

Happy Birthday, Mrs P!

2005-08-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

Today's the wife's birthday. Happy Birthday, baby!

Smoltz vs. Mulder

2005-08-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Preview - Braves at Cardinals. Big game tonight. Debatably a preview of the NLCS.

Bush: Intelligent Design Should Be Taught

2005-08-02T14:12:00.000-05:00

Bush: Intelligent Design Should Be Taught. Whee!! At least this opens the door for the Flying Spaghetti Monster!

In the same article it notes that he told interviewers that "he did not ask Supreme Court nominee John Roberts about his views on Roe v. Wade." Because, you know, that would be dangerously close to learnin'.

Doofus.

EDIT: Whoops. Hot-linking to the FSM site is appararently a blasphemous act.

Bad blogger!

2005-07-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the dearth of posting lately. Work's starting to pick back up again (remember March and April?), the Braves are winning and I'm trying to get ready to DM our next campaign (including building out the dungeon using Hirst Arts molds). Actually, Sean wants me to blog about the dungeon building. Maybe I should post about that.

I have continued my reading (finished The Traveler and A Spectacle of Corruption and mostly through the new Harry Potter) and will post about that soon.

I've been thinking lately about my lack of posting. I think it's based in my tendency to be a listener rather than a speaker. I know most people have heard the old axiom: "Better to keep silent and have others think one a fool than speak and prove them right." Or, "God gave you two ears and one mouth, you do the math." I've always tended to listen to other more than speak unless drunk - then I get all talky. Translated into the web world, I tend to read a lot of other people's work rather than write my own. This habit has nothing to do with my perceived value of my work and writing versus others, simply that I'd rather read others thoughts than write out my own. I will say this, though: I rarely read someone's blog more than once if I don't see value in their writing. And just because I don't post or comment on another's blog doesn't mean I don't agree or feel they have something of worth to say. I suppose what I'm trying to say is: Shakes, 1031, Pam, John and all the rest, I enjoy reading your thoughts each day. Even if I don't always explicitly say so or respond. So keep up the good work, all.

First

2005-07-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

That's right. Back in our accustomed spot.

Time to re-evaluate

2005-07-22T09:47:00.000-05:00

The Irish Examiner reports that a new treaty between Ireland and the US will allow the US to practice its illegal investigatory habits in that country. The treaty allows the US to ask Irish authorities to

To track down people in Ireland.

Transfer prisoners in Irish custody to the US.

Carry out searches and seize evidence on behalf of the US Government.

It also allows US authorities access to an Irish suspect's confidential bank information. The Irish authorities must keep all these activities secret if asked to do so by the US.

Ireland was one of the countries I had picked out to emigrate to if it all goes bad here, dangit. Now I'll have to pick a new homeland.

McSweeney's Bush Jokes

2005-07-21T09:49:00.000-05:00

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Although I Like a Good George W. Bush Joke as Much as the Next Guy, Some of Them Seem Gratuitous and Mean-Spirited.

Q: What do you get when you cross an elephant and a rhino?

A: I'm not sure, but if the answer is "A cure for Parkinson's disease," then Bush will try to stop scientists from breeding them. Because he likes it when people get Parkinson's.

RIP, Miracle Worker

2005-07-20T13:23:00.000-05:00

James "Scotty" Doohan died today. Aside from being the world's most famous engineer, he was also a war hero:

At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. "The sea was rough," he recalled. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans."

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease.

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

2005-07-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites. Sweet coolness. Happy Moon Day!

Today's Quote

2005-07-18T15:26:00.000-05:00

From A Word A Day's 7/8 email:

The most tyrannical of governments are those which make crimes of opinions, for everyone has an inalienable right to his thoughts. -Baruch Spinoza, philosopher (1632-1677)

New Music Alert

2005-07-16T15:31:00.000-05:00

The Pixies are recording another album! The first since Trompe Le Monde in '91. Woo hoo! The wife and I saw them last fall when they came through - great show.

My Left Wing

2005-07-15T16:42:00.000-05:00

My Left Wing :: A Liberal Translation. A new community blog - liberally minded, but not Democratic Party-affiliated. Interesting. I'll be reading it and you should too. Read the manifesto to see what it's all about.

Fainting Goats

2005-07-13T00:15:00.000-05:00

It's not dead! Really! This is what happens when Myotonic Goats get scared.
This is for real. Here's a video.

via Fazed.

What If

2005-07-12T17:20:00.000-05:00

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Campaign-Trail Quotes From George W. Bush, If He Were Running for President in 1848.

"Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of a white man and white woman as husband and wife."

Just Because

2005-07-12T15:25:00.000-05:00

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: From the Prog Rock Ice Cream Shoppe: Flavors Inspired by a Certain Canadian Power Trio.

Long Distance Dedication

2005-07-11T20:13:00.000-05:00

We signed up to XM Radio a couple of months ago and have been tickled pink with it. It's like discovering music all over again. Plus, they broadcast every stage of Live 8, no MTV-like interruptions. I've been meaning to write about how cool it is, but tonight forced my hand. One of the stations is called "Fred" and plays Deep Alternative: imagine the coolest college rock station (WRVU for those who didn't have local college rock) from 1986 and triple its coolness factor. That's Fred. Anyway, I'm listening to it, getting ready to work on some hobby crap when a Smiths song comes on: Shakespeare's Sister. So I had to post and tell the story. If you like music, you'll love XM.

Rollins Reacts

2005-07-11T17:32:00.000-05:00

...BUSH IS A COWARD AND A LIAR AND THOSE WHO VOTED FOR HIM ARE PART OF A VERY BAD PROBLEM. THAT THE FOX NEWS CHANNEL IS A BUNCH OF SISSIES WHO CAN'T TAKE A PUNCH...

via Pam

Maintenance: Local Links

2005-07-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

Removed The World Around You as they've become defunct, though they're still a good source of links. Changed Liberty Flash to Alabamians for Caring Use since they've redirected and focused their efforts on legalizing medical marijuana use. Added The Locust Fork and Red State Diaries (Red State's had me linked for a while - sorry it took so long for a reciprocal). Visit and enjoy!

London

2005-07-08T09:28:00.000-05:00

I feel like I need to say something about what happened yesterday in London, but I don't know what. It was a terrible thing to happen and unfortunately inevitable. The West is trying to win the "War on Terror" using conventional means - boots on the ground, airstrikes, etc. That's not how the game is played anymore. Over at Defense and the National interest, they talk about 4th Generation warfare - insurgency warfare. While we're trying to control territory (Iraq, Afganistan) - they're trying to control minds, both of the Muslim world and of US and UK (and other Western) citizens. Guess who's winning so far?

ZOMBIES!

2005-07-06T16:18:00.000-05:00

Ho. Lee. Crap. This is frickin' funny. Don't miss the entire set.

Sean suggests we start a viral (hehe) campaign where we track down various SCA groups, dress up as different D&D mooks and attack. Wandering monsters, indeed.

Via BoingBoing, where else?

Liberals: Endangered Species?

2005-07-05T16:29:00.000-05:00

Not yet, at least. But Orcinus has a compelling argument that they (we) may be soon enough.

Books: Royal Flash

2005-07-01T23:58:00.000-05:00

Finished Royal Flash, the second in the Flashman series of books. Shakespeare's Sister recommended this series to me, and I'm glad she did. As I've said before, this is not a series for the easily offended. This book covers Flashy's adventures in 1844 and 1848 and revolves around (among others) Otto Bismark. For those of you who slept through World History, 1848 was the Year of Revolution in Europe and Flashman is square in the middle of the shitstorm. Revolutions and revolts broke out throughout the continent. After finishing this book, I'm tempted to read The Age of Revolution by Eric Hobsbawm. I picked this one up back during college but never got around to reading it. Maybe now I shall, but not next. I've read the first few pages of Spectacle of Corruption; good, but a little too similar to what I've been gorging on lately. A friend loaned me the first Drizzt Do'Urden trilogy. It promises to be a light bite, but again I don't think I'm quite in the mood. A co-worker loaned The Immense Journey, of which I've read the first couple of chapters. I'm not sure what I think of it so far, but it's interesting enough to keep going. However, I just went to the bookstore tonight (recipe for disaster!) and picked up another four: The Historian [Elizabeth Kostova], The Traveler [John Twelve Hawks], Night Watch [Terry Prachett] and Baudolino [Umberto Eco]. I've heard good things about The Traveler (including from you, 1031), so I think I'll start there.

Fast Times at Hero High

2005-06-30T18:35:00.000-05:00

This is actually pretty cute.

Hey KF Monkey, I found one!

2005-06-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

Last December, John Rogers wrote a piece over at his blog about how he misses Republicans. Well, apparently so do actual, real-life Republicans! It's an excellent guest editorial which points out just how far the GOP has moved from what has been their core constituency.

I've stated numerous times on this blog that I'm neither Dem nor Repub. I believe neither party has a monopoly on the Truth or on the Right Answers. I think both major parties along with the numerous (very) minority parties have plenty to add to our ongoing national debate over the various issues we face. I hope most Americans believe the same. Reading commentary like this reinforces that hope.

Found via Shakes.

Just Desserts

2005-06-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

Freestar Media, LLC has requested the Towne of Weare, NH to rezone Supreme Court Justice David Souter's private home to build a hotel.

Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.

The proposed development, called "The Lost Liberty Hotel" will feature the "Just Desserts Café" and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon's Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged."

Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans.

Scrushy Not Guilty

2005-06-28T13:07:00.000-05:00

Reuters reports. Incredible. The prosecutor had five ex-HealthSouth CFOs testify that Scrushy knew about the fraudulent reporting and they still couldn't get a conviction. Wow. War Liberal's been blogging this since the beginning - go read his stuff for good coverage.

My new desktop image

2005-06-24T23:17:00.000-05:00

Birmingham Zoo 112
Originally uploaded by piercingwit.

Mrs P had the day off today, so I took off as well and we hit the zoo. Neither of us had been in years and we had a blast. If we didn't already have plans tomorrow, we might very well be going back. The Birmingham Zoo is a smaller zoo and is in the process of renovating and updating its facilities, and it's a hell of a lot better than I remember it from last time. Some of the most interesting exhibits:

Babec, the gorilla with a pacemaker
Giraffe feeding (for a $1 donation you get to hand feed the giraffes)
The white tiger
The Butterfly House - a really amazing display
The Lorikeet House - another walk-though exhibit
Alabama Wild, a new addition to the zoo showcasing local wildlife. Excellent and informative.

Click on the meerkat to see more zoo pix on Flickr!

It's not just about pr0n

2005-06-24T22:57:00.000-05:00

EFF: DeepLinks has examples of why DOJ 2257 is a huge First Amendment problem. Via After-Party.

UPDATE: DOJ won't enforce "for now". The reprieve only applies for those sites which register with the Free Speech Coalition, the trade association of the adult entertainment industry. I suppose everyone else is on their own.

Drool

2005-06-24T10:26:00.000-05:00

Stay Free! Daily: How did Mad Hot Ballroom survive the copyright cartel?

2005-06-23T17:28:00.000-05:00

John Rogers has already told you to go see this movie, and this article makes me want to see it even more. Stay Free! Daily: How did Mad Hot Ballroom survive the copyright cartel? It's an eye-opener to how far copyright's been twisted. They had to pay EMI to keep a scene in which a cell phone rings - the ring tone was copyrighed (the "Rocky" theme). Another reason to promote Creative Commons

Bright Blue Dot

2005-06-23T09:34:00.000-05:00

I saw one of these last week in the parking lot of our supermarket. What I didn't realize is that the company making these are based here in Birmingham! Go visit and patronize: www.britebluedot.com.

Followup: Broadcast Flag

2005-06-22T13:57:00.000-05:00

EFF:

Within the space of a few hours, the committee was Slashdotted, BoingBoinged and Instalanched.

By 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the 27 members of the Senate Appropriations Committee received more than 11,000 emails and faxes. That's nearly 500 faxes an hour. Dianne Feinstein alone received more than 2,600 messages in her inbox. Kay Hutchison, the senior senator for Texas, received 1,441 letters.

via BoingBoing

1991

2005-06-21T21:49:00.000-05:00

I know that Cubs, White Sox and (until last season, at least) BoSox fans have their long standing tales of woe and misery, but to grow up as a Braves fan in the 70s and 80s was pretty crappy. Something like what kids born in Kansas City around 1986 must feel like now. Yeah we had Aaron until '74 and Murphy through the 80s but from 1971 to 1990 we finished 5th or 6th (that's last and 2nd to last) 13 times. We did manage to win the division in '82 only to get swept in the LCS by the Cards. Stupid Cards.

So when the Braves managed to win the division in 91 by one measly game over the Dodgers and then follow up with a amazingly tough pennant win by sweeping the deciding two games at the Pirate's Three Rivers Stadium - wow. I still remember the feeling of getting to watch the World Series and for the first time in my life having a team to root for - having MY team to root for. What followed was the best World Series ever. I know, people can argue that the 2001 NY-AZ series was better, but no. First off, both teams in the '91 series had been in last place the previous year. Five of the seven games were decided by 1 run. Two went to extra innings. Four were decided in the last at-bat. And the 7th game - man, it broke my heart. But the one thing I'll always remember from that game - the whole series really - is Jack Morris. And that's why I'm posting this tonight (long way around to that, eh?)

John Smoltz started game 7 in that series against Morris, his long-time hero. Morris pitched for Detroit, Smoltz's hometown, from '77 to '90. Smoltz pitched a great game, going 7 scoreless innings, but Morris pitched 10 (nearly unheard of in today's game) and got the win. He retired after the '94 season with 254 wins, 186 losses, a 3.90 career ERA and 2,478 strike outs.

So why am I writing all of this tonight? John Smoltz is still pitching for the Braves. He pitched tonight - a complete game shutout just like his childhood hero. It wasn't for a World Series victory, but it was an important game in the division standings. Smoltz struck out six batters tonight. That makes his career total 2,480. Two more than Morris.

Any Alabamians out there

2005-06-21T11:28:00.000-05:00

Boing Boing: URGENT: Call your Senator RIGHT NOW or live with the goddamned Broadcast Flag forever! Senator Shelby sits on the subcommittee determining this. Go here to automatically emaill/fax him.

Books: Revenge of the Sith

2005-06-20T16:37:00.000-05:00

I wrapped up Revenge of the Sith Saturday night after my step-sister's wedding. All in all a pretty good book. It contains a lot more detail about the plot than the movie (obviously) - it's nice to be able to see what's going on inside the character's heads. My only gripe is the repeated use of a stilted "This is how it feel to be XXX right now:" bit. At many of the climactic scenes, Stover uses this construction to try to draw the reader into the affected character's ego but it just falls flat. Other than this relatively small complaint, I'd recommend this for any sci-fi and/or Star Wars fan. In fact, it makes me want to read the preceeding two books and possibly some of the rest of the canonical work to get the full story, especially more on General Grievous, Episode III's answer to Boba Fett & Darth Maul.

I've not yet determined my next book. I'm torn between Royal Flash and Spectacle of Corruption. Well, we shall see.

Irony isn't dead

2005-06-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

"This mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight."
- GWB, 6/18/2005

- October 29, 2003

Dave Devries's Monster Engine

2005-06-20T14:36:00.000-05:00

Dave Devries's Monster Engine is a cool link I saw on BoingBoing earlier this month. We just had an art opening at my job consisting of art from employee's kids (which is pretty cool). Made me think of it again. Very cool stuff.

Cool: DIY Air Conditioning

2005-06-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

Each week we get together at J's to play. He has graciously allowed us to take over most of his semi-finished basement. In the three years we've played there, we've accumulated tons o' crap. The only problem with the area is that the central heat & air don't circulate very well. As anyone who's spent any time in Alabama in the summer can tell you, A/C is necessary. It's only the middle of June and we're already hitting the mid-90s with 85%+ humidity. So when I saw this BoingBoing entry I knew I had to do it. We already had a fan, so the rest of it was pretty easily obtainable. And talk about serendipity, J's ex-roomie had left 5 1/2 gallon milk jugs filled with water (now ice) in the deep freezer. That definitely helped with the cool down. So if any of you don't have A/C or have some area that doesn't get climatized very well (or you're just bored), try it out - it really works.

RIP David Sutherland

2005-06-14T19:35:00.000-05:00

A little piece of my childhood died today. David Sutherland, one of the original illustrators for Dungeons & Dragons products passed away from chronic liver failure. Mr. Sutherland illustrated dozens of D&D products over his career, but I'll always remember him from this one:

It's the cover of the 1977 edition of the Basic Rulebook, the very book my dad's friend Mack brought over to introduce us to the game. Mack was an educator (last I knew he was a principal in NC) and very interested in alternative methods of teaching. I don't know how he discovered D&D, but he and my father thought it would be a great way to teach problem solving skills (which it is!) and so brought me in to play. My first character was a Dwarf whose name I don't recall, but I soon followed up with a Halfling. We played Keep on the Borderlands with a group of my friends (all around 8 or 9 - Mack had the patience of a saint) and I managed to slay the ogre! Big deal for a 1st level Halfling, let me tell you. I still remember jumping around the dining room table in glee. I didn't even mind getting killed later by a goblin. I was hooked. I played throughout my childhood and on into high school. I fell away from the game in college, though I joined in a couple of pick up games. Finally about five years ago my best friend and I were sitting in a local pub one weekend and I brought up that I used to play. He admitted he had played growing up as well and had thought about picking it back up. Before the night was over we'd drawn a map of Mord - the world we created and populated with characters like An'alla, Vaspar, Thorkin and Toshiro.

Thank you Mr. Sutherland, for years of adventure, puzzles, ideas and laughter. Lots of laughter.

Scrushy

2005-06-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note that while the Michael Jackson jury returned a verdict, ex-Healthsouth head Richard Scrushy's peers (heh, right) are still deliberating. Unfortunately, from most indications they aren't the brightest bulbs in the bulb-box. War Liberal's got all the details (and lots of other cool stuff too).

And for those of you with a streak of geek (hmm...that's kinda catchy), go read the story of our d20 Modern campaign, the first episode of which stars a local businessman in trouble with the law (and with other, um, things). Not that this is related in any way to the previous paragraph. Just sayin'.

My (least) Favorite DINO

2005-06-13T20:02:00.000-05:00

Admittedly, I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a Libertarian, either, though I fall somewhere between the two. For the most part, I'm a common sense, Golden Rule type of person. Still, I have to speak from a partisian Demo POV on this. Sunday's Birmingham News reports that former Georgia Governor & U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA*coughbullshitcough*) is schedule to speak this Friday evening at a GOP fundraiser. That's right - Miller, a lifelong Democrat (and still espousing that affiliation) is coming over to Alabama to help the Republicans win state Legislature seats in next year's race. Tickets are available in a range of tithes - $250 to $5K - to be "used primarily to fun Republican bids to win open legislative seats or targeted seats now held by Democrats". The event is hosted by the Alabama Republican Majority Committee.

I'm not against fundraising, nor do I care that Mr. Miller wants to speak out for the Republican party. However, in the words of President Jimmy Carter:

Great Georgia Democrats who served in the past, including Walter George, Richard Russell, Herman Talmadge, and Sam Nunn disagreed strongly with the policies of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and me, but they remained loyal to the party in which they gained their public office. Other Democrats, because of philosophical differences or the race issue, like Bo Callaway and Strom Thurmond, at least had the decency to become Republicans.

...

Zell, I have known you for forty-two years and have, in the past, respected you as a trustworthy political leader and a personal friend. But now, there are many of us loyal Democrats who feel uncomfortable in seeing that you have chosen the rich over the poor, unilateral preemptive war over a strong nation united with others for peace, lies and obfuscation over the truth, and the political technique of personal character assassination as a way to win elections or to garner a few moments of applause. These are not the characteristics of great Democrats whose legacy you and I have inherited.

More at the ADP Blog.

Books: Thirteen Gun Salute & A Walk in the Woods

2005-06-12T19:28:00.000-05:00

I finished the next book in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, The Thirteen Gun Salute, yesterday afternoon. I don't know what to say about this book but this: if one has read thirteen books in a series, they must be pretty decent, right? This one's no different - Aubrey does in fact get his name put back on the Navy List (reinstated, that is) and Maturin deftly executes a diplomatic coup while the whole time they discuss food and nature. There was one section of the book which strayed from O'Brian's normal seafaring adventure. Maturin explores an ancient Buddhist temple which is isolated in an extinct volcanic crater. The tone of the narrative of his trek up to the temple and his stay there differ so from the rest of the series' that it almost feels like a different author.

After dinner and a movie Saturday evening, I picked up the next book in my stack: Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Bryson walked the Appalachian Trail (mostly with an old friend of his) in the spring and summer of 1996 and relates his tale here. Bryson reads like a cross between Douglas Adams and Garrison Keillor, effortlessly keeping the reader amused. There were a couple of chucklers but for the most part his sense of humor is reminiscent of the British style. Makes sense as he lived overseas for a couple of decades. I just finished it during dinner tonight. I know it's bad manners to read at the table, but I only had 20 pages left when dinner was ready!

Next up: The Revenge of the Sith.

Books: Tokyo Cancelled

2005-06-06T22:55:00.000-05:00

I finished this book Sunday evening. The cover blurbs describe it as the 1001 Arabian Nights of the 21st century or Canterbury Tales for the global citizen. I enjoyed it, though maybe not quite as much as I thought I would. Each story is wonderful in the real sense of the word: full of wonder. The 30K' summary: 13 travellers are stuck in an unnamed terminal when Tokyo get snowed in. They pass the night telling each other stories. Much of it feels stream-of-conscious, as if the narrator isn't quite sure exactly where the story is going or where it will end. A number of scenes are vulgar or gruesome - few would actually feel comfortable telling a story such as "The Doll" to a group of just met strangers. There is minimal crossover between the stories. I suppose coming from a long background of role-playing (which is itself just storytelling with oddly shaped dice) I'm used to weaving tales out of what seem to be disassociated pieces, and thus expected that perhaps each narrator would build on the last, or at least incorporate a character or two. My favorites were "The Store on Madison Avenue" and "The Changeling" but that may simply be my bias for sci-fi. All the stories are fantastical - only the first one could plausibly happen and even it reads more like a fairy tale or one of Aesop's fables. I'd recommend it to adventurous readers.

Big Brass Alliance

2005-06-06T20:24:00.000-05:00

So if you've not heard about the Downing Street Memo, you've probably not heard of the Big Brass Alliance:

The Big Brass Alliance was formed in May 2005 as a collective of progressive bloggers who support After Downing Street, a coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups formed to urge that the U.S. Congress launch a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. The campaign focuses on evidence that recently emerged in a British memo containing minutes of a secret July 2002 meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his top national security officials.

I shall post more later, but I wanted to at the very least get something up about it to make others aware. All three of my regular readers, that is.

Twisted Logic

2005-06-04T15:06:00.000-05:00

Nope, not talking about the administration's grilling of Newsweek. Mrs P and I have our tickets to the Coldplay show in September! Woo hoo!

New definition of SUCK

2005-06-02T21:25:00.000-05:00

Go visit him.

Reading List

2005-05-31T22:01:00.000-05:00

My excuse for not writing? I've been reading! Yeah, that's the ticket. Seriously, back at the beginning of the year there was a meme/resolution going around about trying to read 50 books in a calendar year. I like to read but I'd been slacking a bit, so I figured, "hey, I can try that. And I can blog about each book as I finish it!" Well, that little plan didn't work out. So here it is, almost June, and I'm finally sitting down to try to list off the books I've read this year. This will definitely not be a complete list.

First off from Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin (Master & Commander) series, I think I started #7 around the first of the year and I'm about to hit #13, so that's The Surgeon's Mate, The Ionian Mission, Treason's Harbor, The Far Side of the World (from which the movie based its plot), The Reverse of the Medal and The Letter of Marque. All wonderful books and well worth the read.

Keeping on the historical bent, I seem to recall that my mother lent A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss to me over the holidays. I may have read that one over the holiday break just before the new year, but I'll count it anyway, damnit. I might as well since I've since read Liss' The Coffee Trader since then.

Also on a historical note, I read Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom. Good stuff and a good start to a new Cornwall series. Cornwall has also brought us the Sharpe series, the Grail trilogy and a number of other great period pieces.

Finally, one for (from) Shakespeare's Sister: I picked up George MacDonald Fraser's first Flashman book. What fun! A true rip-snorter in every sense of the word. Don't pick it up if you offend easily, by the way. Old Flashy is a rogue, and not in the "boyishly good looking and charming" way. No, he's a rogue in the "rape his father's lover and leave his men to die in Afghanistan but still come out a hero" way.

Speaking of Shakes, she recommended The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Greene which I picked up at the Barnes & Noble on 5th Avenue in NYC when Mrs. P and I went up for the Westminster show. I had it read by the time we got back to Birmingham. Thanks for the reco, SS!

As a payback, I recommended Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, which I read just after the new year. Wonderful book, and still one of the best I've read so far this year. I also recommended The Plot Against America by Philip Roth as the best book to throw at the wall in frustration for looking so tantalizing but evenutally falling flat.

Someone else in Shakes' book fans recommended The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. OK, this is the best book I've read this year. Perhaps this century. I've passed this one to so many people, I'm not sure who has my copy anymore.

My only re-read this year has been Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. Jake read it for the first time late last year and was blown away, so I decided to delve back into it. The last time I read it, I was in high school and while I found I hadn't necessarily missed the point the first time, it definitely resonated more strongly this time. Something about the times we live in, eh?

Speaking of resonating in today's times, I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't read Ray Bradbury's classic masterpiece Farenheit 451 until this past weekend (me, a lover of sci-fi!). I pleased to say it was every bit as good as I thought it would be. And a hell of a lot scarier.

A good segue to my normal stomping grounds, sci-fi and fantasy. About once a month I pick up another of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. I think he writes about one a month, so we're even there. So far this year, I've gotten through Sourcery, Wyrd Sisters, Pyramids, Guards, Guards! and Small Gods - all much fun. One that was fun, but a bit sloggy was Eragon, wunderkind Christopher Paolini's first book. I enjoyed the story, but it was obviously written by a 15 year old. A smart one, one with a good chance at being a great storyteller, but a young man who needs a few more years on him.

Continuing in the fantasy vein (heh heh), my sister loaned her copy of Robin McKinley's vampirepunk tale Sunshine to me. She also lent Michael Chabon's The Final Solution which, though it's set during WWII and concerns a German Jew, is not at all what you might think. I've been longing to read Chabon's work (especially Kavalier and Clay) so it's nice to start with a tidbit like this. An apertif, if you will. Sorry, feeling all uppity.

OK, I think I'm starting to wind down now. I've only finished a couple of non-fiction books so far, though I'm in the middle of a few. I received Thomas Cahill's The Gift of the Jews as a Chri- I mean, Festivus present. I'd like to read it again with a Bible at hand. Argh, I know I've wrapped up another non-fiction, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. EDIT: I just remembered the other non-fiction, though it's more of a work related book: Refactoring by Martin Fowler. Whew, that was going to bug the crap out of me.

So, have I missed any? It seems like I've forgotten one or two - only one sci-fi!?! - and I know I've blanked on a non-fiction (WWII, maybe? EDIT: Nope, found it). But that's pretty close to complete, a lot closer than I thought it would be. I apologize for not keeping more current and actually writing more than one or two lines per book. I'll try to be better about it in the future. Speaking of which, my nightstand (and thus, future) current holds:

The Thirteen Gun Salute by Patrick O'Brian. I hope Aubrey gets his commission back. :)
Royal Flash by George MacDonald Fraser. The second in the series and hopefully as rollicking as the first. Did I just type out rollicking? Ick.
Spectacle of Corruption by David Liss. A sequel to A Conspiracy of Paper. Sooooo looking forward to this one.
Red Gold by Alan Furst. I must admit, I got on a Furst kick and blasted through all of his books but this one. Furst's problem is that each of his novels start to sound the same. They're good, but they're too similar to read back to back. I had to stop reading this one about a third of the way in and wait for my brain to tamp the others down.
Collected Stories by Saul Bellow. Mr. Bellow died recently and I'd found that I'd never read any of his work. With all the high praise eulogies bring, I felt compelled to pick up something. I've read the first couple of stories and I'm not disappointed. Though I do get a bit depressed. Maybe it's because I was reading them during an all-night charity fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
The Psychology of Computer Programming by Gerald Weinberg. Quite interesing study written back in 1971 (the year I was born - ha!). While the anecdotes are dated (and at times sexist - oh, for shame!), the thinking and conclusions still hold up pretty well. I'm reading the silver anniversary reprinting and Weinberg came back and put in commentary after each chapter discussing how he thought it had held up.
Professional Software Development by Steve McConnell. Another career-improvement type book.
Code Complete by Steve McConnell. Yet another. Really quite good, though. If you're a developer and haven't read it, you owe it to your career to pick it up.
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. This book came highly recommended from some of the smartest people I know, so it's gotta be good, right? I'm still waiting for it to get really good....
The Revenge of the Sith by Michael Stover. Saw the film. Enjoyed it. Had its flaws.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. Jake and Sean are on Bryson kicks and are trying to lure me into the web. I go willingly.
Tokyo Cancelled by Rana Dasgupta. Sometimes as I wander through the bookstore, a book shouts at me from the shelf: "READ ME!!" This is good, because I frequently get completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of books in today's megastores. This is one of those. Mrs. P and I were in B&N yesterday and Dasgupta's rookie effort just about jumped off the shelf and into my fists. After I read 451, I started this one and have been itching the whole time I've been writing this post to stop and pick it back up again. It's in my lap. Taunting me.

That's it, I'm going to go read.

Oh. And by the way, that's 26. Plus 12 in the stack. Wow, I've gone and impressed myself.

The End

Not so fast, my friend

2005-05-21T23:28:00.000-05:00

Days after the Broadcast Flag was axed, new draft legislation floated up from the bowels of Capitol Hill. The EFF has set up a convenient page which allows you to easily contact your Congressperson here. Go do your civic duty by annoying your representative.

Mad Lib Journalism

2005-05-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

Blogenlust has a new game for you to try. Go post your mad lib.

Here they come - at the Speed of Sound

2005-05-17T21:48:00.000-05:00

Save the date:

Coldplay
9/16 Birmingham, AL
Verizon Wireless Music Center

Someone asked me a few weeks ago which five bands I'd want to see live. My first response was, "Can I have already seen them?" Yep. The number 1-3 were Rush, U2 and Coldplay. We saw Rush (again) last summer on their 30th anniversary tour. U2 is playing Atlanta in October (or November?), but they sold out that show in the presale. Sorry, but I'm not joining U2.com for $40/year just to have the opportunity to get show tix. We saw Coldplay here in January '03 and were astounded. If they're coming your way - GO! (just don't take our tickets...)

Jek In Love

2005-05-16T16:52:00.000-05:00

Jek In Love 2
Originally uploaded by piercingwit.

Two of the guys here at the office were jokin' about old Porkins' death in Star Wars (IV: A New Hope - the first one, er, the fourth one - uh, the ... nevermind. If you're reading my blog, you know what I'm talking about). Jim told Dave about the age-old (in Internet years) argument about whether Porkins' death was noble or whether he "was just so fat he had to be greased up and stuffed into his xwing, and he flew around with a bucket of kentucky fried in his lap, which is why he wouldnt punch out when he got hit; he didnt want to lose that chicken." So inspired, Dave whipped this up.

Cool: Real Virtual Car

2005-05-11T11:24:00.000-05:00

This looks like something I should do to my Hillbilly Cadillac (TM) once it finally bites the dust.

Score one for the good guys!

2005-05-06T11:40:00.000-05:00

Boing Boing: V-TV DAY: WE WON THE BROADCAST FLAG FIGHT!

Wow, this is truly amazing:

This morning, the DC Circuit of the US Court of Appeals struck down the loathsome Broadcast Flag, ruling that the FCC does not have the jurisdiction to regulate what people do with TV shows after they've received them.

Disappointment to My Parents Meme

2005-05-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

Man, I'm slacking. Pam tagged me with the latest meme last week and I just missed it. She caught it from Shakes, who makes a point I agree with:

...I don’t know who wrote it originally, and I don’t know why they “couldn’t” be these things. I’d prefer to be saying, “If I were a doctor…” etc., since I could have been one...

I've always been of the opinion that anyone could do pretty much anything they set their mind to, so I concur that a more "optimistic" statement would be "If I were an X, I'd do Y." However, looked at another way one might say the difference between "could be" and "were " is this: "Could be" denotes that wishful thinking - what if I could be anything I wanted? "Were" denotes what would have most likely happened had one followed that course in life,

e.g.
If I could be a professional athlete, I'd play short stop for the Braves.
If I were a professional athlete, I'd be an Olympic luger. (I was actually told by an Olympian when I was an early teen that I had the perfect body structure for it: medium hieght and skinny)

So the "could be" is the dream while the "were" is the missed (or not yet explored) opportunity. In the spirit of the original meme, I'll answer the "could be" side. Maybe another meme will start down the "were" (or "will be?") path.

If I could be a Scientist
I'd be a field paleontologist. Just like a lot of kids, dinosaurs always fascinated me. I'd love to be able to go out on digs, solving the puzzles of the fossils, adding knowledge to the world.

If I could be a Musician
A rocker, definitely. I was in a number of crappy garage bands in high school and college, but I never had the drive to actually do it for a living. If I could, I'd be hanging with Bono, Chris Martin, and Geddy Lee, playing gigs all over the world and helping Bob Geldof with Band Aid 20.

If I could be a Doctor
Mrs. P is a nurse in a GP's office, so I know a little about what this is like. And I definitely wouldn't be a GP. I'd much rather be on the research end of things - this overlaps with the Scientist answer above, I suppose. I'd like to imagine I'd end up at someplace like the CDC rather than a corporate R&D lab.

If I could be a Painter
Interesting. Hard to say - painting minis has been a geek hobby of mine for a long time, so I already am a painter by avocation. It would be fun to be able to do it for a living - it's quite a niche market, tho.

If I could be an Innkeeper
Easy. A little resort hotel on the Florida panhandle. My long-term goal is to retire down there, rent out a catamaran to the touristas, ogle bikini-clad women and be a dirty old man in general. Mrs. P fully supports this goal. I think.

And finally, I think the only thing I've disappointed my parents on has been not finishing college. One of these days....

So, tagging up: 1031, you're it. Rook, you too.

Oh, and Pam, let me know when you come into town. We should meet up and have a brew.

The Seven Gummie Sins: Pride

2005-05-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

The Seven Gummie Sins: Pride
Originally uploaded by Wiedmaier.

Wiedmaier has a set of gummie bears enacting the seven deadly sins on the world's latest coolest website, Flickr. This is Pride, my personal favorite. I love how the bear's head is turned up and away from the viewer. Go check out the rest here.

Tuscaloosa News On Rep. Allen

2005-05-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

The Tuscaloosa (AL) News ran an editorial on 4/22 regarding the introduction of Gerald "don't wanna read about no fags" Allen's bill into committee:

Allen says the legislation is not about hate but is a response to concerns of citizens about cultural preservation and government spending.

The motivation, however, is quite obvious -- and not just to the gays who complained about it at the committee meeting on Wednesday. It treats homosexuality as a contagious sin, spread by casual contact -- a concept that belongs in the Dark Ages.

Allen has tried to make his legislation more palatable by excluding college libraries, allowing for some of Shakespeare’s plays to be read in K-12 classes and letting college theater groups perform Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

...

Committee Chairwoman Yvonne Kennedy, D-Mobile, who is black, ably articulated [the lack of principle behind the bill] when she closed the meeting:

“I am one who has been discriminated against," she said, “and I will not be part of anything that fosters discrimination."

Ouch. Great framing by Rep. Kennedy. Replace "homosexual" with "black" and see what kind of outrage it would spark.

You can read the entire editorial here, though it requires registration (or a BugMeNot link!!)

If you live in LA, it doesn't matter

2005-04-23T15:28:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah - I've been a bad blogger this month. I've been working on a project at the office that's been kicking my ass up and down - I mean, I'm dreaming about this stuff. Argh! Anyway, it's almost complete so hopefully I'll be able to post more often soon. To try to get back into the groove, here's a beaut from a name we're all familiar with:

Do you want a seven-day weather forecast for your ZIP code? Or hour-by-hour predictions of the temperature, wind speed, humidity and chance of rain? Or weather data beamed to your cellphone?

That information is available for free from the National Weather Service.

But under a bill pending in the U.S. Senate, it might all disappear.

The bill, introduced last week by Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., would prohibit federal meteorologists from competing with companies such as AccuWeather and The Weather Channel, which offer their own forecasts through paid services and free ad-supported Web sites.

I used to surf to the Weather Channel to get my forecasts until they started hiding them. They've gotten better lately, but remember when you'd have to search for the input box to enter your zip, then all you got was golfing ads? Now that I use Firefox, I keep track of the weather using the Forecast Fox extension. Much sweetness.

Anyway, back to the story. Here's the reasoning, straight from a completely unbiased source:

"The National Weather Service has not focused on what its core mission should be, which is protecting other people's lives and property," said [AccuWeather's executive vice president Barry] Myers, whose company is based in State College, Pa. Instead, he said, "It spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year, every day, producing forecasts of 'warm and sunny.'"

Santorum made similar arguments April 14 when introducing his bill. He also said expanded federal services threaten the livelihoods of private weather companies. [emph. mine]

"It is not an easy prospect for a business to attract advertisers, subscribers or investors when the government is providing similar products and services for free," Santorum said.

Looks like Senator ManOnDog is taking his talking points from "industry leaders."

I love NWS's response:

"If someone claims that our core mission is just warning the public of hazardous conditions, that's really impossible unless we forecast the weather all the time," [NWS director of strategic planning and policy Ed]Johnson said. "You don't just plug in your clock when you want to know what time it is."

.251

2005-04-12T21:41:00.000-05:00

= the career batting average of one Brian Schneider - the man who hit a 2-run double to give Kolb Atlanta's first blown save of the season. Kolb managed to waste an excellent start by Tim Hudson who limited the Nats to a solo homer over eight innings. I'm glad Smoltz is starting again, but if Kolb doesn't get these 2-run save opportunities (especially against a team like Washington) it's gonna be a long season full of ulcer-inducing ninth innings.

1.216

2005-04-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

= Atlanta's Team OPS (On-base Plus Slugging %) tonight vs. Montr- er - Washington. 11 runs, 15 hits (7 for extra bases) and 8 outstanding innings from Mike Hampton = 1 happy Pierce. Of course, Bonds had a OPS of 1.421 last season. But that's Bonds.

50,939

2005-04-11T18:28:00.000-05:00

Chipper at the Plate
Originally uploaded by piercingwit.

=the attendance at Friday night's game. A win, woohoo! All in all, a great game - good pitching, good defence and timely hitting. Here's a pic from our seats at the game. Every year, Jake and I go to Opening Day at Turner Field. It's turned into a bit of a tradition now - 5 years running. A couple of years ago we found the hook up for the tickets so now we splurge and get 1st or 2nd row. Click the pic to visit my Flickr account for more pix from the game.

15

2005-04-10T20:02:00.000-05:00

= Number of Ks Smoltz had. Still got the loss though. The Braves have two losses so far and both belong to Smoltzie. Still - he looked great Sunday and I have no worries about him over the rest of the season.

That's more like it

2005-04-07T00:48:00.000-05:00

An Atlanta Braves-type game: extra-innings, low scoring, winning on a Chipper Jones home run. That's the way it should be.

A word for everything

2005-04-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

Friday's word of the day from AWAD:

esprit d'escalier (e-SPREE des-kal-i-YE) noun, also esprit de l'escalier

Thinking of a witty remark too late; hindsight wit or afterwit.
Also such a remark.

[From French esprit de l'escalier, from esprit (wit) + escalier (stairs).]

How many times has this happened to me? No telling, but at least now I have a way to describe it.

Do yourself a favor and go subscribe.

32.4

2005-04-05T20:54:00.000-05:00

The average number of pizzas eaten by the average American per year?

How many more months left in the Bush administration?

My age?

Nope. That's John Smotlz's ERA after today's opening game. To put it into perpective for you non-baseball folks, that means that if he pitched an entire game like he did for the 1 2/3 innings he was on the mound today, the opposing team would score 32 runs. The record for most runs scored in nine innings (in the modern era) is 29. Ah well, it was better than work.

And there are still 161 games left.

Friday Hannah

2005-04-01T22:38:00.000-06:00

Hannah
Originally uploaded by piercingwit.

The final introduction - the world's most devious dog! Hannah is so smart (how smart is she?) that she'll notice that I've put on my shoes and know that it's time to go outside. She also gets pouty if I don't spend enough time with her.

McSweeney's: Reviews of New Food

2005-04-01T22:17:00.000-06:00

Go read the funny.

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Reviews of New Food: "Remember when you were 5 and Bambi's mother gets shot offscreen? Right, well, for reasons best known only to themselves, Jamaicans have made a soda out of that, and Mexicans have taken it upon themselves to bottle it. The dominant ingredient in Goya's whimsically named 'Jamaican Ginger Beer' is neither ginger nor beer—it's capsicum. Sound familiar? It does if you read the bit between 'keep away from children' and 'keep away from face' on the side of a canister of pepper spray. No kidding, go check it out if you need to. How it can be legally called 'ginger beer' rather than 'keep-away-from-face beer' in a country that won't let toys shoot soft plastic missiles is beyond me, but you won't drink this stuff twice unless the agent interrogating you doesn't like your first answer."

It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

2005-03-30T16:59:00.000-06:00

Next Friday night, I'll be watching my Braves beat the stuffing out of those crappy Mets for the first of 19 times this year. That most perfect game is back.

Cool: Clocky

2005-03-30T13:59:00.000-06:00

MIT Media Laboratoy: Press Images - Clocky

Yeah, I'm a bad waker-upper. I've gotten better in the past few years, but I still struggle at times to get out of bed - especially on the weekends. Back in my single days I had to buy a new alarm clock every few months because I'd: 1) get used to the buzzer and sleep straight through it or 2) my muscles would learn where the snooze button was and automatically slap it without me waking. Nowadays, Mrs. P gets up before I do and wakes me. Whew.

This guy at MIT has the same problem, but he's an engineer and actually decided to do something about it. I'm not sure about the shag carpeting, but I guess he's hoping it could do double duty as a duster. As my favorite chef Alton Brown says, "No tool should be single-purpose. Except the fire-extinguisher."

The future of liner notes?

2005-03-28T09:55:00.000-06:00

qwantz has started something. See also here, here, here, here, and here.

The Day After Tomorrow

2005-03-25T15:10:00.000-06:00

What?

Where does he get all those wonderful toys?

2005-03-24T18:44:00.000-06:00

PSPworld: PSP 101: Everything you need to know about the PlayStation Portable

Spidey vs. Lowell

2005-03-22T20:08:00.000-06:00

From 1031:

Recent Oscar nominee Thomas Haden Church has been cast as the villain in Spider-Man 3, which is set to begin production early next year.

Cool it down

2005-03-22T10:03:00.000-06:00

First read this. Then read this. Don't drink milk during the second one.

Cool: Flickr Postcard Browser

2005-03-21T22:43:00.000-06:00

Flickr Postcard Browser via Waxy

Odd Comics

2005-03-21T22:13:00.000-06:00

Cheston
Warning, some are slightly NSFW

Local Blogs

2005-03-19T19:45:00.000-06:00

I've found a few Alabama blogs out there that I'd like to point out.

LocalTint covers politics from Hoover, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Here's a recent post regarding WorldComs' Bernard Ebbers' conviction and how it relates to our own local boy, Richard Scrushy:

Ah, but did Ebbers buy a local TV station and air manipulative pro-Ebbers propaganda? Did he play the God card (in a town already vulnerable to religious manipulation) and go from a suburban whitebread to urban black church in order to pose as a millionaire oppressed and victimized by the feds? And did he, most egregiously, by proxy play the race card? Didn't think so.

Libertyflash is "committed to restoring each of the rights of all Alabamians." A recent example:

Independent Alabama has ten election reform bills being considering by the Alabama legislature. We call the package the “Make Every Vote Count” Act. To read the overviews and the text of the bill, please download this Word Document.

As part of this legislative effort, we have created our first television commercial. The theme of the advertisement is a group of people who ordered pizza. When the deliveryman arrives, he gives them pepperoni pizza. There is a problem, though. They didn’t order pepperoni.

The World Around You is produced by the duo of Kristopher and Susan. Susan lives in Hoover as well while Kristopher hails from Prattville (which is closer to the heart of the beast: Montgomery). A recent post regarding Alabama's penal problems:

The steady drumbeat is being heard on the altering of sentencing standards. Alabamians are beginning to understand that we cannot keep taxes low and lock everyone up for non-violent drug offenses.

There have to be reductions in the sentences for non-violent crime and alternative sentencing programs need to be made available for those with drug addiction. We also need to put more resources into preventing drug abuse on the front end, as I have said many, many times before.

Go and take a gander at some of the local talent we have in Alabama. We won't give this state over!