Guilty Pleasure

I really love chasing the dog with the vacuum.

This is like one of those things that should be on postsecret.

Wordsmith

I hate the fact "wellness" is a word. I don't know how long it's been a word, but since it's been adopted as a staple of "corporatease" it's become a buzzword to envoke "sense of" calm (of course "calming sensation" would be to direct) whenever some bill of goods is to be sold. Sort of a vernacular valium.

If "wellness" get's to be a word, then so does "wussification".

wus·si·fi·ca·tion Pronunciation [wuss-uh-fi-key-shuh n]

–noun

1. The act of wussifying.

2. The result of being a wussy.

ie. The use of crappy benign words such as "wellness" are leading to the wussification of America as a whole.

Thanks for reading. Now, go check out the Unger Report.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Heim (and other smartypants..es)

Yesterday was pretty cool. I got to take some downhill runs at Montara Mountain with an old friend who I haven't seen in quite a while.

The thing about downhilling in Pacifica is that anything one gets to whoop and holler down, one must first trudge up. Since we started at almost exactly sea level there was plenty of time for chit-chat during the 1600' ascent on 40 lb. downhill rigs. Yeah buddy, that's right - run whatcha brung. There are no shuttles here.

Anyway, a former employee of SRI, co-founder of http://artificialmuscle.com/ inventor and mad-scientist extraordinaire, he gets all excited talking about his latest inventions and ideas, which are to say the least way cool, way exciting and waaaaayyyy over my head. There was one point in the conversation where he turned and beamed, "Last week we invented the artificial (blah blah blah don’t know how much I can say here) but the bio-mechanics work just like human/animal (parts) reacting to electrical impulses. "Wow. That's amazing!" I reply. "Last week I made bread."

I guess I'm just super stoked on the fact I feel I'm so lucky to know so many really amazing people on the cutting edge of technology, design, finance - hell, you name it. I really enjoy hearing everyone talk about what they're creating and how excited they get when it's "theirs".

So, I guess for now a few shameless plugs to some cycling smarytukuses who are putting together some great products.

Self-contained lighting - http://brlights.com/

Kickass Chain-guides and such - http://www.montaramtb.com/

So, to all of my reader, I implore you: Buy from these people. They're good, they're bikers, support head-trauma-induced creativity!!!!

The Health Insurance Farce

It's been over three hours that I've been on the phone trying to track down an agreeable combination of friendly health care professional and insurance company for this hellatious case of poison oak I contracted while relieving myself in the woods. (I'll leave it up to your own imagination as to what itches)
Blue Cross/Blue Shield are now separate entities, neither can find me as a subscriber and now the doctor's office completes this little triangle by asking me what the insurance company's contact information is. Why the hell would I know the number the doctor is supposed to call??
This whole game is tiring. Am I covered or not? Will I get in so I can ask for the drugs I want, do the obligitory rigamarole and drop trou for 2 seconds while some quack in a white coat scribbles out what I originally asked for in the first place? Jeeeeeesh! It would be faster for me to drive to Mexico to get the goods!!! I'm sooooo pissed right now....and itchy. :-(

Tag?

It appears I've been tagged by Nicknameless herself.


Let's see....


I was born at a very young age. Sadly, I don't recall the event, although I'm reminded of the 30 hours of labor every year.

The last doll given to me in my childhood was a long lanky lass named LuLu. I promptly smashed her face in. My parents gave me only stuffed animals after that. Favorites were Kermit and Donkie Hodie. (whom I still have)

I was never one of the "cool kids". I was the only person in my entire high school graduating class in the school band. I played saxaphone which I thought might give me some 'cool points', but no, they didn't.


I nearly flunked my high school computer class. (Dear Mr. Computer Teacher guy. I'm not stupid, I just didn't give a rat's ass about anything on an Apple 2E) Funny how I now work on the databases that retain school employees payroll information.


Yes, I took college level ski classes so that I could come home and save face by saying, "yeah, I'm a student in Utah."

I had R2D2 Underoos....and Wonder Woman...

Tonight I turned our kitchen into an alcove of alchemy. I made mozzarella cheese from scratch. Now Mike has a stomach ache and I should really go use the potty. Lesson learned? you betcha. There are cheesemakers by trade in the area. Buy cheese from them.