I just registered for this: CTA

It is a Hawaii IronMan qualifier race. In fact, Tim DeBoom and Natascha Badmann won this event last year then went on to win Hawaii. I'm psyched!

I just learned that E911 Phase II requires us to express our antenna heights in meters above the ellipsoid. This means that we have to determine the difference between the AMSL and the ellipsoid for each XY tower coordinate. Which led me to realize that my GPS receiver must report elevation relative to the ellipsoid and not relative to mean sea level (MSL.) At a particular set of coordinates in TN, the difference (N) between MSL and the ellipsoid is 28 meters! This probably explains why GPS elevations seem to vary so much from published elevations.

We learn something new every day in spite of ourselves.

All right! Spinal Tap will (the original film) will be preserved forever! Maybe I should break down and replace my VHS copy with a shiny new DVD. CNN.com - National Film Registry to preserve 'Spinal Tap' - Dec. 18, 2002

Apparently most of us (Americans) aren't convinced we should go to war with Iraq. I guess I am not as alone as I felt. I think most of us acknowledge Hussein is a tyrant that should not be in command of a country. We also acknowledge that his regime is oppressive to the Iraqi people and could be a threat to the gulf region (notice I don't believe they are a threat to America.) But the fact is, have they (the regime) developed WMD's that are a threat to America? We haven't seen any evidence of that yet. It is not enough to go to war, plain and simple. I don't buy the argument that we can't wait for them to park a nuclear bomb at the front of the White House. That is purely alarmist propaganda.

Now, if it has been decided that we (the U.S.) must build a new Middle Eastern nation (or republic) and that toppling Saddam is the first "domino" in that plan, that is a different story altogether. In this era of unilateralism (the U.S. being the sole superpower) and with China poised to become the second world superpower (thus leading us into another era of bilateralism) perhaps the powers that be have decided that only a multi-lateral world order can ensure peace and economic survival for industrialized nations. Perhaps then Dubya's efforts can be thought of as not getting revenge for Saddam's assasination attempt against George Sr. but rather completing his father's vision of the "New World Order" (proclaimed after the fall of the Berlin wall.)

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/4758302.htm

Feel like discussing the Trent Lott situation a little more? BET.com - Lott Under Fire: Some Want His Resignation as He Prepares to Address Black Americans

So why are British Economists always touted as being the best financial officers you can get when the British Economy ain't exactly setting the world on fire?

Is there anything funnier than seeing rednecks squirm? Of course I am referring to Trent Lott appearing on BET tonight.

I ran the first marathon of my life this past Saturday. I was on the recovery side of a cold that peaked probably the Wednesday prior to the race. My time was slower than I had hoped (571/814) but I guess that is another example of why hoping and wishing just ain't a practical way to get anything done!

Here are the complete results.

This morning I saw an interview with one of Lee Malvo's relatives, a man who claims he turned in the snipers, an interview with a boy abused by a Catholic Priest, and a video of man catching fire while gassing up his car. Then I saw that we are blasting the Iraqi declaration already.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..........

At what amount of ingestion does cough syrup become toxic?

Imagine if there was a really dumb Jerry Seinfeld. He might say something like: "If you rearrange the letters in the word "bread", you can spell "beard." Who the hell wants to eat beard?"

On the other hand, he might be a hit if the audience is stoned silly.

Meanwhille, in Wireless, things continue to look bleak: Kansas City Star | 12/11/2002 | Sprint to lay off another 2,100 workers

I love watching large people eat junk food, like Krispy Kreme Donuts, in meetings. They pick up the donut delicately between two fingers and daintily bring it to their mouths, taking just a small nibble at a time. Then gently, they dab the corners of their mouths with a napkin, as if a stray sugar flake would ruin their hard-won countenances. Sometimes, they even act like they are tasting it for the first time and say things like "Oh these are good. Has anyone tried these?"

Do they really think we believe they aren't just starving to get that donut down their gullets? How about that they haven't tasted a donut before? RRRRRRIGHT.

Just go on and cram that thing in your mouth! I know you want to! If we weren't watching you'd have swallowed that donut whole! You aren't fooling any of us! We don't believe that you eat normal, dainty bites of food all day and "just can't lose weight." For Pete's sake, Come on!

If you compare and contrast successful versus unsuccessful movies you can draw some interesting conclusions. Titanic (currently the all-time box-office champ) was a true story about a catastrophy illustrated as a backdrop to a fictional teen-age love story. Star Wars was an intergalactic cowboy movie centered around a teenage crush. Spider-Man was a long-awaited superhero movie about a teenager who gained super powers largely due to a crush on a girl. So here is the big secret to making millions of dollars on your movie, take any simple plot and weave a teenage love story into it.

I'm working on one right now about two teenage lovers aboard the Hindenburg.

I just made some people laugh by doing my "Johnny Two-Times" impression. It's amazing that such an obscure little nugget from a rapidly aging movie has such an impact on people who have no idea what "Goodfellas" is even about. I'll bet they rent it thinking it will be funny, then are horrified when they discover how brutal and violent it really is.

Can you have writer's block if you don't really consider yourself a writer. That is, you've never really written anything worth publishing or, for that matter, worth anyone taking the time to read it? Maybe, instead of having writer's block, you are just a real dumb person.

Of course this could open up a can of worms. For example, you can definitely have Athlete's Foot even if you are a big fat slob.

Some favorite movie quotes from "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

"I don't want FOP I want Dapper Dan!" (George Clooney yelling at a store owner who doesn't carry his favorite brand of hair jelly.)

"Hop in boys! I'm gonna R-U-N-N-O-F-T!" (Pete's nephew stealing his Dad's car.)

Holly Hunter: "I've spoken my peace, and counted to three."
George Clooney: "Dammit, she counted to three."

"Hot Damn! It's the Soggy Bottom Boys!"

Isn't it funny how two people can have a completely different perspective on the exact same thing? For example, a vendor came to present a product and take me to lunch today.

I'll bet he was thinking "Hey, this is going really well. This guy really likes my product and will probably order some. Then my boss will give me a raise and I can buy a flat-screen TV set."

I was actually thinking "Hey, I hope he takes us to a fancy place for lunch. I think I'll have chicken, no, beef. No, chicken. Damn, I want some beef. Oh hell, this is a long presentation."

Is there a name for when you have to go to the bathroom really bad and you go there and all the stalls are full? Or what if one stall is available but you have to sit next to an occupied stall? Instead of having a seat you go away hoping that if you come back in a few minutes the bathroom will be empty. What is that called???

I think Thomas Jefferson looked a lot like he does on the nickel. But take a look at the quarter. Did George Washington really look like Mel Gibson in "The Patriot?" I mean, clearly the guy on the quarter is quite proud of his grecian neckline. He probably lifted a lot of weights. Does anyone really think G.W. strutted around Mt. Vernon shirtless? "Hey, Cornwallis, I'll bet I can do twice as many pushups as you!"

Is there anything more annoying than a blowhard name dropper? Within the last 12 hours I've been subjected to someone who:
a.) Has pictures of herself with Dale Earnhardt Jr. that are too hot to show anyone.
b.) Is saving her voice for a recording studio session.

I have been re-reading/watching some history about the founding fathers lately. Don't ask what is spurring my renewed interest. Perhaps it is my distrust of every single utterance our President makes. Every time I hear him speak he sounds like he is lying. (Yes, I know the old joke about his lips moving.) It has really surfaced ever since he has gone on this vendetta against Iraq.

From the beginning, he has acted belligerently and accusatory on whatever the topic. He started out crying for "regime change." Those cries came in the aftermath of our victory over the Taliban in Afghanistan. Suddenly Iraq was on our radar screens. But he never gave us full disclosure of his reasons. The only thing he said were platitudes like "they are an evil regime", "he gassed his own people","we think he might be pursuing weapons of mass destruction."