I Know Your Answer Already

Sinead O'Connor "The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance" Listen | Buy

I know you don't love me anymore
You used to hold my hand when the plane took off
Two years ago there just seemed so much more
And I don't know what happened to our love

Today's the day
Our friendship has been stale
And we will meet later to finalise the details
Two years ago the seed was planted
And since then you have taken me for granted

But this is the last day of our acquaintance
I will meet you later in somebody's office
I'll talk but you won't listen to me
I know your answer already

This is the last day of our acquaintance
I will meet you later in somebody's office
I'll talk but you won't listen to me
I know your answer already
I know your answer already
I know your answer already

Conspicuous Consumption

Well I appear to be REALLY INTO this whole training thing.

Today I went to a local running store (American Running Company in Dunedin) and the owner helped analyze my running stride in order to fit me with the proper type of shoe. I've been running using the shoes I wear to the gym, which are NOT running shoes and therefore give less than zero support. They've been killing my shins.

My feet, while standing, are supinated (they roll outwards), but apparently my running stride is very "neutral." Neutral = good. So I bought a shoe that is for neutral/supinated runners.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you - the Asics Gel-Cumulus VII:

That's right, I bought a boy shoe. My feet are wide, so the men's version fit a lot better than the women's. Anyway, I haven't run in them yet, but I already love them beyond all measure because wearing them is like walking on kittens. If kittens were squooshy and filled with jelly.

I love them so much that I'm sitting here wearing them. While in my pajamas. They're the apex of cool because the top of the shoe is basically just mesh, with very little else in the way of material. I can see my toes!

AND, I loved the socks I wore to try on shoes so much that I bought a pair of them, too - Balega Women's Enduro (with blue trim, not pink). These socks are like the shoes, with mesh on the top and padding on the sole.

In roughly 10 minutes I am going to complete my flurry of purchases by using the Amazon.com gift certificate my dad gave me to buy the Polar F4 heart rate monitor.

Oh, and there's someone reading this who is feeling VERY pleased with himself right now, but he needs to know that I will never, EVER, willingly run a 10K. Unless there's a big fat reward in it for me.

A Friend Indeed

Rappy just came back from a week in Paris and apparently she now hates me.

Me: Maybe you should send him a lock of your hair.
Me: Or underwear.
MeanRappy: Yeah.
MeanRappy: Uh, no.
MeanRappy:OK, Julie? I may swoon and joke about it, but he *does* have a girlfriend and he does love her.
Me: I know. I'm swooning and joking right along with you.
Me: I have to go jogging tonight and I don't waaaaaaaaant tooooooooooooo.
MeanRappy: Go jogging, you lazy bitch.
Me: God you're mean.
Me: *cries*

French = BAD

Gymboree

Damn, jog-walking outdoors on sidewalks is going to kill my knees. I did 3 miles today (1.5 miles each in the morning and evening) and I can already feel it.

I'm considering dropping my membership at the gym. Mainly because it's $40/month, and although I go on average four times per week, that price seems a little steep.

I used some Christmas money to buy the TransFIRMer system this afternoon at Target after reading raves about it on various message boards. If it works well enough for me, I think I'll drop my gym membership after the mini-triathlon in April. Or sooner, if I decide that daily access to a pool isn't that important for training purposes.

Put it this way, I could take the money I'm spending on gym membership and put it towards buying a bike, which I need to do anyway.

More experimentation with infrared photography can be found on Foecus.

Infrared Photography

For Christmas I received one of the coolest things EVER - a Hoya R72 infrared filter for my Canon G6 camera!

Yes, I am a photogeek.

Anyway, I took some shots on my way home from my mom's house this afternoon. This one is of a palm tree alongside Edgewater Drive in Dunedin:

This shot was taken handheld; I definitely need to use a tripod/monopod to achieve better (i.e. sharper) results. But it's not bad for my first attempt.

For reference, I'm including a full-color shot of the palm trees in the area.

Merry Christmas!

Nothing Else to Chance Again

Badly Drawn Boy "Something to Talk About" Listen | Buy

Ipso facto
Using up your oxygen
You know I'm shallow
Calling out for extra help
You've got to let me in
Or let me out

Something to talk about
Something to talk about

I've been dreaming
Of the things I learnt
About a boy who's leaving
Nothing else to chance again
You've got to let me in
Or let me out

Something to talk about
Something to talk about

You Know What He Did?

"He was injured. Injured BAD."

This is the cutest, funniest thing I've seen in quite a while:

Advertisement for BlueCross BlueShield (opens in Windows Media Player, safe for work)

"Breathtaking Inanity"

Despite the fact that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is Satan himself, there are times when I am in awe of our judicial system. Good awe. Sometimes a judge manages to wade through a sea of rhetoric and emerge with a decision that makes such logical sense that all you can really do is give them a (virtual) pat on the back and say, "Well done."

So "Well done," U.S. District Judge John Jones. Yesterday you ruled against the teaching of so-called "intelligent design" in science classes in a Pennsylvania school system. At some point I plan on reading the full decision (PDF), but for now I'm enjoying the image of Jones sitting back and saying, "What do they think I am, STUPID? This is just creationism masquerading as science. DUH."

(Yes, District Court judges say "DUH" every now and then.)

From the ruling:

DUH.

Judge John Jones, smart guy

... wait for it ...

... "breathtaking inanity."

*swoon* U.S. District Judge John Jones, you have your first groupie.

I love it when the judiciary gets bitchy.

It is a great day, people. A great day indeed.

Additionally, a hearty "Well done" to the voters of Dover, PA, who cast out (yes, Biblical reference there) in the November election eight of the nine school board members who started this dumb thing.

Do You Want Me Now?

Freedy Johnston "Bad Reputation" Listen | Buy

I couldn't have one conversation
If it wasn't for the lies, lies, lies
And still I want to tell you everything
'Til I close my eyes

Suddenly I'm on the street
Seven years disappear below my feet
Been breaking down
Do you want me now?
Do you want me now?

Suddenly I'm down in Harold's Square
Looking in the crowd, your face is everywhere
Been turning around
Do you want me now?
Do you want me now?

Don't try to be an inspiration
Just wasting your time, time, time
You know about the best I'll ever be
See it in your eyes

I know I got a bad reputation
And it isn't just talk, talk, talk
If I could only give you everything
You know I haven't got

Suddenly I'm on the street
Seven years disappear below my feet
Been breaking down
Do you want me now?
Do you want me now?

Suddenly I'm in another place
Looking in the crowd I think I see your face
Been turning around
Do you want me now?
Do you want me now?

Don't you think I've heard the talk?
Nobody's gonna to tell me who to love
Been breaking down
Do you want me now?
Do you want me now?

Suddenly I'm down on Harold's Square
Looking in the crowd, your face is everywhere
Just turning around
Do you want me now?
Do you want me now?
Been breaking down
Do you want me now?
Do you want me now?

V is for Victory

Soooooo, last night I stayed up to watch the live presidential address. Even though I typically try to go to bed at 9 p.m., I felt it was important to remain awake so that I could hear the president's forthcoming explanation as to why he ordered the National Security Agency to spy on American citizens without the benefit of a court order.

Surely we'd get some sort of reasonable explanation for that, right?

Well, here's the transcript. Let me know if you find it.

But anyway, Dawsey and I were watching with rapt attention as Bush repeated the tired "If you're not with me you're against me" mantra. Only this time instead of "haters" the people who disagree with him are "defeatists."

Let's roll the tape:

	I see a global terrorist movement that exploits Islam in the service of radical political aims -- a vision in which books are burned, and women are oppressed, and all dissent is crushed.
	That sounds suspiciously like the United States on some days. I guess this means the religious right is a terrorist movement, doesn't it, Dawsey?
	Word.
	My conviction comes down to this: we do not create terrorism by fighting the terrorists. We invite terrorism by ignoring them.
	Oh come on! The idea that our presence in Iraq hasn't increased the number of terrorists attacks there is ludicrous! It might be a case of things getting worse before they get better, but in the short term, we're screwed either way.
	That's true.
	*robots*
	*licks self*
	(W)e are helping the Iraqi government establish the institutions of a unified and lasting democracy, in which all of Iraq's peoples are included and represented.
	OH NO HE DI'N'T. The Iraqi constitution doesn't even give equal rights to women! We cannot support the establishment of a government that doesn't recognize women as equal participants in society! It's an OUTRAGE!!
	Word.
	In the months ahead, all Americans will have a part in the success of this war. Members of Congress will need to provide resources for our military.
	Maybe members of Congress should begin providing resources for the military by voting down Bush's tax cuts, which primarily benefit the wealthiest 1% of the country. You can't cut taxes AND increase spending, unless you're a complete buffoon. Oh, wait ...
	You didn't donate your tax return to a charity, did you?
	Who feeds you, again?
	Nevermind.
	I do not expect you to support everything I do, but tonight I have a request: do not give in to despair, and do not give up on this fight for freedom.
	I'm not despairing, I'm ANGRY that this whole thing has been planned so haphazardly. That's not the military's fault, that's the administration's fault. It's nice that NOW they're admitting they made some mistakes, but the fact remains that we've severely hampered the military's ability to "win this war" in a timely and efficient manner. It's great that Bush has a three-pronged strategy for "victory" but it's still all rhetoric and colloquialisms and glittering generalities. Which is what got us into trouble in the first place.
	You know, I really miss Colin Powell.
	Me too.

It's Really Me

OK, so, there's been a lot of speculation - despite statements to the contrary - that I, Wentworth Miller, wrote the entry It's Miller Time that appeared on this site almost a year ago. That entry has been receiving comments steadily throughout the year and is now the most commented-upon entry on this site.

So now it's time to come clean. I am, in fact, Wentworth Miller.

AND I JUST GOT NOMINATED FOR A GOLDEN GLOBE, BITCHES!!!

I was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama for my performance as Michael Scofield, a man who gets himself sent to prison in order to rescue his death row inmate brother, who was WRONGLY CONVICTED OK???

Don't believe I got a Golden Globes nomination? Swear to God I did. So choke on that, you haters.

And the show that I'm on, Prison Break, was nominated for Best Television Series - Drama. But we're going to lose to those bastards over on Lost, I just know it.

There's one thing you might have noticed over the past year, and it's not something that most men can say. I definitely look better without hair than I do with it (even when I'm licking my fingers).

So all in all, it's been a mighty fine year for me. Thanks for all the love. And thanks for ignoring my unfortunate guest role in that dumb show about ghosts speaking softly. I don't know who that dork is that I'm standing next to.

Dionne Warwick's Cosmic Peephole

God, that sounds dirty.

The Cosmic Peephole has the power to reveal the private, hush-hush life of anybody in the world. Type a name into the field below and gaze into anyone's very soul... if you dare!"

Let's see what some of my friends are up to:

"Before going to work, Rappy self-flagellates with a leather belt soaked in malt liquor."

"Jake picks fights with supermarket bag boys."

"People laugh at your jokes only because Roo told them you are slightly retarded."

"Teem just got a uvula piercing."

"Eric loves the sticky, goose-pimpled feeling of wet buttocks on vinyl."

"Randomben uses pubic mousse."

"Matt is wearing provocatively threadbare underwear."

"Trina once ran over a Golden Retriever puppy - and laughed about it!"

"Totem force-feeds Guinness to guinea pigs."

"Auntie Christ is heartlessly snickering at a crippled, elderly homeless person begging for spare change."

"Highwaygirl viciously pinches marsupial nipples."

It Looked Much Better From Afar

Gin Blossoms "Pieces of the Night" Listen | Buy

Twelfth night we go
After something everyone should know
Somewhere in the distance out of sight
Then I saw
Gin mill, rainfall
What do you remember, if at all?
Only pieces of the night

And is it any wonder
In the middle of the crowd
If you let your feet get trampled on
When the music is that loud
But you wanted to be where you are
But it looked much better from afar
A hillside in shadow
Between the people and the stars

Twelfth night we go
After something everyone should know
Somewhere in the distance out of sight
Then I saw
Gin mill, rainfall
What do you remember, if at all?
Only pieces of the night

And it seems so distant
But still only half the night away
Where notions between your questions come too
Is it any wonder where
The pieces of the night have been?

Kodachrome

Photography is so cool. Here is an excerpt (photos after the description) from a current exhibition at the Library of Congress:

All photos are credited to the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection and reproduced with permission. Click each photo for a high-resolution version.

John Vachon Negro boy near Cincinnati, Ohio 1942 or 1943 LC-DIG-fsac-1a34281 DLC Howard R. Hollem Painting the American insignia on airplane wings is a job that Mrs. Irma Lee McElroy, a former office worker, does with precision and patriotic zeal. Mrs. McElroy is a civil service employee at the Naval Air Base, Corpus Christi, Texas. Her husband is a flight instructor. August 1942 LC-DIG-fsac-1a34899 DLC Alfred T. Palmer M-4 tank crews of the United States, Ft. Knox, Ky. June 1942 LC-DIG-fsac-1a35210 DLC Alfred T. Palmer Operating a hand drill at Vultee-Nashville, woman is working on a "Vengeance" dive bomber, Tennessee February 1943 LC-DIG-fsac-1a35371 DLC Alfred T. Palmer A good job in the air cleaner of an army truck, Fort Knox, Ky. June 1942 LC-DIG-fsac-1a35222 DLC Alfred T. Palmer Here's our mission - A combat crew receives final instructions just before taking off in a mighty YB-17 bomber from a bombardment squadron base at the field, Langley Field, Va. May 1942 LC-DIG-fsac-1a35094 DLC Marion Post Wolcott A cross roads store, bar, "juke joint," and gas station in the cotton plantation area, Melrose, La. June 1940 LC-DIG-fsac-1a34361 DLC John Vachon Rural school children, San Augustine County, Texas April 1943 LC-DIG-fsac-1a35425 DLC

I Hate Running

That's what Johnny and I both think about running.

Tonight I decided, "Hey, why not go run a mile around the neighborhood when you get home?" GREAT IDEA! Probably one of the very best ideas I have ever had in my whole damn life. Sure, I hate running. But why not go run a mile after work?!?

I can do 60 minutes on the arc trainer at an incline/resistance that burns 800 calories, so running a measly mile should be cake.

I was thinking that, at worse, it would take about 12 minutes.

Yeah. Twelve minutes. It didn't take 12 minutes, though. Not at all. Let me put it this way - after running for about a block the main thought skipping through my brain was something along the lines of "SCREW THIS."

So I walked as fast as my stumpy little legs would go for the entire mile, and I finished in a time of:

[SPOILER]16:43[/SPOILER]

You can say it - it sucks. It blows. It both sucks AND blows. Believe me, I know it. I'm embarassed to even commit the number to posterity in this post. I'm also, strangely, pissed off about it. It does mean there is plenty of room for improvement, but ... I dunno. It's just a very poor time.

*plaintive wail*

One thing is certain - if I don't improve that time a whole lot, there's not going to be much point in competing in that mini-triathlon. I'll be out of it before the first leg is even halfway over.

The only thing I can say in my defense (and I realize this is a Communion wafer-thin excuse), is that I was doing this after a full day of work, and I admittedly wasn't pushing myself. Why wasn't I pushing myself? Quite simply, I didn't really want to. I didn't have my inhaler with me, and I started feeling lung weirdness about halfway through. So I really need to remember to bring that with me tomorrow night.

Yes, I said TOMORROW NIGHT, DAMMIT.

19:42

This morning began Day One of training for the mini-triathlon at the end of April. I'm doing informal training until January 1, at which point I'm going to begin a modified 16-week program that will have me training for distances that are twice what I'll actually be doing in the competition.

My theory being that if I get my body used to biking 10 miles on a given day, going for half that - as I will in the mini-triathlon - will be easy.

My theory is probably completely wrong.

ANYWAY, this morning I did 30 minutes on the elliptical (3 miles total distance) then followed with 5 miles on the recumbent bike. It took me 19:42 to complete the five miles; it's not a great time overall, but I think it's pretty good for coming on the tail end of a 3-mile workout on the elliptical.

The next step is getting on the treadmill (my nemesis).

Devotion to the Egg

I finally got the chance to see the movie March of the Penguins this weekend, and it was absolutely fantastic. I laughed, I cried, I marveled at the lengths emperor penguins go to reproduce and raise their young.

(Go to the official site - linked above - and watch the trailer. You'll be sold. If you have Quick Time, you can view the trailer and two additional clips.)

Morgan Freeman's narration is, of course, absolutely perfect.

It really is one of the best movies I've ever seen. The cinematography is gorgeous, the subject matter is interesting, and baby penguins are freakishly cute.

Paid Ag Ofni, Dim Ond Deilen

Empire of the Sun Soundtrack "Suo Gan" Listen | Buy

Ni chaiff dim amharu'th gyntun
Ni wna undyn a thi gam
Huna'n dawel, annwyl blentyn
Huna'n fwyn ar fron dy fam

Paid ag ofni, dim ond deilen
Gura, gura ar y ddor
Paid ag ofni ton fach unig
Sua, sua ar lan y mor

Huna blentyn nid oes yma
Ddim i roddi iti fraw
Gwena'n dawel ar fy mynwes
Ar yr engyl gwynion draw

Dog Eat Dog

This is just 44 different flavors of wrong:

How could someone hate their cute little dog so much that they'd subject the poor pup to the indignity of wearing such a magnificently horrible thing?

Won't someone think of the (dog) children?

For good measure, here's the objet d'art in profile:

That poor dog. It's trying so hard to look dignified. It's good to see, though, that the people at Nordstrom have a sense of humor - the product name is Fetching Multistripe Dog Sweater.

"Fetching." Heh.

I Wouldn't Say It If I Didn't Mean It

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions "Lost Weekend" Listen | Buy

This morning I woke up from a deep unquiet sleep
With ashtray clothes and Miss Lonelyheart's pen
With which I wrote for you a love song
In tattoo upon my palm
'Twas stolen from me when Jesus took my hand

You see I
I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it
Drop me and I fall to pieces
So easily

I was a king bee with a head full of attitude
Wore my heart on my sleeve like a stain
And my aim was taboo - you
Could we meet in the marketplace?
Did I ever hey please
Did you wound my knees

You see I
I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it
Drop me and I fall to pieces, yeah
Too easy

There's nobody else to blame
I hang my head in a crying shame
There's nobody else to blame
Nobody else except my sweet self, again

It took a lost weekend in a hotel in Amsterdam
Twenty-four gone years to conclude in tears
That the sickest joke was the price of the medicine
Are you laughing at me now?
May I please laugh along

I was a king bee with a head full of attitude
And ashtray heart on my sleeve, wounded knees
And my one love song
Was a tattoo upon my palm
You wrote upon me when you took my hand

You see I
I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it
Drop me and I'll fall to pieces
Too easily

Let's Go Crazy

I may be completely out of my skull, but I'm 95% sure I'm going to sign up to compete in the St. Anthony's Meek & Mighty Triathlon next April.

Before anyone starts laughing, it's not a full triathlon, or even a sprint triathlon. 'Tis but a mini-triathlon – 1 mile run, followed by a 5.4 mile bike ride, then finishing with a 200m pool swim.

Honestly? I'm pretty confident that I can do this. I'm a strong swimmer, and I'm good on the bike. The big problem is that I haaaaaaaaaaate running. I hate, hate, hate, hate, HATE running. Even though I know one mile isn't really all that far, I'm still going to hate every single second of that run.

The competition is April 29, 2006, so that gives me a solid four months to prepare. I'll probably end up using one of the training plans on the Beginner Triathlete website.

H.R. Buf'n'Stuf

Serious flex: Michael Borenaga of Philippines (L) with Sahali bin abd Samad of Malaysia (R) perform during the bantam 65kg bodybuilding final at the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in Manila. Borenaga won the gold medal with a perfect score of 10 with Samad taking the silver. (AFP/Joel Nito)

Me: yum
Me: *projectile vomits*
Roo: EWWWWWW!
Roo: are they made out of sausage?
Me: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Roo: Li'l sausage men!

Let Me Hear Your Body Talk

(HAHAHAHA, the title of this is going to crack me up all day long.)

OK, many weird things are happening today.

FIRST, I'm wearing a skirt to work. Just because I wanna. Of course, it's messing with my coworkers' heads because they're wondering if I have a job interview on my lunch hour or something. To which I say ... maybe.

SECOND, this morning I realized that I actually kind of enjoy cardiovascular exercise. WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?!? I get a weird sense of satisfaction out of doing it. I'm not uber-competitive with others, but I am definitely competitive with myself. I like to push myself to see what I can achieve (although not in a freaky "extreme sports" kind of way). On Saturday I was working out on the arc trainer - totally unmotivated at first, I just wanted to get my 30 minutes over with - but at some point a switch in my brain flipped and I decided to go REALLY HARD with the intervals for as long as I could.

I ended up going for 60 minutes total, with intervals on incline 7 (out of 10) and resistance up around 50 (out of 100). A lot of the time I felt like I was out-and-out running and that my boobs were about to bounce right off my chest (note to self - get a more constrictive sports bra), but I was really kind of kicking the ass, comparatively, of the petite blond girl on the elliptical machine.

I don't understand people who go to the gym and don't work out hard enough to sweat. What's the point of going? Go hard or go home!

And then, if you're like me, become so exhausted that you nearly fall sideways out of the shower that night, since your legs are so tired and your muscles so gelatinous that you can barely stand up, much less keep your balance. I would have laughed through the concussion, though, I'm sure.

THIRD, somehow ... and I'm a bit freaked that this has happened ... I'm wearing the same shoes that I was wearing in February when I fell down the stairs at work and broke my arm. I have studiously avoided wearing these shoes to work, because I'm superstitious like that. I've been up/down the stairs four times today already, going verrrrrrry slowly, but I think I'm going to switch shoes when I go home for lunch.

Condoms and a Crab (Nebula)

The Obelisk of Buenos Aires is covered with a giant condom to commemorate World AIDS Day December 1, 2005. According to a report issued by ONUSIDA (UN AIDS), the number of people infected with the HIV virus in Latin America had risen over the last year from 1.6 to 1.8 million. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian

This image of the Crab Nebula, released by NASA and ESA (the European Space Agency) on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2005, is one of the largest ever produced with the Hubble Space Telescope, the Earth-orbiting observatory. It gives the most detailed view so far of the entire nebula. The space agencies say the Crab Nebula is one of the most intricately structured and dynamic objects ever observed. (AP Photo/NASA, ESA and Jeff Hester)

Over Easy

Me: www.eggandmuffintoaster.com
Me: we simply MUST get one of those for the office
John: that may be the greatest invention I've ever seen
Me: I'm telling you, that could revolutionize my life
John: just like Tivo has?
Me: exactly! only with food rather than entertainment.

You can purchase this wonderful little gem for less than $40 from Walmart.com.

If I Had a Panda

I'd panda in the morning ...
I'd panda in the evening ...
All over this land!

A dog named 'Columbo', a cross-breed between a poodle and a Maltese and dyed to look like a panda, sits on a chair in Tokyo November 30, 2005. The owner dyed the originally white coloured dog, with a special hair dye to cover up stains around its eyes which was conspicuous when he was first found abandoned. As a result, the panda look-alike became the most popular dog in the neighbourhood and the owner said he hopes Columbo's popularity will help rescue other abandoned dogs like Columbo, where in Tokyo last year, 700 of them were put to sleep. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

This morning I am enjoying the real thing on PANDA CAM!!!