What Wouldn't Jesus Do?

I'm not sure why, but every time I think of this t-shirt

it just cracks me up!

The folks over at Busted Tees have a lot of great t-shirts. If I didn't already own fifty-plus t-shirts I might consider a purchase.

Couching Tiger
My coworkers (the most likely culprits) have finally passed the Community Cold to me. It started yesterday and because I didn't want to admit I wasn't feeling well, I went to work anyway. Last night when I arrived home I cranked the heat to 65F and snuggled up on the couch with a warm iBook and the tv all night long. Leaving the warmth of the couch was only allowable to answer the phone (until I got smart enough to put the phone within arm's reach, which occurred after missing a call or two), or potty time. I fucking love wireless internet access!!!

Feeling Clever Punk?
Seems like my friend Maigh (sure, she can't be your friend too) has a kickball team that has been plagued by a bad name. She seeks your assistance in helping her rename her team. If you fancy yourself as a clever lad/lass go see if you can help out. Be forewarned that through the power of DayQuil I have come up with some badass suggestions. And don't even think about suggesting "Maigh's Plague" unless you want her to personally kick your ass.

For The Truly Observant
You'll notice a change in the "Listening Skills Required" section. I have bagged the idea of going over to Birmingham and running the half-marathon. Instead I have chosen to purchase a ticket for the Andrew Bird show at Eyedrum on February 11th. Maybe I'll go completely crazy and eat at Daddy D'z BBQ Joint that night as well. You can't stop me!

CD Pick Of The Week
For som reason the normal cd release news outlets I normally use to make my pick don't mention that She Wants Revenge releases their cd today. Shame on them!

If you are into their music as much as I have been, then make sure to check out their show at The EARL on February 21st. I'll be there so you know that the show won't completely suck.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - home, resting, dreaming of you (females need only apply)
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Matt Pond PA -- "Several Arrows Later"
Website Of The Day - With a name like Neatorama you know it has to be good.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - none, haven't you read today's post?
Weekly Weigh-In - I sat on the scale while on the couch, but couldn't see around my ass to read the number.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Hooray, My InterWeb Is Back Up!!!

Oh the horrors to wake up on Monday morning to find that you cannot connect to the internet. Much like ATMs I cannot imagine a life without my DSL. I can't go back. No, I won't go back.

Maybe They Should Be Called 'Foolgle'?
Good Ole Haiku Lou brought this to my attention (via Kat's blog comments). How's that for namedropping?

Go to Google and into their search box type the word failure and see what it returns.

Oh the nerve of Google! How Dare They? How can they list Michael Moore so high in their search results! (discuss)

Running In Circles. Uphill. Both Ways.
Yesterday the Sunday morning running group ran a sick, twisted, Escher-like ~6 mile course. I suppose I should be thankful that my legs are strong enough to drag my fat ass (okay, fat belly) up hills, but somehow I wasn't that thankful yesterday. The 16.9 ounce Bass Ale cans (oh, the humanity!) awaiting my return were the only thing keeping me going. As a testament to my love of beer I even ran past a Waffle House without stopping in. And by now you should know that I loves me some Waffle House.

Somehow I think the workout was lost with the beer, bagels w/cream cheese, eggs, and that Biggie Sized Wendy's #6 combo I picked up on the way back to mi casa.

Some eat to live. I live to eat (and drink).

TV Worth (Re)Pimping
I am pretty sure that I have mentioned the hilarity that is Drawn Together. I love this cartoon. Now keep in mind that

• I have a sick sense of humor
• I am hard to offend
• I have watched enough RealityTV to get some of the subtle humor

If you are of a similar mindset and have yet to start watching Drawn Together, you are missing out on a great series. I even own Season One on dvd.

Speaking Of DVD Collections
I have a sizeable cd collection, but by anyone's standards my dvd collection is small. This is intentional. I don't really understand owning dvds because unlike music I rarely want to play the dvd more than once. My collection consists of a couple of "standards" that I can watch at any time ("This is Spinal Tap" for instance), and animation (mostly Christmas related). Why would I want to purchase a show like "Alias" on dvd? Don't get me wrong, I like the Jennifer Garner as much as the next guy, but I still don't need to own her tv series on dvd.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - swollen from the large breakfast I ate today
Current Music - none specifically, listening to the "KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic" podcast
Website Of The Day - More Music! More Playlists! All from the kids at WebJay.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - running, ~6 miles
Weekly Weigh-In - tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll get on the scale tomorrow

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today

Okay, it will really be twenty years ago tomorrow that the space shuttle Challenger went boom. Half my life ago I was going to play racquetball at Kangaroo Courts in Clearwater, Florida when I stopped to watch the Challenger's ascent; and then it all went away. Remember Richard Feynman, the man I referred to when I brought up the topic of Tuvan Throat Singing recently? He was on the panel that concluded that it was the O-Rings which were the culprit for the disaster.

It is my belief that the Challenger disaster is my generation's Kennedy Assassination.

Why No iTunes For Linux?
Today I am bothered by the fact that Apple has not released a version of iTunes for Linux. (Linux hatas can STFU right now). OS X, Apple's current operating system, is built on top of a UNIX subsystem so it seems to me that this should not be a monumental effort.

Maybe it's just me...

I Hate Prescriptions
I am currently taking medication which requires a prescription to be filled. I hate having to go to a pharmacist to get the prescription filled. I always feel like I am being judged by the pharmacist because they know for which ailments specific medications are prescribed. Before you get all excited to leave a snarky comment,

• no, it's not for erectile dysfunction
• no, it's not an anti-depressant

Why would I need to go to a pharmacy for these, I get plenty of SPAM offering me these products at "redikulously l0w rates".

Sony Rootkit Updated/Removed(?)
Last night I purchased My Morning Jacket's "Z" CD. "Z" was found near the top of many critics' "Top CDs of 2005" lists, but unfortunately it was also found on the list of CDs which were populated by Sony's Rootkit software. I think when I get to ripping it (in 192kbps no less) this weekend I'll try to remember the whole "press the Shift key while inserting the CD" workaround to attempt to thwart the rootkit.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - hollow, but not light
Current Music - none, listening to the "KFI the Tech Guy" podcast
Website Of The Day - It's Friday. Go check out some great animation at Squetch.Com. Specifically, you should check out one of Channel Frederator's "Top 5 of '05" picks Everyone's Had More Sex Than Me music video.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - nuttin'

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Old Programmers Don't Die, The Just Can't C As Well

As proven by Maigh's Throwdown yesterday I am not really Mensa material. Hell, I can't even take credit for the title for today's entry. I ripped that off from an article in Computerworld.

Is That The Sound Of Crickets I Hear?
Astonishingly yesterday's beer-inspired rant scared everyone away from commenting. C'mon, I know somebody had to read it. Were you afraid that I was hunkered down with a shotgun waiting for an opportune time? I'm not nearly a quiet enough guy to be dangerous.

My Kind Of Town Chicago Is
Or is it not?

With the wind howling in Atlanta all day yesterday and an almost perfectly-timed email from American Airlines arriving I seriously considered booking a trip to Chicago for the Spring.

I've never been to Chicago. With the exception of seeing a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, why should I want to go to Chicago? Can anyone help me out here?

Cruisin' For A Bruisin'
I've lived in Atlanta for eleven years. Not once have I owned a Georgia Cruise Card for our one toll booth along 400. I've considered getting a "card" in the past and with the regularity that I have been driving to work recently it would have been nice.

What has stopped me? First, although built prior to my relocation to Atlanta, the toll booth was supposed to go away once the cost of building 400 was recouped. Yeah, what a load of shit. Putting that aside, the owner of a cruise card used to have to pay a $2(?) monthly licensing fee for the equipment, thus making it more expensive to use 400 than it was without the card.

Now it's down to an issue of card "recharging". Under the current system a new card buyer puts a balance of $40 on the Cruise Card, and then

When your account falls to $10 or less, our system will automatically charge your credit or check debit card to replenish your pre-paid toll balance.

Under $10? At $10 I still have twenty trips left on my card. Why not wait until my card balance goes below $5, or better yet, why not let me choose when to "recharge" the card. Do I re-coup my money through a credit reversal when I return the Cruise Card, or do they conveniently keep the balance too?

Since I no longer have to do laundry at a laundromat perhaps I'll just keep all my quarters ready for the 400 toll booth.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - frenzied, eventhough I've had breakfast and picked up a cup of coffee from Joe's on my commute in.
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Tapes 'n Tapes -- "Insistor"
Website Of The Day - According to the article from which today's title was stolen forty-year old programmers should probably be working in the public sector. To me this means that I should be gambling (I told you I wans Mensa material), so I'm off to Game Theory . Net to brush up on my strategeries.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - running, 4.75 miles

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Drinking And Blogging Shouldn't Don't Mix

Rated NC-17 (but then again when am I not rated NC-17?)

I'm prediciting the future by giving you tomorrow's blog entry tonight (therefore the timestamp you see below is a complete lie --- psst, it's really 8:45pm). I've been drinking alone again, so this will be a semi-freeform entry as opposed to the finely-crafted entries you have grown accustomed to reading. This is a rarity so don't get used to it, regardless of how true, honest, and potentially funny it is.

btw- I am not drunk, but I have a nice buzz going on in my head right now...

Introducing Penhenge!
What to do at the end of a meal when you have three pens and a knife? Construct Penhenge, of course.



Penhenge courtesy of Stacy, Phil and Shane at the Crescent Moon a few weeks ago.

Got Wood?
I initially took this picture to show how large the tree which had been cut down once was. The more I looked at the picture in my cell phone the more it looked like a huge penis with testicles.



Oddly, this picture was taken one year ago to the day in which most of you will see it.

Shit I Wrote When I Wasn't Drinking

I Can See My Love For Podcasts Ending Within Six Months
More and more of the podcasts I listen to are adding advertisement or are planning to add advertisements. Why they are seeing dollars signs, I am seeing abandomnent. I mentioned before that I understand that people are taking time out of their lives and are spending real money to create and distribute podcasts. However, if the greatest invention of the last ten years (imho) is the DVR (you say "TiVo", I say "DVR") giving me the ability to watch programs on my schedule and jump past commercials so that an hour program only costs me forty-two minutes of my life, then being unable to avoid interstitial audio commercials within podcasts is going to be a podcast killer for me. I'd rather listen to my music, unincumbered by advertisements instead.

Returning To The Present
That was really fucking insightful, no?

Before I started drinking tonight I got an excellent haircut at a new place (for me) called Black Cherry Hair Design. 2006 will be different at least that's what I keep trying to tell myself, hence the change in stylists... Turns out that the owner Jessica is a pseudo-neighbor of mine, as she also is an East Atlanta resident.

I'd offer you a picture, but my eyes are mean from drinking the Devil's Water. I'm not sure why, but that last sentence just made me laugh!

Oh yeah, and I just rememebered this. Her salon scored an extra "Paulie Hip Point" because while I was there I heard The Faint playing over her stereo system.

And Then The Eating And Drinking Began
I've become somewhat of a drinking lightweight. I ate dinner at Cantina La Casita (blaming Jessica here because she mentioned the chips and salsa there and I suddenly had a craving).



After eating (and having one beer) I walked up to Graveyard Tavern where I had another beer before heading home where I've kept the drinking going.

Aw, Pisser!
I just read that one of the bands I "discovered" in Aught-Five has split. De Novo Dahl have come apart at the seams. Their double CD set called "Cats and Kittens" was one of the better "indie" releases that I heard last year. My condolences to the group and best wishes to all involved.

Aw, Double Pisser!
And now I just found out that The Get Up Kids also broke up last year. Fuckin' A, all this good music going by the wayside...

Well kids, that's all I care to spill tonight (save the regular, copyrighted feature of the ideas stolen from LiveJournal).

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - intoxicatingly useless, off to get another beer
Current Drink - Flying Dog's Gonzo Imperial Porter. 9.5% alcohol by volume, fuck that's harsh!
Current Music - Neutral Milk Hotel -- "Two Headed Boy". These guys were fucking brilliant, and finding them so long after they broke up really pisses me off.
Website Of The Day - My picture should be at Planet Perplex because I am certainly perplexed as to why the fuck I am on this planet.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - Who fucking cares, because right now I sure don't!

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Are You Surprised That Davy Jones Was The Shortest Monkee?

But Am I Really Going To Save $45?
With my big Super Blow^TM party coming up in about two week's time I considered joining Costco yesterday so that I could pull in the Big Savings on all the party fixins. Up until last year I was a member of Sam's Club. However since the office has moved and I Marta into work, Sam's Club is not really that convenient for me.

I considered becoming a Costco member until I found out that their yearly membership is $45! Forty. Five. Dollars. For one person. For one year. I doubt seriously that I could get big enough Big Savings to justify a Costco membership.

Okay Ikea Zealots, I Need Your Help
I have been looking for a piece of furniture for the mansion for a few months now (and for those who know me well, this stay in the same place in the house until I move) and finally found what I was looking for at Ikea online. This is what I am looking to buy (the Magiker Sideboard)

(sorry about the spacing, I just grabbed the image location from Ikea)
The problem is that it is not available (read "in stock") in Atlanta. Is there a way that I can have Ikea do a store-to-store transfer so that I don't have to pay shipping charges?

I Am Such A Creature Of Habit
Last week Google changed its Gmail interface by moving the Delete option from a pull dowm list to a dedicated button. I am predicting it will take me a good three weeks before I stop going to the pull down list in order to delete a mail message. Afterall it took me over a year to stop trying to open my sunroof in the Honda by pressing the buttons on the roof (the Honda's sunroof controls are to the left of the steering wheel, my old Nissan had them on the roof).

You've Got To Be Kidding Me
Last night I needed a break from trivia, so I decided to do something different. I had made plans to go out and join a group party, but the more I thought about it the less comfortable I felt joining the group, so I decided to skip that as well. On my drive home I decided that I might want to do something that I have not done in some time, somthing that would also provide me with some exercise; I decided that I would run the Atlanta Moonlight Hash. Remarkably, I remembered the phone number for the Atlanta Hare Line and gave it a call. What did I find out? That the Monday night hash was starting in the parking lot of the CompUSA that I can see from my office. Oye Fucking Vey! Who wants to take a guess that I didn't immediately turn the car around and drive back to my office?

I would have packed clothes to run the trail today just to see where it went, but Tuesday is always a busy day at work and I have early plans tonight. Perhaps I'll give it a go tomorrow.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Is there a Big Brothers program for forty year olds? I am not looking to become a Big Brother, I am looking for a Big Brother (or Big Sister). All of my friends have entered (or are soon to enter) Grown Up Land, so I am looking for irresponsible adults who want to hang out in bars. I've been told that I am funny, can shoot pool or throw darts marginally well, and at least for the time being have enough money to cover my bar tabs.

More TV Worth Watching
Not to stroke the egos of the kids over at [adult swim] but they are showing tv programs that I think are brilliant. Specifically, I am hooked on Robot Chicken (although can we start and end this show on a half-hour boundry please?) and, although I wasn't initially sold, am really digging The Boondocks. Toss these two shows in with my other favorites such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force and The Brak Show, and those kids have themselves a really good lineup over there. Although what the fuck is up with that Davey and Goliath inspired Morel Orel show?

CD Pick Of The Week
We are far enough from the backend of the holidays for artists to start once again dropping new releases. Today, I have two picks on my plate to serve up for you.

The first of these is from Cat Power and is called "The Greatest". Don't get the title confused and think that this is a Greatest Hits release for Cat Power, these are all new songs. From the couple of singles I have heard it sounds promising, and besides it's from a really decent label, Matador Records.

The second CD is a two-CD release called "From A Compound Eye" from Robert Pollard, the former lead singer of one of the my favorite former bands Guided By Voices. I am not sure that I have even heard a single track from this release, but Pollard's past successes (in my ears) is worthy of a nod from me.

As always, if you are one of those people "in the business" and you think that you'd like for me to give your CDs "real reviews", contact me at itpBlogBox (at) gmail (dot) com and get me some promo discs.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - fair
Current Music - Listening to a CBC Radio 3 podcast, currently playing some decent hip-hop music
Website Of The Day - Go see how you measure up (literally) to "celebrities" over at Tall Or Not. PS- I'm skeptical about believing that Tom Cruise is 5'7" tall.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - too lazy
Weekly Weigh-In - 202 pounds, although according to my scale my body-fat percentage has increased.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Not Even I Could See This One Coming

In With The New
Well, as you can see the new refrigerator is in. What you probably can't tell, even with my exemplary photography skills, is that one of the installers managed to break the glass in the cabinet next to the refrigerator's place. And here I was all worried that they were going to spring a leak in my water pipes...



On Sunday morning I had cold milk, and I didn't have to use my foot to close the refrigerator's door. This is going to be niiice.

Not Even Motivated Enough To Be Unmotivated
On Friday night I got into a major funk, the type that doesn't allow me to get off the couch. Strange.

Whilke sitting on the couch I thought about strolling up to the village to get some food (I wasn't hungry) or to have a few drinks at Graveyard (to chat with the bartender, but then I remembered that they now have Jazz on Friday nights) or Gravity (but I didn't want to sit up there alone), none of which motivated me. I thought about the hash happy hour which was at the new Midtown bar "The Spotted Dog" on North Avenue (think old firehouse across from NationsBank Bank of America building). Nothing sounded better than sitting on the couch. At somepoint I looked at the clock and it was 10:30pm, which made everything except going up to The Earl for a show moot.

Computer - Monitor = Fairly Useless
Last week I blogged about my monitor's death. I am now struggling with the idea of buying a new monitor or relegating the machine to the roll of headless server. It is currently my "media center", the box I use to download, rip CDs (especially since Captain Brilliant's 192kbps project ruined my laptop's DVD drive), and sync up my iPod. What I have noticed is that all of these tasks kinda need a monitor. For instance, I cannot delete anything from my iTunes library remotely, at least to the best of my knowledge. Therefore, until I hook this pc up to a monitor I will keep accumulating podcasts at least until I run out of disk space.

Oh the decisions I face...

Cooking Up Some Cajun
Easy's birthday party on Saturday night was a blast. Can you say two kegs of Abita, one Purple Haze, one Turbo Dog? I knew you could.

To prepare for the festivities I went to the grocery store for something other than beer for the first time in quite a while. Since when have green bell peppers become so valuable ($2.99/lb on "sale")?

The plan I had was two-fold. I was going to experiment with a new jambalaya recipe, one that was made in a crockpot because I couldn't guarantee that I'd have the time to make stovetop version. In addition, if time permitted (read "four hours") I was also going to make Emeril Lagasse's red beans and rice recipe (which sounds vegetarian, but this is cajun cooking I'm talking about) just in case the crockpot jambalaya sucked.

I managed to find the time to make both. Both recipes were edible, but to me the red beans and rice was a far superior dish. Now if it only didn't require so much time to cook...

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - sore
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Beulah -- "Gene Autry" (Man, they sound a lot like Wilco)
Website Of The Day - I have many old books. Perhaps I should construct a bar out of my old books just like these young chaps have. Wait, this might be even better.... Check out the aptly named "Expressionless Girl" in this series of photos. I'm seeing a "Weekend at Bernadette's" movie in her future.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - one tough Black Sheep trail yesterday
Weekly Weigh-In - forgot, maybe this should be a Tuesday feature?

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Not really. It's really coffee and muffin time at Joe's Coffee Shop. I've taken the day off from work in order to get some tasks done, hence the slow start blogging today.

APWBWGTTD - ME = ???
Last night's Atlanta People With Blogs Who Get Together And Drink was held at Trader Vic's. I am not a fan of Trader Vic's, so I decided to skip. As it turns out Ms. Maigh also decided to skip, so we held a APWBWGTTD break-out session at RuSan's in Ansley instead. With the exception of the sometimes-loud cackling from some of the patrons and Saki Bomb chanting from the waitstaff it was quite a nice dinner.

Out With The Old


If all goes to plan the delivery men from Sears will be coming by this afternoon to tote away the old refrigerator and replace it with the new one. In my old house most "routine" tasks escalate into larger tasks, I hope this one goes well.

On Monday, in with the new.

The High Price Of Fitness?
I've been a runner and cyclist for years. In an attempt to regain past fitness levels, and perhaps the youth that partnered with them, I have been trying to do events such as half-marathons, cycling centuries, etc. The theory is that it will force me to train for them, although truth be told I never do.

Unless it is completely my imagination, this year's rates for the events in which I want to participate are exceedingly high

• Mercedes Half-Marathon ($50)
• Nashville Half-Marathon ($50)
• ALS Ride ($75)

The out-of-town events don't include the cost of travel and lodging associated with them. For the running events I'm thinking of banditing since I can always carry my own water, and the last things I need are more t-shirts and medals (I've never understood getting a medal, what the hell am I supposed to do with it?)

It's Time To Party, Cajun Style
My friend Little Easy celebrated a birthday the other day and is having his annual birthday bash tomorrow night.

I love Easy's birthday parties because it allows me to experiment with some cajun cooking (thrusting it upon the party-going guinea pigs) and there is always plenty of beer.

This morning I am skimming through Emeril Lagasse's "Louisiana Real & Rustic" cookbook to see what ingredients I need to purchase at the grocery store later.

Speaking Of Guinea Pigs
The other day I heard the story about the restaurant in which health inspectors found a (fully dressed -- in cooking parlance) guinea pig in its freezer. Attentive readers of this space will recognize La Sabrosa as the restaurant I praised to no end when I used to work on North Druid Hills. The chef explained that the guinea pig was destined for his own consumption (a Peruvian delicacy I'm told), but when he was unable to produce a receipt he had to discard it.

I was slightly taken aback by this news when I realized that I may have been served guinea pig, but then when I found out that guinea pigs plates cost around $35 at specialty Peruvian restaurants I realized that I probably hadn't been. Now that I know what it costs, I kinda wish that I had been served some...

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - unsure
Current Music - Whatever Rat Pack era music is being pumped through the coffee shop
Website Of The Day - Ever wonder where the whole "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" thing was started (or at least made wildly popular)? Go to Ebaums World and you will find it.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - nada

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Naturally Selected

My Mother Wanted A Dentist, I Turned Out To Be Dense
A few days ago I received an email from my friend Stacey which alerted me to an album in the iTunes Music Store. The email's body read "pimp this yo!", which I naturally understood to be the title of the album. After failing to find "Pimp This Yo!" in iTunes I was going to reply to her and ask her what the hell she was talking about. And then like Paul Harvey I read "the rest of the story."

It seems that Stacey was trying to tell me that our friend Dejie's album "Why Try To Change Me Now" is available from iTunes and that she wanted me to pimp it. D'Oh!!

Hey Dejie, or perhaps one of Dejie's "people", can you name the next cd "Pimp This Yo!" so that I don't have this difficulty in the future? Thanks!

Remember kids-- Reading, it's fun for mentals fundamental.

From The Office For The Mentally Challenged
Who designs an office with two sets of doors, one which you pull to open and the next you push to open? Who I ask? Who?

Last Friday afternoon I went to ask someone a question in a new office in our building. I managed to navigate the "pull" doors fine, but was stopped in my tracks when I tried to pull the next set of doors. I assumed that, it being after 5pm, they were closed so I yelled to the person through the second set of doors "I just have one quick question." to which she replied "Push." I looked down at the door handles and sure enough the little stickers read "PUSH." The woman behind the desk laughed and I was ready for my own personal "Want to get away?" Southwest Airlines commercial.

Tuvan Throat Singing On The Daily Show
What? What? What?! Imagine my surprise when I heard Tuvan throat singing mentioned on the "This Week In God" segment of The Daily Show the other day.

I have been interested in Tuvan throat singing since I began studying the life of Richard Feynman about twenty years ago. Feynman's interest in Tuva was sparked by a postage stamp he had as a child.

My interest in Tuvan throat singing was further piqued when I saw the documentary Ghangis Blues which chronicled blues composer and singer Paul Pena's trip to Tuva to compete in their throat singing competition. [bummer, I just found out that Pena died on October 1st of last year]

I am incapable of throat-singing, although I have been accused of making similar noises in my sleep, but I am still completely fascinated by the skill.

Google Earth Has Made It To The Mac!
Mac Hatas have slightly less ammunition (why is this word always abbreviated as "ammo" and not "ammu"?) to fire. Yes, Google has finally released a version of Google Earth that will run on a Mac. Halle-fucking-lujah!

If you've not wasted time spanning the globe using Google Earth on the PC, you might want to give it a spin. The amount of detail, admittedly some outdated, that one can see at a fairly snappy pace when using a high-speed internet connection is astonishing.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - huge
Current Music - The Bands Under The Radar podcast, #12
Website Of The Day - Google Earth. Naturally.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - running, 4.75 miles

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Natalie Portman Rocks My World

I can't help it. I saw a picture of Natalie Portman with her hair still very short because she shaved her head for her latest film and I was amazed. OMFG, she's adorable.

This is not the exact image that caused my reaction (I was foiled trying to link to the actual picture because it was presented in a Flash-based gallery), but it does show off just how fucking cute she is.



Appliances? I Needed Stinking Appliances!
Maybe it was the fact that I was watching the Price Is Right at lunch. Maybe it was because I had $1000 of Sears Gift Cards burning holes in my pocket (yes Stacey, those gift cards). Or maybe it was because I was reading one of my posts from last January in which I referenced not buying a new refrigerator.

Yesterday I finally bought a new refrigerator! Woo Hoo! No more kicking the refrigerator door shut (at least I hope so)! I can't complain too much about the refrigerator that will be leaving the house; it was "thrown in" with the house when I bought it nearly seven years ago. It has served me well.

This Week I Am A Bad Martazen
I have not ridden Marta once this week.

It started Monday because it was a holiday. Yesterday the weather looked like it was going to be horrible to try and walk to/from Marta, and I needed to run over to Sears after work to buy the aforementioned refrigerator. Today I am just a lazy fuck who has all intentions of attempting a much-needed run after work (that spare tire around my waist is not getting any smaller). Maybe I'll get back on the rails tomorrow.

Hmmm, I Don't Think That My Monitor Should Make That Noise
I can't say that it came as a surprise that my computer monitor at home died yesterday. For many months the center portion of the screen was blurry. It was so blurry [note for you early-morning readers: this ended here because someone interrupted me. read on now] that I thought I needed to get my eyes checked. When I arrived home yesterday I heard an odd clicking noise coming from my office, which turned out to be the monitor telling me that it had finally given up.

It looks like it's now time for me to finally figure out my next home computer strategy...

The Podfather Keeps Mentioning The ATL
Adam Curry has been doing some name dropping of Atlanta recently. After doing a little digging I have found that he does business with THINK Interactive, Inc. on Spring Street, formerly known as Interweb. This is additionally interest of me because I always wondered what Interweb did when I drove passed their cool office building back in the DotCom days.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - meh
Current Music - none, Adam Curry's "Daily Source Code" podcast
Website Of The Day - Don't read anything into this, but I have stumbled across a great organization for helping stray dogs called (fittingly) Stray Atlanta.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - none
Weekly Weigh-In - Yikes! 204 pounds.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Inside The Perimeter Day

Many of you had a day off yesterday. I did not. So I am taking one today.

Paulie [eatl/ga]

He Is The Reason For The Season

But unfortunately for me his birthday is not as widely celebrated as His birthday, so I find myself at work. Yes, even in the city of his birth Martin Luther King Jr Day is not celebrated by all. Guess I will have to cancel my parade plans.

Oh Thank God, We Are Changing The Nickel Again!
Do you remember when I wondered aloud why the hell we changed the appearance of the nickel? Well according to this USA Today article it's going to happen again! C'mon US Mint, can we please stop wasting tax dollars by redesigning these tiny denominations? This is just getting fucking ridiculous.

Two Things I Learned Friday
Friday was an educational day for me. I learned

1. If I am going to go to a concert at The EARL on a Friday night I might want to get more sleep than I did on Thursday
2. If Step 1 fails, I probably shouldn't begin drinking at 5pm

I had all intentions of seeing Tiger! Tiger! at The EARL. After work some of us got together for happy hour drinks and after three beers I toddled off to Marta to head back to my neighborhood. Getting back to East Atlanta near 9pm I decided to stay out and then go to the show. Gravity was empty, so I decided to drink there instead of going into Graveyard. Amazingly I ran into some friends while I was sitting at Gravity, so I stayed there for another two beers bring the night's total to six.

Near 10:30pm I went over to The EARL where a band (one of the three I thought were to play) was already on stage. I couldn't hear/understand any of their lyrics. The next set started, complete with more vocals I couldn't pick out of the loud-ass music, and I had a Miller High Life in hand. When they were done I was happy because I thought I was going to make it through the night. At that point I realized that the band coming onto the stage was still not Tiger! Tiger!. When they started to play and I once again I couldn't hear/understand any lyrics I took it as a sure sign that the same would happen when/if Tiger! Tiger! took the stage, so I went home. Anyone else go? Was it just me?

You Must Grow Old, You Don't Have To Grow Up
And thanks to friends like Stacy and Phil I don't have to. Saturday was a day of childish games, outlet shopping, and goofing off. We were all headed up to a friend's place on Lake Hartwell for over-endulging on food and beverage.



MY COW! (sorry, I guess you had to be there)

It's Monday, There Must Be Trivia
Although there has been some disagreement, it looks like Meet The Hashers will be gathering at Johnny's Pizza for some cheap food and beer for trivia. We will win, unless we don't.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - pretty good
Current Music - none, listening to the MacCast podcast
Website Of The Day - You're a Google Maps freak you say? Go see what others are doing with the Google Maps API at the Google Maps Mania Blog (pssst, my favorite is the beer mapping project). [thanks for the tip, Randy aka Banger Not!]

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - walking 4 miles on Friday
Weekly Weigh-In - I forgot again! Check in tomorrow.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Friday Addendum

Pre-sale tickets for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's March 10th show at Variety Playhouse went on sale today! Go here to buy.

You'll notice over there ---> that I've already committed to going.

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Batten Down The Hatches!!!

These Are The Coffee Shops In The Neighborhoods
The "On Camera Weather Talent" is telling us that a big cold front is headed our way and we should expect rain (or worse) today. I checked the radar and I agree with them (which I am sure is comforting for them).

So today I tool a klaw, which is one of my walks to my car only in reverse. These are the coffee shops I passed until I blessed Aurora (Highlands) with my presence.

• Aurora (L5P)
• Starbucks (L5P)
• Java Vino
• San Francisco Coffee (closed when I passed)
• Starbucks (Highlands)

In the two minutes I was in the shop I heard one female employee tell another female employee "Girls I know how to handle, guys I don't know whether or not to stroke their egos". I wanted to tell her "Of course you should, we like that sort of shit", but didn't want to let on that I had heard what she was saying.

This morning I came to realize that there are a lot of people who get up and run early in the morning (I was walking from 6:30am-7:45am) around the Highlands/Midtown. Must be nice.

Hashers: They Are Everywhere
Yesterday I read an article on The Motley Fool that made me curious as to why the author said what he said. What I like about these Internet Times is that you can usually click on the author's name and get an email address, or even more information about the author. Imagine my surprise when I saw the following line in the author's profile:

Favorite Sport or Team: Hashing, 'bent riding

Well, I for one don't know what the hell "'bent riding" is (Get it? "hell bent" Get it now?), but I certainly know what "Hashing" is! Now I know why the article didn't make sense, it was written by a half-mind.

To The Person With The Fireworks: FUCK OFF!
My neighborhood has been far from perfect of late. We seem to be experiencing what the kids call an "increase in violent crime." At 5am this morning, when my alarm clock is set to go off, I heard a series of about six blasts. My first thought? "Great, someone is shooting at somebody else." Then not two minutes later I heard more noises, these more like the fireworks which get shot up into the air and then explode. I am starting to get really jumpy and I don't like it one bit!

Hmmm, This Sounds Familiar
Here is one of the lead stories from today's Atlanta Journal Constitution "Lowered thermostats haven't kept gas bills from soaring." Cool, I can now officially say that this blog is "ripped from today's headlines", or "based on a true story." I am nowhere near arrogant enough to think that the writer of that story reads this shit. :)

On a side note: Hey developers and home buyers, keep building and buying 4,000+ sq foot McMansions. You are really helping solve these issues. Or perhaps not...

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - sweaty
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing The Avalanches -- "Frontier Psychiatrist"
Website Of The Day - Are you the "curious" type? Go over to MetaFilter and see what sort of bizarre questions are being asked (and sometimes answered).

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - none, took a day off

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

What To Post When Life Is A Bore?

I really don't have too much to say today. My yesterday consisted of driving to and from work (no Marta for reasons of having to dress up for work), working, going to the post office, running and drinking at George's and then going home to immediately fall asleep. There it is, you've read about my day in a nutshell. Here are some scattered thoughts for today.

I Am Jonesing For Live Music
It's been a (recently defined) really long time since I have seen a live show. Looking back at my archives the last show I went to was on November 26th! Thankfully I still plan on going to The EARL tomorrow night to see Tiger! Tiger!. For those of you who read this from my site, keep an eye on the "Listening Skills Required" required section to see where I will be popping up [note: removal of [tentative] usually means I've purchased a ticket and fully intend on going].

Friends With The Trends
Man, it's been amazing how a lot of my friends' lives seem to run synchronously. First, all of the women were getting pregnant. Then, all of the couples were getting engaged (not necessarily in that order). Now, the long-time pet companions are starting to pass away. For the good I congratulate them, and for the sorrow I give my utmost condolences.

Sometimes I doubt the old saying that it is better to love and lost than to have never loved at all.

If You'll Put This In Your Mouth, What Else Can I Get You To Put In Your Mouth?
That seems to be a bit long to have printed on a custom printed M&M, but I'd like to try. Custom printed M&M you ask? Yes, if you go to M&M's Store you can order custom printed M&Ms. Do yourself a favor and stay away from those trite sayings like "Be Mine" that you can for cheap on those Valentine's hearts.

TV Worth Watching
On Saturday night (7pm Eastern) the History Channel is showing the episode of its series Modern Marvels which talks about beer brewing.

It's one of the world's oldest and most beloved beverages--revered by Pharaohs and brewed by America's Founding Fathers. Today, brewing the bitter elixir is a multi-billion-dollar global industry. Join us for an invigorating look at brewing's history from prehistoric times to today's cutting-edge craft breweries, focusing on its gradually evolving technologies and breakthroughs. We'll find the earliest known traces of brewing, which sprang up independently in such far-flung places as ancient Sumeria, China, and Finland; examine the surprising importance that beer held in the daily and ceremonial life of ancient Egypt; and at Delaware's Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, an adventurous anthropologist and a cutting-edge brewer show us the beer they've concocted based on 2,700-year-old DNA found in drinking vessels from the funerary of the legendary King Midas.

I'll be recording so that I can spend an evening in the future drinking beer while watching a show about brewing beer.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - tired, my back is sore
Current Music - none, listening to the "KFI the Tech Guy" podcast
Website Of The Day - MacUser was once a magazine for Mac users (BRILLIANT!). Today MacUser is a really good blog for Mac users (like ME).

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - running, approximately 5.5 miles

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Business Breeds Brevity

I can't give details, but this will be a quickie.

Apple had a big day yesterday. I am quite geeked up about their announcements. I don't have time for details, but there are probably dozens of blogs/sites out there that can fill you in if you so desire.

Paste Has A Podcast
Those kids over at Paste Magazine have started a podcast that they are calling the "Paste Culture Club" (sorry, couldn't find the link for the feed). I gave their first episode, which was a mixture of music, interviews and reviews, a listen and it's pretty good. I look forward to hearing more from the folks over in Decatur.

Huh?
Try to figure this out. Studies are finding that people are listening to their music too loudly and could possibly be causing hearing loss. Recently I read where Pete Townshend (for those too young to know he was the guitarist for The Who. Look it up in your history books) is advising people to be careful with the earbuds which come with mp3 players. Given that Townshend was told that he would be going deaf if he continued to play rock music the way The Who did so many years ago, I think that he is almost an authority on the matter so I respect his concern.

Here's where I prove my stupidity for the first time (?) today. I have always been a huge fan of The Who (no, that's not the stupidity, keep reading). So, when I hear the names "Pete Towshend" and "The Who" I think to myself "Man, I haven't listened to that music in years!" and promptly start listening via my iPod. The problem with this is that I can't listen to The Who at a low volume so I crank it up, which is exactly what I have been warned not to do from no other than Pete Townshend! Thanks Pete. Thanks for nothing! At least breeding doesn't seem to be on my To-Do list anytime in the near future.

A Recipe For Stupidity
Kids and impressionable adults should stop reading now and jump to the next section.

Take
- one part new exercise routine
- one part desire to eat pizza (not just any pizza, Fellini's pizza)
- one part guilt for wanting said pizza
- one part stubborness that refuses to walk to pizza shop instead to car so that I can drive to Fellini's
- one part desire to see different scenery

Voila, you've created the three hour commute home!

While riding the train home I decided that I would stop for dinner before getting to my car. The problem was that the place I wanted to eat was further away (which was much further than I realized) than my car. But, if I am going to eat, I am going to walk dammit!

To make it perfectly clear, this long commute was not Marta's fault, it was completely mine. But that's what makes me so "special."

WTF? To BTUs
According to the gas company I used $212 worth of natural gas in my house for the month of December! Basically, I dropped the temperature, wore sweaters, used blankets, and generally froze my ass off only to use about the same amount of gas as always, just at double the rate. Bummer.

Here's to Global Warming!

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - tired
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Wilco -- "Handshake Drugs (live)"
Website Of The Day - Planning a trp to New York? Bone up on your pizza knowledge by reading SliceNY, the blog about the NYC pizzeria world.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - walking, approximately 7 miles (not all to get pizza)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

All Over The Map Tuesday

Here's A Fear Of Heights I Did Conquer
Oddly while listening to the Five Hundy By Midnight podcast this morning I heard that the Stratosphere is closing their roller coaster; the one that encircled the observation tower at about 1000 feet above ground. While in Vegas some time back (2002?) I actually rode the coaster. Riding the ride was the fun part. Waiting for the elevator all the way up at the top of the Stratosphere was not.

This episode was their homage to the Boardwalk casino, which has recently closed. I can tell when they recorded their segments because they reference the Jets getting beaten by the Falcons on Monday Night Football. Seriously, can we stop ripping on the Jets already!

Stroke Me, Stroke Me
Anyone out there get to go to The Strokes concert at The Loft last night? Unfortunately, I heard about the show too late and have absolutely no pull in this city.

Peroni Ad Goes Bye-Bye
On my walk through the Highlands back to my car last night I noticed that the Peroni Storefront Billboard has gone away. There was brown paper covering the window so perhaps they are just changing the ad, but I doubt it.

Taco Mac, All Your Base Belong To Meet The Hashers
With the ending of the Monday Night Football season Meet The Hashers once again assembled to play Team Trivia at Taco Mac. This was also our first time back since our friend Amy moved to Los Angeles to pursue her filmmaking dreams.

I was in possession of the team's house cash which consisted of two Taco Mac debit cards. Frustratingly, one of the debit cards had a zero balance. I was shocked that no one assumed that I had secretly used the card without their participation, but am pleased to know that my team knows that I don't play that way.

It was a pleasant return as we managed to take first place! W00t!

My Two Cents Now Goes To The Post Office
In case you hadn't heard, to US postal rates went up by two cents yesterday. I knew that I should have gotten that damn passport renewal mailed on Friday! Eh, at least this will force me to go to the post office and buy some two cent stamps to stick on envelopes when I use my old thirty-seven cent stamps.

CD Pick Of The Week Returns!
Who couldn't get excited about a little morning wood? Get you mind out of the gutter, I'm talking about the band Morningwood. There self-titled CD drops today. I admit that I have only heard one song from it (btw - if any of you with contacts feel free to send me promo CDs), which is rather catchy eventhough it has self-referential lyrics (a practice that I usually cannot stand).

The kids over at kissAtlanta really like the CD from We Are Scientists. But since I have yet to find the time to hear the two mp3s that they have posted in their review (again - if any of you with contacts feel free to send me promo CDs), I have no opinion about the CD.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - foggy
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Primal Scream -- "Loaded"
Website Of The Day - I'm not saying that I need to go to the gym, but rather bring the gym to my iPod using the cleverly named iPod Gym.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - walking, approximately 6 miles
Weekly Weigh In - 203 pounds (bummer, I was hoping with all my walking this would have been lower)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I've Got Phobias

Yes I do.
I've got phobias.
How about you?

I Don't Like To Get High
I have an incredible fear of heights. When Sunday's Black Sheep trail went over a train trestle that crossed the Chattahoochie, I not only said "No!", I said "Hell No!" Unlike the other hashers, I really couldn't convince myself that it was a wise decision to cross this trestle. After all, this was constructed for trains not humans so it wasn't like there were consessions made for foot travel. I was told by those with the chutzpah to cross it that is was very scary.

My name is Paulie and I was unable to do what others were able to do. There. I admitted it -- I am far from perfect.

White Elephant, Pink Elephant
So are you wondering what gift I brought to this year's re-gifting party? It was this

(if you are having trouble seeing the picture, go here)
When I bought those sodas around Thanksgiving I was so excited to drink them; that was until I tasted them on Thanksgiving at a friend's house. They were disgusting! I was flummoxed as to what I was going to do with my sodas until I remembered about the re-gifting party. I hope that the recipient enjoys them at least as much as I did.

Oh, and what did I walk away with from the party? A book called Who Pooped In The Park.

The wine part evening was a complete smash. I want to thank the hosts for allowing me to sleep over and avoid a DUI or worse. You kindness is much appreciated. And for those in need of hangover relief, I can highly recommend Crescent Moon's "The Heap" (The Heap, $6.95/$4.95 half, A heap of seasoned potatoes topped with bacon, cheddar cheese and two eggs any style).

And Closer To Home
On Saturday night I stayed within walking distance of the house. Originally I was going to go over to the Young Blood Gallery for the Art Dorks show. However, it was a Lazy Saturday (sans chronic) so I bailed. The night's meal was a delicious burro from Cantina La Casita, followed by a few beers at Graveyard Tavern while attending my friend Glenn's fortieth birthday party.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - feet planted firmly on ground
Current Music - none, listening to the This Week In Tech podcast
Website Of The Day - Need some new workout tunes for your mp3 player? Try JogTunes.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - hashing, well at least part of one
Weekly Weigh In - dammit, I forgot!

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I Don't "Get" Craig's List

What am I missing? I get the fact that some guy named Craig from San Francisco started a website in the Golden Age of the Web to do classified ads and it spread like wildfire. What I'd like to know is why did it become popular?

I'd Buy That For $1, But Not The $1000 You Are Asking
For a while I have desired to buy a cheap, but serviceable computer to turn into a Linux box (yeah I know, I'm a fucking nerd). So for the past few weeks I have been checking out the computer section of the Atlanta listings. I have yet to find a bargain. People tend think that their electronics maintain a value based on the amount of money they spent to purchase it.

And yesterday I found this gem, which is even better!

Date: 2006-01-05, 2:18PM EST

Experienced computer tech willing to trade setup/repair/consulting services for time spent with ladies.

* this is in or around Gwinnett
* no -- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Oh why didn't I think of this??? btw- you know it is not me because of the statement "this is in or around Gwinnett."

On The Off Chance You Thought I Was "The One"

You, the cute girl on Southbound Marta Wednesday night. Me, the guy who was reading over your shoulder in hopes that you would notice me. We both got off the train at Five Points. Should I have read your lack of interest as playing hard to get?

That's the sort of nonsense people put in the "missed connections" section. Does this shit actually work for anyone? If the same person I saw in a train was interested, and read this section of Craig's List, and responded, I might as well go out and buy a lottery ticket that night since I think both have the same odds for me.

Vindication, It's More Than Just A River In South America
Last night I stayed home to catch up on a couple of chores, and apparently re-correct my home network. Knowledge -- not necessarily good for everyone.

However, while doing all of this I was listening to a show on Sirius called "Matt Pinfield Plays Whatever The Hell He Wants" (or something to that effect) [side note for the youngsters: Matt Pinfield is "known" for once being the host of MTV's "Headbangers' Ball" and "120 Minutes"]. Last night Matt Pinfield played a song by Piebald. Yes, the same Piebald that your's truly went out and saw in concert back in November. As a matter of fact I am special!

On the local scene, good old Album 88 made me happy this morning by letting their DJs play whatever they wanted (should this have been called "Some Kid Who Never Heard Of Matt Pinfield Plays Whatever The Hell He Wants")? Anyway, in the hour or so that I was listening I heard Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Granddaddy, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Maybe there is hope for this younger generation afterall...

The Gift That Keeps On Giving (no, not herpes)
Oh, someone will be very lucky tonight! Tonight I'll be attending a Wine And Re-Gift party hosted by my friends (and former bloggers who are currently addicted to XBox 360) Phil and Stacy. Last year I re-gifted the Jesus clock that I won at Gravity Pub bingo (much like the lamp in the movie A Christmas Story, it was the Grand Prize that night). On Monday you can find out what my wonderful gift was. Tune in then, won't you?

[UPDATE @12:45pm] My fortune cookie today reads "You may attend a party where strange customs prevail." Too funny!

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - Fridaylicious
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Rilo Kiley -- "Portions For Foxes"
Website Of The Day - Craig's List, naturally.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - walking, approximately 6 miles

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Trends I Like, And Some I Don't

Never A Dull Moment In The Hood
Upon returning home from George's last evening there was a SUV "parked" in the middle of my street in front of my house. The vehicle looked somewhat abandoned, so I naturally called 911. The police came out, investigated, took some fingerprints, and had the car hauled off.

This is the third time in the last three years that I have had to call the police to my house. In my previous thirty-seven years I think that I may have called 911 once. Frankly, I am getting a bit tired of this.

I'll Try To Eat A Mango In Durango
I've planned my first trip for 2006. What I didn't specify a few days ago is that one of my goals this year is to get out of Atlanta more often, regardless of whether or not I have a travel companion (don't get me started on this, just accept the fact that this is one of my "issues").

In September I'll be travelling to Durango Colorado for the twelfth annual Colorado InviHashional. I am really looking forward to this since it will be the first time I've travelled for a hashing event.

More Trends I'd Like To See This Year
What has happened to mouth etiquette? Why aren't people able to chew gum with the mouths completely closed any longer? Would it kill people to cover their mouths when the yawn, sneeze, or cough? C'mon people, it's common courtesy.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Last night's run was five miles long at a nice comfortable pace. I was quite pleased with the running effort. I wish I could say the same for my performance at practicing restraint from drinking and eating afterwards. Perhaps the burger (heaped with bleu cheese) was a bad choice? Who am I to turn down the offer of free beer? Could you?

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - pretty good
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Ween -- "Gabrielle"
Website Of The Day - One of the new travel services I've heard about recently is OneTime. What's nice about OneTime is that it will search multiple travel sites as selected by you. I just might use it for my trip to Durango... Oh you don't like that one? Well try SideStep instead.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - running, approximately 5 miles

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Cat Got Your Tongue?

Things sure are quiet around here. Was your resolution to stop reading this space? If so, you probably aren't reading this now. Theoretically I could say very nasty things about you right now and you'd never know. But that's not how I play the game.

Oh The Things I Do
I used to be overly cautious, doing the "right thing" whenever possible. So last night I decided to forget my mantra of doing the "right thing" and open a beer bottle using a drawer pull instead of turning around and walking two steps to get a bottle opener. What did I get for my careless living? A fucking broken drawer pull. That's right, I snapped the handle in pieces trying to open the beer bottle. Fuck. Me.

Hey Bloggers, Looking For A Change?
2006 will likely see this space leaving Blogger as a back end. Blogger is good, but I want more. (fear not www.InsideThePerimeter.com will always get you to this blog). If you are like me, and I feel for you if you are, I found a great chart which compares the major blogging players. Follow this link to view the chart.

New Year Will Have A Running Start
Tonight you will find me at George's. There I will be executing this thing the kids call "running" and following it with this thing I call "drinking." However, I shan't be drinking as much as I normally would since I am trying this whole streamlining thing so that I have less belly with which to belly up to the bar in the future.

There is also this thing called the Rose Bowl on the telly tonight that I might watch, mostly with partial attention. Truth be told I am really bowled out right now, there are just too many on tv.

If You Can Read This
Then you probably don't need to understand how to read this


Today Google's banner is celebrating the birthday of Louis Braille. I'll give you three guesses as to why Louis Braille was significant, the first two don't count.

I am fascinated by the world of the blind. I seriously hope that I never have to find out how to get around as a blind person; it must be incredibly hard.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - 12 million strong and growing!
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Radiohead -- "Pyramid Song"
Website Of The Day - Need a little diversion from your day? Looking to watch some flash animation? Well my friend, you should surf on over to Atlanta's own Homestar Runner.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - walking, approximately 4.5 miles

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Return To Normalcy

Putting The Shit Into IT
Well now, it seems if you plug the cable from the firewall server to the new router into the wrong port that no amount of reconfiguration and rebooting will solve your IT problems.

Yep. I spent six hours of my day yesterday upgrading my 802.11b router to a 802.11g router. My problem is that I know just enough networking to make myself dangerous. I knew where the problem resided, I just couldn't figure out how to fix it.

When I was finally able to reconnect to the internet I was like a crack addict getting a fix. Damn you Internet. Damn you.

Chores Which Should Have Been Competed
With the realization that returning to work was immenent, I laid in bed (don't get too excited, I slept most of the night on the couch) this morning thinking about the tasks I wanted to complete this weekend, but didn't.

• find passport so that it can be renewed
• blow leaves off of roof
• serverely cut back huge fucking bushes near driveway
• finish attic insulation
• read books about Photoshop Elements, and PHP Programming
• rebuild servers

Chores Which Were Competed
And just to make myself feel better, here is a list of things I accomplished this weekend.

• go to Cheddarhead
• install new router (whew!)
• swept floor in house
• cleaned bathrooms
• watch at least one movie at home

Too Many Players Spoil The Trivia
Our team grew to ungodly proportions last night; a quick count totalled eleven. This was even more amazing since two of the regular Meet The Hashers team didn't play (in fact one of them was last night's host).

The way Twain's structures their Team Trivia is a bit weird. Team Trivia at Twain's consists of two separate games, instead of the standard two-half game. Meet The Hashers managed second place in game one, and finished out of the money in game two.

The upside of playing at Twain's is that they let you use your winnings on the same night, so $15 went toward our bill last evening.

Here's A CD You Should Buy With That Christmas Money
The Strokes have a CD which is dropping today; it's called "First Impressions of Earth." The reviews are all over the map and I have yet to hear it, so I am not really endorsing this release as much as I am alerting you to its existence.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - hungry (again!)
Current Music - none, listening to the MacCast podcast.
Website Of The Day - Not all is normal however, just look at some of the articles in Wikipedia's Unusual Articles.

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - none

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

It's January 2nd Already?

Man this year is going by fast!

I Finally Got Someone In My Bed
Sadly, that someone was me. What you may or may not know is that for the last two years I have almost exclusively slept on one of my two couches. (Two? Yeah, that's how I roll!)

There were two reasons behind this. The first reason was the sentimental one; after sleeping with someone for a long time the bed seemed empty, the couch on the other hand was always intended for one person. The other reason was the practical one; I don't "go to bed", I "fall asleep", usually watching tv or less frequently reading. Eventhough I would wake up again at some point in the night, I thought it silly to migrate to the bedroom when I was already comfortable enough on the couch.

The Number Of The Count Shall Be 204
That is the unofficial count of people who celebrated January 1st by doing the annual Cheddarhead hash. Even if that is not the official count, I am certain a new record was set for the hash, thanks to sixty degree (although cloudy) weather. Luckily the rain held off until we had finished the outdoor portion of the day.

When I left the bowling alley my high score was second-best, which of course wins absolutely nothing. The high-score holder was that motherfucker [oops, there goes my resolution not to curse in 2006] Check My Bag who was bowling (with his own ball and shoes I might add) on my lane. I believe that he was taking tips from me during the first game and got me sufficiently drunk by the second game so that I could not outperform him. I hope he gets fat eating that sausage shaped like a bottle of Old Style beer, not that I would have wanted it anyway. [oops, there goes my resolution not to lie in 2006]

Wow, that was cathartic.

The Password Is "Streamline"

stream·line
tr.v. stream·lined, stream·lin·ing, stream·lines

1. To construct or design in a form that offers the least resistance to fluid flow.
2. To improve the appearance or efficiency of; modernize.
3. a. To organize. b. To simplify.

I really like this word. It conveys exactly what I need to do in all aspects of my life.

So in 2006 I will be

• not "losing weight", but rather "streamlining my body"
• not "cleaning", but rather "streamlining my living arrangements"

In addition I will also be striving to return to cooking meals at home, not spending so much money (okay this may be a stretch considering the plans I have for this year), complete tasks that have not been completed in the past, and most of all start living life to its fullest whether or not there is a woman in my life to share it with me.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal...
Current Mood - hungry
Current Music - The Selmanaires "Here Come" cd
Website Of The Day - The Museum of Modern Art in New York is featuring an exhibit about the twenty years of Pixar. Follow this link to see an online exhibit (caution, it has audio).

If you ever want a quick glance of the sites I've picked for my Websites Of The Day, you can check them out on del.icio.us, my user name is InsideThePerimeter (go figure), and they are all tagged as "blogged."

Exercise (b)Log - six miles of running
Weekly Weigh In - 201 pounds (almost one for everyone at Cheddarhead)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]