Tuesday, December 29, 2009

USS Cole Survivor Dies

ABC News:

Petty Officer 3rd Class Johann Gokool survived the October 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 sailors and injured 39, but on Dec. 23 Gokool was found dead in his room.

The body of Johann Gokool, 31, was found by his younger brother Hamish in a room in the south Florida house Johann, Hamish and a third brother Anjelo all shared.

According to Anjelo Gokool, 33, his brother's body was found face down with his neck at an odd angle. The cause of death remains unclear at this time.
Gokool suffered from panic attacks. What a waste...

James Randi Prize Explained

Monday, December 28, 2009

Quote of the Day

Epic win, PZ: "I get so tired of being told by the ignorant that (atheists') goal is to put a Stalin in power, when they dream of a Palin."
--PZ Myers.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Long Time, No Blog

Holy Toledo, it's been a long time. I haven't written anything in forever, and what I have put out there has been mostly stolen quotes from other people. So for both of my readers, here's what's going on.

I started consulting with a dietitian here in Ames back in October. Nothing fancy, just a lot of work: 6 small meals 3-4 hours apart, less sugar and fat, more vegetables and fiber, and writing everything down. Being a soda-and-cheese-based lifeform for so many years, it's tough, believe me. But it's also satisfying to implement a game plan that works. So far, my weight, which started at that time at around 310-315, is now comfortably between 290 and 295. So officially a 20 pound loss, by my count. Once it gets to 290 by the end of the year, I'll be happy with that---as a start. Because...

I've also joined a bicycle racing team for next year. Central Iowa Cycling Club's Color Biotics team. So now I'll officially be a cyclist, because I'll have my own racing licence and uniform. And boy, do I plan to feel and look out of place for the first year or so. But it's additional motivation to really keep the weight loss going. When you're 200 pounds or more, you're considered to be a Clydesdale in endurance sports. Cycling is a sport where power-to-weight ratio rules the roost. If you're overweight, you'll be humiliated. So I need to keep losing 10 pounds a month for, oh, a year or so. The goal is to be at 200 pounds for my 40th birthday in October.

I bought a new bicycle a couple weeks ago. It's a Trek Soho S (which stands for single-speed). Photos to come later. It's a no-shifting utility bike to which I've installed a rack and fenders. The question everyone asks me is, "Don't you still have that really expensive bike?" To which I answer, "Yes, but it's not practical to haul groceries in a Corvette." The rear rack will have a panier on it that will haul a sack of groceries to and from the store, which is only a mile from my house (ever tried to steer a bike holding a gallon jug of milk? Not fun). And it's a compliment to my collection. The Moots for speed, the cyclocross bike for rough conditions and bad weather commuting, and the Soho S for daily commutes and errands.

If I start drooling over the mountain bike displays, someone please stage an intervention.

Spin easy, friends.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Quote of the Day

"However much Playgirl paid Levi Johnston for that photo shoot, it wasn't enough....And, psst, Levi? If you did that Playgirl shoot only to drive your former future mother-in-law crazy—and if that was your plan, kiddo, it worked—imagine how much crazier she'll get if you do a little gay-for-pay porn. Just sayin'."
--Dan Savage.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Quote of the Day--Porno Edition

"A study that tried to analyze how pornography affected men's views ran into an unfortunate problem: no control group. It seems there does not exist a population of males that doesn't see some porn regularly."
--PZ Myers.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Quote Of The Day

"Let me put it in terms that golfers would understand. He played the wrong hole, had an errant drive and now he's got to get out of a bad lie."
--George Lopez, on Tiger Woods' alleged infidelity.