You probably thought it was smart to buy a foreign import of superior quality, with better mileage and resale value. Maybe you even thought that years of market share loss might prod us into rethinking our process and redesigning our products with better quality in mind. But you forgot one thing: we spend a shitload of money on lobbyists. So now you’re out $25 billion, plus the cost of your subaru. Maybe next time you’ll buy American like a real man. Either way, we’re cool.

We’re the big three. We don’t need to compete

(via adfreak and you might want to check out lawrence lessig’s rant on bailouts)

Personally, I drive a Honda. In fact, other than a couple K cars acquired for under $300 each and a Jeep Cherokee I bought for a song all of my cars have been from other than “American manufacturers”. I put that in quotes because my Honda and previous Toyotas I’ve owned were manufactured in the United States. Not that this matters a great deal to me. I buy Honda and Toyota because these are better products; as such, these consistently require less maintenance and maintain a significantly higher resell value.

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Previously I mentioned I had been reading “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain”. Immediately after beginning the book I began running and soon after I was convinced by my wife, Tara, to join her running group, West Coast Road Runners and train for the Rock & Roll Marathon she ran last year here in San Diego. I agreed this was a wonderful idea and I’m proud to report that I’m two weeks in.

The training looks like this for the next week:

The coaches incrementally increase the length of time you run during the week and add a mile a week, or thereabouts, with an occasional drop in mileage after longer runs. Participants are broken up into pace groups. I’m currently running in the slower pace group “Catalina” than the group above, but I intend to train for the above pace group get my average mile under 10 minutes. I’m currently running a 10:10 mile.

So, I must have been running for a while to have run 4.5 miles yesterday, right? Not at all. I haven’t run since I was 15-16 years old. In fact, I just began running about 4 weeks ago. When I first started running the idea of running 5 miles seemed insane. Completely mad! Indeed, when I first started I could only run for a mile without stopping. Now, 5 miles is no problem. I ran 4.5 miles yesterday and I could have easily done a couple more miles. Mind you, I currently have a terrible head and chest cold too. I’m writing this not to be braggadocios, but because I’m not any different than anyone else. Your body will amaze you.

For the first few weeks that I ran my knees where killing me. This is to be expected and it will correct itself as your leg muscles develop. For me, a new pair of good running shoes made a huge difference too. I was fitted at Roadrunner Sports where they assess your foot, arches and gait to establish the most appropriate type of shoe for you. Also, I had a lot of problems with my shin muscles cramping up. Rion, who is also training with me for the Rock & Roll, made some technique suggestions based on the book he read: “Chi Running: A Revolutionary Approach To Effortless, Injury-Free Running”. This helped, but now it is clear to me that the primary cause was under developed calf muscles that needed to strengthen. Rest assured if you start a running program all those early aches and pains will abate as your develop your underworked muscles and develop your technique.

More important than how quickly your body adapts itself to running is how you feel. On my running days off I crave a run. When I run I feel amazing. Colors are brighter, smells more fragrant, I’m more focused and I feel generally incredible. There can be no doubt, our bodies are genetically predisposed to run. It’s amazing how quickly we forget the benefits of exercise.

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Last Sunday Roy, Ashby and I went “shooting” for the second time. We made another stop along El Camino Real. Regular readers will know this is a photo project we started with Ricky Montalvo in December.

Mission San Luis Rey was founded in 1798 by Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuén, a Franciscan. I thought it was interesting to note the mission was founded nine years after UNC-Chapel Hill. A reminder of California’s youth. San Luis Rey is the youngest mission in Southern California; however, it became the richest and largest of the 21 California missions. The mission was named for Louis IX, King of France (1215-1270); a Sainted two time crusader.

The native Americans called the mission Tacayme. The mission church, as is common in Catholicism, is in the shape of a cross. The interior has double-dome wooden construction. The quadrangle contains the first pepper tree in California, imported from South America. Unfortunately this was gated and out of sight; therefore I couldn’t get a photo of it.

I think I took some of my best photos to date at San Luis Rey. It was difficult to take great photos given the subject and weather. The day was stunningly beautiful  with the temperature in the high 70s F and a glorious blue sky that provided a sharp contrast to the white adobe walls.

• View complete photos set
• Roy’s photo set

Last month social scientists in the Netherlands empirically demonstrated a phenomenon observed by policymakers and law-enforcement officials for years. When an envelope visibly containing a five-euro note was left hanging out of a mailbox on a sidewalk, 13 percent of the passersby snatched it up. When the same mailbox was covered in graffiti, however, more than double the number of the pedestrians (about 27 percent) stole the envelope.

Graffiti was not the only misdemeanor that fostered a cavalier attitude toward theft. When the ground near the mailbox was covered in litter, 25 percent of the subjects stole the envelope. These results are significant for both social and statistical reasons. Is a disorderly environment responsible for disorderly conduct?

via Seed: Chaos Begets Chaos.

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@roebot, loving #dekiwiki – R 1st proof of concept intranet theme http://twitpic.com/109l6 mod’d fiesta pro – easily in just couple of hours

I’m just finishing reading “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain”. Thank you Miiko for the suggestion. It has been a fantastic read. Ratey layers medical, psychiatric and psychological research atop his own anecdotal evidence. The focus of the book is on rewiring the brain with physical exercise. As such, this book, and Tara, have inspired me to join Tara’s running group, West Coast Road Runners, which is intended to prepare one for running the Rock & Roll Marathon. In 6 months the program works you up to a 20 mile.

I don’t intend to run the full Rock & Roll this July, maybe the half. Primarily my interest in joining the running group is to diminish the negative effects my ADHD has on my life; both personal and professional. “Spark” offers compelling medical evidence that regular exercise provides significant benefits to folks like myself with ADHD. Moreover, when I’ve exercised regularly in the past I experienced a significant difference in my ability to focus, organize and relax that i simply wasn’t completely cognizant of until reading “Spark” and reflected.

In summary: read “Spark”. It just may change your life in 2009. 🙂

This is apparently a very popular song in the UK during Christmas-time; it’s been on repeat for me today. A belated Merry Christmas to you all!

And embeds The above Pogues music video of “”Fairytale of New York”. I’m a huge Pogues fan. They’re so young in this video. I’ve seen them in concert a few times. In fact, the best show I’ve ever been to was The Pogues with Joe Strummer (RIP) standing in for Shane McGowan. Yes, sorry Joe Strummer was way better than Shane. It’s Joe @#$%ing Strummer. The show was at First Ave in Minneapolis.

I hadn’t seen this video in probably ten years. It makes me nostalgic. I think it does especially so because I’m currently in Duluth, MN. I moved here 15 years ago when I had just turned 18. I listened to the Pogues intensely back then and it was in 1995 (I think) that I saw the Pogues live for the first time.

I took this photo in 2006 at the Fillmore. I found it via
Zemanta, not at my Flickr account, but at Wikipedia. I love
when this happens.

Times were very different for me back then. I was broke. I mean broke. Not a dime to my name, I was briefly homeless. My only possessions were a few boxes of books, some notebooks for writing, a backpack and sleeping bag for camping. I remember I slept on duct taped couch cushions on the floor for a couple years. My furniture was constructed from Leinenkugel cases. It was actually a happy time for me. I was only concerned with getting laid, reading, writing, backpacking and camping. All of which were enjoyed in abundance. 

I’m of the mind one should “Remember, Be Here Now.” So, no. I do not miss this time of life, but it’s nice to reflect on who I was then and the firends I had. Many of which are still good friends. In fact, I’ll be seeing one of these old friends, Scott Graden, later today. Scott owns Scenic Cafe, which is probably the best restaurant in northern Minnesota.

It’s been a great Christmas. Ashby was the big winner this year with so many gifts it finally became a chore for her to open them all. It wasn’t Tara and I responsible for this, rather it was her grandparents. I got some new underwear and socks. Sweet! One of my most favorite gifts this year was from my brother-in-law, Toby. Check it:

 

Awesomeness! He recites Bible passages when you press his back. This is from One2Believe.com. I want every toy this company makes. I am confused why the site has Samson wrestling Goliath though. Weird. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a religious action figure series? Buddha, Abraham, Zorasta, Jesus, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Bahá’u’lláh, etc… Wouldn’t you want to collect every one? Check out the full Jesus photo set.

As is our tradition for Christmas, I made Beef Wellington with Brenda. We made a walnut ham pate’ as an alternative to the liver pate’ to go with the mushroom duxelle that is used to insulate the tenderloin and I made a mushroom bordelaise with a mix of oyster and button mushrooms. Brenda (my mo-in-law) prepared twice baked potatoes, creamed spinach and a broccoli salad. Delicious. 🙂

…so be good for goodness sake, ooohhh!

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