9:55 pm

For those of you who might still check this site.  I went climbing yesterday.  I am sore -- very sore.

9:49 am

One of the most historic events of my lifetime just occurred about half an hour ago.  I say rock on world!  We are going to see some awesome, awesome things from this event.

6:33 pm

It's been a while.  Over a month.  That's sad.

Once again, I've lost my cell phone.  That generally means I had a good night.  Let me give you a brief rundown.

I went to Altitude with Carey and Jory.  There I had some really crappy fish and chips, and a couple of drinks.  I got one drink for free because the hot bartender that works there was working her last shift ever.  That's kinda sad.

I ended up seeing quite a few people that I never see.  It was a delight.  I also learned a bit more Norwegian.  More accurately, I learned that even the stuff that I do know, I can't pronounce it in a manner that is understandable... especially when I'm drunk.  Here's my new phrase:

Du har sa nydelige oeyne.

Which translates to

You have such beautiful eyes.

I like it.

Then, I don't know what happened.  The next thing that is pretty clear is me getting home and kicking off one of my shoes.  The next thing after that is me waking up, looking over at my phone charger and thinking, where is my phone.

I don't remember getting slapped, so it must have been a pretty good night.  Nice.

7:34 pm

I bet the title of this entry makes you think that my Valentine's Day was crappy.  Guess what, it wasn't.  What's crappy is that foggy feeling in my head after a hard night of drinking.  Valentine's Day itself is a delight for me.  Let me give you a run down.

After a fairly intoxicating Friday night, Saturday started as many do with me drinking as much water as I physically can without vomitting and taking a shower until there is no hot water left within a 3 mile radius.  I follow that up with a few good hours of lying on the couch and watching crappy Saturday morning television.  Let me tell you, it is truely a delightful existence.

It just so happened that our crap-tastic basketball team had a game against BYU this very day, so I was privy to watching a nice reenactment of the Valentine's Day massacre, complete with a drunk annoying girl only one row behind me.  I followed this up by promptly hitting 3rd Street and remaining sober for a good 4 hours.  Why?  Apparently, I'm an idiot.

So let's start when the night got interesting.  So, it's Saturday.  Saturday's are always crappy nights at the bar because it's generally amateur night and things don't get warmed up until after 9 pm.  This leaves me with few options when considering who to chat with.  Me being me, I settle for the dirty old gay guy.

As I'm sure you can imagine, this was a delight.  He bought me a Manhattan, which is fine because it's alcohol and it all gets me drunk.  Unfortunately for him, it would take about 10 Manhattans for me to be drunk enough for him to get me home and rape my stink.  Needless to say, he didn't get lucky that night.

After he left, there was a brief period of me just getting shit-faced waiting for the crowd to start coming in.  If I were to detail the entire night for you, it would take days to write this, so I'll give you a general impression of the evening.

I find that in general there are a lot of bitter people on Valentine's Day.  Namely, unattractive women that don't have dates and probably won't next year either.  It turns out that most of these people know me, but I don't recognize them even remotely.  My most commonly spoken phrase that night was, "Don't even bother telling me your name because I won't remember it anyway."  I call it honesty.

There are a few ways people react to that.  The most common is disgust.  I mean, how could someone so blatantly say that he doesn't give a shit about us.  The second most common response is apathy.  This guy is drunk and he probably won't remember our names.  The most interesting response, however, are the people that try to get you to remember them.  This is by far the best.  Most of these people are extremely confident.  I like it.  Unfortunately, most people fail miserably.

The only name I remember from last night was Sonja because it's an interesting name.  Unfortunately, I can't remember what she looks like even remotely, just that she was the most attractive member of her posse.  The bar is no place to meet women.

Anyway, enough about me drinking and being an asshole.

Wait.  Don't drink at the Alibi.  Double-short Crown and Seven: $9.  This isn't the city.  This is Wyoming.  Same drink for me at 3rd Street: $3.

So, I turned down my trip to Seattle to see Microsoft.  I have too much kick ass stuff going on here.

I am going to be in Vegas over my birthday.  If you want to meet me there and party for a few, let me know.

So here's the challenge.  Because my nights are becoming more blah, I'm contemplating giving up my binge drinking habits until my birthday, at which time they will be reengaged at full-force.  Anybody have any thoughts on the matter?

Shit.  I've been typing for half an hour and I need to get some work done.  If you don't hang out with me, you should start.  It'll change your life.

2:21 pm

Apparently, Carolina and New England are meeting today to decide the NFL championship.  Everybody keeps asking me who I'm going for.  I couldn't really tell you.  I like Tom Brady and Ty Law.  But I also like the visored linebackers for Carolina and Delhomme.  If I were a betting man, I would take the Pats.  I'm not a betting man, and everyone likes an underdog, so I might choose the Panthers.  Regardless, it is the Superbowl.  It is fun.  Just enjoy it.

As I write this, I still haven't decided where I'm going to watch the game.  I'm leaning more towards Joel's because I'm not really into sports as much as I used to be, and neither team is one of my favorites.

Since I didn't update all this week, I'll give you a quick rundown.

Monday, I went to the game with Joe and mamma Belcher.  The game was a blast and we ended up winning.  I ended up staying out late.

Tuesday, I had coffee with the heiress.  If you don't know who she is, you probably don't need to know.  It was okay, but not fantastic.  I capped off the night by going to Altitude with some coworkers.

Wednesday, Microsoft called me.  It sucked.  I figured I would never hear from them again after my atrocious showing during my phone interview.  I ended up partying with my boss until 3:30 in the morning.

Thursday, I found out that things didn't go so bad at Microsoft after all.  I went to the bowling alley with Jeff and Carey.  A little while later Joe B, picked me up for a couple of cocktails.  I got home at 2:30 am.

Friday was standard.  It was last Friday of the Month Lunch here at Handel.  Rose's is always good to me.  We then capped off the day with some Negra Modelo, Fat Tire, and some Warsteiner.  Joel and I went to Happy Hour at 3rd St.  The night took us all over downtown Laramie.  What a delight.  I am an asshole, but it's fun.  

Saturday, I did nothing for the first time in a long time.  Jeff, Abra, and I watched 3 movies: X-Men 2, Bring It On Again, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.  We also ate popcorn chicken from Safeway.  It was relaxing.

Today, I did laundry and came into work.  It's been a delight.  Now I'm leaving.  Have fun.

10:39 am

A lot of people might be asking, "Why in the hell would you get up after a hard night of partying to update your website?"  The most natural response for me would be, "I have no fucking clue."  The actual reason is because my brother is one of a handful of people that I actually respect on this planet.  I pretty much do whatever he tells me.

7:46 am

I told my brother that I would try to update my page by 7 am PST.  I have 14 minutes.

Let's start with Thursday.  I went to 3rd St. to meet a rather attractive friend of mine that I call the heiress.  I ended up hanging out with her to the point that I drove her home and had to walk from west Laramie.  It took me 2 hours to get home.  Suck.  But it was worth it.

Friday night Joel and I went for Happy Hour at 3rd St.  Joel ended the night by getting pulled over by the police.  My understanding is that he was sober and pissed.  They made him walk home.  He tells the story much better than I ever could.  If you see him, ask him about it.  It's funny.

Saturday was a great day for me.  I found out that I'm going to get $12000 in raises over the next 6 months.  It was cause for celebration.  We celebrated.  I ended up all over town.  I even got to throw a really drunk guy out of 3rd St.  How cool is that?

Sunday was relatively uneventful.  I went to Arby's.

Last night was kick ass.  The cowboys won basketball against San Diego State.  I met up with the heiress.  We partied.  It was awesome.

This morning hasn't started off as awesome.  I was supposed to have coffee with the heiress at 6 am.  Guess who missed that appointment?  You don't have to guess.  It was me.  Shit happens I suppose.  Now I'm updating my website instead.

In the end, there is quite a bit of kick ass shit going on right now.  I don't know how long this can last, but I like it.  Microsoft is calling me on Wednesday.  We'll see how that goes, but I'm pretty sure I have better opportunities here even though Seattle kicks ass.

Anyway, it looks like I'm going to finish 5 minutes early.  You're welcome.

7:41 pm

If you look up tosh in the dictionary, you'll probably find something like "foolish nonsense".  Regardless of it's actual meaning, we have a "tosh for beating Rich" in my new office.  It's a piece of two inch conduit that's about four feet long.  Yeah, it's for beating me.  That's what work is like.

Anyway, I guess I'm going to the bowling alley... woo-hoo.  That was feigned excitement.  At least I'll get to see my boy swoosh.

10:19 pm

So I'm sitting here at work when Casey tells me I need to listen to Bad Religion.  So I check our extremely legal MP3 server and sure enough, there they are.  So as I'm trying to work out some bugs in my software, I listen to some Bad Relgion.  Let me tell you, I like them.

After all, I want to Conquer the World.

11:25 am

I like funny things.  This is funny.  Check it out.

Funny

In other news, the mustache is gone.  Thank goodness.  I need to get to work.

One last thing.  I am now the proud owner of http://www.dollboy.com  If you have any suggestions for content, let me know.

I'm out.

8:43 am

So, I shaved myself a mustache.  To quote my friend Kuato, I have a "molester mustache".  Everytime I see it, it makes me laugh.  If you haven't seen it, you better make it quick because I hate mustache facial hair, so I don't know how long it's going to last.

In other news, there is no other news.  Well, except maybe that the British Navy is smaller than the French Navy for the first time in 300 years.  Does France still suck?  Probably, but they make a mean set of toast.

My last point of the day is that I bought a narrow mouth nalgene bottle this weekend.  To this point I've always bought widemouth because you can't easily get standard ice cubes into the narrow mouth.  It's also easier to mix kool-aid and alcohol in the wide mouth's as well.  The major drawback being that they are difficult to drink from without sloshing.  Recently I just saw an add-on for the wide mouths that help prevent that, but so far, I like the drinkability of my narrow mouth.  Considering how often I make "Nalge Cocktails" and use ice, I think this is a great investment.  Only time will tell.

8:33 am

So, here's my first ever documented New Year's resolution.  Week 10 of NSPT.  By that, I want to make it through week 10 of Navy Seal Preparation training by the end of this year.  Ideally, it would be 10 weeks from now, but I'm not that idealistic.  If you want to know what week 10 entails, here it is:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
6 x 30 pushups
6 x 35 situps
3 x 10 pullups
3 x 20 dips (holy crap!)
6 miles running

Tuesday, Thursday
6 miles running

I don't know if I'll be able to make the running part come true.  That would be awesome though.

In other news, I saw Sean Baby on MTV.  How cool is that?

I'm out.

10:05 pm

Welcome to 2004.  I brought the new year in right.  First, I have no idea where I was when the clock struck midnight.  Some sources place me downtown.  I don't remember how I got home or even getting home.  My phone was in one bathroom, my shirt in another.  At least I didn't wake up naked halfway in the bathtub.

I also bought myself a cake this morning and had "Happy new Year Rich!!!" scribed to it's delicious surface.  Starting off the first day of the year like that let's me know that I'm going to make 02004 my bitch.

Aside from recovering from my entry into the new year, I discussed a wide variety of interesting topics today.  I'll try to paraphrase for you.

I suppose I could go on and on about all of the crazy conversations I have in a day, but that would fill a large book.

I just want to say Happy New Year.  I promised my brother I would update and so I have.  I was planning to write some software to make it easier for me, but I never got around to it.  I will eventually.  Then I'll have no excuse.

Who knows, I might even post tomorrow.  In fact, I probably will.  I actually made a New Year's resolution. Now... it's time to follow through.  I'm out.

10:54 am

Which Donnie Darko character are you? by Shay

10:40 pm

The internet is a vast wonderful place where anyone can find a home.  That would explain my recent discovery of Virtual Stapler .  Some people, it seems, use this site to get over their fear of staplers.  There's a wealth of knowledge out there for people who need it.

In other news, I hate Biztalk.

I hope your weekends didn't find you wandering aimlessly about west Laramie.  Mine did.  Goodnight.

7:34 pm

The question on everyone's mind is, "Where are you Rich Miles?"

Where am I?  I'll tell you.

Looking back, it seems as though we missed the entire month of August and most of September.  A lot has happened.

At the time, I was working at Albany County Carpet.  I was living on the streets as a lowlife drifter, sleeping on whatever couch was available for the evening.  I spent most of my time on the move, rarely staying still long enough to sleep 4 or 5 hours a night.  Work wasn't thrilling and 3rd St was my only real home.  Whether you believe it or not, life was awesome.  It got better.

In late August I ended up moving in with Jeff and Abra into the apartments right behind my work.  I was starting to become a very important player at work and began spending more and more time there.  Gradually, 3rd St. became less and less of a social crutch, but I still went to visit my bartender friends and for the occasional weekend bender.  I was doing a crossword puzzle at the bar while downing my standard seven glasses of water when I noticed a help wanted ad for a tech support agent at Handel IT.  A day or two later I found their website and sent in my resume.  Well over a week passed and I'd all but forgotten about them when my phone rang.  The voice on the other end requested my presence at an interview the following Monday.  I agreed.

What followed was perhaps the best interview of my life.  While I applied for a tech support job, at the interview they asked me about my interest in a programming job.  A job I had not applied for because I felt I was grossly underqualified.  They disagreed.

I was now interviewing for two jobs.  I liked those odds.

Two weeks later, my confidence was beginning to wane.  I'd heard nothing back from them.  One day after work, however, my inbox had a letter in it requesting a second interview.  Sweet.

The second interview took place at Altitude.  The goal was to get drunk with everyone and see how well the group meshed.  Being proficient in all bar scenes, I passed with flying colors.  The following Wednesday, I was offered a job.  I took it.

Now, I'm sitting in front of this computer screen, waiting for Biztalk to reinstall for the second time today, wondering if I can actually get something to work before they decide I'm grossly underqualified and get rid of me.

For all of you who have emailed or called or talked to me in person asking me to update, thanks.  I'm sorry I haven't been better about it.  I can't promise a daily entry anytime soon as I spend most of my time working.  And the time I'm not working, I'm trying to lose the fat I've gained in the past two months not updating.  Still, expect regular updates from me, and hopefully I'll be hearing from you in the future.

Catch you on the flip side.

6:27 pm

I know that there are a great many people that aren't impressed with my laziness with regards to my website lately.  I've been working so much lately that I just don't have time to sit down and make decent updates.  For example, on Wednesday, I worked 17 hours.

That aside, I wanted to say congratulations to Bill Storey.  That kid shocks me all the time.  We still love you Bill.  This means you can't go rolling off any mountains anytime soon.

5:46 pm

Let me tell you about a rumor that is floating around 3rd St.  Apparently, there are a great number of people that think that I'm gay.  When I say a great number, I mean well over 100 people.  I'm not sure why, but I think that's awesome.  

In other news, I'm learning how to install flooring.  It seems like a pretty good trade to know.  There is a lot of money changing hands in the name of flooring here.  And I mean, a lot.

Anyway, I'm out for now.

7:00 pm

Do you know why Barbie never came with children?

Because Ken came in a different box.

hehe.

7:15 pm

I am the king of Jubilee Days.  Those aren't even my own words.  Well, they are, but they are adapted from "You are the king of Jubilee Days."  The police told me that.&bsp; And they weren't even arresting me this time.  Thanks guys.

Anyway, I've been rather poor in updating lately.  This stems mostly from laziness.  Oh well.  I'm sure I'll do better in the next couple of weeks.

So, today I smashed my finger with a fork from the forklift.  It kinda hurts to type so I'm gonna rock out.  Talk to you peeps lates...

4:46 pm

Well, it's been nearly a week since my last confession.  I've been so busy, it's tough to make time to get here and read my mail.  Let me just tell you about last night.  It was awesome!  I think the epitome of the evening was when we had about ten people outside 3rd St. singing, "She's lost that lovin' feeling."  A good time was had by all.

Anyway, after watching Top Gun to see what the token black guy's call sign was, we decided that we needed to watch Days of Thunder today.  We did.  It was even better than I remember.  Not that I remember it being awesome or anything.  Anyway, it makes me quite happy knowing that this was all caused by watching an hour of American Ninja 4 just to see Michael Dudikoff.  I would like to send special thanks to Pongo for being in the movie.

Alright kids, I'm out for now.

5:15 pm

So anyway, did I tell you about my free 3rd St. t-shirt? For those of you that were there, you know I earned the shirt -- especially for the grueling next day at work.  For those of you that couldn't make it to 3rd St., be glad you didn't drink what I drank.  Anyway, the drink is called a "green beret".  It has 5 different kinds of bourbon or whiskey in it and a splash of (green) Creme de Menthe.  It IS as bad as it sounds.  Still, I would do nearly anything for a "free" 3rd St. t-shirt.  Now I have it and it's the only shirt I wear.

In other news, there is no real other news.  I'm waiting for something important to happen.  Still waiting.

8:02 am

Court went well.  I was eventually fined $210 for my stay in the alley.  Interestingly enough, the same cops stopped me on Saturday night.  Fortunately this time I was absolutely coherent.  They must be bored, but I don't like being singled out.  Bastards.

Anyway, if I don't leave soon, I'm going to be late for work.  I'll write more soon.

11:19 pm

Since I'm going to court tomorrow, I figured I'd look up the ordinance that I supposedly violated.  After reading a description of 9.12.130 (e), I now know that I am without a doubt, guilty as charged.  I post it here for all to read:

Is found in any public place under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug or any combination of any intoxicating liquor or drug, in such a condition that he or she is unable to exercise care for his or her own safety or the safety of others, or by reason of his or her being under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug or any combination of any intoxicating liquor or drug, interferes with or obstructs or prevents the free use of any street, sidewalk, or other public way;

Um, yeah.  Guilty as charged.

6:06 pm

So, let me tell you about my constant infatuation with numbers.  Even when I work at a carpet warehouse I see numbers that intrigue me.  Today, I had a piece of carpet that was 7 foot 9 by 9 foot 7.  This intriques me for two reasons.  First, 79 and 97 are just reflections of each other.  Second, it got me thinking about squares with integer sides.  Then I was thinking that you couldn't have a prime area -- ever.  That's pretty obvious.  Then I was thinking, "But you could have a prime triangular area."  Of course, both of these thoughts are pretty much pointless, but it kind of gives you an idea as to how my brain works.  Okay, I have stuff to do.  I'm out.

3:17 pm

Damn, I love the number 317.  Everytime I see it, it just makes my day.

First of all, I would like to thank John Perry for sending me a motivating email Wednesday that helped me complete my workout.

It's time that we talk about Thursday night.  So, there was this bachelor party.  The last thing I remember was taking a shot of 151 -- or so I was told.  The next thing I remember was waking up in some alley by Laramie's finest.  Apparently, I was so incoherent that I needed to be taken to jail.  I don't remember the car ride, but I do remember them handcuffing me.

I'm sure I was welcome entertainment for the graveyard shift at the old detention center.  Their incessant laughing only helped to encourage my antics.  Still, no amount of charisma could get me out of this jam.  I ended up spending the night and because I was drunk the next couple of days in the slammer.  Saturday, my friends tracked me down and bailed me out of jail.  Everybody needs friends like these.

I didn't call them because I figured I'd gotten myself into this mess and I should just spend the weekend in jail.  Of course, they couldn't let that happen to me, and I'll be honest, I am greatful.  Everyone should have friends like mine.

Let me tell you a little bit about jail.  It's not nearly as bad as it sounds.  Though they did confiscate the only dollar I had on my person for a hygene kit, the food was free.  The "hardened" criminals were hardly that.  In fact, I'll never forget the quiet kid who, I'm sure, was looking out for me.  Most of them got themselves mixed up with drugs and alcohol somewhere along the way.

Seeing how I like to read, I think I could make many days pass rather quickly with an ample supply of books.  They also have cable, if you're interested in that.  Most of the guys work out just doing pushups and what not during the day.  In all, it's not much of an existence, but jail isn't the end of your life.

Well, I need to get going.  This is a great story if you hear it from me in person.  So, if you're in my neck of the woods, I'm sure you'll hear the story from me.  I'm out.

5:37 pm

Wow.  Let me tell you about exhaustion.  After closing down 3rd Street last night, getting up to go to work this morning was no easy task.  I'm not going to lie to you.  Working and working out and partying is making me feel old.  Fortunately, I'm not old, so I'm going to continue to dominate life.

2:25 pm

Afternoon peeps.  I'm sure many of you have heard about the guy who's building a cruise missile for, what he believes, will be under $5000.  Assuming that my audience contains people who haven't heard about it, but are still interested, here's this guy's website.  While I have neither the funds nor the inclination to build a cruise missile, I still think it's quite interesting.

For those of you who were interested in the meat tree article I posted, I think it's a hoax.  Though I haven't yet confirmed 100% the fallacy of the article, I did find out about "freegans".  So, there are people out there that are weirder than me.

Well, whatever milks their guernsey.

I've been feeling a need to read more books lately, so I think I'm going to head on down to the Hastings and see if they have anything that turns my crank.  Catch ya'll on the flip side.

Oh, by the way, Jesse updated.

7:36 am

Good morning chillins.  What's up today?  If you haven't already heard, I'm working at a carpet warehouse.  It's not the best work, but it is work.  I just look at it as another means for me to get strong.  

This means I won't be checking my email as often as usual, but I'll try to be pretty good about it.  I'll also be trying to be good about updating, but I might not do a good job.

Enough.

So, I just started rollerblading again yesterday.  I think it's been extremely good for my foot.  I woke up with a little soreness in it today, but since this morning, it hasn't really bothered me.  Hopefully, by next week I will be in running shape.  We can only hope.

Well, I better get rocking.  I hope everyone is having a kick ass day.

7:16 pm

I have a new infatuation.  After reading all about Tucker Max I discovered that there are a lot of funny assholes out there.  This guy is one of them.  Trust me, he is funny.  On a more personal note, my mind was opened to the world of multiple vaginas.  Confirmation of this lead me to a most interesting website, World Sexual Records.  This is an amazing site that is just filled to the brim with information.  I highly recommend a visit or two.

In other news, I informed the Employment Resource Center that their general application had "license" mispelled on it.  She was extremely surprised.  I'm sure they've been using the same application for years and not a single person had pointed that out to them.  Still, they didn't offer me a job.

I never did figure out the name of the multiple sex organ condition (if it has one), but it did lead to a lot of interesting reading.  Alright, I'm out.

11:38 am

I've been meaning to update, but I just haven't had the chance.

Let me tell you about something that is really aggrivating me.  My foot.  I did something to it when I was in Tucson, now I can barely walk.  I'm sure I'll be able to tough it out.  I just hate going to the doctor.

In other news, Jesse left town.  So, that leaves Laramie with even less life.  Fortunately, I still have so many great friends.  I hope that I have a kick ass summer with them because I think it's time for me to move on.

Until next time, have fun!

8:56 am

So we hit the Taco Tuesday last night.  It wasn't everything I'd hoped.  There was no real sense of excitement.  Even 3rd Street was lackluster.  Oh well.  I have a feeling that better days are on the horizon.  I'll be patient.

I'm pretty tired, and I need to look for a job, so I better let you go.  Catch ya.

7:55 am

After a long and arduous journey, I've finally arrived in Laramie.  Let me tell you, it doesn't feel much like home anymore.  Don't get me wrong, the people are as awesome as ever.  It's just that there's not much to do around here.  No wonder I drank so much.

So I guess we'll do the standard Laramie things for a few days.  Tonight we're going to Taco Tuesday.  I'm expecting that to be an excellent time, as usual.  I haven't decided if I want to summer here or not.  The weather here is fantastic.  This town is beautiful during the summer.

So, I have so many stories to tell.  If I've been neglecting you via email, drop me another email and I'll take care of that.  I'll have a few days here to send email out.  If you're in Laramie, you can just hear from me in person.  That's almost always better.

8:14 am

I just finished watching a documentary on anti-abortionists.  Their minds were twisted by religious zealotry, leading them along a path of deceit and murder.  I watched a man smile giddily as he discussed his very premeditated assassination of an abortion clinic doctor.  There was no remorse in any part of his being.

I suppose that if his conscience doesn't weigh on him, he thinks he will still arrive safely in the kingdom of God.  To me he is no better than a crazed psychopath who's dog told him to kill women and children.

These people say that there is going to be a civil war in this country.  They eagerly await their chance to spill the blood of the heretics.  I say to them bring it on.  Pardon my french, but bring it fucking on you wastes of human flesh.

If you want to read more about these people, check out Army Of God.  The name of the gentleman mentioned above is Paul Hill.  You can read about him at the aforementioned site.

As for my own beliefs, I'm not pro-abortion.  I think that people should make a genuine effort to take responsibility for their actions.  On the other hand, I'm not anti-abortion.  I understand that there are situations where abortion is the most logical solution.  Of course, to my knowledge, I have never been in either one of those situations and I hope I never am.

Anyway, sorry about the rant.  Sometimes I just need to let out my frustration.  I hope you're having a good one.

9:57 am

So I got to visit the Naval base where my brother spends most of his days.  I must say that the overall look and feel of the base was pretty drab.  I was the closest I'd ever been to an aircraft carrier though, and that was pretty awesome.  I wouldn't mind being on one of those for a few days, but I'm not sure how I could deal with 6 months.  I doubt I will have the chance to find out.

In other news, it appears that my secret admirer is shy.  Either that or they don't think that they are my biggest fan.  For those of you who did email me, thanks.  I love feedback.  For those of you who didn't, you should be ashamed.  Okay, maybe you shouldn't be ashamed, but I'd like to get email from you anyway.

Today, hopefully I'll get to go climbing.  I hurt my foot somehow and it's not quite 100% yet.  That rarely stops me, usually leading to more pain.  Oh well, I guess that's what makes me, me.

Holy crap!  Tech TV just had a segment on these solar panels in use at the Coronado Naval Base.  I just saw those panels yesterday.  That was an amazing coincidence.  Either that or just more proof that the world revolves around me. =P

Well, I'm trying to rally the troops to get breakfast, so I'm out.  Catch you on the flip side.

9:37 am

It appears that I have a secret admirer.  I have someone that reads my website more often than anyone else from the Montana, Wyoming, Colorado area (as best I can tell).  What really gets me is that I'm not sure who it is.  It doesn't really bother me.  I'm just curious about my biggest fan.  If you think you read my webpage more often than anyone else, drop me an email.  I'll let you know if you're right.  Shoot, I might even get you a prize.

Today we're heading to the Naval Base.  Yesterday I got to go to a science center.  I could spend all day in places like that.  Alas, when you're with people like Travis, they get bored easily.  Still, I got to see my fill of neat sciency stuff.  I also got to see mummified remains in the Museum of Man.  I must admit that it was a little creepy.  I guess I'm not a big fan of dead stuff.  Regardless, it was an interesting exhibit.

I hope to have some interesting stuff to tell you on the morrow.  Oh my goodness!  I can't believe I almost forgot to mention this:

Meat Trees

You read right.  They've developed trees that grow meat.  I think that's the most kick ass news I've heard in a while.  Next we're going to have cabbage trees to stock the planet with oxygen.  The future is going to be a better place.

Alright, I'm out.

9:53 am

I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't disappointed with the next installment of the Matrix.  While it wasn't the same disappointment I felt when I watched Star Wars: Episode I, it was disappointment, none the less.  Instead of being a kick ass action movie with a little philosophy, it was a blah philosophy movie with a little action.

In my opinion, the movie tried to hard to be deeper than it needed to be.  I read one review that said something along the lines of "they used a two dollar word when a ten cent word would have sufficed."  It seems like every speech was overly dramatic.  It reminded me of the big ass speech in Atlas Shrugged where John Galt repeats himself incessantly for 50+ pages.  Whatever.

I would like to say it would be cool if you could fast forward to the fight scenes, but even those were lackluster.  Neo wasn't the ultimate bad ass we left in the last movie.  He was merely a bad ass among bad asses.  This leaves the fight scenes boringly long and excitement free.

I was never afraid that any of the characters were going to die, but I wouldn't have cared if they did.  Still, if you've been waiting for it to come out, don't wait for it to come out on video.  Go watch it, but don't expect to be dazzled.

12:35 pm

If you haven't seen the "Star Wars Kid" video, I highly recommend it.  I've probably seen both the original and the popular remix 10 times today and I have laughed histerically every time.  I was trying to find a place to put the files up for people to download, but not many places want files of this size.  You should be able to get it off Kazaa pretty easily.  If you've got high bandwidth, just trust me on this one.  It's hilarious.

7:21 am

Okay.  We need someone to pick us up in Denver.  If anyone here can pick me and Travis up on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday let me know.  Of course, I'm sure I'll be calling people, but if you can help it would just be easier if you emailed or called me.

I suppose I better try to describe my brother's birthday barbeque bash, so you guys know what you're missing.  Yesterday, I was surrounded by more hot lesbians at one time than I've ever seen anytime prior.  While that might sound cool, keep in mind, these women are lesbians -- not bisexual.  Still, you won't hear me complaining.  Later in the party my brother's pseudo-girlfriend left pissed off as hell because he was spooning with one of the aforementioned hot lesbians.  Damn, that boy makes me proud.  I'm sure everything will be straightened out sometime this week, but I'm sure some more drama will unfold in the coming days.  Happy birthday, bro.

Today I think we are going to watch the Matrix Reloaded.  Once again, this activity will occur with a lesbian.  In a couple of days, I think we might go climbing with a lesbian.  Later this week I think we might go clubbing with a lesbian.  All different people, I might add.  I think I'm going to have a good time this week.

You'll have to forgive my obsession.  As most of you know, I'm from Wyoming.  As most of you also know, the only hot lesbians I generally see in Wyoming are on American Pie II.  I suck.

Once again, contact me if you can pick us up in Denver.  Catch you on the flip side, peeps.

11:27 am

First of all, congratulations Abra Brown!  You've accomplished something that your brother will never achieve -- at least not anytime soon.  I hope to see you soon and congratulate you in person, but for now, just have a kick ass time.

So, we took the Amtrak from Tucson to San Diego.  That was quite the experience.  Imagine going to a circus freak show for 12 hours.  It's the only thing I can really compare it too.  If you had seen the mexican dwarf woman running about the car, you would have thought the exact same thing.  Man that was a long trip.

I'm glad I'm here now.  San Diego is gorgeous. &nbp;My brother's friends are a laugh riot.  They have crazy stories of overseas adventures.  Apparently, rotten.com is too classy for some of the stuff these guys have seen.  I can't say that I'm jealous, but the tales were very entertaining.

Somehow I hurt my left foot bad enough that I can barely walk on it.  I went to sleep on the Amtrak and woke up unable to walk.  It's been a day and it's only feeling moderately better.  I hope it gets well soon because we might go climbing with some really interesting people I met last night.

Well, this isn't my computer so I better relinquish control.  I hope that everyone is smiling and having an awesome time.  Until I see you again, rock the casbah!

9:02 am

Yesterday I spent most of the day getting my stuff ready to leave Mexico.  I also got an excellent haircut.  I was a little surprised by that, especially at about $5.  I'm leaving Mexico either tomorrow or Thursday.  In either case, expect to hear from me soon.  Right now, I have some research to do.

6:04 pm

I need to say congrats to my brother, James, who just made E-6.  Nice work, bro.  See you in a few days.

Happy Mother's Day, mom!!

For the rest of you, I'm feeling a little under the weather, so I'm gonna let you go.

6:43 am

I had a lot of weird dreams last night.  Many of them contained people that I haven't seen in a long time.  One of them involved mortar shells and ICBMs being fired into my vicinity.  On the plus side, I think out a mortar shell may have taken out some of my former coworkers, though I can't confirm that.  I think I might have some weird issues that I need to work through.  Either that or the stomach bug I have is causing hallucinations.  Either way, sleeping has become much more entertaining.

3:51 pm

I'm getting pretty damned tan, but I'm still a wuss and a half.  You would think that after all of my tough talk that I would be halfway tough.  Then again, I could just be talking myself down so the next time you see me you'll be thinking, "Damn. Rich looks tough."  Of course, I assure you that is not the case.  Damn, I had being a wuss.

In other news, John Perry is still tough and training to run a marathon.  It's good to have people like John to look up to for inspiration.  Thanks, Johnny P.

4:16 am

So I have this new thing I call Rock PT.  It's based on the Log PT the Navy Trainers when testing potential SEALS.  They do a lot of shoulder exercises as a team on a log.  Since I don't have a team or a log, I think using heavy rocks is the best way I can simulate the exercises they do. nbsp;I like to do hybrid training where I keep my head underwater as well to hold my breath as long as possible.  If I can continue to find and use big rocks, I'll let you know how the training goes.  Anyway, it's pretty fun and you should try it.

8:02 am

Last night was interesting.  It turns out that at least a few Mexican women find me "guapo".  I had a prostitute trying to give me a "deal" because she found me "muy guapo".  Actually, she wasn't trying to broker the deal.  I see a hint of innocence in her eyes that she hasn't quite lost to the rigors of her profession.  An older women was trying to sell me an hour of this beautiful young lady's time.  I don't think they generally sell by the hour, but I was getting a special deal.  When I continuously declined, the price came down, down, down.  Still I declined and Travis and I left on our way to another where I wouldn't be pestered -- not as much, at least.

Still, those innocent eyes intrigued me.  When we returned, I used my amazing diplomacy skills to get a date with Stephanie.  Yep.  I have a date with a hooker.  The beauty of it is, it didn't cost me anything but a few poorly spoken Spanish words.  Let's see if she stands me up.   =)

You know what really gets me?  I'm not bothered in the slightest by her profession.  To be honest, I've been interested in her since the first day I saw her.  In fact, the night I ended up going to Guaymas, I was trying to find her before I left.  Last night was the first time I've seen her since.  We'll see if I can learn enough Spanish in two days to make our "date" interesting.  If she's just trying to turn a trick, she's only setting herself up for disappointment.

9:06 am

This guy is tough.  How tough?  Let me tell you.

His name is Aron Ralston.  He's a mountaineer.  When pinned by a half ton boulder, he amputated his own arm and hiked to freedom.

This guy is the definition of toughness.  If you read the complete story, you also find out that he survived an avalanche in February.  I don't think I would go hiking with this guy because despite his toughness, he seems like bad luck.

You can read the complete story here.

9:06 pm

I considered paraphrasing this, but I thought it was too important.  So, here it is, copied in its entirety without the permission of the origianl author (you can find the original here):

Pudgy porkers pare pounds with new wanker's diet

By Masuo Kamiyama Contributing Writer

April 29, 2003

Type "diet regimens" into the Google.com search engine, and you'll get over 40,000 hits. They've got the water diet, the high-fiber diet, the drinker's diet, the high protein diet, the sugar-busters diet and so on, ad nauseam.

The fact is, people plagued by persistent weight problems will try anything to lose a few grams.

Now Hanashi no Channel (May 1) offers what it claims is an ideal regimen that, while highly economical, improves muscle tone and consumes calories, while contributing to a slimmer figure. It's the "Masturbator's Diet."

The new program did not occur in a vacuum.

"In the 1980s, wanking was regarded as something for nerds to do when they weren't occupied with video games or building model airplanes," says a gentleman identified only as Mr. T. "The other guys would go off to a sex shop and pay to screw around. But then the bubble burst, and going out to get laid on a regular basis became increasingly prohibitive. So masturbating has come back into vogue, so to speak. The three main reasons why it's a good thing is that it's quick, easy and good for health."

"Yes, absolutely," agrees an unnamed urologist at a university hospital. "If you consider it only from the objective of ejaculating, masturbation is far safer than sexual intercourse. There's no worry over sexually transmitted diseases, or unwanted pregnancies. The testicles play a key role in health. If you don't feel like having sex or masturbating, it could signify some sort of health problem.

"I suppose that's why high school boys are always so healthy --- they're jerking off constantly," he chuckles.

When asked what he though about employing masturbation as a form of dieting, the good doctor notes, "An adult male consumes between 200 to 300 kilocalories during a session of intercourse --- or about the same as running the 100 meter dash.

So then wouldn't getting it off three times be the equivalent of quite a workout then? asks Hanashi no Channel's reporter.

"Unfortunately, that's not the way it works," says the doctor. "'Exercise' must be aerobic, i.e., taking in oxygen and burning glucose or fat cells from the muscles. You need to utilize the muscles at a certain minimal level, such as by jogging or cycling, or you won't obtain any real benefits."

Has the physician, then, debunked the theory? Not by a long shot. A gentleman identified as "Mr. F.," a rugby player in his university days who works as a sports trainer, is convinced that self-abuse is the way to a robust physique.

"Once past the mid 30s, men's metabolism diminishes rapidly, yet even if they eat as much as they did when young, they don't consume as many calories while sleeping," he explains. "This causes subcutaneous fats to increase in the body, resulting in middle-aged spread.

"Exercise is the best way to reduce it," he says. "But for busy 'salarymen' who lack the time work out, I advise the masturbation diet."

Mr. F's program is not for everyone: In fact, he says, it's as strenuous as doing push-ups or sit-ups in a sauna. He cautions those suffering from high blood pressure, who are easily winded or who suffer from a history of cardiac problems.

"Don't do it in the bath," he also advises. "It's humid in there, so you might loose too many fluids from perspiration. And besides, it's easy to slip."

The ideal wanking position according to "F" is leaning back in a chair, with the heels raised about 10 centimeters off the floor. It should be continued for 4 to 5 minutes.

"This puts tension on the stomach muscles," he says. "You do it while speaking out loud for 10 seconds and then rest for 2 seconds, and repeat the process.

"Try it for a month," he suggests. "One of my pupils did and trimmed 8 centimeters off his waist."

After further instructions from "F," Hanashi no Channel's reporter worked out (if you can call it work) regularly for a week and marvelled that, sure enough, his waistline shrank by the equivalent of one notch on his belt. Thanks to the wanker's diet, he pants, he's now well on his way to a slimmer, healthier physique.

See how important that was?

9:06 pm

I tried to update yesterday, but I had some technical difficulties.  Anyway, we'll see what we can do today.

TechTV had a brief news article about six degrees of instant messenger.  I didn't catch the website, and I can't find it anywhere.  It's starting to make me cry.

Right now Travis and I are watching "Robot Wars".  I sure hope that Stinger wins, but we won't know until after commercial.  Damn!  Stinger lost.

I was just reading the TechLive message board and someone else can't find the link to the messenger friends thing either.  So, I'm not a complete idiot.

Anyway, if you're visiting me from Evergreen University, Email Me.

8:34 pm

I love Something Awful.  They just give me stuff to talk about.  Take, for instance, ET Corn Gods.  It seems that there are actually people out there that have more free time than I do.

Aside from being one of the worst websites I've been to in recent weeks, the game is really stupid.  Okay, okay.  I admit it looks like something I would come up with.  The main difference being that it wouldn't take me 11 years to come up with something this dumb.  I only have the attention span to spend 5 or 6 years on it.

Basically, this guy came up with some rules to change words into other words.  The game is a little too complex to explain here.  Still, it's slightly interesting.  Any rule set that allows you to say that Jesus = Jerks Us Off has to be worth looking into.  I mean, people take heed in that Bible Code crap.  Maybe ET Corn Gods is the language of the future.  I for one hope not -- mostly because I don't like base 66 because it's not prime.

It is nice to see someone that might have bigger problems with religion than I do.

Good night all.

9:50 am

I thought this was interesting.  My forearms, when pumped, are as big as Travis's biceps.  Too bad that doesn't translate into real strength.  Bottom line: Rich = wuss.

9:50 am

So, Gayniggers from Outerspace has overtaken Libby Hoeler as the most popular way to reach my website.  My favorite search recently is place to submit porn on Yahoo.  As of this writing I'm 5 out of 82 on the list.  That's not bad.  So, if you found this site because you wanted a place to submit your porn, feel free to email me.  Along with a panel of experts, I'll gladly evaluate your work free of charge.

If you found this site by looking for "cow copulation pics", go away.  But thanks for the laughs.

9:46 pm

I have only good words for my cell phone provider.  Over the last 3 months, we've been having some miscommunications that led me being overcharged by over $600 in the last two months.  Three emails later, my account was credited all of the charges.  I suppose it was a bit inconvenient for me being in Mexico, but they were very accomodating.  Nice work Verizon!silly help text.">delivered to me, you can never date someone who falls into this category.  I'm not saying that it's generally a good idea to date your best friend's girlfriend two days after they ended a 10 year relationship, but seriously, we need to use some common sense here folks.

I've already told Jesse on one occasion that if he ever broke up with his girlfriend at the time, and I had a chance, I would take it.  I have already prophesized that his next girlfriend will end up leaving him for me anyway.

In conclusion, there could be a lot of good opportunities missed just because you didn't want to offend your friend.

By the way, I'm waiting to hear from you about Jesse's entry today.

7:36 pm

Have you heard the one about how this size of your index finger correlates with your, um, shoe size?  I have.

3:17 pm

Well, I must admit, my day has gotten slightly better.  I was just reading about how the U.S. pretty much kicks Europes ass in cell phone technology.  And all this time I've been wondering why we have our own standard while the rest of the world has another.  Turns out, we were a little slow out the gate, but when we finally get rolling, we usually kick Europe's ass.  Anyway, this article is pretty long and, though not extremely technical, can be intimidating at times.

I just noticed the timestamp on this entry is 317.  That's prime.  You know what though? So is 3, and 7, and 31, and 17.  And for that matter, so are 13 and 71 and 73.  While we're at it, we might as well include 137 and 173.  I wish I could go on, but I can't.

Now I'm curious if there are any numbers (digits > 2) such that any permutation of the digits (and any permutation of any subset of digits) will result in a prime number.  Technically, you shouldn't be able to use 1, but I don't really care that much.  Can anybody help me?  Anybody?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that it's not possible.  Anybody?

7:23 pm

Oh wow.  I'm not generally one to complain, but today I feel like the aftermath of a bug in a vigorously shaken jar.  I think my room is a dessicator, as I wake up feeling more parched than I do after a hard night of drinking.  My arms hurt too.  I'm blaming this on Saturday.  In fact, I'm going to blame most of my problems this week on Saturday.  In the end, it all turns out to be my fault, anyway.

With that off my chest, I think my day has the potential of being one of the awesomest days ever.  Why?  Because I think that positive thinking begets positive results.  And starting 10 minutes, I'm going to be thinking positively.  At least I hope so.

By the way, before I get hatemail for "first proof of Jesus found", I want you to know that was the name of the article.  I'm sure devout Christians can give me lists of sources where I can find proof of Jesus long before yesterday.  In fact, I'm not sure why Jesus existing is an issue for anyone.  I think what's really at issue is whether or not he rose from the dead.  That is a matter of faith, and it seems to me that archaelogical evidence will never be able to prove that.

Well, I just found out about a very bad problem with our database.  Thank goodness it's not my doing.  Despite the fact that it's "unethical" for me to modify code that isn't mine, I'm going to anyway.  That way it gets fixed.  I'll probably write more later.  By the way, my day is just getting awesomer!

4:33 pm

Now, some people may argue that I've had some dysfunctional relationships, but seriously.  I just read about a woman who bit her husband to death because he wouldn't have sex with her.  After seeing a picture of her, I may have opted for the biting death, myself.  Check it out.

1:21 pm

Here's something for my Christian audience.  Don't say I never did anything for you.  This is perhaps the "first proof of Jesus found."  Have fun.

12:56 pm

I own Beast Man.

6:38 am

It turns out that I didn't really have a chance to make an update this weekend.  I apologize.

So, last night I was exhausted from the weekend.  Actually, I think Saturday did a number on me.  I suppose that's what happens when you start partying around noon.  So, I went to bed last night around 10.  I woke up sometime around 1:45 this morning, and have pretty much been awake ever since.  The weird thing is that I don't think I have much anxiety or anything to keep me up.  I just couldn't sleep.  I have a guess that my body was adjusting to the lack of alcohol in my system.

It seems as though our network is busted this morning.  I'm not sure which is worse, not being able to work or actually working.

Has everyone seen the Royal Tenenbaums?  That movie is funny.  I watched it a few times this weekend.  The Wilson brothers are awesome!

Well, I'm gonna see what I can do to get this damned network connection up and running.  Check you fools lates...

11:27 am

Oh yeah!!!!  I am now on page one when you search for "nike dri fit shirts" (quotes must be included) on Google.  I can't tell you how much this makes my day.  That's too funny.  Perhaps I should start selling them.  Maybe Nike will sponsor me just because of my undying enthusiasm for their products.  Everybody can dream, can't they?

8:19 am

Perhaps this will spark some controversy.

I know someone who is visciously opposed to mastubation.  In fact this person believes that the only appropriate sexual contact is the penis of a man and the vagina of the woman who are married.

Yesterday, I happened upon this article.  Even if you aren't interested in that particular column, there might be other things of interest on the site.

Anyway, I sent said article to said person.  Said person responded, "Frankly I think these people are sick and have no sense of morality or decency."  Regardless of their level of morality or decency, these people make extremely valid points.  In fact, many of these people lived the life I have often prohpesized.  There is little to agree or disagree with.  They are just talking about their experiences.

My point has long been that this outlook on sexuality is unhealthy.  If this person does ever get married, they will be the Norweigan's proverbial starfish.  My guess is that they will probably never truly enjoy sex and their future relationships will suffer for it.

I guess I could go on, but I won't.  If anyone cares to, I would love to hear your opinions.  Dissenting opinions are my favorite, but if you agree I'd still love to hear it.

By the way, if by chance, I don't write more today, I will most likely be making entries this weekend.  You are welcome to catch up on Monday, but if you want to stay up to date on Rich news, you should check out the site.

11:42 am

I love it when people I don't know find the site.  If you find my site via search engine, I would love it if you dropped me an email.  The latest search had to do with elliptic trainers, calories per hour, and heart rates.  I love to talk about all those things.

9:03 am

I've decided that it's time to share my thoughts on "the sniper."

In my opinion, this guy sucks.  First, and most deplorable, the victims are innocent bystanders go about their daily lives.  Second, these attacks take little to no skill.  To hit a stationary target at 100 yards using a scope is pathetically easy.  I think the general public could hit an apple at 100 yards.  Fleeing the scene during the chaos caused by the shot would also seem to me to be a fairly simple endeavor.

In short, I am not impressed.

So, I got an email saying that I should stick with the beard a while.  Unless I hear any dissent, I'm gonna leave it for at least a couple of more days.

Well, I need to pee and get some food, so I'm gonna let you go for now.  Smile, you might just make someone's day.

3:29 pm

Okay, so I love The Onion.  Since many of you don't read it, and most of you rarely click on my links, I've decided to post a portion of it here because I found it extremely funny.

Georgia School Board Bans 'Theory Of Math'

COGDELL, GA-The Cogdell School Board banned the teaching of the controversial "Theory Of Math" in its schools Monday. "We are simply not confident of this mysterious process by which numbers turn, as if by magic, into other numbers," board member Gus Reese said. "Those mathematicians are free to believe 3 times 4 equals 12, but that dun [sic] give them the right to force it on our children." Under the new ruling, all math textbooks will carry a disclaimer noting that math is only one of many valid theories of number-manipulation.

They even reference Wyoming on the site this week, so check that out as well.  For that one, you're actually going to have to click the link.

Kind of as a P.S., do you know what I just realized?  I'm dangerously close to having a full-fledged beard.  I'm now somewhat curious to see what I would look like.  I'm sure common sense will soon overtake me, and I will shave.

1:07 pm

I gave Jesse the IP address of the guy that found me on Yahoo using the aforementioned search string.  He traced it back to the Arab Emirates.  I have no idea what point I would like to make with this entry.  It probably has something to do with why I'm not going to visit any Arab Emirates anytime soon.  Of course, he could have wanted the pics for a school project.  Who am I to judge?

By the way, Jesse, I'm wailing you at SETI@home right now.

10:42 am

Well, I just got back from hunting last night.  It was a nice escape from my usual doldrums, but I'm anxiously awaiting those doldrums this weekend.  Well, I have a lot to talk about, and I doubt I will remember it all, so throughout the day I'll try to make updates as I see fit.

First and foremost, apparently people have found my site by searching Yahoo for cows copulation pics.  I was unable to duplicate this on Yahoo.  I did, however, duplicate it on Google where I was the 21st entry.

What really gets me is that someone was searching for cows copulation pics.  Combining those particular words in that way had never occurred to me before today.  I find it mildly amusing that my page comes up in this scenario.  I hope my content was "satisfying" for the lucky searcher.

Enough of that.

In an unrelated item, I gave out my first Dri-Fit shirt last week.  They are expensive, but if they get someone to start a life long habit of exercising, it's worth it.  So, keep 'em coming folks.  There's one kid I have on my hitlist right now.  He just doesn't know it yet.  No, we've already had this discussion Jesse.  You don't get one.  Jeez.

I've switched my climbing days from Tuesdays and Fridays to Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  That means, the first thing I got to do last night when I got back was go climbing.  Was it awesome?  Yes.  I made my first half lap at the Peak.  It was the most pumped I have been in recent times.  It was awesome.

I only tried "Nemesis II" once last night, but I'm so close.  I think the real problem is that my left hand is not strong enough.  I climbed a couple of cool routes, and Bill said I have "explosive power."  I like the idea of that.

One last thing before I go.  I know I have a few red headed readers.  They might like to know about their susceptibility to pain.

If I don't write more today, I'll definitely write more tomorrow.  It's good to be back.

7:01 pm

Had to learn how to spell "children".  This is the first away from work update I remember.  We may see more of these on the weekends to boost my readership.  Of course, that won't be this weekend, but next weekend -- yeah!

Not many people appreciated the state quarter as much as I did.  It's taking too long to load too.  Next week I'll probably change it to a link.

4:52 pm

Well, I must bid all a fond farewell.  My day is approaching its end.  I realize now that when I'm not looking forward to the weekend, it makes my job even bleaker.  Regardless, I'm sure I will have a delightful time, and my body will thank me for not imbibing mass quantities of booze.

Anyone ever check out the Photoshops on Fark?  If you don't, you might start.  I pulled this from a photoshop about Alabama's state quarter.  Though it's wrong, and I'm sure to go to hell, it made me laugh.  My site is no longer suitable for small children.  It was worth it.

Click here for the silly image.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

8:01 am

I can't believe I forgot to mention this.  Yesterday I was talking to Jesse about how Micah's girlfriend is hot.  Turns out, she's not technically Micah's girlfriend right now.  Awesome.

7:04 am

So, I got some pictures developed last night.  I have some hot friends.  Camile looks gorgeous in her wedding dress.  Charity also turned out hot.  I have to give some electronic high fives to my hot friends.

Moving on.

Yesterday, Jesse and Kim were awesome.  A couple of times I actually laughed out loud, which raised suspicions of at least one co-worker.  Fortunately, it was very near quitting time when people are usually laughing out loud.  In all, I owe them some thanks for being cool.  By the way, if anyone knows Kim Zinkgraf's birthday, can you let me know?

I guess I have to head to town sometime today.  Chances are, I'll be back before most of you are up, anyway.

I received an email yesterday from someone who couldn't find Jesse's site via the links I've supplied earlier.  While I think those links will probably work in the future, UW's mail server crashed yesterday because people are idiots.  My guess is that it's still down today.  Regardless, you should be able to get to his new site from the link in the first sentence.

If I get a chance, I'll post more later.

11:29 am

Okay, I forgot about this until I talked to Jesse.  Yesterday, Lucey had an extra credit math problem for Geometry.  She had to figure out how many palindromic numbers were between 10 and 100000.  How's that for a coincidence?  Weird.  I'm not sure why she is doing that for Geometry.  Seems more like a probability problem to me.

By the way, climbing was awesome, as usual.  The best part is I think my tendons are slowly getting better.  I'm feeling less and less pain with each passing week.  At this rate, in six months I'll be 100%.  I almost got the elusive move on the route I've dubbed "Nemesis II" (white).  It's a V3 under the wave.

9:20 am

Well, first and foremost, I would like to say "hi" to the person that is visiting me from Google.  My site is the last site listed when you search for "creation vs evolution dvd hovind 7".  I hope you found what you're looking for.  I hope you come back often.

Now to the greatly anticipated Special Edition!!!

As I was driving home from Laramie, I caught a little Christian radio.  Often they will talk with Christian authors about contemporary issues in Christianity and society.  This particular evening, they happened to have a man named David French on the show.  He is the author of A Season for Justice.  Now, I have no opinions about the book that he wrote because I haven't read it.  Just so you know, David French is a Christian and a lawyer.

Apparently, a lesbian applied for a leadership position in the Tufts Christian Fellowship.  She was denied that a position (but not membership) based on her sexual orientation.  After being snubbed, she went to the student government at Tufts and they banishd TCF from the University.  David French came to their defense for free.  To make a long story short, he got the ruling reversed and the fellowship was reinstated as a student group.

As you probably know, I am very accepting of homosexuality.  Unfortunately, I have to tell you that this lesbian was completely in the wrong.  Imagine if I wanted to lead a math club, but didn't agree that 2+2=4.  In fact, I think 2+2=5 except on Tuesdays when 2+2=8.  If I was very upfront with my belief, do you think that the Math Club would select me for a leadership position?  I hope not.  Would the student body revoke the Math Club's status because they discriminated against my beliefs?  Given the current state of math education, probably, but that doesn't make it right.

Just because homosexuality is becoming more and more accepted doesn't mean they have the right to tell Christians what to believe.  I can't understand why you want to be a part of that group if they had such strong feelings towards homosexuality.  That's like a black person joining the KKK then being pissed because they won't let him be the Grand Dragon.

One of the coolest things about David French is that he doesn't believe they should make legislation to put prayer or the ten commandments in schools.  He thinks that to make this nation a Christian nation, Christians need only to use their First Amendment rights and convince people through evangelism.  Who knows, it could work.

Well, I guess that's roughly all I have for now.

4:48 am

In an effort to learn some words, I decided to write a short story using the words of the day for May 1999 on dictionary.com.  It turned out sucky and with no closure.  Still, if you'd like to see it, email me and I'll graciously send it to you.

Well, I'm already late in leaving.  Tune in tomorrow for a special edition.  Rich tells all about how sometimes even he sides with Christians.

3:04 pm

Okay, this is hilarious.  I have never bought anything from a sex shop, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't.  I think they're pretty cool to browse, actually.  Anytime a protestor actually helps what they are protesting, I think it's even more amusing.  Check it out.

8:19 am

I suppose if you want an easy method to determine the pivot number, I could tell you, but what fun would that be?  I will tell you that it's pretty simple.

7:20 am

So yesterday I was looking at the words of the day from dictionary.com.  In May of 1999, "palindrome" was one of the words.  Somehow I got sidetracked and started messing with palindromes divisible by 11 (like 121).  Obviously, all even length palindromes are divisible by 11.  On the odd length palindromes the middle number cycles through {2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 0}.  Obviously the middle number can not be 10, but when I started constructing palindromes divisble by 11, it came up in the spot mentioned, so I decided to include it.  What I've found to be most interesting is the manner in which those numbers cycle.

Let's start at 121.  2 is the middle number.  The next palindrome divisble by 11 is 242, so 4 is the middle number.  The last three digit palindrome divisible by 11 is 979.  Here's where I thought it got interesting. nbsp;The first 5 digit palindrome with such properties is 10901.  So the 9 picked up where the 7 left off.  Still don't believe me?  99099 is the largest 5 digit pali having 11 as a factor.  What might you guess the first 7 digit pali is?  If you guessed 1002001, you were right.  Pretty cool, eh?

Never stop learning.

4:11 pm

Okay, this is just awesome.  I find it amusing, considering that on a Christian radio program I heard this weekend, they said it was "not natural" for gay couples to adopt children.  Sometimes people are silly.

In other news, I enjoyed a wedding this weekend.  I took some great notes which I hope to share sometime soon.

I also solved the Car Talk weekly puzzler on the way home last night.  If you want to waste a good 30 seconds, figure out how you can represent each day of the month writing one number on each face of a cube.  Keep in mind, both cubes must be used for each number.  That is, the 7th would be 07, not just 7.  Otherwise it would be even easier than it is.

I feel sorry for 19 year olds that aren't sure if it's okay to hold hands while dating.  They do exist folks.

Lately, I've been wondering if I can alter my reality just by thinking about it.  If I figure it out, I'll let you know.

6:48 am

I didn't make it to work on Thursday, so there was no entry.

This weekend was long and tiring.  And I mean tiring.  I just want to go home and sleep, but I don't see that happening.

I have a lot of work to get done this morning, but I figured that my blog entry is the most important thing I have going right now.  People depend on my valuable insight to form opinions on today's most pressing news.  With that in mind, I continue.

Here's what I learned at 3rd Street:

1.) If you wear your condoms all the time, they will wear out.  In Sweden they learn that in the fourth grade.

2.) Starfish offer no sexual entertainment value.  If you need to know what a starfish is, contact me.

As I was driving home I was listening to the Cleveland-Baltimore game.  It was a dramatic finish, complete with onside kick recovery.  Regardless, once the game was over and Cleveland was handed their loss, I switched over to Rick Dees just in time to catch the number one requested song.

The song is called "Dilemma" by Nelly.  I suppose that's all well and good, but I'm curious if that song has it's high ranking because people like the sound or people relate to the lyrics.  If the latter were primarily the reason this song has been at the number one spot for four weeks, I would be very sad.  Dilemma is a very fitting name.

I feel more sorry for Kelly than I do for Nelly.  You see, Nelly isn't truly in a predicament.  He has laid his cards out on the table.  He has little to regret, other than bad timing.  Kelly, on the other hand, loses.  If she follows her heart, she loses the life she has built.  If she doesn't, she loses the man she is passionate about.  What I find most interesting about this situation is that neither choice is right for everyone.

I find this song a refreshing change from all of those whiny "I wish I could convince you that your boyfriend is a jerk and I'm really the one you should be with" songs.  If that was truly the case, the girl would be singing the chorus from Dilemma.  Don't tell her that her boyfriend is a jerk.  Show her that you can rock her world.  If he's really a jerk, you'll win her over in short order.

In contrast, Nelly concedes that Kelly is in a "happy home."  He never complains that she won't leave her boyfriend for him.  In fact, he admits that "it ain't that easy for [her] to back up and leave him."

If I examine my own choices in life, I rarely take risks.  Most decisions I make are very calculated whether it seems so or not.  If I was Kelly, would I leave my "boo" for Nelly?  Chances are, yes.  But not before I did a lot of soul searching.

I learned a few years ago that passion is more important to me than stability.  I don't think this isn't the same for everyone.  Some people feel most comfortable in fairly static lifestyle.  They generally have their routines that they live by.  We all have routines.  For example, Monday through Thursday I generally have to get up and go to work and on the weekends I can generally be found at 3rd Street.  For the most part, however, I pride myself on spontaneity.  That's why it's difficult to get me to make plans more than a full hour in advance.  I hate being tied up should something better come along.

Well, for now, I have to end this rant.  I have a lot more to talk about today if I get the chance.

3:38 pm

This beautiful, young blonde that I work with sent me this over email.

You know I met this guy, it's been at least two years now and we just had that attraction ya know. I would see him out and we would talk, he'd come over, I'd go over there. I seen him at a concert one night and he said "kiss me" (it was back when I really did'nt know him quite as well) and I did and walked off. One night we got together and slow danced in his living room and just really connected........He was so sweet. He had a wedding to go to the next day and that was a Saturday. Sunday, I had a party to go to and was driving by his apt. and thought about stopping but did'nt. That monday, my friend called me and told me he was killed in an accident Sunday on his way out of town going to work.

Now if that does'nt set you back a few steps, his brother said he was going to call me and let me know but he did'nt know what to say, makes me wonder sometimes, if I had stopped by his Apt. that Sunday if he would of been there and just 10 more minutes maybe it all would have never happend.

He really could have been my destiny, we just had that connection.

If that doesn't make you want to take your destiny in your hands before you lose it, I don't know what will.

6:48 am

Climbing is my sanctuary.  Yesterday, it was the only two hours that I actually escaped my day.  I was laughing and smiling.  My thoughts were soley focused on my climbing and my cares melted away.  It was beautiful.  Everyone needs a sanctuary.

In other news, I woke up at 4 am this morning.  And I woke up smiling.  I was in a euphoric state for about 30 seconds until I realized I had awakened from a dream that had no basis in reality.  The dream seemed so real.  I distinctly remember feeling the touch of another person on my body.  No, unfortunately, I didn't get any (<-- secret message on "any").  Still this is the best dream I've had in a long time.  I found myself desperately trying to fall asleep to no avail.  It was even better than the time I realized I was dreaming and decided to fly.

So, I have been awake since 4 am, pondering my next move.  I have learned quite a bit about myself in the last couple of days.  On July 18th I gave some advice.  It's time for me to follow it or damn myself to a life of wondering what might have been.  For the last two months I have been telling myself that it is out of my hands.  That could be true.  But it might not be.  It's time to find out.

By the way, if you are that mystery caller from Sunday night, why don't you contact me if you read this.

7:23 am

You know, I'm curious if today will bring as much excitement as yesterday.  I guess yesterday wasn't real exciting, but some interesting things did happen.  Someone once told me, "Nothing can keep soulmates apart."  She was right.

If you find yourself in a desperate situation with your "soulmate" there are two things you should conider.  The first: this person may not actually be such.  I remember my first girlfriend.  At the time, I knew she was my soulmate.  I was wrong.  The second: this person is your soulmate and you are having a temporary setback.  Yes, even soulmates have problems.

I have some advice for those who have recently had their heart broken.

Don't you think it's funny when people tell you "she's just a girl" (replace gender as needed).  Obviously, she wasn't just a girl to you.  She was your girl.  Ignore them.

First things first.  Network.  Rekindle old friendships that were neglected during her reign.  Get out and meet people.  The worst thing you can do is sit around your house alone.  Trust me, she will infect your thoughts and drag you down into a wallowing pit of despair.

I'm not big on dating, but if it's your thing do it.  Dating is not a therapy session.  The last thing I want to hear on a date is a couple hours about your ex (good or bad).  I don't think I'm alone.

If you don't exercise regularly, start.  Not only will it help relieve you of the constant pang in your chest, it will also make you more attractive to future victims of your charm.

Chances are you are an awesome person that can offer someone everything they ever dreamed.  Be thankful that you finally have the opportunity to find your soulmate.

6:53 am

This weekend was pretty damned fun.  I ended up staying at the scenic Paint Rock Lodge in the Bighorns.  In exchange for room and board, I fed a few horses and washed a few dishes -- an extremely fair trade.  It was awesome to see John Perry again.

I've decided that I'll probably like spelunking.  I'd start a spelunking gym, but I'm not sure what you can put in it.  Spelunking is a cool word.

While I was in the Bighorns, John showed me an advertisement for a product that somehow fixes the bond angle in water.  They listed a website in the advertisement.  I'm inclined to say that the science presented there is worse than that at Dr Dino's.  I don't really know what to say except get an education.  This has to be one of the most poorly executed attacks on naivety that I have seen today.  What scares me is that it has probably succeeded at least a few times.

Last item -- well, close to last at least.  I've emailed a few people about starting NSPT.  I know that John Perry, Myron, and I are going to start NSPT today.  If you want to join us, you can either email me for a convenient Excel format workout sheet.  Otherwise, you can check it out here.

The really last item -- for now.  If you call me, leave a message.  Unless I talk to you on a regular basis leave your name.  It's the worst when I see a number that looks vaguely familiar but no message was left.  Sometimes I can smell smoke as my brain desperately tries to remember where it saw these number.  Courtesy phones around the University that I have been privelaged enough to receive calls from on occasion are usually the culprits.  I say this because I received a phone call last night at 9:21 pm from such a number.  I have a couple of hunches as to the origin (and originator) of the call.  I'd publish the phone number here, but I'm afraid that my initial guesses may be incorrect and the phone number may actually be residential.  If it comes down to it, I'll actually call the number and at least figure out the location.  If you did call me last night, drop me an email.  I promise I won't be mad.  You definitely can't be as bad as the medical oxygen company that keeps calling me.

4:52 pm

I'd like to give a shout out to Stellar Programming.  Thanks for checking out my site.

8:34 am

In the last couple of days, I've found a few websites that are worth mentioning.

Hairy Tongue is a site for hungover internet junkies.  Check it out.  Though it won't make your hangover disappear, at least you can laugh at people that have done worse things than you.

Thinking about becoming a super villain?  Having trouble finding the supplies you need?  Look no further because Villain Supply is here to fufill your needs.  From the casual enthusiast to the hardcore supervillain, there is something for you at Villain Supply.

Last but not least, I just found Team Natty Ice.  The prank calls are absolutely hilarious.  I'm not sure how they did it, but one of the Miss Cleo's almost me laugh until I cried.

8:10 am

Yesterday ended up being not one of those days.  In fact, it turned out quite well.

I was just reminiscing about the good ol' days of dorm life where the vending machines accepted our campus ID cards.  The beauty of the system was that they gave you X amount of dollars to spend in there every semester.  I think with my meal plan it was $50.  The best thing in there was F0.  They were these brownies that I'm pretty sure no one else liked.  Now I'm hooked on Grandma's Homestyle Cookies.  The sucky thing is, I have to use real money to pay for them.  The good thing is, they are only $0.50 as opposed to F0's $0.75.  Either way, I'm sure, just like F0, the phase will pass.  Talk to you later, everyone.

8:24 am

I have a feeling it's going to be one of those days.  Apparently, I forgot to set my alarm last night so when I woke this morning, I was running a little late.  I couldn't find my flip-flops, so I ran out to my car barefoot.  When I got out there, I found my tire flat.  While I was pumping up my tire, I searched for my shoes that I thought I had in there to no avail.  I sped off to work anyway.  After I got here, I watered my plant, but apparently it doesn't have a catch for excess water, so it overflowed all over my desk and floor.  Aside from a slight error in my computer that forced a reboot, I think my day will be looking up from here.  Of course, you are welcome to email encouragement to me if you like.

10:41 am

I'd just like to say that I had an awesome weekend.  I may have climbed a little too hard as my tendons are still crying two days later.  Cody was fun and I ended up with a picture of Mike's ass as well as other things.  It was my first time climbing outside with a rope and it was awesome.  Getting to the top of one of the routes was particularly satifying.

For me, there are two main differences between climbing inside and climbing outside.  First of all, you can climb a lot higher outside than you can inside.  This doesn't really matter to me, but it might to some people.  Second, the hand holds tend to be a little more concealed when climbing outside.  Granted finding the green and silver in the dizzying collage of colored tape can be a little trying at times.  Compared to the tricks of light and shadow on the monochrome stone, finding the holds inside might be considered easy.  This analysis, ofcourse, doesn't take into account the chalk laden holds of the popular routes.

In all, I like climbing inside better right now.  That could easily change if my arms heal and I find some local rocks that I really like.  I will admit that roping in outside is probably more fun than roping in inside.  Since bouldering is where it's at, that hardly matters.

Get out and climb.

3:09 pm

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

- Lord Byron (She Walks in Beauty)

Have a good weekend everyone.

6:54 am

Currently, I am pissed off at congressional investigators looking into the 9/11 attacks.  Okay, we have one intelligence failure so our intelligence sucks.  We have no idea how many attacks were prevented due to good intelligence.  It's impossible to measure.  These investigators also claim that the intelligence community didn't do enough to raise public awareness.  Let me tell you something.  Our boys get threats everyday.  Some may be credible, some may not.

Remember when we were hearing about possible targets every other day?  Eventually, you don't care.  Heck, we are at some defense level called C-Con II.  I guess that's the "Imminent Attack" level.  From what I understand, C-Con I is "Under Attack".  All I know is that nothing has changed around here except that the security guy is about to cream in his pants because he lives for this stuff.  In fact, earlier this week our security guy had a visit from his counterpart at INEEL.  I think that they want to start a club and build a tree house but they know they're too old.  Bottom line is, there is nothing we can do to bring back the lives of the people that were lost.  No amount of security guys or congressional oversight committees will make me feel safer.

It's time to look to the future folks.  Follow me.

3:04 pm

I just bought some Snak King Brand Pork Rinds from the vending machine.  They are Hot & Spicy Chicharrones.  What does that mean?  I have no idea.  What I do know is that they don't have any buttermilk solids, which is a plus.  Unfortunately, the only pig reference in the ingredients list is "pork rinds."  That's a little scary.

I found out last night that my website was the target of a school project.  Awesome!  I'm finally corrupting youth!

I have to give a high five to MapQuest because they are sending me a free atlas.  I believe that to be an $11.95 value for free.  What's the catch?  None.  Well, they might sell my address and telephone number to telemarketers, but I don't care because I'm never home.

I just finished my rinds, so I'm finished with this entry.  Poo.

2:32 pm

Climbing.

It still enraptures my spirit.

Here's a fun little game for those of you looking to get started in this awesome sport:

Add On

This game requires at least two players.  You can either decide on a series of beginning moves or just one hold to start from.  The players then take turns adding a move to the sequence.  Be warned: you must be able to tap the wall after making the move.  Of course, you are allowed to modify these rules in anyway you see fit.  If you want to close the feet or allowing bumping, that is entirely up to you.  Just have fun and don't hurt yourself (or others... Keith).

7:30 am

According to dictionary.com, beauty is the quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality.

I'm amazed at how much beauty depends on your state of mind.  This entry is inspired by an email from John Perry where he asked, "Have you seen anything beautiful or admirable today?" Amazingly enough, my answer is no.  This morning I found myself exhausted from this weekend's activities.  Did I notice the sunrise this morning?  Of course I did.  Did I find it beautiful or admiral?  No.  Had I been well rested and ready to tackle the day, I would have found that very same sunrise to be awe-inspiring.

It now seems to me that depression is a scary thing.  Unless you have the mental capacity to realize that you are in a state of depression and then the sheer will power to destroy that state of mind, I see a terrible, terrible downward spiral.  You know, I've had a few close encounters with that dreadful affliction.  I'd like to say thanks to a few of my friends who have helped me see the beauty of the world in some way or another.

Thanks Jesse, Mike, Travis, Johnny P., Camile, Nick, Myron, Mary, Trapper, Candy, Cookie, Mickey and Molly, Charlotte the Pig, Jesus, Chris Hill, Erin, Jessica, Tiffany, Abby, Keith, Terry, Tom, Jarrod, Katie, Shawn, Alden, Bill, Tab, Alicia, Tim, Jay, Joe, Jen, Mandy, Mom, Dad, Joey, Sam, Janet, Kim, Stephanie, Sherri, Erin and Ashley, Molly, Aumi, Osa, Stephanie, Zach, Andy, that crazy guy at the sporting events, Tai, the chimpanzee on my coffee mug, my two office plants, Canyon and Bruno, Sarah, Kiki, Kirsten Dunst, the guy who invented toilet paper, the guy who made it softer, Goku, whoever it was that taught me the phrase "Bad Ass", Charles Darwin, the Navy Seals, their preparation training, Chris Sharma, and most importantly, my brain for rarely letting me down and exuding the confidence that makes me love who I am today.

This list is hardly exhaustive, so if I left you off for some reason, it's probably because I had too much to drink this weekend.  Except for the first six people, these people are in no particular order.  If you are in the first six, I might consider you one of my closest friends even if geography keeps us apart.  Don't get too comfortable, this list is alive, and at any moment someone could take your spot in the top six, or I could drop it to five or zero.  Don't become a victim.

In reality, if you have had any type of sensory input to my brain, you have influenced me.

I haven't always had the mental toughness that I exhibit today.  For that I really owe Jesse, John, and Myron a big thanks.  No Shave, No Bathe was my first real introduction to the concept of breaking.  No, I was never broken.  I have shaped my life around the concept of never breaking.  I love who I am, so I really do owe a big thanks to the people that have helped me become that.

What can I say? I'm cocky.

As for beauty?  After exploring my memories, I have seen many beautiful and admirable things today.

9:14 am

Finally! I made it through September 11th without catching too much of the news -- thank goodness.  I know that if they'd rebuild the towers, I'd go to work in them in a second.  I'm pretty sure some of my friends would too.  Go ahead, call yourself patriotic because you grieved with the nation but cower in fear at the threat of another attack.  Stand up, be brave.  Grieve if that suits you, but dammit, don't live in fear.

That said, has anybody else ever wondered why wheels aren't more prevalent in natural locomotion?  Most land based creatures use some type of legs to move around.  I started thinking about how awesome legs really are though.  They can travel over a wide variety of terrains and speeds up to faster than I usually ever need to go.  Spider legs don't even have real muscles. They move on hyrdraulic power. How? Got me. Of course, I'm sure that How Stuff Works knows.  I guess the bottom line is that legs are simple and versatile.  Why would you need wheels?

10:50 am

Corn is cool.

In the tangled web of stupid September 11th activities and year in review pieces, I managed to find a cool article about corn.

It appears that some strains of corn give caterpillars a tummy ache.  Too much ice cream gives me a tummy ache, but ice cream doesn't produce a super tummy-ache causing enzyme in order to protect itself from my consumption.  This corn does.  Rock and roll corn.

In further reading, a much older article talks about how some corn has other bugs protect it.  I guess it emits a perfume that bugs that kill other bugs really like.

You gotta hand it to corn, it really knows how to kick ass and take names.

Reading that should have been a nice break from today's festivities.

10:25 am

What's really funny is that I've been told to correct and change things since before I walked into my office on my first day of work.  So, I'm supposed to fix problems in the code without actually using code?  I'm good folks, but I'm not that good.

7:09 am

I made enemies with the IT Security manager.  That explains my absence.  In fact, I'm throwing caution to the wind right now, uploading this.

I just read that the more you exercise, the more freedom you have with what you eat.  Can I tell you that I've been saying that for years?  Well, I have been.  They are also recommending an hour of exercise per day instead of the previously recommended half hour.  I'm not sure if I can get in an hour of exercise everyday.  I'm hoping I can get exercise credits. &nsbp;That is, one day of exercising for two hours counts as two days at one hour.  Still, I'm not sure I'd add up to 7 hours a week, but I bet I'm close.

I'd like to give a shout out to John Perry for using my blog as Sampson used his hair.  I'm no Delilah, so I will try to help him maintain his strength.

This weekend I sprained my ankle something fierce.  I was rock climbing and just had a freak accident on a fall.  Am I going climbing tonight?  You bet I'm gonna try.  I think with some tape, I'll be better than ever.  I'm just a little worried about getting my shoes on.  We're talking some major swelling, even four days later.

Who gives shout outs anyway?

9:54 am

For those of you still following my progress, I haven't accomplished much in the last few days because of the long weekend.  This morning I did put an update on my new webpage and made a few minor adjustments.  I still have to finish changing over may and june before the blog is finished.  I have been horribly side tracked this morning by capacitors and potato guns.  After writing this, I'll try to finish may.

In other news, we got Jesse moved back to Laramie this weekend.  He doesn't have a phone or internet access, so I'm not sure how often I'll be hearing from him.

Other than that, I'd like to thank Jarrod for his recommendation of Hershey for the name of my plant.

10:24 am

I'm currently working on transferring my website to my new layout.  That said, it will be a little while until I put up a real entry here.  I'm hoping to be ready to rock next week.  That said, I'm considering buying either dickee.com, dickees.com, or dickeesplace.com.  Give me some input.  I'll anxiously await your email.

6:32 am

Good morning folk!

I think everyone should have a plant or plants.  I have this plant that sits on the left side of my computer screen.  She does all kinds of things likes gives me oxygen to breath and removes toxic greenhouse gases from my environment.  I really appreciate her, but I'm not sure that she knows it.  I know, I know -- I water her regularly and turn her so that she grows evenly, but I'm not sure it's enough.  She's always complaining about how she's a giver and I'm a taker which is mostly true.  I can't help but think that maybe we aren't meant to be together.  I'm going to try to work it out.

The first step in my one step plan is to give her a name.  I would love for some of my readers to suggest some names.  Now, don't be shy.  Email me with your suggestions.  Keep in mind that she is sexy and green, kinda like a female Kermit.  Also keep in mind that I don't think that Kermit is a sexy name.  Wait, I don't think Kermit is sexy.  Is there anything that is both green and sexy or is that a contradiction?

In other news, Jesse has spent considerable time putting up a new website.  It's got a great new look, but the same old drab content.  Tell him I said so.  Oh, and tell him that I actually put a link to his site, unlike his email.  What a sucker.

8:26 am

I thought I better make a quick update, so here I am.

So, this was my first real 3 day bender in a long time.  When I say 3 day bender, I'm talking about 12 hours of drinking on Friday.  I'm talking about my worst hangover ever on Saturday.  I'm talking about getting back on the saddle Saturday night.  Needless to say, I'm tired.

I heard a rumor that Jesse might be working on a new web page.  I'll keep you posted if I find out more.

I didn't write on Thursday because I was too engrossed in my AI to do much of anything else.  With any luck, that won't happen again. =)

4:30 pm

Okay, sorry I didn't write anything yesterday.  It was an unusually busy day at work.

Anyway, most of today I've been working on a simple game that Jesse and I came up with at about 2 am this morning.  There are two players (perhaps more in the future) starting on their bases in opposite corners on a 10 by 10 grid.  The players have to move in one of the 4 cardinal directions on their turn.  The game is won when one player runs into another on their turn or when one player reaches the other's base.  Either way, the player making the move is the winner.  I'll be the first to admit that this game doesn't even sound remotely fun or interesting.  That's why I'm getting a computer to play it for me.  The goal is to make the computer an expert at this game with no input (aside from some randomness) other than the win state.  Amazingly enough, there is measureable improvement between computers that have played 10000 games and those that have played 100000 games.  If my program (that I whipped together) doesn't break before it can reach 1 million games, we'll see if they improve.  It's probably going to take a couple hours of computing time to finish.  I'm thinking I'll probably be disappointed with the results.  If I am, perhaps I'll tweak the evolution engine.  Perhaps not.

Regardless, I've only had 2 hrs sleep, and I'm tired of looking at the screen, so have fun folks.

8:57 am

I've gone into training mode.  By this I mean, I cut my hair off again and am intent on getting myself into good shape.  I want to compete in the Half Acre Hang if I'm around in February.  I'm glad that's almost 6 mos away, because I have a lot of work to do.

My standard of excellence would be spring of '98 when I was in what I consider the best shape of my life.  Of course, my body is far cry from that.  That was my first attempt at NSPT.  Back then I, at one point, weighed 155 lbs.  Of course, that was the lightest I ever got.  Now I'm right around 217 (as of yesterday).  The sad thing is, that number doesn't scare me at all, though now when I think about it, I think it's the heaviest I've ever been.  I'd like to get down to about 185, if possible.  Running is the key.

On a side note, there are 10 kinds of people in this world: those that understand binary, and those that don't.

11:51 am

This is what I would want to be as a lego character:

Click on the image and create yourself.

9:29 am

On the 12th of August I asked for input on moving to San Diego.  John Perry graciously stepped up to the challenge.  As an example of what I was looking for, here is what he had to say:

My vote is, instead of moving somewhere else and getting a JOB, you do an epic thru-hike, e.g., the Pacific Crest Trail (or whatever it is called). THat would be an legendary challenge and adventure (did you know Colin Fletcher was hit by a car big time, but is now recovering? He is a legend. You could be the NEW legend). Of course, working at a climbing gym like you said would be darn cool too. Just some input.

This suggestion gave me much pause for thought.  We shall see.  I want to move relatively soon, and an epic would set me back at least a little bit.  It may be worth it.  Only time will tell.  After this weekend, I'll have a clearer idea of what I want to do.

Thanks John.

7:51 am

First. Post. Ever.

My first post on Fark happened to be the first post.  

In other news, I saw signs last night.  According to the movie there are two kinds of people: those that know God and have hope, and those that know not and have only fear.  I take slight personal offense to this.  Of course, the characters views are slanted because he went from knowing God to not.  After such a leap, I think I'd be afraid too.  For the record, I am not afraid of the future.  In fact, I am anxiously awaiting it with hope and vigor!

Stupid Hollywood.

3:06 pm

You know what I realized?  Existence will always baffle me.  Always.  It seems to me that even if, somehow, we proved the existence of God, I would still question his existence.  Basically, there will always be some unanswered question, at least for me.

On the plus side, I've been reading Wil Wheaton's website.  It's not bad for someone who played Wesley on Star Trek.  Not bad at all.

9:27 am

Can Weblogs Reach Ronald Scelson?

If you hate spam, take five minutes and give that site a read.

7:12 am

Last night I saw what may be the coolest movie of the summer, xXx.  It was a delight to watch from beginning to end.  If you're into the X games at all, go watch it.  There is likely something there for you.  It's like a mix between Bond and Gleaming the Cube.  Seriously folks, the theatre was packed at 10:00 on a Monday night.

Last night when I was driving home, there was some guy prophesizing the return of the giants.  I believe he was talking about the nephilim.  He alleges that during Roman times, these behemoths would battle each other, there numbers ranking in the thousands.  Of course, he had some scripture to prove his point but I don't remember a word of it.  Apparently, it is ingrained in our deeply in our DNA or something.  In all honesty, I have no clue what he's talking about and I lost reception before I could catch his name.  Oh well, I'll forget about him in about an hour anyway.

There was another funny guy that was raving about how the guy who genetically engineered the cow to have human antibodies is going to be in trouble when the giant genetically engineered lions of 12 Monkeys take over our cities and we have to hide from them.  Do these people even watch these movies?  Though it is not out of the realm of possibility, somehow I doubt this super bovine is going to cause humanity too much trouble.  If they start a revolt, I'll gladly stand next to you and defend her still today.

Finally, the best news I've heard in many weeks involves prime numbers.  Go figure.  They have discovered a new way to determine whether numbers are prime or not.  Awesome!  Read about it here.  Thanks Keith for the info.

9:31 am

I was updating this at 9:30 this morning, but somehow, I got distracted.  I know, it's out of character for me to get distracted but it happens.

Today has been flying by.  I've been thinking about moving out to San Diego.  What do you think?  I really want to hear your opinions, so email me.  They have a pretty cool looking climbing gym there.  That's where I want to get a job.

Once again, I've been distracted.  Just know that I'm having a good time and getting ever closer to moving on from this job and Wyoming all together.

8:48 am

I just got back from Syracuse.  Well, I got back Tuesday night, but I haven't been feeling well.  In fact, I'm not feeling well today, but I have so much work to do that I had to come in.  Naturally, I've been reaquainting myself with my favorite sites.  I'm sure that, in my absence, I've lost some of my loyal readers, but the amount of fun I had in Syracuse was well worth it.  Of course, it's always good to get home, and I'm happy to be back.  Starting next week, my posts will be regular again.  Tell your friends -- tell your enemies.

I just read my last headline.  Fat people don't suck.  Fat people that complain about being fat suck.  Just thought I'd clarify.

8:07 am

It's been a while since my last entry.  Last Thursday was very trying for me.  I won't go so far as to say that it ruined my life or even my weekend, but it was trying.  I'm excited to go to Syracuse and get a break from work and life in general.  Enough whining out of me =P.

In other news, Jesse has updated his website.  I have got some climbing pictures, but some still need to be scanned.  Warcraft III is addictive and I am contemplating a lawsuit akin to that of the fatties and the fast food restaurants.

I just realized my ultimate nemesis.  Of course everyone probably knows that I'm against ignorance and obesity.  In fact, those two things are high on my list of negative qualities.  They don't even compare to people that do not like something about themselves but are unwilling or too lazy to change it.  By this I'm not referring to things that are out of the individual's control.  Unfortunately, obesity is generally not one of those things.  I give creationists a lot of flak because I think they are misguided, but the fervor with which many research and defend their beliefs is quite admirable.  The people that are sueing McDonald's, Burger King, Wendies, and Kentucky Fried Chicken are, in my opinion, the lowest form of human.  I hope that the fast food chains wail this class action lawsuit.  If they discovered that the companies were putting addictive chemicals into their burgers, they might have a case.  When I was in some of the best shape of my life, I was eating fast food on a semi-regular basis.  I think regular exercise not genetics, was the key to my success.  Even though I hate McDonald's, I'm on their side in this battle.  If you have a problem with it, go eat at Subway with Jared.

9:03 am

My interest in group theory has once again been piqued.  If anyone has some fundamental resources and, more importantly some interesting, yet not too difficult problems I might do, that would be much appreciated.  I just realize that my mathematical knowledge base is much less than I deem acceptable.  I'm lacking in Abstract Algebra which is the basis for one of my favorite mathematical topics of all time, Number Theory.

For some reason I also have this idea for a computer simulation of a golf ball rolling around on some smooth terrain.  This one is much less likely to come to fruition as I'm not ultimately excited about it.

11:27 am

Jesse's balls are like giant anchors dragging his guts into the depths of his scrotum.

- Tom Whitney on Jesse's surgery.

8:32 am

Okay, I was just at Fark and saw this article.  For those of you that don't know me, I love prime numbers.  For those of you that do, this might make you laugh at me like I did.  Enjoy.

7:54 am

Saturday, I was at the gym and I managed to run 9 miles / hr for 2 miles.  I just need to run 7 more miles at that pace and I will have reached my goal.  Incidentally, if I run 3 miles at that pace, it will be a personal best.  My heart rate, at one point, got up to 189 bpm.  That is pretty high for me.  I know that's not a good story, but I just want to keep everyone updated on my progress.  Maybe I'll even motivate someone to jump on the workout bandwagon.  That would be awesome.

In other news, I was at the Casper Surgical Center from 8 am until 1:30 pm on Friday waiting for Jesse to get cut.  Everything went as planned.  It's funny to watch him walk now, because he kinda just waddles around.  He'll probably be in Laramie today and tomorrow looking for a place to live, so if you see him, make fun of him for me.

I should be getting some rock climbing pictures up soon.  Though, we don't have any pictures of the awesome sideways route, there is a picture with Jesse at the crux of the pink ghost route.  There's also a couple of pics of Jesse and me doing a dyno on the overhang.  I am so excited to go climbing again, but my tendons ache just thinking about it.  Oh well, I love it so much, it's worth the pain.  Besides, my tendons are probably getting better.

Well kids, I better get some work done.  I might write more later if I get a chance and I'm feeling inspired.  Check ya lates...

12:57 pm

It's not that I've been lazy, it's just that I haven't had much to write about.

Here's a bit of advice.  If you love someone, go after them.  If you don't, you'll always wonder what might have happened.  If you do and get shot down, you'll know.  Knowledge is better than ignorance, anyday.  Anyday.  I've been truly in love at least twice in my life.  While I have no wonderful woman with whom to share everything, I have no regrets.  Think about it.

Have a good weekend everyone.

6:56 am

As I predicted last night, I will be thinking about rock climbing all day today.  Every once in a while you can pull some awesome moves that make you just crave climbing that much more.  Last night was one of those times.  Jesse pulled this awesome move where he was basically sideways on the wall.  I managed to replicate it shortly after, and despite the fact that the move is easier than a lot we've done, it still felt amazing.  That doesn't even take into account the people that were watching.  I could feel them cheering me on, helping me stick each hold.  As made that final grab, I could sense their awe and appreciation.  I could even sense their disappointment when I finally fell.It was awesome!

Most of the people in there weren't regulars, but it's still cool to be watched.

I know I'll be thinking about that "route" all day.  I'll try to get pictures up if we get them.

By the way, I'll be in fall rescue training today.  If I don't reply to your emails, it's because I'm not at my computer, not because I hate you.  I've heard it goes from 8 am to 4pm, but I promise I'll check my email at lunch and at the end of the day.  It might get out early, too.  It seems that a lot of these training sessions get out early, so I may be back before you know it.

Have a good day, kids.

12:12 pm

Bill Storey is my hero of the day.  He rolled his truck off a mountain road down a 1500 foot enbankment.  He broke his neck in the fall, but managed to crawl from the wreckage.  His rapid recovery from multiple rollovers leads me to question his possible divinity.  Though I doubt he is the messiah, I have not yet discarded the possibility that he is the antichrist.  Good luck with that Bill.

Read about it here.

10:29 am

Apparently, I'm making all kinds of new friends.  I keep getting a lot of positive feedback on my site too, so I enjoy that.  Of course, I don't know that I would call them friends, but yesterday they emailed me more than my "friends" did.  Actually, strangers are probably the only people that look at my website anymore.

I'm going to give you guys a little education today.  I have several reputable sources that tell me that bear meat is much better when the bear is killed before it has started eating fish.  This means that its diet consists mainly of berries and carrion.  It's the carrion that really makes the flesh juicy and tender.

Okay, for anyone that uses the web based ICQ, you used to be able to get it by going to http://lite.icq.com.  That is no long the case.  That link now gets you a version of ICQ for windows that stores your contacts online.  That version does not work on my firewall.  The web version is still available, however, at http://go.icq.com.  I rarely use ICQ, but when I do, my number is 325190.  If you are really interested in contacting me, just add timexfish@hotmail.com to MSN Messenger.

I think I have a bug bite.  If for some reason I don't wake up tomorrow because of complications with this bite, somebody please say that I seemed A-OK when you last talked to me.  If I feel on onset of symptoms, I'll try to log on and document them.  Of course, I've made it through two evenings, I'm sure I can make it one more.

9:04 am

I was going to update this, but I need to run and do something real quick.  Look for an update in a little bit.

2:53 pm

I was just checking out my site statistics and I found out that almost %50 of my page views come from a Macintosh Power PC.  I can't think of anyone I know that uses a power pc.  I considered the mystery man Donovan as a potential source, but it's doubtful that he makes up 50% of my page views.  Even if the calculations are done soley for the month of July, it's inconceivable seeing how he only found my page yesterday.  If you're using a power pc, let me know.  I'm curious.

By the way, I have received precious little personal email today.  This wasn't the case on any day last week.  Come on folks, let's get on the ball here.  It's easy, just send me some email so I don't cry myself to sleep tonight.

8:07 am

It's been over a week since I made an entry.  I'd like to say that it's because I've been busy, but that's not entirely true.  I think it's mostly because I have been really lazy.  In fact, the only reason I'm writing now is because of some Donovan guy that emailed me about my website.  I have my suspicions that he is going to try to evangelize me, but so far he has been very clever in concealing any religious affiliation.  He is the first person I don't know to email me about my website.  For this momentous occasion, I thought I would put up an update. Here it is.

First, I happened to reread a lot of my stuff this morning and found a few typos. That's a little disconcerting, but the couple that I found should be fixed with this edition.  Of course, my loyal readers could help out a bit and tell me when I have mistakes.  So far, Jessica is the only one who has done this for me, and that's only because she likes to make me feel stupid.  Still, props to her.

I've been trying to think of a topic that's not religion and not related to working out because I've become too narrow minded.  In fact, I would almost call myself boring.  Regardless, today we're going to talk about Rock, Paper, Scissors.

For those who have noticed my incessant name changing on MSN Messenger, I have stabilized at "Avalanche Gambit".  A gambit in RPS is a series of three throws.  While, the Avalanche Gambit is not the strongest of the gambits, it is one of the easiest to master and defeats the Paper Dolls gambit with relative ease.  In my own analysis, I find the Avalanche weakest against the Scissor Sandwich as it mimics the Paper Dolls gambit for the first two throws, leading the Avalanche player into a false sense of security.  The real strength of Avalanche is its inherent weakness.  Because of its lack of versatility, the Avalanche is rarely used by experts.  After seeing two rocks thrown, the expert will cringe knowing that only a novice would actually throw avalanche as their opening gambit.  Knowing, then that Rock will not be thrown, he has a choice between rock or scissors.  He could throw rock, assuming that his opponent will anticipate a throw of paper and throw scissors himself.  Unfortunately, any opponent throwing the avalanche will know this ploy immediately, and will probably throw paper in an attempt to escape the apparent Avalanche.  This leads the opponent to throw scissors in anticipation of Paper and BAM! Rock comes down hard.

If you want to read more about this, check out the World RPS Society.  I have some stickers on order from them.

P.S.  This weekend was fun too.  Thank goodness for Jubilee Days.

6:36 am

I had an incredible weekend that culminated with the most spectacular lightning show I can remember.  My poor body is run down, and I have 10 hrs of work to do.  My spirits are high, however, and I can't wait to go home and sleep.  I'll write more later today, probably.

9:24 am

I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

- Stephen Roberts

1:12 am

I just figured out that the fitness tool I mentioned before seems to only use weight (possibly height and gender) and waist size into it's % fat calculation.  I found a site that takes into account, weight, gender, waist size, hip size, forearm size, and wrist size.  According to that, my body fat percent is somewhere between 10 and 13 percent.  That's comforting, but still a lot of room for improvement.  I'll assume the 18% for now.  Then when I get an accurate measure of body fat, I'll be happier (I hope).

In other news, I'm heading to Syracuse in late July to visit Tom.  It's gonna be awesome!

11:11 am

So I found some fitness software today that keeps track of your food intake, your workouts, and some of your measurements.  I thought I was in decent shape, considering that I workout pretty hard.  Well, according to my measurements, I have about 18% body fat which is in the high range.  According to most sites, that's still healthy, but it's nowhere near where I want to be.  I guess it's time to take my body seriously.  I'm setting my target fat % for 12% by year's end.  That's about 5 months, so I need to lose a little over 1% / month.  I guess I need to lose about 2.5 lbs every month for the next 5 months.  Of course, that's fat loss and doesn't incorporate muscle gain.  Regardless, I guess it's a good starting point.  I have never documented food consumption.  I guess it's a good time to find out what I eat.

I think that physical fitness is so important that I'm willing to help in anyway I can.  If you would like me to help you design a workout suited specifically to you, I would love to.  As an incentive, I will buy either a Dri-Fit shirt or a registration code to the aforementioned software for anyone who starts and maintains a workout program for 1 month.  This is for people who don't already work out, and only if I can afford it.Your honesty, of course is appreciated, but if you want to deceive me, it's you're body, not mine.  I just want to help.

By the way, I just read that a mere 4 oz. of Wine will slow your metabolism down.  I don't know how other alcohol affects your metabolism, but I'd guess it's similar.  I have, however, read studies about how hard liquor can actually help you lose weight.  I would go with the slowing metabolism for now.

8:45 am

This is too funny!

By the way, on the back pull down machine last friday, I did 360 pounds -- twice.  I impressed myself.

6:40 am

I just completed my 250th SETI data package sometime last evening.  WOOHOO!  Too bad we haven't found any aliens yet.  Maybe we're the most advanced species in the Universe.  Wouldn't that be awesome?

I would have finished 250 yesterday, but my new Bovary Code program is very processor intensive.  I will have results posted soon, but as a preliminary, DEATH was encoded 91575 times in the text.  Of course, I haven't validated this yet, and a more in depth analysis will come soon.

Gotta go, but I'll write more later today if I get a chance.

7:00 am

After I overslept this morning, I woke up with a dull ache resonating throughout my body.  I can only attribute it to rock climbing.  It's a mild ache, however, and won't interfere with any of my activities.  It's a constant reminder of this awesome move on the wall.  It's a sideways move across the front of an overhang.  If you make the grab for the other hold, you end up in a sort of iron cross position.  I think the key is to get your feet twisted around to stop your momentum.  I couldn't do it, but I tried several times, contorting my body and landing awkwardly every time.  I hope it's up for a while, because I want to conquer it.

And conquer I shall, as my fingerboard is set to arrive today!  Of course, I can't train on it because I climbed pretty hard last night, but give it a couple of days.  Soon, I'll be training hard and knocking down 5.14's.

In other news, Nick is coming to town!  He's heading to Omaha next Tuesday, then to Boulder, then probably to Laramie.  I guess I better email him and let him know how to get ahold of me.

I have also changed my stance on Kent not being malicious.  Unless he received these "quotes" from a third party, he is deliberately changing their meaning.  Whether or not he believes in Creation does not give him the right to lie to achieve his ends.  Check them out here.

Well, I need to get some coffee and get some work done.  I'll talk to you peeps lates...

10:53 am

There is an extraordinary natural healing substance, produced by our own bodies, that modern medical science has proven to be one of the most powerful natural medicines known to man. Unlike many other natural medical therapies, this method requires no monetary investment or doctor's intervention and can be easily accessed and used at any time.

- Nexus Magazine.

I don't know how I happened upon Urine Therapy, but it was a nice break from my constant barrage on creationism -- or was it?  As I started researching this new age fountain of youth, I discovered that it wasn't just one crackpot trying to make money by selling some weird urine extraction contraption.  It's everywhere!  A search for "urine therapy" produced over 6000 results on google.  This epidemic, though not suprising, is rampant.  I mean, check this out:

Alcoholism, anorexia, nausea, poor digestion, advanced ascites, edema, and indigestion are treated by "goat feces prepared by washing with urine." Constipation is treated with "milk mixed with urine." (from the National Council Against Health Fraud on ayurvedic medical ideas)

This brings to mind a few questions.  Namely, who would mix urine with any food item, let alone goat feces?

Of course, the story doesn't stop there, but it does for me.  One last thing, check this site out.  I could, using a gross generalization say that creationists advocate drinking urine, but I won't.

6:32 am

I guess it's been a while.  I kept researching one of Kent's outlandish claims or whipping out a report for work.  I'll probably be doing more of that this week, but I'll try to update more than once per week.

My fingerboard will be here Wednesday, I think.  After that, people better watch out because my climbing strength is going to skyrocket.

So, who's heard about a million monkeys at a million typewriters typing until the cows came home that could generate the complete works of Shakespeare?  Well, I wrote a program with that idea in mind.  It has an evolutionary twist, however.  You see, creationists will often argue that there isn't enough time to evolve to our current state.  Most of their arguments revolve around the idea that everyarrangements of molecules is necessary.  Most likely, there isn't enough time generate all those possibilities.

Consider the 6 letter word "EVOLVE".  If we were to attempt to find that word randomly, and we tried a random combination of letters every second, it could take us almost 10 years.  I wrote a program to do this with an evolutionary twist.  Basically, I generate a random population of size n.  These creatures are special -- their 6 digit DNA codebase represents a 6 letter word.  They are given a fitness rating based on how many letters they have in the right position.The fitter organisms were allowed to breed, and the weaker organisms were killed.  I also allowed for random mutations.  This found the target word in 19 iterations and less than 1000 organisms.  That's much less than the 308,915,776 words that could have been tested exhaustively. Obviously, it is not any sort of proof for evolution, I think it definitely shows how randomness can be guided to produce order.

I was going to write more, but it seems as though work is going to get the best of me this morning.  I will try to get some more info in this afternoon.

4:02 pm

Today I spent about 4 hours watching Kent Hovind's first two videos in his creation series.  I will admit that I was a little shocked.  I never doubted his eloquence, but he actually sounded somewhat intelligent.  Many of his arguments are either very convincing or ideas with which I already agree.  It's a great tactic.  Unfortunately, any scientific basis his seminar may have is clouded with extreme political viewpoints, fraudulent "experts", false dichotomies, and straw man attacks.  Apparently, there is a worldwide conspiracy to conceal the "truth" about evolution.  I guess anything is possible.

I don't want you to accept my opinion of him.  I have 7 of his seminar videos in Real Video format, and anyone who wants them on CD is welcome to a free copy, courtesy of me, assuming that I don't get swamped with requests.  Watch them for yourselves.  He actually made some jokes that made me laugh.

I don't believe that Kent Hovind is malicious.  I think that some of his "experts" are.  Check out Talk Origins.  They usually have decent information.  More importantly, they have other sources that you can check out.  If you don't want to spend the time, at least check out this interesting page.

I think that Kent Hovind has made a pile of money off of the ignorance of Christians.  I don't get the feeling that he is a bad person.

8:21 am

What's up Europe?  After France got they're asses beat by Senegal, the US thought they might have a chance to beat Portugal.  They were right.

I think soccer is kinda cool.  I don't know that I would ever get into it like those crazy Europeans, but I might go watch a game or two.  USA won 3-2, by the way.  This is probably the main reason for my rising interest in soccer.  First, I love the USA.  Second, soccer is the most popular sport in the world -- I wouldn't mind seeing us kick the world's ass.

If you like soccer, then you'll love Nike's Dri-Fit shirts.  I know that I do.  In fact, I bought another one last night.  Of course it's not any of the colors I really want, but I like the shirts so much, I bought it anyway.  I plan to buy more when I find the colors I want.  Yes, I have an addiction.

8:07 am

I forgot to tell everyone about Christian radio this morning.  As I'm sure you all know, the Harry Potter DVD was released last week.  This has brought the old controversy to the surface once again.  Apparently, Harry Potter encourages children to practice witchcraft, which will ultimately lead them on a path to the Devil.

I must apologize to anyone who might be offended, but the whole thing makes me laugh -- a lot.  Apparently, these books have actually generated a wave of interest in witchcraft.  Great Britain's Pagan Federation couldn't be happier.  Apparently, they get quite a few inquiries from children about becoming witches.  Fortunately, for Christianity, the Pagan federation doesn't allow anyone to join until they're 18.  Regardless, I can see why the Christian community is worried.

What I find funny is that they believe that not only will these books spark interest in the occult, but actually encourage children to practice witchcraft.  I guess it's funny to me because I don't believe in witchcraft.  Oh well.  I enjoy a good laugh every once in a while.

I will say that if Harry Potter is an instrument of the Devil, the Devil is a genius.  Of course, if pastors wanted to, they could use Harry Potter to teach Christianity.  Wizardry aside, it's a classic Good vs. Evil story.  Lighten up folks. =)

I suppose I ought to get some work done.

6:32 am

Good morning folks!  How is everyone today?  I'm feeling great!  I'm not sure why.  It could be that I love work.  Oh wait, that's definitely not it.  In all honesty, I'm not sure what it is.  I hope it lasts all day though.

I bought a membership to a gym this weekend.  It's a little expensive, but it definitely seems worth the cost.  Last night, I was on an elliptic trainer and there was a guy right next to me.  Oh, he thought he was bad until I got next to him.  When I started, he was averaging about 140 steps / minute.  I was around 190.  He crept up to 190, so I crept up to 200.  He crept up to 200, so I crept up to 212.  That's where I broke him.  You might say to me, "Rich, what if your resistance level was easier than his?" It's entirely possible, but after 30 minutes, his total calorie burn was 430-ish calories while mine was 501.7.  You be the judge.

In other news, Jesse got sick, so I haven't been the rock gym in a while.  This means that I haven't gotten to try my fingerboard workout again since the first time.  I know it will work wonders for my climbing abilities, but I'm a little worried about overtraining.  I guess that's one wrinkle I still have to iron out.

8:19 am

I just got back from a short trip to the Wind River Mountains.  Jesse and I hiked up the Middle Fork Trail a few miles and set up a cute base camp.  We hiked some, did some bouldering, and ate "with cream" oatmeal.  I rated some hot chocolate flavors and read a good portion of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.  I love getting out.

I'll post more about the camping trip later, including, perhaps, photos.  Let's not count our chickens before they hatch, however.

I tried a new fingerboard workout last night.  I'll let you know if I see significant improvment in my finger strength.  

12:17 am

Seems that I'm being quite the social butterfly today.  So far, REI hasn't offered me anything that I need.  I figure I'll take some time to comment on Bonobo Monkeys.

Personally, I think that Bonobos are much cuter than chimpanzees.  Bonobos are cooler because they have sex all the time, not just for reproduction.  If Bonobos were humans, they would probably be considered bisexual.  Apparently, the average copulation takes only 13 seconds.  Next time a girl complains, I'll tell her that if she were a Bonobo, she'd be more than satisfied.  That's all I have to say about that.

You can read more here if your curiosity has been piqued.

10:44 am

Yesterday I was looking for places to go hiking that aren't too far from Casper.  I found Ice Cave Mountain.  For some reason, I think that's a cool name.  It would be even cooler if there was an actual ice cave there.  In case anyone is interested, you can find it at these coordinates: 42.5186^oN, 106.1773^oW.  Maybe I'll go there, maybe I won't.  

Right now, REI is calling me with a 20% discount.  I need to find something I can't live without.

7:22 am

I don't know why I'm so tired.  I took a nap at 6:30 last night, intending to wake up about 8:00 and go for a run.  I woke up a little after midnight.  It took me a while to get back to sleep, but once I did, I slept until 5:30 am.  If it wasn't for work I probably could have slept until 8 or 9.  I think I'll have a grudge against work today.

7:29 am

I've already received a few complaints that I haven't updated my website.  Let me explain.  You see, I usually don't work on it during the weekend.  I took Thursday off, and that's why my last entry was last Wednesday.  Still, we're gonna have fun today!

Let me tell you about how awesome my Saturday was.  For those of you that don't know, Saturday was graduation.  Despite the ridiculous "mortar board", the boring and tacky speeches, and two hours of thirst, I must say I enjoyed the commencement.  I got to spend three hours with Jessica, which is more time than I have spent with her in the last month and a half.  When that finally finished, the real party started.

I had dinner with my family, Jesse, Jen, a couple of her friends, and her family.  Mostly, I was having dinner with my family and Jen's friends.  The table was too large to accomodate conversation amongst all members.  That's okay though because I like my family more.

Shortly after dinner, I was ready to rock the casbah.  That's exactly what I did.  Jesse and I went to Justin Tremmel's apartment to drink a little before hitting the bars.  With our alcoholic appetites temporarily sated, we headed to Lovejoy's.  There I ran into Tiffany for the first time in probably six months.  We didn't talk long because I was more interested in getting to 3rd Street than reminiscing about the good ol' days.  And it was off to 3rd Street.

3rd Street is always a delight.  We ran into many people that we knew.  Anyway, I could probably write a few pages about these people, but the real fun didn't start until Jessica and her crew showed up.  Kim started bringing out the shots.  I spent a lot of time talking to P.J. and Rachel.  They were pretty fun.  We ended up dancing at a street dance outside the Buckhorn.  It was great fun.  I'm still recovering from the weekend.  Those are the bar nights I live for.

If I could do it all over again, I would have given Jessica a hug before she left.  That's probably it though.

4:05 pm

For everybody that doesn't know, Camile has been with the same guy since forever.  Although, she and I were never officially together, I still think of it as her leaving me for him.  I don't care anymore.  That's all for now.  I think I'm heading to Laramie tonight, but I haven't been approved.  Wish me luck.

3:52 pm

I realize my entries have been sporadic lately.  I've barely had time to email my best friends, let alone update this thing.  I did find out today that Camile is a regular reader.  Had I known that sooner, I would have been more diligent in my updates.  I called Camile today, and she blew me off, saying she had to return some stuff to Cosco.  Good excuse.  Anyway, I want to devote this entry to Camile, who left me for another man.  Thanks for the email, Camile.  I'll talk to you when I get a chance.

10:00 am

It's been too long since my last entry.  I had to move my office yesterday.  It took forever.  When I got everything squared away, I had other things to do.  I would like to note that there is a new puzzle up on the Math Page.  I haven't had time to post the solution to the previous puzzle yet, and I apologize.  I'll try to get it up later today.  Well, I'm off, but I'll be back soon.

7:02 am

Good morning!  And what a fine morning it is.  I must have got up on the right side of the bed this morning.  The funny thing about that is that I get up on the same side of the bed everyday.  Regardless, my day is going well.  I'm sure I'll keep all of you posted as my day starts to go downhill.  When you work where I work, that usually happens.

12:27 pm

I must apologize to my legions of loyal fans.  I'm sorry for not writing an entry sooner.  Jessica informed me that the math problem was far too easy and seemed like busy work rather than something thought provoking and interesting.  For her sake, I have been searching far and wide for problems that are both interesting and challenging.  This is a much more difficult task than I envisioned.  The problems I've found so far are either too difficult, too easy, or just plain boring.

I have found a problem that looks like it might be interesting, but I have yet to solve it.  If next weeks problem is too difficult or boring, let me know and I'll try to find an even better problem.  I'm open to suggestions as well.  Meanwhile, for those go getters that want five minutes of fun, arrange the numbers 1-15 in such a way that consecutive integers add to a perfect square.  

I'll be in touch.

05.07.02002 -- Silliness

05.06.02002 -- Long Weekend