the girls

the girls
Originally uploaded by liz renee

My girlfriends threw me a baby shower at Carraba's on Saturday and MAN did I make out like a bandit!
All I got to say is I have some awesome friends with great taste in all things baby (girl).
Carol made a beautiful tower of pink boxes, Todd got us a SAFETY FIRST baby bath, and Diana got us some super cute (possibly unsafe) bathtub squirting animals. Oh, and Adolph and Amber got us some super cool modern spoons that Taggart and baby are totally going to fight over.
Thanks everyone!

Post ATVenture

IMG_1718
Originally uploaded by tcserpa

Yeah, looking like a coal miner is generally an indication of having had a good time. And a good time I had. Jarret took me...ATVing(?) Four-Wheeling(?) at some kick-ass trails outside of Pagosa Springs, CO. We saw deer, chipmunks, cows and cowboys. And lots and lots of dust. See the set here

Women's World Cup

I don't know if ya'll are keeping track of the Women's world cup.....if not...you're missing out. Great action and great tough play.
Oh and by the way...the numbers on their backs (and fronts and shorts) were designed by yours truly.

The New Camp Nou

Y’all gotta check out this slide-show presentation of the proposed re-design of F.C. Barcelona’s famous Camp Nou.

happy birthday to me

thank you wonderful friends for making my day so memorable
i truly enjoyed your company and everything else you did for me
the cake was marvelous and the purse is so beautiful i keep getting compliments everywhere i go
thank you thank you thank you
now i can greet middle age with a wave and a smile

we need to go shoe shopping very soon

The Handsome Family

At Maxwell's in Hoboken. Great show. I'm kinda pissed I was too lazy to bring my camera.

Space Legos Were The Coolest

Peace Day video

Check this out ya'll. important stuff.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid933119042?bclid=933518996&bctid=9

Happy Birthday To the Adolph???!!!??

Is today the birthday of the Adolph?

MRI Scan Of My Right Knee

I hurt my knee playing soccer. It turns out that a Pablo in Motion tends to Stay In Motion unless He Runs into a 210 Pound Midfielder.

Anyhow, I went in for an MRI the other day. I had never had an MRI before and prepared myself for the experience by reading the Internet about MRI Machines going Beserk…

Needless to say the MRI machine did not go beserk. Instead the experience was one of the coolest things I have ever done. This might read strangely, since getting an MRI mostly involves lying motionless for lengthy periods of time whilst a mysterious machine makes noise, but for me the experience was probably the most sci-fi thing I have ever done.

The machine itself is smooth, white and simple, as if it had been designed by the Apple e-mac designer back when he was into magnets. It is a big tube, basically, and you can see through to the other end.

The technician strapped in my knee, gave me earplugs, explained that the machine was noisy, told me not to move, and left the room. Then her disembodied voice announced the beginning of the scan.

Suddenly the room erupted in the coolest science-fiction sound effects I have ever heard. At first the machine made a “whum-whum-whum” sound, similar to what a Warp Engine sounds like at low speeds. But then, as if to escape Klingon warships, the technician cranked the machine up to Warp 9 and it started making the “whum-whum” sound and also a “wobba-wobba-wobba” sound, only the “wobba-wobba” sound was coming from the left and the “whum” from the right and then the sounds started swirling around like some kind of Dolby Surround Sound Theatre Experience gone mad. It was awesome.

This whole noisy sci-fi movie theme song went on forever and the whole time I had to keep my leg from twitching which was extremely, extremely difficult because I NEED to wiggle my toes often. Also, all sorts of imaginary centipedes and animated wacky-wallwalkers keep invading my socks.

Anyhow, I could continue at length about cool the MRI thing is but I have already written too many words beyond the 3 sentence attention-span limit.

"We had to share tennis courts with other families."

This video from the onion is hilarious. Try watching it and imagining that it is not a joke. How would you feel? Enraged? Astonished? Depressed?

As Bryan Caplan points out, this video is probably not unlike what the debate over poverty in the United States must look like to a citizen of the "developing world." I know that people who live in poverty in the U.S. don't compare themselves to impoverished Haitians; they compare themselves to their wealthy compatriots. Still, it makes you think.

I scheduled my first MRI for tomorrow morning...

and look what is on the front-page of Boing Boing!

MRI machines going berserk

Now Mark Warner is running for Senate....

University of Illinois

Went out to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champagne. So work has me looking into the college market and the college consumers....hence the trip to see the Fighting Illin. I would have to say the build up to the game was much more entertaining then the game itself. It has been awhile since I have been to see a game at a big school. All the major ones out here are Big 10 school and have some serious support.

I was amazed at the amount of capitol that is dropped to create the spectacle that is college football. I guess football in general needs a lot of sideline people to keep it going. It seemed every 2 minutes the refs were stopping the action. Every now and then something would happen and everyone would cheer.

I got bored and left at half time.

One thing for sure is that it is not just about the game for all those fans.
Definitely a religion for them.

re: Ron Paul For President

original post

It is refreshing to hear Ron Paul’s alternative ideas; just as it refreshing to hear Gravel’s and Kucinich’s. But what makes decisions about whom to support so difficult, especially those candidates with many alternative ideas, is the monumental task of educating one’s self about the candidate and the specifics of his platform…

After seeing a couple of youtube clips Ron Paul seems pretty interesting (despite having to listen to American Pie), but then I run up against, or rather into, the many gaps in my understanding about some of his major planks. Here are only a few of my questions: How exactly would the dismantling of the IRS and current tax system be orchestrated? Is it a good thing, ultimately? How would the dismantling of the FED be orchestrated? Is a central bank, or at least one set up like the FED a horrible thing? What do I know about it? Is commodity-backed currency a good thing? How small do I think government should be? Do I think the FDA should be axed as well as the DHS? What do I think about his stance on immigration? Abortion? etc, etc.

Ron Paul’s ideas are very alternative and therefore require an extraordinary amount of research and education to even begin to analyze them with even a shred of confidence.

It is nice to hear that you and Anthony are educating yourselves about Ron Paul. I look forward to learning about him from folks like y’all who I know and trust…

National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

Via mlovitt

I saw my first NASCAR race at the NEXTEL Rock & Roll Richmond 400 this Saturday. We arrived plenty early for some tail-gating, but somehow failed to get things set-up in time to cook up the hot-links and bratwurst we had brought along…

A ticketing snafu meant that we ended up in slightly different seats then planned. We found our spot just above turn 2 and joined 110,000 people in pledging the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, a prayer for the safety of the drivers was prayed. Then, the National Anthem was sung. Finally, a C-130 cargo plan went “streaking” over the stadium. Oh, and also a couple of dudes parachuted down to the track.

The race started around 7, and 4 hours later it was over. Yes, I watched cars go around in circles for 4 hours. I would say that the first 40 laps and the last 40 laps (of 400) were the most interesting. The first 40 laps were great because it is undeniably awesome when the cars start up (it is so loud that most folks have ear-plugs) and start blazing around the tracks at 120 m.p.h. It is truly fantastic to see the brakes spark as the cars come into a turn. It was super thrilling to witness a bump and spinout as millimeter jockeying goes awry…

The last 40 laps were great because one could focus on an all-out battle between crowd-favorite Dale Earhardt Jr. and eventual second place finisher Tony Stewart. The two swapped 2nd and 3rd place a half-a-dozen times and before something on Earhardt’s car blew out…

I also have to be truthful and say that the last 40 laps were great because it meant that race was finally, finally coming to an end.

After the race, rather than wait the 2 1/2 hours it took cars to start moving out of the parking lot, we set up the chairs and grilled up the sausages in a grill our tail-gating neighbors had left behind.

All in all it was a fascinating, exhausting experience.

Ron Paul for President

Ron Paul is an interesting alternative to the lies and corporate interests of the mainstream candidates. He's the only one who I've heard speak so far who actually seems honest and independent in his thinking (big stress on thinking, it's rare). Check out this video on Youtube and decide for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWfIhFhelm8

Anthony and I would be very interested in hearing about ways to help support him and get his message out... Let us know if any of you are doing any campaigning for him or if you know of any other way to help out. I'm subscribing to his weekly e-mails from his website and just trying to find out more about him for now. Hillary and Obama aren't going to make any major changes, and I think what we need right now is someone who thinks outside the current system.

Old Gregg

Um....Well.....there's no explaining this one........I don't know what it is or where it came from.............but I am gonna watch more..........

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_PPWDglTboI

Happy Birthday To The Killy

Hope you have a great birthday in Boston!

Boston Public Library and Old South Church

Boston Public Library and Old South Church
Originally uploaded by killy

I'm in Boston.

San Diego

I spent Labor Day weekend visiting my brother, who’s beard rivals that of the Great Bearded Colin, out in San Diego. I had not seen him in almost a year so we had a lot of catching up to do. We had a grand old time. Nearly every day we went to the beach, ultimately discovering a sweet, isolated and lovely surf-spot just north of Del Mar. We also did some programming, ate tacos, played soccer, drank beer and watched the Padres pummel the Dodgers…

video camera?

Hey everyone...
I am going to get some sort of Hand held video recording device.
What is ya'lls experience and recommendations?

I am just using it for regular shooting...nothing super fancy.

I love iMovie and Nerf.

So, because i could not help myself, i bought a Nerf Maverick dart gun. Best ten dollar purchase ever. It is more fun than i could have hoped, and here (turn the volume down if you are at work) is the proof. I hope you enjoy the video as much as i enjoy the sweet sweet dart gun action.

Super huge version here.

Indiana evening

Howdy all,

It is evening of Labor Day. I built, or tried to build, two raised garden beds for Laura. All was going well...despite the many interruptions. But the thing that brought all to a halt was the mosquitoes. There are a rare breed of vicious out here. as if they too are desperate for a bit of culture and think that it will come to them by way of trading itch juice for my west coast blood. I guess all creature like what is novel.

Waiting for the FEDEX man to bring me some CDs I ordered. Not tonight being Labor Day and all. I have been listening to a band called Two Gallants. They are on the Saddle Creek record label. Same one as Bright Eyes. I am convinced that that boy(Connor Oberst) is a genius for writing songs. The Two Gallants band has a great sound.....nothing ground breaking....but real solid. Grainy Hard and Melodic.

I am hoping to become more of a contributor to this here blog since I have been pretty much only a reader for quite awhile.

So far the life here is good. We have a nice big house. All the neighbors seem to be cool. The towns (Lafayette, West Lafayette) are interesting. I have found soccer and there is also a skatepark. I don't need much more then this.

Gonna go do some laundry.

Ya'll come visit. Corn and Soybeans all around.