400 Meters to Go is LIVE

Over the past month I have briefly mentioned that some friends and I were starting a collaborative website that was focused on grassroots running. Well as of today that site is OFFICIALLY live.

400 Meters to Go (400mtogo.com).

I will continue to post blogs, but you will find them at the new address. If you have any suggestions, comments or concerns about the site then please don't hesitate to send those over.

Keep running.

How Was Your Trip?

How was your trip? That is what should have been asked of me when I was sprawled out on someone's lawn yesterday. Finally, I nice afternoon in Memphis and I was headed out for my 7 mile run. I got to mile 3 and I saw my friend Leigh driving down the road and I turned to wave to her. Then it happened...I hit a a break in sidewalk and took a dive.

I cut the mess out of my hand and either sprained, jammed, or broke my middle finger and not to mention my bruised ego. Now after roughly two minutes or so staring up at the sky and wishing I could hope in my Delorean, hit 85MPH, and fix my idiot move I stood up and weighed my options.

I was half a mile from the half way point of my room. So...should I cut the run short or do I push through the pain and finish what I set out to do. I opted to finish. So I hit my power song and finished the entire run.

When it was all said and done was it worth it? Well it seemed to be worth it until I started typing this blog with one of my digits not working well. You would be surprised what you use your middle finger for besides flipping other people off.

Champions

It has been a couple of weeks since I have blogged. In that time I have set a set a new PR for my fastest mile and had a long run or two, but I must admit last week I wasn't able to run as much as I should have, but in place of two of the missed runs weren't in vain.

I saw two OUTSTANDING movies that are helping me push through those days when I say to myself, "Man I don't want to run today". The first of the two is called, "The Long Run". Though one may be of the opinion that the name isn't very creative, but trust me, it fits. The movies is about a failed track coach who discovers a young woman who has extraordinary talent and with his coaching will be able to win the Comrades.

Briefly, The Comrades Marathon is the world's oldest and largest ultra marathon run over a distance of approximately 90 km (55.9 mi) between the capital of the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa, Pietermaritzburg, and the coastal city of Durban. The direction of the race alternates each year between the up run starting from Durban and the down run starting from Pietermaritzburg.

Throughout the movie the young woman is able to conquer any obstacle, training wise, that is set in front of her. It is truly amazing, but when race day arrives you see the struggle that she goes through not necessarily because of the physical challenges, but the mental and emotional challenges. Fortunately, a close family friend of mine has actually ran the Comrades. I called him up to get a first hand account of the Mt. Everest of all races. He told me that of all his accomplishments in life (NY Marathon three times, traveled all over the world, a VERY successful attorney) finishing this race was his greatest achievement.

For those you keeping pace at home who are from or familiar with Memphis part of his training consisted of runs up the old Union Planters building downtown (roughly 40 -42 flights of stairs) then taking the elevator down...twice. The second variation of training was going to Shelby Forest and running the hills for 4.5 hours straight. The final stage of training was doing long runs of roughly 35 miles. WOW. I am impressed with just the training.

The second run that missed was because my cousin, my mom and I went say the Spirit of the Marathon. Six emotional stories of dedication, pain, emotion, and at the end triumph. Though the movie was shown only in limited releases around the country I would HIGHLY recommend that all who are interested in running see the movie.

What I most enjoyed from the movie was it's message. No matter if you are an elite distance runner or a single mom who wanted to change her life and running was the catalyst...the desire, dedication, emotion spent, and the final triumph is the same. You are a champion.

So lace 'em up and cross that finish line.

"We are the champions - my friends" - Queen

Running Out of Patience

There is a lot going on at my house later on this week, weathering permitting, as well as work so I HAVE to stick to my running schedule. I decided that since I live so close to the gym (1.25 miles according to the Nike+ chip) that on the days that I do strength training I should just run to the gym. It allows me to 1) change up the training schedule 2) keeps the intensity up 3) allows me to push myself in beating my 1 mile personal best.

On the way the gym yesterday I had a great run and consequently beat my personal best 1 mile. My workout (triceps) was good and I was pretty confident that I still had enough energy to book it back home and beat my previous time.

The first block was a little slow, but I soon discovered that I had plenty of energy left so I decided to go for it. I got about half way home when I noticed that this guy was motioning for me. I didn't want to be rude because what if he was in trouble, so I slowed down a little bit and took out my head phones. The guy wanted to know if I could spare some change for the bus.

Now let us pause for a second, for those scoring at home, and think about this situation. I am RUNNING with headphones in my ear and with what anyone could see would be a running uniform on....so what would make someone think that I had money on me?!

However, not to be too sinical, I politely said that I didn't have anything (which I didn't) and continued on. As I am turning up the volume in my headphones I can hear the faint half hearted attempts to solicit more funds.

I keep running.

About a block later I come to a light that I have to slow down for to wait for it to change. I looked back out of the corner of my eye and notice that there is someone behind me. I turn around and it is that same guy with a smile on his face asking me the same question again. "Can I get some money for the bus?" Now I know this gentleman heard me the first time when I politely explained that I didn't have any money so this time I had to AGGRESSIVELY proclaim that I didn't have ANY, repeat, ANY money and that I advised him to quit bothering me.

I believe that he got the message because I was able to complete my run in solitude.

When I reached my front door step I looked at my "totals" for the run and I had missed my personal best by about 10 - 20 seconds.

Running to Catch Up

I am literally trying to run and catch up with my posts from the last two runs. Since the last post I have completed two runs...two COMPLETELY different experiences.

However, before we dive into those I wanted to expand on my previous post. I had mentioned, "The whole "Nike+" concept has really been very exciting so my fellow runners and I have decided to take our little obsession and add a new dimension to it.", about a new project idea that some friends of mine and I had come up with. Well that idea has now materialized into http://www.400mtogo.com

We are very excited about our project and are working furiously to get out initial content out there for you to read, learn, and enjoy.

The purpose of the site is to be more of a grassroots "portal" for the weekend warrior runner. The information will range from each author's experiences (blogs) while training, articles from health professionals, challenges, and other user experiences that you will only be able to find at 400 Meters to Go. I don't want to give away all of excitement just yet, but over the next 6 months we will be unveiling more and more functionality. So stayed tuned.

So back to the lecture at hand...the runs.

400 Meters to Go will offer lots of quick tips for the average runner. Well the first tip that I am going to give here on my blog is: DON'T RUN ON A FRIDAY EVENING. Sure it was a little cold outside last Friday, but the biggest hurdle that I had that killed my run was the fact that I live, work, and consequently run downtown, and had to pass by all these people enjoying life because they were off work, with friends, and having a pint. I was very jealous and it definitely through off my concentration. No matter how many times that I played my power song, I just couldn't run fast enough to get home.

Saturday I finally went and got some new running shoes and wicking socks for Sunday's run. The six miler that I did on Sunday was great. The socks really helped me with my blister problem and having new shoes...well that 's always a blessing. It was great running weather and I went a different route from the last six miler and I could tell a world of difference. Ahhh...the long Sunday runs.

I want to make sure that I send MAJOR kudos to the fine people at Fleet Feet Memphis. Their customer service is outstanding and are always grateful to offer any advice to a customer in order for them to have a better running experience.

Thanks guys.

RMAO

What started off as just a little office challenge has really taken off into something very fun and exciting.

The whole "Nike+" concept has really been very exciting so my fellow runners and I have decided to take our little obsession and add a new dimension to it. Though at the present time I can't go into too many particulars because we are still in our planning stages, I will say that it will be a constant source of motivation for runners of all backgrounds.

First let me start off by saying that my 6 mile run two nights ago was AWFUL. I was plagued with a sore right thigh (probably from a lack of stretching), dehydration (forgot to bring my water bottle), and a nauseous stomach (from the Cheezits I ate at 3:45pm), but the important thing, as in all ventures in life, is that I finished. My time wasn't that bad, but if you look at the graph you can see that I didn't have a steady pace. That is something that I definitely need to work on.

Since this writer's last attempt to blog, I have completed another run (5k). It definitely wasn't as bad as the 6 miler, but I was gasping for breath at the beginning of the run, the first 2 kilometers. I believe that I am starting to push myself, especially at the beginning of the runs, and my lungs are just trying to catch up.

"three tomatoes are walking down the street- a poppa tomato, a momma tomato, and a little baby tomato. baby tomato starts lagging behind. poppa tomato gets angry, goes over to the baby tomato, and smooshes him... and says, catch up!" - Mia Wallace [Uma Thurman] Pulp Fiction

Treading Air

During the holiday season I would watch on the news as other parts of the country where suffering terrible winter weather while in Memphis we were experiencing spring-like temperatures. The winter running season was GRRRRRRREAT. Well that was until yesterday when the temperature got down to 21 degrees. Granted those runners in Alaska might find my tone a little whiny, but hey everything is relative.

However, I decided to man up and brave the elements (though one of the most important ones, heat was missing) and take to the pavement. With layers upon layers of clothing upon me I ended up having an awesome run. Unfortunately, when I was done I felt as if I was drowning. I couldn't catch my breath to save my life. After about 10 minutes of relaxing and stretching I was ok.

Today the conditions are not much better in the 901, but luckily this is a strength training day so I will be indoors. The schizophrenic weather patterns will continue throughout the week and I am predicting much of the same for the rest of the year.

Just Do It

There is nothing more important when going after a goal than motivation. Whether it is intrinsic or extrinsic doesn't matter. What is important is that those motivations are there. During the last training I was motivated by the drive within, but now that goal is accomplished I need a different kind of push. I have the answer with Nike+. For Christmas my LOVELY wife bought me the Nike+ chip for my iPod nano and my first run has officially been logged. In addition, to the historical data that will be gathered via this WONDERFUL invention, my good friend, and co-worker, Scott Wills has issued quite a number of challenges for me to participate in.

For those of you who don't have the Nike+ chip don't fret there is there is an alternative, a VERY good one at that...Runner+. It allows you track your runs just like Nike+, as well as other features, but it also tracks your shoe mileage and sync your data from your Nike+ account.

As to not sound too cliche', but get motivated for the New Year and start running.

It's Gotta Be the Shoes

When I was growing up "It's Gotta Be the Shoes" was one of the hottest sayings around. If you just bought some of those $100 Air Jordan's you would be able to "Be Like Mike". I am not sure if that is necessarily true, but I can tell you that if your shoes are shot then your runs will suck. Well at the end of Monday's run I started to feel the same achiness in my right foot that I felt right before I started training for the Memphis Half Marathon. Looks like the mileage has run out on the shoes and time to get a new pair. Monday's run was pretty good. It was the last ~3 miler (I hope Santa brings me the Nike+ chip so that I can more accurately track my mileage) that I will do this week. As stated in the previous post I need to start ramping up my mileage so tomorrow will be a 5 miler. I was hoping to get in a 7 mile run this weekend, but let's be honest it is Christmas and when will I have time.

For any of you SERIOUS runners at there don't forget to signup for the Swamp Stomper.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Well due to circumstances outside of my control I wasn't able to run again until yesterday instead of the planned Thursday. It was another 3 mile run. I was hoping to have better results then my first run "back", and it definitely was. I decided to take a different route, which is a little easier than Monday's, but I needed the confidence boost. Though the weather here in Memphis isn't as 1/10th of misery that is going on in many other parts of the country, it was still a dreary, cold run. It took getting through the first mile or so before I was able to catch my breath, but I eventually did and was able to finish the run without a fraction of the frustration that I had previously experienced. Starting next week the "warmup" is over and I will be hitting the pavement hard and logging a lot more miles.

Until then...

Every Marathon Begins with the First Step

So over the past year the few times that I have written on this blog the subject matter has been mainly about those little annoyances of life that I find disturbing. I have decided to change my strategy on the subject matter. A week ago I ran my first half marathon which was the most challenging event that I have ever done. As I came across the finish line I had never felt so much pain in my body at that exact moment.

Even experiencing all that pain I was smiling. First, because of what the race was for as well as the fact that I pushed through and finished it. I thought to myself that if I could do this what else could I do. So here is the declaration...to run the full St. Jude Memphis Marathon next year. In order to properly perpare I am going to run the Germantown Half Marathon in March as well as the New York Half Marathon which should give me plenty of time for final preparation for the full marathon. So in my little corner of cyberspace I will chronicle all of my "ups and downs" (I know it was cheesy) of my training.

The day before yesterday was my first run since finishing the half. I could definitely tell I hadn't run in a week. In addition, it was cold and rainy but I pushed on through. We'll see if Thursday is any better.

Sometimes the Truth is Hard to Swallow

I usually arrive at work pretty early because it is quiet and allows me to read in piece. For some reason today I have come across real pearls of wisdoms. View points that no matter which side of the political fence you play on are good to reflect on. Though all of these quotes are from 'Right-wing' sites I believe that do create excellent talking points.

When Hypocrisy is a Good Thing - Selwyn Duke
"Does a virtue cease to be a virtue simply because the vice-ridden espouse it? If a preacher teaches that "Thou shalt do no murder," do we conclude that murder must be a moral act if we discover he is a serial killer?"

Why Iraq Matters to Me - Brett McCrea
"Even if you do not believe these groups will follow us here if/when we leave Iraq, then ask this question: Is it acceptable to allow these ideologies to gain more ground and proliferate? If it is acceptable, to what are we condemning the citizens of Iraq, the Middle East, and the world? These groups have already demonstrated their willingness to indiscriminately kill. I do not expect that to change if they gain control in Iraq. That is another reason why Iraq matters to me."

5 years of illumination – John Paul II’s gift of Luminous Mysteries personal, infused new life in praying of Rosary - Barry Michaels
"He emphasizes that there are no magic words to any form of praying and that, in the end, all prayer is about love."

(I've Got) Hoes In Different Area Codes

Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me....unless you are Big Al and/or JJ.

Last night I hoping to see what was going on in the world around me. Instead of hearing reports about the war in Iraq or genocide in Dafur, I was run over like a Justin Timberlake appearance at a mall tour with the "breaking" news stories about Don Imus.

I couldn't take it anymore...I started taking notes for talking points that I would include in this blog. However as I sat down to follow up on some research before I published the blog I ran across Michelle Malkin's blog on the same subject and frankly she must have read my mind. She articulated the exact sentiments of those of us are who are tired of double standards held by not only the media in America, but also Big Al and JJ.

In addition to her thoughts below are supplemental articles detailing the hypocrisy of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

• http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=2411
• Vieira Hits Jackson With 'Hymietown,' Lauer Softpedals With Sharpton
• Imus Firing: Lauer Suggests NBC Caved to Pressure; Vieira Holds Sharpton's Feet to Fire

The Case of the Drunk Kangroo and His Oil Paintings

Why is that famous people feel that they have the right to own their domain names?!!! Just because of their hollyweird status they think they can lay claim on to whatever their eyes survey. In recent news Australian country singer, Keith Urban, has filed a lawsuit against the owner of www.keithurban.com. A major precedent that he will be using is the famous madonna case.

*aside* Just in case you want to know how Madonna won her case: Pop superstar Madonna has won her case at an international panel to evict a New York cybersquatter from the Internet address madonna.com, which was initially a porn site, U.N. arbitrators said on Monday.

Didn't the UN have better things to work on?

The American singer, whose famous hits include “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl,” filed the complaint in July at the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization against businessman Dan Parisi who was first to register the Internet address.

A three-member panel at WIPO, the United Nations copyright and intellectual property agency that runs an arbitration system that evicts cybersquatters, ordered Parisi to transfer the site to Madonna.

The panel said Parisi, who is a Web site developer, had no trademark right to the name Madonna and failed to prove legitimate interest in the Internet domain name that he had
registered in bad faith.

Bad faith...if anyone has the right to be concerned about in fringing on a person's name or trademark [using Madonna's logic] then the Catholic Church should be requesting that the domain be transfered over to them since The Madonna has had a lock on the name, 'image' and 'trademark' a lot longer the Madonna.

I just love how Madonna thinks that by taking ownership of the madonna.com and making it her brand is going to remove people's perception of her being a religiously confused slut. That lawsuit was 7 years ago and all I can remember about Madonna is that she promoted her sexuality like a used car sales man on skid row, not that really bothers me because I keep my morals about as high as a midget's ankle anyway.

The panel said Parisi, who is a Web site developer, had no trademark right to the name Madonna and failed to prove legitimate interest in the Internet domain name that he had registered in bad faith.

I am still waiting to hear a good argument as to way he had to give that up. This isn't an eminent domain argument. What if he was squatting? What if he was holding out for a big payday? Is that any different from an investor holding out on a piece of prime real estate that he bought a long time ago that is now worth a lot of money?

*as of 02/07/2006 at 3:38pm CST patriotblog.com is now bidding for $40K*

Now a days domain names are the new real estate. It is all about location, location, location. If I owned beach front property I would make more money that if I owned beach view property. It is the nature of the game.

*end aside*

However, the main difference is that keithurban.com ISN'T squatting. Why you may ask...is the anger from Drunk Kangaroo because the keithurban.com is displaying photoshop'd images of the country singer bent over in a school girl's outfit smiling while licking a popsicles? NO.

He is crying over the fact someone is using it to...now get this...sell their own paintings. If you are still able to contain the outrage, then brace yourself for the fact that the person's name is in fact *drum roll* Keith Urban as well and has in fact owned the domain since 1999-05-10.

------------------------------------------------
WHOIS information
------------------------------------------------
domain: keithurban.com
owner: Keith Urban
email: keith28@optonline.net
address: po box 53202
city: Irvine
state: CA
postal-code: 92619
country: US
phone: +407.2380814
admin-c: CCOM-60533 keith28@optonline.net
tech-c: CCOM-60533 keith28@optonline.net
billing-c: CCOM-60533 keith28@optonline.net
nserver: ns1.hbhosting.com
nserver: ns2.hbhosting.com
status: lock
created: 1999-05-10 23:12:59 UTC
modified: 2006-09-24 01:39:18 UTC
expires: 2011-05-10 23:13:33 UTC

contact-hdl: CCOM-60533
person: Keith Urban
organization: Keith Urban Inc.
email: keith28@optonline.net
address: 231 Wanaque Ave
city: Pompton Lakes
state: NJ
postal-code: 07442
country: US
phone: +973.8315911

source: joker.com live whois service
query-time: 0.018278
db-updated: 2007-02-07 20:55:49
*****************************************************************
Registrant:
Keith Urban
PO Box 331549
Nashville, TN 37203
US

Domain Name: KEITHURBAN.NET

Administrative Contact:
McCready, Mary Ann maryann_mccready@FBMM.COM
P.O. Box 331549
Nashville, TN 37206
US
615-329-9902 fax: 615-321-5074

Technical Contact:
Radiant Communications Canada Ltd. domains@RADIANT.NET
1660 - 885 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 3E8
CA
604-257-0500 fax: 604-608-0999

Record expires on 07-Sep-2011.
Record created on 07-Sep-1999.
Database last updated on 7-Feb-2007 15:53:55 EST.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS1.API-DIGITAL.COM
NS2.API-DIGITAL.COM
---------------------------------------------------------------------
END OF WHOIS
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The basis for the lawsuit is that Keith Urban (Drunk Kangaroo) claims that www.keithurban.com is misleading and implies that the website really belongs to Drunk Kangaroo...yea because God knows that only the famous Keith Urban has the right to market that name. It definitely has nothing to do with the fact that drunk Kangaroo doesn't own the dot com, which in case you didn't know has a greater likely who have receiving traffic.

I guess Drunk Kangaroo thinks his fans are too stupid to realize that they have navigated to the wrong site when they see a big picture of "Interactive Guide to Walt Disney World" not hearing the inebriated slurs of Keith saying, "Happy Valentines everyone, this is Keith Urban. Make the day special for your once in a life time love."

keithurban.com is not trying to fool people at all and the musician Keith Urban must be so drunk that he doesn't realize or cannot comprehend that people in the world sometimes have the same name as you!! I think keithurban.com should put a picture of an empty beer bottle on his home page and write, "Sorry, if you were looking for the Keith Urban that can't handle his drink, you've got me mixed-up with keithurban.net. I am Keith Urban the oil painting artist and I can handle my drink."

Sorry Drunk Kangaroo that you missed the boat on the .com address and got stuck with the junior varsity .net. Do you really think he would have been pitching a fit if he owned the .com and not the .net and why now is he causing a stink about this...his career is about a decade old?

Next time lay off the sauce.

Keith Urban...Australian for Drunk Kangaroo

When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee

Over the past nine days the world has watched the "amateur" video of Saddam Hussein dangling from a noose that was chosen as the method execution for this tyrant. Since the airing of the video the world has had to endure the bias of left-wing media ranting their tirades of how this was a circus of an execution and "how could something like this happen". Once again the media has created sympathy for a tyrant.

Let us not forget the atrocities that this man committed during his reign. This man was pure evil who tried to eradicate an entire population and sought world domination (I wonder whose book he kept by his bedside table).

How does the old saying go?..."If you forget your past your doomed to repeat it". Ladies and gentleman it is not the Alamo that we have forgotten it. The presence of justice doesn't mean the abscense of force. We should all strive for peaceful solutions to resolve our differences, but when the other side is not willing to extend the olive branch there is little left for interuprutation.

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee." - Jules (Samuel L. Jackson)

This Preview Has NOT Been Approved by the MPAA

What is wrong with the MPAA and the RIAA??? You mean besides their gestapoesque tactics that were implemented to stop online music sharing/swapping. Well the MPAA's latest attempt to become more powerful than the CIA, NSA, etc. is by lobbying Congress to make home theaters illegal.

"Just because you buy a DVD to watch at home doesn't give you the right to invite friends over to watch it too. That's a violation of copyright and denies us the revenue that would be generated from DVD sales to your friends," said Glickman. "Ideally we expect each viewer to have their own copy of the DVD, but we realize that isn't always feasible. The registration fee is a fair compromise." (So does that mean he makes sure that his friends that he invites over have their own copy)

People should registered their cars, kids should be registered for school, you should register to vote, sex-offenders should be registered, NOT homeowners who have a TV and a couch. Have these giants not learned from their mistakes with music sharing? They have shut down Napster and handed down some lawsuits and while patting themselves on the back Apple saw the handwriting on the wall. They realized that this technology wasn't going away so as opposed to going against the grain they created an avenue that was convenient for users and satisfied their need for quick access to music as well as the artists/record labels getting paid.

Hey I invited my neighbor over for dinner and they didn't pay for any of the food. We even set at table with chairs and napkins. Do I need to declare myself as a restaurant and be inspected by the health department

Way to think this one through MPAA!!

Save us sinners now and at the hour of death

It just amazes me the hyprocisy that exists in the world today. Let me start by saying that the Catholic church doesn't have the best track record. However, I do feel that the Church itself is making strides to reach out and mend a lot of fences. In addition people need to remember that the church is more than just one person. Furthermore, I do believe that the Pope should not apologize.

He was quoting a medieval text...and the be honest due to the reaction by many Muslim nations it only validates, to some extent, the statements. I don't mind critism of the Catholic church. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. However what does frustrate me is the audacity to lash out against the innocent.

What do I mean by this?...

The first, bombing of churchs in Palestine and the shooting death of a nun.

Why is OK for Islamic leaders to critize the Catholic Church, but God forbid anyone every say a negative thing about Islam. Personally I think that all of us should respect everyone's religion, but people should also be able to accept critism.

Even with the great diversity of all the world's religion one thing remains common the one true constant is Love and Forgiveness. Let us not forget this.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death...

From Jack on the Rocks to Herbal Tea

Why is that when TV shows become established the writer(s) decide to pussify the alpha characters? In a world, or country for that matter, that is so concerned with the "feelings" and/or "civil rights" of rapists, murders, and child molesters we need the raw edge and stereotypical manliness of Tony Soprano and Vick Mackey. There you have a real dose of people who take your political correctness and smear it across their extra-rare steak with an extra helping of garlic mash potatoes. Unfortunately us loyal viewers have been subjected to these watered down versions of our alpha males. Based upon the last couple of episodes of both shows I wouldn't be suprised if Vick and the rest of the Farmington Strike Team did an episode of Oprah while Tony and the rest of his crew starred in an after school special. I don't watch these shows so that I can reflect on my own self-worth and what happiness can be found in the skies above.

But to be honest I really shouldn't be suprised about any of this. I see it as a direction that our society has gone to. Let's look at some other examples: Metallica is sober, Chuck Norris is now doing tv spots on The Bible Network, George Lucas actually created a character called Jar-Jar Binks, Aerosmith recorded that dumbass Armageddon song, people are suing

McDonalds because they spilled coffee on themselves and were suprised it was hot or because their fat asses who don't wanna run hold McDonalds responsible for their obesity. Buy hey they might be right because I am sure that McDonalds forced them to waddle their carcasses into the establishment and order the double quarter pounder with cheese, ginormous fries and a large diet coke...Of course that must be it due to the fact there is nothing else to eat in the world so I guess they are to blame.

I am not saying that all media should be latent with male machismo, spitting, cussing and locker room jokes. I like HGTV, I like Sex and the City, but if I order a Jack on the rocks I don't want someone to bring me herbal green tea. Last night I had to sit through almost an hour of watching mobesters cry, whine and come in and out of a damn hospital room. Last week on the Shield I sat in horror as I watched Tony's alter ego Vick Mackey let some pencil pusher almost get the best of him, Lem cried half the damn episode and I thought Vick was going to have to hold him like a little baby. Goddamnit...kick some ass, act like you have a pair. The two of them are the heads of the New Jersey crime family and the Farmington Strike Team (respectively), however the writers are protraying them like two little girls who just fell off their bikes and have skinned knees and what not.

So writers...let's pop your mom's tit out your mouth, lite a cigarette, get a jack on the rocks(if was good enough for Frank Sinatra then it is DEFINITELY good enough for you) and let's whack someone. Save the crying for the Lifetime Channel.

Tyler Durden: I want you to do me a favour.
Narrator: Yeah, sure.
Tyler Durden: I want you to hit me as hard as you can.
Narrator: What?
Tyler Durden: I want you to hit me as hard as you can.

I Wanna Shoot Myself

I was looking up some friends of mine on myspace and I became frustrated as ever because of how slow the pages where loading....then I came to a conclusion why myspace pages are unusually sluggish. It is because people put the most random CRAP on their pages. Dumbass backgrounds, stupid purevolume streams, and videos of the latest p.diddy, puff-dadday, who's-your-daddy remix streaming (at the sametime as well).

Here is the deal...every little "cool" thing that you put on your page has to be downloaded for a user to experience and when you have 8000 things going on at once it bogs down the server(s) thus causing people to have wait around for your senseless flashing background to load up, which by the way clashes so bad you can't read what your profile, interests, etc are, which in case you didn't know was what people came to see...not to listen to the latest top-40 hit. If I wanna torture myself with Beyonce's "Check on It" I'll downloaded illegally like a normal person and shove nails into my brain to fullfill my bizarre fetish, but let that be my choice not yours.

Keep it simple, less is more.