Saturday, August 29, 2009

Sell Your Easy Bake Oven and Go To Jail

h/t Karen De Coster at LewRockwell.com

Don’t sell your child’s Easy Bake Oven at your garage sale. It’s a federal crime to do so under the fed’s new “Resale Roundup.”

Secondhand sellers now must keep abreast of recalls for thousands of products, some of them stretching back more than a decade, to stay within the bounds of the law.

Staffers for the federal agency are fanning out across the country to conduct training seminars on the regulations at dozens of thrift shops.


This is disturbing, especially because Easy Bake Oven was one of my favorite toys. Both of my my parents can attest to the fact that I made the worst baking creations in the entire history of that toy. I was destined, from a very young age, to avoid a career as a baker. Now here’s ObamaChange:

President Barack Obama and Democratic congressional leaders are crafting an appropriations bill that would boost the agency’s funding next year by more than 11.4 percent — to $117 million — and it’s already hiring new inspectors and other employees in anticipation of the funding infusion.

Make sure you entertain yourself with the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s “Most Dangerous Recalled Products.”

“Those who re-sell recalled children’s products are not only breaking the law, they are putting children’s lives at risk,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “Resale stores should make safety their business and check for recalled products and hazards to children.”

The problem with Easy Bake Oven is that “young children can insert their hands into the overn’s front opening. and get their hands or fingers caught, posing entrapment and burn hazards.” A hooded drawstring sweatshirt was recalled because the “CSPC received one report of a death involving a 3-year-old boy in fresno, Calif. He was strangled when the drawstring on the hooded sweathsirt that he was wearing became stuck on a playground set.”

Oh the insanity of the Safety Busybody State.


Friday, August 28, 2009

Husband of the Year Awards

h/t: My Bride

The honorable mention goes to:
The United Kingdom


...followed closely by The United States of America


and then ................Poland


but 3rd Place must go to ........ Greece


it was very very close but the runner up prize was awarded to.................Serbia


but the winner of the husband of the year ......is ..........Ireland
Ya gotta love the Irish.


The Irish are true romantics. Look, he's even holding her hand.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

NAACP Marching in Support of Dog Killer Tonight

I’ve refrained from blogging about Michael Vick’s return to football after doing a few years in prison for running a dog fighting ring. Mainly I haven’t written about it because I’m so sick of the story. Plus I don’t really care if he plays again or not. He served his time and the league he plays for says he can come back and the Eagles signed him. So if they all are happy fine, I don’t care he’s not playing for my team.

But now this story comes out that the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Criminal People) is going to stage a protest at tonight’s preseason game in Philly

Philly NAACP plans protest to support Vick
WIRE REPORTS

J. Whyatt Mondesire of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP told The Associated Press that his group and the Black Clergy of Philadelphia were planning a march for tonight.

"We believe Michael Vick has served his time, paid his debt to society and deserves a second chance, and the animal-rights groups want to hold him hostage for the rest of his life," Mondesire said, according to ESPN.com.

"We think that's patently unfair," he said. "It denies Michael Vick's basic civil rights, denies him his ability to make a living."

No animal-rights organizations announced plans to protest at the stadium. Across town, the Pennsylvania SPCA plans to hold a tailgate gathering to launch its newest project: the Second Chance Dogs campaign.


I guess everything race-related is just perfect in Philly these days. No other real issues that the NAACP could march about? Well it is the city of brotherly love.

Let’s look at some of their comments, shall we?

"We believe Michael Vick has served his time, paid his debt to society and deserves a second chance…We think that's patently unfair," he said. "It denies Michael Vick's basic civil rights, denies him his ability to make a living."

It sure looks like he’s getting a second chance (actually it’s more like a 10th chance with everything he’s done). He’s signed by the Eagles and getting paid millions this year to be a backup quarterback. Sure doesn’t sound unfair to me and it looks like he’s getting a chance to make a living.

Nice publicity stunt fellows. You guys must be really hard-up for an issue to protest up there. The only thing missing are those worthless pieces of human flesh Al Sharpton and the “Reverend” Jesse James…I mean Jackson.

Maybe the Philly chapter of the NAACP is still ticked off that Rocky beat Apollo Creed in Rocky II.

I gotta admit that part of me would love to see a rumble between the NAACP and PETA

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Today's Workouts

Late in the day post. But an early morning run. 15.07 miles wearing my Saucony Tangent running shoes. Cooler temps and lower humidity plus sunny skies.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Today's Workouts

7 pleasant miles on the trails. Temps in the low 80's and lower humidity. Wore my new INOV8 Flyroc trail running shoes. They are working out ok so far. Also saw 9 deer today: 2 bucks, 3 fawns and 5 does.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Pet Peeve Phriday

It's back by popular demand - just go with it people.

Today's pet peeve is grocery store shopping carts that don't work correctly....you know the one's with the wheel that broken and makes a clacking sound while you are trying to push it...not that you can steer it with the front-end all out of alignment anyways. Or how about the front produce part area, where a kid would sit, that won't fold up or down properly.

Why don't stores have the cart-return boys put ones that are broken out of service until fixed? Or if they don't want to fix them then maybe they could donate them to bag-ladies. I feel bad when I see them lugging all their junk in shopping bags. Or give them to my kids, they would love to use them for shopping cart races.

And how about the huge carts that have the front-end of a Little Tykes toy car? (full disclosure - I've used those before) What are stores thinking? The aisles of the stores we shop at aren't wide enough for shopping carts the size of VW Beetle.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Today's Workouts

28.69 sweaty and stinky miles running early this morning in my Asics DS Trainers running shoes. Up at 3:50am and out the door about a half-hour later. Nice pre-run breakfast of coffee, water, pb&j sammie and a piece of zucchini bread.

I pretty much felt and looked like this guy when finished.

New Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Flavor

In honor of the 44th President of the United States , Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream has introduced a new flavor: " Barocky Road ."

Barocky Road is a blend of half-vanilla, half-chocolate, surrounded by nuts and flakes.

The vanilla portion of the mix is not openly advertised and usually denied as an ingredient.

The nuts and flakes are all very bitter and hard to swallow.

The cost is $100.00 per scoop.

When purchased, it will be presented to you in a large, beautiful cone; but, then, the ice cream is taken away and given to the person in line behind you.

You are left with an empty wallet and no change, holding an empty cone with no hope of getting any ice cream.

Are you stimulated?

Happy Birthday Lizzie


Today is Elizabeth's (Lizzie or Lizard-Breath if you prefer) 15th birthday. I remember well when she was born. She was our 4th child in 4 years - yikes!

She was Sam's first summer pregnancy. Sam looked so beautiful that summer (this summer too). Tan and healthy. (not that she's a dog the rest of the time).

The 15th birthday is a big deal in our house in that the b-day kid gets their first cell-phone - ENv3 in Slate Blue in this case.

Lizzie is our sweet and nice girl. She's the one who will help you out when you ask. She's the one you want to babysit your kids. When you get home the house will be clean and the kids in bed.

Although I often worry that she is a closet Mean Girl. Is she going to get my axe out of the shed one night and go all Lizzie Borden on us?




We love you sweet girl. Happy Birthday!


Btw - Lizzie is the white chick in the pic

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Today's Workouts

Holy Smokes its bad out there. I almost died on my 14 mile trail run. I checked weather.com when I finished the run and it was 94 out with a 'feels like' of 100.

Ran my 7 mile loop twice and stopped at the car between loops to get more fluid and change shoes. The first loop I brought a 20 ounce bottle of sports drink with me and it was gone by mile 4. Had 2 semi-frozen bottles in the car so for the second loop I brought a 20 ounce and a 24 ounce bottle. Finished BOTH of those by mile 4 of the second loop and started getting a bit worried since I was still sweating like a dog in a Chinese restaurant. At mile 5 I passed some ball fields that had a picnic area and rest rooms so I ran over to those and while there was no water fountain the rest rooms did have a sink so I refilled both bottles and finished those off during the final two miles. So the best I can figure is that I took in 132 ounce of fluids during the run and I had one 24 ounce bottle of Recovery Drink in the car and drank that when I got back. So 156 ounces all together. Came back to office and took a cold shower, had some coffee and 2 hamburgers and I almost feel human again.

Wildlife count - 2 deer, 1 very cool hawk and a box turtle that I almost tripped over.

Shoe Review. Wore the new INOVA8 Flyroc's (see pic below) for the first loop to break them in. They felt pretty good. Very comfortable. The sole is a bit thinner so I could feel the rocks and roots more so that could be an issue.

Today's Workouts

7 super humid and sweaty miles on the trails today at lunch wearing my Asics Trail Attack running shoes. My stinkiness even offend me. I did see 4 deer including the twin fawns that I keep running into.

Finally a Book on Marriage that Makes Sense

How To Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It

Forget everything you've heard about frankness, sharing your feelings, getting him to express his. Research into the functions of the male mind makes it clear that discussion may be the fastest way to shut down communication. (Oh, you noticed that, have you?)

By Barbara Graham from "O, The Oprah Magazine"

When I first heard about the book, I thought it was a gimmick. How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It sounded like a title somebody's prankster husband dreamed up after a rocky couples' therapy session. When I mentioned it to Hugh, my own husband — who in 22 years of marriage has never once said, "Honey, we need to talk" — his face lit up like the Fourth of July. Needless to say, I was suspicious. What about the vast repertoire of communication skills women have spent decades perfecting? Were Patricia Love and Steven Stosny, the psychotherapists who coauthored the book, advising us to forget everything we've learned and rethink how we relate to our partners?

The answer is yes — and they're not kidding.

"The number one myth about relationships is that talking helps. The truth is, more often than not, it makes things worse," says Love, a tall, lean redhead with a down-home Texas twang and a generous smile. She is cofounder of the Austin Family Institute, and leads workshops around the country when she isn't making television appearances or cowriting books, including the best-selling Hot Monogamy.

"Talking about feelings, which is soothing to women, makes men physically uncomfortable," says Stosny, the Maryland-based author of You Don't Have to Take It Anymore and an expert on male aggression. "There's literally more blood flow to their muscles. They get fidgety, and women think they're not listening."

We're relaxing in the sunroom of my house in Washington, D.C., on a golden autumn morning. I learn that it was Stosny's research into the core emotional differences between the sexes that radically altered his thinking, as well as the way he works with clients. When he shared his findings with his friend and colleague Pat Love, they rang true to her, even though they flew in the face of the verbal problem-solving approach she'd been using for 30 years.

According to Stosny's analysis of several hundred human and animal studies, male and female responses to stress are distinct from birth. "When a baby girl hears a loud noise or gets anxious, she wants to make eye contact with someone, but a baby boy will react to the same sound by looking around, in a fight-or-flight response," he says. What's more, while newborn girls are much more easily frightened, boys have five times as many "startle" reactions, which are emotionally neutral but pump up adrenaline. Boys need to intermittently withdraw into themselves to keep from becoming overstimulated. These differences hold true for most social animals and correlate with our biological roles: The female's fear response is an early warning system that serves to detect threats and alert the males of the pack to danger.

As girls grow, they go beyond needing eye contact and refine a coping strategy identified by UCLA psychologists as "tend and befriend." If there's a conflict, girls and women want to talk about it. Boys and men, however, need to pull away. A man's greatest suffering, Stosny says, comes from the shame he feels when he doesn't measure up—which is why discussing relationship problems (i.e., what he's doing wrong) offers about as much comfort as sleeping on a bed of nails.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Being Home Alone

Doesn't always have to end like a slasher-movie

Today's Workouts

13.22 mile run this morning in my Saucony Tangent 3 running shoes. Summer is truly here. Hot and muggy at 7am. I haven't been this wet after a workout since I got rid of my Richard Simmons' "Sweating to the Oldies" beta-max tapes.

Monday, August 17, 2009

RIP Gibson

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. (AP) - Gibson, the California dog dubbed the tallest in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records, has died after a battle with bone cancer.

The 7-year-old harlequin Great Dane from Grass Valley measured 7 feet, 1 inch when standing on its hinds legs.

He was diagnosed with the disease in April and had his front right leg amputated to prevent its spread. He also underwent chemotherapy as a precaution.

Gibson's owner, Sandy Hall, learned last week the cancer had spread to his lungs and spine and that no treatment that could save him. Hall decided to euthanize Gibson on Friday.

Gibson appeared on "The Tonight Show," "The Oprah Show" and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," and on Japanese television in 2006 after being named the world's tallest dog.

Two Views of the "Health" Care "Debate"

I nicely done commercial against the "Chosen One's" "Health" care plan.


An incredibly cheesy one in support of the Regime and its Messiah. Not surprisingly this one is paid for by the big pharmaceutical companies who will make billions more

Today's Workouts

7 very very very steamy miles on the trails through the woods wearing my Asics Trail Attack running shoes. Managed to kill 2 horseflies without sustaining a bite. Also saw 5 deer. 1 momma venison with twin baby venisones (venisoni?) and two large bucks that I've been seeing a lot lately hanging out together. They have me a bit worried. I think they are stalking me. In case I don't return from a trail run, here are their descriptions to give to the proper authorities. One of the deer's is large with brown fur, antlers, four legs and a white tail. The other is, well, pretty much the same.

Happy 2nd Birthday Eric

Ok so I'm a few days late - sue me. Eric turned 2 this past Saturday. He had dinner and presents Saturday night and then a pool party with crabs on Sunday. Here are a few pics.

Opening a few presents




Swimming with the prettiest momma of 12 you will ever see


When you are #11 you tend to get a lame birthday cake and candles


Beating the snot out of a crab is good times

Today's Workouts

A week in review - since it was my best week of running ever I thought I'd boast a bit and post the whole week.

mon - 8 miles trail run
tue - 14.54 miles on the road
wed - 8 mile trail run
thu - 30.13 road miles
fri - 15 miles on the trails
sat - 7.02 miles on the roads
sun - 7.31 road miles

90 even for the week. which is a new high by 5 miles - i think.
and yes it's even cause on Saturday night i added up what i had so far for the week and saw that i needed 7.31 to get to 90, so instead of running 4 or so like i usually do on Sunday i went 7.31

Friday, August 14, 2009

Today's Workouts

I decided to do my trail run before work today instead of during lunch (mainly cause I'm gonna leave work early today cause its nice out – no telling on me).

I Got up at 5 and drove to the park near work where I trail run. Got there at 5:45 and it was still a bit dark out to be running in the woods. Ran the first mile on the bike paths around the sports complex that is part of the park system. After I mile I figured it was light enough to be able to tell the ground from a root from a snake from a rock and not kill myself. Did my 7 mile loop in the woods twice so I ended up with 15 miles for the morning which on top of yesterday's 30 has left me feeling a bit shredded. I wore my Asics Trail Attack running shoes as normal.

The first few miles my legs were really dead, by mile 3 they had loosened up some. Not much wildlife out this morning. Maybe the deer had a kegger last night and were sleeping it off. Towards the end I saw 2 deer and 1 hawk but that was about it other than some rabbits. I tripped 3 times towards the end of the run on roots but never quite fell down all the way. More like stumbling along low to the ground like a midget.
Finished up the run in one piece, more or less, and headed over to the office for a quick shower and then picked up breakfast at the deli next store; scrambled eggs, wheat toast, scrapple, hoe fries and coffee.

6,010,000 Google Search Results for "Stimulus Package"

16,819 news stories on Google News. Some of which have the following headlines:

“Utilities file for up to $200M from federal stimulus package”

“Barack Obama erred in asking for too small a stimulus pacakage”

“Stimulus package for hoteliers too little, too late?”

“DOT Under Microscope for Stimulus Grants”

“Join your fellow pervs for some explicit, twisted fun" paid for by Obama's stimulus package”

“Here's how much your county is getting from the federal stimulus”

“Budget boss defends stimulus, sees joblessness up”

“Stimulus has been a thing of beauty for cosmetology school”

Yet it all can be summed up in this one picture.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Today's Workouts

30.13 miles running this morning starting at 4am in the lovely humidity that we are having this week in the DC area. Wore my Asics DS Trainers. Had a quick pre-run breakfast of a Cliff Power Bar, half a PB&J sandwich, coffee, salt tabs and 16 ounces of water. Every 7 or 8 miles I swung back by the house and got another bottle of sports drink and half a PB&J sandwich that I had left on the front porch.

Bumpaholics? Women Addictided to Having Babies?

The Belly-Rubbing High
Are some women addicted to having babies?
By Martha Brockenbrough, Women's Health

It's not just in your head. There really is a bumper crop of baby bumps out there, from the famously fertile, like Heidi Klum, who's flirting with her fourth set of stretch marks in five years, to the infamous Nadya "Octomom" Suleman, who earlier this year bore eight babies at once even though she already had six other kids at home that she could barely afford to take care of.......

But it's not always quite so simple, psychologists say. Some women may like being pregnant a little too much, often driven to rapidly reproduce out of insecurity, a craving for attention, or feelings of abandonment by their own parents.

Having babies isn't addictive in the way that alcohol and narcotics can be. But bumpaholics feel compelled to procreate for many of the same reasons that substance abusers turn to booze or drugs



Um excuse me Rob, I hate to butt in here again, but why are you reading Women’s Health?

Hey I’m very interested in women’s health issues like; cancer of the tatas, menstrual cycles, crying for no apparent reason, abnormal pap smears, leg-waxing rash.......that’s just the sensitive kinda guy I am.

Bumpaholics? Nice made-up word, morons.

Is everything a psychological condition these days?

People shop too much they are Shopaholics, instead of financially irresponsible.

Or they shoplift all the time so they are kleptomaniacs instead of criminals.

They eat too much they are foodaholics, instead of fat slobs.

Can't stay away from hookers they are sexaholics, instead of perverts.

Yeah I know it’s not their fault. Their mommas didn't breastfeed them and their daddies spanked them and they didn't make the 1st grade t-ball team. Boo Hoo

Um, anyway back to this article. Sure maybe there are some women (the octomom comes to mind) who are a little whacked when it comes to having too many kids. But this article just has the smell of the typical anti-child liberal-BS (Sam won’t let me write bull$h!t on my blog, she’s worried I’ll be a bad influence on you) that we who dare to have more than 2 kids have to put up with. I got to admit this is a new angle. I guess they are tired of running the “Kids Cost too Much” or the “Earth is Full” or the “You Will Ruin Your Health if You Have More Kids” articles. Lather, Rise, Repeat...So I give them points for being novel at least.

Without casting aspersions on the author or the quack-shrinks she used in the story; why is it that I think they all have like 1.2 kids each, drive Volvo’s and drink skinny soy lattes from Starbucks? Ok well maybe I am casting aspersions but tough tootsie. None of us with large families are calling these people with small or no families Bumpophobes (hey they aren’t the only ones who can make up stupid words, I think I’ll patent that one) so please just leave us the hell alone. We don’t want your help, opinions or attention – people like the Duggars, Jon and Kate and Octomom to the contrary, we are not all attention-whores.

So what are the enemies’ next likely steps over the years?

1. Having Bumpaholism made an official psychiatric disorder
2. Offering counseling and therapy for women afflicted with this disorder
3. The big drug companies, who are in bed with the FDA anyway, will come out a pill to treat this ‘disorder’
4. For ‘extreme’ cases where counseling and drugs don’t stop these chronic breeders sterilization will be strongly ‘suggested’
5. Repeat offenders will be forcibly sterilized under Universal ObamaCare…for their own good of course

Or this could be a onetime article and I’m over blowing the whole thing…it could go either way

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

You Bite One Lousy Buttocks

(and foot) and you are labeled for life; or in this case shot at.

Fox shot after biting Mass. woman on the buttocks

11, 2009 - 3:11pm

WHITMAN, Mass. (AP) - Police said an animal control officer has shot and wounded a fox suspected of biting a woman on the buttocks and tearing into the sneaker of a teenager in southeastern Massachusetts. Officer Robert Stokinger said the fox was shot and fled into the woods Monday. He said police officers who pursued the animal did not immediately find it.

A fox bit the woman as she was waxing her car on Franklin Street in Whitman shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday. She was given a series of precautionary rabies shots.

Several hours later, a fox also attacked a teenager on Winter Street, tearing into his sneaker but not piercing his foot.

Police said they suspect a single, sick fox is responsible for the daylight attacks since the animals are normally skittish around people.


Sheesh I'm glad this is the punishment for humans; I'd have been shot a long time ago. I also object to this trial by news of the poor fox. What ever happened to Innocent until proven guilty? All foxes I've ever met (including the one I'm married too) have been sweet and cuddly - sure occasionally nibbly but nothing real bad. What's next shooting bears who allegedly attack campers or sharks that attack surfers? Where will it all end? In tyranny and Universal Heath coverage, that's where!

And no I don't think rabies is particularly funny - but come on, how funny does 'bitten on buttocks by fox' sound? :P

Today's Workouts

8 very steamy and muggy miles running on the trails in my Asics Trail Attack running shoes.

Saw 5 deer (2 guys and 2 dolls) and 1 groundchuck.

A Sign of the Apocalypse

Monday night on the Teen Choice Awards (um Rob why where you watching the Teen Choice Awards? Shut up!) Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana was dressed like more of a tramp during her performance than was Brittany Spears and Fergie.

Dancing with a pole was such a sweet touch for a 16 year-old. And just because the pole is on top of an ice cream doesn’t make it cute, it’s just creepy. Kinda like the cross hanging down into her way too unbuttoned shirt.

Oh and all this with her dad sitting in the front row?! How much is fame and fortune worth? Your daughter’s soul maybe?

"And whosoever shall be a snare to one of the little ones who believe in me, it were better for him if a millstone were hung about his neck, and he cast into the sea."
Mark 9:42

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Today's Workouts

14.54 very sweaty miles running this morning while wearing my Asics DS Trainer 13. Run felt good though. But i did end up with some nice red stains on my shirt in the chest area...nuff said

Doesn't Look Like $72.83 Worth of Steak

Does it?


We wouldn't normally spend that much on meat for a week let alone one meal. So how did this happen? Well it happens when you are buying a whole bunch of groceries and not paying all that much attention to what you are buying. Oh and when you confuse a $ (dollar sign) for a Lb. (pound sign).

Quick math lesson - A steak that is labeled "net wt 1.29lb, unit price $9.99/lb" does not cost $12.90 total for almost 10 pounds of meat for a cost of $1.29 per pound! Never mind that that one little steak in no way, shape or form looked anything like 10 pounds of beef. Compound that fact times 6 steaks and you get one pricey meal.

Now doesn't that make y'all feel better about any financial mistakes you've made recently? Just doing my part to make others feel good about themselves. Our normal 'buy a bunch sale price' for meat is $1.99lb or less. So that's why more than one steak was purchased.

For the record the steaks were great! We also had red beans & rice, salad and garlic bread.

BTW - Cooking over a charcoal grill on a day when the temps are pushing 100 is a real treat. Apparently I wasn't as dehydrated as I thought I was from the trail run earlier in the day. Oh well the sweat must have added some extra flavor.

Cecilia (Hunter) wasn't impressed.


Afterwards we had family movie night. Tonight was the 'classic' The Sandlot (rated PG for some language - you have been warned)

Ham Porter: Hey, Smalls, you wanna s'more?
Smalls: Some more of what?
Ham Porter: No, do you wanna s'more?
Smalls: I haven't had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?
Ham Porter: You're killing me Smalls!

Ham Porter: This pop isn't workin', Benny! I'm bakin' like a toasted cheese-it! It's so hot here!





Monday, August 10, 2009

Today's Workouts

I just finished an 8 mile trail run wearing my Asics Trail Attack running shoes. According to weather.com its 94 out right now. Sweet. It was shady on the trails but a tad buggy and stifling at times.

The deer were out though. Say 6 of them including one huge buck with an awesome rack (no comment). I also saw 2 young bucks with little antlers. What a difference. The young ones just moved a few feet off the trail as I ran by. I could have popped them easily. That's no way to become an old buck. The grand old buck took off when he saw me and went about 100 yards deep into the woods -smart deer.

I also saw a tiny fawn just off the trail. The mother was either farther in the brush or had gone the way of Bambi's mom or was watching soaps.

The large buck looked a lot like this one.


The small one had a birthmark like this one

Saturday, August 8, 2009

You Can Have it Your Way at Burger King

Unless of course you Baby doesn't wear shoes.

Burger King: No shoes rule taken too far with baby

By JIM SALTER
Associated Press Writer

SUNSET HILLS, Mo. (AP) - Like most restaurants, the Burger King in this St. Louis suburb has a no shoes, no shirt, no service policy. And baby, do they enforce it. Too much so, the company admitted, after apologizing for restaurant workers who asked a mother to leave because her 6-month-old wasn't wearing shoes.

Jennifer Frederich, her mother and Frederich's infant daughter, Kaylin, stopped at the Burger King in Sunset Hills on Sunday. The baby was shoeless _ Frederich figured tiny baby feet were immune from the rule.

But workers told the family to leave because the shoeless baby was violating a health code. In fact, shoelessness is not a health code violation in St. Louis County.


Ah the joy of dealing with power-hungry minuiam wage workers or maybe they were just nit-wits or having a bad hair day or I guess they could have been just trying to follow the "rules" exactly.

First the creepy King commercials and now this...not a good year for BK.


At least Burger King was smart enough to recognize that they had a problem here and apologized. Hopefully the workers were canned too. But don't worry about them, I'm sure they are now working at Taco Bell or McDonald's.....those places are even grosser than Burger King.

Today's Workouts

Thursday - 28.12 mile run early in the morning in light rain. Wore my Asics DS Trainer's running shoes. Ipod free run since mine died at the beach due to copious amounts of sweat.

Friday - 14 mile trail run. 1/2 mile in and it felt like someone had jabbed an ice-pick into the top of my foot. Stopped and checked it out and it was a yellow jacket having his way with my foot. Squished him with my water bottle and then continued the run with a dull throbbing in the ankle area. Around mile 13 I caught my foot on a root and did a nice falling side that scrapped up my right leg and shoulder. Saw 7 deer 3 groundchucks and 2 hawks on the run. All in all it was a great run.

Friday, August 7, 2009

RIP John Hughes

Titan of teen angst, director John Hughes, dies at 59 on Manhattan Street

He was the director and writer of some of my favorite movies during my college years:
Sixteen Candles
The Breakfast Club
Weird Science
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Planes, Trains and Automobiles

He also wrote Vacation, Christmas Vacation, Pretty in Pink, Mr. Mom, and Home Alone 1 & 2 among others









Thursday, August 6, 2009

Don't Have a Pot to Pi$$ in?

How about a car then?

Your Car and Home Could Soon Be Powered By Urine

From MSNBC - July 8th, 2009

Urine-powered cars, homes and personal electronic devices could be available in six months.

Using a nickel-based electrode, scientists can create large amounts of cheap hydrogen from urine that could be burned or used in fuel cells. One cow can provide enough energy to supply hot water for 19 houses.

One molecule of urea, a major component of urine, contains four atoms of hydrogen bonded to two atoms of nitrogen. If you place a special nickel electrode into a pool of urine and apply an electrical current, hydrogen gas is released.

A urine-powered vehicle could theoretically travel 90 miles per gallon.


90 miles per gallon?! Woah! We have been flushing tons of power down the toilet at my house everyday. Heck just the excess that the boys leave on the bathroom floor should be enough to get me to work each day.

This should workout great at my house. My boys love to pee everywhere but the toilet. All I have to do is line them up at the cars every morning and have them let it fly.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

There is a God

Various sources report that Paula Abdul is leaving American Idol. Abdul turned down an 8 figure multi-year deal that was a 30% raise from last season. Last season she was paid $4 million. So basically she turned down, in this economy, a deal that would have paid her $5.2 million this year!

Early round auditions start this Friday for Season 9 which is slated to start airing next January.

Judges Simon Cowell (new $45 million deal), Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi are singed already and Ryan Seaweed just signed a 3 year deal to host the show for $30 million total.

In keeping with the times Paula announced that she wouldn’t be back via Twitter. Here is the text of her tweet:

"With sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return to 'Idol,'. I'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all I'll [miss] being a part of a show that I helped from day1 become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month."

What I would like to know is who else is going to pay Paula over $5 million to offer up incoherent platitudes to second and third rate singers. The Obama whitehouse?

On the downside this will give me one less person to openly mock on my blog. Another downside is that this will give Kara more time to talk...someone stick an icepick in my ears now please.

Paula I will be missing you.

Today's Workouts

7 mile trail run. Hot and steamy (the trails not me) run, summer is finally here. Wore my Asics Trail Attack running shoes.

Wildlife count:
4 deer (2 does 2 bucks)
1 groundchuck
1 mountain biker
1 hiker

Vacation OBX '09

I warned you...more vacation pictures...

Why I never run barefoot, even at the beach


Sinking into the beach


Eric doing what he does best...eating and getting in trouble


The view from our deck


Mary the Shell Hunter


The Teens thinking they are cool


Running down the Dunes


After a face plant


The Hunter acting sweet..she's not fooling anyone


Mary who is actually sweet, yappy, but sweet

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Today's Workouts

13.19 mile run wearing my Asics DS Trainer's. I broke out a brand new pair out of my stash. I retired a pair last week at the beach - memorial for them later.....

Vacation OBX '09

Some Random Vacation Pictures - More to Come










Monday, August 3, 2009

Today's Workouts

Back to work after a week at the beach. I did manage to run each day at the beach but the runs were tough. Too much humidity and too much vacation stress.

7 mile run today on my trails. Saw 5 deer and 2 Groundchucks. Wore my Asics Trail Attack shoes.

Vacation

We are back from our week at the beach (OBX, NC). It stared poorly. See my Bride's blog for details.

Pictures and more details to follow