This weekend was supermoon weekend and the weather was beautifully warm and clear here in NC. We stayed up late with the kids and the horses playing in the moonlight. Click on the photo above – it links to a gallery of some of my recent moon-lit night photos (including the shots from this weekend).
Ah … the Irish. What can I say – they know how to party.
Dain Phelan and Zack Wheeler yesterday at Dain’s Place in Durham:
I don’t much care for catholic saints, but David Plotz’ story about Ireland’s patron saint is pretty interesting:
According to Thomas Cahill, author of How the Irish Saved Civilization, Paddy’s influence extended far beyond his adopted land. Cahill’s book, which could just as well be titled How St. Patrick Saved Civilization, contends that Patrick’s conversion of Ireland allowed Western learning to survive the Dark Ages. Ireland pacified and churchified as the rest of Europe crumbled. Patrick’s monasteries copied and preserved classical texts. Later, Irish monks returned this knowledge to Europe by establishing monasteries in England, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy.
We’re in! I registered the 11-foot-8 Doughman team today – Team Overheight When Flashing!
We’ll be competing on Saturday May 28th with 75 teams from all over the country in the DOUGHMAN race – the world’s premier Team Relay Quadrathlon, combining competitive eating with a traditional triathlon.
Part of the challenge is also to raise funds for SEEDS – a local non-profit. So please consider contributing to the cause. Your contribution will support a worthy local cause AND it will help our team in the race!
“SEEDS is a non-profit community garden whose goal is to teach people to care for the earth, themselves and each other through a variety of garden-based programs“
Friday morning, around 2:00 AM, I was at work dealing with a major email server problem, when I started noticing the news headlines about the disaster in Japan. It sounded bad, but I was too tired and too preoccupied with my work for the magnitude of that disaster to really sink in.
Later that morning, after a couple hours of sleep, I had to explain to folks at work that half a day’s worth in emails had bounced. At the same time the extent of the situation in Japan came into focus. Some of my co-workers – including my boss – pointed out that the news about Japan really does put our email problems into perspective. Even though I know they were unhappy about the losing a bunch of emails.
As the situation in Japan unfolds and people there scramble to deal with a real disaster, I hope this also serves as a reminder for us to not take our comfort zone for granted. For the most part, we can only watch and recognize the amazing magnitude and intensity of this double-whammy disaster, plus the impending man-made peril to top it off. The threat of a nuclear disaster should also give pause to all of us who are consuming electricity from nuclear power, and especially to all of us who live near a nuclear power plant.
Let’s also not forget the ongoing, man-made disaster in Libya. I really hope that the international community (and the Arab League in particular) soon decides to intervene and try to stop Gaddafi’s troops from killing the Libyan rebels.
We all need to keep our own struggles in perspective. And we all need to give our kids and our loved ones a hug. And we have to try to be there for our fellow man when they need our help.
kalunkalunkalunk ….
That’s what that truck said on Sunday. I knew it was a bad sound. Expensive. The sound of money down the drain. Well … this is the 1″x2″ hole where 5 grand of my hard-earned cash disappeared Sunday morning.
My mechanic says it was a connecting rod that broke and punched that hole in the bottom of the engine block. Turns out, on Powerstroke engines, connecting rod failures are not unheard of. Google it. I am pissed off. For a core component of an engine to fail like this is NOT acceptable. There are only 2 explanations I can think of: bad design or poor quality control. Bad maintenance does not produce catastrophic failures like this. I am DONE with Ford. DONE. I put up with their crappy shit … knobs falling off, door locks not working, the WORST cup holders in an American-made vehicle ever! But our Ford Taurus blew a head gasket at just under 90,000 miles and now a POWERSTROKE engine dies at just over 255,000 miles??!!
Why can I not get a Toyota diesel engine here? Why does VW not make a full-size pickup with a big ole TDI?? I guess I’ll try a Dodge with a Cummins engine next. I hope I have better luck with that.
Yeah – another one of those weeks were “challenging” was just not good enough. At work we have to re-build our main file server and so we’re shuffling Terabytes of data around the networks, checking file permissions, backing up data, bla bla bla … Julia had a viola recital today with all the other students of her strings teacher. Next week she auditions for the Durham Sc
hool of the Arts AND she performs at Duke in the Durham Honors Concert. So she’s a bit wigged out. On top of all that, the damn truck broke. I drove into town this morning to pick up some veggie oil, and as I hit the Interstate, the truck starts making weird noises. I fiddle with the transmission and the truck says CLUNK … kachunk kachunk kachunk kachunk kachunk kachunk kachunk … oh shit, I think , and pull over. Oil is pouring out of the bottom of the truck and something is clunking and rattling like crazy.
So I called Laura, and she got me the phone numbers for some towing companies. Since I’ve had ample opportunity to watch Big John’s Towing at work, I pick them. They sent one of their “smaller” towing trucks, and the guy hooked up my pickup and towed it to my mechanic. We had a a nice chat, and we discussed the towing and recovery business, the cost of fuel and, of course, the business of yanking boxtrucks out from under low railroad trestles.
Today, 2/27, on my way home from work (!) I saw the odometer roll over to 277777 miles (=447038.748 kilometers) on my 1991 Mercedes 300D. Cool number – especially on today’s date :)
So that’s now 33,000 miles on my homebrew biodiesel in the last 3 years, and she’s going strong.
Today, around 10:30 AM, the building where I work suddenly was swarming with cops and security guys who were telling people to get out of the building. In a locked mail room at Duke Press, someone had found a package wrapped in electrical tape, no return address, no postage. So they called the police, and the within a few minutes the Durham County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad showed up.
No fancy gadgets, just a bunch of cops – one of them in a “fat suit” (robots are for wimps, anyway). He suited up and went in. Five Minutes later he’s back, and the cops get orders to widen the evacuation area! So we went behind the train trestle and watched him get ready to go in again.
At that point it was lunchtime, though, and we decided to go to Tylers for lunch. Around 12:30 we got word that the evacuation was lifted and we could go back to work. Oh well … bummer. And the package turned out to be harmless, despite the electrical tape.
Of course this excitement did make the news …
We’re now about 6 months into our horse-ownership adventure and today we did our first real trail riding adventure with Wally and Cleo. We’ve been riding them in and around the pasture. We built a small trail through the woods for riding, and we’ve taken them around the neighborhood. But today we went a bit further and took them down to Winkler road (the other neighborhood we’re now connected to) then down a private drive (only a minimal amount of trespassing there) and then along a power line easement all the way to Terry road.
The terrain was not too difficult, but there were a couple of steep hills and a couple of creeks to ford. Wally plodded right through the creeks – no problem. Cleo, however, was not going to climb through the muddy creeks, so she jumped them. Laura tried to get her to walk though the creeks, but knew that Cleo was likely to jump. So she was ready, and they did really well. One of the creeks was probably 4-5 feet wide (1.5 meters) so that was a pretty substantial jump. I’m glad that Wally did not try to jump the creeks, because I don’t think I would have been able to hang on.
Altogether we were riding for about 2 hours today, and that tired out the horses and the riders. It felt great, but now my butt hurts. And I know that tomorrow my legs will be sore. But it was fun, and I think the horses, too, enjoyed getting out of the pasture a bit and getting some exercise.
Historic day in Egypt! Amazing turn of events … congratulations to all those stubborn activists on Tahrir square and all over the country.
Yeah – that’s a pretty good song. I like it – not just because my website 11foot8.com gets a shout out at 00:22 in the Das Racist piece. No – it’s really a cool song – better than Juicy for sure. And now we have some real hipster cred.
Free Jazzmatazz is a collaboration between Das Racist and pianist Vijay Iyer – from their album Sit Down, Man. Download it for free from the Village Voice. Listen to the music. Shut up and have a PBR!
Yes, horses like to eat hay, but my god – these guys EAT HAY! Lots of it! Each of our horses can eat several hundred pounds of hay a week.
We have had a pretty cold winter, so far, and so they eat even more than they usually would because when it’s cold their metabolism kicks it up a notch to keep them warm. In the fall I started buying 1,300 lb/650Kg hay rolls of nice fescue hay from a local farmer. The last one (number 5, I think) they ate up in 2 weeks. That’s 300 lbs per horse per week! The quest for hay – good quality hay – for our horses has become a significant part of my life. That’s fine – I am not complaining. I am just amazed at their ability to chew through huge amounts of hay.
My previous supplier ran out of hay, and so we’ve been buying square bales of hay at the feed store, which is pretty expensive ($5-$10 a bale). Last week I found another local farmer who still has some for $60 a roll. It’s a bit more expensive than the other guy, but it’s a very nice fescue/orchard grass mix. I got two rolls last week and today I put one out in the pasture today.
These are 900 lb rolls, which is nice, because they are a bit easier to manage than the enormous 1,300 lb rolls. I dropped one roll in the pasture and Wally and Cleo got right down to business and started ripping huge mouthfuls of hay from the roll and munching on it with great gusto.
“Peace be with you” – that’s how Barack Obama greeted the audience at Cairo University in June 2009. During his speech in the “timeless city” he said
I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn’t steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas; they are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere.
President Obama, June 4, 2009
So where was that support for democracy and the rule of law during the last 10 days, Mr. President? Where was your commitment to democracy when a million Egyptians took to the streets and demanded just that: “the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn’t steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose.”
For the US President (or the VP) to tip-toe around the issue of the people of Egypt demanding an end to the oppressive 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak is an embarrassment. That regime has been supported way too long with Billions of taxpayer dollars. But, yet again, “peace” is defined by the administration’s political comfort zone, not by the rights of the people to self-determination. Yet again, “peace” is what’s convenient for the “international community” – just like in Cote D’Ivoire. In Egypt the status quo is convenient, because Mubarak promised not to threaten Israel. I understand that Israelis are nervous about Egypt’s unrest. And I unequivocally support the right of Israelis to live in peace and free from oppression. And I also support the right of Egyptians to do the same. I really don’t think that that’s mutually exclusive. On the contrary – I am certain that a democratic Egypt is a much better and more reliable neighbor to Israel than an Egypt that’s run by a corrupt dictator.
The situation in Cote D’Ivoire is the exact inverse of Egypt. There, a corrupt ruler – Gbagbo – is clinging to power and the UN wants his opponent – Ouattara – to take over, even though his opponent’s democratic credentials are no better. But Ouattara is much more convenient to the “international community” than the current ruler, who has been hostile to the AU and the UN.\
In Egypt, change is a risk. But change is coming. It would have been a great opportunity for “President Change” to say “Yes, you can!” to the Egyptian people and politely asked Mubarak to get out. One simple signal like that would have done more to encourage open, democratic society in the Middle East than years of war and forced regime change. Yet, President Obama chose to be president “small change” – once again. What a shame.
May Peace be with you, people of Egypt. But we have now seen that when you must, you kick butt! Good for you! Hang in there and good luck! Assalaamu alaykum!
This week was not difficult enough with both kids at home with the flu … no, today this guy calls and explains he’s trying to collect on a $250 loan someone using my name and SSN took out last year somewhere in California. Great … another one! I explained politely that 1) I have never been to California and 2) I certainly have no California driver’s license and 3) most types of payday loans are illegal in North Carolina and unenforceable.
He pushed back and suggested I just pay the $250 to make sure it won’t ruin my credit. Yeah, right. The bank is too lazy to check whether the SSN matches the driver’s license, but NOW they are going to report the bad debt. I mean, they could Google my name and figure out I don’t live in California. But that’s their problem.
Still – I called Equifax and placed a 90-day fraud alert on my credit file. And I also placed a freeze on my file with all three credit bureaus. NC residents get that service free of charge, and all three have websites for placing a security freeze on your file:
Equifax Security Freeze / Trans Union Security Freeze / Experian Security Freeze
In addition, I am also now paying Equifax $7/month to email me whenever there is any change to my credit report. I hate to do this, but who knows what that jerk who is using my SSN is up to next. The entire “credit bureau” system is a huge scam … they collect all kinds of information about you and then you have to pay them to manage it. OK – so you get a free credit report every year (when did you last check your credit report?) but when someone is running around committing crimes using your SSN, that’s not enough. I wonder what’s next in this little saga?!
Time for a new truck crash video compilation. This is the Sergio Leone remix of the 2010 truck crashes at the Gregson St. railroad trestle. Enjoy!
Es ist mal wieder Zeit fuer einen Kompilationsfilm der LKW-Enthauptungen an unserer beruechtigten Eisenbahnbruecke hier in Durham in North Carolina. Diesmal ist der Film Sergio Leone gewidmet undf seinem Klassiker ,,The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” … auf Deutsch: Zwei glorreiche Halunken. Viel Spass!
Last night it snowed again … while Julia was at her viola lesson. On the way home I had a bit of trouble because the heater in the car does not work and so the wiper would just schmier the snow across the windshield, where it would then freeze. I had to deploy lots of washer fluid (with cleaner) to keep the windshield relatively ice free.
The sleet last night froze and then it snowed on top of that, making for a fairly slippery affair on the road. Schools called a snow day, Duke is on a severe weather plan and so we stayed home – except for Laura, who went to open her store in the afternoon. I worked from at home and shoveled the driveway. And then I took a walk through our woods.
Kitty Fountain in the snow
Lots of ones today – 01/11/11 at 11:11 ( or 11/01/11 for the rest of the world …)
Any ideas for how to celebrate 11/11/11 in 10 months? Maybe a party!
Finally – a voice of reason in the presidential tug-of-war in Côte D’Ivoire: Ghana’s president Atta Mills refuses to take sides, the BBC reported on Friday.
Mr Ouattara called this week for a special forces operation to remove Mr Gbagbo.
But President Mills appeared to reject such an idea in a speech on Friday. “I personally do not think the military option will solve the problem in Ivory Coast,” he said.
“Ghana is not taking sides,” he said, pointing out that:
“We have about one million Ghanaians living in Ivory Coast who could be victims of any military intervention.”
Ghanaians, Ivoirians, Bukinabe … everyone living in that country would suffer tremendously from a war – except the people who are calling for military action. I am appalled by Ouattara’s call for UN military intervention to remove Gbagbo from power. Ouattara is sitting pretty in his hotel in Abidjan, but the ordinary people who are not protected by UN tanks are the ones who would suffer.
Deha – our 18-year-old siamese on caturday.
Photo by Zack Wheeler
Lunch today at Dain’s Place on 9th St. in Durham. I had a “Defibrilator” – a 1/2 pund burger with bacon, sweet chili, cheddar cheese, cole slaw … and topped with a hot dog … except I had mine with goat sausage. :)
