here comes the rock part.

USAT forbids the use of headphones for races. However, if they did not forbid them, this his how the last 10 mins or so would shape up for me at Sunday's Timberman. In this instance, drafting celebrated--

And:

please, stop.

I would not call myself a "fan" of the so called tea party ideology. Primarily, because I do not know what it is. However, the mob seems vaguely reminiscent of the swell that rose after September 11th making claims about freedom and it not being free. I am sure my, and other's patriotism was called into question a few times as well.

After spending the last decade fighting two wars we have yet to "win", it seems we don't really want to pay for them and that we actually thought that freedom might kinda sorta been free. I refer to: ceiling, debt.

However, maybe what annoys me more than the tea party, is the anti-tea party party. Seems the solution to the shouting is to meet it with yet more shouting --

Polls show that disapproval of the Tea Party is climbing. In April 2010, a New York Times/CBS News survey found that 18 percent of Americans had an unfavorable opinion of it, 21 percent had a favorable opinion and 46 percent had not heard enough. Now, 14 months later, Tea Party supporters have slipped to 20 percent, while their opponents have more than doubled, to 40 percent.

- From something called Crashing the Tea Party (how clever) in the NYT

How freaking petty this particular paragraph is. In one year and some change teap arty supporters have gone from 21% to 20%.

That is not a change, that is called a margin of error. To me, any rational thinker will look at this and say, "Gee, this is virtually unchanged. I bet the statistician sneezed."

Further, it does seem like the unfavorables are increasing. But why, WHY!, do you need to say "have more than doubled"? The data is right there. We can see it. When you say have more than I am thinking, "Shit, what? 50, 60, 70 %?" No. Doubled plus 4%.

Which, I might remind you, if there were errors in the FIRST sample (which there almost certainly were) and the number looked more like 19, 20, or 21 % then the unfavorables would have SIMPLY (or worse) LESS THAN doubled.

Please. Stop this. Many of us aren't complete fucking morons. We know the tea party is toxic (see the 40% unfavorable rating?). We don't need you to rub our nose in it.

We have decided to ignore the tea party, and that should probably include ignoring the anti-tea party party, too.

scared for america

What has me scared for america?

Debt ceiling debate?
10% unemployment?

Two (seemingly) endless wars we now refuse to pay for?

No. It's this -- https://pastaboat.com/

Every time you ask me, "Shaun, what do you think of genital mutilation?" Every single time I am going to answer, "That is horrible and terrible and should be banned. ALWAYS."

But, if you can't make fucking pasta, that should be grounds for society placing restrictions on you to procreate. Period. End game.

I am totally fine if the recent turmoil in Ingerland is because people just found out that the pasta boat exists.

"What?!? Pasta boat? The fuckall is dat? You 'ere dat Nigel, feckin pasta boat!? Feckin' yanks. Let's burn it all!"

In related news -- triathlon, HOW DEAD WILL IT MAKE YOU!?!

so many ways to say, "i love you".

A recent email exchange between my wife and I in which I bring up a couple in Ohio who do triathlon's together to keep their love strong.

Shaun:

subject: let's get this couple ...

body: ... take'em down a peg.

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2011/08/news/triathlon-training-helps-marriage-couple-say_36307

I mean ... um, how sweet.

wife:

subj: re: let's get this couple ...

find out what races they're doing and let's get'em! ;)

my job

You know, organizationally I think my people do a great job of being really, truly a part of the solar industry -- and therefore the clean tech industry, writ large. We are a non-profit org. But we really strive to keep up with the latest and greatest.

But every so often I get an email (like the one below) and I t

hink, "Our jobs aren't like other jobs. I have know idea what any of these things do."

Admire this copy, confounding though it is --

"Today’s demanding applications call for other sealing methods. One alternative is the bearing isolator. Advances have created units with little frictional drag and a service life that is up to 65 times greater than that of a radial lip seal."

I don't spend much time thinking about sealing methods. I can organize the heck out of a spread sheet, though. So that's something.

swim

here's a solid swim workout --

400 warm up

[4 x 100 -- at whatever pace you want to hold in your race + 10 sec,

400 pull] x 2

200 cool down

Obviously modular. I have had a hard time getting to the pool and doing that work, so I wanted to keep it short and sweet. Plus have timberman in two weeks.

This set was awesome for my swim confidence as I was (somewhat) effortlessly able to hold sub 1:10s on the swim.

So for me that was 1:20s

Go get'em

how to be a silly man

Today's modern urban man can be a great many things, but one thing we have a great deal of trouble being is manly, at least in the traditional sense of the word. What follows is a list of times and situations in the recent past where I have felt/acted like a very, very silly man and some simple advice on how to live with yourself as a result.

* Riding the subway is great. But it is soooo dirty. What's a modern urban man to do? Purell, my darlings. I like to buy it in bulk. But oh how silly we look, exiting the subway, lathering up with that cute little tube of anti-bacterial as a team of large NYC Sanitary workers move our city's filth and refuse. I recommend adverting eyes.

* Today's man of the city shouldn't be ashamed of baking. A tasty saturday banana bread can be a nice little treat for you and your lover. But careful. If you set off the CO2 monitor, and you call ConEd because you don't know how to turn off said C02 monitor they are required -- by law -- to send the FDNY.

Tip: It's best to remove your apron before 785 collective lbs of FDNY show up to your apartment.

* Staying fit can be so hard, what with our busy upwardly mobile schedules. Why not try triathlon? And you are sure to get quite a few great comments of admiration and cat calls for your lycra tights and shaved legs from the construction workers using the jack hammer out side your apartment.

* Getting a flat tire on your car is never fun. So if it happens to you, on say the Merritt Pkwy in Connecticut, here's a quick step by step guide of what to do.

1. Get out of your car and pace around the grass a bit. This will keep you calm.

2. Spill all the contents of the trunk spare (jack, spare, other doohickythingy) onto the ground.

3. Look at contents a bit. Scratch chin.

4. Roll up sleeves and make half assed attempt to change said tire.

5. Get self into precarious situation where life is likely in danger.

6. Call your rental car company. Have as little information for them as possible as to your exact location. You want to make sure *they* know how to do *their* jobs.

7. Assure roadside assistance that, "You would totally change the tire yourself. But you feel that there is not quite enough room on the shoulder to get the job done." Repeat this as many times as possible.

8. Wait for roadside assistance to show up.

9. Run around like an overly eager 5 year old trying to "help" roadside assistance personel. Totally comment on how great their tools are, and when possible offer advice. THEY LOVE THIS.

10. Sheepishly tuck $10 bill on windshield wiper of vehicle, and drive home with hazards on doing 45 mph.

* When buying a venus silky smooth razor, a great amount of embarrassment can be saved if you purchase a blue one and announce loudly, "GEEEZ WIFE YOUR RAZORS SURE ARE EXPENSIVE!" Do this regardless of wife being present or actually being married.

Gentleman and fellow pansypants, with a little work you too can remove that last remaining amount of pesky dignity from your life.

Bon chance!