So, I've been icing my ankle down like mad - finally bought one of those wrap thingies to keep the ice-pack on my ankle.

Walking with a limp finally caught up with me and my back started really hurting yesterday. The pain got so bad that I finally had to break down and take drugs. I hate taking 'em, 'cause anything that says, "WARNING: overuse of this product will burn your liver like a oily rag tossed into a furnace" is bad, no matter how good it makes you feel. Well, the pain won that one, so I popped a pill and the world was good again.

This morning my ankle hurt less, but my back hurt more. Figures, right? I could barely get out of bed, but I had a chiropractor appointment, so I made myself walk. The hot shower helped.

I get into the guy's office, and I say, "Make the pain go away, Doc!" He asks me where, and I say, "L4 or L5, maybe lower" (L4/5 are the lowest Lumbar). He tells me to bend my knees (I'm on my stomach) and take a breath but don't exhale. He then pushes down in the center of my back.

And I let out a scream.

After he finished punishing me some more, it felt better. I thank him and tell him that if he ever gets tired of adjusting people, he can always get a job working for the gubment making spies talk (ar ar) -- just kidding, Doc!

I then head over to therapy, where they hook wires up to my back, put ice packs on top of the electrodes and run current through. It sounds painful, but it is really relaxing and helps a great deal. The gal running the machine joked and said they had to tackle a few of the patients who tried to run when they heard me cry out.

So now my back is less sore/stiff (not as bad as yesterday) and my ankle is doing well. I should be functional for the weekend :)

Sweet! A new law goes into effect on Jan 1st: if your beater breaks down on the freeway, a city thug, er, contracted wrecker will tow your POS away within 6 minutes; you have no recourse. If you have AAA or some other service club, too bad Amigo (AAA says they're going to try to arrange for a direct bill for members).

Of course, the wreckers will take your payment in cash, check, or charge, but if you don't have it, you get to pay even more when they take your beater to a lot (and you better believe they charge by the day, every day).

What's the deal? Because it causes "traffic problems" when people slowing down to watch a stalled car (um, no they don't - they slow down when the cops, wreckers, and EMTs all turn on their lights and clump up on the shoulder). I guaran-friggin-tee there will still be congestion whenever a major wreck occurs.

We all know the real reason, this is another grab for cash. The city of Houson royally humped the bunk when they sold the foosball and basketball stadiums to the teams for a buck a year. Oh and when they dumped umpteen millions into a light rail (which continuously runs at a loss) because we have rail-envy with Dallas.

Here's a novel idea to stop congestion: bust people who slow down to look. Just station cops next to the wreck, between the lanes. If they see you slow down and turn your head, they slap one of those magnetic cones on top of your car (like at the car park). Then a fleet of cops stationed down the road can easily pull you over and write you a nice $400 ticket for being an idiot.

But we all know there's no film in the camera - it is not about congestion but revenue.

Today was "buy stuff we really wanted but didn't get for Chankwanmas"-day.

First up was hit the mall... early. About 8:00 we roll in, get the Missus her stuff, and get out. I swear this was some kind of record. No problems parking, and it didn't take her 2 hours to try stuff on; she pretty much knew what she wanted. The only time I got involved was when she asked which of three shirts I liked. Picked correctly, so no sleepin' on the couch tonite. w00t! (j/k)

We get out of the mall before the first tidal wave of humanity descends. Bwah ha ha!

Didn't get Halo 2, so that was on the list (found the "super-deluxe collector's edition on top of the shelf for $5 more... extra features include "the making of..." DVD. Turns out that Bungie is just like EA - they work 16-20/7 or some shite like that, but the game r0xx0rs).

Then we go to the sporting-goods store to pick up new athletic shoes. Mine were blown (> 2 years old) and she trashed hers when she started working out 5 days a week. I always "enjoy" getting shoes because my feet are Too Damn Big. I wear a 13 1/2, so the 14s are just slightly too big, but no one makes 1/2-sizes over 10 or 11, so I suck it. It really makes it easy, though: just go to the aisle with the type of shoe I want, then pull all the 14 boxes. Try each one on, and the one that fits/feels the most comfortable is the one I buy. Then I complain about the look/color/fabric, etc. because I don't have a choice. When I get rich, I'm getting all my shoes custom made. After I send all the parents who let their kids run around stores unsupervised to the salt-mines, that is. >:)

Okay, so here's the best part. When I try on running shoes, the only way I can tell if they're any good is to, well, run in them. About the third or fourth shoe, I have it narrowed down to two pair. One of the two feels good, fits well, but something in cushion near the ball of my left foot feels "weird." I take off at a sprint, and about five steps in, I feel my left ankle go "pop!" OH SHIIIII----!

Nothing broken, but I can feel deep down in my stupid friggin ankle, it is going to seize. I walk back to the bench, and take off the shoe. Where's that $#@ shoe shredder?! I knew it. I knew there was something jakey about the shoe. I never should've tried running in it. So, the other pair is the winner, but I know if there's a line at the register, I'm going to pass out. Well, we get to the register and my ankle is throbbing now. We check out, and I make it back to the car.

Back home, I grab a bucket o' ice, fill a big ol baggie, and put my foot up. Oh, but did I mention I had Halo 2? Aww... now I gotta play it. :) There's something about playing video games that takes your mind off stabbing, throbbing pain... and the stabbing sharp pain of c-c-cold ice on your throbbing ankle.

Bah, I wish I could take tomorrow off, but I don't have any sick days accumulated yet. (#@$@! "time bank")

Yeah, I'm talking to you. All you filthy humans. You all stink of ham and vomit.

No, really!

Winner of J. Peabody Worst Design in Coin Operated Rides

x\\ spell your name backwards: paCytefaS
x\\ have you ever had a song written about you: No.
x\\ what song makes you cry: Songs don't make me cry.
x\\ what song makes you happy: Songs don't make me happy.
x\\ what's your all time fav. song?: Currently, "St. Augustine In Hell" by Sting. Next week that will change to something different..
x\\ what do you listen to before you go to sleep: Cat purrs.
x\\ height: 6' 5"
x\\ hair color: black/red
x\\ piercings: None

r i g h t _ n o w . . .
x\\ what color pants are you wearing: Tan
x\\ what song are you listening to: "Everybody wants to rule the world" by The Thompson Twins
x\\ what taste is in your mouth?: Soda Water
x\\ whats the weather like?: Wind blowing, about 21.6 C
x\\ how are you?: Meh. Ready for the week to be over
x\\ get motion sickness?: No
x\\ have a bad habit?: Fidgeting... lots of fidgeting
x\\ get along with your parents?: In small doses only.
x\\ boyfriend/girlfriend: Harem? I think the wife would have a problem with that.
x\\ have a current crush: Hale Berry, natch!
x\\ have a big regret: No regrets, ever.

f a v o u r i t e . . .
x\\ tv show: I don't watch TV, but it used to be Myth Busters
x\\ conditioner: No
x\\ book: I really liked the early Turtledove alternate civil war series, but later books really started sucking.
x\\ non alchohol drink: Water only.
x\\ alchohol drink: Chocolate Martini
x\\ things to do on the weekend: Code, code, code, code. Then do all the HoneyDos. Try to sleep a little...

h a v e _ you _ e v e r . . .
x\\ broken the law: Yes.
x\\ snuck out of the house: Yes.
x\\ ever gone skinny dipping: Yup!
x\\ made a prank phone call: Yeah, when I was in elementary school...
x\\ tipped over a port-a-potty: No.
x\\ use your parents credit card: No, they actually never used cards when I was growing up.
x\\ skipped school: Yeah, a few times, but it sucked more than school did.
x\\ fell asleep in the shower/bath: Yes, especially in the service, when we only got a few hours of sleep a day...
x\\ been in a school play: "Annie get your gun" was MINE, baby!
x\\ had a boyfriend/girlfriend: Uh, yeah.
x\\ had children: No.
x\\ been in love: Yes. Several times.
x\\ have a hard time getting over someone: Every time I dated someone seriously.
x\\ been hurt?: Yes, every which way you can imagine.
x\\ gone out with someone you only knew for 3 days: I don't know about the three days, but I've done one-night stands before.

r a n d o m . . .
x\\ have a job: Yeah, a joe-coding-job
x\\ your cd player has what in it right now: What the hell is a CD?
x\\ if you were a crayon, what color would you be?: Burnt Umbra
x\\ what makes you happy?: I do. :)
x\\ the next CD you're going to buy: I don't buy CDs, unless I go to a concert/show. So, in that respect, it will be Cirque du Soleil's newest

w h e n _ was _ t h e _ last _ t i m e . . .
x\\ you got a real letter: Yesterday
x\\ got an email: Today, at work, damnit (no spam, though)
x\\ thing you purchased: Chinese food last night
x\\ Tv program you watched: Probably the news this morning to see if there was a wreck on the freeway.
x\\ movie you saw in the theaters: Barbershop II
x\\ kissed: This AM as she left to go work out
x\\ hugged: Ditto
x\\ song heard: INXS's never tear us apart
x\\ place you were [besides home]: Work. For lunch I was at Café Express
x\\ phonecall: A vendor just called me about 20 minutes ago.
x\\ you were depressed: Over a month ago
x\\ you were in the hospital: three years ago for getting brake cleaner in my eye (ouch!)

w h a t _ comes _ t o _ mind . . .
x\\ car: good fuel economy & goes faster than all the other lUsers on the road
x\\ murder: the man was dead when I got there
x\\ cape: and cowl
x\\ penis: pecker
x\\ cell: phone
x\\ shoe: leather
x\\ fun: scream
x\\ crush: orange
x\\ music: smooth
x\\ chalk: crunchy

n u m b e r . . . :
x\\ of time you've been in love: 5-7
x\\ of girls you have kissed: Many
x\\ of boys you have kissed: none
x\\ of times your name has appeared in a newspaper: A few times my letters to the editor got published
x\\ of scars on your body: Hernia scar, several scars on my hands from playing with woodworking tools, one on the back of my hand when I punched through the roof of a bus ;)
x\\ of things in your past you regret: I don't regret a thing.

d o _ you _ t h i n k _ you _ a r e . . . :
x\\ pretty: er.. pretty? No. Cute? Maybe.
x\\ funny: definitely.
x\\ hot: Hmmm?
x\\ friendly: Yes
x\\ ugly: I don't get ugly often.
x\\ loveable: Rarely
x\\ caring: Often..
x\\ sweet: ha!
x\\ dorky: That's what the receptionist tells me.

f a v o u r i t e . . . :
x\\ actor/actress: Hale Berry, my second wife (after the first one dies, peacefully in her sleep and I'm alone for the required year of mourning)
x\\ least favorite day: Tuesday
x\\ flower: Lantana
x\\ jello flavor: Yellow or green with the fruit cocktail chunks in it.
x\\ summer/winter: Winter.

p e r s o n _ who _ l a s t . . . :
x\\ slept in your bed: Me and her.
x\\ saw you cry: My SO
x\\ sent you an email: Some vendor

h a v e _ you _ e v e r
x\\ said i love you and meant it: Yes
x\\ went out in public in pjs: PJs? Sorry, no tiene
x\\ kept a secret from everyone: Yeah.
x\\ been to new york: Yes, used to live in upstate. I would move to NYC in a heartbeat if I had the cash.
x\\ to california: That's where the mothership let me off, I left after 25 years or so.

w h e n _ was :
x\\ last cigarrete: Never had, never will.
x\\ last cry: Don't remember, within the last 4 months?
x\\ last book read: Can't remember the title - it was about Reinmann's search for the Prime Theory. Pretty cool stuff for a scary Math book
x\\ last curse word uttered: "fucking idiot wanna-be programmer!"
x\\ last beverage drank: soda water
x\\ last food consumed: Ceasar Salad
x\\ last phone call: About 20-30 minutes ago.
x\\ showered: 6:00 am
x\\ last shoes worn: Brown leather business casual.
x\\ last cd played: What the hell are these CD things?
x\\ last thing written: Requirements documentation for Sending Ticket Orders to Vendors via Email.
x\\ last word spoken: Later, Chief (when boss left early)
x\\ last sleep: Last night
x\\ last im: About 45 minutes ago to my best friend
x\\ sexual fantasy: continuous - what were we talking about?
x\\ last ice cream eaten: Ice cream... um... Chubby Hubby ('cause that's the only one I ever eat!)
x\\ last time wanting to die: Never.

Or, make sure you have a face-guard while cycling

Did you know that if you quickly apply enough current to a coil wrapped around a garden-variety coin, it will shrink?

Well, now you do!

Fuck, but I hate the holidays. All those images of happy people with familes and warmth and joy. I think this season is designed specifically to make loner losers like me kill ourselves. Well, they won't defeat me, dammit! I will survive and kick Santa in the ass!

POISON BOX

War is Peace

"When you're hunting, you don't expect somebody to try to shoot you and murder you'
-- Hunter Bill Wagner

Unless you're a deer.

Five hunters got a taste of their own medicine.

Hats off, please, Gentlemen.

California's Dept of Motor Vehicles Chief is proposing to tax cars based upon mileage. The issue arose because the state is losing too much money from those communist pinkos who drive fuel efficient vehicles (unlike Gov. Ahhnold, who has more than one 10-mpg Hummer). A major source of state revenue comes from gas taxes.

The plan would call for installing a device on every car that either transmits mileage based upon GPS readings or the vehicle's odometer. One scenario has the taxes levied when the car drives up to the pump; the car device transmits the mileage to a reciever on the pump, which then adds the tax to the pump price.

One hope for the system is to discourage congestion during certain times of the day. For example, the tax on the 10 could jack up to $2/mile, whereas local streets could decrease to $0.10, thus encouraging people to get off the freeway.

Silly privacy advocates worry that such devices will allow cars to be tracked. Like that would ever happen.

Nope, no flaws in this plan... no way to circumvent the system, either. Besides, I see the best part in the whole thing: automated speeding ticket payment. Every time you speed, you get fined, and your cost is added to your "driving fee," so when you next fill up at the pump, you get to pay for it all in one go.

1. Buy $20 of gas
2. Pay $30 mileage tax and $200 for speeding fines
3. ???
4. (State) Profit!!

Tiny revolution writes:

What we tend to overlook in such situations is that other people will react much as we would... And since [the people who bombed the Marine barracks in Beirut] could not reach the battleship, they found a more vulnerable target, the exposed Marines at the airport.
-- Autobiography of Colin Powell

And as I looked at those demolished towers in Lebanon [after the US-backed 1986 Israeli invasion], it entered my mind that we should punish the oppressor in kind and that we should destroy towers in America in order that they taste some of what we tasted and so that they be deterred from killing our women and children.
-- Osama bin Laden

Likewise, when we couldn't get at bin Laden, we "found a more vulnerable target."

History repeats...