Ryan Bingham

It's the voice.  It does something for me.  Loving the new music from his new album this September.

RootMusic BandPage by Ryan Bingham

Dinner - Just re-enforces, what a catch I am.

I heart Cougartown

It's freakin' amazing.  If you aren't watching it is cause you are stupid and dumb.

Congress's Priorities

Everyday I fight the good fight for the industry I represent in DC.  Most day's I love the work I do and even the days I get frustrated are not really that bad.  But am amazed at what Congress deems important enough to meddle in.  I believe Congress should focus an issues like balancing the budget, reducing national debt, immigration, etc.

The dumbest thing I have read today and I believe all week is that Congress is going to look at the risk-benefit relationships in  killer whale and dolphin shows.  The responsible respond to this article is WTF.  Seriously?!?!

Crap.  It's almost enough to make me consider running for office.

I simply can't wait

We are just over a month away from the season premiere of True Blood.  Can't wait!

Classy Lady

Just read that Dixie Carter died.  She was a great, feisty actress most remembered for her role of Julia Sugarbaker from Designing Women.  Designing Women was/is one of my most favorite shows.  It was smart, well-written with a whole lot of sass.  Sorta like me :)

Here are some of my favorite clips of Ms. Carter on Designing Women:

The night the lights went out in Georgia


Proud of your crazy people


Friends helping friends


Pissed off Julia


Modeling around

A Bucket List Item

I hate that term "Bucket List".  I know what it means and the movie was sappy and feel good and poignant.  But it is the term that best describes what I'm thinking about doing.  I have been struggling for awhile to do something that is meaningful to me.  For years - 15 years to be exact - the meaningful goal I strove for was getting my Ph.D.  I have spent considerable time, money, and energy on that goal.  That item is now crossed off my list and the bonus of finishing that project is having the job I love in a city that I am now calling home.  So now what?

That is the question I have been struggling with.  There are things I would like to do in my lifetime: learn another language; travel to Italy, Africa, New Zealand, and Australia; run a marathon; kiss my love on the top of the Empire State building; buy a house...you get the picture.  Well - I think I have made a decision and I'm a little scared to take that final step of committment.

I have been looking into training for a marathon.  Yep, that is right, a marathon.  This is amazing line of thinking for me for numerous reasons:

1. I hate to run.  Hate it!  Probably has something to do with the fact I qualify for the U.S. government's definition of morbidly obese. And running is no fun to me.  I get no endorphins from running, just displeasure.
2. Running a marathon would kill my knees.  Not my 33 year old knees, but the 55 year old knees that I would likely I have if I took up running.  Arthritis runs in my family and running is a sure factor of increasing the likelihood of a knee replacement.  I want to keep all my original body parts for my life...I mean I'm down one thyroid gland, but that doesn't really count.
3. My shape (aka my boobs) would like knock me out if I ran.  I don't want to be taken out by my own breasts.
4. I believe I have mentioned I hate, HATE running.

That being said, I'm going to start training for a marathon.  Not running in a marathon, but walking one. 

A few weeks ago, I was surfing the web doing research on walking shoes.  My current Nike's are worn out and the last straw was the bleeding blisters I got from walking home.  So during my research, I stumbled across the following website: The Walking Site - Marathon Walking.  I got extremely intrigued and over the last couple of weeks I keep coming back to it.  I have read the whole site and started looking at the training plans, especially the beginner training plan.  I have come to the conclusion that I could do this.  I could spend 6 months and train for a marathon.

Training could take place on the Mt. Vernon trail which starts in 1 mile from my apartment in Rosslyn and on all the other trails and sidewalks in the DC metro area.  I live within 3 miles of all the national monuments which isn't bad scenery to train around.  More importantly, the idea of working towards a goal is appealing to me.

This goal is not career orientated, but one of personal development (though I will argue that getting a Ph.D. is personal development, but I digress).  I don't care about my time, my rate, who would be ahead of me, but the sense of accomplishment...the accomplishment of completing one of the items off my "Bucket List"...an item that always seemed unacheiveable/pie-in-the sky until now.

So that is my decision.  I am going to train to walk a marathon - 26.2 miles.

At first, I was going to just walk the marathon length up and down the Mt. Vernon trail, but then I found about the SunTrust Richmond Marathon.  It takes place on November 13, 2010 in Richmond, VA.  It is a walker-friendly marathon that has a closed course for 7 hours.  That means I would need to walk a 16:01 minute mile in order to finish in that time frame.  Longer than that, I would have to walk on the sidewalks.

Now my dilemma is do I sign up?  This is the chickshit side of me.  No final commitment gives me a way out and right now I don't like it.  I don't like that feeling enough to sign up and commit.  So that makes me chickshit. But I have until June 30th to make the decision before the entry fee goes up again.

More to come.  Not sure how I am going to mark my progress in my training.  I'm leaning towards creating another blog or a section on this blog. 

That's my decision.  One I feel good about, nervous about, scared I will quit about, but nonetheless good about. 

What a way to start the summer!

Summer time in the city

This is a semi-complaint.  I am fully aware that 2 months ago, DC had 30 inches of snow on the ground, but I woke up today and it was 62F.  I'm not living in Texas anymore.  I was looking forward to a spring season.  We went from winter to summer weather with a minimal spring season.  The high today is suppose to be 85F.  I over heated yesterday (though the fast walking to have Leslie catch her train might have had something to do with it) and today on my commute in to work.  This overheating ruins my hair and makeup.  Sucky!  Now I'm a big hot mess and not in the good way!

The giggle of the day

How can you not love this show?!?! Baazinga!

 

Beautiful in DC

Springtime has officially hit DC.  The Four Seasons in Georgetown is planting their spring flowers today.  The skies are clear and blue.  So I took advantage of it and walked to work.  Nice 55 minute, 2.8 mile walk to work.  Of course I didn't walk fast.  Can't get all sweaty and gross before work.  Nasty!

Michigan's Governor, Jennifer Granholm, is a twit

I have tried to keep quiet about this, but honestly it is hard as a governor Jennifer Granholm is out of touch with who she represents.  Agriculture is the #2 industry and brings $76 billion to the state.  Yet, she continues to try to cut agriculture programs.  Don't believe me, ask all the 4-Hers and the extension people in the state.  They have been on the budget chopping block for the last 5 years.  And today, she kept her stellar agriculture record pure by declaring March 20, 2010 Michigan "Meat Out" day.  Sounds dirty doesn't it?  But here is what she says:
Michigan Meatout Day
Whereas, A wholesome diet of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains promotes good health and reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, which take the lives of approximately 1.3 million Americans each year; and,

Whereas, The number of those who choose to live the lifestyle of a vegan or vegetarian has increased and so has the availability and selection of meat and dairy alternatives in mainstream grocery stores, restaurants, and catering operations; and,

Whereas, Reducing the consumption of meat or not eating meat at all can significantly decrease the exposure to infectious pathogens such as salmonella, E. coli, and campylobacter, which take the lives of several thousand Americans and sicken millions more each year; and,

Whereas, The benefits of a plant-based diet can consist of increased energy levels, lower food budget costs, and simplified food preparation and cleanup; and,

Whereas, It is encouraged that the residents of this state get into the habit of healthy living by consuming a diet that is rich with vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, and by staying active;

Now, Therefore, be it Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, governor of the state of Michigan, do hereby proclaim March 20, 2010, Michigan Meatout Day in Michigan. In observance of this day, I encourage the residents of this state to choose not to eat meat.  Eating a healthy diet can be fun. Explore the different recipes that can be created by using fresh ingredients and by having a sense of adventure.

http://michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-25488-232493--,00.html

Talk about a crock of shit.  

Let's run the numbers.  Michigan's unemployment rate in January was 14.3% that means at least 693,200 michigandors are looking for jobs.  The Michigan meat industry provides over 130,000 jobs...she can't afford to lose much more. The industry brings in $777.1 million dollars in state taxes...so does the State of Michigan not need the tax revune anymore?  And the $15.65 billion in economic activity the meat industry generated is no longer needed either? 


Don't even get me started on the thinnly veiled implication that meat consumption causes cancer, the inaccurate statements of plant-based diets, and the implication that fruits and vegetables don't cause foodborne illness. Granholm and her staff must only consume canned fruits and vegetables as it is a sterile product.   And lasts forever.


It's obvious the Granholm is ignorant.  It is obvious, so is her staff and advisors.  All are easily swayed by advocacy groups and not smart enough to get the rest of the story.  None of these are good traits for those that set public policy.


The state of Michigan and it's citizens deserve better.

I am quietly anticipating the arrival of this show. Love HBO

Preview Trailer #2

I LOVE the Big Bang Theory

I'm a geek. I'm a scientist, if you call what I do science, but damn it I have a Ph.D. and my sister is engineer and the other one is a social scientist. So get off my back!

Irregardless or regardless, I love the show and this clip hints at throughly entertaining episode.



Sheldon goes to jail...watch the clip here: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/02/24/big-bang-theory-sheldon-in-jail/

18 days later

It has been at least 18 days since the County of Arlington picked up the recycling at my apartment complex. But today, it finally happened. Thank God!!!

This means Snowaplooza 2010 v2, and v3 is finally over! Wahoo!

AND to make it even better, it is raining. Watch out snow - you are history!

The rain is washing away the snirt. What is snirt, well today, I learned a new word and it was snirt, i.e. snowy dirt.

Snirt.

More Muppet's fun

This bring me great joy

This makes me so very happy!

Feb 21 2010 01:17 PM ET

Exclusive: 'SNL' close to landing Betty White!

by Michael Ausiello

Categories: News, Saturday Night Live

When a grassroots campaign involves both Facebook and a beloved Golden Girl, the scope of its influence cannot be underestimated. To wit: Sources confirm to me exclusively that Saturday Night Live is thisclose to signing TV legend Betty White to host the show for the very first time.

But there’s a catch — and a pretty cool one at that.

White would not be hosting alone. Rather, I hear SNL is putting together a “Women of Comedy” episode that would team the former Rose Nylund with several of her younger contemporaries. Ex-SNL MVP Molly Shannon is on board, I hear, and feelers have also been put out to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. (An NBC spokesperson insists no one has been confirmed at this time.)

This tag-team approach will allow Lorne Michaels to appease White-on-SNL zealots (half a million and counting!) without making the 88-year-old shoulder the burden of all 90 minutes on her own. And hey, anything that gives Fey an opportunity to dust off her Sarah Palin impersonation — as she’s rumored to be considering — is okay with me.

Thoughts? Are you down with SNL’s multi-host approach? Do you think SNL should borrow any of Ken Tucker’s genius skit ideas for White? Is all of this way too good to be true? Sound off below!

Photo Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.com

How do I know the ecomony is improving?

I think this is a clear indicator.  The food is too damn expensive at Whole Foods, especially compared to Safeway, Meijers and HEB and the Teet (Harris Teeter)

from MeatingPlace.com

Industry News - PM

Whole Foods' 1Q profit jumps 79 percent

By Dani Friedland on 2/17/2010

Whole Foods Market said earnings during the company's first fiscal quarter increased 78.7 percent, compared with the same period a year ago. The Austin, Texas-based company said sales rose 7 percent during the 16-week quarter ended Jan. 17, to $2.6 billion. Increased purchases of organic meat were among the drivers, the company said, according to a report by the Associated Press. "Our first quarter results exceeded our own expectations on both the top and bottom line," CEO John Mackey said in a news release. "While many of our competitors have gone back and forth on their pricing strategies, we remain focused on continuing to strike the right balance between driving sales over the long term by improving our value offerings while maintaining margin." Whole Foods Market operates 289 stores throughout the country, and expects to open three more next quarter.

It's official. I live in a disaster are. I wonder if I can get a break on my rent?

Virginia declared disaster area after snowstorms

President Obama on Tuesday declared Virginia a disaster area and ordered federal aid to help the state in its recovery efforts from the Dec. 18-20 snowstorms.
The declaration allows both the commonwealth and eligible local governments, including Arlington, Fairfax and Manassas, among others to seek assistance.