Can Mercy Rob Justice? Nay!

For the second glorious year in a row, BYU has defeated its bitter, in-state rival, the University of the Great Satan Utah. And while it can’t compare to 2006’s last second miracle, this year’s game had its own game changing play with only a minute to go (see photo above, and no, Photoshop was not involved).

I consider myself a pretty compassionate, loving person; but there’s not a cell in my body that doesn’t hate everything about the University of Sodom and Gomorrah Utah. I was in Salt Lake a few months ago and happened to drive by the losers’ Utes’ practice field, where the mangy lot, the team, the inmates, they were practicing. It took all my strength to not veer the rental car on to the field and put them out of their misery. To their credit, and to my surprise, looking at the campus didn’t turn me into a pillar of salt, although the lamb’s blood on my car door probably helped.

My hatred for that junior college school up north doesn’t mean I hate people that went there. I have a lot of friends who went to the Poo U, and I know for a fact that they don’t have horns are good people with no criminal records that I’m aware of. I just don’t have any respect for the institution itself.

What kills me is the way Utes try to talk about BYU, its students and alumni. They love to talk about how nerdy we are, how backwards we are, how sheltered we are in “happy valley,” how old-fashioned we are. The fact of the matter is, the most vocal Utes are often Mormon, and let’s be honest, as a people, we Mormons ARE pretty nerdy, backwards, sheltered and old-fashioned. And, as a people, we’re cool with that. So just because you went to a lower-ranked, yet more expensive school (see here and here), don’t pretend like you’re so cool, ‘CAUSE YOU STILL LIVE IN UTAH.

17-10. The Church is still true. See you next year.

This Lady is Crazy

While Gwen Stefani is by no means at Fergie's level of awful artistic output (I've blogged about my hate for the F, to E, to G, I, E before), but this pile of horse pucky song is out of control.

Don't get me wrong, I love the No Doubt Gwen Stefani, but the solo Gwen Stefani puts out weird, over-produced junk. What's even worse, it's been 24 hours since I heard this song at the gym, and I still can't get it out of my head.

You've Got to Check This Out!

My good friend Brent tipped me off to this great site that lets you call a number and record a message, which then gets transcribed and sent to your email, or anyone else's email you want.

I tend to come up with ideas and to-do's at very inconvenient times (driving, walking between buildings at work, sleeping, surgery, eating chips and salsa, volunteering at nursing home beauty parlours, etc.). I also tend to forget those ideas and to-do's if I don't write them down immediately. With Jott, I don't have to fumble around my car for a pen and paper while driving (like I did that time I was in Seattle during snowstorm). I can just call the number, leave a message, and a text version will be in my inbox before I get home.

Check it out, and please post any other cool, productivity sites you use in the comments for all to try out!

Vacation Time

Katie and I are on vacation this week in beautiful St. George, UT, to spend Thanksgiving with my parents. We get plenty of rest and relaxation and really enjoy the fantastic scenery (Utah has 12 national parks and monuments, more than any other state).

We try to go on at least one good hike when we come, so yesterday Katie, Dad and I went on a four mile hike in the hills behind my parent's home.




What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Great Moments in Business

I think I have played each of the roles covered in this ad at least once:

Which ones have you been?

My Favorite Time Waster

I don't think it's a stretch to say that I've spent a month of my life playing Windows Games (Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, Free Cell, etc.). I've been know to sit down after getting home from work and playing for upwards of six or seven hours, especially if Katie is out of town. It's kind of embarrassing.

I would argue that the five or six people at Microsoft that developed those games are responsible for millions, if not billions, of dollars in lost productivity.

If you have played Minesweeper for any extended period of time, I think you'll appreciate this trailer for an upcoming movie that describes what I see in my mind every time I play:

(Credit to Nick for the link)

The Best 27:33 of Your Life

So I've tried to keep my marathon training on the DL until I get to a point that I have something interesting to share. Well I have finally found something worth sharing:

The most amazing workout mix of all time.

1. "Existentialism On Prom Night" (4:01) by Straylight Run. A great stretch and warm up song. It begins with a simple piano hook and picks up quickly, including a powerful vocal by lead singer John Nolan. Don't make the mistake of buying the whole album, just download this song. And check out the music video: it's not perfectly executed, but the concept is pretty sweet.

2. "Bodysnatchers" (4:02) by Radiohead. By this point I've started to run, and my left foot is getting those same early-jog cramps and I need a pick me up. The song is brash and edgy and just what I need. Radiohead is in my top three favorite bands right now (the others are Muse, who rocked ACL this year; and Sigur Ros). There's been a lot of hype around Radiohead's newest album, In Rainbows, and I think it lives up to the hype.

3. "All I Need" (3:49) by Radiohead. The cramp is gone and the beat on this song is a perfect match to my stride. It's very chill and there's a piano solo with 1 minute to go on the song that makes me lean my head back and really pick up my pace. Another great song from In Rainbows, and if you're feeling especially mellow after the run, I recommend "Videotape" as well.

4. "Showbiz" (5:17) by Muse. I've reached the downhill portion of my jog and the song matches my mood: a dull roar that grows into an adrenalin rush. An earlier song from a fantastic band. I already liked Muse for songs like "Starlight" and "Time is Running Out," but after hearing them at ACL I got a brand new taste for heavy rock. I think it's because they blend the rockin' with a very smart, alternative sound...and now I think I'm a music critic.

5. "Stronger" (5:13) by Kanye West. When I time it right, this song comes on about 50 feet before I hit the big half-mile hill back to the house, and I really need it to finish strong. The song is trendy right now, but Kanye West took an already fantastic beat from Daft Punk and made it even better.

6. "The Scientist" (5:11) by Coldplay. I've cleared the hill, crossed the street and am ready to cool down. Coldplay has come out with a lot of great songs, but I'd argue that this could be their best.

What are your favorite workout songs?

What a Night.

Katie and I have been really busy the last few months, her with nursing school and me with a new position at work. We couldn't remember the last time we'd gone on a solo date and decided last week that tonight would be the night. We picked Uchi as our restaurant of choice, and I made reservations well in advance to be sure we'd get a table at Austin's highest rated restaurant.

Katie freed up her schedule from a prior commitment so that we could have the evening to ourselves, and I left work early to be sure we wouldn't feel rushed. She looked beautiful, and I prepared as best I could for the "he-must-have-a-lot-of-money" looks I get whenever we go out. On our way out the door we both commented on how much we had been looking forward to the date, and it brought back memories of our first dates over five years ago. As my friends Flight of the Conchords say: "Conditions were perfect." (that video isn't for the faint of heart...or my parents)

I didn't think to worry about the few extra turns it took the car to start, nor the slight lag I felt between me pressing the gas and the engine responding. No, it wasn't until the motor completely gave out .5 miles from the house that I realized that, in all of the anticipation of tonight's events, I had completely forgot to stop and get gas.




Idiot.




Adding insult to injury, the car gave up the ghost on a busy road with a dozen or so commuters passing every minute; several of whom honked to remind me that I had, quiet foolishly, parked my car in the middle of a busy road. Quickly losing my patience with the world, I snapped at Katie to move to the drivers seat and steer while I got out and pushed, and in so doing drove a stake into any hope of a romantic date that the gas-less car didn't kill off already.

I wasn't really dressed for pushing a four-door sedan 200 yards up a slight incline, but I'd be darned if that was going to stop me. Waving to the honking passersby, I placed both hands firmly on the trunk of my car and started to push. I could feel the sweat spreading across my dress shirt, leaving a reminder for laundry day of my big mistake.

I was actually impressed with my progress as the car gained some momentum, but once the road sloped into me a little more, my legs gave out and we were stuck again, still in the middle of the road. As I tried to push once more, I noticed an increasingly bright set of headlights getting closer and closer to my rear. "Good," I thought, "someone to put me out of my misery."

When I realized they were stopped behind me, I turned back to wave them around and to give them the stink-eye for gawking at my sweat-covered dress shirt. The pickup driver stepped out of his cab and asked if we'd like a push. I gratefully accepted the offer and he pushed us up the rest of the hill, onto the next on off-road and away from the honking commuters.

With my sweat covered shirt clinging to every inch of my torso, and Katie holding my hand, I made the .4 mile walk of shame back to the house. She tried her best to comfort me, but I could tell she was really sad about the lost opportunity as well. I almost cried.

We went to a local sandwich place and then on to Super Target to get supplies for Sophia's stay with us this weekend. We probably won't have another free evening like that until after December, and I still feel awful about how it. I guess we'll go to Uchi in January, and by then this will be a funny story.

iDeaf

I was iSerenaded on my flight to Dallas tonight with awful 80's pop music by the iPassenger sitting next to me. Amazingly, this iTard wasn't a hip, retro iTeen, or an iSenior citizen, too deaf to know any better. No, my seat-mate was a middle-aged iBusinessman who is clearly planning on iDeafness.

He must really hate his job, or his family or something, 'cause it was iBlasting way over the drone of the jet.

iSeriously.