Today’s the day I get rid of the stinking on-call pager. Rejoice with me.
-k-
Free Again
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Monthly Archives: April 2007
One Dork Short
I’m not a fan of those Bluetooth phone headsets, in spite of working in a place where everyone seems to be sprouting them. Whenever I see one, I ponder whether the person wearing it also has Cat 5 up his ass, but that’s just me. Anyhow, one day last week, I was going out front for a breath of fresh air smoke break, and saw a Bluetooth headset on the lobby floor. I picked it up, gave it to the receptionist, in case someone came looking for it. I told her it could belong to the very next person who didn’t look like a dork. I think my humor was lost on her.
-k-
Talladega Memories
They’ve been racing NASCAR Cup cars at Talladega Speedway since 1969. And I’m plenty old enough to have seen them all. I haven’t, because consistent teevee coverage didn’t arrive until 1979. But that old 2.66 mile, high-banked monster has brought some memorable moments:
- In the mid 70′s there was a hellacious crash on the backstretch; it took out the majority of the field. I think it was either Benny Parsons or Buddy Baker who later remarked “It looked like a 747 had crashed on the backstretch.”
- In 1988, Bobby Allison’s car became airborne, pivoted multiple times on an axis from the roof of the car to the floorboards, and came perilously close to entering the grandstands. This ushered in restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega for the next season.
- Somewhere in the 80′s, a “fan” who is the poster child of the “Whiskey for Breakfast Bunch”, stole the pace car, and made nearly a lap around the track, before several of Alabama’s finest took him into custody coming off turn three.
- The late, great Dale Earnhardt won his last NASCAR race at Talladega in 2000. He came from 20th with 2 or 3 laps to go, to win the event. Today, he would have celebrated his 56th birthday. Racing still isn’t the same without him.
- What other track could spawn such jokes as “What has 50,000 legs and 100,000 teeth?” A: The infield at Talladega.
Maybe SWMBO’s and my “Search for America Tour” should head to Alabama someday. I think that would be great.
-k-
NASCAR HotPass Lineup
The HotPass driver channels for this week’s running of the Aaron’s 499 from Talladega shakes out like this:
- 795 – Jeff Gordon (#24)
- 796 – Tony Stewart (#20)
- 797 – Kevin Harvick (#29)
- 798 – David Stremme (#40)
- 799 – Dale Earnhardt Jr (#8)
Three members of my Fantasy Race team are in there; looks like the remote’s channel changer will take a beating. And Dale Jr should change his car number to 799, it looks like. Speaking of Fantasy Racin’, I must head over there and replace one of my sluggard drivers who failed to qualify. The race gets underway about three hours from now; I wonder how much Lynyrd Skynyrd music I’ll hear between now and then? My guess is lots; glad I like the band.
-k-
[tags]directv, fantasycup, fantasyracing, hotpass, NASCAR[/tags]
Crackhead Chicken Dance
Gotta love these internets. A couple of posts back, I lamented the breakup of The Siderunners, and mentioned how I was introduced to them and their breed of magnificent country music.
I also made a podcast song request, and today I listened to the Evil Genius Chronicles Clambake episode of April 24, where my request was fulfilled. A good show by Dave Slusher, everybody’s Podcast Buddy, including the only song in the world with “crackhead chicken dance” in the lyrics.
Thanks, Dave!
-k-
[tags]evilgeniuschronicles, siderunners[/tags]
Egg Rolls the Size of Saturns
We’re in that phase of springtime where the various flora are putting forth their pollen. The stuff settles everywhere, except for the amount breathed in by humans, setting off all manner of miserable allergic reactions.
It seems that pollen has a particular affinity for cars; on a dry morning, our Saturns are covered with a yellowish patina. With the addition of a little morning dew, a paste the color and consistency of Chinese mustard forms. I’m expecting this latter state to be what will greet me as I leave for work this morning.
Some thunderstorms and rain are on the way later today and tomorrow, so my Saturn egg rolls will be gone for a few days. But they’ll be back.
-k-
Like Finding Parts for a Jet
I spent some time with the mighty raven in the tbbs-land Linux test lab yesterday. I’d written previously about the Attansic on-board ethernet adapter, which isn’t supported out of the box by Red Hat, though drivers are readily available. A co-worker gave me an old Intel 10/100 PCI NIC, and I thought I was good to go. Well, the case of the computer is a half-height case, the Intel card is a half-height card, but its mounting bracket is full sized, and hence towers above the case by a good inch or two.
No problem; I’ll just head out to the Big Box computer stores; they’ll have NICS in abundance. No luck there, either; not only did Micro Center and Best Buy not have any half-height cards, they only had one model of full heights.
And Micro Center, normally the best source of technical books in the area, has converted their bookstore half-and-half into laptop case display and gaming software.
So, for now, I’ll compile the Attansic driver, and hunt down half-height cards on the internets. I should have done that from the git-go; I don’t like the big box stores.
-k-
A Kick in the Caboose
Via Dave Slusher, news of the Siderunners final show, last Thursday night.
I’d checked the ‘Runners site last weekend, and saw the same thing. I artlessly and naively believed the notice reflected their last appearance at that particular venue.
No such luck. I’m really sad now that I didn’t see them in Baltimore last fall. I found out about the show three days in advance; the appearance was to be on the following Sunday. SWMBO and I had other things going on, and it simply wasn’t to be. And we can’t reschedule on a dime, like we could (or did) in the days of our misspent youth.
So, I’m bummed, but I have their CDs, and a visit from them here on this old blog.
I am also compelled to note yet again, that I never would have heard of the Siderunners if not for Dave’s Clambake, and that I’ve come across bands that I never would have found, as a ripple effect of that. Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys being my #1 example of the ripple effect.
So, Siderunners, enjoy the retirement, thanks for the tunage, and if there’s such a thing as a podcast music request, may Dave play this post’s title on the next Clambake. A podcast request from a weblog. I like it.
-k-
[tags]evilgeniuschronicles, siderunners[/tags]
NASCAR HotPass Lineup
As they race off into the sunset tonight in the running of the Subway Fresh Fit 500 from Phoenix, the HotPass featured drivers, and their channels are:
- 795 – Ryan Newman (#12)
- 796 – Dale Jarrett (#44)
- 797 – Reed Sorenson (#41)
- 798 – Carl Edwards (#99)
- 799 – Dale Earnhardt (#8)
It’s nice to see some new faces in the lineup – Newman and Sorenson are making their first appearance. As far as Junior goes, he’s a fixture on channel 799.
Today, we are all Hokies
Today is a state of Virginia, if not national, day of remembrance for the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. I’ll be at work, so can’t attend any of the local services or vigils. I will observe the noontime moment of silence, and display the ribbon you see here, since I have no maroon and orange duds to wear to work today. Here are some words of encouragement, from a VT poet and professor:
We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness … We are the Hokies …
– Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor, poet, activist
-k-
UPDATE: I guess it’s officially called a “Statewide Day of Mourning.” In my mind, mourning involves remembrance as well. I’m sure that through the tears of sadness for those killed, there will also be some smiles of joy in remembering they graced our presence, even for a short time.
[tags]virginiatech[/tags]