Future Olympian?

Many of you may have noticed that I post very few pictures of myself, family, or friends. Again, this is to keep the stalking to a minimum, but every now and again, I just can't help myself. Though this year's summer Olympics promise to send a barrage of internet, network, and news coverage (beginning on 8.8.08), I thought this young lady might be on the US Team in 2020, when she'll be a still-quite-young 15 years old.



This scene is real and has not been fashioned to fool anyone. The photo has not been doctored. The simple truth is that this 3 year old has more upper body strength than most of the thirty-something guys I know. She randomly started dipping, then proceeded to pose for the camera many times, and kept doing them after I put the camera away. Must have been 18-24 all tolled. She's a champ.

Discuss, Poll #25, TV.

I thought a post just to post comments about the current poll might help us have some more fun. Please post comments about TV watching here.

Results, Poll #24, Gas.

Ah, gas. Since t.c tries very hard to reflect the sentiment of the American public, I thought a poll on gas would be timely. I also saw that another blogger posted one and I copied the idea. But anyways, let's get to the results -

> 0 people chose $5 - sorry Lincoln.
> 2 people (12%) chose $6 - I'd love to hear the theory on this pricing?
> 1 person (6%) chose $7 - ok, I guess that's getting pretty high. You must have recalculated your monthly budget and determined this is the price where you have to cut back on gas.
> 2 people (12%) chose $8+ - well, I'd like to get put in your will so I might get some of your trust fund, Moneybags. Or, perhaps I should be asking to carpool with you in your Prius.
> 11 people (68%) chose "Buddy, I'm already there" - yeah, I hear you. I wasn't quite sure what to pick myself since I'm only now in my first automobile... but I do know that I park my truck on the weekends when I can (sometimes even when I can't). I've also been trying to ride into work when the weather cooperates. I suspect this is what most people, at least from the poll results, have been doing too. If anyone has some good gas saving or driving tips, please post them in the post comments.

16 respondents this week, thanks. New poll up now, and discussion post for the new poll added this week. Use it or loose it!!!

Gas prices are high?

Here's what many common liquids would be per gallon. I think some of the pricing is dated (everything's going up now), but you get the idea.

Clorox bleach $2.20 > lowfat milk $3.79 > Carlo Rossi blush wine $5.65 (go box-O) > Evian spring water $6.40 > Budweiser $8.88 > Windex $10.21 > Hershey's chocolate syrup $13.23 > latex house paint $16.50 > Jamba Juice $21.82 > Liquid Nails $24.02 > Red Bull energy drink $30.69 (who doesn't love Red-vodkas?) > Head & Shoulders shampoo $37.74 > Absolut Vodka $58.26 (maybe no more Red-vodkas now...) > Renu contact lens solution $82.03 > Tabasco $94.46 > fresh squeezed wheat grass $124.80 (do lawn clippings work?) > vanilla extract $127.84 > Liquid Paper $198.40 > Punky Colour hair dye $327.31 > patchouli oil $806.40 > black ink from an ink cartridge $2,701.52 > Chanel No.5 perfume $25,600.00 (but it works better than Axe Body Spray)

Maybe $4 just seems high for us since gas has been so cheap for so long. I think it's been about $9/gallon in Europe for many many years. I guess everything's relative.

Wanted.

Sure, those entertainment shows and magazines put up any and all mugshots now-a-days, but I bet I found some mugshots at a local bar called Rascals [note their website is suspended] that you haven't seen before. The bar has them hanging on the walls all over the joint. It's pretty funny at the beginning of the night, but kind of scary as the night moves on (and you drink more). It's like they're watching you...

Let's start off BIG, with Larry King:

He looks like my uncle, from the 70's.

Next, a fine actress, Brett Butler:

Looks like she's been kissing a cactus. Who hasn't after some tequila shots!?!

Now, everyone's favorite sitcom handyman, Tim, the ToolMan, Taylor!!!

Busted for nose candy in Kalamazoo, MI of all places. Sweet 'stache!

Last but not least, the world's Hemp Hero, Woody Harrelson:

Was he in "Disorderlies"? And can "Woody" be his real name!?!

Finally, and I'm not proud of it, to try to combat this barrage of eyes that seemed to keep following me around the bar, I also tried this for the first time...

Kind of interesting. [sssssppppiiiiiitttt!!!]

Results, Poll #23, Pandas.

Not too long ago, myself and 3 others were out at dinner. The subject of pandas came up, mostly from the stories out of China that they were in trouble b/c of limited access to their favorite food, bamboo (due to the earthquake there). I wondered aloud what would change for us on a daily basis if the pandas were extinct (or any other animal). I don't even know that I've seen a panda at any zoo and certainly not in the wild. Of course, I have been to the zoo tons of times and really like them to this day (shout out to the LPZ polar bears!). Well, someone a bit wiser than me on this topic happened to say that I wasn't really looking at it the right way. A more accurate method would be to ask someone how much they would pay to keep pandas alive forever. Even if it's only $20/person, you take all that money from each of Earth's inhabitants and then keep adding each successive generations contribution... basically to infinity. You'd wind up with a good amount of money going on forever. This presumes, correctly I feel, that every other generation to come would pay money to keep pandas alive too. Of course, you have to have these funds available for all endangered animals, not just pandas (right?).


[awww, cute!!!]

In any case, from the poll, I believe that the animals are safe:
> 4 people (25%) chose that they would pay $100 to help the pandas - this is nice, make the checks payable to "Transplanted Chicagoan".
> 10 people (62%) chose that they could afford something less than the $100 for the pandas - this is the overwhelming majority (which is kind of rare on the polls) and I think speaks most accurately to what the American (world) public would be willing to spend. It would be interesting to make the poll $20 instead of $100 and see what the response is then.
> 0 people chose that the pandas aren't worth saving - good news if you're a panda (and can read) or work with pandas.
> 2 people (12%) chose that the choices didn't reflect their choice - well, I can't please everyone. But I would be interested in knowing what these two people wanted to choose - anyone?

Thanks for the voting, new poll up now. (I lifted the idea from a fellow blogger)

Things to do in MKE when you're bored.

Figuring out what to shoot next with you camera provides lots of entertainment -

Find more interesting tattoos:

If you can't figure this one out, the waitress told us it was orginally just the solid stars on her 21st bday, then got the elephant+more stars on her 22nd. Yes, it's the view of an elephant as if you were looking up from underneath. PS - people always are willing to let you shoot their tattoos... maybe too willing.

Get scared by gold bikes on the sidewalk:

Eat your heart out Racerveza!

Look at heavy machinery:

Lots of construction in the summer months, esp around the bridges in my 'hood.

And climb in:

I could not physically lift my head in the small bucket... nor do I want to encourage internet stalking by showing t.c readers what I look like.