Reporting from Aggieland

We're coming to you from the Clarion Inn in lovely midtown College Station, where the humidity matches the temperature and both are excessive. The rooms here have internet access (duh) but not the wireless variety, so MLB and I have to take turns using the ethernet cable (had I but known the situation, I could have brought an AirPort Express, although I can successfully configure it for such uses only about one time in ten).

Oh, here's one thing to keep in mind if you decide to drive from Midland on a Sunday, and think that it would be a keen idea to eat lunch at Underwood's in Brownwood. It's not. At least, not if you want to stand in line for less than an hour or so. We ended up moving over to the carryout section, and eating BBQ sandwiches at the city park, while eyeing the approaching thunderstorms.

I realize that it borders on blasphemy to say that Texas has had enough rain, but we're just about at that point. We ran through rain showers on the Midland side of Santa Ana, and they continued the rest of the day. Just west of Evant, the water was running over the highway, and a sheriff's vehicle was parked on the shoulder, lights flashing, warning traffic. In Evant we saw at least one house completely isolated by the water as it had swept away the driveway. (I understand it's been raining in Midland, too, although that still qualifies as a Good Thing. Unless, of course, it's swept our house off its foundation.)

On the other hand, the countryside is as green and lush as I've ever seen it, all the way from west Texas to east.

Bryan-College Station is vastly different than when we were here last...twenty years ago. And yet, much of it is the same (as with any college town, I suspect). We went by the duplex where my wife lived after she transferred to A&M, and by the apartment complex we lived in after we got married, during our last two years at school. Both were in deteriorating neighborhoods – but perhaps they were back then, too, and we just didn't realize it.

Tomorrow's a big day, as the Nephew will meet with an advisor and, we hope, get his class schedule lined out. Then we'll try to take care of some of the other administrative things associated with starting college, and also get a more leisurely tour of the campus. But, for now, I'm feeling the 400 mile drive, so I'll sign off.

Tour de France Wrapup

The 2007 edition of the Tour de France ended today in fine fashion.

Wait a gosh-darned minute, you may be thinking, they still have another day of racing. How can you say it's ended?

OK, details, schmetails. You've obviously forgotten about the longstanding tradition that the overall race leader after the final time trial will not be overtly challenged in the final run-in to Paris the next day. I know, it's kind of weird to American sports fans; it's almost like baseball teams agreeing to play the ninth inning just for fun, with the actual game winner being decided in the eighth. But that's the way it is. And this means that Alberto Contador's 23-second lead over Cadell Evans will stand up (barring a catastrophe or an inconvenient drug test), and Cadell's eight second lead will hold up over American Levi Leipheimer's third place finish.

Leipheimer rode the race of his life in winning today's individual time trial, his first TDF stage win and the fourth fastest ITT in the Tour's history. Asked after the race if he would try to grab those eight seconds tomorrow, he responded in true gentlemanly fashion that Cadell shouldn't worry about it; he's quite content to be on the podium in third place, and especially with his teammate standing on the top of the podium. By the way, the 31 seconds separating the top three riders is apparently the tightest finish in TDF history. The fourth place rider is more than seven minutes back.

Today's results also cement the team win for the Discovery Channel (making Lance Armstrong quite proud, I'm sure), and also ensures that Contador will claim the white jersey as the best young rider (he's got an almost 17-minute lead over the second place rider).

Now, just because the overall race leaders have been decided doesn't mean that there won't be some serious racing tomorrow. The points leader's green jersey is still up for grabs, although Tom Boonen has a strong lead (24 points) after today's stage. With the points bonuses available at various intermediate sprints and at the finish, it's still possible that Robbie Hunter could catch Boonen – although I predict that not only will he not do so, but that Boonen will actually increase his lead.

One can "what if" this year's race until the cows come home, but in the end, it still provided a great deal of excitement and suspense.

Now, if we only knew who won the 2006 Tour de France.

Cinnin' and Grinnin'

The news that Jack in the Box is coming to Midland didn't set off any fireworks in my personal universe. It's been so long since I've sampled its wares that I forget if there's anything worth getting excited about.

On the other hand, the confirmation that we'll soon have one of these in our neighborhood* is a horse of a different color. I'm a sucker for cinnamon rolls to begin with, and those made by Cinnabon are, frankly, a vice that I can't resist.

Of course, at 730 calories and 24 fat grams (funny; Cinnabon doesn't list nutrition information on its website), I'll have to bicycle close to an extra hour to counteract the effects of one of those bad boys.

Yeah, I can do that. ;-)

*If you live in Midland and haven't yet seen the sign, the new store will be on the south side of Wadley, just east of Loop 250, across from Academy Sports and Mardels. That's right – same general area as the new Jack in the Box. The Cinnabon store will be combined with a Schlotzsky's and a Carvel (I think) ice cream franchise.

Blogathon Underway

The date has finally arrived and two of my favorite bloggers are into their 24-hour marathons.

Julie has a space opera going over at the Lone Prairie Blog, and Jimmy's staying high at the temporary home of Sticky Doorknobs.

My wife and I stopped by to yell at Jimmy, and while we were there, several other Midland bloggers dropped by, including J.P. (in his new Crossfire), Jeff (with one of his sons, apparently giving him an object lesson ("son, this is what happens if you choose a career in journalism"), and Janie (recuperating from her 27th consecutive Friday clay shoot).

When you get a minute, stop by and give both folks some encouragement (and, even better, a pledge – they're both blogging on behalf of some quite worthwhile organizations). And if you're in Midland, you can actually drop by physically. My suggestion is to get a Whataburger from across the street and eat it in front of Jimmy.

My prediction: Rasmussen will NOT win the TDF

Remember my ironclad prediction of just a few hours ago: Michael Rasmussen will win the Tour de France?

Well, as they say, not so fast.

Un-freakin-believable.

Hat tip: TDF Blog

Le Tour Irrésistible

After hearing the news about yet another elite Tour de France competitor testing positive for doping, I had decided I was giving up on the event. I was tired of (1) stupid riders doing stupid things, or (2) a stupid system shafting innocent athletes, or (3) both. Regardless, the end result was an event that had lost its luster.

So I went for a ride this morning and enjoyed the uncharacteristically cool weather, and thought about many things other than the TDF. When I returned, I switched on the TV, not to Versus but to CNN Headline News, as I went through my stretching. Then, I decided to peek in on the race coverage, not out of any real interest, mind you; just to see if anyone was talking about the latest scandal.

And there I was, hooked once again, watching Michael Rasmussen win the stage and the overall race, in a fashion that was reminiscent of the dominance of none other than Lance Armstrong. Sure, there are several days of racing left, but I stand by my prediction: Rasmussen will wear yellow in Paris at the end of the day on Sunday. This probably won't translate well in the circles of international cycling, but that Dane is a hoss!

The last five kilometers were a thing to behold, as Rasmussen's top challengers - Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer, both of the Discovery Channel Team - attacked on the steep mountain climb to the finish, time after time. Rasmussen answered each attack (all the while angrily shooing away photographers whom he apparently thought were violating his personal space). Not only did he not crack under those attacks, but at the end, he launched his own attack which neither rider could defend against, and he won the stage easily. He now leads Contador by more than three minutes, and the only drama left is whether Leipheimer can overtake Aussie Cadel Evans for third place (Contador is a lock for second, assuming he doesn't blow up in the upcoming time trial).

But, I warn you, if any of those riders test positive, then it's all over. No, really. I mean it.

Probably.

Swindoll's Church's Website

The church where Chuck Swindoll pastors – Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco – has a new website design, courtesy of Dallas freelancer Chris Merritt. Merritt's account of how he created the new design is found in the current Digital Web Magazine's The Working Designer column.

I'm always interested in learning the details of the processes used by other designers, and my situation closely resembles that of Merritt's (for example, my commute is measured in feet, not miles or hours), with a few minor exceptions:

• I've never been paid to submit proposals for a design project.
• I've never had the unimaginable luxury of collaborating with a web developer who says, "Just design it how you want to design it, and I’ll worry about how to make it work." (OK, he does do development work; it just wasn't required for this project.)
• I've never had a high profile project that required "two-to-three months" just to come up with the design, never mind the coding of such.

Merritt seems like a really nice guy, and his design skills are obvious and formidable. In a former life, he says he was a church planter and worship leader, and thus has a special affinity for church and ministry-related websites.

The Stonebriar site mentioned at the top of this post is indeed beautifully done. Church websites are among the most complicated of designs, due to the potential diversity of the organization's "clients," and it's almost impossible to make one user-friendly while also providing comprehensive information for the wide variety of users. Merritt's design is a good example of how that line can be successfully navigated.

More from the Venezuelan Clown

From Hugo "Binky" Chavez, who apparently hasn't an ironic bone in his body:

And I was worried that I wouldn't have another opportunity to use that photo.

Hat tip: Texas Insider

The Seven Wonders of West Texas

Inspired by this post over at blogHOUSTON (which in turn was inspired by the recent announcement of the New7Wonders of the World), I'd like to solicit those Gazette readers fortunate enough to reside in West Texas (and if you have to ask, you're not) to nominate candidates for "The Seven Wonders of West Texas."

Update: Here are the boundaries for what's considered "West Texas" for purposes of this project: North - Lubbock; East - San Angelo; South - Rio Grande; West - El Paso and Texas/New Mexico border. Yeah, it's a big area – that's part of the glory of it.

Submit via the comments an awe-inspiring or otherwise amazing or iconic place or thing that you feel is a must-see for any visitor to our region. Once nominations are closed, MyWestTexas.com will take over and provide a way to vote for the top 7 in the categories of "Natural Wonders" and "Man-made Wonders." Watch for details about that voting process.

I'll kick things off with this nomination: McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis.

Updates – Other nominations include:

• Balmorhea State Park swimming pool, Toyahvale (submitted by Rob O.)
• The "John Ben Jackrabbit" statue at the ECISD headquarters, Odessa (submitted by Rob O.)
• Larry McMurtry's bookshop, Booked Up, Archer City (submitted by Jim) The jury has decreed that Archer City is not geographically qualified to be in a West Texas list.
• Lubbock Lake Landmark, Lubbock (submitted by Rob)
• Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park (submitted by Jimmy)
• Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park (submitted by Jimmy)
• Guadalupe Mountains, Hudspeth & Culberson Counties (submitted by Jimmy)
• The Marfa Lights, Presidio County (or the Milky Way?) (submitted by MLB)
• The Globe Theater (Globe of the Great Southwest), Odessa (submitted by Sherry)
• The Monahans Sandhills, Monahans (submitted by Sherry)
• The Rio Grande, El Paso to Del Rio (submitted by Sherry)
• McKittrick Canyon, Guadalupe Mountains (submitted by Sherry)
• Capote Falls, Presidio County (submitted by Mike Jordan)
• Paisano Pete (world's largest roadrunner statue) - Fort Stockton
• Caverns of Sonora, Sutton County (submitted by Ospurt)
• Wink Sinkhole, Winkler County (submitted by Ospurt)
• Southern Pacific Railroad Bridge, Pecos River Canyon, Val Verde County (submitted by Ospurt)
• Chinati Foundation Complex, Marfa (submitted by Jeff)
• Comanche Springs, Fort Stockton (submitted by Jeff)
• The Sibley Mansion, Alpine (submitted by Jeff)
• Kokernot Field, Alpine (submitted by Jeff)
• Courthouse, Presidio County (submitted by Jeff)
• Courthouse, Pecos County (submitted by Jeff)
• Courthouse, Jeff Davis County (submitted by Jeff)
• Courthouse, Crockett County (submitted by Jeff)
• Million Barrel Oil Tank Museum, Monahans (submitted by Jeff)
• Fake Prada store, Valentine (submitted by John)
• Stainless steel spire atop Guadalupe Peak, Culberson County
• El Capitan, Culberson County
• Alley Oop Museum & Fantasy Land Park, Iraan
• Summer Mummers melodrama, Midland (submitted by Tricia)
• Pecos Cantaloupe (submitted by Tricia)
• Hueco Tanks State Historic Site (pictographs and rock climbing), El Paso
• Meteor Crater, Odessa (submitted by Wallace)
• Capricorn Ridge wind farm, Sterling City
• Indian Lodge, Davis Mountains State Park (submitted by Bill)
• The Ballinger Cross, Ballinger (submitted by Denise)
• Blue Origin Spaceport, Van Horn (submitted by Denise)
• Guadalupe Peak, Culberson County (submitted by Ron Jose)
• The Caprock, between Gail and Post (submitted by Sherry)

Technorati tag: 7 Wonders of West Texas

What this world needs...

...is more cherry pie.

A Brief Note to TV re: Dog Fighting

While I'm appreciative of the spotlight now being focused on the reprehensible practice of dogfighting (I won't dignify it with the term "sport"), thanks to the Michael Vick connection, trust me when I tell you that there's not a single dog lover in the country who wants to see one more second of TV footage of fighting or injured dogs.

Please stop it, now. We don't need to "get the picture"; we've had it all along.

Top 10 eCommerce Developments

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) last week rolled out its list of the "Ten Most Significant eCommerce Developments of the Last Decade," (PDF). The list includes the following:

1. Google (Sept. 1998)
2. Broadband Penetration of US Internet Users Reaches 50% (June 2004)
3. eBay Auctions (Launched Sept. 1997)
4. Amazon.com (IPO May 1997)
5. Google Ad Words (2000)
6. Open Standards (HTML 4.0 released - 1997)
7. Wi-Fi (802.11 launched - 1997)
8. User-Generated Content (YouTube 2005)
9. iTunes (2001)
10. BlackBerry (1999)

It's a pretty eclectic list, containing items that are almost universally familiar (Google) to those that are downright geeky (Open Standards).

If I'd come up with the list, I'd have put PayPal in there, somewhere (perhaps in place of the BlackBerry). PayPal (started around 2000) wasn't the first online payment system, but it was the pioneer in terms of making the average surfer comfortable about conducting business via the web.

An interesting sidenote is that the SIIA chose YouTube to represent "user generated content," even though blogging is much more widespread and arguably more influential. However, blogs existed long before 1997, and thus don't make the ten-year rule.

Additional observations about the items on this list are found here.

Tip o'the hat to MLB

What were they thinking?

If you ever get to the point where you start believing that television programmers might actually know what they're doing, or that the general television viewing public has an eye for quality programming, stop and remind yourself that the plug was pulled on Firefly after only eleven episodes while Ghost Whisperer is about to start its third season.

If those facts don't give you a strong dose of reality, you're gorram doomed.

Move along, folks; nothing more to see here...

There's no particular reason for this post, other than really needing to drop that last one off the top of the page.

Yes, I know. You're welcome.

Signs of the Impending Apocalypse: #1,546

What's worse, I actually own it.

I thought about making this a caption contest, but you guys are too ruthless.

The Jimster gets high for charity

Jimmy Patterson is going to perform the 21st century equivalent of flagpole sitting and in the process hopes to raise a bunch of money for a very worthy cause. I'm supporting him (financially; he's on his own up there on that shaky overgrown forklift), and I hope you will as well.

Veteran readers will recognize this as the 2007 version of Blogathon, that wacky event where those with nothing better to do blog for 24 consecutive hours, fueled by caffeine and the desire not to disappoint their pledgers. It's all done to benefit the charity of the blogger's choice, which in this case is Midland Fair Havens. Jimmy's got a good summary of the important work that MFH is doing, in the post linked at the beginning of this one.

As he explains, I'm not going to be able to participate this year; we're taking the Nephew to College Station in preparation for turning him into an Aggie (no need to thank us; that's what we do). But I still plan to stay up as late as, say, 10:30 p.m. in an awesome show of solidarity with the Jimster.

Anyway, I sincerely hope that all of you who so generously supported my Blogathon efforts in past years will consider shifting similar support over to Jimmy's campaign. After all, the cause is the same, and he's actually going to provide some entertainment – in a scary, desperate, insane sort of way. And, really, what's better than that?

[But don't get too comfortable over on that side, because I plan to be back in '08!]

Blog Font

It was inevitable that some designer would eventually name a new font "Blog," and that has indeed come to pass.

As the illustration above shows, the font isn't as ugly as its name, but it's also not breathtaking in its originality or its ability to evoke blogginess. I will admit that I have no idea what qualities should be imposed on a font design to make it, well, bloggy, but then, I'm not a designer. But when I look at this, "blog" does not pop into my mind.

And as long as we're on the subject of blog-evoking (blogvocative?) characterizations, I'm still waiting for someone to design a universal symbol for "blog."

Bad Day, Mate

Today was a bad day for Aussie riders in the Tour de France as the continent lost three riders to the mountainous Stage 8, two to crashes and one to slowness.

Michael Rogers and Stuart O'Grady both crashed hard on mountain descents, with O'Grady's injuries being the most serious: five broken ribs and fractures to three vertebrae and a shoulder blade. Rogers was able to remount his bike after his crash (one in which another rider went over the guardrail and down the mountainside a bit; fortunately, he was able to climb back up and finish the stage) but later abandoned the Tour, in tears, after consulting with the team doctor.

Last but not least, Robbie McEwen, a perennial contender for the best sprinter's jersey, finished outside the time limit set by Tour officials and was forced to withdraw from the race. It's very rare that you'll see one of the top riders succumb to this longstanding race rule.

However, just to show how dangerous this sport can be, German rider Patrik Sinkewitz received facial injuries when he ran into an elderly spectator while cycling back to his hotel following the stage. The 78-year-old spectator was air lifted to a hospital and is said to be in serious condition.

If Sinkewitz can't start tomorrow, that will make three riders from the T-Mobile team who have been forced to drop out of the Tour – including their leader, Michael Rogers.

Oh, and in case anyone's wondering, Michael Rasmussen – the only Danish rider in the Tour – is the overall leader after today's stage. Tomorrow's a rest day.

Hat tip to the Tour de France 2007 blog for the information about Stuart O'Grady

Profiling Pain

Want to see what a profile of pain looks like?

Tomorrow's stage in the Tour de France is almost 200km in length, and at the 183km mark the riders crest the Col de la Colombière in the French Alps, having tackled a 16 km climb with an average grade of 6.8%. This is not the most difficult climb in the Tour, but it's the first Category 1 mountain of the race, and should greatly clarify who's a contender and who's a pretender.

If Fabian Cancellara is still in the yellow jersey at the end of tomorrow's stage, don't bet against him in Paris on July 29th.

[Chart via the official Tour de France website]

Technorati tag: Tour de France

Dueling Lucks

Say, are you as curious as me about this? Since today is Friday the 13th, but it falls in 7/07, does the good luck cancel out the bad? And, if so, is the presence of no luck at all a thing to be desired?

TDF Report: The Ads

I'm having trouble getting motivated to blog about the Tour de France thus far. It's early enough in the race that teams are still riding conservatively, trying more to avoid losing the race than to win it, and that doesn't make for compelling drama. Most of the stages have been like NBA games; you can ignore all but the last two minutes (or two kilometers) and not miss much of anything.

But, one thing that's in stark contrast to previous years is the almost complete absence of previous TDF winners in the advertising. When Lance Armstrong was making his incredible run of consecutive wins, almost every ad featured him in some way. Even last year, when he wasn't in the race, his familiar presence was a common theme for commercials.

This year is different, and one can't help but feel a bit sorry for three entities, the first being Floyd Landis, the second being Óscar Pereiro, and the third being advertisers as a group.

In Floyd's case, the long drawn-out controversy over whether he did or didn't dope up during last year's TDF victory has deprived him not only of being able to compete in this year's race, but also of all the very lucrative endorsement deals that normally accrue to the wearer of the yellow jersey. Now, granted, Landis is nowhere as well-known or charismatic as Armstrong, but he is an American, and even a lesser-known American TDF winner is a valuable asset in the cycling world. Unless, of course, he's damaged goods, and that's the verdict on Landis, regardless of the outcome of the drug hearings. I suspect he's lost close to seven figures in endorsement deals, and those will not reappear even if his victory is legitimized via the appeals process.

Pereiro's situation is a bit different. As the runner-up last year, he shouldn't have expected to play a big role in this year's ad campaigns. But, if he truly was the winner, then he's been cheated out of those deals and, again, they won't reappear.

The third group worthy of sympathy consists of the advertisers who had to make a tough choice about Landis as a spokesman or product endorser. I suspect the decision wasn't that hard in the end. It's better to leave him out of the marketing plans, rather than risk having your guy exposed as a cheater. Again, even if he's proven innocent, the damage has been done, and there's little upside left. What I am a bit surprised about is that Lance wasn't re-recruited to fill in the gap left by the theoretical vacancy in the yellow jersey. Perhaps there just wasn't time to get the campaigns off the ground. And, perhaps that tactic smacked too much of rubbing Landis's face in it, although that might attribute an unwarranted amount of conscience to ad agencies.

OK, there's actually a fourth group to feel sorry for as a result of this situation, and that's all the viewers who now have to watch an endless repetition of Smiling Bob's stiff endorsement of "male enhancement products" and Cervelo bike commercials that look like they were shot by an obscure Swedish film director.

No, I'm afraid we'll have to be content the race itself. Personally, I'm waiting for the Alps.

Technorati tags: Tour de France | Floyd Landis | Oscar Pereiro

Squirrel, Ant; Ant, Squirrel

A curious squirrel sizes up her ant colleague on our back patio:

She later strikes a pose before leaping back into the pecan tree:

Photos shot through window and door glass, no flash, low light, with handheld zoom...hence the less than wonderful quality. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Having a ball with lightning

So, I'm sitting in a recliner in the living room on Tuesday afternoon, around 5:00 p.m. I've just started watching a movie on DVD, and while I'm focused on the TV screen, I'm also monitoring the ominous clouds assembling in the frame of one of our skylights. Isolated thunderstorms had been predicted, but I was still surprised when a few big drops splattered against the skylight.

My eyes moved back to the television, and that's when it appeared, off to my left, up near the ceiling and just below the other skylight, perhaps nine feet above the floor. It was a fist-sized crackling blue-white ball of – something – and it vanished, quick as thought, before I could shift my gaze directly to it. Almost simultaneously, a peal of thunder shook the house.

Oddly, the lights didn't flicker, and none of the electronics reset themselves. The thunder didn't carry that sharp crack! that we associate with a lightning strike that's much too close for comfort. But that odd crackling blue-white ball seemed related, somehow.

I was hesitant to tell my wife about it at dinner, because I wondered if I'd seen it at all. But the visual was too clear, too real, to be imaginary. Later, she googled the phenomenon and found this, an article in Scientific American. According to this article, I may just have been one of the estimated 5% of the world's population who have seen an occurrence of ball lightning.

Has anyone else ever experienced something similar? I'd love to hear your story.

C.S. in a Nutshell

I've periodically recommended to you the daily emailed series by Dr. Jim Denison called "God Issues Today," and I know that some of you have subscribed to it because I've seen other references.

For the rest of you, I feel compelled to again recommend this publication in general, and specifically the series Dr. Denison is presenting this week on the life of author and theologian C.S. Lewis. It's hardly an in-depth biography, but for those who are pressed for time (and who doesn't fall into that category?) and would like to know more about the fascinating life of one of the most brilliant men ever to "convert" from atheism to Christianity, Denison's overview of Lewis's life is not to be missed. Here are the previous four installments; the final one comes tomorrow and you can find a link to it on this page.

• Installment #1: Required reading for heaven


• Installment #2: Losing mother and faith


• Installment #3: Brilliant mind, lost soul


• Installment #4: Spiritual checkmate

Denison has many gifts, and among them is the ability to distill complicated topics and issues into easily digestible chunks without giving them short shrift.

A True Lady Passes

Lady Bird Johnson died this afternoon in Austin at age 94. She was the first First Lady I remember as actually doing something, and, oh, did she do things. Thanks to her, Texas has the most beautiful highway rights-of-way in the nation during wildflower season, and all states enjoy prettier highways than they might otherwise have had it not been for her active advocacy for the Highway Beautification Bill passed in 1965.

She was one of the first to bring environmentalism to the masses, but she managed to do it without becoming a harpy.

She will be missed as a true Texas institution, but her legacy will bloom again each spring. She's got a great view of those flowers, now.

Visual Proof

In response to the massive outcry for proof of the claims in this post, I offer the following photo of a much more cooperative big honkin' hibiscus:

I counted 19 blooms on the plant this morning.

As long as I was out with the camera, I decided to photograph the other hibiscuses, so they didn't have hurt feelings:

My wife refers to the flower in the lower left as a double hibiscus, because it has multiple layers of petals, unlike the others. It doesn't bloom as frequently or profusely as the others, but it makes up for it in beauty.

(It occurs to me that it would be very cool to declare a "Blogosphere in Bloom Day" where everyone would post photos of their flowers on the same day. It may be too late to get it organized for this summer (in the northern hemisphere) but is anyone else down with trying to pull it together next year?)

Update: Here's a closeup of a yellow bloom, showing the beautiful color contrast in the center of the flower:

"Dear Optimus Prime..."

For Beth.

Link via Daring Fireball

Bloom Boom

Remember the big honkin' hibiscus post and photo? I wondered what would happen if the plant decided to sport multiple platter-sized blooms.

Well, I just wandered into the backyard and counted fifteen – 15! – of the blooms on the one plant. And it doesn't seem to be suffering any ill effects. Apparently, Somebody sure knows how to do some structural engineering!

Unfortunately, because of the spacing of the flowers and the way some of them are hidden behind the foliage, a photo of said plant just isn't very impressive. Use your imagination instead.

Google Maps-Based Pedometer

I'm constantly amazed at the cool things Mis_nomer runs across and shares over at Pencil Shavings, and her discovery of Gmaps Pedometer is not only cool, but very timely.

Gmaps Pedometer is another Web 2.0 variation using the Google Maps API, and it's brilliant in its simplicity and addictive in its usefulness. If you're a runner, cyclist, or walker, it's a good tool for laying out a route and measuring its distance.

Using the Pedometer is simple, especially if you're accustomed to the standard Google Maps interface. Just locate your starting point and click the Start Recording button. Double-click on the map to add your starting point, then double-click along the route to extend it. You can adjust the zoom setting at any point, or click-and-drag to reposition the map without affecting the points or the route. Once you've finished, you can save your route. The Pedometer will automatically mark each mile point on your route (unless you toggle that option off), and it keeps track of cumulative mileage for your route. If you the Calorie Counter On button and enter your weight in the resulting input field, the Pedometer will also computer calories burned (presumably for walking or running; it doesn't allow you to specify another type of locomotion).

If you make a mistake on setting a point, there's an Undo button.

One caveat: the "Complete there and back route" option should be exercised only at the turnaround point of an actual out-and-back route, because clicking that link causes the Pedometer to assume that the point at which the click is made is the halfway mark, and it doubles the mileage at that point. That's not a big deal – except you cannot undo this particular action. I learned this the hard way after spending fifteen minutes laying out a precise route, and clicking the "complete" link thinking it would compute the mileage back to the starting point using the same route that going the other direction (I'm not explaining this very well, am I?), and finding that it doesn't work that way at all.

A variation on this application is Sanoodi, which is almost identical to Gmaps Pedometer except that it requires only one click to set a point, and it attempts to compute elevation changes along your route. I suspect the latter is of dubious accuracy, but we don't have a lot of relief in our landscape out here to measure it against. The neat thing about Sanoodi is that it allows you to describe your route, categorize it, and then store it in a personal account. You can also share those routes with others, and add Flickr tags if you provide photos taken along the route. It's just a little more community-oriented than Pedometer.

I mentioned at the beginning that this discovery was timely. We recently replaced both tires on our tandem, and the new tires are slightly different sizes than the ones they replaced. This necessitated a recalibration of our cycling computers, as the distance and speed measurements are tied to tire circumference. And, since the front and rear tires are different diameters, I couldn't measure just one and use the setting for both.

As you might guess, even though I thought I did a precise job in doing a roll-out measurement of each tire, after our first ride with the recalibrated computers the mileage on my unit was different than that on my wife's, and by a fairly significant amount. Just as the man with two watches never knows what time it is, so it is with two bike computers giving different readings. We weren't sure which reading was accurate. After entering our route into Sanoodi, we have a baseline that I can use to re-adjust both computers.

All the accountants in our family can now sleep a little better, having overcome this significant obstacle to our cycling happiness.

Technorati tags: Gmaps Pedometer | Sanoodi | OCD Cyclists

The Fruit Guys and Vince Gill

You didn't forget about this, did you?

[Under the] Bed Head

Being blind, Abbye is not particularly concerned about whether she makes it completely under the bed before taking a nap:

This is actually a more flattering pose than usual, as in this case it's her head that didn't make it all the way under.

Braggin' on the Cuz

I'm happy to report that my cousin, Brad Bryant, won the U.S. Senior Open professional golf tournament yesterday, pocketing $470,000 in the process.

He was typically modest after the win:

I can't argue with the "journeyman" label – which isn't a derogatory term by any stretch – but he also can't argue with the fact that the win puts him near or at the top of the money leaders list for this year's Champions Tour.

I think this sort of sums up his approach to the game: he didn't even realize he was leading the tournament until his caddy told him as they approached the 18th hole.

How's he going to celebrate? He and twenty guys from his church are going to go to a sports bar and eat chicken wings.

Guess who's buying?

New Restaurant in Midland

Update (7/18/07): An alert reader visited the restaurant and got some clarification on the name – it is "Southern Velle," not "Southern Belle." The rather unusual title apparently comes from the name of the owner. Thanks, Marci, for the clarification!

I'm a big advocate for locally-owned businesses, and especially restaurants. While there's much to be said for the consistency provided by major chain restaurants, they frankly don't provide much in the way of memorable experiences; one rarely leaves a Chili's or an Olive Garden or an Outback thinking "wow...that was really great!"

So, it's important that for every Outback we have a Wall Street Bar and Grill; for every Olive Garden, we have a Luigi's or a Venezia; for every Chili's, we have a KD's Barbecue or a King and I or a Casa Lopez. It's even better when we have something for which there is no major chain equivalent.

Which brings me to the main point of this post, an introduction to a relatively new restaurant in Midland called "Southern BVelle."* My wife and I learned about it a week ago after a dance class, and we decided to try it out last night, again following a class. And we walked out thinking, "wow...that was really great!"

Southern BVelle is located across the tracks – literally. It's on Terrell Street, just across the railroad tracks that run parallel to Highway 80/Business 20. It's down the block from Birkhead Feed Store, if you know where that is. If you're coming from Odessa and not familiar with the area, take Business 20 past downtown, and turn right at the first traffic light east of Main Street.

It's in a big unassuming block building, painted white; the sign outside declares it to be the home of "Taste of the South with a Touch of Jazz," [Ed. – Slogan corrected] and it lives up to the billing on both counts.

Inside, the place seems as big as a football field, nicely decorated with well-spaced tables sporting white tablecloths. The centerpiece of the restaurant is the large stage at one end, fronted by a spacious dance floor. A few tables are available on the dance floor itself; the remainder of the tables ring the floor, and more are in a separate dining room for those who want a somewhat quieter dining experience.

The restaurant features live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The band last night was Millennium Jazz, and it was excellent. (We recognized the name as it was the featured band for one of the Ballroom Dance Society's monthly affairs that we'd missed due to other commitments.) The band played a mix of jazz and pop standards, from Peggy Lee to Stevie Wonder.

But this is primarily a restaurant, not a dance club – the food is the main attraction – and it didn't disappoint. The menu is eclectic, with the obligatory chicken fried and ribeye steaks and fried catfish, but also featuring items like brown sugar pork chops and homestyle fried chicken, fried cabbage, collard greens, cheese grits, and cornbread that just begs to be drenched and eaten with sweet milk (however good you think the Cracker Barrel is going to be, I assure you their cornbread won't hold a candle to Southern BVelle's).

I had the aforementioned pork chops (you can also get them grilled, without the brown sugar glaze, although I can't imagine why you'd want to); my wife tried grilled chicken breast served with cornbread dressing. We were both quite impressed with the quality of the food, and the Milky Way cake we split for dessert was, simply, delectable. Entrées range in price from about $8 to about $18 (I'm basing this on my imperfect memory, so don't hold me to the exact details).

The service was solicitous, and a bit leisurely, but we didn't mind because the music was so enjoyable. Total cost of the meal, excluding tip (and we just had water to drink) was about $26, and worth every penny.

I'm making a big deal out of this for a couple of reasons. First, as I said at the beginning, I think it's important for Midland to cultivate home-grown businesses, and I hope you'll at least give Southern BVelle a try, and pass the word along if you enjoy it. I especially like the idea of a new business flourishing in a location that hasn't always enjoyed the best of reputations (and even now, it sits adjacent to a less-than-toney nightclub).

Second, there are darned few nice places to go to dance in this area, where the music doesn't showcase a steel guitar and songs about longnecks (neither of which are bad in and of themselves; we just need a bit more diversity, sometimes), and where you can get a good meal in a non-smoking environment. Whether you want to sit and listen to the music, or practice your rumba or foxtrot, Southern BVelle may just be what you've been waiting for.

Give it a try and let me know if you agree with my assessment. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner (including Sunday lunch).

*Update: There seems to be some confusion as to the name of the restaurant. Here's a scan of an ad that ran in the 7/11/07 edition of our local newspaper:

The stylized text of the restaurant's name matches that on its sign. Perhaps my brain is interpreting the name according to context and past experience, but I read it as "Belle" and not "Velle," even though the font is ambiguous. However, you'll note that the ad proclaims the appearance of the "Southern Velle Jazz Band." So, either the copywriter misinterpreted the name, or I've misinterpreted the sign. I'll have to wait until we return to the restaurant to clear this up, unless some alert and inquisitive reader can do it for us. (And if it is "Velle," I'd really be curious to know what it means. Because as far as I can tell, there's no such word.)

More of the Dove Family

TDF on YouTube

The Tour de France will be offering its "official videos" via its own separate YouTube channel. Among other things, a map and elevation profile of each day's race course will be available via video. Presumably, race updates and results will also be available, although that remains to be seen.

Interviews and commentary may also be available, but you'll probably need to be fluent in French to benefit from them.

Technorati tag: Tour de France

International Pro Cycling Rules

Here are a few things you might not know about the wonderfully wacky world of pro cycling:

• Many people think that the pros use the lightest weight bicycles on the face of the planet, and while it's true that lightness is a valued attribute, there's actually a minimum weight limit governing bikes used in international competitions: 6.8 kilograms, which equates to about 14.99 pounds. (If that still seems awfully featherweight, it is. Things start breaking when they start getting this light. That's one reason the governing body has imposed a minimum weight limit.)


• Road cyclists, such as those competing in the Tour de France, must adhere to a dress code: When competing, all riders shall wear a jersey with sleeves and a pair of shorts, possibly in the form of a one-piece skinsuit. By shorts it is understood that these are shorts that come above the knee. Sleeveless jerseys shall be forbidden. Ironic, isn't it, that they can't wear pedal-pushers.


• Helmets are now mandated in international road races, with one exception: ...riders taking part in UCI ProTour events may, at their own risk, refrain from wearing a helmet during individual time trial races taking place entirely on a mountainous course. In an individual time trial (ITT), riders start at set intervals and therefore aren't exposed to the dangers of a large pack going at high speeds. Also, the implication of a "mountainous course" for an ITT is that it's going to be primarily uphill, so speeds will be much lower than usual.


• And, just so you'll know that the governing body has found no detail too small or obvious to ignore: The bicycle shall be propelled solely, through a chainset, by the legs (inferior muscular chain) moving in a circular movement, without electric or other assistance. Darn. So much for my plan to ride the Tour on a moped disguised as a portly Trek Madone.

All of these rules and many, many more are available via this 81-page PDF document provided by the Union Cycliste Internationale, the governing body for most international bicycling events, including the Tour de France.

Coming Attractions

After the frenzy of Live Free or Die Hard and Transformers, we were in the mood for some mellower escapism, so we went to see Ocean's 13 on Wednesday. It met all expectations – which weren't high – and it didn't invoke epilepsy or impose deafness. We did suffer a slight strain of credulity, but that had already been painfully stretched by the previous two movies.

But, that's neither here nor there. What I really want to briefly touch upon are three upcoming "events" that merit further consideration, listed below in reverse chronology and by increasing potential entertainment value:

• We saw the trailer for the remake of The Omega Man; this time it's called I Am Legend. It stars Will Smith, and I'll buy a ticket to watch Smith in just about anything, especially if it's sci-fi. Apparently, this time around the survivors of the apocalypse are vampires, instead of the scabrous albinos Charlton Heston had to deal with. Anyway, it's set to open in December, to help us get in the Christmas spirit.


• A more intriguing movie is set to open in August; it's Stardust, a fantasy with a cast of heavyweights including Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Ian McKellan, Ricky Gervais, and Peter O'Toole. Looks like a combination of Harry Potter, POTC, and Time Bandits.


• If you grow impatient awaiting those premiers, just try to hold out until next Monday, July 9th, when the Fruit of the Loom guys roll out their new music video, starring Vince Gill. Oops...I probably wasn't supposed to reveal that detail. Oh well. The ad ran with the trailers preceding Ocean's 13 and I thought I was going to collapse onto the theater floor, where I'd die a spasmodic death, stuck to the linoleum, but happy nonetheless for having viewed something so hilarious. Put a note on your calendar and visit the Fruit Guys on Monday. You'll be glad you did.

Checking in on the Dove Family

Remember this photo, taken back on June 29, and described in this post?

Well, here's the result:

Judging by the size of the baby birds (dovelets? dovettes?), I wonder if the mom wasn't actually nesting with new hatchlings in the first photo, instead of roosting on eggs. In any event, she continues her unflinching vigil over the young ones. I see another dove occasionally alight on the roof right above her head, although I haven't seen it join her on the nest. I don't know if the male and female share the nesting responsibilities.

Given the horrible nest-building skills of doves, I'd projected that they were also lackadaisical parents. That assessment appears unwarranted, at least in this case.

Movie Review: "Transformers"

I had such high hopes for Transformers. After all, with the backing of Spielberg's Dreamworks Studio, and the directing touch of Michael Bay (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, The Island), plus a plot line custom made for special effects, this had the potential for the "summer blockbuster" that thus far hasn't materialized (the latest Die Hard doesn't qualify due to its R rating).

Instead, what we've got is a confused example of cinematic schizophrenia, a movie that one moment is channeling The Terminator and the next minute is a knock-off of Gremlins. The dialog is uniformly awful when spoken by adults (or Transformers), but pretty darned entertaining when given to the teenagers in the cast. And – I never thought I'd type these words – the special effects were, well, too much.

Stay with me on this one. The very best special effects are those that unfold in a leisurely manner on the screen, so that one can search for flaws in the technique, or clues as to how they were done, and in the happy instances where both are non-discernible, subconsciously buy in completely to the reality presented by the film. A good example of this is Alien; Transformers, with its mind-numbing frenzy, occupies the other end of the spectrum.

Of course, I'm not the target demographic for this movie, not by decades. The Nephew has already declared it the best movie ever made (draw your own conclusions from that), and the IMDB ratings are through the roof. I suspect that if you're already a fan of the cartoon, the movie represents a little bit of heaven.

As far as casting, Shia LeBeouf is the spitting image of John Cusack, albeit much younger, and Megan Fox is the next Jessica Alba (there again, draw your own conclusions). John Turturro and Jon Voight seem remarkably inept (blame the script), but all the humans are really just supporting cast for the Transformers. The aliens have mostly chosen to live as muscular vehicles, with the exception of one poor guy who was stuck being a Pontiac Solstice, which is a fine-looking little car, but hardly instills confidence as a protector of Earth. More interesting is the appearance of the 2009 Camaro (possibly tuned by Saleen, along with some of the Transformer/Mustang police cars) which looks awfully derivative of a two-door Dodge Charger.

At 2 hours, 24 minutes, the movie pummeled us into submission. That's a transformation I just can't recommend.

God Bless America

Austinite succumbs to envy over Midland's smoothly flowing interstate

When Dave Barry did it to Grand Forks, North Dakota, the city invited him up and named a sewer lift station in his honor.

Austin's John Kelso has just done it to Midland. Wonder what we should name in his honor?

The difference is that Barry is funny.

Sticky Doorknobs and Jessica's Well have their own takes.

TDF Trivia

Just to get you in the mood for Saturday's start of the Tour de France...

A French rider has not won the TDF since 1985, when Bernard Hinault secured his fifth yellow jersey. That victory marked the ninth time in eleven years that French riders won the race, the most dominating national performance since the Tour's beginning.

Source

No, this won't be a recurring feature. I'm just trying to prime the pump, so to speak.

Technorati tag: Tour de France

Tour de Ambivalence

Are you aware that the Tour de France begins next Saturday, July 7? Do you care?

I haven't seen much at all in the media about the race. I suppose the absence of a likely American contender, and the seemingly endless doping allegations and sanctions, have combined to elicit a huge yawn from the average citizen, although I suspect most avid cyclists are still interested.

Even with all the baggage, the Tour remains one of the great spectacles in the sporting world. It's a rolling soap opera, full of intrigue, and strategies based as much on psychology and gimmicks as on physiology and physics. Ancient European traditions combine with cutting edge technology to create a three-week anachronism with layers of complexity that take a few years of viewing to begin to comprehend.

Even if you don't recognize any of the names at the start of the race – which, by the way, is in London this year – you'll find yourself drawn into the lives of the racers if you invest the time to observe their peculiar form of insanity. There will be unlikely heroes, stunning disappointments, and acts both chivalrous and comic. Crashes are inevitable; pray that none are fatal. Massively skilled athletes will be betrayed by piddling little mechanical bits; a few riders will be taken out by things as mundane as stomach aches and colds. Teams will sacrifice themselves for one member, and single members will sacrifice themselves for their teams.

And, after 2,200 miles of racing, one man will be awarded the maillot jaune because he finished a minute or two sooner than anyone else. It's really quite amazing when you think about it.

So, even if you're not hearing much anywhere else about the Tour de France; even if you've grown cynical about a sport that sometimes seems less credible than pro wrestling or, um, baseball; even if you can't pronounce half the names of the participants – give it a chance. There's still plenty of drama and admirable achievement to go around.

Here are some additional TDF resources, in addition to the official site linked above:

• Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team - Team leader Levi Leipheimer is America's best hope for an appearance on the podium in Paris at the end of the race.


• TDF 2007 Blog - This is your go-to source for objective and wide-ranging reporting on the Tour and related media coverage.


• Bicycling Magazine's TDF section - The magazine is promising more extensive coverage than ever.


• VeloNews - This online magazine has an international flair with more inside scoop than just about any other source.

Technorati tag: Tour de France

Back to the Recent Future

Immediately after placing an order for the Nephew's MacBook (which, by the way, he's thrilled with, especially the built-in camera that lets him do video chat, not that he knows anyone else with a similar capability, but, still...), I popped over to Fed Ex's website and, using the shipping tracking number provided by Apple, signed up for the delivery company's new service that sends you emails to let you know when the package hits various checkpoints. I sat back with fingers clasped behind my head and feet on my desk (figuratively, of course; that can get you fired, as the poor doofus in the Nextel commercial learned) and waited for the electronic status checks to roll in, confident that my days of having to go through the ordeal of clicking on a link to check the tracking number had mercifully come to an end.

The package was in transit for about five days, from Shanghai to Midland. During the six intervening stops, nary an email arrived.

However, fifteen minutes after signing for the delivery, Fed Ex notified me by email that, um, the package had been delivered. Perhaps they weren't sure that I fully understood exactly what I'd taken possession of. Perhaps they knew of my advancing age, and wanted to make sure I remembered what I'd done fifteen minutes earlier.

Perhaps they need to work a bit more on their system.

Designer Drill

It's just a wild guess, but I suspect this won't be found on the shelves of your local Ace Hardware store when it debuts in July.

The P7'911 Multihammer is an electric hammer-drill made of aluminum and carbon fiber. Now, much as I like power tools, here are a few reasons why this one won't be appearing in my garage, ever:

• Any power tool that has a "debut" is too chic to occupy space in my Craftsman-themed garage.


• Likewise for a drill that has a better website than, say, Ferrari.


• The $695 price tag would just about replace my entire power tool inventory.

I know you're not shocked to hear that this drill was designed by Porsche.

I'll give 'em credit for their marketing, though. You have to be impressed by the implication that their drill did this:

My advice is that if you ever see a contractor pull up in your driveway and haul one of these things out of his toolbox, you should be prepared to be drilled in more ways than one.