It's like a Half-Life 2 MMO mod of Mad Max

Whoa. I got into the Fallen Earth MMO stress test and I think this is the next iteration of MMO. It was frustrating at first and beta bugs abound, but the production value is beyond anything I've seen. You have to struggle through the entire turtorial to understand what I mean! The idea of an MMOFPS initially turned me off, but in this post-apocalyptic game, it just makes perfect sense and works! I love running around with an axe, machine gun and OMGWTFBBQ double pistols all visible on my avatar! Mounts in this game are horses (metal and flesh). Oh right, and your deaths really make sense in the game. When it happens the first time and you hear your guides explanation you are like, 'Whoa'.

There are so many options in character creation that I was overwhelmed. There are so many options that one of two things will happen. You will spend the entire first weekend settling on your character design or give up an hour into it and just start hitting the randomize buttons (one for face, separate one for body..there are that many options).

Crap. It's happening again...

I learned this week that I will be part of a company-wide computing security team that will create policies and procedures for keeping Cardinal Health computers protected from viruses and vulnerabilities. So much for staying under the radar.

Death of a friendship

My riding buddy is trying to kill me. He had me riding at the very top of my performance curve tonight. He was soo fast tonight that I had to take point several times just so that I could set a slower pace! I told him at dinner that after I finished eating his wife's cooking, he and I were OVER. YOU HEAR THAT STEVE?!? O.V.E.R.!!

Btw, when are you going to put up our stats?

The Nerdy Manifesto...diatribe...whatever

My last post has stirred my nerd-rage. GRRRRR!

The 2000s were supposed to be ours, the rise of a nerd nation. We saw Bill Gates, Berkley and Linux Tovalds make powerplays that positioned us as the cornerstones of civilization. We watched as our math and technology skills became mission critical to running the entire world. Y2K was our rebirth; the phoenix rose from the flames of destruction.

And then. In swoops this damned, dirty "geek" to steal it all away from us. With their anime hair and their G4 TV shows and their "are you one of us" quizzes. NO, you are NOT. It takes a lifetime of hard work and social-awkwardness to be this nerdy, GODDAMMIT. Yet, they get the credit and the glory for the benefits of technology because they seem "cool". Freaking paper-phoenices. It's decision time pasty-faced peoples of the world! Are you geek or ARE YOU NERD?!?

When you decide that you are ready, it's time to send a few CAPS-LOCK'ed emails.

Geeks are such posers

What very little respect I had for facebook just dissipated.

WooHoo!

My company utilizes the concept of Management-By-Objectives (MBO) in calculating end of the year raises. The more of your manager assigned objectives you complete, the more percentage of your raise you get. On percentage based objectives, if you go above and beyond your target percent, you get a percent of the additional percentage above and beyond your initial 100 percent completion percent..if what I just said was clear, you probably mis-understood me..

On the numbers spreadsheet we get every couple of weeks, I've met most of my numbers, but have been behind on one metric for which I had resigned myself to losing out on 20% (yes, TWENTY PERCENT) of my pay increase. Last night, as I lay my head down to sleep, I had an ...

... moment that their CALCULATION WAS ALL WRONG!!! WooHoo! I called my manager and he agreed that the calculation didn't have the necessary bounds to be an accurate representation and now I am 10% over my target percent!

SHOW ME 'DA MONEY!!!

25 (or 27) miles is more fun with friends

I've previously cycled the Clarksville to Trenton KY 25 mile route by myself. I never realize how lonely the back roads of Kentucky could be until I rode with my team of three tonight. It was a beautiful, casual, no stress, sunset ride across rolling Kentucky farmland. It was the first time in quite a very long time where nothing else mattered, not work, nor chores, nor email, or cell phones, or TV. Nothing else mattered except sharing something truly beautiful with friends. I'm glad you were there!

50 Miles. 4 Hours.

I'm only now recovering from a 50 mile bicycle ride on Monday.

I discovered something about a 4 hour bike ride. No matter how flat you think the route is, after 2 hours every minor bump is another mountain.

Yet, very little feels as great as the countdown from mile 49.

EDIT: WOW! I just discovered that 4 hours of riding is capable of shredding the boxers right off of your legs.

..Edit: Edit: I discovered this while doing the week's laundry. But thanks for thinking the worst. ;P

Exotic Locales

I had to travel today. I love having a job that sends me to exotic locales.

From Drop Box

I hate having to put on clothes to leave the office...

Evening Bicycling Checklist

Riding Attire, Check
Bicycle, Check.
Tire Pump, Check.
Riding Satchel, Check.
Flirt-with-cute-cashier-while-picking-up-water-and-gatorade, Check.
Meet at Steve's house for 20 mile ride, Check.
Riding shoes necessary for riding due to locking pedals, DOH!

Working for my lunch

I really appreciated lunch today and I hope to repeat this route to earn my meal each day. Food is guiltless when you work for it.



It was a "There and back again" route, but I didn't include the "back again".

Productivity

It's been a productive day. I cut back my monsta-hedges. I no longer trim them, I have to now cut them back to keep them in control. I mowed my lawn and took the trash to the dump. Then I took a 26 mile bicycle ride from Clarksville to Trenton. Dammit Steve! Where are the ride stats?!? Oh..right.



Now to close out the day with two PBS documentaries and one NatGeo one.

EDIT: Did I mention it took a ladder to cut back my monstredges?

3-One-Thousand.

Please people. When you follow a bike, give them 3 seconds of lead time. There wasn't an incident today, but people follow so close on today's ride that if there was an incident, a biker would end up under your car. Then you are facing manslaughter charges.


Other than that, the day was excellent! With blue skies above and cool breezes behind, the bike had no problems straightenin' the curves and flattenin' the hills! I thought my joints would give me problems, but only my ears and shoulder blades are sore. My mileage is now 650 and I'm scheduled for service tomorrow!

Land Between the Lakes by V-Strom

Pic #1 - Whoa, did you know there is a dude ranch/camp at LBL?

From 2009-05-15 LBLbyVStrom

Pic #2 - Lighthouse Harbor

From 2009-05-15 LBLbyVStrom

Pic #3 - God Damn!

From 2009-05-15 LBLbyVStrom

A 200 Mile Day!!

If anyone needs me today, I'll be somewhere along here:

Flats do not just happen to other people

I thought carrying an extra bicycle tube was for the amatuers. I thought SAG was there to help other cyclists. I thought I was invincible on the bike. I was wrong.

As my finger joints are aching, I was waiting for Steve to post about it. And he did.

I am not a recycler...

But you know what? That's ok. I said to Jenn last night, "I'm waiting for my inspiration, my reason to finish what I start." and it led to an immediate epiphany and overnight re-evaluation. I am not a recycler and no amount of waiting for someone to inspire me to be so is going to change that. So I asked myself, why are you making life more complex than it should be? Why are you, one, PUTTING UP and then stressing over artificial roadblocks to your growth?

I give myself leave of failing to recycle and I give myself leave of waiting for someone to mould me into a a person who would. Who can make me a better man. I can.

Life is good, now keep it simple.

Shared Experiences

Steve, Jenn (not that Jen, the other Jenn) and I took a 216 mile train ride today! Although sitting for the 108 mile out/108 mile back trips was excruciating, the company was very nice. The three of us talked for the 4.5 hour trip out, walked around downtown Monterey TN for an hour before taking the 4.5 hour trip back. On the trip back, we took turns naping and talking. It was a very good day that ended with a great Mexican restaurant dinner.

Words for the day: Look out for the domino's!

On the train:


Steve and "Not-That-Jen" Jenn:


"The Great Disappearing Stevie Act":

Thursday Funnies

As seen on Jen's blog...



Which reminds me of Sony's new free MMO, "Free Realms". I tried it out last night. To create a safe environment for children, Sony provides a type of vegas slot machine name generator. You rotate through the dials until you come up with a first name, last name prefix and last name suffix. You know, to be safe for the kids.. I was able to create a "Takeo Ashclown". Awesome.

Lastly, On the 100th aniversary of the maiden Titantic journey, a British company is going to recreate it complete with 1,309 passengers.. NPR's take, "Let's hope no one packs their IRONY.". They are booking a band if anyone is interested.

EDIT: Found a better more disturbing name:

Bikers are a funny lot

After cycling on the bike, I decided to do some biking on the cycle. I was craving a bbq sandwich, so I headed to Mrs. Winners Chicken Restaurant. I park my bike where I can see it out the window and sit down to eat. This Hardly Davidson rider pulls up outside the window and gives me a sideways glance. He gets off the bike, looks at my bike and then looks back at me. I think, crap, he's going to give me crap. So I continue to eat while he's still pacing by his bike outside of my window. I think to myself, I'm glad I'm wearing my biking/stomping boots now. As I started to fiddle with my helmet, he taps on the window and motions for me to come outside. Alright, time for a fight. So I go out and he looks at me, looks at my bike. He extends a hand and says, "I don't know how to say this,". I extend my hand but prepare to duck and counter/throat punch. He continues, "But, biker to biker, I'm fleeing from a domestic.".

The story can end there. All in all, he was just looking for gas money to flee the cops.

HELLA-FUN!!!

THAT.
WAS.
AWESOME!!

Blue skies and the wind was at my back on the motorcycle as I shopped for a small back-pack and picked up my new multi-day, disposable contacts and new styled glass frames. I think I hate the glass' frame. The really cute girl behind the counter seemed genuinely enthusiastic when she said she liked them. I think Lenscrafter's employees are very well trained. The contacts are very nice though. They are crystal clear and I don't feel them any longer. I've never had contacts you wear for several days and then dispose of.