It's News to YOU

San Francisco was, of course, picturesque. Oakland, however prepared i thought i was, was bleaker and more broke-down than my disbelieving eyes could take in. i suppose even the many hours spent driving & walking around each city wasn't enough to complete a full survey, but... wow. It's like looking at someone's gangrenous leg and wondering why they haven't DONE something about it yet. (Please forward to me your photos and anecdotes about all the great places in Oakland that i missed.)

Anyway, the A's beat the Rangers 12-3 and folkpop guitarist Antje Duvekot was really cool. The Sacramento airport was 101 degrees. Valley Springs (where my old man has a ranch) still only has one traffic light. (One light and zer0 cellphone towers.)

Posted by Keeferman at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the last week of rain rain rain, I've been bemoaning the embarrassment of not being able to mow my already overgrown lawn. Of course that minor inconvenience was just the tip of an iceberg. Highest elevation of any state capital east of the Mississippi and we've got kerrAzy flooding going on right now. Highways blocked and stranded motorists. Houses up to their gutters in floodwater. Drownings. Entire school districts cancelling classes. Urban and suburban insanity...

People gotta remember to take this stuff seriously. "Turn around! Don't Drown." Seriously, do not drive through a flooded area. More people drown in their CARS during a flood than anywhere else. And do not walk through rushing water. Just a foot of rushing water can knock grown men off their feet (and down into deeper water).

North Georgia doesn't have the same flood worries as places Texas, but everybody everywhere has to consider the possibilities even if they're not in a traditional flood plain. If there's too much rain for your environment/infrastructure to handle, it CAN flood. Are you certain that you know the factors in your area? What is your elevation relative to local watersheds? There are some very surprised residents in Atlanta who've lost EVERYTHING. Most homeowner's insurance policies do NOT offer protection against flood losses. For information about flood insurance, call your local insurance agent, or call the National Flood Insurance Program (http://www.fema.gov/business/nfip) at 800-638-6620.

Seriously.

Posted by Keeferman at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If thAt is the best you can do, Captain Monkeypox, i don't have anything to worry about this Cold & Flu Season. One minor metabolic flutter and i am BACK IN BLACK, babies. Bring on the H1N1 and the Ebola. i can take it. For everybody else though (the CDC lists pregnant women, infant caregivers, and people from 6 months through 24 years of age among the vulnerable populations), you really should think about getting vaccinated.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/general_info.htm

Posted by Keeferman at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday i felt fine when i came into work. Then i had some coffee. Then it went downhill from there.

I'm pretty sure someone slipped me a kryptonite mickey.

By lunchtime i was feeling pretty punked, so i skipped my Centennial Park workout/patrol and just chilled. i felt alittle guilty, but not enough to fight the lazy. By 5pm i was past "Do i feel weird?" and well into "This is not good." i held out 'til 8pm quittin' time and then headed home. On the ride home i was imagining what I'd tell the police if my general wooziness turned into straying-over-the-line. Kept my focus, made it home fine, skipped dinner, took a shower, went to bed. Earliest bedtime in Years.

i woke up around 11 though, sHiVeRiNg uncontrollably. Not cool. i put on some sweatpants and a sweatshirt, but still it took about 5 minutes for me to warm up and for the shakes to pass. The good news is that i slept fine most of the night. Weird news is that my left ankle throbbed in pain a few times and woke me up. Weird. What was that all about?

Waking up and getting outta bed was no more difficult than i expected. Made it to work fine. Settled in.

i don't know how today's going to go, but i feel as weak as a kitten.

Posted by Keeferman at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to my well-placed government connections, i can actually help you get to Mars. There's a radical new civilian program with absolutely no prerequisites whatsoever. Seriously. To get started, click on this link which'll direct you to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory...

http://sendyournametomars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname/index.cfm

Posted by Keeferman at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Daddy! Look at the purple hair lady! She's creepy."
-Little Boy Standing Right Next To Girl w/Purple Hair At Parade

"I'm serious, Michelle, we need this for our re-enactment."
-Young Man In Merchandise Area Holding Up Bloody Rubber Decapitated Head For Young Woman To Consider

"I call this my Lizard Rub."
-Woman Scratching Man Behind The Ears As He Holds What Appears To Be Her Pet Lizard

"What is that? A breakdancing fight?"
-Man Straining To See Over Crowd Which Has Formed A Circle And Is Cheering Loudly

Posted by Keeferman at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes, it's everybody's favorite time of year. Time to watch stormtroopers on parade, time to get your picture taken with your favorite superhero, and time to have a conversation with your favorite comicbook artist. It's DragonCon time again. Downtown Atlanta is full of wookies and G.I. Joes and X-Men. The parade isn't 'til tomorrow morning at 10, but the streets are full of freaks, geeks, and gawkers. i myself can't wait to get back out there and take in the sights. If you've never been, it's a cultural milestone that has to be seen at least once in your lifetime. Check out http://dragoncon.org for more details, but trust me... has to be seen.

My personal itinerary is as follows:

Friday: Browse the exibits and sign autographs. This evening, Joanderwoman and i will be relaxing with friends over cocktails in one of the hotel lobbies.

Saturday: Starting with the parade, we'll be spending another day, all day, at the Con. Dinner and cocktails downtown afterward.

Sunday: Morning golf with some associates in the 'burbs, back downtown for more Con action, then back out to the 'burbs for my fantasy football draft.

Monday: Wrapping up and breaking down DragonCon.

Come out and join us.

Posted by Keeferman at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)