Marswolf

I have to admit the the whole public presence vs "the look" thing is hilarious. In insight, in some cultures (like drug cultures) how you look is important to your relationships to others in the culture. If you are an important person in the culture (like a drug lord) you have to have some facial hair elements and not others. If you are dealing with those folks, your look has to be distinctive but not a mirror. I could tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you.

I've been watching those commercials. Fortunately vanity for me has always taken a back seat to actually being able to do stuff these guys suggest that they might be able to do at my age if they have artificial hair color.

My problem is those patches that DO grow color. My hair has been going white since I was 24. That was great because it helped hide those white hair scar areas in my head from the shrapnel. Unfortunately my beard still has a few black areas. Damn DNA! So the task is to either work around it or ignore it. While I like a neat and ordered mind, I'm really not big on worrying about what others think of my "look". If they like it, they can copy it. My intention is too look distinguished like those college professors - who should probably be extinguished.

I've never hunted with my AR, although as mentioned above by EasilyObsessed I have occasionally hunted self-size game with an M16. Really, I think a .223 is a bit small for larger prey, like deer. Even if kicked up a bit in caliber, IMHO, there are better rifles out there for hunting. The AR design is wonderful for killing people at reasonable range. As the prey changes or the range extends, there are just better rifles than the AR.

About once every couple of years I decide it's time I see how a beard looks on me. Now...I've had a full beard before. Had one when I was dating my eventual ex-wife. But, I got a haircut and decided it is now time to see if I still look like a dork with a beard. So the facial hair is growing nicely. The way this normally works is that I grow the beard for a couple of weeks, decide it looks crappy, and shave it. Right now, I'm into the derelict-look stage. Fortunately, I have the presence to look appropriate regardless of how crappy I look. So is anyone else growing, or sporting, a beard that makes them look virile as opposed to senile?

Don't worry. As Jerry Clower said, if you have good tools, you need to build a good shed over them.

Actually, I've only been stopped once since I've have had my HCP. Speeding a bit in Blountville. I presented my DL and did tell the officer I had my handgun and asked if he wanted to see my permit. He ran my DL, declining other stuff and just warned me. Wonder if I should have told him about the trunk full of military munitions?

I might drop by. I have a hammer, wrecking bar and one of those leather loincloth nail and tool thingies.

Remember that you cross a time zone. It takes two hours longer to get to Knoxville from Nashville than it takes to get back. I used to say that it took four hours to get to Nashville from Kingsport and six hours to get back.

There is always a bit of confusion about the IOC members. The basically represent the IOC in their respective countries, not as delegates of their countries to the IOC. A bunch of them are Olympians. Here is more info. The IOC Executive Board pretty much runs the show, but are elected by secret ballot. Here are the current members of the Board: PRESIDENT Jacques Rogge ............................. Belgium VICE-PRESIDENT(S) Gunilla Lindberg ............................. Sweden Lambis V. Nikolaou ............................. Greece Chiharu Igaya ............................. Japan Thomas Bach ............................. Germany MEMBER(S) Gerhard Heiberg ............................. Norway Denis Oswald ............................. Switzerland Mario Vázquez Raña ............................. Mexico Ottavio Cinquanta ............................. Italy Sergey Bubka ............................. Ukraine Zaiqing Yu ............................. People`s Republic of China Richard L. Carrión ............................. Porto Rico Ser Miang Ng ............................. Singapore Mario Pescante ............................. Italy Sam Ramsamy ............................. South Africa

The vote to have the games in Beijing wasn't even close. The Chinese almost got it on the first vote. I really like the Chinese people. I had a chance to escape my handlers at the hotel in Shanghai and just walk down the dark streets observing people and the culture. Talked to them as much as my vocabulary allowed - which wasn't much. I found a hospital, with people bring in the patients (mostly family) in wheelbarrows. The hospital looked more like a corner garage. A restaurant was one room with a dirt floor and cooking pit. No chairs or tables. I don't know what I ate, but it was delicious. I'll have to see if I can find my slides. I think I have one slide of demolition of a building just behind my hotel in Shanghai. There is a guy standing on the one brick thick outer wall and kicking off the bricks one by one. Few people in the US know how good they have it. Going to Beijing and letting that represent China is like going to Detroit and letting that place represent the USA. I hope some of the tourists there for the Games understand that. Anyway, I'm going to watch and enjoy the Games. If I have a problem with the Olympics, it's not politics. My problem is with letting professional athletes play. But I'm not going to whine about that this time. I'm primarily interested in how well the individual competitors do. The idea of a medal count by country has always seemed odd to me. The country didn't win anything - the competitors did. I'll drink a toast to them.

I saw that ad and got some chicken out of the freezer. I think I'll turn the air conditioning down to 65 and wear my leather jacket while I eat.

U.S. Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard's PETA advertisement against wearing fur. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Amanda Beard had to launch her naked, anti-fur campaign poster outside the Athletes' Village on Wednesday after Chinese authorities canceled a planned unveiling, citing safety concerns. In a poster for the animal rights group PETA, the reigning 200-meter breaststroke champion appears naked in front of the U.S. flag and the slogan "Be comfortable in your own skin. Don't wear fur." Jason Baker, an Asia-Pacific spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the launch was "a bit more dramatic than we had planned" after Chinese security officials visited a hotel where an official news conference had been scheduled and shut down the event. "From what I've been told from the hotel, the public security bureau showed up at midnight and told them our specific event had to be canceled for safety reasons, without going into any specifics," Baker said. "When I arrived at 8 a.m., there were public security officials in the press conference room we had booked. "Amanda didn't want her voice to be silenced, so we went ahead and arranged something else -- we never knew if we were going to be stopped at any point." Baker said the protest was not against China and did not interfere with the Olympics. Police and security did not interfere with the event outside the village's south gate. "It was a sexy ad really designed for the U.S. market. It was positive, and it was (supposed) to be done in a private function room," Baker said. "I'm surprised they were so concerned, given we've done similar with Asian celebrities in the past." The 26-year-old Beard, who has posed nude in men's magazines, said she decided to participate in the PETA campaign because she loved animals and was horrified to see how fur was produced for fashion in some places. "I have seen a lot of the videos, and (it) brings me to tears," the four-time Olympian was quoted saying in a PETA statement. "What (some people) think is pretty is actually something that's very gruesome and gross." http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-amanda-beard-peta-080806-ht,0,5108426.story

People are being mistreated in China. What a shock. That just start with the games? Quit buying Chinese stuff if their human rights policies upset your sensibilities. I wonder if Richard Gere ever buys Chinese stuff? Yes, I'm in a grumpy mood. More coffee please.... I'm watching the games rather than the other wonderful TV selections on other channels. The NBC Home Page has some neat links. You can watch live video of the events by clicking on VIDEO and then following the directions. You will have to install Microsoft Silverlight (free download) but that gets you a nice view of one event. If you click on enhanced while viewing, you can get up to 4 video streams at a time. I don't think there are instructions but any computer nerd will figure it out.

After cola for supper (too lazy to make iced tea) I settled on chocolate milk for the evening beverage. I'm probably on PETA's hit list now. First chicken wings and now milk.... I think I'll start PETV to help out all of the tortured vegetables. Don't eat that tofu! It's made from soy beans. Oh the vegemanity.

The side dish to my dogs ended up as squash. Probably about time for my neighbor to bring me another 50 pounds or so. I've been trying to clean out some stuff from the refrigerator. I'd forgotten I had glass shelves.

Howdy. I'm just an hour up the Interstate from you.

I know some brats that I'd like to grill.

You related to Dan Quayle? But...home-grown tomatoes are the only ones worth eating. Around here they make a big deal about "Granger County" or "Chucky" tomatoes that are locally grown. Well, yeah, they are locally grown, but they are also the same tasteless varieties that are grown in Florida, Mexico, California, etc. for shipping. I have three plants that were given to me. The neighbor didn't know what they were. Looks like Roma's. That's fine, but not a great slicing tomato. Now some of the heirloom tomatoes are a different matter. There are a few places that sell heirloom seeds. Hunting them down should be a good winter project.

I can tell you one thing. You don't want to lose to the Trojans.

I don't know about traditional events in the games. I guess that was pretty much running, wrestling, rock throwing and spear chucking. Oops, just found a list: "The original Games included footraces, the discus and javelin throws, the long jump, boxing, wrestling, the pentathlon, and chariot races." No rock throwing. Of course they were originally contested in the nude. That would be great for woman's volleyball. . I can definitely see myself in a nude mixed sex game of korfball.

The idea is to maximize the calorie, cholesterol and sodium content.. I may baste the dogs in additional bacon drippings while they are cooking.

I think my beagle coughed up a Korfball this morning. While I like cycle racing, to me, if it isn't muscle powered, it doesn't belong in the Olympics. Wonder if they'd take NASCAR?

Just to cut a slit in the dogs that doesn't pierce the bottom and don't cut all the way through the ends. That way, the cheese stays better in the dog rather than running all over your baking pan. I spiral wrap the bacon around the weiner...er...hot dog and secure it with toothpicks. I highly recommend lining the baking pan with aluminum foil. Saves hours on clean-up. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until bacon is done to taste.

I like sports in general and I'm likely to be watching if it has objective scoring and isn't basketball. I love having the games, either hot or cold, every two years. Most intelligent thing they have done in the modern games, if you ask me. Adding some of the "sports" is the dumbest. As well as these sports (some of which are questionable and some subsets, like Synchronized Swimming are rediculous)... Aquatics Archery Athletics Badminton Baseball Basketball Boxing Canoe / kayak Cycling Equestrian Fencing Football Gymnastics Handball Hockey Judo Modern pentathlon Rowing Sailing Shooting Softball Table tennis Taekwondo Tennis Triathlon Volleyball Weightlifting Wrestling ...there also these "Recognized Sports": * Air sports * Bandy * Billiard Sports * Boules * Bowling * Bridge * Chess * Cricket * DanceSport * Golf * Karate * Korfball * Life Saving * Motorcycle Racing * Mountaineering and Climbing * Netball * Orienteering * Pelote basque * Polo * Powerboating * Racquetball * Roller Sports * Rugby * Squash * Sport climbing * Surfing * Sumo * Tug of War * Underwater Sports * Water Skiing * Wushu Some of these are sports and some, like chess, aren't. See http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/index_uk.asp and http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/recognized/index_uk.asp for more info. I can hardly wait for Full Contact Bridge....