Personally, I just think that the media likes being able to say "swine flu" all day, every day.

I was looking my China pictures this morning and I was struck, again, by this shot from Tian'an Men Square:



I love this shot. There were hundreds of police and soldiers in the square, mostly very serious types, but I was lucky enough to get a quick snap of these two breaking discipline and laughing it up with the crowd. I feel a tiny bit better about humanity every time I see this picture. I should put it on my wall.

"When we meet someone we like and feel sexy about, this is not an indication that that person will fit precisely into the empty space in our lives. And it will not work to make a point-by-point evaluation of a potential playmate, scoring her according to how closely she matches up to our fantasy of the ideal partner. Putting our own needs and fantasies foremost gets in the way of actually meeting another person, and enjoying the wonderful surprises involved in getting to know who that person is."

-- The Ethical Slut

This is what the Internet is for (besides porn):

The Nietzsche Family Circus pairs a randomized Family Circus cartoon with a randomized Friedrich Nietzsche quote.

Jalopnik - 2009 Nissan 370Z: First Drive - 2009 nissan 370z: "The handling has also been improved from the previous version with a new double-wishbone front suspension and lighter/firmer parts all around. Paired with precise steering the new Z takes to the corners like a scalpel, exhibiting almost no understeer nor much oversteer when pushed hard. Well, at least as hard as I can push it. There's barely a hint of roll and grip to spare. These are the ingredients for a great sports car but I don't want a scalpel. I don't drive to shave seconds off my lap time on this country road. I drive to break things. I want a sledgehammer."

Why yes. That's *exactly* why I haven't been able to let go of the Mustang since buying the Exige. The two cars actually solve completely different driving problems.

Hah. I just got yelled at by my trainer for weighing myself AFTER my workout. You know, once my weight has had time to shoot the hell all over the place due to the physical activity.

How to Have a Rebound Relationship - wikiHow

Ok. I'm pissed.

After working out, I weighed in at 144.8lbs today. Let's review:

1. This is lighter than the weight I was at when I started training, 2.5 years ago, with a stated goal of gaining 10-15lbs.
   
2. This is 2.5lbs lighter than when I weighed in on 03/25. That's horseshit. I've been eating like a goddamn pig since then. Hell on the weekend of 03/28 alone, I ate two whole medium HAM AND BACON pizzas. I lost a pound. What the shitting fuck? A normal person would have gained five pounds from that.
   
3. No. I'm not sick.

Now, I refuse to start taking supplements. If I can't do it with a reasonable diet, I guess that I don't need to gain weight and probably should get over it.

I'm not over it yet.

I was talking to one of the trainers at the gym today (not the guy I regularly train with) and he was asking about my workout.

Him: How many times do you work out a week?
Me: Three or four.
Him: For how long?
Me: One to one and a half hours, with the cardio.
Him: Oh. How much cardio?
Me: Eh, only ten to fifteen minutes. It's just for warmup.
Him: Oh. Hm.
Me: I guess I do go dancing a lot. Once or twice a week, at least.
Him: Ah. Well, there you go.

I took the Exige to a Golden Gate Lotus Club autocross last Sunday. It was the first time I'd autocrossed in about eighteen months and I thought that I ran pretty slowly. I was way too aggressive and overcooked just about every corner entry which meant I was getting understeer every time I tried to get back on the throttle for corner exit. On the first run out after lunch, I went into fast attack mode and blew the run by spinning in the front esses.

Out of 11 runs, I managed a best of 44.659 on a course where the fastest car, a 2005 Elise on Hoosiers, ran 41.556. I then handed the keys to Rob for two runs and he put down a best of 43.765. He tells me I need to slow down my corner entry and use more throttle through the turn to rotate the car. Since the Nitrons went in, it does seem more eager to rotate though I currently lack the skill (and on a race track, the stones) to control it.

But get this. GGLC grouped me into a 'fun' group with 17 other cars. Of that pool of 18, my 44.659 was the top time!

I brought my camera but forgot the monopod, so I wound up trying to handhold the 24-135mm. I was shooting ISO400, 1/160 and underexposing 2/3 to a full stop. The results where mostly a wash but it was a successful experiment in that I know I really can't be hand holding automotive photography and get consistent results.



I'm going to miss their April event, but I think I'm going to try and make most of the GGLC autocrosses this year. The car is so different with the Nitrons that it will be good get some experience pushing it past its limits at lower speeds.