I see dead pixels.

It’s definitely college bowl season. And I enjoy a good college game as much as the next guy. But we may have reached the point of diminishing returns. This afternoon I watched the “Al’s Transmission Repair Center Possum Bowl” from Greasy Ridge, West Virginia. The Fighting Bluebirds of Kickaweenie State beat the Mountain Black Squirrels from Northern North Dakota Technical Institute in a tense contest that went right down to the final whistle and ended with a score of 52 to 3.

This is one of the coolest and most impressive presentations of the job losses in America I've seen. Scroll down to the map, start with the small square the the very left highlighted and then click the PLAY button. Watch a specific area on the map (e.g. west Michigan) to see job losses over the last three years.
Interactive map of job losses
I'm sure thankful that the President's economic recovery program kept the unemployment rate at 8% like he promised when he started it.

I ran three miles on Monday and seriously pulled my left calf. I think it happened because I haven't been wearing my running shoes with my Rx orthotics in them. By the time I got to the 2.5 mile mark the difference in my stride from the orthotics played havoc on my calf and it cramped up something fierce. I used ice and then heat and took the rest of the week off until yesterday when I did a brisk 2 miles, after which I felt some tightness but nothing problematic. Today I did 3 again, and again my calf froze up. I iced it and will use heat later. But Murphy's Law specifies that just as soon as I decide to do a half marathon in 8 weeks I'll struggle with an injury. Grrrr.

The country doesn't like Tiger Woods because he cheated on his wife with a string of women in cities all over America and gave them thousands of dollars, all the while pretending to be a good family guy. The country, at least a significant portion of it, doesn't like Tim Tebow because he's a straight-arrow guy who has, by all accounts, been a role model both on and off the field.

Tiger is too bad and Tebow is too good. Americans judge themselves morally superior to the world's best golfer and so feel justified in condemning his immoral conduct. But a college senior who talks the talk AND walks the walk makes them feel morally inferior, and is therefore resented. He is a goodie two-shoes.

I have the front door and the slider both open as I type this. Thought you should know, esp. if the temperature where you are ends in "...teen."

Before I went on my run I got all the bead board panels cut and installed except for the two doors I have to remake. Monday I'll go to the wood shop and get the rails and stiles cut, come home and assemble them, rout and prime them and maybe even get their panels in. Suddenly this project has picked up speed.

Leftover pizza for dinner and cookies for dessert. I'll watch the Alamo Bowl tonight to see if Texas Tech plays with special focus and energy or if the Leach mess ruins them. Then early to be for tomorrow's efforts.
So far 2010 is going just fine.