tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57977957771816184522024-03-21T09:19:49.539-05:00jtj3My creative outlet to write about whatever whatever topic hits me--running, music, food and cooking, wine, work, travel, books, work, movies, photography...in short, a real mixed bag.jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-17890028639527013072008-07-23T06:04:00.001-05:002008-11-12T22:35:07.134-06:00One of my running heroesI figured that since I had both a picture *and* a story for today's post, it would be good cross-post fodder, so I put this on my <a href="http://photosfromjim.blogspot.com/">photo blog</a> also.<br /><br />Last Sunday, my friend Roger and I went to the opening of a <a href="http://www.roadrunnersports.com/">Road Runner Sports</a> store nearby. We went not only to check out the store, but to meet one of my running heroes who happened to be doing an appearance there that day. His name is <a href="http://www.johnbingham.com/">John Bingham</a>, but if you're into running or read Runners' World, you might know him as "The Penguin."<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXnpHNoLXfFfuvQg45Ld0sw0TcKrBI82N6MdqnHMxXV6Ofr7d2LqfcBBjk8PFKgvDuRAyFELCFP2UMo6-CaQSda7q-XzH5c1TcC7MkCs49kEzQ8Mtpq_R4P48XmcvBD_CilwOzMMcTg/s1600-h/07-20-08+jim+roger+and+the+penguin+small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226159030184154146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXnpHNoLXfFfuvQg45Ld0sw0TcKrBI82N6MdqnHMxXV6Ofr7d2LqfcBBjk8PFKgvDuRAyFELCFP2UMo6-CaQSda7q-XzH5c1TcC7MkCs49kEzQ8Mtpq_R4P48XmcvBD_CilwOzMMcTg/s320/07-20-08+jim+roger+and+the+penguin+small.jpg" border="0" /></a>He came to running late in life, but since has completed 40 marathons and hundreds of 5K and 10K races. He also wrote a book on marathon training for non-runners, and another on how to start running--how to train, how to work it into your schedule, etc. He's also the man responsible for one of my favorite quotes for runners training for their first race: "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." It definitely made me feel not quite so bad about my failed marathon attempts...the hard work, and the accomplishment, is just as much in the training as it is in the race itself.<br /><br />Anyway...there wasn't much of a crowd there, so we stood and talked with John and his wife for probably 15-20 minutes. <a href="http://www.johnbingham.com/jbr.html">John's company</a> organizes and manages the <a href="http://www.chicagodistanceclassic.com/">Chicago Distance Classic</a> half marathon, so he was handing out and signing technical t-shirts (synthetic fabric, they carry the sweat away from your body--VERY good shirt to do training runs in!). John is a very personable and engaging guy with a big smile and words of encouragement for runners of any level.<br /><br />One last kinda funny thing--John's wife was nice enough to take this picture of the three of us with my camera phone. She then took another shot with her camera--so <a href="http://community.active.com/blogs/penguinchronicles/2008/07/21/home-and-away">the same picture</a> showed up on his blog Monday. Hey, wow, I'm famous now!<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-27081666808291394082008-07-21T19:32:00.000-05:002008-07-21T19:32:00.918-05:00Public Service AnnouncementHey y'all. I got an email yesterday (edited version, below) after <a href="http://jtj3.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-totally-forgot-to-tell-you.html">my post about training for the 2008 Chicago Marathon</a>. Dana found my site kind of out of the blue, and reached out to me to spread the word. I normally wouldn't promote a fund raiser (unless, of course, I was a participant!), but this one was different. Since it benefits our servicemen and women who protect and defend our country, I thought this was worth passing on. You'll have to evaluate this for yourself: I don't know Dana and make no endorsements of her or of the team she's running for--but it's worth checking out.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family:times new roman;">My name is Dana Anello White, and I am a military spouse...My husband, MAJ<br />Paul White, has served two tours in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.<br />On October 26th, 2008, I will run 26.2 miles across the streets of Washington,<br />DC as part of Team Fisher House in the 33rd Annual Marine Corps Marathon. As<br />part of this mission, I will raise money and awareness for The Fisher House<br />Foundation, a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military<br />in a time of need (often times following combat-related injuries in the war<br />zone). <br /><br />Here's a great You Tube Video about The Fisher House Foundation: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xe5RE6krms"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xe5RE6krms</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><br />As you can imagine, a long-term stay in a military hospital, sometimes<br />thousands of miles from home, could mean expensive lodging and long separations<br />from loved ones. The Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes" in various<br />places across the country so that our military families can be together during<br />extended treatment for serious injury or lengthy physical and/or occupation<br />therapy...Currently, there are 38 Fisher Houses operating at 18 military bases<br />and nine Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers throughout the nation<br />and overseas in Germany.<br /><br />My website can be found here: </span><a href="http://www.active.com/donate/FisherHouse2008MCM/danawhite"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">http://www.active.com/donate/FisherHouse2008MCM/danawhite</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br />I thank you in advance for your support and feel free to pass this<br />information along to others who might want to support this worthy cause...If you<br />have any questions, I can be reached via email at: </span><a href="mailto:bflonative@hotmail.com"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">bflonative@hotmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.<br /></span></blockquote><br /><br />So, check it out--and you runners, consider helping a fellow runner!<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-52345686092775757432008-07-18T05:55:00.000-05:002008-07-18T08:11:17.282-05:00I totally forgot to tell you...So yesterday I mentioned I might post twice...obviously, I didn't. I thought about it as I was drifting off to sleep and was going to get up and write something, but I figured it didn't make that much difference. Plus, I was tired. :-)<br /><br />Anyway, so what I was going to post about...I totally forgot to tell all y'all that I'm in training for a marathon. Again. If you're new to the blog, let me just tell you this will be the 4th time I've started marathon training in the past 3 years. My history:<br /><ul><li>2006, trained for the Chicago Marathon. Dropped out in week 12 because of an injury.</li><li>2007, trained for the Chicago Marathon again. Started, but stopped when they closed the course after 4 hours (I was at mile 16).</li><li>2007/08, trained for the St. Louis Marathon. 2 weeks before the marathon I came down with pneumonia and had to drop out.</li></ul><p>Needless to say, I'm feeling less-than-100% confident that I can make it through the actual marathon itself. Now the good news this year is that Chicago is a bit later in the month, I won't be travelling the week before the race, and I've got 3 years of long-distance training under my belt.</p><p>I'm sort of tracking to <a href="http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00novice.htm">Hal Higdon's novice training</a> plan but am not as strict about it as I've been in past years. Part of it is that training started while we were on vacation, and part of it is I've got lots of other things going on and my time to devote to running is limited this year. Still, I can get enough training under my belt to finish, provided the weather is more cooperative than last year!</p><p>Last year I posted training updates on my now-defunct (but still on the web) blog, <a href="http://runswithperseverance.blogspot.com/">Runs With Perseverance</a>. I haven't decided whether it's coming back to life or not. I'm leaning against it at this point...again, too many work/life things to get done, and keeping jtj3 plus my <a href="http://photosfromjim.blogspot.com/">photo blog</a> active is about all I can manage. But we'll see.</p><p>Wish me luck on the training! More later...</p>jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-23646176241559155272008-07-17T13:16:00.003-05:002008-07-17T13:23:21.696-05:00Returning the favor - a shoutoutA couple days ago, my blog friend <a href="http://suerisselphotography.blogspot.com/">Sue</a> gave me a nice shout-out the other day, calling me one of the <a href="http://suerisselphotography.blogspot.com/2008/07/photogs-i-adore-and-wish-i-could.html">photogs she adores</a>. I'm blushing! For the record, Sue is also a great photographer...she's got a good sense of composition/design, and can make art out of just about anything.<br /><br />So, today is my turn to give her a shoutout. In her <a href="http://suerisselphotography.blogspot.com/2008/07/nowpublic-used-one-of-my-photos.html">latest post</a>, she talks about how one of her photos got used in an online article on <a href="http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/bees-lose-buzz-when-sick">NowPublic.com</a>. Excellent! This is the first of many published photos for Sue, I'm sure. Oh, and in a shameless shill for her...her work is also featured for sale on RedBubble.com...<br /><br />Stop by her <a href="http://suerisselphotography.blogspot.com/">photo site</a> and take a look--she does really good stuff.<br /><br />I'd intended to post on something else today...so look for another post from me later today...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-87085348883905194552008-07-15T06:50:00.001-05:002008-07-15T12:18:12.838-05:00What would you do if you had 30 days left?<blockquote><span style="font-size:78%;">"...and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter<br />and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying<br />and he said 'Someday I hope you get the chance<br />to live like you were dying...'" - Tim McGraw, Live Like You Were Dying</span></blockquote><p>Let me start this post by saying I'm NOT trying to tell you guys anything--as far as I know I'm healthy as a horse and have MANY more days to live!</p><p>The reason I bring this up, though...Mrs jtj3 and I started of a book called "One Month to Live" with some friends in our neighborhood last night. The main question behind the study is this: how would you live your life differently if you only had a month?</p><p>It's been making me think--a <u>lot</u>--since last night. By coincidence (are you listening, <a href="http://ironiccoincidences.blogspot.com/">Snow</a>???), I had two fairly major decisions to make today. Finally I asked myself "How would I decide on 'a' and 'b' if I had 30 days to live?" It was amazing the clarity that question brings.</p><p>Which leads me to ask all of you, gentle readers--have you ever thought about what you would do? What would you do differently, or stop doing, or start doing, or do more of? Who would you call, write, or talk to? Would you travel more, or less?</p><p>There's no right or wrong answer--just what works for you. I can tell you, though, some of the things I'd do:</p><ul><li>Fulfill my life goal of visiting 50 countries and all 50 U.S. states</li><li>Spend more time outside experiencing nature</li><li>Tell all my friends how much I love them (that includes you guys--so "Love you all!")</li><li>Not sweat the small stuff, and not get so easily offended at perceived slights or digs</li><li>Run--no, wait, FINISH--a marathon</li><li>Pray more</li><li>Read the Bible more</li></ul><p>That's just the "off the top of my head" list, which I'm sure I will refine the list as I go along. Even though I'm not (again, as far as I know) at the end of my life, this is a good exercise to help me focus on the most important things.</p><p>By the way--there's a website to accompany the book, and it's at <a href="http://www.onemonthtolive.com/">OneMonthToLive.com</a>. The book and web site are written from a Christian perspective and have Bible references...however, the principles really apply to those of all faiths, or those with none.</p><p>More later...</p><p><br /></p>jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-24524565100925861822008-07-08T10:03:00.003-05:002008-07-08T10:49:24.337-05:00Nothin' better to do today...So I thought I'd do a meme! I stole this from my very good blogging pal <a href="http://sogratefultobemormon.wordpress.com/">KathleenyBeany</a>. Truth be told I think <a href="http://www.itsmepenelope.com/">Penelope</a> did it also and I intended to take it from her, I just...er, never got around to it. Then again, I got inspiration from KB and from Penelope, so they both get the credit. So without further ado, here it is...<br /><br /><strong>Accent:</strong> None. Which is surprising, because I grew up in a small town where almost everyone has a Southern accent, and my mom and dad both came from the south and had an ever-so-slight twang when I was growing up.<br /><br /><strong>Breakfast or no breakfast:</strong> Breakfast, of course...it's the most important meal of the day!<br /><br /><strong>Chore I don’t care for:</strong> I don't <em>love</em> any of them, but I guess I don't mind them too much either...<br /><br /><strong>Dog or cat:</strong> Cats. We have 2, and I think they have way more personality than dogs do.<br /><br /><strong>Essential Electronics:</strong> Oh, gosh...I could go on and on. Let's see...Blackberry, iPod (both the regular one and a nano), Dell laptop computer, digital cameras (2 DSLRs and 1 point and shoot--yes, I have a problem...), and...hm, that's it for now I guess.<br /><br /><strong>Favorite Cologne: </strong>Glacier Bay men's fragrance by Bath & Body Works (OMG do I sound like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrosexual">metrosexual</a> now?).<br /><br /><strong>Gold or Silver:</strong> Gold, I guess.<br /><br /><strong>Handbag I carry most often:</strong> Real men do not carry bags! :-)<br /><br /><strong>Insomnia:</strong> Once in a while, but not more than one night in a row which I guess is good.<br /><br /><strong>Job Title:</strong> Director, Customer Support.<br /><br /><strong>Kids:</strong> 2 legged kids, none. 4 legged kids, 2 of 'em...baby Bella (just a year old) and Tigger (12 years).<br /><br /><strong>Living Arrangements:</strong> "Our house/is a very very very fine house/with two cats in the yard/life used to be so hard/now everything is easy 'cause of you" (<em>Our House</em>, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young).<br /><br /><strong>Most Admirable Trait:</strong> Well...I'll let y'all decide. Those who read this know me pretty well, I think...so what do you like about me? Add a comment, let me know (of course I will return the favor).<br /><br /><strong>Overnight hospital stays:</strong> Two--one when I was 7 for pneumonia, one about 15 years ago for surgery on a torn ACL.<br /><br /><strong>Phobias:</strong> Many, but I don't let them stop me (which ties into my quote, below).<br /><br /><strong>Quote:</strong> I <strong><em>love</em></strong> quotes. I collect them, and read them at least every week or two for inspiration. I've been thinking a lot about my phobias (see above), fears, and insecurities, and the quote that inspires me the most right now is this: “Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway.” - <em>John Wayne</em>.<br /><br /><strong>Reason to smile:</strong> My friends (that includes all of you!), my life, my job, running, freedom, good jokes, pleasant memories, a nice cup of coffee--basically, just about anything.<br /><br /><strong>Siblings:</strong> One brother, one sister...I'm the youngest.<br /><br /><strong>Time I wake up:</strong> Usually around 6AM, so I can get an early run in before work.<br /><br /><strong>Unusual Talent or Skill:</strong> I'm-hay uent-flay in-hay ig-Pay atin-Lay. I-hay an-cay eak-spay it-hay ike-lay a-hay econd-say anguage-lay.<br /><br /><strong>Vegetable I Refuse to Eat:</strong> Hm...several I haven't tried, and that don't really appeal (Mrs jtj3 always says "beets taste like dirt", and I'm kinda inclined to take her word for it), but I guess I'd try any veggie at least once.<br /><br /><strong>Worst Habit:</strong> Trying to please all the people all the time.<br /><br /><strong>X-rays:</strong> Had 'em. Beany is right--this is a lame question, but I guess the choice of words starting with "x" is a little limited...<br /><br /><strong>Yummy Stuff:</strong> Let's see...dark chocolate, peanut butter, Concord grapes, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluot">pluots</a>, steak, pasta, and goat cheese. Wow, I need to go get something to eat now--this is making me hungry!<br /><br /><strong>Zoo Animal I Like Most:</strong> Hm, never thought about it much. Uh, some kind of bird, I guess...<br /><br /><strong>One last question since the xray question was so lame — what do you think of the person you got this meme from?</strong> Beany is an absolute sweetheart. I found her blog through our mutual friend <a href="http://beggarsshotglass.blogspot.com/">Sue</a>, and Beany has become a dear friend to me. She's very warm, outgoing, kind, supportive, and friendly. She's got a very deep faith, and she just gives off this vibe of being a very humble person who is grateful for everything God gives her. She's awesome. :-)<br /><br />That's it for now...more later.jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-77221991195895012072008-06-28T21:08:00.004-05:002008-06-29T00:13:39.232-05:00Back home...Made it home safe and sound last night (more like 2AM this morning!) from our <a href="http://jtj3.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-i-did-on-my-summer-vacation.html">Alaska trip</a>. The word for those two weeks was "Wow!" Everything was just...WOW. The mountains, the wildlife, the scenery, the people, the...everything.<br /><br />My pal <a href="http://sogratefultobemormon.wordpress.com/">Kathleen</a> is an Alaskan, and I got a little taste of the heaven she lives in. Heaven, that is, during the summer--during the winter, not so much. I got the idea it'd be WAAAAAAAY too cold for me up there, so I'm happy to visit but wouldn't want to live there.<br /><br />I was struck, over and over again, by a sense of amazement and wonder at all of the natural beauty God created. I tend to feel God's presence most strongly when I'm surrounded by nature, and I practically overdosed on it the past couple weeks!<br /><br />Oh, and photos? I'm not kidding y'all, I took easily 200 pix a day. Now, some of those I tossed out, but I'm going through and editing others. I've already posted <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jimjonesWRS/AlaskaPix">some of my shots</a> on <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/">Picasa</a>, and <a href="http://photosfromjim.blogspot.com/2008/06/whale-of-tail.html">this one</a> went on my photo blog today.<br /><br />More (possibly stories, but definitely photos!) later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-77081699125478935602008-06-20T01:06:00.003-05:002008-11-12T22:35:07.808-06:00What I did on my summer vacation...I mentioned in my last post I was going to be gone on vacation for a while, but didn't say where we were going. Well...we're in the middle of a vacation in Alaska--5 days on land, then 7 days on a cruise ship. We've been talking about doing this for a few years, and we decided to just make it happen. We both really like to travel for fun, and so we make it a priority to take one really cool trip every year or so.<br /><br />Yesterday we spent the entire day inside <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denali_National_Park_and_Preserve">Denali National Park</a>. I took a ton of pictures, and the ones below were a couple of my favorites. I posted this to <a href="http://photosfromjim.blogspot.com/">my photoblog</a> also, but I thought I'd go ahead and cross-post it here.<br /><br />We saw this yearling caribou toward the end of our trip. It caught everyone by surprise--it wasn't more than 100 yards from our bus. Quite a rare sighting, from what I hear. I still need to process lots and lots of pictures but I thought this would be a nice sampler.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnU_yS0ESI1EUhG_YFT2Oqtwzh2klkuh3P_DoeBArmb2Ki7_miLaLcqmT9Q56NV1GfuIYITzAzLKhumst4LhYs5DVVzF_6i1HIWZP2gc5sh7SVNgUuCqeH_7rzbJ6EZLGocl_Wq20s2g/s1600-h/yearling+caribou.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213840707568082434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnU_yS0ESI1EUhG_YFT2Oqtwzh2klkuh3P_DoeBArmb2Ki7_miLaLcqmT9Q56NV1GfuIYITzAzLKhumst4LhYs5DVVzF_6i1HIWZP2gc5sh7SVNgUuCqeH_7rzbJ6EZLGocl_Wq20s2g/s200/yearling+caribou.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh377QM4Q1K90R0V2UVqqL78c7v_jYOmMwU0Z_EZAi6-w7QW82vOEvB6NhVN0j4qmKIbF2iRiuN6podNMjlakKlKkHF6F_GQI7Jdtkglwzb88AYYMgIaqyxi9wIr5NbmCqtG4gPYcWw/s1600-h/yearling+caribou+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213840704575300530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh377QM4Q1K90R0V2UVqqL78c7v_jYOmMwU0Z_EZAi6-w7QW82vOEvB6NhVN0j4qmKIbF2iRiuN6podNMjlakKlKkHF6F_GQI7Jdtkglwzb88AYYMgIaqyxi9wIr5NbmCqtG4gPYcWw/s200/yearling+caribou+2.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>Tomorrow we're headed to the cruise ship to go south from Anchorage. There will be lots more stories, pictures, etc...so more later...</p>jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-16326007694074258402008-06-12T07:51:00.005-05:002008-11-12T22:35:08.036-06:00Finally, something interesting!!!Oh, and not just one interesting thing today but TWO things. WHOOHOO! Life has been work-school-eat-sleep for a few weeks, with a little travel thrown in, so there's not been much to write about. Shameless self-cross-promotion...I was able to work in an afternoon shooting around San Francisco (pictures, not bullets...) and I posted some of my favorite shots from that trip on <a href="http://photosfromjim.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-left-my-heart.html">my photo blog</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Interesting thing #1</strong> - got to go to a book signing last night. One of my favorite authors is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Child">Lee Child</a>, who's written a series of 12 books (so far) about a drifter, ex-military, loner, tough-guy named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Reacher">Jack Reacher</a>. Interesting factoid--according to sources, Child's books sell at the rate of one per second. CHA-CHING! Anyway, his latest novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Lose-Jack-Reacher-Novels/dp/0385340567/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213275706&sr=8-1">Nothing To Lose</a>, was just released so he's touring the world to promote it. He's a very engaging speaker and took lots of questions (including 2 from me). I went with a good friend of mine--the friend who turned me on to Child's books a few years ago. We both had a great time last night, and I can't wait to dive into the book. I got a couple of decent pictures, also...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyQuHnF6_nIK-6AqRvducojwRd-4wC_up5axqvSo8fby6M6bXnutI2ao5ooc9kjphUU-P5u3aH_iaouaHX3Z-PflqRcavyl-TbPbmPH0z6c25AI-A4_5Uzq5UpEWx54P-7r1uPuXGVSc/s1600-h/Lee+Child+Book+Signing_2008+06+11_0000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210980651096144002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyQuHnF6_nIK-6AqRvducojwRd-4wC_up5axqvSo8fby6M6bXnutI2ao5ooc9kjphUU-P5u3aH_iaouaHX3Z-PflqRcavyl-TbPbmPH0z6c25AI-A4_5Uzq5UpEWx54P-7r1uPuXGVSc/s200/Lee+Child+Book+Signing_2008+06+11_0000.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCM3QLeMr3XRTY3xlmc3LaoKK-i4cgzKhk_EzB43DYZJCekIVSo-CwZkUeSnfJ1PkMl1k8IETX1IOsqz0cBb62ykxF2mUJs2iLkc96gwD8LiU28AqKxWbex7-ZdmIhiNkihokcUolvQkY/s1600-h/Lee+Child+Book+Signing_2008+06+11_0002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210981018068794930" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCM3QLeMr3XRTY3xlmc3LaoKK-i4cgzKhk_EzB43DYZJCekIVSo-CwZkUeSnfJ1PkMl1k8IETX1IOsqz0cBb62ykxF2mUJs2iLkc96gwD8LiU28AqKxWbex7-ZdmIhiNkihokcUolvQkY/s200/Lee+Child+Book+Signing_2008+06+11_0002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Interesting thing #2:</strong> I was poking around on a couple friend's blogs, and found this hysterical photo essay from <a href="http://beggarsshotglass.blogspot.com/">Sue's</a> blog: <a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_15788_top-25-men-who-look-like-old-lesbians.html">The Top 25 Men Who Look Like Old Lesbians</a>. Just wait until you get to the last one on the list. I about died laughing.<br /><br />Anyway, that's it for now. I'm off on yet another business trip, and then on vacation for 2 weeks (double YAY!). I'm still trying to work out how, when, and whether I will post while I'm gone. Worst case, I'll see you in a couple weeks...<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-44991121967219325542008-05-30T14:55:00.004-05:002008-11-12T22:35:08.152-06:00Thank you!!! Thank you all!!!!!<em><span style="font-size:85%;">Editorial note...AAAACK! I wrote this post a couple weeks ago--I *swear* I did...but it ended up as a draft. Yeah, right, you're thinking...the 21st century version of "The dog ate my homework!!!" Whatever. But here it is...</span></em><br /><br />Boys and girls I got an award today!!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH40CqwypDTA52-NcfmeP6uwpmBz0jVv3pHRO6zCa_MVPhBL_3DlxVdrlpG5ReTjcFmGsSsase2sY2csJL6b6bXsUnEXy89pVl2VTbVTbRFy6emCWBsa_uMz8T24l-hp3bZZjVL7THK1g/s1600-h/iloveyouthismuchaward.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206262650851096978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH40CqwypDTA52-NcfmeP6uwpmBz0jVv3pHRO6zCa_MVPhBL_3DlxVdrlpG5ReTjcFmGsSsase2sY2csJL6b6bXsUnEXy89pVl2VTbVTbRFy6emCWBsa_uMz8T24l-hp3bZZjVL7THK1g/s320/iloveyouthismuchaward.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My good pal <a href="http://beggarsshotglass.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-love-you-this-much.html">Sue</a> gave me this award...she was, in turn, given it by our mutual blog friend <a href="http://www.itsmepenelope.com/">Penelope</a>. Wow, I'm touched and honored! In the immortal words of Sally Field..."You love me! You really love me!"</div><div></div><div>So who do I "love this much?" Hm, let's see...<a href="http://ironiccoincidences.blogspot.com/">Snowelf</a>, <a href="http://runningforcassy.blogspot.com/">Rick</a>, <a href="http://ironiccoincidences.blogspot.com/">Sue</a> (back), <a href="http://www.itsmepenelope.com/">Penelope</a> (looping back), <a href="http://totalwasteofmytime.blogspot.com/">Christine</a>, <a href="http://hypermean.com/blog">Daniel</a>, and, of course, "my" <a href="http://sogratefultobemormon.wordpress.com/">Kathleenybeany</a>. :-)</div><div></div><div>You are all loved...you entertain me, make me laugh, and give me something to look forward to. Thanks.</div><div></div><div>More later...</div>jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-78250221447887628252008-05-29T18:46:00.003-05:002008-05-29T18:53:26.103-05:00I'm in!Yesterday, <a href="http://jtj3.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-decided-im-doing-it.html">I posted</a> about finally pulling the trigger and getting into the world of stock photography. After lots of research and reading, I picked <a href="http://istockphoto.com/">iStockPhoto.com</a> as the service to go with. I checked email this morning, and what do I find? A message that tells me this:<br /><br /><blockquote>Congratulations, the iStockphoto administrators have determined that your files are commercially and technically ready for iStockphoto.com. Please begin uploading at your convenience.</blockquote><br />WHOOHOO! This means I can finally quit my day job! OK, not really...being as how I haven't yet uploaded any pictures (other than the sample shots I sent up). Oh, and there's the whole thing of "How do I distinguish my photos from the other 3.1 million really good photos that are already out there???" Uh, I guess I'll worry about that later.<br /><br />Interestingly enough, I listened to the <a href="http://www.thedigitalphotographyshow.com/">Digital Photography Show</a> podcast this morning on the way into work, and they talked about a couple listeners who'd moved from amateur photographers to "working" photographers (making money selling stock photos). Now, very few people are making a living at this, but they said the same thing I was thinking...it's more about validation of one's artistic skills and ability than the money.<br /><br />As soon as I get this whole thing figured out and upload some shots, I'll see if I can link to them from here.<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-17518691724950101142008-05-28T16:31:00.003-05:002008-05-28T16:48:45.636-05:00I decided I'm doing it...Wow, <em>two</em> days in a row with something interesting to say. Look at me.<br /><br />Ever had an experience like this...you're thinking about something, mulling it over in your mind--maybe for months. Playing the "should I or shouldn't I?" game. Trying to consider all the risks and benefits but realizing you don't know what you don't know. Wanting the upside, but being scared of failure or, worse, rejection. But then...you have a conversation with someone, they lay out a couple obvious questions ("What could it hurt?" "What's the worst thing that could happen?") and then you decide...HECK YEA, I'm gonna jump in.<br /><br />Well, that's what I'm doing. I am breaking into the :deep inhale: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_photography">stock photography</a> market. Or at least trying to.<br /><br />I had an email conversation with a bloggosphere pal yesterday (they know who they are!!!) and we touched on this subject. I've done occasional poking around for months. The service I picked (won't name it until I know they accepted me!) is one I heard about on a podcast a few months ago and have checked them out now and again. It's like looking at the inside of a fancy restaurant, then walking all the way in to where the maitre d' acknowledges you, but then backing out the way you came in. You look at *those people* in *that place*, you just don't think you fit it.<br /><br />Well, dag-nabbit, maybe I do.<br /><br />If I pass the 'artistic test' (they like the sample pix I submit), then I'll post more details later. For now--wish me luck.<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-57045193093971894522008-05-27T10:59:00.005-05:002008-05-27T16:16:48.351-05:00Post-race reportFinally, something semi-interesting to write about...lately I feel like my life has been work, school, sleep, repeat same. I don't want to bore y'all with that--heck it's hard enough for ME to stay awake through it...<br /><br />Anyway, this past Saturday was the <a href="http://www.soldierfield10.com/">Soldier Field 10 mile</a> run. It's a race I've done for the past 3 years, and I really enjoy it. It starts and ends (not surprisingly!) at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_Field">Soldier Field</a> in Chicago. It goes south on Lakeshore Drive for about 5 miles, then comes back north on a bike/running path that's right along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The last quarter mile or so curves around the west side of Soldier Field, through one of the north entrances, into the interior area, and out the player's entrance to the field. You run up the sidelines and finish on the 50 yard line, watching yourself on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumbotron">Jumbotron</a>.<br /><br />I'd set a goal for myself to beat my time from last year (my personal record, or PR in runner lingo). I also had another goal of breaking 1:40:00, which is a 10:00 per mile pace. About halfway through I was pretty sure I'd beat my previous time. In the last couple miles, I thought maybe...<em>just maybe</em>...I could break the 1:40:00 mark, as long as I didn't poop out. Well, this year--drumroll, please...I set a new PR. I finished in 1:38:51. That's a 9:53 per mile pace, and is almost 3:30 better than my finish time last year of 1:42:14.<br /><br />Needless to say I was ecstatic! I was also tired, sore, and a little dehydrated, but what the heck...I'd hit both my goals.<br /><br />This race was really the high point of the long weekend--the rest was "honey do" stuff, grilling out, doing some non-work reading, and generally relaxing. All that was fun, too, by the way. Unfortunately too short, but whatcha gonna do?<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-57809599996499456172008-05-14T21:50:00.002-05:002008-11-12T22:35:08.584-06:00I saw it - UPDATEThe picture is crap (Sue none of the fixing in camera or via Photo Shop could clean this up!), but here 'tis. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you--THE WIENERMOBILE!!!<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200431926149293330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIZRgU64dm68r46ShpOElIevXIOP3MGJS33tHeqA46v5RCZpdIRUR_LUjE1uSeFuxbMYjROmvUe5pO36GGqKeMBcdTEvyjEsbKM8HUPqe81VGxtct4XsA0WZyQ43yeUe0dGo1qhyphenhyphenDONY/s320/wienermobile.jpg" border="0" /></div>jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-87804789196372620922008-05-14T14:49:00.003-05:002008-05-14T15:04:43.156-05:00I saw it!OHMYGOSH I saw it, I saw it, I saw it! I was so excited--I didn't expect it, but I turned my head and there it was! Just like on TV! Like ever since I was a little kid!!! AAAAAAAI was so excited I thought I was gonna pass out.<br /><br /><em>**breathes deeply**</em><br /><br />OK, jtj3, slow down...<br /><br />Alright y'all, what I saw was...the Oscar-Meyer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wienermobile">Wienermobile</a>. I was driving home last night, and I came up to an intersection with a left-hand turn lane. I look over in the lane, and see this giant towering pinkish-reddish....<em>THING</em>...on top of a car. I knew it was the Wienermobile immediately. I mean, come on...how could you *not*? And I bet right now, as you're reading this, you're humming:<br /><blockquote><br />"Oh I wish I were an Oscar-Meyer wiener...that is what I truly want to be-e-eeee..."<br /></blockquote><br />If you weren't humming it before, I bet you are now!<br /><br />I happened to have my camera in the front seat with me so I squeezed off a quick picture, but I don't think it came out very well...too dark. Too bad though. I was in the middle of the "go straight" lanes, but for about half a second I considered cutting across traffic and chasing it down.<br /><br />But what would I have done if I'd caught it? And besides, I had places to be and people to see. So I decided to let it just be one of those fleeting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity">serendipities</a> (which would be a GREAT name for a band, by the way) that come and go, and only live on in my mind. It was kinda cool, though.<br /><br />Oh, I wish I were an...oh, nevermind. :-D<br /><br />More later.jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-12522144499414624182008-05-13T10:31:00.004-05:002008-05-13T11:17:10.201-05:00I need a meme fix...So I'm driving into work this morning, thinking "Wow, it's been a long time since I did a meme. I should do one today." I checked--it's been since April 5th. Anyway, I cruised on over to my pal <a href="http://ironiccoincidences.blogspot.com/">Snowelf's</a> site and found that not only had she done a meme, but she <em>tagged me!!!</em> Quelle ironic coincidence (the name of Snow's blog is "Ironic Coincidences"). Anyway, I thought it was funny...<br /><br />So here's my meme. I won't tag anyone, but if any of my pals <em><span style="font-size:85%;">**cough cough** Sue **cough cough** KathleenyBeany **cough cough**</span></em> want to do this, then fine...<br /><br />1.Your name plus “ness”<br />jtj3ness. Uh, yeah, OK...whatever. Ness.<br /><br />2. Two feelings at the moment? Satisfied and thankful.<br /><br />3. What are you listening to right now? Bach's "Sonata for Solo Violin No. 1 in G." Courtesy of my J.S. Bach station on <a href="http://www.pandora.com/">Pandora</a>. Which is like the best website ever, except for Google and Wikipedia.<br /><br />4. Done anything you regret so far this week? Yes. Two stupid little mistakes that no one but me will think about in 5 minutes, much less 5 days, but I'll agonize and obsess over them until I move onto something else.<br /><br />5. Describe where you are right now? 9th floor of the building where I work, on the west side of the building, looking out over the west/far west suburbs of Chicago.<br /><br />6.The highlight of your week? It BETTER BE the fact that I'm going to see "Iron Man" on Friday--cuz if I get bogarted on going to see it, AGAIN, I'm gonna be cranky.<br /><br />7. What are you craving to have right now? More coffee. Which is odd since I *just* finished a 16-oz cup, and that was my 3rd (or 4th, I forget) of the day.<br /><br />8. Who were the last people you went out to dinner with? Hm, Mrs. jtj3's mom and dad came over for Mothers Day and we grilled out, does that count? If not, then it would be Mark, Suzanne, Norm, and Heather--we all went to a charity event/fundraiser on Friday.<br /><br />9. What are you scared of? Lots of things, but mostly of losing the good stuff I have in my life because of dumb mistakes, or fate, or...whatever.<br /><br />10. Last movie you watched? Hm...uh, DVD of Sin City, I guess...<br /><br />11. Do you have feelings for someone? Yes--for Mrs. jtj3!!!<br /><br />12. What is your heritage? Welsh, Irish, little bit of French, and I don't know what else.<br /><br />13. Are you thinking of someone right now? Yes.<br /><br />14. Britney Spears is a skank. Agree or disagree? Totally agree!<br /><br />15. Last thing you downloaded on your computer? "Introducing Joss Stone" by Joss Stone (bought off iTunes, so I guess that counts)...<br /><br />16.Have you changed much this year? Yep...a ton.<br /><br />17. Say something about the person who posted this before you? She's my firstest and bestest blogging buddy, and a really neat-o person. Who I admire a lot. With the whole graduating school/single mom/getting a new job thing. You're awesome Snow. (C:<br /><br />18. Do you like moms? In general, yes.<br /><br />19.Hugs Or Kisses? What, I have to pick? JEEESH...<br /><br />20. Say one of your friends and an inside joke with them. Mrs. jtj3--SASKATOON.<br /><br />21. How many homes have you lived in? 11<br /><br />22. This Q went AWOL. Er, OK...well, send someone out to find it!<br /><br />23. Who was the last person to text message you? My friend Randy<br /><br />24. Where was the last place you went besides where you are? Uh, home last night, I guess...<br /><br />25. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb? No.<br /><br />26. Do you speak any other language other than English? I can make myself understood in French, I know a little bit of Japanese and a little bit of German.<br /><br />27. Last thing you watched on TV? The Today Show this morning.<br /><br />28. Do you dress for style or comfort? Both!<br /><br />29. Name someone with the same b-day as you? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg">Rube Goldberg</a> (who was responsible for the concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_machine">Rube Goldberg machines</a>). Also, Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren ("Dear Abby").<br /><br />30. Ever had a drunken night in Mexico? No but it sounds like fun!<br /><br />31. Whats the craziest thing you’ve done? Skydiving on my 30th? OK not the craziest, but the craziest that I am <em>COMFORTABLE POSTING IN A PUBLIC FORUM</em>...<br /><br />32. Favorite colour(s)? Blue and green<br /><br />33. What are your plans for tonight? Woodworking class!<br /><br />34. What are you looking forward to tomorrow? Hm...catching up on DVR'ed shows, the fact that it's one day closer to when I get to see "Iron Man," the fact that it's hump day...<br /><br />35. Last time you smiled? When I read this question.<br /><br />Are my answers boring? Stupid? Did I answer "Mrs. jtj3" too many times? You decide...<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-51686284654654570622008-05-07T21:34:00.002-05:002008-05-07T21:44:22.650-05:00Blogging is therapy!Must sleep...eyes droopy...can't concentrate...but must....blog...first...... (C:<br /><br />Just a quick one before I hit the hay tonight. I was taking a look at CNN.com, and ran across an interesting story with the headline "<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/05/07/blog.therapy/index.html">Your blog can be group therapy</a>." Great story, and it led me to a great blog, <a href="http://snickollet.blogspot.com/">Snickollet</a>.<br /><br />The story, and the blog, just reinforce what I already knew--this is good therapy! Ahhhh...I feel better already.<br /><br />G'nite, all...more later.jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-22347908830752017392008-05-06T15:36:00.002-05:002008-05-06T15:46:59.493-05:00Missed you! Air kisses!Hey party people. Little did I know 2 weeks or more ago that my last post would be...well, my last post for a while. Life has been good--busy, but good.<br /><br />First, work. Well, work is work. Travelling, meetings, etc., etc., all the regular stuff. Nothing new, other than it's starting to get increasingly more demanding (but also the most fun I've ever had at a job, ever!).<br /><br />I decided work wasn't keeping me busy enough though (HA!) and so I've started on a 2-year MBA program. I just started last week, and it's really a great program. It's all online which works really well for me. I've thought about doing this off and on for many years, but part of what's held me back is travelling and not being able to commit to a regular class. Now, I have no excuse. In (roughly) 2 years, I'll have my degree--SWEET! Needless to say, though, this program is cutting into my free time. Oh well, short term hit for a long term gain...<br /> <br />Speaking of things cutting into my free time--there's blogging, too. I've had a few things pop up here and there that have reminded me that blogging is (was?) starting to have an unhealthy place in my life. I have a somewhat addictive personality by nature, and when I got up to writing 4 blogs and contributing to a 5th, I realized it was time to dial it back a bit.<br /><br />My <a href="http://runswithperseverance.blogspot.com/">Runs With Perseverance</a> blog is still active but on hiatus. Since I'm not training for anything now, I don't really have that much to say about running other than "ran this far, this pace." Big deal. So I decided to combine my running with this blog (again...in fact it sprung out of this blog). I wanted to keep my photo blog because it's not much work and it's fun. All the other stuff is either gone, or I'm not participating in any more. Just too much.<br /><br />Well...I think I've got my priorities straight now, at least I hope so. We'll see how this all goes. Even if I stop blogging completely, though (perish the thought!) I'll still come visit y'all occasionally, and will continue my "private email, off the bloggosphere" friendships.<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-45003462182611389932008-04-18T09:41:00.002-05:002008-04-18T13:56:37.982-05:00The Million Blog ListI was doing some poking around last night and came across a brilliant new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki">Wiki</a> site called the <a href="http://millionbloglist.com/index.php?title=Main_Page">Million Blog List</a>. It's an experiment to see how quickly they can get 1,000,000 blogs listed on their site.<br /><br />I registered my blogs last night, and <a href="http://jtj3.blogspot.com/">jtj3</a> is #575 on the list. The interesting thing--as I write this, it's up to #633...so 58 more blogs added in a 10 hour period. Interesting. They have a contest to see who can predict when they'll hit the 1,000,000th blog. I won't enter--I always stink at guessing games like that.<br /><br />One other thing that is fun to do is look through the list and find blogs that you might like--then, visit them, trade blogroll links, whatever. That's my plan...<br /><br />Today is Friday, which would normally imply a Flash Fiction post. Maybe today...not so much. But we'll see.<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-83102524627317740522008-04-16T09:36:00.003-05:002008-04-16T15:37:19.380-05:00Things that e-rritate me...Since we (me, and all y'all that read this) are pretty internet savvy, connected, smart-device, text messaging, POP3 email on my mobile device, chic-geek (copyright on that term!!!) kinda people, more or less, I'm just curious--do any of <em><u>you</u> </em>know those kind of people who don't exactly "get it" when it comes to the connected world, and especially email? I was thinking about this on the way in--stuff that e-rritates me (like the "e" in email, and 'irritates'--again, copyright on the word!). So, I'm coming up with a set of rules for the 5 or so technologically challenged friends I have...<br /><ul><li>Chain emails don't work. Ever.</li><li>Forwarding chain emails should be considered a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venal_sin">venial sin</a>. Or possibly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_sin">mortal</a>.</li><li>Forwarding chain emails with a note saying "I never forward these things, but..." does not absolve you.</li><li>Each funny picture you include in an email increases the size of the message. Sometimes a lot. To the extent that sending (or receiving!) some messages is like trying to stuff a 10 inch turd through a 5 inch pipe...</li><li>Speaking of pictures--if you send an email that's supposed to have a picture, and the picture isn't there when I get it, you should assume it's something *you* did wrong in sending it.</li><li>When you send me something, assume I got it. Especially when you send 10 emails to me, and I respond to one saying "Funny!" or some other lame-ass comment. It's not like the US Post Office--if your email doesn't get to me, chances are you'll get a notification telling you why, then you can resend it (or better yet, <em>NOT</em>...).</li><li>If your email has been forwarded multiple times, how about you do everyone a favor and clean up the headers...I don't need to see that 'a' forwarded this message to a hundred people, and 'b' who was on 'a's list forwarded it to a hundred people, and 'c' also forwarded it...you get the idea. Hopefully.</li><li>Before you forward a message about how Microsoft is going to give you $20 for every email you forward, or how we can stick it to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_man">The Man</a> (side note--I find it fascinating that Wikipedia actually has an entry for "the man"...) by not buying gas on a specific day, or something that sounds too good to be true--please, please, please, check Snopes.com (or a similar site) to see if it's an urban legend. Cuz first, it's a waste of time for me to have to check <em><u>your</u></em> facts and second, you're gonna be pretty embarassed when I do a "Reply All" and say "Hey sorry dude, urban legend..."</li></ul><p>I could go on and on, but I think that's a good enough list for now. There...I feel better.</p><p>So, what e-rritates you? </p><p><strong><u><em>UPDATE:</em></u></strong> Oh yeah, thought of one more. Why, oh why, people, do you send me jokes, videos, pictures, whatever that insult my nationality, my religious affiliation, my choice of sports teams, or (ESPECIALLY) my political beliefs? The political jokes--HUGE e-rritant for me. I'm a registered member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_%28United_States%29">Democratic Party</a> (and proud of it), so humor that denegrates either the party, its membership, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton doesn't strike me as funny. Thanks for playin'. </p>jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-24928387555598106552008-04-15T20:12:00.004-05:002008-04-15T20:18:38.522-05:00Sorta recycling, again--Boston MarathonThis is kinda sorta swiped from my <a href="http://runswithperseverance.blogspot.com/">running blog</a>--just slightly modified for a different audience. Not only because it's a cool topic, but...er...I have nothing interesting to say today (like that's ever stopped me!)<br /><br />Anyway-- it's 6 days until the 112th running of the <a href="http://www.bostonmarathon.org/">Boston Marathon</a>. Not that I'm running it, mind you. Still, it's a banner day for the sport of running.<br /><br />I'm willing to bet that most people, even those who don't know what a marathon is all about, have some familiarity with Boston. It's a true classic, and has a long and storied history (read more about it <a href="http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/History.asp">here</a>). Not too long ago I finished reading one of those stories--John Brant's excellent story of the 1982 Boston Marathon entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Duel-Sun-Beardsley-Americas-Greatest/dp/1594862621/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208306560&sr=8-3">Duel In The Sun</a>. If you haven't read it, I recommend it highly. Even if you're a non-runner, you'll still appreciate the back-and-forth battle that stretched for the entire race.<br /><br />Boston is different from most marathons, in that runners have to qualify (with a few limited exceptions) by finishing another marathon within a specific time goal determined by age. I know what it takes to <a href="http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/Qualifying.asp">qualify</a>, and I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for those who do. I just don't see myself ever getting the hallowed qualifying time of 3:20, based on my current age. In fact, when I'm 80 the qualifying time will be 5:00--heck, I'd feel happy to run a 5:00 marathon <u>now</u>! Unless something changes radically, my participation is going to be limited to watching it on TV.<br /><br />There's going to be tons of coverage through all kinds of media outlets. The <a href="http://www.versus.com/">Versus</a> network is going to be showing live coverage. There will also be streaming coverage on the World Championship Sports Network at <a href="http://www.wcsn.com/">WCSN.com</a>. Steve Runner, runner and podcaster extraordinaire, is recording a podcast during the race, and you'll be able to monitor his progress via his <a href="http://www.steverunner.com/">website</a>.<br /><br />Even if you don't watch the whole thing, or can't catch it live, you should at least take a look. There's truly nothing like it--especially the finish.<br /><br />Who knows--if it's super-exciting, I may even post a race wrap up. We'll see.<br /><br />More later...<br /></span><span id="fullpost"></span>jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-34416607395951208942008-04-14T17:19:00.003-05:002008-11-12T22:35:09.159-06:00Music Monday - Madeleine Peyroux<div>I figured it was getting a little repetitive to have a bunch of posts entitled "Music Monday", so I thought that adding the artist name in the title would be a good idea...</div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189296648037731266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="169" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCd3Iz_VitHrRAqnTKkZ8iLX-Vut7_zeKCApPgXWu9ls84ShLRj9Y-79fsz144Q_-GiqM7r1AAxxQmcfvuq0u28yA-2HXEBP64kMSdK7_heIJhgiGdGCDeKo38bh46V9OYf68D3-LQho/s320/careless+love.jpg" width="169" border="0" /><br />Today's Music Monday CD is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Careless-Love-Madeleine-Peyroux/dp/B0002NRRAG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208226447&sr=1-1">Careless Love</a>, the 2nd release from jazz singer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeline_Peyroux">Madeleine Peyroux</a>. 11 of the 12 tracks are remakes of jazz or pop standards, with the exception of the 2nd track, "Don't Wait Too Long."<br /><br />I love Madeleine's voice, and the tracks all sound like the type of music you'd hear in a small jazz club somewhere in the middle of Paris. Small wonder, as she spent her formative years living and singing in Paris. It's somewhat minimalist--not a lot of over-production, and not a lot of instruments. Just a basic jazz quartet with vocals.<br /><br />My favorite track on the whole CD is her cover of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker">Josephine Baker's</a> classic "J'ai Deux Amours" ('I Have Two Loves'), a song about her deep love for Paris. It's a great song about a great city, and it's a great rendition on this disc.<br /><br />If you like jazz, even a little, give this CD a spin.<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-49998319571198437972008-04-11T09:16:00.004-05:002008-04-14T17:28:42.505-05:00Recycling a 55FFF post...I'm "green", kinda sorta, so I'm all about conservation and recycling and stuff. So, in that vein, I decided to recycle a post I wrote on the <a href="http://55flashfictionfriday.blogspot.com/">55 Flash Fiction Friday</a> blog back in February. If you follow my <a href="http://runswithperseverance.blogspot.com/">running blog</a> (SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION!!!), you know that I had to stop for a few weeks because of pneumonia. I'm still not back to 100%, so I figure if I can't write about my running I'll write fiction about running...<br /><br /><em>Five miles into it, sweat pouring down, legs pumping, heart racing.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>He did this every week, whether he wanted to or not.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>He was past the pain, the cramps, and into his zone.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>The miles clicked past effortlessly, and he could have run forever.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>"I've unleashed my inner Kenyan," he smiled to himself in triumph.</em><br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-44022619936711864862008-04-10T17:16:00.003-05:002008-04-10T17:23:24.772-05:00Hey, wanna see THE MOST irritating thing on the web?It's RIGHT HERE!!! I'm a huge fan of the <a href="http://www.confessionsofarunner.com/">Confessions of a Runner</a> podcast. Jodi put an audio clip of this song into one of her 'casts. Since listening to it Monday, I have been unable to get this damned thing out of my head. It's irritating, but it'll stick with you...<br /><br />Warning you...<br /><br />Last chance...<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s8MDNFaGfT4&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s8MDNFaGfT4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />How much of it did you actually listen to? I figure the average is about 30 seconds, and then you're scarred for life...<br /><br />More later...jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797795777181618452.post-57292359444084390312008-04-10T15:28:00.002-05:002008-04-10T16:00:14.418-05:00From around the globe...Not much going on in the fast-paced, fun filled world of jtj3 today (side note--is it me, or is it irritating when people refer to themselves in third person? Sorry 'bout that...), so I thought I'd share some news stories/links that caught my interest recently:<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/24038502">Katie Couric leaving CBS?</a> CNBC.com ran a story today referring to a piece in the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/us">Wall Street Journal</a>. The piece quotes unnamed sources saying that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_couric">Katie Couric</a> may be leaving CBS News well ahead of the expiration of her contract in 2011...possibly as soon as late January next year. Apart from a short-lived bump in the ratings at the start of her tenure, CBS Evening News has been consistently at the bottom of the ratings heap.</li><li><a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2188159/">8 glasses a day? PFFFFT!</a> A recent <a href="http://www.asn-online.org/press/pdf/2008-Media/Water%20Study.pdf">editorial</a> in the <em>Journal of the American Society for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephrology">Nephrology</a></em> calls into question the idea that we need to drink eight full 8 oz. glasses of water each day for optimum health. Turns out this idea has been popular for over 200 years, but no research exists to show that this amount of water is needed or is beneficial.</li><li><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/04/10/frog.indonesia.ap/index.html">Look, ma, no lungs!</a> CNN.com has a report on a species of frog found in Indonesia that has no lungs and breathes through its skin. Scientists say that this species is a good example of "extreme evolution"--rapid change based on extreme environmental conditions. Study of the species could offer more clues into the evolutionary process in general.</li><li><a href="http://okayfinedammit.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/when-did-david-beckham-start-writing-books/">Slavery is alive and well.</a> Maggie over at <a href="http://okayfinedammit.wordpress.com/">Okay, Fine, Dammit</a> had an enlightening and disturbing post today about the human slave trade. Some estimates say there are as many as 27 million slaves in the world today. <em>Quelle</em> eye-opener.</li><li><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/community/ci_8874173">I'm <strong><em>not</em></strong> leaving, on a jet plane...</a> <a href="http://www.aa.com/">American Airlines</a> cut 1,100 flights on Wednesday and another 900 on Thursday to re-inspect the majority of their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MD-80">MD-80</a> fleet, according to the San Jose Mercury News. It stinks to be stranded--but then again, if it's a flight-safety issue, I'd rather be stranded than up in the air wondering "what if?" for the whole flight...</li></ul><p>There's more--LOTS more--but that's enough for now. Man, the Internet is amazing isn't it?</p><p>More later...</p>jtj3http://www.blogger.com/profile/17729843259515653074noreply@blogger.com4