Top Gear unveils another excellent special. This feature once again solidifies Top Gear as the automotive show du jour. Fifth Gear needs to take note; screw the antics - writing is everything.

The cast and crew over at Top Gear may not have racing pedigrees but their exceptional talents in media journalism makes for great storytelling, which in turn, makes for great television. Let me not forget the fantastic production value of the show thanks to Andy Wilman. A good story is only half the battle; music, dialog, quality of shots and the like all have to be paced and filmed just right.

To say I’m anxious for the return of Top Gear in the fall is an understatement.

Magnetosphere started life as a Processing application built by Robert Hodgin then ported over “line by line to C++” by the crew over at Barbarian Group. There are extra controls so be sure to check the FAQ. It even runs well on my old MDD G4. Very glad I stumbled across this piece.

The timing couldn’t have been better as Steven just uploaded TC’s Flatliner track. On the Legacy mix with DJ Odi this track comes in around minute 25 and it is a rather brief verse. Thanks for digging this one up Steven!

New tshirt from So Softies. Took quite a while to get here, but I’m happy it finally arrived.

Thanks bud!

It’s 11:37PM. I’m sitting in bed with my wife and 4 day old son. And I am crying. Why, pray tell, is the Meltron weeping? Well my friends, I just spent 1 hour and 54 minutes of my life watching Curse of the Golden Flower. These tears aren’t of joy, but of utter sadness; this was by far the the second worst movie I have ever seen. Sure there are worse with no budgets and horrible effects, but I haven’t watched them.

Where can I begin with this piece of crap?! I’m too tired and upset to find the words right now, but as gentle as I can be, this movie was piss!

Tomorrow more details.

Life is a journey, and you take the time to smell every single rose along the way. Your brain is a sponge, soaking up every detail of life around you, and you constantly look inward to figure out the ties that bind you to the universe. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it’s what makes you tick. You might like hobbies like participating in archaeological digs, botany, assembling models, playing the stock market, meditation or even parapsychology.

What’s your next move?

July 17, 2007 / 9:53 AM / 5lbs. 12oz.

Yea, he’s small but he is healthy and strong. My wife pushed twice and Elijah made his grand entrance; 15 minute labor. Fastest birth I have seen, so awesome.

We’re still at arms as to what Elijah’s middle name should be. We have: Scott, Arland, Matthew and Robert on the discussion table. Maybe new names will popup or we’ll settle on one above. Who knows…

UPDATE
Elijah James Hale

Rock!

No other body builder has ever captured my imagination - or the worlds for that matter - like Arnold “The Oak” Schwarzenegger. Prior to Lou Ferigno no one had seen anything like Arnold. Standing 6′ 2″ tall and weighing in at 240lbs., Arnold was a menacing sight. Even more amazing was that he was near perfectly proportioned for being such a large body builder. His intensity, charisma and “I can conquer it all” attitude solidified his status as a legend even prior to his Mr. Olympia sweeps from 1970 - ‘75. No one ever doubted that whatever Arnold set his mind to, he would conquer. From the goal of perfecting his body to cleaning up the California political system, Arnold understood the importance of the pursuit of excellence.

I’m writing this because I was looking at the picture of me below thinking, “Geez, I look like a sucka!” I seriously need to hit the gym, but when can I find the time? I may not get to Arnold’s level but dammit, I’m getting fit by any means necessary.

The good news is that I’ve lost a lot of weight. The bad news is that now my head looks even larger! There is no denying the truth, I have a big arse head.

Yesterday I did my first alleycat race. I was doing quite well at the start and would have finished in the top 10 at least. Unfortunately the dude I was following at the start of the race decided he was heading home so he finally turns to me and was like, oh, I’m riding home you need to be heading in the other direction. Ugh, I was so annoyed. Why are you even riding with us then jackass!? I was pissed. So I had to reroute myself towards the first checkpoint.

Hustlin’ to catch the pack, I managed to trail in with a few guys, but still, I placed dead frikkin’ last. Whatever, at least I finished and that’s all that mattered. Not sure if I’ll do another one - I’ve got a wife and kids to think about and riding like a madman through Manhattan city streets is so going to shorten my lifespan - but it was hella fun.

One thing that was apparent is that I need new rims/tires. While the 27″ rims are great for general commuting and the Gatorskins will never puncture, they add way too much weight. I might pick up a cheap pair of Weinmann DP18 clinchers with a decent set of road tires for those times when I want to ride fast.