Yet another weekly round-up.

So despite NTT's Brain being on a different continent, he's still posting his daily sketches...Who's da Man?!...NTT's Brain's da man!

Had dinner and drinks with the Acupuncturist on Friday night. We're both convinced that this new bar I discovered absolutely rocks. Played Rummicube, Wit's End, Connect Four, and Phase 10. I had no idea that the Acupuncturist was as much a trivia goob as I was...who knew that he could properly sequence the length of despotic reigns, in years, of the worlds pre-WWII Tyrants....yep, that's exactly what I said.

Signing up for a track day at Thunder-Hill in early November. I need more seat time and I'm glad it's a Miata mostly run group. I hate being in a large pack tricked out EVO's and track-prepped STI's with R-comps. They simply accelerate too quickly, brake too deeply, and grip too hellaciously for my car and my skill level to keep up. I suppose in the right hands, my car would be a match but when it comes right down to it, there is no denying the extra 500 lbs., my 350 lbs springs vs 600 to 700 pounders they're running, and the Toyo Proxes RA-1's on 17 pound forged aluminum wheels. With Miata's on the track, I should at least be able to reign them in on the straights. All that's left to do on the car is rear pads and brake bleed. I'll be doing that this weekend.

Read the theDiscourser's blog on Ding's 16th. I absolutely despise that show on MTV, "My Super Sweet Sixteen"....and I truly believe the MTV execs know that this is the case for most viewers. The problem with TV programming today is that it panders to the lowest common denominator. What it comes down to is viewership...and that's about it. Forget about the content, whether it presents a bad message, or perpetuates our worst stereotypes, or glorifies our worst value's...the blanket justification is 2-fold:

Firstly: "If you don't like the program, feel free to change the channel."
And Secondly: "Our program is a reflection of society. We don't make up a thing."

And my answer is the same on both counts, "How do you sleep at night?" Who gives a rat's ass if you're not making it up or that we have a pseudo free-market system of TV/Cable channels. MTV continues to be an important source of information about the world to our young people...it has been for a generation. MTV cannot deny their impact on forming young people's world views, values, and mores. It's not just music and entertainment folks!...TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

Anywayz, I'm glad Ding wasn't seduced into imagining that she somehow deserves the "Super Sweet Sixteen" treatment....and that her self-worth and social standing relies on the impressiveness of her birthday party.

So the lawn is continuing to be ravaged by raccoons and possums. Every weekend, I find myself repairing the holes they dig up with their disgusting little maws. I'm using a wide spectrum grub and insect killer on the lawn. The guys at the nursery believe that what it comes down to is eliminating the food source. It's hit or miss at best. I'd like to use the crystallized Coyote urine again but I can't bring myself to spend 16 bucks for each container especially when each container is good for only 2 weeks a stretch.

What I need, I tell ya, is a motion-activated animatronic Wolf...or forget the animatronics, just give me the Wolf. Let me rent one for a couple of weekends every couple of months. That should do the job.

Gotta go....