Shameless Materialism

I promise to MARRY anybody who buys me these shoes. Ok well maybe not marry (especially since that would eliminate half of the population) but I'll name my first child after you.

Model: Nike Shox NZ iD Running
Price: $110.00
Gender: Male
Size: 12
Base color: Black
Accent color: Black
Swoosh color: Yellow Zest
Swoosh border: Yellow Zest
Lace color: Yellow Zest
Personal iD color: Yellow Zest
Lining color: Yellow Zest
Heel Plate Color: Black
Column color: Yellow Zest
Symbol/iD: Personal iD
Primary iD: ARMYONE

Yeah, custom running shoes... forgive me, I just always wanted a pair.

Thirteen Days and Counting

Today is payday baby! I have thirteen days to spend it in too. What should I buy?

Fourteen Days and Counting

Exactly two weeks from now, I'll be flying to Ft. Jackson S.C. to start basic training. To those of you who want to know what happened to the extra two days I had yesterday... I lost them. Would you believe that it was my math skills that enabled me to score a 99 on the ADSVAB? I am very excited. I also need to get busy and take care of some things before I leave.

France Wants to Kiss and Make Up

France apparently wants to forget past hostility and is going along with the US demand to lift sanctions against post-war Iraq. The downside is that France wants renewed UN inspections which the US is opposed to.

Verbal Psychedelia

Hunter S. Thompson has quite a bit to say about the wonders of nude bowling. He's the sports writer from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas who now writes occasionally for ESPN.com. Careful reading of his writing reveals... absolutely nothing. I am inclined to say that his work is a glimpse into a brain addled by several tons of illegal drugs and untold gallons of alcohol. The troubling thing is that I find him fascinating.

Football Player Shot Before Draft Day

This is why all professional athletes should invest in a vest. The player who was shot said he was just in the "wrong place at the wrong time" but I'd venture to guess that athletes spend about 90% of their off all their time in the "wrong place".

Seventeen Days and Counting

You'd think that somebody with so little time left in civilian life would be feverishly preparing and tying up loose ends in his life. Not me. I am at home finishing off my roommates' DVD collection. I might even play some video games after lunch, but probably not. It requires too much thought.

Honda's Rube Goldberg contraption

This ad reportedly took 606 takes to get right. It's so cool that many people are forwarding it to their friends. Instead I am posting it here.

Ny Times Scoop on Iraq Chemical Weapons

The NY Times reports that an unidentified Iraqi scientist has revealed that Iraq actually destroyed stockpiles of chemical weapons before the war. This news is already second-hand since I got it from Kausfiles.
That makes me think though, maybe I should try to narrow the focus of this blog. It's not a news blog as I there is no way I could ever manage to keep abreast of all the important news events. Then again, it's not really easy to categorize because I am the subject matter of the blog. I'll continue to pos whatever I feel like writing about and whatever is going on in my life.

Happy Easter!

I celebrated Easter by staying home. I decided to rest after attempting to run early in the morning. I had felt like I had quite a bit of plegm lodged inmy lungs but as soon as I stepped on the treadmill I felt as if I had sand in my lungs. I'd been coughing all day but hadn't realized that I might actually have a problem. Naturally, I suspect SARS. By the way, did you know that China just copped to having more cases of SARS than previously acknowledged? More SARS here, and here too!
ESPN has a great article about professional athletes' involvement in the war effort. The gist of the article is that athletes usually can't be bothered to think of anybody but themselves, the notable exceptions being former football player Pat Tillman and minor league hockey player Andy Lundbohm.
In other sports news, England may be forced to play it's international soccer matches in an empty stadium!

Nigerian Elections

Peaceful democratic process in Africa is the exception and not the rule. Nigeria is no different. My homeland has been riven by violent turmoil as long as I can remember and before that too. The recent presidential and parliamentary elections in Nigeria have not been going smoothly. The incumbent, President Olusegun Obasanjo, is winning according to the official word but the opposition party has accused his party of using intimidation tactics, bribery, and fraud to maintain power. I have no doubt the allegations are true. I also believe the opposition is doing the same, however. Corruption is the default assumption in African politics. I wonder what is necessary for democracy to take root in an African Nation. Is the entire continent cursed? Read all about the situation here, here, and here.
By the way, the last two links are from an excellent African news website called AllAfrica.com. The best place to get depressing news about the Dark continent.