MY NORDIC TRACK IS BUSTED! I'm sorry to have to start today's Everyman in crisis mode, but after 14 years of use, my [NordicTrack] is finally showing its age. The electronic box that calculates distance and time stopped working two days ago, and I noticed the main pulley assembly wheel is getting extremely hot after a typical 60-minute workout. On the bright side, this may turn out great since I found a "Free Nordic Track!" ad on Craigslist from someone in Shelburne, just 10 minutes away. I haven't received a reply yet. I often think that if I could make a living Nordic Track Skiing I'd jump on it, even if it would involve Nordic Track repair. But the Nordic Track Ski Machine has never really taken off, so until it does I'll keep writing code for a living and go with my best Donald Sutherland in Kelly's Heroes, "I only ride 'em, I don't know what makes 'em work."
The Genius of Robblehead. Telligent's 2nd Annual Conference has come and gone. Congrats to everyone at Telligent on their ongoing successes. 200 attendees. That's really amazing. Just two years ago there were 10 nerds sitting around a conference table and we called it a Meet-up. The #in.Telligent Tweet stream gave you a good sense of what was going on in almost real time. Special thanks to Paula Thorton who provided excellent coverage and perspective.
Up the Creek Everyman Link Update. In Everyman Links for June 16, 2008 I sent a plea out into the Cosmic Void, "Where's my Up the Creek DVD???" I have good news to report for Netflix Roku users, as Up the Creek is now available for instant viewing. Still no DVD, but I'll take it. Now if the 1940 classic Northwest Passage starring Spencer Tracy and Robert Young were available for instant viewing on Roku I'd be a happy man.
Don't call your Mom! I know we are advised to call our Moms regularly. I even remember Thomas Friedman saying that in an interview. Normally I'd say that's the best advice in the world, but I strongly suggest that you do NOT call your Mom for the next couple of weeks. I'm serious. Wait until after the election. You don't want to be engaged with someone who you love dearly telling you it's okay for the economy to carry a $455 billion budget deficit, but Clinton should rot in hell because he got head in the Oval Office. Don't do it.
Today's Friedman. My Super-Hip buddy from Western Pennsylvania (sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?) sent me this hysterical Modern World cartoon lampooning Friedman. You need to appreciate the Friedman Unit to get some of the cartoon's humor. Friedman was on a recent Bill Maher Real Time show as the guest interview. You'll find that on the Episode 137 podcast. The podcast terminated at 17 minutes in, shortly after the panel discussion started (weird, and this wasn't the first time a Real Time podcast was cut off), but at least we get the complete Friedman.
Scary Halloween Costumes, 2008 Edition. Snopes.com posted a list of top Halloween costumes for 2008. Nothing of interest or very scary on the list. If you want a scary Halloween mask, check out the photo on this Andrew Sullivan post.
Joe Paterno, you [still] rock! I was raised in South Central PA, but somehow never came to appreciate Penn State football coach Joe Paterno until many years later. He's 82 and still coaching...successfully. He's not running the whole show as he might have once been, but can you imagine being that vital and engaged at 82? Fantastic!
Bad Cheerios. While I said earlier you should avoid talking to your Mom until after Election Day, it's still okay to talk to your Pop. Here's a joke he told me on the phone earlier this week. I wrote it out in this Everyman Link but deleted it after finding a better version archived here. Thanks, Dad!