Just Keep Running, Just Keep Running, Just Keep Running

A fellow gradfolk decided that he wanted to try a 10k and asked if I would run with him. Sure! Anyway, today was his first 10k, and I ran it with him. It was at a pretty cool and very runner-friendly place. The weather was a bit chilly with a very nice misty fog hovering around for the start. By the end, the sun popped out and brought in a lovely day.

Runbuddy did really well, too. He made it all the way through with a good pace, even though the longest he had previously run was about 7-8k. Our final time was around 55min. Hooray for him! Fun for me! Tshirts for us both! Little American Flags for everyone! (please forgive the Simpsons reference)

Extra bonus reason to get out and run in the morning - some moron pulled the fire alarm about 30 minutes after I left. My roommate said it stayed on for about 30 minutes. yeesh.

Minor Link Dump

1. How many people can you recognize in this picture?

2. Wasn't someone talking about hot Dr Pepper?

3. Fun distorted world maps.

4. Weird Yin/Yang Game.

5. A really interesting post (with really interesting comments) on the idea that if the human body is intelligently designed, the job was poorly done.

6. Ans finally, a couple of videos of the same song. I'm not a big fan of the song, but the choreography is quite cool. It starts really slowly, so bear with them.



or, with box-headed folk:

A Quiz, A Quiz, My Kingdom For a Quiz

So, you guys did well, but I was able to get you guys on a few songs last time. Here's the remainder:

1. Pictures Of Matchstick Men - Camper Van Beethoven (told you that one was hard)
3. Somebody to Love - Queen
4. What's Your Name - Lynyrd Skynyrd
10. Stop Dragging My Heart Around - Tom Petty

So let's dive in again! I put this one together pretty quickly, so it's not as devious as the last couple - enjoy!

1.

Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers in the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow

2.

Some would say I was a lost man in a lost world
You could say I lost my faith in the people on TV
You could say I'd lost my belief in our politicians
They all seemed like game show hosts to me

3.

If someone else is suffering enough to write it down
When every single word makes sense
Then it's easier to have those songs around

4.

There's a black man with a black cat
Living in a black neighborhood
Hes got an interstate running through his front yard
You know, he think, that hes got it so good

5.

Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
Going to the candidates debate
Laugh about it, shout about it
When you've got to choose
Every way you look at it, you lose

6.

Do you remember when we used to dance
And incidence arose from circumstance
One thing lead to another we were young
And we would scream together songs unsung

7.

And even as I wander
I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winters night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might

8.

I've been waiting for the phone to ring all night
Why you wanna make me feel so good
I got a love of my own
Shouldn't get so hung up on you

9.

Before this river becomes an ocean
Before you throw my heart back on the floor
Oh baby I reconsider my foolish notion
Well I need someone to hold me
But I'll wait for something more

10.

Loving you isn't the right thing to do
How can I ever change things that I feel
If I could, maybe I'd give you my world
How can I, when you won't take it from me

and a bonus that I unexpectedly heard tonight:

Here I stand, the goddess of desire
Set men on fire
I have this power
Morning noon and night it's drink and dancing
Some quick romancing
And then a shower
Stage door johnnies always surround me
They always hound me
With one request
Who can satisfy their lustful habits
I'm not a rabbit
I need some rest

What, Me Advise?

I got a note from a student a few days ago entitled "Thinking about dropping - advice?"

He's a good student, and he's doing fine in the class, but I can see that he's a stressball. He transfered into USU from a community college, and I think he may be still a bit overwhelmed about what he's being required to do in classes here. Added to that, my class is a monster timesink. There's a big classtime commitment and the expectation is that people really need to put in at least an hour at home for every hour in class (aren't all classes supposed to be like that? 20 credit hours = full time student, right?).

So anyway, I asked if he wanted to meet up and talk about what was going on. He said he was really trying to keep a 4.0 is his core classes and my class was eating too much into his other study time. The class is also just hard. It's really not intuitive to most folks, and although it does get easier with time, we increase the speed as we move along.

It's all understandable. Major classes are obviously more important to graduation that mine. He's taking this class because it may help his grad application look better (which it may), but mainly because he really likes the subject. We talked for a long while, and I aimed him toward a few folks that might advise him from a less biased point of view.

I was able to get him to stay in the class. I hope I did right by him, because he's doing fine in the class (and not taking it for a grade), but it's always going to be a timesink.

Long and rambling post, but I'm trying to post a bit more about what's going on in my world, so there ya go.

With Great Quiz Comes Great Responsibility

Well, I guess I got a little overly-excited about the possible return of the lyrics quiz, and I went bit bonkers with the more obscure parts of the songs. If you didn't google to find out what the songs were, perhaps you'll get a kick out of the unguessed answers:

3 - Right Now - Van Halen
4 - Olivia Newton-John - Magic (Reverse skate!)
6 - Dan Fogelberg - Leader of the Band
7 - Phil Collins - Jesus He Loves Me
8 - Pat Bennatar - Invincible

Special points awarded to Zerodoll and Brightstar. Even though you didn't know that I Want to Be a Cowboy was written by Boys Don't Cry, well, I bet they don't even remember they wrote it. Is it still running through your brain?

Your homework is to listen to the songs that you weren't able to guess. Don't like, buy them or anything, but listen to 'em. Ya know... legally and stuff.

So, now that I've got a little bit of time, what say we try this again? Maybe with a bit better balance? :)

1 - Another really hard one to start things off:

Windows echo your reflection
When I look in their direction now
There your face is haunting me
Your face just won't leave me alone

2 - The 'how old are you' entry

Come Friday we'll be jacked up on the football game
And I'll be ready to fight
We're gonna smash 'em now
My girl will be working on her pom-poms now
And she'll be yelling tonight

3 - High on my list for singing loudly and badly

Got no feeling, I got no rhythm
I just keep losing my beat (you just keep losing, and losing)
I'm ok, I'm alright (he's alright, he's alright)
I ain't gonna face no defeat (yeah, yeah)

4 - Ah, bands behaving badly...

It seems that one of the crew
Had a go with one of the guests, oh yes
Well, the police said we can't drink in the bar
What a shame
Won't you come upstairs girl
And have a drink of champagne

5 - Um... Less romantic and more gross

I've got your picture, I've got your picture
I'd like a million of you all 'round myself
I want a doctor to take your picture
So I can look at you from inside as well

6 - How geeky are you?

Standing there alone, the ship is waiting
all systems are go, are you sure?
control is not convinced
but the computer has the evidence
"no need to abort"
the countdown starts

7 - Sing this with a bit of reverb at the end

You're in his eye
And you'll know why
The more you live
The faster you will die

8 - Bonus for spelling

Now you’re the prettiest by far
No party she’d not attend
No invitation she wouldn’t send
Transfixed by the inner sound
Of your promise to be found

9 - Air piano is required here

What does it matter to ya,
When you've got a job to do you gotta do it well,
You gotta give the other fellow hell

10 -

Baby, you'll come knocking on my front door
Same old line you used to use before
I said yeah well, what am I supposed to do
I didn't know what I was getting into