soundbites of the day (gerrrtbites, if you will)

In the nutrition section of Ed Burke's Serious Cycling, he says: "...the body only stores up to four years worth of Vitamin B12..."

Are you fucking kidding me? Four Years ??!??!! That can't be right. And if it is: What POSSIBLE evolutionary purpose does that serve? As if 1 year worth of reserves might not be enough?

So I did some searching about the source of B12 - if we can store it for years, we must be getting plenty of it in our daily diet, eh? Well, apparently the vegetarians/vegans need to beware of deficiency because, as a bacterial source (technically, B12 isn't a nutrient, it's a contamination) it's most commonly found in milk and animal products. Curious about B12? For the bio-medically inclined, for the spiritual/homeopathically inclined (which I lump in with the prayer-water people), and then something a little more readable. Between the three, what understanding I get out of it is: in order to be healthy... (drum roll please).... eat a sensible diet.

Some of these folks get SO obsessed with the uptake of ____ polypeptide in confluence with _____ andromorph, while moderating the effects of _____ turboencabulation, that it seems like the only purpose of all of this is to scare the shit out themselves (or others). I'm sorry, but I can't devote that much time to obsessing about what I eat. Get some calories, some carbohydrates, some protein, a little vitamin C here, a little vitamin D there, a little bit of fat (for fun and tasty), some fiber (so you poop), drink plenty of water, and then get some sunshine and GO OUT AND LIVE YOUR FRICKIN' LIFE. Obsessing about the differences between Indian Ocean Kelp and Adriatic Sea Kelp and whether one or the other will improve your diabetes, all the while carrying around 280 pounds of body weight, doesn't seem like one's priorities are in the right place.

How about just going for a walk and breathing some fresh air?
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Hello, Little Car of Mine. I'm sorry I've been neglecting you. Let's go for a drive.

Not having to drive to work for the past 5 weeks has definitely changed my driving patterns. I went out to my car today, not having driven it since.... oh, shit. I have no idea... a week? I know my memory is bad, but this is ridiculous... I literally found a cobweb on my car (right next to the leaves and the bird shit).

From 300-400 miles/week commuting, to not having moved it out of it's parking space since... Thursday, I think... it's a little weird to get back in the car. I didn't miss it or anything, just a noticable change from biking/walking to driving.
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You have GOT to be kidding me. Amazon.com has definitely jumped the shark on this one. Might as well be Wal-mart selling 'em, for all the romance that is embodied in such a proposal...
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From the book club selection for the month The Prince of Tides :

"You and I aren't crazy, Tom. We're normal. Especially me. You get a little moody sometimes, but I think that's because you like to read. People that like to read are always a little fucked up."

The irony of reading this passage as a part of Book Club is not lost on me, that's for sure.
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A leftover excerpt from my adventure in Chicago's Millenium Park: One section of the park has a photographic display of some other famous parks, and the landscape architecture and uses of water, etc., etc.

Jargon that caught my attention: "as cities become more hardscaped...."

What the hell is "hardscaped"? Other than some clerk at the Bureau of Parks and Recreation who has extra time on their hands and an overactive imagination. I'm fond of making up words (progressivistically, of course), but when you're making something with longevity, monuments in a public park for example, you might want to stick with somewhat sedate, classical prose.
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last, but not least: I picked up something on the road today which cut through the tread of a tire, causing a flat and putting a serious crimp in my ride. For some reason I'm blaming this one on the Vittoria Rubino Pro. I'm sorry, but given the wear that it had on it after less than 500 miles, plus the ridiculous ease of the cut in it, I think they are just overly soft. I've always been fond of Conti, and I'm wondering if I should even bother with others or just "stick to what I know."