10 x 10 for Tuesday

"10x10™ ('ten by ten') is an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that define the time. The result is an often moving, sometimes shocking, occasionally frivolous, but always fitting snapshot of our world. Every hour, 10x10 collects the 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. Over the course of days, months, and years, 10x10 leaves a trail of these hourly statements which, stitched together side by side, form a continuous patchwork tapestry of human life.

Each hour is presented as a picture postcard window, composed of 100 different frames, each of which holds the image of a single moment in time. Clicking on a single frame allows us to peer a bit deeper into the story that lies behind the image. In this way, we can dart in and out of the news, understanding both the individual stories and the ways in which they relate to each other.

10x10 runs with no human intervention, autonomously observing what a handful of leading international news sources are saying and showing. 10x10 makes no comment on news media bias, or lack thereof. It has no politics, nor any secret agenda; it simply shows what it finds."

It's Monday! Cheer Up!

I found these Tips for cheering yourself up--from 1820. They come from a blog called The Happiness Project. They are surprisingly relevant even today.
Here are my favorites:
11th. Don’t expect too much from human life—a sorry business at the best.
17th. Don’t be too severe upon yourself, or underrate yourself, but do yourself justice.

Results from Fayetteville, NC

Weekend #1 of the 2007 Triangle FC Friendlies held in beautiful Fayetteville, NC:

93 Triangle FC Navy girls 1
93 PA Classics 1
Very sloppy game, you could tell the girls were rusty and confused by a new formation. We have a new player but she seems to fit in pretty well already.

93 Triangle FC Navy girls 2
93 Bridge FC (SC) 7
Even more sloppy--the score doesn't reflect the abilities of the two teams whatsoever. Bridge was good but not 7 goals good. TFC had no defense (duh). The only highlight of the game was cupcakes for ED's birthday after the final whistle!

93 Triangle FC Navy girls 6 (I think)
93 VA Legacy 0
The girls recovered after yesterday's butt-whoopin'. Mine struck a beautiful goal off an attempted cross, which naturally I missed because I was down at the concession stand getting more (sketchy) coffee. She seems to think it was only a goal because the other team's goalie was so inept. Her coach and the CR said otherwise.

Stay tuned for Weekend #2 next week, when the oldest's team plays and I get to be a club volunteer, all day, both days. The girlie gets a weekend off, and then both kids are back in action for Weekend #3.

Beckham Does a Good Deed.

David Beckham brings sunshine into a 19-year-old's very dark days.

(Hat tip to "Matador" for sharing this article.)

Sorry to Disappoint You!

Whomever did the Google search yesterday for "world's hottest soccer mom" and ended up here instead, I'm truly sorry.

But thanks for the grin.

On Having a Teenage Daughter

Thanks to "First Touch" from the NC Soccer Forum for this insight:

Up through about the age of 10, sometimes as late as 12, daughters can be one of the most astoundingly delightful gifts nature could ever bestow on a man, truly magical beyond words.

But when daddy's girl becomes a teenager, some perverse hormonal poltergeist moves into their bodies, and at unpredictable intermittent intervals turns that delightful fawn-creature into a snarling, spitting untamable hellcat that claws up the emotional furniture in the household. And just as abruptly, sometimes that delightful fawn-creature you remembered before the teen years comes back, sometimes for extended periods. Sometimes, you mistakenly even think the hellcat has finally left the building for good - but sooner or later you are rudely reminded: it was only sleeping inside its host.

And this is with a daughter who's doing ok in school, socially, and athletically, and not getting into any sort of outward trouble. I can only imagine how fierce the demon-cat is that fathers of more troubled teenage girls have to deal with.

Please Say a Prayer for Me!

As of today, I am officially the mom of three teenagers. Happy Birthday, ED!

The History of Clemson Soccer

Soccer success endures over decades.

Let's hope Coach Adair gets the National Championship he deserves sometime in the next four years!

Google Continues to Amuse.

So I'm thinking putting the words "Clemson" and "tattoo" on the same page causes Google to put ads for "Country music" on my blog. Or maybe it's "All-American." Or "Indianapolis." Beats me.

I've gotta write more about soccer and get some "normal" ads back up... can't wait 'till my daughter plays this weekend at the Triangle FC Friendlies!

Now That's Just Mean, Part 2

Parents of youth soccer team use camera flashes to distract opposition during penalty shoot out.

Now That's Just Mean.

Tattooist Sued Over Prank.

Moral: if you are ever going to get your favorite soccer team's logo tattooed on your back, make sure the tattoo artist doesn't hate that team!

How R.E.M changed her life.

Great comic here.

Thanks, Nancy!

MyBlogLog...help?

So yesterday I signed up for MyBlogLog, because I'm a lemming.

I'm not sure what the whole point of it is, though. I think it's so bloggers can see what else their blog readers are looking at? Can someone else explain it to me a bit better?

He Cleans Up Well, Doesn't He?

Here's the oldest on his way to the NSCAA adidas All-American awards in Indianapolis last weekend.

I asked him to buy that orange tie, which he thought was sort of silly at first, but the Clemson coach noticed it and really liked the gesture.

Sometimes moms aren't completely stupid, huh?

Old News, Slate!

Didn't I write about this product over a month ago?? (Checks.) Yes, I believe I did.

Keller following Beckham?

The folks over at Big Soccer think it may be a possibility that Kasey might be "coming home" to the MLS. But what will he do with his castle?

Just Some Eye Candy.

I like his earrings.

Today is National Nothing Day...

...and I was born on Alfred Hitchcock Day. Check out these and other bizarre holidays here.

Hometown Hummingbirds

Video of two hummingbirds fighting over a feeder somewhere here in Chapel Hill. Nothing special, but fun to watch. Makes me want to get a feeder this spring, though with four cats that might not be such a good idea...for the birds.

Well, I Guess I'm Safe Then.

What to Do if You're Kidnapped By Cyberpunks.

I downloaded this album 3 years ago, when it first came out, so I guess I'm an "old-school" PCF?

Wow. Some People Really Do Have No Lives.

(Update: read a better explanation of what happened here.)

From the former Trainwrecks site, which I still have in my blogroll and used to read almost every day:

Sorry, folks, but Trainwrecks is gone and it's not coming back. Some deeply disturbed people with an irrational fixation on this site decided that stupid photo montages, libel, and obscene anonymous comments just weren't enough, so they decided to take their little hate campaign into the real world. And since their information came from gossip and bad detective work, they didn't exactly hit the right targets. As anyone might have expected, the people who suffered the most were not even involved with this site.

Once it became clear that the people posting at Heaven Nose were willing to cross the line between a one-sided flame war and real-life harassment, our web host decided enough was enough, and we agreed. This site wasn't important enough to us to be worth having innocent people harassed at home and work. We're done.

I'm Really Sorry I Missed SNL Last Night.

I've always liked Jake Gyllenhaal, even though I'm not sure I've ever seen one of his films. He looks a LOT like a younger guy I dated in high school named Danny Valentine (where are you now, Dan?)

Here's the opening from SNL last night. Look at those arms! And the boy can sing, too. I'm gonna have to put "Jarhead" on my Netflix list now, for sure (as soon as I get Netflix, that is...)

Who's the Hottest of them All?

OK, back to being shallow. Athletics Nation wants to know who you think is the hottest athlete in sports (what exactly is an athlete NOT in sports?). With lots of yummy pictures, though the one of Gabe is not the best.

Thank You, Mr. Tadpole

I try to stay away from the political here (though you'd never know it from some of the ads that Google chooses to put at the top of my page), but I found a place on Slate where there are some great posts and images from military personnel. This one really struck me, as I have a teenager contemplating military life when he graduates high school in a couple of years.

Tadpole writes:

I have seen some amazing views. I have seen views of mountains and valleys that most people will never get to see. I have gotten to travel over every type of terrain imaginable, in almost every type of vehicle imaginable. I have lived scenes that most people will only see in movies. I have had experiences which have given me a new appreciation for life, and all that I have.

I have had the opportunity to truly help people. I have fed the hungry, clothed the cold, and help provide medical care for the sick, wounded and weary. What is amazing, though, is that I think each of these experiences has helped me more than it has helped them.

I have a whole new appreciation for the Navy! I now know beyond ANY shadow of a doubt, that I joined the right branch for me. The Army is WAY too politically correct and Christian for my taste, the Marines are WAY too serious, the Air Force is FAR too sensitive and squishy. The Navy is the way to go for a fella who likes drinkin', fightin', travelin' and chasin' women!

I will leave the country Financially, Physically and Spiritually more well off then I came. I will leave debt-free with a nice little savings. It's easy to save money when you have nothing to spend it on, even when you are helping family at home.

Read the whole post here.

"Beckonomics"

I found a good post on the blog Side Netting explaining why Golden Balls' humongous paycheck might not be so bad for the MLS:

While it was not shocking that Beckham was headed to MLS (this had been widely rumored for some time), the dollar figures involved were staggering. There has already been much criticism that the league overpaid for an aging superstar, and experts have already started drawing comparisons to financially disastrous NASL of the 1970's and 80's. However, as he showed in last year's World Cup, Beckham the player still has plenty left in the tank, and a quick look at the source of his salary reveals why this isn't economic Armageddon for the league.

Read the rest of the post here.

Bragging Mommy

OK, I had to do it! At this moment, oldest son is up in Indianapolis picking up his National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) adidas All-American High School soccer award. Dad even made him buy a suit (and orange tie) for the event. (Hope grandma take some good pictures! If she does I'll be sure to post some.)

Wish I was up there with them! Hopefully they will have time to stop by the rest of the NSCAA convention to see some of the many exhibits, and get some free soccer crap. Because jeebus knows, we all need more free soccer crap.

Great Becks Video

Posh is surprisingly so cute when she smiles, why/when did she stop? They seem like such a cute couple here; of course that was back within what I like to call the "two-year window."

But is it really "volatitheraputic"?

First, there was Cocaine energy drink. Now, there's Meth Coffee. The website is pretty amusing (and has some mildly offensive language, with lots of made-up words like "vibrationical" and "bionicalbrain." (Do something with those words, Google Ads!) The empty shopping cart page is a bit frightening, too. I may have to order some.

Needless to say, they don't sell decaf. But they do sell t-shirts.

Songs of the Day

"I Started a Blog Nobody Read" by the Sprites. Yup.

"Kasey Keller" by Barcelona (how did I just now find this song?)

Why I Want a Pink Nintendo DS Lite!

1. It's almost as cool as an iPhone. Almost.
   
2. It's pink, so my two boys will probably not steal it from me. Or at least not take it out of the house.
   
3. It's pink, so my daughter can play with it, but she takes better care of my stuff than the boys do.
4. It's pink, so my husband probably won't touch it, therefore it won't get lost.
5. It matches my blog.
   
6. It comes with Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, which jeebus knows I definitely need.
7. I could finally play Nintendogs :) I want a Westie.
   
8. I would be the coolest mom at soccer practice! (okay, maybe I already am, but it couldn't hurt.)
   
9. Crazy Hip Blog Mamas is giving one away, and I want to win it. Please?
   

Phone of the Future?

News from 2008:

Apple introduces one-button iPhone Shuffle

The vast and adoring audience at Steve Jobs' annual Macworld performance heaved a sigh of relief when the Apple CEO announced the radically minimal new iPhone Shuffle. The company's first sub-$100 iPhone extends the iPhone line both a downprice and a downscale direction, beyond the $200 candy-bar-sized iPhone Nano, introduced last September.

"Now our iPhone and iPod lines are comlementary, top to bottom", Jobs said.

Like the iPod Shuffle, the new iPhone Shuffle has no display. It's an all-white rectangle with a little green light to show that a call is in progress. While the iPhone Shuffle superficially resembles the iPod Shuffle, its user interface is even more spare. In place of the familiar round iPod "wheel", the iPhone Shuffle sports a single square button. When pressed, the iPhone Shuffle dials a random number from its phone book.

"Our research showed that people don't care who they call as much as they care about being on the phone," said Jobs. "We also found that most cell phone users hate routine, and prefer to be surprised. That's just as true for people answering calls as it is for people making them. It's much more liberating, and far more social, to call people at random than it is to call them deliberately."

Read the rest of Doc Searls' humorous article here.

Better than Mr. Potatohead.

Monoface.

Enjoy!

Oh to be #9

In this photo, anyway.

I guess you all have heard by now that Becks is leaving Real Madrid. Where will he end up? The MLS? Stay tuned...

I Want One Either Way

Top 10 things to love about the Apple iPhone by Tim Gaden

Top 10 things to hate about the Apple iPhone by Dan Warne (but he still wants one too...)

I do see the battery thing being a big issue, if my experience with the iPod is any indication.

Grow Your Own Beckham

Apparently David Beckham is now some sort of Chia Pet in Japan.

They didn't do a very good job with the face, unfortunately.

Holiday Confession

Okay, since Google won't stop with the Christmas ads (and what the heck is up with all the bumper sticker stuff, anyway?) it's time for me to come clean. Today is January 10 and I still have the Christmas tree up in my living room, lights and all. I probably won't take it down until this weekend.

Before anyone tells me what a fire hazard that is, the tree is still not dried out which is amazing to me because most of the trees we have gotten in the recent past have started barfing up needles the minute we got them home and untied them. This one has not lost practically any needles so far.

I don't usually get any presents for Christmas (which I'm fine with) but I love me some Christmas tree. I'll miss it when it's gone! It's definitely my favorite part of the season, even if my kids did break my favorite hand-blown glass ornament last year and then try to hide the box so I wouldn't notice...

Sad News for Bad News Hughes

His dad cancelled Christmas this year! No drunken jello shots and Batman underwear! The good news is, there's a new Bad News Hughes post for you to read, and if I have to tell you the language is a bit offensive by now, you haven't been paying attention to me again, have you?

Oh yeah and his book is coming out soon, so you should pre-order it.

Old School R.E.M.

Moon River merging into Pretty Persuasion. Enjoy.

R.E.M. to the Hall of Fame

R.E.M., Van Halen, Patti Smith, the Ronettes and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame March 12 (my birthday!) during a ceremony at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. To be eligible for induction, this year's class had to release their first single no later than 1981.

Read more here.

Congrats, guys! You deserve it.

My Kind of Pet

Virtual Chubby Bunny.

Make sure you check out the rest of the artist's work, too. If you have a sick sense of humor, like I do, that is.

Playtex Sports Tampon Update!

(I know y'all were waiting for this. )
So... I got my free sample in the mail yesterday. Decent sized box, about 4 x 6. Open it up, there's another box inside. Open that one up, there's a flap with a $1.00 coupon and three tampons wrapped in light green plastic. So, what's so weird about that, you say?

Nothing...except the wrappers HAVE MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGES ON THEM:

• Ready to take on the world!
• Pursue your dreams...without fear.
• Shake it up 'cause I'm dependable. (???)
• Never give up!
• Keep going you super-fabulous chick!

That last one disturbs me a bit more than the others, because it's just so darn cheesy. The whole concept weirds me out, to tell you the truth.

I amuse myself by thinking that someone, somewhere, has this job description: "Inspirational message-writer for tampon wrappers." Wonder how much that pays?

OK, anyone have any suggestions for phrases we can send in to Playtex? 'Cause obviously they need a little help in the creativity department.

I Could Have Written This, I Think.

Prep star faces burnout

I like the quote from her HS coach:
"It used to be you'd finish up your club season then you would take June and July off. But now, people are doing their (club soccer team) tryouts in May. It's like you play high school for three months, and the other nine months you're playing club. There's no real break.

When the kids come out to play football, there's a football season. In baseball, there's spring ball and fall ball, but not to the same extent of soccer. . . . There's always another (club soccer) tournament somewhere in the country where someone is telling you that you need to be there seen by so and so. It's a competitive world out there. I think everyone's forgotten that it would be nice if they could just be kids."

How Ramen Noodles Saved Japan

OK, really it's a cartoon about how ramen noodles were invented. In Japanese. But still fun to watch. Kind of long, though.

This is a sort of tribute to the instant-ramen-noodle inventor, who died recently at the age of 96. Hard to argue that the things are bad for you, huh?

I'm so glad I'm not the only one...

...who feels like this. Other than my sister, I'd much rather "hang out" with guys any day. Much less drama, and way more fun.

Bet You Didn't See This One in 6th Grade

Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on Spider Webs.

(website wouldn't let me embed the video...click on the link above.)

Wisdom from my Mother In Law

...ok not directly from the MIL, but contained in one of the multiple emails she insists on sending everyone in her address book on a daily basis, including those "urban legend" ones about spiders in toilets, reverse ATM pins that call the cops, etc. I actually liked this one, though.

Another Top Whatever List

Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks for 2006, almost all of which you can download, stream, or see on YouTube from this site. I must admit I've heard of maybe 15 of them, but I plan on listening to the rest.

(I'm just happy to discover that Scritti Politti still exists and is making music!)

My #9 is #8 on this list.

From the Chapel Hill News:

This year was yet another sensational compilation of success for individuals, teams, schools and programs. Giving even a brief mention to everyone that won something would fill this page. With that proviso, here's a recap of (some of) the best and worst of the year about to end.

Something About Gabe.

This post pretty much sums up how I feel about Gabe Kapler, too. The "Mighty Quinn" music is a bit annoying, though.