Chopstork

In other news for all you Chopsork Authors, it is now super easy to insert YouTube videos on Chopstork. Just press the button on the WYSIWYG editor and paste the url into the dialog box. Moreover, you can also use it to insert Google Video, iFilm, DailyMotion, Revver, Metacafe, and MySpace videos. Thank you, Anarchy Media Player for WordPress.

The west coasters are hard at work thinking up an Urban Iditarod theme. Laura and I will not be there this year (I’d insert a sad smiley here if smileys weren’t for sissies), but here is my contribution to a theme idea: “Jimmy P. and the Disco Dogs.” Dance included (at the beginning, and then around 4:15).

D.C. UI?

But here’s some good news: Jay P found a D.C. Urban Iditarod. He found it weeks ago and I just now remembered. It’s this weekend!!! Bust out the McMaster-Carr catalog! Find a shopping cart! Get some duct tape! Spread the word (we need a team)! We’re mushing on the east coast too!!!

When: 2:00 PM Saturday, March 3 2007
Where: starting at The Front Page, Dupont Circle, D.C.
Preps: We’re meeting at Bone’s aka Hampton’s place in Arlington Friday night to throw our cart and costumes together. Call me to come help.
THEME: We do not know yet. Any ideas? We could steal my Jimmy P. and the Disco Dogs idea. Or do a fire truck and dalmatians repeat? Reservoir Dogs? Make it easy and be a plain old Dog Pound so so everyone can be any old dog?

[Update] We’re keeping it simple and going with the dog pound. So all you have to do is be a dog. Or bring a big net and dress as animal control.

Hm, I just read a little of their web page, and I feel I need to dispell some of their “rules”:

• There are too many rules.

“The first Idiotarod started in San Francisco more than 10 years ago. Apparently they’ve gotten very lazy since then and never renewed their web site. Then some kids up in New York City took the idea and made it into a spectacular event.”

• NYC made it into a spectacular event? Please! They actually time and rank the teams. How can that be spectacular?
• What’s with all the talk of racing and sabotaging others’ carts? It’s not supposed to be a race. Our team will not be there to win.
• Don’t worry about the 6-person limit. Our team will have as many people as will drink with us.
• I don’t know what all this map and clues business is—I say we sniff some butts and see where we end up.

hint: “Waldo” = Luke
click on the picture if you give up

I just upgraded Chopstork to WordPress 2.1. Hopefully, I got all the bugs worked out. Also, you may notice the change in the URL. Don’t worry, the old URL still works. However, if you happen across any issues, please leave me a comment below.

I’m always amazed by how easily the Interweb facilitates communication across timezones, borders, cultures, and the World. For example my buddy Pierce is currently working in Saurath, India for Drishtee, a for profit Indian based company whose goal is to improve the lives of rural Indian villagers through self sustainable development in the villages.

Pierce has been posting some great photo’s on flickr, and as I peruse them I can’t help but feel the contrast between the Village of Saurath, India and the bustling City of San Francisco, USA. THEN, I noticed the dates on some of Pierce’s photos. He took them just HOURS ago! WOW, talk about reaching out and impacting someone from across timezones, borders, and cultures! It’s a MUCH smaller world than we know.

David at a Drishtee Kiosk

A school reflecting on the pond

Rainbow by Mamajii’s pond

Swapna at the office in Saurath

The school bus

Water transportation

Morning chores

Remember Upside Down Cubicle, where people (e.g. Wolfson, Courtney, and Luke) turn everything in another person’s (e.g. my) cubicle upside down? Monitors, desks, books, cups full of pens, posters, calendars, etc. Well, DP was visiting D.C. last weekend and stayed at Jay’s place where Laura and I picked him up to go sightseeing. Jay had to meet someone for lunch. We were alone in his house (except for his two roomates who joined in our shenanigans). We played Upside Down Jay’s Room. We had a good laugh. We took some pictures.

Jay’s only response come Monday: “My revenge will be swift and furious.”

I am scared.

In related news, I am pretty excited for the day when DP becomes the first Jewish president and we get to play Upside Down White House (and also change all the switch plates*).

* We used to bring a new switch plate (the kind that go in kids’ rooms) and install it each time we went to his house.

So this pillow fight sounds like a lot of fun and all, but how come none of us thought to get tickets to this?

Woo at the Zoo

I think it sounds kind of interesting. But maybe that’s because I spent 4 years in central Illinois, where “the men are men, the women are men, and the sheep are scared.”

Seriously though, people in Illinois aren’t like that. Except maybe for DP (just kidding). You have to go way farther south for those people, below the mason-dixon line. Or over to West Virginia. Not that I have anything against WV or the people in it, except maybe for those who lie and have names that rhyme with “Stravis.” Anyway, I’m continually amazed at the eclectic range of activities San Francisco has to offer.

I think I’m only posting this much because I miss AJ and The King. Isn’t SF like the halfway point between VA and Japan? I’m thinkin a little Maher Family Reunion might be in order. And I’d like to think that my days of getting drunk and hitting on my friends’ fathers are over, so you can totally invite me.

if I had more time right now, I’d fix it so the video played automatically. I’ll rely on the next person with free time to dork out (ahem, Luke, AJ) to do that for me. Anyway, it is the OK Go dance performed by two figure skaters. As with any figure skating routine, it is completely ruined by the commentary. But still a cool idea.

By the way, I really love my new Jesus / Last Supper bag. It’s already come in handy. That Jesus. He’s good for everything.