Anthony D. Morrow
ADM
http://www.imadm.com/
Cerritos, CA 90703
USA

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Lessons From Disneyland
MON, 26 September 2005
Yesterday was my first visit to the Magic Kingdom in eight years. This was the longest time between Disneyland visits in my life. I've probably been to Disneyland 30 times or so, many of those visits coming between junior high and high school, especially as part of school or band trips. (Yes, ADM is a former band geek. Trumpet. 8 years. 1st chair most of the time.)

Anyhow, things have changed since my last visit. Here's things I noticed: Tomorrowland was redesigned (I don't like it), Captain EO was replaced by Honey I Shrunk The Audience (I prefer Captain EO and the "black" Michael Jackson), America Sings is now a technology experience pavilion (even exchange), Mission To Mars and the movie theatre surround thingy is now Buzz Lightyear (upgrade, but I'll miss Mission to Mars), the People Mover is gone and the rocket ride that replaced it is gone, too (People Mover rules!), Swiss Family Tree House is now Tarzan's Tree House (even), and Space Mountain is upgraded (better speed ride, but I miss the flying chocolate chip cookie).

Along with the changes to the park, I came away with a few lessons learned:

A happy smile makes everything seem okay.
I witnessed countless characters (Buzz Lightyear, Minnie, etc.) being crowded, bumped, pushed, pulled, and otherwise inconsiderately handled by adults and children vying for attention and photos. But under no circumstance did it seem like they minded. Why? It was the pre-formed smile. If I watched the body language and not the face, I could see the people inside struggling to maintain composure, and often, balance. But when I looked at the entire character, that big, happy smile made everything seem okay.

This lesson reminds me that sometime you have to "grin and bear it". Smile when you'd otherwise frown, because it puts others at ease and will probably put you at ease, at least somewhat, too.

He without stroller is victim.
I was like a gunless, bulletless wimp at the O.K. Corral. From the left, right, behind, and from in front, I was chased, cut off, closed-in, and summarily assaulted by strollers.

Disneyland, a.k.a., Strollerland. I could probably go on forever, but I'll try to be brief and simply say I was outnumbered and outstrollered, and wow, they sure make big strollers ala SUVs these days. <sigh>

"It's A Small World" - Adult torture and socialist propaganda
If you don't think about it and just get on, "It's A Small World" is a cute, musical boat ride. But hey, I'm not the simple chimp/chump most people believe. There I sat, two times, tortured and pitched.

The torment starts from the outside. A bizzare white and gold building seemingly conceived from the architechtural talents of Mike Brady, stares back, bold, bawdy, bewildering. Heading inside, the aural assault begins as child-like voice begin the song, -no, chant, of "it's a small world after all." Visual madness ensues with bright costumes, colors, and sets highlighted in neon glows from black lights. Cartoonish animals and kids move about with anamatronic precision.

The musical chant continues set to set, assuming foreign but familiar tongues, the colors of each set intensify and the volume seems to hit "11" (thanks, Spinal Tap). I was nearly captured by the experience but used my band geek training to get through the pain and maintain my composure. In my defensive state, my ears heard "it's a small world" but my mind processed the underlying message, "Prepare to be assimilated."

Everyone all happy, getting along together, singing a song. There wasn't a war, natural disaster, terrorism, taxes, or a freerider problem anywhere. This place belongs in Fantasyland.

-adm
Let me know what you think!

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Quick Idea Contribution: Binder Clips As "Chip Clips"
SUN, 25 September 2005
In my quest to continually contribute to the world, I offer you this simple, yet cost effective tip.

Don't buy those large "chip clips" you see at the supermarket or other houseware-selling stores. They're used to seal open bags of chips, pretzels, etc., using a wide spring-loaded plastic clamp similar to a clothes pin. They're usually sold for a dollar or more.

Binder Clips @ StaplesInstead, buy a box of binder clips at to your local office supply store. Binder clips are meant for clamping stack of paper together but they work great to keep packages, large and small, closed. Just fold the package mouth over a time or two and then clamp with a binder clip.

Why are binder clips better?

  • They come in several sizes so you can use the size that's right for the job.
  • They're smaller and fold over, taking up less space
  • They cost less than a dime each. One box is plenty!
  • They clamp down better/stronger, ensuring a closed package
  • They're metal and aren't likely to break

-adm
Let me know what you think!

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Bike Bargains. Facility Fee Anti-Bargains
THU, 22 September 2005
Over thirteen years of cycling, I collected tons of parts along the way. Necessary replacements here, useless upgrades there, free or prime-won stuff all around. After a lot of selling, eBaying, and flat-out giving stuff away, I'm down to a file cabinet box worth of equipment to move. Whew!

My buddy Brad gave me some of his extra gear to sell, too, so if you're hunting for bike bargains, or are simply curious to see what kind of crap cyclists will hold on to, check out my FOR SALE page.

In other news, today I dropped by the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, home of the Mighty Ducks (of Anaheim), and neighbor to Angel Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Have I lost you yet?

I went there to purchase Mighty Ducks home opener tickets at Jule's request. As usual, cheap seats will do, and at the Pond, they're $15. The woman at the ticket window smacked a few keys on the keyboard, pulled up the best pair of seats in my price range, and I agreed. Total $33.00. Hmmmm. I'm no math major, but I do know my remedial addition. 15+15=30. Double-check: 15+15=30. Multiply: 15x2=30. <Scratches head>.

Me: "Um, I thought those tickets were $15 each."
Ticket Lady: "There's a facility charge"
Me: <figuratively bent over, taking it in the...wallet> Oh, <frown, slight hiss> okay.
Ticket Lady: "Enjoy the game."

I walked back to the car irritated, and I'm back at the computer now, still irritated. Didn't I complain about this before?

Facility charge, convenience fee, landing fee, port fee, whatever. Look, if I can't opt out of paying it, it's part of the price, so rather than being all freakin' tricky, just be honest and say the tickets are $16.50, because that's what you're gonna charge me. It's complete bullshit that everywhere I turn these days, I'm getting slapped with some extra fee that amounts to a hidden price increase. And TICKETMASTER IS THE WORSE! Stop lying, stop deceiving, start treating me fairly.

-adm
Let me know what you think!

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First Rain
TUE, 20 September 2005
We had our first rain of fall yesterday and today. It was pretty heavy at times and there was a lot of lightning and thunder. It was very tropical-like, humid, warm, wet. Darn that thunder. It kept me up most of the night, banging, banging, banging...

I haven't touched the bike since my last race. I feel guilty and happy about it. Okay, maybe I touched it, but I certainly haven't ridden it. Absense will make the heart grow fonder.

-adm
Let me know what you think!

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IMADM.com, Cycling Stat's
TUE, 13 September 2005
I haven't made an official announcement or launch yet, but about a month ago I purchased a domain name for my website. The domain is imadm.com. What the heck is that? It's supposed to read like this: "I am ADM". I chose my version to match my car's license plate, IM ADM, except in domain names, there are no spaces so it gets bunched up. I guess it could read, "I, mad M", as Julienne pointed out, or what I usually get, "I'm Adam", which is fine with me.

Anyhow, I am trying to use my domain name more and will be restructuring and improving the site. I've already done some page shuffling and added a section, "ADM FOR HIRE", to help with my work search. My site is still hosted by my ISP, Verizon, but I can use my domain name and it works thanks to domain forwarding. However, I noticed a problem when trying to access the site with the domain name on my Mac. It doesn't seem to go through. Now, I know my Mac (a B&W G3 350) is ancient, as is OS 9.2.2, and IE 5, but that's what I got and it doesn't seem to work right. Anyone else have this problem?

I was writting in details from my last few rides and last race of the season in my cycling log. I updated some other stat's and figured I'd amuse you with them:

  • 2005 mileage (through 09/13/2005): 6,500 miles
  • 2005 # of races: 41
  • 2005 # of crashes: 2
  • 2005 race fees: $1,065
  • 2005 race winnings: $1,234
    (compare to $96 in 2004 and $308 in 2003)

Almost forgot this: my brother launched his website, which is partly the reason for me getting my own redesign into gear. Check his cool stuff out at rmgraphix.com.

-adm
Let me know what you think!

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One Season Ends, Another Begins
MON, 12 September 2005
After 7 long months, the SoCal cycling season has ended. The last race was on Saturday. It was the City of Bicycles Cycle For Life Race that circled the Forum in Inglewood, CA (yes, the Great Western Forum, former home of the glorious fast-break Lakers and Gretzky's Kings before they moved to Staples Center, and now currently home to concerts and church gatherings and stuff.).

I was looking forward to getting this last race over with. My training had been waning the past two months and my fitness was starting to dive, especially after Manhattan Beach GP when I got sick. Still, I figured I'd have enough in the tank to make a decent go at the race; 90 minutes of Pro/1/2 pedaling on a deceptively difficult four corner course.

We started an hour behind. Every race of the day was delayed due to a problem with closing the streets off that morning. I had extra time beforehand to warm up in the parking where I kept seeing more and more fast guys. I was surprised there were so many because this race was a late addition to the schedule and I expected it to be a mostly local, low key affair. But no, all of Helen's/RPM was there (Harm Jansen, David Clinger), Rahsaan Bahati, Jason Bausch, and nearly all of the other local elite regulars. "Darn!", I thought, "no easy points or cash today." Still, my team was starting five strong: Chris, Gil, Nate, Frank, and me, so I figured we still had a good chance.

I lasted 45 minutes. I pulled out half way through because I simply wanted to quit. If this was mid-season, I probably would have stuck it out and finished. But I was mentally tired and physically overmatched and pushing through it to get in training wasn't an option because the season is over. I gave in to the temptation of non-suffering. I couldn't bear to keep battling into the afternoon's strong winds, seemingly blowing from all directions, or endure another lap up the climb into turn three (where'd that climb come from anyhow?), or muster enough will to get around yet another gap caused by a dying rider.

Hardly disappointed and much more relieved, I pulled up to my car, changed out of my gear, and rode back to watch the rest of the race. By this time, my teammate Frank was also out of the race, partly due to fitness, but also because he gave a wheel to Nate, who flatted. I took a seat on the curb and watched Harm and Jose Garcia lap the field. Gil was in a break with Bausch and Clinger that looked very promising but it didn't stay away. In the end, Harm beat Jose, thanks to his band of merry men, while Gilbert Hatton took the field sprint for 3rd. Gil and Chris finished 8th and 9th, Nate was just out of the top 10.

And so it ends, another season of bicycle racing. So much accomplished, yet so much more to do. I'll take the next two or three weeks off, then I'll begin my regimen to prepare for 2006.

In other news, our household anxiously anticipates the start of the 2005-2006 NHL season on October 5, 2005. We expect to get to a lot of Kings games this year and are trying to plan a trip to another NHL city or two in our quest to see a home game of all 30 teams. Six are already completed: L.A. (Kings), Anaheim (Ducks), Vancouver (Canucks), Phoenix (Coyotes), Toronto (Maple Leafs), and Buffalo (Sabres). Possible destinations this season are Colorado (Avalanche), St. Louis (Blues), Colombus (Blue Jackets), or Pittsburg (Penguins).

To make my NHL trip planning easier, I made a map with teams and cities so I could easily see the locations, especially those close to each other where we might try to fit in a two or three visit road trip. Go ahead and get your copy using this link: NHL Teams & Cities Map by ADM [PDF, ~750K]. Enjoy!

-adm
Let me know what you think!

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Art Misadventures
WED, 07 September 2005
Several weeks ago, my dad brought home a painting he got from his work. They were remodeling his company's office and were ready to throw it away. My dad figured the painting, signed by "Reynolds" and tagged on the back as "Lee Reynolds - Vanguard Studios, Beverly Hills", probably had some value. He saved it from the trash heap and brought it to me so I could investigate its value online. I took photos, looked online, gathered info, and made a for sale page for it. I also posted on several sites my photos and said I was seeking information or a buyer. My research showed the painting could be worth nothing and up to $5,000 or so. I was hoping the high end, but after looking around more and more, it seemed likely it was probably only worth a few bucks and maybe a few hundred.

While I enjoyed breakfast and watched the news a couple weeks ago, a TV commercial came on saying an art show and appraisal event, "Art Stories", was coming soon to the Anaheim Convention Center. The description sounded a lot like the format of Antique Road Show. I jotted down the website and then went online to check it out. It seemed like a good way to find out the true value of the painting. I submitted my info to "Online Registration" and including a description and photos of the painting in order to get an appointment to have it evaluated for free.

In my initial submission, I indicated that I'd appreciate respect for my time. If the event is merely a sales gimmick or if they know my painting isn't worth much, I'd like to know so I don't waste time and money (gas, parking) going there. I quickly received a response from the show producer saying, among other things, "If it's an original then I would say you should go...come out I'll put you on camera. I need a confirmation first." We exchanged a few more e-mails. In them, I confirmed my appointment time (3-4 PM), asked for and received more info on the show (to make sure it was legit), got a copy of the "appearance release", and got info on who to call in case I couldn't make it. I wanted to be sure if I was running late or had problems getting there, I would respect their time and at least let them know. See the entire e-mail string here.

On Saturday (09/03), my dad and I went to the Anaheim Convention Center for the event. I couldn't fit the painting into my car so I borrowed Julienne's and was off. I dropped my dad off with the painting right in front of Hall C, just before 3 PM. Right on time! Then I took off to get parking. I had to take two laps around the convention center because I was misdirected by one of the guys working there the first time. I finally parked and walked to find my dad.

I was surprised to see my dad in a long line snaking toward a table. Behind the table was a large, curtained area that appeared to be the event stage.

  • Problem 1: So much for having an "appointment". There were a lot of people in line, some without appointments. We didn't make the front of the line until 4:30ish. This was a cattle call.
  • Problem 2: I never saw the producer guy, Glen, or his assistant who had called to confirm we'd be there, Hillary Yoder (sp?). They sure made it sound like this was a more intimate affair and some personal contact would be made, but it was very impersonal. I could care less about being on camera but I did want to get the painting appraised.
  • Problem 3: When we did get to the front of the line, we were quickly told by some lady there (an appraiser?) our painting was by a commercial artist and was probably worth $200-300 and would likely not grow significantly in value. That was fair enough, and the info was much expected. We were quickly escorted through the stage area to the exit on the other side.
    Why the heck couldn't they have save us time (3 hours round-trip), gas ($6 @ $3/gallon), and parking ($4). It seems to me if the lady could glance at our painting and make that evaluation, she could have just as easily glanced at the photos I posted and e-mailed and said the same.

Tips for anyone looking to attend this event in the future:

  1. "Art Stories", aka "Art Adventures", run by Internation Galleries Inc. (IGI), isn't a sham, but the way they presented their event was very misleading. There aren't true appointments, only cattle call round up times. It's also not necessary to have an appointment, so the time slots are more for their convenience to spread out people's visits. If you got to one of these events, show up early and when it's convenient to you.
  2. Their goal is to get lots of people there, regardless of the quality of their works. I'm guessing their logic is this adds to the excitement and feel of the event. It also increases their chances of finding a gem. What they don't do is give you up-front and honest preliminary judgements of works. They will encourage you to attend no matter the prospective value of your item. Don't be encouraged by an invitation because everyone gets one. Don't be encouraged by follow up e-mails or phone calls, because everyone probably gets those, too.
  3. Don't be lured by promises of getting on camera. This was not the reason I went. In fact, I would have preferred to stay off camera but was willing to do so since that's the exchange for a free appraisal. But, I guess a lot of people do want the chance to be on camera and Art Stories knows this. So they tell you there's a good chance of being on camera to further encourage your attendance and belief your work is of value.

-adm

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Gas In L.A.
FRI, 02 September 2005
I once read a joke about a blonde trying to get to L.A. to become a movie star. Instead of Los Angeles, like she meant, she ended up in Louisiana (abbreviation, L.A.). Sorry, I don't know the whole joke or the punch-line, but I thought of L.A. and L.A. when I was at the gas pump last night.

Gas is just about $3. I keep hearing on the news about average prices across the U.S. and all I can keep thinking is how screwed people in LA/California are when it comes to gas prices, and how really screwed the folks in Louisiana are trying to get gas after the hurricane. We're always on the top end of the scale and it makes no sense. $6 in L.A. (Louisianna)! Can $6 in L.A. (Los Angeles) be far behind?

I'm glad my car gets about 25 miles to the gallon. I'm also glad I don't drive much. In fact, without a job, about the only places I do drive are to training rides and races. I'm starting to think if gas prices get much higher, I'll be better off no having a job to commute to! I'll rationalize anything.

I'm sure I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Get a smaller, more fuel efficient car. Plan your routes to maximize trips and minimize traffic idle time. And whenever you can, walk, ride a bike, take a scooter, do whatever you can to use alternative, more fuel-efficient means of transportation. The problem isn't going away.

-adm

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Analyze This, Analyze That: Weight & Fat.
THU, 01 September 2005
Happy September. Summer's almost over. Whenever the month ends (or every two months, to be exact), I complete a Weight & Fat Tracking sheet and then enter the data into Excel for my analyses. I did that today.

The story is as follows: I bought a Tanita digital weight scale and body fat monitor in July 2001. I wanted something more accurate than an analog (spring-type) scale so I was looking for a digital one. And since body fat % is a far better measure of good health and fitness than just weight, I figured I'd go that route. Enter the Tanita scale. I input my height, sex, and lifestyle (active rather than normal) at initial setup. Now, all it takes is a push of the button on the front and a few seconds of computing. I step onto the scales metal footpads (two contacts for each foot), it counts down from 5 to 0, and then displays my weight and fat %. At first, I was only looking at the information and comparing it in my mind from day to day. Within a month, I started recording the information on paper but did so sporadically. But by summer of 2002, I created a form to write down my morning and evening measures to try and gather comprehensive and regular data to analyze.

Fast forward to today and I have nearly three years of data. I am very much in the habit of weighing in twice a day, right after I get out of bed in the morning and right before I go to bed at night. The scale uses bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), the speed of an imperceptible electric signal through the body's water in muscles and fat, to measure fat %. The more water, the lower the %. The more muscle a person has, the more water their body can hold. Though early mornings are a bad time to get fat% readings because the body is often dehydrated, I use that measurement anyway, but mostly for an empty stomach weight reading.

Anyhow, the data is in and I thought I'd share it and my thoughts. Click the links below to see the charts I generated from Excel.

  • Weight (lbs.) Chart
    Max: 158, Min: 141. Today I'm averaging 146.
  • Fat (%) Chart
    Max: 16.5%, Min: 5.5%. Today I'm averaging 10%.
  • Weight (lbs.) & Fat (%) Combo Chart
    The same info as the two above except together. In these charts I'm looking for drops in fat % coupled with increases in body weight. For example, leading into and out of June 2005, you can see this type of change. It related directly to an increase in fitness where I was peaking for State Road Race Championships.
  • Fat Pounds (Weight x Fat%)
    This is how much fat I'm carrying on my body. The fat monkey on my back (and butt, and gut...)
  • Weight (lbs.) - Year over Year
    I like looking at this to compare where I was over the same time in previous years. It helps keep the overall goal in perspective, to always move weight and fat % down as a whole, but expect seasonal fluctuations. I come into each season lowest because the style of rides leading up to this time are all long, fat burning style stuff. As the season progresses, long rides are fewer and the weight creeps up.
  • Fat (%) - Year over Year
    Same as above, except I like to see this stay flat or lower through the season. Weight gain is okay because it should be muscle, but undisciplined eating and workouts lead to growing fat %. You can see that by the end of each season, I let myself go a bit, but never so much as to raise to previous years' levels. Happiness from food in moderation.

I read an article that said most good climbers weigh no more than 2 lbs. per inch of body height. That means that at 5'6" (66"), my target climber body weight is 132 lbs. I'm ~146 today. At roughly 3,500 calories per lb. of body fat, I need to find a way to get rid of 49,000 total calories. Assuming my calorie burn remains the same, to reach my target in 6 months, I need to reduce my daily intake by 272.2 calories, or roughly 10%.

Maybe I'm a sprinter.

-adm

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