Notes on the 2005 Mustang.
I have just returned from a weeklong business trip, for which I rented out some base-model, 2005 Mustangs. V-6, Automatic. :-( One with several interior upgrades (power seats, leather, 6-disc CD) One completely base model. Much to my surprise, it was cheaper ($285 vs. $315) on a weekly rate than the Taurus, my usual rental. That's right. A tank of gas cheaper for the Mustang. Some of my findings:

• The car gets lots of attention. It seems Ford has restored some of the lost luster to the Mustang image with this year's model. Random passersby stopped to ask about the Mustang, how it drove, how I liked it, etc. "It isn't a small car anymore." was the most succinct of several similar comments I heard.
• The base model has a road gear. I got 27 MPG on the highway. That's slightly more than my Crown Vic's (w/ Touring Package) 25 MPG, and much better than Taurus' 20 MPG, from a car with better handling.
• Quality is an issue.The first one was F.O.R.D., with an electrical short. The replacement had trouble unlocking the driver's door sometimes, and had a surging throttle. Each car had 2500-3000 miles at rental time, so it's possible that a prior driver damaged the cars beforehand.
• It's too low for me.If you're shorter than 5'11", this is the car for you. Else, get a convertible or bump your head a lot. Then again, I'm a bit tall-bodied and short-legged, so low-ceiling cars tend to bother me.

Themes in the Noise
In general, I'm liable to write about anything. But I expect a few themes to recur as time passes:

• Information Systems topics: I make a living in IS, so occasionally I'll comment on trends or happenings.
• Competetion/Games: Sports and Gaming of all forms.
• Politics: The sport that almost everyone can play.
• Food: Things related to cooking and dining out. I also maintain a (mostly) local pubs listing
• Writings: Very infrequently, I'll post writings of some sort. I'll post updates here. The writings page is accessed via the "Stories" link in this page's header.

Randy Moss, Bane of All that is Holy (tm).
This is fairly straightforward: if Ray Lewis can skate from killing two guys, Randy Moss can sure as hell skate for shaking his booty at the Green Bay fans.

But, no. Moss shook his booty on camera. The Horror! Hide the Childrens' eyes, but not long enough to miss Grandma and Grandpa making out in the pool! That's paid nookie, none of this impromptu, uninvited butt-shakery. Fine him, ban him, make the little bastard feel pain and suffering for exposing millions of good Christians to the impure thoughts of getting nekkid outside the loving bonds of The Holy Matrimony, and without the assistance of a penis pill. Burn the wayward gladiator at the stake, for that which is nekkid is evil, and that which extolls nekkidness is doubly evil. Such is the way of the Book, and such is the way of those who live within its domain. Amen.

So, Randy Moss will probably get stuck with a $10-15000 fine, so the NFL can stay in good grace with our government, keepers of the faith and protectors of the faithful. Joy, oh Rapturous Joy.

posted at: 02:26 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Dawn Approaches
I've always been a night-owl, but the past few years, it's really set in. I get my best sleep from 7am-noon. So here I am, updating my pub page at 6am, instead of sleeping. I suppose I should have avoided the midnight coffee and pie. :)

I flattened a tire Friday night, by running over a bolt and washer. The washer did its job, separating the head of the bolt from my tire, making the tire (and car) undrivable. It was a fitting puncturation mark on an entirely too-long week. Since the current tires are almost due for a change, I'm picking up a new set today. Long live A-rated traction!

posted at: 06:13 | path: | permanent link to this entry

The New Year: 2005!
There's a new gaming store in town: the Atlanta Game Factory. New, clean, lots of demo board games, and NO POKEMON KIDS. Great stuff, and I played some simple, fun games for the first time; namely Dvonn and Ticket to Ride. More on those games, later.

Roommate mentioned that black-eyed peas were traditional for New Year's. This is a great idea, as there is no dogma surrounding what those peas should be served with. So, it was Fried Chicken (double-breaded), corn, black-eyed peas, and baked asparagus tips. My iron skillet paid for itself (again), as a chicken fryer. It's just deep enough to sink half a chicken piece, just thick enough to conduct heat smoothly. If you don't have one of these already, go right now, and get one.

In other news, vacuum cleaner meets ants, and wins. And ten minutes later, they were back in the plants. This will probably go back and forth until April. I'm thinking about a "scalded earth" policy, involving boiling water, plants, and ants. The boiling water will win. The ants (and probably the plants) will lose.

posted at: 03:13 | path: | permanent link to this entry