Retro-Running

A new fad is spreading in Europe: running backwards.  The inducted call themselves retro-athletes.  They also consider themselves part of an "Xtreme" sport, as opposed to oh, stupid.

Let's break this down for a minute.  Retro-runners think it's better exercise to run backwards. Doctors claim it isn't. Look, just because something is more difficult does NOT mean that it is better or even worthwhile.  I mean it's difficult to break boards with your head, but that doesn't make it a worthwhile pursuit or even an extreme sport. 

Now beyond the coordination issues and health benefit discussion, I'm sure you are all wondering… how do they know where they are going? The simple but sad answer is mirrors. Yup mirrors.  Some try to looking over their shoulder instead of the mirror route, but neither option really works all that well.  Crashing and tripping are common place.  I guess that's Xtreme.

We really shouldn't be surprised however that Europe is again doing something @ss-backwards.  They are getting kind of pathetic in their attempts to stay relevant in the rapidly changing global landscape…. They used to be the center of the world you know – now they are little more than a nice vacation spot. 

The Path To 9/11

Airing this 9/11, is a docu-drama called "The Path To 9/11".  While 9/11 changed the world forever, most of our perspectives on it began on that day.  This show is setup to show us <i>how we got there</i>.

It is supposed to be exciting, eye opening and rather controversial.  So tune in and see what happens when your country is short one Jack Bower. 

Part 1 (3 hours) Sunday, September 10 @ 8/7c on ABC – Part 2 (2 hours) Monday, September 11 @ 8/7c on ABC

A  quick preview of the show is below, borrowed from ABC.com:

NIGHT ONE

September 11, 2001. Teams of terrorist hijackers board four American airliners and take control of the cockpits. Passengers and flight controllers quickly learn something is terribly wrong….

February 1993. On a similarly ordinary day, New York is stunned by a deadly bombing at the World Trade Center. The discovery of a traceable van part at the site leads to the arrest of one of the conspirators, and he is linked to a mosque led by the Blind Sheikh, a radical cleric. A valuable FBI informant helps bring down the cleric and his cell. A manhunt for elusive WTC bomber Ramzi Yousef ensues, and he narrowly escapes capture in Pakistan, where he is linked to the attempted assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Yousef travels to the Philippines, where he tests an innovative small bomb that kills a flight passenger and comes close to bringing down the plane as well. He's almost captured again when a fire at his bomb-making lab exposes to Manila police his plot involving the simultaneous bombings of a dozen airliners.

Yousef is finally brought down when an informant in Pakistan tips off a team of agents working in coordination with FBI counterterrorism expert John O'Neill. Yousef's trail leads them to a rebel named Usama bin Laden.

Continue reading

Email Oops

We just noticed that there has been a typo in our email address for the last – oh – several months.  oops.

Our address is staff [at] scottsoapbox [dot] COM…. our old address ended in .net…. sorry, if you've been thinking we hate you or something.

mgmt. 

For Sale: 2002 Batmobile, Auto, Low Miles, Must See

 That's right.  Things have been tight around here, so I've decided to sell off one of my old rides for some fast cash.  Trying to ride out the market you know?

Anyway you can bid on this fine vehicle at the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA or you can bid online at Petersen.org.  Remember it's for a good cause!

Business Tidbits

According to Human Resource Management the following is the breakdown for why people call in sick:

35% ARE sick
21% Have family issues
18% Have personal issues
14% Want a mental health day
12% Think they deserve a break

So a third are sick, a little over a third are dealing with issues, and little less than a third are taking a needed vacation day.

According to a study by CareerJournal.com and the Society for Human Resources…

40% of people have had an office romance AND 42% of those people ended up marrying a coworker

My take?  People need to get out more.  Picking a mate out of your dating pool is just a fact of life.  Having a crappy dating pool is simply proof a not having a life.