18 Nov 2006
Accent? I ain't got no stinkin' accent!

What American accent do you have?

Your Result: The Midland

You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.

(quiz) [GoToQuiz.com]

via nobody asked...BUT

10:12 /Home | 0 comments | permanent link

Knowledge and Wisdom

Laudator Temporis Acti has a very interesting bit this morning quoting William Cowper on the difference between knowledge and wisdom. While I agree wholly with the sentiments expressed, I believe that I can offer a much more succinct dollop on the same subject:

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting one in a fruit salad.

09:01 /Humor | 0 comments | permanent link

No Grunting at the Gym

You know, as a private business they can set any rules they want. But why the Hel would they impose this one?

Rosemary Lavery, a spokeswoman for the Boston-based International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, said she could only assume Planet Fitness was trying to discourage bodybuilders and others who are diligent about working out. Ms. Lavery cited statistics showing that baby boomers who exercise once or twice a week represent the fastest-growing segment of health club members. Many clubs are seeking ways to appeal to those groups, she said, but a ban on guttural noises is not the path most have taken.

But the real irony here is the "lunk alarm":

At Planet Fitness gyms, grunters and other rule-breakers are treated to an ear-rattling siren with flashing blue lights and a public scolding. The “lunk alarm,” as the club calls it, is so jarring it can bring the entire floor to a standstill. (A lunk is defined, on a poster, as "one who grunts, drops weights, or judges.")

Isn't defining the difference between a grunt and a heavy breath "judging"? Is the lunk alarm recursive, that is, when you set it off, it gets set off repeatedly as each setting marks a judgment?

Thank the gods I get more than enough physical exercise out here on the farm, and will never need to go to one of these fitness palaces for a workout. Not that I grunt, but I have been known to break wind when hoisting bags of feed to my shoulders ... and I'm sure that's against the rules, too.

At Planet Fitness, a national chain, too many offending noises can get a membership revoked.

(link) [New York Times]

08:54 /Home | 0 comments | permanent link