Weekly roundup: Friday potluck

Welcome to another installment of the weekly roundup we all know and love: Friday potluck!
This week we're serving fitness news, funnies, poultry, and adulthood.

Oh... and it's National Margarita Day!
One of my favorite margaritas ever EVER is a grapefruit margarita made as simply as possible: grapefruit juice + tequila + triple sec. Cheers!

Grapefruit margarita

The more you know (about yoga)

I love yoga. I would not, and could not, claim otherwise. However, yoga is an athletic pursuit, just like any other, which means that there are risks to yoga. Muscle strain and... surprisingly... stroke are among the potential hazards.

This does not mean that yogis need to roll up their yoga mats and quit, but it is important that participants have full information, just as it is important for runners to know about the risk of stress fracture, and football players to know about the risk of concussion.

William J. Broad's new book The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards aims to fill in some of those gaps in knowledge - documenting both the risks and the benefits of yoga practice.


Effing PF

Surprise, surprise... Doctors and scientists have no idea what causes plantar fasciitis, but new tests indicate that it is not caused by inflamed tissue. (Does that mean I can stop icing my right foot? Maybe heat would be a better treatment after all?)


Because you know we're all thinking it...

Image source

ABCs of PE

In an attempt to protect physical education classes from budget cuts, and to ensure that every second of the school day is used to prepare children for standardized tests, schools are turning to math and vocabulary instruction during gym class.

Image source

To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this turn of events...

As a teacher, I know that different students have different learning styles, and perhaps physical learning will illuminate subjects that a classroom lecture might not. On the other hand, as a runner, I know that sometimes the mental "down time" of my workout is the time when my brain makes connections and gathers insights that do not flow when I am engaged in active thought.


Wild Turkey

Turkeys are terrorizing one California town...

The turkey takeover started in November. Perhaps it's payback for Thanksgiving?

Florida Governor poses his daughter for a photo with the Thanksgiving turkey
 before dinner (Thanksgiving 1959). No wonder the turkeys are mad. Source.

Adulthood

This week I did adult things like meet with a lawyer to do the paperwork for a will and power of attorney, surf real estate ads for property, apply for jobs in DC, and... load the dishwasher:

Source: themetapicture.com via Beth on Pinterest

Quote of the week:
(Learning to count while working out)

At the gym doing push ups... "1... 2... 3..."
Attractive person walks by... "97... 98...99."
Unknown

Happy Friday, friends!

You might be a runner if... (travel edition)

You might be a runner if...
(travel edition)

• You make travel plans around your race schedule.
• You pack more running shorts than business suits for "work travel."
• You don't just sit at the boarding gate - you use the chairs for balance while you stretch your quads.
• Corollary: You wonder why it took until 2012 for DFW to open an airport yoga studio, and you wonder how long it will take for airport treadmills to follow.

• Your dream vacation is spending a week in Boston in April or New York in November.
• It is a life goal to join the "50 states" club.
• When people ask about your vacation, you talk about all of the neat new routes you got to run.

• You wear your running shoes through airport security, even though it means taking the extra time to untie/tie them and slip-ons would be easier.
• As soon as the captain turns off the "fasten seat belts" sign, you get up and pace the isles of the airplane because you just can't sit still that long.
• There's a stick of Body Glide in your 1 quart ziplock plastic bag.
• Before a vacation you spend as much time researching running routes as you do researching restaurants, hotels, and museums... combined.
• You worry about how you'll get your Gus and energy gels through security.

What would you add to this list?

Book review on the run: I Run, Therefore I am Nuts

A few weeks ago Bob Schwartz sent a copy of I Run, Therefore I Am--Nuts! to me to read and review. I've been slowly chuckling my way though the series of essays.

Schwartz's self-deprecating sense of humor is amusing. I found myself nodding along knowingly with passages such as "The Runner's Better Half" about the trials and tribulations runners' spouses endure. Likewise I laughed at "Send in the Clowns" about the increasingly ridiculous antics and entertainment at every mile marker of major distance races.

Schwartz also pulls no punches in the range of topics he covers. He admits that runners' sense of decorum drops as soon as we put on wicking material. Smearing vaseline or bodyglide on in front of hundreds of other people? Sure! Sniffly nose? Skip the tissue and blow a snot rocket! And what runner hasn't had an intense and detailed conversation about bathroom functions?

While the writing style is too conversational to win any Pulitzer prizes, the book is entertaining and a worthy addition to any crazy runner's collection.

I particularly liked the short essay format of the book. I could read a chapter or two on my lunch break without feeling like I was going to lose the train of a story when I had to put the book down and return to work.

Rating: PR

Recommended for: Runners who enjoy commiserating over 4am race-day wakeup calls, black toenails, and other "crazy" runner stuff. You can get a sample of Schwartz's writing on his blog.

Rating system:
BQ = best quality (or Boston Qualifier)
PR = pleasant read (or Personal Record)
DNF = did not finish (or Did Not Finish)

For more book reviews and other recommended reading, see Book Reviews on the Run.

Running jokes

Image source

(Because some days you just need a good laugh...)




Q. How do crazy runners go through the forest?
A. They take the psycho path.

If you are going to try cross country, start with a small country.

John Bingham (on running marathons): "I didn't train all that time just to come here and get it over with as fast as I can."

Source: fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net via Beth on Pinterest

A school teacher asked a student, "John, will you please conjugate the verb 'to go' for the class?" The kid began, "I go... um... you go... ehmm... he goes..." "How about a little faster?" asks the teacher. And the kid, "Sure! I run, you run, she runs..."

Source: sparkpeople.com via Beth on Pinterest

Two hikers on a trail came around the bend to find an enormous brown bear about 75 yards up the trail. The bear spies them and begins running toward them at a full gallop. One hiker drops his backpack, sits down, throws off his boots, and starts lacing up a pair of running shoes. The other hiker says: "What are you doing? You will never outrun that bear!". The first hiker replies: "I don't have to outrun the bear..."

Did you hear about the marathon runner who ran for four hours? He only moved two feet!

Q. What do runners do when they forget something?
A. They jog their memory

Source: runtheplanet.com via Beth on Pinterest

If you liked these, you might also like my "you might be a runner" series...

What's your favorite corny joke (running or otherwise)?

How to run BEHIND the sag wagon

First things first.
Read the pace chart included in the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans guidebook:

When we left our hotel at 7:45am to get to get to our corrals, you can imagine our surprise* when we saw NO ONE THERE. In fact, crews were breaking down the starting area. Hubby, I, and at least 2 other ladies were told by a race official; "Run over the timing mats and just get going."

Ok.

The whole thing - marathon and half - started at 7. As we covered the first mile, well BEHIND the sag wagon, we (briefly) considered throwing in the towel. The police were re-opening roads, and the only way we could find the course was to follow the trail of discarded sweatshirts and gloves. I tossed my feather boa on the road, having already cast aside all hopes of this being a fun run, and ran flat-out. With the roads re-opening, we either had to catch the pack or call it a day.

But the wave starts took a long time, and we knew we'd catch up with the walkers by mile 2 at the latest.

I flip-flopped between emotions. Confusion. Fury. Despair. Acceptance. Fury. Defeat. Humor. Fury.
(Do you notice a pattern here?)

Then I rounded a bend, and the walkers were in sight.

We crossed the 1-mile marker. I looked at my watch: 7:16.
Shit!
Not only was I going to have a 3-hour half marathon time on the record (I resigned myself to clock time at this point) but I was going to blow up spectacularly by the end...

All those rules:

• You can't "bank time" in a race.
• You shouldn't go out too hard, you'll regret it later.
• Keep your pace steady and work on negative splits.

I live by those rules.

My 7:16 first mile of the course... the Rock 'n' Roll group thinks I ran it in 62 minutes. (My splits for the race are hilarious.) But I know I ran it in 7:16, and I would pay for it later...

... or would I?

(more to come, including a "real" race report, when I'm recovered from the race, 3-hour drive back home, and the day's calorie deficit.)

Do you have any "so late you might as well have stayed home" stories? Please share and help me feel better about this fail.

*Two points of note: 1 - Our hotel was less than a tenth of a mile from the start. We dropped by to watch the elites take off, went back for one last "potty break," and returned to find that everyone left without us! 2 - There was 1 other page in the booklet that listed a 7am start time, but the pace-group wave start timing chart (page 14 of the booklet) was so detailed, we never even saw the "marathon and 1/2 start at 7am" note on page 8. At least we weren't alone in our confusion! Our fault? Their fault? Both? You decide...

Friday funnies

Life, like any good training program, requires balance.
Yesterday's post was serious, so today's will be fun and frivolous.

Source: cyberkittenspot.blogspot.com

via Lori on Pinterest

My favorite Valentine's post was Nitmos' (Feet Meet Street) ode to his sweaty wife, and the subsequent conversation hearts for runners follow-up.
Some of my favorites:

• Wanna Fartlek?
• You're My PR!
• Chase Me
• Fast
• Hard Core!
• Wanna tri?
• Run 2 Me
• Go long and hard! (running! of course! what did you think it meant?)

What conversation heart sayings would you add to this list?

Then again, Valentine's Day is not everyone's favorite holiday.
For an entirely different spin on relationship issues...

Source: i.imgur.com via Lizz on Pinterest

... and don't forget about this week's giveaway! Great stuff from INKnBURN could be yours. See giveaway post for details.

Now it's time to get outside and enjoy the weekend!

Source: google.com via Kirsten on Pinterest

What's the funniest thing you saw or read this week? Or something that made your smile?

Fitness and funnies

Source: Uploaded by user via Swade on Pinterest

Each day week I spend hours culling the interwebs for weird and wonderful (read: f-ing hilarious) goodies to share with you.

I do it all for you, dear readers!

Fitness:
(Just) Trying is for Little Girls threw down a "new to you" cross-training challenge... One new activity every month to bust us out of our comfort zones. Brilliant! As a result, I tried burpees for the first time (not a fan), and Sweet Tooth Runner completed a new circuit training routine.

MeGo talks about why strong is the new sexy.

AbbyNYC loves yoga, but has some valuable warnings about safety.

Funnies:
Gross or hilarious? Adam (the Boring Runner) posted an entire series of body hair "art" photos... Umm... Don't read if you're eating dinner.

If you haven't seen it yet, the video interview of Shalane Flanagan on her opinion of Kara Goucher, and Kara's opinion of Shalane is hilarious.

And last, but not least...

Source: Uploaded by user via Jean on Pinterest

Do Shalane and Kara really get along?

Do Shalane and Kara get along, or do they secretly hate each other?

This video interview attempts uncover the real answer:


(funniest thing I've seen on the interwebs in weeks!)

Recipe for a Sunday run

Freshly baked run!

Ingredients:
1 runner
2 shoes
1 bottle of water
3 pieces of gum
12 miles
1 Bloody Mary
Bodyglide (optional)

Directions:

• Put shoes on runner.
• Be sure to double knot the laces, because they keep coming undone. (This annoyance might be enough to convince this runner to switch to barefoot running.)
• Grease sides of runner with Bodyglide to prevent chafing.
• Hand runner 1 bottle of water and 3 pieces of gum.
• Push runner out the door.
• Sweat at 73 degrees (yes, in January) for 2 hours, or until 12 miles are done. Whichever comes first.
• Feed gum to runner if runner complains that it is too F#@$%ing hot for the middle of winter. (Repeat up to 2 more times. More than that, and the runner's jaw will seize up... which, on second thought, might be a good way to stop the runner's cussing about the heat...)
• Add more water to achieve desired hydration level.
• Top off with Bloody Mary when finished.

Dear Santa

Photo courtesy of the State Library and Archives of Florida

Dear Santa,

You might have noticed that tomorrow is the first day of winter. I bring this up because it is relevant to my request.

I have not asked you for anything in years, but this year there is one thing I need.

Now, I know what you're thinking, and I promise I'm not asking for a Boston Qualifying marathon time or guaranteed entry into the New York City marathon. I realize that I can only do those things on my own. 

What I am asking for is something much simpler, especially given that it's winter already. So here goes..

Please STOP THE HUMIDITY!

Seriously. It is 94 percent humidity with temperatures in the mid-70s in northwest Florida today. This sauna is supposed to continue for the rest of the week.

I can't wear my eyeglasses outdoors because they fog up and I can't see. It has stopped raining, but my 5-mile run this morning left me so sweaty that there might as well have been torrential downpours given how drenched I was post-run.

I've heard that training through heat and humidity will make me a stronger runner, and that when I get a chance to run in cooler weather, I'll see the results.

But here's the thing... I can't see those "results" if it never cools off.

So, dear Santa, please find it in your heart to give me a couple of months of cool running weather. Or at least turn down the humidity. I don't ask for much... maybe just January and February for a start.

If you give me this one gift, I promise to log lots of long runs and to be kind to others in 2012.

Yours truly,

Beth (i run like a girl)

Giving new meaning to holiday cheer

Ho! Ho! Ho!

(or something like that)

Thank you, Kevin (at 5ksandCabernets) for this epic running photo from Budapest.

I just have one question:

Aren't they cold???

How a runner spends the holidays (video!)

Running humor to share...
Happy holidays!

A runner's holiday traditions (Tell me you don't get these questions from relatives and non-runner friends!)

The dark side of streaking

I'm HOME (and a bit tipsy, but more on that later...)

I flew into San Diego on Sunday night. I'm here for a week. I'd love to spend the next 20 minutes waxing poetic about how good it feels to be home, how wonderful my friend H was to host me for the first two nights, and how much fun I had at last night's group run with my long-time running buddies.

BUT
Right now I want to hurl.

Yesterday was about healthy living and an excellent run, in the rain, with good friends.

Today is about happy hour with friends/coworkers and trying to keep a running streak alive, even if the miles per minute are equivalent to the runner's (ahem, my) BAC.

Source: google.ca via Nadine on Pinterest

My short visit means a jam-packed schedule of work and social obligations to balance with running goals. Today, for example, included an early wake-up, a day full of meetings, a work-lunch, and a coworker's birthday happy hour. Clearly there would be no running before 8pm. I knew would need to hit the dreadmill as soon as I returned to my hotel. I did not think of the birthday angle, or anticipate that the birthday girl would request a round of tequila shots...

Source: la-luna-de-coco.tumblr.com
via Taylor on Pinteres

Note to self...
Never try to run a mile after two shots of tequila and a plate of nachos referred to as "dinner." No matter how wedded you are to the idea of run-streaking, this is a BAD IDEA.

I thought, maybe, running with a hash group might have prepared me for this... But no. I feel awful.

On the plus side, the streak lives on!

On the minus side, half an hour after ending my mere mile...
I still want to hurl...

Have you ever run after a drink or two (or after eating a plate of nachos)?
Stomach of steel or delicate belly?

Bikini jogger

It might be cold outside, but one San Francisco runner isn't letting that stop her from working on her tan during daily runs! Back in November, a Bernal Heights blogger posted photos of her neighborhood "bikini jogger" (her words, not mine) and wondered why anyone would run in such minimal clothing.

Source: bernalwood.wordpress.com via Beth on Pinterest

A few days later, Bernal blogger noticed a man running in a speedo in the same neighborhood.

Source: bernalwood.wordpress.com via Beth on Pinterest

My guess: These runners either misheard that bareFOOT running is the new, hip, hardcore thing to do. OR they want to avoid the dreaded runner's tan!
And, as it turns out, my guess was correct. According to a "micro-interview" with the Bernal Heights bloger, bikini jogger wants to avoid tan lines.

I can sort of understand bikini runner's motivation. But, I have to admit, running nearly-naked in San Francisco's cold weather is... Brave? Crazy?

And what about bouncing???
My girls would not be happy after even a mile of running without... ahem... support.

I should also note that the while speedo-runner wears running shoes, bikini-runner runs in flip flops. I guess that's one way to make sure you don't heel-strike?

What's your take on these tan-seeking runners? Brave, crazy, or just unique?

You might be a runner (holiday edition)

You might be a runner if...
(holiday edition)

• All you want for Christmas is... a Garmin Forerunner 405.
• You avoid gaining weight over the holidays by signing up for a January half marathon.
• The stocking you hang by the chimney is a compression sleeve.
• You think people who make New Years resolutions are slowpokes. You've had next year's race calendar and training plan figured out since before Halloween.
• Screw the "duplex, and checks," if you helped Madonna* sing "Santa Baby," you'd have asked for a complimentary entry to the next Boston Marathon.
• You prefer cowbells to jingle bells.
• You don't understand why kids look so disappointed when they open a gift from Santa and it's a package of socks. You LOVE getting new socks (especially Injinjis)!
• When it snows in the middle of the day, some people worry about how they'll get home from work. You worry about how you'll get in the 5-mile run you planned.
• Christmas cookies and Hanukkah latkes = CARB LOADING.
• Speaking of treats... Some people pull chocolates out of an advent calendar every day in December. You think it's more exciting to run every day of the month to join the Runner's World holiday running streak.
• While your friends are still in bed nursing New Years Day hangovers, you'll be lacing up for a Resolution Run.
• Neighborhood children have confused you for Rudolph because you wear a blinking red light when you run in the evening. (It's dark out there!)

Source: acartoonchristmas.com via Violet on Pinterest

What would you add to this list?

*Note: To all the web-people who think Marilyn Monroe sang that song... The version you're thinking of was sung by Madonna! Eartha Kitt sang it first in 1953. Marilyn never did (at least not on record).

For more, "you might be a runner if..." see my earlier list.

Best of the web

This week, I came across a handful of web gems, and just had to share.

Have you ever wondered how many pounds of turkey the average American eats? Well wonder no more... Data Insights let's you know that we eat 13.3 pounds of turkey per capita, and we grow more than a billion pounds of pumpkins! This blog is filled with other fun (and sometimes disturbing) facts, like: more than half of working adults expect to check work email on major holidays.

Maybe if you keep your family talking about these stats, you can divert them from other fun Thanksgiving dinner questions like "Why aren't you married yet?" and "When are you going to have kids?"

Speaking of inappropriate questions... Meg, at Watch MeGoRun, shares her personal pet peeves about people who can't mind their own business.

On the other side of the sharing-personal-information spectrum... In his 1,000th post, Adam, at The Boring Runner, reflects on more than four years of blogging, what he's learned, and who takes his photos (including the overly personal ones). PS - He's giving away shoes to celebrate his 1000th post!

Speaking of running shoes... I think I'm mad at XLMIC for making me want a new, ruby-red pair of Mizunos. I don't normally covet shoes. But they're my brand/model. And they're not boring white!
Must... resist... urge... to shop!

And... It's shopping season! (Or not...)
Tired of the Black Friday media blitz already?
Take a year off and have a White Friday instead.

Last, but certainly not least, if you need a reminder that there are amazing random acts of kindness that happen all around us every day... Read Tricia's "Go Buy Your Family Dinner" story. If your eyes don't well up with tears of joy, I'll be surprised...

Happy reading!

You might be a runner if...

In case you didn't see my featured post on Fitblogger:

You might be a runner if...

• You think of bad water as an epic race, not a beverage to avoid.
• You think nothing of spending $30 on two pairs of socks, but wonder if you should register early to get the $5 discount off a race entry fee.
• You covet new Mizuno, Newton, or Brooks more than Manolo, Louboutin, or Choo.
• When you ponder the performance-enhancing effects of compression, you’re thinking socks, not car engine parts.
• You can do the math in your head to convert kilometers to miles and race finish times to minutes-per-mile faster than your friends can calculate them with a new iPad app.
• You know what the acronyms PR and BQ stand for, and aren’t afraid to use them.
• You hate the acronyms DQ, DNF, and PF.
• You have left Happy Hour early, because you have a long run in the morning.
• You have enjoyed a beer at 8am, because that’s what you do at the beer garden after a race.



Post-run wheat beer, because wheat has carbs, right?

• You have ever justified having a beer as “carb loading.”
• You don’t understand why Americans are trying to reduce their salt intake.
• You really don’t understand the Atkins Diet’s hatred of carbs.
• You regularly wake up before dawn on the weekend, and not because it’s time to make the donuts.”

What would you add to this list?

For another other amusing "you might be a runner" list, see:
Run. Learn. Repeat.

Caution: chafing ahead

The best thing about training runs is that they give us an opportunity to figure out what works and what doesn't work before race day. With any luck, we'll learn from trial and error about what food, hydration, pacing, clothing, and other strategies work best for us for the distance we're racing.

This weekend I learned one lesson well. (Perhaps a little too well.)

Lesson learned: I will make sure (very, very sure) that I apply Bodyglide or other goo to chafe-prone parts.

In my mad dash to get out of the house on Saturday morning, I forgot this key element of my typical pre-run routine. Now my thighs, toes, and ribcage are very angry at me. They reminded me of my forgetfulness about an hour into my two-hour run. They screamed in anger during my post-run shower. I won't be able to wear a bathing suit in public for at least a week.*

So, to see if there was anything I could do (short of buttering myself like a biscuit in Paula Deen's restaurant), I looked up chafing on MedlinePlus.

I laughed out loud at their advice:

I have to assume this anti-chafing advice was not written by a runner.

• First of all, cotton fabric is the WORST for running-induced chafing. Ok. Maybe wool is worse. But cotton is pretty horrible. I speak from experience.
• Second: The "appropriate clothing for the activity" advice directly contradicts bullet point number 1. There is no such thing as 100% cotton cycling shorts.
• Third: Sure "avoid the activity" sounds great. Oh, wait "unless it is... exercise." What kind of chafing is this person talking about? Ohhhhh.... nevermind.
• Fourth: Clothing stays neither clean, nor dry, on a two-hour run. This is my proof that the author is a non-runner.
• Fifth... Ok. Now we're talking. Which brings me back to my original point: BODYGLIDE.

I suppose it's best that I was reminded of this lesson before race weekend. I made this mistake one time several years ago and wound up with wetsuit chafing around my neck after an Olympic-distance tri. (Sand, salt water, and a mis-measured mile swim made for some raw skin... Try explaining that one to the coworkers. "Really! It was from a race!") You'd think that after a stunt like that, I'd never make the mistake again... but at least this time I goofed up in training and not on race day!

Do you have any anti-chafing suggestions?
Have you ever goofed up royally on a training run?


*For those of you who survived Snowtober and can't imagine going to the beach this week: It is still mid-70s and sunny in Florida... But before you get jealous, just remember: summer here is 3-digit temperatures, mosquitoes the size of your cat, and fog-on-the mirrors humid. We get two, maybe three, weeks of truly pleasant weather all year. Don't be jealous.

Dress up dash

Last night was the local running club's annual Halloween run.
Have you ever needed an idea for the easiest runner-friendly costume EVER?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present...
the Road Runner costume

Don't mind me, I'm just trying to blend in with the road.

Costume instructions:

• You'll need black or dark grey clothing, including a t-shirt that you're willing to "ruin," and some yellow paint.
• Paint two parallel yellow stripes down the middle of the t-shirt. (Paint one solid stripe and one dashed, if you want to get really fancy.)
• Wear this shirt with black or grey shorts, running shoes, and for bonus points add a black-and-yellow mask and carry a toy car.

I think it's a pretty clever costume. Unfortunately it was not clever enough to win the costume contest. (I'll admit that I recycled this costume from a couple of years ago... but no one in FL knows that!)

The contest winner was a man in a very tight guy-slutty-police-officer costume. All I can say is: his shorts were definitely tighter than mine...

What's the best/funniest/most clever costume you've seen on the run?

Four times the fun

Speedwork x 4
Yesterday was interval work day, so I ran 4 x 800 @ 7:30. Slowly but surely I'm undoing the damage caused by a hot and humid summer.

Around the web in 4 posts
This week there were four posts on the interwebs that captured my attention so thoroughly, I'm passing them along to you.

I do this all for you, dear readers!

1. Funniest thing I read this week:
Claire, at Will Run For Beer, posted a laugh-out-loud funny commentary on what’s in her “go bag” in evacuating from Irene. One gem (among many):

Gu. If anyone survives this, it's gonna be us runners, since we're used to eating disgusting shit as fuel for survival.

My suggestion: Read it. Especially if you're on the east coast. If you don't snort with laughter at some point, you need to get out more. (Just not out into the hurricane. That would be dumb.)

2. Things that make you go "eww:"
The Boring Runner graced the world with a summary of extinct foods. Sounds harmless, right? Wait for the picture of purple ketchup. You'll never look at a french fry the same way again. (Note: This might be good if you're trying to drop weight to improve your race times.)

3. Helpful hints:
Ever need a comeback for the joker who tries to tell you that running is crazy? Silly Girl Running tackled this topic with some suggestions on how to stick it to 'em. My only quibble: she missed the obvious "you're just jealous because you're pudgy and lazy." (Though her response in 2 comes close.)

4. Completely not running-related (but I'll dream up some way to link these all together):
Coming full circle from #1, on GOOD there was an article "Quiet Storm: Why Some New Yorkers Don't Know a Hurricane is Coming." Mostly I'm sharing this because in this era of communication overload it's nearly incomprehensible to me (and any of us in the blog world) that anyone could not know that a hurricane was on its way. I mean, it's not 1938. Doesn't everyone read Will Run for Beer?

Photo courtesy of the San Diego Air and Space Museum.