Poem: My Pretty XBox

My pretty XBox hums and glows.
It gives me movies, shows and games.
My love of XBox grows and grows.
So much I ought to feel ashamed.

I recline in my room for hours,
nursing on its flashing lights.
My body atrophies and sours.
Lovely days, beatific nights.

But I assert with confidence,
that there ARE worser ways to be.
You should have seen the sloth I was,
when I still had cable TV.

Poem: Helping Friends Move

This is a poem that I sort-of coughed up by accident, while thinking about how I feel today. It has been a lovely weekend of work and loafing.

Helping Friends Move

Of burning muscles, burning throat.
The noble sorrows which I gloat.

I helped my friends move boxes there.
Both up and down infinite stairs.

An act of love, camaraderie,
I gave my yesterday to thee.

But focusing now on my health,
I give today all to myself.

Redirecting From Lance Armstrong to Jackass

Time to immortalize another overlong Facebook comment that I made a few hours ago!

The Associated Press posted a Facebook link to some news coverage of allegations that Lance Armstrong used and encouraged the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

A discussion question preceded the link:

What do you think of allegations that Lance Armstrong and leaders of his team encouraged and took part in a doping program? Does this latest revelation change your views on the cycling great?

Here is my response:

I wish I cared more because I like fair play and sportsmanship as principles.

But professional sport is an entertainment industry that doesn't usually captivate me. I'd rather marvel at how clever a well-written video game or book is than watch an exaggerated human body perform an extremely difficult physical task. As an audience member, "brains" hold my attention better than "brawn."

Well... Except for the show Jackass, I guess.

But that show is like a meditation on the outer boundaries of consent (a dude cheerfully consenting to being bitten by a snake or baby alligator) and mortality (what bodies are like after being bitten by a snake or baby alligator). Sort of like a playful bonus combo of light psychological and medical research. So I guess I even like my favorite "sports program" for nerdy, cerebral, nerdy, nerdy reasons. Because I am a huge nerd.