Gourmet MREs Jul 6, 2006
Amazon seems to think MREs can be classified as "Gourmet Food".  I'd like to hear what some military people think about this.  I've had a few MREs here and there, and they're pretty good.  I'm sure they're great if you have nothing else to eat and you're in the middle of the desert.  But things like "Grilled Beefsteak with Mushroom Gravy" and "Pot Roast with Vegetables" shouldn't be called "gourmet". 
#food
Theme trim Jul 6, 2006
I trimmed down my most recent theme because it felt too "big".  The content started about 1/3 of the way down the page, which obviously isn't a good thing.  I changed the style a little bit because I figured out how to use the "hover" property in CSS (fieldset:hover {border-color:#38c;}).  I also made things a bit "cleaner" by omitting several PHP calls.  This probably won't affect how fast the pages load, but it makes me feel better. #technology
Thoughts on hiking (2) Jul 6, 2006
I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail this past weekend.  The weather was great and I had a good time, but there are a few things I'd like to remember: 

1.  Sandals are good to wear at the camp site, especially if there's water around.  It makes it easy to walk around and get your feet wet without having to take off your shoes and put them back on repeatedly. 

2.  Clif Shot Bloks, fruit leather, and other fruity/sweet yet healthy food is better to eat during physical activity than Clifbars, Powerbars, or Snickers Marathon bars.  Hiking food all seems to follow the same path:  chocolate and nuts.  While I'm a fan of both, I don't really prefer either of them when I'm doing physical activity on a hot day.  On a sidenote, beef jerky covers over a multitude of sins. 

3.  It's nice to have a warm, relatively large meal at night.  In the middle of the woods, there are two viable options:  MREs and freeze-dried meals.  MREs come with chemical heaters so you don't need any extra tools or equipment.  But they weigh about 13-18 oz each.  This isn't much, but it's mostly water weight, which seems like it excess weight should be avoided if necessary.  The alternative is a freeze-dried meal like Mountain House.  These packages of food weigh next to nothing, and all that's needed is some boiling water.  But that presents another problem:  Where/how do you get boiling water?  One method is a thing called Jetboil, which is a lightweight thermos-like container that can easily attach a burner and propane tank to boil water.  It weighs 2.6 lb, but it's a great tool. 

4.  A sleeping pad is most likely worth the extra cost, weight, and ego hit. 

5.  Gatorade is the nectar of the gods.  Maybe I'm brainwashed from all the advertising, but Gatorade seems to do some amount of good during physical activity.  It might be a good idea to bring two bladders:  one for water and one for Gatorade. 

6.  Maps are hard to find online.  They're available at outdoorsy stores.  An abbreviated copy of the Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers' Companion is available online. 

7.  Motives are good to settle before starting the hike.  Should you cover as much ground as possible in as short a time as possible?  Or should you take it slow and enjoy nature?  Or should you do something in between those two options?  Nothing is wrong with any of these choices, but it's good to get the whole group to agree to a goal before the hike starts. #sports
Mustache (4) Jul 6, 2006
Mustaches are a questionable face decoration.  And by "questionable", I mean "absolutely ridiculous".  "Can't take you seriously."  "What'd you say?  I can't hear you through that stupid thing on your face." 

It's unfortunate that mustaches have made a bit of a comeback recently.  Several A-list celebrities have gone around sporting these laughable facial hair creations.  Even A-list bloggers (what does that mean exactly?) have done it.  I work with a guy who went from a little scruff to a full-on mustache in a matter of days.  What a disgrace.  I can't look him in the eye. 

Certain people would look ridiculous without mustaches:  Some fireman and police officers, most plumbers, guys named Mario or Luigi, any Italian restaurant owner/worker, my boss Vince, and Thommy's dad.  For all I know, these people were born with mustaches, and they need to keep them until death (I wonder if God lets you grow a mustache in heaven?).  But these people are the exception, not the rule. 

Every time I see Geraldo Rivera on TV, I can't watch him for more than a few seconds before I get the heebeejeebees.  I mean, look at him.  It's absurd.  That mustache is a good 9 inches long horizontally.  Can he fit that thing through doorways, or does he need to go sideways?  And then there's Arnold Diaz (from CBS's Shame on You).  The picture doesn't do it justice, but that mustache grows exponentially when he smiles.  It's incredible.  And by "incredible", I mean "frightening". 
   
In conclusion, mustaches were cool in the 70s and 80s.  Apparently, they were really cool.  But they're not anymore.  Kudos to the people who were able to give up their mustache addiction in keeping with the times.  Shame on those who weren't. #lifestyle