I spent the day in Wyoming today. It’s empty. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say there are more pronghorn antelope than people in Wyoming. I must have seen 2 to 3 thousand today alive in herds of 5-25 every half mile or so (and hundreds dead on I25.) WY220 is hearby rechristened the pronghorn antelope highway. Also got the chance to see real cowboys herd cows. Looks like fun. Relative to yesterday, this was a slacker day. I only drove 522 miles ending up in Buffalo, Wyoming.

Today was all about scenery and clear thinking. Both were had in abundance. Generally heading east from here to the Badlands tomorrow I think.

Garden variety pronghorn


Meatspace coordinates: N44.21.2 W106.41.1
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 2-0 Next up: Cincinnati 9/16
Tune: Choo Choo Ch’Boogie by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five

Technorati Tags: Travel | Roadtrip | Wyoming | Mike Harding Blog

Got a late start, but ended up inexplicably in Salt Lake City. Taking things a bit easier tomorrow, we’ll see where we go from there.

Couple of thoughts for the evening:

• This country is empty! I always forget that until I take a long roadtrip. No one seems to live in the interior, we’re all bunched up on the coasts.
• Bugs! Yes, on the coast we have ants, spiders, and bees. But we don’t have the mass attacks of moth-like insects on windshields that exist out here. Again, how could I forget that?
• Saw deer, a juvenile coyote (almost ran him down at 75mph), and a HUGE jack rabbit today. Numerous carcasses of roadkill too.
• Infrastructure. Ours is crumbling. The roads are absolutely horrible. Though we do seem to have invested in law enforcement. I counted 18 different troopers today…..with all that ticket revenue we ought to fix the roads.
• One good idea today on location-based services.

That’s it for now. More tomorrow after some rest. I’m zonked out.

Meatspace coordinates: N40.46.2 W112.00.3
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 2-0 Next up: Cincinnati 9/16
Tune: Between the Bars by Madeleine Peyroux

Technorati Tags: Travel | Roadtrip | Utah | Mike Harding Blog

24-7 OSU over Texas! The defense grew up before our very eyes and Troy Smith & Co. delivered the goods. On the road. At night. Congratulations to the entire team for a well played and hard earned victory over a quality opponent in Texas.

Meatspace coordinates: N37.32.4 W122.30.9
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 2-0 Next up: Cincinnati 9/16
Tune: Hang on Sloopy by The Best Damn Band in the Land

Technorati Tags: Football | Ohio State | Texas | Mike Harding Blog

If you haven’t seen Blogmusik.net you’re missing a pretty cool network service. It is essentially a way to play a large selection of music using an iPod-like interface. You can create playlists, send links to the songs to other users, but you can’t download the tracks. It’s kind of like on-demand Internet radio. We’ll see how long it takes before the RIAA demands this presumably French company cease and desist. But, since users can’t access and share the files, it’s tough for me to see how this is any different than radio, you just choose the programming. Sign up and listen for free (it’s beta now.)

Blogmusik.net interface


Meatspace coordinates: N37.32.4 W122.30.9
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 1-0 Next up: Texas 9/9 5pm PST, OSU 2.5 point underdog
Tune: So Nice by Bebel Gilberto

Technorati Tags: Music | Network | iPod | Mike Harding Blog

Lie about fooling around with an intern, get impeached. A new standard of lying was established.

Lie about Al Queda and Iraq links, lie about weapons of mass destruction, lie about revealing a covert CIA agent’s identity, get re-elected. This has to be the gold standard of lying.

Ignore Democrat or Republican or Conservative or Liberal, those are meaningless appellations. One’s assumption must now be when a mainstream politician is speaking, they’re lying. The more important the issue, the bigger the lie. Recent polls might indicate the public is tiring of the current liars and looking to install new liars. Richard Nixon looks like a saint relative to the hijinx we’ve seen over the past 10 years.

If we’re going to have to put up with liars, let’s at least have them lie about their sex lives – it’s better for the country and the world at large. So, Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, convince me you’ll spend your time and energy trying to get laid and I’ll vote for you. If you intend more foreign adventures, no need to apply. That’s the sad state of affairs.

Meatspace coordinates: N37.32.4 W122.30.9
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 1-0 Next up: Texas 9/9 5pm PST, OSU 2.5 point underdog
Tune: President by Wyclef Jean

Technorati Tags: Politics | Lying | Elections | Mike Harding Blog