barnson.org Half-baked opinions, served lukewarm.

So it's time, once again, to upgrade barnson.org to a new version of Drupal. I'll be taking things down for a few hours.

Not like I have more than a half-dozen regular readers anyway. So for you six guys out there, sorry we're going to be down for a bit!

--Matt B.

So I had an interesting week. We're nearing a "freeze" period at work -- a period in which we're allowed to make no major changes to the infrastructure -- and that means an incredibly intense workload as everyone tries to get their changes in before the freeze arrives. Add to that, the hard drive on my web server just up and died.

Due to repeated and increasing problems with our old web hosting provider, we've moved the server to a new host. Let me know if you encounter any issues as a result of the move.

--Matt B.

I ran across the following blog entry today at http://kristofcreative.posterous.com/how-would-you-fix-the-economy . Once again, utter ignorance once numbers get large enough results in a popular-sounding plan that makes absolutely no sense once you break it down.

Got this pointed out to me this morning: The Gladiator Diet.

Compared to the average inhabitant of Ephesus, gladiators ate more plants and very little animal protein. The vegetarian diet had nothing to do with poverty or animal rights. Gladiators, it seems, were fat. Consuming a lot of simple carbohydrates, such as barley, and legumes, like beans, was designed for survival in the arena. Packing in the carbs also packed on the pounds. "Gladiators needed subcutaneous fat," Grossschmidt explains. "A fat cushion protects you from cut wounds and shields nerves and blood vessels in a fight." Not only would a lean gladiator have been dead meat, he would have made for a bad show. Surface wounds "look more spectacular," says Grossschmidt. "If I get wounded but just in the fatty layer, I can fight on," he adds. "It doesn't hurt much, and it looks great for the spectators."

There are some things you engage in for a minute. Some for a few minutes. Some for hours. Some for days. Some for months. Some for years. Some for decades.

I am learning that bodybuilding is in that last category. It's a sport of patience, persistence, and intense, regular dedication.

This is a political post, but it's going to take me a while to wind around to the final point. Bear with me; I hope it's worth the ride.

When I was a kid, we went on a lot of road trips. I mean, long, tedious, hours-spent-winding-through-wilderness road trips. We drove from Maryland to Jersey, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, Florida... basically, if it was near the East Coast and somewhere south of New York State, my family would occasionally get a wild hare to pack all the boys in the car, load the trunk with luggage, and set off to visit family.

Mark McManus, the owner of the popular low-carb bodybuilding site, Musclehack.com, released today a new edition of his "Total Six-Pack Abs" book. This e-book, priced at around $30 depending on exchange rates, details a step-by-step nutrition and exercise program for achieving six-pack abs.

It's what I followed on my last twelve-week challenge to lose weight and gain muscle mass

As you may know, I've gone through a few internet service providers over the past few years. A brief review:

OK, I'm tired of being asked this today, so I'm going to say it once and for all, though I'm not going to link directly because, you know, hyper-sensitive and hyper-vigilant relatives. Yes, the scene in HBO's latest episode of "Big Love" -- very popular on YouTube today -- depicting a Mormon temple ceremony is accurate, including costumes, dialog, and set.