Lenghty Norton Update

Installing Norton Antivirus 2008, I encountered this wonderful dialog box. I only needed to wait 4,294,967,294 minutes for current file updates to download! That's 71,582,788 hours, or 2,982,616 days. That's 8,171 years.

What's worse?

Billed at even a discounted rate of $89 an hour, I'd have to charge $6,370,868,132 to cover the time out of the office.

That's a steep rate for an antivirus upgrade.

Gilliland's Runner-Up No Surprise

Doubtless many were surprised Sunday when David Gilliland earned second place at NASCAR's tough Infineon Raceway in northern California. The demanding road course is known as an unforgiving track that offers little passing opportunity.

But it's also Gilliland's home track, and he's finally competing this year with not only quality (Yates) motors, but good Roush Fenway Racing chassis. And it's the equipment quality that's going to make the difference (I remember the first time I worked in a motorsports capacity being struck by how all the leading teams X-rayed every component that went in the motor, so concerned were they with identifying and eliminating potential fatigue issues that could lead to failure).

Any of the team's performance trouble (the team is currently ranked 21st, I believe, in the points standings) certainly isn't because of its driver. Gilliland's already proved he knows how to drive a race car. He proved that at Kentucky (I still have the hat he gave me that night).

Ate A Big Mac!

While that's not big news for most folks, I've been eating only vegetarian foods (with the exception of cheese, eggs and fish) since June of 2001.

What prompted the change?

Ironically, I just got done re-reading Fast Food Nation. It reminded me of my employment (late '80s) within KFC's public relations department, where I worked with wonderful, talented people and eagerly researched new menu items within KFC's restaurant system as well as across competing brands.

But that wasn't the proverbial last straw. No.

My culinary options were, seemingly, exhausted. I'm tired of going to Kroger and finding only some 20% of the store's foodstuffs on my personal menu list. The same with restaurants. While most menus offer fish/veggie options, I'm tired of noodles, burritos and fish. While my politics may be leaning a little more left than has been the case the past 10 or 12 years, I think it's only fair that I enjoy some of the benefits of being at the top of the food chain. Sorry if that offends anyone.

Plus it'd be nice to get a simple hot dog (with mustard, onions and relish) at a baseball game. The alternative is what? Nachos? Please. I need to get back to a Bats game, now, for a fried bologna sandwich.

And, truth be told, I'm seeking natural sources of energy. After two all-beef hamburgers this week, I've felt an energy jolt that's proven well sustained over the usual diet of cheesy burritos or a grilled fish sandwich. Take that polymyositis.