Andy R.’s Neighborhood

VOTE FOR ME.  I will love you forever.  There is no greater thanks I can give, other than the gratitude of my 5th grade students...and cupcakes, natch!

I found this over at BoingBoing. If the explanations of hurricanes and their force was never clear to you, this is a great video to explain why and how they get to be such enormous storms.

Interesting article at Bizjournal, where they've compiled a list of 216 cities and determined where the money lives in US towns with populations above 100,000. The standard line that the larger towns trend toward lower median incomes has proven not a hard-and-fast rule. Some communities have bucked this trend--tied in part to education level of the residents, no doubt, but at least 4 of the bottom five (below) have taken some severe hits in manufacturing and job loss, which has lowered median incomes and home values.

The Top 5:

1. Arlington, VA
2. Thousand Oaks, CA
3. Naperville, IL
4. Alexandria, VA
5. Stamford, CT

The Bottom 5:

1. Dayton, OH
2. Rochester, NY
3. Syracuse, NY
4. Flint, MI
5. Brownsville, TX

Cross reference this with CNN Money's recent list of Best Places to Live (vis-a-vis Naperville's Position #3 on both of these lists), and I guess money can buy a little happiness, or at least a pleasant sense of security, particularly those on the leading edge of all these money stats.

[Boring sports medicine entry]

I'm a good 25 miles behind schedule with my marathon training, because I have (dramatic music) Morton's Neuroma. My last run was 8 miles last Wednesday, and my foot hurt like never before when I was done. It's been hurting for about the last four weeks.

Basically, Morton's Neuroma is a pinched nerve between two toes, and as you might guess, it hurts like a mofo. I started wearing a pad on my bunion on the same foot, and that led to the rest of the joints in the foot getting crowded, thus the pinched nerve between my 2nd and 3rd toe.

I'm encouraged by my podiatrist's assessment that I'll be running again by the weekend, but I won't run the full 12 miles I'm scheduled for on Saturday until I know how a few miles feel.

He says I also should get my bunion corrected, and my first metatarsal is a little short, so he'd want to see that get lengthened. All innuendo aside, "bone lengthening" is a phrase that fills me with dread.

One of my favorite things about working at Six Apart is that it's a company founded by bloggers, for bloggers. As a result, not only do we want to provide bloggers with the best tools (like Vox, TypePad and Movable Type), we're also committed to helping bloggers find a broader audience, and helping readers find the blogs that matter to them. And with over 175,000 new blogs created every single day, this is no easy feat.

Luckily, with the launch of Blogs.com, Six Apart is making it easy for you to find the best blogs on the web. Hand-picked by a team of passionate editors, and organized by the topics that interest you, Blogs.com will help you find blogs on a variety of topics from Life, to Entertainment, to seasonal topics like Student Life. You can also catch up on the latest buzz on the web by reading featured editorials or checking out the top ten lists.

Wondering how you can submit your blog to the Blogs.com editors for consideration? It's easy -- Just fill out this quick form. In the meantime, check out Blogs.com and let us know what you think in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

-daisy

Our friend Kasey, who spent some of her childhood in Germany, told us last night of a book called Struwwelpeter. It's a collection of poems by a German pediatrician for children, written around the turn of the last century. The title character, Struwwelpeter was a man who refused to cut his hair and fingernails.

There's another story of Little-Suck-A-Thumb, who learns rather violently that his mother means business when she says not to suck his thumb. Never mess with a woman with a phallus bigger than yours (you'll understand when you see this amateur video of the story).

Click the link, it's a Google vid.

I ran the Chicago Distance Classic Half Marathon on Sunday, and got an offical time of 1:48:16. Turns out that the course was longer than 13.1 miles, though. While my time set me firmly in Corral D for the Chicago Marathon (the lowest of the specified start corrals), with the adjusted time for the longer half-marathon, I missed Corral C by 31 seconds. Aaaaugh!

I have been running with a Nike+ sportband for about five weeks now, and I just hit the 100 mile mark on it.

I think I'll sign up for the Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon for September, now. I know I make novice mistakes in racing, so I just need more racing experience.

"When was the last time you were at a wedding that had a death defying hike, rogue waves, a luau, ultimate fighting, a presidential candidate and a budding bromance?" asks Papi Chulo. For most of us, the answer is never, but luckily, Papi Chulo and Secret Agent Scotch took the time to Vox all the amazing moments during their unforgettable Hawaiian wedding on 08.08.08 so we could all take part in the festivities.

The story began last February, when Papi Chulo popped the question and  Secret Agent Scotch said yes! Since then, they've kept us in the loop about all the details, from the bride's veil to the wedding song to the final To-Do List. And throughout it all, they inspired us with their love for each other. (I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any better than knowing your future husband thinks you are The Perfect Girl.)

It's an amazing love story and we are thrilled they shared it with us. Watch the video of the ceremony and please join us in wishing Papi Chulo and Secret Agent Scotch the fairytale ending they deserve.

And What's a Team Vox Post without New Themes?

Spice up your Vox blog with one of our latest themes (found in the design area under "New") or any of our hundreds of themes. From shopping to sushi, comics to cycling, there's something for everyone.

Can't get enough of the wedding? A few lucky Voxers - Krissy, djchall, and Beau Smith - made the trip to Hawaii to take part in the celebration. Check out their Vox blogs for more pictures and stories.

Congratulations again to Secret Agent Scotch and Papi Chulo! Enjoy the Honeymoon!

~daisy 

Reuters has a story this morning about the Clintons' backhanded remarks about Obama's competence and general Democratic party unity, on the virtual eve of the convention without a clear idea who Obama will name as a running mate.

From the article:

Stephen Hess, a political science professor at George Washington University, said if the Clintons are having trouble leaving the limelight, it is because the news media will not let them.

Stop sticking a microphone under their noses! They love attention more than anything else at all. I respect President Clinton for his term in office and his post-Presidential efforts in fighting AIDS and international debt. I think he's a great man, in fact. Senator Clinton, well, a little less respect for her, but that's not my point. But the two of them are such attention whores since Hillary started her campaign for the Presidency, they will subterfuge the party's interests for their own perceived entitlement. It boils my blood, and they're ruining their own legacies.

Meanwhile, Russia has bombed Georgia at the very same moment that the Olympic opening ceremonies unfold.

CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG FOR A WEEK OR TWO AND PLAY A FEW GAMES?

At Vox, we believe that change is a good thing. After all, you wouldn't wear the same t-shirt day in and day out, so why should your blog have to suffer the same fate? Give your blog a new look with one of our latest themes (found under "New"), or pick from any of our hundreds of themes designed with your passions and personality in mind.