Run DMZ

Last night I went to meet one of the most amazing and influential runners in America today. Dean Karnazes is an extreme ultramarathoner who's run 262 miles straight (that's 10 marathons in a row) and won some of the most prestigious races in the country, including Death Valley's Badwater and The Western States. Amazingly, for all his exposure on "Late Nite with David Letterman," "60 Minutes" and other television programs, the guy's still humble about his accomplishments. During the book signing for his Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner , Karnazes talked to each of us individually and convinced me to aim higher. Just how different is this guy? In addition to having been genetically encoded to run those distances without ever suffering an injury, he needs only four hours of sleep daily. He cross trains by surfing and rock climbing. He carries a cell phone and credit card and orders ahead for pizzas to eat while on his long runs. He ...

The girls came home yesterday all aflutter over an arrest at the high school. A sophomore apparently bought a pellet gun to school. It shoots ammo similar to BB's. Both that student and the one that sold it to him were arrested near the math building, which was locked down while Alex was inside. The school immediately sent a letter home explaining what happened and advised parents to ask their kids to keep their weapons home. A story in today's Union-Tribune sheds little insight into the incident. Just part of a crazy week here at "Enron by the Sea" in which the mayor abruptly resigned after Time magazine named him one of the worst big-city mayors in the country and the deputy mayor could be in prison by the time he assumes office. He and another councilman are on trial for illegal campaign contributions in exchange for voting to repeal the city's no-touch strip club ordinance. San Diego, meantime, sails onward into bankruptcy as its financial problems grow. The ...

We just bought a brand new Scion tc sports coupe, black cherry pearl . Cool looking car that should show off Gilbert's mid-life crisis nicely :-)

With just a little more than a month's worth of training left, I'm feeling strong and starting to think I might PR after all at my 10th marathon. After a rough start due to extended illness, my body's responded well to the constant pounding and increased mileage. Ran 17 miles on Sunday and could have done more. This weekend is the critical 20-miler on a course that will take me from Sea World/Mission Bay to Point Loma to downtown to Balboa Park, Hillcrest, Mission Hills and Old Town. The official marathon course has been changed, and I hope for the better. We run around the downtown area more, where it's relatively flat. Downside: We hit the dreaded 163 freeway, with its steeply sloped roads, farther into the race. The headliner band at the free concert is Pinback, a local duo with a couple of hits under its belt. And we'll be the first in the country to try the new Coke Zero beverage since it's the new title sponsor.

Criminals are latching on to the potential of counterfeit Postal Service money orders sent for U.S. goods and services. The biggest offenders tend to come from Nigeria, Ghana and Eastern Europe, where people connect via an online site, such as dating or auctions, and make the exchange using fake currency. In addition to losing money, the victims who try and cash the bogus money orders are arrested. Let that be a lesson to never take money from a stranger, even one that professes to love you. A Common Currency for Online Fraud (New York Times, reg. required)

Most people now know they're entitled to a free credit report annually. But most folks don't realize they also are entitled under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act to find out what reporting agencies issue to insurance companies, prospective employers, landlords, mortgage companies and even physicians. A news article in today's Kansas City Star outlines how to track down this information, at least from the best known collectors and disseminators of private data. Some shortcuts if you're interested: ChoicePoint Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (which influences your insurance coverage) ChoicePoint pre-employment background check (used by employers) ChoicePoint tenant history report (for renters) Medical Information Bureau (keeps records on how you use life, health and disability insurance) ChexSystems (for your financial records)

Here's a column I wrote today on my take on the DSW data theft and its intersection with a California notification law that is finally bringing the problem to light. Unfortunately, it appears we're all walking targets. LexisNexis admitted to Congress it was attacked 60 times before it was finally forced to go public with the SB 1386 law.