Hi, I’m Cosmo. That’s my real name. I’m good at lots of stuff. I make of awesome things in my spare time. I’m on twitter. I live in Boston Proper. I ride my bike. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-2204007-4"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}Tumblr (3.0; @cosmocatalano)http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz4soqr58a1qznfx5o1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>I’m at CityMug, a small coffee shop adjacent to <a href="http://www.citymac.com/" target="_blank">CityMac</a> in Asheville NC. This is how they welcome you to their network. It’d be nice to say that I’m here for the wifi and hot cocoa, but sadly, this is not a pleasure visit—those hills that were kicking my ass on Monday were also shredding the aging clutch on my Subaru.</p> <p>Despite recent advances in automotive technology, it remains physically impossible for a car to drive uphill without a means of applying the force of the engine to the wheels. And since it died going uphill (and I wasn’t quick enough on the parking brake), the full weight of the vehicle, post clutch-fry, was now resting on the transmission, making it impossible to shift out of gear.</p> <p>The car was stopped, smack dab in the middle of a 10%+ grade on <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=chrome&q=paint+fork+road,+weaverville+nc&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Paint+Fork+Rd,+Weaverville,+NC+28787&gl=us&ei=rDiZS8CGJpOWtgfa4_WwCQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAcQ8gEwAA" target="_blank">Paint Fork Road</a>, with little more than its hazards to protect it. And I had to ride back up the even-steeper driveway to the house to just to start the process of getting it out of the way.</p> <p>Orchestrating the ensuing tow was a nightmare. The house Rudy selected is extremely remote, meaning both that precise directions were required, and my cell phone doesn’t work. Our only connection to the Internet is the very landline we need to communicate with the towing company.</p> <p>So I had to wait at the house for the wrecker to figure out where the car was, then call and say he’d arrived before riding down the driveway (dirt/paved/steep) in the rain in street clothes. And then ride in the wrencker into town under the guise of being Rudy, since, with the infrequency of my trips outside 495, I’ve let my AAA membership lapse.</p> <p>I think next year I will run my own training camp again.</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/441607296http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/441607296Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:58:00 -0500north carolinacarsinternethouseroadstraining campclutch“The shipmate also said Massa once climbed up to his roommate’s top bunk to attempt to execute...http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/441568355http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/441568355Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:28:25 -0500snorkelinginstant cultureurban dictionarysex actstrending topic<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz312vmg8R1qznfx5o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall,_North_Carolina" target="_blank">Marshall, NC</a>.</p> <p>Want to know what happens to a factory town when the factory closes? Stop by here. Surprising variety of architecture, including the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Court_House,_Madison_County,_NC.jpg" target="_blank">county courthouse</a> (at center in photo). Despite Marshall’s small size, it remains the Madison County seat.</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/439491977http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/439491977Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:04:07 -0500north carolinatownsmarshallfrench broadeconomicsarchitecture<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyzh6oRDCn1qznfx5o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Doublewides come in handy when you’re buying ice cream by the vat.</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/435337875http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/435337875Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:00:35 -0500foodculturenorth carolinaconsumerismeconomy of scaleice cream<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyzh1l9spW1qznfx5o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Doublewide grocery cart in Weaverville, NC.</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/435332750http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/435332750Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:57:25 -0500foodculturenorth carolinaconsumerismFurther proof that men are better than women: [featuring Kate]http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/430422167http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/430422167Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:17:00 -0500pullupsmenwomenPOWERexerciselifeaquatic: I’m trying to come up with a title for a photograph I’m entering in a geeky...http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/429108052http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/429108052Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:08:28 -0500<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kytvwscUjq1qzv6oxo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://lifeaquatic.tumblr.com/post/428872324/my-little-sista-breakin-hearts-and-takin-names-i" target="_blank">lifeaquatic</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>My little sista, breakin hearts and takin names. I think she’s bought at least three new Denver-sports-franchise shirts in the past four days, which I hope to someday inherit.</p> </blockquote> <p>She appears to be getting photobombed.</p> <p>Also, wasn’t I supposed to hook up with her at some point?</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428888130http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428888130Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:44:54 -0500photobombingjespnbeerfestNikola Tamindzic: Don't be an ass: credit the artist.: gumplr: If you’re posting someone else’s...http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428748159http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428748159Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:04:08 -0500attributionphotographysourceimagestumblrtineyeValleywag: Mark Zuckerberg will totally hack your Facebook account: bestrooftalkever: You have...http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428633492http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428633492Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:31:36 -0500<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kytmh0eXNr1qzq52eo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>(via <a href="http://bringtheruckuss.tumblr.com/" class="tumblr_blog" target="_blank">bringtheruckuss</a>)</p> <p>my aunt is a practicioner of the librarianic arts. she relays that this illustration reflects widely-held opinion in her circle.</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428629746http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428629746Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:28:22 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kytguuqyLz1qa0uujo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://ilovecharts.tumblr.com/post/428456156/huffington-post-front-page" target="_blank">ilovecharts</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Huffington Post front page.</p> </blockquote> <p>Wow. ALL CAPS Arial and a chart saved as a lossy-ass JPG instead of a PNG. This might just be my least favorite thing on the Internet right now.</p> <p>(<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pMscxxELHEg/S5EJ-B5NWlI/AAAAAAAAHrk/5IKBW_ftUC4/s1600-h/EmploymentRecessionsFeb2010.jpg" target="_blank">source image</a> - from <a href="http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2010/03/employment-report-36k-jobs-lost-97.html" target="_blank">here</a>, blame HuffPo for the Arial and at least some of the generation decay)</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428515731http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/428515731Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:56:54 -0500chartsgraphsPNG MOTHERFUCKER DO YOU SAVE AS ITPNGJPGcompressionlossinesstypefacesinternetwebarialimages<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kysg6m7oAl1qznfx5o1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://soupsoup.tumblr.com/post/426609344/hotfoot-ive-been-running-hot-foot-for-four" target="_blank">Didn’t go so well?</a></p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/427432788http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/427432788Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:56:00 -0500CMSblogerrorhotfootinternettumblrwebwordpressopen source“I love it. Just when I think society can’t get any dumber we get an email like this. Some...http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/427152762http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/427152762Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:34:00 -0500sportsspellingeditinginternet<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kys6yq6ftT1qa1iiqo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://nickdrake.tumblr.com/post/427050463/orson-welles-citizen-kane" class="tumblr_blog" target="_blank">nickdrake</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>Orson Welles, (Citizen Kane)</p></blockquote>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/427128016http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/427128016Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:20:21 -0500Filmclassic<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyrrprT5cT1qzu6nxo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>(via <a href="http://www.youmightfindyourself.com/" target="_blank">youmightfindyourself</a>)</p> <p>“…lest ye be Twittered?” Doesn’t sound so bad. Certainly how I got a good deal of my traffic on the <a href="http://cyclocosm.com" target="_blank">not shitty</a> blog.</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426948583http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426948583Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:39:00 -0500bikescyclingcyclocosmmottostwitterscripture““This is the WORST article I have ever read. Are you brain dead??? Why not just ask him for...http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426932940http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426932940Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:30:20 -0500commentsinternetdipshitsin case you were wonderingpulp fiction<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kys1hqvcVY1qznfx5o1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Coup!</p> <p>I’d rather have Crema Cafe, tho.</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426848746http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426848746Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:38:53 -0500foursquarestarbucksmayorharvard sqcambridge<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyrqknhMM61qznfx5o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>(<a href="http://shredragerepeat.tumblr.com/post/426438663" target="_blank">kinda</a>)</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426525849http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426525849Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:43:35 -0500yo dawgno dawgxzibit<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyrhvcxB0v1qzzz44o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://lawful.tumblr.com/post/426379338/powlsy-treasure-lies-there-is-no-treasure" target="_blank">lawful</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://powlsy.tumblr.com/post/426291139/treasure" target="_blank">powlsy</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>treasure!</p> </blockquote> <p>Lies. There is no treasure on the silver line.</p> </blockquote> <p>…not anymore.</p>http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426509629http://blog.cosmocatalano.com/post/426509629Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:30:19 -0500treasuresilver linebostonmbtamapstransit