Not The Droids You're Looking For

The Men Who Stare At Goats

2010-03-30T12:40:00.004-04:00

When I saw the trailer for this movie months ago, I said to myself, "Self, that looks like it is going to be one funny movie." But since then, The Men Who Stare At Goats has gotten mediocre to just plain bad reviews. So, when it was released on DVD I asked myself, "Self, do you really want to put this movie in your Netflix queue and waste an entire evening with yet another bad movie?" I can't remember how the rest of the conversation went, but the movie ended up in my queue anyway. And we watched it, just the other night.

The movie starts with a disclaimer, you know kind of like Based On True Events, or Hastily Adapted from Such-and-Such book by an Out-Of-Work-Alcoholic-Novelist. As it turns in the case of The Men Who Stare At Goats, More Of This Is True Then You Would Believe. And with a little internet research, you can easily find that more of it is in fact true than you WANT to believe.

This was the funniest movie I've seen in a long time! George Clooney is freaking hilarious. It amazes me that someone can act so serious and come across so funny. The story, the cast, the characters are all excellent. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who has a REAL sense of humor. I know that it's not going to be for everybody, there isn't any sophomoric bathroom humor, or gratuitous nudity, and you may be expected to think a little to actually get the jokes.

Two Enthusiastic Thumb up!

5 STARS

The Big One

2010-03-28T18:49:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, March 27, 2010, my wife and I ran in the Monument Avenue 10K Street Race in Richmond VA. So did over 37,000 other people, including my wife's sister Erin and her brother's girlfriend Jordan. Tyler took one for the team and pulled stroller duty (thanks Tyler).

I had agreed before the race to run with Alexis for at least the first 3 miles. She was determined to reach a goal she had set for herself and finish in 56:00 minutes, which would have meant maintaining a 9:03 minute pace or better for the whole 6.2 miles. This was our first 10K race, and her best ever 5K pace is 8:06, and that was set on a pretty flat course. So I volunteered to help her pace herself accordingly to reach her goal.

I don't generally run conservatively. My typical race strategy is to run about as hard as I can until I feel like dying, and then push on to the finish line, nearly collapsing at the end of every race. I'm really not all that fast, but I think that I can endure a fair amount of pain and discomfort. Alexis runs smarter than me, but she also runs slower. We've tried to run together at the beginning of races before, with the intended outcome being that I pace down a little enabling me to finish stronger, and she paces up a little helping her shave time. It hasn't worked yet. In a 5K race (3.1 miles) I just can't let myself start out at an 8:15 pace, there isn't enough distance to make that strategy work in my mind.

But yesterday I had dedicated my first 3 miles to her, deciding not to worry much about my own time. I was going to kick it up hard and see what kind of time I could pull out for myself, hoping that she would be in good shape to finish strong by herself. Finishing strong is one of her strengths as a racer.

As I said before, she had set a goal of 56:00 minutes for herself. Ambitious for someone's first ever 10K maybe, but we'd spent most of the last month training for this. Taking long runs (7-8 miles) with me pushing the kids in a stroller and trying to maintain a 10 minute pace. About a week ago we ran 11 miles at a 10:00 minute pace, so I knew that the distance wasn't going to be a problem for her, but our best training time had been about 57 minutes. She was worried.

I was not worried. I knew that not only could she make her goal of 56 minutes, she could be minutes faster. So we ran together. I decided at the beginning of the race that my goal for the day was to get her to run the 10K in 52 minutes. I knew that she could do it, maybe not without considerable pain. But we don't race to feel comfortable do we?

So we ran. The first mile in 8:25, comfortably within her goal pace, not mine but we were just getting warmed up. Half way in 26:30, we had blown her pace away, but that would mean a 53 minute finish at that pace and she was getting tired. So I pushed her. I encouraged her. I yelled at her. I told her she was not this slow. I pushed her harder. I ran backwards and made fun of her. And she ran faster.

We crossed the finish line at 51:13. I was happy, she was thrilled. Who is the best coach ever? Perhaps I have a future as a motivational speaker or something.

Also, the second half (5K) of the 10K yesterday was run in 24:43. Not only was that 1:47 faster than the first half of the race, it was 20 seconds faster than her fastest 5K time (25:03).

Next year she's going to run it in under 50 minutes.

The Morning Run

2010-03-22T16:24:00.001-04:00

My Battle To Get Out Of Bed In The Morning.

It's raining outside. I'm sitting at the computer rationalizing why I'm sitting at the computer. My running gear (shoes, flashlight, reflective vest) is all ready to go, resting in a pile by the door. Waiting on me, right where I put it last night when this run seemed more important. I didn't run yesterday either. It was a rest day, I trained hard the day before. As a matter of fact I've gotten in exactly three morning runs in the past three weeks. That's when I decided that I was going to start running every morning, three weeks ago.

Just a quick morning run. I'm not looking to replace my regular training, but rather to supplement it. I've got a nice three mile route with only a couple of hills laid out. Even with leaving the house half asleep in the dark of the morning I can run it and be back in 24 minutes.

But it's raining. Or it's too cold. Or it's too dark. Or I'm tired or sore.

Three weeks ago I reset my alarm to 5:30 am. In theory that gives me plenty of extra time to get my run in. In reality it gives me the opportunity to hit the snooze button three times, and get out of bed five minutes earlier than I used to.

I like to run. I really like to run. I feel good after a run. After I run, I want to run more. The problem is this: from my comfortable vantage point in bed, curled up beside my favorite runner in the world, with my soft pillow and warm blanket, I have a hard time understanding that I like running more than laying in bed, and that I'll feel better both physically and mentally if I get up and run. I just can't see the need for a morning run.

I don't know why this is such a struggle for me. I'm usually a 'morning person,' and this is something that I want to do. It's not like work, which I've managed to wake up for every morning for about ever. I'll be hard on myself all day for not running this morning, and tonight, before I go to bed I'll check and make sure that everything is ready for my run in the morning. But in the morning am I going to run?

I'm beginning to frustrate myself, and if I'm not careful I'm going to give myself a pretty harsh talking-to. And I'll deserve it.

The Lost Symbol

2010-02-28T08:43:00.005-05:00

Let me just start by saying that there really isn't anything wrong with this book. It is just as good as The DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons, which were both enjoyable books. As a matter of fact it is not only just as well written as those two books, it follows the same basic formula. I find it unfortunate that writers of series find it necessary (or just too easy) to stick to the same formula that worked for their first book over and over again.

If this is the first book by Dan Brown you've ever read then I think that you may enjoy it. Or, if you thought that Rambo III or the Police Academy movies were good, then you may be able to overlook that blatant use of a cookie-cutter formula and really enjoy this book.

I, however, feel that reading a book is a significant time investment, and I want to get a little better return on my investment than this. Because I've read the other books in the series, I knew from the beginning that our hero was going to solve the puzzle, but just in the knick of time. I knew that some secret society that had been working on the fringes of society for centuries was going to be under attack by a madman bent on exposing their secrets. I knew that the timeline was going to be short and tense. I knew that several characters were going to be killed off throughout the book. I knew that the bad guy was going to have another motive than the one that seemed so apparent. I saw the 'twist' coming twenty pages out, and I wasn't shocked at all. And, the ending was a bit of a let down (formula or not).

All in all I think I have to give this book only 2 STARS. Sorry Dan Brown, you just don't do it for me.

Chatroulette anyone?

2010-02-26T21:24:00.003-05:00

I mean, Chat with Anyone.

O.K., this may sound slightly hypocritical, considering the fact that I'm writing this blog for everyone and anyone out there to stumble upon and read, but what kind of people are going to be drawn to this.

Chatroulette will let you talk to people. Random people. Random. People. Is it just me or does this just seem a little weird? Not to mention possibly dangerous and at the very least uncomfortable. I know that I may be a little more Anthrophobic than most, but do people really just want to talk so bad that they're willing to talk to ANYONE?

Just click a button and talk to a total stranger. Where is the upside to this? I mean just take a city bus or ride the subway if you want to talk to some desperately lonely sociopath.

I think I'd rather play with the Killer Whales at SeaWorld thank you very much.

LLBean Boycott

2010-02-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

African-American Boycott of L.L. Bean Enters 80th Year

Until theses wrongs have been redressed, I too am now boycotting LLBean.

When Your Life Looks Back

2010-02-20T02:11:00.001-05:00

"When your life looks back

as it will, at itself, at you - what will it say?

Inch of colored ribbon cut from the spool.

Flame curl, blue-consuming the log it comes from.

Bay leaf. Oak leaf. Cricket. One among many.

Your life will carry you as it did always,

with ten fingers and both palms,

with horizontal ribs and upright spine,

with its filling and emptying heart,

that wanted only your own heart, emptying, filled, in return.

You gave it. What else could you do?

Immersed in air or in water.

Immersed in hunger or anger.

Curious even when bored.

Longing even when running away.

"What will happen next?"

the question hinged in your knees, your ankles,

in the in-breaths even of weeping.

Strongest of magnets, the future impartial drew you in.

Whatever direction you turned toward was face to face.

No back of the world existed,

no unseen corner, no test. No other earth to prepare for.

This, your life had said, its only pronoun.

Here, your life had said, its only house.

Let, your life had said, its only order.

And did you have a choice in this? You did

Sleeping and waking,

the horses around you, the mountains around you,

the buildings with their tall, hydraulic shafts.

Those of your own kind around you

A few times, you stood on your head.

A few times, you chose not to be frightened.

A few times, you held another beyond any measure.

A few times, you found yourself held beyond any measure.

Mortal, your life will say,

as if tasting something delicious, as if in envy.

Your immortal life will say this, as it is leaving."

-Jane Hirshfield

I know this isn't the usual kind of stuff I put out here, but I heard this poem on the radio the other day (yeah that's right on the radio, I listen to NPR) and it just kind of hit home. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And if not, well, you probably can't help it.

Is Nothing Sacred Anymore?

2010-02-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

New Law Would Ban Marriages Between People Who Don't Love Each Other

This is some of the funniest S**t I've seen in a long time.

Ah, More UFO Lore

2010-02-18T06:55:00.004-05:00

The British Government just un-classified over 6000 pages of UFO reports from 1994 - 2000. That seems like a lot of pages for little island, over 1000 pages per year. Perhaps they enjoy a pint or two over there a little more than we do on this side of the pond. But still, 6000 pages of reports in six years. What do you think Fox Moulder have to say about that: "I want to believe."

I'm not saying that I believe in an imminent alien invasion or anything. In fact, scientifically I believe two things. First is that the universe is so immeasurably large that it would be extremely arrogant and self-centered to believe that there is no other intelligent life out there, somewhere. Secondly is that the universe is so immeasurably large, nearly (if not) infinite is size, that the chance of intelligent life out there being able to get to us is highly improbable. And lets face it, if you're really going to travel millions of light years to get here, are you going to be satisfied flashing your lights over a couple of drunk longshoremen and then leaving mysteriously without making legitimate contact?

But then again, maybe they're just keeping an eye on us. Checking in from time to time to see how we're progressing as a civilization. I would assume that we are either very amusing to them, or a source of great frustration.

But I digress. The reason I found this story interesting this morning is this: The other day I was riding in a friends car, and she was listening to gospel music. Well, a song comes on (with full choir and everything) about Ezekiel seeing a flaming wheel in the sky. "Hmmm?" I thought, "what in the world is this all about." Not willing to risk offending this friend, I decided to seek answers on the internet (people can be sensitive about their religious views).

You see, I am no Bible Scholar, but there are plenty of them on the Web. Some of them are of the opinion that all of the UFO references in the Bible are referring to the great Heavenly battle between Angels and Fallen Angels. Some even go so far as to say the the word Angel really refers to aliens, who are also created by God and sent to populate the Universe. Some think that aliens are responsible for many of the great accomplishments of early man, and that all of the references in the Bible are simply proof that Extra-Terrestrials have visited us frequently in the past.

Whatever you choose to believe, there are over 730 references in the Old and New Testaments about flying vehicles. But this is what good old Ezekiel saw:

Ezekiel 1:4

"And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
A rushing, windy, great, thundercloud-like flying craft flew out of the north. The vehicle had the appearance of brilliant, glowing fire all around it. The center of the illumination, the vehicle, was like polished metal."

Finally, A Politician Worth Voting For

2010-02-16T06:55:00.003-05:00

What's that old saying? "All the good guys are already taken."

Well I think that sentiment holds especially true in politics. In a manner of thinking anyway. I think that I heard a quote once that said something like: "I wouldn't vote for anyone who WANTED that job." That's exactly the way I feel. Unfortunately, the people that we need in Washington running this country are exactly the ones who don't want to go anywhere near that snake-nest of corruption and deceit.

Obviously this could just be a political ploy by Senator Bayh from Indiana. I'm not so naive as to not see that coming. But wouldn't it be nice if this was not only a genuine act of decency, but if it shook a few people back into seeing things a little more clearly (voters as well as politicians).

The President's Wife vs Fat Kids

2010-02-09T07:30:00.004-05:00

Michelle Obama has declared war on Childhood Obesity. Today she is scheduled to release the details of her public service campaign, and evidently it's going to be more than: "Hey kid, put down that Twinkie, turn off the TV and get your chubby little butt outside!"

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and nonpartisan government surveys say that one out of every three children in America is overweight or obese. One out of every three. ONE OUT OF THREE, WOW. Also, that number has more than tripled in the last 30 years. So, when I was a kid only one in nine kids were obese. One in nine seems to high to me. I have three kids now, so statistically speaking one of them should be a little porker.

Another study, which included 8,550 4-year-olds from around the United States, found that children who ate dinner with their families more than five times a week, slept for at least 10.5 hours a night, and watched less than two hours of TV a day were 40 percent less likely to be obese than children who did none of those things. They also found that each of those three things was effective by itself, and that their benefits were cumulative.

Now you see, this is where Mrs. Obama's troubles start. That is just a whole lot to ask of parents. I mean, who has time to actually waste on raising these slobbering heathens? Is it not enough that we took three minutes to conceive them? My wife personally gestated every one of our kids for almost nine whole months. Does our commitment to the little buggers extend past that? Alright, O.K., sure we should put a roof over their head, and throw some Doritos in front of the TV for them to gnaw on while they veg out. I mean most of us parents ARE willing to provide the basics. But past that?

Americans are too busy and important to be bothered with things like Quality Family Time, Structure, or Nutrition. I mean we have much better things to do than to take an interest in our children's well-being.

Cable is expensive, why do you think TV costs so much if it's not a qualified baby sitter?

Football, I Guess It's Not For Everyone

2010-02-08T07:32:00.005-05:00

Several years ago we were hanging out with a group of people who were all rather enthusiastic about football. We were not. In fact, we didn't watch football games (this is back when we used to watch TV), we didn't keep up with the season, we didn't even have a favorite team. Basically, we treated football just like every other sport out there. We couldn't care less. Well, our friends told us that this was fundamentally unacceptable. That we simply MUST have a Team. Everyone HAD to have a Team. It seemed that our apathy towards professional sports was poised to upset the delicate balance of the universe.

So, we thought about it. I was born in Indiana so I should obviously be a fan of the Indiana based team, the Indianapolis Colts. Alexis was born in North Carolina, so I suggested that she be a fan of the Carolina team, I believe they are the Panthers or Jaguars or some sort of fierce jungle cat. She chose differently, siting that her dad had always been a Redskins fan, and that she could do whatever she wanted, paying no mind what-so-ever to my logical system for discovering your personal favorite team.

In the end, she chose the Colts because we should be a unified house. She can be sweet like that.

So now that we had our favorite Team things really got rolling for us. This was several years ago, just as the Colts were starting their rise to the top, during the Patriots Dynasty, where it seemed that at every turn we were thwarted by the dastardly Tom Brady. But it was a fun struggle. It was fun to cheer against the Team that everyone knew was going to win, and hope (but never really expect) that your team might beat them and make it to The Big Game (someone told me that I'm not allowed to say Super Bowl without the express written permission of the NFL) (Oh, damn, I said Super Bowl).

Anyway, it seems that everyone is a football fan. We started getting Colts things (hats, shirts, scarves, blankets, pillowcases, Christmas Tree Ornaments, calendars, scented candles, and even dog leashes) for Christmas. In all honesty, our friends and family were bigger fans of us being fans, than we actually were fans at all. It seems some deep mystic bond was opened up that only happened when people got together to cheer for opposing sides as they beat each other senseless in an attempt to get an elongated ball from one end of a field to the other.

Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed it. We got caught up in it. I mean we choose well (sort of), the Colts are good. For the past several years they have had winning seasons. They played in the Super Bowl, oops, I mean the Big Game, last night for Christ's sake. We cheered, we cringed, we hoped, and we sighed that deep sigh of resignation that comes from deep down inside when YOUR team makes it to the Super Bowl, I mean Big Game, and plays like a bunch of Nancy-Boys.

And then I realized that it doesn't matter.

I don't mean that in a 'We'll get 'em next year, kid!' kind of way. I mean it really doesn't matter. When I think about it, the closest friends of mine still don't give a crap about football. We have actually become stand-out sports fans within our little social circle. Where did all of those football fan friends go? As we grew up and grew apart from those people, I guess we still clung to this football thing, as if it were somehow inexorably tied to who we are.

But who are we? We're not Football fans. We don't care who wins the Big Game, I mean Super Bowl. We wouldn't even have watched it if the Colts weren't destined to lose. We didn't watch one, that's right, not one regular season game this year, and only ONE playoff game. We're not Football fans. We're just posers. And the thing is we don't enjoy or benefit from being posers. We showed no interest at all this season. Our friends and acquaintances who know who our favorite team is thrust their projected enthusiasm upon us. "You having a Super Bowl Party?" "You watching the Big Game?" "Want to bet on the Game?"

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm looking for a way out. How does one stop being a Football fan. Obviously it would be bad form to call it quits after the big loss, and Heaven knows I don't want to exhibit bad Sports Fan Etiquette. Do we try to lower our enthusiasm gradually throughout the next season? Do we just quit it cold-turkey like we did when we kicked heroin? Or is there some super-secret-sports-society way out?

I made it twenty-some-odd years without being a sports fan at all. Ah, how I miss the innocence of youth.

Race Day

2009-11-07T06:25:00.004-05:00

We've got another race today. This time it's a 5K trail run through an apple orchard. The race starts in about four hours, and I'm up trying to figure out what to eat for breakfast.

I've been having a little difficulty finding the right Fuel formula that will work for me. Two months ago I ran a 10 miler, and not having run much for years, I was nervous about cramping and what-not, so I didn't eat anything. Well, I dragged myself across the finish line in 96 minutes and change totally out of gas. In fact, the last three miles of that race I had no energy.

So, the next race (a 5K street race) I ate a banana before hand. That race was better, but I still didn't feel properly fueled. The next race (the 5K for the Thai Sex Slaves) I fueled with energy gels. Not the result I was hoping for either. I finished that race with a terrible muscle cramp in my side.

This morning I've decided to explore another avenue. I'm eating a fried egg sandwich: that's two fried eggs on toast with mayonnaise and cheese, and a big 'ole cup of Earl Gray. So maybe later I'll be posting pictures of me puking up my fried eggs at the finish line.

Wish us luck.

Get up and VOTE

2009-11-03T05:45:00.001-05:00

Even though I don't really like either candidate for Governor of Virginia, even though I don't really know what my local Board of Supervisors even does, even though I'm tired to the point of physical illness of hearing political attack ads, I'm going to vote today.

If you don't try to change the system every time you are offered a chance, then you're wasting you freedom. We still live in a democracy, even though it does usually seem broken down.

I hate our two party system. Democrats and Republicans seem to be working together to polarize every issue. Working together to not work at all it. But still, it is election day. One more chance for me to upset the applecart.

I urge you all to vote every chance you get. And to throw away you Party Registration Cards. And to vote outside of the established parties whenever you get the chance. And you seem to get the chance a little more often in local politics.

And remember, everything starts at the local level. Most of those losers in Washington started in local government, where a few thousand dollars and a couple of influential friends can still pretty much buy you an elected office. I say we make them earn it. Hold 'em accountable. Make them tell us what they mean to do, not just how they assume the other guy is going to try to screw us.

Let's all pay attention and pick better leaders. It's not too late to fix things.

All I want for Christmas

2009-11-02T19:31:00.003-05:00

The SPECIALIZED ENDURO!!

LAUNCH DAY

2009-10-29T06:34:00.001-04:00

This is some pretty cool footage.

Ran 5K for Sex Slaves this weekend

2009-10-25T23:20:00.007-04:00

My wife and I both ran in the Run For Their Lives 5K race on Saturday, from which all the money raised was used to help free Thai Sex Slaves, and help stop human trafficking in general. I thought it was a good cause, most of can agree on that.

A friend of mine (who hates to be mentioned on the Internet in any fashion) thought that we were actually racing for Sex Slaves. You know, like to win one. Well, I'm still not fast enough to win a sex slave, but I am slowly getting my time down to a respectable level. 24:15, which placed me 36th out of 439 runners.

In two weeks we're running a 5K trail run through an apple orchard, and I'm really looking forward to that. Wish us luck.

Bunnies - Not Always As Much Fun As You'd Think

2009-10-25T22:43:00.004-04:00

I got an interesting phone call from my sister this evening, asking me to try to dissuade her daughter from pursuing the idea of getting a pet bunny. Evidently my niece has a friend who has a couple of pet rabbits, and what do you know they have some new bunnies or will shortly. Unfortunately rabbits, either because they are totally unaware of the stereotype attached to them or because they really just don't care, are quite the little breeders.

Well I did what any responsible brother and uncle would do, I told her that rabbits are the BEST pets you could ever have. I told her that you can teach them to do all sorts of tricks (like hiding in a hat for a magic show), and that they were super cuddly. I mean what little kid wouldn't love a pet bunny.

I know, I shouldn't have. I should have told her that rabbits look a lot friendlier than they actually are. That they really don't want anything to do with you. That you can't teach them tricks, take them for walks, or expect them to curl up at the foot of the bed and keep your feet warm. That really all they're good for is turning vegetables into organic fertilizer, and making more little bunnies.

But here's the thing. I had a bunny when I was a little kid. I don't even remember why. I think that I won it in some sort of raffle or something. Anyway, it doesn't matter where it came from, it was my first pet, and it was my first real responsibility. Oh yeah, and it was completely boring. It took me about a week to get completely tired of this poor bunny. And then he started spending more and more time in his cage which got cleaned out less and less frequently. And sometimes I would forget to feed it. And one time I forgot to feed it for over a week, and when I did remember to feed it it wasn't hungry anymore. It was dead.

So for some sick reason my sister used this as her rational for getting me to give the Bunny Talk to her daughter. She enjoys torturing me obviously. I mean that's a horrible guilt-ridden memory that I really enjoy reliving. "Remember that time you starved that cute little bunny to death like it was in a Nazi concentration camp? Do me a favor and tell my little girl that rabbits are bad."

Rabbits aren't bad. They just don't make great pets. If anything, that story only shows that I was just a horrible pet owner. Thanks for that stroll down memory lane Sis. Next time just poke me in the eye with a sharp stick, OK.

P.S. Ivy, you don't really want a pet bunny. They're a lot of work and very little pay off. Just get a kitten, or one of those silly little puppy-poo dogs, trust me on this one honey.

The Truth About Facebook

2009-10-25T10:38:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine posted this Youtube video on Facebook, ironically enough. And you people think that I'm paranoid.

Sounds Like Someone Needs To Get Off Of The Couch

2009-10-24T08:52:00.000-04:00

It's always sad to hear stories about neglected children, so this obviously brought a tear to my eye.

A fourteen year old boy's Mother has been charged with Medical Neglect in South Carolina. Not because she left him in a stifling hot car while she went grocery shopping in July. Not because she locked him in the basement for months at a time. Not because she dressed him in his sisters clothes and forced him to play with Barbie Dolls. But because the fourteen year old boy weighs 555 pounds.

I know what your thinking. 'Did he hit the 5 key one too many times?' No, you read correctly, Five Hundred Fifty pounds. I did the math (with some help from my wife) and our entire family (five people) only add up to about 360 pounds. Thats right, he out weighs our whole family by nearly two hundred pounds.

Her story is that he has gained all of this weight at school. Evidently all of his friends have been donating their lunches to the Lets See How Much Tubbo Can Eat Before He Explodes Foundation, a noble cause indeed. I'm pretty sure that unless something has changed drastically in the past 20 years, school lunches really aren't so good that you'd want to eat a dozen or more of them everyday. Maybe South Carolina Public Schools are the exception to the rule, and if so shame on them for offering those kids such irresistible goodies.

But seriously, is this woman at fault for her child growing to such gargantuan proportions so early in life? Is our society? Is McDonald's? I'm a big believer in Personal Responsibility, but at what point is a child's health not the responsibility of the parent? And lets face it, 555 lbs is a serious health risk.

But what about James?

2009-10-23T20:38:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I was telling my sister that I was done with this whole blogging thing. I mean no one wants to listen to me rant and rave about the idiots who run our government, or hear me go on and on about NASA this and NASA that. I just wasn't feeling it anymore.

"But I want to hear you," she said. I was talking to her on the phone mind you, giving her my opinion on this and that, live with interactive capabilities. So I explained it to her like this: "We can just talk on the phone," I said. "You can get live updates whenever you want them."

"But what about James?" She asked.

'What about James', I thought. I quite enjoy reading his blog. Maybe he stills checks in here every once in a while. Maybe, just maybe I'll give this blog thing another go. If two people out there in cyberland want to here what I have to say, then maybe I should tell them.

We'll see. But I've got a race in the morning, so I need to rest.

2009-06-25T17:54:00.001-04:00

Michael Jackson - Thriller
Uploaded by pi-xo. - See the latest featured music videos.

Money well spent.

2009-06-18T20:53:00.002-04:00

So, congress just passed a new war funding bill for $80 billion, bringing the grand total spent in the past 8 years in Iraq and Afghanistan to a measly $950 billion. Shall we do some math?

That's $118,750,000,000.00 dollars a year, or

$325,342,400.00 per day, or

$13,555,933.00 per hour.

There are 301,621,157 Americans (according to the census estimates, 2008)

So then, if everyone in this country contributed equally to the tax burden,(which we all know is not the case, less than 50% of Americans pay any federal income taxes) then your personal contribution to the war would be about $3,200.00 so far.

Just for fun, can you think of anything better to do with $13.5 million/hour?

Launch Day

2009-05-11T13:01:00.001-04:00

Atlantis is on the Launch Pad and ready for a 2:01 pm lift off. Let's hope the weather holds.

Say hello to Hubble for me.

The Truth About Facebook

2009-05-11T10:38:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine posted this Youtube video on Facebook, ironically enough. And you people think that I'm paranoid.

Oh Fudge!

2009-05-11T07:42:00.000-04:00

So, Cold Stone Creamery has come up with a shake that has almost all the calories and more fat than you should consume in an entire day. The 24 oz. Oh Fudge shake has 1920 calories and 106 grams of fat. That's 1920 calories and 106 grams of fat (not a type-O).

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those obsessive annoying calorie counters that insists on telling you that everything you jam down your mullet is hastening Death to you like a famished lion to a three legged gazelle. That's not my style. As a matter of fact I tend to eat whatever I want in unnecessarily large portions. If not for my mutant ability to metabolize garbage at an accelerated rate, I would probably weigh 300 lbs.

But my point is (you were starting to think I didn't have one, weren't you?) that we, as Americans, are fat over-indulgent pigs, and we should stop blaming the establishments that we create through our demand for our national obesity. The Center for Science in the Public Interest would have us believe that Lucifer himself came to Cold Stone in the dead of night and personally created this monstrosity of a milkshake.

I guess that I'm just a little tired of people blaming others for their shortcomings. Like some greedy lawyer suing McDonalds for his client's condition as a useless Tub-O-Lard. Come on folks, I know that McDonalds will sell you three Big Macs at a time, but that clueless high school kid that takes your $12 isn't forcing you to inhale that crap.

At Hardee's (Carls Jr. if your on the left side of the country) you can get a Monster Thick Burger, Large Fries, and Med. Coke for lunch or dinner and only consume a measly 2290 calories. And just like at McDonalds, there is no Obesity Enforcement Agent forcing you to over-indulge. Don't eat so much crap if you don't want to be a fat slob. But don't blame Cold Stone for offering an item that people obviously want.

The problem with Americans, people in general I guess, in my oh-so-humble opinion, is that we don't just treat ourselves to something nice every once in a while anymore. We feel like every meal should be a feast, including desserts that may fulfill our caloric needs for the day in one over-sized serving.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T10:48:00.003-04:00

To:

My wife, my mother, my sister, my sisters-in-law, and anyone else helping to over-populate the planet.

You may be happy that you don't have this many kids every other day of the year, but think of all the gifts she gets today. Relax today Duggar Mother, you of all people should relax today.

Listen here Mr. President,

2009-05-08T14:43:00.010-04:00

I haven't really had much of a problem with you so far. I understand that our economy is weak and that no one really knows what the best route to recovery is. I haven't been overly vocal about all of the money we've be spending (wasting, investing, whatever you want to call it) on silly bailouts, but let me tell you something.

Leave NASA alone.

I mean come on, all of the money we've given to companies with obviously failing business models. Not to mention the 14000 earmarks in this year's budget. $50 Million for an indoor rain forest in Iowa? Really?

Now the new NASA program, Constellation, is up for REVIEW by some of Obama's boys to see if it's going to be a waste of time. I'll tell you what a waste of time is, putting together a team of so-called experts to scrutinize NASA's budget, probably costing several millions of dollars, and allowing things to go on anyway. This is wasteful political posturing by an Administration that wants to appear to be concerned with spending.

The truth is in 2009:

Federal Income: $2.7 trillion (estimated)

Federal Spending: $3.1 trillion (estimated)

Difference: -$611 billion

The Constellation Program is going to cost $22 billion. That's a whopping .007% of the estimated federal spending.

But to be fair, looking at it like that Iowa's Indoor Rain Forest is only eating up .000016% of the budget. Why shouldn't the great people of Iowa have their own little Jungle Land.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T13:31:00.000-04:00

Not what they meant by "Polar Bear Club"

2009-04-13T08:26:00.000-04:00

So perhaps it's not a good idea to swim with Polar Bears after all. Some woman thought that it would be a wise choice to climb the fence and enter the Polar Bear habitat at the Berlin Zoo, during feeding time no less. Read the whole thing here.

Long story short, she climbed the fence, she was mauled, she was rescued, she was sited with trespassing.

Would it have been a great loss to humanity if the bears had eaten her? I've gotta say I'm leaning towards no. I mean come on, do the Polars Bears look that cuddly? Or maybe German Women are just really tough? Maybe whatever the bears were being fed looked good to her?

This was an opportunity for some less-than-favorable DNA to be removed permanently from the global gene pool, but no, Zoo security just had to be good enough at their job to save this baffoon. Did anyone stop to think that if this woman climbed into the Polar Bear habitat, willingly, that maybe, just maybe she didn't want to come back out.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T07:52:00.003-04:00

Nothing quite says welcome back to the resurrected murdered mortal son of god than a giant rabbit hiding eggs in your yard and delivering baskets of candy to all the little kiddies.

Enjoy your long weekend.

Enjoy the time with your family.

And remember, if it wasn't for the Church's need to assimilate pagan holidays into their own in order to subdue and convert the masses, there would be no bunny, eggs, or candy. Only the privilege of giving up something you don't want to give up, representing the sacrifice that was made on your behalf.

Just something to think about. And maybe remember that this is also a holiday about the annual Spring Renewal, Fertility, and the importance of the feminine side of things.

Shadow People

2009-04-08T23:23:00.002-04:00

I don't know how many of you have ever heard of the phenomenon known as Shadow People, but I think that it's time we get to the bottom of this foolishness.

If you have never experienced anything like this before than you are undoubtedly going to say that this is all just a bunch of craziness. I know I would. The only problem is that I've been seeing these things off and on for most of my adult life. Too often, actually, to just write it off completely as half-asleep figments of my over-active imagination.

It's like this, the first thing is a feeling, before you actually see anything. Sometimes you walk into a room that you know is empty, yet you feel like you're not alone. Then comes the image. When I see these things it is always out of the corner of my eye, just a faint peripheral image that doesn't seem right. Usually a shadow where a shadow shouldn't be, like a darker area on a dark wall. But sometimes it's movement. Something just out of sight moving farther out of sight as you notice it, disappearing completely when you look at it.

I've experienced these sensations dozens of times in my adult life, but only a few times did I actually make out the shape of a person, but just for an instant. Usually it's too fast to catch, just a trick of the eyes, but it's that feeling of being watched that is always the same. Just watched mind you, I don't feel threatened or anything. Just not alone, when you know that you are. It's never happened to me when anyone else was around, and it always happens when it's dark.

Perhaps it's nothing. The problem I have with that is that it keeps happening. I don't believe in ghosts, and these things aren't like any kind of ghosts you typically would hear about anyway. I get the feeling that whatever it is, it doesn't mean to be noticed, and it may not even mean to be here. And it may just all be in my head.

2009-03-22T08:33:00.003-04:00

So, fourteen years ago today a good friend of mine died. He was twenty-one years old. Too young to die.

Over the years I’ve thought about him less and less. Is this natural? I don’t know. I’m not an overly emotional man, but I’ve been thinking about him, death, life in general lately.

I look at my son and daughter, and I think about the child we’re expecting, and I wonder if any of us really appreciate life as much as we should. Fragile and fleeting.

I remember the anger I felt when he died. Not mad at him, but at almost everything else. The world for moving on like nothing had happened and expecting me to do the same. Everyone who said it was going to alright.

I miss you Sean.

I'm Really Sorry Joaquin,

2009-03-12T07:10:00.003-04:00

But this wasn't even that funny when Andy Kaufman did it.

And he thought of it first. It's a shame that you're having trouble finding something to keep yourself entertained. I know it must be hard being a rich movie star and all, and I'm sure that it gets really boring. I just hope that when Casey Affleck puts out his little documentary about these shenanigans that we can all have a little laugh. Because I'm not laughing now.

You look foolish. And I'm not talking about the Grisly Adams meets Vincent Vega look you've got going on. Granted, the Rap World deserves to be made fun of just as much as Professional Wrestling did when Andy Kaufman decided to wrestle women, but you are Sooo bizarre that it's not seeming funny.

And aren't you worried that 50 cent, or some other gun-toting-gangsta is going to take offense to your tomfoolery and pop a cap in yo silly *ss.

Playing God

2009-03-08T06:47:00.001-04:00

So, tomorrow morning President Obama is going to overturn the Bush Administration's ban on stem cell research. I now that this is a controversial topic, but hey, we're all about the controversy around here. So let me be the first person to say hurray. I mean it's about time we stop letting religion govern this country.

When your reason for not letting important research move forward, research that WILL lead to lives saved, because YOU think that GOD would be against it, well, then you are an idiot my friend. At least an ego-maniacal sociopath. If you want to argue against scientific progress in the name of god, then why not close all hospitals? If god wants you to live then you’ll live right? Those who die are just weak in faith.

It sickens me that people manipulate religion to control the masses. Of course I know that that is what Religion was built for in the first place, but it sickens me none-the-less. So for all of you nut cases out there who are going to rally against this morale atrocity, screaming as waving signs like this:

I ask you, shouldn’t someone be doing god’s job?

This is a little wierd,

2009-03-03T06:47:00.000-05:00

But still I find it oddly fascinating.

Bye-Bye Sumer Vacation?

2009-03-01T17:11:00.000-05:00

That could be the case soon enough. The new Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is seriously considering giving the kids longer school years, reducing their time off during the summer. It seems that this might be a necessary step in keeping our kids competitive with countries like China and India where they have longer school years, weeks, and even days. I'm pretty sure that China only lets those kids out of class to sleep and pee.

Though I understand and support the need to strengthen our current system, and I don't pretend to have a suitable alternative plan that will help, I just want to say: How bad is that gonna suck? Even though we never did anything worthwhile with our summer vacations, I loved it. We should all be thankful that we've already graduated.

Now when we tell our kids about walking to school, uphill both ways, through seven feet snow drifts, carrying firewood for the little one room school house, fighting off wild Dingos, and dodging occasional meteor shower, but that we were thankful anyway, they're just going to say: "But you didn't have to go school all summer."

And they'll be right. Even though we won't let them know that. Ever.

I think it will hardest on the kids and Teachers who are already in the system. My kids won't even know because is will just always be that way, they'll see old movies where the kids are on summer break and ask questions like: "Was it really like that dad?" "You guys didn't go to school all year?" "Why are you making me watch these crappy old movies?" "If this is all we're gonna do, can I go back to school?"

But there are Teachers out there who have been doing their job for 30 years or more. They count on those two and half months off to hold on to what's left of their fragile sanity. What about them. I bet a lot of them retire, and understandably so. Is anyone considering what that will do to our education system? Without cranky old ladies to yell us about Shakespeare or Mitosis, how will we ever absorb that information?

Well, I hope that whatever plan they come up with works, because I do realize the need to strengthen our educational foundation before it completely crumbles away underneath us. Ideally this would start at home, with the parents of school children not only helping to teach their children, but also by reinforcing the importance of education in general, but I could go on about that forever, so I'll save it for a later blog.

2009-03-01T06:47:00.001-05:00

So, tomorrow morning President Obama is going to overturn the Bush Administration's ban on stem cell research. I now that this is a controversial topic, but hey, we're all about the controversy around here. So let me be the first person to say hurray. I mean it's about time we stop letting religion govern this country.

When your reason for not letting important research move forward, research that WILL lead to lives saved, because YOU think the GOD would be against it, well, then you are an idiot my friend. At least an ego-maniacal sociopath. If you want to argue against scientific progress in the name of god, then why not close all hospitals? If god wants you to live then you’ll live right? Those who die are just weak in faith.

It sickens me that people manipulate religion to control the masses. Of course I know that that is what Religion was built for in the first place, but it sickens me none the less. So for all of you nut cases out there who are going to rally against this morale atrocity, screaming as waving signs like this:

Shouldn’t someone be doing god’s job?

Playing God

2009-03-01T06:47:00.000-05:00

So, tomorrow morning President Obama is going to overturn the Bush Administration's ban on stem cell research. I now that this is a controversial topic, but hey, we're all about the controversy around here. So let me be the first person to say hurray. I mean it's about time we stop letting religion govern this country.

When your reason for not letting important research move forward, research that WILL lead to lives saved, because YOU think the GOD would be against it, well, then you are an idiot my friend. At least an ego-maniacal sociopath. If you want to argue against scientific progress in the name of god, then why not close all hospitals? If god wants you to live then you’ll live right? Those who die are just weak in faith.

It sickens me that people manipulate religion to control the masses. Of course I know that that is what Religion was built for in the first place, but it sickens me none the less. So for all of you nut cases out there who are going to rally against this morale atrocity, screaming as waving signs like this:

Shouldn’t someone be doing god’s job?

Home Gender Tests.

2009-02-28T16:32:00.006-05:00

You'll never guess what we're doing around here today.

So my sister has convinced my wife to mix her urine with a few household items in the hopes of finding out what the gender of our baby is. Now, I've been sworn to secrecy so I can't tell you this particular recipe. (Evidently my sister's Coven is very private.)

I'll keep you updated as the results are determined. As for now I'm just trying to keep out of the way.

Supposedly my sister has done this several times in the past, always with correct results.

Here is a photo of her doing this test at home.

Wish us luck.

- ? -

2009-02-25T07:07:00.004-05:00

When I saw this headline: Brittney Spears Will Get Sawed In Half, I was thinking "I wonder if they're going to donate her organs to science?"

But alas, it's just going to be a trick that she does on her new tour, the appropriately named 'Circus' tour. She's also going to disappear, but don't get your hopes up, she comes back every single show.

The next thing you know she'll have a 'Street Magic' show with Chris Angel or David Blaine. Because those guys have gotten about as annoying as possible without new help.

They're not Rocket Scientists you know.

2009-02-24T16:29:00.003-05:00

Dear NASA,

What exactly is going on? If you don't mind me being so bold as to say so, it seems like you guys are just screwing around over there. I mean everyone else seems to be able to get a satellite in the sky lately, and I mean everybody, even the Iranians and the North Koreans.

If we're not running one of our Satellites into an aging Russian Satellite, we're just going to crash them into the ocean without ever achieving orbit.

Extra Credit Question: How much carbon dioxide is produced by a rocket launched carrying an Orbital Carbon Observatory, which immediately crashes into the ocean?

Oh, and are we ever going to get that decrepit shuttle off the ground? Come on now, four delays in a row. Maybe is it time to give up on the shuttle program? I know you guys are really attached to those shuttles, after all they have been around since the '70's, but when exactly is enough enough. Do you think those guys on the ISS would enjoy some company? Or at least some fresh water perhaps?

Best Regards,
Todd

Hard Times In Beverly Hills

2009-02-22T20:06:00.003-05:00

So I just got done reading an article about how the recession is really starting to take a toll in Beverly Hills. One store owner had to reduce the price of a pair of shoes to a measly $245. The shoes were originally priced at $1800. That's right, $1800.

I could never imagine paying $245 for a pair of shoes, but who in the world thinks that any pair of shoes is worth $1800? I mean, maybe for a really nice pair of Hover Boots, but just regular shoes? Come on people. And I bet that the people who pay nearly two grand for a pair of shoes only wear them once. I don't get it. Call me simple if you must.

But hopefully the Stimulus Package will help heal California's ailing economy. That's what the Governator is hoping for anyway. Republican Gov. Schwarzenegger, in an unexpected departure from typical partisan politics, is rallying behind the Stimulus Package. He, like myself, may not agree with every detail of the plan but admits that something needs to be done.

And although no one could possibly say for certain what exactly will work, we might as well all hope for the best instead of crying out Doom and Gloom from the nearest mountain top. I know that politics will always be politics, but I get the feeling that some people actually hope that things get worse or at least stay bad, so that the other guys look bad. Political power is more important to some, than the welfare of the American People, and it seems that fear and hate are still two of the strongest weapons in the Partisan Politics Arsenal.

Alright, I'll get off of my soapbox. For now.

I'll give you something to talk about.

2009-02-18T20:57:00.000-05:00

The other day at work I was working side by side with a new employee, when out of the blue he says: "Dude, are you really a vegetarian?" I could tell by the look on his face that he thought this was most unlikely, and assumed that some of my other employees were just trying to pull his leg. "Yes," was all I gave him, and we continued working.

I have been a vegetarian for seventeen years now, but invariably new employees ask me this question in this same manner. I think that it is some sort of initiation process for my other employees to share everything they know about me with the new guy. Should I be upset that my employees waste time sitting around talking about my eating habits? Time that I am paying them for no doubt. Should I be irate that a group of grown men are talking about me behind my back? None of my long time employees have ever opted to discuss my eating habits with me.

I'm sure it's great sport for them to discuss how bizarre I am. "Do you know he doesn't even watch TV?" Maybe I should just be glad that they've changed the subject from how Filthy Rich I am to how weird I am. I mean I know that they're going to talk about me, that's what people do.

Last summer I nearly had a union uprising on my hands when my wife and I bought a new car. One of my employees' clairvoyant wife decided somehow that she knew how much money we make, and all of the sudden everyone was up in arms demanding a pay increase. Things were touch and go there for about fifteen minutes.

Needless to say, no one got a pay increase over that nonsense, and all of the employees involved still work for me. I guess it's not too bad working for a hippie-tree-hugging-vegetarian weirdo after all.

Let them talk. I just hope that they keep working while they speculate about how many millions of dollars I have, or what kitten sacrificing cults I may be affiliated with. The truth is I don't care what people say or think about me, and I know that they say plenty.

I'm a vegetarian. I'm not a Christian. I think that watching TV is a waste of our most limited resource: time. I live in a nice house, that I worked hard to build. I love my family and I am not ashamed of my life. These things are all true.

Our finances are our business, but feel free to imagine that you know more than you really do. Most of our family and friends tend to think that we are way better off than we really are, and they don't mind saying so to our faces as well as behind our backs. The truth is, if we were as rich as a lot of you like to think, we'd be living in Hawaii right now, and I'd be writing books instead of pounding nails.

Go ahead, talk amongst yourselves.

Pop Culture Pop Quiz

2009-02-17T06:06:00.000-05:00

Alright, I guess it's time to finally admit that I'm getting old and losing touch with the kids today. During the past week it seems like every time I turn around I'm getting hit with some new slang or aspect of pop culture that I've been totally oblivious to.

Here are this weeks Pop Culture Updates:

If you just clicked that link then you've been Rickroll'D. Evidently this is one of the coolest things to do to someone. It's never happened to me, but my brother in law says he's been Rickroll'D at least sixty times. I must be doing something wrong. Maybe this is funny because that song is so annoying, or maybe, just maybe people are annoying. The premise is simple, post a link that someone will think is useful, but only takes them to this Rick Astley video. Exciting.

Sexting. Also very popular with the youngsters. As a matter of fact a group of thirteen year old boys from Falmouth, Mass. are in serious trouble for Sexting, and face possible Sex Offender charges. What is Sexting? Like you don't know. Sexting is sending naked or partially naked pictures to people with your cell phone. One of these boys from Falmouth was sending his buddies pictures of his naked 13 year old girlfriend, who would have thought that something was wrong with that?

Do you know what that tattoo in the small of her back is called? You know the one that really shouldn't be visible to strangers but always is, along with a clear view of too much of her thong underwear. That is a Tramp Stamp. Evidently girls aren't even ashamed to call it that when it's describing their own body. Nice. And in case you're wondering, the cleavage tattoo is affectionately known as a Tit-Tat. Don't laugh, you're just jealous that you, or your significant other doesn't have one.

I can't wait until my daughter is old enough to get her own Tramp Stamp. And maybe if she's really lucky she'll find a nice boy who with do some Sexting with her. Ah, the joys of Fatherhood.

One of the Seven Richest Nations?

2009-02-15T06:47:00.000-05:00

According to this article, America is one of the seven wealthiest nations on the Earth.

Now, the way I understand it, the United States is almost $57 Trillion in debt.

Take a minute to let that soak in, $57 TRILLION (not a type-O).

The thing that worries me is not that $57 trillion is so HUGE that it's hard to comprehend the significance of it. The thing that worries me is that even with a $57 trillion debt, we qualify as one of the seven wealthiest nations in the world. What does that say about the rest of the world?

I wonder what some of the countries that aren't G7 members nations debts look like.

HAPPY VD!

2009-02-14T05:58:00.000-05:00

The Drive By Truckers - Feb. 14

Enjoy your Valentines Day.

Important Legislation

2009-01-31T21:32:00.000-05:00

So, since there really isn't anything important to worry about in Washington, the House of Representatives is considering a piece of legislation to push back the federal mandate that all television be broadcast in High Definition, from February to June to give consumers suffering from hard economic times a little breathing room before they buy that new digital converter box, or antenna, or HD widescreen Plasma TV or whatever.

I was just wondering how many newly unemployed Americans are overly concerned with whether or not American Idol is broadcast in HD.

I was also wondering why OUR government feels that it needs to waste time, which is basically our tax dollars at work (if you can call it work), on this kind of garbage legislation to begin with. Why isn't the free market capable of deciding when consumer demand for a product or service is mandate enough?

Perhaps I'm missing the importance of this whole HD situation. I guess with unemployment rising there are going to be a lot more Americans at home to watch The Price Is Right in HD every day. So I suppose that this could be considered Pro-Active Legislation, helping to ease the burden on suffering Americans.

Just my 2 cents.

Watching?

2009-01-28T07:20:00.000-05:00

This is not the Eye of Sauron.

It is the Star Fomalhaut, and it is in the process of forming it's very own solar system, which scientist believe could be very similar to our own. Fomalhaut is a young star, believed to be somewhere between 100 and 300 million years old.

This is an overlay of several images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. It's not visible here, but Hubble has photographs of a forming planet in the ring of dust. As this is studied, it could offer fresh insight into how our planet and solar system formed.

Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the constellation Pisces Austrinus, about 25 light years from us.

Have Fun In Space!

2009-01-27T06:45:00.000-05:00

Gene Roddenberry and his wife are about to launched into space on a one way journey to "Where no man has gone before." Don't worry, they're both dead.

As it has been explained to me in the past, you are either a Trekkie (sp?) or a Star Wars fan. I was always somewhere in between, but leaning more towards a Star Wars fan. Well, George Lucas started an active campaign to shake my dedication with the PREQUELLIOGY OF CRAP, and now I would say that I'm back in the middle.

I really (really really really) enjoyed the original Star Wars Trilogy, and I really like Star Trek Next Generation. Jean Luc Picard was the coolest Captain ever. (Sorry to any Shatner fans out there, but Kirk got on my nerves.) But that was the extent of my Star Trek Fandom. I know that there were about six different TV shows and 53 movies, but Next Generation was the only one I really enjoyed. Alright, some of the movies were pretty good, especially the ones without Kirk.

Anyway, I'm glad that Roddenberry gets to spend eternity in space. I think he would have liked that. That is how he had Spock buried, remember. Of course Kirk was able to bring Spock back to life with a Lucas-type plot hole. But alas, we're here today to say good-bye to a great Science Fiction writer.

Thank you Gene Roddenberry. Have fun in space.

Inspirational Leader or Cult of Personality?

2009-01-24T12:31:00.000-05:00

It seems that we are truly a deeply divided country.

I personally think that the man is an Inspirational Speaker. I'm also extremely cynical, so he still has a lot to prove to me, that doesn't mean that I'm not hopeful.

Remember that this is not the man that I voted for, but I am ready to get behind a positive, productive message, as long as it is followed with positive, productive actions on the part of our new leadership. Partisanship is too costly, someday America will wake up to that.

It seems that the detractors are already out for blood. I've heard several different people railing against President Obama's call for local action and volunteer efforts from the American people. Their arguments tends to go something like this: "True patriots don't have to be asked to volunteer," or "I've been volunteering for fifteen years and it's insulting for Obama to ask me to do what I'm already doing," or "people are only doing it because he's black," or even "these people would never have been moved to action while Bush was in office."

I've honestly heard all of that and more. Now I'd just like to ask what is more important, the ends or the means? If these opponents of the President are truly patriots, wouldn't they think first of the betterment of the country and not the downfall of their political opponents?

And when did Bush try to inspire and lead us into anything except a costly dead-end war.

I heard this Conservative Talk Show Air Bag going on about how the Celebrities who were endorsing Obama's call to action were basically a bunch of cultists, loyal more to Obama than to America. Maybe that's true, I can't say what their true intentions are, but if their message in conjunction with Obama's gets people to act locally, then does it really matter if they do anything else. If they inspire real people to do something, then their hollow existences may actually prove to be worth something.

When are we going to be able to put our Democrat Hats and our Republican Hats away and work together for a better tomorrow? I've been trying to make this point now for years, this two party bullsh**t is counterproductive (pardon my language). It's gone way past checks and balances, now it's just power struggle and petty partisan bickering.

If (I mean IF) Obama is the man to lead us into change and better times, then why don't we all support that? Do some people really not want a better world. Not to say that we should not be vigilant and mindful of what those in power do, remember America we're supposed to be the ones in charge of that POWER. We've got to pay attention, it's our responsibility. But it's not our only responsibility.

It Looks Like Caroline Kennedy Reads My Blog

2009-01-22T17:38:00.000-05:00

Sure, some people are saying that it has to do with her illegal immigrant housekeeper and some shady Tax business, but I think we all know the truth. Caroline says that there is a 'personal' issue that will keep her from fulfilling the duties of Senator.

Personal Issue like she doesn't have any experience maybe.

Guitar Hero

2009-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, I was at work the other day, toiling along side one of my employees, when a Clash song comes on the radio. I'm singing along, but only in my head.

"I can play this," he says.

"What?" I say, not sure that I heard him right. To the best of my knowledge this guy is totally into hip-hop and rap. I never in a million years would have guessed that he knew who the Clash was, let alone knew how to play their songs.

"Yeah, I can play this," by this time Should I Stay Or Should I Go is fading into Running With The Devil by Van Halen. "Oh, I can play this one too, but not on expert."

"What?" I say, realizing that I'm beginning to sound like I'm deaf or something. "I didn't know you played the guitar.?"

"Rock Band, man," he says, clearly amused that I thought he was may be talking about something a little more tangible. "I got it for Christmas and we play all the time."

Well, it turns out that he can play almost half of the stuff that they played on the radio that afternoon, AND he is in the middle of a SOLO WORLD TOUR. Very exciting indeed, and he still thinks enough about us little people to come to work everyday. It's good when ROCK STARS give a little something back, don't you think.

Anyway, the whole thing left me with sort of mixed feelings. On One Hand I thought, well that does it, no one is ever going to learn how to play a guitar with actual strings on it anymore, but on the Other Hand, at least this guy is listening to (and perhaps even slightly appreciating) better music than he's ever bothered to before.

And maybe some of the younger kids with think that it's so cool that they actually pick up real guitars one day and decide to rock out without standing in front of a TV. Do you think Eddie Van Halen is playing Guitar Hero somewhere right now?

I wonder.

Feels Like 1

2009-01-16T06:15:00.000-05:00

So I'm getting ready to leave for work and I check the Weather Channel online to see what I'm in for today. I already knew it was going to be cold, but...

One Degree! Brrrrrrr!

The Weather Channel site has this wonderful feature where they give you the current conditions in your zip code updated every five minutes. Right now it is 12 degrees, but it feels like 1, with a clear sky and a 7 mph wind out of the NW.

Fortunately we can look forward to a balmy high of 25 today, with a nice breeze of 10 - 15 mph steadily cooling us all day.

I don't know how many of you have to work outside today, but I'm getting the feeling that we're not going to have the most productive day of the year.

It's a good day for Cryogenics.

Hit The Ground Running

2009-01-11T07:29:00.000-05:00

So I was up and out early this morning, all geared up, for a nice run. It was a little cold and a quite windy, but it feels great to be running. I rarely feel better than I do right after a run, yet sometimes it's hard to get motivated to get out there. I wish I wasn't so lazy by nature.

Who knew planning a family vacation would be such a headache?

2009-01-10T07:52:00.000-05:00

Oh, everyone who ever tried to plan one I guess.

I have One Sister and two brothers, and we all have families (spouses and children), and we've been planning a big group summer vacation for this year for what feels like a decade now. Well, before the great depression set in we were all going to go to Disneyland. I was looking forward to it, as I'm sure everyone else involved was, there are thirteen kids involved in this trip after all.

But now, due to financial restrictions in most of the families, we're trying to figure out what we can do to save a little money. Basically to ensure that everyone can still come, because that is the whole point of a big family vacation. Family. Not some silly mouse eager to take my money.

Well, that's what I thought anyway. It turns out that there are some members of this circus (I mean extended family) that are very serious about making Disney our final destination. Fine with me, I just want everyone to be able to go and to get along about it, but there is also an anti-Disney faction.

I like my family, and I really want to get together this summer, especially since we're about to have another child and it will be nearly impossible to travel that far for a few years, but I feel like it's turning into one of those bad reality shows with secret alliances and subtle power plays. I'm a big fan of openness and honesty. I'm that guy that's going to tell you what you don't want to hear. I just think that it's better with full disclosure.

Anyway, I let you know how it turns out, and if anyone gets voted off the island. I'm probably going to be the first to go. (Note to self: keep big mouth shut.)

You Can't Win 'Em All

2009-01-07T07:15:00.000-05:00

It seems I'm on a bit of a losing streak here lately.

The Colts got knocked out of the Playoffs in the first round by the 8-8 Chargers. And if you didn't watch the game don't let the score fool you, it wasn't that close. The Chargers out played us the whole time. If it weren't for a few lucky turnovers we never would have held our ground to make it to overtime.

And then yesterday I make a simple bet with my wife: if it's one she gets to name it, and if it's more than one I get complete naming rights. Well, she was right. We're pregnant again, but it's just one baby this time.

Now she's going around saying that she knows it going to be a girl. I don't know how women think that they know that kind of stuff, I've personally never been pregnant.

So yeah though, we're excited and we're due some time in late August or September.

A New Year

2009-01-01T07:51:00.000-05:00

Time to really start training.

It's not really a New Year's resolution, I've been wanting to start doing Adventure Races for a long time now, but last fall my little brother helped me find a regional Adventure Racing Group and since then I've been seriously pumped. But I haven't been great about my training regiment.

So, like most everyone else I know, I'm using the beginning of a new year to try to talk myself into getting serious about training. This morning I've already been out for a 6 mile bike ride (in 15 degree temperatures). Biking is probably going to be my weakest discipline, so I'm trying to train doubly hard there. I know 6 miles on a bike isn't a lot, but it is rather hilly here, and did I mention that it's 15 degrees this morning.

I'm also going to try to use my blog as a training log, to remind myself that I need to train more often and harder.

My first race isn't until July 25, and it's a 70 - 90 mile race which includes: hiking, biking, paddling, orienteering, and off-trail bushwhacking (I wonder if I'll need a machete?).

The only other race I'm going to do this year is September 19, and it's a 40 mile trail run.

There is one I would like to do in May, but I think we're going to be on our family vacation, so that's no going to work this year. Oh well, it's my first year as an Adventure Racer, I suppose I should start with a conservative schedule.

I need to focus on training this year, and possibly building a team. But my eventual goal is definitely PRIMAL QUEST.

American Royalty?

2008-12-29T18:02:00.000-05:00

The way I understand it, in a Democracy political power is supposed to be distributed by the people to qualified leaders, and in a Monarchy power is handed down from generation to generation through the royal bloodline.

Well, what about Caroline Kennedy. The only remaining heir of JFK.

"I would be an unconventional choice -- I haven't followed a traditional path, but I think I bring a lifetime of experience to this," she told NY1.

She also told The New York Times that "there's a lot of different ways that people are coming to public life now, and it's not only the traditional path."

The traditional path being public service. I mean I have exactly as much political experience as Caroline Kennedy, yet, I don't feel that I'm the most qualified person for the job. Of Course, my family hasn't run the New England political machine for three decades.

Whether it's Bushes or Kennedy's, I think it's about time that we stop putting people in office because we thought that their Daddy did a good job.

More HR 676

2008-12-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

HR 676

2008-12-27T11:48:00.000-05:00

Everyone needs to write thier Congress Person and ask them to support this bill.

Our Health Insurance goes up 10% every single year, and we've never made a major claim.

Soon we won't be able to afford insurance, like a lot of Americans already can't, and if we don't do something now it will be too late before we know it.

Something funny for the geeks out there.

2008-12-24T14:50:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas.

"I tried to pass for nothing, but my dreams gave me away"

2008-12-20T07:26:00.000-05:00

CASSADAGA,
by Bright Eyes, has just made it to my all time favorite albums list.

I've been a Bright Eyes fan for several years now, and we've actually owned Cassadaga since it came out in 2007, but the more I listen to it the more it moves me. Don't get me wrong, I loved it at once, and it was instantly my favorite Bright Eyes album, but now I'm officially promoting it.

I would highly recommend that you take the time to listen to this album, no matter what your musical tendencies may be. And I mean listen to it. Go into a quiet room, turn the lights down or off, and turn the music up loud enough so that you can't hear anything else. Or, go for a drive with this album, gas is half-priced now after all. Really listen to it.

To make it to my list of Favorite Albums of All Time, a piece of music has to really move me. I like a lot of music, but sometimes something will make a deeper impact than just "Oh, that's nice to listen to." This is an exclusive list, and I think that Cassadaga is one of those albums that will knock your socks (or stockings) off.

Here is a sample of what else is on my list:
(This is in no way a complete list, because I've never before tried to document this)

U2 - The Joshua Tree
Joe Strummer - StreetCore
Tom Waits - Frank's Wild Years
REM - Automatic For The People
Guided By Voices - Under The Bushes Under The Stars
Paul Simon - Graceland
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Luna - Penthouse
Wilco - Summerteeth
The Cure - Disintegration
Brian Hall - The Sound Of Summer Voices Crashing
Tom Petty - Southern Accents

As you can see, this is a pretty exclusive list. Like I said, I listen to a lot of music, but this is the stuff that moves me. So go listen to Cassadaga and tell me what you think.

Wal-Mart - The Devil Itself or just one of his Evil Minions

2008-12-10T12:30:00.000-05:00

So, I was listening to one of those Conservative Talk Radio Air-Bags today (mostly because they amuse me), when I heard that the family of the employee who died at Wal-Mart on Black Friday was suing Wal-Mart. O.K., no big deal, everyone expected that.

Well, this guy was saying how he thinks that it's a ridiculous baseless lawsuit, and that Wal-Mart is in no way at fault for what a frenzied mob of bargain hunters did.

Granted, each of those people who constituted that mob should be thrown to the ground and trampled by a herd of feral goats. And Fox News would probably broadcast that live for all of us to see. I think that the actions of those people were despicable, and should not be excused. Period. But to imply that Wal-Mart is free of guilt is just going too far.

In my opinion Wal-Mart is guilty of murdering that man, just like everyone of those idiots who had to try to get their hands on some $300 laptop that they normally wouldn't want to begin with.

Let's start with security. Why was one man alone working crowd control. There should have been at least six Blackwater Mercs in full riot gear. I mean batons and shields and helmets and Oh Yes, lots of tear gas. One man inadequately trained and unequipped trying to handle crowd control duty sound like at least Criminal Negligence, but in this case it turned into manslaughter.

But let us move past crowd control measures for a moment, and take a look at Wal-Mart's role in building that crowd and then whipping them into a bloodthirsty feeding frenzy that could earn a spot on Shark Week. Why is it necessary to offer these incedible deals that they have such a limited stock of. They're just looking for trouble if you ask me. I know that our economy is in a major slump, but what does it say about our society when we allow retail advertisers to steal a Holiday from us that is supposed to be about spending time with your family and being thankful for what we have.

People leave family gatherings early, or skip them all together, to get a good space in line outside of BestBuy or Target, to supposedly shop for Christmas. A Holiday which is theoretically about goodwill toward man and peace on earth. Whatever universe that is, we're far removed from it now. We now celebrate Giftmas, where your worth as a friend or family member is measured solely on your ability to find the perfect gift for someone. And if you can't find the perfect gift you need to outspend the person you're exchanging gifts with. What would Baby Jesus think of us.

So is Wal-Mart free of guilt. I think not, but I think we're all a little guilty here. Some more than others, but everyone who takes part in the mass hysteria which is the day after Thanksgiving Shopping Extravaganza is a little to blame. We all killed that man in Long Island New York this year. And I would like to say to his family that I'm truly sorry for my part.

FOR SALE:

2008-12-10T06:35:00.000-05:00

One Senate Seat. Rarely Occupied. Available in January.

And while I'm at it, if someone doesn't fire those writers for the Chicago Tribune I'm cutting all State funding to the Cubs.

So, Governor Blagojevich, I'm just wondering if you've ever heard of ethics? Was there nothing in your oath of office that mentioned upholding the law?

In case any of you haven't heard the story by now, the Governor of Illinois has been caught trying to sell President Elect Obama's Senate seat, and extorting the Chicago Cubs management. And of course, every one is appalled. I mean who would have suspected corruption in politics is America?

This is what happens when we put people into powerful positions, they try to squeeze every last dollar out of their position that they can. I mean come on, how many people in Washington really care about the welfare of this country. Of course they're all upset about this little debacle, but ask yourself: Is it because they didn't think of it first? Is it because it will be harder for them to steal from you for the next few weeks? Or do you think they really care that this man was trying to augment his income by selling a little piece of a corrupt government to one of his corrupt friends?

I don't know about you, but in my opinion our government need a complete overhaul.

Yahoo! More Bailouts on the way.

2008-12-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

So, the lesson I'm going to be able to teach my children from this economic recession is this: You should build a company that is so big and poorly managed that it sinks under it's own weight, but employs enough people that the government will pay you to continue to lose money instead of going out of business and allowing companies with working business models to move up the food chain. After all, that's how they do business in Washington, right.

I own a small business. We build houses. We have increased our profits every year for the last five years, but now due to the economy (not overpaid executives and union extortionist) we're having to down-size and re-tool to survive. In the past year we have cut our workforce in half (from 12 employees to 6), and we have taken on different types of contract work (basically anything and everything that we can to keep busy). I'm just wondering where my government hand-out is.

Maybe I need to hire 100,000 union carpenters next week, and then just let the debt pile up while I wait for my check from old Uncle Sam.

This is the thing, I know that the economy sucks (believe me, I know). And I know that if the big three American Car Companies go under a lot of people are going to be effected. But what about all of the small companies who are only suffering because of the recession? I mean let's face it, these Auto Manufactures can't blame their situation on the sub-prime housing debacle.

Let's look at some numbers. My company builds houses, their companies build cars. My average employee cost me (wages, taxes, insurance, and benefits) about $25/hour, GM's average employee costs them (and us) about $77/hour, that's three times as much. My workers work hard in the hot and the cold and the rain. Their workers watch robots build cars. An average house in America costs around $200,000 or 4 Suburbans. In thirty years those four Suburbans will be rusty piles of landfill mass, and your house will have tripled in value.

If anything, it would seem that my industry deserves government assistance more than they do. Not that I'm asking for any. I'll get by just fine.

The car companies, however, need $25 billion to survive and keep losing money by selling us overpriced depreciating fossil fuel burning pieces of crap.

Am I the only one having trouble seeing the logic here?

The Right Choice?

2008-12-05T02:55:00.000-05:00

I've made no secret of my disdain for our faulty two-party system. And I've made no secret that I voted for Ralph Nader in November (as well as four years ago). And Although I haven't been an opponent of President-Elect Obama, I fear that that may be the direction the two of us are headed in.

I voted for Barrack Obama in the Democratic Primaries. I listened to his speeches and was moved by his message. I honestly like what the man had to say. However, I didn't buy it. My wife calls me jaded and cynical, but I didn't (probably never will be able to) trust a man who was just another part of a political machine.

And now it seems that I have earned the right to say (at least to my wife) I told you so. When President-Elect Obama named Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, I knew that it was business as usual in Washington, or Chicago, or wherever the 'revolution' is being staged. Never have I seen such a power-hungry monster as the Clinton Political Machine, whose agenda basically consists of gathering political power and clout and cashing it in, in the name of the people.

This is just another reason why the American Political System has to be recycled. This broken down two-party system only works for politicians. The people, and that means YOU too, have to wake up and take the power back. I can sit here and complain about politicians forever, but it is the American people who enable this crooked system to remain, by our sheer laziness and complacency.

When are we going to learn.

Looking For Room To Run My Mouth

2008-12-04T20:05:00.001-05:00

So, just like everyone else in the world, I guess I finally decided that I need my own blog. My wife has a blog, where I've been known to periodically post, but lately I've felt like my views may conflict with the over-all spirit (feng-shui) of her blog.

Perhaps some of her readers will follow me here, but at least they'll know that these ideas are mine, and not necessarily hers, and if they (or anyone else) gets offended here I really don't care. That's the beauty of blogs, you can stop reading whenever you want. I find myself all the time getting bored with people's posts, and moving on mid-sentence to something more fulfilling (like the weather, or spider solitaire).

Anyway, that's it. It was actually a lot of work getting all of this put together, and I've got more important things to do.