It's My Birthday

As of this morning I have taken 33 trips around the sun.

I have never felt as good about going into a year as I do this one:)

On a side note I feel kind of weird that the measure of my life is calculated in trips around the sun.


Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and a Happy New Year.

America and the Titanic

The titanic was supposedly indestructible. It was the super power of boats. I think America and the titanic have a lot in common, people’s perception is that America is invincible, that it is an indestructible super power. There is an iceberg in front of America’s path too. Made of debt, underfunded social security, Medicare and Subsidy’s. I wonder if we will turn in time or if one indestructible force will mimic the fate of the other.

On calling the Eagles Vikings Game

We had a game at an outside stadium, after it was blizzard conditions for most of the day. In addition to this fact fans that wanted to see the game had to line up outside in harsh conditions for hours before the game just to get in. I am extremely grateful that the NFL did not cancel that game. The Gophers basketball team played at the barn during the worst blizzard we have had in Minnesota in 20 years this year. Fans who felt that their safety was more important than the cost of tickets could stay home if they felt that way…otherwise get out there and see it.

You were the idiot that bought tickets to a game during the winter…the season where it snows…you gambled and lost.

I think it sets a terrible precedence for future games. The ticket says buyer beware for a reason.

It was a Festivus Miracle

For the last 4 years there has been a CD stuck in my cars CD player. To compound matters said CD is lesson one of learning how to speak Spanish, to further complicate matter even this CD which would randomly play at times stopped working about a year ago. Contemplating a long drive back to central Wisconsin by myself for the holidays I hit the eject button a single time on the 23rd and out popped the Speaking Spanish CD. After staring at the CD for several minutes with the biggest smile the frame of my face has ever held I quickly converted the CD into a Frisbee. While sitting in my car at the gas station threw it at the Garbage can across the parking lot and it went in!!

Needless to say that event started off a fantastic weekend.

I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to have so many wonderful people in my life and that my friends is the greatest gift of all.

Missing Holidays Items Overlooked by the Markets

1.) Metallica Christmas Album – At least they will not have to worry about it being downloaded illegally.

2.) Boxed Wine of the Week Club – Am I the only person who thinks this would be a great idea?

On another note wouldn’t a great invention be the self jacking car? A car where a hydraulic jack is hidden in the wheel well that could be engaged from inside the car? Include a self leveling option? You get a flat and you can press a button to engage the jack.

Phone Safety

Two times this week I have seen people take diggers while playing around on their phones and walking at the same time. I wonder if the no text while you drive law will ever apply to walking.

Your manual text and internet features stop working as soon as the GPS app detects that you are moving. Maybe a special cradle in the car will allow for some features such as GPS navigation and voice command features but other than that your screen dependant functions quit in motion.

I bet we will see the day.

Maybe we should be the first to develop this safety app in anticipation of this change? We could cash in as soon as the first video of a girl texting as she is walking across an intersection is mowed down by a semi goes viral on YouTube.

Open Questions to MPR

Today on Marketplace the moderator made some comments about the fact that he was guilty as charged for not having his Christmas shopping done already.

In the wake of some of the high profile terminations and sanctions against moderators for their political contribution, which were seen as indicators of bias and endangering the audience’s ability to view them as objective.

My question is this, why the double standard for religion? Isn’t stating that you are buying Christmas presents an open endorsement of your religious bias?

Isn’t it an indirect financial contribution to a religious “candidate”?

A financial contribution to a specific point of view?

Shouldn’t the same objectivity that is extended to political candidates be applied to religious candidates?

Something Missing

Who would know unless I told them that this short is a lipogram that omits the twenty sixth letter in the alphabet. Can you figure out if every other letter is present. Just in case you are wondering I am quite bored off my rocker.

(Now without an E) – Who would know had I not told, that this short is a lipogram that omits a famous symbol from a sword slashing bandit. Just hang with it and trust. I know I should quit now and vary my approach.

(As part of further evidence of my approaching insanity when ever I get bored I try to rewrite sentences or short stories as a lipogram without the use of a specific letter. The hardest are omitting specific vowels. So there now you have a mind exercise you can do when you are bored)

Happy Solstice. In Minnesota you have to celebrate today it is the turning point that means days are going to get longer and the spring is beginning its slow return.

God Hates the Vikings

“God hates the Vikings and will forever deny them a super bowl victory until they change their Pagan worshiping ways”

“What more evidence do you need then seeing their stadium crushed to the ground like something out of Sodom and Gomorrah?”

At first I laughed this weekend cause I thought these comments were a joke….they were not..

I wonder is he remembers the Saints? Didn’t God Destroy their stadium too?

Comments like these tickle me and fill me with absolute horror at the same time.

Eco Only

To get the gold level LEED certification buildings around the great state of Minnesota are turning to setting aside up to 5% of parking spaces nearest the doors (think right next to the handicap spots) of the building for people who drive fuel efficient or hybrid cars.

Personally I think this is bull shit.

1.) Opting for this kind of requirement to help a building get a LEED rating doesn’t really force the building to do anything different. The focus should be more on energy saving or building materials etc that the actual building is made up of…not the kind of cars that the tenants drive.

2.) It is a social-economic penalty. Most fuel efficient cars are new cars. New cars that are not affordable to a large percent of the population. Giving primary parking by the door to people with more money or more ability to pay kind of trumps the first come first served mentality that I think is America. Imagine if the sign said BMW parking only.

3.) I could see the justification if the company offered say outlets for electric cars. This would make sense since logistically at this time on the demand curve for electric cars it would not be feasible to put electric outlets everywhere. You would designate a few spots with outlets and help the people out. I asked the property manager at my school who was putting up a sign for eco-parking if they were reserving the spot to put an outlet in…..he said are you kidding do you know how expensive it would be for us if we let everyone charge their cars here?

This comment led me to believe this whole movement is just a feel good, PR crock of shit, and a social economic slam against poor people who can’t afford the upgrade.

(All that said I believe that eco and electric cars are a great move forward and if you can you should get one)

Having it Both Ways

Every once in a while my fair neighbors (Not my immediate neighbors since you guys are awesome) in Minneapolis make me want to puke. First the city caved to ease towing and ticketing of vehicles that failed to comply with the snow emergency. The day the snow emergency was declared the phones and papers were lit up with people saying it was impossible to move their cars and it is outrageous that the city would ticket and tow under these conditions. So the city relaxed the ticketing. Now my fair citizens are complaining that the streets are not plowed to an acceptable level. Well you can’t have it both ways. The cars have to be off the street to plow.

Few thoughts

1.) This is Minne fucking sota it snows. It slows a lot sometimes. Move your car.

2.) I realize that some people might not physically be able to do this or might be elderly or the car might be broken down and the people can’t afford to fix it etc. All of these are unfortunate situations. They should all be explained to the people who lost loved ones this week because emergency vehicles where not able to reach victims in time. I know it sucks having your car towed especially when you can financially not afford it but those few unmoved cars can put entire neighborhoods at risk.
3.) When you buy a house that has a fire hydrant in front of it…you know the big red thing that sticks out in the front yard? You are signing up to keep it clear of snow. You don’t want that job keep looking at houses.

Flirting

I think girls need to give guys a little break when it comes to flirting. I think by our nature everybody likes to feel like they are attractive to the opposite sex. It is self confidence inspiring. It makes you feel good and valid as a person.

I think for girls this attention is rather easy you can where a skirt and heals and you are going to get looks, double takes, stares and people asking if you come here often. All you had to do for this validation was make a small wardrobe consideration.

Guys on the other hand have to work for it. A tight pair of pants is probably going to have the opposite effect for the men that wear them then it does for the ladies who wear them. We have to work at it, small talk making an ass out of ourselves etc.

So ladies don’t yell at your man for a little harmless flirting if he could get a little validation just by wearing a different outfit he would rock it seven days a week you know like you do…

Estate Tax aka(Death Tax or Inheritance Tax)

There is a lot of debate on this issue lately and I think it falls into two distinct views of how you view what America should be.

1.) What a person makes in their life time should be theirs to do with what they will after they die.

2.) Or America is a Meritocracy where everybody should have equal footing starting out life based on merit rather than birthright.

I don’t think these two ideals have to conflict in the way that they do and I don’t think the details of the estate tax make as big of an impact as people make them out to be.

Some of the main points in view number one to consider is that most property can pass to a surviving spouse without taxation (this happens to be one of the reason I am a huge supporter of civil unions) it only comes into play by and large when passing money on to descendants.

In the real world when a person gets a bonus it is taxed at a higher rate depending on your tax bracket up to 45% of the amount is taxed. When a person dies and passes on a large sum of money to their children who, and this can be debatable, did not earn the money. What is so wrong with taxing it as a bonus to the children? It might seem a little macabre to look at a deceased persons assets being split up to descendants as a bonus for them but I think altering the way we look at this tax will cause it to be seen as fair as long as it does not exceed the tax rate found in other similar transfers of wealth around the world.

It is not like the descendant gets nothing at all it is use treating the unearned transfer of wealth the same way any corporation must treat it.

It enforces the value that is central to the founding of this country of equal opportunity for all instead of creating system that rewards people simply for birthright rather than for effort and contribution.

Changing the Locus

External Locus of ControlIndividual believes that his/her behavior is guided by fate, luck, or other external circumstances

Internal Locus of ControlIndividual believes that his/her behavior is guided by his/her personal decisions and efforts.


To be a healthy individual which one of these categories would be more preferable? Someone who takes responsibility or someone who blames other things? Someone who believes making things better for themselves is in their control or someone who believes that making things better is up to someone else?
Which orientation would you rather work for? Vote for? Hire?
I think most people would agree that having a high internal locus of control is a good thing.

Yet these same people blame politicians.

They prostrate on their knees in religious centers praying for miracles.
I think they forget that their two hands working can accomplish more then a million clasped in prayer or pointing fingers.

Vantage Point

Where I sit there is an incredible view. You can see the majority of the entire city and surrounding suburbs. It has just snowed and there are drifts of snow five feet high in some places. The wind chill is around -30 degrees. The sky is crystal clear blue. The free way is open. There are planes taking off. People are at work. This would seem to be the most inhospitable place in the world and yet here we are. For some reason the resiliency and the ability to adapt always amaze me and every once in a while carry me through the days when I think why the fuck am I living here.

It’s Time to Tackle the Big Three

While, I am not a fan of New Year’s resolutions I can appreciate the reflection that goes into people examining their life and planning positive changes for themselves in the future and if you need an arbitrary starting point for doing that I guess New Years is as good as any.

I set goals for myself every year (usually on my Birthday) and for the most part I hit them with three notable exceptions.

1.) Get back in shape. My actual goal is 210 lbs or 3 x1 hour session a week.

2.) Stop smoking. This is a no brainer, I am starting to develop asthma, it stinks, it is expensive and I have obviously proven to myself that I am not capable of doing it socially.

3.) Maintain better relationships with my friends. (I am notorious for dropping off the map for years and then reemerging for bursts only to drop off again)

For #1 in the past I have tried gym memberships, all kinds of funny stuff and I usually do pretty good for a month or two but then something will happen like a trip or event or injury and I get out of my routine and fail to get back in. This year I am trying something a little different. I bought a cheap exercise bike and rowing machine to go with a few weights I have laying around. I put a tv in front of them and now I have no excuse not to work on them right at home.

For #2 I have tried gum, patches, pills and I usually do good for a couple of weeks and then fall off the wagon. This year I feel like it will be different I feel a new maturity and outlook on life that is boosting my desire to do this internally.

For #3 As an introvert I really struggle with this one. My job, school and daily activities force me into an extroverted mindset and to be honest by the time I get home I am just kind of burnt out on people and take some alone time to decompress it is not that I don’t love people mind you it is just that I feel like the time I need to recoup has been at a premium. Thankfully I have a wonderful social director in my life who is great at helping me stay in touch with peopleJ So this year should be betterJ

Here is to making baby steps of progress.

Scaling Freedom

A note on airport strip downs and searches.

Remember Timothy McVeigh the Oklahoma City bomber? Remember the guy who drove his SUV to the middle of Time Square in NY and tried to set off an explosive? The pair who terrorized the east coast by turning the truck of their car into a snipers nest? Image for a second that because of these singular events that all cars were required to be made out of glass so people could see the occupants and the vehicles contents? Image that you had to drive in the nude so that you could not additionally hid things under your clothes? Would you do? In the name of public safety? These people have proven that our automotive infrastructure can be used against us with extremely deadly consequences.

Remember the Unabomber? Or the anthrax in the mail threat? Would you change the rules so that you had to travel to the post office to send and receive mail? Be patted down by your governments employed mail carrier? All of your mail had to be sent in clear zip lock envelopes with your personal information out there for anyone to see?

What about banks, convenience stores, department stores doing body scans so you can not steal or threaten the employees in a hold up?

Would you submit? Trade a digital image of your naked body and imprint of your license for minuet percentage decrease that you would be harmed in a burglary while you were buying a new shirt?

My guess is not. My guess is there would be outrage. That wise people would see the folly of these extreme measures and rally against the erosion of their personal freedom, but then I go to the airport and I wonder with a touch of sadness how far we will let our delusion of security letit slide.

“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” – Ben Franklin

Swift Exit

Sorry Taylor Swift you need to take a break. I am sick of you. All your songs sound the same. It is hard to take this innocent stuff seriously when you have been polishing more knobs then a maid at the Radisson. Take a couple years off. Make a sex tape, discover bourbons rightful place in country music’s history, learn a few different cords or just hide on the Disney channel where you belong. Give yourself time to develop as an artist and a woman and us a chance to rest our ears. I know this might be a little harsh but I don’t believe that marketing innocent BS anymore. I am now glad that Kayne interrupted your speech and feel bad he had to apologize. I was on your side at the time but this constant barrage of school girl, bubble gum, deer in the headlights stuff is too much.

Ad nausea

The only thing that I hate more then political adds during an election season is the barrage of jewelry adds that pop up during the holidays. Sirus should give these guys a cut of revenue since the more they play these adds the stronger my commitment to satellite radio gets.

Martha

I hate to say this out loud but I feel like I have to give credit where credit is due.

I love Martha Stewarts cook books. The receipes are quick easy and they taste good, almost everything i make turns out looking just like the picture. Thanks Martha Stewart.

There I said it and I actually feel better.

Organizational Behavior

There is a long standing theory that there is a cultural difference between individualistic and collective groups of people. With individualistic concerned about their own selfish interests and the collective concerned about the groups or societies.

This usually boils down to a West vs. East mentality I would like to propose that there is no such thing as collective mentality on three prongs.

1.) Even when people operate on altruistic intentions it is from a selfish standpoint they do it maybe not for reward or recognition but because it feels good. (What is more selfish then doing something because it feels good?)

2.) In the countries that are usually described as collective like India, China, Korea, Japan etc there are political and religious constraints that are enforced on the population that makes acting un-uniformly displeasing with repercussions of property loss, imprisonment, and death. Acting to avoid unpleasant consequences to your person is selfish and acting in the individual’s best interest.

3.) The surveys for most of these academic concepts took place during the period of 1950-80 against the back drop of communism a brief period over the course of our long life a species that is hardly representative in hindsight.

The first billion dollar house is in India. The worlds riches man is a Mexican. Amazing thing happen when the walls of religion and oppression come down.

I am not saying that people are bad or that we don’t help each other just that we do it in the context of lend and cooperate because I might need a hand some time. I think this trade between free people is an amazing thing I just don’t know why selfishness has gotten such a bad rap.

Wrapping?

Why drop the W? When you wrap a present you place your own personal touches around the gift so the wrap is adding your personal touches or influence around something you are giving away. Isn't rapping on the Mic the same thing your personal commentary around a subject or beat that you are passing on?

12 Days of Christmas

1 Jug og Vodka
2 New Lungs
3 Bags of Ice
4 Cans of Redbull
5 Hour nap
6 Pack of Abs
7 days off
8 inches more
9 to 1 pay out
10 camels lights
11 on the table
12 cans of soda

Prove it...

I wonder if he would cut off his bits? My guess is no and that even love you would die for has its limits.

Bruno Mars Lyrics

I’d catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’d jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah , yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah) Oh, oh
I would go through all this pain, Take a bullet straight through my brain,
Yes, I would die for ya baby