11.13.09
anyone got a Google Wave invite?
I’d love to get an invite to Google Wave, but haven’t found one yet. I could get one here: http://lifehacker.com/5403318/the-google-wave-invitation-donation-thread-is-open, but I don’t have an approved commenter account. If you have an approved commenter account, you could request an invite, and then send me an invite. Or if you are already in the Wave, just invite me. I’ll be your friend forever.
10.14.09
the end of the office
I just finished The Office wedding episode. What a colossal disappointment. A failure of astronomical proportions. What should have been the most exciting episode in the entire series, was instead very likely the worst. Instead of great Office humor, we were treated to a smorgasbord of junior high toilet and sex jokes – and not even funny ones.
To say nothing of the near-constant, not even subliminal, message that sex is and should be free and easy between complete strangers. Please.
Good bye, Office.
09.08.09
Monopoly fans!
Monopoly on steroids! I played countless hours of Monopoly growing up. I had most of the numbers on most of the cards memorized. But now that I’ve grown up, I see a lot of deficiencies in the game. It doesn’t emulate real property investing very well. Looks like that’s about to change.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/07/googles-monopoly-the-board-game-not-antitrust/
08.28.09
forget elephants, Amazon never forgets
I was messing around in my Amazon account today. I can browse all my Amazon orders back to 2003. I don’t know if that’s impressive… or scary.
05.25.09
star trek
I saw Star Trek this weekend with my son. As a mild Trekkie, I have to say it rocked. It had suspense, action, humor, lots of explosions (which made my son happy), and lots of the human element (which made me happy). The opening scene had me in tears, because of the sacrifice and heroism depicted. And just a few scenes later is the classic man-up-and-take-responsibility-for-your-destiny challenge, but still made my heart swell. It made me want to go bust some Romulan heads.
Karl Urban completely nailed Bones. Zachary Quinto was a better Spock than Leonard Nimoy. And Chris Pine’s Kirk is exactly how I imagined Kirk at that age.
Of course, there were a few timeline flaws. We know from all the other Star Trek shows and movies that Romulus and Vulcan still exist, so their annihilation here is a little problematic. But as long as you don’t stick too closely to the Star Trek mythology, this is a kick-butt movie.
05.20.09
need a sales guy
My company is looking for a sales person. We are an industrial manufacturing facility, and we sell our product to shops, schools, industry, and an occasional private party.
Key requirements for the position are trustworthiness, high integrity, mentally sharp, and teachable. Experience in sales, manufacturing, metal work, welding, or engineering (any kind) will be looked on favorably.
The job is full time, on site in southern Colorado. Denver and Colorado Springs are too far to commute from, you’d actually have to move down here. But that’s OK, because we have the most amazing views and outdoor activities on the planet. You’ll never miss the big city.
Compensation is base plus commission. Existing sales staff have a contagious energy and are fun to be around. Contact me with questions, or apply at www.socojo.com
05.18.09
music critics are weird
This is from a brief bio of AC/DC:
AC/DC’s mammoth power chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock sounds of the ’70s. In its own way, it was a reaction against the pompous art rock and lumbering arena rock of the early ’70s. AC/DC’s rock was minimalist — no matter how huge and bludgeoning the guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint.
I have no idea how music can be pompous or lumbering. I also can’t tell you what art rock is, or what arena rock is. Furthermore, I don’t understand the use of the words minimalist, huge, bludgeoning, space and restraint. I hope the critic is proud of himself.
05.17.09
good friends
We had some trouble paying the mortgage this month. No, really. I don’t mean that we didn’t have the money, I mean that the mortgage company rejected electronic payments from my bank — three times! The first time I tried to pay was well before May 1st. The second time I tried to pay was on May 1st. The third time I tried to pay was at the beginning of this week, but still in time to arrive at the mortgage company before the May 16th deadline. And all three times the payment was rejected.
To make a long story short, the payments were being rejected because my mortgage is going through the modification process. And while that’s happening, all mortgage payments must be in certified funds. For some reason, electronic money knocking on your electronic door isn’t good enough.
I guess this story isn’t getting much shorter.
My bank is an online only bank (INGDirect). Normally that’s not a problem. But this time it was a problem because I couldn’t get a cashiers check and send it to the mortgage company in time for the late payment deadline.
So, I called a friend and asked him for enough money to make my mortgage payment. I would deposit his check in my local bank, which would write me a cashiers check for the amount, which I could overnight to the mortgage company, and then write my friend a normal check from my online bank to pay him back.
My point is, isn’t that a great friend? How many people do you know who would loan that much money on just your promise that you could pay it back?
I wound up paying the mortgage company with a check-by-phone, which they previously told me couldn’t be done. So I didn’t need my friend’s check. But man, I’ll do anything for him and his family now. Thanks guys!
05.16.09
wolframalpha
Google has a built in calculator, so if you search for “2+2″ in Google, it will solve the math problem for you, rather than give you a bunch of websites that have “2+2″ on them. That’s a pretty cool feature. But Google has some problems when it comes to queries like “800 PSI converted to MPa”
I just ran into a new “fact engine” that is absolutely amazing. When I ran the above PSI query at www.wolframalpha.com, I got exactly what I was looking for. It even shows me the interpretation of my query, so I can be sure it’s thinking the same thing I’m thinking.
Play around with wolframalpha for a while. It has promise to be exactly the tool I need in many situations.
05.15.09
cheers
I’m finally done. It took four years, but I did it. I endured mountains of scorn heaped upon me by people who are dear to me, and now it’s finished.
Tonight, I said goodbye to Sam, Norm, Cliff, Carla, Rebecca and Woody. Tonight, I finished the last episode of Cheers. My life is complete; I can die happy.
03.28.09
the value of books
Reading is priceless. Books can take you anywhere – to new lands or new planets, in the past, present, or future. You can experience more adventures than possible in real life alone. Try sailing the seven seas, or exploring the center of the earth, or navigating the intricacies of Martian society. Conjure up spells, ferret out unknown truths, or simply discover our own historical past.
I have run into variations on this idea countless times. Every time someone is extolling the virtues of books, something like the above quote will come out. Recently I heard it again in the movie Inkheart. (A great movie. See it.)
I too am a lover of books, and of reading. But I shudder everytime I hear books beatified in this way. It seems escapist, overly entertainment-oriented, and artsy-fartsy, all at the same time. The purpose of reading isn’t so you can get away and have fun in la-la land. These things are secondary to the real purpose of reading. There is much more value in reading than travelling and having fun experiences.
- From Frodo (Lord of the Rings) I learned the importance of diligence and a sense of mission.
- From Ben Franklin I learned how far a person can go when given so little in life.
- From John Grisham I learned the importance of being able to spin a good yarn. And the futility of trying to live outside the law.
- From John Carter (A Princess of Mars) I learned the value of superhuman strength and devastatingly good looks.
- From Hester Prynne and Arther Dimmesdale (The Scarlet Letter) I learned the importance of staying within sexual norms.
- From Mr. Wickham (Pride and Prejudice) I learned the value of social skills and norms and the danger inherent in transgressing them.
- From Edmond Dantes (The Count of Monte Cristo) I learned how gratifying revenge can be, and how hollow.
- From Jason Stevens (The Ultimate Gift) I learned that it’s not about me. Nothing is about me. And the sooner I can grasp that truth, the easier things will go for me.
- From Stephen King I learned the value of following my imagination where ever it leads.
- From Laura Ingalls Wilder I learned the vital importance of a strong family surrounding me, and the value of providing a strong family to surround my kids.
I could go on, but I hope my point is starting to emerge. The value of reading is not in travelling to exotic lands. The value in reading is how the story affects me. How am I different – better even – for having read that story? I have lived the lives of many people, just in the short amount of reading I’ve done. I’ve learned something from all these lives, and I can apply these things to my own situation.
In short, I am a better person (I hope) because of the experiences in these books. I do not have to make all the mistakes these characters have made, because, in a sense, I have already made them. I can see the damage those mistakes have caused. I can see the immediate and future effects of decisions those characters have made, and I can use that knowledge when I come to a similar decision point in my own life.
The fact that I got to travel to exotic lands is just icing on the cake.
02.12.09
encouragement to save a few pennies
If you’re discouraged because you can never seem to save enough money, or if you’re tired of everybody telling you how you can save a few pennies and retire rich, Trent has an interesting analogy you should check out. It helped me.
02.09.09
what is it with Sundays?
Yesterday, Sunday, we were sledding down by the lake. My eight year old son ran into a tree, head first. He was going full speed, hit the tree with his head, and he and the sled recoiled a good two feet or so. He was able to wiggle his fingers and toes when we asked him to, but he didn’t move of his own will, he just laid there. To make a long story short, we took him to the ER, they did x-rays and CT scans, but found nothing wrong with him. Whew! There’s nothing scarier to a parent.
The Sunday before last we were having a Super Bowl party at our house. It was a great game. A friend of mine was driving home afterward and got pulled over, ostensibly for not stopping at a stop sign. He was discovered to be driving with a suspended license, and now he has some ’splaining to do before a judge. And no, he wasn’t drinking. There is never any alcohol at my parties.
The Sunday before that, as I’ve already explained, was a bad day for my dog.
So the last three Sunday’s have been less than ideal. Mr. Suspended License and I decided to see if we can continue the streak. We’re going to take next Sunday off and just drive around until something happens.
02.03.09
how not to fix schools
We pulled our kids out because the system is broken. Now, Rapid City thinks “the system is broken” is a good line for luring us back in.
I don’t believe grouping kids together with their peers and isolating them from the rest of the community is a good way to bring them up. And begging me to send my kids back so the school can have more money is insane.
01.31.09
super bowl parties rock
I think there should be a Super Bowl every month. We did a lot of cleaning today to get ready for the party tomorrow, and you know what? We have a really nice house under all that clutter. I mean, I really like our house. I had no idea it was this nice. Come on over tomorrow and I’ll show you what I mean.
So If we could have a Super Bowl every month, I bet our house would stay nice.
01.27.09
I killed my dog
Sunday was a horrible, no good, very bad day.
I was driving away from my house about 8:30 in the morning when my dog, my stupid dog, ran in front of the car and I ran over him. He limped back to the house, we canceled all our plans and took him to the animal emergency room an hour and a half away.
To make a long story short, it would have cost a couple thousand dollars to patch him up.
I had my wife and all four kids with me (11, 10, 8, 6) and we had to decide whether to go ahead or to put him down. Again, to make a long story short, there was no way I could pay that kind of money, so we had a long, long, session of trying to figure out where to get the money, and ended up deciding to put him down.
That’s when all hell broke loose.
The kids were hysterical – I can’t think of a better word. Screaming, bawling, sobbing – for a long time. The exam room we were in had a box of Kleenex – we used the whole box. I would try to offer a word of comfort or encouragement, only to have the screaming start up again.
I had to get the kids out of there. We gave the vet our decision and went out for lunch (because we were 1½ hours away from home). When we came back, they had a clay impression of his paw for us.
The kids bawled the entire rest of the day. I tucked them into bed sobbing.
I never ever want to go through that again.
Sunday was a horrible, no good, very bad day.
01.23.09
now or later
President Obama will reverse an order to ban federal funds for foreign groups that provide abortion. Or, to put it positively, Obama will allow federal money to go to foreign groups that provide abortion.
If we put aside for a moment the sanctity of human life, the soul of the aborted baby, and the right to a physical life here on earth that no government can either bestow or revoke, I think this makes a lot of sense.
It’s an Us vs. Them world. Obama is the leader of Us, and so it’s in his, and our, best interest to limit the number of future combatants that are being born. The more of Them we can get rid of now, the fewer the foreign problems 20 years down the road. In software development, the cost to fix a late stage bug is many, many times more than the cost to fix a bug discovered early in the process. Similarly, this executive order seems an exceptional, frugal, and efficient use of funds.
01.22.09
don’t be so tight
Here’s an article from Arthur Brooks about giving patterns among people across the political spectrum
People who said they were “very conservative” gave 4.5% of their income to charity, on average; “conservatives” gave 3.6%; “moderates” gave 3%; “liberals” gave 1.5%; and “very liberal” folks gave 1.2%.
The central point of this article is that conservatives give more of their income to charity than liberals do. But although I’m proud that conservatives outgive liberals in general, I’m still a little appalled by the low numbers. The most generous group in this survey still only gives 4.5% of their income. There’s no reason this number shouldn’t be twice as big. 10% is not just a conveniently round number that happens to be espoused by most religions, it’s a significantly large enough portion of your income that you’ll probably have to give something up in order to give that much. You’re telling the charity you’re concerned enough about their mission to delay a little of your own gratification. Giving 10% is a stretching exercise that will help you focus on needs outside of yourself, help you learn satisfaction with what you have, and chip away at the greedy portions of your heart and soul.
Economists measure the “income elasticity of giving” to predict how much people change their giving in response to a particular percentage change in their income. It turns out the response in 2008 was dramatically different for left and right. For instance, a 10% decrease in family income for a conservative was associated with a 10% decrease in giving. The same income decrease for a liberal family led to a 16% giving drop. In other words, if this relationship continues to hold, the recession will almost certainly exacerbate the giving differences between left and right.
It stands to reason that when your income goes down, your giving (as a dollar amount) should also go down. But giving a proportionately smaller amount of money just because you’re making less just sounds greedy. Being generous and giving profusely doesn’t seem like an option to me. As human beings, we have a moral obligation to help those around us. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by holding on to every last dime, except possibly some temporary material comforts and the smug satisfaction of an overly inflated bank account.
newspapers
the Wall Street Journal
Newspaper after newspaper is closing, is going through bankruptcy, or is for sale. Newspapers are losing money like mad. Experts estimate newspapers won’t be around much longer. The prognosis is grim.
So what are people like me going to do?
One of the funnest things in the world is to sit at the table with breakfast, coffee, and the newspaper. I scan every headline, skim many articles, and thoroughly read the handful of articles I’m interested in.
Newspapers are better than TV news because more thought has to go into preparing the printed article than the news bite. Also, more thought goes into digesting them.
Newspapers are better than internet news sites because they condense the news into manageable chunks. You can look up any news story on the internet and find thousands, or maybe millions, of articles on that subject. It’s too much to wade through.
I can feel the texture of the paper. I can see the paper; it’s a tangible object. I can smell the pulp and ink. I can hear it crinkling in my hand.
01.21.09
Fred Thompson dressed in sarcasm
Here is Fred Thompson explaining how the bailout works.
It’s a little bit dated (he mentions the holiday season, and the “President-elect”) but I absolutely love the sarcasm. I laughed all the way through it. Best eight minutes of my day.
01.20.09
mcdonalds
I hate McDonald’s. I like McDonald’s. I hate myself for liking McDonald’s.
McDonald’s food is bested by just about every fast food joint out there. You name it, they have better food than McDonald’s. Plus, the food is bad for your body. And the expense is bad for your wallet. Yet, every time I drive by one, I think, “Ooh, there’s a McDonald’s. Maybe I should just grab Big Mac.”
Why do I do this? Is it because they put addictive drugs in their food? Is it because my mother ate too many Big Macs while I was in the womb? Is it because they have a team of crack marketers who are actually really, really good at what they do? Whatever the reason, I hope it isn’t my fault.
12.10.08
getting rich will be painful
A number of points in this interview suprised me. I think there’s probably a lot of truth to what he says.
- Trying to get rich will cost you a lot of heartache, and will require you and those around you to sacrifice a lot.
- Unless you’re willing to make that sacrifice, you shouldn’t even try.
- Most people shouldn’t even try.
- Having a great idea is irrelevant. Any idea will work if it’s well executed
- You will fail. Over and over again. It’s a 100% certainty.
- If you can’t look your friends and family in the eye and ask them for money you’re going to lose, you’ve already lost.
- When negotiating, don’t be “willing to walk away” – just walk away.
I’ve personally failed in business once already. So I gave up. I suppose I may have given up too soon.
11.17.08
no Blackberries in the White House
This is really amazing. The President of the United States of America is not allowed to use email. George Bush hasn’t emailed in 8 years, and Barack Obama will go at least the next 4 without it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/us/politics/16blackberry.html
I’m not sure I could be President.
11.15.08
a touching moment
My eyes started to tear up this morning when I pulled into the gas station. I saw a sign I never thought I’d see again, a sign that said “$1.96″
I filled my entire tank for $30. The last time that happened, it was E85 (which doesn’t go as far as gasoline), and it was only half a tank.
Depression, de-shmression. Give me cheap gas anyday.
11.10.08
euphemisms for excretion
Because it’s funny, that’s why.
- pay a bill
- see a man about a horse
- pinch a loaf
- cast a ballot
- take a load off
- take a crap [Ed. wouldn't you rather leave one?]
- lay an egg
- take a dump
- push beyond the great divide
- complete the digestive cycle
Share your own…
America’s first black president (but it’s not about race)
Prior to the election, everyone went to great lengths to show that race was not an issue. Obama’s and McCain’s positions were being analyzed on their own merits, but the skin tones of the candidates were rarely mentioned, excepted that, occasionally someone would point out, that, oh yeah, Obama is black.
Since the election results were confirmed, however, it is a completely different story.
- Cameras showed people all over the world weeping after the result was declared. Weeping? Why would they weep? Maybe the winner’s family and a few close campaign workers – but people all over the world?
- Bishop Jakes, on MSNBC, declared that growing up in school, he had to look at the row of presidential pictures on the classroom wall, and wonder why none of them looked like him. Now he didn’t have to wonder anymore.
- Chris Matthews, the Hardball host, declared that he is going to do everything in his power to help the new administration, because that’s his job. Would that have been his job if McCain has won? Or would his job then be to uncover the “truth” about McCain?
- Garrison Keillor, on his Praire Home Companion show this week, sung songs in praise of Obama, with an audible glee in his voice, as if he was a god. I have a hard time imagining a similar response if McCain had won.
- Howard Stern aired a montage of interviews with Obama supporters on the street. Most of them thought that Sarah Palin was Obama’s running mate, and that Obama supports the war in Iraq, and that Obama is pro-life. In other words, they had no idea what the issues were, or even who the players were.
Turns out, race is all it was ever about.
10.02.08
I’m sexist
Some of what is commonly called sexism is not really sexism at all. An example of sexism is, “You’re a woman, so you can’t work here.” I think everyone would agree that exclusion based on gender alone is not valid. All else being equal, there is no reason why a woman can’t do what a man can.
Here’s an example that is NOT sexism. Children develop better when their mother is at home full time. They don’t develop as well with a stay-at-home dad, and they don’t develop as well with two working parents. This is something else everyone would agree with. So when the question, “Do you think a woman’s place is in the home?” shows up on a survey, I’ll answer yes every time, and appear sexist. This isn’t sexism at all. Call it pragmatism or realism, or even discernment, but it can’t be sexism to simply point out the obvious.
09.17.08
on flip flops
As they do periodically, flip flops have come up again in this election.
I am both for and against flip flops. On one hand it’s nice to have a guy who will stick to what he knows is right even in the face of intense opposition. On the other hand it’s kind of arrogant for a candidate to assume his opinions are always correct, even when confronted with new evidence to the contrary.
So, if a candidate can explain why he believed one way at first, and why he has changed his mind now, I won’t be mad at him for “flip-flopping”. But I will be upset at a guy who changes his mind to win an election.
