Giving Thanks.

Well, Thanksgiving was on Thursday. I'm not sure how America celebrates Thanksgiving anymore, but I'm pretty sure that it mainly revolves about eating Turkey and Pumpkin pie, watching football and preparing to shop the next day. In some ways it is comforting, since eating, football and consumerism define America in a lot of ways, but I'd like to think that at least a few people go through and at least think of everything they should be thankful for in life, reflect and spend some time with those they love. I was able to do those things this weekend and I wanted to share what I was thankful for...

-My family and how much they really do mean to me and what they have done and sacrificed for me. I consider myself very lucky to have the Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister that I do. I know this gets overdone and sappy, but it is true and I don't know if there is any other way to say it.

-My friends. Everyone says they have the best friends in world. That's not true. Only I have the best people in the world as friends. Really. I know I can count on them when it matters and that there will always be somebody, regardless of the circumstance, that I can turn to. My friends are a diverse bunch, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I am extremely blessed.

-I had a hard time with this next one initially, but I gritted my teeth and went with it. I'm thankful for my job. I'm really lucky to be able to be in the upper 2 percent of all the world and be able to provide for myself and work towards a secure future. As much as I complain about my job, I am lucky to have the job I have, especially right out of college. Even if it isn't what I want to do with my life, the fact that it provides me enough to do what I want and be independent is important. Getting past my own issues with idealization and focusing on the positives is something I'm working on, but for now I'll just be thankful for what I have.

-The list gets a bit more specific from there, but I'm not going to be shy with most of them. I'm thankful for having a great friend to live with who is understanding and fun to live with. I'm thankful to be able to travel. I'm thankful to be able to have grown up and make my own decisions and live in a country where I am free to do so. I'm thankful for a just, free, democratic America. I'm thankful to have siblings who are incredible people. I'm incredibly thankful for Lindsey, who clearly means a lot to me. I'm thankful to be the person I am and will continue to be, regardless of how everything else shapes around me. I'm thankful to have had almost the same exact best friends for almost 10 years. I'm thankful for my education.

I know it is a bit of a tedious list, and it is a little sappy, romantic, and idealistic...but I don't care. I don't think the main idea of Thanksgiving is given enough thought anymore, and I want it to make a comeback. Our holidays get so bloated in this era that they can pass by without a thought. I want to get back to their original meaning, and I don't mean the mass slaughter of an indigenous race.

I want to be pre-old school. I want to give thanks.

Happy "late" Thanksgiving.

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Feed the Hungry AND Cure Boredom?

I thought this was A W E S O M E...

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

What a fabulous idea. I know a way to hook ME on the internet is to have some sort of application/game that proves how smart I am. Double bonus that my strange addiction feeds people in impoverished areas.

I was wondering how they afforded to support this idea, but I saw the tactful advertisements on the bottom of the page for really big companies...so I guess that is where the funding comes from.

Honestly, I'm in awe of whoever was the mastermind behind this project. I'll keep donating AND improving my literacy whenever I can.

America: Help the hungry. Improve your own English skills when you are bored of contributing to the drab work life! What a slogan...

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Desperate For Change

I've been asked to write for another blog, a political blog. You'll notice it on the sidebar. "The College Whig Review" is a blog started by Alex Kurt, who has worked on The John Edwards campaign. I'll post there once and a while, and when appropriate, re-post that blog here, but I might not send them here, so make sure you check it out...there is some great writing already going on at the blog.

Here is the post:

Steven Colbert announced last week that he intends to enter the presidential race, running as both a Democrat and a Republican (delicious!) on the docket in South Carolina. Within days the web was swept up with "Colbert Buzz" and his Facebook group, "A Million Strong for Steven T. Colbert" has already passed a million members. Obama, the candidate who is supposed to be the one who "understands the youth" has just over a THIRD of that size in his Facebook group. Friends have asked me if I would vote for Colbert, if given the chance. I'm somewhat dumbfounded. Vote for a comedian with no political plan? I love Colbert. He is smart, hilarious and clearly on top of the satire game, but as a serious political candidate? Most can't even distinguish between the actual Colbert and the Papa Bear-esque character he plays on "The Report".

However, I am glad he is doing what he is doing. If for no other reason, Colbert's campaign has shown Washington that the young do want change and not "soon" or "down the road"...but now. The idea of change is labeled on a lot of campaign slogans...and has been since the birth of at least this nation, and probably since Acropolis in Greece. The advertised change is artificial. It might be a change from one party to another, or worse just a change in the warm body occupying the chair of authority. When we look at the last 40 years of American politics, we see change, but what kind of changes? We haven't seen radical political change since at least Wilson to FDR. Since the end of the Cold War, we haven't reviewed our political ways in America, we've gone on as usual, waiting for change to just happen, or worse...forced to happen.

I'm sure someone is thinking: "Do we need change? Is this not working?" The answer, of course, is yes we do. I'm not talking about a mere change from George W. Bush to someone else, be it either a Democrat or a Republican, but actual, meaningful change to the system, the people and how we view our leaders. The Cabinet, Senate, House and all elected leaders are supposed to be public servants, but they aren't anymore. They serve their own causes, not those of the people they serve. How can we have a president have a 30 percent approval rating? How can the huddled masses be shouting at the top of their lungs and not be heard?

I realize how idealist this is. I know that any political system will become corrupt at some point, it is the way humanity works, but I think our current system has been exploited enough and it may be time for a change, and it has been shown to us all by a guy who became famous on Comedy Central. God Bless cable.

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Getting Hit on at Chipotle, Drink! and India

First off, I love the diversity of this blog's title. Actually, it is really just a listing of the three things I'm going to ramble about today, but still...I like to feel I live a diverse life of thought. I can think about international relations one second and completely shift to American versions of imported food the next.

So goes life.

Yesterday I was eating at Chipotle for lunch. I was sitting by myself dressed up for my Target HQ visit later that day, enjoying my chicken soft tacos (cheese, tomatoes and lettuce please) and reading "Chasing Daylight". A girl got up from her table and came over and sat next to me. She commented that she had read the same book I was reading. We talked about for a minute or two, me being secretly shocked by the tenacity of this stranger. After some small talk about where I work and where I'm from....she asked me if I wanted to get coffee after work.

I was kind of in shock. She probably saw that, since it took a second to realize what just happened. I politely told her about the wonderful girlfriend that I already have. Obviously, she understood.

She left and went back to her table with her friend/co-worker/whatever. It was like nothing skipped a beat. I was blown away. I have never been asked out by a stranger after a short conversation like that. The funny thing is that the book is about taking charge, and chase what you feel Jesus and you want to do. I found it interesting that our common bond was THAT book. Interesting. I guess you never know what is going to happen on any given Chipotle trip!

On Saturday I met up with Phil late into the night at Drink! in Uptown. I generally don't like places like Drink to begin with. In fact, I'm confused by the point of it. It is way too loud to talk to anyone. It is way too packed to even move around. There is almost no where to sit. The patio is nice, but it still suffers from the same problems. Too loud, and too crowded...and a bottle of anything costs 4 dollars. Why do people WANT to go there? In closing, it isn't a place you would normally find Phil, and a place where I would never choose to go...but have been to on at least a half dozen occasions. At least we got to make a bad song like "Hollaback Girl" into a political treatise about embargo and strife. I'm pretty sure that is exactly what Gwen Stefani was thinking about when she wrote that song.

Apparently, my company is still considering sending me to India for a few weeks sometime around the new year. I've never been so excited about a possible business trip before. If the plan comes to fruition I'll go and do whatever work I'm supposed to do (set up our India facility with some marketing materials) and then take some time off, explore India and come back. I think I'd take 10 days to explore. I'd want to try and go to Nepal, if their political dispute gets resolved, and maybe Sri Lanka, if it is cheap. If it works out, I'd go to other places in Asia (Japan, Taiwan) if it works out with work flying me back from where ever. I've learned so much about India the last two years that it has made me really excited by the prospect of going there. I really hope I can make it happen.

That is all I got for now. Peace out.

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The Weight Issue.

So, I'm going to talk about something most people think to be pretty personal in a public blog. Either I am brave, unsure of what I am doing, or have an IQ in the teens. I'll let you decide.

It is probably natural for everyone to fret about their appearance and health. People who say they don't care might be telling the truth, but likely they are just as concerned, or likely more concerned then you. I'm not sure I've ever fallen into that category over the last few years, but I don't really talk about my weight very often, not in a serious way at least with most people.

I've been a lot of different sizes in my life. I was a stick for all my life through 9th grade. I ate healthy because my parents raised me that way and was an active kid. The rest of high school was much of the same, but I started eating badly and at bad times, which started a bad cycle to start college. During college I ate terribly, despite some efforts to try and do better. The cafeteria and cheap food make for a terrible combo. Also, I was a lot less active and didn't really start exercising on a regular basis until near the end of college...after I started to notice, and other people started to notice that I was not quite the same size anymore.

I was sad. I didn't show it, or talk about it...in fact if people brought it up in a serious way I would lash out at them...which is just NOT me. I knew it wasn't good. I think the most I ever weighed was 265 pounds...not good, at least in my eyes or the eyes of those who cared.

Post college has been better for me in a lot of ways. I think I'm a better person in a lot of ways, and I've tried to include being more healthy in that mix. It's been up and down a little bit, but it is starting to actually work out. The problems are that much of my health and weight depends on me exercising and staying active, and I can be really good about exercising, but I just need to stay with it, regardless of the situation. I've let interning in Connecticut, working full time and an injury stop me in the last 2 and a half years, but I can't let those things get in the way anymore. I bought a stationary bike for the winter and have been really good about my running the last 5 months. I hope to keep it up for the rest of my life.

Eating has been the hardest part for me. I'm busy. I like being busy. However, that does not leave time for the best of eating habits. However, I try to be smart about it. I've just been trying to eat less, and that doesn't always work out, but just doing less then before is a start. I try to make better choices when they are presented to me, but this is definitely the biggest challenge for me.

I'm at a pretty good point right now. I am at probably the lightest I've been since the begining of college and am in pretty great shape. Nothing amazing on either levels, but I'm pretty comfortable with both issues right now. I've come a long ways, and I'm not really sure what the goal is. Maybe this is the goal...but I'm still going...so who knows!

Thanks for reading all of this. I wanted to blog about this for a couple reason, namely because it feels good to write about things like this for me. Therapeutic, if you will. Also, I know that I'm not alone dealing with this subject matter and thought maybe it might make a difference to some people to know that others are going through issues. Also, I think a lot of attention goes to girls when it comes to weight standards and I know that guys struggle with it too, so I thought getting a guy's perspective might be something worth while.

Anyways, again, thanks for paying attention, and feel free to comment on whatever. I promise less sensitive and personal material will come next time. Word up.

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Bumper Stickers

This is more ranting then I am used to, so bear with me. I'm not used to ranting about much of anything outside of work, so this might get sloppy. (Insert subtle "That's what she said!" here)

I don't get bumper stickers. Oh, I understand them. What I don't get is why you would deface your car. Cars are a terrible investment anyways, why would you further abuse the paint job with a silly sticker? Do you really need to express your ill-researched beliefs to passing motorists that badly?

More importantly, I don't understand the need for publishing your beliefs, political standards or personal philosophy on your car's exterior. You think Jesus loves the Republicans. Great. That's you're prerogative. Why do you have to slap it on your bumper sticker? Because you believe but never want to have to talk about it? Because you just love shouting your opinion to the world, but fear anyone trying to be critical of you?

This isn't just about bumper stickers that offend me...even if I agree with what it says, I still think it is weird. Are you the kind that yells your opinion at someone and refuses to let the other person talk to you about it?

I've seen some really offensive bumper stickers before too. What is the point of that? To show everyone how "edgy" you can be? Way to go. You ordered something off the internet, put it on your car and likely never actually have to explain to anyone, since you are in the safety of your car, where you can like an ass and no one can do anything.

I guess this all goes back to my thoughts on why people act so differently in cars. I wrote about that once before here.

Good to get that out. Oh, and I don't hate you if you have a bumper sticker...and this rant does not include the little Jesus fish and support ribbons...those are fine in my mind...just in case you were worried I would be offended.

Just don't expect me to be impressed with your new bumper sticker of a knock-off Calvin pissing on a Ford symbol. I think I just threw up a little bit. Gross.

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Untitled Ramblings.

I'm sitting here at work trying to think of a reason why I haven't blogged in a month. I can't really think of a suitable excuse. I'm really hot/cold with blogging. I seem to write three times a week sometimes, and then all of the sudden not do anything for three weeks. It is a viscous cycle, to be sure.

I do think it has to do with terms of audience. I don't like being too vague, but I can't be too personal either, especially since my blog gets reposted on Facebook and is Google search able. Not that I have things to hide, but I also don't know what is suitable to talk about with a mass audience.

This seems to coincide with me changing personally a bit too. I'm no longer nearly as comfortable in groups of people as I once was, and now prefer smaller groups, or even better just one or two other people. I'd like to say it is a maturity thing, but I'm not sure. Anyone have input on this? I still am as confident and fun in a large group, but sometimes feel like I get swallowed up by it all, when I don't remember feeling that way before. It is definitely a new development.

Otherwise, life is rolling along. I feel pretty good about where I am, and I think that is an accomplishment all on its own. I try to set meaningful, small goals while trying to keep up with large sweeping goals at the same time, and so far I am managing it pretty well, considering I want to change some pretty giant things next spring and keep maintaining the small(er) things. We'll see how it goes.

Among the things rattling around in the brain these days is how much I have loved Google's applications and software. Gmail is definitely my favorite application of all time. I seriously think better of people who have and know Gmail and Gchat. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but it has really just worked out that the most important people to me generally also have Gmail. It is remarkable. However, it doesn't end there. Google Calender is slick and has replaced my flimsy Outlook calender at work, and was already in use for my personal calender. Google Maps and Google Earth are usually the most reliable mapping apps out there. I could spend an entire day just fooling around with Google Earth...and occasionally be practical with it. Google Documents is also fantastic...and it looks like Google is actually going to release an operating system at some point. I can't wait.

I'm also back on the educating myself bandwagon. I've really focused on world politics right now. I'm trying to branch away from the inclusive world of U.S. politics and reset my mindset. So, I have been keeping up on current events world wide, re-learning geography and world culture and studying different political systems and some country's political history. It is really interesting, and I would like to think it has a purpose...as I am still very interested in pursuing a job on a political campaign this spring. I think I'd like to maybe branch out from a strict communications/marketing perspective and also have some sort of role with foreign relations in mind.

Alright, I suppose I'll leave it at that today. When is my next post going to be? Who knows. I won't make any promises, but it will likely be sooner rather then later.

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The Corporate Event...Prepare for Ranting!

Today and yesterday have sucked.

We all know I try to never let work seep into the rest of my life, I think I do a pretty good job separating the two...and I'm trying to even blog less about work...even while I am at work. However, work has penetrated the rest of my life the last two days, so a guy has to write about it then...right?

Yesterday, my work was a sponsor at a golf tournament. Going to a golf tournament and being outside all day SOUNDS great. It wasn't. First off, I had to be up at 5:15 a.m. I'm assuming everyone who reads this tome knows something about me, and you likely know that I don't get up at that hour. Ever. I'm more likely to GO TO bed at 5am then wake up for the day then. So, we are already off to a terrible start. I had to pick up ice and breakfast foods, and there was a mammoth line at Super America, and it made me late to the golf course. I got there, set my stuff up and then sat there. I literally sat on a chair, on hole 10, for three hours, just waiting, with nothing to do. The worst part is there was there was a lot I COULD be doing, but it had to wait. I was supposed to greet each golfer that came to our sponsored hole, tell them about our company and invite them to participate in our raffle. The golfers came sporadically, sometimes 20 minutes would go by with no one at the hole, so I just sat there. When they did come, they didn't care about learning about our company, and I can't blame them. Every time I talked to them I wanted to tell them that I didn't care either.

After the tournament ended, I had to run to the lunch, make sure our presentation was ready, and then run to my car, and make up gift bags (crappy branded merchandise!) for the raffle winners. I sat, cramped in my car, throwing things into gift bags. I ran back for the awards ceremony to present the bags, that no one would ever want, even for free, to the "lucky" winners.

I also got rained on. Awesome.

The event ended at 4. I was already exhausted, but I had to go back to the office and prepare for today's activities and finally got to leave at 5:15.

I went home and tried getting ready to rock with Judging Ronald at practice, but I actually just fell asleep. It wasn't planned. I just passed out on the couch like I had just downed a bottle of Vodka. I was late for practice.

Today, we had a client visit to do on-site interviews of potential consultants. (Note: I just used business jargon in a blog, and it wasn't intentional. Ugh) I had to do similar preparations, including making sure everyone was comfortable, greeting people when they came, and trying to keep all of the things flowing smoothly. How can I make sure things are running smoothly, if I'm not even running smoothly? It doesn't help that having clients here makes everyone in the office on edge. Edgy passive aggressive conversation is the worst.

So, now I am tired, edgy, stressed and confused. I didn't even get to go on lunch. Thankfully at least today I could hop on Gmail and get some relief from friends. So, if I talked to you today, thanks. You helped me maintain my sanity. Whatever of it there is left!

It's okay. The long weekend is just around the corner filled with JR rocking (Friday, 9:30 at Blackdawg in Burnsville! Come!), disc golf slinging, cabin events, and awesome people. At least Monday things will be back to normal at work: Boring, ridiculious, and draining, but at least it won't be stressful.

Thanks for letting me vent. I don't blame you if you didn't read all that!

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The Cell Phone Story

Story time! Grab a blanket and a cup of your favorite beverage and settle in.

I was one of those guys. The one who didn't want a cell phone. I Thought they were dumb and I had all sorts of high and mighty convictions about it. Most of them weren't really anything and now I think back and can't remember any of them. Silly. It took me until I was 21 to get a cell phone. It was 2003, so I was pretty late in to the scene, and almost everyone I knew had one at that point. How did I finally get one? Well, that is an excellent question!

At this point in my life I was so fortunate (note: sarcasm) to be driving a rust-filled, hubcap-less 1990 Ford Taurus, the best motor-carriage known to man. I actually really loved that car, and have a weird fondness for it now. I drove it throughout high school and the beginning of college. On one of my pilgrimages from Mankato back to Apple Valley I saw white smoke coming from the hood of the car.

Not good.

I couldn't accelerate any further, and I realized the car had died. I futilely looked at the engine. I didn't even know what I was looking at, but I thought if I shined the power of my mighty spotlight on the car, it might work again. I'm a silly guy.

Suffice to say, a man pulled over, offered me a ride, and call it smart, dumb, terrible, ridiculous or whatever you want, but I took it. This stranger dropped me off 50 miles away near my parent's house. I told him to drop me off a little bit of a ways away from where I actually live...just in case...he was crazy. Of course, while walking home, my Dad just happens to be driving home. I think he was a bit surprised to see me...without the car. Ha.

Weeks later I received a cell phone for my birthday. Apparently, they are good for calling people in emergencies. I didn't really have much of a choice. I think I secretly wanted one anyways.

So, now I have a cell phone. It is four years later. Obviously, I am now ingrained in cell phone culture (I even text message now!)

Yesterday, I "lost" my cell phone for a little bit. After the initial concern, I realized it wasn't a big deal and I laughed when I figured out I was most concerned about the fact that I didn't have ANY other alarm clock to wake me up the next morning. That was seriously my biggest concern.

I thought that was funny. Apparently, I'm not nearly as attached to the calling part of my cell phone as I am the alarm clock feature.

Go figure.

To read Mike Allen's HILARIOUS Taurus eulgoy, go here. You won't be dissapointed.
http://frizbplaya.blogspot.com/2006/05/rip-taurus-1990-2002.html


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I Need to Blog.

I need to blog. Not because I haven't done it for a long time, but because I feel I NEED to. I don't have anything specific to talk about, but lots of little things. My friend did it not so long ago...a sort of meta blog of everything going on, and I feel like I just need to let a few things out, even if it isn't new or surprising. It'll be therapeutic. One can always hope.

I can't sleep lately. I just lay there, or worse, don't want to go to bed, even though I am exhausted. I got my diploma (finally!) last week, I felt good about that for some reason. This week has NOT been a good week at work and I might not make it to April...I just can't take it some days anymore. I feel like my soul is draining by the second, which is dramatic, but it is something terrible. There are a lot of weddings this summer. Every weekend I, or one of my friends, is at a wedding. Why is everyone getting married? Not that I disapprove, but why THIS year? I've found out I can't be everywhere at once, as much as I might want to be. Not much stresses me out, but personal relationships certainly do. We all know I can be peer-pressured into doing just about anything fun. I still do like getting to know people, even though I thought I didn't anymore. It's weird, but cool, having friends all over the world. I guess that is something to get used to. The internet has really changed it in a way that makes it seem like they are really close, but then really far away, all at the same time. I need a haircut. The Twins have been frustrating the hell out of my this season. Every time they seem to put something together, they blow it all up literally the next day. When did things become complicated? One of my biggest pet-peeves is people who are bad at e-mail. I hesitate to write anything too personal in this blog because I have absolutely no idea who reads it. I think I need two blogs, but I'm not really sure I have enough to fill another one. Disney is looking for traditional, 2-D animators starting this fall. I'm really tempted to work on a portfolio and give it a shot. See if I can make that semester of art school worth something! I have no idea what I want to do anymore, and that is a little exciting, but a little nerve-wracking at the same time. I could literally be doing anything in April. I'm going on a booze cruise on Sunday. I plan on quoting "The Office" as much as possible. Speaking of "The Office" I think I need to have a season premiere party when the new season starts. I've discovered that most of life is about the people you surround yourself with. It looks like I am going to India in February if I stick around this job long enough. I've got more, but that's it for now. Wow. That does help.

That is one long paragraph.

Peace out.

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Things I Randomly Just Suck at...

Lets face it. I'm not perfect. In fact...far from it. Maybe further from it then most people. I keep discovering things that I am far below average at and it makes me laugh/smile/awkwardly sad to think about some of them. They are all small and pretty insignificant and in many cases hilarious. Obviously, there are other things, but for this entry, we are going to stick with these. Otherwise I could go on for days. Literally.The first thing I suck at:

1. Grocery Shopping

This should be easy. I'm a single guy who doesn't really cook, to be honest, almost ever. To make things seemingly even easier on me, I used to work at Cub Foods...for almost three years. However, the problems begin immediately. First of all, I hate going, so that almost makes me in a pissy mood. Second, I ALWAYS fail at getting a cart or even a basket...I just walk in. I have to go back to get one later in the trip when I realize I can't just carry all this around the store. Second, I wander around like a lost child at Disney World who is looking for the Tea Cups ride. I never make a list (Be Prepared? I wasn't a boy scout, obviously) so I gallivant around trying to remember what I want. I end up looking at things like soup for a long time and then deciding not to get any. By the time I get to checking out, an hour or two could have passed and I have 60 dollars worth of groceries. At least I don't suck at checking out. After I get home (likely dropping a bag or something) I always remember something that I forgot to get. Shopping should not be this much of an ordeal!

2. Spilling

This has become such an urban legend that I hesitate to put it on this list. Yes, I spill often. No, I don't spill at EVERY meal. However, it is often in the most ridiculous way that I spill. Anyone can accidentally tip over a glass. Not everyone can spill a drink because they brought it up to their mouth to take a drink...even though they have a straw and manage to spill all of it all over themselves. That takes talent!

3. Using glue and scissors

This one is just silly. My Mom can tell you stories about how when I was really young how I struggled with cutting and pasting. I would cut zig-zags all over the place to insane levels. I'd always use to little or too much glue. It apparently even worried my pre-school teacher...like my ability to cut and paste would affect my development or something. Sadly, I went throughout the rest of school being below average. I even did a terrific art project once and ruined it be cutting badly. Luckily, these skills are rarely used anymore, with everything becoming so paperless. I couldn't be happier.

4. Making my bed

I never seem to do it right and always ends up looking like crap. It's okay though. I gave up making my bed years ago, but on the rare occasion I do it, it looks like a crazed man came in and tried to make his bed look like a Sears catalog ad. Back in the college days there was nothing I hated more then just trying to put the sheets on my lofted bed. It was horrible and to this day I still have no idea how I ever accomplished putting sheets on my bed.

5. Writing interesting blog posts

Okay. That was supposed to be a joke, but I was bored today. Maybe one of the other things I suck at is "being productive at work", but I think that is okay.

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Working in Politics...

I've been looking for something different, something new to do in April.

I've been talking about it a lot lately, I know. I just think it is a good opportunity for me to...well....do anything. My lease is up at that point and Brent will be married. So, I'll need to do something different for living arrangements anyways. I'm not married. I don't have any kids. I am looking for a different job, and this seems like the perfect opportunity to do something. Anything. Chances like this may not be around later in life.

There have been more then a few ideas on what to do. Go back to school. Get a teaching certificate. Work on various art related projects. Travel to a different country and work there for a while, or teach. Work for LEGO in Denmark. All these things are very possible, but all seem unrealistic in some ways. Going back to school would mean not working full time. I can't afford that. Ditto with doing art full time. Teaching in a different country would be interesting, but I'm not sure that is what I want to do. Working for LEGO in Denmark WOULD be interesting and cool, but there would be a lot or logistics to that, including learning a whole new language before going there.

One of the other options was to work on a political campaign. Problem was, I had no idea how to make that happen. Luckily, I know someone who does. My friend Alex Kurt, whom you might recognize from the listings of blogs to the right, is currently working on the John Edwards campaign for the summer. While e-mailing I asked if there was anything I could do next spring....when I am free to do whatever. He said that there likely WOULD be lots of positions open. Minnesota, being a swing state would certainly be looking for field staff. I have marketing and communications experience, so I'd be a good fit, I think.

This got me excited. The corporate world is taring me apart in a lot of ways. I don't want to climb any ladders and most of the time I end up feeling really out of place because my attitude and thought/belief structure don't usually line up with corporate objectives very often. Politics is much in the same, but at least I might be able to try and make a difference. That sounds terribly naive, and I'm sure we would all like to think that, but it is encouraging to know there is at least a chance. Honestly, it would just be something different. I just want to work on something where there is a clear goal, and that goal ISN'T money. I'd like to work on something that ends up with tangible results and something I could possibly care about and enjoy not only doing the job, but even talking about it with others.

So, I'm going to give it a shot. Besides, I always really wanted to know just how corrupt our political system is anyways. Lets just hope I don't lose myself in it.

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The Internet: Who Really is Clogging the Tubes?

I promise to try and make it through this entire post without referencing former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, which is pretty hard for me, honestly.

I love and crave good conversation with smart people. It makes me happy. In fact, it might be one of my favorite things in the world. Luckily I have friends who gladly oblige me in this desire and can converse on any number of subjects. Luckily, over the last few days I have had a few of these treasured conversations. Chase and Erik proved that they could provide some smarts in a conversation, providing hope for the future (and if you know Chase, you were as surprised as I was! Ha.) and then an e-mail from two smart people , Mike and Colleen, (with spectacular blogs of their own!) sparked a conversation about inventions.

A little back story on my thoughts on inventions. Think about what inventions have had the most impact on our lives in the last ten years. Got them? Oh, you need more time? Okay. I'll wait. Still not much? Well, that is probably because we don't truly invent much anymore. We refine and perfect and add, but rarely do we come up with something brand new. There really is no one to fault for this. The good money is in consumer entertainment. That is where our technology and new ideas are being funneled to right now, which is fine, but it isn't revolutionizing anything. We are just making life more entertaining, which is good in a lot of respects, but it isn't advancing us as a race much.

The "inventions" that we have seen in recent years have been very focused on consumer demand. There is an exception to that though, an exception that might actually change the world we live in. That's right. Al Gore's Internet.

Mike was telling me about how he was thinking the other day about how the Internet will likely be remembered as one of the most important inventions in history. I completely agreed. While I don't think it can have nearly the impact that the Printing Press had in the 15th century, I do think the Internet will and already has to some extent change the way we do almost everything. Education, business, communication, travel and shopping have already been completely changed by the Internet and will likely keep changing and improving the speed, effectiveness and means of how we go about living.

However, I'm not sure we have completely tapped the expanse of the Internets potential, particularly in business, education and government. In fact, much of the way we use the Internet on a regular basis hasn't changed in years. Right now the Internet is stagnate. We aren't using it that differently then we have been for the last 7 years.

Honestly, I blame the baby-boomer generation. Right now, they are in command of the world, so to speak. They are our business and government leaders and for the lack of a better phrase, they are slowing us down. While most are actually very competent users of the Internet, the average baby-boomer does not use it the way, say I do, or you do. Mostly, they see it as a way to forward funny e-mails or schedule a meeting (that will take place in person, not online) or order that book off of Amazon.

They don't know that maybe the best way to educate children might not be the way they were educated or even the way I was educated. We were educated and tested on how well we could memorize and how well we could apply that knowledge. Now, we don't need to know what the information is, we just need to know the best and fastest way to find it and then discern if that information is truth or not and THEN apply that information to what we need. We need to embrace the 'apply', because we can find literally any information out there that we need. Everything is available. You just need to know how to find it and use it.

However, this idea hasn't been fully embraced yet, and likely won't be until a decade or so down the road. That day will come, and when it does you can search for this blog and remember that 10 years ago I knew it was coming, and the Internet will be able to show you that I was right.

Assuming that no one mistakes the Internet for a big truck and dumps a bunch of crap on to it.

You knew I wouldn't be able to last an entire post!

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Summer: Less of the Ol' Blog...

The heat has distracted me from my regular blogging schedule for whatever reason. Literally tens of people read my blog and I feel I need to feed their need for whatever I give them. I feel reading my blog is the dietary equivalent of a two dollar frozen pizza. It sounds like a delicious idea, until you've devoured all of it and want to never have anything to do with it again.

So, for those who still remain, I give you my salutations. You made it. Unfortunately, there is no prize. Maybe I could fashion some Yogurt lids into medals. Props to you if you just got the source of that joke.

So goes life.

Okay, honestly, I promise to get back to writing. I know at least one of you demanded it, albeit drunkenly. The drunken masses have come together. I shall relent to them and blog more again...at least twice a week. Except when I don't feel like it, or if I'd rather play Ultimate Frisbee, which I'm happy to report is happening very often this summer!

I think we are all on the Internets and the Googles too much anyways.Go outside! That includes me. I hope everyone is well, wherever they might be.

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Camp!

I got back from my annual camp experience on Wednesday. A little background information. Every year my Catholic church has a camp for kids in 7-9th grade. I've been going as a leader in various capacities since my senior year of high school....8 years ago.


It is always a blast. Oddly, I think I appreciate going more every year. As I get older I understand the lack of chances to do things like this, times just to be ridiculious, be outside, hang with kids, play frisbee and, of course, blob. I found myself smiling more this year while I was there more then any other year...just because it is so different from what every other day is like. Yelling at the top of my lungs is not only allowed, it is appreciated. Fiddling with a sound board and playing drums is part of my job. I get to teach kids how to play Ultimate.


Sadly, every year it also gets harder for me to come. I'm not getting any younger and the logistics of me going are not easy either. I almost didn't get to go this year because of work. Isn't that dumb.


I came back Wednesday in an unbelievable mood. I was so relaxed. It was exactly what I needed to do. I'm centered and ready to go. It is amazing what a little time in the boonies of Wisconsin can do.


As far as the blob goes...this is what I am talking about!

I think that about sums up my 5 days. I'm there for the kids, but it is nice to know I get a little something out of going to. It maintains whatever sanity I can muster.

Thank God. Literally.

They Took My Trees!

When I am at work I take all the good little things I can. Most of what I do is boring and numbing so I take all the little things that are positive and go with them. These "little things", for lack of a better word or phrase (I blame the numbing) can be just about anything that can appear through my work day. A conversation with a friend over e-mail or chat. A fun website or article. An actual exciting, meaingful project at work (they happen occasionally), a look out the window or a brief break to go outside and walk.

Of course, if these "little things" go wrong, it can have a horrible affect on the rest of the work day. It isn't good, because then I have to rely on work to provide me substance to get me through the rest of the day, and that could go terribly!

Today I had one of those "little things" go wrong. I got to work this morning and to my horror they were cutting down trees from the lot that has been vacant across the street from our building. No one has ever built on the lot since the trees they were cutting down were huge. I watched in silent mourning as each tree fell one by one this morning and into the early afternoon. I went to lunch with the family (Happy Birthday Dad!) and came back and the job was finished. All the trees were completely gone. Now, when I look out the window all I see is the blank concrete and cars rushing by on Highway 55 instead of old oak trees swaying in the wind. Oh, and I'm sure it will look slightly better once the building is built and the landscaping is done...but then I just get to look at another bland office building with its rigorous landscaping.

I've always been vanilla on deforestation, and I realize that this is not an adequate example, but I've never really had first hand experience with it. I've never had a nice area that I enjoyed ripped away from me, without consultation, and built into an office park. I was silently upset about this all day at work and wasn't really sure how to bring it up to my co-workers. Just a few minutes ago, my boss, who always seems to have something profound to say, came and leaned against my desk. He nodded across the street and said "I wish I had bought that land, just so I could always see the woods. It's sad." He shook his head, and without even awaiting a response from me, he left.

Somehow it made me feel better that he felt the same way.

I guess I never realized that I 'sweated' the small stuff. I think, in a lot of ways I don't, but at work they become bigger, just because everything becomes micro here. Maybe I should read that book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" sometime.

I wonder if they have a corporate version.

R.I.P Woods Across the Street. You will be missed.

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Business and IT Jargon Galore

I was given this to edit. I don't even know where to start. I don't think I even know what it means! How can someone take something like "E-Business" and make it so needlessly complex and frustrating?

Here is the beautiful tidbit. It is supposed to be website content. If I have my way (I won't) it will never see the light of day...


E-Business

E-BIZ Services has opened a completely new vista of opportunities for organizations to leverage the capabilities of doing things online. The challenge of serving geographically dispersed customers, suppliers and employees efficiently was solved through the integrated web-based solutions of e-commerce. At [company name] we give you the entire spectrum of e-business solutions encompassing the entire gamut of B2B and B2C solutions. Collaborating with IT majors like BEA Systems, IBM, Microsoft and Interwoven, we have been able to provide you with quality, cost-effective and value-oriented e-business solutions across a wide range of vertical markets including Banking & Financial Services, Telecom, Manufacturing and Retail.


Wow. Not only is it poorly written ("capability of doing things online"? What?) ...but I have no idea what it is trying to say.

The joys of doing corporate communications. *SIGH*

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Giving up on Cable?!

I have a lot I could write about, but we are in AMERICA. Do you know what we love in America? Television. I know, only because everyone else talks about it so much, and I feel silly when people mention things from TV that I know nothing about. I like some TV, but apparently not nearly as much as some do (especially those I work with.). Even so, my lovely, talented and not available (sorry ladies, he is taken) roommate Brent came to me with an ever tough decision. He wants to drop Cable TV. Gone. Kaput. Nada.

Part of it is to stick it to The Man*, who in this case is Charter. They suck. They literally have a monopoly over our area of Eagan. There is no one we can use. I think they could care less about us, but we will feel better to give them less business. They have overcharged us ever since our "trial period" ended. It is frustrating Brent to no end. I don't like it when he is upset. It means less cuddle time. Bad joke. Moving on...

This should all be fine. I don't watch much TV. However, there is one gigantic problem with this. The Twins. I'm what you might call "a fan". Some might call me "crazy". Some others might call me "obsessed". Whatever adjective you use...I like to watch the Twins, and honestly they are the one thing standing in the way of us (really just me) and getting rid of everything but the most basic TV package they have (10 dollars! What a steal!). Sadly, I'm not sure I can do it. I guess it goes to show how much a silly team can mean to someone.

I thought that I could be okay with it. I could always figure something out. Use the internet. Go to my parents or friends places to watch when I want to. Go to a bar. There a lot of options. However, I just can't get 2005 out of my head. At the beginning of the season the Twins were starting their own cable company, called "Victory Sports" and I didn't get that channel in Mankato...and it sucked. I didn't like not being able to watch. I don't want that.

So, the dilemma begins. We need YOUR help! We are powerless against The Man*. We don't want to pay the ridiculous prices anymore.

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Things that I Have Learned...

Europe has taught me...

-That Berlin has decided to try to be American. It has been the most surprising and appaling part of the trip so far. I had no idea.

-Prague is beautiful, but the Czech Republic is in dissaray.

-Venice is perhaps the coolest place I have ever seen...that might not exist by the time I die.

-People do not hate the US as much as I thought.

-Do not stay in a hostel in the woods in the suburbs of Berlin.

-Watch out for traffic in Rome. I almost died.

-Watch out for those cannals in Venice. Falling in is not ideal.

-People appreciate our attempts at their language (Mike and I speak German, Kris Italian and Ryan speaks Russian - which came in handy in Prague)

- We REALLY need public transportation in the USA.

...hmmm...more to come. I just thought I should post SOMETHING from Europe...

I'm Apparently Everywhere.

I've discovered something, but I feel a bit like Christopher Columbus...I think I found something that someone or maybe many people already have. It doesn't have an indigous population or lots of Tobacco, like the "New World" Columbus "discovered". Just something I've noticed...which in retrospect makes the opening of this blog entry useless. Looks like I've ruined yet another dynamic blog again with uncohesive thought structure! Onward to better constructed paragraphs!

I don't meet nearly as many people as I used to, like I did in college, but it still happens. So, I'm meeting new people, usually friends of friends, and odds are 1:3 (I completely made that up) that the person I am meeting says this after a few minutes or sometimes hours: "You totally remind me of my best friend/friend...I love him!"

I usually smile and nod my head. How am I supposed to react to that? It is flattering, knowing you remind someone of their best friends, because you know they probably are enjoying your presence, but it also a little troubling to me.

Am I, or people just like me, everywhere? Granted I brought up examples where people were just meeting me and only know a little bit about me, but it isn't isolated to just meeting people. I have had friends and longtime acquaintances tell me similar things. That I remind them of someone. It is a little disheartening to think that I'm not really that unique, that there are clones of me everywhere. I sometimes question what it is that reminds me of this friend. It is usually different things...appearance, personality, voice, etc. so that doesn't help any.

Is it something about me that is really familiar? Do I just make people feel comfortable, the way a good friend might? I take pride in trying to be a good friend, so maybe that has something to do with it. I just don't know. Maybe you do...if that is the case...I'd like to know.

Notes:

-My check card came back with no errors. Amazing.

-My passport picture looks utterly ridiculous.

-Work has been really chill lately and I like that. We've been doing a lot of photo shoots (for marketing content) and they have been a fun break from the regular monotony. Using Photoshop and actually being creative at work has been refreshing.

-I'm going to Europe on Friday. It will be awesome. Photos and stories will be shared when i get back to...well everyone I talk to, I'm sure. In the mean time the only way to contact me will be through e-mail, Facebook and the comment section of this blog, since I hear that the Internet is even in Europe these days! Amazing. Those tubes just go everywhere.

-Speaking of travel, I have 3 OTHER friends who left the country this week for various different length of times and reasons. Lets all hope they return and arrive safely.

-One of those people will be gone for a long time. We'll all miss you Sarah.

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So, I Lost My Check Card...

I lost my check card over the weekend. Actually, I know exactly what happened to it, I left it in an ATM.

I cancelled the card last night and this afternoon I went to the bank to get issued a new card. After waiting a few moments for someone (Apparently, you can't just do this with the tellers) he asked me to take a seat. He said..."So, you lost your check card and need a new one?" I nodded.

He then said: "Okay, Mr. Patterson if I could just see your check card..."

My reply: "I lost it...remember?"

"Well Mr. Patterson, this would go a lot faster if you had it."

Really?

You are so right actually. I wouldn't have had to come to the bank at all, actually. It would have been THAT fast. It is really hard to replace something I haven't lost.

Maybe he was on one of those fancy drugs the kids are using these days. Because when I cleared up that whole "I don't have a check card. I lost it. That is why I'm here" thing and did the paperwork for a new one he asked me... "Is there anything else i can do for you today?" ...I of course said "Nope." However, he just looked at me and said nothing....until I physically got up and walked away.

I wouldn't be surprised if something horribly wrong shows up on my check card. I can't wait.

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MySpace

I joined MySpace YEARS ago, because a friend told me to. It was still small, and I had never heard of it. I registered a profile, messed around for a few minutes and didn't come back for...about 3 years.

By then everyone and their Emo brother was on MySpace. Grandparents, politicians (some who need to respect web designers a little more...I'm looking at YOU John McCain...) and movie stars all use MySpace alongside the 14 year old kids who don't know that 'you' is not spelled 'u'.

I was never really a fan of MySpace. I don't like that users, many of whom have no idea what they are doing, can throw around HTML and CSS like they are frisbees. I have been to pages where there are 7 different songs, videos, embedded mp3's and blinking texts Java applets all going at the same time. I'm somewhat surprised there hasn't been at least one outbreak of seizures because of the mess that some MySpace pages are constantly in. Also, it was hard to navigate and I could never know when someone updated their page.

Lastly, I have always liked Facebook better, especially for keeping up with people. I guess I'm not nearly as interested in self expression as I am with keeping up with friends and family in a simple manner.

I think I had my last straw with MySpace today. I had someone message me. This person shall remain nameless...lets call him..."X". X was wondering why he wasn't in my "top friends".

I started to reply. I stopped. I didn't really even know this guy well. Then, it dawned on me....Wow. Really? People put stock into this? Isn't it terrible to be figuring out order of friends, how they 'rank' to you and who the best of the bunch are? I looked at my 'top friends' and I have no idea how I came up with the order they were in. I certainly didn't sit down and think to myself..."Okay...where numerically does so-and-so fit into my life...I better be right about this, otherwise the friend police will come take me off to MySpace jail".

I guess I'm not monosyllabic enough to think of friends and family in this way. All I did was put people who I wanted to be able to quickly check their page, if needed.

Honestly, this made me like MySpace less then I already did. I'm not leaving the site, because that is more work then it is worth, but whatever enthusiasm I once had for it is now gone. I almost never check it anymore to begin with, so I've really come to peace with this.


Notes:

-I'm thinking about using LiveJournal again for more personal blog material, so that I don't necessarily broadcast somethings to the entire world. I used to use LiveJournal a few years ago, but I'll likely start a new journal. Anyone have thoughts on this? It would be more for me, but some of it will be published.

-On that note, I'm starting a blog completely devoted to baseball and the Twins separate from this one. I'll share the address for that once I'm all set to go.

-I finished writing my first article for "Cereal:Geek", the magazine I'm writing for. I'll make sure to show it to anyone interested.

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Night.

I'm very different from everyone I work with in a lot of ways. Today was a good example.....

I was meeting with a coworker in his office and we started chatting about why I wanted to come in later in the morning (I get to work about 8:45am). He assumed I wanted to do things in the morning BEFORE I came to work. I told him I sleep until 8:10 almost everyday I go to work.

He seemed shocked. He didn't say anything. He quietly asks..."Why do you need so much sleep"?

I respond: "Well, I really don't. I don't really go to bed until about 12:30 or 1am most nights...at the earliest."

He leaned back in his chair, befuddled. "What do you DO?"

I didn't really know how to answer that question. Why does it seem to SO incredibly weird to people who are very much morning people that people who are night owls do that same things they do, just at different times? I know why people like to get up in the morning. It is just how they do things. I'm not the same way. I understand that. Most morning people don't seem to see it the other way around.

I told him I do everything. Work on projects. Hang out with friends and family. Exercise. Run errands. Whatever comes up. Even last night I got home at a surprisingly early hour (11:30) and thought about drawing and going to bed, but my friend Laura called from Taiwan. That put the bedtime much later. It was great.

Honestly, I've always been a night owl. I always liked working on homework in the middle of the night. I love doing random things at night. I like to do hobbies until late at night. I like talking on the phone at night. I especially like sitting outside or even inside and thinking at night. It is quiet and things seem to be at peace.

I gradually won him over. He told he always seemed convinced that people who slept later were just lazy. I told him that he needs to make sure to remember that some people just like to go to bed later...people like me.


Notes:

-I joined a concert band. I'm pretty excited about it, as I have been looking for ways to get back into playing percussion. We might be looking for other instruments as well, let me know if you might be interested.

-Chuck Norris loves America. If you don't know why, or what the hell I'm talking about you need to read the blogs to the right. That Mike Allen is a funny dude.

-My desk fan is called "Lil' Blizzard" I thought it was a hilarious name for some reason.


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Writing for the Corporate Machine

I like to think of myself as something of a writer. I majored in Journalism. One of my minors was English (emphasis on writing). I do some freelance stuff for a magazine. I write here. I write for the comic strip I'm developing. I like to write and I actually get some opportunities to do it.

One of the most frequent opportunities to write is at work, which makes sense, since I am in charge of marketing and communications and it was that opportunity that really first attracted me to this job. I knew corporate writing was completely different then any other writing I had ever done, I knew that from college. However it is completely ridiculous here. I'm just told, sometimes almost word for word, what to write by people who either A. Have no idea how to construct logical ideas into an assembling of paragraphs or B. Want to sound as important or "business minded" as possible, usually leading to more corporate jargon and business slang then I can handle.

It usually leads to passage like the one I'm going to share. I had the extreme misfortune of having to "write" this. I tried rewording it, I tried completely rehashing it to no avail. This is what it has to look like, according to the people who matter:

"Our clients appreciate the benefits our services bring. [company name] continually invests in the development of our talent, technology partnerships, software solutions and our community. We are customer focused and we develop strategic client relationships. Our clients understand that our IT services and solutions are in line with their business goals."

This is straight out of the brochure I just "wrote". Just about everything in that passage goes against both my Journalistic and my English instincts. First of all, NOTHING backs any of this up. We basically 'made' up that we think our clients 'appreciate our benefits'. What are those 'benefits'? I have no idea. Neither will you...since we never tell you. How are we customer focused? What does 'develop strategic client relationships' even mean? Since when are we developing anything? When is the last time we actually 'invested in the community'? Don't even get me started on the last sentence. Look at all the jargon... "partnerships","in line", "solutions", "focused", "development" are all fine words usually, but here they are muddled, confusing and usually have no actual meaning.

Where is the clarity in this? How is this acceptable, or worst, looked favorably upon? If I was looking at companies to partner with, I would do so on there Marketing and Communications materials, because that is what the majority of the public sees about your company. Why would you strive to confuse? It seems like we are hiding what we really do or trying to hard to elaborate on what we really do. It ends up looking like a 9th grader with no grasp on English who found a pocket thesaurus.

It just irks me that I am forced to write things like this. It really stems to my boss, who also happens to the be the owner. He controls everything and micromanages stuff like this to no end. I can occasionally get around it, or try and convince him of my way, but it rarely works.

It would help if other people expressed discontent about this with me. I don't want to feel alone on this.

Please do not let Corporate America eat my soul with a side or jargon.

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Bad Day.

I don't have bad days. Well, that is a bit of a lie, everyone has bad days...days when things just don't go your way or negative things all seem to happen at once. Those happen to everyone.

I don't have bad days like I'm having today. I can't control my emotions, I'm moody, I'm a little woozy and honestly, I was a little depressed. I've got a pit in my stomach and it makes my legs feel like they are wobbly.

The worst part is...I have no idea why. I think I might know one of the reasons, but I'm not sure. The fact that I can't put my finger on the source of this is upsetting me more. I'm not generally this way. I've even had problems sleeping at night lately, having awkward dreams, but all I remember about them is that they are awkward. I had a good day yesterday...I saw the family and I talked at length with two great people and that is always a highlight for me. Work is fine...in fact I am doing a good job masking my downer of a day and pretending to be 'the usual Brett'. So, in other words, I should be fine.

But I'm not.

I'm not good at handling issues like this. I'm used to being the friend helping in situations like this, not the other way around. Maybe it will help just writing and venting and talking about it, but I don't know the source and that is frustrating.

I know I don't use this venue for this type of thing and a few may be surprised to even be reading this from me.

I just had to get it out.

I'm sure tomorrow/later today will be better, but I guess that is just something to pacify myself.

Late Nights, Friends PLUS a Rivas and 50 Year Olds Who Drive Pink Geo Trackers Update...

That may be the longest blog title in the history of blogging, which I believe has a history of...4 years. Dan Rather will be writing a book about it any day now.

I always seem to get these great ideas for blogs at 2am. I'm not sure they are actually great, being that a lot of things thought up at 2am are usually deemed great then but later they just look like hazy thoughts with no real integrity.

On Tuesday, at the hazy thought hour, I had an idea for a blog. I thought about it and was excited about writing it. I jotted a note to myself about it and went to bed. Early the next 'morn I got up and went to work. I remembered my note about the blog and smiled...got ready to type...and...nothing. Nada. I couldn't remember the majority of what I wanted to write.

I knew that I wanted to write about my friends, how I (and they) have changed in the last couple years...but the details were gone. I couldn't remember what had excited me about the entry the night before. I had made some sort of connection in my brain that was gone by the next morning. Crap.

Well, what I did remember was this: First off, I have tremendous friends. All of them. I love that my friends from my different areas of life have often come together and become friends with my other friends. I love that I have a diverse group of friends.

It is funny how our needs in friends change over the years. Early on, our friends are because of geographical convenience. Neighborhood kids or school kids who maybe like the same activity as you. Later on, in Middle School, you learn that a friend is maybe just someone who makes LESS fun of you and is just a little less terrible to you then everyone else. (Middle School sucks!) In high school you make your first real friends and you might have similar interests and you might even make actual connections, but most friendships are based on frivolous things and loose connections.

I don't know how to describe friends in college. You have such a cornucopia of friends, it is hard to know, but it is generally a tossup of EVERYTHING I had mentioned before and the next phase. College is a weird time. Some friends are because of geographical convenience (roommates, neighbors, etc.) people who just are nicer then the rest, people you do activities with, and people who actually have a genuine connection with.

I'm entering this new phase. After College, or AC. I don't want friends anymore who I just joke with. I don't want friends that are just always shallow. I desire substance these days, and I'm glad that I found that just about everyone I was friends with before felt the same way. That made me happy and I became better friends with those people. Great success. Also, I've made a bevy of new friends since college, which surprised me. I was always told that AC I was done making friends and meeting people. I beg to differ. I've met some awesome people since then. People who think and are funny. It has brought out a whole new side of me in the last 30 or so months. Thanks to my friends.

A quick Rivas update: He DIDN'T make the Indians out of spring training. Wow. I was disappointed. Hopefully he will be up at some point during the year though, as he did accept his assignment to AAA Buffalo. Also, I tried ordering a Rivas AAA jersey, because I thought it would be hilarious, but sadly, they do not exist.

Also, a quick Creep Old Guy Who Drinks Milk and Vodka and Drive a Pink Geo Tracker Update. I saw his Geo Tracker at a friend's apartment complex! Augh! Scary! He is following me! It was definitely his. He had weird miniature boxing gloves hainging up in the car...and they were there. It was him. That alone frightened me, but I saw him AGAIN today, back at Super America. I wasn't planning on going inside, but I started to walk towards the entrance, and he was leaving. I swear that he is going to kill me.

Time to go from one job to another!

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Returning to 'Traditional Family Values' and becoming a Christian Nation..."again".

For those of queasy religious/political stomachs. Turn away now. Don't say I didn't warn you. This may be similar to eating a bad Chicken Soft Taco at Taco Bell....except with reading and controversy, with less hot sauce.

I often hear outrageous claims from ultra-conservative-evangelical Christians that we need to return to 'conservative family values', or something along those lines, in this country. I've been trying to research when this fictitious time period was that we need to return to. One where violence, sex, cruelty, greed, jealousy and sin did not exist and people were free to say how much they love Jesus. Two distinct time period always come up. The first time period? The area of time before and after World War 2 all the way up until sometime in the early 1960s. I'm always told this time was 'better' and given no evidence, or worst...terrible evidence. One of the most shocking is the use of mass media. Granted, mass media has only gotten worse, but one CANNOT use mass media to depict how a time period really was, especially if it is television. On ore then one occasion, I have heard shows like "Leave it to Beaver" and "Lucy" were testaments to the time period. In some ways they were, just like popular shows are today. However, as depictions of everyday life? That is where the confusion lies. Using "Leave it to Beaver" as an example of how families and people operated during the time period the show ran is ridiculous. That is like using "Full House" to demonstrate what American life was like from 1987 - till whenever the show went off the air. You remember "Full House". Very popular. Very unrealistic.

The problem is, no one seems to do research or eve think about these sort of things. "Oh, we used to be so much better back then" is a terrible thing to say. It just isn't true. Humanity has always been the same. Actually, I would argue that we keep getting better as a race. The myth that our society and families have decreased since the 1950's, and using old television shows as evidence is unreal.

My favorite, and most often heard saying is: "We were created a Christian nation..." and then usually something else ridiculous follows. When did THIS notion begin to spread? We weren't founded with any religion! That is part of the BASIS of this country. People came to the USA to avoid religious persecution, not the other way around. Separation of Church and State is a founding principal of this country, so we don't fall into the trap that western Europe did for almost a thousand years. The founding fathers were generally NOT Christian. They were mainly Unitarian, or some Deists, and some atheists. In fact, the Treaty of Tripoli, passed by the U.S. Senate in 1797 specifically states that: "The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion." The fallacy that many point to...the "In God We Trust" seal on our dollars and coins was not used consistently until, well, the 1950s (bad timing for me, I know) during the McCarthy scare. It seems to me that the Founding Fathers were more concerned about making sure this country never thought this country was founded on any religion.

Honestly, there have always been and will always be similar problems. Parents get divorced or have a falling out. People will fight and kill. People will do terrible things to each other in every way we can think of. I pray that there will be a day that these things WON'T happen, but lets not try to pretend that they didn't in the past. Ignorance is bliss, but one can only have so much bliss before they pass out.



To read more about the founding fathers and religion...check this out: http://skeptically.org/thinkersonreligion/id9.html

Also, Wikipedia helped me out doing this blog. Check it out too.

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A Birthday Rivas Update

I know so many of you have breathlessly waiting for an update on Rivas....well here it is. I could think of nothing better then a Luis Rivas filled birthday, so I unblocked the internet tubes, called Al Gore and fired up the 'ol NIT card and used the Googles to do some Rockin' Rivas Research (RRR for short).

It looks like our friend Rivas has a good shot of making the Indians. I have no idea how this could happen, except that Ol' Luis must have some nasty blackmail on several members of the Indians staff. It probably helped that some of Rivas's competition literally threw themselves out of the competition (I'm looking at YOU Hector Luna...you and your EIGHT spring training errors). However, Cleveland is choosing Rivas over other, living, breathing baseball players.

It isn't like Rivas is lighting up Indians camp with a barrage of singles either...he is batting a very Rivas-like .176 this spring. Oh...but that isn't why he might make the team...

"We said from the beginning," Shapiro said, "that the main criteria was going to be defense up the middle."

Rivas will make the team because of his "defense". I'm trying not to laugh. Maybe his veteran "presence" and knife fighting skills are also coming into play. I would like to point out that most defense metrics around rated Rivas as having the WORST range in the American League in 2005, his last full year in the majors. The idea of Rivas making a team because of defense makes me happy.

The fact that Rivas is going to make a lot of outs offensively and have lots of ground balls zoom just past him used to make me cry when he was with the Twins. Now, Rivas deliciously plays for a division rival and he has instantly become one of my favorite players. In fact...I think I might get an Indians Rivas jersey. It is almost like he is playing against the Indians anyways.

However my RRR (Rockin' Rivas Research) lead me to see other people BESIDES the Indians front office and field staff are brain washed. It seems some Indians fans and a few writers also have been brain washed by some sort of Rivas-voodoo. This is an actual quote that discusses who will be the backup infielder...

"If he was the same player he was with the Twins a few years back it would be a no-brainer."
tribetracker.com

Wow. Yeah, if Rivas could waste 600 at bats...then we definitely want him! Apparently Cleveland loves slow, lazy second basemen with no range and who get on base at a .285 clip. But hey! He is still young! ...and uh... he can turn a double play pretty good...and...um...well that is it.

I hope Rivas helps the Cleveland Indians lose some games this year. It'll make the summer just that much nicer.

Sources:
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070324&content_id=1857329&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp

http://blog.cleveland.com/tribetracker/2007/03/analysis_2007_cleveland_indian.html

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What is Wrong With 50 Year Olds?

I've had a cornucopia of bizarre occurrences dealing with 50-something males this week. What follows is a transcription of these events. They are not in chronological order for dramatic purposes.

The events of Wednesday afternoon:

I was walking to Super America like usual this afternoon and as I get to the parking spots that are right in front of the door I see a man sitting in a PINK Geo Tracker...you know, the weird SUV looking thing that has a terrible roof and only 16 year old girls drive. The thing was beat up. There was a lone, balding man in his 50's sitting in the drivers seat. He was CHUGGING 2 percent milk...just downing it.

He saw me staring at him. He rolled down the window and threw (I use the word 'threw' loosely. What he did could not really be descried as a throw...maybe a 3rd grade girls softball throw, but it looked ridiculous) the empty bottle at me.

He missed by a mile of course...but it was clear he was aiming for me. I was almost right next to the car and saw that he also had a bottle of Vodka in the front seat.He suddenly pulled of the parking spot, backing up quickly and recklessly. He yelled "Fuck you bitch!" at me and jolted away in his rediculious car.

I stood there in complete confusion. What the HELL had just happened? Other questions crossed my mind...was he drinking milk and Vodka? Combined? Was he drunk? He had to have been....the man threw a milk bottle at me from his Geo Tracker. Why was he in the Super America parking lot? The biggest question...what the hell is wrong with people? I didn't know what to do. No one had seemed to have noticed the events, save me. The universe wasn't just going to let this man get away with this...was it?

Apparently so. However, this reminded me that this had not been my only odd run in with older 'men' this week.

The events of a few days before:

Mike Allen, Ryan Griggs and I sat in the darkened movie theater, enjoying the movie "300". At some point during the Sparta-fueled motion picture two fat, balding 50 year olds start a full volume conversation, but since they were battling the digital sound of the movie, full volume meant they were almost yelling at each other.

At first I thought it might be really quick....but no. THEY DID NOT SHUT UP. The kids behind them said something, which they ignored. Mike futilely tried to yell at them, but his timing coincided with a crescendo of sound from the film. Finally a man in his 30s got up and seemed to have a 3 minute conversation with the two talkers. It finally shut them up. Moments before the credits came up the two 50 year old ramblers BOOKED out of theater like they were 13 years old and their parents just came home to find them smoking. What the hell was wrong with them? Had they never been to a movie before? I expect this from asshole teenagers, but not full-grown adults. I began to suspect that the milk-Vodka man was in cohorts with these not-so-gentlemen.

The events of yesterday completed the circle. First, at a job fair/trade show, where I was representing my company I was already in the mist of a terrible/stupid/Affleckian day. Weary and beleaguered I was about ready to tear down the booth and other displays when a man asked me a question. We had the standard corporate conversation. He was looking to get into consulting...blah blah...suddenly he asks: "What is your story?" I didn't understand the question. "I'm sorry...what was that?" He repeated himself again. I had heard him the first time...but I had no idea what place that question had in a strict business situation. HE THEN WINKED AT ME. I politely excused myself and refereed him to my associate. What the hell? I left, frustrated. On to LEGO, usually a bastion of hope resides there. At least it typically relieves ridiculous stress from the other job. The day seemed to be going as usual....until a young lad puked his McDonalds on my leg. I couldn't tell if the women who was with him was his mother/grandmother/friend/aunt/whatever, but she sat there and watched it happen and offered no assistance other then to stare at me. The kid ran to her and she continued to stare. She promptly left. The kid seemed fine. I, on the other hand, was covered in puke. Awesome.


These stories seem to hold no thread other then the perceived ages of the people involved. Therefore, I have no real conclusion. Discuss.

Have a great weekend. Gasthof's on Saturday for my birthday...be there!

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Pull!

For those of you who have played Ultimate Frisbee to some extent, you know exactly what the title means. For those who don't get it...wel...you really need to play more frisbee.

I'm not kidding. Go buy an Ultimate Frisbee (175g) at Target for 10.99 right now. Resist the "Target Temptation" and only buy the frisbee and immediately call me. You need to know this game.

I was shocked to figure out yesterday that I have been playing for 10 years. It doesn't seem like it should be that long ago that I was playing with the boys at Apple Valley High School in the new intramural league as team Revolution. It was a total blast. Frisbee wasn't nearly as well known as it is today and we all learned as we went.

I played for the rest of high school and played all 5 years of college at Mankato. At the end of high school I started getting involved with the youth at my church. I started tossing the frisbee around with those kids. I brought a frisbee everywhere we went. Kids started catching on. Now, everyone plays frisbee at church. Those kids at church spread it to their friends. Eagan High School now has leagues of their own, and unorganized frisbee is played at a local park.

It is at that park where I play, usually with high schoolers and college students during the summers. I got a call to play yesterday and was so excited that I left work, barely making up an excuse to leave...almost an hour and a half early. It was a joyous thing, frisbee in March.

Since I started playing, everything skill-wise has changed for me. I used to be fast and athletic. Neither of those are really true anymore, however I do turn on a burst of speed now and then. My problem when I started was throwing. I couldn't throw. I sucked at it. I remember that my first year I had a very short, easy throw to make to a wide open teammate that would have won us the game...and I threw it right into the ground. Now throwing is my greatest asset, especially my aim and ability to "thread the needle". Funny how things. I had to 'evolve' as the years went on.

Sadly, I think about the future and wonder how Ultimate Frisbee fits in. I never see adults playing...likely because you need a lot of people to play effectively. There aren't adult leagues that I have ever seen. I'm guessing that someday I won't be able to play with the kids I currently do, as they will become adults too. Maybe our generation will bring Ultimate to adults. I always seem to be the oldest player playing...everywhere I go.

I want to keep playing. I think we need an adult Ultimate league? I think it would be awesome. I think people older then me would grow to embrace it, just by knowing a little what it is about. My Dad has grown to like it. Teach other adults how to play! Make it happen!

Alright, enough frisbee talk for today. Ooh, that reminded me...the weather is getting nicer, which also means disc golf season is upon us...

Until next time...

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