Nurturing your softer side

We are currently between cable providers. Having limited channels means that you either make do with the network crap, go without TV, or spend some quality time with your DVD collection. Jodi and I have opted for a combination of all three.

One surprising outcome of this is that I've become a fan of the now defunct WB program, Gilmore Girls. Jodi is getting a kick out of this because she no longer has to hear my complaints whenever she wants to watch programs that are typically associated with sugar and spice. I've found the dialouge to be rather witty and the stories to be relatively engrossing. Here is a small tribute to those other small things that could often be miscontrued as effeminate or 'girly'. We live in the age of the metrosexual, otherwise I would never come out of the closet with some of this stuff.

• I own a Banana Republic card and I enjoy using it. The last time that Robb Finlinson came down to visit we spent the better part of the day shopping for clothes. I know that this declaration means that I become subject to ridicule. But at least I will be well dressed as my masculinity stands on trial.
• I like watching TMZ. Not necessarily because I'm a celebrity addict but because it is fun to watch how TMZ makes fun at the whole celebrity culture.
• I do pluck my eyebrows, nose, and whatever other region of my body that could use it. That's just good hygiene.
• My eyes teared up the last time I caught "You've Got Mail" on TNT. (I probably should have kept that one in house)
• I don't mind cooking or domestic chores, cleaning the bathroom being the big exception. I will even twirl around in an apron should the mood strike me right.

We'll leave it at this for now. I suppose I will need to go to a Maxim type website to refuel my testastorone levels. At the very least I will need to regrow my beard. Having a soft side isn't all that bad. Just ask Bono.

Legend of the Troll Monster

All those who have vacationed at the Wolf Creek Condos are aware of the legendary troll monster who lived in the waterslide. Recently that waterslide was filled in, leaving the ferocious beast without a lair. Now havoc has been unleashed in the community. I found this in a recent edition of the "Huntsville Gazette".

Wasatch Back captured in photos

Here are some photos from Wasatch Back, a little commentary is forthcoming.

The Wasatch has my back

About six months ago Garrett invited the group to join him on the 200 mile Wasatch Back Relay race. Essentially we form a team of 12 and run the 200 miles between Logan and Park City. It was far off so a bunch of us naively accepted the challenge. Our ignorant pride blindsided us.

Now we are three days away from this. Up until last week I was feeling very confident. That all changed in Sun Valley. I was out to do a quick three mile run when it happened. The elevation turned my muscles into a heaping mass of goo. I had no push. I had no idea that running from 1,100 ft (Phoenix) to 6,000ft (Sun Valley) would make that much of a difference. I was defeated. I nearly sat on the side of the road and cried.

But a few days have passed and my desire to blood dope have subsided somewhat. Yesterday a few of us went a running store and bought some gear and magical medicinals that should help us out. Right now we will take what ever will help. We grossly underestimated this grisly task before us.

Pray for us all! I will post some updates and pictures as they become available.

Greetings from Sun Valley, Idaho

This is for Jodi who is stuck in Virginia until Friday. The Jensen's have been coming to the magical mountains of Sun Valley since the early 1970's. These panoramic pictures were taken near the dollar mountain ski area.

Send out the clowns

Things in this country are a mess. Ergo, I’m currently completing an exercise that I’m positive that many Americans are also participating in. I’m taking an inventory of what is going on in the world, wondering how it affects my life, trying to figure out how responsible the politicians are, and trying to figure out if any of the current batch of politicians is capable of fixing the things that I believe that they are responsible for.

But ...before I move on I want to add a couple of caveats. I represent main stream America. Most of my opinions are formed by what I hear and see through mainstream media. I listen to folks on both sides of the aisle so I think I am able to walk the tightrope and keep any bias in check. I do have a few “informed” friends but most of my views are shaped by what I see and hear and what is affecting my life.

So here are a few things that are important to me. If any politician wants my vote they will try to work on clearing these things up. Politicians always take credit for anything that is positive (Think Al Gore and the internet) so I’m going to ask that they take responsibility for the negative as well.


The Economy, stupid- I want to work in a land where barriers to innovation are destroyed and where the Dagny Taggart’s of the world can spread their wings. The minute that special interests and pork barrel spending (Think farm subsidies) enter the equation we lose efficiency for the sake of pandering for votes and influence. As a result we see things like the Ethanol/Gas situation. Politicians have won primary votes in the mid west but they’ve created a solution that is more of a mess. I think that the primary role of government is to make sure that the economy is free to operate and fair for everyone.

Gas Prices- I realize that this is related to point 1. Poor policy leads to inflation, which leads to a weakened dollar, which is one of the factors leading to really sucky gas prices, which leads to me getting my bike tuned up. Hell, we had a plan and a program to send a man to the moon. Why can’t we have a sound energy policy that can increase oil supply in the short term, select an alternative fuel that is less harmful, help create the necessary infrastructure to extract, refine, and distribute the fuel, and provide incentives to the private sector to create machines that will run off of it? We’re getting close to crisis mode here.

Belligerent Foreign Policy- This is where the Bush Administration really lost me. It has tried to paint the world as black and white and bully everyone into that paradigm. At least in Saddam we knew what we had. Now we have created a black hole in the Middle East that could last years. We’ve polarized the world against us. And our war effort is draining valuable money that needs to be spent with more pressing issues at home. I wish we could just turn our attention home so that we could fix ourselves first before we pretend to preach to the world.

Infrastructure- This hasn’t affected my day to day routine too badly but I fear that it will down the road. We have an aging infrastructure that needs to be fitted for the 21st Century. This is going to come with an incredible price tag and I wonder how it is going to be covered.

Legislating morals- I’m kind of fed up when I see Congress spending their time dealing with baseball players with steroid issues. I have a hard time when Government tries to get involved in moral issues that can best be dealt with on a local or state level. I strongly believe in morality but I also strongly believe in freedom of choice. I believe that the government should defend certain basic morality. But I feel more comfortable my religious education from the church of my choice then having it come from a government.

Well, this has become a little long winded. I usually stay out of politics but it has gotten to the point where it is affecting “main street” America. I have become very disillusioned with the current President. But I just don’t believe that either McCain or Obama has the ability to be a whole lot better.

Help me Obi- Wan you’re my only hope.

Uncovering the internet

Like many people I have my daily internet routine. I have 10-15 sites that I visit without fail multiple times a day. Unfortunately this gets old and distracting. I always love it when a friend uncovers a new site, especially the type of site- think www.howstuffworks.com- that you can spend hours on and not feel completely guilty.

Well, I have been enjoying www.lumosity.com. It was featured on PC Mag's Top 100 undiscovered websites. It's like Christmas in June.

Here is the link to the complete list. (Most of them are for computer geeks, but there are a few new gems worthy of inclusion for the daily circulation.)

http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/0,1206,l=213934&pg=0&s=25234&a=213919,00.asp

Well the new site is live. I don't expect that it will generate a lot of business for me but it should provide some professional polish when people view my site after I meet them. It lets them now I'm serious and ready for business.