File under Useless Information
If Sally buys a Chipotle burrito completely covered in foil wrapping, then proceeds to unwrap the foil and eat 50% of the burrito, how is it possible that the same amount of foil now only covers 75% of the remaining 50% of the whole burrito?
Seriously, we can put a man on the moon, yet i can't figure out how to fully cover my leftover burrito.
Song of the Day
In honor of having a great time with my sister and brother-in-law who just spent Thanksgiving with us, the song of the day is Rogue Wave's Lake Michigan.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
The Thanks G Movement
File under Get a Smaller Plate
For several years now i have been referring to Thanksgiving as Thanks G Day. It was originally in response to hearing people call it Turkey Day a lot. I wanted to put the "Thanks" back in Thanksgiving, plus i just thought it sounded cool too. Well today i'm going public with the Thanks G movement and encouraging everyone to jump on the bandwagon. It has something for everyone, the religious reference, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air reference, plus it puts 'Thanks' front and center.
So, when someone does something nice for you today, go ahead and respond with a "Thanks, G!"
Ok, so yesterday i talked about the post-vacation let down when you come back to your normal everyday life. The work, the responsibility, the challenges. No more sleeping in, no more drinks with umbrellas, or for that matter drinks before noon. That let down is because we're focused on what we don't have anymore and not on what we do have. We take for granted so much because it's not new or different.
There is a current web trend to list the things we are thankful for, but on this Thanks G day i'll take a twist on that:
Things i often take for granted, but shouldn't.
- a great job that i love
- a roof over my head (even if it leaks)
- the love of my amazing wife
- a wonderful family
- the freedom and opportunities we enjoy in this country
Happy Thanks G day everyone!!
Song of the Day
In honor of Thanks G day and spending the day with family, our only true home, the song of the day is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' "Home".
For several years now i have been referring to Thanksgiving as Thanks G Day. It was originally in response to hearing people call it Turkey Day a lot. I wanted to put the "Thanks" back in Thanksgiving, plus i just thought it sounded cool too. Well today i'm going public with the Thanks G movement and encouraging everyone to jump on the bandwagon. It has something for everyone, the religious reference, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air reference, plus it puts 'Thanks' front and center.
So, when someone does something nice for you today, go ahead and respond with a "Thanks, G!"
Ok, so yesterday i talked about the post-vacation let down when you come back to your normal everyday life. The work, the responsibility, the challenges. No more sleeping in, no more drinks with umbrellas, or for that matter drinks before noon. That let down is because we're focused on what we don't have anymore and not on what we do have. We take for granted so much because it's not new or different.
There is a current web trend to list the things we are thankful for, but on this Thanks G day i'll take a twist on that:
Things i often take for granted, but shouldn't.
- a great job that i love
- a roof over my head (even if it leaks)
- the love of my amazing wife
- a wonderful family
- the freedom and opportunities we enjoy in this country
Happy Thanks G day everyone!!
Song of the Day
In honor of Thanks G day and spending the day with family, our only true home, the song of the day is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' "Home".
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Let-Down
File under Set the Bar Low (then barely exceed the bar)
Last week was an incredibly fun week for us: 4 and a half days at Walt Disney World with our niece and nephew. It was fun to be a kid again and i think that was helped repeatedly by our low expectations. Certainly we were excited about the trip and spending time with the kids, but not having been there in over 18 years we didn't know what we didn't know, and every experience was new and exciting. This was most evident when we rode a ride for the first time. The first ride on the Expedition Everest coaster was unbelievable, the 7th time was flat-out boring. It was the same ride every time, yet our experience was totally different.
Although not surprising, what it does shows is that 'New' increases excitement and expectations exponentially. Unfortunately, just because it's new doesn't mean it will live up to those expectations. In fact, it got to a point that as we waited in line for a new ride we would purposely talk up how lame the ride would be just to be pleasantly surprised. Not living up to new expectations becomes a lot more frustrating when we're not just talking about a roller coaster.
But unlike the new and exciting unknown, i was unprepared for a melancholy feeling of a return to a work-a-day life in the cold, rainy mid-atlantic weather. Somehow the 'known' and the 'same' always manage to fall short of expectations. No matter how low. And that has something to do with what we take for granted, which i'll talk more about tomorrow in the Thanksgiving post.
Song of the Day
In honor of being able to break away from the whirring of day to day life and then be able to integrate back into it, the song of the day is the great new band The Joy Formidable's "Whirring".
Last week was an incredibly fun week for us: 4 and a half days at Walt Disney World with our niece and nephew. It was fun to be a kid again and i think that was helped repeatedly by our low expectations. Certainly we were excited about the trip and spending time with the kids, but not having been there in over 18 years we didn't know what we didn't know, and every experience was new and exciting. This was most evident when we rode a ride for the first time. The first ride on the Expedition Everest coaster was unbelievable, the 7th time was flat-out boring. It was the same ride every time, yet our experience was totally different.
Although not surprising, what it does shows is that 'New' increases excitement and expectations exponentially. Unfortunately, just because it's new doesn't mean it will live up to those expectations. In fact, it got to a point that as we waited in line for a new ride we would purposely talk up how lame the ride would be just to be pleasantly surprised. Not living up to new expectations becomes a lot more frustrating when we're not just talking about a roller coaster.
But unlike the new and exciting unknown, i was unprepared for a melancholy feeling of a return to a work-a-day life in the cold, rainy mid-atlantic weather. Somehow the 'known' and the 'same' always manage to fall short of expectations. No matter how low. And that has something to do with what we take for granted, which i'll talk more about tomorrow in the Thanksgiving post.
Song of the Day
In honor of being able to break away from the whirring of day to day life and then be able to integrate back into it, the song of the day is the great new band The Joy Formidable's "Whirring".
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow
File under Avoid the Machine
This Disney, Inc. monster has me puzzled. One moment i think it's brilliant, one moment i think it's awful, and all the time i think it's an incredibly well run machine. Maybe too well run and i think that scares me. In the meantime, Page and I will just continue to have fun with our niece and nephew.
What are your favorite Disney memories/rides/must-see's?
Song of the Day
In honor of EPCOT, and being completely exhausted after two days, the song of the day is Cracker's "Been Around the World". Big fan of Cracker, which is a good example of a band whose commercial successes weren't nearly as good as the rest of their albums.
This Disney, Inc. monster has me puzzled. One moment i think it's brilliant, one moment i think it's awful, and all the time i think it's an incredibly well run machine. Maybe too well run and i think that scares me. In the meantime, Page and I will just continue to have fun with our niece and nephew.
 |
| Page and the kids at Animal Kingdom |
Song of the Day
In honor of EPCOT, and being completely exhausted after two days, the song of the day is Cracker's "Been Around the World". Big fan of Cracker, which is a good example of a band whose commercial successes weren't nearly as good as the rest of their albums.
Friday, November 18, 2011
The World Wide Net of Interwebs
File under Useless Information
I'm reading a really interesting book right now that i wanted to share. It's called "Is the Internet changing the way you think? - The net's impact on our minds and future" It is the result of this year's question posed via the project The Edge started in 1971. Each year a question is posed to thinkers, creators, doers from all areas of thought and innovation. This book is a compilation of the 100+ answers from people such as Steven Pinker, Nassim Taleb, Richard Dawkins, and Brian Eno.
It is a non-technical book that has made me think more about the past, the future, our place in it, and how we relate to each other, than anything else recently.
Just as the internet is a collection of information increasingly representing the whole of human knowledge and experience, this book provides THE answer to the question the title poses: Yes, No, Maybe, and I Don't Know. In any case, it's the spectrum of ideas and opinions in the book and on the web that give us a true picture or answer to unanswerable questions.
And that may be the true value of our collective thoughts we call the Web.
The Weekly Theory
On a lighter note, i'm here at Disney in Orlando with my wife and our neice and nephew having a blast and i noticed something interesting.
I Have a Theory...
...that people watching at Disney World is nothing more than people watching at Wal-Mart but on a scale two orders higher.
Song of the Day
In honor of the feeling i get when walking into a Wal-Mart, the song of the day is the Animals' "We gotta get out of this place." Side note, i have recently started to listen more to the Animals and find them a bridge band of the mid-sixties. I hear a lot of early Beatles' in them but also the Velvet Underground. Throw some feedback in this one and it could be a Lou Reed song.
I'm reading a really interesting book right now that i wanted to share. It's called "Is the Internet changing the way you think? - The net's impact on our minds and future" It is the result of this year's question posed via the project The Edge started in 1971. Each year a question is posed to thinkers, creators, doers from all areas of thought and innovation. This book is a compilation of the 100+ answers from people such as Steven Pinker, Nassim Taleb, Richard Dawkins, and Brian Eno.
It is a non-technical book that has made me think more about the past, the future, our place in it, and how we relate to each other, than anything else recently.
Just as the internet is a collection of information increasingly representing the whole of human knowledge and experience, this book provides THE answer to the question the title poses: Yes, No, Maybe, and I Don't Know. In any case, it's the spectrum of ideas and opinions in the book and on the web that give us a true picture or answer to unanswerable questions.
And that may be the true value of our collective thoughts we call the Web.
The Weekly Theory
On a lighter note, i'm here at Disney in Orlando with my wife and our neice and nephew having a blast and i noticed something interesting.
I Have a Theory...
...that people watching at Disney World is nothing more than people watching at Wal-Mart but on a scale two orders higher.
Song of the Day
In honor of the feeling i get when walking into a Wal-Mart, the song of the day is the Animals' "We gotta get out of this place." Side note, i have recently started to listen more to the Animals and find them a bridge band of the mid-sixties. I hear a lot of early Beatles' in them but also the Velvet Underground. Throw some feedback in this one and it could be a Lou Reed song.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The Po-Po
File under Cage the Rage
I was driving home from DC the other day and it was rush hour so needless to say there was a lot of traffic. Well about halfway through the trip as i was moving no more than 10 miles an hour, a small, suped-up mazda with an over-exaggerated spoiler came up weaving in and out of the traffic behind me and making his way to the shoulder. Once clear of other cars on the shoulder he took off ahead and disappeared into the mass of taillights in front of me. "Where were the police when you needed them," i thought.
Well not 5 minutes later I saw flashing lights up ahead, and as i inched closer my hopes and dreams were confirmed. The little emasculated mazda had been pulled over by a Maryland State Trooper. I couldn't have been happier that karma paid him a visit.
It's a weird emotion though. He had no effect on whether i got home sooner, yet i couldn't help but slow down, look in his direction, and smile as i passed. As if to say, "that's what you get for breaking the rules." But it wasn't the rule breaking i was initially upset about. It was that he was gaining an advantage over me and that didn't sit well. It's that feeling that drives a lot of our resentment when we feel others are gaining an advantage, even if it has no effect on our endstate. Watch out for that being a destructive emotion. Regardless, and i'm not sure why, there's satisfaction in justice, which brings us to the song of the day.
Song of the Day
In honor of getting what you deserve, the song of the day is Radiohead's "Karma Police".
I was driving home from DC the other day and it was rush hour so needless to say there was a lot of traffic. Well about halfway through the trip as i was moving no more than 10 miles an hour, a small, suped-up mazda with an over-exaggerated spoiler came up weaving in and out of the traffic behind me and making his way to the shoulder. Once clear of other cars on the shoulder he took off ahead and disappeared into the mass of taillights in front of me. "Where were the police when you needed them," i thought.
Well not 5 minutes later I saw flashing lights up ahead, and as i inched closer my hopes and dreams were confirmed. The little emasculated mazda had been pulled over by a Maryland State Trooper. I couldn't have been happier that karma paid him a visit.
It's a weird emotion though. He had no effect on whether i got home sooner, yet i couldn't help but slow down, look in his direction, and smile as i passed. As if to say, "that's what you get for breaking the rules." But it wasn't the rule breaking i was initially upset about. It was that he was gaining an advantage over me and that didn't sit well. It's that feeling that drives a lot of our resentment when we feel others are gaining an advantage, even if it has no effect on our endstate. Watch out for that being a destructive emotion. Regardless, and i'm not sure why, there's satisfaction in justice, which brings us to the song of the day.
Song of the Day
In honor of getting what you deserve, the song of the day is Radiohead's "Karma Police".
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The Cloud
File under Useless Information
I'm going to start a new feature called the Daily Admission
I admit...
...that i don't really fully get what The Cloud is.
I mean i think i do, but not really. Just being honest.
Song of the Day
In honor of full disclosure, the song of the day is The Orb's "Little Fluffy Clouds".
I'm going to start a new feature called the Daily Admission
I admit...
...that i don't really fully get what The Cloud is.
I mean i think i do, but not really. Just being honest.
Song of the Day
In honor of full disclosure, the song of the day is The Orb's "Little Fluffy Clouds".
Friday, November 11, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The Self-Help Section
File under Avoid the Machine
A couple of months ago I detailed my own self-help, infomercial failings (here), and now I want to talk about one of the reasons why we are so susceptible to the self-help promises.
It’s because they’re everywhere. But it’s not only reserved to the infomercials. The self-help section of the library or book store rivals any other section in size. Recently I took a longer look at the self-help section in the book store and here is a list of the titles that jumped off the shelves to me (my comments in brackets):
Release Your Brilliance [The title appeals to your sense of ownership – you own brilliance, you just need to release it]
365 Ways to Reduce Stress
The Brain Training Revolution
The Feeling Good Handbook [this is not from an adult bookstore by the way]
Managing Your Mind
Living Life as a Thank You [Living life as a Your Welcome is a lot more fun]
Riches within your Reach
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The Success Principles
Four Word Self-Help
Loving Him Without Losing You
The Procrastinator’s Guide to Getting Things Done
This is Not the Life I Ordered [Um, yeah it probably is…]
How to Talk to Anyone
How to Succeed With Women
The De-Stress Diva’s Guide to Life [I’m guessing if you relate yourself as a diva, your life is inherently stressful]
Showing up for Life
The Power of Positive Thinking
Unlimited Power
Make up, Don’t Break Up
Stop Spoiling that Man
It’s Called a Break-Up Because it’s Broken
Overcoming Passive-Aggression
Wired for Joy
Stop Overacting
Don’t be that Girl
As I sat in the bookstore and looked at all of these I had three thoughts that did not surprise me at all:
1. There is a self-help book for every, possible insecurity we could have. You can find a book to be more active, a book to be more relaxed, a book to help you end your relationship, a book to stay in a relationship, a book to be demanding without being a bitch, and a book to handle others who are passive aggressive, and on and on ad nauseum. Your self-help cure is available, you just need to go to the book store to find it, even if you didn’t know it was a problem to begin with.
2. There is a spectrum between completely ridiculous books and those which probably actually help people. This is my caveat that not all self-help is bad, dangerous, or doesn’t work. Many people have been helped.
3. There are way too many celebrity self-help books. Yes Shannon Doherty, I’m talking to you.
But there was one thought I was completely surprised by (although hindsight says I shouldn’t have been).
4. Books in the self-help section are primarily directed to women. The content, the titles, even the colors and fonts of the books were more appealing to women. I was surprised at how prominently this stood out.
Where were the men’s books? Are men afraid to show their weaknesses and that’s why those books aren’t popular? I decided to go to the business section to find the book from Good to Great, and then I saw my answer.
The business section is the man’s self-help section.
Although, not overt, they are primarily (and shamelessly) directed towards men. Take a look at these titles:
Think Better
Adaptive Leadership
Fierce Leadership
A Manager’s Guide to Project Management [as opposed to an employee’s guide?]
Thrive on Pressure
How Full is Your Bucket?
Success Made Simple
What’s Stopping Me from Getting Ahead [Chances are it’s you.]
The Millionaire Next Door
The Power of Focus
Get Motivated! [Without the exclamation point this book fails.]
Master Your Workday Now!
The Power of Nice
How to be Useful
Instant Productivity Toolkit [Step 1: put this book down and get back to work]
It’s not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be
The 1 hour Plan for Growth
The 4 Hour Workweek
Getting Things Done
Think and Grow Rich
Ignore Everybody
Failing Forward
The Now Habit at Work
Leadership for Dummies [Really?!]
And in looking at these titles I had the previous same thoughts.
What’s the point? The point is that the infomercial and self-help industry is not going away. You will always be inundated with the media. They will sell you items you don’t need and you will feel guilty afterwards with no appreciable improvement in your state. Resulting in you being even more unhappy than you began because not only is there something wrong with you, but now you’re a failure too. I don’t say this to get you to not attempt to improve yourself, but rather to base your decisions on true need and not manufactured need. The source of change is with you and in your susceptibility to promises of the ideal state. You have to be capable of that change, and you have to truly want to change. Advertising and the self-help machine muddies the water and makes your perception of that unclear.
Song of the Day
I heard this song the other day and it was the first time in a while. Reminds me of college and the Panther Pit on Sunday Reggae nights. In honor of the Carribean Students' Association at Florida Tech, the song of the day is Dawn Penn's reggae version of Willie Cobb's blues song "You don't love me".
A couple of months ago I detailed my own self-help, infomercial failings (here), and now I want to talk about one of the reasons why we are so susceptible to the self-help promises.
It’s because they’re everywhere. But it’s not only reserved to the infomercials. The self-help section of the library or book store rivals any other section in size. Recently I took a longer look at the self-help section in the book store and here is a list of the titles that jumped off the shelves to me (my comments in brackets):
Release Your Brilliance [The title appeals to your sense of ownership – you own brilliance, you just need to release it]
365 Ways to Reduce Stress
The Brain Training Revolution
The Feeling Good Handbook [this is not from an adult bookstore by the way]
Managing Your Mind
Living Life as a Thank You [Living life as a Your Welcome is a lot more fun]
Riches within your Reach
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The Success Principles
Four Word Self-Help
Loving Him Without Losing You
The Procrastinator’s Guide to Getting Things Done
This is Not the Life I Ordered [Um, yeah it probably is…]
How to Talk to Anyone
How to Succeed With Women
The De-Stress Diva’s Guide to Life [I’m guessing if you relate yourself as a diva, your life is inherently stressful]
Showing up for Life
The Power of Positive Thinking
Unlimited Power
Make up, Don’t Break Up
Stop Spoiling that Man
It’s Called a Break-Up Because it’s Broken
Overcoming Passive-Aggression
Wired for Joy
Stop Overacting
Don’t be that Girl
As I sat in the bookstore and looked at all of these I had three thoughts that did not surprise me at all:
1. There is a self-help book for every, possible insecurity we could have. You can find a book to be more active, a book to be more relaxed, a book to help you end your relationship, a book to stay in a relationship, a book to be demanding without being a bitch, and a book to handle others who are passive aggressive, and on and on ad nauseum. Your self-help cure is available, you just need to go to the book store to find it, even if you didn’t know it was a problem to begin with.
2. There is a spectrum between completely ridiculous books and those which probably actually help people. This is my caveat that not all self-help is bad, dangerous, or doesn’t work. Many people have been helped.
3. There are way too many celebrity self-help books. Yes Shannon Doherty, I’m talking to you.
But there was one thought I was completely surprised by (although hindsight says I shouldn’t have been).
4. Books in the self-help section are primarily directed to women. The content, the titles, even the colors and fonts of the books were more appealing to women. I was surprised at how prominently this stood out.
Where were the men’s books? Are men afraid to show their weaknesses and that’s why those books aren’t popular? I decided to go to the business section to find the book from Good to Great, and then I saw my answer.
The business section is the man’s self-help section.
Although, not overt, they are primarily (and shamelessly) directed towards men. Take a look at these titles:
Think Better
Adaptive Leadership
Fierce Leadership
A Manager’s Guide to Project Management [as opposed to an employee’s guide?]
Thrive on Pressure
How Full is Your Bucket?
Success Made Simple
What’s Stopping Me from Getting Ahead [Chances are it’s you.]
The Millionaire Next Door
The Power of Focus
Get Motivated! [Without the exclamation point this book fails.]
Master Your Workday Now!
The Power of Nice
How to be Useful
Instant Productivity Toolkit [Step 1: put this book down and get back to work]
It’s not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be
The 1 hour Plan for Growth
The 4 Hour Workweek
Getting Things Done
Think and Grow Rich
Ignore Everybody
Failing Forward
The Now Habit at Work
Leadership for Dummies [Really?!]
And in looking at these titles I had the previous same thoughts.
What’s the point? The point is that the infomercial and self-help industry is not going away. You will always be inundated with the media. They will sell you items you don’t need and you will feel guilty afterwards with no appreciable improvement in your state. Resulting in you being even more unhappy than you began because not only is there something wrong with you, but now you’re a failure too. I don’t say this to get you to not attempt to improve yourself, but rather to base your decisions on true need and not manufactured need. The source of change is with you and in your susceptibility to promises of the ideal state. You have to be capable of that change, and you have to truly want to change. Advertising and the self-help machine muddies the water and makes your perception of that unclear.
Song of the Day
I heard this song the other day and it was the first time in a while. Reminds me of college and the Panther Pit on Sunday Reggae nights. In honor of the Carribean Students' Association at Florida Tech, the song of the day is Dawn Penn's reggae version of Willie Cobb's blues song "You don't love me".
Saturday, November 5, 2011
The Weekly Theory 11.5.2011
(Editor's note: In the previous post i talked about Kelly Slater's 11th world championship title. Well, late last night i found out that the judges were a little premature and he needed to win one more heat this year. so although almost a certainty, it hasn't happened yet.)
File under Useless Information
I Have a Theory...
...that 68% of all cover bands have "Mustang Sally" in their playlist.
True story. 2/3 of the time you see a cover band, you're going to hear this awful song.
What i don't have a theory about is why. Seriously, it's a miserable, miserable song.
Song of the Day
One guess...that's right it's not "Mustang Sally". I'm going to close out this post-punk week with another offering. Earlier this week i posted an Echo and the Bunnymen song. Their lead singer is named Ian McCulloch and it got me thinking. How am I NOT the lead singer of a british band?
Ian Curtis - Joy Division
Ian Astbury - The Cult
Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull
Ian Broudie - The Lightning Seeds
Ian Brown - The Stone Roses
Ian Gillan - Deep Purple
Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister - Motorhead
Ian McCulloch - Echo and the Bunnymen
Ian MacKaye - Fugazi (Ok, i know they're not British, but they're awesome)
So in honor of Ians and the oxymoron music of Joy Division, the song of the day is "Love will tear us apart".
File under Useless Information
I Have a Theory...
...that 68% of all cover bands have "Mustang Sally" in their playlist.
True story. 2/3 of the time you see a cover band, you're going to hear this awful song.
What i don't have a theory about is why. Seriously, it's a miserable, miserable song.
Song of the Day
One guess...that's right it's not "Mustang Sally". I'm going to close out this post-punk week with another offering. Earlier this week i posted an Echo and the Bunnymen song. Their lead singer is named Ian McCulloch and it got me thinking. How am I NOT the lead singer of a british band?
Ian Curtis - Joy Division
Ian Astbury - The Cult
Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull
Ian Broudie - The Lightning Seeds
Ian Brown - The Stone Roses
Ian Gillan - Deep Purple
Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister - Motorhead
Ian McCulloch - Echo and the Bunnymen
Ian MacKaye - Fugazi (Ok, i know they're not British, but they're awesome)
So in honor of Ians and the oxymoron music of Joy Division, the song of the day is "Love will tear us apart".
Friday, November 4, 2011
The GOAT
File under Meet Yourself
So this blog is about accepting our inherent averageness and being the best we can be within our capabilities. And it’s that perspective that makes true greatness that much more amazing.
This week, professional surfer (and Baywatch alum) Kelly Slater won his 11th world championship. Slater, 39, won his first at the age of 20 in 1992. Now that’s just not winning 11 events. That’s being the best surfer in the world over multiple events in each of 11 of the last 20 years. Add to the fact that he took 2 years off during the span and didn’t even compete. Name a professional athlete who dominated his or her sport so completely for so long. It can’t be done. Not Sampras, not Tiger, not Lance. So “The Perfect Antidote” wishes Kelly Slater congratulations on his 11th world title and on being the Greatest Of All Time.
Song of the Day
In honor of taking a step back this weekend and taking time to appreciate loved ones and doing things you love, the song of the day is Jack Johnson’s “F Stop Blues”, and comes from a clip of Johnson’s surfing documentary “The September Sessions.”
So this blog is about accepting our inherent averageness and being the best we can be within our capabilities. And it’s that perspective that makes true greatness that much more amazing.
This week, professional surfer (and Baywatch alum) Kelly Slater won his 11th world championship. Slater, 39, won his first at the age of 20 in 1992. Now that’s just not winning 11 events. That’s being the best surfer in the world over multiple events in each of 11 of the last 20 years. Add to the fact that he took 2 years off during the span and didn’t even compete. Name a professional athlete who dominated his or her sport so completely for so long. It can’t be done. Not Sampras, not Tiger, not Lance. So “The Perfect Antidote” wishes Kelly Slater congratulations on his 11th world title and on being the Greatest Of All Time.
 |
| Source |
In honor of taking a step back this weekend and taking time to appreciate loved ones and doing things you love, the song of the day is Jack Johnson’s “F Stop Blues”, and comes from a clip of Johnson’s surfing documentary “The September Sessions.”
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Halloween License
File under Set the Bar Low (then Barely Exceed the Bar)
Halloween is a weird, weird holiday. Maybe it’s weird to even call it a holiday. I’m not talking about it being weird because kids ask strangers for candy, or that many people have a strange, morbid fascination with the grotesque. It’s weird because for some reason, Halloween gives people a license to do normally borderline unacceptable things, more so than any other day. Don’t believe me? Let me tell you about my Halloween.
License #1: Humiliating your kids.
It began at Starbucks that morning where I was doing work. All of a sudden the Day Care in the same building brought about 15 costumed children in to the coffee shop to trick or treat, followed by equally as many parents. Innocent enough, but there were two things I noticed. First of all, these kids weren’t 6 or 7 year olds. They were maybe 2, but no more. Not a single one of these toddlers had any idea what was going on. The bewildered looks on their faces were compounded by the fact that they had no association or understanding of the costumes their parents dressed them in. Try explaining to a 20 month old who Thor is. The second thing was that they were all physically tethered together in one long rope/harness contraption so as not to leave a man behind. It was as if a long chain gang of miniature criminals were dressed in humiliating costumes and paraded through the streets to be laughed at by the morning Starbucks crowd. And to add insult to injury, they were hounded by photo snapping paparazzi parents. This was clearly one step up from putting a costume on your dog.
License #2: Going out in clothes you would be embarrassed to wear any other day.
A co-worker and I went to Panera for lunch and I would have thought we walked in to Hooter’s based on what the girls taking your order were wearing. I think there has to be a manual somewhere that has costume instructions for both men and women:
Women:
Step 1: find a profession with a uniform
Step 2: make that uniform slutty
Men: Wear a costume that could be construed as sexual harassment in at least 27 states
License #3: Befriending complete strangers
When meeting up with my co-worker at his house, his 7 year old daughter was there. She was shy and untalkative. Untalkative until I asked her what she was going as for Halloween. As if a tornado swept us up into “best friend land”, she proceeded to tell me about, and then show me, her Dorothy costume. Barriers be gone. We were new BFFs. For one day of the year, Halloween replaces the awkward stranger talk about the weather.
Now my wife and I have never been huge Halloween people. And this is primarily due to our door-knock barking-machine, better known as our dog. A night of him freaking out every time a trick or treater comes to the door is not fun for us. So we usually hide out or leave the house. But for some reason it goes deeper than that for me. I’m not sure why, but it’s been 12 years since I last dressed up for Halloween; since my friends and I each went as different Fletch characters (That’s me in the pretty bad aircraft repairman costume)
And this year, my Halloween experiences have led me to one conclusion:
I’m missing out.
Watch out Halloween, we’ll be back next year.
Song of the Day
To continue the post-punk theme this week I’ve chosen a non-halloween, yet still haunting song. This song is a cover of an Echo and the Bunnymen song, performed by Nouvelle Vague. The waif-like vocals and the devious tone make for an interesting combination. In honor of embracing Halloween, the song of the day is “The Killing Moon.”
For the original Echo and the Bunnymen version, click here.
Halloween is a weird, weird holiday. Maybe it’s weird to even call it a holiday. I’m not talking about it being weird because kids ask strangers for candy, or that many people have a strange, morbid fascination with the grotesque. It’s weird because for some reason, Halloween gives people a license to do normally borderline unacceptable things, more so than any other day. Don’t believe me? Let me tell you about my Halloween.
License #1: Humiliating your kids.
It began at Starbucks that morning where I was doing work. All of a sudden the Day Care in the same building brought about 15 costumed children in to the coffee shop to trick or treat, followed by equally as many parents. Innocent enough, but there were two things I noticed. First of all, these kids weren’t 6 or 7 year olds. They were maybe 2, but no more. Not a single one of these toddlers had any idea what was going on. The bewildered looks on their faces were compounded by the fact that they had no association or understanding of the costumes their parents dressed them in. Try explaining to a 20 month old who Thor is. The second thing was that they were all physically tethered together in one long rope/harness contraption so as not to leave a man behind. It was as if a long chain gang of miniature criminals were dressed in humiliating costumes and paraded through the streets to be laughed at by the morning Starbucks crowd. And to add insult to injury, they were hounded by photo snapping paparazzi parents. This was clearly one step up from putting a costume on your dog.
License #2: Going out in clothes you would be embarrassed to wear any other day.
A co-worker and I went to Panera for lunch and I would have thought we walked in to Hooter’s based on what the girls taking your order were wearing. I think there has to be a manual somewhere that has costume instructions for both men and women:
Women:
Step 1: find a profession with a uniform
Step 2: make that uniform slutty
Men: Wear a costume that could be construed as sexual harassment in at least 27 states
License #3: Befriending complete strangers
When meeting up with my co-worker at his house, his 7 year old daughter was there. She was shy and untalkative. Untalkative until I asked her what she was going as for Halloween. As if a tornado swept us up into “best friend land”, she proceeded to tell me about, and then show me, her Dorothy costume. Barriers be gone. We were new BFFs. For one day of the year, Halloween replaces the awkward stranger talk about the weather.
Now my wife and I have never been huge Halloween people. And this is primarily due to our door-knock barking-machine, better known as our dog. A night of him freaking out every time a trick or treater comes to the door is not fun for us. So we usually hide out or leave the house. But for some reason it goes deeper than that for me. I’m not sure why, but it’s been 12 years since I last dressed up for Halloween; since my friends and I each went as different Fletch characters (That’s me in the pretty bad aircraft repairman costume)
And this year, my Halloween experiences have led me to one conclusion:
I’m missing out.
Watch out Halloween, we’ll be back next year.
Song of the Day
To continue the post-punk theme this week I’ve chosen a non-halloween, yet still haunting song. This song is a cover of an Echo and the Bunnymen song, performed by Nouvelle Vague. The waif-like vocals and the devious tone make for an interesting combination. In honor of embracing Halloween, the song of the day is “The Killing Moon.”
For the original Echo and the Bunnymen version, click here.
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