So I've just launched a new blog devoted to the board game I'm creating, called HEXplore It!
The goal is to launch my Kickstarter campaign early next year. Before then, I need to refine the game and get some publicity built up around it. I know I can't do it without help from some amazing people, and I need to really provide an outstanding product too!
Here is the link:
http://hexploreit.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label Ramble. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ramble. Show all posts
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Friday, October 30, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Yoda Pumpkin Carvin!
A friend asked me to create a Yoda stencil for carving pumpkins. Or in this particular case Squash carving. Thought I'd post here in case anyone else would like to use it!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Multicolr Search Lab
This tool is awesome!!
Click your color, or color combinations, and this tool will (instantaneously) search through literally millions of images and bring you a collage in that color. Not only that but each is linked back to the original photo on Flickr. How sweet is that!
http://labs.ideeinc.com/multicolr/
Click your color, or color combinations, and this tool will (instantaneously) search through literally millions of images and bring you a collage in that color. Not only that but each is linked back to the original photo on Flickr. How sweet is that!
http://labs.ideeinc.com/multicolr/
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sorry Mountain Dew, you've been out uh... Dewed!
Well I mean... in the coolness factor at the very least. Still going for green until their bloaty prices drop. Makes me laugh though!
http://www.myjones.com/code/limited.php?campaign=wizards
Original Link: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/09/dd-flavored-jones-soda/
Friday, September 11, 2009
9-11
I know that my words won't help put aside the grief that is felt by many on this day. It is beyond scope, unquantifiable and largely beyond my simple brain's capacity. Innocents died. Families were broken. Brave men and women did everything they could in an awful situation.
I know that we exist in a society that is largely corrupt, one which puts greater emphasis on money than on people. A nation of haves and have nots. It is my sincere hope that someday we can break free from this terrible downward spiral. God bless freedom and all that this flag was meant to stand for.
I know that we exist in a society that is largely corrupt, one which puts greater emphasis on money than on people. A nation of haves and have nots. It is my sincere hope that someday we can break free from this terrible downward spiral. God bless freedom and all that this flag was meant to stand for.
We'll never forget.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Fight Bad Service, Bad Products & Bad Ideas
This guy just made my 'hero' list. Its a rather long read, but very funny. It has to do with setting off alarms after you pay for items in a store, as well as retailers treating every customer as if they were potential thieves. Excellent article, found the original here:
http://www.bwcitypaper.com/bw.digg.page.final.html
Customer Confidential
A new Black & White consumer column helps you fight bad service, bad products, and bad ideas.
By David Pelfrey
November 16, 2006
Here’s a scenario that is familiar to anyone who has ever set foot in Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite-Aid, or any of a dozen other major retailers. After you have made a purchase, collected your bags, or packed everything into a shopping cart, you head for the exit. Just as you approach freedom an alarm sounds (usually a sequence of ugly, electronic grunts) and a robotic voice (always female) announces: “Please return to the checkout.” Other customers immediately look in your direction, and an employee begins to approach you. What’s your next move?
If you possess an ounce of personal pride or perhaps two ounces of fortitude, then the 100 percent correct move is to proceed immediately out the door. Why? There are many reasons, chief among them being that rational adults should not instantly obey mechanical voices (unless that voice instructs us to exit a burning aircraft). Also, if you haven’t stolen anything and therefore do not require interrogation, there is absolutely nothing that should compel you to linger post-transaction. It’s depressing enough simply being there in the first place. Another good reason to make a quick exit is that you aren’t being paid to assist some giant retailer with its security measures. You aren’t part of the team, and you didn’t clock in. The clearest reason for leaving the store, however, is that there exists absolutely no legal obligation to remain there, and the store has no right to detain you.
Because all of the above constitute my position on the matter, I have established a mildly adversarial relationship with many retail establishments with whom I continue to do business. I don’t mind too much, because so far I have won all the battles in this long and silly war. What does trouble me is that retailers who, as a matter of policy, routinely treat customers like criminals have not changed their attitude about the issue. In fact, some vehemently defend their policies. I began closely paying attention to this phenomenon several years ago. My story begins at Wal-Mart during the Christmas shopping season of 2000.
It’s an unpleasant fact of life that sometimes we must shop at Wal-Mart, but the selection and savings in the pharmacy and auto department are worth braving the depressing atmosphere if you can get in and out fast enough. A speedy departure is exactly what I was thinking about that December evening as I sped my cart, after paying for all nine items, toward one of the exits. I was stopped by a 60-something gentleman who said he needed to see my receipt and check what was in my cart. I smiled and said, “I’m in a hurry to get out of this madness. Can’t help you.”
The truth is that I had no idea where that receipt was, and I wasn’t keen to search for it. The gentleman moved in front of the cart and firmly gripped the sides, saying “Sir, I must see your receipt before you leave.”
“Oh, I see what you mean,” I replied. “I guess we better get one of your security people over here.”
That puzzled him for a second. “Will you wait here while I get somebody? he asked.
“No.” I said. “I’m out the door as soon as you get out of the way.”
This was a spontaneous answer on my part, but in all honesty I was delighted to have stumbled onto a perfect dilemma for this zealous worker. If he stood his ground, he couldn’t see my receipt. But if he went for assistance, he might lose an opportunity to nail the Tylenol/Windex/Aussie Moist Conditioner thief. He then began to work his way up the side of the cart toward me, his strategy apparently being to keep one hand on the side of the cart and one foot on the floor at all times. Finally, he took hold of my forearm, which surprised me, but not in a good way.
“Never mind security,” I said. “Now you better go find a real police officer.” My captor gave that notion a moment’s thought and then began sprinting toward the rear of the building, making a dash for help in an incident that, for him, must have been escalating toward Def-Con 1. He wasn’t scared; he was determined. I stood there for some time, partly because the whole ridiculous scenario had stunned me, but also because I was even more impressed by how fast the old guy could move. Two other employees and a few customers who were observing the scene were impressed in a different way, I concluded, because they were all laughing at the poor fellow. I proceeded to my car, and that was the end of that. I kept the incident in mind for future reference.
In the spring, a man’s fancy lightly turns to lawn care, and I am therefore a frequent shopper in the gardening department at Wal-Mart, an area that in character and ambience stands in pleasant contrast to the rest of the store. I also have a habit of using the garden entrance and exit. But of course, that’s where the “greeter” invariably interrupts my reverie. “May I please see your receipt?” is the common request. The correct answer, which I also happened upon by accident, is “No, you may not.” What usually occurs next is that the greeter contacts security, because she or he never comprehends that they merely asked for permission that was subsequently not granted. There is nothing in that friendly exchange that hints of criminal activity, so what’s the point of hanging around?
If it sounds at this point as though I’m being an ornery crank about the whole matter, simply consider all those retail establishments at which customers spend vastly greater sums but are not interrogated before their departure. I’ve never been harassed at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware, for example. I resent certain measures taken by retailers who don’t check bags or receipts, but who do, by implication, still manage to punish all shoppers for the deeds of a few criminals. A favorite means of combating that takes place at Banana Republic and Macy’s. Just for fun, I’ll browse through the leather jackets or expensive sport coats that are fastened together by a cable that holds an alarm sensor. When a clerk approaches and offers to unstrap the merchandise, I simply inform him that I don’t try on clothes in orange-alert, high-security areas. Yes, I’m being a jerk in a very technical sense, but I’m sending a message to management, I hope. Throughout my struggle, I have assumed that enough of these encounters will eventually work their way up through corporate levels to a decision maker who might implement change. That may be a flawed assumption.
The idea that small battles won might not lead to final victory first entered my mind at Costco. Costco is one of my favorite stores in the world, from a purely fiscal perspective. You do indeed save money there. Moreover, the employees at this well-organized, disturbingly efficient warehouse are consistently cheerful and helpful. The butcher shop is cleaner than those I see at the major grocers in town. You can get a case of Coke in glass bottles for just over $10. No way is anyone going to foul up that shopping experience. But Costco is apparently willing to make the effort.
When you check out at Costco, an employee takes your cart, places items on a conveyor, and then another employee rings up the items. There are no bags here (one of the many cost-saving measures) but you may gather empty boxes from a designated area and organize things yourself, once you have paid. It’s a warehouse, after all. In any event, at this point a customer is at least 20 feet from any merchandise, with no access to the store unless they return through the checkout line. There’s nothing between you and the exit, except another employee who must check your receipt and mark it with a highlighting marker. Never mind that all of the items in your cart, which have obviously been paid for, were also placed there by a Costco employee.
One problem with this receipt-checking system is that on busy days it forces customers to form long lines at the exit. On some of my visits, I decided to roll past this line with my items, now that I owned them, and head straight to my car. The first time I tried this, a woman shouted at me to return to the store. I believe she was still yelling “Sir! Sir!” as I departed Patton Creek and approached the interstate ramp. I wouldn’t know; I was listening to a CD I had just purchased at Costco. It was my CD, you understand. Why not enjoy it?
On another visit, I decided to get the lay of the land before attempting any more non-compliant exits. Perhaps there was a rule or policy about the Costco system that made sense. There on the wall at the exit, I discovered, is a huge sign that reads:
Why is my register receipt reviewed when I leave the warehouse?
To assure that you paid for and are not overcharged or undercharged for any item. Also, marking the receipt disallows its reuse.
The completely misleading nature of that message became obvious during my next encounter with Costco security enforcement. As I suspected, there were about a dozen customers in line for “receipt review” at the exit. That represented about six extra minutes that I wasn’t being paid for, and so I rolled toward freedom. The employee “reviewing” receipts left the line and cheerfully said, “I’m going to have to see your receipt first.”
Adopting her happy demeanor, I replied, “And you are going to have to chase me in order to do so.” Sometimes it’s worth being an ass just to see the response on people’s faces. Not only was the receipt lady registering total bewilderment, but several customers in line for the same hassle appeared equally baffled. One woman glanced at me with what looked like total contempt. Her response was invigorating, although I’m not sure why. I continued toward my vehicle, where I was greeted by a man who looked and sounded like “security.”
“Was there a problem at the checkout, sir?” he asked.
“No, actually, checkout was great,” I said. “Very efficient. But leaving the store was a little shaky. In fact, there’s definitely a problem there.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, for openers, I don’t like being treated like a shoplifter.”
“Sir,” he solemnly stated, “No one is treating you like a shoplifter.”
“Really? Then why, exactly, am I having a conversation with store security, who just happened to reach my vehicle at the same time I did?”
Minutes seemed to pass. I thought I noticed a funnel cloud moving toward Vestavia. A faint aroma of cotton candy was in the air. The forty-ish woman loading her purchase into a car two spaces down was wearing tight-fitting, corduroy jeans. She looked amazing. Finally the security guy responded. “Sir, our people checking receipts are doing their jobs. It’s a store policy that we inspect receipts. We’re trying to make sure you paid the right price.”
We get served a lob like that only so many times, and I wasn’t letting this one go. My research was finally paying off. I chose to be polite, because the security guy was actually quite calm and friendly about the whole incident. “This is a warehouse,” I replied. “There are no prices on those items in my cart, so how would they know if I were overcharged? Never mind, here’s another thing you should know. In my last five visits here, I allowed your staff to see my receipts, and they instantly marked them without so much as glancing at the totals. They were simply making certain that I had paid for something, and that I could not come back and use that receipt at a later date. In other words, to stop my attempts, present and future, at theft—you know, as though I were a potential shoplifter. Your sign with the message about ensuring that I wasn’t overcharged is what shoppers like me sometimes call bullshit. That’s Home Depot behind us. I spent a few hundred dollars there last year. Just to our right is Sears. I spent almost that much there last Christmas. No one reviewed my receipts at either store. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong.”
The security guy walked away, perhaps wondering if Costco had not fully explained to him all the details of “receipt review.” It’s also possible that he knew, without a doubt, that I was just one more jackass who “didn’t get it.” These are store policies, damn it.
I contacted management at Wal-Mart, Costco, and other retailers to get some comments for this article about their respective policies. Long story short, no one is budging, and some retailers are downright proud of those policies. Wal-Mart has the most detached view of the issue, it seems. Their explanation of the process has to do with “security detection determining that sensors have not been deactivated; retraining transaction staff, etc.,” but nothing to do with human volition. For Wal-Mart, theft and theft prevention are natural phenomena, much like the weather. No one is being treated like a criminal, you see, it’s strictly a case of “devices detecting active sensors.” There’s really nothing Wal-Mart can do. Except have a greeter rummage through bags of items that legally belong to you. While you wait.
There are some things that shoppers can do, however. First, the deer-in-the-headlights response to security alarms must end. Smile and walk with confidence through the exit. Bear in mind that being suspected of theft is actually a reason to leave the store, not a reason to stay, in much the same way that no one remains at a party after they have been insulted by the host. If a particular retailer wants to play games by insisting that they are merely ensuring that you were not overcharged, then by all means let’s check all 74 items in the cart, poring over the receipt line by line while other customers wait. Another fun approach, if you are detained, is to inform the store that they may indeed inspect your bags or your receipt, if and only if all items are immediately returned for a full refund. That gets their attention. Or just tell them to call a cop. If you’re the theatrical type, adopt a German accent and repeat loudly that your papers are in order (with the same accent you can do the old Berlin Wall bit and say that you have friends at the central committee). The odds of a customer in the store getting the joke are very slim, but anyone who does get the reference will remember you forever. It will feel good to be someone’s hero.
Last fall, while I was waiting for a prescription to be filled, I stood near the exit of my local pharmacy reading a product description on a bottle of shampoo. Two elderly customers set off the sensor alarm as they walked out, but I told them to go ahead, because “that crazy thing had been going off all day, and we had not figured out how to stop it yet.” I also thanked them for shopping with us. When an employee arrived a few seconds later, I waved the bottle and apologized for getting too close to the sensors. All was well. I’m seldom that fast on my feet, but I was having a good week, apart from the sinus infection. With that in mind, as Thanksgiving approaches and the shopping season gains momentum, I hope that my story will be the catalyst for a quantum shift in consumer habits.
http://www.bwcitypaper.com/bw.digg.page.final.html
Customer Confidential
A new Black & White consumer column helps you fight bad service, bad products, and bad ideas.
By David Pelfrey
November 16, 2006
Here’s a scenario that is familiar to anyone who has ever set foot in Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite-Aid, or any of a dozen other major retailers. After you have made a purchase, collected your bags, or packed everything into a shopping cart, you head for the exit. Just as you approach freedom an alarm sounds (usually a sequence of ugly, electronic grunts) and a robotic voice (always female) announces: “Please return to the checkout.” Other customers immediately look in your direction, and an employee begins to approach you. What’s your next move?
If you possess an ounce of personal pride or perhaps two ounces of fortitude, then the 100 percent correct move is to proceed immediately out the door. Why? There are many reasons, chief among them being that rational adults should not instantly obey mechanical voices (unless that voice instructs us to exit a burning aircraft). Also, if you haven’t stolen anything and therefore do not require interrogation, there is absolutely nothing that should compel you to linger post-transaction. It’s depressing enough simply being there in the first place. Another good reason to make a quick exit is that you aren’t being paid to assist some giant retailer with its security measures. You aren’t part of the team, and you didn’t clock in. The clearest reason for leaving the store, however, is that there exists absolutely no legal obligation to remain there, and the store has no right to detain you.
Because all of the above constitute my position on the matter, I have established a mildly adversarial relationship with many retail establishments with whom I continue to do business. I don’t mind too much, because so far I have won all the battles in this long and silly war. What does trouble me is that retailers who, as a matter of policy, routinely treat customers like criminals have not changed their attitude about the issue. In fact, some vehemently defend their policies. I began closely paying attention to this phenomenon several years ago. My story begins at Wal-Mart during the Christmas shopping season of 2000.
It’s an unpleasant fact of life that sometimes we must shop at Wal-Mart, but the selection and savings in the pharmacy and auto department are worth braving the depressing atmosphere if you can get in and out fast enough. A speedy departure is exactly what I was thinking about that December evening as I sped my cart, after paying for all nine items, toward one of the exits. I was stopped by a 60-something gentleman who said he needed to see my receipt and check what was in my cart. I smiled and said, “I’m in a hurry to get out of this madness. Can’t help you.”
The truth is that I had no idea where that receipt was, and I wasn’t keen to search for it. The gentleman moved in front of the cart and firmly gripped the sides, saying “Sir, I must see your receipt before you leave.”
“Oh, I see what you mean,” I replied. “I guess we better get one of your security people over here.”
That puzzled him for a second. “Will you wait here while I get somebody? he asked.
“No.” I said. “I’m out the door as soon as you get out of the way.”
This was a spontaneous answer on my part, but in all honesty I was delighted to have stumbled onto a perfect dilemma for this zealous worker. If he stood his ground, he couldn’t see my receipt. But if he went for assistance, he might lose an opportunity to nail the Tylenol/Windex/Aussie Moist Conditioner thief. He then began to work his way up the side of the cart toward me, his strategy apparently being to keep one hand on the side of the cart and one foot on the floor at all times. Finally, he took hold of my forearm, which surprised me, but not in a good way.
“Never mind security,” I said. “Now you better go find a real police officer.” My captor gave that notion a moment’s thought and then began sprinting toward the rear of the building, making a dash for help in an incident that, for him, must have been escalating toward Def-Con 1. He wasn’t scared; he was determined. I stood there for some time, partly because the whole ridiculous scenario had stunned me, but also because I was even more impressed by how fast the old guy could move. Two other employees and a few customers who were observing the scene were impressed in a different way, I concluded, because they were all laughing at the poor fellow. I proceeded to my car, and that was the end of that. I kept the incident in mind for future reference.
In the spring, a man’s fancy lightly turns to lawn care, and I am therefore a frequent shopper in the gardening department at Wal-Mart, an area that in character and ambience stands in pleasant contrast to the rest of the store. I also have a habit of using the garden entrance and exit. But of course, that’s where the “greeter” invariably interrupts my reverie. “May I please see your receipt?” is the common request. The correct answer, which I also happened upon by accident, is “No, you may not.” What usually occurs next is that the greeter contacts security, because she or he never comprehends that they merely asked for permission that was subsequently not granted. There is nothing in that friendly exchange that hints of criminal activity, so what’s the point of hanging around?
If it sounds at this point as though I’m being an ornery crank about the whole matter, simply consider all those retail establishments at which customers spend vastly greater sums but are not interrogated before their departure. I’ve never been harassed at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware, for example. I resent certain measures taken by retailers who don’t check bags or receipts, but who do, by implication, still manage to punish all shoppers for the deeds of a few criminals. A favorite means of combating that takes place at Banana Republic and Macy’s. Just for fun, I’ll browse through the leather jackets or expensive sport coats that are fastened together by a cable that holds an alarm sensor. When a clerk approaches and offers to unstrap the merchandise, I simply inform him that I don’t try on clothes in orange-alert, high-security areas. Yes, I’m being a jerk in a very technical sense, but I’m sending a message to management, I hope. Throughout my struggle, I have assumed that enough of these encounters will eventually work their way up through corporate levels to a decision maker who might implement change. That may be a flawed assumption.
The idea that small battles won might not lead to final victory first entered my mind at Costco. Costco is one of my favorite stores in the world, from a purely fiscal perspective. You do indeed save money there. Moreover, the employees at this well-organized, disturbingly efficient warehouse are consistently cheerful and helpful. The butcher shop is cleaner than those I see at the major grocers in town. You can get a case of Coke in glass bottles for just over $10. No way is anyone going to foul up that shopping experience. But Costco is apparently willing to make the effort.
When you check out at Costco, an employee takes your cart, places items on a conveyor, and then another employee rings up the items. There are no bags here (one of the many cost-saving measures) but you may gather empty boxes from a designated area and organize things yourself, once you have paid. It’s a warehouse, after all. In any event, at this point a customer is at least 20 feet from any merchandise, with no access to the store unless they return through the checkout line. There’s nothing between you and the exit, except another employee who must check your receipt and mark it with a highlighting marker. Never mind that all of the items in your cart, which have obviously been paid for, were also placed there by a Costco employee.
One problem with this receipt-checking system is that on busy days it forces customers to form long lines at the exit. On some of my visits, I decided to roll past this line with my items, now that I owned them, and head straight to my car. The first time I tried this, a woman shouted at me to return to the store. I believe she was still yelling “Sir! Sir!” as I departed Patton Creek and approached the interstate ramp. I wouldn’t know; I was listening to a CD I had just purchased at Costco. It was my CD, you understand. Why not enjoy it?
On another visit, I decided to get the lay of the land before attempting any more non-compliant exits. Perhaps there was a rule or policy about the Costco system that made sense. There on the wall at the exit, I discovered, is a huge sign that reads:
Why is my register receipt reviewed when I leave the warehouse?
To assure that you paid for and are not overcharged or undercharged for any item. Also, marking the receipt disallows its reuse.
The completely misleading nature of that message became obvious during my next encounter with Costco security enforcement. As I suspected, there were about a dozen customers in line for “receipt review” at the exit. That represented about six extra minutes that I wasn’t being paid for, and so I rolled toward freedom. The employee “reviewing” receipts left the line and cheerfully said, “I’m going to have to see your receipt first.”
Adopting her happy demeanor, I replied, “And you are going to have to chase me in order to do so.” Sometimes it’s worth being an ass just to see the response on people’s faces. Not only was the receipt lady registering total bewilderment, but several customers in line for the same hassle appeared equally baffled. One woman glanced at me with what looked like total contempt. Her response was invigorating, although I’m not sure why. I continued toward my vehicle, where I was greeted by a man who looked and sounded like “security.”
“Was there a problem at the checkout, sir?” he asked.
“No, actually, checkout was great,” I said. “Very efficient. But leaving the store was a little shaky. In fact, there’s definitely a problem there.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, for openers, I don’t like being treated like a shoplifter.”
“Sir,” he solemnly stated, “No one is treating you like a shoplifter.”
“Really? Then why, exactly, am I having a conversation with store security, who just happened to reach my vehicle at the same time I did?”
Minutes seemed to pass. I thought I noticed a funnel cloud moving toward Vestavia. A faint aroma of cotton candy was in the air. The forty-ish woman loading her purchase into a car two spaces down was wearing tight-fitting, corduroy jeans. She looked amazing. Finally the security guy responded. “Sir, our people checking receipts are doing their jobs. It’s a store policy that we inspect receipts. We’re trying to make sure you paid the right price.”
We get served a lob like that only so many times, and I wasn’t letting this one go. My research was finally paying off. I chose to be polite, because the security guy was actually quite calm and friendly about the whole incident. “This is a warehouse,” I replied. “There are no prices on those items in my cart, so how would they know if I were overcharged? Never mind, here’s another thing you should know. In my last five visits here, I allowed your staff to see my receipts, and they instantly marked them without so much as glancing at the totals. They were simply making certain that I had paid for something, and that I could not come back and use that receipt at a later date. In other words, to stop my attempts, present and future, at theft—you know, as though I were a potential shoplifter. Your sign with the message about ensuring that I wasn’t overcharged is what shoppers like me sometimes call bullshit. That’s Home Depot behind us. I spent a few hundred dollars there last year. Just to our right is Sears. I spent almost that much there last Christmas. No one reviewed my receipts at either store. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong.”
The security guy walked away, perhaps wondering if Costco had not fully explained to him all the details of “receipt review.” It’s also possible that he knew, without a doubt, that I was just one more jackass who “didn’t get it.” These are store policies, damn it.
I contacted management at Wal-Mart, Costco, and other retailers to get some comments for this article about their respective policies. Long story short, no one is budging, and some retailers are downright proud of those policies. Wal-Mart has the most detached view of the issue, it seems. Their explanation of the process has to do with “security detection determining that sensors have not been deactivated; retraining transaction staff, etc.,” but nothing to do with human volition. For Wal-Mart, theft and theft prevention are natural phenomena, much like the weather. No one is being treated like a criminal, you see, it’s strictly a case of “devices detecting active sensors.” There’s really nothing Wal-Mart can do. Except have a greeter rummage through bags of items that legally belong to you. While you wait.
There are some things that shoppers can do, however. First, the deer-in-the-headlights response to security alarms must end. Smile and walk with confidence through the exit. Bear in mind that being suspected of theft is actually a reason to leave the store, not a reason to stay, in much the same way that no one remains at a party after they have been insulted by the host. If a particular retailer wants to play games by insisting that they are merely ensuring that you were not overcharged, then by all means let’s check all 74 items in the cart, poring over the receipt line by line while other customers wait. Another fun approach, if you are detained, is to inform the store that they may indeed inspect your bags or your receipt, if and only if all items are immediately returned for a full refund. That gets their attention. Or just tell them to call a cop. If you’re the theatrical type, adopt a German accent and repeat loudly that your papers are in order (with the same accent you can do the old Berlin Wall bit and say that you have friends at the central committee). The odds of a customer in the store getting the joke are very slim, but anyone who does get the reference will remember you forever. It will feel good to be someone’s hero.
Last fall, while I was waiting for a prescription to be filled, I stood near the exit of my local pharmacy reading a product description on a bottle of shampoo. Two elderly customers set off the sensor alarm as they walked out, but I told them to go ahead, because “that crazy thing had been going off all day, and we had not figured out how to stop it yet.” I also thanked them for shopping with us. When an employee arrived a few seconds later, I waved the bottle and apologized for getting too close to the sensors. All was well. I’m seldom that fast on my feet, but I was having a good week, apart from the sinus infection. With that in mind, as Thanksgiving approaches and the shopping season gains momentum, I hope that my story will be the catalyst for a quantum shift in consumer habits.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Faire on the Green
http://www.thepaine.org/events/faire_on_green2009.htm
Well I'm pretty excited. This Sunday I'm participating in the Paine Art Center's "Faire on the Green" It's been a great deal of work preparing for it, and I owe many thanks to everyone in my family for being so helpful in setting things up. Only a few more days to finish things up, but thankfully most of it is done.
And it looks like the weather will cooperate as well! Happy day!
Well I'm pretty excited. This Sunday I'm participating in the Paine Art Center's "Faire on the Green" It's been a great deal of work preparing for it, and I owe many thanks to everyone in my family for being so helpful in setting things up. Only a few more days to finish things up, but thankfully most of it is done.
And it looks like the weather will cooperate as well! Happy day!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 4th Everyone!
I hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day, I know we sure did. Thank you to the men and women who work hard for our freedom.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
John & Kate Plus 8
Well, it looks like its official, they're getting a divorce.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/23/jon.and.kate.divorce/index.html
I have a few things to say on this subject. First off- take care of those kids. The kids don't know what a regular life is, what with the cameras being around so much. The last thing they need is more drama between their folks. My hope is that they can work it out in a respectful manner, and in a way that helps to nurture their children.
Second- congratulations to John for standing up for himself and making a very tough decision. I can't imagine the pressures having 8 children bring upon a home (not just to the adults by the way), and watching the show obviously just captures the "dramatic or Hollywood" moments. I know that.
But what I see every single episode is a wife who tramples all over her husband. So John- congratulations for standing up for yourself. I think we all have lessons to learn, and I'm not saying that Kate is a bad person. I think she is funneling her frustrations in a manner that degrades her husband. It happens both ways, I know. Eight kids in the house can turn anyone crazy. But using the number of kids they have as an excuse for her bullying and abuse is something either of the parents shouldn't claim.
Anyway, we don't know the entire story, and we shouldn't. This is their lives and hopefully they can settle their differences in a manner which teaches the children to respect others. I wish their entire family the best.
In fact, I wish they would just stop the TV show and focus on their kids for a while. Unfortunately they now need the show to survive financially, what with the new home and all.
Our society sure doesn't help cultivate healthy relationships these days. And don't even get me started on Octomom.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/23/jon.and.kate.divorce/index.html
I have a few things to say on this subject. First off- take care of those kids. The kids don't know what a regular life is, what with the cameras being around so much. The last thing they need is more drama between their folks. My hope is that they can work it out in a respectful manner, and in a way that helps to nurture their children.
Second- congratulations to John for standing up for himself and making a very tough decision. I can't imagine the pressures having 8 children bring upon a home (not just to the adults by the way), and watching the show obviously just captures the "dramatic or Hollywood" moments. I know that.
But what I see every single episode is a wife who tramples all over her husband. So John- congratulations for standing up for yourself. I think we all have lessons to learn, and I'm not saying that Kate is a bad person. I think she is funneling her frustrations in a manner that degrades her husband. It happens both ways, I know. Eight kids in the house can turn anyone crazy. But using the number of kids they have as an excuse for her bullying and abuse is something either of the parents shouldn't claim.
Anyway, we don't know the entire story, and we shouldn't. This is their lives and hopefully they can settle their differences in a manner which teaches the children to respect others. I wish their entire family the best.
In fact, I wish they would just stop the TV show and focus on their kids for a while. Unfortunately they now need the show to survive financially, what with the new home and all.
Our society sure doesn't help cultivate healthy relationships these days. And don't even get me started on Octomom.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Doomsday on Dec 21st 2012?
This one's for you Rachel!!
A great article on the Mayan calendar and on all the hype surrounding the 2012 "catastrophe"
http://www.universetoday.com/2008/05/19/no-doomsday-in-2012/
I especially enjoyed the lesson on the "Long Count" Its really neat to see how they calculated dates. An excerpt from the linked article above:
A great article on the Mayan calendar and on all the hype surrounding the 2012 "catastrophe"
http://www.universetoday.com/2008/05/19/no-doomsday-in-2012/
I especially enjoyed the lesson on the "Long Count" Its really neat to see how they calculated dates. An excerpt from the linked article above:
Read the entire article, its really interesting. Also, they set out to debunk many of the more popular disaster scenarios. Check them out here:...
Most of the Mayan calendars were short. The Tzolk’in calendar lasted for 260 days and the Haab’ approximated the solar year of 365 days. The Mayans then combined both the Tzolk’in and the Haab’ to form the “Calendar Round”, a cycle lasting 52 Haab’s (around 52 years, or the approximate length of a generation). Within the Calendar Round were the trecena (13 day cycle) and the veintena (20 day cycle).
Obviously, this system would only be of use when considering the 18,980 unique days over the course of 52 years. In addition to these systems, the Mayans also had the “Venus Cycle”. Being keen and highly accurate astronomers they formed a calendar based on the location of Venus in the night sky. It’s also possible they did the same with the other planets in the Solar System.
Using the Calendar Round is great if you simply wanted to remember the date of your birthday or significant religious periods, but what about recording history? There was no way to record a date older than 52 years.
The end of the Long Count = the end of the Earth?
The Mayans had a solution. Using an innovative method, they were able to expand on the 52 year Calendar Round. Up to this point, the Mayan Calendar may have sounded a little archaic - after all, it was possibly based on religious belief, the menstrual cycle, mathematical calculations using the numbers 13 and 20 as the base units and a heavy mix of astrological myth. The only principal correlation with the modern calendar is the Haab’ that recognized there were 365 days in one solar year (it’s not clear whether the Mayans accounted for leap years). The answer to a longer calendar could be found in the “Long Count”, a calendar lasting 5126 years.I’m personally very impressed with this dating system. For starters, it is numerically predictable and it can accurately pinpoint historical dates. However, it depends on a base unit of 20 (where modern calendars use a base unit of 10). So how does this work?
The base year for the Mayan Long Count starts at “0.0.0.0.0″. Each zero goes from 0-19 and each represent a tally of Mayan days. So, for example, the first day in the Long Count is denoted as 0.0.0.0.1. On the 19th day we’ll have 0.0.0.0.19, on the 20th day it goes up one level and we’ll have 0.0.0.1.0. This count continues until 0.0.1.0.0 (about one year), 0.1.0.0.0 (about 20 years) and 1.0.0.0.0 (about 400 years). Therefore, if I pick an arbitrary date of 2.10.12.7.1, this represents the Mayan date of approximately 1012 years, 7 months and 1 day.
This is all very interesting, but what has this got to do with the end of the world? The Mayan Prophecy is wholly based on the assumption that something bad is going to happen when the Mayan Long Count calendar runs out. Experts are divided as to when the Long Count ends, but as the Maya used the numbers of 13 and 20 at the root of their numerical systems, the last day could occur on 13.0.0.0.0. When does this happen? Well, 13.0.0.0.0 represents 5126 years and the Long Count started on 0.0.0.0.0, which corresponds to the modern date of August 11th 3114 BC. Have you seen the problem yet? The Mayan Long Count ends 5126 years later on December 21st, 2012.
Doomsday
When something ends (even something as innocent as an ancient calendar), people seem to think up the most extreme possibilities for the end of civilization as we know it. A brief scan of the internet will pull up the most popular to some very weird ways that we will, with little logical thought, be wiped off the face of the planet.Archaeologists and mythologists on the other hand believe that the Mayans predicted an age of enlightenment when 13.0.0.0.0 comes around; there isn’t actually much evidence to suggest doomsday will strike. If anything, the Mayans predict a religious miracle, not anything sinister.
2012: No Geomagnetic Reversal (posted October 3rd 2008)
2012: No Killer Solar Flare (posted June 21st 2008)
2012: Planet X Is Not Nibiru (posted June 19th 2008)
2012: No Planet X (posted May 25th 2008)
No Doomsday in 2012 (posted May 19th 2008)
Friday, May 22, 2009
Camera's back!
Whoo hooo! Just found out that my camera is back. All in all, I'm extremely happy with the service that Canon has provided. Yay, I can take pictures again!
Hope everyone can enjoy a great extended-weekend.
Hope everyone can enjoy a great extended-weekend.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Camera on the Fritz
Weell my camera is taking black pictures. = (
I turned it on recently to find I could see images that were taken on it in the view mode, but when I go to actually snap new ones, they are completely black. I see icons and text on the viewfinder, and none of the camera modes changes the outcome. Black black black.
Thankfully the camera is still under warranty and I've already called their service line to have it repaired. I'll be sending it out today and hopefully they can nurse my gimped cam back to life. I feel rather naked without it.
I turned it on recently to find I could see images that were taken on it in the view mode, but when I go to actually snap new ones, they are completely black. I see icons and text on the viewfinder, and none of the camera modes changes the outcome. Black black black.
Thankfully the camera is still under warranty and I've already called their service line to have it repaired. I'll be sending it out today and hopefully they can nurse my gimped cam back to life. I feel rather naked without it.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Colds suuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!
Okay can I just say colds suck??? I'm going to say it. Yeah. Well you can't stop me.
Now I used to get one cold a year, and I mean like the bad cold that just knocks your socks off and leaves your head spinning. Well I just got over this years, or I should say it's still doing its last death throw.
And I've gotta say, I expect there'll be more.
Having kids certainly ups the ante so to speak when you're hoping to have a germ free house. Not that I'd like to blame it on them, but well why the hell not, they gave me a sinus infection! Little rugrats.
So I noticed something this time around. They were hit with it much less severe than I. I can only attribute it to the fact that they're young and resilient, and I'm... well uh... we won't go there. So why is it the adults are left to suffer!? Oh yeah I know, we're adults and don't have fun like the kids do nowadays. Makes me wonder if I'm truly a stubborn dwarf in a short human's body.
ANYWAYS, thank god I can hear in my left ear again. It at the very least spares you all from one less grumpy rant...
/grunt
Now I used to get one cold a year, and I mean like the bad cold that just knocks your socks off and leaves your head spinning. Well I just got over this years, or I should say it's still doing its last death throw.
And I've gotta say, I expect there'll be more.
Having kids certainly ups the ante so to speak when you're hoping to have a germ free house. Not that I'd like to blame it on them, but well why the hell not, they gave me a sinus infection! Little rugrats.
So I noticed something this time around. They were hit with it much less severe than I. I can only attribute it to the fact that they're young and resilient, and I'm... well uh... we won't go there. So why is it the adults are left to suffer!? Oh yeah I know, we're adults and don't have fun like the kids do nowadays. Makes me wonder if I'm truly a stubborn dwarf in a short human's body.
ANYWAYS, thank god I can hear in my left ear again. It at the very least spares you all from one less grumpy rant...
/grunt
Monday, April 6, 2009
That's it... I'm getting old(er)
So I feel older than usual. I guess that's to be expected... Though it'd help if people stopped saying things like:
"Hey at least you're not thirty, cuz then it'd be like- what, you're, almost 40?"
"So you're 3/4 of the way to 40 eh?"
"Daddy, you're old."
I jest of course, I know I'm in for much worse next year. And I can't even begin to imagine the teasing I'll receive at 40... not sure how dad did it. Haha. Anyways, I'm rambling and need coffee.
...There that's better. So yeah, we celebrated my birthday on Saturday with my family. I may be gutting myself here, but I'm going to share what happened. A few months ago I made the mistake of making a Miley Cyrus Pandora station. Well, I made another mistake and listened to it while Ash was upstairs. Needless to say, she was beside herself. What is a 25(ish) year old doing listening to a teenage heartthrob? Well, mostly putting thumbs down on all the other crap the station throws at me.
...I like the music- hush up.
So yeah, she took the opportunity to throw me a "Miley Cyrus" birthday. I walked in and found Hannah Montana plates and stylish pink Hannah Montana napkins. Turn the corner and see a big ass pink and blue Miley Cyrus birthday cake, complete with a little cute pink guitar and Miley billboard.
Oh yeah.
Apparently she and the person she ordered the cake from had a good little chuckle at my expense. She asked Ash if the cake was for a boy or girl, and she said boy. She then picked out the Miley design and the person was like: "Are you sure? I thought you said its for a boy?"
At which point she confirmed it was. She then asked what my age was, and it was all over. I'm really happy that I, on my own birthday, can give the gift of laughter to so many others. Hehe. Anyways, it was even worse than I expected, I thought it was over with the cake. I should've known! When they handed out gifts I received two musical cards and a Miley Cyrus board game.
Oooh right!
I have to thank them though, it would have been 10x worse had we been in a restaurant. Its hard enough bearing my soul on the internet where billions of people can read about my trying day, but to be sitting in a room with 40 strangers looking over at me would have been utter despair. About the only good thing that came of it was a Miley CD.
And I've already listened to it. haha.
Oh I hope you've all enjoyed my humbling moment. Back to trying to recapture my masculinity.
/grunt
"Hey at least you're not thirty, cuz then it'd be like- what, you're, almost 40?"
"So you're 3/4 of the way to 40 eh?"
"Daddy, you're old."
I jest of course, I know I'm in for much worse next year. And I can't even begin to imagine the teasing I'll receive at 40... not sure how dad did it. Haha. Anyways, I'm rambling and need coffee.
...There that's better. So yeah, we celebrated my birthday on Saturday with my family. I may be gutting myself here, but I'm going to share what happened. A few months ago I made the mistake of making a Miley Cyrus Pandora station. Well, I made another mistake and listened to it while Ash was upstairs. Needless to say, she was beside herself. What is a 25(ish) year old doing listening to a teenage heartthrob? Well, mostly putting thumbs down on all the other crap the station throws at me.
...I like the music- hush up.
So yeah, she took the opportunity to throw me a "Miley Cyrus" birthday. I walked in and found Hannah Montana plates and stylish pink Hannah Montana napkins. Turn the corner and see a big ass pink and blue Miley Cyrus birthday cake, complete with a little cute pink guitar and Miley billboard.
Oh yeah.
Apparently she and the person she ordered the cake from had a good little chuckle at my expense. She asked Ash if the cake was for a boy or girl, and she said boy. She then picked out the Miley design and the person was like: "Are you sure? I thought you said its for a boy?"
At which point she confirmed it was. She then asked what my age was, and it was all over. I'm really happy that I, on my own birthday, can give the gift of laughter to so many others. Hehe. Anyways, it was even worse than I expected, I thought it was over with the cake. I should've known! When they handed out gifts I received two musical cards and a Miley Cyrus board game.
Oooh right!
I have to thank them though, it would have been 10x worse had we been in a restaurant. Its hard enough bearing my soul on the internet where billions of people can read about my trying day, but to be sitting in a room with 40 strangers looking over at me would have been utter despair. About the only good thing that came of it was a Miley CD.
And I've already listened to it. haha.
Oh I hope you've all enjoyed my humbling moment. Back to trying to recapture my masculinity.
/grunt
Friday, March 13, 2009
Space Junk on Google Earth
Google Earth is pretty amazing... I was reading this article just now on space junk, and it turns out, that you can download a data set for viewing space debris surrounding the Earth directly in the program.
Here's the link: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/howtojunk.html
Though this dataset is somewhat unknown, more common applications include viewing the Earth's oceans, and our more distant neighbor, Mars. I would bet in the future we'll be able to see all kinds of applications for Google Earth, including the sky, or atmosphere, possibly even weather tracking of sorts....
I would think another big one would be geology based: possibly volcanoes, tectonic activity, maybe even bedrock types, or how certain areas were formed. For instance, Wisconsin was once under a huge sheet of ice, which slowly receded northward leaving large ruts and valleys where it scraped away the land. All that historic data could be compiled and easily uploaded I would think.
Just think of being able to look at the Earth go back in time. We could watch Pangea float together on Google Earth, then rip apart and float back together again, then tear apart to finally form the continents we see today. Want to watch the Himalayan moutnains form? Speed up the program and sit on the triangular land mass that becomes India, and watch it slam northward, driving the two continents together. Want to watch evolution happen? Turn on the evolution layer and you could see colors representing different classes of orgranisms, constantly being replaced as time sped by.
Then you have other applications as well, it could be a springboard for teaching youth, long gone are the days of reading a 3 year old encyclopedia when the data is at your fingertips and updated regularly. Give schools a big-ass screen and pick a topic to study, or have the kids suggest areas to explore on the map... Want to study Europe? Here, lets turn the globe a bit... Imports/Exports, population growth, culture habits, historic data... you name it.
Though I have to admit, the fact that we all carry cell phones, cameras, and drive cars (not to mention all other sorts of gadgets) that are geo-tracking is a bit unsettling. Especially when one were to think of its applications on a personal level.
But anyways back on topic- space junk. I also read this article a while back, a list of the strangest items orbiting our planet. I got a kick out of the spatula.
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/02/spacestuff.html
You'd think there was a need to clean up space junk. Quite obviously there is, as yesterday they had to evacuate the space station because a bolt or some other object less than an inch in diameter nearly hit the station.
I can just imagine having that spatula out the window, which is SEVERAL inches in diameter...
Here's the link: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/howtojunk.html
Though this dataset is somewhat unknown, more common applications include viewing the Earth's oceans, and our more distant neighbor, Mars. I would bet in the future we'll be able to see all kinds of applications for Google Earth, including the sky, or atmosphere, possibly even weather tracking of sorts....
I would think another big one would be geology based: possibly volcanoes, tectonic activity, maybe even bedrock types, or how certain areas were formed. For instance, Wisconsin was once under a huge sheet of ice, which slowly receded northward leaving large ruts and valleys where it scraped away the land. All that historic data could be compiled and easily uploaded I would think.
Just think of being able to look at the Earth go back in time. We could watch Pangea float together on Google Earth, then rip apart and float back together again, then tear apart to finally form the continents we see today. Want to watch the Himalayan moutnains form? Speed up the program and sit on the triangular land mass that becomes India, and watch it slam northward, driving the two continents together. Want to watch evolution happen? Turn on the evolution layer and you could see colors representing different classes of orgranisms, constantly being replaced as time sped by.
Then you have other applications as well, it could be a springboard for teaching youth, long gone are the days of reading a 3 year old encyclopedia when the data is at your fingertips and updated regularly. Give schools a big-ass screen and pick a topic to study, or have the kids suggest areas to explore on the map... Want to study Europe? Here, lets turn the globe a bit... Imports/Exports, population growth, culture habits, historic data... you name it.
Though I have to admit, the fact that we all carry cell phones, cameras, and drive cars (not to mention all other sorts of gadgets) that are geo-tracking is a bit unsettling. Especially when one were to think of its applications on a personal level.
"Oh Timmy, that's you right there, that little red dot, see!!! Yes we're watching you Timmy, and this is you yesterday skipping school you little bastard..."Though I'm sure we're all being tracking already anyways.
But anyways back on topic- space junk. I also read this article a while back, a list of the strangest items orbiting our planet. I got a kick out of the spatula.
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/02/spacestuff.html
You'd think there was a need to clean up space junk. Quite obviously there is, as yesterday they had to evacuate the space station because a bolt or some other object less than an inch in diameter nearly hit the station.
I can just imagine having that spatula out the window, which is SEVERAL inches in diameter...
Astronauts: OH GOD ITS COMING!! Our orders ground command??And with that, I'll end my ramble. Haha.
Ground Command: RUN FOR YOU LIVES! In fact don't run, float! Float damn you! Get the hell out of there!
Astronauts: Sir we won't make it, our top speed is 3 mph....
Ground Command: God speed to you all.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Ocean
...Is a wonderfully complex and fragile ecosystem. I strongly suggest watching the Planet Earth series, they include a few amazing sections on the ocean. Well okay the whole series is awesome. Just watch the whole thing...
But during the Shallow Seas chapter I especially enjoyed the discourse on the ocean's grasslands. I had no idea there was that much sea-grass in some areas on the ocean. Check out this video, I think its around 4 minutes in when they talk about the sea grass... I had no idea.
Also, I enjoyed this TED talk about NOAH. Hopefully they can get the funding they need to continue to explore it more thoroughly. It was interesting the difference in funding that NOAH and NASA receive, and sad at the same time. Another interesting point is how much of the United States land area lies under the ocean... 50% if you can believe it.
I mean, as most of you reading this might know, I'm not one to complain about the money being spent on space exploration. In fact, I think in some ways we're not doing enough. But the ocean is an equally viable source for exploration. And it is much closer to home. You'd think it would cost less than sending rockets up into space... It boggles my mind to think that we've not had the chance to map the entire planet. Though it is also a bit exciting, knowing that more is being done every day.
Things are changing I think, and perhaps global warming might be one of the catalysts that is bringing exploration of the ocean into focus. I think it's good that more attention is being made on the oceans of our world. In fact, now Google Earth allows you to search the ocean like you would the continents, after all, the earth's surface area is 70% water, so why not...
This article was also intriguing, to think that dead coral reef could tell us what the climate and global environment was like 40,000 years ago... Amazing stuff.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/03/03/eod.popsci.species/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Anyways I seem to be rambling today. Hrm.
But during the Shallow Seas chapter I especially enjoyed the discourse on the ocean's grasslands. I had no idea there was that much sea-grass in some areas on the ocean. Check out this video, I think its around 4 minutes in when they talk about the sea grass... I had no idea.
Also, I enjoyed this TED talk about NOAH. Hopefully they can get the funding they need to continue to explore it more thoroughly. It was interesting the difference in funding that NOAH and NASA receive, and sad at the same time. Another interesting point is how much of the United States land area lies under the ocean... 50% if you can believe it.
I mean, as most of you reading this might know, I'm not one to complain about the money being spent on space exploration. In fact, I think in some ways we're not doing enough. But the ocean is an equally viable source for exploration. And it is much closer to home. You'd think it would cost less than sending rockets up into space... It boggles my mind to think that we've not had the chance to map the entire planet. Though it is also a bit exciting, knowing that more is being done every day.
Things are changing I think, and perhaps global warming might be one of the catalysts that is bringing exploration of the ocean into focus. I think it's good that more attention is being made on the oceans of our world. In fact, now Google Earth allows you to search the ocean like you would the continents, after all, the earth's surface area is 70% water, so why not...
This article was also intriguing, to think that dead coral reef could tell us what the climate and global environment was like 40,000 years ago... Amazing stuff.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/03/03/eod.popsci.species/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Anyways I seem to be rambling today. Hrm.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Ramble: Blurb
So I recently decided to try out Blurb, and I've gotta say I'm impressed. I learned about it from a Flickr advertisement, and thought it was interesting. Its a bit pricey, but overall I'm very happy with the product received. I suppose I could drop the premium paper and choose the smaller, 8"x8" option to drop the price a little, but its so nice seeing it in the full sheet size. Makes me a little reluctant.
You all have probably noticed the book to the right over there --->
Thats the one I'm talking about.
And a quick sidenote to self... I should really stop talking about squirrels on my blog... All these rat and pest control advertisements are a bit scary. Uh yeah... now I'm rambling.
You all have probably noticed the book to the right over there --->
Thats the one I'm talking about.
And a quick sidenote to self... I should really stop talking about squirrels on my blog... All these rat and pest control advertisements are a bit scary. Uh yeah... now I'm rambling.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Let the World Pass You By
I think this article has a lot of truth wrapped up in it. I know I often times let the daily stress of life get the best of me, and with everything that needs to get done its very easy to stop breathing slowly. I guess part of that has to do with the "American lifestyle" and the dogged "pursuit of happiness" that we all seem to work so hard to achieve.
This article reminds me that its necessary, sometimes, to stop, breathe and just let the world pour in. I'm glad I started following this blog.
http://zenhabits.net/2009/02/let-the-world-pass-you-by/
This article reminds me that its necessary, sometimes, to stop, breathe and just let the world pour in. I'm glad I started following this blog.
http://zenhabits.net/2009/02/let-the-world-pass-you-by/
Post written by Leo Babauta
I was sitting outside my new home yesterday (we just moved last week, and we love the new place), watching the world go by.
There were people in cars, in a hurry to get to their next appointment. There were birds flying by, insects just as busy as the people in cars, plants and weeds thriving in the humid Guam climate.
Inside the house, my children were also busy, as ever, making a mess of the house (which my wife and I would soon clean up), getting into things, their natural curiosity overpowering our previous pleas for them not to play with lotion or take things apart.
The sky was slightly overcast and there was a cool breeze, quite strong and pleasant actually.
It’s not often that most of us just sit quietly, and allow the world to pass us by.
Why not?
What is so important that it can’t wait until later? What email must be answered right this moment? Do we really need to read all those articles online, all those messages from others, all those newspapers and magazines? Do we need to have the television and radio and Internet on all the time?
Is life passing us by as we keep our minds super-busy? Are we missing out on the beautiful world around us as we constantly think about the future — what we need to do, our anxieties about what might happen — and the past — what we did wrong, what someone else did to us, what we said, what should have happened?
When was the last time you just sat, and observed? Why not do it today?
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