It's sort of funny. When I was in grade-school I thought I'd be grown up once I graduated at the ripe old age of 18. I distinctly remember having a conversation outside with another kid that had my same name. I said something to the effect of, it'll be so cool to be a grown up when I turn 18 in X years. Then the other kid responded with something like "that'll be in 2001" and I said it probably didn't matter much then anyway because the world will be ending in the year 2000. Oh the stupid stuff kids say. We were so wrong on both counts!
Anyway, after graduating high school. I thought I'd be all grown up once I graduated college and got my first full-time job. Well I think I was wrong about that too. Sure I had a full-time job, but I was still such a kid at heart. I wanted to go party and clubbing, the world was all about me and what I could get for myself to make me happy. I ate whatever whenever. I still couldn't get a date. And I still had so much time on my hands that I still keept up to date with the latest music and had all the coolest electronic gadgets! I certainly felt grown up!
But now, I am coming to a major realization. You really don't stop growing up. My dad used to always say that his great grandfather used to tell him. I never stop learning. Well I guess that's kind of what growing up is, learning and growing. My life has changed so much in the past few years. I've certainly learned a whole lot, but not in the form of academics. I've learned a lot about life. And now that I've really had a good long time to think about it. I've learned to agree with what my dad said. I will never stop learning. I will never stop growing up. Sometimes it makes me sad to think that I couldn't pass as a college student anymore. But then I realize that I am just in another new and wonderful learning phase in my life. The newlywed phase.
It's really a great time in life. We are both learning not to be so self-centered and we are developing lots of new hobbies like smoking meat and sewing. Skills that most of us definitely would attribute to our parents. We're growing up into roles that would lead us to be parents one day. It's crazy to think that one day I just stopped wanting to go clubbing and drinking, and I started lusting over a nice chunk of smoked meat. Well, it wasn't really a one day thing, but it really is amazing that as you grow, you change so much. It's exciting to see myself, my friends, and family growing. I realize that learning and growing really is one of the key components to the human condition. It's beautiful.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Grilling (Smoking)
I am new to the smoking world, but my dad has been using the same offset
smoker for a good 15+ years with some amazing results over the years. I
used to own a vertical water smoker. But because I got the cheapest
model, it didn't have a sealed underside and the draft caused me to use
up a lot of coal and have undesirable results!
So I finally bit the bullet and bought a Char-Griller Smokin Pro 1224
offset smoker. And even though it's cheap compared to the professional
grade smokers, I am pretty sure I can mod it to get some great results. I
have already done the standard chimney extension and dual grill-level
thermometer additions. I also sealed the chimney and connection between
the side fire box and main box to keep the heat in longer.
I would still like to seal up the doors a little better as a lot of smoke comes out through them as well, but I think that's pretty doable. I heard I just need to spray on some cooking spray on one surface and make a bead of silicone around the complete perimeter to seal up the doors.
I also sanded off the paint on the side firebox and replaced it with 1200 degree paint since the original factory paint started bubbling off the first time I used it!
I had wanted to make the brisket solely for the burnt ends, but since my wife likes the flat, I bought the whole packer cut. When I cut it open to separate the point from the flat, it practically gushed juice. I couldn't resist; I immediately cut myself a piece and was in heaven. I never knew brisket could be so juicy! I had let it rest for about 2 hours in a cooler covered in towels because it finished earlier than expected due to high (275) grill temps. But I may just let all my meats rest this long!
I then proceeded to cut up the point to make the burnt ends. I had
been waiting a couple years to make these. So my expectations were high!
In the end I was not let down. For those that have never tried burnt
ends, you all are missing out! The combination of the caramelized bbq
sauce and rendered fat really does make these like "man candy"
I also cooked up some ribs, but also due to the aforementioned high grill temps, I over cooked them! but they were still very good. I should've just called them pulled pork once I cut them up! I'm still getting used to my new smoker. I modded it before actually using it and I found out that lowering the chimney to grate level combined with 80+ degree temps outside makes it hard for you to keep your grill at 225 with a full basket of coals! I ended up cracking open the main chamber a few inches to keep the temps under 240 until the coals burned down a little!
All in all, the results for the brisket and burnt ends were exceptional. The ribs were still delicious. And I ended up very full! I probably ate about a pound and a half of meat!
So I finally bit the bullet and bought a Char-Griller Smokin Pro 1224
offset smoker. And even though it's cheap compared to the professional
grade smokers, I am pretty sure I can mod it to get some great results. I
have already done the standard chimney extension and dual grill-level
thermometer additions. I also sealed the chimney and connection between
the side fire box and main box to keep the heat in longer.I would still like to seal up the doors a little better as a lot of smoke comes out through them as well, but I think that's pretty doable. I heard I just need to spray on some cooking spray on one surface and make a bead of silicone around the complete perimeter to seal up the doors.
 |
This
weekend I had the opportunity to smoke my first ever brisket. And I
have to say the results were nothing short of spectacular! I followed
Jeff's method from his 5/3/2012 newsletter except I let my brisket cook
on the grate until it hit 175 and then I finished it in a pan with
broth. I was very careful to watch my temps because I had eaten many dry
briskets in my day and was never really a fan. Until I saw this:
I had wanted to make the brisket solely for the burnt ends, but since my wife likes the flat, I bought the whole packer cut. When I cut it open to separate the point from the flat, it practically gushed juice. I couldn't resist; I immediately cut myself a piece and was in heaven. I never knew brisket could be so juicy! I had let it rest for about 2 hours in a cooler covered in towels because it finished earlier than expected due to high (275) grill temps. But I may just let all my meats rest this long!
I also cooked up some ribs, but also due to the aforementioned high grill temps, I over cooked them! but they were still very good. I should've just called them pulled pork once I cut them up! I'm still getting used to my new smoker. I modded it before actually using it and I found out that lowering the chimney to grate level combined with 80+ degree temps outside makes it hard for you to keep your grill at 225 with a full basket of coals! I ended up cracking open the main chamber a few inches to keep the temps under 240 until the coals burned down a little!
All in all, the results for the brisket and burnt ends were exceptional. The ribs were still delicious. And I ended up very full! I probably ate about a pound and a half of meat!
Life so far
Well you know, when I was in college I used to delude myself that people wanted to hear what I wanted to say. But now as I have grown some. I realize, I just need to say something somewhere sometimes.
I used to blog almost daily. Then as I got busy it started to be a weekly thing, then a monthly thing. Now it appears to be becoming an annual thing. It's kind of funny. I suppose I started thinking that people didn't want to hear what I wanted to say. Or maybe it's that now that I'm married I just tell everything to my wife and she agrees with me all the time. So I don't have to tell anybody else right?
Well that's life I suppose. Things change. I welcome the changes.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Spring (well, sort of)
I am so excited for the spring. But I feel as if it is never coming. Last week we had consistent highs 10-20 degrees below average and this week is looking to stay at around 5-10 degrees below average. It is a depressing thought especially after our record making winter for being one of the snowiest and consistently cold winters on record. It wasn't the coldest on record, but it did have the fewest temperature swings. Or close to it! We had 2 consecutive days in the 50s in February and 2 consecutive days in the 60's this month, but for the majority of days the highs were below the seasonal averages.
Being the expert that I am, I am going to blame this on Canada. They must be launching an attack on America by sending down their cold liberal air to attack America's recent conservative resurgence. That's the only plausible reason I can see for this! Those socialists up north must be using their science witchcraft to ruin life in America and break us all down before they invade and shove universal healthcare down our throats! Well I for one am against these crafty bastards (liberals all grew up in fatherless households) I don't want to be forced to pay for my neighbor's health care bill just because he has cancer and was rejected by private insurance. I don't have cancer. So why should I have to pay for his???? [end sarcasm]
Anyway, I've gone off topic, but this is my blog. So who cares. But it reminds me about the visit our office had from a US Congressman. He won on the tea party brown tidal wave. I can say one thing. I appreciate his zeal and passion for his job. His zeal almost made me want to run for office. Almost. Besides his zeal I don't think I could've summed him up with anything besides "catch phrase reciting band-wagoner" He pretty much repeated most of what the tea party is all about, reducing taxes for corporations, and cutting government spending.
And guess how he wanted to cut govt spending first? Repealing Obamacare, as he called it. Big surprise, huh? He went on with an impassioned speech about how the government cannot function by increasing its deficit indiscriminately and indefinitely and that no corporation could be run like that. He said that it had to stop! Well, I'm not an idiot. I agree, we need to stop deficit spending. But how he and I would rather it be done are on completely different sides. Well he wants to cut defense spending, but since he's part of the GOP, I am sure he won't actually vote to make any major cuts.
He went on to list other ways that he'd make cuts, such as govt pension cutbacks, and tax cuts to corporations. Oh wait, he just threw in a tax cut as a way to reduce deficit! Well like all Republicans he still believes that trickle down works, but in this case he believed that the spurred job growth would actually increase the taxes received by the govt. He's right, if the corporate tax break worked, it certainly would spur tax growth, but here's the problem. He has to first reduce the govt's income, then cross his fingers. I'm sure he doesn't even know when the break even point would be.
The real icing on the cake came when he decided to go on a rant about how Obamacare was shoved down America's throat. He stated that he believed that if the health care industry was less regulated, that health care companies would find a way to provide coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and the terminally ill. I'm trying not to rephrase what he said in any way or form. But I had to scratch my head on that one. So if you de-regulate health care, the companies will, out of the goodness of their hearts, find a way to provide coverage for people that would cause the company to operate at a loss? But, but, you just said no corporation would be run like our government, which is operating at a "loss." Something really doesn't add up here! He could not provide a business case for how these services would be provided, but my best guess is that they either would not provide such coverage (as it is today), or they would charge such an absurd amount that only the rich would be able to afford it. Think thousands a month (yes less than the actual medical bills, but still probably more than most people's mortgages) My company already pays about $400/mo for my coverage. Add my $70/mo contribution and you can easily argue that if a healthy male in his 20's has to pay nearly $500/mo for coverage that a terminally ill person would be paying several times that amount. I can not for the life of me understand how this congressman believes that health insurance companies would actually provide this service, if they were less regulated! It just doesn't make sense, but it sure sounds good to his voting base, I guess.
Unfortunately, caring for the sick isn't always best taken care of by for-profit corporations. I applauded the democrats for at least trying to recognize that fact. There are portions of the health-care bill that I think could be improved, but repealing it is about the dumbest solution. Change the parts that will actually cost the govt more money. Actually look into reforming the health care system. Europe is not perfect, but it may be a good idea to take a look into why they pay less for drugs designed and manufactured in the US than we do. It may be time to find out why hospitals in Europe can charge vastly less than they do in the US for similar services. Both parties need to do this. I have a sinking suspicion that this real reform isn't going to happen any time soon. Oh well.
But yeah, spring is awesome! I can't wait for the warm weather. It is my goal along with K to go for a walk every day this summer. We will also be traveling down to the city more often. Because what's the point of living here if you don't actually enjoy some of the things that only the city can offer! I am so excited for the summer, even though I just had a random off-topic rant about a crazy politician! K and I have a bunch of seedlings started and I am very excited to start eating fresh home-grown vegetables! But I think I'm mostly excited because instead of eating lunch I wrote this blog and I am very hungry. So I'll sign off for now, my 3 readers!
Being the expert that I am, I am going to blame this on Canada. They must be launching an attack on America by sending down their cold liberal air to attack America's recent conservative resurgence. That's the only plausible reason I can see for this! Those socialists up north must be using their science witchcraft to ruin life in America and break us all down before they invade and shove universal healthcare down our throats! Well I for one am against these crafty bastards (liberals all grew up in fatherless households) I don't want to be forced to pay for my neighbor's health care bill just because he has cancer and was rejected by private insurance. I don't have cancer. So why should I have to pay for his???? [end sarcasm]
Anyway, I've gone off topic, but this is my blog. So who cares. But it reminds me about the visit our office had from a US Congressman. He won on the tea party brown tidal wave. I can say one thing. I appreciate his zeal and passion for his job. His zeal almost made me want to run for office. Almost. Besides his zeal I don't think I could've summed him up with anything besides "catch phrase reciting band-wagoner" He pretty much repeated most of what the tea party is all about, reducing taxes for corporations, and cutting government spending.
And guess how he wanted to cut govt spending first? Repealing Obamacare, as he called it. Big surprise, huh? He went on with an impassioned speech about how the government cannot function by increasing its deficit indiscriminately and indefinitely and that no corporation could be run like that. He said that it had to stop! Well, I'm not an idiot. I agree, we need to stop deficit spending. But how he and I would rather it be done are on completely different sides. Well he wants to cut defense spending, but since he's part of the GOP, I am sure he won't actually vote to make any major cuts.
He went on to list other ways that he'd make cuts, such as govt pension cutbacks, and tax cuts to corporations. Oh wait, he just threw in a tax cut as a way to reduce deficit! Well like all Republicans he still believes that trickle down works, but in this case he believed that the spurred job growth would actually increase the taxes received by the govt. He's right, if the corporate tax break worked, it certainly would spur tax growth, but here's the problem. He has to first reduce the govt's income, then cross his fingers. I'm sure he doesn't even know when the break even point would be.
The real icing on the cake came when he decided to go on a rant about how Obamacare was shoved down America's throat. He stated that he believed that if the health care industry was less regulated, that health care companies would find a way to provide coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and the terminally ill. I'm trying not to rephrase what he said in any way or form. But I had to scratch my head on that one. So if you de-regulate health care, the companies will, out of the goodness of their hearts, find a way to provide coverage for people that would cause the company to operate at a loss? But, but, you just said no corporation would be run like our government, which is operating at a "loss." Something really doesn't add up here! He could not provide a business case for how these services would be provided, but my best guess is that they either would not provide such coverage (as it is today), or they would charge such an absurd amount that only the rich would be able to afford it. Think thousands a month (yes less than the actual medical bills, but still probably more than most people's mortgages) My company already pays about $400/mo for my coverage. Add my $70/mo contribution and you can easily argue that if a healthy male in his 20's has to pay nearly $500/mo for coverage that a terminally ill person would be paying several times that amount. I can not for the life of me understand how this congressman believes that health insurance companies would actually provide this service, if they were less regulated! It just doesn't make sense, but it sure sounds good to his voting base, I guess.
Unfortunately, caring for the sick isn't always best taken care of by for-profit corporations. I applauded the democrats for at least trying to recognize that fact. There are portions of the health-care bill that I think could be improved, but repealing it is about the dumbest solution. Change the parts that will actually cost the govt more money. Actually look into reforming the health care system. Europe is not perfect, but it may be a good idea to take a look into why they pay less for drugs designed and manufactured in the US than we do. It may be time to find out why hospitals in Europe can charge vastly less than they do in the US for similar services. Both parties need to do this. I have a sinking suspicion that this real reform isn't going to happen any time soon. Oh well.
But yeah, spring is awesome! I can't wait for the warm weather. It is my goal along with K to go for a walk every day this summer. We will also be traveling down to the city more often. Because what's the point of living here if you don't actually enjoy some of the things that only the city can offer! I am so excited for the summer, even though I just had a random off-topic rant about a crazy politician! K and I have a bunch of seedlings started and I am very excited to start eating fresh home-grown vegetables! But I think I'm mostly excited because instead of eating lunch I wrote this blog and I am very hungry. So I'll sign off for now, my 3 readers!
Friday, January 7, 2011
I am so happy
I just realized.
Last night I was watching "Into the Wild" and at the end of the movie, the spoiled rich kid (how I envisioned his reasoning for running away) actually had something smart to say. "Happiness is only real if it is shared" At that moment I realized that even though you can be happy alone, it can be increased exponentially if you are sharing those memories with people you love. I looked at K and I just melted. Life is better when it is shared and I am so happy to share it with K!
This weekend we painted the kitchen. Normally that'd be a daunting task, but K and I really looked forward to it. Working together to improve our living environment even if time consuming and repetitive made us both happy. I can't imagine ever really enjoying painting a whole room by myself. That's just a small and probably bad example, but I hope it demonstrates my point.
It's the people in your life that make it worth living, and everybody should take time to reflect upon and be thankful for the memories and the time they have to spend with others that they love. Nobody is here forever.
Last night I was watching "Into the Wild" and at the end of the movie, the spoiled rich kid (how I envisioned his reasoning for running away) actually had something smart to say. "Happiness is only real if it is shared" At that moment I realized that even though you can be happy alone, it can be increased exponentially if you are sharing those memories with people you love. I looked at K and I just melted. Life is better when it is shared and I am so happy to share it with K!
This weekend we painted the kitchen. Normally that'd be a daunting task, but K and I really looked forward to it. Working together to improve our living environment even if time consuming and repetitive made us both happy. I can't imagine ever really enjoying painting a whole room by myself. That's just a small and probably bad example, but I hope it demonstrates my point.
It's the people in your life that make it worth living, and everybody should take time to reflect upon and be thankful for the memories and the time they have to spend with others that they love. Nobody is here forever.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Christmas!
What a wonderful time of the year... I am so happy to have been surrounded by family this Christmas! It really made me appreciate all the things that are good in my life. My side of the family came into town and we all enjoyed the celebration together with K's family! The best part about it all was how much EVERYBODY seemed to be enjoying themselves! Christmas day went so well that it was well past 11PM before anybody noticed the time! We ate a delicious prime rib roast, had cookies, played games, and watched 3 movies!!! Can you believe it? I can't either. Everybody was in the best of spirits.
I took about 200 pictures on Christmas Day and I couldn't be happier. I took my most portable setup, the camera flash on a light stand with a silver umbrella and a silver reflector. I'd have used soft white, but I knew I'd have to light large areas, so I needed all the reflected light I could get :) I'm still pretty happy about the pictures except for the fact that somebody's little sister decided to make silly faces in 90% of the pics she was in! And I forgot to set the flash to manual mode for a series of pics so the lighting is all over the place. But I can fix a lot of it in post processing. So all is well.
K and I spent about $200 over our budgeted amount for food this month, but man was it all so good! So many good cookies, breakfasts, and other meals left me wanting to eat more. Luckily, I was able to resist over-eating for several meals. I only went overboard on cookies. But hey, they taste the best when they're fresh :) I hope everybody's Christmas was as good as mine was. I am looking forward to a fun-packed New Year's celebration! Bring it on holidays!
I took about 200 pictures on Christmas Day and I couldn't be happier. I took my most portable setup, the camera flash on a light stand with a silver umbrella and a silver reflector. I'd have used soft white, but I knew I'd have to light large areas, so I needed all the reflected light I could get :) I'm still pretty happy about the pictures except for the fact that somebody's little sister decided to make silly faces in 90% of the pics she was in! And I forgot to set the flash to manual mode for a series of pics so the lighting is all over the place. But I can fix a lot of it in post processing. So all is well.
K and I spent about $200 over our budgeted amount for food this month, but man was it all so good! So many good cookies, breakfasts, and other meals left me wanting to eat more. Luckily, I was able to resist over-eating for several meals. I only went overboard on cookies. But hey, they taste the best when they're fresh :) I hope everybody's Christmas was as good as mine was. I am looking forward to a fun-packed New Year's celebration! Bring it on holidays!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Frozen Tundra
I know I don't exactly live in a frozen tundra. But man it sure feels like it today. 12 degrees, windy. I just want to stay indoors all day!
I was in Boston last week. I would've normally enjoyed flying out to somewhere that I'd never been before, but freezing outside when it's 20 degrees really doesn't inspire me to explore. I did manage to make it to Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution one evening. But it's really hard to do much when the sun sets at 4:30. Lets just say that I got a lot of "night" shots. Without a tripod, I don't know if I'll get many usable pictures.
Zagat.com isn't really as useful as you'd think either. It seems that they only rate places well if they have a $20/entree or higher price tag. And when you have $40/day for all your food including tax and tip, that really makes it hard to find a "good" place to eat dinner! Nonetheless, I made the best of it! Blue Ribbon BBQ in Arlington, MA was fantastic. Their ribs fell right off the bone, and their pulled pork was delicious (it was called Kansas city burnt ends though)
The Sam Adams brewery tour was probably the best I've been on to-date. It is their smallest brewery, because it was their first, but that makes it all the better. A lot more things are done by hand and all the R&D happens there. How'd you like to taste beer for a living? Well... it sounds better than it probably is, but still! My favorite part of the tour was when they let us take dried hops and dissect them. Then we were told to rub them between our hands and take a good sniff! MMM beer smell! The tour was free. We got a free glass to take home as well. And we also got a voucher to get a full sized pint glass for free with beer purchase at Doyle's (the first bar that served Sam Adams) Since I hadn't eaten lunch that day, I went to Doyle's and ordered a Bison burger with a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat beer. That beer was a very good wheat beer. It didn't taste sweet, and it actually didn't have much of a hops flavor either. The best way I could describe it was having a "rich" flavor with cherry essence. It is an easy drinking beer with much more flavor than MGD or Bud. I'll probably try to find some of that beer in the future, because I think a lot of people would like it, even non beer drinkers!
So I guess even though it is freezing outside you can still enjoy life a little bit. Just a little though!
I was in Boston last week. I would've normally enjoyed flying out to somewhere that I'd never been before, but freezing outside when it's 20 degrees really doesn't inspire me to explore. I did manage to make it to Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution one evening. But it's really hard to do much when the sun sets at 4:30. Lets just say that I got a lot of "night" shots. Without a tripod, I don't know if I'll get many usable pictures.
Zagat.com isn't really as useful as you'd think either. It seems that they only rate places well if they have a $20/entree or higher price tag. And when you have $40/day for all your food including tax and tip, that really makes it hard to find a "good" place to eat dinner! Nonetheless, I made the best of it! Blue Ribbon BBQ in Arlington, MA was fantastic. Their ribs fell right off the bone, and their pulled pork was delicious (it was called Kansas city burnt ends though)
The Sam Adams brewery tour was probably the best I've been on to-date. It is their smallest brewery, because it was their first, but that makes it all the better. A lot more things are done by hand and all the R&D happens there. How'd you like to taste beer for a living? Well... it sounds better than it probably is, but still! My favorite part of the tour was when they let us take dried hops and dissect them. Then we were told to rub them between our hands and take a good sniff! MMM beer smell! The tour was free. We got a free glass to take home as well. And we also got a voucher to get a full sized pint glass for free with beer purchase at Doyle's (the first bar that served Sam Adams) Since I hadn't eaten lunch that day, I went to Doyle's and ordered a Bison burger with a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat beer. That beer was a very good wheat beer. It didn't taste sweet, and it actually didn't have much of a hops flavor either. The best way I could describe it was having a "rich" flavor with cherry essence. It is an easy drinking beer with much more flavor than MGD or Bud. I'll probably try to find some of that beer in the future, because I think a lot of people would like it, even non beer drinkers!
So I guess even though it is freezing outside you can still enjoy life a little bit. Just a little though!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Security over Privacy
I try to stay away from just about anything that is a really touchy subject on the internet, and things that can be viewed as politics are one of those things. But as this subject really affects me I feel like I might as well write up how I feel about it. This really shouldn't be a political issue, but as we have a 2-party system, anything that I say can pretty much be linked to one party or the other. Although I think many people in both parties feel the way I do. One thing I am against is extremism. So really I don't like the extreme left, right, or religious fanatics. Anybody who drinks only the kool-aid freaks me out. I'll keep my brain thank you very much.
Anyway, lets get to the meat and potatoes of the issue. As you (B, J, and K :P) have probably already heard, the TSA has been getting more annoying over the past year and in the past few days has gotten a lot of people upset. I was really upset about the 3D full body x-ray machines that left nothing to the imagination. But as I am apathetic towards things in general because, lets be honest, my life was going too well to care. That happens a lot. Should I always let it happen? Of course the answer is no, pretty much everybody would say the answer is no. But what really scares me is how crazy things can get before anybody seems to notice.
I mean here we are, 2010. We already have to take off our shoes and belts in every airport. Because I don't want to walk weird, I normally swing my arms as I walk through the metal detector and my pants often fall down a little bit. I quickly pull them up and look around to make sure nobody noticed. Somebody always does. Sure, I guess it's just a little shred of decency I have to lose in order to stop shoe and belt bombers. Why not right? Good thing we stopped all those shoe and belt bombers.
Then we get news that there was a Christmas underwear bomber. I just about pee'd my pants because the thought of some sad sucker putting explosives in his underwear in the name of extremism just cracked me up. Just before that news broke, I heard about these new fancy 3D x-ray scanners at O'Hare airport. I saw a censored 3D scan that showed some fat man with a saggy gut. This struck me as pretty invasive, but the news program assured us all that they censored the naughty bits. But here's the thing, Mr underwear bomber would've still gotten through the scan if this was the case. So if this censoring was true, I was sure that it would soon change. This upset me, but then again I thought to myself. Well I don't fly that much. So what's the big deal? I'll just go through the light pat down if I don't want the TSA seeing my privates. It's not so bad. Yeah, it's not so bad.
A few days ago I hear about updated pat down rules that make it more like an intimate groping. It would be molestation if it wasn't in the name of security and a "trained professional" wasn't doing it. So why the heck is it allowed? Don't let my mild wording fool you. I am livid. I now have a choice of having either a full 3D body scan with exposed privates or they get to feel up my privates and even between my buttocks. Wow sounds like TSA can get to 2nd base in about 2 minutes, better than even the most talented lady's man. But again, the news assures me, and the rest of the world, your face is not shown to the TSA examiner who is looking at your 3D scan. Well thanks! At least they don't know what my face looks like, phew. But wait! What about the yet-to-be discovered tongue bomber who stuffs enough explosive under his tongue to blow a hole in the side of a plane! I can't be the only person who has thought of this. I'm not a terrorist, nor a security expert. So I am pretty darn sure the TSA employee knows what your face looks like too. Lets not even get started on the topic of frequent fliers and the amount of radiation they are exposed to by these new scans. I guess it's all justified in the name of security.
So this brings me to my last point. If everything is justified in the name of security. Why don't we make driving, swimming and elective surgery illegal. Every year around 43,000 American die in automobile accidents, almost 4,000 by drowning and another 3,000 or so due to complications during surgery. I don't want to sound at all callused to the gravity of the 9/11 attacks, but even with that complicated terrorist plot 2,752 people died. This specific plot won't happen again. We've made adjustments. So relatively the likelihood of a larger number of people dying in one year in America due to a plane related terrorist attack are pretty slim, even without the invasive 3D scans or rub downs. So my point is, what really is the true benefit of this loss of personal dignity for millions with these invasive airport security measures?
Yes, I agree 100% that if these security measures aren't in place it will be easier to smuggle explosives or weapons onto a plane, but the risk of it happening already is extremely low. I wish stats about how much safer we are with the new measures were actually available. I bet a lot of people would be surprised at how ineffective they actually are compared to all the ways you could die just living your life everyday. But I guess some people would still chose minimal security over decency and privacy. I am not one of those people.
I am drawing the line here. Starting today. Enough is enough. I may never be a rally-starter or political activist. But I am writing my senator. I hope that many other Americans do the same or even more than I can do, but all I can say is Enough is Enough
Anyway, lets get to the meat and potatoes of the issue. As you (B, J, and K :P) have probably already heard, the TSA has been getting more annoying over the past year and in the past few days has gotten a lot of people upset. I was really upset about the 3D full body x-ray machines that left nothing to the imagination. But as I am apathetic towards things in general because, lets be honest, my life was going too well to care. That happens a lot. Should I always let it happen? Of course the answer is no, pretty much everybody would say the answer is no. But what really scares me is how crazy things can get before anybody seems to notice.
I mean here we are, 2010. We already have to take off our shoes and belts in every airport. Because I don't want to walk weird, I normally swing my arms as I walk through the metal detector and my pants often fall down a little bit. I quickly pull them up and look around to make sure nobody noticed. Somebody always does. Sure, I guess it's just a little shred of decency I have to lose in order to stop shoe and belt bombers. Why not right? Good thing we stopped all those shoe and belt bombers.
Then we get news that there was a Christmas underwear bomber. I just about pee'd my pants because the thought of some sad sucker putting explosives in his underwear in the name of extremism just cracked me up. Just before that news broke, I heard about these new fancy 3D x-ray scanners at O'Hare airport. I saw a censored 3D scan that showed some fat man with a saggy gut. This struck me as pretty invasive, but the news program assured us all that they censored the naughty bits. But here's the thing, Mr underwear bomber would've still gotten through the scan if this was the case. So if this censoring was true, I was sure that it would soon change. This upset me, but then again I thought to myself. Well I don't fly that much. So what's the big deal? I'll just go through the light pat down if I don't want the TSA seeing my privates. It's not so bad. Yeah, it's not so bad.
A few days ago I hear about updated pat down rules that make it more like an intimate groping. It would be molestation if it wasn't in the name of security and a "trained professional" wasn't doing it. So why the heck is it allowed? Don't let my mild wording fool you. I am livid. I now have a choice of having either a full 3D body scan with exposed privates or they get to feel up my privates and even between my buttocks. Wow sounds like TSA can get to 2nd base in about 2 minutes, better than even the most talented lady's man. But again, the news assures me, and the rest of the world, your face is not shown to the TSA examiner who is looking at your 3D scan. Well thanks! At least they don't know what my face looks like, phew. But wait! What about the yet-to-be discovered tongue bomber who stuffs enough explosive under his tongue to blow a hole in the side of a plane! I can't be the only person who has thought of this. I'm not a terrorist, nor a security expert. So I am pretty darn sure the TSA employee knows what your face looks like too. Lets not even get started on the topic of frequent fliers and the amount of radiation they are exposed to by these new scans. I guess it's all justified in the name of security.
So this brings me to my last point. If everything is justified in the name of security. Why don't we make driving, swimming and elective surgery illegal. Every year around 43,000 American die in automobile accidents, almost 4,000 by drowning and another 3,000 or so due to complications during surgery. I don't want to sound at all callused to the gravity of the 9/11 attacks, but even with that complicated terrorist plot 2,752 people died. This specific plot won't happen again. We've made adjustments. So relatively the likelihood of a larger number of people dying in one year in America due to a plane related terrorist attack are pretty slim, even without the invasive 3D scans or rub downs. So my point is, what really is the true benefit of this loss of personal dignity for millions with these invasive airport security measures?
Yes, I agree 100% that if these security measures aren't in place it will be easier to smuggle explosives or weapons onto a plane, but the risk of it happening already is extremely low. I wish stats about how much safer we are with the new measures were actually available. I bet a lot of people would be surprised at how ineffective they actually are compared to all the ways you could die just living your life everyday. But I guess some people would still chose minimal security over decency and privacy. I am not one of those people.
I am drawing the line here. Starting today. Enough is enough. I may never be a rally-starter or political activist. But I am writing my senator. I hope that many other Americans do the same or even more than I can do, but all I can say is Enough is Enough
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
car clear bra FAIL
So, this weekend I attempted to put on a protective clear bra on my front bumper/hood. The instructions made it look super simple. The web site selling it of course said that it is easy for anybody to install... yeah. Well I cleaned my car super well just like they said I should. I didn't see a speck of dust. I turned on ALL the lights in the garage and even brought out an extra light. I start installing the thing and it immediately becomes apparent that my garage really isn't dust free as this sticky plastic was apparently the air's equivalent of a Swiffer Sweeper because once I installed it, I noticed a ton of dust and small particles under the plastic. I told myself it would be ok and pushed on to the actual bumper, I had just finished the hood. Well the bumper is where the real nightmare began. As you all know bumpers aren't flat, they're curved and have lines and ridges to make them look better. These aspects of the bumper made it virtually impossible for me to get the plastic to fit properly, and each re-application I made, more dust would be trapped. I eventually gave up and ripped it off and put it back on it's original packaging.
K ends up coming home and I am beating myself up because I just wasted $300. I ask her to help me make one last attempt, and she accepts. She's so nice. Anyway, we try to apply the thing in one piece for about 30 mins and we about give up when K has the bright idea to cut it into pieces where it doesn't seem to fit properly. At this point, I figure anything is better than just wasting $300. So I agree and we get it installed. Yay! So I take the car out in full sunlight and find out that not only is there dust under the plastic there are lots of water-filled bubbles that we didn't see to remove in the low light in the garage. So I can honestly say even with a few paint chips, my car would look better than it currently does now! I can fix the bubbles with a needle, but the dust and lint is stuck! I'll probably end up removing it all after the winter and I'll re-acess whether or not I should have it professionally installed. I can get the same thing installed professionally for an extra $150 or I can do just the bumper w/o the hood and mirrors for the same price. All I really care about is the bumper anyway because it already has a couple small rock chips. So hopefully I'll be able to convince K to let me pay somebody to install it in the spring ;) Either that or I'll just start saving up for a bumper repainting :)
K ends up coming home and I am beating myself up because I just wasted $300. I ask her to help me make one last attempt, and she accepts. She's so nice. Anyway, we try to apply the thing in one piece for about 30 mins and we about give up when K has the bright idea to cut it into pieces where it doesn't seem to fit properly. At this point, I figure anything is better than just wasting $300. So I agree and we get it installed. Yay! So I take the car out in full sunlight and find out that not only is there dust under the plastic there are lots of water-filled bubbles that we didn't see to remove in the low light in the garage. So I can honestly say even with a few paint chips, my car would look better than it currently does now! I can fix the bubbles with a needle, but the dust and lint is stuck! I'll probably end up removing it all after the winter and I'll re-acess whether or not I should have it professionally installed. I can get the same thing installed professionally for an extra $150 or I can do just the bumper w/o the hood and mirrors for the same price. All I really care about is the bumper anyway because it already has a couple small rock chips. So hopefully I'll be able to convince K to let me pay somebody to install it in the spring ;) Either that or I'll just start saving up for a bumper repainting :)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
@ the top of my mind
...is cheesecake ice cream! K and I made a delicious batch last night as our first trial with the ice cream maker we just got as a belated wedding gift. And to be honest, I think K and I love ice cream, deserts, and preparing foods so much that I think we may actually use this thing more than once a year. Believe it or not, it is actually sort of practical for us to have it. Let me tell you why. I love ice cream and milkshakes. So first and foremost, this will be a major motivator. Second, it only takes about 30 minutes to make a simple ice cream start to finish. (well if you don't include freezing the mixing bowl. So it would take us roughly that amount of time to go to the grocery store and back to buy ice cream. And third, we often buy various dairy products in bulk because mainly K bakes so much for others. So we often already have some sort of cream on hand. And instead of letting it go to waste, why not make some ice cream and freeze it! So as you can see, it actually is practical to have an ice cream maker!But back to the cheescake ice cream. It was delicious. It was very heavy because the first two ingredients are 2 soft cheeses, followed by whole milk and sugar. So needless to say, you'll get pretty full on just half a cup of this stuff. I tried to eat a heaping cup and I couldn't finish it. This particular recipe is a bit heavy for my taste, but it would be good to garnish a hot brownie or maybe it'd be good in milkshake form because this recipe is also very sweet so watering it down with milk wouldn't hurt it! I want to try to make a hybrid of this recipe and vanilla ice cream one day to see if I can make it feel a little lighter. I could also use 2% milk possibly or maybe light cream cheese, but who knows if the lower fat content and higher water ratio would make it develop more annoying ice crystals!
The next thing on my mind is beef jerky. Can you tell I'm hungry? I haven't eaten lunch yet and I've got cravings on my mind! I want to try making jerky at home because the stuff you normally get at the store is super tough and dry. I have had very good jerky over the years, but I am not sure how to make it so that it doesn't feel so dry, or even tough for that matter. There are brands out there that are neither tough nor dry. Well all jerky is chewy to some extent, but I don't want to have to feel like I'm going to lose a tooth pulling it apart. So maybe this weekend or the next I will venture into attempting to make the perfect jerky. But I have a couple chores that I really should take care of first, one is re-staining the deck for that nice winter coat, and the second item is putting a clear bra on my car. I need to protect it from chips, and these sticky applications can take a long time to do right. So really I need to figure out how to do all this and make jerky, because that's what I really want!
The last thing on my mind is glassdoor.com. This web site helps people compare salaries and reviews of companies. I heard about it on CNN this morning and I really wish I hadn't. I have this thing where I feel like I didn't try hard or do well in life. It is a common re-occurring theme and I have to struggle with it a lot (see last blog post). Just seeing what the average salary was for Google and Facebook in California made me wish I had tried harder in school and gotten a job at one of these places instead of "settling" for Motorola in the job that I initially got. Even the Google jobs in Chicago pay more starting than I currently make. But there are two problems with this envy. One, I can't change where I am today, I can only work hard to make sure I do my best in the future. Two, even if I had applied myself 100% in school, I am not sure that I would've been Google material. I like to think of myself as smart, but I swear to you there are varying levels of smart, and the people that get paid more than my current salary right when they graduate college are the top tier of smart. Some are certified geniuses. So why do I let myself get so down about not being the best in the world? I will never always do better than everybody, and honestly even if I did work at Google I'd probably still be jealous of somebody or something. This is a major struggle for me. Logic tells me that I am doing well in life and that I am working hard, but my emotions tell me that I am a huge dummy and haven't tried hard enough in life. It's frustrating!
But at least I know that I have a loving wife to come home to that can cheer me up even on my gloomiest days. And it's things like that that really matter in life. I keep reminding myself that. It's important to remember to enjoy what you have going for you in life. I really am looking forward to that cheesecake ice cream sitting in the freezer, and I am also looking forward to having my car back from the shop. I'm looking forward to meeting with my church small group today and just having a good conversation. I am looking forward to seeing where life takes me.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Maybe I should start blogging again
I guess now that I'm officially married and have been since July, I should probably do what boring married people do best. Spill my uncensored thoughts online in what I would proclaim as an "edgy and inspiring heartfelt journal of my life-musings" Sound about right? Yeah, I thought so.
Anyway. This year has been a busy one. Besides getting married. I got a promotion, then later found another job. I also bought a new car and sold my truck that I kept for 10 years! So wouldn't you think that life is just peachy? Well it is, but really, my new job has given me a lot of time to think about just how important work really is in the larger picture. It isn't. It's just a job, it's how you pay your bills. It's your life that's really important. So I've recently began attempting to figure out what I really want to do with my life. That's the hard part.
I had a bunch of goals as a kid: Graduate college, get a good paying job, buy a house, get the car that I've been drooling over, date a lot of hot girls, and marry the most beautiful one inside and out and then have kids. A couple months ago, I realized that I had accomplished all my goals, well minus the kids part. I thought to myself "is this it? What do I do now?" I couldn't really think of anything. So here I am today, thinking again, is this it? I know it's not, but why don't I see the next step. I mean technically, I could just do what I am doing and just coast through life, but the ego inside of me makes me want to do something, anything that has some sort of meaning, something that will make me say at the end of my life "my life mattered"
We're all so insignificant when you really think about how big the world or even the universe is. This insignificance can sometimes put me in a rut. I want to feel like I was put here for something. I mean to be an engineer and buy a nice car and get married, is that why I was put here? Anybody could've done that. What am I supposed to do? I suppose I need to ask God. In all honesty, that scares me. What if I don't hear an answer, what if I don't like what I hear? I mean I'd hate to hear that my purpose was to be a run-of-the-mill regular person, who didn't really apply himself most of his life, but once he brought some sad person true happiness. Sure that's great in all, but I still want to think that I was put here for something more.
I guess somebody might tell me, life is what I make of it. So maybe my ultimate goal should be really be to just live in the moment and see the glass half full. Maybe today, that will be my first step. Today is a good day.
Anyway. This year has been a busy one. Besides getting married. I got a promotion, then later found another job. I also bought a new car and sold my truck that I kept for 10 years! So wouldn't you think that life is just peachy? Well it is, but really, my new job has given me a lot of time to think about just how important work really is in the larger picture. It isn't. It's just a job, it's how you pay your bills. It's your life that's really important. So I've recently began attempting to figure out what I really want to do with my life. That's the hard part.
I had a bunch of goals as a kid: Graduate college, get a good paying job, buy a house, get the car that I've been drooling over, date a lot of hot girls, and marry the most beautiful one inside and out and then have kids. A couple months ago, I realized that I had accomplished all my goals, well minus the kids part. I thought to myself "is this it? What do I do now?" I couldn't really think of anything. So here I am today, thinking again, is this it? I know it's not, but why don't I see the next step. I mean technically, I could just do what I am doing and just coast through life, but the ego inside of me makes me want to do something, anything that has some sort of meaning, something that will make me say at the end of my life "my life mattered"
We're all so insignificant when you really think about how big the world or even the universe is. This insignificance can sometimes put me in a rut. I want to feel like I was put here for something. I mean to be an engineer and buy a nice car and get married, is that why I was put here? Anybody could've done that. What am I supposed to do? I suppose I need to ask God. In all honesty, that scares me. What if I don't hear an answer, what if I don't like what I hear? I mean I'd hate to hear that my purpose was to be a run-of-the-mill regular person, who didn't really apply himself most of his life, but once he brought some sad person true happiness. Sure that's great in all, but I still want to think that I was put here for something more.
I guess somebody might tell me, life is what I make of it. So maybe my ultimate goal should be really be to just live in the moment and see the glass half full. Maybe today, that will be my first step. Today is a good day.
Monday, May 31, 2010
One step closer
Today I bought my suit for the wedding. And I got the best deal ever, if I do say so myself. My favorite suit store, Men's Warehouse, currently has their buy one get one suit sale going on. So if you're in the market for a new suit, why not get two! Anyway, They always have some sort of sale going on. So you really shouldn't ever have to pay full price for a suit. And that's where this story begins...
K and I have been looking for the perfect gray summer suit for me to wear for our wedding for the past couple months and have been getting nowhere. First, we were too early in the season, and no store had gray suits. Then when we tried later, all the gray suits we could find had a thread pattern that K did not find appealing at all. I didn't mind half of them, but this is her day. So I will wear the suit she likes the most. A week ago K finally goes to Men's Warehouse, the store I had told her was our best bet all the long. We hadn't made it there though because my shopping tolerance is about 2 hours and we'd always stop at some other store first and then I'd be too tired to go to Men's Warehouse. But we finally made it a week ago and lo and behold, K immediately finds "the perfect suit" I was ecstatic. Then I noticed the price... $600. And it was the only suit I saw that had no sale tag on it. I was very bummed to say the least. I almost gave up, but K said that to have faith that it would all work out. And as we walked out of the store, no suit in hand and with my thoughts of my money vanishing before my eyes, I tried to remind myself that this was a once in a lifetime event and that "all working out" meant that I get the suit and make K very happy, no matter what the cost.
So I go home and scour my email for any coupon codes in my MW emails that I subscribe to, and I found a 20% off coupon for Memorial Day purchases made online only. So I was a little happy, but I still felt like spending $480 on one suit was a lot. Most my suits were $250 or less... But $480 wasn't THAT bad. So I was happy. So I just waited until today. And I kept faithfully checking my email for an even BETTER coupon. And what do you know? a couple days ago MW announced a buy one get one sale on designer suits! So I did the math and re-read the terms of my 20% of coupon. And nothing said that the coupon only applied to one item or did not apply to on sale items. Now I was getting excited... I thought to myself, "2 suits for the price of 80% of one! what a deal!!!!" I couldn't wait to buy my suit now. I just had to pick another suit. So I decided to maximize my discount and get 2 equally priced suits. And today I bought them both. I am so happy. I get two awesome suits and K gets the suit she really wanted me to get. What an awesome ending. It really did all work out and I am glad that K had the faith and foresight to know that no matter what happened it would all work out!
So without further ado, here are the two suits I bought! ...for the price of 80% of one :)
K and I have been looking for the perfect gray summer suit for me to wear for our wedding for the past couple months and have been getting nowhere. First, we were too early in the season, and no store had gray suits. Then when we tried later, all the gray suits we could find had a thread pattern that K did not find appealing at all. I didn't mind half of them, but this is her day. So I will wear the suit she likes the most. A week ago K finally goes to Men's Warehouse, the store I had told her was our best bet all the long. We hadn't made it there though because my shopping tolerance is about 2 hours and we'd always stop at some other store first and then I'd be too tired to go to Men's Warehouse. But we finally made it a week ago and lo and behold, K immediately finds "the perfect suit" I was ecstatic. Then I noticed the price... $600. And it was the only suit I saw that had no sale tag on it. I was very bummed to say the least. I almost gave up, but K said that to have faith that it would all work out. And as we walked out of the store, no suit in hand and with my thoughts of my money vanishing before my eyes, I tried to remind myself that this was a once in a lifetime event and that "all working out" meant that I get the suit and make K very happy, no matter what the cost.
So I go home and scour my email for any coupon codes in my MW emails that I subscribe to, and I found a 20% off coupon for Memorial Day purchases made online only. So I was a little happy, but I still felt like spending $480 on one suit was a lot. Most my suits were $250 or less... But $480 wasn't THAT bad. So I was happy. So I just waited until today. And I kept faithfully checking my email for an even BETTER coupon. And what do you know? a couple days ago MW announced a buy one get one sale on designer suits! So I did the math and re-read the terms of my 20% of coupon. And nothing said that the coupon only applied to one item or did not apply to on sale items. Now I was getting excited... I thought to myself, "2 suits for the price of 80% of one! what a deal!!!!" I couldn't wait to buy my suit now. I just had to pick another suit. So I decided to maximize my discount and get 2 equally priced suits. And today I bought them both. I am so happy. I get two awesome suits and K gets the suit she really wanted me to get. What an awesome ending. It really did all work out and I am glad that K had the faith and foresight to know that no matter what happened it would all work out!
So without further ado, here are the two suits I bought! ...for the price of 80% of one :)
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Tuesday, May 25, 2010
what a fun ride...
Well, Over the past month I had campaigned to become what they call a Chevy Rider and I got pretty far! It was a fun experience and although it would've been nice to make it all the way, it was still fun pushing myself to see how far I could make it! The Chevy Riders are a group of people that go around to events and around town in the latest Chevrolet cars and advertise events, give away prizes, and of course show off the cars!
The contest started with me filling out an application, then I was selected as one of the top 100 finalists. I was then instructed to get all my friends, family and random strangers I could think of to vote for me to win. So I did just that. I made it into the top 25. Then I pushed a little harder and made it into the final 10. At this point I was contacted for an in person interview and live trial. Both of which were super fun and I realized I would've been good at doing promotions. In the end I was not selected due to my current workload. But as far as I can tell everybody who saw me work thought I did a great job and I walked away with a new sense of accomplishment!
The contest started with me filling out an application, then I was selected as one of the top 100 finalists. I was then instructed to get all my friends, family and random strangers I could think of to vote for me to win. So I did just that. I made it into the top 25. Then I pushed a little harder and made it into the final 10. At this point I was contacted for an in person interview and live trial. Both of which were super fun and I realized I would've been good at doing promotions. In the end I was not selected due to my current workload. But as far as I can tell everybody who saw me work thought I did a great job and I walked away with a new sense of accomplishment!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I love America
For this:
That's right, 2 fried chicken breasts, mayo-based sauce, bacon and cheese... I should probably eat this in the emergency room, you know, just in case...
[source: http://consumerist.com/2010/04/kfcs-bacon-sandwich-on-fried-chicken-bread-kills-people-everywhere-on-april-12.html]
That's right, 2 fried chicken breasts, mayo-based sauce, bacon and cheese... I should probably eat this in the emergency room, you know, just in case...
[source: http://consumerist.com/2010/04/kfcs-bacon-sandwich-on-fried-chicken-bread-kills-people-everywhere-on-april-12.html]
Check out my latest photos
So I went to another photo shoot recently with the purpose of re-creating the feel of some of Ansel Adams' portraits. Here are the results.... I'm pretty happy with them.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009
a few things
- I had an awesome Christmas. I got a new camera/laptop backpack that's friggin huge and has a ton of compartments and configurable storage. So it's pretty much perfect. I also got a 42" reflector kit with a stand. It works great especially since I still only have one off camera flash. I also got some cologne from K. So I'm sure I'll be smelling much better in the near future. My sister gave me some awesome gift cards and I now have 2 new sets of work out pants! Oh yeah, I had a lot of fun with my family and took plenty of time to contemplate the meaning of Christmas. Between playing with my new camera stuff ;)
- I think I broke my truck. So when I am stupid and I forget not to use the parking brake when it's below freezing. My rear passenger wheel gets stuck. There are 2 ways to fix this. Well 3, but the third is boring. 1, you can stick the sucker in 4WD Low and gun it and hope you knock the wheel loose. And 2, you can bang at the drum brake with a hammer. I opted for # 1 today because, well I forgot about #2. And around my parent's house, they don't use salt so the roads really stay pretty slippery. So I drove about a block with 3 wheels spinning until my truck just decides not to move anymore. At that point I have my sister get out and she tells me that my front wheels were not spinning either. OOOPS. Guess I broke 4WD. So I call the tow company, they bang on my drum and get the wheel loose. I hobble it back to my parent's garage to let it thaw (option 3) My car made a nice squeeking noise the whole way, which was super fun. After the thawing, I drove it around and the 4WD seemed to be behaving again, but I'm still suspicious. So I'm taking it in before making the long drive home to make sure I won't die when my wheels fall off 100 miles out. So I'm stranded! yippie!
- I can't wait any longer to get the gosh darn Camaro. If I had a fancy dancy new car. I wouldn't have these old car problems. I'd also be so much cooler. As we all know, a car is an extension of one's ego, and often is used to compensate for something. And for me it's to compensate for driving around in a gold compact pickup truck for 10 years! I want a car that I'm gonna love until I have kids. It may be my only chance and I don't want to miss out on this one. I want my gosh darn Camaro! When my truck broke, I got all excited and I prepped myself to overextend my credit prematurely so I could leave Iowa in at least a 2LT/RS Camaro! But just my luck, the dumb truck still drives!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
So I got to thinking
Once you enter the working world. Time passes a heck of a lot quicker than it did when you had your life evenly divided into classes, semesters, and years. Now you pretty much just have years, and day to day and week to week and even month to month kind of just meld together. There really aren't as many milestones and really there seem to be less memory making moments. So It has become obvious that my perception of time passing has been greatly accelerated. I mean I created this blog about 3 years ago. I think but I still feel like it wasn't that long ago. I've had my camera for over a year, but it still feels brand spanking new. I've been working out daily for almost 4 years now, and I can't believe it.
Why does life have to pass by so quickly? I like life. I love living it. Why can't it just take a moment and slow down? I really miss the feeling where it took so long to get through one semester and each phase of school was broken down into a few year increments... I mean it really made it so easy to break apart the time. Every day now, I drive to the same place, work in the same cube, and talk to the same people. Nothing changes. So it would appear that I forget a lot. There is nothing memorable happening. It's scary. I remember my relationship I am in, but there are so few distinct milestones, it is all melded together. It's crazy. But still, I love life, in all its phases. I will take every day and try to enjoy it one day at a time.
Why does life have to pass by so quickly? I like life. I love living it. Why can't it just take a moment and slow down? I really miss the feeling where it took so long to get through one semester and each phase of school was broken down into a few year increments... I mean it really made it so easy to break apart the time. Every day now, I drive to the same place, work in the same cube, and talk to the same people. Nothing changes. So it would appear that I forget a lot. There is nothing memorable happening. It's scary. I remember my relationship I am in, but there are so few distinct milestones, it is all melded together. It's crazy. But still, I love life, in all its phases. I will take every day and try to enjoy it one day at a time.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Dear America
I have come to the realization that I need your help in a problem of utmost importance. I, a lover of this great country, have found myself in quite a pickle! Because of this fearful economy, my company has refused to give raises this year. and I need you all to stop being afraid that the economy will eat you alive and start working hard and start spending more money, w/o using credit! I know I know, everybody uses credit cards, but seriously, they're bad! Friends don't let friends use credit cards!
You see once you start spending all your extra cash, all the fancy high paid economists and stock traders will all start thinking the whole economy thing is fixed. And you see when they see that, my company will start to think that as well! and you see once they see that, I'll get my deserved promotion and raise!!!
Now you say, "c'mon are you serious dude?" yes! Being the warm blooded American that I am, I want to show my support for this country. And the best way I can think to do this, is to buy a good ol' classic American car brought back to life. And that car is the 2010 Camaro RS/SS with a manual transmission in Auqa blue. But I can't do that until I get a promotion as my current balance sheet won't allow me to pay for such a beautiful example of a performance car. Now, don't get me wrong, wanting a car so badly is awfully consumerist, and I realize this, but I'm only trying to support the economy!!! Don't you want me to support the economy? I know you do, and you should want to support the economy too!
P.S. If you would rather, I'm also accepting shameless donations!
You see once you start spending all your extra cash, all the fancy high paid economists and stock traders will all start thinking the whole economy thing is fixed. And you see when they see that, my company will start to think that as well! and you see once they see that, I'll get my deserved promotion and raise!!!
Now you say, "c'mon are you serious dude?" yes! Being the warm blooded American that I am, I want to show my support for this country. And the best way I can think to do this, is to buy a good ol' classic American car brought back to life. And that car is the 2010 Camaro RS/SS with a manual transmission in Auqa blue. But I can't do that until I get a promotion as my current balance sheet won't allow me to pay for such a beautiful example of a performance car. Now, don't get me wrong, wanting a car so badly is awfully consumerist, and I realize this, but I'm only trying to support the economy!!! Don't you want me to support the economy? I know you do, and you should want to support the economy too!P.S. If you would rather, I'm also accepting shameless donations!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Recent Photography Adventures
I haven't been keeping up with my blogging, but I haven't just disappeared into a hole. In recent weeks and months I've been getting more involved in photography clubs. It really has been a great learning experience so far. Although it has tempted me on several occasions to spend mega cash on new camera parts! But If I'm patient I'll get them eventually. Maybe next month ;)
On Monday I went to Gary, Indiana and met with a bunch of "photogs" at the now abandoned City Methodist Church. We had a grunge themed photo shoot and we tried to focus on using natural light. However, I couldn't resist using my off camera flash to enhance the dramatic effect. I got some really awesome shots. But see for yourself...
On Monday I went to Gary, Indiana and met with a bunch of "photogs" at the now abandoned City Methodist Church. We had a grunge themed photo shoot and we tried to focus on using natural light. However, I couldn't resist using my off camera flash to enhance the dramatic effect. I got some really awesome shots. But see for yourself...
 This shot was kind of inspired by the movie Carrie |  The deteriorated state of the church really was captured in this wide angle shot |
 The lockers are a bit too rusty for your average school, but can't you see such a character at such a run down school? |  Maybe one of my favorite shots... |
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Porsche 911 Targa 4S
Yesterday I had the opportunity to drive the my personal dream car that I may actually have a chance at owning one day. This wonderful example of German engineering was the Porsche 911 Targa 4S with a manual transmission. Of all the Porsches, I think this is the most practical. It has all wheel drive, 385HP, and a fully glass roof that retracts into the back window. This car has a top speed of around 180MPH and you can tell the second you start driving it. You can cruise at 65MPH in third gear (of six) at under 3000 RPMS (the red line is 7000RPM) So 3000 RPM is pushing the engine about as much as 2000-2500 RPM in most cars. Needless to say, if you press on the gas pedal, you'll definitely notice that you are at 65MPH in under 5 seconds. I had a little sticker shock when the dealer told me that the particular model I was in was around $120,000. However, you can get your own for the "bargain" price of $101,100. Being as young as I am, I feel honored to have even drove such a wonderful car and If I ever get the kind of money to buy a car in that price range, this one will be on the top of my list.
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