Dog people

It is a well known fact that I am NOT a dog person in any way, shape or form. It's not like I don't like dogs. It's more of the situation that I refuse to walk a dog with a bag and a scoop and pick up its waste. Are you kidding me? Since that would be the reality since I do not live in the sprawling country and could allow the dog to fertilize the earth, a pooper scooper would be a must in the burbs or a city setting. Plus, I just do not have the time to commit to a dog for its exercise when my own exercise is much more important and would not try to ever compromise my or my family life with a dog. I laugh when people work and go out 12-16hrs a day and leave their dog at home to experience mental and physical decline. It's pretty sad, actually. Anyway, I titled this post "dog people" since I don't understand you people. I was driving this morning and saw TWO people with dogs on their laps interfering with their arms as they were driving. These stupid people were letting the dog climb on them and I would just look over and have a look of utter disbelief? Where are the Five0 when you need them? Is that even illegal? It should be! Sheesh, they pull someone over for having a stupid air freshener hanging too low on their rearview mirror, but some moron can have a dog jumping on them like it's playtime and that's ok? Dog people, wake up!

Business Dress

As someone who has worked in environments where business dress is mandatory and business casual was optional, I can say with absolute conviction that Western society is pretty much a collective group of Lemmings that embrace "dressing the part" as being something that by default makes people work harder or "appear" smarter. What a bunch of absolute horse caca! Are we that influenced by the fashion industry that the idea of dressing up makes one seem so much more "professional" and gets business deals done any more effectively?

Certainly, dressing within the fashion industry makes sense since the goal is to sell clothes and display what will be purchased by consumers, but any other industry? I think not. Wearing business attire does not translate into good hygiene or improved idea creation.

Does not actually DOING the work within an organization mean much more? Does taking ideas and delivering new products lose its luster if said ideas do not stem from someone with a suit on? Uh....no. Can a person wearing business dress still do sloppy work and not deliver intended results? Of course.

I happen to be thinking about this concept recently, when the EXACT idea was discussed by a very interesting person that some of you may know as the current owner of the Dallas Mavericks and billionaire, Mark Cuban. This guy is brilliant in so many ways. I knew of him before he became an NBA owner back when he sold broadcast.com. He's an extremely savvy business person and because of many of his efforts and by "efforts", I mean obnoxious press conferences and ways to annoy David Stern, the NBA has instituted many improvements to their product. Anyway, he posted about this very subject and I like the angle he decided to go with.

I have well rounded interests and many aspects of the fashion industry fall in to what I decide to research and spend my time learning about and I really think business dress is such an overrated concept in industries outside of fashion that it's just archaic and really short-minded.

The sound from under the hood...

Oh man, the Contour is in need...in need of a belt change. The noise it makes is pretty embarrassing on the rare occasions it decides to do its thing. Mix in some cold temps and you have a red-faced Rican with no place to hide. LOL! I am most sure that it is the serpentine belt that needs to be changed. The car is seven years old and it has not been changed before. The belt is in pretty decent condition though, therefore, I tend to just absorb the embarrassing sound and act like I just don't hear it when other drivers stare at me....LOL! Soon enough, it will get changed...soon enough.

Confessions on a Treadmill

So, I have been the proud owner of a treadmill for just over two years. I have learned about different aspects of my training during that time and I am still learning each week that passes. I started off really hyped about finally having the means to run regardless of rain, snow or shine. In fact, too hyped was I. I would run everyday. The one thing I did know was to not try and become a marathon runner quickly. I knew it would take time. You see, I purposely don't have a gym membership because I just think I could be more efficient with my time at home with my own equipment. Obviously there are certain advantages to a gym, but that's another post; I REALLY miss cables though :(! Anyway, I still think I probably over trained at first when I first got my mill. I diagnosed myself with a bakers cyst on the back of one knee a few months in to running consistently. Sounds much worse than it is. All it required to heal was rest and rest I gave it and it disappeared and I felt much better. I just dropped the number of miles I would run and started to just run every other day and mix in other cross-training on the days I would not run. To some degree, I was doing that (the cross-training) anyway even though I was running more at first. The other thing I noticed was that I was dropping weight like crazy! My clothes were getting much more loose on me. To some people, that may be a good thing, but for me it was like I was back in high school again with my quest to gain weight rather than look like a bird cage from the waist up. :p Well, I found my healthy balance of running and I am ALMOST getting to the point were I am pretty comfortable with how my body will react to certain distances, time and calories burned. My LOOOOOOOOOONG term goal would certainly be a marathon. Come on. If Oprah ran one, I certainly can do it. I have to get a few 5Ks and half-marathons under my belt before going all out for 26miles though....The other reality is that runners tend to be pretty trim and not in possession of very defined muscle tone. I don't want to be a skeleton. I still would like to maintain an athletic physique, but I have noticed that my strength involved in free weight exercises has not improved. Could be a temporary plateau, but it has been like this for a few months. My max bench was 255 3yrs ago. I know I cannot get that up now. I know, I know. It truly is the tradeoff of running and I suppose I have accepted that and am fine with it, but it is a machismo thing that lingers from undergrad when I would be in the fitness center at WSU talking trash to friends hitting the weights like crazy. Running was NOT in the mix at all. 10min warm up jog was about it for me back in those days. Anyway, I am happy where my fitness level is at this point. It has shifted and I really wish I could mix in two workouts a day, but that would probably lead to me running away from the whole idea of having a job and a family...Uh, not good. :)

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Stupid Concept Vehicle of the Day

Where do I even begin to dissect this trash?! What an insult to airstream. Ford wonders why they have tanked in market share? This ish is bound to cause accidents all over any place the sun decides to warm the earth. The hideous reflective paint is so progressive not really. This thing looks like part airplane, part piece of dung. The only redeeming qualities lie under the hood; it's powered by a plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cell — named HySeries Drive — that operates under electric power and delivers the fuel economy equivalent to 41mpg.

I suppose that can make up for the sins of it's exoskeleton....no it can't. Who am I kidding...Man, if I make it to the auto show this year, I am going to laugh at that trash and head over to Toyota to see how real progressive designers operate.

Oprah's School

I am sure all of you have heard about the school for girls in South Africa that Oprah opened. What's a billionaire to do when the criticisms start falling from the sky? I mean, is a school with great intentions anywhere on earth a bad thing? Mix in extremely disadvantaged (monetarily) kids and we still have a problem? People in that country were complaining because the school's campus is said to resemble a luxury hotel rather than the rundown schools most of the girls know. It contains state-of-the-art classrooms, computer and science labs, a library and theater as well as a wellness center. Grant it, a "wellness center" may be a bit much, but again, when a billionaire like Oprah puts her stamp on something, I am sure she is trying to do it real big. I don't see the problem with this at all....I also read that people in the US were pissed because she did not open something like that school in a hood in Chicago, New York or Detroit. Well, Oprah said that she visited several middle schools in the US and when she asked the kids what they really wanted in life, answers like iPod, Wii, Xbox kind of rubbed her the wrong way. When she asked the same kids in South Africa, they mentioned uniforms and supplies to go to school. I am really disturbed at the mentality of the spoiled and distracted American youth. Consumerism is in full force in this country. Poor people here are rich compared to many parts of the world. Education is but a bother for many children due to a crumbling family structure and "parents" who are more concerned with what they drive and what clothes they have on then if little Juan or Maria has extra homework on the weekend. It's absolute BS. This post is not about me actually agreeing with Oprah's talk show because I think she is all about appealing to middle-aged white women and is not well-respected in the African-American community. I don't care about her show...I just wanted to post about the importance of a school that will impact young lives and don't see the problem in her country of choice and hope the girls who earned their way into this opportunity will make the most of it and make positive contributions to this world and possibly create an opportunity for a future young person.

Empty promises to oneself....

Ah...the start of a new year...In my eyes, the major difference is simply a new paper or virtual calendar. I have been laughing in my mind recently as I have been overhearing conversations at work about the various New Years Resolutions that people have been spewing out of their mouths. "Getting in shape" or "working out more" tend to always come up. Such a tired and abused concept. Really. I was also laughing today as I quickly ran into WF on my lunch hour to buy a few sale items. I drove past two separate gyms and the parking lots were jammed and I am sure were 2X as jammed after work hours. Gyms love a sucker. Several dozen suckers keep the gym lights on and pay for new equipment.

Don't get me wrong, I certainly think the world is a better place with fit and health conscious people, but fast forward to March of this year and I can assure you that the gym parking lots will not look as they look in January. Motivation dwindles. Bad habits die hard. People don't change.

Props to anyone who makes a resolution and keeps it. The way I look at it is that I don't need a New Year to trigger the start of something beneficial in my life that I can make happen. I believe in constant evaluation and immediate change or at least an attempt at anytime throughout the year...Not a complete lowering of your defenses to sit and wait for January 1st. Please!

So, did any of you fall into the New Year Resolution trap?

Bricks and Mortar sucks!

Today was a case of those who would rather buy online, like me and those who have friends or family who would rather drag me to BB and deal with temporary holiday help who just talk out of both sides of their mouths...Sheesh, it was UNBELIEVABLE the number of contradictions uttered by those fools. And of course, we had to go there for the hot ticket category of HDTV. Outside of the Computers area, I am sure HD is the next big thing if not THE biggest area there. I understand the HD technology very well and was in the store for ONE cable..........ONE! Of course, my compatriot opens his mouth to confirm if his setup is correct like I already told him it was before we left his house, but for some reason he asks one of the clowns in the accessories area about how we have things...Blah, blah, blah, I walk over after checking prices on some other items and he says, "Explain the setup to the guy." I tell the story and after it's all said and done, when I had already spotted the 25ft cable we came there for as I walked up to both of them, the BB guy says, "You'll need Monster cable this and that." Correction sir. I would need a loan from my credit union to follow your advice...Idiot. I won't drown you with details on my verbal sparring session with this guy....So, we bounce over to the speakers section and listen to a pretty nice Klipsch set that was purchased soon thereafter. I confirm with the next blue shirt what he has pumping into those things and ask to see all wires so as to not have a secret amp out of sight that makes them sound better than what they are. Fine. This guy was much better than the two tools in the HD area. He pulled the receiver out of the cabinet and showed me everything and we followed the cables to the two speakers. Fine. Well, guess who decides to ask THIS guy about our setup? You guessed it...I finished explaining ish and the guy says, "Oh yeah, I would keep the setup you have." I said, "How interesting that you would contradict the guys in the HD area." He tells me in a low voice, "Those guys are morons. They think everyone comes in with absolutely zero knowledge of technology." Anyway, then it was a nice 35min wait in the line with only 5 people ahead of us when we got there....5 people!! Two did returns and the other three finalized their financing...Man, I wanted to pull my hair out. The only time I can say I ever go into BB is if I get a gift card, I get asked to go or I want to peep something I am going to just get online for much cheaper anyway...Thank God for the Internet! I have a few friends who have been in retail hell before and have told me some stories of the inner workings...BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY comes to mind. It's nice to actually deal with someone who is not a drone when you go to a bricks and mortar store....It's rare, but nice....Customer Service is dead Damas y Caballeros...

Sweet Product-O-The-Day

If you were unlucky enough to snag a Wii this holiday season, how about one of the best boardgames of all time, Monopoly + Nintendo? The game features characters such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, Star Fox, and Wario, and the specialized pewter game pieces include a Donkey Kong barrel, Link's boots, a Hylian Shield, a NES controller, Mario's hat, and a Koopa shell.

This has to be one of the coolest editions I have seen.

It's Merry Christmas to you buddy!

Oh brother......One of those moments in my life that I wish could have just been a blip on the screen...Last week sometime, I was walking down a hallway at work and someone said a few words to strike up some conversation and points and counter-points were made and blah-blah-blah...At the end of our quick conversation, the person says, "If I don't see you, have a Merry Christmas....Oops, I mean Happy Holidays." I said, "Why did you say that?" The person says, "Merry Christmas is not the PC thing to say these days." I said, "I'm not offended by you saying Merry Christmas to me." The person says, "Oh, ok. I just know there are people who work here that don't celebrate Christmas." I said, "Right, but do you really think someone is going to file a complaint against you or something?" The person says, "You never know."

Moron.

I guess that person should have wished me a happy Festivus instead. :p

"Dr. Death"

I forgot to blog about this story last week, but since this picture is absolute money, I decided to post today about the story and the man. You could not believe the airtime that Dr. Jack Kevorkian received locally when he was helping people die in MI. Sheesh. The story obviously grew wings for a national spotlight, but as every story that gains national attention, it's MUCH worse for the citizens near it. Mix in Geoffrey Fieger and you have serious drama. Anyway, I laugh at these fundamentalists who are trying to get their grills in front of the cameras to pop off about how Dr. Death is going to get back into the killing game the second he gets released from jail. The guy's own health is deteriorating rapidly; he's frail and has fallen a few times adding further injury to his person and yet people want to keep him in jail to rot.
Personally, I don't see the issue with Dr. Kevorkian as being a danger to society. People ASKED for his help and if someone was unable to request his help, then those who had legal say in a person's healthcare asked for the help. Explain to me how that is wrong? People say that Kevorkian was sick and twisted and LIKED to kill people. Are those same people saying anything about the hundreds (probably thousands) of doctors who are vacuuming kids out of the uteri of women across the US on a daily basis? Probably not, but when an ADULT asked someone to inject them with a compound that causes them to stop breathing, the person (Kevorkian) pressing the syringe is crazy? I'm not here to say that Assisted Suicide is right or wrong, but I am also not someone who lives every second of their life in excruciating pain and have been unable to get any relief through conventional or homeopathic options.

Let the guy out of jail and worry about bigger issues like a war, education, rising healthcare costs or the US economy. Some people just amaze me.

Carrots+Roids+Botox = Yuck!

Unconditional Love?

Ok. Here's the situation. I recently overheard a conversation when I was somewhere about a person talking about how much they loved pets. The two people talking were fans of dogs very much UNLIKE myself. One person said, "I just love the unconditional love that my dog gives me." The other person says, "I know exactly what you mean. When I come home from work, it's so nice to have my dog get sooo excited to see me." You idiots!! You interpret THAT as love?! Pavlov, anyone? Sheesh, the dog does not "love" you. The dog just knows that you are the person who will feed it, let it outside to fertilize your grass, and walk it whenever you do that sort of thing. Unconditional love with pets and people is a human construct that just sounds nice, but means nothing. Swing for the fences with a golf club on that dogs hind parts or scream at it X number of times and see how its "unconditional love" just happens to change. Many people say babies and children show unconditional love, but again, not true. They lack the understanding on what love is. They just mimic what adults do as far as kissing other people and hugging and things like that.

People claim that caring for a sick loved one is a form of unconditional love, but that's not true. It's most likely the reciprocation of the care and support given by that person before they were sick.

My point is that there are ALWAYS conditions to love. Every time. No question. Thinking otherwise is just avoiding reality or seeing things for truly what they are. Any thoughts?

Top 3

Luxury SUVs.

I am NOT an SUV person at all, BUT if I were, my Top 3 would be the following:

Land Rover Sport ($57,950US)
BMW X5 4.8i ($54,500US)
Porsche Cayenne Turbo S ($111,600US)

Stupid Toys & RUNAWAY

So, on one of my recent travels on the Information Super Highway, I spot one of 2006's featured Christmas toys for the tots out there. I'm not sure if your mind works like mine in that there can be certain triggers (a sight, sound, smell, taste, or phrase) that immediately triggers memories. When I saw this toy, I began to think about the cinematic greatness that was one of the best and by best, I mean worst 80's sci-fi films ever--RUNAWAY. Tom Selleck & Gene Simmons on screen is a dream come true for any self-respecting sci-fi fan!I went to school for and I work in IT and this movie captures the essence of programming like no other film shown to the civilized world. How genius are programmed robots that kill? Deep. I know. Simmons is so evil. Selleck is so frustrated.
The 80's 'stache of Selleck was the great equalizer and made many women's knees quiver....so, I'm told. I never had a 'stache in the 80's....I don't even think I had hair on my legs in the 80's. When this film came out, I was 8. The only reason I happen to see it was either I snuck into the room when my parents were away and switched on HBO or my dad rented the VHS tape and somehow I was able to peep the film; I don't recall my exact method. Either way, you should see this film to see when Hollywood made great and ultra-predictablefilms on a shoe string budget.

In addition to Malta India, Pasta de Guayaba and the One to Grow On PSAs, RUNAWAY made me the man who I am today...........

Corporate Hypocrisy

I've worked at a few places in my life on this earth. I am in no way a "job-jumper" by any stretch of the imagination; not my style. In fact, outside of several jobs I held while an undergrad, I have only been with two companies post BS and MS. Different positions, of course, but two companies and several different management styles and teams. Anyway, today was pretty interesting...Well, not really; it was a typical day in the rat race with a bunch of frightened rats scurrying about as the big cat one of the BIG, BIG bosses came into town. If there is one thing I cannot stand is a person or persons who are scared of another human being for some baseless reason(s). Seriously, I would not care if the CEO of my company came through the door any given day to observe me or talk with me. I have absolutely nothing to hide and treat everyday as IF the big man or woman were going to come in and ask me to justify my paycheck. I mean, come on! There were people today giving an approximation of when this Big Boss was going to arrive and to have everything "looking just right" so as to not piss the Big Boss off. What idiots! Again, if there is nothing to hide, what have you to fear? If you act in a professional manner to your own boss, fellow co-workers or even the janitor, there should be no fear. It was no different when I was at my previous company. A big account manager would come in from out of state to join us for a meeting and everyone was in a moronic frenzy....Unbelievable. There are so many people who take their jobs for granted and cannot justify what they actually do most times that they live in fear. Amazing! My conscious is clear and I welcome the opportunity to talk with anyone of a "position of power" because I operate in a deliberate manner. I wonder if this is just a US thing......

Caption This image of the Day

Land's End

I have an affinity for fashion. Be it the fashion on my person or other persons. It’s certainly not a status thing with me. I could care less if I have an Armani suit on or an outfit from Target; if it looks good, it just looks good. I don't necessarily have an allegiance to certain brands either, but I do have certain expectations if I buy a KCole shirt that it will hold up in terms of quality longer than 2-3 washes or dry cleanings. I like certain places for shoes unless I need sneaks or some other form of workout shoe, but I digress.

A guy at work was telling me about Land's End today. As I said earlier, I have no allegiance to a brand or store. I am pretty confident that I can find at least one item in pretty much any clothing or shoe store and make it work with whatever particular style/look I had in mind. I don't own anything from Land's End. No reason; I just don't. Most clothes and shoes have a really weak guarantee / return policy. Check out the guarantee policy from the Land's End site that this guy told me about:
The world is full of guarantees, no two alike. As a rule, the more words they contain, the more their protection is limited. The Lands' End guarantee has always been an unconditional one. It reads: "If you’re not satisfied with any item, simply return it to us at any time for an exchange or refund of its purchase price."
We mean every word of it. Whatever. Whenever. Always. But to make sure this is perfectly clear, we've decided to simplify it further.
GUARANTEED. PERIOD.®

That is just crazy! I may have to add some Land's End to my fashion options. That guarantee is just too good to pass up.

My Top 3

I will do my best to keep up with this feature on my blog once every two weeks. We'll see how it goes. The premise is that I will provide a list (in no particular order) of My Top 3 anything. By 'anything' I could mean favorite vehicles, food item, shoes, exercises, etc. Essentially, it's the respective category of something that interests me and what I feel to be my top three favorite items at that moment. You can agree or disagree with me or provide your Top 3 or do whatever you see fit. Get it? Got it. Good.

Without further ado, the first entry for my Top 3 will be my Top 3 Reggaeton artists:

1. Daddy Yankee
2. Wisin y Yandel
3. Calle 13