Posts
Most couples would be lucky to make it to a 20th anniversary, and I'm sure many wouldn't know how to celebrate such an occasion. Hell even America hasn't been a country for 250 years. So how is it that Guiness knew exactly what they wanted in order to honor two and half centuries of brewing?
If you haven't tried it, and by this point in time you may not get another opportunity, Guiness 250th Anniversary Stout is gift to me and you. It's the perfect stout, and should be how all other stouts are measured. It blends a smooth flavor and slightly smokey taste with something as smooth as water.
I'm not the best at describing beer flavors and intricacies (working on it), but words probably couldn't do it justice anyway. What you should know is that it is hard to come by in Sacramento, and you should try to find some. If you do find some though, let me know so I can buy a few cases or pallets.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
For You America, I March
I've been politically inspired recently. I've been inspired by the least likely of places to show me inspirations, Iran. I am not in awe of theocracy or outlandish leaders. I am motivated by what the people of Iran have showed us over the past week. They have shown us that people are change, not a President, not any politician; that a government is weak when forced to challenge its own populace.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. Democracy is not shared over the Internet. Democracy is not for one day in November. Democracy is demonstration! Democracy is showing each and every politician; from the smallest town's mayor all the way to the President, the Senate, the Congress, and the Supreme Court that they are accountable to us. They are responsible to we, the citizens of our country. They serve us.
We are greatness! We are strength! We are determination! We are the foundation! We are the continuity between the past and the future!
You can no longer afford to sit down and let a select few shape your future, your children's future, your grand children's future without being heard. Everyday your voice is silenced or twisted or ignored, regardless if your are liberal or conservative. If you think your rights are being protected, you are wrong. Its only the interests of a privileged minority that are being self-served. Your interests are of no consequence to our current politicians in both parties. You are despised by the people you chose to represent you.
Together we need to follow the example of our new friends in Iran. You and I and our families and our neighbors and our friends and our enemies and our coworkers and our soldiers and our volunteers need to march together, side-by-side to remind those with power that their power is minimal. They have no more power than you or I. They are the smallest of minorities. We are the largest of majorities. We control through a resonating voice that speaks louder than any microphone could project, and with more clarity than any television could show.
We demand respect and that our representatives should speak to us and for us. We demand they listen to us rather than following what their own wallets whisper in their ears. We demand higher standards. We demand modesty and humility before us. They will see our numbers. They will see the change that can be forced by hundreds and by thousands and by millions, and they will be left trembling.
Whether you are Democrat or Republican or Libertarian or Communist or Independent, we shall march together. We all have a common interest in being heard by our representatives and show that we are unified Americans who care about our country even if we don't agree on the same policies. I propose that we all march hundreds of thousands strong to our Nations capital, our state capitals, and our city halls and say with a unified voice, "We are many and our voice will be heard!" Join me on Sunday, July 19 as we turn the tables and take back what was given to us by those with the foresight several hundred years ago to see the evils that power creates. We march to remind all the world that America is great because its one nation and it is indivisible.
Will you join me? Will you join us?
July 19 We March!
Democracy is not a spectator sport. Democracy is not shared over the Internet. Democracy is not for one day in November. Democracy is demonstration! Democracy is showing each and every politician; from the smallest town's mayor all the way to the President, the Senate, the Congress, and the Supreme Court that they are accountable to us. They are responsible to we, the citizens of our country. They serve us.
We are greatness! We are strength! We are determination! We are the foundation! We are the continuity between the past and the future!
You can no longer afford to sit down and let a select few shape your future, your children's future, your grand children's future without being heard. Everyday your voice is silenced or twisted or ignored, regardless if your are liberal or conservative. If you think your rights are being protected, you are wrong. Its only the interests of a privileged minority that are being self-served. Your interests are of no consequence to our current politicians in both parties. You are despised by the people you chose to represent you.
Together we need to follow the example of our new friends in Iran. You and I and our families and our neighbors and our friends and our enemies and our coworkers and our soldiers and our volunteers need to march together, side-by-side to remind those with power that their power is minimal. They have no more power than you or I. They are the smallest of minorities. We are the largest of majorities. We control through a resonating voice that speaks louder than any microphone could project, and with more clarity than any television could show.
We demand respect and that our representatives should speak to us and for us. We demand they listen to us rather than following what their own wallets whisper in their ears. We demand higher standards. We demand modesty and humility before us. They will see our numbers. They will see the change that can be forced by hundreds and by thousands and by millions, and they will be left trembling.
Whether you are Democrat or Republican or Libertarian or Communist or Independent, we shall march together. We all have a common interest in being heard by our representatives and show that we are unified Americans who care about our country even if we don't agree on the same policies. I propose that we all march hundreds of thousands strong to our Nations capital, our state capitals, and our city halls and say with a unified voice, "We are many and our voice will be heard!" Join me on Sunday, July 19 as we turn the tables and take back what was given to us by those with the foresight several hundred years ago to see the evils that power creates. We march to remind all the world that America is great because its one nation and it is indivisible.
Will you join me? Will you join us?
July 19 We March!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
3 months???..my how the time flies
Its a wonder what took so long especially with all the material one could write about coming from the government, economy, and general public. There's too many topics worth at least one thousand words, yet so many not worth your time to read.
An example of this is South Korean geneticists creating glow-in-the-dark puppies (Story Link) Sure I could spend the next 2 hours writing about how we're creeping closer to a steep precipice of scientific discovery. I could write about animal cruelty, and how this "success" actually cost two dogs their lives. However, I know that the random person who comes to this blog to read a story about glow-in-the-dark puppies will just think, "Ahhhh...that puppy is so cute!" So instead of thinking of all social ramifications to these experiments, we're left with half the population questioning how much it would cost to get their next dog to act as a roaming night light.
Alright, one more example for your contemplation is this riveting news story about Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switching his stance.
Instead of batting right, looks like he was more of a lefty. (Link for your reference) I know you really don't care about this story for one of two reasons. The first is you probably don't care about politics and the only senator you know of is Palpatine and he caused you to distrust elected policitians and give up on democracy altogether. The second is you probably do care about politics, but you realize that one party controls both the Executive and Legislative branches of our government for the next two years, and Specter only entrenches this structure which leads to excellent one-sided debates about the proper direction of our country. Hurray! Needless to say, I would love to know what kind of kickbacks he's getting from the left side of the aisle.
Let's talk about spring cleaning. How does one accummulate so much crap on a regular basis? Obviously I have been inspired to write about this due to personal circumstances, mostly the move of residence to another, which many people can relate to. Let me list some of the more obscure things that made it into the UHaul only to be placed in a recycle bin, trash can, or the donation door at Goodwill:
-> The packaging boxes for an PS2, Motherboard, Digital Camera, and a few others
-> A Playstation. No, not a PS3 or PS2, a Playstation. Yet I also have the 2 & 3
-> A handheld black-and-white TV
-> Hard-backed posters of all 4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the first movie
-> 6 cans or bottles of tanning and sunblock. Personally ironic to say the least
-> A timing belt for the Toyota Tacoma that I sold almost a year ago
-> At least 50 pounds of cleaning chemicals and automotive chemicals
First, let me say that I am disgusted with myself and ashamed, because of all the waste that I generated. If you want a humbling experience as a consumer make sure you take at least one trip per year to your nearest landfill or garbage transfer station. Its something your kids should experience firsthand so they learn from the previous generations' mistakes.
While at the transfer station I disposed of my chemicals at the proper facility. The look on the employee's face when I handed the tubs of products to her was a direct reflection of the impact that I had created. She was annoyed and upset, and I don't blame her. Normally, this kind of reaction from an employee of any kind of organization would warrant countless complaints and insults from me, all in the comfort of my own car away from the situation. However, this situation was different, because I was being rightly judged for my crimes and hung my head in quiet shame. That's not to say that the employee didn't benefit from the situation. She got a couple of old stools out of the deal for her to sit on while sorting all the chemicals that came from my home. Basically a win-win. She gets comfort, and I get a lesson in managing consumer waste.
So I am asking you Mr. and Ms. American Consumer, please stop the wasteful consumption of products. I'm not asking you to go cold turkey on your addiction. I know I couldn't do it, but lets make it a 12 step process.
I propose Step 1: No more impulse items and grocery store magazines. This is not to say that you shouldn't buy gum, but only do so when you have a predetermined need for it. If you didn't recognize your need for gum or M&Ms before heading to Target, its probably a safe bet you didn't need it when you were placing your items on the checkout stand. Secondly, you don't need to buy tabloids. Aside from the problem that the content does far more damage to society than the actually wasted paper, you can get the same stories online; for FREE! Let's commit to this for 2 months. I'm in. Are you in? Come on, it'll be fun. You'll save money, and you'll feel better about yourself.
What about Steps 2-11? I don't know. I haven't got that far yet. Do you have any suggestions? Add a comment with where we should head in 2 months.
An example of this is South Korean geneticists creating glow-in-the-dark puppies (Story Link) Sure I could spend the next 2 hours writing about how we're creeping closer to a steep precipice of scientific discovery. I could write about animal cruelty, and how this "success" actually cost two dogs their lives. However, I know that the random person who comes to this blog to read a story about glow-in-the-dark puppies will just think, "Ahhhh...that puppy is so cute!" So instead of thinking of all social ramifications to these experiments, we're left with half the population questioning how much it would cost to get their next dog to act as a roaming night light.
Alright, one more example for your contemplation is this riveting news story about Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switching his stance.
Instead of batting right, looks like he was more of a lefty. (Link for your reference) I know you really don't care about this story for one of two reasons. The first is you probably don't care about politics and the only senator you know of is Palpatine and he caused you to distrust elected policitians and give up on democracy altogether. The second is you probably do care about politics, but you realize that one party controls both the Executive and Legislative branches of our government for the next two years, and Specter only entrenches this structure which leads to excellent one-sided debates about the proper direction of our country. Hurray! Needless to say, I would love to know what kind of kickbacks he's getting from the left side of the aisle.
Let's talk about spring cleaning. How does one accummulate so much crap on a regular basis? Obviously I have been inspired to write about this due to personal circumstances, mostly the move of residence to another, which many people can relate to. Let me list some of the more obscure things that made it into the UHaul only to be placed in a recycle bin, trash can, or the donation door at Goodwill:
-> The packaging boxes for an PS2, Motherboard, Digital Camera, and a few others
-> A Playstation. No, not a PS3 or PS2, a Playstation. Yet I also have the 2 & 3
-> A handheld black-and-white TV
-> Hard-backed posters of all 4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the first movie
-> 6 cans or bottles of tanning and sunblock. Personally ironic to say the least
-> A timing belt for the Toyota Tacoma that I sold almost a year ago
-> At least 50 pounds of cleaning chemicals and automotive chemicals
First, let me say that I am disgusted with myself and ashamed, because of all the waste that I generated. If you want a humbling experience as a consumer make sure you take at least one trip per year to your nearest landfill or garbage transfer station. Its something your kids should experience firsthand so they learn from the previous generations' mistakes.
While at the transfer station I disposed of my chemicals at the proper facility. The look on the employee's face when I handed the tubs of products to her was a direct reflection of the impact that I had created. She was annoyed and upset, and I don't blame her. Normally, this kind of reaction from an employee of any kind of organization would warrant countless complaints and insults from me, all in the comfort of my own car away from the situation. However, this situation was different, because I was being rightly judged for my crimes and hung my head in quiet shame. That's not to say that the employee didn't benefit from the situation. She got a couple of old stools out of the deal for her to sit on while sorting all the chemicals that came from my home. Basically a win-win. She gets comfort, and I get a lesson in managing consumer waste.
So I am asking you Mr. and Ms. American Consumer, please stop the wasteful consumption of products. I'm not asking you to go cold turkey on your addiction. I know I couldn't do it, but lets make it a 12 step process.
I propose Step 1: No more impulse items and grocery store magazines. This is not to say that you shouldn't buy gum, but only do so when you have a predetermined need for it. If you didn't recognize your need for gum or M&Ms before heading to Target, its probably a safe bet you didn't need it when you were placing your items on the checkout stand. Secondly, you don't need to buy tabloids. Aside from the problem that the content does far more damage to society than the actually wasted paper, you can get the same stories online; for FREE! Let's commit to this for 2 months. I'm in. Are you in? Come on, it'll be fun. You'll save money, and you'll feel better about yourself.
What about Steps 2-11? I don't know. I haven't got that far yet. Do you have any suggestions? Add a comment with where we should head in 2 months.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A question for you, the reader, with following commentary by me, the writer
Let's say you won the lottery one day, and you were awarded something $25 million in cash. Don't worry about the details like, "I don't play the lottery" or "What about taxes?" or "I don't actually read those Nigerian Lottery emails." Just imagine waking up one day with $25 million in your bank account, and its all yours; with one catch...the money you spend can't be on yourself or for your own benefit.
What would you do with your money?
My answer will follow shortly, but try to think about your response before reading on. I think it will be interesting to see how other people would respond.
A little background before I begin. I grew up in a household that wasn't exactly charitable. My family is generous, but I never knew my relatives to give to organizations needing help. We donated clothes to Goodwill that we outgrew and we dropped change in the Salvation Army pot, but I don't remember anybody making significant cash donations.
Further, we weren't what you would consider religious. I remember attending church services infrequently when I was about 7 or 8 years old, but I think this was a biproduct of living next door on an Air Force base to neighbors who were very Christian. After they moved away, not much happened on the God front. (Keep reading I'll be getting to that point someday.)
In fact, I grew to despise religion in high school and junior college. I was a total atheist and would gladly debate any person who felt they had a smidgen of faith in a higher being, specifically my brother who had recently become Christian after moving to California. It wasn't until I was 25 that I began opening myself up to my previouly fledgling religious roots again. This led me to attend a couple of churches in Sacramento. Both were in desperate need of money, and both couldn't be more deserving of that money.
Answer #1)
If given $25 million the first thing I would do is give money to both churches. I would give money to First Baptist Church of Sacramento because of their positive influence on the downtown community. I would want them to make some needed repairs and upgrades to the church. Plus I think they would know of a few families that could use a pick me up. I would also by the land and building for the Touchstone Christian Fellowship. I think that would cover about a cool $7 million.
So next up, I would purchase homes for my family. I know my Grandmother and Aunt could use their own space. I'd also like to give my brother and sister-in-law a home so they could be near family. My father could also use an upgrade to his living situation.
Speaking of my father I would love to let him retire. That guy gave so much to my brother and me growing up, and he sacrificed a lot. He deserves to take it easy. Plus I might buy him a liposuction (Dad if you ever read this, I'm just kidding. I would much rather hire you an attractive personal trainer).
My mother-in-law would get a new home too, and I'd put some money in a fund for her to travel once my sister-in-law graduates from high school.
My friends deserve a lot too. They've stuck by me during the good times and the bad times. You all get new homes in a master-planned community that allows you to go to party it up with each other all the time. I'd also pay for my friends to finish school and take time away from work to do so.
That's a lot of money for homes and such, so I think I'm up to like another $6 million. Now only $12 million more to spend.
I would give all the remaining money to Parkinsons research. Seeing the impact that Parkinsons has on my grandfather, I feel like this money would be well spent giving people with this disease a second-chance. I would do so, even if I developed Parkinsons and could not benefit from the cure.
So you can see where my life has influenced my answer to the question that was asked. Did your answer follow the same methodology?
I'm really interested to read your response, as I'm sure other people are, to see what you would spend your money on. The more detailed you are the better.
What would you do with your money?
My answer will follow shortly, but try to think about your response before reading on. I think it will be interesting to see how other people would respond.
A little background before I begin. I grew up in a household that wasn't exactly charitable. My family is generous, but I never knew my relatives to give to organizations needing help. We donated clothes to Goodwill that we outgrew and we dropped change in the Salvation Army pot, but I don't remember anybody making significant cash donations.
Further, we weren't what you would consider religious. I remember attending church services infrequently when I was about 7 or 8 years old, but I think this was a biproduct of living next door on an Air Force base to neighbors who were very Christian. After they moved away, not much happened on the God front. (Keep reading I'll be getting to that point someday.)
In fact, I grew to despise religion in high school and junior college. I was a total atheist and would gladly debate any person who felt they had a smidgen of faith in a higher being, specifically my brother who had recently become Christian after moving to California. It wasn't until I was 25 that I began opening myself up to my previouly fledgling religious roots again. This led me to attend a couple of churches in Sacramento. Both were in desperate need of money, and both couldn't be more deserving of that money.
Answer #1)
If given $25 million the first thing I would do is give money to both churches. I would give money to First Baptist Church of Sacramento because of their positive influence on the downtown community. I would want them to make some needed repairs and upgrades to the church. Plus I think they would know of a few families that could use a pick me up. I would also by the land and building for the Touchstone Christian Fellowship. I think that would cover about a cool $7 million.
So next up, I would purchase homes for my family. I know my Grandmother and Aunt could use their own space. I'd also like to give my brother and sister-in-law a home so they could be near family. My father could also use an upgrade to his living situation.
Speaking of my father I would love to let him retire. That guy gave so much to my brother and me growing up, and he sacrificed a lot. He deserves to take it easy. Plus I might buy him a liposuction (Dad if you ever read this, I'm just kidding. I would much rather hire you an attractive personal trainer).
My mother-in-law would get a new home too, and I'd put some money in a fund for her to travel once my sister-in-law graduates from high school.
My friends deserve a lot too. They've stuck by me during the good times and the bad times. You all get new homes in a master-planned community that allows you to go to party it up with each other all the time. I'd also pay for my friends to finish school and take time away from work to do so.
That's a lot of money for homes and such, so I think I'm up to like another $6 million. Now only $12 million more to spend.
I would give all the remaining money to Parkinsons research. Seeing the impact that Parkinsons has on my grandfather, I feel like this money would be well spent giving people with this disease a second-chance. I would do so, even if I developed Parkinsons and could not benefit from the cure.
So you can see where my life has influenced my answer to the question that was asked. Did your answer follow the same methodology?
I'm really interested to read your response, as I'm sure other people are, to see what you would spend your money on. The more detailed you are the better.
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