2010 will be a year of insane change in the media world. If you're reading this in the greater Twin Cities area I'll venture out on a limb here and say that the once-venerable Star-Tribune will suffer more than it did in the previous year. There will be a few more layoffs but the big news will be the sale of their print operations. Yes, there will still be a printed newspaper but they will be able to save a few bucks by outsourcing their printing. Look for Media News Group/Pioneer Press, Gannett or - and this one is a longshot - Forum Communications to further consolidate and shuffle operations to absorb the printing of the Star-Tribune.
Even with the glut of changes I see ahead in 2010 this one will be the biggest. It will also mark the beginning of the rise of smaller operators with little to no debt load cautiously taking on larger ventures and finding success. They are used to operating with almost microscopic staffing and making relative miracles happen so this sort of change is a logical happening.
Being a bit of a media junkie, I also see a bunch of other changes including further gutting of Clear Channel radio stations (locally Kool 108, K102, KDWB, Cities 97, KTLK, KFAN and The Score 690) and maybe even an outright sale because, as things are now, they are on the brink of bankruptcy and are one of those companies who are too large to survive as opposed to banks who were billed as too large to fail. But if Clear Channel sells some, plenty or all of its radio stations who's buying? Radio does still work but it needs an immense rethinking to survive. Of course AM radio was written off a couple decades back but it survives today with sports and political talk so radio's future may not be so bleak after all. Their biggest problem is debt. Buyers need to remember they are buying some equipment, an antenna and a license - the revenue is not part of the package.
One last local media change is a certain bastard TV station being sold or vanishing all together. Really, how many people watch WUCW (CW-23)? Outside of a few thousand people watching their 2-hour primetime network offerings, the station's programming is garbage and based on their advertisers I fail to see how they can pay any sort of staff. I realize that any money is better than none but I think that there will be some sort of consolidation here. Shuttering the WB & UPN and rolling them together was the dumbest idea since New Coke because the sum of two zeroes is still zero which is a close approximation to how many viewers the CW has. Now the "network" isn't a complete loss - they occasionally beat "The Jay Leno Show" in the ratings so why wouldn't some other network see some value in a few of the shows the network broadcasts and offer to buy the network at a fire sale price (which I'm sure would work) and use the better programs to beef up their own schedule? Even less-than-stellar new scripted episodes are better than repeats and America is slowly catching on to the fact that nearly everything that could be done in the reality arena has been done.
If even one of these predictions comes true I'll be shocked - and scared. What do you see on the horizon? Is it the grim reaper or the angel of hope? Or is it finally success for MinnPics? Let's hope for the latter because I'd like that one.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Be thankful for the end of the year
This time of year is the time when we pause to give thanks. Often times with the hectic pace of our daily lives we take what we have for granted and the ever-extending Christmas shopping season doesn't do much to aid us in appreciating what we have. Instead, we are fixated on what we want/"need" but that rabid consumerism is what makes the world go round and what lines my pockets so who am I to complain?
Instead, I have actually taken time to think about what we have and how lucky we are to have the things we need. This is especially important given the events of yesterday but we've always had a certain amount of luck on our side.
To illustrate that luck, here are some examples. When my old lady was pregnant we were told that the level of fluid in our daughter's kidneys was low (or high, I don't even remember now) and that we needed to head to the Mayo Clinic for a more involved ultrasound. As I assumed, it was just overly cautious medicine at work and nothing was wrong. Another fine example was my old lady falling in to a job just after graduating college. Sure, it has absolutely nothing to do with her degree but it has provided for her and us and her boss greatly appreciates her work. It's more than many people can say.
But back to appreciating what we have. We are both gainfully employed. Sure, I've suffered a setback or two in the past year or so and my old lady is facing some uncertainties but we're proactive and we've survived. We have made it through another year and while every day has had some sort of challenge lurking around the corner we've paid most of our bills, done some small improvements around the homestead and even managed to buy a new ride so we can more easily wrangle the toddler in and out of the back seat. I have long been anti-SUV but this is a crossover so don't call me a hypocrite.
We know that things are looking up. Every job seems to be facing a certain amount of uncertainty but if you add value to what you do by doing more and teaching yourself valuable lessons and skills that can bring more to your duties then you are being proactive and that alone should give you a certain amount of comfort. So, in the final days of the year, pause for a moment and take stock. Be thankful if you have a roof over your head, warm clothes and a full stomach. And now for the part that makes me a hypocrite, be thankful if you have a job that pays your bills. Be thankful for family and friends and be thankful that this sappiness is done.
And don't forget to show some appreciation for the gift that is MinnPics. I do the work to find you amazing photos from across Minnesota and all you ahve to do is pause to look at them. What a deal!
Instead, I have actually taken time to think about what we have and how lucky we are to have the things we need. This is especially important given the events of yesterday but we've always had a certain amount of luck on our side.
To illustrate that luck, here are some examples. When my old lady was pregnant we were told that the level of fluid in our daughter's kidneys was low (or high, I don't even remember now) and that we needed to head to the Mayo Clinic for a more involved ultrasound. As I assumed, it was just overly cautious medicine at work and nothing was wrong. Another fine example was my old lady falling in to a job just after graduating college. Sure, it has absolutely nothing to do with her degree but it has provided for her and us and her boss greatly appreciates her work. It's more than many people can say.
But back to appreciating what we have. We are both gainfully employed. Sure, I've suffered a setback or two in the past year or so and my old lady is facing some uncertainties but we're proactive and we've survived. We have made it through another year and while every day has had some sort of challenge lurking around the corner we've paid most of our bills, done some small improvements around the homestead and even managed to buy a new ride so we can more easily wrangle the toddler in and out of the back seat. I have long been anti-SUV but this is a crossover so don't call me a hypocrite.
We know that things are looking up. Every job seems to be facing a certain amount of uncertainty but if you add value to what you do by doing more and teaching yourself valuable lessons and skills that can bring more to your duties then you are being proactive and that alone should give you a certain amount of comfort. So, in the final days of the year, pause for a moment and take stock. Be thankful if you have a roof over your head, warm clothes and a full stomach. And now for the part that makes me a hypocrite, be thankful if you have a job that pays your bills. Be thankful for family and friends and be thankful that this sappiness is done.
And don't forget to show some appreciation for the gift that is MinnPics. I do the work to find you amazing photos from across Minnesota and all you ahve to do is pause to look at them. What a deal!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
A Christmas Eve McMeal
Hot damn, I made it through Christmas. Actually it was Christmas Eve that had more stress to it than the rest of the weekend put together. After a crazy dream concerning current happenings at my job in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve that left me mainly sleepless for my half-day of work, I knew that Christmas Eve would be the toughest day of the long weekend.
Factor in that the day began with having to shovel my 120 foot-long driveway so I could get to my office and it was beginning to slide down. Toss in having to scoop out what the snow plow left at the end of my driveway, shuffling vehicles in and out of the garage and a 50 minute commute and that day just kept getting better.
Once at work it was almost relaxing. A mostly-empty office and some note-comparing about Christmas plans and the two hours actually flew by as I tied up loose ends while my old lady and the toddler wrapped up some grocery shopping around the south metro and I waited for them to return to pick me up.
The biggest highlight was the toddler's very first McDonald's Happy Meal. She, of course, was giggly as hell which got her plenty of attention with one McWorker asking if that was her Christmas smile. I replied that it was simply her everyday smile and her Christmas smile would freeze people's faces it's so cute. Yep, the little lady thoroughly enjoyed her very first cheeseburger and I hope that this doesn't become a regular occurrence because I don't want to be the parent to some fat, lazy McKid.
On the flip side, I just spent quite a chunk of time updating MinnPics with photos of Minnesota's Christmas "blizzard" so go check 'em out.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Christmas cancelled due to snowmageddon
Click to make the snowfall map bigger but the snowphoon, snowmageddon, jesusblizzard, snownami, snownado, hohosnow or whatever else people are tagging it as on Twitter is apparently coming just in time to fuck up your Christmas plans from Wisconsin west through the Dakotas. Of particular interest is Minnesota because that's where I live and even though I have to travel the whopping sum of ten miles on Christmas day I still have to make it in to my office tomorrow (Christmas Eve) and do what amounts to a ton of shopping - even if the Target in Brainerd is out of milk.
Supposedly I'll be shoveling 15-20 inches out here in the southwest Twin Cities but, like every other forecasted storm, I'll believe it when I'm shoveling my driveway and die of a massive heart attack from heaving piles of heavy, wet snow over the already too-tall piles lining my driveway and sidewalks.
Call it stubbornness but I have no desire to own a snowblower. Those things are like the anti-snow - a lot like owning a snowmobile and unlike a snowblower, my snow shovel has never had any issues starting in cold weather. Owning a snowblower pretty much insures that it won't snow and while for plenty that would be pretty awesome I like to see snow falling. Hey, if it's going to be ass-freezing cold it might as well snow to complete the winter experience because it is Minnesota after all.
So when you're housebound for the next few days under a thick blanket of snow, check out the year-end retrospective at MinnPics. The best of the best of 2009 in photographs.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Songs of the year - part two
Yesterday I rattled off a few of the best songs of 2009 in video form - a sort of doudle-edged sword of success for a musician. Today I'll wrap things up with a few more songs that were huge and songs that should have been epic.
Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
Sure, KOL made it huge with mainstream success this year for "Use Somebody" but anyone who follows the roots of their music in the alternative scene would tell you that these southern boys are definitely not newcomers. I remember hearing them locally with "The Bucket" about four or five years ago. Sex on Fire, while it dind't achieve even a shred of pop success this year was most definitely a hit in certain corners during the summer of 2008 and I think that, based on this year's pop success, KOL can again hit it big if "Sex on Fire" is re-released. It deserves to be the soundtrack to half-naked people on beaches everywhere.
Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
Who? Ida Maria could very well fall in to the one-hit-wonder chasm but this song is catchy as hell and the accompanying video is compelling simply because it's different. The lyrics, while simple, are certainly not throw-away crap like for too many songs released this year but the straigh-forward approach of them makes the song that much more appealing. The lyrics can only be interpreted one way.
Airborne Toxic Event - Wishing Well
The instrumental opening of nearly a minute long is so epic that it's hard not to be a fan of this song. The style that the video is edited feels fast, jittery and choppy and matches the underlying, steady kick drum beat that's present throughout the four minutes of the song. In short, even though this is a fan-produced video, it's as good as many bands turn out.
I think I'll stop here but I could go on forever. Sure, this year wasn't as ripe with favorites to me as years past but it's been a blast putting this together. And for the five or six people reading this, I'm toying around with a video site dedicated to Minnesota music - both from here and appearing here - check back from time to time to see if it happens.
But don't forget about MinnPics - it's like a reliable old friend if that friend captured kick ass photographic moments across Minnesota to share with the world.
Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
Sure, KOL made it huge with mainstream success this year for "Use Somebody" but anyone who follows the roots of their music in the alternative scene would tell you that these southern boys are definitely not newcomers. I remember hearing them locally with "The Bucket" about four or five years ago. Sex on Fire, while it dind't achieve even a shred of pop success this year was most definitely a hit in certain corners during the summer of 2008 and I think that, based on this year's pop success, KOL can again hit it big if "Sex on Fire" is re-released. It deserves to be the soundtrack to half-naked people on beaches everywhere.
Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
Who? Ida Maria could very well fall in to the one-hit-wonder chasm but this song is catchy as hell and the accompanying video is compelling simply because it's different. The lyrics, while simple, are certainly not throw-away crap like for too many songs released this year but the straigh-forward approach of them makes the song that much more appealing. The lyrics can only be interpreted one way.
Airborne Toxic Event - Wishing Well
The instrumental opening of nearly a minute long is so epic that it's hard not to be a fan of this song. The style that the video is edited feels fast, jittery and choppy and matches the underlying, steady kick drum beat that's present throughout the four minutes of the song. In short, even though this is a fan-produced video, it's as good as many bands turn out.
I think I'll stop here but I could go on forever. Sure, this year wasn't as ripe with favorites to me as years past but it's been a blast putting this together. And for the five or six people reading this, I'm toying around with a video site dedicated to Minnesota music - both from here and appearing here - check back from time to time to see if it happens.
But don't forget about MinnPics - it's like a reliable old friend if that friend captured kick ass photographic moments across Minnesota to share with the world.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Songs of the year
Everyone and their mother seems to be releasing rather pointless and tired year-end or decade's-end lists ranging from sports moments to fails. But this one is different. This one was created by me...
Without further ado, 2009's songs of the year - in video format because I hear that video is catching on.
Phoenix - 1901
I had never heard of Phoenix until they were the featured musical act on an SNL episode early in the year. I was happy I was watching SNL because they were the only bright spot in that wretched Seth Rogen episode.
Metric - Help, I'm Alive
I had heard so much of this band as 2009 came into being and I simply fell in love with this song. Metric, hailing from Canada, makes exquisite poppy tunes and I think that they have even more mass appeal being a female-fronted band. The vocals of Emily Haines are mind blowing in my opinion. Sadly, no ture official video exists outside of this short film produced for the song.
The band's latest song, "Sick Muse", is equally as satisfying both aurally and visually. It already stands an excellent chance of making my list for 2010.
Green Day - 21 Guns
Green Day, after their "American Idiot" album, found themselves all grown up. They wrote more melodic music and while they still appeal greatly to teens their music is more all-encompassing. "21st Century Breakdown" isn't chock full of hits in my book but it's hard to be fair when "American Idiot" had a hit in nearly every track. The music of "21st Century Breakdown" has far less of an obvious political message and stance but is far more powerful. "21 Guns" is the purest definition of power pop that I heard all year long.
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
It took me all year to warm up to Lady Gaga. Her first single, "Just Dance", was just annoying. The more I heard it the more I hated it. But then came "Poker Face". I was becoming a fan of Gaga. When "Paparazzi" hit the airwaves I was indifferent - until the MTV VMA performance. She is a true talent when it comes to her live performances - they aren't just music, they are art and that's what her persona as Lady Gaga is. The first time I saw the video for "Bad Romance", off her "Fame Monster" disc, I loved it. It was a turn in a new direction for me because rarely do I like a pop song on the first listen. I predicted on Twitter that by Thanksgiving week it would be played 80 times/week locally on KDWB - that prediction was off by about two or three weeks but this song is huge and amazing in so many ways - plus it sounds great at any volume.
Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind
No, it's not so much Jigga-man's rapping that sold me on this song being one of the year's best, it's his decision to team up with Alicia Keys who makes playing the piano cool. This song and its accompanying video almost make me want to live in NYC.
Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For
This is another example of power pop - the only difference is that this song deserved so much more exposure than it received. Carolina Liar is a fairly straight-forward rock band that wrote a ballad of sorts that seemed custom-tailored for touching TV montages and commercials. I know that at one point SoapNet used it but these guys deserve so much more.
In the interest of keeping this as succinct as possible, I'm breaking this in to a two-parter. Check back tomorrow for the reast of my humble list and don't forget to spend a few more minutes of your time at MinnPics because who doesn't like photos?!?
Without further ado, 2009's songs of the year - in video format because I hear that video is catching on.
Phoenix - 1901
I had never heard of Phoenix until they were the featured musical act on an SNL episode early in the year. I was happy I was watching SNL because they were the only bright spot in that wretched Seth Rogen episode.
Metric - Help, I'm Alive
I had heard so much of this band as 2009 came into being and I simply fell in love with this song. Metric, hailing from Canada, makes exquisite poppy tunes and I think that they have even more mass appeal being a female-fronted band. The vocals of Emily Haines are mind blowing in my opinion. Sadly, no ture official video exists outside of this short film produced for the song.
The band's latest song, "Sick Muse", is equally as satisfying both aurally and visually. It already stands an excellent chance of making my list for 2010.
Green Day - 21 Guns
Green Day, after their "American Idiot" album, found themselves all grown up. They wrote more melodic music and while they still appeal greatly to teens their music is more all-encompassing. "21st Century Breakdown" isn't chock full of hits in my book but it's hard to be fair when "American Idiot" had a hit in nearly every track. The music of "21st Century Breakdown" has far less of an obvious political message and stance but is far more powerful. "21 Guns" is the purest definition of power pop that I heard all year long.
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
It took me all year to warm up to Lady Gaga. Her first single, "Just Dance", was just annoying. The more I heard it the more I hated it. But then came "Poker Face". I was becoming a fan of Gaga. When "Paparazzi" hit the airwaves I was indifferent - until the MTV VMA performance. She is a true talent when it comes to her live performances - they aren't just music, they are art and that's what her persona as Lady Gaga is. The first time I saw the video for "Bad Romance", off her "Fame Monster" disc, I loved it. It was a turn in a new direction for me because rarely do I like a pop song on the first listen. I predicted on Twitter that by Thanksgiving week it would be played 80 times/week locally on KDWB - that prediction was off by about two or three weeks but this song is huge and amazing in so many ways - plus it sounds great at any volume.
Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind
No, it's not so much Jigga-man's rapping that sold me on this song being one of the year's best, it's his decision to team up with Alicia Keys who makes playing the piano cool. This song and its accompanying video almost make me want to live in NYC.
Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For
This is another example of power pop - the only difference is that this song deserved so much more exposure than it received. Carolina Liar is a fairly straight-forward rock band that wrote a ballad of sorts that seemed custom-tailored for touching TV montages and commercials. I know that at one point SoapNet used it but these guys deserve so much more.
In the interest of keeping this as succinct as possible, I'm breaking this in to a two-parter. Check back tomorrow for the reast of my humble list and don't forget to spend a few more minutes of your time at MinnPics because who doesn't like photos?!?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
$854 Million?!?
It's old news that the Minnesota Vikings want a new stadium. It's also old news that the Metrodome - where the Vikings currently play - is stale and outdated. So it makes sense that with a somewhat useable building already in place the Vikes make use of the Dome. But the newest plan, costing $854 million, is downright nauseating.
At least this newest stadium proposal makes use of the current Metrodome site in eastern downtown Minneapolis but that price tag is hard to fathom. That number alone is close to what the current budget deficit is for the state of Minnesota and the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission wants to erect a building with that sort of price tag. That is what's wrong with professional sports.
Now I don't expect the Vikings to play on a glorified high school football field complete with portable metal bleachers but let's get real here. The Metrodome cost a mere $68 million to build in the early 1980s and to expect tax payers to foot the bill for a stadium costing around 15 times as much as the one currently occupying the space doesn't add up. Have your wages increased 15-fold in the past 28 years? Has the minimum wage increased at that same rate in the past 28 years?
Maybe the Vikings need to take a different approach here. If the Vikings are such a Minnesota treasure that we couldn't bear to go on with our lives without them in Minnesota than maybe it's time for the Vikings to become a publicly owned and traded company. Take the model used in Green Bay by the Packers and use it here. The fans there own the team. The stadium underwent a massive overhaul recently and they play in a historical venue. Maybe now is the time to make that change and allow those with the interest and passion for the team to foot the bill for their stadium. Maybe even some sort of reverse revenue sharing. Maybe Zygi Wilf could still somehow maintain a majority share of ownership and make his dream of developing all around a Vikings stadium a reality. Maybe it would actually work or maybe my idea is so off base that I should be locked away forever. Thoughts?
Or maybe you should just head over to MinnPics as I begin looking back on the year that was.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Do you get personal at the office?
Here's a serious question. What kind of value, outside of your described duties, do you add to your job? If you are an administrative assistant have you stepped up and taken on additional duties - without being asked - such as shoveling the sidewalk in front of your office? What as the reaction of others at your office?
I ask because in times like these when we're all supposed to just be happy we have a job it seems that behavior is scrutinized - perhaps too much in some instances. For some it is a privacy issue with a work computer or work phone, for others it is internet usage on company time. But what about some fuzzy lines we all encounter? It's nearly impossible to schedule a doctor's appointment on your own time because a doctor, or some reason, has the same office hours as the rest of the universe. So it essentially boils down to taking care of something personal on company time. But does it effect your performance? I remember one episode of "The Office" when Jim called out Dwight as being hypocritical about the whole personal business/company time conundrum. Try it for a day - see if you can go an entire day without doing anything deemed as personal on company time. Then see if you were any more productive than you usually are.
I would venture a guess that you end your day without personal tasks feeling more exhausted. But you also end it having done about the same amount of work, if not less, than you would accomplish with taking some personal time during the course of your work day. Whether you check your personal web e-mail on your office computer, update your Facebook status or blog for a few minutes it gives you a break - outside of your normal break time(s) - from the daily grind and you are more refreshed and focused.
So, what has the situation been? Do you take personal breaks for those little tasks?
Or do you hop on over to MinnPics to see what kind of photographic gems I've dug up?
Friday, December 11, 2009
Shopping and the weather in Minnesota
Sadly, my weekend plans involve shopping at some point. And by shopping, I mean sitting in the car while my old lady meanders through a variety of stores that hold absolutely no interest to yours truly. I don't mind shopping - if I'm by myself but if it's my old lady stopping every twelve feet to him and haw over something that's the polar opposite of what we set out to purchase - then we have a problem.
As of this past week, the weather, too, threw a bit of a wrench in to the relative ease of shopping. It's to be expected, each year the sudden change (read: snow) in the weather catches us off guard. I was hoping to push through to late January with a snowless winter so I wouldn't have to buy new tires for the car I inherited from my old lady. That didn't pan out with the somewhat unexpected showfall that blanketed the state earlier this week. With that came cold weather. Weather cold enough that stepping outside and trudging through a packed parking lot while dodging inconsiderate assholes who can't even be troubled to crane their necks backward before backing out of their parking spot at Mach 5 speed is a pain to say the least.
Factor in me pushing a stroller complete with a little girl who's still screaming because she is paying me back for strapping her in to her car seat through those earlier-mentioned parking lots which I forgot to mention are half-plowed at best and you can see why I have opted more and more to, like my dad, sit in the car while either waiting impatiently and scanning the radio dial or napping. More and more in this area I am turning in to my dad - bushy gray sideburns and bi-focals can't be far off now.
But what really chaps my ass is the fact that the closest reprieve from this fabulous, toe-numbing weather is about four months off. Throw in the forecast that I noticed for Saturday and
you have a recipe rife for my head blowing completely off. See that shit?!? A LOW of 15 degrees - not entirely intolerable as I'm beginning to adjust to having permanently cold feet but that precipitation - a WINTRY MIX. How is that even possible? It's going to be a whopping fifteen degrees. That's an entire 17 degrees below freezing. A wintry mix? What? That's the kind of crap that makes me want to move to either Arizona or Canada. On one hand, you'd never have to deal with that crap - on the other hand the drivers in Canadia are so used to it that it wouldn't even phase them. But in the end I'll stick it out because I really don't plan on pushing a stroller through an asshole-filled parking lot anytime soon and with my new tires getting to work suddenly got a bit easier.
Now if only we can dodge that chance of a wintry mix on Saturday night. Oh, did I mention that it's a whoppingly-huge 20% chance? Which means that there's an 80% chance it WON'T happen? Why even mention it? Hell, on any given day there's a 20% chance I'll accidentally put on my old lady's panties while getting dressed but I don't post that prediction on a website - well until now.
Rather than complain about the weather constantly, I also, at time, revel in it. Check out the latest photos of Minnesota at MinnPics.
As of this past week, the weather, too, threw a bit of a wrench in to the relative ease of shopping. It's to be expected, each year the sudden change (read: snow) in the weather catches us off guard. I was hoping to push through to late January with a snowless winter so I wouldn't have to buy new tires for the car I inherited from my old lady. That didn't pan out with the somewhat unexpected showfall that blanketed the state earlier this week. With that came cold weather. Weather cold enough that stepping outside and trudging through a packed parking lot while dodging inconsiderate assholes who can't even be troubled to crane their necks backward before backing out of their parking spot at Mach 5 speed is a pain to say the least.
Factor in me pushing a stroller complete with a little girl who's still screaming because she is paying me back for strapping her in to her car seat through those earlier-mentioned parking lots which I forgot to mention are half-plowed at best and you can see why I have opted more and more to, like my dad, sit in the car while either waiting impatiently and scanning the radio dial or napping. More and more in this area I am turning in to my dad - bushy gray sideburns and bi-focals can't be far off now.
But what really chaps my ass is the fact that the closest reprieve from this fabulous, toe-numbing weather is about four months off. Throw in the forecast that I noticed for Saturday and
you have a recipe rife for my head blowing completely off. See that shit?!? A LOW of 15 degrees - not entirely intolerable as I'm beginning to adjust to having permanently cold feet but that precipitation - a WINTRY MIX. How is that even possible? It's going to be a whopping fifteen degrees. That's an entire 17 degrees below freezing. A wintry mix? What? That's the kind of crap that makes me want to move to either Arizona or Canada. On one hand, you'd never have to deal with that crap - on the other hand the drivers in Canadia are so used to it that it wouldn't even phase them. But in the end I'll stick it out because I really don't plan on pushing a stroller through an asshole-filled parking lot anytime soon and with my new tires getting to work suddenly got a bit easier.Now if only we can dodge that chance of a wintry mix on Saturday night. Oh, did I mention that it's a whoppingly-huge 20% chance? Which means that there's an 80% chance it WON'T happen? Why even mention it? Hell, on any given day there's a 20% chance I'll accidentally put on my old lady's panties while getting dressed but I don't post that prediction on a website - well until now.
Rather than complain about the weather constantly, I also, at time, revel in it. Check out the latest photos of Minnesota at MinnPics.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
I watch too much TV
Momentum. It's all about forward progress, right? Well, what happens when you break that momentum?
The best people to ask would be the television executives of America. In some of my daily reading I do to prep for my TV blog I came across the story about "Fringe" on Fox airing its final episode of the year tonight. The show will then return January 14 for four episodes then go on hiatus again until April 1. Factor in, too, that "Fringe" took a three or so week break back in October for baseball coverage and that adds up to three rather lengthy hiatus periods.
The model of stretching 20-24 episodes from mid-September to mid-May doesn't work. My math says that adds up to about 36-37 weeks of the calendar year - leaving 12-17 weeks open. At the large end of that spectrum, that leaves enough weeks to air a full (but somewhat short) season of a second entirely different series. Sure, it would cost a fair amount of money to do so but wouldn't well-written, well-acted, original (and hopefully scripted) programming play out better than repeats and wouldn't airing all of the episodes of any given show in succession better satisfy fans and lead to a more intense fan base?
While "Lost" on ABC may not be the best example, the producers and executives finally figured out that a somewhat shorter season and a definitive endpoint to the series would satisfy fans and only serve to intensify the fandom of the series. "Lost" airs its episodes in succession without repeats or breaks and it works because it builds momentum and excitement. Viewers and their short attention spans don't forget about the plot because the show airs every week at the same time with no breaks for viewers to forget the plot. It also frees up half of the year in that particular timeslot for ABC to air other programming. It allows ABC to experiment to a certain degree with what may or may not work in terms of programming and scheduling. It's partly the reason why ABC has experienced a rebirth of sorts in the past decade.
The exact opposite reason is why NBC has fallen deep in to the shitter. They routinely have shows on hiatus for weeks at time - and viewers not only forget the storyline of the show but also forget that it even exists. That forgetfulness shows, too. The only shows I religiously tune in to on NBC are their Thursday comedies. They've improved this year over last year and it's become appointment viewing for me. But that's the exception for me.
I prefer the continuous scheduling model but I'm curious what others think. Do you care or have you given up and switched what TV watching you do to cable channels?
If you want visual stimulation, check out the killer photos of Minnesota on MinnPics.
The best people to ask would be the television executives of America. In some of my daily reading I do to prep for my TV blog I came across the story about "Fringe" on Fox airing its final episode of the year tonight. The show will then return January 14 for four episodes then go on hiatus again until April 1. Factor in, too, that "Fringe" took a three or so week break back in October for baseball coverage and that adds up to three rather lengthy hiatus periods.
The model of stretching 20-24 episodes from mid-September to mid-May doesn't work. My math says that adds up to about 36-37 weeks of the calendar year - leaving 12-17 weeks open. At the large end of that spectrum, that leaves enough weeks to air a full (but somewhat short) season of a second entirely different series. Sure, it would cost a fair amount of money to do so but wouldn't well-written, well-acted, original (and hopefully scripted) programming play out better than repeats and wouldn't airing all of the episodes of any given show in succession better satisfy fans and lead to a more intense fan base?
While "Lost" on ABC may not be the best example, the producers and executives finally figured out that a somewhat shorter season and a definitive endpoint to the series would satisfy fans and only serve to intensify the fandom of the series. "Lost" airs its episodes in succession without repeats or breaks and it works because it builds momentum and excitement. Viewers and their short attention spans don't forget about the plot because the show airs every week at the same time with no breaks for viewers to forget the plot. It also frees up half of the year in that particular timeslot for ABC to air other programming. It allows ABC to experiment to a certain degree with what may or may not work in terms of programming and scheduling. It's partly the reason why ABC has experienced a rebirth of sorts in the past decade.
The exact opposite reason is why NBC has fallen deep in to the shitter. They routinely have shows on hiatus for weeks at time - and viewers not only forget the storyline of the show but also forget that it even exists. That forgetfulness shows, too. The only shows I religiously tune in to on NBC are their Thursday comedies. They've improved this year over last year and it's become appointment viewing for me. But that's the exception for me.
I prefer the continuous scheduling model but I'm curious what others think. Do you care or have you given up and switched what TV watching you do to cable channels?
If you want visual stimulation, check out the killer photos of Minnesota on MinnPics.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
It cures heartburn or ass pain?
Last night I saw a commercial for a poorly named product. It was called Aciphex. Say that in your head a couple times then say it aloud. Aciphex. Now think to yourself what this product would be used for.
My question to marketers is this: When you develop a name for a product, do you do some research about how people perceive the potential name(s) of said product?
Of course, my immediate reaction to the product Aciphex was boisterous laughter. It sounded too much like "Asseffects" to me from the living room-adjacent dining room and that is not good marketing but it's good for a laugh.
See how one could become confused with an utterly ridiculous product name like Aciphex (Asseffects)? My suggestion for anyone - cottage industries to Fortune 500 conglomerates - is to rigorously evaluate product names with a wide swath of the population because based on the YouTube comments for this commercial I am definitely not alone in finding the name both hilarious and tragic. Sure, when it's neatly spelled out it becomes clear that Aciphex is for relief of acid reflux or indigestion but when the name is just spoken it sounds like just another solution for ass-related problems.
And if you like bad products - check out some of my own real-life variations from last year.
Yep, while things here take a dive towards juvenile humor, MinnPics keeps it classy with a wide variety of Minnesota photos updated daily - check it out now!
My question to marketers is this: When you develop a name for a product, do you do some research about how people perceive the potential name(s) of said product?
Of course, my immediate reaction to the product Aciphex was boisterous laughter. It sounded too much like "Asseffects" to me from the living room-adjacent dining room and that is not good marketing but it's good for a laugh.
See how one could become confused with an utterly ridiculous product name like Aciphex (Asseffects)? My suggestion for anyone - cottage industries to Fortune 500 conglomerates - is to rigorously evaluate product names with a wide swath of the population because based on the YouTube comments for this commercial I am definitely not alone in finding the name both hilarious and tragic. Sure, when it's neatly spelled out it becomes clear that Aciphex is for relief of acid reflux or indigestion but when the name is just spoken it sounds like just another solution for ass-related problems.
And if you like bad products - check out some of my own real-life variations from last year.
Yep, while things here take a dive towards juvenile humor, MinnPics keeps it classy with a wide variety of Minnesota photos updated daily - check it out now!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The art of winter driving
Face it - winter driving isn't easy. Especially if you're a Minnesotan. The crippling fear. The clenched white knuckles. The tense arms straining to hold the wheel steady. The soiled underwear from even the slightest unpredicted movement of your car as snow flakes wander aimlessly across the highway. The headache from seeing an endless stream of brake lights. It makes for a universally shitty day.
But why does it make for such a craptastic day? Why do even a few flurries turn us all into crippled invalids unable to drive even half of the speed limit?
It all boils down to varying levels of stupidity. There is the stupid driver creeping along at 25 miles per hour on the freeway. Then there's the stupid driver screaming like a bullet at 70 miles per hour on a two lane county road. There has to be some sort of happy medium between those two extremes. If not, I suppose that there's always the possibility that one (or both) will receive the Darwin Award.
But now that the snow seems to have ended outside my window, we've been given a reprieve. But we all know that there's a day coming - a perfect storm - when it will be snowing at 3 PM and just keep on snowing through the afternoon rush hour - making it last until 8 PM. It's coming and we all know it. I only hope that those unskilled drivers prepare. I hope that the stupid drivers up their intelligence. I hope that I get my front tires replaced.
I also hope that you'll check out MinnPics. A home for all things photographic about Minnesota that likes when you check it out.
But why does it make for such a craptastic day? Why do even a few flurries turn us all into crippled invalids unable to drive even half of the speed limit?
It all boils down to varying levels of stupidity. There is the stupid driver creeping along at 25 miles per hour on the freeway. Then there's the stupid driver screaming like a bullet at 70 miles per hour on a two lane county road. There has to be some sort of happy medium between those two extremes. If not, I suppose that there's always the possibility that one (or both) will receive the Darwin Award.
But now that the snow seems to have ended outside my window, we've been given a reprieve. But we all know that there's a day coming - a perfect storm - when it will be snowing at 3 PM and just keep on snowing through the afternoon rush hour - making it last until 8 PM. It's coming and we all know it. I only hope that those unskilled drivers prepare. I hope that the stupid drivers up their intelligence. I hope that I get my front tires replaced.
I also hope that you'll check out MinnPics. A home for all things photographic about Minnesota that likes when you check it out.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
We're done as a society - and Tiger Woods is to blame
How worthless are we as Americans when we obviously over-obsess over pop culture? The top news stories locally on Sunday night were the Minnesota Vikings win and the Tiger Woods car crash. I'm sure there was probably something fluffy about how retailers fared over the long shopping weekend as people pissed away a month's salary on a 94" LCD TV for themselves.
A few days later we are still overly obsessed about Tiger Woods. Wow, a sports star nailed a couple of blonde sluts on the side while his old lady was at home with their kid. He got busted. While it won't end his career or even effect any of his huge endorsement deals, it will be remembered. But it's not like he killed somebody. By doing some quick math, I have figured out that 43% of professional athletes eventually have extra-marital affairs. Some get found out, others keep hittin' that every time they visit that particular city. It's just an extrapolation of why half of all marriages end in divorce. I blame breast implants and arguments over who's going to do the dishes.
I wrote this for two reasons: I am sick and damn tired of hearing about Tiger Woods - I get it, he's a phenomenol golfer who totally fucked up and I am blown away at how stupid Americans must be that they have to Google the word "transgressions". The majority of Americans must be 6th grade dropouts or have been raised my a steady diet of Nickelodeon and video games because for "transgressions" to be the second-most searched-for-term is just sad.
As further proof, below is the top 25 Google Trends (current as 3 PM today)
1.tiger woods affair
2.transgressions
3.jaimee grubbs pics
4.kalika moquin pictures
5.jamie grubbs pictures
6.transgressions definition
7.meredith baxter
8.nancy locke
9.tiger woods text messages
10.tiger woods official website
11.tool academy jaimee grubbs
12.standing with hope
13.us weekly tiger woods
14.enneagon
15.mary dell abate
16.family ties
17.nancy locke meredith baxter
18.wtoc
19.tiger woods cheated on wife
20.michelle obama ape
21.chris matthews enemy camp
22.pacquiao vs mayweather
23.tool academy season 1
24.willie martinez fired
25.david birney
And if you're in a clicking mood and are also tired of all things Tiger Woods and Meredith Baxter, check out the fabulous photos at MinnPics.
Scott County to give property owners a "shocker"
Normally I wouldn't participate in pointing out unfortunate phrases which, when read by me, have an entirely different meaning but a story about property taxes in the rather cash-rich Twin Cities county escalating for "fake" farm owners caught my eye.
So, you can see my confusion. Are some land owners going to be penetrated or receive a tax hike. Yeah, I know that the answer is clearly spelled out in the story but it's more fun to let the imagination run wild.
In one extreme case -- a "shocker," in the words of County Auditor Cindy Geis --See, right there, the County Auditor plans on delivering a shocker. If you're unfamiliar with the definition, here it is.
annual property taxes will skyrocket from about $5,000 to nearly $40,000.
The act of inserting 2 fingers into the vaginal opening (normally the index and
middle fingers), and 1 into the anus (normally the "pinky" finger). This is
usually performed when she is laying back, in the "deep thrust" postion (see
"deep thrust" for more hardcore info). Commonly described a numerous number of
ways, e. g. 2 in the pink, 1 in the stink; two in the grass one in the ass; two
in the slut one in the butt; two in the koot, one in the boot; goin to town with
one in the brown; and many more, this method of sexual gratification is one
sought out by people of all levels.
So, you can see my confusion. Are some land owners going to be penetrated or receive a tax hike. Yeah, I know that the answer is clearly spelled out in the story but it's more fun to let the imagination run wild.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Chelsea Clinton engaged
This has little to do with Chelsea Clinton being engaged and more to do with the photo slideshow accompanying the story.
You can see in the slideshow how much Ms. Clinton's appearance has changed over the years. I remember her as the somewhat geeky looking kid in the White House from the early-90s. Then I saw some photos of her last year. She ain't half bad.
Then I saw this photo.
Apparently it was a bit cold this day as Clinton's obvious nipples seem to say. Not being a woman, I have no idea what it's like to have the old turkey timers pop up. I'd assume that wearing a padded bra would remedy the situation and prevent future nipple protrusions like this. So, gone is my memory of Chelsea Clinton as the awkward teen in the White House. It has been replaced by a rather attractive version of Chelsea Clinton complete with perked-up nipples.
That is the evolution of my mind.
If you want photos not of the nipple sort, check out MinnPics. It's the classy side of yours truly.
You can see in the slideshow how much Ms. Clinton's appearance has changed over the years. I remember her as the somewhat geeky looking kid in the White House from the early-90s. Then I saw some photos of her last year. She ain't half bad.
Then I saw this photo.
Apparently it was a bit cold this day as Clinton's obvious nipples seem to say. Not being a woman, I have no idea what it's like to have the old turkey timers pop up. I'd assume that wearing a padded bra would remedy the situation and prevent future nipple protrusions like this. So, gone is my memory of Chelsea Clinton as the awkward teen in the White House. It has been replaced by a rather attractive version of Chelsea Clinton complete with perked-up nipples.
That is the evolution of my mind.
If you want photos not of the nipple sort, check out MinnPics. It's the classy side of yours truly.
Why cooperatives and networks work
As I read this transcript about the evolution of news gathering and how the future involves cooperation, I was reminded of a conversation I had with my dad on Thanksgiving day. As we sat eating some late afternoon dessert, he casually mentioned how farms around theirs were quickly swapping hands. Be it auctions with others purchasing the land or simply a change in renters of the farms it got my mind running. I quickly did the math (as my dad has done numerous times) and realized the potential yearly income they were sitting on. Then, as we talked more, I realized what is happening around them.
It all clicked for me today after I read that link above. My dad had explained that the ever-escalating rent prices - as high as $310/acre - were possibly because a group of farmers spanning a distance of well over 20 miles had teamed up. The moderately-sized operators partnered with a grain elevator, a chemical/fertilizer supplier, an equipment dealer and a seed company and, with the backing of what I assume are wholesale prices for their supplies and a bank eager to toss out truckloads of cash, had quickly amassed over 20,000 acres of land with a goal of acquiring 30,000 acres.
To put this in perspective, the average size of a "family" farm in my parent's area ranges from 1,000-2,000 acres. Some is owned, some is rented. They typically own their machinery and operate on somewhat slim margins. My parents were paying $120/acre rent which, after 23 years of renting one farm, had finally put them in the black financially.
That kind of business (at that size it's far, far beyond the scope of a farm) would be impossible to run with just one family and a few employees. Even if the partnership were just the farmer pooling their collective resources it would still be impossible. Without an epic amount of planning it's a logistical nightmare full of potential problems. But when you factor in the logistical resources and technological knowhow of those ag-related businesses it becomes manageable. Every aspect of the operation, when the businesses are factored in, is instantly manageable because those businesses already have people on staff or know of people who have the skills necessary to keep the wheels of such a mammoth operation moving with nary a hiccup.
While a mega-farm like the one we discussed over pumpkin pie is most certainly the end for small farmers like my parents, it actually makes sense when looked at from a business perspective. It's typical of what's happening in every facet of business. Lean times mean slim margins. But those slim margins are margins of scale and if you can multiply them enough times - barring any sort of natural disaster - you have some rather impressive profits. That's exactly what these farmers - farmers who have fought the same yearly battles my parents have - have realized. With wise decisions and smart partnerships - those who don't take huge chunks of the profits - every business can survive.
But don't expect my parents to take up an offer for that sky-high rent when they retire. They would b surrounded by furious neighbors who would likely run them out of town. Sure, business is business but those friendships with those neighbors run generations deep. Eventually someone's feelings will get hurt but in any case it's just business.
If you want something less mundane, check out the photos at MinnPics. They are there to captivate you.
It all clicked for me today after I read that link above. My dad had explained that the ever-escalating rent prices - as high as $310/acre - were possibly because a group of farmers spanning a distance of well over 20 miles had teamed up. The moderately-sized operators partnered with a grain elevator, a chemical/fertilizer supplier, an equipment dealer and a seed company and, with the backing of what I assume are wholesale prices for their supplies and a bank eager to toss out truckloads of cash, had quickly amassed over 20,000 acres of land with a goal of acquiring 30,000 acres.
To put this in perspective, the average size of a "family" farm in my parent's area ranges from 1,000-2,000 acres. Some is owned, some is rented. They typically own their machinery and operate on somewhat slim margins. My parents were paying $120/acre rent which, after 23 years of renting one farm, had finally put them in the black financially.
That kind of business (at that size it's far, far beyond the scope of a farm) would be impossible to run with just one family and a few employees. Even if the partnership were just the farmer pooling their collective resources it would still be impossible. Without an epic amount of planning it's a logistical nightmare full of potential problems. But when you factor in the logistical resources and technological knowhow of those ag-related businesses it becomes manageable. Every aspect of the operation, when the businesses are factored in, is instantly manageable because those businesses already have people on staff or know of people who have the skills necessary to keep the wheels of such a mammoth operation moving with nary a hiccup.
While a mega-farm like the one we discussed over pumpkin pie is most certainly the end for small farmers like my parents, it actually makes sense when looked at from a business perspective. It's typical of what's happening in every facet of business. Lean times mean slim margins. But those slim margins are margins of scale and if you can multiply them enough times - barring any sort of natural disaster - you have some rather impressive profits. That's exactly what these farmers - farmers who have fought the same yearly battles my parents have - have realized. With wise decisions and smart partnerships - those who don't take huge chunks of the profits - every business can survive.
But don't expect my parents to take up an offer for that sky-high rent when they retire. They would b surrounded by furious neighbors who would likely run them out of town. Sure, business is business but those friendships with those neighbors run generations deep. Eventually someone's feelings will get hurt but in any case it's just business.
If you want something less mundane, check out the photos at MinnPics. They are there to captivate you.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The ultimate Thanksgiving food guide
The best ideas are stolen but if you combine a whole bunch of ideas you are aggregating them and that's totally cool. SO without further ado it's time for the ultimate Thanksgiving food guide.
Pumpkin pie:
Vegetables:
Gravy:
I won't venture in to turkey territory because I have yet to perfect the poultry side of the meal. My turkey typically turns out a bit on the dry side even with stuffing half of a stick of margarine under the breast skin of the bird and basting the Jennie-O every thirty minutes. It also needs more salt than I typically shake on. But in the end it's still more than edible. Now if anyone has a killer pie crust recipe and secrets for rolling it out to perfection, drop it in the comments.
I know that basically nobody besides myself will be near a computer for the next few days but that doesn't mean you can't take a break and check out MinnPics. This long weekend should be interesting.
Pumpkin pie:
the canned pumpkin was more charismatic in flavor and hueI can attest to this. I grew up in a frugal (cheap) home and my mom grew one of everything in her expansive garden on the farm. The most intriguing (to her, anyway) was her bumper crop one year of pie pumpkins. They're relatively dainty next to their Jack-o-Lantern counterparts and are bred for baking. (Trust me, the pumpkin from your typical Jack-o-Lantern tastes as close to shit as I are to venture). My bakin'-fool mom cooked up a few of the round pumpkins and scooped out the good stuff and made a couple pies. Now if you've read my Twitter bio you know I claim to be a lover of pies. Well these home-brewed creations nearly ruined me. They were simply disappointing and at the ripe old age of eight I swore off home-grown pie pumpkins as did my mom. Really, what's easier - baking up a pumpkin which you've scooped free of seeds or opening a can? Winner: can.
Vegetables:
the green bean casserole was a mushy, revolting messAs far as Thanksgiving vegetables go, they tend to get the short end of the stick. When was the last time somebody jumped out of their chair and shouted "Damn, that sweet corn was so good I almost pissed myself"? It's because vegetables, while tasty, are largely just a side dish. They don't get the pre- or post-preparation attention that the turkey gets. And some people do horrible things to their vegetables. They scallop the corn, they casserole the green beans and they put - gasp - marshmallows on the candied sweet potatoes. Now as far as vegetables go I am a huge fan of candied sweet potatoes. We have them probably once a month and they're so good that you'd mess yourself but sorry, you can't have my recipe. Stick with the tried and true veggies: sweet corn and sweet potatoes.
Gravy:
don't put it on everything, it smells like it's burnedThat was the warning uttered plenty loud for everyone in the room to hear a couple years ago at my in-laws' Thanksgiving dinner but my brother-in-law still went ahead with covering every inch of his plate with the obviously burnt gravy. The problem was that it was homemade and in the rush to prepare everything else the gravy got neglected. It happens but it doens't need to. The simpler options include powder puuch mixes, canned gravy and jarred gravy. Sure, it doesn't always taste like homemade but when homemade tastes like a tire fire homemade may not be the best standard by which to judge.
I won't venture in to turkey territory because I have yet to perfect the poultry side of the meal. My turkey typically turns out a bit on the dry side even with stuffing half of a stick of margarine under the breast skin of the bird and basting the Jennie-O every thirty minutes. It also needs more salt than I typically shake on. But in the end it's still more than edible. Now if anyone has a killer pie crust recipe and secrets for rolling it out to perfection, drop it in the comments.
I know that basically nobody besides myself will be near a computer for the next few days but that doesn't mean you can't take a break and check out MinnPics. This long weekend should be interesting.
Monday, November 23, 2009
I've become a teenaged girl
No, I didn't catch the premiere of the newest "Twilight" movie but I have mocked a few people I know who did wait in lines to see it. I just don't understand that movie and I am fairly certain that I never will.
My teenage girl complex lies with the music which has been catching my ears lately. I am ashamed to admit it but at thirty years old I have developed the musical tastes of a twelve year-old girl. I turn the radio up (if it's on) when I'm in the car and "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus comes on. I silence the wife when I catch "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga and I even went as far as YouTubing this recent song by Ke$ha (and yes, it's a totally stupid name).
The title even reads like it was written by a twelve year-old in txt spk. "Tik Tok". Really. What the hell has happened to me? I've even put one of the aforementioned songs on my iPod and if any of my friends were to get their hands on my iPod I'd never hear the end of it.
But that's where it stops for now. I haven't taken to taping (yes, I live in the stoneage without a DVR) anything on MTV. I didn't even know that the American Music Awards were on TV last night as I was watching "Storm Chasers" on Discovery and I don't understand that appeal of most of the shows on The CW. So does this mean that I have to turn in my man card or can I write this off as some sort of early midlife crisis?
Even with so much internal conflict, MinnPics still has the same quality photos of Minnesota that you've come to expect since mid-2008.
My teenage girl complex lies with the music which has been catching my ears lately. I am ashamed to admit it but at thirty years old I have developed the musical tastes of a twelve year-old girl. I turn the radio up (if it's on) when I'm in the car and "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus comes on. I silence the wife when I catch "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga and I even went as far as YouTubing this recent song by Ke$ha (and yes, it's a totally stupid name).
The title even reads like it was written by a twelve year-old in txt spk. "Tik Tok". Really. What the hell has happened to me? I've even put one of the aforementioned songs on my iPod and if any of my friends were to get their hands on my iPod I'd never hear the end of it.
But that's where it stops for now. I haven't taken to taping (yes, I live in the stoneage without a DVR) anything on MTV. I didn't even know that the American Music Awards were on TV last night as I was watching "Storm Chasers" on Discovery and I don't understand that appeal of most of the shows on The CW. So does this mean that I have to turn in my man card or can I write this off as some sort of early midlife crisis?
Even with so much internal conflict, MinnPics still has the same quality photos of Minnesota that you've come to expect since mid-2008.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Recognizing your mistakes can make you stronger
I understand it. Bad things often happen to good people. Maybe those things are a blessing in disguise. Whatever the case is, those bad things are usually enexpected. It's like being punched in the gut, having your car broken in to and going home to find that your house burned down while you were at court fighting a parking ticket that was mailed to you from a city you've never visited. It's the ultimate bad day.
In these current "uncertain times" (extended shitty period) that kind of crap happens every day (my tweet from earlier proves how even I let my nerves get to me). It happens to people who don't deserve it. It happens to people because someone decided to go in a "different direction". Those people who make a decision like that often do so blindly. They ignore mounting evidence that the problem lies elsewhere but fail to rectify that situation because it would show that they, at one time, made a bad decision. Life is full of bad decisions but you can do right by correcting those bad decisions and bringing people together around you by showing that you listen because, let's face it, a person in power can't have their eyes everywhere all the time - they should depend on their so-called foot soldiers because those are their eyes on the ground.
Does it show weakness to admit that you were wrong? I don't think so. It shows that you're human. It shows that staying the course on one of your decisions isn't the correct path to follow. It makes you relateable.
But that strong-headedness can lead to dissent and second-guessing by those under you. Those in power need those under them to respect their decisions but also respond and act on criticism. Because without the respect of the so-called worker bees, the hive falls in to disrepair.
So there it is, do what's right, admit your mistakes, act to correct your mistakes and take responsibility for shortcomings and outright failures. Who knows, maybe I'll look back at the events of this day and admit that my snap judgment was wrong. If it was I'll gladly eat my words. I'm used to it.
As for my mistakes and the criticism I've received; I have a folder on my desk where I keep my worst design work. I wear it like a badge of honor because it is such a miniscule amount of the overall amount of work I've done but I know it's there and it reminds me that I can and have done bad work. It means I'm human and if more people were reminded of what they've done wrong they'd be further motivated to do better and strive to do right and make the right decisions.
A great decision to make is to check out the photos of Minnesota at MinnPics. I don't make one red cent from it but the photographers featured there work hard and love their craft. Show your appreciation!
In these current "uncertain times" (extended shitty period) that kind of crap happens every day (my tweet from earlier proves how even I let my nerves get to me). It happens to people who don't deserve it. It happens to people because someone decided to go in a "different direction". Those people who make a decision like that often do so blindly. They ignore mounting evidence that the problem lies elsewhere but fail to rectify that situation because it would show that they, at one time, made a bad decision. Life is full of bad decisions but you can do right by correcting those bad decisions and bringing people together around you by showing that you listen because, let's face it, a person in power can't have their eyes everywhere all the time - they should depend on their so-called foot soldiers because those are their eyes on the ground.
Does it show weakness to admit that you were wrong? I don't think so. It shows that you're human. It shows that staying the course on one of your decisions isn't the correct path to follow. It makes you relateable.
But that strong-headedness can lead to dissent and second-guessing by those under you. Those in power need those under them to respect their decisions but also respond and act on criticism. Because without the respect of the so-called worker bees, the hive falls in to disrepair.
So there it is, do what's right, admit your mistakes, act to correct your mistakes and take responsibility for shortcomings and outright failures. Who knows, maybe I'll look back at the events of this day and admit that my snap judgment was wrong. If it was I'll gladly eat my words. I'm used to it.
As for my mistakes and the criticism I've received; I have a folder on my desk where I keep my worst design work. I wear it like a badge of honor because it is such a miniscule amount of the overall amount of work I've done but I know it's there and it reminds me that I can and have done bad work. It means I'm human and if more people were reminded of what they've done wrong they'd be further motivated to do better and strive to do right and make the right decisions.
A great decision to make is to check out the photos of Minnesota at MinnPics. I don't make one red cent from it but the photographers featured there work hard and love their craft. Show your appreciation!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The great Eggo shortage of 2009 (& 2010?)
Ah shit, we're all screwed. Forget about H1N1, R2D2, AC/DC and every other deadly combination consisting of four characters. The real deal to worry yourself sick about this winter is - wait for it - a shortage of rather bland frozen waffles.
Yes, our country is so dependent on pre-packaged, frozen crap that Kellogg's grand screw-up at a couple manufacturing plants has people in certain locales (the nation's Walmarts) hoarding Eggo frozen waffles - if these poor schmucks can get their hands on those taste-packed yellow boxes.
When I first heard of the supposed Eggo shortage yesterday, I thought it was just hype blown way out of proportion by MPR's Bob Collins simply to get a reaction out of yours truly. Well, it didn't work but then I saw more mention of it today on such reputable news sources as the Southern Illinois Catholic blog and Meck Leck (another blog) so now I'm afraid - very afraid.
What the hell will people eat for breakfast without their ultra-portable toastable Eggo waffles?
Well folks, here's a few ideas. You could have cereal, toaster strudels, Pop Tarts, a banana, an apple, toast, a crepe, pancakes, a croissant, a bagel, a biscuit or a fruit smoothie. See, stop your damn fretting about a shortage of Eggo frozen waffles and if waffles are a staple of your diet, may I suggest ponying up a few bucks and investing in a waffle iron. In the end you'll actually save money and discover a wide world of flavor possibilities. See, it really isn't worth pissing your pants over - they're just waffles...
MinnPics. Check it out if you like photos. Not just any photos but really impressive photos of Minnesota people, places and things.
Yes, our country is so dependent on pre-packaged, frozen crap that Kellogg's grand screw-up at a couple manufacturing plants has people in certain locales (the nation's Walmarts) hoarding Eggo frozen waffles - if these poor schmucks can get their hands on those taste-packed yellow boxes.
When I first heard of the supposed Eggo shortage yesterday, I thought it was just hype blown way out of proportion by MPR's Bob Collins simply to get a reaction out of yours truly. Well, it didn't work but then I saw more mention of it today on such reputable news sources as the Southern Illinois Catholic blog and Meck Leck (another blog) so now I'm afraid - very afraid.
What the hell will people eat for breakfast without their ultra-portable toastable Eggo waffles?
Well folks, here's a few ideas. You could have cereal, toaster strudels, Pop Tarts, a banana, an apple, toast, a crepe, pancakes, a croissant, a bagel, a biscuit or a fruit smoothie. See, stop your damn fretting about a shortage of Eggo frozen waffles and if waffles are a staple of your diet, may I suggest ponying up a few bucks and investing in a waffle iron. In the end you'll actually save money and discover a wide world of flavor possibilities. See, it really isn't worth pissing your pants over - they're just waffles...
MinnPics. Check it out if you like photos. Not just any photos but really impressive photos of Minnesota people, places and things.
FOX 9 tells us how to blog but fails
Last night I accidentally came across a news story I had actually intended to watch. It was about blogging and how to make money off of it. After watching it on FOX 9 (KMSP) last night I came away with a bit of information but a bit more bewilderment, too. Was the approximately ten-minute segment actually about blogging and what bloggers do to make cash from their writing or was it about a reporter at the TV station entering the blogosphere in an already crowded topic (mommy blogging) and putting entirely too much in the way of resources in to her effort? I am well aware of having a polished launch regardless of who may or may not be paying attention but she hired a professional photographer to take photos of her and her kids. Sure, she probably expensed it out from the station as part of the story but doesn't that cross some sort of line when it benefits you on a personal level?
The longer I watched it, the more I came to realize that Trish Van Pilsum's story was getting annoying. From the repetitive music clip (the same ten or twenty-second clip of a Postal Service song) used to the oh-so-poignant story of her dilemma of finding the proper domain name on Blogger, it was speeding down the road from mildly informative to blatant self-promotion.
I give Trish's little blogging endeavor a few months at best before she gives up on regular updates. If it's anything like most news organization's staff blogs, it will be boring and end up withering on the vine with scant few watching the death. Sure, some media staffers are extremely good at regular blogging. Those, though, are few and far between and they are damn good at what they do and follow the rules of connecting with readers/viewers and have a personality that stands out from the herd. That is where WCCO shines and KMSP fails. It helps a great deal to have that instant name recognition but, again, a personality seals the deal. Sorry Trish Van Pilsum, you have the personality of an apathetic waitress at a restaurant offering nothing but slow service and cold Campbell's condensed soup.
Your story could have been compelling but instead you opened the door to a thousand or so wannabe mommy bloggers who are all geared up to hit the big time today but will realize in two months that blogging ain't that damn easy when you don't have a TV station willing to fork over ten minutes of air during their primetime news to promote their cute little mommy blog. They'll be even more disappointed and frustrated when they find out how much a quality photographer costs as they try to replicate the touch-feely nature of Van Pilsum's blog. A few will stick it out and evolve, finding their niche. I've been doing this almost five years and the first three sucked but I like it. I work in the media world to a certain extent so I know the battles and I witness them from across the hall each and every day and even I haven't cracked that secret code of "what works" in the world of online writing.
But I do know that MinnPics has a somewhat loyal following for some reason. Maybe because it has a ton of quality photos.
The longer I watched it, the more I came to realize that Trish Van Pilsum's story was getting annoying. From the repetitive music clip (the same ten or twenty-second clip of a Postal Service song) used to the oh-so-poignant story of her dilemma of finding the proper domain name on Blogger, it was speeding down the road from mildly informative to blatant self-promotion.
I give Trish's little blogging endeavor a few months at best before she gives up on regular updates. If it's anything like most news organization's staff blogs, it will be boring and end up withering on the vine with scant few watching the death. Sure, some media staffers are extremely good at regular blogging. Those, though, are few and far between and they are damn good at what they do and follow the rules of connecting with readers/viewers and have a personality that stands out from the herd. That is where WCCO shines and KMSP fails. It helps a great deal to have that instant name recognition but, again, a personality seals the deal. Sorry Trish Van Pilsum, you have the personality of an apathetic waitress at a restaurant offering nothing but slow service and cold Campbell's condensed soup.
Your story could have been compelling but instead you opened the door to a thousand or so wannabe mommy bloggers who are all geared up to hit the big time today but will realize in two months that blogging ain't that damn easy when you don't have a TV station willing to fork over ten minutes of air during their primetime news to promote their cute little mommy blog. They'll be even more disappointed and frustrated when they find out how much a quality photographer costs as they try to replicate the touch-feely nature of Van Pilsum's blog. A few will stick it out and evolve, finding their niche. I've been doing this almost five years and the first three sucked but I like it. I work in the media world to a certain extent so I know the battles and I witness them from across the hall each and every day and even I haven't cracked that secret code of "what works" in the world of online writing.
But I do know that MinnPics has a somewhat loyal following for some reason. Maybe because it has a ton of quality photos.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thugs in Minneapolis tape selves being jackasses
It's not the fact that the teens stupidly featured filming themselves being little pissant thugs pushing down unsuspecting walkers and bikers near the Minneapolis greenway are apparently Somali - any other race or nationality would be just as stupid for featuring their juvenile hijinks on video - it's the fact that they did it in the first place. Here's an idea: if you don't want to pigeonholed as a bunch of ingrateful little shits and troublemakers who, based on this video, seem destined for a life bouncing in and out of the jail system do something with your teenage years. Get a job. Volunteer in your community. Build some goodwill.
But the problem goes beyond just that. I'm guilty of it too but I prefer, in my daily business, to deal with people whose accents aren't so thick that I can't understand what they are saying. Chalk it up to my hurried lifestyle or the fact that, even though my grandpa himself was an immigrant from Denmark and probably faced at least some level of discrimination, I harbor at least some level of racism. There are bad apples in every racial or nationality group but the little pricks in this video made the ultimate mistake. They outed themselves for the world to see just how damn stupid they are. I hope that they are punished for what they did and I hope that this serves as a wake-up call for these kids and doesn't leave them further resenting the culture of Minnesota which they likely feel that they are outcasts in.
If you want something less controversial, check out MinnPics. A photographic tour through all corners of Minnesota that's open 24 hours/day.
But the problem goes beyond just that. I'm guilty of it too but I prefer, in my daily business, to deal with people whose accents aren't so thick that I can't understand what they are saying. Chalk it up to my hurried lifestyle or the fact that, even though my grandpa himself was an immigrant from Denmark and probably faced at least some level of discrimination, I harbor at least some level of racism. There are bad apples in every racial or nationality group but the little pricks in this video made the ultimate mistake. They outed themselves for the world to see just how damn stupid they are. I hope that they are punished for what they did and I hope that this serves as a wake-up call for these kids and doesn't leave them further resenting the culture of Minnesota which they likely feel that they are outcasts in.
If you want something less controversial, check out MinnPics. A photographic tour through all corners of Minnesota that's open 24 hours/day.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Belts of America
For many decades, portions of America have been identified by various "belts". These are large geographic areas of the country which share similar characteristics relating to geography, climate, inhabitants and a whole host of other items.
The accompanying graphic is by no means a comprehensive rundown of but I've done my research. Feel free to add other "belt" suggestions in the comments.
Then head to MinnPics later to see the freshest in Minnesota photography.
The accompanying graphic is by no means a comprehensive rundown of but I've done my research. Feel free to add other "belt" suggestions in the comments.
Then head to MinnPics later to see the freshest in Minnesota photography.
(11:10 AM: The newly updated map indicates newly discovered information that it is possible to be a perverted hillbilly who dabbles in/enjoys incestuous relationships)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sammy Sosa's bleached face and why Minnesota is better
Disgraced former Chicago Cubs slugger and steroid user Sammy Sosa seems to have Michael Jacksonitis. Yep, Sosa's once rather dark skin is moving towards that of a sun-deprived Irishman.
The fact that he's now basically two shades away from an albino leads to a ton of questions. Was Sammy Sosa involved in a bleach accident? Did Sosa vacation at some sort of reverse tanning spa/resort? Is Sammy Sosa trying to distance himself from his own race? Has his own race shunned him to the extent that he has to go find his own race because they don't want him any more?
Or, the more likely question, does his recently lightened pigmentation have something to do with his prolonged use of steroids? That particular reason is one of many which, in the 1990s, lead me to abandon baseball. I used to be a huge baseball (and basketball) fan. I even subscribed to The Sporting News back when it was a weekly newspaper. When it moved towards a magazine I quickly dumped it but the damage had already been done to my favorite sports. The players got greedier and the owners got greedier. Both major league baseball and the NBA had strikes or lockouts which ruined entire seasons.
When the greed of pro sports meant that the World Series was cancelled one year and another year the NBA played a severely shortened season, I was quickly done with it all. Sure, after the turn of the century I was back to going to Minnesota Twins baseball games but it's only because the Minnesota Twins players don't show their greed. They play for much less than they would make with other teams and the Minnesota Twins were mostly absent from baseball's steroid era of the 1990s but this also meant that they were overlooked for about a decade as roided up jackasses like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds broke homerun records year after year while their testicles shriveled to the size of tiny raisins.
And where has all that greed and steroid use gotten those players? They are no longer in the game and many view those 1990s and early 21st century homerun records as false. They are tainted and the game is as well. And douchebags like Sammy Sosa are unemployed and flaunting his freakishly lightened skintone prompting nobodies like me to jump to conclusions, ask questions and remember why I'll only cheer for the Minnesota Twins today.
It's because things are in fact simpler here in Minnesota. That's what makes MinnPics unique too, a few photos about Minnesota each day taken by Minnesotans who love the state. Check it out today.
The fact that he's now basically two shades away from an albino leads to a ton of questions. Was Sammy Sosa involved in a bleach accident? Did Sosa vacation at some sort of reverse tanning spa/resort? Is Sammy Sosa trying to distance himself from his own race? Has his own race shunned him to the extent that he has to go find his own race because they don't want him any more?
Or, the more likely question, does his recently lightened pigmentation have something to do with his prolonged use of steroids? That particular reason is one of many which, in the 1990s, lead me to abandon baseball. I used to be a huge baseball (and basketball) fan. I even subscribed to The Sporting News back when it was a weekly newspaper. When it moved towards a magazine I quickly dumped it but the damage had already been done to my favorite sports. The players got greedier and the owners got greedier. Both major league baseball and the NBA had strikes or lockouts which ruined entire seasons.
When the greed of pro sports meant that the World Series was cancelled one year and another year the NBA played a severely shortened season, I was quickly done with it all. Sure, after the turn of the century I was back to going to Minnesota Twins baseball games but it's only because the Minnesota Twins players don't show their greed. They play for much less than they would make with other teams and the Minnesota Twins were mostly absent from baseball's steroid era of the 1990s but this also meant that they were overlooked for about a decade as roided up jackasses like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds broke homerun records year after year while their testicles shriveled to the size of tiny raisins.
And where has all that greed and steroid use gotten those players? They are no longer in the game and many view those 1990s and early 21st century homerun records as false. They are tainted and the game is as well. And douchebags like Sammy Sosa are unemployed and flaunting his freakishly lightened skintone prompting nobodies like me to jump to conclusions, ask questions and remember why I'll only cheer for the Minnesota Twins today.
It's because things are in fact simpler here in Minnesota. That's what makes MinnPics unique too, a few photos about Minnesota each day taken by Minnesotans who love the state. Check it out today.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Worst video editing job ever
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Sean Hannity Uses Glenn Beck's Protest Footage | ||||
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Is innovation dead?
It's a vague question but in the current rather dire times where the economy seems to be stuck in neutral and you're supposed to "just be happy you have a job at all" it seems that innovation has taken a back seat to survival. When's the last time something at your place of employment was truly an innovation? When was the last time you saw truly innovative programming on one of the big four television networks?
Think about that last one for a minute. This is the year that gave us a second NCIS series on CBS. We were given a spinoff of the animated Family Guy series on FOX. NBC generously gave us a burned out and stale Jay Leno 90 minutes earlier and without a damn desk. ABC even dug up a series from the 80s and re-imagined it - and "V" is back again tonight, it's probably the one retread I actually like. They claim survival is the reason and that this is "what people actually want" but if they were actually in touch they'd know what we truly want or that we're only watching some of those rather pathetic offerings because it's the best of the worst. If they hadn't gone through multiple decades of greed and sure cash, they'd be more willing to innovate.
But it doesn't stop with television. Innovation seems to have come to a standstill in all forms of traditional venues. Radio, outside of The Current locally, sucks. Hell, saying that radio sucks is being generous. Radio, in all its sameness from sea to plastic-filled sea, is less innovative today than it was a decade ago and that's quite a feat.
Most of the blame for the sameness and lack of innovation from traditional venues is placed squarely on the internet. Yes, the internet is a great venue to try an idea for next to nothing in terms of monetary expense but the internet is also vast and can be rather tough to gain traction in terms of what could be considered a mass audience. I have found some success with MinnPics and its unique twist on a photo blog but that's even small potatoes. The big audiences, for whatever reason, still lie with those traditional venues. Maybe it's due to convenience. I can see that because the computer has yet to truly make its way in to the American living room and replace or meld with the television. That time is coming but it will take some level of innovation for a computer/TV hybrid to become mainstream. And then there's the connectivity issue - we're pretty much at the mercy, still, of the cable companies who control high speed internet access. Rather than offer truly high speed access at an affordable price, they price it high enough that it's still cheaper to shell out the bucks for cable television because streaming something full screen is jittery and full of more hiccups than Otis the drunk from good ole' Mayberry, R.F.D.
So while innovation isn't dead it is definitely being stifled by greater powers. After all, if there's money to be made on something old why on Earth would someone spend time, energy and money promoting, developing and being innovative with something new?
Speaking of new, MinnPics has some new photos posted today - even a couple discovered via Twitter. Check it out for yourself.
Think about that last one for a minute. This is the year that gave us a second NCIS series on CBS. We were given a spinoff of the animated Family Guy series on FOX. NBC generously gave us a burned out and stale Jay Leno 90 minutes earlier and without a damn desk. ABC even dug up a series from the 80s and re-imagined it - and "V" is back again tonight, it's probably the one retread I actually like. They claim survival is the reason and that this is "what people actually want" but if they were actually in touch they'd know what we truly want or that we're only watching some of those rather pathetic offerings because it's the best of the worst. If they hadn't gone through multiple decades of greed and sure cash, they'd be more willing to innovate.
But it doesn't stop with television. Innovation seems to have come to a standstill in all forms of traditional venues. Radio, outside of The Current locally, sucks. Hell, saying that radio sucks is being generous. Radio, in all its sameness from sea to plastic-filled sea, is less innovative today than it was a decade ago and that's quite a feat.
Most of the blame for the sameness and lack of innovation from traditional venues is placed squarely on the internet. Yes, the internet is a great venue to try an idea for next to nothing in terms of monetary expense but the internet is also vast and can be rather tough to gain traction in terms of what could be considered a mass audience. I have found some success with MinnPics and its unique twist on a photo blog but that's even small potatoes. The big audiences, for whatever reason, still lie with those traditional venues. Maybe it's due to convenience. I can see that because the computer has yet to truly make its way in to the American living room and replace or meld with the television. That time is coming but it will take some level of innovation for a computer/TV hybrid to become mainstream. And then there's the connectivity issue - we're pretty much at the mercy, still, of the cable companies who control high speed internet access. Rather than offer truly high speed access at an affordable price, they price it high enough that it's still cheaper to shell out the bucks for cable television because streaming something full screen is jittery and full of more hiccups than Otis the drunk from good ole' Mayberry, R.F.D.
So while innovation isn't dead it is definitely being stifled by greater powers. After all, if there's money to be made on something old why on Earth would someone spend time, energy and money promoting, developing and being innovative with something new?
Speaking of new, MinnPics has some new photos posted today - even a couple discovered via Twitter. Check it out for yourself.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Who used the restroom before me?
"Wow it smells in here. I must be in the wrong restroom."
As I opened the door, I peeked around it expecting to see a graphical depiction of an elephant with the phrase "ELEPHANT" below it. Nope, it says "MEN". I'm apparently in the correct place.
"This just isn't right. There are two cans of Oust air sanitizer here, there's no reason for it to smell this terrible. It's a hate crime for any place inhabited by civilized humans to smell this bad. Did someone tape a dead fish under the counter?"
I decided to crouch down and verify the potential rotting seafood scenario. It didn't pan out.
"My skin is beginning to itch. This has to be some sort of insidious chemical attack. What kind of bastard would carry out a chemical attack on a restroom in a suburban office building?"
I investigated as much as one can investigate a 7 foot square room and found nothing out of the ordinary that would even lead one to believe that a chemical attack was underway.
"Someone must have upper-deckered in here."
Afraid to pop the cover off of the toilet tank, I hurriedly went about my business and wondered to myself, "who used the restroom before me?"
MinnPics is back after a warm Minnesota weekend with another week of stunning photos from all corners of the state.
As I opened the door, I peeked around it expecting to see a graphical depiction of an elephant with the phrase "ELEPHANT" below it. Nope, it says "MEN". I'm apparently in the correct place.
"This just isn't right. There are two cans of Oust air sanitizer here, there's no reason for it to smell this terrible. It's a hate crime for any place inhabited by civilized humans to smell this bad. Did someone tape a dead fish under the counter?"
I decided to crouch down and verify the potential rotting seafood scenario. It didn't pan out.
"My skin is beginning to itch. This has to be some sort of insidious chemical attack. What kind of bastard would carry out a chemical attack on a restroom in a suburban office building?"
I investigated as much as one can investigate a 7 foot square room and found nothing out of the ordinary that would even lead one to believe that a chemical attack was underway.
"Someone must have upper-deckered in here."
Afraid to pop the cover off of the toilet tank, I hurriedly went about my business and wondered to myself, "who used the restroom before me?"
MinnPics is back after a warm Minnesota weekend with another week of stunning photos from all corners of the state.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Project Runway sends the Minnesotan home
I won't say that I've watched the entire season of "Project Runway" on Lifetime because I haven't. I have, however, watched the final fifteen minutes or so of each episode because it always amazes me who gets "aufed" by Heidi Klum and her band of fashionistas.
Chris Straub, or Shakopee as I call him (because he's from Shakopee, MN - represent!) did amazingly well early in the competition. He actually won the first competition and I was excited to see that someone from Minnesota - especially the suburbs - was recognized for their creative skills. Then, as the series went on, Straub seemed to be strung along. His work wasn't terrible but the judges consistently billed it as such but kept him in the competition. It seemed almost mean for Heidi Klum and her band of fashion divas to keep Shakopee's Chris Straub on the show as they kept berating his designs. He was a near-permanent fixture in the show's bottom two or three designers.
I hoped that Straub was being strung along for a good reason. Hopefully they realized that he had immense potential. I rarely saw huge negatives in Straub's designs but maybe I'm just a homer who hates seeing the home team lose.
Then last night, on the final episode before "Project Runway's" big Bryant Park Fashion Week finale, Chris Straub was eliminated. The judges sent two designers packing leaving three young women to duke it out in New York City on next week's episode. So for many months now Shakopee's home town deisgner has been working away in the basement of his townhome - which us graphic designers in my office have determined the general location of - creating new fashion trends on his own. The difference is that he now has a significant amount of national television exposure to help his career. Something tells me that he'll be alright.
If you are fond of Minnesotans and all things Minnesota, check out MinnPics to tour Minnesota via photographs.
Chris Straub, or Shakopee as I call him (because he's from Shakopee, MN - represent!) did amazingly well early in the competition. He actually won the first competition and I was excited to see that someone from Minnesota - especially the suburbs - was recognized for their creative skills. Then, as the series went on, Straub seemed to be strung along. His work wasn't terrible but the judges consistently billed it as such but kept him in the competition. It seemed almost mean for Heidi Klum and her band of fashion divas to keep Shakopee's Chris Straub on the show as they kept berating his designs. He was a near-permanent fixture in the show's bottom two or three designers.
I hoped that Straub was being strung along for a good reason. Hopefully they realized that he had immense potential. I rarely saw huge negatives in Straub's designs but maybe I'm just a homer who hates seeing the home team lose.
Then last night, on the final episode before "Project Runway's" big Bryant Park Fashion Week finale, Chris Straub was eliminated. The judges sent two designers packing leaving three young women to duke it out in New York City on next week's episode. So for many months now Shakopee's home town deisgner has been working away in the basement of his townhome - which us graphic designers in my office have determined the general location of - creating new fashion trends on his own. The difference is that he now has a significant amount of national television exposure to help his career. Something tells me that he'll be alright.
If you are fond of Minnesotans and all things Minnesota, check out MinnPics to tour Minnesota via photographs.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Jails vs. Schools: which one benefits society?
Back in my old hometown of Austin, MN the school levy referendum failed. It would have raised taxes $84/yr on a $100,000 home. To many, any additional money paid in taxes is too much but this is the same city that approved the construction of a $30,000,000 jail/justice center shared by the city and county. In contrast, the school levy referendum would have provided the school district with just over $1,000,000/yr. in additional operating funds.
Which of the two - schools or a jail - benefits society more in the long run? Schools prepare the next generation for jobs. Those buildings need to be stocked with equipment and teachers who are at the top of their game - they need to be of the highest quality and the best of the best. Schools serve the children of everyone and everyone who has ever reached the age of five has benefitted from schools - the majority benefitting from public schools which are taxpayer funded.
Then there are jails. They are filled with people who didn't see the value or need to abide by our city, state or nation's laws. They are arrested, booked and placed in jail. Some go to trial while many serve their time and consider it their debt to society for doing wrong. In either case, they stay in these buildings on the taxpayer's dime. I see no reason why a jail needs to provide anything beyond the most basic of necessities. The simple fact that jails have televisions anywhere inside them is nothing short of excessive to me. I don't care if the televisions are for employees, visitors, stray cats or those who are locked up - a television is a luxury and is unnecessary if you are being punished for a crime. And housing law breakers in a $30,000,000 building is so far beyond excessive that I can't even think of words for it.
Why do we feel the need to spend $30,000,000 on a building to house criminals when there are millions and millions of square feet of warehouse and commercial space sitting vacant? Is our government so spend happy that even those who many see as the bottom rung of society need a special building to live in at the expense of others? How many cities and counties require their inmates to actually work doing something while they serve their time? I know for certain that in Scott County (Minnesota) the inmates spend every waking hour indoors at the jail. To some the simple fact that they are not allowed outdoors adds to the punishment but I feel that working to pay your debt to society builds more character and could actually lead to a better place for them down the road than sitting around for days on end doing little to nothing.
Yes, inmates, prisoners, criminals - whatever you choose to call them - sit in relative luxury doing nothing while our schools who are asking for far, far less in the way of operating funds have to do without. They do without modern computers and they do without the best teachers because the best teachers realize that they can make more money in private schools.
So, which one - jails or schools - would you rather have your tax dollars spent on?
After you ponder that question, check out the equally compelling MinnPics and take a photographic journey through Minnesota.
Which of the two - schools or a jail - benefits society more in the long run? Schools prepare the next generation for jobs. Those buildings need to be stocked with equipment and teachers who are at the top of their game - they need to be of the highest quality and the best of the best. Schools serve the children of everyone and everyone who has ever reached the age of five has benefitted from schools - the majority benefitting from public schools which are taxpayer funded.
Then there are jails. They are filled with people who didn't see the value or need to abide by our city, state or nation's laws. They are arrested, booked and placed in jail. Some go to trial while many serve their time and consider it their debt to society for doing wrong. In either case, they stay in these buildings on the taxpayer's dime. I see no reason why a jail needs to provide anything beyond the most basic of necessities. The simple fact that jails have televisions anywhere inside them is nothing short of excessive to me. I don't care if the televisions are for employees, visitors, stray cats or those who are locked up - a television is a luxury and is unnecessary if you are being punished for a crime. And housing law breakers in a $30,000,000 building is so far beyond excessive that I can't even think of words for it.
Why do we feel the need to spend $30,000,000 on a building to house criminals when there are millions and millions of square feet of warehouse and commercial space sitting vacant? Is our government so spend happy that even those who many see as the bottom rung of society need a special building to live in at the expense of others? How many cities and counties require their inmates to actually work doing something while they serve their time? I know for certain that in Scott County (Minnesota) the inmates spend every waking hour indoors at the jail. To some the simple fact that they are not allowed outdoors adds to the punishment but I feel that working to pay your debt to society builds more character and could actually lead to a better place for them down the road than sitting around for days on end doing little to nothing.
Yes, inmates, prisoners, criminals - whatever you choose to call them - sit in relative luxury doing nothing while our schools who are asking for far, far less in the way of operating funds have to do without. They do without modern computers and they do without the best teachers because the best teachers realize that they can make more money in private schools.
So, which one - jails or schools - would you rather have your tax dollars spent on?
After you ponder that question, check out the equally compelling MinnPics and take a photographic journey through Minnesota.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Christmas comes AFTER Thanksgiving
It's apparently Christmas. I found this out yesterday as I sprinted through the local Target store for a bag of cat food. I realized it was Christmas yesterday, November 2nd, because Christmas had relentlessly vomited across from the general area of the pet supplies. Christmas had vomited so much, in fact, that it was running in to the area where the Halloween candy and remaining costumes had been relegated to. I knew it was coming because after the back-to-school supplies disappeared in the second week of September a back-wall aisle popped up entirely full of Christmas goods.
Yes, Christmas had in fact been lurking inside the walls of Target since early September and I hate that.
It's not that I hate Christmas. Entirely the opposite, in fact. I love Christmas. My house is that house during the month of December. I deck it out classily in white Christmas lights and a Santa's Village scene because it makes kids smile and I don't mind freezing my ass off dragging all of that stuff out from the basement each year. I just don't display all of my Santa-riffic goodnes suntil an appropriate time. The day after Thanksgiving. In case retailers and shoppers everywhere have forgotten, Thanksgiving celebrates the day that the pilgrims and Native Americans sat down and shared a bountiful meal in celebration of the year's harvest. We celebrate it on the final Thursday of November. Then the next day we feverishly plow full-on in to Christmas mere hours later but at least Thanksgiving gets its moment in the spotlight.
Well, at least it used to. I can understand and even tolerate retailers having Christmas displays up shortly after Halloween. It's big business and those advertising dollars that retailers spend keep my bills paid. But if we can find time to recognize such stupid crap as Administrative Professionals Day then Thanksgiving deserves its own space and time without being whored up by the commercialism that is Christmas.
That means no Christmas music - no matter what - before Thanksgiving dinner is over.
Don't turn your Christmas lights on until the day after Thanksgiving.
Decorate the inside of your house whenever you damn well please but be aware that others will ridicule you for having garland and tinsel adorning your home on November 10th.
Keep indoor Christmas decor away from windows visible from outdoors until after Thanksgiving.
Turn off outdoor and dismantle indoor Christmas displays by January 2nd. A grace period of three days is available if you partied like it was 1999 on New Year's Eve.
All I'm saying is that holidays don't overlap. Keep them separate and if KOOL 108 or Lite FM start spinning Christmas music this year before Thanksgiving is over I am going to drive to their respective studios (closets with a computer inside) and smash that Christmas computer into tiny bits fit for decorating the station's Christmas tree.
I also promise to keep MinnPics seasonally appropriate. The photos of Minnesota will always be pleasant and compelling and rarely induce anger.
Yes, Christmas had in fact been lurking inside the walls of Target since early September and I hate that.
It's not that I hate Christmas. Entirely the opposite, in fact. I love Christmas. My house is that house during the month of December. I deck it out classily in white Christmas lights and a Santa's Village scene because it makes kids smile and I don't mind freezing my ass off dragging all of that stuff out from the basement each year. I just don't display all of my Santa-riffic goodnes suntil an appropriate time. The day after Thanksgiving. In case retailers and shoppers everywhere have forgotten, Thanksgiving celebrates the day that the pilgrims and Native Americans sat down and shared a bountiful meal in celebration of the year's harvest. We celebrate it on the final Thursday of November. Then the next day we feverishly plow full-on in to Christmas mere hours later but at least Thanksgiving gets its moment in the spotlight.
Well, at least it used to. I can understand and even tolerate retailers having Christmas displays up shortly after Halloween. It's big business and those advertising dollars that retailers spend keep my bills paid. But if we can find time to recognize such stupid crap as Administrative Professionals Day then Thanksgiving deserves its own space and time without being whored up by the commercialism that is Christmas.
That means no Christmas music - no matter what - before Thanksgiving dinner is over.
Don't turn your Christmas lights on until the day after Thanksgiving.
Decorate the inside of your house whenever you damn well please but be aware that others will ridicule you for having garland and tinsel adorning your home on November 10th.
Keep indoor Christmas decor away from windows visible from outdoors until after Thanksgiving.
Turn off outdoor and dismantle indoor Christmas displays by January 2nd. A grace period of three days is available if you partied like it was 1999 on New Year's Eve.
All I'm saying is that holidays don't overlap. Keep them separate and if KOOL 108 or Lite FM start spinning Christmas music this year before Thanksgiving is over I am going to drive to their respective studios (closets with a computer inside) and smash that Christmas computer into tiny bits fit for decorating the station's Christmas tree.
I also promise to keep MinnPics seasonally appropriate. The photos of Minnesota will always be pleasant and compelling and rarely induce anger.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Fitness clubs as a status symbol
Everyone has some awareness about status symbols. We see the douchebag sporting personalized license plates driving a Mercedes Benz fast enough to both get noticed and pulled over. We see someone wearing a $300 t-shirt but only because they casually mention its cost in conversation at a louder-than-normal volume. Then there are less obvious status symbols. Take gyms and fitness centers for example.
In the past five years the Twin Cities area has experienced a huge boom in fitness clubs. The original full-service gym - Northwest Athletic Club - is a piece of history. It's been replaced by the far more prestigious Lifetime Fitness Club. Around these parts Lifetime is sort of the gold standard for full-service gyms. Older stalwarts such as Gold's Gym are trying to make inroads but they are facing the Rainbow Foods situation - it's difficult to change habits of Minnesotans and Gold's Gym has that image of roided up weightlifters thanks to t-shirts from the 1980s - Lifetime Fitness is the status symbol (to me). Any place with monthly dues over $100 for one person is considered as a luxury and a status symbol by your's truly.
Of course there are a ton of other options like Anytime Fitness and Snap Fitness. A membership there is $30-$40/mo. It's not lofty but it's still not the cheapest. However, I'm willing to bet that the equipment at these strip mall fitness clubs is at least similar to the equipment found by the status symbol seekers who populate Lifetime Fitness. The cheapest that I've seen in the fitness club game is a strip mall outlet in Excelsior or Shorewood - somewhere along Highway 7 on the south shore - advertising $9/month memberships. That, for me, is the price where it negates having your own elliptical trainer taking up precious space in your basement or home office.
The final piece of the fitness game puzzle is the community aspect. Most cities have a community center or YMCA. The community centers are generally rather cheap for monthly memberships. The thing they lack is exclusivity. The memberships are affordable enough that Joe and Jane Average can afford a family membership. Their 2.5 kids are busy with swimming lessons and they are going to ride home together in their 2002 Dodge Caravan minivan. The only difference is that they live just a block away from Doug Douchebag and his 2009 Mercedes Benz. So who's the one living life with a bunch of status symbols?
I, for one, am happy with the occasional run through town and time training on my Wii Fit and driving one of our two Toyotas.
I'm also happy curating MinnPics. The amount of amazing photography from Minnesotans is shocking and deserving of your attention. Check it out today.
In the past five years the Twin Cities area has experienced a huge boom in fitness clubs. The original full-service gym - Northwest Athletic Club - is a piece of history. It's been replaced by the far more prestigious Lifetime Fitness Club. Around these parts Lifetime is sort of the gold standard for full-service gyms. Older stalwarts such as Gold's Gym are trying to make inroads but they are facing the Rainbow Foods situation - it's difficult to change habits of Minnesotans and Gold's Gym has that image of roided up weightlifters thanks to t-shirts from the 1980s - Lifetime Fitness is the status symbol (to me). Any place with monthly dues over $100 for one person is considered as a luxury and a status symbol by your's truly.
Of course there are a ton of other options like Anytime Fitness and Snap Fitness. A membership there is $30-$40/mo. It's not lofty but it's still not the cheapest. However, I'm willing to bet that the equipment at these strip mall fitness clubs is at least similar to the equipment found by the status symbol seekers who populate Lifetime Fitness. The cheapest that I've seen in the fitness club game is a strip mall outlet in Excelsior or Shorewood - somewhere along Highway 7 on the south shore - advertising $9/month memberships. That, for me, is the price where it negates having your own elliptical trainer taking up precious space in your basement or home office.
The final piece of the fitness game puzzle is the community aspect. Most cities have a community center or YMCA. The community centers are generally rather cheap for monthly memberships. The thing they lack is exclusivity. The memberships are affordable enough that Joe and Jane Average can afford a family membership. Their 2.5 kids are busy with swimming lessons and they are going to ride home together in their 2002 Dodge Caravan minivan. The only difference is that they live just a block away from Doug Douchebag and his 2009 Mercedes Benz. So who's the one living life with a bunch of status symbols?
I, for one, am happy with the occasional run through town and time training on my Wii Fit and driving one of our two Toyotas.
I'm also happy curating MinnPics. The amount of amazing photography from Minnesotans is shocking and deserving of your attention. Check it out today.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The myth of low grocery prices
Every big metro area has that one local grocery store chain that claims to be the low price leader. Their weekly newspaper inserts are loaded with coupons which price conscious shoppers feverishly clip out because a coupon is always a good price. Around the Twin Cities our "low
price" grocery chain is Cub Foods. They've been around for about 40 years and from what I can tell began as a warehouse-type store where boxes of products were displayed with one side cut off for access when placed on store shelves. It's a logical way to keep prices low.
However, they aren't the low price leader any more. Sure, their image - using the American Typewriter font - would seem to instantly convey low prices but they just aren't consistently cheap any more. Their ads are still littered with coupons but their new low price model seems to be that of raising the regular price and then marking it down for the sale. The buy one, get one free coupon this week for a 20 oz. package of Gold 'n' Plump boneless, skinless chicken breasts comes to mind. They claim savings of a whopping $6.99! That not only seems artificially inflated but downright insanely high for 1.25 lbs. of chicken. I am fairly confident that, if it weren't for that BOGO special, I could pick up two packages for at least a dollar each less at the local Super Target store.
The puzzling fact is that people still shop at the area Cub Foods store in hordes. They did so after a very nice Rainbow Foods Fresh Store opened across the street. Rainbow's prices were equal to
or lower than on most products than at the neighboring Cub Foods store. That just goes to show that either Cub Foods has totally nailed their marketing and branding image or that Minnesotans are very loyal to certain brands.
But how, in the face of decades of successful branding and imaging, does a competitor succeed in winning over new customers? Rainbow Foods is really the only legitimate grocery-only competitor to Cub Foods in the Twin Cities. The services they offer are comparable and so are the prices but Rainbow Foods has fallen flat on their face countless times since entering the market. Their image has been all over the map and they have failed to gain footing on a community organization level (Boy Scouts, youth hockey, etc.) like Cub Foods has done so well. Rainbow has bombed, I think, because their radio ads are flat out pointless and needlessly gimmicky. The Cub radio ads feature real people and mention the specials of the week. This is one case where Rainbow would be better for imitating rather than trying to be original and unique. Grocery customers do not give a damn about unique, they want low prices and Cub Foods mentions their seemingly low prices and those numbers, voiced by a female "interviewing" Cub customers, stick with people far more than a male doing the same because women buy the bulk of a family's groceries.
But you don't have to look cheap to grab customers. Target has a simple, even classy image. They are so successful that years ago Dayton changed the corporate name to Target Corp. Which one of those two names is still around? Target has succeeded by offering not only low prices but a customer experience. The prices are comparable to competitors, the brands are recognizable but they stick out because of their customer service and image. They are the classy discount department store and, I'm guessing, are more successful in the grocery field in the Twin Cities than Rainbow Foods is or ever will be. Still, it pays to shop around so do it and find out for yourself which store gets you the best deal and listen to those radio ads - which ones grab your attention?
If you want something more entertaining, may I suggest the photos of Minnesota at MinnPics. Something fresh and engaging to look at every day.
price" grocery chain is Cub Foods. They've been around for about 40 years and from what I can tell began as a warehouse-type store where boxes of products were displayed with one side cut off for access when placed on store shelves. It's a logical way to keep prices low.However, they aren't the low price leader any more. Sure, their image - using the American Typewriter font - would seem to instantly convey low prices but they just aren't consistently cheap any more. Their ads are still littered with coupons but their new low price model seems to be that of raising the regular price and then marking it down for the sale. The buy one, get one free coupon this week for a 20 oz. package of Gold 'n' Plump boneless, skinless chicken breasts comes to mind. They claim savings of a whopping $6.99! That not only seems artificially inflated but downright insanely high for 1.25 lbs. of chicken. I am fairly confident that, if it weren't for that BOGO special, I could pick up two packages for at least a dollar each less at the local Super Target store.
The puzzling fact is that people still shop at the area Cub Foods store in hordes. They did so after a very nice Rainbow Foods Fresh Store opened across the street. Rainbow's prices were equal to
or lower than on most products than at the neighboring Cub Foods store. That just goes to show that either Cub Foods has totally nailed their marketing and branding image or that Minnesotans are very loyal to certain brands.But how, in the face of decades of successful branding and imaging, does a competitor succeed in winning over new customers? Rainbow Foods is really the only legitimate grocery-only competitor to Cub Foods in the Twin Cities. The services they offer are comparable and so are the prices but Rainbow Foods has fallen flat on their face countless times since entering the market. Their image has been all over the map and they have failed to gain footing on a community organization level (Boy Scouts, youth hockey, etc.) like Cub Foods has done so well. Rainbow has bombed, I think, because their radio ads are flat out pointless and needlessly gimmicky. The Cub radio ads feature real people and mention the specials of the week. This is one case where Rainbow would be better for imitating rather than trying to be original and unique. Grocery customers do not give a damn about unique, they want low prices and Cub Foods mentions their seemingly low prices and those numbers, voiced by a female "interviewing" Cub customers, stick with people far more than a male doing the same because women buy the bulk of a family's groceries.
But you don't have to look cheap to grab customers. Target has a simple, even classy image. They are so successful that years ago Dayton changed the corporate name to Target Corp. Which one of those two names is still around? Target has succeeded by offering not only low prices but a customer experience. The prices are comparable to competitors, the brands are recognizable but they stick out because of their customer service and image. They are the classy discount department store and, I'm guessing, are more successful in the grocery field in the Twin Cities than Rainbow Foods is or ever will be. Still, it pays to shop around so do it and find out for yourself which store gets you the best deal and listen to those radio ads - which ones grab your attention?
If you want something more entertaining, may I suggest the photos of Minnesota at MinnPics. Something fresh and engaging to look at every day.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Is Trick or Treating Dead?
"Is Trick or Treating Dead?" WCCO Good Question guy Jason DeRusha asked this question earlier today on his blog and his general reaction was that it's moving from a neighborhood event to a mall/event-centric "holiday". Hell, calling Halloween a holiday, in the traditional sense, is a bit of a stretch but it's marked as such on calendars so holiday it is.
Halloween, in my experience, isn't becoming any more of a mall-centric holiday for kids than it was when I was a wee-little goblin shaking down neighbors for candy. Halloween has always been about the kids because, let's face it, you look like a total dick if you're walking through the neighborhood smoking a cigarette in costume. That's either a sign that you're too damn old to beg for candy in your "costume" (turning your hat backwards and wearing your dad's uniform is NOT a costume) or you're a delinquent who needs to be locked up for your own good. And as much as I appreciate a nice cleavage-sporting costume, fifteen years old is not the appropriate age for that costume, now nineteen is a totally different story.
But back to the candy. The prices of candy are what piss me off - I spent about twenty bucks this year because I'm actually a nice guy. I willingly throw on my porch light each Halloween night and hand out candy to those who come to the door. It's usually the only time each year that I see 99% of these kids and they know damn well that they're leaving with at least one piece of candy.
Which brings me to another point. At least have the decency to say "Trick or Treat" when you hold out your pillowcase, shopping bag or plastic pumpkin. Don't be some ungrateful little prick who feels entitled to candy just because you had to walk all the way from your mom's minivan to my front door. And say "Thanks" after I drop the piece of candy into your little bag. Where the hell are your manners? That's why I like the under-five crowd. They are always the most polite (or shy) and they usually have mom or dad in tow with them. The ten-plus crowd is where they get to be "too cool" to try. They've taken on the mentality of their group leader and follow whatever attitude he or she displays - rarely is it a polite one. This is the douche crowd. They are too cool to even mutter a single word after I open the door. They are the ones who sometimes just walk around without a costume. Come on, even I wear a costume. This year, trick or treaters will either be greeted by hula girl Sornie or slutty nurse Sornie (both costumes I've previously worn - I like to recycle).
Which brings me to my final point. Halloween is one of the few "holidays" which is equally enjoyed by a broad group of ages. We all know that kids love it because they get "free" candy. But adults love it because they get to dress up like hula dancers or slutty nurses. And the adult women also get to dress up. That's what I like seeing...
If you like seeing photos from all corners of Minnesota, check out MinnPics. Updated multiple times daily, it's a virtual tour of the Northstar state.
Halloween, in my experience, isn't becoming any more of a mall-centric holiday for kids than it was when I was a wee-little goblin shaking down neighbors for candy. Halloween has always been about the kids because, let's face it, you look like a total dick if you're walking through the neighborhood smoking a cigarette in costume. That's either a sign that you're too damn old to beg for candy in your "costume" (turning your hat backwards and wearing your dad's uniform is NOT a costume) or you're a delinquent who needs to be locked up for your own good. And as much as I appreciate a nice cleavage-sporting costume, fifteen years old is not the appropriate age for that costume, now nineteen is a totally different story.
But back to the candy. The prices of candy are what piss me off - I spent about twenty bucks this year because I'm actually a nice guy. I willingly throw on my porch light each Halloween night and hand out candy to those who come to the door. It's usually the only time each year that I see 99% of these kids and they know damn well that they're leaving with at least one piece of candy.
Which brings me to another point. At least have the decency to say "Trick or Treat" when you hold out your pillowcase, shopping bag or plastic pumpkin. Don't be some ungrateful little prick who feels entitled to candy just because you had to walk all the way from your mom's minivan to my front door. And say "Thanks" after I drop the piece of candy into your little bag. Where the hell are your manners? That's why I like the under-five crowd. They are always the most polite (or shy) and they usually have mom or dad in tow with them. The ten-plus crowd is where they get to be "too cool" to try. They've taken on the mentality of their group leader and follow whatever attitude he or she displays - rarely is it a polite one. This is the douche crowd. They are too cool to even mutter a single word after I open the door. They are the ones who sometimes just walk around without a costume. Come on, even I wear a costume. This year, trick or treaters will either be greeted by hula girl Sornie or slutty nurse Sornie (both costumes I've previously worn - I like to recycle).
Which brings me to my final point. Halloween is one of the few "holidays" which is equally enjoyed by a broad group of ages. We all know that kids love it because they get "free" candy. But adults love it because they get to dress up like hula dancers or slutty nurses. And the adult women also get to dress up. That's what I like seeing...
If you like seeing photos from all corners of Minnesota, check out MinnPics. Updated multiple times daily, it's a virtual tour of the Northstar state.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A milestone I'd rather not achieve
Within the next couple weeks I'll be forced to achieve a milestone that most people hit well over a decade earlier. Call me a late bloomer if you want but this milestone has me more pissed off than anything.
This past summer we bought a 2007 Toyota Rav4. It was decided just after the birth of The Toddler that my old lady's Toyota Solara, a two-door luxury wanna-be sports car, wouldn't work much longer as we spent time crawling in and out of the back seat to retrieve an increasingly heavy car seat.
My old lady's back sucks without being hunched over and retrieving a wiggling infant so we began our search for an official grown-up vehicle. We decided that my fifteen year-old Pontiac Grand Prix could be sold and we'd be back to two vehicles and all would work out.
The vehicle search began over a year ago. We test drove a Dodge something 4-door. That car sucked. Sorry Dodge but you need to do better but I'll never know about the Dodge Caliber because the douchebag at a certain now-closed Denny Hecker dealership wouldn't even let us testdrive it. We tried out a couple of Volkswagen Jettas. They were small, nimble and fast as hell but we were really looking for something around the same size as the Solara. After a doctor's appointment at the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN we test drove a Scion Xb, a Scion Xd, a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Corolla. At this point I was liking the pleasantly ugly Scion Xb.
Then this summer, after hitting the magical number in savings for a down payment, we test drove more vehicles. The next Friday, after scouring the internet for just the right vehicle, we hit the road to Mankato and 90 minutes later we were driving that 2007 Toyota Rav4.
A few months later it was time to change the oil. I located the appropriate oil filter - a crazy paper cartridge type - and bought a couple large jugs of oil. A couple nights later I got my gear together and crawled under the Rav4. I muddled and grumbled and cursed. This things was a damn nightmare. Something I had never seen in my fifteen years of changing oil in my vehicles. And the "can" housing the paper cartridge oil filter was so over-tightened that no amount of torque would budge it. I even called my brother-in-law mechanic who had no ideas or tools to aide me. I finally gave up, frustrated, and just drained the existing oil and replaced it with new. Then the cycle began again last weekend. The second oil change and I was prepared. I had what was promised to be a "damn good filter wrench" from NAPA and this time I would win the battle.
Then it happened. I was under the Rav4 again and the "damn good filter wrench" was constantly slipping. I needed something with more gripping power so off to another auto parts store where I found a kick-ass gripping jaws model that I KNEW would put me in the winner's circle.
Thirty minutes later the NAPA wrench was broken in half and my hand was nearly raw from torquing on the jaw-style wrench with my ratchet. Again I resorted to replacing only the oil and was left with a rather angry wife - angry about how much time I had spent to "accomplish nothing" and the amount of money I spent doing something "that I knew I could never do". Way to be supportive.
So in the next couple weeks I need to find an oil change place that won't cost a damn fortune. I've never had to pay someone to change my oil because it was ingrained in me growing up that you'd be foolish to ever pay for something so simple. Apparently my dad had never met this oil filter.
Today I sit as a defeated man in search of a lube and filter shop that will be able to remove the impossible oil filter can and make it possible for me to finally be able to change my own oil in the old lady's crossover. Yes, these are the battles I stupidly face every day.
One battle I enjoy is finding stunning photos to showcase at MinnPics. Check out what treasures of Minnesota await you today!
This past summer we bought a 2007 Toyota Rav4. It was decided just after the birth of The Toddler that my old lady's Toyota Solara, a two-door luxury wanna-be sports car, wouldn't work much longer as we spent time crawling in and out of the back seat to retrieve an increasingly heavy car seat.
My old lady's back sucks without being hunched over and retrieving a wiggling infant so we began our search for an official grown-up vehicle. We decided that my fifteen year-old Pontiac Grand Prix could be sold and we'd be back to two vehicles and all would work out.
The vehicle search began over a year ago. We test drove a Dodge something 4-door. That car sucked. Sorry Dodge but you need to do better but I'll never know about the Dodge Caliber because the douchebag at a certain now-closed Denny Hecker dealership wouldn't even let us testdrive it. We tried out a couple of Volkswagen Jettas. They were small, nimble and fast as hell but we were really looking for something around the same size as the Solara. After a doctor's appointment at the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN we test drove a Scion Xb, a Scion Xd, a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Corolla. At this point I was liking the pleasantly ugly Scion Xb.
Then this summer, after hitting the magical number in savings for a down payment, we test drove more vehicles. The next Friday, after scouring the internet for just the right vehicle, we hit the road to Mankato and 90 minutes later we were driving that 2007 Toyota Rav4.
A few months later it was time to change the oil. I located the appropriate oil filter - a crazy paper cartridge type - and bought a couple large jugs of oil. A couple nights later I got my gear together and crawled under the Rav4. I muddled and grumbled and cursed. This things was a damn nightmare. Something I had never seen in my fifteen years of changing oil in my vehicles. And the "can" housing the paper cartridge oil filter was so over-tightened that no amount of torque would budge it. I even called my brother-in-law mechanic who had no ideas or tools to aide me. I finally gave up, frustrated, and just drained the existing oil and replaced it with new. Then the cycle began again last weekend. The second oil change and I was prepared. I had what was promised to be a "damn good filter wrench" from NAPA and this time I would win the battle.
Then it happened. I was under the Rav4 again and the "damn good filter wrench" was constantly slipping. I needed something with more gripping power so off to another auto parts store where I found a kick-ass gripping jaws model that I KNEW would put me in the winner's circle.
Thirty minutes later the NAPA wrench was broken in half and my hand was nearly raw from torquing on the jaw-style wrench with my ratchet. Again I resorted to replacing only the oil and was left with a rather angry wife - angry about how much time I had spent to "accomplish nothing" and the amount of money I spent doing something "that I knew I could never do". Way to be supportive.
So in the next couple weeks I need to find an oil change place that won't cost a damn fortune. I've never had to pay someone to change my oil because it was ingrained in me growing up that you'd be foolish to ever pay for something so simple. Apparently my dad had never met this oil filter.
Today I sit as a defeated man in search of a lube and filter shop that will be able to remove the impossible oil filter can and make it possible for me to finally be able to change my own oil in the old lady's crossover. Yes, these are the battles I stupidly face every day.
One battle I enjoy is finding stunning photos to showcase at MinnPics. Check out what treasures of Minnesota await you today!
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