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 It has been replaced by a rather attractive version of Chelsea Clinton complete with perked-up nipples.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.

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.

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:

the canned pumpkin was more charismatic in flavor and hue

I 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 mess

As 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 burned

That 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.

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.

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!