Boy Scouts

This past weekend some boy scouts were going through the neighborhood picking up Christmas trees for people.  They knocked at the door and asked if they could take the tree to the compost station for recycling.  Sure, Julie said, how much?  They said…no no…it’s free!  They were out providing a service to people then left a pamphlet and a self-addressed envelope if you wanted to give to their cause.  This is cool!  And yes…I will contribute.  Much better than buying over priced hockey pizzas that the parents end up delivering.

Airport Screening

I’ve been reading lots of articles about airport security after the failed terrorist attempt on Christmas day.  Frankly, I’m tired of people bitching about their rights to privacy regarding full body searches using advanced technology.  I don’t see what the problem is if some random airport personnel sees your body.  Consider the advantage this would give airports in screening?  And wouldn’t you rather be safe and comfortable when travelling by air?  Maybe it’s just me, but there is no right to fly.  If you don’t like the safety precautions necessary then drive or take a boat, but don’t tell me about your personal rights to privacy on a plane that we are sharing.

On Tiger

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve heard all about Tiger Woods and his alleged affairs.  It all started a couple weeks ago and has gotten worse for him since.  I’ve heard all sorts of programs claiming he’s a sex addict, had had marital problems for years, that the women are being fraudulent, that the women are the real victims here, etc.  Nobody knows whats fact and whats fiction.   In the end I think it comes down to a guy having affairs and getting caught…nothing more.  He’s a young wealthy superstar that was caught literally with his pants down.   So, what does it mean?

First, I personally think his career will suffer.  I don’t think he will be the same guy when he comes back and don’t think he’ll win as many tournaments going forward.  Second, obviously his reputation is damaged, but probably not beyond repair.  Many (me included) think it’s his personal business and I for one don’t condemn him to hell.  For those that do, let the media go through your private life with a fine toothed comb and then let them publish all of it…then tell me what you think.  Third, clearly it will affect companies that use him to market their products, at least it should and already has.  They use him (literally) to sell their products and I don’t think this news will help to do that.  In fact, it will probably hurt.

I think Tiger will move beyond this in 2010 and return to golf no later than The Masters in April.  In the end, he’s made some terrible judgements, but everyone has.  He’s a private man living a public life…leave him alone and let him try to salvage his marriage privately if he can.  If he can’t he’ll move on and the public should let him move on.  Nobody is perfect…even though many thought Tiger was.

The Origin of Species

Here is a nice piece from CNN celebrating Darwins 150th anniversary of his most famous publication.  Embedded in the article is a speech biologist Richard Dawkins gave at TED, a small non-profit devoted to ideas worth spreading.

Rochester Boys Update

With only two weeks left before the fantasy playoffs start there are several teams in the hunt.  The only one outside looking in to ruin playoff hopes for others is Team Xtreme.  These last couple weeks will have some big matchups with the Winona Boy needing a few wins to get in!  Injuries are starting to hurt some teams…mine included…so backups are going to start coming into play.  Good luck to everyone this week we should have a much clearer playoff picture after this week!

Black Friday

Another blog I read this morning was asking for Black Friday shopping techniques.  Here are a few of mine:

1.  Wake up at a reasonable hour, have some coffee, enjoy breakfast, and chat with your spouse about how to avoid all that is Black Friday

2.  Shop online!!!  Yep, it’s pretty easy, there are great deals everywhere, there are no lines, there are no idiots, there is no traffic, you can do it in your pajamas, etc.

3.  Consider a yearly Black Friday tradition that isn’t related to shopping:  maybe a hike, maybe read a book, lunch with friends or family, decorate your Christmas tree.  Basically anything that isn’t related to a mall or shopping center.

I guess I’ve never really understood the Black Friday phenomena.  Do you really want to waste a free day of vacation standing in lines and fighting traffic to save $50?  I value a day of vacation much higher than that!

Monday Night Football

Why would anyone in their right mind give Cleveland a Monday night game?  Good god, did you see that game last night?  Could have been the worst football game I’ve ever seen.  I don’t think the Cleveland WRs ran a route over 10 yards until the 4th quarter and if they did they didn’t catch the ball.  The stadium wasn’t full when the game started due to a protest organized by fans and was close to empty by the end of the game.  I almost felt bad for the Browns…and I never feel bad for professional athletes…and I mean never!

The guys on Monday night were basically rooting for Brady Quinn to do anything, complete a pass, maybe get a first down, simply attempt a long pass down the field.  You cold tell both Gruden and Jaworski were rooting for the Browns which made it even more difficult to watch.  The one offensive touchdown that was scored during the game came with the Browns having only 10 men on the field and scurrying around the field like a high school team.

Come on guys…let’s come up with some better matchups for Monday night next year when you’re making the schedule.  I understand the need for variety, but not at the expense of quality.

Americana on The Current

For anyone interested in Americana here is a great new segment The Current is having Sunday mornings.  Bands like Son Volt, Ryan Adams, and Whiskeytown will be played, but more importantly relatively new Americana bands like Those Darlins will get some air time.  Check it out!

Food Inc.

For anyone you hasn’t seen Food Inc. yet – rent it!  It really will change your outlook on food, where it comes from, and what you want to eat!  According to this movie a small few major food processors have pretty much taken over the industry and left nothing in their wake…specifically, the small farmer.  Most all of the beef that we eat is from mass produced cattle that are corn fed and pumped with soo many chemicals it’s amazing!  The chickens and pigs are about the same, but what really got me was the power that these huge corporations like Monsanto have.  And not only the power of production, but the legal influence they have…amazing.  It’s not a babbling documentary from some hippy living on a commune..it’s very educational and in my opinion well informed!

Fantasy Football

The cream has finally risen to the top of the The Rochester Boys fantasy football league!  With a convincing 129 to 94 victory this past week The Killers has taken over first place.  Though there are two other teams with the same record the significant point difference put The Killers alone at the top.

The second and third place teams of The Finger Painters and The Trollers respectively were auto-draft picked teams…can you say lucky?!  Not far back are two teams that will make a run for the title:  the impressive Winona Boys and The Farvins, but they have a tough schedules coming up.