My parents came to visit recently so I went into “cleaning mode” for most of the lead-up week. It’s sort of like when you when you were old enough for your parents to leave you alone for a couple of days. Or even better, a whole week. So you promptly dirtied every dish in the house and went out and bought plastic cups because it seemed easier than getting your hands all pruney. Then, the day they were coming home you spent the entire morning doing all the dishes, vacuuming, and cleaning up all the Cheetos bags. The easy thing was that, you knew what everything should already look like. You just had to put it all back the way it was supposed to be. It’s different when your parents are coming to see your place for the first time.
Now that you live on your own you have to show that you’re responsible. So cleaning the bathroom and the kitchen are a must. Don’t want to have any dirty dishes lying around. That’s not how you entertain guests! But you can’t just clean. It’s not that simple. So you do things like buy new sheets and maybe some fancy hand soap. You have to show that you are a grownup and can handle things on your own. That way, your parents don’t spend the entire flight home worrying if you should be living closer to home. Or at least if you should find a girlfriend who will make you pick up your dirty cereal bowls and put them in the sink.
The easiest way to ensure that your parents leave with a good impression is to put your “parents hat” on. What would your parents do in this situation?
Not sure if you need more artwork on the walls? What would your parents put on the wall?
Is it weird that you don’t own any forks and eat everything with a spoon? Would your parents eat all their meals with just a spoon? (Your parents probably don’t subsist solely on microwavable bowls on Campbell’s soup and Easy Mac – so don’t tell them that you do this).
In fact, the best thing to do might be to replicate your parent’s house completely. Why mess with a good thing, right? It might be hard to exactly replicate your parent’s home, but try to do the best you can; right down to the salt & peppershaker set from Niagara Falls. Though you might want to add some personal touches. So keep that unicorn poster on your door. It’ll help your parents realize just how grown up you are.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Shoot First #1
In which I challenge Ashton Kutcher to prove his physical existence
Attach!: Let’s get right to. I’m surprised to see you.
Ashton Kutcher: Yeah, I dropped out of the spotlight for a little bit. I was focusing on producing and things on the other side of the camera.
A!: No, I mean I’m surprised to see you. You know that school of thought where nothing actually exists; it’s all in your head. That whole “if a tree falls in the woods and no one’s around to hear it” existential crap.
AK: I don’t think I understand what your saying.
A!: I thought you were something I made up. Anyway, it’s my own fault. Just last month I added you to my list of “Things I Haven’t Heard About in Awhile”. You were on the list with cocoa butter and former head of Homeland Security Tom Ridge. I still haven’t heard anything about cocoa butter.
AK: Ok. Well, as I said, I’ve been spending a lot of time. Why are you touching me?
A!: Just making sure you’re not a 3-D hologram. You were saying?
AK: Um…I’ve been spending a lot of time working behind the camera. I’ve been producing shows, like “Beauty and the Geek” and “Miss Guided”.
A!: Speaking of “Miss Guided”, that one fizzled out pretty fast. I feel like you owe me two hours of my life back.
AK: The show was only a half hour.
A!: Yeah, but I spent the next hour and a half coming up with a list of things that would have been a better use of my time. Want to know what #1 was?
AK: No.
A!: It’s unprintable anyway. I’ll give you the half an hour, but you still owe me ninety minutes of my life back. You should probably just stick to reality television from now on.
AK: Reality TV seems to be working out better for me. Both “Punk’d” and “Beauty and the Geek” were successes. But I don’t want to stick to one thing. I’m trying to broaden myself.
A!: Do you actually have any talents?
AK: That seems unfairly harsh.
A!: Sorry, I didn’t realize this was a hug-a-thon.
Slim Marshall (Attach!’s assistant): You put that baby in his place.
A!: Ignore him. He likes to pretend he’s the Ike to my Tina Turner.
AK: …So I have this movie that came out…
A!: Yes. “When in Vegas”. Let’s talk about that one.
AK: Well, in the movie my character marries Cameron Diaz’s character…
A!: I thought you said you were trying to broaden yourself. This was a pretty lame choice.
AK: I don’t think that it was a lame…
A!: Let me see if I can guess what happens in the movie. You’re a single guy, she’s a single girl. You meet, hit it off, and drunkenly get married. Except that, whoa! You don’t know anything about each other and you get on each other’s nerves. But then adversity strikes when Joe Pesci shows up and starts snorting lines of ADHD medication off your bathroom counter and you find out how much you care about each and everyone (except a dead Joe Pesci stuffed into the dumbwaiter) lives happily ever after and in anticipation of “When in Vegas 2: Euro Disney”
AK: Joe Pesci’s not in the movie.
A!: That’s too bad. I almost talked myself into seeing it. Ok, one last thing. I’m going to throw this quarter at you. If you can catch it, I’ll believe that you’re really here. Ready?
Nice catch. I guess I was wrong. Do you have any cocoa butter?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
An Open Letter to Minnesota Twins Catcher Joe Mauer
Dear Joe Mauer,
Let me start by saying what a huge fan I am. You’re definitely one of the best catchers in the league. And a local boy to boot! Your decision-making at the catcher position is one of the key reasons that the Twins have been competitive this far into the season. I am more than happy to pin all my hopes and live vicariously through your accomplishments on the field.
But it’s not just enough for you to make all the decisions on the baseball field. You make decisions for me in the real world as well. It’s because of you that I chose Qwest for my cable/internet/phone service because you recommended it on a billboard. Now, you’ve simplified my charitable giving by suggesting I donate to the United Way. Thanks for all the help. But I have so many other decisions that I need to make, and I thought you might like to chime in on other areas of my life.
First, I’m thinking of switching cell phone service to Sprint, and even though he’s so funny in those commercials, I’m not sure if I can completely trust Peyton Manning. What do you think? What jewelry store should I go to to find a gift for my wife for our 25-year anniversary? Or what fast food restaurant should I take the kids to for dinner next week? We’re moving my mother into a nursing home and we haven’t figured out which one is best; any suggestions?
I need your help to make the everyday decisions as well. If I should turn that report in on time or if I’d be fine if it’s an hour late. Where I should eat lunch today. Your teammate, Delmon Young, recommends Subway. But Coach Gardenhire suggests Famous Dave’s BBQ. I don’t know whom to trust. Do I have anything stuck in my teeth? Should I get gas now, or can I make it another day?
It’s not that I’m incapable of making these decisions for myself. It’s just that you seem to have opinions on so many other aspects of my life. If you could find the time to answer these questions (and also where I should get a tie for my interview tomorrow), I’d deeply appreciate it. And if you could do it on a billboard on my way to work then all the better. Go Twins!
Let me start by saying what a huge fan I am. You’re definitely one of the best catchers in the league. And a local boy to boot! Your decision-making at the catcher position is one of the key reasons that the Twins have been competitive this far into the season. I am more than happy to pin all my hopes and live vicariously through your accomplishments on the field.
But it’s not just enough for you to make all the decisions on the baseball field. You make decisions for me in the real world as well. It’s because of you that I chose Qwest for my cable/internet/phone service because you recommended it on a billboard. Now, you’ve simplified my charitable giving by suggesting I donate to the United Way. Thanks for all the help. But I have so many other decisions that I need to make, and I thought you might like to chime in on other areas of my life.
First, I’m thinking of switching cell phone service to Sprint, and even though he’s so funny in those commercials, I’m not sure if I can completely trust Peyton Manning. What do you think? What jewelry store should I go to to find a gift for my wife for our 25-year anniversary? Or what fast food restaurant should I take the kids to for dinner next week? We’re moving my mother into a nursing home and we haven’t figured out which one is best; any suggestions?
I need your help to make the everyday decisions as well. If I should turn that report in on time or if I’d be fine if it’s an hour late. Where I should eat lunch today. Your teammate, Delmon Young, recommends Subway. But Coach Gardenhire suggests Famous Dave’s BBQ. I don’t know whom to trust. Do I have anything stuck in my teeth? Should I get gas now, or can I make it another day?
It’s not that I’m incapable of making these decisions for myself. It’s just that you seem to have opinions on so many other aspects of my life. If you could find the time to answer these questions (and also where I should get a tie for my interview tomorrow), I’d deeply appreciate it. And if you could do it on a billboard on my way to work then all the better. Go Twins!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Those Rich Candidates So Relate to the Average American
Republican presidential candidate John McCain was recently asked how many houses he owned and he couldn’t answer the question, saying that he’d have his staff find out.
When you’re trying to pin your opponent as elitist and out of touch with the American people, it’s probably not a good idea to lose track of how many homes you have. The second worst thing is probably saying that you’ll have your staff look in to it. It’s a problem all Americans can relate to: having no idea what our net worth is and asking someone on our payroll to check into it. The only worse response McCain could have given was, “How many homes do I have? Not enough, that’s for sure. Damn, my feet are killing me. You’d think when you spend $500 on a pair of shoes they’d at least be comfortable.”
It’s not like he was asked how many ties he had. Or how many ice cream cones he generally eats in a week. We’re talking about homes! McCain’s obliviousness about his own real estate shouldn’t come as a surprise. When asked to quantify what is “rich”, he said $5 million. That’s not just rich, that’s the highest one tenth of one percent income bracket. Put another way, it you had $5 million you’d have more money than 99.9% of people in this country.
What’s fascinating is how hard both McCain and Democratic candidate Barack Obama are fighting over which candidate can more relate to regular Americans. One has been in Washington for over two decades and is married to a woman worth up to $100 million (McCain); the other is a Columbia and Harvard educated lawyer who (with his wife) made around $4 million last year (Obama). It seems like neither has that much in common with the average citizen.
In response to the Obama campaign attacking McCain for being out of touch with the American people, a McCain spokesperson said, “Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula…really want to have a debate about who’s in touch with the regular Americans?” Um, excuse me, Obama made $4 million last year. I don’t think he’s sweating it if the arugula is $2 more expensive at Whole Foods than it is at the farmer’s market. And actually, a debate sounds like a great idea. It doesn’t even have to be a debate. I propose one question with a straightforward answer:
Besides houses and cars, what’s the most expensive thing you ever purchased, and about how much did it cost?
If either said their most expensive purchase was a 60” plasma television, I’d say that they actually did relate to the public. But I’m sure their real answers would reveal just how little they’re like the average American.
When you’re trying to pin your opponent as elitist and out of touch with the American people, it’s probably not a good idea to lose track of how many homes you have. The second worst thing is probably saying that you’ll have your staff look in to it. It’s a problem all Americans can relate to: having no idea what our net worth is and asking someone on our payroll to check into it. The only worse response McCain could have given was, “How many homes do I have? Not enough, that’s for sure. Damn, my feet are killing me. You’d think when you spend $500 on a pair of shoes they’d at least be comfortable.”
It’s not like he was asked how many ties he had. Or how many ice cream cones he generally eats in a week. We’re talking about homes! McCain’s obliviousness about his own real estate shouldn’t come as a surprise. When asked to quantify what is “rich”, he said $5 million. That’s not just rich, that’s the highest one tenth of one percent income bracket. Put another way, it you had $5 million you’d have more money than 99.9% of people in this country.
What’s fascinating is how hard both McCain and Democratic candidate Barack Obama are fighting over which candidate can more relate to regular Americans. One has been in Washington for over two decades and is married to a woman worth up to $100 million (McCain); the other is a Columbia and Harvard educated lawyer who (with his wife) made around $4 million last year (Obama). It seems like neither has that much in common with the average citizen.
In response to the Obama campaign attacking McCain for being out of touch with the American people, a McCain spokesperson said, “Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula…really want to have a debate about who’s in touch with the regular Americans?” Um, excuse me, Obama made $4 million last year. I don’t think he’s sweating it if the arugula is $2 more expensive at Whole Foods than it is at the farmer’s market. And actually, a debate sounds like a great idea. It doesn’t even have to be a debate. I propose one question with a straightforward answer:
Besides houses and cars, what’s the most expensive thing you ever purchased, and about how much did it cost?
If either said their most expensive purchase was a 60” plasma television, I’d say that they actually did relate to the public. But I’m sure their real answers would reveal just how little they’re like the average American.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
It’s a Car Culture, and I’m Just Cycling in It
In a country like Denmark where 50% of people ride their bike it’s probably a lot easier not to get yelled at for riding in the road. At least, it’s probably easier not to get yelled at than in a city like Minneapolis which is, depending on who you listen to, either one of the top three or top five friendliest bike cities in this country. Despite the ranking, cyclists still get no respect.
Case in point: I was riding home from a friend’s house on Saturday night around midnight. Approaching my turn, I moved into the left lane, and as I got into the intersection, I saw cars coming from the opposite direction. So I slowed down and waited to make the turn, which caused to the truck behind me to have to break. As I turned, and the truck behind me headed straight, the driver yelled at me, “Get out of the street!”
In this situation, it’s difficult not to yell a knee jerk reaction of “F’ you, dude,” (which I did, hoping that he wouldn’t follow me, but knowing that if he did, there’s a one-way road heading the opposite direction to easily duck down and avoid getting beaten up). It's especially hard when you know that you're in the right.
Or consider that earlier that night I had to speed up to avoid getting hit by a truck towing a boat; even though I was going straight and he was making a turn. At night, I take all the necessary precautions; I have a blinking back light (red) and a blinking front light (white), so there is no reason for cars to not see me. Plus, it was a pretty well lit street. Oh, and I think I forgot to mention that this truck had headlights, which should have illuminated me. But I realize that if a car were to hit me, it’d do much more damage to me than I would do to the car, so I try to be extra careful.
With the exception of rides like Critical Mass it seems that cyclists are never given the proper consideration. When I'm on the road, I am no different that any other automobile. Sure, I might be slower, but that’s why I ride in the farthest right lane as close to the side as possible. But Critical Mass (at least in Minneapolis) can become a double-edged sword. I agree with what Critical Mass rides are trying to promote (the idea of sharing the road with cyclists and being aware of their presence), but the most effective way to do that is in a perfectly legal manner. Do I always ride completely legal? No. I run red lights (only when it’s completely safe) and split lanes of traffic. But I never go out of my way to inconvenience cars. I believe if you piss off a driver, they’re less likely to be considerate to the next bicyclist they encounter. Because as we all know, most people in this country are so level headed when they drive. When Critical Mass rides shut down all lanes of traffic and go out of their way to harass drivers, they don’t do themselves any good. Sure, it makes quite a statement: “I’m impeding your way. You should have thought about that this morning when you hopped in you car instead of riding your bike to work.” But all the drivers do is get upset at the riders; they don’t think about the need to work cooperatively with the cyclists.
In European countries where more people ride their bicycles cities work to improve the safety and ease of biking. They eliminate parking spaces and block off roads, making it much less convenient to drive. They add a dedicated lane between the sidewalk and parked cars for biking to make it safer for riders. As gas prices rose, it seemed like the United States could be headed in the right direction concerning cyclists. With more people biking, drivers would need to be more aware, and might begin to learn what rights cyclists do and don’t have. But as gas prices fall, I worry that this country may have lost the chance to properly promote bicycling. Instead, it looks like we’ll be stuck with drivers yelling at bikers to get off the road and cyclists yelling back and hoping that they can get where they need to go quick enough without getting run off the road, even when the cyclist has the right of way.
Case in point: I was riding home from a friend’s house on Saturday night around midnight. Approaching my turn, I moved into the left lane, and as I got into the intersection, I saw cars coming from the opposite direction. So I slowed down and waited to make the turn, which caused to the truck behind me to have to break. As I turned, and the truck behind me headed straight, the driver yelled at me, “Get out of the street!”
In this situation, it’s difficult not to yell a knee jerk reaction of “F’ you, dude,” (which I did, hoping that he wouldn’t follow me, but knowing that if he did, there’s a one-way road heading the opposite direction to easily duck down and avoid getting beaten up). It's especially hard when you know that you're in the right.
Or consider that earlier that night I had to speed up to avoid getting hit by a truck towing a boat; even though I was going straight and he was making a turn. At night, I take all the necessary precautions; I have a blinking back light (red) and a blinking front light (white), so there is no reason for cars to not see me. Plus, it was a pretty well lit street. Oh, and I think I forgot to mention that this truck had headlights, which should have illuminated me. But I realize that if a car were to hit me, it’d do much more damage to me than I would do to the car, so I try to be extra careful.
With the exception of rides like Critical Mass it seems that cyclists are never given the proper consideration. When I'm on the road, I am no different that any other automobile. Sure, I might be slower, but that’s why I ride in the farthest right lane as close to the side as possible. But Critical Mass (at least in Minneapolis) can become a double-edged sword. I agree with what Critical Mass rides are trying to promote (the idea of sharing the road with cyclists and being aware of their presence), but the most effective way to do that is in a perfectly legal manner. Do I always ride completely legal? No. I run red lights (only when it’s completely safe) and split lanes of traffic. But I never go out of my way to inconvenience cars. I believe if you piss off a driver, they’re less likely to be considerate to the next bicyclist they encounter. Because as we all know, most people in this country are so level headed when they drive. When Critical Mass rides shut down all lanes of traffic and go out of their way to harass drivers, they don’t do themselves any good. Sure, it makes quite a statement: “I’m impeding your way. You should have thought about that this morning when you hopped in you car instead of riding your bike to work.” But all the drivers do is get upset at the riders; they don’t think about the need to work cooperatively with the cyclists.
In European countries where more people ride their bicycles cities work to improve the safety and ease of biking. They eliminate parking spaces and block off roads, making it much less convenient to drive. They add a dedicated lane between the sidewalk and parked cars for biking to make it safer for riders. As gas prices rose, it seemed like the United States could be headed in the right direction concerning cyclists. With more people biking, drivers would need to be more aware, and might begin to learn what rights cyclists do and don’t have. But as gas prices fall, I worry that this country may have lost the chance to properly promote bicycling. Instead, it looks like we’ll be stuck with drivers yelling at bikers to get off the road and cyclists yelling back and hoping that they can get where they need to go quick enough without getting run off the road, even when the cyclist has the right of way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)