On a Serious Note.

*Warning: the following post is extremely serious. For those not wishing to read a serious post on a serious topic please avert your eyes. For those who are alright with it, by all means, continue reading.

The Olympic Games. Long a symbol of international peace and goodwill amongst humankind. Also, something I look forward to watching every two years. This year my opinions have changed. Now, we all know that I am not your typical Amnesty International-type. Most people would see me as quite the opposite. But, I cannot ignore what is right in my face.

China has been on the tops of countries that value little the rights of its citizenry for quite some time. I had high hopes that a turn toward a more capitalistic form of economics would change this. It appears that this has not taken place. Instead, it seems the basic human rights of the Chinese hang in the balance every day and the Olympics has shed a great deal of light on this.

It scares me to think of all the Chinese that have been forced to make way for new construction of Olympic venues. I am made nearly-ill by how hard the authoritarian government has come down on Tibetan protesters simply looking for more control of their own destiny.

Now I can think of two possible outcomes for having the Olympic games in China. The first is that the people of China will be irrevocably scarred by the great lengths their government have gone to in order to bring the world the summer games. The other option, (and I'm hoping for this one) is that by having the Olympics in China a lot of coverage will be given to the human rights abuses that are rampant in China. Hopefully this will happen through thoughtful reaction by nations, athletes, and corporate participants.

If some great social change doesn't occur because of the games, I believe it comes down to us, the common folk, to change things. By this I encourage everyone to give thought to the products they buy that are made in China and by those corporations that do business there.

I'm sure many of you are probably shocked that I would write something of this nature. But, I see this is as an incredibly important international issue and I thank you for giving this some thought.

The games will go on, I am sure. But, I for one, will not be watching.

New Jeans.

I have a love/hate relationship with jeans. On one hand, I love to buy a new pair of jeans. They always fit so well and look first-rate in the mirror at the store and when I wear them for the first time. I am impressed by my incredibly good sense of style and I am a happy man. However, there is a certain time, and I'm not sure when it takes place, that those same jeans begin to become the bane of my existence.

I believe investing in jeans is very similar to investing in a new car. They lose a large portion of their value as soon as you drive them, or in this case walk them, off the lot. After a wearing or two they lose that flawless fit. After a washing or two they begin to lose that stylish color they had while hanging in that favorite mall store. Instead of being the first choice on that Friday night that requires a great outfit, they are relegated into a secondary spot in the regular rotation.

Soon they will be replaced by another pair of jeans that will inevitably be ousted just like all the others. But fear not my fair jeans, I will not overlook your existence even if you never see the light of day again. You were there for me once and for that I will always remember you.

Hey You.

I see you there. Yeah you. I know you're visiting the blog. So please leave me a comment. I'd love to hear about how great you think I am or maybe if you're so inclined how great you are.

What Happened Here?

I'm confident in my theory that when I go out of town some stranger enters my apartment and has a party without my permission. Now we all know this is an impossibility since I live alone and only I have the keys. (Who would want to put on a clandestine affair in my apartment anyhow?) But it has to be. I couldn't have left my apartment like this when I left town. Could I have? I would never leave a mess like this for myself.

Ahhh...(Pine) Nuts.

So, I was making dinner a couple of nights ago and I was using pine nuts as an ingredient for something. I can't remember, or do not care enough to recall. Anyways, the point of my story is not that I was using pine nuts it's the funny thing I found on the package of the the pine nuts. This perfectly explains to me the condition of our society as a while. Yes, I know what you're thinking. How could I possibly find this on the package of something meaningless like pine nuts? I will tell you.

Quote directly from the package:

Ingredients: Pine Nuts

Allergy Warning: May contain pine nuts

I'm pretty sure this speaks for itself.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I just returned to my computer from one interesting experience. In seeking my favorite thing in this whole world: free lunch, I visited a local radio station that was hosting an event that was billed as the "World's Largest Gathering of People in Mr. Rogers Sweaters". As expected, this adventure did not disappoint. Not only was I granted a free lunch care of a local chicken establishment I was also given a fantastic opportunity to wear my favorite Banana Republic cardigan sweater. I'm not sure whether the record was broken as it looked like about 40-50 people in attendance. But it was a nice stroll down memory lane when the whole crowd was lead by a popular local DJ in singing "Won't You Be My Neighbor". This song of course made famous by Fred Rogers' popular neighborhood broadcast. On tap for next week: a Shari Lewis luncheon. No, not really.

*If you don't believe me, I have the pictures to prove it.

Why Do I Buy Books?

Honestly. So I made a point today to stop in at a bookstore and pick up an interesting book to read. I've felt recently that I have been spending too much time reading internet articles instead of actually taking the time to read a whole book. All evening, here I've sat at my computer perusing the wide scope of what all the brilliant columnists or bloggers wrote today. Upon (many) trips to my refrigerator I've looked longingly at my pretty new book desperately desiring to crack it open and devour it whole. But, now it's a little before midnight and I haven't read anything but the outside cover and the table of contents. I have failed.

Bring Back the Hippies?

*Disclaimer: This post is in no way an endorsement of hippies, their political affiliations, or their smelly-haired, pot-smoking lifestyles.

Good. Now that we have that out of the way, let's get down to the real issue at hand. I miss the good old days of walking into a Starbucks and only having to suffer the disapproving stares of the unshaven, dread locked hippie sitting in the corner munching on a muffin, sipping the trendy coffee drink of the week made with nothing but fair-trade coffee beans, and pretend-reading a Chomsky book while scribbling down "notes" on a tattered piece of notebook paper from circa 1997. That I can deal with.

What I can not deal with is the new crowd found at your local Starbucks store. You know who I'm talking about. I can not go in to Starbucks or any other respectable coffee caffeine distribution center without seeing this illusive creature. Of course, I'm talking about the North Face clad, "Jackie O." sunglasses bespectacled, pastel-colored knock-off Ugg boot wearing sorority girl wannabe (read whore). Let's not forget her love for all sweatpants with something ridiculous scrawled across the ass no matter how ridiculous she might look. While ordering her delicious coffee she must also be talking on her gaudy, gold Motorola Razr and simultaneously texting her "bff" on her Palm Treo.

Let's get something straight Ms. Trend Whore, you're not in New York or LA and if you were you would most assuredly be ridiculed by far more talented word smiths than myself.

As much as this is an indictment of your sense of style it is far more a critique of your attitude that because of your obvious importance to society your needs take precedence over all others. Look, just because daddy says you're number one in his universe doesn't mean that you are actually number one in the real world.

Perhaps I should find a more out-of-the-way coffee house where only the hippest of hipsters and hippies hang their hats.

The Cost of a Gallon of Gas.

A lot of people are worried about oil prices. I'm not really one of them. But, if you are I suggest reading this article at Reason Online by Ronald Bailey.

It's worth a read and may help to calm your angry soul.

I've Tired of Being Cold.

When I was a kid I used to love winter. Looking back I cannot understand why that is. Maybe because I didn't have to drive in snow surrounded by assholes who enjoy following two feet from my back bumper while going too fast for dry conditions. Or maybe because of the occasional day off of school. Whatever it is I know for certain that I no longer entertain that sentiment. That's neither here nor there.

What I'm really sick of this particular winter is the constant cold with no end in sight. In light of this apparently helpless situation I've devised a plan to solve my obvious problem. I've decided that I will no longer turn my car off. Whether I'm at work, at home, asleep in bed; my car will be running. Non-stop until this cold weather breaks.

Now I know you're sitting there wondering "Why do you intend to do this Greg?" Well, I'll tell you. Since this "theory" of global warming is so tried and true, perhaps by unleashing a megaton of CO2 into the atmosphere I can singlehandedly change the global temperature a bit and thereby solve this cold weather problem. If you'd like to help me in my mission, it would be greatly appreciated. (By me and your local gas station.)

As a side note I've also toyed with the idea of devising some system of discharging thousands of aerosol cans into the air around the clock. This of course in order to exploit the ozone layer for added warmth. This is still in the planning stages and I'll give you more details as my scheme develops.

Now don't just sit there. Go out and start that car!

I Am Amazing.

So, I have this Myspace page. I don't really frequent it all that often except to occasionally see if anyone has added me as a friend or left an ego-stroking comment for me. I'll tell you though, I must be the hottest guy on Myspace because I always get friend requests (we're talkin' three or four a day!!) from girls with avatars that show them in sexy outfits. They may not be very descriptive on their pages, but I know they care. Lucky me you say? That's right, lucky me.

My Description of Myself

So that last "about me" description I had was about as annoying as possible. I guess I was thinking to myself: "Hey, if I sound as crass and serious as possible people will have no choice but to take me seriously." Also, some of my first several posts were about as serious as they come. That annoyed me more than anything. If you know me, you know that I rarely take things seriously. (My parents are real proud!) So I'm going to work on a new description for your reading pleasure and from now on the posts will hopefully be a little lighter (unless of course someone drops a piano on a family member or something of that notion).

Easier Said than Done...What a Laugh.

I've found myself over the last couple of hours stuck on this annoying cliche. Is there anything with the exception of breathing really easier said than done? I'm going to have to go with no. So why do we feel it necessary to qualify particular things as such? As usual I don't have all the answers here. But breathing is most certainly easier done than said. 

I'm a Bonehead.

As a bonehead, I'm apt to do things only a bonehead can/will do. In that vein, pardon the pun, I cut my hand and have thusly found typing with a gauze-covered hand quite difficult. Thusly, the lack of posts. My apologies.

What a Mess.

Well, not only have we been experiencing blizzard conditions over the past 24 hours but we have also been "blessed" with a record-breaking snowfall. As of about 3pm, the latest reports are that we have received 16+ inches of snow. How wonderful. Here are the pictures I promised you, taken by me with my lousy point-and-shoot digital camera. I truly cannot wait to see what a mess will be in store for those trying to clear the roads over the next 36 hours in preparation for Monday's morning rush hour. I have yet to make it out to any roads beyond my apartment complex today, but I imagine they're a complete mess. Only time will tell how the incompetent city government will handle this large-scale weather problem. I have joked all winter long about how "up a creek" we would be if we had a snow like this based on the past performances by city services. I never expected my worst fears to come true. 

A Blizzard...

Just when I thought winter was soon to end, blizzard warnings are now in effect for the Columbus area. Lucky us. Pictures to follow.

Utterly Disgusting.

I hate to follow up my last post with something so depressing. If you weren't already aware, this tragedy took place today. This is the first major attack to take place in Jerusalem in four years. Not surprised you say? Unfortunately I have to agree that I am not very surprised by the developments in Israel. But, what makes me shiver are the reports coming out of Gaza that the Palestinians there were celebrating this terrorist action in the streets. Words fail me at this point. What sort of people gather in the streets and in mosques to celebrate murder? (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Randy Pausch

I've added a link to an informational website regarding the condition of Professor Randy Pausch. For those of you not familiar with him or his situation, he has been battling pancreatic cancer and the outlook for him has not been all that good. However, his particular outlook on life is one to be admired by all. Watch this video of his "last lecture" and you will understand why he has changed so many lives and in particular, mine. 

Help My Blog.

This, as you can probably tell, is my first foray into the "blogosphere". As such, my experience with creating a blog is non-existent. I'm not sure if anyone is reading this or not, but if you are I ask that you send your input on how to make this blog a better place for the readers. Thanks a lot. 

A Third Choice?

I've never much believed in the two-party system that makes up our government. Never has this feeling been more evident in me than right now as I sit writing this, watching the results of today's (now yesterday's) primaries come in. Neither of these parties represent what I want in a president or a government. Politics has become a business where only those with large financial backing or an equally large bank account stand any chance of weathering the political storm and the national committees placate to this system. I hate to call it unfair because that's not who I am. But I must contend that the national parties represent to me the enormous disconnect that exists between Washington and Anytown, USA. I'm not looking to vote for some single-issue politician from a fringe party either, I am a relatively conservative guy (but I also have some idealistic thoughts from time to time). I guess what I am looking for is someone that comes from a place like I did, who grew up the way I did, and has a bank account not much larger than my own. This may be wishful thinking on my part, but I think that this is the only way to save what is left of this great nation that I love.