tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84839969053520910062024-03-12T20:54:28.152-06:00the view from my pedestalChristianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-43356197496681515972011-04-06T16:53:00.005-06:002011-04-06T21:39:56.452-06:00Letter to Governor Herbert<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span>Please email Governor Herbert at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span">gherbert@utah.gov </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; ">I have provided a template which you can use here. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Just cut and paste and fill in your own information </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span>-------</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span>Dear Governor Herbert,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span></span><span>I am writing to ask you to please reconsider your stance on Utah Senate bill SB314 sponsored by Sen. John Valentine<i> R-Orem</i>. This bill is damaging to the economy of the great state of Utah. </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span>It hurts local businesses' ability to attract customers by not allowing them the freedom to set prices at their discretion</span></span><span> and goes against the logic and fabric of Utah being one of the most business friendly states in the country. Taking away an entire sector of business’s rights is counterintuitive and is bad for the state.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span">Furthermore the closure of Utah state liquor stores is again damaging to the people of Utah who use these services, the employees at these stores who would be put out of work, and the profit that these stores make that is funneled back into government services for its citizens. Every store that is threatening to be closed is very lucrative and very profitable and very widely used, meaning that their closures are destructive for both the government and its constituents.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span">I thank you for your time and ask that you reconsider your signing of this bill for the good of the state of Utah and its population.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span">Sincerely,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span> {name}</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span>{name}</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span">{address, optional}</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span">{zip code, do include}</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span">{phone number, optional}</span></p>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-70245183659294332822011-01-24T17:55:00.000-07:002011-01-24T17:56:19.708-07:00communities + millennials<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="'font-family:">Communities are defined by the people living in them. What those people do, where those people go, and who those people connect with. People want to meet others, be around people, and evolve with the other people in their community, no matter how alike or different they may be. </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="'font-family:"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="'font-family:">And so too do “we.” We are a blossoming community of young people who are exiting one phase of their life and entering into the next one. Millennials, Generation Y, Echoboomers, the Internet Generation. The nomenclature does not matter, but we are a budding group that is trying to define ourselves in our world, in our state, in our city, in our community.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="'font-family:"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="'font-family:">We are a misperceived bunch, one not defined by the clichés that our parents’ generation uses to characterize us; a generation that might be under our parents’ wings longer than in previous times, but one that realizes that wing casts a huge shadow. We are a bunch going through a collective quarter-life crisis. We are not leeches, we do not expect handouts, but neither do we think we can simply pull ourselves up by our bootstraps--that doesn’t work. Our reality is different than the generations before it, not wrong, not with less wanting or longing for success or definition, but different. </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="'font-family:"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="'font-family:">We want to be part of a community and we are. We live here, we do stuff, we go places, we connect with people like us, and we connect people who are different from us.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Embrace us, don’t disregard us. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We exist, and in our own way we play a huge part in defining our community. </span></p>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-54918345650589757692010-11-08T15:35:00.003-07:002010-11-08T15:41:52.834-07:00What do we expect from Kyle<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><span style="font-family:Garamond">responding to a question from <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/">Salt Lake Tribune</a> columnist, Kurt Kragthorpe (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/tribkurt">twitter.com/tribkurt</a>) I wrote this utterly too long essay.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Garamond; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia; "><span style="font-family: Garamond; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >the Question</span><span class="Apple-style-span" >: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" >Whit apologized, saying fans deserve better. What do fans expect when they show up?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia; "><span style="font-family: Garamond; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >the Answer:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" > Fans expect a showing. Going into the TCU game I was half expecting to win and half expecting to lose. A loss would have been acceptable but I am a lot more close to upset with the <expletive> throttling we got was just unacceptable, especially at home especially when you have a crowd that fired up.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><span style="font-family:Garamond">Kyle cannot stop people from dropping balls, or the quarterback missing throws, all of which happened. But Jordan Wynn is 19 and I found myself being more upset with the play calling than anything else. However, in the world where Kyle is the highest paid person in the state of <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:state>, the buck clearly stops with him. Kyle can do a few things: YELL AT RODERICK TO RUN THE <expletive> BALL! </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><span style="font-family:Garamond">More importantly however, I think the ultimate problem is that <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:state>, under Kyle had not experienced a big game situation like this (the Sugar Bowl was entirely different for a lot of reasons). I think the four biggest factors in the Utes losing was College GameDay, the numbers 3 and 5, the camouflage jerseys, and TCU being really good. The fourth one, Kyle can't do anything about, so we'll focus on the first three. Basically what those three things boiled down to is pressure.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><span style="font-family:Garamond">This was a pressure filled game that, on Saturday, <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:state> had no business being in, what I expect from Kyle is to be able for his guys to handle pressure. And this pressure game is only the beginning. If <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:state> is playing for a Rose Bowl birth, Pac 12 championship, or [only peeing my pants slightly] a trip to the national championship, the pressure will be 572358x more than it was for a Mountain West game in the middle of the season, that happened to have an ESPN show beforehand. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><span style="font-family:Garamond"><b>Long answer: above. Short answer: handle pressure better than you did.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><span style="font-family:Garamond">However, there is hope. Since, as I mentioned, this is Utah's first game of such magnitude (again, Sugar Bowl entirely different) Kyle knows what he did wrong [he better] and he now knows what that pressure feels like, for him, hius staff, and his players. Every coach needs to learn, and I feel as though this is Kyle's learning experience. If he didn't learn, then the Pac 12 experiment will be scary, if he does, based on his talent as a coach, and the talent of the players he can recruit, the sky could be the limit. <o:p></o:p></span></p></span></div>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-77886293112841580772010-09-09T13:50:00.002-06:002010-09-09T13:56:42.655-06:00NFL Picks<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">I know very little about the NFL. But here are my picks in case I am right:</span></span><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">NFC West</span></b></span></div><div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">49ers*</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">NFC South <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Saints</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">NFC North<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Packers*</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">NFC East <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Cowboys</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">NFC Wild Card<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Vikings<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Falcons</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">AFC West<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Chargers*</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">AFC South<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Colts*</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">AFC North<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Ravens</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">AFC East<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Jets</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">AFC Wild Card<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Titans<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Patriots</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">NFC Playoffs</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"> Round 1 <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Falcons over Cowboys<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Saints over Vikings<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Round 2 <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Packers over Falcons<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">49ers over Saints<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Round 3 <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Packers over 49ers</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">AFC Playoffs</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Round 1 <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Titans over Jets<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Ravens over Patriots<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Round 2<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Colts over Titans<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Ravens over Chargers<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Round 3<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Colts over Ravens</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Super Bowl<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Colts over Packers </span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-56975547365974517872009-12-23T15:25:00.002-07:002009-12-23T15:39:50.902-07:00Meat and me [and everyone and everything else]<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>This is a repost of a previous essay with revisions and additions </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Book Antiqua';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Book Antiqua';"><b><i>Meat and me [and everyone and everything else]</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Book Antiqua';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I would like to think I have some sort of moral compass. I would like to think that I care about animals and animal rights. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">can</i> say that I am appalled by the videos on the <a href="http://www.peta.org">PETA</a> (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website. The videos make me nearly throw up; looking at the inside of slaughterhouses or any industrial farm is horrendous. But I eat meat, and I do not know if I really plan to stop. Is my moral compass wrong? Am I inflicting unthinkable pain on the animal? Is there a middle ground that we can walk that includes eating meat and not torturing animals? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua""><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>To really get to the root of any sort of middle ground, we need to start with the animals themselves. It is generally assumed that animals feel some sort of pain. There is not actually much evidence that they do not. They have similar nervous systems and although there is no way to actually figure out how an animal feels pain, we can work under the assumption that they do. This leads us to the inevitable conclusion that killing an animal for meat causes the animal to experience pain and that, on some level, is just not okay. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua""><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So while animals do feel pain, do they suffer? Where is this line drawn? Can an animal know suffering? This is where the line gets more and more blurry. Are these same animals that are incapable of higher thought or moral affectations actually suffering? One problem is the definition of suffering. Is suffering just a lot of pain? Or is suffering something beyond pain? Is it something more cognitive? If I stub my toe, it hurts, but if my friend is dying, I am in more pain than a thousand stubbed toes. Is that animal in the slaughterhouse going through a series of stubbed toes or a friend dying? The other [major] problem is that it is an unanswerable question. To my knowledge, no human speaks cow. So physiological experiences are all we have as a gauge into the mind of an animal.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua""><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>This very question has caused an entire animal rights movement whose goal is to equalize the rights of animals to be like those of humans. But really, how does one equate a human and a lesser animal? On the surface they are not equal. Chickens do not philosophize. Cows do not ponder their existence. Goats do not have moral compasses. The animal world does not have its own moral compass; there are no “rights” in the animal world. A wolf does not care that the deer it kills has a baby. The wolf is just hungry. The wolf does not vote on which deer it is all right to kill, it just does it. If a wolf can kill an animal, why can’t I? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua""><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The argument for animal rights has many different forms, and one of the strongest is leveled from an entirely utilitarian point of view. Peter Singer, a noted utilitarian philosopher and author, has a particularly concise logic for not eating meat. He says that “equality is a moral idea, not an assertion of fact.” His basic claim is that animal rights activists do not want equal treatment, just equal consideration in the best interest of everybody and everything. The argument is that a cow does not want to sit on the couch and watch television the same way I do not want to hang out in a pasture and chew cud all day. The logic behind this is hard to pull apart. If we eat animals, shouldn’t we eat people too? If we don’t eat people, shouldn’t we not eat meat? The argument there comes back to the moral considerations. <a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/010403_organic.cfm">Michael Pollan</a> points out that the reason we would forego meat is the same reason why we have some sort of moral difference from animals. But as Pollan himself points out, this runs into its own set of problems; people with severe mental disabilities or infants are awarded rights even though they can make no moral distinctions. How do we justify not killing them but in turn justify killing animals that are on the same level of mental capacity as the disabled person? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua""><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The buzzword this conversation creates is “speci</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">esist” and that is a word Pollan finds hard to shake. I agree. It is hard to shake. If you are going to eat meat, you have to agree that you are on some level better than those in the animal world. But being a speciesist does not justify those PETA videos. Do we stop eating meat on the grounds that the practices are not humane or that the idea is not? The practices are indeed inhumane. I am hard pressed to find a way in which they are not. In the world of capitalism, in which we are firmly rooted, the incentive to make money outweighs the incentive to humanely treat animals; and agribusiness is born. But we like capitalism and we have been living in a world of deregulation for some time. The entire American dream is rooted in the ability to at least have a chance to make money. So why can’t agribusiness make money by taking advantage of animals? <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>There is an interesting parallel here. Back in the early days of industrialism factory workers were being mistreated, so unions were formed, government stepped in and worker’s rights were born. So could this happen with animals? Maybe. There are some road blocks to this, however. First of all, cows do not speak any human languages, so someone has to speak on their behalf. This is already being done by plenty of people, like Singer and like PETA. But people are going to still eat meat. Their call (for the most part) is to stop eating meat entirely. I, for one, am probably not going to stop for the moral reasons or even more logical ones that a utilitarian perspective presents. What should we do? <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>But is moral justification the only argument against eating meat? As it turns out there are much more practical, though less philosophical reasons for not eating meat. The power point slide you missed in Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” was that the meat industry causes just as much greenhouse gas as the transportation industry does. A 2006 study done by the United Nations concluded that the meat industry was in the top two or three <a href="http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp">worst contributors to creation of greenhouse gasses.</a></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><a href="http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp"> </a>The next logical question would be to ask how exactly eating a steak causes greenhouse gasses? The problem is the farts and burps of the animals being raised. No, seriously. Farts and burps are pockets of gas that the body does not want, so it releases them in the best (and funniest) way it knows how, through farting and burping. A primary gas that is released through this process <a href="http://www.show.me.uk/site/news/STO873.html">is methane, which is a greenhouse gas</a></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">. Humans have one stomach, but a cow has four, as does a sheep. This leads to more farts and burps, which in turn<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-4002-Milwaukee-Green-Living-Examiner~y2009m4d3-Scientists-study-cow-farts-in-an-attempt-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emmisions"> help contribute to global warming</a>.</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> This is compounded by the fact that agribusiness cows, specifically, do not eat a proper cow diet. Cows do not eat corn, as they do not digest it well, but corn is cheap (cough*subsidized), so corn is fed to the cows. An unnatural diet complicates their digestive systems and in turn increases the fart and burp problem. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To put it into perspective, eating one pound of meat is equivalent to <a href="http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp">driving a sport utility vehicle 40 miles.</a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Greenhouse gasses are just the tip of the iceberg. Meat eating is by far just as destructive to the actual physical land itself. Grazing cows hurts the land – it is aggression on the land itself. Basically, when the land is used up the animals have to go somewhere else and graze that land and so on. It is damaging to indigenous species that occupy the grazed land. This need for new land causes forests to be cleared, which is [obviously] bad for the forests and the species that live there, especially in unique and diverse areas such as the tropical rainforests, which are being demolished at an alarmingly fast rate. Entire species can be [are being] wiped out just to make room for animals to graze. This does not even count all the land that is used to grow the food for the animals to eat. Massive tracts of land grow food just for animal consumption. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>All in all somewhere around 80% of the agricultural land in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> is used for animals. This number becomes even more staggering when you consider the actual output. The high output land is being used for relatively low output animals. 70% of the land used to grow grains, for example, is used to feed animals. These animals do not give us 70% of our diet; compounding that, the eating of meat is a one-time shot. You only get to eat the same cow one time. If that wasn’t bad enough, only the best cuts of meat are used. The less desirable parts are processed into less than desirable products (e.g. hot dogs) using even more resources. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Basically, we put way more energy into the raising of animals than we get out of raising those animals. However that isn’t even the end of it. Since the animals are fed so much and so aggressively they in turn process that and it turns into excrement; they poop it out. This overload of fecal matter has to go somewhere. To dispose of the feces, for the most part, one of two things is usually done. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One: it sits there or two: (a saving grace, sort of) it is used as manure for crops. The recycling seems reasonable but both strategies result in massive amounts of runoff that pollute waterways. According to the Environmental Protection Agency factory farms pollute waterways more than all other <a href="http://www.goveg.com/environment-pollution.asp">industrial sources combined. </a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">But this meat onion has one more layer. Transportation. The meat that caused all the aforementioned problems has to get to my plate and that comes from widely dispersed geographical regions. The travelling meat uses fuel to get to all the various stores and restaurants. A simple example: the average 18 wheeler gets about <a href="http://www.chacha.com/question/how-many-miles-per-gallon-do-18-wheelers-get">6 miles per gallon</a></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> and has a tank of about <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080707151739AAgkuQS">240 gallons.</a></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080707151739AAgkuQS"> </a>The current (November 18, 2009) average price of diesel fuel in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> is <a href="http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp">$2.79/gallon.</a></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on"><a href="http://beef.unl.edu/FAQ/200307250.shtml">Texas</a></st1:place></st1:state> is the largest exporter of beef cattle in the country.</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> To travel from <st1:city st="on">Fort Worth</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">Texas</st1:state> to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Salt Lake City</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">Utah</st1:state></st1:place> driving is </span></span><span class="ddmiunittotaltds"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"><a href="http://maps.yahoo.com/">1243.53 miles.</a></span></span><span class="ddmiunittotaltds"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> If we do a little math we basically figure out that an average 18 wheel semi-truck can get to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Salt</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> from cow country on one tank of gas, but that one tank of gas costs almost $3500. And that doesn’t count the expense of the driver, the wear on the car, or the trip back for more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Delving into this meat quandary even further we get to something a little more personal: the actual human health problems of overconsumption of meat, especially red meat. There is a laundry list of studies that show the problems with overconsumption of red meat. The problems range from particularly credible ones like cardiovascular health to less plausible ones like Alzheimer’s disease. The most comprehensive study was done by a group of scientists from several institutions including the National Cancer Institute and the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">North Carolina</st1:placename></st1:place> and studied over 500,000 people. The most dramatic conclusion from the study was that over a 10 year period, the people who consumed the most red meat had about a 30% greater chance of dying than those who ate the least amount of meat over that time period – this was mostly due to cardiovascular disease and cancer. That is not the only side of the health coin, though. The same study showed lowered mortality risk for people who ate more white meat (chicken, turkey) <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/23/healthmag.red.meat.lifespan/">than those who ate less white meat</a>.</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> This seems reasonable but the white meat industrial farms are run just as inhumanely and produce comparable amounts of waste.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>It seems reasonable to assume from a thinking person’s perspective that the inhumane treatment of animals is just plain unacceptable. No matter how much you champion capitalism, it does not seem reasonable to put animals in an industrial setting. This causes problems for and from the animal, for the environment, and even maybe the health of the person eating it. As a general bedrock of “solutions” to this problem, the industrial farm needs to be changed. There are a few stepping stones [boulders] to overcome for this to actually happen, though, which makes this problem seem so ominous. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">best</i> way to effectively control this would be through regulation. But since agribusiness is one of the largest lobbies in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> there is very little regulation and that lobby is probably not going away. The other problem with the regulation of agribusiness and industrial farming is that it would spike up the cost of meat at least significantly and probably dramatically. People like five dollar steaks more than they like 25 dollar steaks, totally unaware of the uglier side of the industry that keeps that steak price down. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Where does that leave us? We, in a nutshell, fundamentally need to change how we eat. Totally not eating meat is not really an option for most people. But eating less meat really ought to be. Eating better meat ought to be. Eating more of our meat and eating meat that is produced closer to home ought to be. But, how do we do that? How do we get to some sort of happy medium or at least a not-awful one? I think to really get to this position we have to look at three key groups. The three most important groups to advocate change in this awful cycle are PETA, sustainable farmers, and foodies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>“Foodies” is a broad term for people who are really into food at a variety of different levels, whether growing, cooking, eating, writing, blogging, or talking. They [we] are just plain and simple really into food. In this foodie movement there are huge emphases being placed on sustainability and humanity. Foodies are the thought leaders of food, the early adopters. And their championing sustainable and ethical meat is a good start for the hordes that follow them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>This grassroots [grass-fed] movement has already begun. Recently, noted celebrity chef <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17740638/">Wolfgang Puck</a> spoke out against foie gras</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">, the liver of goose because of the inhumanity of force-feeding the geese to fatten up their livers. Chris Cosentino, a chef in central <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state> operates <a href="http://www.offalgood.com/">an educational tool</a></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> about offal, the insides and not traditionally used parts of the animal, like the intestines, to maximize the use out of the animal. <a href="http://www.rmseafood.com/welcome.html">Rick Moonen</a>, a chef in Las Vegas, is deeply rooted in the sustainable seafood movement.</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> The best restaurants all over the country are using only organic and humanely raised and predominantly local meat. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>People at the forefront of the culinary industry are championing organic ingredients and many of them are championing local ingredients. Although there is a certain politicization to the entire movement, the food actually tastes better. It is better for you because it does not have the toxins amd antibiotics that are inherent in the industrial farm meat. And even though the food is more expensive, this serves as a subtle benefit because it actually curbs your overall consumption of meat, which is a good thing for your health at the personal level, and for the environment at a macro level. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">The local, organic food eating movement has gone hand in hand with the local, organic food producing movement. These farms use the land and the animals in a much more natural way. <a href="http://www.polyfacefarms.com/">Polyface Farm</a> in Virginia</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> is one noted site where the animals live in harmony with one another and with the humans raising them. They eat the diet they want to eat, and they are humanely slaughtered in an open place, not on a closed off cold factory floor. The farm has guiding principles that focus the farm towards openness and the health of the land and the health of the animals, which in turn makes better food. The success of farms and farmers gives hope to this working at some sort of mainstream level. The more pressure these farms are able to put on the industrial farm, the better.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>And this brings us back to our friends at PETA. As abhorrent as they find the meat industry, they serve a valuable purpose in the re-humanizing of meat eating. The role they play is to continually bring to the public eye the inhumanity that plagues the industrial farm industry. PETA and groups like it need to be the unions the animals cannot really have themselves. They need to get the word out as much as possible and continue to disgust people. Humans are unique in this fact: they can get disgusted. They do have some sort of affinity for animals and the sooner they get disgusted the sooner they will realize the effects of the meat industry on so many areas of the world, and on themselves, and in that realization will see that real, large scale change is possible. So maybe it is good that I watched those videos after all. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <div style="mso-element:footnote-list"><br /> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn1"><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></p></div><div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn16"> </div></div>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-34743285015061131562009-10-16T16:48:00.001-06:002009-10-16T16:54:45.327-06:00Things I hate that everyone likes Volume I: Where the Wild Things Are<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Where the Wild Things Are </i>is a 1963 book written by Maurice Sendak. Basically, the book is a picture book about a boy named Max who gets in trouble and has to go to bed without supper. While in his bedroom, he imagines going to a world of strange and ugly creatures and he becomes their leader and then gets homesick and comes back to his room. Recently, it was optioned for a movie, putting this story on the big screen. The book is beloved by everyone.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let me posit this: MOST OVERRATED BOOK EVER. I know this is sacrilege amongst almost everyone but it sucks. Okay, it doesn’t suck, it just really is overrated. Let me explain, it is not that the book itself is bad. What bothers me is just how much everyone loves it. And it’s not just that they love it, it’s that they fucking love it. People waited in hours in line for the movie premier of a book that has 10 sentences in it. I was at a party the other day where someone was getting a fucking tattoo of Max and the Wild things on his arm. It’s not even that, it’s that everyone was into it. They thought it was cool. Fuck. I need to go punch a wall now. </p>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-69235774982536535342009-10-14T16:16:00.004-06:002009-10-14T16:20:42.842-06:00when it's grey outsidetrees aren't as vibrant when it's grey outside<div><br /></div><div>they blend in with power lines, with stoplights, with street signs</div><div><br /></div><div>the western mountains are lost in hazy clouds and smog</div><div><br /></div><div>this landscape would be deafening if it weren't so muted</div><div><br /></div><div>the wind picks up to scatter dust and leaves and memories and newspaper over the beaten down cement</div><div><br /></div><div>footsteps are harder to discern, harder to remember, harder to acknowledge when the wind blows</div><div><br /></div><div>sounds echo more loudly in the wind when it's grey outside</div><div><br /></div><div>they are just harder to understand </div>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-78807990517540893302009-10-02T14:37:00.002-06:002009-10-02T14:49:15.044-06:00Good Idea/Bad Idea Edition 1 - Masturbating at work.<p class="MsoNormal">Introducing a new feature called Good Idea/Bad Idea where we break down certain situations that could be a good idea or could be bad idea and ultimately come to a decision about whether it is a good idea or a bad one.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Edition 1: Masturbating at work.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Masturbating is almost always a good idea but you may want to reconsider if you are at work. First off there are logistical concerns. The IT department most certainly would have red flags if you were looking at porn on your computer and magazines are hard to subtly sneak in. Private bathrooms clearly would be the best location but most people do not have access to one and public bathrooms certainly do not provide you with proper privacy. Your office is far too risky because coworkers are certain to need something and closed doors are suspicious. Janitors closets have limited access and all other areas are much too public. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Further red flags include the fact that if you were to get caught you would most certainly run into problems. If a coworker catches you, several things could happen including: them telling the boss, them losing all respect for you, awkwardness in further interaction, possible loss of job, and (or) possible lawsuits. There are similar results should your boss catch you but there is a certainty of a reprimand of some sort. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">While it may seem tempting to masturbate at work, the risks ultimately outweigh the payoff and you should not masturbate at work.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Verdict:</b> Bad Idea</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Pros:</b> thrill of getting caught could be turn on, you’re masturbating</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Cons:</b> could get caught, un-ideal setting, logistical concerns, possible loss of job, possible lawsuits</p>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-88189541811925515242009-09-16T01:03:00.000-06:002009-09-16T01:06:58.466-06:00Trip to the Olive Garden<p class="MsoNormal">I am an eater. A good one. I like eating. I love eating. More than you, in fact. I am a foodie. At least a self described one. Food is what I enjoy. I eat out too much, but they are at least at good restaurants. I cook every once in a while too. And I am even sort of good at that. I would cook more if I didn’t hate my kitchen. It’s too small. And it has electric burners. Worthless. Why am I going to <st2:personname st="on"><st1:givenname st="on">Olive</st1:givenname> <st1:sn st="on">Garden</st1:sn></st2:personname> then? Salad and Breadsticks. And irony. Well those and it was Sunday night in <st2:city st="on"><st2:place st="on">Salt Lake City</st2:place></st2:city>. Not much is open on Sunday night in <st2:city st="on"><st2:place st="on">Salt Lake City</st2:place></st2:city>. I had a partner. <st1:givenname st="on">Amanda</st1:givenname>. She was like me. So we together ventured towards the downtown <st2:personname st="on"><st1:givenname st="on">Olive</st1:givenname> <st1:sn st="on">Garden</st1:sn></st2:personname>, we opened the door and uncomfort smacked us across the face.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The inside of <st2:personname st="on"><st1:givenname st="on">Olive</st1:givenname> <st1:sn st="on">Garden</st1:sn></st2:personname> looks like a movie set of what <st2:place st="on"><st2:country-region st="on">Italy</st2:country-region></st2:place> looks like in campy 70s films. You don’t have to sell me on the fact that I am being whisked to <st2:country-region st="on"><st2:place st="on">Italy</st2:place></st2:country-region>. I know that I am not. A few steps in: “Welcome to the <st2:personname st="on"><st1:givenname st="on">Olive</st1:givenname> <st1:sn st="on">Garden</st1:sn></st2:personname>!” Used car salesmen think <st2:personname st="on"><st1:givenname st="on">Olive</st1:givenname> <st1:sn st="on">Garden</st1:sn></st2:personname> employees come on too strong. They greet us as if they care that we are here. Foot off the gas pedal slick, we get we’re at the <st2:personname st="on"><st1:givenname st="on">Olive</st1:givenname> <st1:sn st="on">Garden</st1:sn></st2:personname>. In terms of jobs people hate, <st2:personname st="on"><st1:givenname st="on">Olive</st1:givenname> <st1:sn st="on">Garden</st1:sn></st2:personname> is a lock for the top ten. Stop pretending you like this. I know that you don’t<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">. </i>“Is it just the two of you tonight?” “Yes.” “Okay well there is about a 10 minute wait.” Fuck. Not only am I at the <st2:personname st="on"><st1:givenname st="on">Olive</st1:givenname> <st1:sn st="on">Garden</st1:sn></st2:personname>, ironically, but there is a wait. “But if you’d like to sit in the café you’re more than welcome; same service, same menu. “Yeah that should be fine.” “Okay, help yourselves to a seat.” </p>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-80787095552382681282009-09-10T15:57:00.005-06:002009-09-10T18:33:55.536-06:00Position paper on the effects of the industrial revolution on philanthropy in the arts, music, and education.It helped.Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-80815130802837837402009-07-09T14:37:00.004-06:002009-07-09T15:27:15.771-06:00A Collection of Funny Tweets<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A collection of funny 140 character notes from my <a href="http://twitter.com/chrismogren">Twitter</a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Which is worse? Impaling your foot with a nail or watching Glenn Beck? Vegas has it at pick 'em.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Scene of the Day: Girl in class awkwardly smelling her bag and getting the "just smelled dog shit</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> face"</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Eating salad with a spoon is as fruitless as it sounds.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Scene of the Day: Grown up guy actually playing with animal crackers.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Memo to bald guys: I know it is sunny and you don't want to burn your head, but please for the love of god don't wear baseball caps.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You really have to watch CNBC</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> to realize how awful it is.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Look I voted for Obama too, but c'mon he won, the bumper sticker can go.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So if you cheat on your girlfriend in Venice does she get to throw all of your shit out the window into the canals?</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">I always feel like a real man when I go to Jiffy Lube to get my oil changed.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Scene of the Day: "just4mom" vanity plates on a 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">"What does a chlamydia look like?" -bus billboard</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Twitter can trash a kid's brain; talk to your kids about twittering; parents the anti-Twitter</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">What's more unbelievable? The plot of the Da Vinci Code or that Tom Hanks is a Harvard professor?</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Alfred Molina: bigger sellout in the Da Vinci Code or Spiderman 2?</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Tom Hanks, critically acclaimed actor of Philadelphia, Forest Gump, Castaway, and uhhhh the Da Vinci Code?</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">No guys Tom Hanks didn't mail in his performance in the Da Vinci Code, he UPSed it.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Ron Howard, visionary director of such films as Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon and um, well, uhh the Da Vinci Code.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Has any actor gotten more cheap mileage out of one word than Ian McKellen and the word "pass"?</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">If Tom Hanks UPSed his performance in The Da Vinci Code, Ian McKellen for sure used FedEx</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A 10 gallon hat seems a little big, what about a 6 gallon?</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Just what I wanted. An uncomfortable quasi ad hoc office party...with rootbear!</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Is anyone else concerned about the family? What is Tito supposed to do without a brother to piggy back on.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">I think for once I am going to achieve before I believe.</span><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When are the Michael Jackson tribute specials going to get old? My vote: day before yesterday.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Romantic date at Olive Garden.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Just finished my trip to the Olive Garden, filling my quota for the year.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">I think the Olive Garden employees should come on a little stronger.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Just watched Defiance; to recap James Bond and Sabretooth are defiant Jews in Eastern Europe and are dramatic about it.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Does anyone realize that John Travolta has been in three obnoxiously iconic movie dance scenes? That is unprecedented.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Marty has got to be the most underrated character in Grease - pretty hot, less cheesey, not much baggage.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Do you think moose are pissed that Abercrombie is giving them a bad name?</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I prefer apathy to whatever the opposite of apathy is.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Nothing more interesting than hearing NBC reporters break down the Jackson funeral.</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I take it back, interviewing random people on the street after the funeral is WAY more interesting.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">What is Michael Jackson’s favorite Christmas song? Lil’ Drummer Boy</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What is Michael Jackson’s favorite mid 90s sitcom? Boy Meets World</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Who Michael Jackson’s favorite on-air celebrity chef? Julia Child</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What is Michael Jackson’s favorite consignment store? Kid to Kid</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993300;">Insert your own question about masturbation? Beat it!</span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px; ">If my jokes weren't in bad taste, you would eat them.</span></span></span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#701070;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-35789408113524807392009-06-17T13:30:00.000-06:002009-06-17T14:07:42.158-06:00Ed Hardy vs. Trucker Hats, a discussion<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">DISCLAIMER: If you like Ed Hardy, please do not read this post. If you are offended by the word douche bag, please do not read this post. If you </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >are </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">a douche bag, please do not read this post. You have been warned. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />The following is an exchange via </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> between myself and a Mr. Hema Tapa. The initial discussion was generated by me positing the rhetorical question of why Ed Hardy trucker hats continue to exist. After some initial banter about the overall ugliness of Ed Hardy as a brand and the douche bags who wear it, another question was posed:</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Christian:<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">My question is did Ed Hardy make trucker hats more douchey or did trucker hats make Ed Hardy more douchey? It's like the chicken and the egg.</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Hema: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">No it's not. It was definitely Ed Hardy making the hat more douchey. Ed hardy is a bane on the existence of the planet and the people who wear his stuff are guys who need to be castrated.</span></span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Christian: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I like your point but I might go the other direction, trucker hats were douchey before Ed Hardy got to them. I mean the "Jesus is my homeboy" hats were incredibly douchey. This is what makes the argument so complex.<br /></span><br />Hema: </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I think you are misunderstanding the subtle complexities between two things: douchey and trashy. They are very similar but also quite different.</span><br /><br />Christian: </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I might argue that there are different types of douche bags. perhaps like they categorize meat. USDA Choice, USDA Prime, etc. I understand the trashy perspective, but I don't know if you can argue that the guy with the skinny jeans and Jason Mraz nerd t-shirt and trucker hat is not a douche.</span><br /><br />Hema: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I would not say dude is NOT a douche bag. I would however, question your ability to tell me he is also not trashy. I feel Ed Hardy is trashy. Not trashy in a white trash sort of way but in a ugly as hell sort of way. One who wears such things are most certainly a douche for just buying it. "Jesus is my homeboy" is just trashy though. So while Ed</span><span class="text_exposed_show"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Hardy hats (or anything Ed Hardy for that matter) are 100% douchey the trucker hat, depending on what is on them are also very trashy in and of themselves. "My other ride is your mom" being one of the best examples.</span><br /><br /></span>Hema: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I submit that douchey is a guy who thinks he is cool for wearing/buying/having very visually offensive clothing just because he is told they are cool. Trashy is wearing something with a picture or a tag line you wouldn't say or do in front of your grandmother. So while all things trashy are douchey, not all douchey things are trashy. Or we could just go with all douche bags are trashy and run with that.</span>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-44902808698435159072009-06-04T00:55:00.000-06:002009-06-17T17:36:26.897-06:00Meat and Me<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> I would like to think I have some sort of moral compass. I would like to think that I care about animals and animal rights. I can say that I am abhorred by the videos on the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.peta.org/">PETA</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>website. The videos make me nearly throw up; looking at the inside of slaughterhouses or any industrial farm is appalling. But I eat meat, and I do not know if I really plan to stop. Is my moral compass wrong? Am I inflicting unthinkable pain on the animal? Is there a middle ground that we can walk that includes eating meat and not torturing animals?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> To really understand any sort of middle ground, we need to address the animals themselves. Just as a basis it is generally assumed that animals feel some sort of pain. There is not actually much evidence that they do not. They have similar nervous systems and although there is no way to actually figure out how an animal feels pain, we can work under the assumption that they do. This leads us to the inevitable conclusion that killing an animal for meat causes the animal to experience pain and that, on some level, is just not okay.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> So while animals do feel pain, do they suffer? Where is this line drawn? Can an animal know suffering? This is where the line gets more and more blurry. Are these same animals that are incapable of higher thought or moral affectations actually suffering? One problem is the definition of suffering. Is suffering just a lot of pain? Or is suffering something beyond pain? Is it something more cognitive? If I stub my toe, it hurts, but if my friend is dying, I am in more pain than 100 stubbed toes. Is that animal in the slaughterhouse going through a series of stubbed toes or a friend dying? The other [major] problem is that it is an unanswerable question. To my knowledge, no human speaks cow or pig or sheep. So physiological experiences and responses are all we have as a gauge into the mind of an animal.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <u1:p></u1:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> This very question has caused an entire animal rights movement whose goal is to equalize the rights of animals to be like those of humans. But really, how does one equate a human and a lesser animal? On the surface they are not equal. Chickens do not philosophize. Cows do not ponder their existence. Goats do not have moral compasses. The animal world does not have its own moral compass; there are no “rights” in the animal world. A wolf does not care that the deer it kills has a baby. The wolf is just hungry. The wolf does not vote on which deer it is all right to kill, it just does it. If a wolf can kill an animal, why can’t I?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <u1:p></u1:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> The argument for animal rights has many different forms, and one of the strongest is leveled from an entirely utilitarian point of view.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/~psinger/">Peter Singer</a>, a noted utilitarian philosopher and author has a particularly concise logic to not eating meat. He says that “equality is a moral idea, not an assertion of fact.” His basic claim is that animal rights activists do not want equal treatment, just equal consideration in the best interest of everybody and everything. The argument is that a cow does not want to sit on the couch and watch television the same way I do not want to hang out in a pasture and chew cud all day. The logic behind this is hard to pull apart. If we eat animals, shouldn’t we eat people too? If we don’t eat people, shouldn’t we not eat meat? The argument there comes back to the moral considerations.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.michaelpollan.com/">Michael Pollan</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>points out that the reason we would forego meat is the same reason why we have some sort of moral difference from animals. But, as Pollan himself points out, this runs into its own set of problems; people with severe mental disabilities or infants are awarded rights even though they can make no moral distinctions. How do we justify not killing them but in turn justify killing animals that are on the same level of mental capacity as the disabled person?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <u1:p></u1:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> The buzzword that this creates is “speciesist” and that is a word Pollan finds hard to shake. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I agree. It is hard to shake. If you are going to eat meat, you have to agree that you are better than those in the animal world. But being a speciesist does not justify those PETA videos. Do we stop eating meat on the grounds that the practices are not humane or that the idea is not? The practices are indeed inhumane. I am hard pressed to find a way in which they are not. In the world of capitalism, where we are firmly rooted, the incentive to make money outweighs the incentive to humanely treat animals; and agribusiness is born. But we like capitalism and we have been living in a world of deregulation for some time. The entire American dream is rooted in the ability to at least have a chance to make money. So if we are indeed better than the animals, why can’t agribusiness make money by taking advantage of animals?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <u1:p></u1:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> There is an interesting parallel here. Back in the early days of industrialism factory workers were being mistreated, so unions were formed, government stepped in and worker’s rights were born. So could this happen with animals? Probably. There are some road blocks to this, however. First of all, cows do not speak English, so someone has to speak on their behalf. This is already being done by plenty of people, like Singer and like PETA. But people are going to still eat meat. Their call (for the most part) is to stop eating meat. I, for one, am probably not going to stop for the moral reasons or even more logical ones that a utilitarian perspective presents. What should we do?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> Is moral justification the only argument against eating meat? As it turns out there are much more practical, though less philosophical reasons for not eating meat. The power point slide you missed in Al Gore’s<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.climatecrisis.net/">“An Inconvenient Truth"</a>was that the meat industry causes just as much greenhouse gas as the transportation industry does. A 2006 study done by the United Nations concluded that the meat industry was in the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp">top two or three worst contributors to greenhouse gasses.</a> The next logical question would be to ask how exactly eating a steak causes greenhouse gasses? The problem is the farts and burps of the animals being raised. No, seriously. Farts and burps are pockets of gas that the body does not want, so it releases them in the best (and funniest) way it knows how, through farting and burping. A primary gas that is released through this process is methane,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.show.me.uk/site/news/STO873.html">which is a greenhouse gas</a>. Humans have one stomach, but a cow has four, as does a sheep. This leads to more farts and burps, which in turn help<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-4002-Milwaukee-Green-Living-Examiner~y2009m4d3-Scientists-study-cow-farts-in-an-attempt-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emmisions">contribute to global warming.</a> This is compounded by the fact that agribusiness cows, specifically, do not eat a proper cow diet. Cows do not naturally eat corn, as they do not digest it well, but corn is cheap, so corn is fed to the cows. An unnatural diet complicates their digestive systems and in turn increases the fart and burp problem.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> <a href="http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp">To put it into perspective</a>, eating one pound of meat is equivalent to driving a sport utility vehicle 40 miles.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> Greenhouse gasses are just the tip of the iceberg. Meat eating is by far just as aggressive on the actual land itself. Grazing cows hurts the land – it is aggression on the land itself. Basically, when the land is used up the animals have to go somewhere else and graze that land and so on. It is damaging to indigenous species that occupy the grazed land. This need for new land causes forests to be cleared, which is clearly bad for the forests and the species that live there, especially in unique and diverse areas such as the tropical rainforests, which are being demolished at an alarming (read: disgusting) rate. Entire species can be wiped out just to make room for the animals to graze. This does not even count all the land that is used to grow the food for the animals to eat. Massive tracts of land grow food just for animal consumption.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> All in all somewhere around 80% of the agricultural land in the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="apple-converted-space"></span></st1:place></st1:country-region> </span>is used for animals. This number becomes even more staggering when you consider the actual output. The high output land is being used for relatively low output animals. 70% of the land used to grow grains, for example, is used to feed animals. These animals do not give us 70% of our diet; compounding that, the eating of meat is a one-time shot. You only get to eat the same cow one time. If that wasn’t bad enough, only the best cuts of meat are used. The less desirable parts are processed into less than desirable products (e.g. hot dogs) using even more resources. Basically we put way more energy into the raising of animals than we get out of raising those animals. However that isn’t even the end of it. Since the animals are fed so much and so aggressively they in turn process that and it turns into excrement; they poop it out. This overload of fecal matter has to go somewhere. To dispose of the feces, for the most part, one of two things is usually done, one: it sits there or two: (a saving grace, sort of) it is used as manure for crops. The recycling seems reasonable but both strategies result in massive amounts of runoff that pollute waterways. According to the Environmental Protection Agency<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.goveg.com/environment-pollution.asp">factory farms pollute waterways more than all other industrial sources combined</a><a href="http://www.goveg.com/environment-pollution.asp">.</a> But this meat onion has one more layer. Transportation. The meat that caused all the aforementioned problems has to get to my plate and that comes from a widely dispersed geographical region. The travelling meat uses fuel to get to all the various stores or restaurants. <o:p></o:p></p> <u1:p></u1:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> Delving into this meat quandary even further we get to something a little more personal: the actual human health problems of overconsumption of meat, especially red meat. There is a laundry list of studies that show the problems with overconsumption of red meat. The problems range from particularly credible ones like cardiovascular health to less credible ones like Alzheimer’s disease. The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/23/healthmag.red.meat.lifespan/index.html">most comprehensive study</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>was done by a group of scientists from several institutions including the National Cancer Institute and the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">North Carolina</st1:placename></st1:place> and studied over 500,000 people. The most glaring conclusion from the study was that over a 10 year period, the people who consumed the most red meat had about a 30% greater chance of dying than those who ate the least amount of meat over that time period – this was mostly due to cardiovascular disease and cancer. That is not the only side of the health coin, though.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/23/healthmag.red.meat.lifespan/">The same study showed lowered mortality risk for people who ate more white meat (chicken, turkey) than those who ate less white meat.</a> This seems reasonable but the white meat industrial farms are run just as inhumanely and produce comparable amounts of waste.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <u1:p></u1:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>It seems reasonable to assume from a thinking person’s perspective that the inhumane treatment of animals is just plain unacceptable. No matter how much you champion capitalism, it does not seem reasonable to put animals in an industrial setting. This causes problems for and from the animal, for the environment, and even maybe (probably) the health of the person eating it. As a general bedrock of “solutions” to this problem, the industrial farm needs to be changed. There are a few stepping stones (boulders) to overcome for this to actually happen, though, which makes this problem seem so ominous.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <u1:p></u1:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>best</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>way to effectively control this would be through regulation. But since<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobbying_in_the_United_States">agribusiness</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is one of the largest lobbies in the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>there is very little regulation and that lobby is not going away. The other problem with the regulation of agribusiness and industrial farming is that it would spike up the cost of meat at least significantly and probably dramatically. People like five dollar steaks more than they like 25 dollar steaks, they are totally unaware of the uglier side of the industry and that keeps that steak price down.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <u1:p></u1:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> Where does that leave us? We fundamentally need to change how we eat. Totally not eating meat is not really an option for most people. But eating less meat really<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span>ought<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to be. Eating better meat ought to be. Eating more of our meat and eating meat that is closer to home ought to be. To really get to this position we have to look at three key groups.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black;"> The three most important groups to advocate change in this bad cycle are PETA, sustainable farmers, and foodies. “Foodies” is a broad term for people who are really into food at a variety of different levels. In this foodie movement there are huge emphases being placed on sustainability and humanity.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17740638/">Recently, noted celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck came out against foie gras</a>, the liver of goose because of the inhumanity of force-feeding the geese to fatten up their livers. Chris Cosentino, a chef in central<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">California</st1:state></st1:place></st1:place></st1:state><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>operates an<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.offalgood.com/site/">educational too</a>l about offal, the insides and not traditionally used parts of the animal, like the intestines, to maximize the use out of the animal. Rick Moonen, a chef in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Las Vegas</st1:city></st1:place></st1:place></st1:city><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is deeply rooted in the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.rmseafood.com/welcome.html">sustainable seafood movement</a>. The best restaurants are using only organic and humanely raised meats.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=";color:black;"> People at the forefront of the culinary industry are championing organic ingredients and many of them are championing local ingredients. Although there is a certain political-ness to the entire movement, the food actually does taste better. It is better for you because it does not have the toxins that are inherent in the industrial farm meat. And even though the food is more expensive, this serves as a benefit because it curbs your overall consumption of meat, which is a good thing for your health at the personal level, and at a large level for the environment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=";color:black;"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> T</span>he local, organic food eating movement has gone hand in hand with the local, organic food producing movement. These farms use the land and the animals in a much more natural way than how the land and the animals would have been. <a href="http://www.polyfacefarms.com/">Polyface Farm</a> in Virginia, is one noted site where the animals are in harmony with one another, they eat the diet they want to eat, and they are humanely slaughtered in an open place. The success of farms like this gives hope to this working at some sort of mainstream level. The more pressure these farms are able to put on the industrial farm, the better.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> And this brings us back to our friends at PETA. As abhorrent as they find the meat industry, they serve a valuable purpose in the re-humanizing of meat eating. The role they play is continually bringing to the public eye the inhumanness that plagues the industrial farm industry. PETA and groups like it need to be the unions the animals cannot really have themselves. They need to get the word out as much as possible and continue to disgust people. Humans are unique in this fact: they can get disgusted. They do have some sort of affinity for animals and the sooner they get disgusted the sooner they will realize the effects of the meat industry on so many areas of the world, and on themselves, and in that realization will see that real, large scale change is possible. So maybe it is good that I watched those videos after all.<br /></p><div style="mso-element:footnote-list"><div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn9"> </div></div>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-5745948481217795482009-05-19T18:32:00.000-06:002009-05-20T14:56:36.784-06:00Blogging the NBA Lottery<ul><li>Yes the draft lottery </li><li>Wow a watching party at C-Webb's restaurant - Sacramento really is boring.</li><li>Jay Bilas - Hasheem Thabeet can block shots - great insight</li><li>Rubio will be good - really good- calling it now. </li><li>Did USC pay DeMar Derozan too?<br /></li><li>short break - do they ever say long breaks? "We'll be back in like 4 minutes, go ahead and go to the bathroom, make a sandwich, you won't miss anything."</li><li>Joel Litvin giving the explanation of the ball machine. </li><li>Does Joel Litvin work at a mortuary?</li><li>That Heineken commercial is on with the cab driver singing - they should make a radio station of songs that no one knows but people like that are on commercials.</li><li>Martin Shannon has the envelopes. </li><li>Could their honestly be more of a lame quasi sporting event ever?</li><li>Eminem AND Mike Tyson on Jimmy Kimmel</li><li>Most underrated talk show since I have been alive, way better than Leno or Letterman, yet not the viewership. Tragic really.</li><li>Anyone else semi tempted to call those numbers where you can get foreclosed cars?</li><li>good run down of the successful number 1 picks. </li><li>Lisa Salters introducing the representatives. </li><li>Allan Houston is representing the Knicks, brought Reggie Jackson, that will help. Maybe he can pose after the Knicks get the 9th pick. </li><li>Flip Saunders would be happy with a good player, good insight Flip. </li><li>DAMNIT Suns don't move up. </li><li>This is so unentertaining. </li><li>Does that guy have to interject everytime he says something?</li><li>Things in order so far. Stern can't have rigged it like this.</li><li>C-Webb just called a timeout.</li><li>Commercial break for more drama,. </li><li>Heineken song has just surpassed the iPod commercials with the colors as the most popular song no one knows who sings. </li><li>Nice! Sound problem!</li><li>OKC goes 3.</li><li>2...Memphis Grizzlies. </li><li>Most disappointed person the world = Blake Griffin. </li><li>Salters has another awkward interview.</li><li>Was Mark Jones on the Cosby show?</li><li>Wow the Clippers lineup is awful. </li><li>oh and Blake Griffin won't make it better. </li></ul><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-52524900933873510432009-05-06T17:02:00.000-06:002009-05-06T17:43:39.538-06:00Thoughts<ul><li>Although they changed the name of "Burma" to "Myanmar" in 1989 they really ought to have changed the name of "Burma" to "Myanmar, formerly known as Burma" because everyone actually calls it that. </li><li>Brad Childress, the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings officially has a new nick name: Brad "weird high school science teacher who had that awkward relationship with that overly developed girl after she graduated" Childress</li></ul>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-79327160027601993962009-03-25T17:24:00.000-06:002009-03-25T18:02:55.614-06:00Things that need to go away (Part 2)<ul><li>Jean shorts; I don't really need to say anything about these, I mean just awful, take them off, like drop your pants on the spot. Going pantsless is better than jean shorts.</li><li>The phrase "man card." For those unfamiliar, a "man card" is basically your right to be a "man" however it is only used really when it is being taken away. Example: "If you use that lavender body wash, I will have to take away your man card." Oh my God, shut up. It's just so stupid. Plus only people who are insecure in their own manhood ever try to take it away so be cautious in your use of such a stupid, stupid phrase. </li><li>Fleece vests. Look, Patagonia is cool and all but you look like a jack ass.</li><li>People who use the handicapped door automatic button who are not a) handicapped or b) carrying a lot of stuff or c) both. Is opening a door really that hard? You grab the handle and pull; and even if it is a push door. That is even easier. You can basically keep walking and put you're arm or foot out and you will go through the door. That is easier than the button. What has your life come to when simple tasks like that require pressing a button? I have seen handicapped people who don't even bother with the button. Are you lazy? Are you jealous of people in wheelchairs? Are you just stupid? And it's not even any of that it's that the door mechanism is slower than any possible way you could open the door yourself. It's not like it's way faster and so much better to press it, it's actually less efficient. Stop pressing the button.<br /></li></ul>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-80029484813825837872009-03-10T16:31:00.000-06:002009-03-10T21:28:41.964-06:00Things that need to go away<ul><li>Bernie Madoff jokes </li><li>OctoMom jokes</li><li>People who call in Radio Station A or TV Station Z defending OctoMom, does anyone actually care what you think? alternatively: people who call in Radio Station A or TV Station Z condemning OctoMom, does anyone actually care what you think? don't you have better things to do then talk about some crazy woman. And it's not even that, it's like you treat it seriously. Example: someone called into CNN earlier today and was saying how awful this woman was and that the caller was a single mom of seven herself, and she successfully started a non-profit and what have you, YOU HAVE SEVEN KIDS AND A BUSINESS AND YOU HAVE TIME TO CALL INTO CNN TO PUT DOWN OCTOMOM. ITWEIDHGSA]UGJDJ;HBV. Sorry I just passed out from rage and fell on my keyboard.<br /></li><li>Grownups typin lik ths whn they try 2 txt u; seriously just type the words, it's not hard.</li><li>Jimmy Fallon's talk show, I watched like 3 minutes last night. Holy cow was that awful. Not even the audience laughed. I think ?uestlove was about to throw his drumstick at him.<br /></li></ul>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-17235395628352598872009-02-24T19:47:00.001-07:002009-02-24T22:39:05.249-07:00Obama's Address to Congress<ul><li>Blah blah economy, blah blah jobs.</li><li>I set the over/for applause breaks at 24. I took the over. It's currently 7:48pm mst. We are at 25. </li><li>Blah blah healthcare.<br /></li><li>Pelosi needs to sit down, she stands up like every 46 seconds.</li><li>Education is awesome.</li><li>Orrin Hatch is from Utah!</li><li>7:51pm mst = 29 applause breaks.<br /></li><li>Obama 1; Bush 0</li><li>What the hell is an earmark anyway?</li><li>Yup, he just mentioned Iraq. </li><li>Pelosi is up again. And it's not just standing up. It's like she is on a trampoline. Or think this, it's like she is the teacher and just sat on a thumb tack.<br /></li><li>Blah blah, tax cuts, blah blah.</li><li>I am tired of American Flag Pins as an institution.<br /></li><li>Iraq count: 2</li><li>It's nice to see a president who can pronounce Middle Eastern countries correctly.</li><li>Obligatory "We support the troops" drop</li><li>The MSNBC audience reaction thing is going to blow up.</li><li>Blah, blah terrorism</li><li>WOW! EQUIVOCATION! HE SAID EQUIVOCATION! that is a 12 letter word, 12!<br /></li><li>Blah blah, hope, blah blah inspiration, blah blah banking guy who gave away his money.</li><li>Who cares about Greenville, TX? Oh, wait, it's an inspirational story.</li><li>Obscure town reference 2: Dylan, SC</li><li>Who actually wants to become a lawyer or a doctor? Is that still a thing?</li><li>Michelle is hugging that girl.</li><li>God Bless America.</li><li>Applause Breaks final: 39</li><li>Now he is trying to get out of the chambers, what an uphill battle.<br /></li><li>How many handshakes do you think had tonight? I guess 3424</li><li>Now he is signing autographs.</li><li>Do you think Michelle and Barack can get a celebrity couple name like Brangelina, or Tomkat? Barchelle? Michack? I could see this catching on.</li><li>I like that the camera is still rolling in the chambers. There are like 12 people left. Is that interesting?</li><li>Oh wait now they cut to Baton Rouge.</li></ul><ul style="font-weight: bold;"><li>Governer Jindal's response.</li></ul><ul><li>Could this guy get any more cheesy? I think I watched him on a PBS kids special once.</li><li>Do you think he really is excited by supermarkets?</li><li>You totally care what party your constituants are, you wouldn't be there if they weren't Republican.</li><li>Story time.</li><li>What an awful story.</li><li>This is the best the GOP has to offer?</li><li>Trillion... trillion... where have I heard that number before, oh wait, the Iraq war.</li><li>Yeah let's not monitor volcanoes, science is over rated. So is the safety for the people who live by volcanoes.<br /></li><li>LARGEST INCOME TAX CUT IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY! WOW!</li><li>Isn't Louisiana like the most corrupt state in the country?</li><li>Oh wait, they passed some of the strongest ethics laws in the country. Way to nip my question in the bud.</li><li>There he goes with that trillion again.</li><li>And now he is talking about the troops, you can't write this stuff.</li><li>I am glad he hates Bush as much as everyone.</li><li>That is a nice sum up of wars and attacks.</li><li>"The most" annoying governor in the country.</li><li>God Bless America </li><li>Wow, that speech was awful.<br /></li></ul>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-52313065922013798932009-02-06T11:13:00.000-07:002009-04-09T17:23:33.577-06:00Michael Phelps<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link style="font-family: georgia;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CWINDOWS%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: georgia;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: georgia;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: georgia;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: georgia;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: georgia;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: georgia;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal">Michael Phelps is in <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=3876804">hot water</a> because he smoked marijuana. He has been <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=swimming&id=3887595">suspended</a>, he has been <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=swimming&id=3887474">dropped as a sponsor from Kellogg</a>, and he might even <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=swimming&id=3881356">get arrested</a>. I have a novel question, who cares? Look, this guy is the best Olympic swimmer ever; he is the best Olympic athlete of a generation, and arguably the best Olympic athlete ever. You honestly care that he smoked weed? Like seriously, honestly? It makes me angry. He is a freaking American icon. You loved him when he was racking up hardware in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Beijing</st1:place></st1:city> and now he smokes a little weed and he is getting dropped kicked? He is freaking 23 years old; he has been swimming at an Olympic level since he was 15. <i>Fifteen</i>. First off, isn't he allowed to screw up? He is a kid who didn't get a chance to be a kid.
<br />
<br />Here's another news flash: kids smoke weed. He is just doing what every other 23 year old is doing.
<br />
<br />And second of all, did he even screw up? Last time I checked, the Olympics are an international event. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:World-cannabis-laws.png">Look here</a>. That is like half of the freaking world where cannabis is legal or decriminalized. Smoking marijuana is no worse for anybody than smoking tobacco. Everyone has heard that argument. Don't get me started on drug liberalization. (I will rant about that later). But I mean it’s not a big deal, it really isn't. Phelps got lit. Who cares? The only argument I really buy is the de facto illegality of it. He broke the law in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Carolina</st1:place></st1:state>. Okay, you got me there, but honestly how many people smoke weed in SC, Wikipedia says there is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina">4,479,800</a> people in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Carolina</st1:place></st1:state>. What's the over/under on how many people smoke pot? 500,000? I would take the over in about 4 seconds. Not to mention he was at a party at the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">South Carolina</st1:placename></st1:place>. A freaking house party on a college campus. Yeah no one ever smokes weed there.
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/08/national/main654380.shtml">His DUI</a> was 764 times worse and who talked about that during the Olympics in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>? No one. Oh wait he was winning gold medals in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<br />
<br />And Kellogg? Seriously Kellogg? His image is so tarnished that he can't hock your Corn Flakes any more? Who is going to go to the grocery store, pick up a box of cereal with the intent to drop it the cart, look at Phelp's noggin on the box and say to themselves, "Wait he smoked marijuana, I better put this back." It makes me sick. Oh and by the way Kellogg, stoners love Frosted Flakes and Eggo waffles, so I would actually run with this.
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<br />Here is to not caring if Michael Phelps or anyone else goes to a party, gets lit, and has a good time.</p> Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-86007412306649502112009-01-29T16:13:00.000-07:002009-06-17T15:57:53.988-06:00Super Bowl PickI don't know if you have heard about this, but there is a big game coming up on Sunday February 1st. It's called the Super Bowl and it matches the Pittsburgh Steelers with the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa, Florida.<br /><br />Lines current as of 5:00p mst on Sunday January 29th, 2009 and from oddsmaker.com<br /><br />Steelers (-7) vs Cardinals<br /><br />For all intents and purposes the Steelers should win this game. They have more experience and a tougher defense, they have won a Super Bowl before (several in fact), the Cardinals on the other hand are on a Cub like streak of post season failure.<br /><br />With two weeks of Super Bowl coverage the Cards still seem to be getting overlooked. Everyone who is picking them is only picking them because they are scared that everyone else is picking the Steelers. Everyone says "watch out for the Cardinals" but are they really even thinking that? It seems that it is just lip service. Who actually thinks they will win?<br /><br />Honestly though, with how many people the Cards have shocked I am surprised the line is as high as it, I mean a touchdown favorite? Against a team that can score in bunches? Who has not once since not covered? And the Steelers are one "Troy Polamalu is a freaking stud" interception (against a rookie quarterback from Delaware) from not covering against Baltimore and a Santonio Holmes punt return touchdown (against a punter who had like the best game in the history of punters the week before) from not covering against San Diego. Doesn't Vegas have a gun to your head to take the points. How can you not? I can't really find it in my heart of hearts not to take the points.<br /><br />But to my actual pick.<br /><br />Look I already said the Steelers should win this game. I have picked against the Cards at every turn and they have burned me at each and every one of those. I want to take the Cardinals but I am afraid they will lose if I pick them, I want them to win because I want the Lombardi trophy to be live west of the Mississippi for the first time since 1998. I am tired of it. I want the entire western US to be vindicated in its professional football standing and for its entire reputation to be improved. Not even that, but can you imagine how many story lines would come out of the Cardinals winning this game?<br /><br /><ul><li>Cardinals win their first Super Bowl ever.</li><li>Larry Fitzgerald puts on the greatest playoff performance possibly ever.</li><li>Anquan Boldin and Todd Haley yell at each other out of joy.</li><li>Kurt Warner rides off into the sunset as a Super Bowl champion a la John Elway.</li><li>Ken Whisenhunt beats his former team.</li><li>Finally offense trumps defense</li></ul><br />Where does it end? I really do not want to ruin that by picking the Cardinals. But man I have this feeling, I have this sneaking suspicion that they just might do it. I think they will, I am totally talking myself into this pick. Do I curse the Cardinals and go with my gut? Or do I go with my other gut and take the Steelers. I haven't been this conflicted since I stole two marbles from preschool, oh screw it: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cardinals 27 Steelers 24 </span><span><br /></span>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-57025815461198638902009-01-23T15:44:00.000-07:002009-01-23T16:03:55.509-07:00On Exclamation PointsExclamation points were once a valuable part of the written English language. An exclamation point's very presence defined an entire grouping of sentences, the exclamatory sentence was defined by the very existence of the exclamation point. They were used to express strong feelings, sentiments, or emotions. They were once my favorite form of punctuation. They were heads and shoulders above the comma and period and they were definitely more exciting to write then the question mark. The exclamation point allowed you to show passion in writing, it showed that you were not simply declaring something, you were exclaiming it. <br /><br />The problem is that the exclamation point has become a mere triviality. It has been overused to the point of gluttony. We, as an English language society, have become exclamation point gluttons. Not only has it been overused, but it has been misused. It's not only that we are gluttons, but we are doing it incorrectly. We are eating with our nose. Think about it, do you even think the other person is excited anymore when you read an exclamation point? How many times have you seen a sentence that ended in seven or eight exclamation points. We have completely devalued the exclamation point as anything exciting. Its overuse has completely destroyed the very nature of itself. It makes me mad. I would love to once again use the exclamation point. <br /><br />For this to happen however we need to stop using the exclamation point. We need to make people forget about the exclamation point. Then and only then when the value of the exclamation point has been restored, when we once again hunger for the excitement it brings, then and only then will I once again be able to comfortably exclaim things in print. I implore you, the English writing language, to stop using the exclamation point. I am done with it, I no longer will use an exclamation point in any sort of writing. I refuse until its value is restored. And to bid farewell to the exclamation point I leave you and it with this. <br /><br />Stop using exclamation points!Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-40969595587457079302009-01-22T19:49:00.000-07:002009-01-22T20:09:24.770-07:00On Yuppies; an exposé on yuppies in the Salt Lake Valley<meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CChris%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas:contacts" name="Sn"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas:contacts" name="GivenName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="time"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st2\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">A yuppie is a rather clumsy word for a younger person usually in their 20 or 30s who is professionally driven and lives in a major urban center, a "young urban professional." <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Salt Lake City</st1:place></st1:city> has evolved itself into an urban environment and along with that urbanity has come with it yuppies. They are generally well intentioned but many times lack the social graces to interact with people other than other yuppies. This can lead you to believe that all yuppies are pompous and arrogant, which is not true. The truth is that most yuppies are pompous and arrogant. Yuppies shouldn't be feared however, they are harmless and are actually a valuable part to any urban center. The most confusing thing about a yuppie is not discerning whether or not they are a yuppie but exactly what time of yuppie you are dealing with. There are several different types of yuppies, each with their own characteristics and features that discern them from other yuppies. The following is a guide to different types of yuppies you may run across around the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Salt</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place>:
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Mormon Yuppie</span>
<br />
<br />A very common yuppie, especially south of 21st South. You will tend to see mostly males in this category as the females are home tending for the children. Should you see one of these in the wild with their mate, you will undoubtedly see the children as well. These children are usually not well behaved and are fond of throwing sugar packets on the ground. The Mormon yuppie tends to work in financial fields such as banking, accounting, or insurance. <st2:sn st="on">White</st2:sn> collared shirts with red or blue ties are very common, and are almost never seen in patterned shirts. The Mormon yuppie tends to look down on most people but is polite about it because they are very non-confrontational.
<br />
<br />Average Number of Children: 3.7
<br />Automobile of choice: Ford Expedition</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Beverage of choice: Diet Coke
<br />They tip: 12%
<br />Mexican restaurant frequented for lunch: Cafe <st1:place st="on">Rio</st1:place>
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dorky Yuppie</span>
<br />
<br />The Dorky Yuppie is the kindest of the yuppies. There is less disdain for people below them than most yuppies but this is counterbalanced with unwaveringly bad social skills. They have not fit in to their surroundings for sometime but usually have skills that other people value. Jobs these yuppies have include information systems and medical technology. Golf shirts with khakis are common, as are Gap jeans. Dress is informal and modest, but watch out for "Hawaiian Shirt Friday."
<br />
<br />Average Number of Children: 1.8
<br />Automobile of choice: Toyota Corolla </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Beverage of choice: flavored lemonade
<br />They tip: 18%
<br />Mexican restaurant frequented for lunch: Costa Vida</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The Traditional Yuppie</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This yuppie is very common. They usually have a high level of education. They are actually very adept at social interaction, especially with other yuppies but they also have the smoothest interactions with other non-yuppies. Although not universally true, they tend to be fans of good food and wine. Often occupy something called a “McMansion.” They are prone to usage of nannies and babysitters. Common jobs include doctors, professors, and entrepreneurs. These yuppies are very good at throwing parties, although the parties tend to be unentertaining to all except other traditional yuppies.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br />Average Number of Children: 2.1
<br />Automobile of choice: Subaru Outback </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Beverage of choice: Pinot Grigio
<br />They tip: 25%
<br />Mexican restaurant frequented for lunch: Barbacoa</p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The Skier Yuppie</p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The skier yuppie, also known as the Snowbird yuppie is a yuppie who thrives in winter conditions but is often not seen in the valley. They seem to be enamored with something called a “Bluebird Day.” Skiing is the preferred pastime although some outliers prefer snowboarding. Skiing also dominates conversation after skiing. Beards are preferred by the males. Most have some sort of goggle tan, also called “raccoon eyes.” Careers are harder to discern among skier yuppies because they are so often observed away from work. Suspiciously hibernating during the warmer seasons. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br />Average Number of Children: 1.8
<br />Automobile of choice: <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Toyota</st1:place></st1:city> 4Runner<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Beverage of Choice: microbrews
<br />They tip: 18%
<br />Mexican restaurant frequented for lunch: <st1:personname st="on"><st2:givenname st="on">Lonestar</st2:givenname> <st2:sn st="on">Taqueria</st2:sn></st1:personname> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Hip Yuppie</span>
<br />
<br />This yuppie is very thin and usually has an equally thin partner. They are commonly seen on scooters in the warmer months. In the cooler months scarves are very popular. Males tend to wear suit jackets with t-shirts. Females are fond of skinny jeans and larger sunglasses. They usually have an office in some place that used to be a loft apartment. Common fields include architecture, internet start ups, and art galleries. They also tend to live in buildings that used to be offices. They often have tattoos but are usually invisible while clothed. <st1:time hour="17" minute="00" st="on">5 o’clock</st1:time> shadows are common amongst the males. They are known to frequent independent films.
<br />
<br />Average Number of Children: 0.7
<br />Automobile of choice: Toyota Prius or vintage bicycle</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Beverage of choice: Perrier
<br />They tip: 20%
<br />Mexican restaurant frequented for lunch: Sushi, Mexican isn't hip enough.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Rocker Yuppie</span>
<br />
<br />This is the hardest type of yuppie to discern because of their similarity to people similar to them with no money. These yuppies tend not to work as much, or are at least very good at making it seem as though they do not work as much. They have a lot of time on their hands and seemingly informal careers evidenced by beers and margaritas at lunches that last more than the usually allotted lunch time and the frequency of body modification. Common careers include tattoo artists, hair stylists, and writers. Tattoos, rock and roll boots, and wallets with chains are common.
<br />
<br />Average Number of Children: 0.4
<br />Automobile of choice: Vintage Chevrolet </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Beverage of choice: Pabst Blue Ribbon
<br />They tip: 20%
<br />Mexican restaurant frequented for lunch: Red Iguana</p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The Almost Yuppie</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">These yuppies are just not quite yuppies yet. They are very smart and have limitless potential but usually they are still stuck in college unable to achieve their full yuppie potential, they tend to be act like a yuppie in all areas except the lack of money. Almost yuppies are intelligent, evidenced by good marks in school however they sometimes struggle with emotional problems. They are very politically charged and feel as though they can change the world. Over the top optimism and an inability to hold liquor are common.
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Average Number of Children: 0.2
<br />Automobile of choice: Volkswagen Jetta</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Beverage of choice: Coca-Cola
<br />They tip: 17.5%
<br />Mexican restaurant frequented for lunch: Rubio’s </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-5334931950772037892009-01-21T16:55:00.000-07:002009-01-21T22:36:11.923-07:00Reasons you want to watch the Super Bowl (other than the fact that it is the freaking Super Bowl)1. Larry Fitzgerald - Check <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/16602/fitzgerald_making_case_to_be_no._1_wr_in_09">here</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/sports/football/18cardinals.html?ref=sports">here</a>, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3842683">here</a>, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3844059">here</a>,or <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3848558&sportCat=nfl">here</a> to figure out that the national media is at least enamored with Larry Fitzgerald. And honestly for good reason - he is really, really good. His craft is an entertaining one in and of itself, but when someone is performing that craft at a highest level, it is a thing of beauty. It's not really a sports thing - okay it is, but this guy is amazing, to say the least.<br /><br />2. Kurt Warner coming back from the dead - Ok, obviously he wasn't really dead, but this guy has a totally rejuvenated career for like a 67th time. That's a story line enough.<br /><br />3. The St. Louis Rams - Remember those fun St. Louis Rams days when he came out of the Arena League and the Greatest Show on Turf won that Super Bowl. Yeah, me too that was awesome and this Cardinal team is almost as entertaining. They have so many weapons and the same, albeit older quarterback pulling the trigger. Offense is much better to watch then defense and any curmudgeon who tells you otherwise is lying.<br /><br />4. The University of Phoenix Stadium - You might think this is the home field for the University of Phoenix, then you remember that it's the University of Phoenix and you think that as much bad there is to say about the corporatization of sports sometimes it's just funny.<br /><br />5. Pittsburgh vs Arizona - No not the Steelers vs. the Cardinals, the City of Pittsburgh vs. the City of Phoenix. As I type this it is 79 degrees in Phoenix and it is 20 degrees in Pittsburgh. For those keeping track at home that is like a 59 degree difference. 59 degrees! That is just the tip of the iceberg. I mean are they similar in anyway?<br /><ul><li>West vs. East<br /></li><li>Northeast vs. Southwest</li><li>traditonal vs. new</li><li>old line steel city vs. emerging metropolis</li><li>river city vs. desert city<br /></li><li>cheesesteak vs. tacos.</li><li>Jeff Goldblum vs. David Spade</li><li>Steven Spielberg vs. George A. Romero<br /></li></ul>(Random note: on the wikpedia page of famous people from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Pittsburgh">Pittsburgh area</a> there were zero porn stars, on the wikipedia page of famous people from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_famous_people_from_the_Phoenix_metropolitan_area">Phoenix area</a> there were six. I am not judging, I am just saying).Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-56494251051285416112009-01-16T15:50:00.000-07:002009-01-18T01:47:25.584-07:00AFC Championship<span style="font-style: italic;">Chargers at Steelers</span><br /><br />The Steelers impressed me a lot, on both sides of the ball. They kept the Darren Sproles experience in check (on the ground at least). The offense moved the ball, especially on the ground. Willie Parker seems to be back. They just looked good. What really struck me was their ability to answer. I thought they were in trouble after the Bolts scored on that first drive, but they just took a deep breath and got back to work. They didn't allow the Charger run game to get going and they got a few big plays- the punt return by Holmes and a bunch of big runs.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ravens at Titans</span><br /><br />The Ravens on the other hand played a tight game with the Titans. I just love this Baltimore team. The defense is stellar and Joe Flacco is hitting enough throws to put them in the position to win the game. Who would have thought a Blue Hen would win two (two!) playoff games. The only thing that scares me was the fact the fact that Tennessee left points (and possessions for that matter) on the field. They kept shooting themselves in the foot which allowed Baltimore to finish out the game. But the fact remains that they still finished out the game.<br /><br />Lines current as of 1:30a mst on Sunday January 18th, 2009 and from oddsmaker.com<br /><br />--Ravens (+6) at Steelers<br /><br />I want to pick the Steelers, I really do. They are the more complete team. They have a better quarterback, they have a better running back, they have better wide receivers, and they have at least as good of a defense as Baltimore, and they have been there before. But honestly I refuse to bet against this Baltimore team. I can't do it. I can't take my hard earned money and put six (six!) against a Pittsburgh team that doesn't really win big against good teams. They absolutely played well against San Diego, but I totally don't believe this team can win by six against a team that plays as solidly as the Ravens. I don't know if I can trust Joe Flacco, but that is what everyone said the first two weeks. I love the Raven's gameplan against Tennesee, they didn't let the rookie lose the game for them (hell they didn't even let him throw the ball inside their own 40). But when he Flacco had to step up and hit throws he did - against a stellar Titan defense - there is no reason to think he won't keep doing it. The defense will give Concussion Roethilsberger trouble. I don't see him getting going. Willie Parker will get some yards but the Raven defense won't break. It will be higher scoring than some people thing, but it will still be a battle. Baltimore has a "team of destiny" thing going and the more you think about it, the more they remind you of that 2000 team, which for those keeping track at home, won the Super Bowl. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ravens 20 Steelers 18</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483996905352091006.post-25910396200366116372009-01-16T11:47:00.001-07:002009-01-18T01:36:51.623-07:00NFC ChampionshipSo last week was a little bad. Okay really bad. Alright awful. 1 correct 3 incorrect. But you know, we persevere around here. We pick ourselves up, we dust ourselves off, and we go out there, we recap last week, and we pick the championship rounds.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cardinals at Panthers</span><br /><br />Arizona did it again. Seriously Carolina? You couldn't beat the {freaking} Arizona Cardinals at home. Not only did you not beat the Cardinals, you got smoked by the Cardinals. And by the way, did anyone have the Cardinals? <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/features/talent?week=2&seasontype=3">No they did not.</a> I certainly didn't but I mean they came out of nowhere.The {freaking} Cardinals. They have burned me twice. Kurt Warner is something like 245 years old and he is just playing pitch and catch with every single weapon he has on the field. And Larry Fitzgerald is a stud - just amazing. Not only was the Cardinal offense clicking but what happened to Jake Delhomme? Five interceptions? 5? Cinco? How does this happen? But it's not all Delhomme's fault, the Cardinal defense is playing incredibly. They are playing about as well as possible - they are forcing turnovers (see above) and just playing really solidly. And Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a playmaker. He is a super star in the making.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Eagles at Giants</span><br /><br />Pants it is <span style="font-style: italic;">acceptable</span> to place a loaded, unlocked gun in:<br />1. Jeans<br />2. Khakis<br />3. Chinos<br />4. Wool trousers<br />5. Tuxedo pants<br /><br />Pants it is <span style="font-style: italic;">unacceptable</span> to place a loaded, unlocked gun in:<br />1. Sweatpants<br /><br />Players who would have helped the Giants win this game who shot themselves in the leg after violating the rules above:<br />1. Plaxico Burress<br /><br />The Giant offense was so pedestrian without Plax, and it especially showed against the Eagles. They couldn't muster a touchdown, Eli looked average, at best. They just weren't that good. On the other side, McNabb made the plays when he had to, he kept hitting 3rd down throws, he ran for a touchdown and more-or-less willed his team to a victory. So that leaves a NFC Conference Championship game of the Eagles traveling to Arizona to take on the Cardinals.<br /><br />Lines current as of 1:30a mst on Sunday January 18th, 2009 and from oddsmaker.com<br /><br />--Eagles (-3 1/2) at Cardinals<br /><br />The Cardinals have have burned me twice so far. I want to pick them, I really do. I want to say they won me over, I want Kurt Warner to get back to the Super Bowl and then ride off into the sunset to save underpriveladged youth. I want a warm weather team to win a Super Bowl. I want a team with an offense to win. I want the cliche of defense wins championships to be shut up for at least a year. I want the NFC West to be vindicated for being the punching bag of the NFL. I want the national media to remember that their are teams that are good, interesting, and worth talking about west of the Mississippi. I want it so bad. I don't think it will happen. The Eagles should win this game. I don't know how Kurt Warner will be able to handle the pressure the Eagles will bring. I think the run game will be slowed up which will put even more pressure on Warner, and I think that will let the Eagles be more aggressive. On the other sideline I think McNabb has a whole no one believes in me thing going. He got benched, he didn't know there was a tie rule and he hasn't been to Super Bowl without Terrell Owens. He wants to vindicate himself on all fronts and really prove himself as an elite quarterback. The Cardinals will get their points but I don't know that it will be enough. Westbrook was tame last week but I think he makes a few big plays this time and McNabb does enough to get the Eagles back to the Super Bowl. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eagles 30 Cardinals 24</span>Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10921353019753734606noreply@blogger.com0