Addictive Personalities

How do you know if you're addicted to food? Because I eat every few hours, and I'm pretty sure I couldn't stop.

Fantasy Football Makes Me Evil

So, I heard about the Terrell Owens incident yesterday morning, and within the first ten seconds of reading the article I thought, "Oh, I'm glad I don't have him on my fantasy roster." Yes, I'm sick. Last year, when Priest Holmes got hurt, I was watching the game, and yelled at him for ruining my chances, indifferent to the man behind the stats writhing on the ground. When we're just fans, we feel for the players. When you have something at stake (a just-for-fun fantasy football league), those sympathetic feelings obviously go out the window. What about people who have millions of dollars invested in these players, this "game", I can't even imagine.

Existential Thoughts of Relief

Here is an exposition of the E-Ching from yesterday. It's a thought I've been mulling around for the last week or so. Is "pleasure" an above-and-beyond feeling, or is it just getting back to normal? Eating when you're hungry can be a huge relief. A crude example: relieving yourself can be a huge "relief", even to the point of feeling some pleasure. Cigarettes? Sex? Are these all relievers? Does true pleasure exist or is it all just temporal relief? Are all of our happiest moments truly that, or do they only feel that way because in those moments, everything else faded out?

E-Ching for the Day

"There is no pleasure. There is merely relief."

AA Driver's License Stamp

There are many alcoholics who do not want to drink, but find themselves under a compulsion to do so. And unfortunately, they have easy access to as much alcohol as they can afford. So, what do you think about the idea of a person willingly choosing to have their driver's license stamped with a "Do not sell this person alcohol" code or color. Logistically, bartenders would now have to check everyone's ID, but that's probably a good idea anyway?

Was Denise Huxtable Black?

Our current affirmative action system is unfairly exclusive. Why are race and gender the only basis to determine whether a group has had equal opportunity? African-Americans weren't the only slaves. What about the Jews? Pharoah, Hitler, etc. Or is the idea to only help the people who America itself discriminated against? Even so, if a minority group immigrates to our country today, America has not yet hurt them, so why would they receive privileges over Europeans who are still getting over that lousy potato famine?

Moving Help

Well, we finally tracked down the seller's and we're closing on our house tomorrow morning and moving in Saturday. For the Chicago readers here, if anyone has an hour on Saturday morning to spare and help load a U-Haul truck, please let me know. Coincidentally, my grandparents are moving that day as well, and all of my family has already been contracted to help with that move. You would be MUCH appreciated!

Coke or Pepsi

I read a fascinating study regarding soft drinks the other day. When asked which beverage they prefer, roughly 70% of people choose Coke. But, in a blind taste test, over 53% of people prefer Pepsi. This is fascinating to me. Is advertising that powerful? Is Coke that much 'cooler' to like? Pepsi's the most popular drink on the market and no one will stick up for it. Who me? Nah, I like Coke. I'm not a girl.

Invention: Healthy Cigs

My wife and I were walking past a bakery or something that made the air smell good the other day, and I started thinking, since second hand smoke can give you cancer, can second hand grease-smelling make you fat? Anyway, this led to a discussion that ended with the idea of putting vitamin additives into cigarettes. Replace as much of the tar and chemicals you can, while keeping the nicotine so people can get their fix, but include antioxidants or Vitamin B, something that can be absorbed through your lungs. So, they can keep their oral fixation, keep their nicotine buzz, get healthy, and not die from it. Takers?

Union Tactics

So, let's say the 20 creative personnel at my company all get together this morning, walk into our president's office, and say we want a 40% wage increase or we're all walking out of here. Sounds strangely like blackmail, no? But, when teachers do it, it's ok?

It has begun.

Charles Manson predicted it 35 years ago. Helter Skelter is coming. And it began last night with CBS' Survivor: Battle of the Races.

E-Ching for the Day

They will know we are Christians by our war.

Autism? No Thanks.

So, scientists have discovered a DNA link to autism that can be found in a child's umbilical cord. This is leading to the possibility that one could know whether or not a child could have autism shortly after conception. This leads to the possibility that one could abort their child based on an imperfection that they do not want to deal with.

Adjustable Vases

Invention for the day. I would like vases to have adjustable necks. Because with floral arrangement, quantity is important relative to the size of the vase. But, most people only have one or two vases in their house. So, a small bouquet of flowers often flops around the wide neck and can look rather skimpy. But, if the vase neck was adjustable to become tighter dependent on the amount of flowers purchased, you could perfect the look of any arrangement. Any venture capitalists out there?

Ringo's Super Fabulous Musicians

The Beatles is a horrific name for a band. First of all, you’re committing a huge cliché by using the term “Beat” in your band name to signify you’re musicians. Secondly, a beetle is a really creepy bug. Big mistake. They could have been huge.

Boycott Braille on the ATMs

You know how to tell dimes and pennies apart? You can feel their ridges. Or you can LOOK at them and see that one’s COPPER and one’s SILVER. This whole “catering to the blind” thing is going too far.

Written Five Years Ago

Clouds of black from God I guess

At least that's what they scream
As they dance the streets covered with joy
And candy wrappers
Discarded by children who know the good guys
Just won, justice, just for the hell of it

The same street which will likely meet
And flood with blood
And we'll dance in the streets
And children will see
The colors of fire, snow, and sky waving in the wind
And know the good guys have won

I still see clouds
From God I guess

Sabai's Fantasy Life

Could I create an entire fictitious fantasy sports game? A fantasy game that did not rely on true sporting events at all? Perhaps a realistic soap opera like story about different un-connected people? They have different personalities, resources, goals. And you draft people that you believe will achieve the most financial success. That’s how you gain points, based directly on their financial portfolio. The story would be written by a team of writers. Then, the game would become so popular that people would actually like this idea of betting on people. Then, my true goal of a Human Stock Market could come true. Instead of venture capitalists betting money on an idea, they’d bet their money on the idea-maker.

The WalMartization of America

So with the world becoming flatter ala Magellan & Thomas Freidman, this is leading to increased competition based on easier global access. This increased competition is going to lead to narrower profit margins, which means more sales will be needed to make a profit. This road seems to lead to the inevitable WalMartization of every non-service based commodity product in the world. Am I correct?

Mrs. Salt

Have you ever been out at a restaurant where you order a Dr. Pepper and the waitress says, sorry we don’t have that, can I get you a Mrs. Salt? I’ve heard that a bunch of times, it’s never been very funny. However, I thought about that joke today. Salt is obviously the opposite of Pepper. But, the joke also assumes that the opposite of a doctor is a woman. That’s offensive. Not to me, but to the ACLU, probably.

Hitler's Cross

I've got to play blame ignorance on this one. If I had known that this sort of thing was frowned upon, I never would have opened up a restaurant full of swastika signage called Hitler's Cross!

Sex

Some people don't have sex 'til they're married. Some people elect to maintain professions which declare that sex is truly meaningless (stripper, escort, etc.). Yet, the majority of the world is probably somewhere in between. A lot of women would be apalled if a handsome man came up to them in a restaurant and proposed intercourse. But, if she was set up with that man on a blind date at the same restaurant, suddenly sex that evening could become a proposition. How can sacred and meaningless be a first name basis away?