Happy fat Tuesday xanga. Sorry its been a while, I've been really busy with work stuff. Since we last talked I got a new job, ran a half marathon, turned 30, and helped build a vegetable garden.
Today, I decide what I'm giving up for Lent. My brainstorming session is as follows:
black shirts (some places I go require a shirt) red shoes (one must have a little color) talking about cars (like Rhett not talking Simpsons) messy hair (not sure it will do anything else after 10 years) Rozie (divorce is frowned upon more than not observing Lent) church (ah ha, tricked you Pope! But, no) xanga (probably won't do that anyway) Taco Bell (that hurts, we'll leave that in) cheese (bonus religious points since I live in the TexMex capital of the world)
Let a neutral party choose my fate, and the winner is.....
CHEESE
Goodbye pizza, so long turkey melt, see you soon enchilada, catch you later pastrami ruben. For Easter lunch I will drive up Hebron stopping to eat all of you. Or is it the day after Easter? Someone check on that.
In the spirit of the season, I'd like to say a few words about advertising.
Most of it is crap done by crappy people that don't care about you or the product they sell. At its core, advertising is an argument being made to you on behalf of a product. "This is why you should buy this thing." It's often an argument mad with dirty tactics. They appeal to your brain, your heart, your funny bone... even you unmentionables.
But from time to time, an argument is made in good faith. These ads don't confuse you, they help you understand. Even if you don't' buy what they are selling, you respect people who do. And you have respect for the company that makes the product. Not because they make great things, but because they have respected you first.
A few months back I posted a rant on how ugly good running shoes are. Sure the fancy Nike Lunar Runners are way cool, but all the run snobs will scoff at you overpaying for marketing hype over substance. I'm my own man, but I still fear scoffing.
Today I discovered a compromise. A little company called Newton Running makes a shoe run-geeks love... and it actually looks really good. Now, to be fair, the shoe typically comes in a color scheme that involves 3 different neon colors (how could I make that up), but there is a version that is plain-jane red and grey. It comes in an eco-friendly recycled box as well.
There is one draw back .... 175 drawbacks, honestly. So you can have a great pair of running shoes that feel great, look great, hug the earth, and will win acceptance with the running aristocracy. It just costs twice as much.
The vast majority of breakthroughs in math and science are made by people in their 20s. a 30 year old professional athlete has a tough time getting a long term contract. Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Biggy Smalls, Jimmi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, James Dean... all produced greatness and were dead before their 30th birthday.
Statistically speaking, I'll live well past 30. And in all that time, I'll probably never do anything your grandchildren will have heard of. It wasn't particularly a goal of mine, I'd just like to have the option.
On the plus side, I think I've found the perfect pair of shoes to compliment my dress casual wardrobe.
Don't worry, I'm not going to go all fight club on you or anything. I'm just pissed right now.
