Class War - How Public Servants Became Our Masters

How about some fun reading for a Thursday?  I challenge you to read this article without feeling sick to your stomach.  Not in the gross, dead body kind of way, but in the "I understand now why our cities are being flushed down the toilet in California".  I read it and immediately wanted to go and hug a Libertarian....


Class War - How Public Servants Became Our Masters

Loose Ends

I realized today that I never wrapped up our pre-Christmas poll, sorry there faithful readers.  I dropped the ball on this one.  But the poll results did give me a measure of great satisfaction knowing that I'm preaching to like minded souls.  More than half of the poll respondents need their cup of coffe ASAP, even though it's Christmas morning and there are presents to open and festivities to enjoy.   On a certain level it's good to know that my readers are also cafeine junkies.

I'll also try to come up with a new poll today to both dazzle and astound y'all.  

Alycia and I had an evening out on the town yesterday, went out for a delicious dinner at one of our favorite restaurants downtown - The Toasted Frog, then to purchase some cross country skis.  Yeah it's a bit of an extravagance, but we're going to use them for years to come, and if they help us look forward to winter by having a fun winter time activity, it's worth the expense.  And in my opinion anything that encourages physical activity and exercise out in nature is a good thing. 

So cross country skiing might take the place of running for me during the winter.  I think I can manage two to three days a week of moseying around on skis through the park just a couple of blocks from the house.  Lot's of potential here.  I'm gonna venture out in a bit here, for some mid-week cross country skiing, it should be fun. 

Tiny Cupcake Giveaway

My blogging compatriot, and friend from San Diego, Sara over at Sweet Somethings is giving away free sweets.  Free tiny cupcakes to be exact, made through her Sarandipity website. They're delicious, though you must grapple with the guilt of destroying a baked creation so cute that it seems criminal.  But once you overcome your instincts not to destroy such a lovely creation, you'll be glad you did, as they are yummy. 

All you have to do is leave a comment on her blog or Facebook site to be entered into the contest. 

You can follow this link to the giveaway location.  Good luck.

Cross Country Skiing

Alycia and I have been discussing cross country skiing for quite a while now, thinking that a fun enjoyable outdoor activity will be just what we need to look forward to the snow and winter wonderland that is North Dakota for 5 months (approximately) out of every year.  We visited the local ski shop and looked at the bottom of the line cross country ski package, and it was pricey enough that we wanted to make sure that it was enjoyable enough before we dropped a few dollars on our own skis, poles, and boots. 

So on Sunday we went down to Lincoln Park where they check out cross country skis, ice skates, and sleds for free (awesome!!) and picked up some cross country skis.  Seriously, how awesome of a city is that rents this stuff for free in its local parks.  So we got geared up and set out on the trails, spent an hour and a half zipping around the huge park, and had a great time.  The temperature was in the pleasant range 15 above or so, but there was a stiff wind, which made it seem pretty chilly.  We were definitely done after an hour and half. 

As you can imagine, the whole town is geared for cross country skiing, snowmobiling, and other modes of frozen conveyance.  There are a ton of skiing routes (you can see them here) around town, and you can pretty much get from our house in Riverside Park on the north end, all the way down to downtown, and through Lincoln Park to the south end of town.  

Alycia had only been downhill skiing before, and not only had a great time, but took to it like a Presbyterian to rummage.  Considering that it's great exercise and very accessible (part of the trail starts right near our house in Riverside Park), there are very likely some skis in our future.  And next time, I promise we'll try to remember the camera so you can see how much fun you aren't having.

Volleyball Tourney Results

So the results from the Center Court Snowball Volleyball tournament on Saturday were less than stellar.  In fact we didn't win a game, though not for lack of trying.  Our team captain who organized the ordeal didn't know that the level of competition would be so strong and well above a team that hadn't ever played together (us).  Add our newness as a team to the fact that many other teams were littered with former Division 1 college volleyball players, and were just outmatched from the get go.

I learned a few things about how to play indoor volleyball, the plays you run and such, so that was something to build upon.  I also learned that if the other team has 2 to 3 girls that are my height, the outcome may not be in our favor.  Seriously, there were some really tall girls there.  

We all had a great time though and will play together again in the league starting at the end of the month.  It was also a very entertaining and active way to spend a Saturday afternoon/evening, and though I missed both NFL playoff games, that was OK since they were both un-entertaining blowouts.  This weekend - Go Chargers!!!

Volleyball Tourney Weekend

Guess what sports fans?  We've found a way to parlay our previous wallyball team into an actual volleyball team.  The four members of the wallyball squad plus a substitute that helped us out when I was out of town have formed, Voltron-style, to become what I hope will be an invincible squad of indoor volleyballers (though to be honest, I've never played indoor volleyball, only beach volleyball). 

The new volleyball league starts in a couple of weeks, but there's a tournament tomorrow that should serve as an adequate warm up/get acquainted session for the new teammates. You may hear some odd noises Saturday afternoon coming from the direction of the Center Court Fitness Club in Grand Forks, but don't be alarmed, that will just be the newly formed squad dominating us some sucka-chumps.

Once the league starts up, I'll relay our stats, triumphant tales, and any other news.  I'm not sure what our team name is since I'm not in charge (for once).  I would have opted for the team name "Unprotected Sets", though the wholesome folks here might not have been too keen on that.  I was also thinking I may unearth and reanimate our former beach team name - John and His Minions, that would be rad. 

In weather news, the high for Saturday is forecast to 5 above, and I couldn't be more excited, it's the warmest it'll be here in a week.  Next week is rumored to have a chance to get into the mid-20's.  Praise Jeebus. 

Laboratory Grown Meat

Ah the progress of science.  Soon, we're promised, we'll be able to enjoy a tasty pork chop or rib eye steak without the messy ethical quandaries that are endemic in eating delicious animals.  How is this possible?  It turns out that scientists are in the process of perfecting laboratory grown meat and are a few years away from having a commercially viable product (at least that's what they say).

No more ethical quandary, but what about the nutritional morass that come with eating something grown in a lab?  Well, let's not focus on that for now.....

The Only Top Ten List I Read

Yay, verily it will come to pass that the year will end and everyone and their brother (and their cousin, friend, and friend of a friend) will spawn a Top 10 Something of the Year list.  Like the rising and setting of the sun, the pull of the year end list is inevitable, and impossible to avoid.  This is further compounded by the end of the decade and the same people who produced the other lists also feel compelled to create a Top 10 or Top 100 of the Decade list.  I read very few of these lists, especially when it comes to music, where everyone seems to have a top ten list. 

I usually quickly skim the 10 Best Album/Song/Artist of the year articles every year, but once I see Taylor Swift, Coldplay, or Lady Gaga on the list, I realize that the list, like the artists mentioned in the list is complete and unmitigated crap and quickly leave.  Does this make me a pretentious music snob?  Yeah, probably.  But I'm perfectly OK with that. 

There's one list though that I actually pay very close attention to, and that is Paul Shirleys'.  Paul is a former pro basketball player turned author, who writes for espn.com about music.  I appreciate not only his musical recommendations, but also his writing, which pulls no punches without being unnecessarily caustic, and is never dumbed down for the masses.

I usually forget about his columns for 6 to 8 months, then at the end of the year, when aforementioned crappy Top 10 Lists come out I think "Holy crap I forgot about Paul Shirley".  I then guiltily track down his article and spend the next 2-3 weeks in a non stop orgy of reading the previous 6 months of his columns and listening to hundreds of tracks by several dozen new bands.  Out of the 50 or 60 bands I listen to, I usually find a handful that are worthy to purchase the album, and lo, things are right in the universe again.  Thanks Paul, you're now my cool imaginary friend who recommends great bands.  I'm missing the "actual" friends who recommend great bands, since I moved to North Dakota away from all my actual cool friends, I'm very appreciative of my imaginary friend Paul. 

You can read the full Top 10 Albums of the Year here, and if you're into music, I would also highly recommend going back and reading some of his archives, they're chock full of great music writing and give me numerous suggestions of new bands to check out.  His articles also have links to just about every band so you're just a click away from sampling Frightened Rabbit (try the song "Poke") or Manchester Orchestra (I dig "Pride"), very cool indeed.