It's almost like a personal ad.

I just found out my roommate is moving out at the end of August, so if anyone knows of someone looking for a place starting September 1st, let me know.

Well watered

I gave blood yesterday and I drank so much water during the day to keep myself well hydrated that I ended up going to the bathroom once an hour during the evening. And I had to go so bad that it was almost painful. I think I kept myself well hydrated.
The reason I felt this was so important was because when I gave blood a few years ago, I didn't drink much water afterward and it was not good. I was in my parents basement and I had to use the bathroom, so I ran upstairs and, as Bill Cosby said, started doing the Lord's business. As I finished, everything suddenly got real dark and then I found myself laying on the floor, which was odd because I had been standing the last I remembered. I think mom must have heard me fall because she called out to see if I was all right, and I said I was.
Mom, if you're reading this - I fainted. I was all right, just in a fainty sort of way.
So now I drink plenty of water.

Grasp the Nettle

The stories are all true. Except for that one, you sicko.

For anyone who hasn't yet heard, yes I am dating now. Her name is Beth. I met her at my small group. She is smart, funny, pleasantly sarcastic, serious about God, and frankly I don't know why she would want to date me.
Maybe it's my hair.
We started dating on my birthday, which was cool. We had small group the next night, and then she had tickets for the Folk Festival which she had bought months ago, and today (Tuesday) she is leaving to the Philippines for two weeks. Eventually I'll get to hang out with her I hope :)

Grasp the Nettle

Cheese it, it's the fuzz!

There is an officer in Calgary who has an accent that sounds like it is from somewhere in the United Kingdom, but I could not quite figure out where it was from. It was definitely not a classic, stereotypical British accent, but it seemed to me to be an accent of a native English speaker, and not someone who started with another language.
How do I know this, you ask? Well, I met that officer today. I also met many of his colleagues as well. Very nice men. I've always liked the red stripe on the side of the police pants. It somehow makes their uniforms much cooler looking.
I went to the airport today to pick up Peter (Peter Ralph, in case y'all were wondering) because he is going to the indy race in Edmonton but it was significantly cheaper for him to fly to Calgary and drive to Edmonton. So I picked him up and we headed to his sister and brother-in-law's house so that he could borrow their car. They were out of town for the night, so they had given Pete their security code and house key.
We got there and entered the house. The alarm system is odd in that you have to enter the code into the phone. The cordless phone. The cordless phone that had been left sitting on the TV cabinet so that it was easy to find. The cordless phone that was now completely dead. So all we could do was nothing. After a minute or two, the alarm proceeded to ring. The security company then did their live talk to us thing that they do. Peter somehow understood what the disembodied voice was saying (I had no idea) and gave them the code. The security dude seemed satisfied and said goodbye. A few seconds later, a pleasant female voice said "Alarm set" and there was a beeping sound. The beeping was regular, and after a bit it sped up until it stopped. A minute of silence was followed by the blaring alarm.
The disembodied voice sounded again, apparently wanting us to answer the phone. Peter told them that the whole reason we were having troubles was because the phone was dead. A movement on the lawn caught my attention.
A few seconds later, we opened the door and headed outside, putting our hands where the officers could see them. We explained ourselves and they seemed pretty calm, which was good. They took our licenses, which was fine because that is their job. They also headed inside and checked out the house just to be sure. During all of this, the alarm went off a couple of more times, each time resetting itself immediately after.
I counted eight officers at least (and later one of them mentioned that there had been more in the back alley that we never saw). I thought that was a bit excessive until the tenant in the basement suite headed upstairs and mentioned that he had called the police because he heard voices and footsteps upstairs. Apparently he had grabbed his largest, sharpest knife and then called 9-1-1. I guess a call like that (he didn't mention his knife, but he did mention the fact that someone had broke in to the upstairs) gets high priority, and it was a slow night.
Eventually, the cops headed off to the rest of their evenings. We finally got our licenses back. Apparently their system says that I surrendered my license a while back so that I could go to Germany. The funny thing is, though I did do just that, when I got back I did everything they told me I needed to do to get my license back in Canada. Apparently no one told the computers, though, so I now have to go get that whole situation figured out.
Yay.
Life with Peter is just odd.

Grasp the Nettle

And Yet I Don't Like Pasta Salads

On Sunday for lunch I ate cold macaroni for lunch. The reason I ate cold macaroni was because my microwave died so I could not heat up my leftover macaroni. Actually, the reason I ate cold macaroni was because I had already pulled it out of the fridge and taken the lid off of the container before I remembered that my microwave was broken. My options at that point were to put the lid back onto the container and then put it back in the fridge, or to eat it anyway. I figured the second option was fewer steps so it made the most sense.
It takes alot of work to be that lazy, I'll tell you what.

Grasp the Nettle

Some Thoughts

Nike's ad for their golf ball shows many different players using their ball and wearing their logo and the music, shots, and text all imply that the winners use Nike. But what I see is that Nike has an awful lot of players using their ball and losing every week. I don't think I'll use their ball to golf.

I'm eating a pizza with corn on it. It's chipotle chicken, so it has chicken and a cream sauce and is spicy and quite tasty. Also, it has corn.

The BC Lions and Edmonton Eskimos are playing football against each other. If Edmonton wins, then BC is 0-3 on the season and Edmonton is 2-1. I like BC being at 0-3, but if the Roughriders lose on Saturday, then they would be tied at 2-1 with Edmonton. But if BC wins, then they are at 1-2, Edmonton is at 1-2, and the Roughriders will be in first place even if they lose, so that is good.

I still want BC to lose.

3 of the last 4 Grey Cup champions were coached by rookie coaches.

Taylor's golf ball ads admits that they aren't the number one ball in golf. Then they say they are better. But they're still not number one, so why would I want to go with a brand that isn't the best. If they aren't the number one ball, how can I believe they are so good. Just because they say so? I don't think so. I won't be using their golf balls either.

Today has felt like Friday all day. But it's only Thursday. So sad.

Bah.

At some point I heard a news story saying that the World Health Organisation or the Centre for Disease Control (or whoever deals with pandemics) wanted everyone to stop referring to H1N1 as swine flu because it was harmful to the pork industry and was innacurate. Since then I have only read one story that did not mention swine flu. Most stories say something about "H1N1 virus, formerly caled swine flu" or something like that. By now, pretty much everyone should know that H1N1 used to be called swine flu. It makes me think that the people who write the news have a very low opinion of people's intelligence.

Sometimes I think they are right.

The more I see Kraft's Mayonnaise ad, the angrier it makes me. How does mayonnaise make you cool? It just doesn't make sense.

If I don't specifically care about two teams playing in a game, I usually cheer for the home team because then the crowd will be into it and an excited crowd sounds better.

An ad for the Keg suddenly made me think of Christmas, and I'm not ready for Christmas yet. Oddly, it was a lobster that made me think of Christmas. Yeah, I can't explain that one either.

BC won.

Now go check out Grasp the Nettle.

Update: I'm tired. I'll update the Nettle tomorrow.

Update update: It's been updated.

Links

I heard a cover of Toto's Africa recently. I can't say much for the cover, but, man, do I ever enjoy the original.
Also, I updated Fools of us All.
Enjoy.

It's True.

If everyone tells you NOT to give in to peer pressure, what do you do?

I have had people tell me that I should go into marketing, and while I can't speak to the wisdom of such a choice, I can tell you the chances of it ever happening - almost none.
I admit, there is some intrigue in the idea of marketing. The potential for creativity is highly possible. Plus, as you may already know, I spend much of my time analyzing ads (and not just on TV - print ads and billboards are interesting as well) and I have to admit that I sometimes rework the ads in my head to better (at least, I think better) represent the products and hit the target audience.
A few facets of marketing continue to fascinate me. One is that everyone, myself included, continues to fall for it. Marketing is little more than hype. Facts are not clearly presented, if they are presented at all, and the goal of the marketing is to get people to buy a lifestyle that never really materialises once the purchase is made. The worst part is that most people know this and still continue as if they did not.
And then there comes the issue that is contradictory and yet accepted by most everyone: the idea of individuality by being part of a group, along with the notion that for most products, individuality is the last thing the company wants. For example, right now Miracle Whip has an ad campaign that features many people 'being themselves' and 'not conforming'. And if you want to be part of this group, you should buy Miracle Whip because it will not...be like...other...mayonnaises...? The ad doesn't even make sense when you actually look at it because it has nothing to do with mayonnaise. The ad revolves around people being themselves, showing images of those who aren't part of the 'five-to-nine', wear a suit to work, boring lifestyle. In the same way (?), Miracle Whip is not your father's boring mayonnaise, but it is the choice of free spirits and individual thinkers everywhere, so to be individual like them, do the same thing they do. You see the problem: in order to be an individual, you must do the same thing as other people. And if you aren't, then you are boring and just cut out of a cookie cutter. But if everyone buys the same product, then is that still being an individual? And how on God's green earth can mayonnaise make me...cooler, or more hip, or fly-er, or whatever the current slang for individualistic and unique (that everyone uses) is. It can't. And yet the commercial tries to convince me otherwise.
And it is the same with most products. No one wants to follow the crowd or be the same as everyone else, especially teenagers (more on that in a minute), so advertisers try to make everything seem cool, new, and fresh, and it is a mark of honour to be different and even weird. But the problem is, if a company is advertising you to buy their stuff, they don't want you to be an individual - they want you to buy their stuff, and then for you to get your friends to buy their stuff because that is how they make money, which is their goal. I'm not trying to be cynical here, I am just saying that most companies exist to make money, which makes sense because the people who work at these companies and who own these companies like to do things like eat and live in houses. And it is normal (though perhaps not beneficial) to want to have a great deal of money, so businesses want to be successful by selling more products. If everyone was truly individualistic like the commercials implied, then there would be way more companies, and each company would make less money because fewer people would buy from them.
The real paradoxical thing is the notion of wanting to be an individual, especially among teenagers. Teenagers want to fit in. They want to be part of a peer group and they don't want to be laughed at or thought of as different. Social cliques exist for a reason - a true individual, meaning someone who is different than everyone, is looked upon with disdain and distrust by everyone, and when you are fifteen, that is one of the most painful experiences possible. Gangs are successful and grow because they make kids feel like they have a family, even if being in that family can easily lead to prison or death, it is worth it because in that group, the teen feels like they belong.
And yet no teenager would ever admit to wanting to be part of the norm, to be nothing more than a cog in a machine. They want to be themselves, their own person, unique and special. They find a group that makes them feel that way and look down on everyone else for being part of another group because the other people are just following the herd while their group is breaking the mold, is successful, is popular, is whatever they feel they are. It is a paradox because the individual joins a group to be more of an individual than they can be on their own.
It is not just teenagers that experience such feelings. Even in adulthood people seek to belong while bemoaning anything that forces them to conform. It is a bizarre phenomenon to see. The most interesting part is how many people recognise this aspect in other people but don't acknowledge it in their own lives. I know I usually can't, though sometimes I look around at my world and situation and wonder.
The other part of marketing I would struggle with is trying to convince people to buy crap they don't need. "Hey, you there? Is your car still working fine? Yes? But is it brand new? No? That's too bad, because other people have brand new cars and that must mean they are more successful than you. Of course, if you buy this car, then people will know you are a successful stud muffin. That's right, come down and buy our car and people will like you better. Now dance for me puppet. Dance." That's basically what I hear when I watch commercials. I just can't do it.
Monty Python made a movie called Life of Brian. In that movie, some first century (around 30 A.D.) start following a guy named Brian, thinking he is the messiah, despite his protests to the contrary. In a bid to get them to stop following him, he start berating them for blindly following the herd and not thinking for themselves. Rather than listening to his 'sermon', they begin to repeat his words of wisdom without actually listening to them. "You're all individuals!" he says. "Yes," replies the crowd. "We're all individuals." "You're all different!" continues Brian. "We're all different!" repeats the crowd. "I'm not!" comes one lonely voice, only to be shushed by all around him. Who knew the people who brought you vikings singing about spam could be so absurdly profound.
Now, I realise there are a few...issues...that could be found with my arguments here. Not all teenagers are angst ridden attention seekers with self-esteem issues. There's a sixteen year old in Akron, Ohio who is very well adjusted for his age. And I am aware that not all advertising is for useless crap. I really do need a slap chop and a snuggie. And apparently beer will make me sexually virile and unbelievably attractive to the opposite sex. Actually, with enough beer, that last part might actually be true. I guess there is some truth in advertising...
But seriously, I do know that there are worthy causes that need promotion and attention. I'm just not sure if I could stomach to be part of the larger marketing world, even if my little corner is quite tidy and worthy.
But that's just me.
Also, the NFL sucks, but they have the money and the hype, so people think it is a better game. They're wrong.
Just wanted to get that off my chest.

I'm Feeling Reflective (You'll get it in a second)

Today, while I was watching Ellen...that is to say, while I was working, I heard an interesting tidbit about Kiefer Sutherland: apparently he only has one mirror in his house, located in the bathroom. That's not interesting to me, but everyone on the show seemed shocked. He was questioned extensively about it, though I did not have a chance to hear much of it due to some pesky customers that wanted service for some reason.
I have been pondering this revelation and I'm baffled at the shock and awe it produced. I only have one mirror in my place, and I can't imagine needing more. I know it is common to have one in the bedroom and I can see the value in that, but not so much so that it would be weird to not have it. Anytime I absolutely need the mirror, I'm either already in the bathroom (shaving, for example) or just steps away from the bathroom, so having one in my room isn't necessary. And I can't think of a reason to have one in a room besides a bedroom or bathroom except for decoration, and not having a decorative mirror shouldn't be a shock to anyone.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm living my life in a very unusual manner, or I'm closer to normal than I realise, but I never hear about the norm because the norm isn't newsworthy.
To end on an amusing note - when I lived in Germany, I was living in a dorm room with an attached bathroom, and I had three mirrors including the bathroom mirror. At least three mirrors, it may have been four. I can't remember if there was one on the back of the door. But in my defence, they were all there when I arrived, so it's not like I planned it that way.

I've been to Winnipeg before...

All right, first of all, I feel much better today. I got less sleep last night and I think that was key.
So, Portland. I have a friend (Christine) whose parents live in Portland (yes, Oregon), so some of us decided to go on a road trip. We left after work on Thursday and drove for twelve hours, arriving at six in the morning. We had a nap (the others slept for six or seven hours, but I woke up after three and a half and couldn't sleep, so I sat around for a while and chatted with her parents) and then we went to the beach. It was the second time I had visited my mortal enemy: the Pacific Ocean. The first time we met, it attacked me without provocation, despite my attempts at following established protocol and convention, thus setting the stage for our epic struggle.
The beach was good. The sun was shining, which I guess is not a guarantee, and it wasn't terribly cold. I had never been to a beach, at least an ocean one, and I think I see the appeal. There was a fog that had settled onto the far reaches of the beach, leaving the giant stone formations that jutted out here and there shadowed in mist, which I thought was cool. I like fog. We hung around for a while, walking up and down the beach, dipping our toes in the water and just having some fun.
So it was with bemusement and a newfound respect that I realised the Pacific had changed his tactics to attacks with a more subtle, psychological bent. I shall have to be more wary in the future if I am to prevail. This is not over...not by a long shot.
The next day we got up late again (I like having days off) and went to walk around the open air Saturday market in downtown Portland near the river. It was interesting to see. We also visited a book store where I bought four books, which was the extent of my spending on the trip (besides food and gas). Later that night we went for a hike up a mountain...okay, we just walked halfway up a hill (from the parking lot halfway up to the top) where there was a good view of some mountains around the area. We could see Mt. St. Helens. from there and...other...hills. After that we went back to Christine's house and sat in her front yard watching the neighbours set off fireworks (it was the fourth of July) and other, larger displays, though we couldn't see much due to the copious number of trees in the area. At one point a police car drove down the street and had to drive around the fireworks that were going off on the street, and he didn't even slow down. The US is a weird place. Then we sat in the back yard and played cards and had s'mores.
That was my weekend trip to Portland. It is quite a beautiful place with plenty of trees, which I like. I think I like tree covered hills as much as, and likely more than, huge rocky mountains, as cool as those are.
Also, it is odd to me to see cellists playing in street clothes.

I'm home

Normally I would update Grasp the Nettle today. Last week I didn't, largely because I was going to be out of town on Friday and I try to keep both stories on the same schedule. Today, I'm just not up to it. The weekend was good, but since I got back I've been listless and apathetic, and I'm not sure why. I'm just...disinterested. I don't like this feeling.

Goin' to Winnipeg.

I mean Portland. I'm going to Portland.