Unintended Consequences....

Several years ago I started a novel. I do that a lot. Try to start writing a novel and then seemingly like a certain 6 year old I know with a sandwich, lose my taste for it and simple walk away. Often leaving the sandwich or in this case story on the ground. To rot.

This story however, dealt with a man who's life had little meaning, he was successful but alone and had made his money and success off products that harmed others. So he decided to take one final noble, in his mind at least, action. He found a woman widowed by his product and made her his life insurance beneficiary. He purchased dozens of small insurance policies with high payouts and proceed to attempt to place himself in situations where he would probably die. Cut rate sky diving. Amateur drag racing. Going to a biker bar and hitting on all the biker "mommas" etc and so forth. Over the course of this he and widow, who is in on the scheme eventually grow close and fall in love. The protagonist is forced to decide what would be the best way to show his love. Attempt to die as planned and provide for her monetary future or live. That's where I got stuck. I couldn't decide. So that will be another part of my "choose your own ending" anthology.

Currently the President, government, politicos of all sorts are in a similar situation with The Affordable Care Act. Ideally it was meant to take a step towards universal health care of some sort. While still trying to please the insurance companies, business owners and work within the existing insurance structure in some what. In short. It's a colossal mess. With some potentially serious unintended consequences. Like less full time jobs.

Behold The Part-Time Worker Society: "We Won't Start Hiring Full-Time People"

Ok. Yeah. It's a weird website. The story is written by someone claiming to be Tyler Durden. I get that. But it points out something that has been worrisome to me for months. Why?

Because if I owned a company with 50 more hourly employees. It's what I'd do.

Cut. Hours.

Because if I didn't, I might not be able to pay anyone anything any more.

Many small to medium sized companies can't absorb the extra cost added by insurance. It's not about them being evil. It's about survival. It's adding another bill each month. One that most businesses hadn't expected or planned for. So raise prices in a slow to ugly economy where many workers are having their hours cut or higher more workers.

It's said that 50% of restaurants fail in their first year. Even the ones who survive basically never make five years. With that slim a chance at continued success, any business owner would be foolish to add another cost when it can be easily avoided.

My grandfather worked one job, 9-5, with one company for his whole life. Those days are over. I will probably never be able to retire. I have for most of my adult life had more than one job and expect that to continue. 

That's the real crime. There's an out. Hire more workers, every one works less, no insurance. It was a loop hole that will make it harder for hourly workers to get enough hours. Eventually, health insurance will be like car insurance. On the individual. Perhaps run by the government. But we will all have it in some way. We just might all have three jobs too.

The individual may be healthier with "affordable care" but I'm not sure the individual can afford it.

Tuesday Tidbits.

So yesterday I mowed, pulled some weeds. Stared at some plants begging my mind to magically know if it was weed or plant. Then it rained. Today I did laundry, picked up some surprises for the kids and another ceiling fan that I hope to install this summer. (Two ceiling fans = hopefully less air conditioning this summer = lower bills. In theory.) And it rained again. So after spending quite a bit of time organizing for the garage sale. It's time to pass on tidbits from the internet.

It's a bit Big Brother but I'm sort of glad that a person this entitled and oblivious to not only bikers but possibly all humanity got caught because of her self important tweet. 

Woman Brags About Hitting Cyclist, Discovers Police Also Use Twitter

 Hopefully she gets her license and twitter suspended.

I enjoy video games. I don't play them as often as some. My Xbox 360 is more often used to watch Netflix and sports highlights. However, I found the #Xboxreveal presentation to be fascinating from a media, entertainment, games and even perception of technology level. I probably can't afford it when it debuts but the new Call of Duty: Ghosts looks great and the sports games are intriguing. Too bad MLB games just don't sell.

In FIFA 07 or something like that, I discovered The Cat Empire. I love their stuff and so does my son. Think I can sneak a 6 year old into an 18+ show if I give him a beard and call him Grumpy? 

Sue McLean & Associates present

The Cat Empire

Thursday, Jul 11, 2013 8:00 PM CDT 
The Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN

This feels like a plot out of Law and Order, Bones or some other made for TV cop show. So glad I'm not the workers who discovered this. Just unfair. Should get to sue the murderer for pain and suffering.

Body found in trunk at Mpls. tow lot

This young boy will probably never duplicate a moment like this. I just hope he can remember it.

The best part is his momentary confusion at the cheers and the subsequent arms thrust into the air.
Still raining. But time to clean out the cupboards of items I haven't used since I moved in....

Minneapolis Rave Run Review Reaction

I've never really liked running. Even in high school, when on the track team for three years, I hated being a distance runner. I wasn't even long distance. 800 meters. It sucked. I would much rather have been a sprinter or a long jumper. That to me was track and field. Carl Lewis. Michael Johnson. Etc. Running was something I usually saved for when I was being chased. You'd be surprised how often that happened in high school. Maybe not.

But lately, it's become obvious that if I were to run for my life. It better be a sprint. I'm almost half again the man I used to be in high school and it's time to start getting more active and maybe, just maybe in a little better shape. It would suck to have zombies out run you. Walking Dead style zombies, not World War Z zombies, those look intense.

With this in mind, I have paid lip service in the past to trying a 5k. In a fit of spontaneity and probably a bit of madness, I decided to sign up for the Minneapolis Rave Run. On less than two weeks notice.

Several runner friends thought I was nuts. It takes 8 weeks to properly train for a real 5k they said. I had 2. And middling to fair motivation.  They were probably right. But luckily the Rave Run is more about fun than run.

As their Facebook page puts it:

RUNNERS, ARTISTS AND INSOMNIACS UNITE. 
WELCOME TO THE RAVE RUN. 

- NIGHT TIME FUN RUN OF STUNNING LIGHTS AND MUSIC
- EYE DAZZLING LIGHT EFFECTS DESIGNED BY EDC ARTISTS AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS
- WICKED AFTER-PARTY
- TRANSFORMING VALLEY FAIR INTO A NOCTURNAL WONDERLAND ON MAY 10, 2013

The Rave Run was founded in 2012 by a runner, an artist and an insomniac. The idea was to bring the adrenaline pumping music and special effects from electronic festivals onto a 2.5-3.5 mile course. The dazzling light effects are designed by EDC artists and industry experts. It’s like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory except with lights. It’s candy for your eyes and ears. It’s a glow run…gone wild! Get ready for the night of your life. Experience a magical world of light and sound unlike anything else out there.

I don't know that I would go as far as calling it Willy Wonka's expect with lights. But it seemed like a fun unique concept. Lots of people, energizing music, insomnia. Plus it's dark, so if I'm sucking wind after 800 meters, it would be harder for people to see.

As I said I've never run a 5k. Haven't run regularly in almost 15 years. But lights, music, glow stuff. I'm in. I registered. Shirt. Some glow stuff. Some nebulous portion of the money seemingly goes to a Minnesota Adoption support foundation. It all seems good. I even paid the extra $6 for the "glow pack". I started to get excited and apprehensive.

I put together a run training plan, cobbled together from the internet and asking actual friends who have run more recently than 15 years ago. It was rough. Novice that I was, I did everything wrong. Ate before a run. Ick. Just hit start on a treadmill program and ran 3 miles through the Rocky Mountains, not cursing John Denver at all, those things are spectacular. I was beat. Now I was very worried. I'm probably going to slow down my compatriots and probably collapse in a heap and be that guy who gets CPR.

Luckily, as I did more research into other Rave Runs held across the country, I picked up on the fun vs run focus. People in the pictures looked like they were having a great time. Not in the marathon, I'm so happy I'm not dead and why would the Greeks really make a guy run that long a distance just to send a message - don't they have pigeons, sort of way. But an actual I'm enjoying myself, this is fun, you probably won't get CPR from a burly carnie sort of way.

I also noticed some of the complaints, crowded, lack of parking, couldn't run like I wanted to, where's my tshirt etc. Both of these informed my anticipation and planning for the run.

The company organizing the run sent out a Race Guide and several emails leading up to the event. They strongly encouraged getting there early, picking up your packet ahead of time and having fun. Clearly, not everyone read those emails*.

*Ironically, I think that if the government has really important information to hide, they should send out weekly emails and then hide it on paragraph 37. No one ever reads an entire email anymore. Oh wait, that's kind of like what congress does with bills...

I arrived at Valleyfair at 7 PM. A full two hours before the start of the run. Parking was already getting slim and with one entrance off of one road to Valleyfair, it was becoming a traffic disaster.

I caught up my running partner and we made our way to the chaotic check in area. There was one line for regular registrants, one for groupon, living social etc, another line for free glow stuff, yet another line we almost never found for the extra glow packet. The lines moved relatively quickly and the check in lady liked my last name so much she said she wanted it for hers. It was basically a marriage proposal. (Happy day is in August, running down the aisle!)* And we were set up with bibs, glow stuff with plenty of time before the race. Now we waited.

*Totally totally false. We'll jog. 

While waiting, it became clear that the parking situation was out of control. Cars were backed up on the highway outside Valleyfair and reports had them backed up all the way to 494. Time was ticking and the sun was just about down. Soon the race was supposed to start.

Other members of the group I had attached myself to were stuck in traffic and it didn't seem like they'd make it inside in time. Luckily, they made it in, navigated the many lines faster than we did and miraculous found us waiting by a tree. Glow stuff was all double checked and we made our way to the giant crowd at the starting line. Communication by the organizers was limited. At other events I've sold merchandise at or simply attended, there was often an MC. Often annoying but at least giving some information and direction. The closest thing Rave Run had was a DJ. Who's skills must lie in spinning because communication and crowd control were not his forte.

The massive crowd moved like a herd toward the start line. It resembled Dan Patch avenue on the busiest day of the fair but with glow glasses and sticks. They tried sending groups of runners but eventually that seemed to fall apart as more people would just start. Walking. Not running.

There simply wasn't any room to run. It started out as a slightly brisk walk. As the group started to spread out a little there slowly became room to jog. However, this simply encouraged some over motivated jackholes to try and sprint, running in and around people like a kid late for home room. Yes, it was sold as a 5K. But adapt jerk. Enjoy the music, jog a bit and try not to run over the kids, strollers or other people just having fun. You can always put on your reflective vest and run maniacally through your neighborhood later.

The course wrapped through Valleyfair, a serpentine like track that made it very hard to keep any pace due to the myriad bottlenecks and virtual u-turns. But it was fun. People seemed to be having a good time. It wasn't too crazy a pace, one fellow runner even tried to facetime during the run. There was one water stop, which seemingly was placed way too close to the finish. I jogged, ran, walked, avoided, slowed down sped up and soon I was near the end. I kicked it up a bit as we got to finish line, and ended feeling loose and good.

After the race there was a rave like event. Stage, music, dancing, go go girls. But after the people watching wore off, I realized I was entirely to old and sober to get out there. Plus one guy had totally already stolen all of my moves.

 

I probably should have stayed and learned new ones as the parking and traffic morass of before the race returned and it took me over an hour to get out of the parking lot itself. Long enough to hear the Twins finish blowing a 6 run lead....

All in all, I had a really fun time with the Rave Run. It had some serious flaws. Parking was rough. Traffic was a mess. It wasn't horribly well organized. There were too many people for the course and the course like Valleyfair itself, has seen much better days. However, all of those issues ironically fit in the with the theme of the race. Raves aren't know for their parking, organization or personal space.

Iron Man 3 Event at The Source

One of the greatest pleasures I have as a parent is sharing fun experiences with my kids. They like many of the same things I do and we get along really exceptionally well. Last night we attended the Iron Man 3 event at The Source Comics and Games in Roseville and I was again pleasantly surprised by my kids and by the event itself.

We walked away with a ton of free stuff and the kids had a great time. Each of them received an Iron Man action figure. Through the plinko game, we received an Iron Man 3 poster, Iron Man 3 tattoos, and even an Iron Man 3 t shirt. The line moved quickly and then we had time to search around the store for the Mandarin's rings. Whomever found the most got free passes to an advance screening of the movie. My son was disappointed by not finding any rings but it was a stroke of genius by The Source. We spent almost 30 minutes checking out every inch of the store. The kids were the ones who drove it and really wanted to find those rings. But they also saw tons of other items and my son's birthday list is officially overloaded.

 Iron Man chilling on the way to school today. 

 Poster that bumped Lego Pirates of the Caribbean off the preferred spot in the bedroom.

 Fun Iron Man 3 shirt that is a small so was deemed a night shirt. Joint custody and a sharing agreement has already been established. 

May 3rd. I'll be there. I'll have to fight them both to let me have a parental guidance preview. 

The Source's relatively new location gives them so much room. It was fascinating and pretty cool that a group of gamers were set up for their game in the back, completely uninterested in the movie fans. The new location is somewhat of a United Nations of Nerds. Giving gamers, movie geeks, comic geeks and more enough room to exist and co-exist. I was thoroughly pleased with the ease of the evening, how kid friendly it was and how easily it was to check out at the end. (We got Ticket to Ride, review to come). All in all kudos to The Source and Disney, who provided the prizes and movie materials. It was perhaps done well enough that a tiny portion of my Disney doing Star Wars agnst was destroyed. Perhaps. 

OH! Also The Source has Game of Thrones merchandise....this is not good for my bank account. Patches, pint and shot glases, decks of cards etc. Hell, I could even get a Hand of King pin. Yep. It plays.

 

Trailer Triple

This Summer is going to be awesome for geeks and movies. I pray.

Thor The Dark World (Thor 2)

Star Trek Into Darkness (Star Trek 2)

Kick Ass 2

Sequels can rule.

Wednesday Wanderings

The two best things that I have gotten out of internet dating in 2013 are being exposed to LCD Soundsystem's "dance yrself clean" and rereading Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle" When put in that light, internet dating has been highly productive.

I forget the brilliance of Vonnegut. Masterful story teller and amazingly intelligent. Perhaps evil genius level. I mean he got an anthropology degree from the University of Chicago for this book.  The character of Felix Hoenikker is so brilliant yet unable to be part of society, he's like an accidental Bond villian.

Aaron Hicks has had a rough start to his MLB career. But kudos, props and much respect the Twins organization for not panicking and looking for a quick fix. This season is about learning what some of these kids can do. Not what a AAAA player like Julio Borbon can do.

 My love for fake band tshirts (Wyld Stallyns, The Beets, Jesse and the Rippers) might soon be replaced by love for fake beer brand ts and hoodies like Peter Cotton Ale.

One reason I may never find my true love is because she's actually a fictional character. But who doesn't love Kate Beckett? This scene is amazing. Hell this entire show is my therapy.

Mumford and Sons sometimes gets blasted for hipsterness, being too popular etc. But I'd love to see them live. Music can be an incredible version of a prayer. No matter your religious leanings.

Jess Myers writes good stuff for 1500 ESPN here in MN. But this article seems to reach a bit too far. If the Wild had picked up penalties and lost the game. Myers and the rest of the media would blast them for being too reactionary and emotional.

Rapid Fire:

Some people don't believe I'm on Pinterest.

If I ever get the guts to actually get my tattoo, this guy might do it.

As a entrepreneur, I wish I had thought of being this Dad.  

Since my true love is a fictional character, I don't have to worry about ruining my chances by putting this Yoda on my wall.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Dawn Treader at Canal Park Brewing Co in Duluth. Craving.

Kids and I will be going to this tonight. I'm super excited about the movie. Even if the Lego's in the store ruined one plot surprise already....

Optimism v. Pessimism - Or How I learned to hate absolutes

I often question whether my pessimism is a learned or inherent behavior. Am I am a dark grumpy cloud at times because I am simply wired that way? Or have the experiences of my life, the dreams deferred, the mistakes, the public elimination and discontinuation of Surge and Oldsmobile, national and international tragedies and so much more, made me that dark cloud? Perhaps it is illuminating that I have always preferred Grumpy Bear to Cheer Bear and Oscar over Big Bird.

Definitions of 'optimism' [op-tuh-miz-uhm] Dictionary.com -(noun)

 

1. tendency to have a favorable view of things

2. the belief that good will prevail

 

Over the past few years I have tried to make a serious effort to have a favorable view of things. I try not to get too down when little things happen, a bad tip, crappy traffic, a winter that won't end etc. It has been a struggle at times and it is a constant battle. Some moments I'm good at it. Some moments I'm incapable of seeing even the slightest light at the end of the tunnel. And if I do, I'm convinced it's simply an oncoming train. 

However, part 2 is something I'm not sure I can do. At times it feels that life isn't about good prevailing. It's about good surviving. Did good prevail in Boston last week? No. Good survived. If good had prevailed, the bombers would have been caught before they could place those pressure cookers. The great and amazing thing about good is that it can and does survive. 

The good vs. evil dynamic is a version of the zombie apocalypse. Good doesn't defeat evil in the way that survivors don't defeat zombies. There is no cure. There is no eradication coming. Good must survive evil. Not prevail. Good is a survivor and sometimes good has to capture evil, cut it's jaw off and drag it around by a chain so it can alert good to more evil.

From the dictionary definition, I'm working on half of what optimism is. And I reject even the premise of the second part. So perhaps I'm more in line with pessimism. 

Definitions of 'pessimism' [pes-uh-miz-uhm] Dictionary.com - (noun)

 

1. the tendency to expect the worst

 

Is it just me or does it seem like Dictionary.com just mailed in the detail on this definition. Though, ironically perhaps I'm just being pessimistic. 

"The tendency to expect the worst" At times I do expect the worst. But more often, I find myself caught off guard by the worst. I don't walk up to every table expecting a horrible tip or a impossible to please patron. I don't watch every sporting event expecting a loss for the home team. Inexplicably, I still expect to date and find love. I believe that my children's lives will be filled with possibility and look eagerly forward to watching them grow and experience life. 

Yet. I trend toward expecting the worst as events unfold. If the food comes out wrong, or we are out of something or I take too long to get the seven slices of lemon that a table desires - I expect the worst (No tip, lose job, stabbed with spork). If the Twins are suddenly down by four runs in the first inning and the offense looks as completely lost at the plate - I expect the worst (Career ending injuries, 25-0 loss, No hitter). When I ask someone out and get a lukewarm or traditionally bad response (Washing my hair, Just so busy right now, You're so nice and fun and a great friend) - I expect the worst. (alone forever, forget the feel of human touch). When things like the Boston bombing, bullies in the classroom, teachers who are poorly placed, school districts that split a school in two for financial reasons over educational reasons, the rising debt, those aforementioned evil zombies - I expect the worst (My children unhappy).

So what does this mean? (Luther's Catechism reference!) 

In summation, I'm a half optimist who has pessimistic tendencies as the evil seems to prevail over the good. 

In short, I'm probably just human. 

And that's ok.