Basic Intelligence

Sometimes I think I'm not very smart. It's not that my IQ is low or I have some learning disability or something. It's that sometimes, the information doesn't quite connect.
Example: A few days ago, my wife and I left the house at the same time, but we were heading to different places. I ride my scooter as a second car. My wife has the Volvo because she also has the boy. So, we left and she followed me for a little while. We stopped at a light and I looked in my rearview. She had the sunroof open and I saw the sunlight in the car and I thought, "I want a sunroof."
I'll just say that sometimes, I'm not very smart.

Scooters and how to save the world

Ha, so I had a brilliant revelation on how to take care of the transportation problem in this country. The answer is as simple as it is brilliant. Although it will require some small sacrifices, it's a price many should be willing to pay.

My idea is this, have everybody who drives an SUV trade it in for a reasonable sized car, truck, wagon, or minivan and a scooter. The thing is this: SUV's don't really serve any transportation need. They're mostly compensation for shortcomings. If the size of the SUV is any indicator, I'd say that some people have some very, very shortcomings. I figure that if the people would get over themselves, they'd be willing to use some common sense.

Here's why my plan works. Fact: scooters can get up to 100 miles per gallon. I have a commute for 40 minutes a day, I have to fill my scooter up once a week. It costs me roughly $4. Let's take an H2 for example. GM doesn't provide exact fuel economy specs, but estimates range from high single digit mileage, to low double digits. They have a fuel tank of 32 gallons. At $3 per gallon, a fill-up is about $150; the cost to drive an H2 only in the gas is about $.30/mile. I drive about 100 miles per week this means that the H2 driver is paying about $30 in gas/week. If the price of a scooter is $1800 new, this means that I can buy a scooter about every 14 months and still come out about even. To add insult to injury, a bare bones H2 runs about 53,000; fully loaded 70,000ish. Note to self: when I see H2 laugh and point at the driver. On second thought, this person is also probably so insecure, he'll run me down just to prove how tough he is, therefore, I probably better not do it too obviously.

Granted there are limits, for instance, you can't go much above 35 miles/hour, or in icy/snowy conditions. That's why you buy the reasonable, useful, but not as ostentatious, car, truck, wagon, or minivan.

But seriously people, the money is such a small aspect of the benefits of riding a scooter. For one thing, I've had mine for 8 months and I still like riding it. Another is that I'm no longer bound by the constraints of parking. Anywhere I can put it is probably a valid parking space. One of the best parts about scooting is that you've been adopted into a sort of informal club. It's the club of people who finally caught on to how cool scooters are and how we have nothing to prove. Seriously, it's pretty common to have other scooteers wave at you. Not only that, but scooters are an automatic conversation starter. This might help the insecure H2 driver strike up a conversation that otherwise he might be too chicken to do. I mean really, what do you do with the H2? "Hey baby, you wanna check out my monstrous compensatory vehicle?" NO! Think scooter. "Hey baby, you wanna jump on and take a spin with me?" Don't take my word for it, rent a scooter for a day and try it. She'll laugh think you're cool and probably say yes.
Can you imagine a world where there are twice as many lanes available for travel If more people rode scooters, that's what would happen. With more lanes, there would be less traffic, and less road rage. Also, can you imagine what would happen in a 15 scooter accident? Everybody would get up, brush themselves off, and be on their way. Except for the one guy who got a boo-boo on his knee. He'd get a band-aid and then be on his way.

Another note, I'm in Colorado which is about as scooter friendly as a place can be. In Utah, I know that the politicians haven't caught up with the practicality of a scooter. So before you buy one, check with your local laws.

More later as well as links to what kinds of scooters are available.

It looks like a father and son nap.

Playing in the political mudpit

Politics, ugh! More crap on how Hillary is the worst person in the world, and how the Republican party is selling our country to "it's corporate paymasters" (Quoting Lou Dobbs from something I read from CNN.)
Really, why would we work together to solve the problems in the country when it's so much easier to pull ourselves apart? Do we think the United States so strong that we can quarrel as much as we want and still be prepared to defend ourselves against terrorists who want to kill us?
Maybe this is the type of corruption that brought down Rome. Our public offices are available to the person who spends the most money. The people who want to spend the money engage in so much mud-slinging that I can't tell who would be a good leader.
I believe that America is still home to millions of wonderful people. I've met quite a few having moved to a new city. However, the moral compass of this country is in need of some serious realignment. I believe that if Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc., acted the way that Jesus, Yahweh, Muhammed, etc., intended, then this country would begin to choose wiser leaders, and those leaders would acknowledge their dependence on a higher being. Crazy, extremist organizations would be marginalized, and everybody's basic needs would be met. We don't need a bigger or smaller government. We don't need a stronger or weaker military. We don't need to change the structure of our society. What we need is for the existing society to behave with the primary goal of the good of the whole. This means that we focus less on our personal fortunes, and more on using our influence to do good.
We must start at the most fundamental unit of society: our families. First, we need to respect and honor our spouses even more than ourselves. Then we must be loving parents, and teach our children to love and respect others despite inevitable differences. If everybody taught their children to forgive and ask for forgiveness, there would be virtually no crime, and a much greater chance for each of us to improve our own situations. Simply put, increasing the strength of the fabric of society will improve the fortune of the entire society. Any attempt to further one's personal interests at the expense of another is the quickest way to hurt one's long term well-being, as well as society in general.
What would happen in the Middle East if everybody there, Jews and Muslims alike taught their children that there is no us and them, there is simply us. I think the fighting would end tomorrow, and the poverty of the region could be ended by 2007.
That's enough for now, I'm back to work.

Climbing the Professional Ladder

I am currently a student. I want to land a good job as I'm sure all students do. To that end, I engage in networking. This networking recently paid off as I had the chance to go to lunch with two people whom I admire very much. They both work in a fields that interest me, and they're both very good contacts. I got to know one guy, Joe, and he introduced me to the other, John. John is a partner at the firm and Joe is an associate. John suggested a get-to-know-you meeting, his treat, at a nice restaurant. When we walked in, he greeted the seating hostess saying, "Hi Liz, how are you today?" She replied, "I'm well John, we'll get you a table right away." To me, this is one small way to know when you've made it: going into a nice restaurant, greeting and being greeted by name, and getting a table immediately.

As I said before, I want to be successful in my career. I believe that success comes by careful building because slipshod shennanigans tend to destroy a good career before it even begins. So how does one begin to be successful? The answer is easy. If you want people at restaurants to know you, start by recognizing them. I did this in a small way last night. My wife and I had not eaten dinner and it was 10:00. What to do? Simple, order pizza. We ordered pizza and 20 minutes later, it arrived. Funny thing is, it's the same guy who delivered it last time. Even funnier, I'm wearing the same shirt as I was the last time he came. WHO REMEMBERS WHAT SHIRT THEY WERE WEARING LAST TIME THE PIZZA GUY CAME? Me, the shirt is not just any shirt. It's a Manchester United jersey. The reason it's memorable is because, (A)It's a well known shirt and this guy is not a native to the United States which means he's likely a soccer fan and would therefore recognize one of the most popular clubs in the world, and (B), this shirt is bright, freakin' red. So, he came to the door, and we caught up on the pleasantries of where we've been playing, and injuries, and of course, the preseason for the English Premier League.

That's one small step for a man, and another small step for an aspiring professional.