I'm just copying this in so I can delete it from my Facebook profile but still have it around to update.
Defining "visited" as ever having been in that area for any amount of time (including in an airport or car), here is a list of countries I've visited in the order in which I think of them:
Country: Netherlands, Bermuda, America, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Austria, Vatican City, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Croatia, Japan, Monaco, England, Scotland, Ireland (27)
States: Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, Florida, California, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Utah, Maine, Oklahoma, Kansas (28)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Role Model
What should we do with Michael Phelps? The poor guy really screwed up with that bong picture.
It's pretty clear he needs to be punished - he is a role model for young people, so not punishing him would send the wrong message. This makes total sense, but we need to go further. We need to make Phelps a role model for young potheads.
There's an anti-marijuana ad I really like: A young boy says something like: "My brother smokes weed. He never killed anyone, he didn't get arrested, he didn't die. He just didn't really do anything at all." [cut to image of brother chilling on couch] I can't find it on youtube but if someone can, please post it.
That's the biggest problem with marijuana: it drains people's ambition. This is where Phelps can swoop in: "Michael Phelps and you. What do you have in common? You both rock the ganja. Mike has won 873 gold medals. You can't even take out the trash on Wednesdays. Think about it. Brought to you by the Partnership for Productive Drug Use."
Phelps is losing his endorsements:
I say screw 'em, Mike! Go talk to Frito-Lay and get your pic on a bag of Doritos. Next time that pothead reaches for the munchies, your visage might be just the inspiration he needs to get off the couch and do something spectacular.
Or he might just watch videos of the Olympics on youtube...
Monday, February 9, 2009
Love
I don't think I'm up to the task of actually defining this word, but I have a very strong belief about it that I'd like to share. I believe that the biggest mistake people make about love is that they consider it to be an emotion, whereas it is actually a choice. When you love someone, you make a commitment to them - a commitment to consider their interests as if they were your own. This is as true for friends as it is for significant others.
When you say you love someone, or call someone your friend, you should recognize that you are making a promise to them. You are saying that you will stand by them, even when it is not convenient or pleasant.
It's very exciting to meet someone who you respect enough to consider making this commitment (and love must be based on respect in order to have a chance). But excitement is not love - no matter how much you enjoy someone's company, this feeling will fade. Love, the commitment, does not fade. In fact, it grows with time as you become dependent on it.
The deepest feeling of love comes from recognizing the depth of your commitment to each other.
In Men Are From Mars and Women Are From Venus, the author suggested that, even if you don't feel like doing something loving for a person, if you do the action, you will often then find yourself experiencing the emotion afterwards. I tried it out, and it struck me as dishonest to consider bringing Susan flowers when I wasn't feeling deep emotions about her at the time. But I found that the tip totally worked - once I bought the flowers, I started to feel the emotions. I'm not suggesting that we feign affection, but I think sometimes we forget that it is our actions, not our feelings, that are the basis of love.
Emotion is too fickle. When you love someone, whether it be your spouse or your friend, your commitment needs to extend beyond emotion. It needs to be a matter of duty and integrity. The cost must be high in order for the reward to be worthwhile. And although these bonds sometimes might be a struggle to maintain, I believe they are the most important and fulfilling thing we can do in our life.
When you say you love someone, or call someone your friend, you should recognize that you are making a promise to them. You are saying that you will stand by them, even when it is not convenient or pleasant.
It's very exciting to meet someone who you respect enough to consider making this commitment (and love must be based on respect in order to have a chance). But excitement is not love - no matter how much you enjoy someone's company, this feeling will fade. Love, the commitment, does not fade. In fact, it grows with time as you become dependent on it.
The deepest feeling of love comes from recognizing the depth of your commitment to each other.
In Men Are From Mars and Women Are From Venus, the author suggested that, even if you don't feel like doing something loving for a person, if you do the action, you will often then find yourself experiencing the emotion afterwards. I tried it out, and it struck me as dishonest to consider bringing Susan flowers when I wasn't feeling deep emotions about her at the time. But I found that the tip totally worked - once I bought the flowers, I started to feel the emotions. I'm not suggesting that we feign affection, but I think sometimes we forget that it is our actions, not our feelings, that are the basis of love.
Emotion is too fickle. When you love someone, whether it be your spouse or your friend, your commitment needs to extend beyond emotion. It needs to be a matter of duty and integrity. The cost must be high in order for the reward to be worthwhile. And although these bonds sometimes might be a struggle to maintain, I believe they are the most important and fulfilling thing we can do in our life.
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