Writer's Cramp

I hate writing my return address on envelopes. I don't write much any more now that we do most things on computer so it always hurts my hand if I have to do it too many times. Gone are the days as well when we used to get tons of free address label stickers in the mail in order to try and guilt us into buying something.

It might be time to consider a custom rubber stamp. I can definitely see the benefits, and with all the stamping stuff my wife has for scrapbooking, I don't think it would be humanly possible to run out of ink.

I don't think I will actually buy one, but it is a good idea. Just like a lot of things that make sense but probably aren't important enough to actually do.

Game Time

I really love the Wii. In fact, I haven't even plugged in my PS2 since we moved into our new house. (Never mind that I lost the cords, but still)

Right now I only have one game, Mario Kart Wii, but it is a ton of fun. It's nice to see Nintendo back in the main stream video game market. Don't get me wrong, I loved the playstations. I had a lot of fun with both of the first two iterations. I don't see myself buying a third as I've heard nothing good about it.

I don't have as much time for games as I used to but I'm working on that. My oldest daughter already really loves to play and I'm starting to work on our 3 year old now. The more they like to play the more video games can become family bonding.

It's a win win!!

Smartest, Smart, and Me

I wonder if the people that pay to open franchises are just entrepreneurs without good ideas?

They really want to 0wn their own business but they can't think of anything cool so the next best thing is to use someone else's idea and then at least they are running their own business. This way they have all the benefits of being the boss and making profits etc, without all that yucky creativity to have to deal with.

It also stands to reason then that the creative entrepreneurs are the smarter ones because franchises typically don' t make as much money as other businesses. Mom and Pop shops, not withstanding.

So I guess I'm really dumb in that I own no businesses and instead help to make money for someone else. At least I work for one of the smartest kind.

The Test Is The Cure?

I just went over to our local drop off site for the library to see if my book was in and while I was there I noticed a book that was waiting for someone else. I don't remember the exact title but it was something like, "Driven To Distraction: Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder"

So all you have to do to be cured of your ADD is to read a 300 page book? I contend that if you could get through the book, then you probably didn't need it in the first place.

So in hind sight, all this book is capable of, is confirming for you that you do not, in fact, have ADD.

Just making sure I understand...

Reading

My wife and I often have this argument. I read a lot of books, but with three kids I don't have a lot of quiet reading time available at home. What I do have is a 40 minute commute, one way. So I check out books on cd from the local library and read in the car.

My wife says that I cannot call this reading, that it is only listening. Granted, I am hearing the book but my argument is that if someone asks if I have read a certain book, I would be lying if I said no. My brain ingested the story, so to me that is what reading is.

She takes a different tact. She says that if listening is reading then that means that our 1 year old can read.

I contend that the ability to perform the act of transferring written symbols into language inside your head is not the reading I'm talking about.

So which is it?

So Easy A Caveman Could Do It

Good diet and exercise aren't easy, and sometimes we just need to laugh at ourselves.

(Click to enlarge)

Car Seats

I've gotten a lot of flack over the years about my position on car seat safety. Most people I know think that I am nuts. I don't think people understand the forces that are really involved in a crash and that car seats aren't magic. They are like any other device that needs to be used properly to be affective.

Watch the video below. See how much the kid moves in the very first test? That is only at 40mph and the seat is locked down tight. It still moved a ton, and that is PROPERLY installed. Imagine if that seat was very loose at all...



The next video is a good slow motion shot of what actually happens in a crash. Look at how much movement there is!!! This is a video touting the benefits of rear facing seats. I'm not even going that far but I think this proves my point about car seat installation.



In reading the comments below the video, this one caught my eye.

"Also, seat belts stretch in an accident because of the forces put on them. That's why it's important to have no more than one inch of movement in a child's carseat at the beltpath. This video shows the kind of reaction the body/carseat have when properly installed. If the harness was too loose, the child could slip right out during a crash and if the seatbelt holding the carseat was too lose the child would likely strike parts of the interior of the car."

So I'm hoping that this opens people's eyes a bit to what can really happen in a crash. It is crucially important that car seats be installed properly and safely. Yes many people don't do it and never have a problem, but in my opinion it is only because they were lucky enough never to get in a crash.

And I'm not saying that I'm the foremost authority on proper installation, but you should read and follow the guidelines for your seat and if it says no more than an inch of movement side to side, THEY MEAN IT! The force you can apply is NOTHING compared to the forces involved in a crash.

Money To Burn

I was thinking a bit ago that a good sign that someone has so much money that they can't figure out what to do with it, is that they own a luxury watch.

These people fit into one of two categories. Those that came into a lot of money quickly and therefore don't really understand how to manage it properly, and those that have become wealthy over time and have every other need locked down so they have allowed themselves to splurge.

Can you think of any other categories? I guess there is always the guy who buys a watch way out of his range just because he can't stand not looking like he has money. This usually backfires though, as a nice watch just doesn't look right with "normal clothes" like most of us can afford.

Which reminds me, did you see that Kevin Federline was so appalled that "kids can't get jeans for less than $500" that he is working on some sort of charity to help them out? Seriously, has he never been in a wallmart? Or a normal mall for that matter?

I Think I've Had Enough

I just found out this morning that the Brown's decided to trade the only player on the team that has the enviable combo of talent and experience for a crayon, roll of toilet paper, and a bit of chewed gum that has a striking resemblance to Al Pacino.

I've been very patient. I've waited as the team rebuilt time and time again and got nowhere. Coaches and QB's have come and gone and still they play the same sad tale. The fact of the matter is that the stadium sells out most games I think, so as long as ownership is making money they have no reason or desire to put a more competitive team on the field. It's the Chicago Cubs scenario, frankly.

I don't think I'll be paying much attention to the NFL this coming season. I've had enough. I'm not interested in waiting through another 3 rebuilding years so that I can watch one season where we almost make the playoffs.

Part of me wants to switch teams but the other part just doesn't care anymore. I guess I'll just watch more golf in the fall.