Saturday, December 23, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
An empty luggage rack
I bought a lottery ticket after several months. I had the feeling today - I knew I was going to win, something at least. So, on my walk back home this evening I purchased a Mega Millions ticket. The winning jackpot: $40M.
Well, here are the results: 9, 32, 37, 42, 48 Mega Ball = 7
My numbers: 1, 8, 16, 20, 46, Mega Ball = 14
In other words, I did not win... a few bucks. I must say, though, that the entertainment of waiting for the winning numbers was worth the cost. By the way, did you know that 50% of the revenue goes to winners, 35% goes to fund government interests in participating states, and 15% is commission for the sellers.
Ah, but what do I care! After all, I ain't never seen a hearse, with a luggage rack.
Well, here are the results: 9, 32, 37, 42, 48 Mega Ball = 7
My numbers: 1, 8, 16, 20, 46, Mega Ball = 14
In other words, I did not win... a few bucks. I must say, though, that the entertainment of waiting for the winning numbers was worth the cost. By the way, did you know that 50% of the revenue goes to winners, 35% goes to fund government interests in participating states, and 15% is commission for the sellers.
Ah, but what do I care! After all, I ain't never seen a hearse, with a luggage rack.
Bragging Rights
About a year ago I blogged about creating technology to create picture searches, i.e. instead of words, search using pictures. See the blog titled "Google This: A Picture" written on Nov 8, 2005.
Somebody listened and now there's a company doing just that - read it here.
Or perhaps I just thought about it after someone else...
Some days I really wish I knew how to program - we'd be at Internet 7.7 by now!
Somebody listened and now there's a company doing just that - read it here.
Or perhaps I just thought about it after someone else...
Some days I really wish I knew how to program - we'd be at Internet 7.7 by now!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Rebecca St. James
This woman is amazing - just incredible. Professional, extremely talented, a real woman of faith.
I went to her concert last night - it was an absolutely fantastic show.
She was there with Brian Littrell - recognize him? He was one of the Backstreet Boys! "What! A Jayhawk now goes to Backstreet Boys concerts?" You might ask yourself. Brian was there with Rebecca. But, he's incredibly talented as well, and I'd go to his concerts too!
Pictures coming soon!
I went to her concert last night - it was an absolutely fantastic show.
She was there with Brian Littrell - recognize him? He was one of the Backstreet Boys! "What! A Jayhawk now goes to Backstreet Boys concerts?" You might ask yourself. Brian was there with Rebecca. But, he's incredibly talented as well, and I'd go to his concerts too!
Pictures coming soon!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
A New Breed: Extreme Workers
I recently came across the following article on Marketwatch: "The rise of the 'Extreme Worker'.
I've always believed that America is a great country for many reasons. One of these is that any legal individual has the opportunity to work as hard as they'd like, so long as the work is legitimate. Moreover, there is an incentive to work. Of course, Uncle Sam will take some of your earnings away and progressively more the more you make, but you are still given the opportunity and incentive to work hard. And, the harder you work, the better off you'll be financially.
However, there is a cost to this - as in all things. You're health and social life, for one, may suffer.
Now, there's a new term for people who work over 70 hours a week, must be available at any time of the day or night to serve clients, and hardly take vacation: extreme workers.
Some of the consequences of being an extreme worker include:
1. 46% say family relationships (with spouse and children) are sacrificed.
2. 50% say it makes it impossible to have satisfying sex.
3. Their kids eat too much junk food.
4. Women see it and feel it's all their fault.
5. Women feel there is a direct line between the kids' underachieving in school and the oppressive hours that Mother puts in on the job.
These are just some of the negative social and personal consequences. Of course, there might be positives as well, but what's a life worth living if you can't spend time with your loved ones and, equally, show them that love? After all, I ain't never seen a hearse, with a luggage rack.
So, conclusion:
Resolved that I, a Jayhawk, do not want to live the life of an extreme worker!
I've always believed that America is a great country for many reasons. One of these is that any legal individual has the opportunity to work as hard as they'd like, so long as the work is legitimate. Moreover, there is an incentive to work. Of course, Uncle Sam will take some of your earnings away and progressively more the more you make, but you are still given the opportunity and incentive to work hard. And, the harder you work, the better off you'll be financially.
However, there is a cost to this - as in all things. You're health and social life, for one, may suffer.
Now, there's a new term for people who work over 70 hours a week, must be available at any time of the day or night to serve clients, and hardly take vacation: extreme workers.
Some of the consequences of being an extreme worker include:
1. 46% say family relationships (with spouse and children) are sacrificed.
2. 50% say it makes it impossible to have satisfying sex.
3. Their kids eat too much junk food.
4. Women see it and feel it's all their fault.
5. Women feel there is a direct line between the kids' underachieving in school and the oppressive hours that Mother puts in on the job.
These are just some of the negative social and personal consequences. Of course, there might be positives as well, but what's a life worth living if you can't spend time with your loved ones and, equally, show them that love? After all, I ain't never seen a hearse, with a luggage rack.
So, conclusion:
Resolved that I, a Jayhawk, do not want to live the life of an extreme worker!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Global Warming = Irrational Hysteria?
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=77195
Thanks pmf for the above link. First it was the financial markets that were exhibiting "irrational exuberance"; now, it is global warming concerns that are exhibiting "irrational hysteria"!
Either way, cut the carbs (CO2 that is!) - see the article below.
Thanks pmf for the above link. First it was the financial markets that were exhibiting "irrational exuberance"; now, it is global warming concerns that are exhibiting "irrational hysteria"!
Either way, cut the carbs (CO2 that is!) - see the article below.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Discouraged?
Don't give in to discouragement....... If you are discouraged it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own powers. Never bother about people's opinions. Be obedient to truth. For with humble obedience, you will never be disturbed.
-- Blessed Mother Teresa
Thanks Kate for this!
-- Blessed Mother Teresa
Thanks Kate for this!
What is a Place?
One of my many devotees requested that I respond to his comments left on 11/27/2006 at 10:20:00 AM in the now-famous column "Strangers: the Bad, the Ugly, and the Kind":
We now run into greater complexity in the problem of human behavior. The "kind strangers" in Charlotte can partially be explained by the fact that there still exist geographic cultural differences within the United States. Charlotte, though increasing rapidly in size and financial strength, is still a "southern city". As a southern city, filled by at least a plurality of people from a southern culture, manners and common courtesy are more prevalent. DC on the other hand, located on the border of North and South, is a hybrid -- a city of Southern efficiency and Northern hospitality.
My devotee, pmf, makes several interesting points that remind me of a geography class I took in college in which we did nothing but discuss what the word "place" meant for about 8 weeks! While it may appear somewhat strange to discuss a word as simple as 'place' at first, one later realizes that indeed any place is not simply defined by its physical construct at any given moment in time. Instead, there are a plethora of elements that make up a place: the physical, the human, and the interaction between the two are inextricably intertwined. And this leads to both human and physical geographical complexities which are alluded to above such as the cultural differences between two geographically distant locations.
If you are interested in delving into this topic further, I suggest you begin by looking at some of Robert Sack's publications.
By the way, did pmf mean DC is a city of Northern efficiency and Southern hospitality?
We now run into greater complexity in the problem of human behavior. The "kind strangers" in Charlotte can partially be explained by the fact that there still exist geographic cultural differences within the United States. Charlotte, though increasing rapidly in size and financial strength, is still a "southern city". As a southern city, filled by at least a plurality of people from a southern culture, manners and common courtesy are more prevalent. DC on the other hand, located on the border of North and South, is a hybrid -- a city of Southern efficiency and Northern hospitality.
My devotee, pmf, makes several interesting points that remind me of a geography class I took in college in which we did nothing but discuss what the word "place" meant for about 8 weeks! While it may appear somewhat strange to discuss a word as simple as 'place' at first, one later realizes that indeed any place is not simply defined by its physical construct at any given moment in time. Instead, there are a plethora of elements that make up a place: the physical, the human, and the interaction between the two are inextricably intertwined. And this leads to both human and physical geographical complexities which are alluded to above such as the cultural differences between two geographically distant locations.
If you are interested in delving into this topic further, I suggest you begin by looking at some of Robert Sack's publications.
By the way, did pmf mean DC is a city of Northern efficiency and Southern hospitality?
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