Well, we all know now that December 21 has passed by, and our world is still very much here. We've enjoyed a Merry Christmas, and a new year is just hours away.
It is a blessing to have another beginning, another chance to do good things in life. In that spirit, the old subtitle of this blog that portended EOTW is now permanently replaced with the current edition.
The bad news is that there is still much volatility in the world, and we don't need to look very far to see the signs. The tragedy at Sandy Hook is one example. I'm sure there are plenty of folks who quietly believe the world as we know it may be better off gone in the long run. And, just because we have completed one b'ak'tun and started another does not mean that existential threats vanish.
I want, for a little while, anyway, to treat this calendar transition the way the Maya might: as a period of celebration. I leave this blog now and prepare to launch the next one. Perhaps 2013 will provide more time for me to reflect and write, and perhaps not. I hope that 2013 continues to give me the opportunity to try simple, new things, the way I did nearly every day of 2012. I am grateful that I have this opportunity at all!
Oh, and there will be a few more updates to come as I finish up some of the unfinished business of this busy year.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Alas, poor Hostess (sigh)
Is there any greater sign of EOTW than the demise of Hostess? We had clues of the end earlier in the year, but they didn't prepare us for the actual hurt. Nor did they make me act fast enough. By the time I went shopping a few days after the closing announcement, the only Hostess product on the supermarket shelves was mini blueberry muffins. And I was glad to have them.
Not to worry, I will not be denied my Twinkies. I bid on and won a lot of 50 of the delightful cakes on eBay. Look, clearly I'm not the only one with this plan!
Enough Twinkie talk. I have a turkey to brine.
Not to worry, I will not be denied my Twinkies. I bid on and won a lot of 50 of the delightful cakes on eBay. Look, clearly I'm not the only one with this plan!
Enough Twinkie talk. I have a turkey to brine.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
House of cards
In previous posts, I have brought up a few concepts of the destruction of civilization, such as space phenomena or epidemics.
Now it's time to get serious.
I happen to subscribe to the view that the greatest existential threat to civilized life as we know it in these United States is fiscal. That is to say, our national debt in excess of $16 trillion is analogous to a person being morbidly obese. It is simply a catastrophe waiting to happen. Perhaps December is when the government defaults, and EOTW gets underway...
But can't you and I help this situation?
So far this year donors have gifted 7.7 million dollars toward payment of the national debt, and today I gave a dollar through Pay.gov.
But let's get serious again. The U.S. National Debt is accruing about $10,000 per second at the pace of the this debt clock. That's $1 million dollars in 100 seconds, or $7.7 million dollars in 13 minutes.
In case you don't get what I am trying to say, let me be blunt. Your money gifted to the Treasury for debt reduction is wasted money. Don't throw your money on a debt that has an upward trajectory of $10,000 per second. Clearly, something much bigger needs to happen to slow and eventually reverse that trajectory.
The hard truth is that our federal taxes have no where to go but up, probably significantly up. And "our" taxes means all of us, not just the richest, and not just the dummies who voluntarily give gifts to the Treasury though the internet. Tax increases are how the government is going to eventually collect your payment toward the debt. It won't be very long now; my guess is within 2 decades.
My advice to anyone out there who cares: here is what you should do while you are waiting for your tax burden to increase.
On that last point, I am quite pleased to announce that I have accomplished the elimination of my credit card balance, per the terms of my original debt mission. I promised that when this mission was complete I would reveal the numbers behind the mission, so here they are.
$19,800 debt / 11 months = $1,800 per month.
$1,800 is more than my monthly mortgage payment. That I paid more than double my mortgage each month should say something about the tight finances I dealt with this year. It is good to be finished with this.
Now it's time to get serious.
I happen to subscribe to the view that the greatest existential threat to civilized life as we know it in these United States is fiscal. That is to say, our national debt in excess of $16 trillion is analogous to a person being morbidly obese. It is simply a catastrophe waiting to happen. Perhaps December is when the government defaults, and EOTW gets underway...
But can't you and I help this situation?
So far this year donors have gifted 7.7 million dollars toward payment of the national debt, and today I gave a dollar through Pay.gov.
But let's get serious again. The U.S. National Debt is accruing about $10,000 per second at the pace of the this debt clock. That's $1 million dollars in 100 seconds, or $7.7 million dollars in 13 minutes.
In case you don't get what I am trying to say, let me be blunt. Your money gifted to the Treasury for debt reduction is wasted money. Don't throw your money on a debt that has an upward trajectory of $10,000 per second. Clearly, something much bigger needs to happen to slow and eventually reverse that trajectory.
The hard truth is that our federal taxes have no where to go but up, probably significantly up. And "our" taxes means all of us, not just the richest, and not just the dummies who voluntarily give gifts to the Treasury though the internet. Tax increases are how the government is going to eventually collect your payment toward the debt. It won't be very long now; my guess is within 2 decades.
My advice to anyone out there who cares: here is what you should do while you are waiting for your tax burden to increase.
- Watch films such as I.O.U.S.A.
- Read books such as Endgame
- Become a voice for federal fiscal responsibility
- Most importantly: pay off your own personal debts
On that last point, I am quite pleased to announce that I have accomplished the elimination of my credit card balance, per the terms of my original debt mission. I promised that when this mission was complete I would reveal the numbers behind the mission, so here they are.
$19,800 debt / 11 months = $1,800 per month.
$1,800 is more than my monthly mortgage payment. That I paid more than double my mortgage each month should say something about the tight finances I dealt with this year. It is good to be finished with this.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Mission Updates
So how have I been doing on my Bucket Missions? Pretty mediocre.
I am currently watching season 2 of Star Trek Voyager, and am over 65% complete in the video mission but I'll have to admit defeat. Even to reach the end of Voyager before December 21 would be a major undertaking at this stage, but that modified goal is what I will now attempt to finish.
Moving on to my health missions, I did not schedule a 5K run in which I could receive an official time under 30 minutes. But here's the rub: I did run my first ever half marathon at the end of September and although my finish time was underwhelming, according to my NikePlus recorded data of that run, at some point during the run I covered a 5K leg in about 27.5 minutes! Now, I believe the calibration of the sensors are somewhat off and the 27.5 measured a distance a little smaller than 5K, but I believe that the corrected time would still be south of 30 minutes. On a technicality, I completed this mission, but only on a technicality.
On the other hand, the BMI goal was a complete bust. In fact, in training for the half marathon, I actually gained weight. Generally, my love of food made this goal very challenging from the outset. And with Thanksgiving approaching, the prospects of getting this going in the right direction again are not good at all.
The food mission is also dismal. I only visited 4 of 20 restaurants on the list and chances are not very good to get to another one before EOTW. Most of the restaurants are simply too far, and I would have needed to plan some special multi-day travel to visit them, so I never expected to complete this mission. I did think I'd go well north of 4, though! I take a little solace in the fact that I am sure that I paid a first visit at least 16 restaurants in my local area that were not on the list. Some of the memorable ones include: Ted's Montana Grill, Sichuan Gourmet, Mayuri and Tropical Cafe.
My debt mission gives me a result to breathe much easier about. I have indeed made 10 of 11 payments on what I would describe as a substantial credit card debt and I am in line to finish that goal before December 21. Unfortunately, I will not be completely credit debt free at the end, because I did am now carrying a smaller balance on a different card that is part of a plan to refinance my mortgage within the next few weeks.
In order to assist my original credit card mission, I had hoped to sell off $2,500 worth of possessions. I am considerably short of that goal at present, and hence I've needed to dip into my savings to finish the credit card mission. This is not ideal, but I guess I am not going to need those savings for much longer :-)
I wouldn't describe my spending habits this year as overly frugal, but I did accomplish my monthly expense goal of reducing my expense budget by at least $400 per month. I was at $300 per month by the end of March, so this goal was well on track.
I am currently watching season 2 of Star Trek Voyager, and am over 65% complete in the video mission but I'll have to admit defeat. Even to reach the end of Voyager before December 21 would be a major undertaking at this stage, but that modified goal is what I will now attempt to finish.
Moving on to my health missions, I did not schedule a 5K run in which I could receive an official time under 30 minutes. But here's the rub: I did run my first ever half marathon at the end of September and although my finish time was underwhelming, according to my NikePlus recorded data of that run, at some point during the run I covered a 5K leg in about 27.5 minutes! Now, I believe the calibration of the sensors are somewhat off and the 27.5 measured a distance a little smaller than 5K, but I believe that the corrected time would still be south of 30 minutes. On a technicality, I completed this mission, but only on a technicality.
On the other hand, the BMI goal was a complete bust. In fact, in training for the half marathon, I actually gained weight. Generally, my love of food made this goal very challenging from the outset. And with Thanksgiving approaching, the prospects of getting this going in the right direction again are not good at all.
The food mission is also dismal. I only visited 4 of 20 restaurants on the list and chances are not very good to get to another one before EOTW. Most of the restaurants are simply too far, and I would have needed to plan some special multi-day travel to visit them, so I never expected to complete this mission. I did think I'd go well north of 4, though! I take a little solace in the fact that I am sure that I paid a first visit at least 16 restaurants in my local area that were not on the list. Some of the memorable ones include: Ted's Montana Grill, Sichuan Gourmet, Mayuri and Tropical Cafe.
My debt mission gives me a result to breathe much easier about. I have indeed made 10 of 11 payments on what I would describe as a substantial credit card debt and I am in line to finish that goal before December 21. Unfortunately, I will not be completely credit debt free at the end, because I did am now carrying a smaller balance on a different card that is part of a plan to refinance my mortgage within the next few weeks.
In order to assist my original credit card mission, I had hoped to sell off $2,500 worth of possessions. I am considerably short of that goal at present, and hence I've needed to dip into my savings to finish the credit card mission. This is not ideal, but I guess I am not going to need those savings for much longer :-)
I wouldn't describe my spending habits this year as overly frugal, but I did accomplish my monthly expense goal of reducing my expense budget by at least $400 per month. I was at $300 per month by the end of March, so this goal was well on track.
Fall weekend
After another long hiatus, I return to this blog on a perfect fall weekend -- clear skies and temperatures in the 60s. One could never imagine that we are about 40 days from EOTW! Fall has always been my favorite season in New England, and, outside of Hurricane Sandy, this year has been fabulous.
11/10
A fabulous day for a 4.5 mile walk on the local rail trail -- I've mainly walked, not run, since my half marathon of September 30. Today I walked to the Marlborough/Hudson town line, enjoying the unique aroma of the fall leaves along the trail, and the crunch underfoot.
Not very far away though, in New York and New Jersey, there are many who are still enduring the devastation brought on by Hurricane Sandy. My town got off comparatively lightly this time. Hurricane Irene from last year had greater impact.
My company has been active in donating to the disaster relief effort and I made sure today to donate to the Red Cross and use my company's online matching funds tool.
11/11
Browncoat veterans rejoice! On this Veterans Day the Science cable network is hosting a reunion of cast and crew of Firefly called "Browncoats Unite." The show is preceded by an airing of the entire short-lived series, which I already own on blu-ray, so I will skip out on the marathon.
It's fitting that Firefly gets a nod in my blog. Were it not for my Star Trek mission, there are many other programs I would have spent time with this year, and I'm sure Firefly would have been high on the list for a repeat viewing. Walking Dead would also have been a major contender, and a thematically relevant one to boot!
On a serious note, special appreciation to US veterans and active duty military personnel -- your efforts do help preserve the peace and freedom we enjoy at home!
11/10
A fabulous day for a 4.5 mile walk on the local rail trail -- I've mainly walked, not run, since my half marathon of September 30. Today I walked to the Marlborough/Hudson town line, enjoying the unique aroma of the fall leaves along the trail, and the crunch underfoot.
Not very far away though, in New York and New Jersey, there are many who are still enduring the devastation brought on by Hurricane Sandy. My town got off comparatively lightly this time. Hurricane Irene from last year had greater impact.
My company has been active in donating to the disaster relief effort and I made sure today to donate to the Red Cross and use my company's online matching funds tool.
11/11
Browncoat veterans rejoice! On this Veterans Day the Science cable network is hosting a reunion of cast and crew of Firefly called "Browncoats Unite." The show is preceded by an airing of the entire short-lived series, which I already own on blu-ray, so I will skip out on the marathon.
It's fitting that Firefly gets a nod in my blog. Were it not for my Star Trek mission, there are many other programs I would have spent time with this year, and I'm sure Firefly would have been high on the list for a repeat viewing. Walking Dead would also have been a major contender, and a thematically relevant one to boot!
On a serious note, special appreciation to US veterans and active duty military personnel -- your efforts do help preserve the peace and freedom we enjoy at home!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Thank God It's Friday the 13th
7/13
I was happy to have a chance to try the Jack Daniels burger at TGIF's one final time -- I love that glaze. And I didn't even need to inquire about what Friday the 13th is like at a TGIF's, since the bar staff was buzzing about it. I asked my bartender what time the crazies start coming in and he said, "I don't know, but I get off at nine o'clock and I'm not sticking around to find out."
That evening, I started my horror movie mini-marathon: Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow followed by cult classic Children of the Corn. Although this is the last Friday the 13th ever, we still have the build up to the last Halloween for more spooky fun to come...
I was happy to have a chance to try the Jack Daniels burger at TGIF's one final time -- I love that glaze. And I didn't even need to inquire about what Friday the 13th is like at a TGIF's, since the bar staff was buzzing about it. I asked my bartender what time the crazies start coming in and he said, "I don't know, but I get off at nine o'clock and I'm not sticking around to find out."
That evening, I started my horror movie mini-marathon: Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow followed by cult classic Children of the Corn. Although this is the last Friday the 13th ever, we still have the build up to the last Halloween for more spooky fun to come...
Burger Digest
7/5 Today I tried Wendy's "W" cheeseburger -- pretty good simple cheeseburger fare. I wanted to try their new signature sides, but I didn't see them on the menu in the partiucular store I went to.
7/6 My colleagues and I went to the headquarters for lunch today. It was a great day for that since half the company is on vacation this week. No lines in the cafeteria. I ate the standard Angus cheeseburger.
Movie night tonight: 2010 Repo Men. Now, even your replacement body parts aren't safe!
7/7 Even Papa Gino's makes burgers. I had the American Classic -- not bad at all, although they put mayo on it. I feel like mayo is a more recent addition to burger condiments, at least in my neck of the woods. I like mayo on burgers, I guess, but it gets me thinking back to how profusely Bruce Willis complained about it in The Whole Nine Yards.
7/8 To welcome my sister-in-law to the States, I threw some meats on the grill: kielbasa, ham steak, and Bubba Angus burgers. I ended up eating my burger plain with one slice of cheddar cheese and it was really good!
7/9 Yesterday's burger reminded me of Five Guys, so naturally that's where I had to go today. Sadly, they messed up my order: they left off the bacon and jalapeno. The resulting burger was still yummy, but I wonder if they're losing their touch.
In work news, I finally had the chance to install and play with Eclipse Juno a little.
7/10 It was a great day to be in Boston and to ride along with my sister-in-law on the duck boat tour. Before that though we decided to eat lunch in the Prudential Center's food court. That's where I tried what is easily the worst burger that I've had this month so far. The name of the counter was called Flamers, and I do not recommend it.
7/11 I'd been thinking about how to insert a chili burger into my challenge schedule. I'm pretty sure I've never had one though I've had chili dogs many times. It seems wishes have a way of working themselves out eventually. At the 42 cafeteria today their special entrée was hand formed burgers with a variety of toppings including chili, so you know when I had for lunch!
7/12 It was a beautiful day so I walked up the street to the Marathon restaurant for lunch with a few colleagues. They've just introduced their new menu but thankfully their burger recipe hasn't changed. Still the same great toasted buttery bun. Their french fries were a disappointment and due to a timing snafu, they came after the burger.
Caught the first 6 episode season of a Britcom called "Inbetweeners" tonight on Netflix. I love the short seasons of British television; so easy to absorb.
7/14 The Carolina BBQ burger from Burger King. I should mention about now that my stomach is really feeling interesting. Yeah, this is the first time I'm really thinking about the prospect of not completing this challenge -- we'll see in a few more days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)