Hello Again

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends. 

I’m sorry I’ve been away for a week. I’m sure all of you have missed my spoonfuls of tripe enormously. Blogging is a cathartic exercise for me, but my girlfriend, friends, family, school, and work come first. These come first because they give back, all I do is give and give to TheMNLife. But I guess I should be grateful that there are other sentient beings who spend their valuable time reading bits of my stream of consciousness.

Please know that I envision this blog continuing for at least the next 3-4 years. And it will not end without a goodbye, I promise. Ideally TheMNLife will provide a forum for my friends to check-in on me, as well as a forum to make new acquaintances through the sharing of view-points. It’s so touchy-feely, I know, but this blog can be shaped by you if you don’t like it.

I’ve begged, pleaded, and implored all of you to contribute, but to little success. I am just a man, and can only provide so much hilarity/food for thought/rants. Up to this point I have refrained from calling people out personally but no more. How about a post once a month from you: Mr. PW, Vellonious Monk, Gates Brown, Gino, Ambular, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and anyone else who is a regular reader.

It would be an honor to showcase the substantial talents of my friends on my humble blog. Anyone who has stopped-by occasionally knows that there are no topical limitations (other than I’ve tried to keep it work/school-friendly) and I will help as much or as little as you would like. I understand if other responsibilities keep you busy, I will take no offense. But dare to dream with me what a great collaboration TheMNLife could be.

What is the price of time?

Shout, shout, let it all out...  

Few social situations can produce a hidden rage within me the way having to stand in a check-out line behind frugal senior citizens can. I’m sorry, but one of these days I swear I’m going to snap. The voices inside my head just want to scream-out: “HERE IS SEVENTEEN CENTS. NOW PLEASE STOP ARGUING WITH THE CHASIER AND GET OUT OF THE WAY.”

If an elder has difficulty with some of the new check-out technologies, I can understand. There will come a time when I will have those same problems… and will require the patience of those around me. But I will NEVER be one of those penny-pinching, crabby complainers. You know the kind, the type of person who insists upon having the clerk honor an expired ten cent coupon.

Now I can appreciate that some people are not as fortunate as others, and that situation is a different story. And it is completely understandable to clip coupons. (I should really do it more.) If a person wants to spend four hours trying to talk-down a car salesman, ain’t going to bother me. (I don’t expect to buy a car when I’m in a hurry.)

But when I’m in line at a convenience store…why am I paying $3 for a marginal sandwich again? …Because of the CONVENIENCE. It’s quick. I’m in I’m out, it’s lunch. Most people do not overpay for sandwiches unless they are in a hurry, I am no different.

It causes me physical pain if I have to stand in a convenience store check-out line behind a well shod senior citizen arguing out of principle over a fifteen cent difference between a donut and a muffin. The whole scene is made possible through their complete lack of awareness. I just don’t get it.

Is There Hope? Or Even A Point?

Right on the money.  

As I write this I am sitting in a conference titled: “International Advocacy on U.S. Human Rights Cases: Training Programs on U.N. Mechanisms.” This conference is chaired by my International Human Rights Law professor, so we are all here as a class requirement. Listening to the speakers talk about the UN and UN procedures all I hear is “maw-ma…ma-maw, ma-ma-maw…wa-ma.” (In the style of Charlie Brown’s teacher) I can see how many people, including the current administration, are frustrated with the UN’s current state of affairs.

Now do not get me wrong, I am all about high ideals and diplomacy. It is much better to resolve differences with civility, but with-out a legitimate hammer behind the smile… what can really be done?

There is a lot of rah-rah do good, high-minded idealism, but in the end it amounts to little more than an ability to issue a resolution and attempt to “embarrass” world nations. Do UN advocates really believe that nation states subjecting their citizens to terrible acts of violence or discrimination will be “embarrassed” by the UN saying “hey stop it?”

Again, if the UN was a more practically functional body I would be one of its biggest cheerleaders. And I understand that change on a global-scale is not easily effectuated. But the industrialized nations of the world have been at it for 60+ years, and they have very little to show for it. After all this time the UN has been unable to even create and implement agreed upon standards for human rights.

It is not for lack of effort. Think about the number of different cultures, legal systems, religious motivations, guiding principles, and personalities that must be blended. What a mind-boggling endeavor.

Despite this, everyone involved with human rights work thinks they are changing the world. Again I do not mean to be too derogatory, but it is fascinating to me the level of energy expended in pursuit of what I think is unattainable idealism.

It is easy to criticize, and hopefully I’m wrong. But if the UN is the world’s best hope for world peace and universal implementation of human rights… then I fear that we humans will never reach our ultimate potential.

A Bush-ism

In the wake of the John Robets confermation hearings, President Bush was recently asked by reporters what he thought of Roe v. Wade.







He responded: "I don't really care how people get out of New Orleans."

Now THAT, Is One Magic Loogie*

343 Yards passing and 5 TDs.  

Donovan McNabb is the very first recipient of the “Magic Loogie of the week” award. It will be awarded to my fantasy football team MVP.

* From the Seinfeld episode where Jerry does a Kevin Cosner-esqe demonstration of Keith Hernandez's alleged loogie in the style of "the magic bullet" from Oliver Stone’s JFK.

And Now... Your Moment of Zen (#3)

Wow. 

Tokyo's Summerland indoor water park.

Can you imagine how loud it would be in there?

1K

Only 999,000 more to go... 

By the time you read this my blog-counter will have reached 1,000 visits. Thank you to all my faithful (though quiet) readers for your continued patronage of my lowly blog. I am humbled (and a bit surprised) that you all find my drivel compelling enough to stop by from time to time.

When I started this little blogging experiment I had no idea what to expect, and I feared that no one would really care what I thought, did, or wondered about. But despite my marginal powers of description / humor you have returned to sample the goods.

I sincerely thank you for visiting. You provide the necessary motivation I need to continue this productive enterprise. It feels good to have a forum to dump my ideas and I need all the writing practice I can get. (I just wish I knew who you all were so I could thank you personally.)

You all love me… you really, really love me. (Or at least aren’t bored to death by me.) In either case… I’ll take it.

Windows To the Soul

Maybe...if I open my eyes really wide, they will think I'm paying attention.  

What lies behind these eyes? It is hard to tell. By all accounts John Roberts is an honorable and decent man; someone worthy of the highest post in the judiciary. George W. has picked a winner. There is absolutely no way Roberts doesn’t get confirmed. I would bet the house.

If you get a chance to listen / watch the confirmation hearings I recommend it. This is history in the making. This will be the first Supreme Court nomination process many people my age will be able to remember. Roberts will be on the court for a long time. And as soon as he dons the long black robe… he will more or less disappear from the American consciousness; only to resurface sporadically in the wake of a publicized ruling.

This is your chance to get to know him. He will affect your life.

* Follow up to “A Return to Sanity.”

Thank you President Bush. Who finally admitted that mistakes were made in the wake of hurricane Katrina. He stepped-up and took some of the responsibility. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that this was a genuine gesture on his part, not a political necessity because of all the negative press coverage.

* Follow up to "I Hope, I Hope, I Hope."

There's always next year...

A Return To Sanity

Really, it wasn't my fault...they made me do it. 

Colin Powell has restored my faith and confidence in him. Last night, in an interview with Barbara Walters, he spoke frankly about Hurricane Katrina and his now infamous WMD speech before the UN. He spoke directly to the questions and did not hide behind political-speak. Bravo Mr. Powell, I knew you were better than the rest of them. How refreshing it was to hear a member of the Bush administration, admit that mistakes where made.

No hiding behind “there will be time for that later,” or “it is not appropriate to comment on that right now,” or “there will be an investigation at the proper time.” How I’ve grown tired of white house press conferences, the way Ari Fleischer and Scott McClellan say much without really conveying any useful information. This m.o. is hypocritical considering the way that President Bush prides himself on being a “regular” “straight-talk’n” kind of guy.

At least Colin is still connected to reality.

I Hope, I Hope, I Hope

Two outta three ain't bad... 

Wish me luck. There is a chance that I could caddy for Michael Jordan on Friday... I'll keep you all posted.

Dorking Around

At least they named a street after me.  

I’m a big dork. There I said it. I’m dorky about my taste in shirts, dorky about fantasy football, and just generally a little bit dorky. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but for some reason I can’t just embrace my true inner dork.

That is, until this weekend…

Because of my severe addiction to the game of golf, I’m all geeked-out about a weekend spent on the links. Hopefully the weather will be great, cool crisp fall mornings and warm autumn sun. But it doesn’t really mater as long as there is not any lightning. I’ll play in anything.

Twenty-seven other golf-dorks and I will play 36 holes on Saturday, and 18 holes on Sunday. And I will be soaking it all up because I know that the end of golf season is just around the corner.

Minnesota is a cruel place for golf-dorks.

Balance

Rework'n my Chi 

Sorry, your humble writer took a sabbatical. I just didn’t feel like / have time to blog anything in the face of my third year of law school. And considering the underwhelming response to my pathetic plea for input from you, my readers, it doesn’t seem I was really missed. (Thank you David for keeping me from the shame that is "0 Comments") But there is no harbored negativity, and I will continue to solder-on in my blogging-quest. Besides, how can I stay mad at you? I don’t even know where to direct the anger.

Balance… to every ying there is a yang, and to every carefree summer there is a regimented school year. A personal quest for the coming year: find a more perfect balance in my life. Be complete and contented.

I hope to balance the bitter and the sweet, books and friends, libraries and bars. I hope my decisions are better. Spending my time efficiency is crucial. As my old high school football coach used to say, “You got’ta beat time to death.”

The third year of law school should be the least intense, and I’m sure it will be, mentally anyway. But the specter of entering that mythical ‘real world’ is the 900 pound gorilla in the corner. He sits patiently, biding his time, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting schmuck. I need to be thoughtful, humble, and diligent. I know I have some work cut-out for me.

But I’m ready… I accept my challenge… breathe… balance.


+ Again I extend to you the invitation: I will post submissions from my readers. Find a good picture… send it to me. Write an essay describing how ecstatic you were about your lunch today. Full credit and praise will be showered upon you. And there 47 virgins waiting for your ascension into the blog-o-sphere, really they’re all right here.