Need more input!

Well, it's kind of late right now, but I wanted to write a quick post because I have something on my mind.  I had a conversation today with a coworker about the decline in curiosity in today's generation.  We both concluded that the "instant gratification and answers at your fingertips" lifestyle that today's generation has become accustomed to has slowly killed people's curiosity.  I wrote a post a couple months ago about my own curiosity and how it fuels my own learning, but today I want to examine how others are affected.

What I have started to see with others is how easy it is for anybody to bust out their phone or go on their computer and find the answer to any question they may have.  At first glance, this may seem like a good thing for learning.  And to some extent it is.  But what I really notice is that most people don't take the next step with their own learning.  They stop after finding the one answer they were looking for.  They don't let that answer lead them to other questions.  In effect, they have failed to allow their curiosity to take over, and prevented continued learning and higher level thinking.

We should want to continue gathering input to satisfy our curiosity.  Personally, I'm always looking to learn something and always in need of more input, much like Number 5 from Short Circuit.  But it scares me to think that others don't share the same thirst for information.  I wonder how this might affect our future and if this perceived lack of curiosity will continue to get worse.  What do you think?  Are people less curious nowadays?  Do you have a constant desire for more input?  Feel free to share your thoughts.

Not sure why I decided to include this particular clip, but enjoy.

Great White Buffalo

Last night I watched Hot Tub Time Machine.  The more I see that movie, the more I really like it.  Seriously, it's funny because it's so cheesy.  If you've never seen it I recommend you give it a shot.  But it centers around three guys who are unhappy in their present day lives and then get sent back to 1986 through a hot tub.  They are sent back to a pivotal night in all of their lives, with the vague instructions that they need to do things exactly the same as they did the first time in order to get back to the present.  In their efforts to try to not change anything they are faced with some major questions.  They start taking a look at their present lives and realize how unhappy they are, causing them in turn to wonder if the original choices they made really were the best.  This brings up an interesting question.  If you could go back in time, would you do anything different?  My initial answer to this question is always, "Hell yes!"  But once I think about it a little more, I'm not so sure.  I start thinking about the ripple effects of making one change.  If I change one thing to gain something over here, I may lose something over there.  So you have to think about all the ways your life would be different, not just the one aspect you wish you could change.

The one concept that frequents the movie is the Great White Buffalo, or the one that got away.  Each of the character's has their Great White Buffalo and has to deal with the dilemma of possibly letting her go again.  That got me thinking about my Great White Buffalo.  (I don't think she's reading this, but if you are and you know it's you, call me)  But seriously, would I let her get away if I had another chance?  I don't know.  I know I wouldn't want to, but, again, I'd have to think about the ripple effects.  It's quite the predicament.  But what would you do?  And when was the last time you thought about your Great White Buffalo?  Don't lie, you know you have one.

But it's just something to think about because these are the random things that I do think about pretty regularly.  And check out Hot Tub Time Machine if you get a chance.

The Return of the Useless Facts!

So I realized that it's been awhile since I've recorded a Useless Fact. And then I discovered a really interesting fact while watching a baseball game.  So I decided to record a new one!  Here it is!

What do you think?  If you want me to record some more, let me know!

My Ten Favorite Words

We had a competition at work recently to see who could use the most creative adjective in an introduction of ourselves.  This got me thinking about my favorite words.  Don't judge, you know you have favorite words also.  And now I'm going to share my list with all of you.

1. Platypus
Go ahead, say it.  And now you're smiling.  It's just a really fun word to say.  I can't even explain why, but it tops my list.

2. Woolly Mammoth
I know this is two words, but they fit so perfectly together.  Again, they're just fun to say.

3. Ubiquitous
This is an SAT word at its finest.  Any chance I get to throw this one out there in conversation I take it.

4. Plethora
There are a plethora of reasons why I love this word.  At the top of this list is the fact that it just rolls off the tongue.

5. Orlando
I don't know why.  But when I say it, I get real dramatic... and then smile.

6. Loquacious
I can occasionally be a loquacious person, even more so when I can use the word in conversation.

7. Mellifluous
It means harmonious, just like it sounds.

8. Crayon
Again, I don't know why.  I just like it for some reason.

9. Bodacious
Because when I say it I like to pretend I'm a surfer, or a ninja turtle.

10. Waffle
Not only are they delicious, but they're fun to talk about as well.

So what are your favorite words.  I'd love to hear you all share.

Resolutions Update

Well, we've made it halfway through 2013 and this seems like a good time to take a step back and reflect on the year so far.  Plus, at the beginning of the year I made a list of resolutions that I wanted to accomplish.  So let's take a look at how I've done with those.

1. I want to read at least one new book each month
- So far so good on this one!  Through six months I have read six books.  Here is the list too:
January - Chasing Moonlight: a great book about the true story of Moonlight Graham
February - The Great Gatsby: I reread it because it had been awhile and the new movie was coming out.  I haven't seen the movie yet, though.
March - Fish Philosophy: a book about the business philosophy of Pike's Place Fish Market
April - Zig Zag: an awesome book by Keith Sawyer about the power of creativity
May - Hidden Mickey 3: the third book in the Hidden Mickey mystery series
June - Hidden Mickey 4: the fourth book in the Hidden Mickey mystery series
Looking ahead, I'm pretty confident I can accomplish this one.

2. I want to write at least 100 blog posts
- Well, I should be around 50 posts right now to be on pace to complete 100, but this post is number 39 of the year.  I have some work to do, but I think I can do it.

3. I want to start exercising more.  I'm not exactly sure what that means, so we'll see how this one goes.
- I did start walking more during the day, but then it got really hot and I kind of stopped.  Since I didn't really define what this resolution meant, I'd have to say I'm doing OK with it.

4.  I want to stop cussing.  I have no real reason why I want to do this, or how, but I feel like it would be a positive change.
- This has definitely not happened, especially after spending the last week with a bunch of baseball coaches.  I still think it would be a positive change though.

5. I want to cross at least one thing off my Life List.  Obviously, more than one would be great, but I'm not trying to get crazy here.
- This is going to happen in August when I begin teaching my first college class.  I'm also hoping to be able to brew my own root beer at some point this year.

6. I want to hang some pictures in my home office.  This isn't much of a resolution, but I figure if I write it down here I will be more apt to do it.
- Yea, I still haven't done this.

7. I want to talk to friends and family more.  Too often I wait for people to contact me, so I want to switch that up a little and be the one to initiate the contact.
- I'm not sure how to evaluate this one.  I've tried to do a better job with this, but I've also gotten the impression from some people that they don't really want to talk to me.  This has really been a source of contention within myself so far this year.

8. I want to gain some self confidence and learn to like myself a little more.  This is probably the biggest and most important thing I want to accomplish this year.
- I have definitely not done a good job with this.  In fact, I've probably taken a step backwards this year.  And many of the things I said I wanted to do to help this, I haven't followed through with.  I guess I still have six months to turn this around, though.

9. I want to do something every day to make at least one person smile.  I'm not sure how I'm going to accomplish this, or how I will even know if I make it happen, but I'm going to try.  So don't be surprised if you get a random message from me or if I call you just to tell you a joke or something.
- I started off this year really making an effort to do this and trying to keep track of my efforts.  That didn't last very long.  I do think I do a pretty good job of making people smile though.  It's just a matter of doing it everyday.
10.  I want to floss more.  I know we all say this after going to the dentist, but this time I mean it.  I heard that you can add six years to your life just by flossing!  That didn't mean much to me before because I thought the world was going to end this past December.  But clearly that was a hoax, so now I have more reason to floss.
- I have completely failed at this, as evidenced by my latest visit to the dentist.  But I am taking efforts to change this, and you will see a specific update related to this in the next few days.

So basically, there has been some progress towards accomplishing each of these resolutions, but there is still a lot of work to be done.  With six months left in the year, we'll see how I do.  How are all of you doing with your resolutions?  This might be a good time for you to reflect as well.

A Feeling of Belonging

Do you ever feel like you just don't belong?  Like maybe you were meant to live in another time?  Lately I've been feeling this way.  It's hard to explain, but I just feel out of place.  Then I read this book, which had a bit of a fantasy element in it.  In the book, there were instances of time travel.  One of the main characters goes back and forth between present day and the early 1800s.  While in the past he protects a woman who he keeps insisting doesn't belong there.  He mentions that he gets a weird feeling about her, as if she was there by accident.  As it turns out, she was actually a princess from the 1200s.  It's all very confusing to try to explain, but it got me thinking.  What if I'm here by accident too?  What if I'm actually from another time and I got stuck here by mistake?  What if other people think I don't belong also?  Then I started thinking, what era might I be from?

I've always had a fascination with the Old West.  Gunslingers, lawmen, boom towns.  It's all so exciting!  But is that where I'm meant to be?  I'm not sure.  I do love root beer and poker.  But there's a certain level of lawlessness that I'm not sure is for me.

What I have noticed lately is that I've been really fascinated with the culture of the 1950s.  I've been listening to a lot of doo wop music lately and my favorite restaurant is a 50s diner.  In fact, I've always kind of felt at home in old school diner establishments.  The simplicity of burgers and shakes while songs play from a jukebox just makes me smile.  It's so peaceful to me.  I've started wondering if I was meant to be a soda jerk.  Then I decided to watch Pleasantville.  That movie always makes me smile, and not only because of its portrayal of the idyllic life of the 1950s.  As a matter of fact, it challenges that perception and encourages us to think about our preconceived notions of perfection.  Mr. Johnson, the soda shop owner in the movie, gets a charge out of doing things differently for the first time.  He wants to know why things have to be the same all the time, and why he has to wait all year for his favorite moment.  I can relate to that.  I wonder why we do things the way we do all the time and why it can't be different.  I think that's where the feeling of not belonging comes from.  It's not that I don't belong.  It's that I want to challenge the way things are, which makes me stand out and feel like I'm different from everyone else.

So the real question is, how do I shake this feeling?  How do I feel like I belong instead of feeling like a stranger in a strange land?  How can I continue to challenge the status quo of the world and be accepted?  How can I get other people to see that change is good and that we need that spark in our lives?  Do other people feel like I do?  If so, would they admit it?  Will it take some sort of life altering event like in Pleasantville for people to realize it?  Will I ever find the answers to these questions?  I don't know.  If you have any thoughts, feel free to share.

Top 5 Hip Hop Trios of All Time

Recently I had the urge to listen to some De La Soul.  I forgot how good their album, 3 Feet High and Rising, is.  As I was listening it got me thinking about the greatest hip trios of all time.  So here is my top 5.

5. De La Soul
Yes, the group that got me thinking about the topic makes it at number five.  They're good, and I feel like they are very underrated.  But I'm a fan and you should be too.

4. Naughty by Nature
Treach might be one of the smoothest rappers of all time.  And Naughty perfected the party anthem with hits like O.P.P. and Hip Hop Hooray.  Even some of their lesser known songs are really good.

3. Public Enemy
I've had the privilege of seeing Public Enemy in concert and they are phenomenal!  They are hip hop royalty. Enough said.

2. Beastie Boys
The Beastie Boys helped bridge the hip hop and pop gap.  They appealed to a wide audience and have a unique sound that has withstood the test of time.  Plus they made one of the greatest music videos of all time.

1. Run DMC
Seriously, did you think anyone else would be in this spot?  They are the godfathers of rap.  And anyone from my generation knows the response when asked, "Who's house?"  Admit it, you just shouted out, "Ruuuuun's house!"

I've included videos for some of the lesser known songs by these groups so you can appreciate a wider range of their greatness.  But feel free to share your opinion on the topic and let me know if you agree or disagree with my list.