I've been trying to stay away from talking politics recently, but I just can't help myself. There are some things I need to interject my opinion into, so yeah, there you go. I'm sure there will be some differing of opinions, and that's fine, I would love to hear from you if you feel differently on anything I bring up today. I'll quickly touch upon one national "issue", and the rest will be confined to Maine. All that being said, let the games begin...
President Obama presented his actual birth certificate today. OK, can we finally move on? I mean, we've given Donald Trump way too much time on this issue. This country has problems, big ones. Running around making false claims that the President isn't an American citizen was not only dumb, but a distraction from the real issues facing us as a nation. I'm not sure, at this point, if anyone is actually taking Donald Trump seriously, but I hope this ends things for him. Though, now it appears that he is moving his narrative to criticize President Obama's grades in college. Dear Trump, you are a turd, go away. There, last time the "birther" movement needs to be discussed, and hopefully the last time I mention Trump too.
There are a few bills kicking around the Maine legislature right now that are getting some publicity, both good and bad. One has to do with the legalization of marijuana. Now, before you say anything, hear me out. I'm not advocating for the use of it, I just want to look at it from a realistic perspective. People are smoking pot. Adults are, kids are, lots of people are. This is a fact. Is there a statistic out there that shows the number of deaths each year that are pot related? I can't find one, because the answer is there are none. However, there are an estimated 435,000 tobacco related deaths each year. I'll give you a minute to reread that and think about it. Now, what does all this mean for Maine? Well, if we were to legalize marijuana, and regulate it similarly to tobacco and alcohol, we could then tax the sales of it and collect revenue, which the states needs badly. Also, we would spend much less on the war on drugs as well as spend less on jailing people for petty crimes that are marijuana related. Is this the answer to our budget problems? No, not at all, but I do think it is something worth looking at. Look, marijuana is still illegal federally, so it won't happen here in Maine, at least not yet. However, I have thought this would be a very beneficial thing for the feds and states to do to generate a new source of revenue that doesn't require government to raise taxes. Socially liberal and fiscally conservative, I'd say it's a pretty good compromise!
Billboards, really?! Maine is one of just 4 states that don't currently allow them, along with Hawaii, Vermont and Alaska. I'll be honest, I like that we are on that short list. The idea is that businesses would rent the billboards from the state, who would use that revenue to pay for road maintenance. In theory, sure, that makes sense. However, this is just a bad idea. Maine is known for its natural beauty. Covering that up with obnoxious, oversized signs telling me that there is a McDonald's in Waterville or Freeport is ludicrous. First of all, if we are trying to educate tourists on what businesses are out there, I hate to break it to you, but they probably already know what is out there. Most people will scour the Internet for places to visit, or have smart phones that tell them everything they need to know, so a billboard isn't going to change anything. Secondly, this is supposed to be a great benefit to Maine's small businesses, as they will be able to let travelers know they are out there. Riddle me this, how much will it cost to rent one of these fancy new billboards? $4000 a month? More? How many mom and pop stores or antique shops have that kind of advertising budget? I'm sorry, but with social media as it is, small businesses are much further ahead utilizing a free medium to get their message out to the masses. Remember, Maine is the way life should be, let's keep it that way with regards to billboards, please!
Now there is word that there are some shakeups in the LePage administration. I'd like to see him and his crew get their, well, I'd like to see them get their shit together. If and when that finally happens, maybe something positive can come out of the next four years. Until then, I guess we'll just keep hearing about bickering and silliness, with no real progress being made toward getting Mainers back to work. Hang on to your butts everyone, this is going to be a bumpy ride. I'm just saying...
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
No more crappy car blues!
Anyone that has been in our (old) car over the past year or so understands why we did what we did this past weekend. I mean, I loved the CRV, it certainly served its purpose, but let's be honest, that pretty little thing was on its last leg, and I'm pretty sure that said leg was broken. It's squeaked, it squealed, it shook and it was fairly busted up. There was a plug in one of the tires, a couple of cracks in the windshield, and the key would only fit in the keyhole on the drivers side door on occasion. The trunk was difficult to open, the check engine light was on, and it was due for an inspection in May. That info alone should tell you that what we did was the right thing to do. Not enough for ya, fine, I'll continue. It got about 23 miles to the gallon, and with gas prices as they are, and not getting better any time soon, we were dropping at least $100 a week. There, that ought to seal the deal. So, what did we do about it you ask. Well, we did what we have been wanting to do for a while now. We our the proud owners of a 2008 Toyota Prius.
After reading about all of the problems our old car had, what do you think the dealer told us? I fully expected them to offer me a pack of Bubblicious brand bubble gum in exchange for it, but they actually gave us $4500! I couldn't believe it. It turns out, that is exactly what we owed on it, so that was a wash, and we were more than happy with that result! The CRV wasn't worth a damn, not in the state it was in. We had gone to another dealer and they offered us $3000, and they didn't want to go that high. That and the Prius they had wasn't as good as the one we got, so I guess that all worked out. I won't mention the name of that dealer, but let's just say, I won't be recommending them any time soon. The kid that helped us told us, at one point, that it wasn't his sale, he wasn't making any money, so he didn't care and wasn't about to try too hard. Well, at least he was honest. Needless to say, we didn't call them back. I would have to say that we did a good job negotiating to get exactly what we wanted, which was more than our car was worth, and lowering the purchase price down to where we wanted it, both of which happened. Not bad for a couple that can't negotiate worth a damn!
Low mileage, same monthly payment and averaging 40+ miles per gallon are just a few of the things I love about the car. It has a backup camera, which is odd to get used to, but a nice feature. It is actually much bigger than you would think, and that's good, considering I'm fairly tall. The touch screen offers you many different options, one of which is a screen that details your consumption, which is a great tool to teach you the best way to utilize the car so that you are running on battery more than gas, which ups your overall gas mileage. Currently we are averaging 44.3 MPG, which is nearly double the CRV. Let's put it this way, we picked up the car Saturday afternoon, and since then have put over 250 miles on the car, and the gas tank is just barely below half. All this being said, the first things we heard when we mentioned it on Facebook weren't immediately positive. Don't get me wrong, the congratulations came, but at first we heard something else...
Wait, what's that I hear, jokes?! These are real jokes we have heard since Saturday morning, and in no particular order...
- Does that come in adult size?
- Think I'll keep my explorer, hahah, and maybe if you ask nice, I'll pull you out this winter!
- Did you put on your Obama 2008 sticker, or do they come automatic with one?
- I have a LePage sticker earmarked for that thing.
- Do you actually fit in it?
Alright, I'll spend a few minutes clearing some things up for everyone. Yes, it's a smaller car, but I do actually fit in it. I'm pretty sure that if I didn't fit, I probably wouldn't have made the purchase. Wouldn't really make sense, would it? As for pulling us out this winter, I appreciate the offer, but something tells me that 16 years of Maine winters have taught me how to drive, I'm all set, thanks. Oh, and for those that tried to make it a political thing, stop. It's dumb. Republicans claim to be fiscally conservative, so you would think this would be right up their alley. I mean, we just cut our gas budget in half, and we have the same car payment. Doesn't get more conservative than that, right? However, the jokes persist. Keep your gas guzzling car, spend over $65 to fill your tank, and when gas prices climb up to or over $5.00 a gallon this summer, I'll be the one laughing at you. And maybe, if you ask nice, I'll give you a ride when you can no longer afford to fill your tank. I'm just saying...
After reading about all of the problems our old car had, what do you think the dealer told us? I fully expected them to offer me a pack of Bubblicious brand bubble gum in exchange for it, but they actually gave us $4500! I couldn't believe it. It turns out, that is exactly what we owed on it, so that was a wash, and we were more than happy with that result! The CRV wasn't worth a damn, not in the state it was in. We had gone to another dealer and they offered us $3000, and they didn't want to go that high. That and the Prius they had wasn't as good as the one we got, so I guess that all worked out. I won't mention the name of that dealer, but let's just say, I won't be recommending them any time soon. The kid that helped us told us, at one point, that it wasn't his sale, he wasn't making any money, so he didn't care and wasn't about to try too hard. Well, at least he was honest. Needless to say, we didn't call them back. I would have to say that we did a good job negotiating to get exactly what we wanted, which was more than our car was worth, and lowering the purchase price down to where we wanted it, both of which happened. Not bad for a couple that can't negotiate worth a damn!
Low mileage, same monthly payment and averaging 40+ miles per gallon are just a few of the things I love about the car. It has a backup camera, which is odd to get used to, but a nice feature. It is actually much bigger than you would think, and that's good, considering I'm fairly tall. The touch screen offers you many different options, one of which is a screen that details your consumption, which is a great tool to teach you the best way to utilize the car so that you are running on battery more than gas, which ups your overall gas mileage. Currently we are averaging 44.3 MPG, which is nearly double the CRV. Let's put it this way, we picked up the car Saturday afternoon, and since then have put over 250 miles on the car, and the gas tank is just barely below half. All this being said, the first things we heard when we mentioned it on Facebook weren't immediately positive. Don't get me wrong, the congratulations came, but at first we heard something else...
Wait, what's that I hear, jokes?! These are real jokes we have heard since Saturday morning, and in no particular order...
- Does that come in adult size?
- Think I'll keep my explorer, hahah, and maybe if you ask nice, I'll pull you out this winter!
- Did you put on your Obama 2008 sticker, or do they come automatic with one?
- I have a LePage sticker earmarked for that thing.
- Do you actually fit in it?
Alright, I'll spend a few minutes clearing some things up for everyone. Yes, it's a smaller car, but I do actually fit in it. I'm pretty sure that if I didn't fit, I probably wouldn't have made the purchase. Wouldn't really make sense, would it? As for pulling us out this winter, I appreciate the offer, but something tells me that 16 years of Maine winters have taught me how to drive, I'm all set, thanks. Oh, and for those that tried to make it a political thing, stop. It's dumb. Republicans claim to be fiscally conservative, so you would think this would be right up their alley. I mean, we just cut our gas budget in half, and we have the same car payment. Doesn't get more conservative than that, right? However, the jokes persist. Keep your gas guzzling car, spend over $65 to fill your tank, and when gas prices climb up to or over $5.00 a gallon this summer, I'll be the one laughing at you. And maybe, if you ask nice, I'll give you a ride when you can no longer afford to fill your tank. I'm just saying...
Friday, April 22, 2011
My thoughts are deep, deep I tell you...
Welcome to today. It's Friday, Earth Day, Good Friday, the start of Easter weekend and it's sunny out. My brain is all over the place today. Oh, and I'm tired. There, now that all of that is out of the way, how is everyone else doing? Great, grand, wonderful! Moving right along, today's post will be more a hodge podge of random thoughts that are dancing around in my head than anything else. Feel free to continue reading, or get back to your regularly scheduled programming, it's all up to you. If I were you, I know I would keep reading, this is riveting stuff, trust me...
The Royal Wedding. I'm sure you've heard about this. Holy hell, we've all heard too much about it at this point. Every news outlet, magazine, tabloid, newspaper, website and whatever else is talking about it. Let me ask you this, why do we care? What is the big deal? None of us are getting invited, and if you did, that set of steak knives or can opener isn't going to cut it as a gift. Seriously though, why is this such a big story? I don't care, and I'm anxious for it to be over so we can move on to potentially, but not likely, more newsworthy stories.
Earth Day. How are you celebrating Earth Day? Are you one of those that thinks it is a big joke and today is the day you just leave your car running in the driveway all day while heating your house with you stove and spiking your hair with Aqua Net? Or, do you take it very seriously, and plant a tree, turn your thermostat on your hot water heater down or pick up some recycling bins for your household trash? Nichole and I take this sort of thing very seriously. Will we make a huge impact, no, but we can, at the very least, do our part. We are currently looking to trade our SUV, which gets about 22 MPG in for a more economical hybrid, which will get us about 50 MPG. We planted seeds to start our first garden about two weeks ago, and we are picking up a new composting bin to help feed our garden. We already recycle our bottles and cans, as well as cardboard, tin, glass and plastics. We have changed our light bulbs to CFL bulbs and are continuing to see what else we can do to make a difference, no matter how big or small. I hope that all of you are too.
My music interest are varied, and depending on the day or my mood, my selections can change drastically. Lately, however, I've been mildly obsessed with Brett Dennen, Ray LaMontagne and Florence and the Machine. I just can't listen to them enough. There have been others splashed into the mix, but they are dominating my at work playlist lately. If you haven't heard of them, or have only heard very little of them, give them a looksee. They are all really great musical talents, and I can only hope they bring as much joy to your day as they have been bringing to mine lately. Oh, and speaking of music, I still think Jane Says by Jane's Addiction is my favorite song of all time. It just never gets old.
Speaking of addictions, Words With Friends on the iPhone. Wow, obsessed. Maybe not as bad as when I first discovered this gem, but obsessed just the same. It's simply Scrabble via a cell phone. You can have many games going at the same time, and you play at your own pace. It's a lot of fun, and it's even better when you win, because there is a chat function, for the wonderful smack talk! Wanna play against me? You can find me via Facebook, Twitter, or just type in markastevens into the search function. I'm going to warn you, though. I don't lose. Well, maybe a little, but I won't anymore!
Hey, things are looking up. It appears to finally be getting warmer outside, the Celtics are up 2-0, the Bruins tied things up 2-2 last night, the Red Sox are creeping back up toward .500 and it's damn near the weekend. Here's hoping that you all have a wonderful Easter weekend. I know I'll be all hopped up on Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, and I'm very excited about it. I'm just saying...
The Royal Wedding. I'm sure you've heard about this. Holy hell, we've all heard too much about it at this point. Every news outlet, magazine, tabloid, newspaper, website and whatever else is talking about it. Let me ask you this, why do we care? What is the big deal? None of us are getting invited, and if you did, that set of steak knives or can opener isn't going to cut it as a gift. Seriously though, why is this such a big story? I don't care, and I'm anxious for it to be over so we can move on to potentially, but not likely, more newsworthy stories.
Earth Day. How are you celebrating Earth Day? Are you one of those that thinks it is a big joke and today is the day you just leave your car running in the driveway all day while heating your house with you stove and spiking your hair with Aqua Net? Or, do you take it very seriously, and plant a tree, turn your thermostat on your hot water heater down or pick up some recycling bins for your household trash? Nichole and I take this sort of thing very seriously. Will we make a huge impact, no, but we can, at the very least, do our part. We are currently looking to trade our SUV, which gets about 22 MPG in for a more economical hybrid, which will get us about 50 MPG. We planted seeds to start our first garden about two weeks ago, and we are picking up a new composting bin to help feed our garden. We already recycle our bottles and cans, as well as cardboard, tin, glass and plastics. We have changed our light bulbs to CFL bulbs and are continuing to see what else we can do to make a difference, no matter how big or small. I hope that all of you are too.
My music interest are varied, and depending on the day or my mood, my selections can change drastically. Lately, however, I've been mildly obsessed with Brett Dennen, Ray LaMontagne and Florence and the Machine. I just can't listen to them enough. There have been others splashed into the mix, but they are dominating my at work playlist lately. If you haven't heard of them, or have only heard very little of them, give them a looksee. They are all really great musical talents, and I can only hope they bring as much joy to your day as they have been bringing to mine lately. Oh, and speaking of music, I still think Jane Says by Jane's Addiction is my favorite song of all time. It just never gets old.
Speaking of addictions, Words With Friends on the iPhone. Wow, obsessed. Maybe not as bad as when I first discovered this gem, but obsessed just the same. It's simply Scrabble via a cell phone. You can have many games going at the same time, and you play at your own pace. It's a lot of fun, and it's even better when you win, because there is a chat function, for the wonderful smack talk! Wanna play against me? You can find me via Facebook, Twitter, or just type in markastevens into the search function. I'm going to warn you, though. I don't lose. Well, maybe a little, but I won't anymore!
Hey, things are looking up. It appears to finally be getting warmer outside, the Celtics are up 2-0, the Bruins tied things up 2-2 last night, the Red Sox are creeping back up toward .500 and it's damn near the weekend. Here's hoping that you all have a wonderful Easter weekend. I know I'll be all hopped up on Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, and I'm very excited about it. I'm just saying...
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Dog may be man's best friend, but I'm not sure if that should be plural...
I spent the better part of my childhood scared of dogs. Literally, they scared the living hell out of me. We never had a pooch growing up, just little old Kikki, the family cat, that lived a long, good life. I remember visiting people that did have dogs, and they always seemed to muckle on to me. I'm not sure if they could sense the fear in my body language, or if they could smell the actual shit that I had dropped in my pants due to their existence in the same room as me, I'm just not sure. I distinctly remember being bitten at least twice growing up, and vividly remember having to peddle my mountain bike as hard as my legs could move it to outrun a small pack of dogs out in the middle of freaking nowhere back home in The County. These images still haunt me today, I'm not going to lie to you. Fast forward to about four years ago. Nichole and I were living in Freeport, the original Chateau Marcole. Nichole begged me to get a dog. I insisted that we didn't have enough room for a dog there, and when, someday, we bought our very own house, she could get one then. Secretly, I thought that day would never come. Turns out I was wrong.
We moved into the present day Chateau Marcoligan back in February of 2008, and I don't think we were even fully unpacked and Nichole dropped the bomb on me. Not only did she find the dog she wanted, we had to drive down to New Hampshire to pick him up. His name was Goober, a six month old chocolate lab. Goober, while fitting, wasn't a name we were going to keep. I may not have been really ready for a dog, but I wasn't going to be yelling for Goober out the front door for all the neighbors to hear, no sir. Wanting to keep the name sports related, we went with Yawkey, in honor of the Red Sox. Was I ready for a new member of the family? Not really, but I knew how badly Nichole wanted him, so I had to quickly get over my uneasiness around dogs. It didn't take long either.
Here we are, three years later, and I can't imagine life without our crazy pooch. He's really become my dog, almost. I take him with me any time I go somewhere in the car, most nights he sleeps with his head right on my chest, and he is always there to give me a big hug when I walk in the door after a long day at work. I can see why people call them man's best friend, as he truly is a great companion. Sure, he's crazy and I'm allergic to him, but those are things we can live with, knowing that we have a great dog at home. Recently, Nichole has been wondering if we could add a second dog to the mix. Yawkey would love a playmate she says. I love my dog, but two dogs seems like a lot more for some reason. Well, we've had a chance to find out what it would be like this week.
Our friends, the McCullough's, are on vacation this week, and in exchange for watching Yawkey a few weeks back, we are dog sitting for Noah, their 2 year old lab. The two boys are very excited to have someone to play with, and have had a ball together. As they become more used to being around each other, they have become more well behaved, and the humping has slowed down to almost nothing at this point. It's been a lot of fun watching them interact and play. However, two dogs is a lot more work than one dog. They are both used to different schedules and have different habits. Yawkey is a lazy bastard and would sleep until noon if you let him. Noah likes getting up at 5:00 AM and starts pacing the bedroom. Our backyard is pretty wet right now, due to all the rain and snow runoff, so we can't just let them out the back door to use the "facilities", so we have to take them each out for a walk. We started by doing one at a time so they could focus on the task at hand, and not piss on each other as they try to cover each others scent. It never fails, when you let one out, the other pushes you out of the way and the both end up getting out. Oh, and no matter how much water you give them, they find it completely necessary to fight over who gets to drink out of the toilet. And don't get me started on how much more hair they shed when in a pair versus just one!
Long story short, I'll dog sit another dog, but I'm definitely not ready to get another dog, not at Chateau Marcoligan. Maybe, when we trade up to our next home, a farm with lots of room, named Chateau Marcoligan&baby, maybe then I'll reconsider it all. When they can spend time outside and not try to run to the neighbors to drop stink bombs or chase after the occasional car. All this dog talk reminds me, I need to go get more eye drops, my allergies are killing me! I'm just saying...
We moved into the present day Chateau Marcoligan back in February of 2008, and I don't think we were even fully unpacked and Nichole dropped the bomb on me. Not only did she find the dog she wanted, we had to drive down to New Hampshire to pick him up. His name was Goober, a six month old chocolate lab. Goober, while fitting, wasn't a name we were going to keep. I may not have been really ready for a dog, but I wasn't going to be yelling for Goober out the front door for all the neighbors to hear, no sir. Wanting to keep the name sports related, we went with Yawkey, in honor of the Red Sox. Was I ready for a new member of the family? Not really, but I knew how badly Nichole wanted him, so I had to quickly get over my uneasiness around dogs. It didn't take long either.
Here we are, three years later, and I can't imagine life without our crazy pooch. He's really become my dog, almost. I take him with me any time I go somewhere in the car, most nights he sleeps with his head right on my chest, and he is always there to give me a big hug when I walk in the door after a long day at work. I can see why people call them man's best friend, as he truly is a great companion. Sure, he's crazy and I'm allergic to him, but those are things we can live with, knowing that we have a great dog at home. Recently, Nichole has been wondering if we could add a second dog to the mix. Yawkey would love a playmate she says. I love my dog, but two dogs seems like a lot more for some reason. Well, we've had a chance to find out what it would be like this week.
Our friends, the McCullough's, are on vacation this week, and in exchange for watching Yawkey a few weeks back, we are dog sitting for Noah, their 2 year old lab. The two boys are very excited to have someone to play with, and have had a ball together. As they become more used to being around each other, they have become more well behaved, and the humping has slowed down to almost nothing at this point. It's been a lot of fun watching them interact and play. However, two dogs is a lot more work than one dog. They are both used to different schedules and have different habits. Yawkey is a lazy bastard and would sleep until noon if you let him. Noah likes getting up at 5:00 AM and starts pacing the bedroom. Our backyard is pretty wet right now, due to all the rain and snow runoff, so we can't just let them out the back door to use the "facilities", so we have to take them each out for a walk. We started by doing one at a time so they could focus on the task at hand, and not piss on each other as they try to cover each others scent. It never fails, when you let one out, the other pushes you out of the way and the both end up getting out. Oh, and no matter how much water you give them, they find it completely necessary to fight over who gets to drink out of the toilet. And don't get me started on how much more hair they shed when in a pair versus just one!
Long story short, I'll dog sit another dog, but I'm definitely not ready to get another dog, not at Chateau Marcoligan. Maybe, when we trade up to our next home, a farm with lots of room, named Chateau Marcoligan&baby, maybe then I'll reconsider it all. When they can spend time outside and not try to run to the neighbors to drop stink bombs or chase after the occasional car. All this dog talk reminds me, I need to go get more eye drops, my allergies are killing me! I'm just saying...
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
What's better than one cup of tea? Well, three, of course...
Greg Mortenson, famed author for his New York Times bestsellers "Three Cups of Tea" and "Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan", has found himself smack dab in the middle of a pretty big controversy. For those of you who haven't heard, Mortenson is the man who shot to international fame with the above mentioned books, which describe him getting lost while climbing K2, the world's second-highest peak, later being rescued by Pakistani villagers in the village of Korphe and vowing to return there to build a school for local girls. His books were inspiring, and his organization, Central Asia Institute, raised millions. His plans were grand, and certainly not easy to achieve, but he saw the good in people, and the need to provide them with some of the same opportunities that he had. It's pretty easy to see how people got behind him and his endeavors.
However, a recent report by Jon Krakauer, a former supporter and friend, paints a much different picture. In Krakauer's new book, "Three Cups of Deceit", he paints Mortenson out to be a fraud, who only did this to further himself financially. For the year ending December 31, 2009, Mortenson's charity, CAI, had expenses of $9.7 million. Of that, $4.6 millions was spent on what was listed as "domestic outreach and education" and "lectures and guest appearances across the United States." Could these be legit, sure, they are legit expenses. To the tune of $4.6 million, though, seems a bit exorbitant. Another $1.5 million went toward advertising and promoting Mortenson's books. Again, a legit expense, but on the high end. That is exactly what Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock is looking in to. Central Asia Institute has a mission statement of building and operating schools in Afghanistan, and it would appear that Mortenson isn't staying true to the organizations mission.
So, why should we care you ask. My child won't be spending any time in school in the Middle East. Sure, you are right. However, for the 4 plus million people that have read his books, they are heart broken. Mortenson painted a picture of a true humanitarian, a larger than life hero that was spreading good throughout a war torn region where women aren't exactly on a level playing field with men. Now, everyone is questioning the validity of his recollections and his motives. Are these books based on facts, or exaggerated memories? Was the charity set up to truly spread good will across the Middle East, or to give Mortenson the golden parachute he would never have had otherwise? Will this story have the happy ending many thought it already did, or will this turn into another instance of greed over grace? Time will tell, but it's not sounding good for Greg Mortenson. For those of you who purchased his books, I hope you kept your receipt. I'm just saying...
However, a recent report by Jon Krakauer, a former supporter and friend, paints a much different picture. In Krakauer's new book, "Three Cups of Deceit", he paints Mortenson out to be a fraud, who only did this to further himself financially. For the year ending December 31, 2009, Mortenson's charity, CAI, had expenses of $9.7 million. Of that, $4.6 millions was spent on what was listed as "domestic outreach and education" and "lectures and guest appearances across the United States." Could these be legit, sure, they are legit expenses. To the tune of $4.6 million, though, seems a bit exorbitant. Another $1.5 million went toward advertising and promoting Mortenson's books. Again, a legit expense, but on the high end. That is exactly what Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock is looking in to. Central Asia Institute has a mission statement of building and operating schools in Afghanistan, and it would appear that Mortenson isn't staying true to the organizations mission.
So, why should we care you ask. My child won't be spending any time in school in the Middle East. Sure, you are right. However, for the 4 plus million people that have read his books, they are heart broken. Mortenson painted a picture of a true humanitarian, a larger than life hero that was spreading good throughout a war torn region where women aren't exactly on a level playing field with men. Now, everyone is questioning the validity of his recollections and his motives. Are these books based on facts, or exaggerated memories? Was the charity set up to truly spread good will across the Middle East, or to give Mortenson the golden parachute he would never have had otherwise? Will this story have the happy ending many thought it already did, or will this turn into another instance of greed over grace? Time will tell, but it's not sounding good for Greg Mortenson. For those of you who purchased his books, I hope you kept your receipt. I'm just saying...
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
In case of an emergency, put on your pants...
It was about 11:15 last night. We were sitting up, watching The Daily Show, when all of a sudden we hear a loud knocking sound coming from the dining room area of the house, and Yawkey, our chocolate lab, goes crazy. Nichole and I both freeze, curious what the hell just happened. Was it a knock at the door? At this time of night, who the hell could it be? Could it have been the cat, who is a complete tool, and probably just knocked something over? Always a possibility. Fortunately, I have my contacts in still, so I can actually see what I'm getting myself into. So, how did we react to a potential intruder?
My first thought was not great, but I went ahead and did it anyways. I nervously yell out "HELLO?!", thinking that if someone was in the house, the sound of a voice might scare them off?! Is that the best way to scare off someone, absolutely not, but it was the first thing I thought of, so back off! Plus, I was in bed, in my underwear, so I wasn't really ready to just run out and see what may or may not be there. I needed to put my pants on first, because I'm the guy that thinks of pants at a time like that. You never know what might happen, and I want to have pants on, just in case. I'm not about to defend the wife and I, if that needs to be the case, in my boxer shorts. Once I was properly dressed I followed the dog out to the kitchen. Yawkey is still barking like crazy and staring at the main entrance to the house. What the heck just happened?!
As we enter the kitchen, we see nothing to suggest someone was in the house. The doors are all locked and the motion lights outside are still off. Our guard dog is still sensing something, but his barks have greatly backed off. I flip on all the outside lights to see if I can see anything, and there is nothing in the back, front or side yards. I did happen to notice a garbage barrel that we have filled with kindling had been knocked over in the back yard. I'm not sure, at this point, if that had been done by Yawkey earlier in the evening or if that was the sound we heard. Our yard is still quite wet, so I think we would have seen foot prints if it were a human or large animal. Next I head down to the basement to check around down there. Again, nothing seems out of place. Perhaps it was just our crazy kitten after all?!
Well, I head back upstairs and to the bedroom. Nichole has finally come out from behind the dresser in our room, where she has been hiding for about 15 minutes now. See, her master plan in case of an emergency is to jump out of our bathroom window and run away. As I'm making my way into the bedroom, I see her putting a giant knife, basically a meat cleaver, under the mattress on her side of the bed. Her thought was, if something is coming after her, she'll chop their arm off and then jump out the bathroom window?! I'm chuckling at this as I make it over to my side of the bed, only to find the rest of our knives, still in the block, sitting on the floor right next to where I sleep. I usually have a baseball bat nearby, just in case, but now I am really prepared, I guess.
We sat in the bedroom, with the door open, for about 15 more minutes, until we decided we either heard something that wasn't there, or it was just the cat. I strip the sweatpants back off and pop out my contacts and fall fast asleep. We never heard anything more, and Yawkey didn't seem to be worried any more. Whatever it was, everything turned out fine. Before I know it, the alarm is going off in my ear, just above about a dozen knives, which caught me off guard when I woke up! We may want to look into something different for the future, like that bow and arrow I've been asking for! I'm just saying...
My first thought was not great, but I went ahead and did it anyways. I nervously yell out "HELLO?!", thinking that if someone was in the house, the sound of a voice might scare them off?! Is that the best way to scare off someone, absolutely not, but it was the first thing I thought of, so back off! Plus, I was in bed, in my underwear, so I wasn't really ready to just run out and see what may or may not be there. I needed to put my pants on first, because I'm the guy that thinks of pants at a time like that. You never know what might happen, and I want to have pants on, just in case. I'm not about to defend the wife and I, if that needs to be the case, in my boxer shorts. Once I was properly dressed I followed the dog out to the kitchen. Yawkey is still barking like crazy and staring at the main entrance to the house. What the heck just happened?!
As we enter the kitchen, we see nothing to suggest someone was in the house. The doors are all locked and the motion lights outside are still off. Our guard dog is still sensing something, but his barks have greatly backed off. I flip on all the outside lights to see if I can see anything, and there is nothing in the back, front or side yards. I did happen to notice a garbage barrel that we have filled with kindling had been knocked over in the back yard. I'm not sure, at this point, if that had been done by Yawkey earlier in the evening or if that was the sound we heard. Our yard is still quite wet, so I think we would have seen foot prints if it were a human or large animal. Next I head down to the basement to check around down there. Again, nothing seems out of place. Perhaps it was just our crazy kitten after all?!
Well, I head back upstairs and to the bedroom. Nichole has finally come out from behind the dresser in our room, where she has been hiding for about 15 minutes now. See, her master plan in case of an emergency is to jump out of our bathroom window and run away. As I'm making my way into the bedroom, I see her putting a giant knife, basically a meat cleaver, under the mattress on her side of the bed. Her thought was, if something is coming after her, she'll chop their arm off and then jump out the bathroom window?! I'm chuckling at this as I make it over to my side of the bed, only to find the rest of our knives, still in the block, sitting on the floor right next to where I sleep. I usually have a baseball bat nearby, just in case, but now I am really prepared, I guess.
We sat in the bedroom, with the door open, for about 15 more minutes, until we decided we either heard something that wasn't there, or it was just the cat. I strip the sweatpants back off and pop out my contacts and fall fast asleep. We never heard anything more, and Yawkey didn't seem to be worried any more. Whatever it was, everything turned out fine. Before I know it, the alarm is going off in my ear, just above about a dozen knives, which caught me off guard when I woke up! We may want to look into something different for the future, like that bow and arrow I've been asking for! I'm just saying...
Monday, April 4, 2011
We got an invite to the party!
Now, before you get all excited, thinking it was some cool party, it wasn't. I mean, it is a fairly exclusive group, but not because they aren't trying. They just have an odd way of going about things. They meet every Sunday, and those in the group are super passionate about what it is they are trying to do. Do I agree with some of what they are saying, sure, I do. However, there is a ton of things I just can't agree with. The party I"m speaking of is, none other than, the Tea Party of Cumberland County. Yup, the Tea Party. Now, let me tell you how this came about...
Saturday night started off pretty innocently. We were supposed to meet friends out in Auburn, but Nichole caught a strange case of insomnia and we decided to turn in early and get some rest. On our way home, we were discussing what to eat for dinner. We decided to jump off the diet for the night and grab a pizza from Mario's Restaurant in New Gloucester on our way to the homestead. When we went in to pick it up there were a handful of guys chatting near the cash register. While we were waiting for our pizza to come out, one of the guys starts talking politics. I look at Nichole, away from the other guys, and plead and beg her not to butt in. I just wanted to get our pizza and go home, and I now where this conversation could go, as I quickly realize we view things differently than they do. That's right, she couldn't help herself, and jumps right into the discussion.
We quickly learn that the most vocal guy in the group is a member of the Tea Party. I have no problem with that, we are all different and have varying views on how to make things better for both Maine and the country. What I do have a problem with is the ridiculous double speak and continuing use of talking points that comes spewing out of his mouth. During the conversation we all agreed that Governor LePage and the legislature are really just distracting the public by arguing about whoopie pies and murals. We both agree that by distracting us from the real issues, we don't call them out for not doing anything to get Maine back on the right track, which is, in my opinion, what is going on right now. Then our new "friend" starts to go places that I will never agree with...
Before I know it, the conversation has continued outside, and our pizza is getting cold. Things turned from local politics to the national scene. I agreed with Mr. Horr (seriously, his last name is Horr, pronounced whore, I'm not making this up) that we should not be in Libya. However, he then tried to tell me that the only reason we are there is because President Obama wants to strengthen his ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. Come on, really? Then why aren't we in Tunisia, Egypt or Bahrain? Give me a break. Then we got onto the subject of same sex marriage. He started out by saying that he doesn't care what people do, as long as he doesn't have to see it, but marriage can only be between a man and a woman. Wait, which is it, do you not care or do you? Sounds to me like you do care, even though you JUST told us you didn't. I asked him why he would care if two men or two women got married, how would that bother him. His rebuttal was one of the most insane arguments I have ever heard, and I let him know that. He said, and I quote, "I love my truck, can I marry my truck?". My quick response was, "if that is your argument, that is just dumb". Seriously, marry your truck? Stupid.
The next few minutes were spent discussing how "the people will screw things up and re-elect President Obama". I said, hold on a minute there big guy. Are you telling me that Palin is a viable option? What about Michelle Bachman? How about Newt Gingrich? Donald Trump? If the Republicans are putting one of these people forward as President Obama's opponent, I don't see how they have a chance to defeat him. If they put up a viable candidate, anything can happen. Then he went off the reservation, in my opinion. He promised us that the world would end in three years if President Obama was re-elected. Yup, Armageddon. End of world. All because of President Obama. Looney Tunes stuff right there.
After about 30 minutes, we were finally going our separate ways, as I had heard enough and was climbing into the car. About 4 times he told us he would love to have us come to one of their meetings, that they need young, involved people like us. I feel like he missed the part where we didn't agree with much he had to say?! I am absolutely frustrated with how things are going right now. That being said, I want nothing to do with the Tea Party. Like I said earlier, there are some things I agree with, but only to an extent. Plus, I'm not taking political advice from a guy that drives an El Camino, keeps a toilet in his driveway, and has a last name like Horr, I just can't do it. Plus, he's responsible for creating a controversial sign back in 2008, during the presidential campaign between Obama and John McCain. I'll find a different political group to join, which I'll talk about tomorrow. I'm just saying...
Saturday night started off pretty innocently. We were supposed to meet friends out in Auburn, but Nichole caught a strange case of insomnia and we decided to turn in early and get some rest. On our way home, we were discussing what to eat for dinner. We decided to jump off the diet for the night and grab a pizza from Mario's Restaurant in New Gloucester on our way to the homestead. When we went in to pick it up there were a handful of guys chatting near the cash register. While we were waiting for our pizza to come out, one of the guys starts talking politics. I look at Nichole, away from the other guys, and plead and beg her not to butt in. I just wanted to get our pizza and go home, and I now where this conversation could go, as I quickly realize we view things differently than they do. That's right, she couldn't help herself, and jumps right into the discussion.
We quickly learn that the most vocal guy in the group is a member of the Tea Party. I have no problem with that, we are all different and have varying views on how to make things better for both Maine and the country. What I do have a problem with is the ridiculous double speak and continuing use of talking points that comes spewing out of his mouth. During the conversation we all agreed that Governor LePage and the legislature are really just distracting the public by arguing about whoopie pies and murals. We both agree that by distracting us from the real issues, we don't call them out for not doing anything to get Maine back on the right track, which is, in my opinion, what is going on right now. Then our new "friend" starts to go places that I will never agree with...
Before I know it, the conversation has continued outside, and our pizza is getting cold. Things turned from local politics to the national scene. I agreed with Mr. Horr (seriously, his last name is Horr, pronounced whore, I'm not making this up) that we should not be in Libya. However, he then tried to tell me that the only reason we are there is because President Obama wants to strengthen his ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. Come on, really? Then why aren't we in Tunisia, Egypt or Bahrain? Give me a break. Then we got onto the subject of same sex marriage. He started out by saying that he doesn't care what people do, as long as he doesn't have to see it, but marriage can only be between a man and a woman. Wait, which is it, do you not care or do you? Sounds to me like you do care, even though you JUST told us you didn't. I asked him why he would care if two men or two women got married, how would that bother him. His rebuttal was one of the most insane arguments I have ever heard, and I let him know that. He said, and I quote, "I love my truck, can I marry my truck?". My quick response was, "if that is your argument, that is just dumb". Seriously, marry your truck? Stupid.
The next few minutes were spent discussing how "the people will screw things up and re-elect President Obama". I said, hold on a minute there big guy. Are you telling me that Palin is a viable option? What about Michelle Bachman? How about Newt Gingrich? Donald Trump? If the Republicans are putting one of these people forward as President Obama's opponent, I don't see how they have a chance to defeat him. If they put up a viable candidate, anything can happen. Then he went off the reservation, in my opinion. He promised us that the world would end in three years if President Obama was re-elected. Yup, Armageddon. End of world. All because of President Obama. Looney Tunes stuff right there.
After about 30 minutes, we were finally going our separate ways, as I had heard enough and was climbing into the car. About 4 times he told us he would love to have us come to one of their meetings, that they need young, involved people like us. I feel like he missed the part where we didn't agree with much he had to say?! I am absolutely frustrated with how things are going right now. That being said, I want nothing to do with the Tea Party. Like I said earlier, there are some things I agree with, but only to an extent. Plus, I'm not taking political advice from a guy that drives an El Camino, keeps a toilet in his driveway, and has a last name like Horr, I just can't do it. Plus, he's responsible for creating a controversial sign back in 2008, during the presidential campaign between Obama and John McCain. I'll find a different political group to join, which I'll talk about tomorrow. I'm just saying...
Friday, April 1, 2011
A couple of things I'm just not sure I understand...
With Spring on its way, at least according to the calendar, I have a few things dancing around in my brain that I have never fully understood. Any chance you, my faithful readers, can help me with these brain busters? I would surely appreciate it. Just ask the wife, I lay up at night thinking about these things, and many others, causing her to have sleepless nights as well. In fact, she may want these queries answered more than I do. Here we go...
When a road needs patching, why do crews just lay the asphalt on top of the pothole? They don't pack it down, I'm sure, in hopes that vehicles will help seal up the hole, but does that ever actually work? I mean, all the fresh asphalt ends up on our cars and around the pothole, not actually in it. Is it just me, or is this not only a complete waste of time, but a waste of tax payer dollars? Seriously, this seems like a complete waste of time and money. I mean, don't construction crews have a bridge they can all watch someone else work on?
April snow storms. I mean, I know we live in Maine, but give me a damn break! Mother Nature is dropping a heavy, wet white dump on us today. Just when we could see almost all of our lawn too. Now the driveway, which was already a bit of a mess, will get torn up more from the snowplow (through no fault of our great plow guy, it's just the nature of the beast), and we have more melting to worry about in the low spots in our yard. If I can find a positive side to this, I guess it would be that the office is closed?! Of course, that would be good if I had known before I showed up to a pitch black 4th floor. Oh well, good chance to get some things done while I crank out the tunes.
Speaking of this big old snow storm, how does a meteorologist get licensed? I mean, really, they are hardly ever right, and most of the time the are simply hedging their bets. "Today will be partly sunny" or "partly cloudy". No kidding, every day could be partly cloudy or sunny. And while I'm on the subject, the two are the same, you aren't fooling us! If I was wrong as often as they are, I would be spending half of my day waiting in line at the soup kitchen. No offense to any of you weather "predictors" out there, but come on, what a sweet gig.
April Fool's Day?! How the heck did that start? Don't get me wrong, I've had fun with it over the years, but I don't really understand the point of it. Is it necessary to purposely mess with people? Do we really need a specific day for that? It's a lot more fun when you just do it any time of year, people don't come to expect it as much.
If salt is good to put on snow to help it melt, and so is cat litter, could we just put cat litter on our food for extra flavor? Also, if salt has that effect on snow, what is it doing in our stomachs? I'm not suggesting putting used cat litter on our food, that is a little too much extra flavor, and the dog would be begging way too much then. I have, for the most part, removed salt and sugar from my diet, and I've been feeling great, so maybe there is a connection between melting snow and some weird chemical reaction in my stomach?! All I know is that I'm not leaning toward sprinkling a dash of Tidy Cat on my pizza any time soon!
Why do cats always have to lay on something? For example, we put our unlooked (that's a word, right?!) at mail in a pile on the kitchen table, until we have a chance to go through it. The cats will only lay on the pile of mail?! Why? The pile covers maybe 2% of the table. One of our cats, laying down, takes up maybe 15% of the table. Why do they have to lay on the mail? Seems to me they would want to lay on the smoother service, but no. Then, undoubtedly, one of our fat, lazy cats will knock the aforementioned pile of mail on to the floor, leaving us with a mess to pick up when we get home. I know the answer to our problem is to not leave the mail there, I know. But, why do cats, because it's not just our cats that do this, find this necessary?
I know I could probably use my waking hours more constructively, but these are the sorts of things that keep me up at night. Someone, anyone, please help! I'm just saying...
When a road needs patching, why do crews just lay the asphalt on top of the pothole? They don't pack it down, I'm sure, in hopes that vehicles will help seal up the hole, but does that ever actually work? I mean, all the fresh asphalt ends up on our cars and around the pothole, not actually in it. Is it just me, or is this not only a complete waste of time, but a waste of tax payer dollars? Seriously, this seems like a complete waste of time and money. I mean, don't construction crews have a bridge they can all watch someone else work on?
April snow storms. I mean, I know we live in Maine, but give me a damn break! Mother Nature is dropping a heavy, wet white dump on us today. Just when we could see almost all of our lawn too. Now the driveway, which was already a bit of a mess, will get torn up more from the snowplow (through no fault of our great plow guy, it's just the nature of the beast), and we have more melting to worry about in the low spots in our yard. If I can find a positive side to this, I guess it would be that the office is closed?! Of course, that would be good if I had known before I showed up to a pitch black 4th floor. Oh well, good chance to get some things done while I crank out the tunes.
Speaking of this big old snow storm, how does a meteorologist get licensed? I mean, really, they are hardly ever right, and most of the time the are simply hedging their bets. "Today will be partly sunny" or "partly cloudy". No kidding, every day could be partly cloudy or sunny. And while I'm on the subject, the two are the same, you aren't fooling us! If I was wrong as often as they are, I would be spending half of my day waiting in line at the soup kitchen. No offense to any of you weather "predictors" out there, but come on, what a sweet gig.
April Fool's Day?! How the heck did that start? Don't get me wrong, I've had fun with it over the years, but I don't really understand the point of it. Is it necessary to purposely mess with people? Do we really need a specific day for that? It's a lot more fun when you just do it any time of year, people don't come to expect it as much.
If salt is good to put on snow to help it melt, and so is cat litter, could we just put cat litter on our food for extra flavor? Also, if salt has that effect on snow, what is it doing in our stomachs? I'm not suggesting putting used cat litter on our food, that is a little too much extra flavor, and the dog would be begging way too much then. I have, for the most part, removed salt and sugar from my diet, and I've been feeling great, so maybe there is a connection between melting snow and some weird chemical reaction in my stomach?! All I know is that I'm not leaning toward sprinkling a dash of Tidy Cat on my pizza any time soon!
Why do cats always have to lay on something? For example, we put our unlooked (that's a word, right?!) at mail in a pile on the kitchen table, until we have a chance to go through it. The cats will only lay on the pile of mail?! Why? The pile covers maybe 2% of the table. One of our cats, laying down, takes up maybe 15% of the table. Why do they have to lay on the mail? Seems to me they would want to lay on the smoother service, but no. Then, undoubtedly, one of our fat, lazy cats will knock the aforementioned pile of mail on to the floor, leaving us with a mess to pick up when we get home. I know the answer to our problem is to not leave the mail there, I know. But, why do cats, because it's not just our cats that do this, find this necessary?
I know I could probably use my waking hours more constructively, but these are the sorts of things that keep me up at night. Someone, anyone, please help! I'm just saying...
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