Ponderings 4/29/12

1. I wonder when they are going to start teaching first graders to not only think twice before they speak but also to think twice before they tweet. At least when you say something you can sort of claim it was misunderstood, but once it is written there is not much you can do.

2. With YouTube's lyric videos and playlist functionality, I am not sure why anybody would buy Karaoke software. The only places that have an exception to my rule are the Korean Karaoke places and their awesome music videos.

3. What happened to all the passion, people had when sharing the Kony 2012 video? At least 30 of my friends were not only sharing but super enthusiastic about the video. But, I only think 1 of them is still involved with putting up fliers.
Is this because of the negative responses to the video?/Because it is super easy to share something without actually doing anything?/Because the co-founder had a mental breakdown?

3B. Also, why was the campaign for fliering launched several months after the initial video? Not only did this allow the chance for mental breakdowns but it definitely caused a major loss of momentum.

4. Don't make jokes about ACLs on a form of social media that your parents read. You will immediately get called or pinged to see if you are ok.

5A. Injuries, kill sports. (NBA Playoffs 2012) I used to be against all the new safety rules by leagues, but as athletes continue to get bigger, faster, stronger, we really need new rules. Even, with new rules there will always be freak accidents. Toughest part of watching sports is seeing someone's season end just because of a fluke injury.

5B. Coaches get questioned for decisions about playing starters at the end of games when they are winning big. But, when their entire job security relies on winning and winning now what choice do they have?

Ponderings 4/22/12

1.This week I returned to Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden after 5 years. (Probably not healthy to do both in a week, but it brought back a lot of memories.) I forgot how good their bread and bread sticks respectively were. I also remembered why I always used to share entrees there.  (More room for bread at a fraction of the cost.)

1B. Also the table cloth crayon idea needs to be repeated by all restaurants. At all awkward moments during dinner you can just draw or start a game of hangman. (This doesn't look as bad as disregarding the people you are eating with and playing draw something or words with friends on your phone.)  

2. Hopefully nobody remembers my ponderings because sometimes I think I repeat myself. I am also hoping that people are starting to think that ponderings is a real word.

3. A lot of us tend to automatically consider the things we read on the Internet as facts, but with a quick search you will find 20 articles all contradicting each other on someway. Read more than one before you form an opinion. One exception to this rule is this blog.

4. Its very easy for an observer or newcomer to devalue a tradition, but for those involved with the tradition for many years its very difficult to deal with a specific tradition ending.

5. Rather than staying with status quo, sports need to make active changes to solve 2 major problems. Tanking and Diving/Flopping.

5A. Tanking - The NBA is a perfect example of a sport where starters rest and teams tank in order to try to get higher draft picks. Instead of killing the game for fans, here is my solution.
In addition to the NBA playoffs, the NBA adds a single elimination tournament for all the teams who don't make the playoffs to fight for the 1st and 2nd draft picks. The teams with higher records get home court advantage so everybody has an incentive to keep playing. Now to make sure the rich don't always keep getting richer, the rest of the picks continue to use the lottery problem with the team with the worst record having the highest lottery chance for the 3rd pick.

5B. Diving/Flopping - Soccer and Basketball are being destroyed with diving and flopping respectively. Judgement calls are too hard for referees and reviewing each call would kill the game momentum.

Instead for the NBA, referees review flops at halftime and are allowed to add fouls for each flop. After a game, the league reviews flops and players get technical fouls which count towards future suspensions.
For soccer, you use the same concept and allow referees to give yellow cards for flagrant flops at halftime as well as after the game to count towards future suspensions.

Ponderings 4/15/12

1.Imagine if you could read 2x faster and remember 2x more of what you currently do. (If you sign up for a speed reading or memorization course after this post you owe me a referral fee)

2. Most people throw out toothpaste containers with at least another 15 uses of toothpaste left.  Learn  how to squeeze from the bottom and get that last ounce out. For those needing help try using a pen starting from the bottom of the container and rolling it to the top.


3.Group Shopping - There needs to be an easy way for apartment mates or a group of friends planning an event, to buy everything needed without worrying about whose paying. After the event, IOUs are settled automatically by previously provided bank accounts.

4. Seattle has got to be the worst city to get a car wash in.

5. I always get excited when I pay and realize that sales tax was already included, so I spend less than the calculated price in my head. But at the same time, I always get angry when I pay and realize I forget to account for sales tax.

6. I don't understand eating etiquette.
A. Why is it polite to leave the last bit of soup in your bowl?
B.  Why is it polite not to scavenge for the small remaining pieces of food in your plate?
C. Why do I have to eat with a fork and knife? (If I eat with my hands, I am saving you from washing extra dishes later)
D.  Why I am not allowed to use a napkin to blow my nose? (If I don't have a kleenex, do you really prefer me letting my nose drip?)
E. Why is it impolite to take food from a neighbor? (If the neighbor is cool with it, why do the others care?)

Ponderings 4/8/12

1. I started drinking coffee out of a straw, in a hope to impress my dentist. The only problem is that the only straws we have are the coffee stirrers.

2. As more and more cities are urbanized is it actually helping the quality of living of those who were previously rural if they are struggling to integrate with "urban life"?

3. Is it weird that people will go out of their way to help a lost dog but not a homeless person?

4. I am not sure why people always think I am weird when I tell them that I love trick or treating or easter egg hunting. What is better than free candy?

5.I love the dynamics that take place in a pickup basketball game full of players who have not played with each other.
A. For the first few plays people use athletic stereotypes to only pass to the people who they think will be good. People compare height, weight, race, and apparel. My favorite example of this is how much easier it is to get the ball when I am wearing a UNC shirt vs. when I am wearing a CMU shirt.
B. Someone who causes a turnover on defense earns a free shot on offense from his teammates.
C. For the first half of the game you have different people act as the point guard, but by the 2nd half of the game the player who has made several plays earns the respect of the guy taking the ball out and he is now the designated point guard.
D. If you miss your first couple shots you will need to make several defensive plays, shots, and passes before you start earning back the trust of your teammates. But if you make your first two shots, your next three don't matter. First impressions are everything.
E. If any players know each other before the game, they will only pass to each other until they figure out who else is a stud.
   

Ponderings 4/1/12

1. I want friends to think about writing the following blogs. Let me know if you are interested I would be willing to coauthor/advise.
               A. Bargaining 101 - Stories from the week on bargaining for better prices on everything. It would include tips and tricks and a overall tally of the money saved.
               B. Non Profit coolness -Researched, well written analysis on efforts being done by non-profits. (There are a ton of websites that do something but haven't found anything I love)
               C. Bro Deals - A blog that filters through all the online deals available and just posts deals that are interesting to you. People with similar interests come here instead of needing to go through every site.
               D.  Sports Debates - The problem with commenting on ESPN.com is that there is way too much noise and people you are arguing with that you don't know. Instead this blog, posts hot topic articles from different websites and lets you debate on these with a smaller circle of friends.
              E.  Challenges - People submit challenges and the blog chronicles day to day experiences on each challenge.

2. You buy a TV for $1500 and a Couch for $300. After a couple years you sell both. You sell the TV for $750 and the Couch for $250. It is crazy how fast technology depreciates.

3. "What goes up must come down" - Tebowmania - no longer a Starting QB, LinSanity- out for the season.

4. I thought the Wrestling fad was over 5 years ago but I am getting a lot of Wrestle Mania noise on Twitter and Facebook. 

5. April's Fool Day on a Sunday makes things very challenging but here were some of the highlights of what I saw done well this year:
          A. Signing up a friend to a matrimony site.
          B. Ordering Pizzas too your friend who is currently obsessing about their Diet for their planned tropical vacation.
         C. Using scheduled emails to make yourself look like you are working 24 hours a day for 7 days.