A New Hobby for 2010

I don't consider myself a "resolutioner" when it comes to plans for the new year, because I often find they are promises to yourself that are easily broken and abandoned.  Instead, I like to reflect on the previous year and plan out a direction for the next.  I have found a recent interest that I would like to develop into a hobby in 2010.

I do consider myself a "gadget geek" when it comes to electronics of all kinds.  I don't often go through with purchasing many of the items I spend hours drooling over, but occasionally there are some "investments" that I feel are necessary for my life.  My most recent obsession is over getting a new camera.  I have a 4 year old Sony that has worked alright for most outdoor photos, but the zoom is miserable with no stabilization and indoor photos don't turn out well at all.

So as a combination birthday/Christmas gift by parents are going to pay for a new digital camera, whenever I finally decide on the one thats perfect for me.  While its not a resolution, I think in this new year I would like to take the time to spot those photo opportunities and come up with some real great shots.  After looking at some of my photos from my Colorado trip again recently, I'm becoming even more excited about what I can do with a better camera.

This might be one of my top 3 favorite photos from that trip.  I just happened upon this beautiful church that seemed to rise out of the ground below with a breath-taking mountain as its backdrop.  The only editing I did was to apply a "warm" filter using Picasa that added a softer red tone.  Not bad for my 6 megapixel Sony, huh?

Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

Alright so people that know me will know that I am fairly conservative politically.  I did not vote for Obama because I feared his idea of "change" really sounded more like "socialism" to me.  Turns out that's exactly the direction his administration is going, with the full support of the Democratic majority in Congress.

The most disturbing development in the idolizing of Obama as our national savior is his recent win of the Nobel Peace Prize.  I'm not going to go off on why this is so ridiculous, because there is already plenty of critical reaction out there if you are looking to read that.  Now I understand that Republicans and Independents are very concerned about Obama getting nominated only several weeks after he took the oath of office.  I just don't see how even Democrats can give any concrete examples of his contributions to world peace so far.

Here is my question:  Do big Obama supporters really think he deserves this award?  I honestly want to know if there is anyone out there that really believes he has achieved great strides in bringing peace to this world? 

I don't want this to become a place where other conservatives simply rant on how they hate Obama - I'm asking any people that are Obama supporters!

Loving Colorado!

I've only been in Colorado for several days, but I have fallen in the love with the area.

First of all, I need to thank my coworker Andre.  The only reason I was able to come out here was that he transferred to a different department within our company, which gave me the opportunity to take over for his customers out here in Boulder.  With all the trips I've been on to the Midwest, it was a huge relief to finally go some place new and exciting!

The first few days of my trip were not very different from any other business trip.  I held trainings during the day at a local hospital, then enjoyed some of the local restaurants for dinner.  This time around, I enjoyed a local micro-brew beer and pizza, fresh Japanese cuisine, and a delicious BBQ dinner over the course of three nights.  One thing that immediately stood out to me was how active people in this community seemed to be.  Every road had a dedicated bike lane, and you'd be hard pressed to go a half mile without seeing at least a few cyclists or runners.  This healthy lifestyle is also seen by the large percentage of organic and health-based restaurants in the area, along with the large number of dog owners taking a stroll around town. 


Yesterday was the first day that I transitioned from business to personal travel.  No more pricey meals now that its all out of my pocket!  For this business trip, I was lucky enough to grab a brand new Ford Mustang convertible, so the top went down before I even left the parking lot.  I left my hotel around 9:30am and headed north from Boulder towards Rocky Mountain National Park.

This could have gone straight into a Ford commercial!

I went along a scenic highway that meandered around mountains and streams, stopping every 1/2 mile to take more and more pictures.  As I continued driving far beneath the speed limit with my eyes constantly distracted from the road, I was awestruck at the unique rock formations that rose up from the beautiful streams that paralleled the road.  The only difficult part of the morning was finding the perfect soundtrack to my drive.  Once I finally located some James Taylor on my mp3 player, I knew this was going to be a great day.

I finally came across the southern most entrance to the national park called Wild Basin.  Now this wasn't my intended destination when I begin in the morning, but it looked like a great place to find some good hiking trails.  After spending some time getting the overview from a very nice park ranger, I drove down a long dirt road that led me to a parking lot where the hiking would begin.  As I began, I noticed a stick lying to the side that quickly became a perfect walking stick.  The trail was full of rocks and roots to overcome, but there was plenty of evidence that it had been maintained by the park service.  It was just perfect for an enthousiastic yet innexperienced hiker like myself.

The 2.7 mile trip from Wild Basin Trailhead to the Ouzel Falls

The landmarks on this trail were some spectacular sights of waterfalls that occurred along the river.  (I took hundreds of photos of the whole trip, but don't have my digital camera cable with me to upload - just cell phone pics)  So many times I was reminded of an old childhood favorite - Homeward Bound.  Each time I'd come to a peak and overlook the giant expanse of wilderness around me, I kept thinking of the imagery from that movie which took place in the Rocky Mountains.

Calypso Cascades

The whole trip up took quite a long time as I continued to stop for photos and exploration.  I was amazed to see so much of nature that was unscathed by man (besides the trail and occasional signs).   My last destination was Ouzel Falls, which had the longest drop of the three major falls along my hike.  After some off-trail hiking towards the base of the falls, I got some more amazing photos and stopped for my third granola bar of the day.  

The beauty of this landscape was breath-taking.

Ouzel Falls

My trip back down the trail was much faster than the trip up, partially because I was enjoying a downhill pace, but mostly because I wanted to get to Fort Collins before dinner.  I was shocked half way down to see my very first moose about 50 yards away in the woods!

I finally got to Fort Collins around 6:30 to my aunt and uncles place that I'm staying through Sunday.  In fact I'm sitting out in their backyard now where they have a view of the foothills of the Rockies through the trees.  Tonight we'll be going to the Colorado Rockies game in Denver and tomorrow we'll be going back into the national forest.  Such a great trip so far!

We'll I have to run, but will try to update in the next few days with the rest of my experiences!

P.S.  If any beer was served "as cold as the Rockies" from what I've experienced this week, it would be a disgusting 70+ degrees warm...

Monday Morning Rabbit Trails

Today I was curious what other events occurred on my birthday (November 29), so naturally I went straight to Wikipedia. First I found out in 2001, George Harrison died on this day. Then I began to notice some very interesting facts:

• "Denny" Doherty of the Mamas and Papas was born on November 29, 1940 (exactly 45 years before me) - my Dad's name is "Dennis Doherty"

• Two of the other founding members of the Mama and Papas were John and Michelle Phillips - my dad's brother Dick Doherty married Cheryl whose maiden name is "Phillips"

• As soon as I went to John Phillips's page, I noticed that my Pandora radio station starting playing "California Dreaming" - by the Mama's and Papa's!

Very weird! I gotta get back to work now...

Happiness - A Pursuit or a Provision?

Since the Obama administration and a Democratic majority have taken over US politics in 2009, we have seen plenty of the "change" that enticed a large number of American voters last November. However as I pointed out before the elections, it has worried me that people have given so much control to an administration that is taking immediate and drastic steps to bring us under a socialistic style of government. Not only is government taking over the auto industry, banks, and now even the entire healthcare system, but they are also overturning initiatives that were set up during the Bush administration to promote productivity and self-sustaining families.

I have resisted making any argument regarding the most recent health care legislation before Congress (which has frightening implications by the way). However, there was an article on Boston.com this morning that reinforced my negative opinions of this new administration with the title of "President shifts focus to renting, not owning".

Even many conservatives can agree that there were many reasons to look forward to a replacement for George W., but I think that the focus his administration had towards promoting home ownership was a very positive one. Many might argue that this was the cause of economic instability (specifically for the housing/lending markets), but I think that this can be mostly blamed on irresponsible lending organizations that were giving money to people who could clearly not afford it.

So instead of continuing to promote home-ownership by providing assistance and incentives, the Obama administration is now switching governmental support to pay for more rental properties. With this new direction, landlords continue to pocket even more money, and a larger percentage of mid/low income families are depositing their paychecks into their landlords accounts. How can you rebuild an economy on this concept of increased dependence on government? This is just one of many examples of how our government is continuing to reward those who are dependent on a hand-outs instead of rewarding the producers and contributors.

Is the Obama administration just catching a fish for families instead of teaching them how to fish?

Now before I am attacked, I will agree that 1) not everyone can or should be homeowners and 2) there is a real need for urban housing developments for low income families that would otherwise be homeless. I myself am a renter for now, but I look forward to someday fulfilling the American dream of home ownership. I could not disagree more with Barney Franks statement in this article: "I’ve always said the American dream should be a home - not home-ownership."

When our government was established over 200 years ago, there were protections for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. People immigrated from all over the world for their opportunity to become self-sufficient land-owning producers. For some reason in the 21st century, our government seems to believe that they are responsible for the provision of happiness. When you move support to increased rental housing, you are not protecting the pursuit of home-ownership. This has just contributed to an ongoing pattern of government provision rather than government protection. If anyone is in trouble, Uncle Sam is rushing in to bail them out because they believe everyone should be equal. Oh wait that sounds like... socialism!

People need to be free to succeed, but they also need to be free to fail. That's exactly what "land of the free" means.

Realized i missed getting my iced coffee this morning and considering how horribly this could throw off my day

Posted via SMS from Joe's posterous

Concerning Michael Jackson

Wow I never thought I would get so much response from a simple statement I made online.

After watching the Michael Jackson memorial service on CNN.com yesterday, I was amazed at the great adoration and praise that everyone had for what an amazing man he was. Not only from fellow entertainers, athletes, and musicians, but even from several clergy members. They said that he broke racial boundaries, revolutionized the music industry, and had a heart of gold.
I agreed with many of the sincere words that these people had to say. Jackson did leave behind a legacy as one of the greatest entertainers that ever lived. His global impact in this way was quite amazing. But I'm not so sure he was as much of a "saint" as people made him out to be.

However, as the memorial service ended at the Staples Center, I couldn't help but feel deeply troubled by the situation. Not necessarily grief that he had died, but more disappointment at how a man of such talent lived a very troubled life. As they carried him away in his golden casket, it reminded me of how the Bible talks about how empty all of this life's riches and accolades are in the end. Michael Jackson made millions of dollars each year on his music (plus the rights he owned to half of the Beatles catalogue), however he still died deeply in debt. It is a text-book example of how all the money in the world cannot buy happiness and peace, and reminded me of Jesus words:

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)

Michael Jackson gained enormous success, money, and respect from this world, but did he forfeit his soul? I am in no way suggesting that he is "going to hell" or "deserved to die". I didn't even mention any of the things that he did or did not do regarding his child molestation charges. I was simply pondering a life of fame and fortune, but void of God.

None of us can judge or condemn him regarding his eternal home. I am simply saddened by a life that had so much, but seemed so empty. Even if he was the King of Pop, this made no difference when he stood before the King of Kings.

Geek Alert: Windows 7 Pre-Order

Anyone that knows me probably knows I have a nerdy love of technology. So naturally, I have been following the development and announcements about Microsoft's upcoming successor to Vista, named Windows 7, which will be released sometime in October 2009. With all the negative reception that Vista got, everyone has been curious if Microsoft learned their lessons about resource intensive software that takes people longer to accomplish things than Windows XP (released nearly 8 years ago).

So a few months back I got my hands on a beta version of Windows 7 that they released for people to test out. Although it has the same look and feel as Vista, the performance improvement was very noticeable and they have added some really great changes. So after testing for a brief period I decided I should probably purchase this software once it comes out, seeing as I have "acquired" and shared more than one copy of Windows or MS Office over the last 5 years.

And behold! In a desperate attempt to get back customers, Microsoft is offering a great deal on Windows 7 pre-orders that equals over 50% savings! Ok maybe you're not excited, but this was a great suprise for me. All of a sudden, paying $49.95 for an upgrade to Home Premium doesn't sound bad.

So if you have any interest in technology and have a nerdy desire for the cutting edge like me, check out that link above to get your hands on a cheap copy now.

Baggage claim reunions

I usually try to minimize time spent in airports - usually any wasted time is spent at the gate waiting for delayed flights. In the Little Rock airport, however, I have spent several hours hanging out at the Starbucks near baggage claim (on two separate occasions in the last year). Today I tried to make it here 3 hours earlier than my scheduled flight so see if I could catch an earlier departure back to Boston, but no such luck. So here I am stuck around the baggage claim area for now.

In my short time here its been great to people watch, especially those that are waiting for friends/family. Its hard for me not to guess if its a husband, a child, or grandmother thats going to come down the elevator with a huge goofy grin on their face while their driver-in-waiting runs to give them a hug. I admit its hard not to smile when I see a little kid run up to Mommy who just got back from her business trip.

Traveling is a little different for me. I drive myself to/from the airport. I descend elevators with a straight face. I usually get back to my apartment with very little drama and just go to bed. But sitting here today has got me a little jealous of all these joy-filled reunions all around me. Why can't I have a beautiful girl waiting for me when I arrive home from my business trips? I suppose this makes it much easier for me to leave MA in the first place.

Jumping on the "Digital Bandwagon"

As years go on there are many fads that come and go, and for the most part I pride myself in not jumping on bandwagons just because everyone else is. Ok maybe I've done it a little with the Bruins this season since I rarely watched them other years.

I'm sure everyone is aware of (and possibly sick of) the most recent fads in the world of technology with things like text messaging, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking tools that some argue only worsens the problem of increasingly lonely people in an overly-connected world. While I would agree that for many people (especially teens) it promotes less personal contact and communication, I enjoy connecting with people in new ways and sharing interesting info with friends, family, and coworkers.

I can completely understand people rejecting Facebook and Twitter. In fact I have told my parents that they aren't allowed to get a Facebook profile. But the only reason why I can be an active participant with these two fads is that I have been using them long before they were even mentioned on the nightly news or celebrities were using them.

Facebook was originally started as a social network for Harvard students back in February of 2004, and by that summer it had expanded to include dozens of other universities. Although I can't remember exactly when I signed up with my own profile, I think it was the Fall of 2004 or Spring of 2005. What attracted me to it was how "clean" it looked compared to Myspace and how it was all college students (no more 50 year old pedophiles looking for undiscerning teens). So even though Facebook has grown to over 150 million users around the world, I was using it long before you could become a fan of popsicle sticks and take a survey on your top 5 favorite salad dressings. In fact I think the most advanced feature they had back then was poking a friend.

Now on to Twitter. Besides the fact that it sounds like a dirty thing to be "twittering" at work, I think this is the one that confuses people even more. Why does anyone care about what I'm doing at all times? I agree that posting a tweet of "sleeping" is about as important notice as putting on your blinker each time you pull into a parking space (I still love you Mom). But I've tried to contribute info that doesn't just clutter the internet. Many times it actually starts up lengthy discussions. Another time I was able to let friends and family know (via text message) to pray for my Dad when he was going in for his quadruple bypass heart surgery. And as far is the 7 million visitors that Twitter.com gets each day? My first tweet was over 15 months ago when the site was getting less than 500,000 visitors each month.

So that's my defense on using these technical fads that have popped up in the last several years. Sure they can be a waste of time, but I refuse to be labeled as a "bandwagon" user.

Rythmic Gymnast

Why did I miss this event at the Beijing Olympics??

Why I Love Thursday Nights

I have a major celebrity crush on Jenna Fischer.

She’s the actress who plays Pam Beesley on The Office.  She is just a real “girl next door” type that loves to have fun and doesn’t take herself too seriously.  I understand that she is 12 years my senior, but I want to marry her and grow old together.  Whats so wrong with that?

A New Spring Resolution

Now that spring is in the air, its time to slowly take out the shorts and t-shirts again and eventually get ready to spend some time on the beach.  The only problem is that I have spent many months sitting around eating comfort food at the apartment, giant steak dinners on the road… and maybe a beer or two.

So I’ve finally joined my local gym.  I’d like to say I’m being proactive before the summer gets here, but the truth is I’ve been meaning to sign up for the gym back in January.  Well I hate fads and really didn’t want to be one of those “resolutioners” who sets goals after New Years to only give up a few months later.  So I guess March is a safe enough distance from January where I can’t be grouped with the “resolutioners”, but instead they can watch me as I look like I’m about to pass out on the treadmill after 3/4 mile.

I’m not gonna lie – this week has been rough.  Dave and I started out with a mile jog and then did a bicep/tricep workout to shock the muscles back into shape.  I expected how sore I would be after I got home, and even knew my arms would hurt in the morning, but I did not expect that I wouldn’t be able to fully straighten my right arm for the rest of the week.  I must have pulled my right bicep because today is the first time I’ve been able to fully extend my arm without writhing in pain.  I guess I should’ve gone a little bit easier for my first time back.

The first few weeks back are always the hardest when the muscles are “waking up” again after a dormant winter.  Looking forward to getting back into a healthier lifestyle with both my diet and physical activity.  Can’t wait for summer to get here!

 

The Evolution of Blogging

I've been posting my thoughts to a blog for just over 3 years now. Every once in a while I'll go back and view some of my older posts and laugh at the material I wrote. I guess it started off more as an "online journal" than a series of opinions and observations that would stimulate discussion or feedback (though my newer posts don't seem to be accomplishing that either).

So if you're bored - thats probably why you're reading this to begin with - go ahead and take a look at the stuff that was on my mind several years ago. I admit some stuff is personal crap that probably has no need clogging all of the "tubes" of the internet, but just ignore that stuff. Go ahead and comment on the stuff that does interest you.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to work on some new thoughts to share with you all.

23y SWM seeking moral compass in culture

Everyone knows that the American economy is going down the tubes with the help of a fiscally wreckless government and record job losses (amongst other things). What stands out to me even more is the absolute moral depravity that is no longer being disguised, but blatently advertised. This morning I heard an ad on the radio with soundclips of people unhappy with their marriages. I assumed this was an ad for a counciling hotline or new couples therapy book.

I was very wrong. This was an ad for a new website that helps people find other married people looking for an affair.

If other drivers were looking they would have seen my jaw drop in disbelief. A company encouraging and even profiting from adultery. I am still very upset about it and cant beleive our culture has come this far.

What are your thoughts? Have you heard of this website?

Going To California

Had a good weekend. Delicious dinner Saturday night with friends and Brendan finally got back from his 6 weeks on Sea Term. Glad hes back and hopefully we can get a snowboard trip in before winter ends. This week i will be in Redding, CA for business. Its about 2 hours south of Oregon so not sure what to expect. Not looking forward to this 6 hour flight!

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25 Random Things About Me (just couldn’t resist)

After reading everyone else’s “Random 25 Things About Me”, I started thinking of things that I would put down on a such a survey, and now I cannot resist.  As much as I hate these stupid “chain surveys”, this one is completely under my control and I don’t need to answer stupid questions like “have you ever eaten an entire box of Oreos?”

So here goes!

1. My name is Joseph Leonard.  My paternal grandfathers name is Leonard Joseph. My maternal grandfathers name was Joseph Andrew . Everyone wins!
2. I am 50% Irish and 50% Czech.  Ireland and the Czech republic are the #3 and #5 top alcohol consuming countries in the world (respectively).  This is a bad combination.
3. I sucked my thumb from the time I was born until roughly the age of 7.
4. When my mom was pregnant with my younger brother Brendan, I insisted that my parents name the baby “Laura”.  I don’t see why gender should matter.
5. If you are ever lucky enough to see an old home video of me as a child, you will only be able to pick up about half of what I said. Most of the time I spoke at such high frequencies that only dogs could hear.
6. I do not like chocolate. I never have. I am strange. Get over it.
7. I got sent to the principals office every single year from 3rd grade until my senior year of high school.  I was homeschooled K - 2nd so when the “principal” came home from work I would receive spankings that normal schools cannot administer.
8. I have the hairline of a 40 year old and the facial hair of a 14 year old. Neither of which are attractive to girls in their 20’s.
9. All of my friends know that I am somewhat of a geek. So when I graduated college, I took a job at a software company teaching people how to use our financial software. Take that world!
10. I taught myself how to play guitar probably around 7 years ago. I don’t practice enough to get really good but its one of my favorite things to do to relax.
11. I find most music on the radio today to be unoriginal and boring. I mostly listen to classic rock and oldies stuff.
12. One of my biggest weaknesses is procrastination.  If I am unsure about something, I will put it off hoping it will go away.
13. I am seriously researching buying a condo or small home in the next 2 years. I hate throwing away money in rent every month.
14. I am very OCD about my computer. I always empty my Recycling Bin, leave about 5 shortcuts on my desktop, and my digital music collection is perfectly ordered.
15. I have never seen any of the Godfather movies.
16. My favorite comedy movie has to be Dumb and Dumber. On any given day you have several opportunities to quote fitting lines from this movie.
17. I have been to 25 states. I don’t count airports.
18. All three cars I have owned have been standard transmission (and have all had moon roofs).
19. My summer job for about 7 years was landscaping. Every summer I miss doing that kind of work and hate being indoors – not so much during the winter months.
20. My senior year of college I went on two disaster relief trips. The first was to Jean Lafitte, Louisiana with a Quaker relief organization (no I’m not a Quaker). The second was to Birmingham, Alabama with Habitat for Humanity.
21. Because I often talk too much or without thinking, I try to live by Abraham Lincoln’s words: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”  I follow this about 10% of the time.
22. I love little kids and I really look forward to being a dad some day. Just not yet…
23. I crack my knuckles several times a day without realizing it – its only when people complain about it that I notice. Oh and I can crack my back too – sounds pretty gross.
24. I can do the best Gollum impression of anyone you know.  I usually start doing it after I watch Lord of the Rings, but don’t ask me to just do it on the spot.
25. After trying the “glasses look” for 2 1/2 years, I am getting contacts today.

I’ll probably keep thinking of things I should’ve added for the next week.

Just The Begin Ning

No the title is not a mistake. Its simply a clever play on words about the new website that I recently discovered and have been playing around with.  For the last few months I’ve been thinking of a better way to connect family members other than email. It just becomes a long thread of replies that gets messy and is easy to lost in the clutter a few weeks later.  So I came across this website that actually lets you build your own social networking website.

Ning.com

The benefit to using this over the traditional Facebook or Myspace is that this online “community” can be customized with different features, and its limited only to the users that we invite.  It has all the same features like posting photos, writing on a person’s profile wall, setting up events, etc.  I really think that this customized feel will make family members feel more comfortable than they might on a traditional large scale social networking site.

I sent out an invite to most of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. So far only the cousins have signed up (the more tech savvy generation), so hopefully the Baby Boomer generation will get the hang of things soon. Once it gets off the ground, it should be fun! So in a sense, its “just the beginning”.

Here’s a screenshot so far:

Nothing's Gonna Change My World

For the last few years I have been downloading the discography of classic artists and learning their songs. I did this a few years ago with Led Zeppelin and more recently I've been into a lot of Beatles. This stuff just blows contemporary music out of the water! So groundbreaking and so much more creative than the American Idol style garbage that's flooding the airwaves.

Enough of my pop music bashing...

As a guitar player I really appreciate a lot of the music itself outside of the vocals, effects, etc. One such song caught my attention because of its simple yet beautiful sounding guitar:

Across The Universe

This song was originally written by John Lennon in 1968 and was included on their final studio album Let it Be. It was also included on the Let It Be... Naked album in 2003 which featured a more "stripped down" version. I'm not really a huge fan of the chorus phrase "Jai guru deva om" (which is roughly translated to "hail to the divine guru"), but I've fallen in love with the actual music of the song itself.

So last night I busted out the ol' six string, checked out a few guitar tab websites, and learned most of the song. I eventually plan to use it to serenade women and have them fall deeply in love with me...

Priorities Straight

For the last month I've been thinking about my housing situation. Its only meant to be temporary but its been nice saving so much money.

All this got me thinking about how much money i threw away last year in rent money - even cheaper rent is still throwing it away. This got me real interested in buying a condo, townhouse, or small house in a year or so. To start my research before such a huge financial move, I figured I would grab a "buying your first home" book at Barnes and Noble. Sorting through the multiple materials they had on the topic got me questioning all sorts of things - if its even possible with my income. Trying to decide where your money is going can stressful!

I finally walked around the corner and found I was in the Christian Inspiration section ad found a collection of writings from one of my favorite authors C.S. Lewis.

So instead of grabbing a book on finance, I figured I should probably get my heart in the right place first - finance can wait i suppose.

Hiding Behind Humor

I was thinking about this on my way to work while reflecting on the whole New Years resolution thing.  I think one of my greatest strengths is also one of my greatest weeknesses:

laughter

I love to make people feel comfortable and to lighten the mood with humor.  Sometimes I make aweful pun jokes that people role their eyes to - like when my wallet fell out on the beach and I told my friends I had found a "sand dollar" (one of my worst).  But sometimes (I've yet to figure out the formula) I get on a role and say some down-right  funny stuff.  I realize that I'm not being humble at all - but its the truth.

However, I have also come to realize that many times I tend to use humor to avoid serious moods or conversations.  The phrase "hiding behind humor" has kept popping into my mind.  The easy thing to do is crack a joke, but some things really deserve serious treatment and I'm too shy/uncomfortable addressing them.  This is on my list of things to work on for 2009.

Oh and I'm sure this girl may be annoying in person but I feel she captured the essence of "laughter".