Random observations

Nothing so great and politically-themed as the last several posts for today. Instead, I have a gaggle of random events and observations.

Due to its topographically challenged nature, the parking lot at work flooded after about an hour of hard and continuous rain. Simply put, an 18 inch pipe cannot handle the run-off of the yard which is several acres. (The pipe was not clogged, at least not on our end.) Plus, the business next door with a similarly sized yard has nearly all of its water run into ours. Suffice to say, some people will be finding the interior of their cars to be a bit damper than when they left them. Lesson learned, park on higher ground. While I did not take any pictures, a couple did and if I get my hands on any of them, I'll be glad to post them. Declaration by the district manager: "Farmington is now an offshore location."

My computer froze up for what was basically the first time ever a couple days ago. Normally, I'd think nothing of it because computers lock-up sometimes and that's that. But yesterday, my cell phone wouldn't get any service and when I called my service provider for answers, I was told the network was having problems in Farmington. Whatever the problems, they were resolved in a couple hours, but the chronological proximity to my laptop's problem must surely be a sign of something sinister afoot.

Best I can tell, people like to buy things for the sake of having them more than the sake of utilizing them. There's some powerful draw in buying some nice, shiny, new thing and marveling at its smooth surfaces and nice colors and new item smell. And of course the satisfaction in showing it off to others as if their envy alone will boost your happiness. Actually, it seems to do just that for many people. But buying things is a very temporary and short-lived feeling and usually leads to very little long-term satisfaction. Maybe I'm projecting too much of my own tastes onto how I think others should feel, but I'm generally most pleased with the things I don't buy, rather than what I do buy. Spending your money now certainly does not lead to wealth building, or even long term financial security. (I thought I had written on this before, but I can't find when so here goes.) Possessions do not build wealth. Assets build wealth. And if the price of something can reasonably end with .99 then it probably is not an asset.

When I look around at what I have and mentally sort things into what I use versus what I don't, most of the things I don't use were not actually purchased by me. I have very specific interests and needs that only I can suitably address. This is why I always find gifts really strange and awkward. Yes, the thought is nice, but it is largely undermined by the actual purchase. How ironic.

I remarked on this about two years ago, but whatever happened to the Outkast song called Bombs Over Baghdad? It's radio play time took a conspicuous nosedive n April of 2003 for some reason. I wonder why. It's a good party and dance song, not that I'm into either of those.

There's someone at work who uses the word 'pop' to describe what I would call 'soda'. He's from North Dakota. There's someone else who really likes Dr. Pepper. He's from Alabama. I believe I can extend these observations to successfully characterize the tendencies of large portions of the country now.

The triple score round in Family Feud basically renders the previous two rounds pointless. It does not make it entirely pointless, but it does so statistically more often than it should. See, the rounds in the show are scored single, single, double, triple and the first family to 300 wins. Well, all things being equal, one family or another should win the first three rounds one in four times (not one in eight). If they win the first three rounds, they've almost certainly reached 300. However, the triple score round is needed on far more than 75% of the shows. Why is this? There's a television that's almost always on in dispatch at work. This is how I know this. Perhaps I should start watching religiously, but then I might stop getting work done.