This Blog Needs a New Name

Clearly, I've strayed off topic with almost all my posts. A lot. I still love running, and will always love bikes. However, those are experiences enjoyed in the moment, and frankly, I find it a little boring to sit down and share them. What I do like to do is share things that get me fired up, or moved, inspired, upset, or often, frankly just make me fucking mad.

So this blog needs a new name. I don't really want to make more work for myself by maintaining two, so this one will probably die out. My creative-juices are a little tapped out from work recently, but when I think of something, I'll let you know.

Thanks for reading my recent rants! They're short, but fun to write.

Strength in Numbers

I'm not sure if it was simply my own misguided perceptions of yet another animated movie involving human-like aliens that clouded my judgment, or simply a lack of knowledge on the the content itself. The two occurrences are, of course, directly linked and the latter inevitably leads to the formed misconception. Or perhaps it's also because I'm just jaded that whenever the public hype's something up, I end up walking away disappointed. Or simply don't care. Whatever the case, it took me almost 2 months to go out and see Avatar 3D, and had I known what the movie was really about, I would have gladly joined the throngs lining up 4 hr's before it started at the first showing on opening day to see James Cameron's masterpiece.

First of all, if you haven't seen the movie yet, go and see it. See it in 3D, and preferably in an IMAX theater. If you have kids old enough to be more than merely entertained by a movie, take them. If you have close friends with open minds with whom you can enjoy the experience, take them too. The message is arguably most effectively broadcast to young minds still malleable enough to learn that they can make a difference in the world. The unfortunate part is that much of the valuable content is lost on the conservative, idiot population that is amassing on this planet, but my energy is lost on them. I'm not going to waste my time writing yet another review on the movie itself; you can already find plenty of those elsewhere. What I am going to do is urge you to see the movie. Enjoy the incredible special effects that make you pull-back in anticipation of being hit by a random passing wingtip, or give you mild Vertigo from climbing vines a few thousand feet above ground that makes you even more comfortable to be firmly planted in your seat. Get engrossed in the love story. Whatever tickles your fancy. But most of all, please pay attention to the anything-but-underlying message that the human race is doing a bang-up job of trashing our planet on a daily basis and ask yourself; what can I do to help change that trend?

We only have one planet, and the choices we make on a daily basis can have huge overall effects when combined with those of others.

Riddle Me This

Alright math geeks, write me an algorithm to predict the likelihood of this: I've only ever met two other people who share my birthday, and both of them work at The Boulder Running Co. where I also used to work. The last part of that sentence makes this whole argument a whole lot less interesting, so I'll throw my usual philosophical spin on things to make the equation more compelling.

The BRC still feels like family to me. Maybe it's because I never really wanted to leave my friends, many of whom still work there. Maybe it's because having such a strong community of passionate people is an aspect of life that makes it worth living. And definitely, it's partially because working there kept me sane while I was in school at CU. Of course, it's a combination of all three, but the point is that even though I may only see or talk to many of them once or twice a year, I still feel a strong part of the community there. People may come and people may go, but the heart and sole of the place (pun purely intended for those who know the BRC) will always remain on in the few friends who mean a whole lot to a certain individual who defected almost four years ago.

Now, none of this has anything to do with birthdays, really. It's about feeling part of a community who shares the same passions, goals, and often intellectually stimulating conversation. After all, that's essentially a large part of what human being are all about; being able to make cognitive decisions that affect our goals, and ultimately, our overall happiness and sense of contentment.

So back to my original question: what is the likelihood that three people ingrained in the same small community that is The Boulder Running Co. all share the same Birthday?