Short Musings and a Short Video

I hope everyone had a safe and Merry Christmas with friends and family.  Hopefully you can find yourselves grateful for both the gifts of retail (hopefully from Best Buy) and of fellowship.  I am currently spending the rest of this week up in Duluth with my mother.

I was able to see my sister this week as well.  What is apparent is that all of us are starting to see the signs of the years passing.  My sister apparently is set to make some life changing commitments in the next year.  As a famous Duluth native said, the times are a changin'.

Work has been nearly all-encompassing for me.  Even on days I've scheduled to have off I'm doing work on the side.  Hopefully I can figure out some work-life balance at some point in the future.

In politics, I recently talked to a family friend who does HR administration who said with the continued implementation of Obamacare next year (elections do have consequences) that small business should expect their health care costs to rise 30%-40% next year.  Now as an individual who has been around small and large businesses all my life, there are two ways for a business to address these cost increases, limit staff/overhead (costs) or shift the costs to the consumer.  Either one doesn't facilitate greater economic activity.  One could argue that the costs are simple being shifted from the public (who pays for those who enter the ER without coverage) to the employers themselves.  All I say is higher costs certainly won't be stimulative for this economy as it is now.

Did someone say "fiscal cliff?"  It's government's finest moment, for sure.

For your video, I think if you are ever bored, you can do what this gentleman did.

Oh the ingenuity.  

Quick Update and a Christmas Video

For those who would like a quick update, here it is:

- Work is keeping me busy at Best Buy.  As you may know, the company has been under much speculation of a buyout by the company's founder, Richard Schulze.  But to say I know what's going to happen would be misleading.  So I'm not to mislead.  However, I will say I took a quick jaunt through the company party today and saw this man.

I guess we're cutting back on the entertainment budget.  

- Otherwise, I cannot say much has changed.  Gopher men's ball games I have a season ticket to attend. I'm cautiously optimistic.   My mother will return to the country from China next week, hopefully with nothing brought back for me.  It's been a year since I've started on my Medifast diet and I'm about 47 pounds lighter.  So there you be.

- Finally, I'm looking forward to the annual Christmas Party at Straitgate Church.  Great music, great messages and outstanding fellowship awaits. Although I've been tasked to run the sound system (don't yell at me, ok!) I still think it's too bad that SG didn't bring back the Ad Hoc Choir.  So I guess this will do for now.  

Merry Christmas, folks.

Head Slapper of the Week

As I'm trying to figure out what to do with my unused concert tickets due to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra lockout,  I needed to find a diversion.  I found it from where else, North Korea.

Now does that make you feel better about our national security.  In fact, I wonder if Puff the Magic Dragon is far behind.   Three and a Half Head Slaps.

Thanksgiving and "Black Friday"

This is a the time where I wish everyone had an utterly belated happy Thanksgiving.  Hopefully everyone had great times with family and friends.  Thanksgiving is generally seen by many a very male-friendly holiday since many take the day to eat much carbs and protein and watch football.  Take the day as you like, but one should be spending it with conversation and fellowship in my myopic opinion.

As you may know, my mother is in the old country, so I was able to spend Thanksgiving in St. Paul at the gracious invitation of the Delaney household.  It's the second time I've had the opportunity to join them for Thanksgiving and each time I left full of protein and grilled turkey.  I think I'm still recovering five days later.  Very good food and very enjoyable fellowship for sure.

I also know that many go shopping Thanksgiving evening/Friday morning for a commercial event called "Black Friday."  I personally don't go shopping on Black Friday, mainly because I have a quasi-phobia to shopping in general.  When I go shopping generally I try to get out of the store as quickly as possible because I subconsciously hear a "giant sucking sound" on my wallet.   But as a Best Buy corporate employee, I'm glad not everyone feels that way.  In fact, I hope most individuals does what this young lady is up to at a local Best Buy near you.

So knowing that "Black Friday" is a high traffic time at Best Buy (you just have to trust me here),  how do we get our employees  in the store, the "Blue Shirts" (no not the Chelsea Football Club) ready to take on such a challenge?  The Best Buy Cheer, of course:

That's the corporate spirit!  Shop away everyone! We're ready!

Head Slapper (of the month)

I know, I know.  It's been a long times since the last Head Slapper.  I've been so busy with work that Head Slappers haven't really come into focus.  So this past week I thought about possible winners, such as the attention Patrick Reusse gets for naming Turkeys of the Year and my Pastor at church singing Beatles tunes.   But I did find a winner:

"I've been to some bizarre spots in South Korea, from DMZ tunnels to a seaside park dedicated to male "parts,"  but a new theme park in Suwon is at the top of my must-see list: it celebrates toilets.

The Restroom Cultural Park is billed as the world's first toilet theme park. It's a monument to the colorful former mayor of Suwon, a man known as Mr. Toilet.

The late Sim Jae-duck was himself born in a toilet and had an affection for loos throughout his life, rigorously promoting public facilities while mayor.

Sim also founded the World Toilet Association and wrote a book entitled "Happy to Be With You, Toilet." He died of prostate cancer in 2009……"

Indeed folks, you can head to South Korea to go to a toilet museum.  I'll just leave you with this link and the following BBC News story (discretion is advised) (Three and a half head slaps).

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57548161-1/flushed-with-pride-korea-celebrates-toilet-theme-park/

Quick Update

I guess it's been awhile since I last posted in this space.  As you can guess, I've been insanely busy with work as Best Buy continues to be in the news, both locally and nationally, regarding the condition of the company.   I've worked multiple all nighters the past couple weeks as I've tried to keep up with different fire drills as they happen.  Gotta love that corporate life.

 Last week, CEO Hubert Joly provided his prognosis on how to revive the company's fortunes.  As I saw the PowerPoint deck he presented to stock analysts and the public at large, I kept thinking to myself that I have seen many of these slides already.  I guess having a cube within 75 feet of the President and CEO of the company could have something to do with that.  I don't know if that's a good or bad thing either.

 

Oh by the way, support this blogger and buy an item or two from Best Buy this Christmas shopping season :)

I also learned last weekend while I was in Duluth that my mother is going back to Hong Kong for a month.  It'll be a first time back there since my father passed away.  I'm glad that she'll be able to see her family for an extended period of time.  She asked me before she left if I wanted her to bring anything back.  I simply said no. 

I have been told that I should post pictures of individuals on this blog.  Well, as a single guy that doesn't get out much outside of Gopher sporting events and church I have to say I don't have many opportunities to take pictures of different individuals.  So I'm sorry about that.  However, I have to say that this being the first blog after an election that shows the milquetoast Presidential candidates present negative vibes for his party, I'll present my feeling how this election turned out through one picture.

Head Slapper of the Week

While disappointed regarding this year's election results, (who would have thought John McCain generated notably more GOTV enthusiasm than Mitt Romney), I have to say the following story was too strange to pass up:

"Rochester City Council President Dennis Hanson died of a brain aneurysm in June. On Tuesday, he won re-election.

And it wasn't even close.

Hanson prevailed with 51.5 percent of the more than 46,000 votes cast. Challenger Jan Throndson was second with 43 percent, and write-in candidate Jeff Thompson received about 5 percent of the votes.

"It's what Denny would have wanted," said John Eckerman, Hanson's campaign manager and a longtime family friend.

The unusual election came about because Hanson died after the deadline for withdrawal from the race.

Filings closed June 5, with only Hanson and Throndson signing up to compete for the job of running the City Council. The withdrawal deadline was two days later. Hanson died June 27.

Under state law, his name couldn't be removed from the ballot, said Rochester City Clerk Judy Scherr.

And so the race…."

Think about it, a deceased man had better electoral success than Mitt Romney.  Three and a Half Head Slaps.