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Opinion | Dec 2008 | M.McKennedy

In less than twenty-four hours millions of people will begin their New Year’s Resolutions.  Some will vow to loose weight, others will attempt to quit smoking…what is your number one New Year’s Resolution? and why the hell are you waiting until the New Year to act on these resolutions?

Me In 10 Years? (But I Don't Have A Motorcycle!)

Most of the top ten New Year’s Resolutions are already part of my daily routine and I don’t usually make New Year’s Resolutions for the following ten reasons…

1. If there is something I shouldn’t be doing then why wait until the New Year to stop?
2. If there is something I should be doing isn’t the time to start NOW?
3. I don’t like to set myself up for failure.  Most people probably don’t follow through on their New Year’s Resolutions…if I am not going to succeed at something, why start at all? – seems like a waste of time to me!
4. I already quit smoking about eight years ago and I didn’t wait until the New Year to do it
5. I like drinking
6. I already have a healthy vegetarian diet
7. I already spend as much time as possible with my family
8. I am always trying to learn something new
9. Another common resolution is to get out of debt…but shouldn’t this be on the radar all year long?
10. Some vow to get organized…if anything, I need to get less organized!  I can be a bit anal at times!

You might have noticed that I said, “I don’t usually make New Year’s Resolutions” and I also didn’t mention ‘getting in shape’ as one of my top ten reasons for NOT making New Year’s Resolutions.  The reason for this is because this year is different.  I am making one New Years Resolution – to get back in shape!  That is correct…I too am going to join the millions of Americans (we are the most overweight country are we not?  all those MacDonalds hamburgers and fries, the donuts, the cookies, cakes and candy…it’s one of the things that Americans do really well….we consume, we sit in front of the t.v., we get fat!) who vow to start exercising right after January first.  The difference between many people and me is that when I set out to do something, I do it!

At this point I am probably ten to fifteen pounds heavier then I like to be.  A lack of exercise is the number one contributing factor.  My plan is to bust my ass for the next four months and then maintain a standard exercise schedule.  I will use the gym after work, as well as do sit-ups, push-ups and any other exercise I can think of at home, twice per day.  I will create an exercise log and track my daily routine and weight loss.  This way I can review my progress and use the log as a reminder that I don’t want to be one of those big-bellied forty-year-old men!  Someone told me once that when I start getting to forty (and I am still a few years away) it’s all down hill and I will not have any control over how fat I become, which is (as my grandmother used to say) rubbish!  The one issue I am faced with is time, I don’t have much free time as it is but really what is more important than health?  If I take one half hour of television out of my life per day I can bust out a hundred sit-ups and push-ups!  This belly of mine will not stand a chance!

So yes, I too and going to join the millions of people all over the world who vow to take a New Year’s Resolution!  I will struggle with the commitment at times but I will succeed.  It’s what I do. My recommendation to you (and yes, I am well aware that you did not ask for my recommendation) is to pick one or two things (not ten!) that you must change about your life and do it!  By following through these resolutions you will gain confidence.  Just keep in mind that you don’t have to wait for a new year to roll around before you make positive changes to your life.  Every day can be the day to start a resolution so to that I say…New Year’s Resolutions… who the hell needs them?  The answer to that question is – me!  but it’s not about the New Year, it’s about the resolution!

Opinion | Dec 2008 | M.McKennedy

I am a Vermonter visiting family in Massachusetts this holiday season and I am wondering why Massachusetts drivers seem to think that driving a vehicle is a competition?

(Maybe I am developing some sort of problem with aggressive drivers?  This is my second article on the subject.)

Driving through the streets of Westford, Ma. yesterday I felt like I was in some sort of “gotta get your car in front of every other car” type of game, where the only requirements to play are that you need to know that anyone with out-of-state plates automatically deserves to be cut-off and forced to be the last to arrive.  Not only did they cut-me-off, they wouldn’t let me into traffic and some didn’t use blinkers at all.  I had one girl in front of me who looked like she was more concerned with her mobile phone than the traffic in front and behind her.  As a matter of fact, I almost rear-ended her because she was too busy staring at the damn phone when the car in front of her decided to stop.

I am not sure that it’s limited to drivers either.  I had to go to a grocery store and the people walking around shopping were vicious!  They were ruthless and selfish…and seemed to have a complete disregard for any other life form around them.  I was nearly run-down by shopping carts several times by maniac women shoppers who seemed to exist in some sort of dimension that made it so they were oblivious to anything going on around them!  Parking at the grocery store was another mission in itself.  Forget about putting a blinker on to turn into a parking space.  The effort to communicate to other drivers was a bit too much to ask of these impatient, unfriendly jerks!  They wanted to get where they were going and they had be certain that they got there ahead of me and everyone else.

It’s different in Vermont, for the most part.  For example, there is route that I take on my daily commute to Burlington.  On this route there is a stop sign at which I have to take a left onto a main travel route.  Sometimes traffic gets backed up ten or so cars at the stop sign and it also backs up on the main route.  What do people on the main route do?  They stop leaving enough space for the next car in line at the stop sign to pull out and cut in front of them.  There isn’t a traffic cop out there telling people to ‘play nice’ either!  It’s as though people think differently and they take how others feel into consideration!

So… to you Massachusetts drivers I ask why is driving in everyday traffic like a competition to you?  Do you really think that you are the only person who exists while you are on the road?  Do you really think that it’s asking too much to be courteous to fellow drivers?  Maybe, just maybe, if one person started being considerate while driving some other drivers might pick up on the idea and pass it along and the result of that could be that Massachusetts drivers stop being such assholes?  What is it? do you really enjoy the nickname “Massholes“?  I understand that change can be a lot to ask for.  In the meantime I will do what comes naturally and stay the hell out of Massachusetts as much as possible!  So until next Xmas….bub-bye Massachusetts!  I won’t miss you one bit.

Note: I spent the first twenty-five years of my life living and dodging traffic in Massachusetts!  Then one day, my brain took over and said, “why the hell do you live here?” – then I moved!

Opinion | Dec 2008 | M.McKennedy

Here in Vermont we get our fair share of snow storms.  The commute to work takes me about forty minutes and most of the drive happens on the interstate.  Every single time there is a snow storm I watch “macho men” in their SUVs (it’s usually men that I see but I am sure there are women out there who drive like assholes too) and pickup-trucks driving seventy miles per hour down the snow covered highway.   Are you one of these morons?  Do the rest of us a favor – SLOW THE “F” DOWN!

Snowy Commute (click for larger image)

Snow storms… you can’t really avoid driving in them living in Vermont.  Vermont drivers…. way too confident in their trucks and SUVs; drive like maniacs in the snow!  No matter how much snow is on the ground they pass in the “fast lane” (I am the one creeping along at forty miles per hour) with a mere foot or two of space between our vehicles and they don’t use blinkers when passing!  (C’mon people, if you are too freakin’ lazy to push on that little blinker lever to communicate with other drivers then you should have your license revoked!)  It never fails that I see at least one vehicle off the road and the result of this is that everyone else behind that person gets stuck in traffic until a wrecker can get there to yank the vehicle out of the snow.

Just because you are in a hurry does not mean the the rest of us deserve to be stuck in traffic because of your poor judgment.  Yes, some people do go way too slow!  Twenty miles per hour in a storm storm (on the interstate) is too slow but I would much rather get stuck behind someone inching along at a snails pace then to end up in the ditch because of some Red Bull infused idiot who can’t keep the petal from hitting the metal!

Speeder Pulled Over (click for larger view)

To the inconsiderate driver: you are not the only person in this world.  Sometimes you behave like you are but really… look around and try to consider the folks that share the road with you.  If you see someone in the slow lane going thirty-five miles per hour you are probably correct in thinking that the person driving might not be having a great time driving on the slippery surface!  If you need to pass, do it safely and put that damn blinker on so other drivers can anticipate your next move and get the hell out of the way when you spin out and off the road!

While I am complaining I need to add one more thing….if you have a pile of snow on your car, van, truck or SUV just take the thirty seconds to clean it off!  Yesterday I was driving on route 89 and an 18 wheeler UPS truck came merging onto the interstate.  As it gathered speed a mass of snow began blowing off the top of the truck and into the traffic behind, which included me!  I could not see a thing for several seconds and neither could anyone else around me.  If this inconsiderate bastard could have just said to himself, “Gee…I think that I will clear the snow off the top of this truck so it doesn’t impair the vision of other drivers.” he could have saved me from a near panic attack as my windshield became covered in a blanket of white while doing fifty miles per hour and a partially snow covered road!

I have one last thing to say – Vermont drivers please slow down in the snow.  If you don’t care about your own life try to at least consider the others around you, maybe we DO enjoy life and don’t feel like sitting in traffic while a tow truck pulls your gas guzzling Ford Explorer out of three feet of snow!  Don’t drive like an idiot!

Opinion/Review | Dec 2008 | M.McKennedy

Gmail Tasks (click for larger view)

Gmail…you must know what it is by now…Tasks…I can’t tell you how many tasks I performed today, countless. Did you remember all of yours? Gmail offers a helping hand.  Introducing (at the time of writing this news is already nine days old so it’s not like this is “breaking” news) but here it is, tasks (a ToDo list), in Gmail!

Occasionally, while I am at work I think of something that needs to be done at home and I send an email to my Gmail address.  I use email as a sort of ‘task list’ and since I use Gmail (see my previous rave about Gmail/Google here) as a gateway to (nearly) everything Internet related – email, spreadsheets, word docs, maps, calendar, photo storage (Picasa), and chat – it only makes sense that I would manage a task list in Gmail.

First impressions of Tasks in Gmail….the interface is clean, has a logical sense to it and it’s non-invasive, it just sits down in the bottom of the Gmail window until it has been expanded.  It’s functional…It has a ‘pop-out’ option – if you want to take it outside of Gmail, tasks can be created directly from email and multiple lists can be maintained as well.  It’s a handy tool to help organize a hectic work, home, school or play schedule.  It’s simple to use (the image on the right shows all available options – this is not the default view) so it should attract not only the self-proclaimed ‘geeks’ of the world but also ‘Betty The Soccer Mom’ and ‘Larry The Lazy Guy’ who sits at a computer browsing YouTube all day!

Gmail Settings (click for a larger view)

To turn the Tasks feature on…log into Gmail then click Settings (see the image to the right -this might not look exactly like your Gmail account but you get the picture I hope), next click the Labs tab (or click here if you are signed into Gmail already) and select “Enable” next to “Tasks” and then click “Save Changes” at the bottom of the window.

Tasks (click for a larger view)

After Gmail refreshes, under the main menu (where ‘Compose Mail’ is…) under the “Contacts” link, you’ll see a “Tasks” link.  Click this link to begin. (Note: the image to the right might not look exactly like what you see in Gmail – and if you accidentally close the Task module, you will need to click this link again to make it reappear. )

Gmail Tasks Minimized (click to view larger image)

This how the Tasks module looks when minimized – click the minus sign to expand or minimize Gmail Tasks, or click the Arrow to ‘pop-out’ the menu.

Tasks in Gmail is just another excellent example of how Google works to keep us using their products (and at the same time exposing us to Google Ads).  If I have a computer turned on I always have some Google app. open.   If I always have a Google app. open then the Google advertisers always have a way to expose me to advertisments (in a non-intrusive way of course).   Keep it up Google….you have me hooked so far!  Oh, and by the way…did I mention that Google offers every single product mentioned in the article for free?  That is correct, you won’t pay a dime!  If you don’t have a Gmail account you can sign up here to check it out.

Opinion | Dec 2008 | M.McKennedy

Would You Accept This Request?

Facebook (a social networking website) – we all use it, some use it way too much, others create accounts and never touch them again!  Friend requests (when someone on Facebook asks you to be their ‘friend’) – they come from co-workers, acquaintances, family, strangers and actual friends.  If you receive a ‘friend request’ are you automatically obligated to accept?  I say no freakin’ way!

Yesterday I received a Friend Request on Facebook.  The person was from the same network as me (Burlington, VT) but I had not heard of him, nor did his photo look familiar.  Upon glancing at his profile I realized that he was a musician trying to gain followers since I was not his ‘friend’ in real life, why would I add a stranger to my list of friends in the virtual world called Facebook – well, I might be different from you in the fact that I ‘ignored’ the request.  To me, this is spam, and like the canned ‘meat’ product I don’t really care for it.

There is also the situation where a Friend Request comes in from a person you haven’t set eyes on in 20 years and maybe you want to keep it that way – you know what I say…ignore or deny the request!  My take on all of this is that I am not trying to build an army of Facebook friends – I only connect with people with whom I would be friends with in ‘real life’.  Call it ‘snobbery’, call me an asshole if you must – I don’t really care either way but I see that some people like to try to add every co-worker and ‘friend of a friend – of a friend’ to their list and it must be for one reason – to get them to believe that they are popular or something?  I don’t really know the answer and frankly I don’t care.

I do know that the beauty of these social networking apps is that a person can do what ever the hell they want.  If you are one of those people that signs up for Facebook and immediately tries to connect with every possible person in your network, your friend’s networks and everyone who works for the same company as you, well that is your choice.  That’s what it’s all about…choice…and if I don’t know you chances are that my choice will be ignore the request!  Don’t take it personal…I don’t think that I am better than you (but am I?). I just don’t want to follow the lives of people that I don’t know or really care about but, others might – again…it’s about choices.  So, stop spamming me with friend requests you bastards and to the rest of you…see you on Facebook!

Winter Sports | Dec 2008 | M.McKennedy

West Bolton Skiing (click for larger view)

I took my tape-measure out to the West Bolton Golf Course (map) yesterday and I saw exactly 6 inches of snow on the ground which means… time to dust off the skies, pull the cobwebs out of the boots, grab the poles and get out onto that snow! It’s official…cross-country ski season has begun!

Yesterday was day one for skiing!  I bundled up (it was 10 degrees out yesterday!) and hopped onto the West Bolton Golf Course (visit website) to enjoy the fresh snow and the picturesque mountainous backdrop of the Jericho/West Bolton area.  There was a thin layer of crust on the ground but once a track was laid down and skied over a few times it began to get nice and slippery.  With legs burning (cross-country skiing is a great way to find out what shape you are in) and chest cavity rising and lowering rapidly I skied for about an hour by the time I was finished (out of breath, sweaty, and tired) the sun was setting and I began thinking about just how lucky I am to live in such an area and I made my way home feeling invigorated.  

Additionaly, I can’t wait until there is are a few more feet of snow on the ground so I can get up into the hills to explore the Libby’s Look and Preston Pond areas.  The skiing up there takes you to some advanced sections as well as a nice easy ski on the VAST trail system.  I can walk out my door and be at Libby’s in twenty minutes.  I can walk out my back door with my ski gear and be skiing in one minute.  Gotta love living in Vermont! 

The folks at the West Bolton Golf Club are nice enough to allow Nordic skiing on the course (when there is at least 6 inches of snow) so I would like to thank them by asking you to visit their website and make it a point of planning a game of golf (or many games of golf!) when it gets warm again!  Happy skiing!

Fresh Tracks (click for larger view)

Cross-Country Skiing (click for larger view)