The 2009 Hoops & Suey Reunion Tour: Itinerary

Participants: Hoops, Suey and Friends.
Locations: Seattle to SoCal.
Dates: March 26 - April 6.

*Schedule is subject to change due to extreme fatigue, hangovers, hunger, hot babes, Hoops going missing, and fun/exciting events that we haven't yet figured out.


View Larger Map

-dunkie

The Scientifc Method

Question:
Do I suck at running?

Observations:
After running long distances, I find myself injured.

Hypothesis:
I suck at running.

Experiment:
-Run 23.5 miles
-Run 9.3 miles

Data:
-Stress fracture in right foot.
-Sprained left ankle.

Conclusion:
I suck at running.

Future Tests:
None. No more running long distances.

-dunkie

DILLIGAF?

No fluff today. Let's get straight to the point.

What we know...

-The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 authorized the spending of $700 billion dollars.

-The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorized the spending of $780 billion dollars.

-AIG has received $170 billion dollars in taxpayer funds.

-AIG is set to receive another $30 billion dollars.

-AIG is paying out $165 million dollars in bonuses.

To put things into perspective...

-$200 billion dollars (the amount going to AIG) is 13.5% of the total $1.48 trillion dollars that the US Government is shelling out.

-Of that $200 billion dollars going to AIG, .08% or $165 million is being paid out in bonuses. That's roughly 1/12th of ONE percent.

-Looking at the bigger picture, $165 million is .01% (1/100th of ONE percent) of the $1.48 trillion dollars being spent.

My thoughts...

-People that are shitting their pants over the AIG bonuses that are being paid out would be much better off if they spent their time asking where the other 99.99% (or 99.92% depending on which example you want to look at) of the money is going.

- What does one TRILLION dollars look like?

-For the vast majority of us, $165 million is a lot more then we will earn or see in a lifetime. If our gripe is over the fact that someone else is getting paid more then us for doing a crappy job, then that is on thing. But for the people who are getting riled up because of the amount? Seriously people, in the large scheme of things, we are taking about pennies here.

-Politicians will be happy to take up this banner and run with it, as it will redirect any criticism from the spending that they support. Take a look at :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act_of_2009

Tell me that once you dig down into those that you aren't going to find numerous "pennies" being thrown around. Why aren't we concerned about those too?

-To use a scaled down example, this is basically what people are shitting their pants over:

After a long week, you decide to do something fun and throw a party. Being the good party host that you are, you decide to spend $148 dollars on booze. Since you have a lot of other things to take care of, you give your friend $17 dollars and ask him to go pick up an 18 pack of Budweiser bottles with it. Being the good friend that he is, he goes to the store for you and returns shortly after with the 18 pack and receipt in hand. Looking at the receipt you see that the total is for $16.99.

What do you do next?

a) Poop your pants because because your friend pocketed the extra penny.
b) Demand that your friend return the penny and spend the next month trying to get that penny back.
c) Ask your friend to go get some red cups for the party, but tell him that you want your penny back before you give him another $3 dollars to go buy the cups. Also, you tell him that if the total comes to $2.99, that he better not try to pocket your penny again.
c) Nothing. You don't give a damn. It's only a penny. In fact, you probably wouldn't even have cared if he came back with a 17 pack of Bud Light instead.

-Obviously, when it comes to money, scale does make a significant difference. Wasting a penny isn't the same as wasting $165 million dollars, even if that $165 million dollars is contractually owed to the people receiving it.

However, when it comes to time and energy, do I really care about the $165 million dollars in bonuses that AIG is paying out? No. I don't. Which begs to ask the question why I am writing this post? Back to work...

-dunkie

I'm Back... Sort of.

I'd like to appologize for the lack of posts lately, as I have been off enjoying my second honeymoon with Junior.

Anyways, a few quick updates...

-I bought some new shoes to CrossFit in. Exciting hu? They are the Nike Zoom TRE AD's and actually, they are from Nike's skateboardig line-up of shoes. Why these shoes?

Most workout/running/cross training shoes these days have large, cushioned heals which are ment to absorb shock and lessen the wear and tear on your joints. This is terrific if you are going to be running long distances, but not so great if you are doing things that involve maximizing the force you exert against the ground. In short, the cushioned heals absorb the force, which limits your ability to perform certain things at a maximum level.

Also, a raised heal changes your center of gravity, which causes you to rely more on your quadricps, and less on your hamstrings are glutes. Again, this can be good for things like jogging, but bad for balance, delivering force, and many power/olympic lifting exercises.

Lastly, with many running shoes (and to some degree, even these shoes) the soles are shaped in a way that facilitates a natural roll/rocking motion from heal to toe. This makes it harder to stay on your heals in movments that involve driving through your heals for power.

So why skateboarding shoes? If you think about skateboarding, it is very dependent on manipulating the board through very percise amounts of pressure and force, thus it elimintates any of the things mentioned above.

Oh, and they are themed like the Marty McFly Hyperdunks, which makes them pretty sweet.

-The DJIA is trading below 6,800 right now. On the bright side, Seattle sports have been on an upswing over these last few months!

-The nameless band has taken on the name GALAXY FARM. You can check out some of their songs at http://www.myspace.com/galaxyfarm.

-No speeding tickets lately, which is probably due in part to the fact that I am actually following the speed limit these days. Still, just to be safe, I think I am going to pick up a radar detector since spring is just around the corner (knock on wood). Safety first!

-Despite having somewhat of an odd shaped head, I think I'm going to go back to the shaved noggin circa 2006. I figure between the two showers I take every day and the cost of haircuts/hair care products, I'll be able to save the equivalent of 8 hours a month. That's an extra day off every month! In all seriousness, having a shaved head just makes life easier, just ask Britney.

Wow. What a worthwhile and amazing update. I'm sure you will agree and are extremely excited for my next, worthwhile and amazing update. Stay tuned.

-dunkie