It amazes me how many people multi-task while driving.

I doubt it is just the “Type A” centric D.C. area, but people around here do not like to waste time.

Most of the distraction revolves around cell phones. People typically seem to be doing one of a few things:

• Texting
• Talking
• Web browsing

Web browsing is the activity people are performing when flicking their finger across the screen. This could also be using their phone’s GPS. Let’s assume for the sake of simplicity they are causing the same problems.

It seems that the first two, texting and talking, can be accomplished while driving. Or at least people think. Studies don’t need to show me the effect of mobile phone talking and driving. I can observe it on a daily basis. Ever drive behind someone going 10 under the speed limit? Only to find out they are chatting away on their cellular?

I’m convinced people don’t realize how much their driving skills decrease while socializing via wireless telephone. If I was a mean person, I might mention it to them if I had the chance.

What really irks me is the lack of technology usage. I’m not telling everyone to buy a bluetooth headset (although you can pick them up cheap online). The most annoying thing is new car (within the last 2 years we’ll say) owners who don’t use their built in bluetooth. I realize not every car has it, but I would be willing to bet that if you drive a semi-expensive car (or better), you could sync it up and use both hands while driving.

When I was out in Minneapolis a few weeks ago, I had a Ford Fusion Hybrid that had that Microsoft Sync technology. I’d never used it before and was surprised at how easily and quickly it found my Touch Pro.

Don’t tell me you are too old to figure it out. If so, you aren’t too old to die in a fiery car crash. (Too much?)

Texting seems to be a bigger risk. With these young kids texting every four seconds, it scares me when people try to type on their phones while driving. You have two options:

1. Look down while trying to type with one hand
2. Type with two hands and ignore the steering wheel (alternatively use your leg to steady the wheel)

Which option seems safe? Maybe there was a third option. Feel free to let me know.

Web browsing seems to be a popular activity at stop lights. I guess I don’t really have a problem with this as long as people don’t clog up traffic or try to read the screen while driving.

But seriously, I’m not perfect either. I own at least two bluetooth headsets that I attempt to use when talking on the phone. It doesn’t always happen.
I will admit I am forced to text on occasion when it is necessary to communicate (mainly with my wife).

Mainly, I hook up my phone to my stereo so I can stream internet radio. Changing streams requires one hand but doesn’t require looking at the phone. It probably isn’t the safest either, but I’ll equate that to switching stations on the radio.

What ever happened to listening to music and driving? Mostly concentrating on the point of the trip, getting from point A to point B? Not possible anymore?

I’m not saying people have to be good drivers. I’m definitely not. But at least I try. Why purposely give yourself a handicap?

I better not get in an accident after posting this….

I don’t typically regurgitate things you can Google, but I can’t help but voice an opinion on this one.

Everyone’s favorite mumbler, who has quite a repertoire of politically charged opinions posted around the interwebz, has gotten himself into a pinch…again.

Let me be clear:

You have to be a huge idiot if you are a half-Korean, half-Jewish dude and get called out as a racist, not to mention actually plead guilty to a hate crime.

As someone who went to College with Marcus, or Waucus, I can vouch for the fact that the internet is a great hiding place for him. It is easy to publish articles and even sound semi-intelligent in an attempt to make people think you are somewhat normal.

Let’s review:

• Waucus, at least last time I saw him, is very hard to understand.
• He possibly has a drinking problem.
• He is very opinionated, which I’m ok with, but tends to turn people off with the intensity of his arguments.

If anyone who reads his articles actually met him, he would lose all his credibility.

Needless to say, good for him for pursuing what he enjoys. I don’t want to totally hate on him. He’s doing his thing, even if I still think he’s an odd duck.

Hat tip to Ed for this article about how UVA Law apparently rescinded their acceptance to our friend Waucus.

And just so you know, we call him Waucus because that’s how he says it (he can’t pronounce his own name). I’m not making fun of him. That’s just the truth.

I remember when he was arrested for stealing Oreos from the local Wawa. Search (this site – pick Williamsburg court, for “Epstein, Marcus” (no quotes) and inactive cases. After breaking into a sorority house and being confronted by the police, he denied his act, while his face was covered in black and white crumbs.

I leave you with a quote from his supposed freshman roommate, found here:

This douche was my roommate freshman year at William and Mary. He seemed to be haunted by an air of ridiculous oftentimes malignant happenstance that now has clearly proven itself to be karma.

Homeowners association officials take their jobs seriously. So much so, that sometimes they try to prevent things that the homeowners actually want.

I asked our HOA to bring Verizon FIOS to our complex.

Last August.

Here we are, almost May, and things are still on going.

For the last 3 months, I’ve been told the lawyers are looking at the contract. If the lawyers have really been studying the contract for 3 months, I the HOA would be broke by now.

Also, when I try and solicit an update, they never respond.

I’ve e-mailed their AOL account to no avail.

The website is garbage.

I can’t attend their once a month Thursday night meetings because of a prior commitment.

At this rate, I don’t think FIOS will ever come to our condo.

I doubt the HOA will ever see this post. One of the members called what I wanted “FIOSes” at a meeting I attended.

In conclusion:
HOA’s shouldn’t be composed of old fuddy-duddies.

Let’s go ahead and assume California legalizes marijuana and Congress is ok with it.

The point of my ramblings: How long will it take to stand up the supply chain for legal marijuana?

Most people have seen a Hollywood production depicting the underground world of marijuana. Either in movies or TV (like the Showtime series “Weeds”), cannabis is typically shown as being grown in random fields or a grow house, separated and bagged in some back room or warehouse, and then distributed through a few levels of dealers to Joe Drug User.

Pretty easy supply chain right? Assuming you take out the threat of law enforcement and rival crime syndicates, there are only a few nodes to go from raw materials to finished product, “factory to foxhole”, or whatever supply chain analogy you prefer.

When Maui wowie becomes legal, you don’t have to worry about law enforcement or rival crime syndicates (at least trying to kill you). Things get simpler, right?

Probably not.

Take out death and jail, introduce government regulation. Death and jail better than government regulation?

I won’t get too detailed, but rather ask a few supply chain related questions:

• Will there be a registration process to tell the government you grow reefer?
• How would a grower source new raw materials (e.g. seeds, plants)? Buy from other growers? Call Mexico?
• Will the distribution network now require infrastructure (e.g. warehouses) and transportation (e.g. trailers)?
• Who will sell the Panama red? Government shops (like government controlled liquor stores)?
• How much technology will be involved? New point of sale systems? Tagging and tracking within the distribution network? New UPC’s?
• How about product quality standards? Organic (all weed may be organic)? Labeling product by the parts of the plants used?

This won’t be a strictly cash, under the table business anymore.

Although dope delaers may be happy they won’t be killed doing business, this won’t be an overnight success story. There are many factors other than what I mentioned above that the government of California will run into during its efforts to collect tax revenues on their cash crop.

Not to mention whether or not people will pay a premium for Acapulco gold when it isn’t illegal. Is it really the largest agricultural product in California when the prices aren’t inflated by the black market?

What about suppliers who move other illegal products in addition to ganja? Will they outsource their product to continue dealing in illegal substances? I doubt the government will overlook their cocaine trade just because they produce grass.

I don’t know if the legalization will actually happen, but I’d love to be a “Weed Consultant” in California to help hash out (pun intended) the process of taking this industry above board….

Most people talk about wanting to have a good work/life balance. No one questions its importance.

I’m curious about the life/life balance.

What is the life/life balance? For me, it is the amount of time, money, or health you are willing to sacrifice to accomplish your personal goals.

Let’s look at a few scenarios. For each case, let’s assume people like to do the following with their spare time (keeping it relatively simple):

• Work out
• Eat healthy
• Occasionally watch TV
• Read often

Person A:

Person A goes to the gym after work 4 days a week. Since cooking can be a hassle, he picks up pre-made meals at the grocery store (not TV dinners or some garbage like that). He eats his pre-made meals while watching a few different TV shows and finishes off his night reading a chapter of a book in bed.

Sacrifice: Money (and probably some health)
Typically, you are charged a premium for prepared foods. A regular uncooked piece of salmon might be $7/pound. Throw on a marinade and a few exotic looking veges and you are looking at $12+/pound. Also, the meals may be somewhat healthy, but most pre-made foods bought from a store (even our favorite – Whole Foods) needs to taste extra good for people to buy it again. This means adding in extra calories in the form of sugar or fat or whatever.

Person B:

Person B plans out his meals and does his grocery shopping for the week on Sunday. During the week, it takes him 45 – 60 minutes to prepare, cook and eat his food. Since he is cooking health-conscious foods, he uses more kitchen items which result in a decent clean up effort every night. He catches the latest episode of his favorite TV shows and then settles into bed with a book.

Sacrifice: Health
He doesn’t have time to work out due to the time involved in cooking and cleaning. His eating habits are good, but working out is necessary to live a healthy life.

Person C:

Person C also plans out his meals and shops on the weekends. During the week, he goes to the gym after work and proceeds home to prepare, cook, and eat. By the time he sits down for dinner, it is late and he is tired. He does his clean up and then watches some TV. He takes his book to bed and falls asleep reading.

Sacrifice: Time
Because of his evening activities (working out and cooking) and his needs for a little relaxation (TV and reading), he doesn’t get much sleep at night. In a way, this also counts against his health.

I won’t bore you with more examples, but hopefully you get my point.

It seems that somewhere, people make a sacrifice to accomplish their higher priority activities. But, my scenarios are simple. It seems one should be able to do all of this without much sacrifice.

The equation becomes even more complex as you add in weekly activities like school, sports, happy hours, book clubs, etc. Accomplishing life/life balance as part of a marriage? Even more difficult. Then you are coordinating the schedules, opinions, and differences of two people.

People choose what is most important to them. In my simple examples, I can choose to eat healthy and work out, but give up on lazy activities (reading, TV, computer). You can mix and match the other variables to come up with other possibilities.

I haven’t even touched on addiction with the internet.com.

I’m not sure how people do it all….