Writing with a Purpose

Purpose - isn't that what we are all striving for in life? That one shred of existence that permeates through all facets of our life, that piece of the world that just makes everything else worth doing. How does one find Purpose? How does one know that one has found Purpose? How does Purpose change and morph with the evolutions of our daily adventures?

I know I am being a little existential about all this, but someone asked me a question tonight, "What do you blog about?" and I didn't really have an answer other than "I just write and talk about shit." Of course she had a much better answer, but I was already too busy reeling from own ineptitude to prove my own validity to even listen to what she said. However, I know that she really was proud of what she blogged about. Which is kind of inspiring. I love meeting people that are doing exactly what they want to be doing. A friend of mine has had planes and dreams of Maverick and Goose since he was in the womb, and now he is flying with the Air Force (actually navigating, but still in the air) - which is awesome. Striving and pushing towards a goal is so simple and sweet. It just makes things easier when something specific needs to be accomplished and everything else can just take a backseat to it all. Let's go to the moon, or climb Mt. Everest, or fly across the English Channel on a jetpack, lets just do this one thing and make it awesome.

So anyway, I think it's time to narrow the focus of this blog and I am going to toss out some ideas about what I want to blog about. Hopefully I can figure out how to put up a poll so any passers-by can vote - just for fun at least. Feel free to post any ideas of your own, maybe you actually enjoy some of my rantings and ravings or maybe you just have s similar interest and you would like me to learn more about it for you.

I am all ears.

Topics:

Technology
I can focus on specific companies - Apple, Google, RIM - or I can blog about software and or hardware issues. Programming using .Net or SQL Server are some of my top subjects, but I can learn more about Ajax or Linux or Android or Mac OS X or whatever if you are interested.

Living in Louisiana:
I spend a lot of time in Louisiana and it can be quite inspiring at times. I can also focus this topic down to New Orleans, Cajun food, swamps and outdoors, or housing and the local economy.

Food:
Cooking, eating, dining in, taking out, delivery, street food, beer and liquor, groceries and local markets, seafood, italian meals, budget meals, fast meals, grilling, tailgating, smoking, storage, travel foods, international cuisine, adventure foods, country, southern, creole, cajun...etc.

Finance and Economics
Poop
(Economics is one of my loves but I am so full of Panic 2008 coverage that I am ready to go Postal on anyone that mentions the words "crisis", "bailout", "derivative", "interest rate", or "stock market")

Life in General
Similar to what I am already doing, but maybe stepping it up a notch and turning this into an online diary. An interesting concept pioneered by one Melissa Carney (sp?) that could possibly bring us all to higher levels of self-actualization.

Any other suggestions?

Minneapolis

Walking around downtown minneapolis is a pleasure. A mix of classical
and nouveau architecture, a healthy dose of cleanliness and some real
friendly people. More pics to come.

Debate Drinking Game

Every time one of the candidates say "Fundamental"

Every time Obama makes that Clinton thumb point

Every time McCain references his war record

Every time either candidate uses the other candidates name

Every time they use the words "this country"

Every time either uses the word "change"

...I am open to more

Smoked Salman, Osso Bucco, and Indy

We had a nice evening yesterday, I made some lamb osso bucco (the sauce could have cooked longer, but it was a successful first attempt) and had some friends over. We made boudin balls, and watched a Star Trek episode and then put on The Last Crusade. Everytime I watch that movie a flood of memories and nostalgia rush through me. I remember watching it for the first time in the theatre with my parents and my sister, I remember watching it with my cousin during late-night sleepovers, and I remember almost every line of that movie. Its really hard for me to sit back and watch without quoting everything the second before it happens on screen.

"IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!"

"No Ticket"

"In Latin, Jehovah starts with an I"

"Let my armies be the rocks and the tress... and the birds in the sky"

"You were named after the dog?" "I have very fond memories of that dog"

So I mitigated my own intrusions while everyone else was watching by smoking some salmon throughout the movie. I brined it earlier in the day with some brown sugar, salt, and garlic. I washed it out and set it up to dry while the smoker was getting ready. Got a good smoke going for a little over 2 hours, and I tell you what - the stuff is like candy for adults, it came out amazing. I am about to put together an omelet with it, I have been dreaming about it all night. I only made about two slabs, but it should be enough to give us some finger food throughout the week - better than potato chips or cookies.

I also kind of want to say something about these debates and the presidential race, but I will save it until I can pull all my thoughts together. I will say this, I'm glad its been relatively clean, and I think we will end up with Better then Bush either way. I will miss Bushy though, one of the most quotable presidents ever, at least for comedy's sake. "Most of our imports come from other countries", "I'm a decider", "So long as I'm the president, my measure of success is victory -- and success."

Intellgence can only take you so far in this world.