Masked Fox

Happy Birthday, Mom

2011-08-30T04:39:00.000-05:00

Mom,

I shall spare your age but would like to wish you a happy birthday. This marks the first year I am truly on my own with a full time job. While I still can’t make anything without a microwave and would like you to occasionally visit to vacuum, I feel like things have turned out pretty well.

My favorite, most memorable, moments with you include:

First, our 18 hour trek from Springfield to Tempe for my freshman year of college. Specifically, the moment when you turned the music off and said, “I know you are going to have fun and drink but just please don’t drink and drive.”

Second, the moment I let you know about being accepted to train for the F-16. I am not sure if they were tears of fear or happiness, but it was sure memorable. You are notorious for the family crying moments when my delinquent sister and I both happen to converge on Springfield at the same time but I have a feeling this was a slightly different kind of cry.

Third, the only time you tried to ground me in high school. I was a pretty reliable kid but didn’t let you know I was spending the night at a friend’s house that evening. I think I declined to accept the grounding and fortunately we never had another problem.

Finally, all of the times you conveniently interrupted my high school girlfriends and I at just the right moment with offers of cookies or “anything we needed.” Your timing is impeccable.

Oh and that time I was born. I guess that worked out well for me as well.

You are the best cook I know. Seriously. I know everyone says that about their mom but I would take any bet with people who may disagree. I am genuinely impressed and envy your rapport with people and generally attitude toward life.

And best of all, I think I inherited most of your good looks.

While I never said it, I love you.

Son

3,716

2011-06-19T14:03:00.000-05:00

3,716 is the number of miles I have traveled on foot and bicycle in the last 3.5 years when I started endurance athletics. This distance is equivalent to a trip from Salt Lake City to Barbados or a cross country trip from New Hampshire to Oregon. I write about this today as the distances are equally split between running and cycling.

Running/Cycling has become, and will continue to be, a dominant part of my life for a variety of reasons. Not only health, but some of my favorite memories in the last few years have been associated with this passion. Trips to Africa, Rio de Janeiro and Rome wouldn't have happened. Further, the relationships I have created and then reinforced by pounding the pavement together are very important to me and have significantly improved my life. There are not many truly beneficial activities that isolate you from cell phones, TV and other distractions for a couple hours like running/cycling.

While, I have seen many more sunrises, idiot drivers, roadkill and hills than I sometimes would prefer, I never regret it afterward. A difficult statement to make about anything else.

When it comes down to a per day mileage, that 3,716 miles only turns out to be about 3 miles a day. A number that is obviously very manageable.

You just have to start and the addiction begins.

Special thanks to Katie B. and Tom P. for getting it all started.

Also to David Y., Mike F., Eli B., Stephanie J., Emily B., Jamie S., Brian H., Cole D, Venessa L. and then rest of you who have provided some motivation to get out there and do it.

"Me love you long time"

2011-06-16T12:15:00.001-05:00

For some odd reason I love attempting to communicate with foreigners. There are the language and cultural differences creating the challenge of getting the message across and the excitement of getting unexpected answers because we can’t understand each other or due to their culture being simply different. Some, if not most, seem to hate this challenge. I’ll admit it can be frustrating to spend five unavailable minutes determining the coordinates of a bathroom or have any conversation of real intelligence, but the element of surprise and comical error in each conversation is worth it.

Seeing the redness on my sister’s boyfriend's face when they each had rings on their left ring finger over Christmas break and my dad asking for an explanation was priceless. His already very broken English, combined with nerves, turned into mumbling, sweating and probably fear. However, in a moment of genius, he hopped up to open another bottle of wine and all was remedied.

My freshman year of college, I visited my sister in a town outside of Milan and asked this girl in her class out on a date for drinks one evening. I spoke no Italian and she spoke no English. Each armed with a dictionary, good attitude, broken Spanish and some excellent charade abilities; we chatted for over three hours and had a great time. Overall, a generally normal evening made memorable by this simple difference.

The best is when someone has a basic knowledge of a new language and attempts to say things. My friend Bryn is currently taking classes Swahili classes in Tanzania and had a couple good examples from her blog. Instead of saying "see you later" or tutaona she found herself telling the teacher tutaoana, which means "we will get married". For extra credit in High School Spanish, I found a Spanish speaking chat room and had a conversation with a female my age in Mexico. After printing it and turning it in, I found out I kept announcing I was pregnant when I meant to say something about a girlfriend. Extra Credit denied.

My story with Elton, the Zambian kid I met on my trip was documented before and our correspondence continues. He is 12 and it’s fun to watch his English develop.

This love for foreign communication also explains why on my 7 continent marathon tour, Australia excites me the least. I feel like it will be similar to traveling to an England with cooler accents and less historical significance. Will I be excited to go? Of course. But not nearly as much as Asia or I was for Africa.

Finally, by pure chance, the Air Force placed me in a class for pilot training that includes training people from various NATO countries as well. I can only imagine the radio stories that derive from the higher stress environment of military aviation training. Here is a video I found of a Japanese student and instructor and the communication problem that ensues. It gets pretty good around the 35 second point.

Best Picture?

2011-06-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

I bought a Groupon the other day that will print a picture on large canvas for hanging.

Problem: Deciding on a picture.
Solution: Your opinion.

Below are my finalists and each represent some part of my life. Please email or comment on your favorite. This will be the dominant piece of art that follows me on my gypsy lifestyle the next couple years. They are in no particular order.

Elton's Chance

2011-04-15T16:24:00.000-05:00

Call me Angelina Jolie because I have found an African.

Life has a lot to do with chance. I have written before about increasing your odds for success but sometimes you get to be on the other side of the coin. When you have taken advantage of your “chance” and start achieving things, you may have the opportunity to give someone their chance.

My Africa trip was a game changer and why it took me four months after to write Elton, I will never know. Why Elton and not the other thousands of kids? Well, chance for one, but he was willing to smile and sometimes you just click with a person. Many of the kids seemed scared, nervous, skeptical, or annoyed with me and their life but not Elton. You can sense his optimism in the letter. He has the attitude to do something bigger than most, especially given his situation. In the letter he is not making excuses, he is just asking for some assistance, something I have utilized throughout my life from many great mentors.

As a friend of mine said after reading the letter, “Children from regular places, even if they aren’t well off, have big dreams. But children who have so little, yet dream so big; their ambition, determination and joy of life is just heartwarming. It makes you want to make their dreams come true that much more.”

How amazing is it that I can have a conversation with a kid 8500 miles away who lives 20 miles from a power source? Granted, it takes 3 weeks for a letter to travel that distance, but for a kid who has to deal with a hungry season, my impatience can easily tolerate the delay.

While we are currently only pen pals, he is definitely someone I would like to help give an opportunity.

The question is, how?

Here is a photo of the letter with a transcription below. I tried to copy the text just as he wrote it.

Dear Taylor Fox

How a you my Pen-Pal. I hope you well with me I am fine.

I enjoyed your company and personality I am in grade 8 at Mambilima basic school my performance was very good uniform Like that you are training see in the picture I have enjoyed reading the latter that you sent for has inspired me much you have that you a training for the Air Force for the United States it is so nice to hear that I would olso like to take such coreer when I finish school. The if you start work is that don’t forget to assist me so that I become

I con’t forget about and I hope you con’t fogert about me I really enjoyed being with you and am missing you so much. Taylor Fox the time I received your latter I said thank God you are my only freind in the United Stetes of America God Bless you as you training for a good job.

Yours sincerely

Elton Mambwe

No Yoops, Papa

2011-03-24T18:01:00.000-05:00

“No yoops (loops), papa.” This was the deal I made with my grandpa, a pilot, before I would board any flight from birth until age eleven. I loved flying and sitting in the cockpit but the fear of going upside down was overwhelming.

Thirteen years later, flying and yoops, have become the center of my life. People often ask, “what is your favorite thing about flying?” I began realizing my answer was different each time, a decent indicator this is something I really care about. They include:

The view from the cockpit is amazing. Seeing the earth’s shadow at 45,000 feet, sunsets, cities glistening at night, cloud formations and lightening storms (from a distance) are all incredible experiences, every time.

The feeling of climbing on top of the clouds on a dreary overcast day to a bright world of marshmallows and cotton balls blanketed with bright sunlight.

Flying alone is the only place you are truly isolated. Pull the power to idle, turn the radios off, and it is just you and the sound of air streaming past the wings. No one can watch or say anything to you.

I love flying formation. The challenge of mentally overcoming the instinct to pull away from an airplane that close and the requirements to work as one unit to fly just a few feet from another airplane is exhilarating.

Similar to how looking at stars puts things in perspective. Looking down on cities and the earth has the same effect.

The country seems smaller.

Finally, the most common answer is aerobatics. I love turning airplanes upside down. It is a freedom of expression unmatched with anything else I have found in this world. Adding an additional axis of control and an empty sky is the perfect recipe for fun.

This diversity of “things to love” makes it great and long term passion. Below is a video I shot yesterday of my flight complete with aerobatics in a 1943 Boeing Stearman.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

-John Gillespie

Sacrifice, Pride and a Buzz Cut

2011-01-21T20:53:00.000-06:00

Ever since I swore into the United States military, I have wanted to see Washington D.C. one more time before the commencement of training. Last week, the opportunity presented itself during a trip to the Northeast. Fortunately, I took advantage and the city has a much different meaning the final day before I commit a significant portion of my life to the numerous symbols in the city

For two days, I walked the city by myself, allowing me to see, think and reflect on the various memorials and government buildings on my own schedule and opinion.

Walking through the museums, exhibits and memorials of the millions who have died sacrificing for our country was a surreal feeling. I envisioned myself doing the same thing. How would I react? At one point, all of those servicemen and women were two weeks from starting their military training, not fully knowing what they were getting into either. The surreal feeling occurs when I am actually doing something that happens very infrequently. I often get it when I prepare for a lengthy amount of time for an event and it is finally occurring. There is a pause and a realization that something important is actually, finally, happening.

As I walked through the various memorials, I tried to piece together what those men and women must have gone through during their service. By putting together various books and movies I have read and seen, I tried to recreate their final sacrifices. Imagine life with mortar shells incoming and bullets flying by. Then imagine that just one of those shots could finish your life. I began to realize, with video games and paintball, war is entertainment to my generation. The sacrifices our veterans have made were done knowing there was not a restart button on their own life.

As a kid, you listen to your parents and other people who care about your life as they give you advice. The older you get, the less we listen and begin to think we know better. I am proud of many of the decisions I have made and believe that my ability and willingness to seek advice from those who have been successful around me has helped improve my decision making, a process not always accepted by those of my generation. On my latest life changing decision of being a pilot in the Air Force, only three or four people have thought it was a dumb choice and they are all my age. I am excited to be doing something millions of people will stand behind. It is a powerful feeling.

I tried to look at the Capitol building, White House and Supreme Court the way I look at the Coliseum in Rome. Not as places to see but of history in the making. There will be a time in the future that many will look upon them the same way we do the museums displaying the past. These are the places deciding if and where I will fight to shape history.

I have been fortunate enough to travel the world and know we live in its best society . While we all take it for granted every day, it wasn't always this way and won't be unless we do something about it. I have never been more ready, physically or mentally, to be one of those people doing something about it.

The hair is cut. The uniforms are pressed. And the journey starts tomorrow.

See more pictures from my Washington DC trip here

Celebrations

2011-01-14T17:06:00.000-06:00

It seems there are those who celebrate and those who mourn. Mourn the fact that it is Monday, cold, the laundry is dirty and countless other reasons. There are others who celebrate the start of a new week, being able to have a fire outside, the smell of fresh clothes and almost everything else.

Two and a half years ago my family and I rafted the Grand Canyon and met part of a great family from Colorado. Their daughter, who did not make that trip, passed away last week at age 28 from the flu. They chose to celebrate, not morn, by putting on a full staged production that encompassed the great attributes of her life and personality because that is what she would have done. While having never met “Allie,” I began watching the show online as they streamed it to the world. For over two hours, people across the world watched friends from every part of her life come to act out and tell great stories of Allie.

I felt the full spectrum of emotions watching the event but now that it is over, I feel more inspired than ever to make the most of each moment. If not anything else, the event encourages me to make life more fun and creative in every situation. You can go through the motions or do it differently and better. Allie and her family chose to do things differently and it was better.

Numerous people in the show mentioned her desire to change the world. She changed the world for everyone in her life and who watched today by leading through example. A world of celebration and fun is a happier world, and therefore, a more productive world.

I am not sure how I would have classified myself before today, celebrator or mourner, but thanks to Allie, I hope to be perceived as a celebrator from this point forward.

You can see a copy of the performance here:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/celebrate-allie

You must have a Screw Loose

2011-01-10T18:27:00.012-06:00

“You must have a screw loose.” “Are there rocks in your head?” These are the two questions I was asked by my grandmother and grandfather, respectively, as I set out on a run the other day during temperatures hovering around 20 degrees. On the surface it does seem a bit odd to leave a temperature controlled environment to enter a potentially deadly climate for more than an hour to do something that can cause pain. However, my immediate response was that I felt they were the ones, in fact, that had a screw loose.

Why? By summarizing a chapter of the book “Born to Run,” I will explain and hopefully motivate you to consider distance running.. If you are not, it must be due to my poor summarization skills, and you should read the book to fully understand.

It comes down to why we are here. How did Humans make it in the beginning of the natural selecting animal kingdom? It comes down to eating and not getting eaten. It isn’t very helpful to run 20 miles when a tiger can catch you in 10 seconds and a deer out-sprint you.

First, let’s look at our anatomy. When conventional animals on four legs run, they get stuck in a one-breath-per-locomotion cycle. Humans, however, can pant. Why? To shed heat, which is also the reason we are the only animal that sweats. We are the best air-cooled engine evolution has ever put on the market. For example, after studying cheetahs it was found that when their core temperature hits 105 degrees, the cheetah shuts down and refused to run. That’s the natural response for all running mammals; when they build up more heat in their bodies than they can puff out their mouths, they have to stop or die. Further, the top galloping speed for most horses is 7.7 meters a second. They can hold that pace for about ten minutes but must then slow to 5.8 meters a second. But an elite marathoner can jog for hours at 6 meters a second.

To run an antelope to death, researches determined, all you have to do is scare it into a gallop on a hot day. If you keep just close enough for it to see you, it will keep sprinting away. After about ten or fifteen kilometers’ worth of running, it will go into hyperthermia and collapse. Translation: if you can run six miles on a summer day then you, my friend, are a lethal weapon in the animal kingdom.

As a hunter-gatherer, you’re never off the clock; you can be walking home after an exhausting day of collecting yams, but if fresh game scuttles into view, you drop everything and go. So we learned to graze, eating lightly throughout the day rather than filling up on big meals. This validates the theory many are adopting that eating numerous meals throughout the day is a healthier alternative to our conventional three big meals.

So why do most of us never want to exercise? Sitting around was once a luxury, so when you had the chance to rest and recover, you grabbed it. Only recently have we come up with the technology to turn laying around into a way of life.

The brain is always scheming to reduce costs, get more for less, store energy and have it ready for an emergency. Runners know how good running feels because we’ve made a habit of it. But lose the habit, and the loudest voice in your ear is your ancient survival instinct urging you to relax.

We’ve taken away the jobs our bodies were meant to do, and we’re paying for it. Nearly every top killer in the Western world—heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, hypertension, and a dozen forms of cancer— was unknown to our ancestors.

If this isn’t reason enough, my grandparents' questions should be applied to you.

Welcome to America

2010-12-23T15:35:00.001-06:00

One of the most interesting things about international travel is experiencing a new culture and way of life. If possible, I always try to live at least part of the trip with locals and experience life past hotels and resorts. While it was very different and sometimes inconvenient to live in the African village or in Rome with my sister, what do people from abroad think of the United States on their first trip here? My sister brought her pure-bred Italian boyfriend Valerio (Vale) here for the holidays and I made note of his initial impressions.

Pick-up trucks were first on the amazement list. He saw an entire parking lot full while landing in Atlanta to change planes. Previously, he had only seen them on TV shows and they blew him away. He also ran into his first hotdog stand in the airport.

Traffic during the holiday season does not get any worse in Springfield, Missouri. However, during 5 o’clock traffic he repeatedly remarked how light and orderly the traffic is.

Upon arriving at my parent’s house late in the evening, the wall-to-wall carpet amazed him. He proceeded to roll around on the floor in pleasure. Further, the size of our yard and house were unbelievable. Comparable to three or four standard houses in Italy, I believe ours is not much larger than the average in our area. Central air in houses and restaurants had him staring at duct work numerous times. Having only really seen an AC window unit, central is a beautiful thing.

Our food is really heavy compared to Italians apparently, full of flavor and very good, but heavy. This probably correlates to his numerous comments on the average weight of Americans. He has never seen anything like it and we only enhanced his astonishment after taking him to the mall. The malls also lead him to notice all of the “very young girls with babies.”

Valerio had a little back trouble and went to the hospital for a checkup. He was astonished at how nice everything was and compared our hospital to a nice hotel in Rome. Don’t they have universal health care there? Just saying.

Obviously a few positive and negative observations but on his last night I asked what he will predominately remember when he thinks of Missouri and the United States. First, what do you think of? Besides being more organized, he replied by saying we seem to happier, calmer and smile a lot more to each other than Italians or any other culture he has seen. I will admit that surprised me.

Vale and his first chainsaw encounter:

Pearls of Wisdom from Tita

2010-11-28T19:33:00.001-06:00

One grandma of mine has early, but am beginning to think, mid-term Alzheimer’s. Known to our family as Tita since that is all I could say at an early age as she was coercing me into calling her Abuelita, or grandmother, in Spanish. I visit her once or twice per year in El Paso, Texas and she takes full advantage of the infrequent visits by imparting her words of wisdom. The problem being the Alzheimer’s. I may hear any of the following comments three or four times in the same conversation. Therefore, they are permanently engrained, whether I agree with them or not. I provide some occasional commentary. Enjoy.

There is no right way to do a wrong thing. (Morally speaking, yes, but....)

Do it right or don’t do it at all.

If there is a will, there is a way. If there is no will, there are 100 excuses. (My personal favorite and agree, people find a way if it is important enough. Click here for more.)

A leopard never changes its spots. (Which means people don’t change. I think we obviously change and evolve throughout life but not core beliefs. If someone promises it (in business, spouse, etc) will be better next time, it probably will not.)

When in doubt, don’t. (My least favorite. There is doubt in almost every decision I make. It is irresponsible to think you know 100%. A lot of people have doubt and therefore don’t take chances leading to a less fulfilling life. Click here for more.)

People are like water, they seek their own level. (She is saying people associate themselves with others of the same socio-economic level.)

You make your luck. (Couldn't agree more and have written about it before. Are certain people really lucky? Or do they work harder and put themselves in more positions to be lucky? I say the latter.)

The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree. (Unless the tree is on a cliff. I agree if the parents were a big part of the child’s life.)

Be careful what you wish for, you a liable to get it. And I am talking about a wife.

What you do the night before is not worth what you have to pay the next day.(Quite a few college students would disagree here.)

1 minute of immeasurable pleasure is not worth paying for the rest of your life. (Ask Tiger, he will agree)

Sometime marriage ruins a perfectly good relationship.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. (Everytime I pop my knuckles she says this one. Health Eating applies too.)

Heaven and Hell are right here, it is what you make it. (Big fan of this one. Spending time in an African village would change your opinion here. They have what we would consider hell, but you would not know it. It is just a matter of perspective.)

Her new favorite joke that is spot on: There are three things that happen when you get older: 1. You get older. (Pause) I don’t remember the other two. It got laughs every time after were heard the aforementioned phrases three times each.

I will leave you with what she said upon learning I was leaving yesterday. "But you are going to leave before I see you again?"

Yes Tita, by definition I must.

Catastrophe on the Sea

2010-11-11T18:54:00.000-06:00

I am watching the news this evening and this is the headline for the lead story of the day.

"No Air Conditioning, Hot Food or Swimming Pool."

No swimming pool?! Can you believe that? Sounds absolutely miserable. This is the story of a cruise ship losing power and having to be towed in for 2.5 days. The story contained interviews of the passengers describing how miserable and terrible the ordeal was. How they would kill for a cheeseburger, couldn't wait to charge their cell phone or how this ruined his birthday booze cruise. Obviously a Titanic-like ordeal.

I immediately reflect on the people I stayed with in the African village in August. Never having running water, cell phones, TVs or even knowing what a swimming pool is. Further, while they get hot food by starting fires, they do have the hungry season to worry about. When you consider this perspective, the reaction from the passengers and media is more disgusting and unbelievable than the conditions they endured. I would be completely embarrassed watching an interview of myself saying some of these things.

From their perspective, it is difficult to have something taken away versus not ever enjoying it. A bicycle is a great form of transportation, but once you have ridden in a car, it is miserable. We all become spoiled and expect certain luxuries after we have enjoyed them for a certain amount of time.

Just last week I noticed myself finally starting to take things for granted again after the Africa trip. I was very pleased that for two months, I would reflect on Africa every time a meal was prepared, I used the refrigerator, flushed a toilet or got water from the tap. Hopefully this insensitive news story will be a nice reminder of how spoiled we can act.

Africa has also made me less tolerant of complaining in general. When people complain about tests, the weather, working until dark or endless other examples, Africa makes me want to point out the other perspective. While I am just as guilty as the next person, I am trying to complain less and so should you. If you are reading this on a computer in a temperature controlled room, you are probably doing okay.

On a final note, this story was the lead story on Veterans Day. The day we honor those who have served, died or are currently living in Afghanistan and around the world under the constant fear of mortar shells and snipers.

A Shooting on Campus Today

2010-10-27T19:07:00.008-05:00

Or at least we thought for far too long of a time. I was standing in front of a class, having just finished my part of a group presentation, when I got a text message. Normally I would not advise checking your phone while a teacher and 40 people are watching you present but I decided to subtly check, avoiding the teachers gaze. This is what I saw: (And yes, I have a Giraffe as my cell phone background.)

Definitely a moment that catches your attention, I show a friend standing next to me and we exchange concerned glances. From that point on, I don’t remember a single question the teacher asked about our presentation. I happened to be closest to the door and heard a scream in the distance down the hall and immediately started visualizing what I would do if things started to get really exciting. I start thinking, “alright Fox, you have just signed up for the military, trained or not, it would look bad in a headline if you lose this fight.”

Next, I check Twitter. If something is going down, people will be talking. The picture below is what I see.

Class was just ending and we use the computer to check mualert.missouri.edu. It is down due to a surplus of traffic. Perfect, the first time in 4 years it is needed, it fails.

I text my mom the same picture of the initial warning as above and she replied with, “OMG where are you?” I replied, “Went home to get camo, my bow (and arrows) and came back to campus.”

One thing leads to another and we eventually find out it is just a methed out crazy person who shot 4 people, killed 3, and the fourth was airlifted to Columbia. The police assume the shooter would want to go to the “university” hospital to finish her off. And that is how rumors start, with twitter acting like gasoline on a fire.

The ironic part of course, is had this been an actual emergency, I wouldn’t have found out without checking my cell phone in class. Further, the MU alert system is supposed to send out a text message. I think I will pass on turning my phone off for class thank you.

College at its Finest

2010-10-24T15:46:00.010-05:00

There are few moments capable of defining the college experience. Last night happened to be one. The entire state and college football nation had centered around Columbia, Missouri the last few days and our school and team rose to the challenge.

College Gameday, a national TV show that highlights the biggest game of the week, descended on Columbia Friday and we set the record for most in attendance with 18,000.

Commentator Erin Andrews wondered if we had cancelled class and thought she saw professorsin the crowd. My roommate woke up at 3 AM Saturday to stand in the rain so he could have a place to stand close to the stage. The early wakeup call still had him standing 150+ feet from the stage. Lee Corso didn’t pick us to win and neither did just about anyone else inthe country, including myself. It was the first time I was not overtly optimistic about Mizzou’s chances in any game.

I remember my freshman year saying, “Just once in my college career I want to rush the field or court.” Before I decided on getting an MBA, the last chance was the KU basketball game in February 2009. We won on a last second shot and those seniors who never had the chance before, rushed the court. Yesterday, a few weeks from my second and final graduation, was the last football game with a chance to rush the field and the Tigers poetically came through again in arguably the biggest win in Mizzou history. The video below highlights the pre, during and post game celebration of Saturday as seen through my eyes.

Via an article on ESPN: As the final second ticked off, and thousands of Missouri students raced onto the field, an unlucky few had the misfortune to be arrested for trespassing. A local sheriff loosely guided one young Tigers fan, his hands cuffed behind his back. The fan veered toward a Missouri player and, with adoration in his eyes, said, "I fu@kin' love you guys." Well said. I have already heard of teachers cancelling quizzes tomorrow.

Post game we walked to the infamous goalpost cutting Harpo’s. The police had already blocked off the streets and there were thousands chanting, singing and sawing away. One could buy a $2 saw for $20-$30 from quick thinking entrepreneurs and start hacking. At one point I laid claim to a piece and had it in hand before it magically disappeared.

A local paper described the scene: “Mobs stopped traffic, revelers scaled balconies, hundreds of bodies crushed into a single mass of crazy, jubilant celebration at the intersection of Tenth and Cherry streets, where the fans gathered outside Harpo's to cut the goal post in pieces.” It was really was quite the scene.

As Missouri fans, we have generally been on the losing end of these games, and I have traveled to many games coming home disappointed so it’s nice that my 4 years at Mizzou started reversing that trend with a few big wins. After speaking with my grandfather this morning on the phone, he said he had "waited a long time for a day like this and it was a really special day." He has been probably waiting for the 55+ years since he played halfback for Mizzou.

There are a few days in life you will not forget, Maybe the day you get married or completed your first marathon. The newest day on my "will not forget list" is October 23, 2010, the day Mizzou beat #1 Oklahoma.

To see more pictures of my experience click here.

A Life of Ratios

2010-10-13T21:13:00.011-05:00

A very popular ratio is the miles per gallon in a car. A cool twist to this one is with airplanes. While wind is a big factor in this ratio, a single engine propeller plane generally gets somewhere between 10-13 miles per gallon. Compare that to the corporate jet I have flown, sometimes getting less than a mile per gallon. I think it is the same jet Al Gore flies to his Inconvenient Truth conferences.

Ratios like MPG are obvious, some however, are not. Ever listen to a speaker and only hear, "ya know," "err," or "umm?" After a while, these annoying distractions are all you hear. Almost all speakers say these things but I would assume a certain frequency or ratio triggers a listener to the annoyance. Maybe 6 "ya knows" per minute would draw attention? Stephen Strasburg, the young phenom pitcher grabbed my attention with 29 "ya knows" in an interview recently. I have no idea what he said because I was so annoyed and started counting. This is something to think about when you are trying to effectively communicate with someone.

Being in college and an athlete, eating economically and quickly is very important to me. Since time and money are limited, I look to two key ratios. Dish to calorie and calorie per dollar. Why eat eggs on a plate when you can eat them out of the skillet? Further, when I am training for a marathon, a restaurant meal hardly ever completely satisfies me so I look over the menu not for taste, but calories per dollar.

Trying to improve something in your life? If you can put a ratio to it, you can track the progress and be more conscious of the actions. Thank you notes per month, smiles per hour or calls per sale, anything you are trying to accomplish can be tracked. I would argue, if tracked, will improve performance.

While many ratios influence my life, the 1,500 miles per hour of an F-16 is the only ratio continuously putting a smile on my face.

How Roxxy lost 10lbs and so can YOU

2010-10-10T19:21:00.008-05:00

Roxxy has stumbled upon a revolutionary weight loss process and it takes only three easy steps.

1. Eat Better

Switching from pupperoni and gross non weight conscious food, Purina’s Beneful “Healthy Weight” has literally dropped the pounds. Analogous to switching from McDonalds and potatochips to Subway and apples, eating better has trimmed her waist and added energy. Instead of getting fries as the side for your burger, get vegetables.

2. Eat Less

Dogs and people alike, if you burn more calories than you consume, the pounds will start “shedding” off. Instead of two cups, Roxxy gets 1.5. Consider a bank account that rewards you for spending and penalizes you for saving. Spend the calories and reduce the intake or deposits of calories.

3. Exercise more

By constantly begging and giving the sad, but cute look, she has earned herself more runs and trips to the dog park with dad. While swimming is her personal favorite, mentioning the word run or getting the running shoes out generates a level of excitement comparable to none. The excitement disappears early in the run but imagine if we could be as animated as she is about anything.

The result?

More energy, more kisses and more dogs checking her out.

I stumbled across these two body scans of women at varying weights. The difference in the appearance of the brain really got to me.

Fu&% Kansas

2010-09-30T22:18:00.016-05:00

I generally don't take pleasure in hating something, but there are exceptions, and the university of kansas is one of them.

For example, I was happier that kansas lost to North Dakota State, a division 2 school, than Mizzou beating Illinois, the first week of football this fall. My grandpa played football at Mizzou in the 1950s but was recruited by kansas as well. Even after a ku coach had dinner with his family in their home, he chose Mizzou. A couple years later there was a sideline clearing fight between the two teams and the same coach that ate dinner with his parents, decked him in the face. He has a real hatred toward the school.

Anyway, a few years ago I took a video of the Mizzou student section chanting, "M-I-Z FU*%-k-u. Almost 60,000 views and 500+ comments later, it has become a relatively popular YouTube video without any effort on my part.

But a funny thing happens when a video gets popular. YouTube asks to share advertising revenue with you by placing ads at the end of the video. So I agree and now I get paid if someone clicks the advertisement at the end of the clip. All of the sudden, I realize the ku MBA program is the dominant advertisement shown at the end of my video.

But Taylor, why would you want to advertise for the enemy? Well first, the irony of their Masters of Business program advertising on something that says "Fu%& ku" brings a substantial smile to my face.

Second, every time someone clicks on that advertisement, the ku MBA program is paying me, Taylor, an MBA student from Mizzou. It makes me smile every time I think about it.

Below is a picture of the video after it finished with ku's ad. Further down is the video itself. Enjoy.

Just Walk Away...

2010-09-30T21:12:00.006-05:00

The Mizzou MBA program brought in an interesting guest speaker today. Phil Coffey, founder of a product called Fresh Wave, gave various advice on product development issues and international business. The product's full story can be found here in an Inc. Magazine article.

He had two messages that stood out to me. The first was that a company should sell their own employees on the product as well as the customers. To lead you need to have everyone believe in you and your product.

He said the second message was the biggest key to success in business and one I had never heard before.

"You need to be able to walk away."

Even though he has an emerging product and many problems, especially in the beginning, revolve around a lack of sales, his ability to say no to huge customers has been his best asset. Business deals must be good and fair for both parties for them to last. If not, eventually one partner in the agreement will cease to be a partner. If a large customer is pressuring you to drop your prices but your product is already selling and it will cause undue stress on your business, walk away. Generally, it is just the threat of walking away that makes the difference.

The same applies with many other relationships. While you probably shouldn't threaten a spouse with walking away, the thought that they could will keep you from being complacent and taking them for granted, something you should not do anyway. We often don't realize what we have until it is gone so the reminder that something could walk away will make you appreciate it in the present, business partner or spouse.

The Wal-Mart Checkers

2010-09-20T21:59:00.010-05:00

It seems like Wal-Mart checkers are a well publicized group. Whether it is their wage, age or line length, they are in the news and our mind often.

January 2010, I go in to a Dallas, Texas Wal-Mart. After grabbing a few things I get in line to checkout, a 60ft checkout line. It was a Wal-Mart with bandannas locked behind glass and one where we saw cops chasing a thief as we arrived.

So I do what any good Twitter user would. Took a picture and posted it just seconds after getting in line. I happen to have a good friend who was previously employed in management for them but I didn't think anything of it.

Two days later I get call on my cell phone from a regional manager of Wal-Mart in Bentonville, Ark asking for more details. A touch surprised, I answer the questions and am then forwarded this email. Mike Duke happens to be 4th CEO of the company.

From: John Murphy
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 4:26 PMTo: Mike Duke
Cc: Bill Simon; Gregory Jenkins - GRJENKI; Lee Ruiz - lruiz.s05147;
Sonny Littlefield; Mike Moore - Operations
Subject: RE: Interesting WMT in Dallas

Mike... I just called Taylor Fox a friend of Rob Voss. Taylor took

this picture on his iPhone last night and was able to give me more details...
This was in our Cockerel Hill store located 5 miles west of downtown
Dallas. We'll immediately start pulling register and staffing reports
and get this addressed; then do this for all stores in our Region. Mike
I apologize for this breakdown... We are better than this in Dallas...

John

Interesting to see the reach of social media in such a short amount of time. Here is the Photo in Question:

I most recently love Wal-Mart checkout lines when signing the digital pad. They print your signature on the receipt and it is quite entertaining to come up with fun names, drawings, etc. I have yet to receive a "signature not accepted"

DROP AND GIVE ME 50!

2010-09-13T22:03:00.012-05:00

We all have seen movies and images of military boot camp. None of which look very pleasant, physically or mentally. My officer's Boot Camp is probably 4 months away and yesterday, September the 12th, I chose to be day one of preparation for it, and the rest of my physical training for the beginning of my fighter jet journey. So how does one prepare for a tough 6 weeks with no prior military experience?

Physical Training: I did just finish two marathons so I am in decent shape and do a fair amount of push-ups and sit-ups but I would still prefer the 6-weeks and high-G moments be as easy as possible. I have actually been told to not run so much because G-tolerance is improved with a higher resting heart rate.

Cardio: I plan to do cardio 3-4 times per week until January. Running, cycling and maybe swimming occasionally. I want to not go quite as far, but faster.

Strength: I am not sure where to go here and any advice would be appreciated. Should I spend a lot time with weights or just focus on push ups, sit ups and pull ups? Right now, it is a blend. Weights when they are available, body weight exercises when they aren't.

Mental Training: In Africa I sat on a bus for 9 hours, in 85 degree heat, with the windows up because Africans hate wind and next to 60 people who could have used some deodorant. I sat there 15 minutes in to the ride and thought, "just pretend this is boot camp and they are testing you." It became easier.

Now, anytime I am in a situation I don't like, I simply turn it into a mind game for boot camp preparation.

I have never liked lifting weights but occasionally something sparks significant motivation. This scene from "Saving Private Ryan" is that spark. It is graphic but well done. Every time I lift weights I find myself reflecting on this video, helping fuel the workout. I imagine having to eject and getting in to a fight on the ground, having to physically save my life with muscle and not the fire power of a jet. I am sure my mother will love watching this clip.

The video is 4 minutes long but the specific scene is at the 2:00 minute point. It makes me cringe every time I watch.

Africa Part 2: Bungee, Safari and Marathon

2010-09-07T08:14:00.009-05:00

(Click here to see Africa Part 1: The Village.)

The Victoria Falls were the 3^rd natural wonder of the world I have been able to see. Far exceeding expectations, they truly were incredible. Locally called Mosi-oa-Tunya, (the smoke that thunders) it is double the height and almost double the width of Niagara Falls. Bungee jumping was first on the to-do list and I decided to jump with my video camera in hand. See footage below and pictures on facebook.

Next we visited the falls from the Zambia side. You can also cross the border to Zimbabwe and view from there. There are advantages to both but it is an additional $60 to view from the other side and we were more than content with Zambia. Besides the obvious views, we paid a local to take us to a place called the Devil’s Pool on top of the falls. This was a decision I regretted for a while as six of us and two guides held hands walking 75 feet from the edge of the falls through the water for an hour getting to this gem of a spot. More than once, rushing water was waist deep, walking over jagged rocks, knowing a slip could have you drifting over the edge. Was it worth it? No question. Probably the single most amazing spot I have ever seen, you could swim literally to the edge and look straight down without falling off while water is roaring over the edge by you. See video below of me jumping into the devil’s pool before swimming to the edge and pictures on facebook. We ran into a hippo on the walk back about 40 yards away, which, behind the mosquito, is man’s biggest killer.

The video is followed by our safari in Chobe National Park, Botswana. We saw more animals and got far closer than I would have ever expected. Go during the dry season when the animals are forced to stay near water. Enjoy video of elephants swimming, giraffes running and elephants having a mud bath.

Finally, my marathon video. I was able to make a video for Rome, Rio and now the Victoria Falls. A little long but parts of it should be entertaining. It was warm, hilly, at 3,500 feet above sea level and the finish line was higher than the start but it was another great marathon. As you can see in the video, numerous times I was running alone in the bush with animal warning signs and occasionally men with rifles to protect us. Completely different than the three previous, but unique and fun, a perfect representation of Africa.

Africa Part 1: The Village

2010-09-04T08:09:00.010-05:00

Most of us have heard our parents say something to the effect of, “Finish your dinner because there are hungry kids in Africa.” Mom was put to test with this trip.

The village, Mambilima, Zambia, was definitely an eye-opening experience. You can hear the phrase mentioned above but living the life really changed my perspective, and it is not like they have it so bad. I am sitting here with the TV on, two computers running

with music, graduate level school work and facebook, the AC on, my iphone ringing and my car ready to take me to meet friends miles away with no effort but am I any happier than I would be there? One of the villagers asked me what it was like here. I paused and simply said it is just another group of people trying to figure out how to be happy.

A couple times per day, I walked a few hundred yards to fetch water. I had never thought about the value of plumbing until this trip as I complained about every trip I made and how heavy the water was. One day I was passed by a woman carrying the same amount of water, a kid on her back, and probably 10 pot/pans balanced on her head.

We slept in mosquito nets not for the mosquitoes, but for the rats that would crawl all over the net while we slept. This, along with the thought of snakes so poisonous you would die in 6 minutes, I never got over.

We have football season here, they have hungry season there. Their soccer balls are made from plastic bags tied together but I can promise they have more fun with their ball than we do with ours. Women eat termite mounds when they are pregnant because they think it helps. $20 is the price per semester for High School but they generally can’t afford it so they don’t go.

I would ask many what their favorite things were (farming, walks, nshima (nasty food), church) and their least favorite thing. (Everyone is poor) Blair and I wondered if they would have the same poverty response if we don’t show up and tell/make them realize they are poor.

I ran the marathon in Zimbabwe, which has experienced 1,000,000,000% inflation. I bought a $100 trillion bill for $1 and overpaid.

I met a guy who was opening a small convenience store and when he found out I was an MBA student he exclaimed, “It is like you are an angel sent from god.” I helped him outline a business plan and he was thrilled. He also told me he would pay a worker 80,000 kwacha per month or $16. $16 for 144 hours of work, or .11 cents per hour. I also met with the treasurer of a network of 20 churches whose annual budget was $1,000, or half my flight.

Women don’t show thigh because that is known as “the gateway” but breasts are a part of child upbringing so they are seen often. Men hold hands frequently but can’t understand what being gay is.

I was often asked if there were black people in America and was told that if you already have an STD, you can’t get AIDS. Further, everyone in the country believes in witchcraft and most agree that men are smarter than women. As one lady told me, “Men think faster.” It only takes 300,000 kwacha or $60 to have a witch doctor kill someone for you. Why so many kids? “It just happens.” They said it is actually a sin to have a kid but not adequately provide for them but it blew their mind every time I would mention I have only one sibling.

They don’t really understand exercise. I went on a training run and people would stare and ask what I was doing, or look behind me to see what was chasing because why else would I be running?

The villagers love the U.S. Nothing bad to say and if we give enough certain years they don’t have to pay for health care. They love Barack Obama and there are shirts, shoes, blankets and more all with his face on it.

I met missionaries who were sentenced to death 5 hours after being told they must be purposely keeping the rain away but were able to escape during the night. I might a man from Zimbabwe who had his entire farm taken away in 2002 because he was white and the dictator was convinced the white men kept him from winning the election. Tanks showed up at his house, put him in jail for 10 days and said get the hell out. He is still trying to find his feet in Zambia.

Living and seeing the life in Africa really makes our problems sound comical. It was a perspective changer for me and I hope this post hits a little closer to home than other things we have read growing up.

I’ll leave you with what Blair’s father in the village told me in front of a group of 6 as I left. He told me to be an ambassador to the United States for them. Tell them:

"Our skin is black

Our ears are brown

We have small noses (laughter)

And our hair is short

But we are friendly people."

Video excerpt below. Two more blogs posts to follow and to see more pictures, click this link.

Rio Marathon and Hang Gliding videos

2010-08-04T18:28:00.004-05:00

Rio de Janeiro Marathon. July 18, 2010. Finished in 3:50:03

Hang Gliding in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

2010-07-28T19:53:00.009-05:00

Last week took me to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. By far the most amazing combination of mountain, ocean and city I have, or will probably, ever see. Of the 7 days there, it rained 5 of them but the most was made of the trip. Here are the highlights followed by a few pictures:

Maratona do Rio: My 3rd marathon and it did not disappoint. It ran along the coast most of the way so we enjoyed the nice ocean breeze and views the entire route. I met Stephanie from NYC and Rob from Melbourne at the start and we ran the entire race together having a great time making my videos and chatting. Not only was it great to share the experience with new friends but it made the 3:50:03 race so much easier with their company. At a couple of points, we ran by slum neighborhoods. There were many children begging along these areas and we couldn't figure out why since none of the runners had anything to give them. What turned into quite the wakeup call, we finally realized they were begging for water after our water stops. It was only after the marathon did we realize that all the water they handed out had expired. There were also men armed with automatic rifles along these areas protecting the runners. I was wearing my Air Force shorts and was yelled at in a not so friendly manner as I ran by one area.

Hang gliding: Running off the face of a 1500 foot cliff is quite the rush. I am sure it is the closest thing to being a bird with the sound of the wind, controllability and 360 degree views. It is truly an amazing an unique feeling I high suggest.

The city: Beyond its obvious beauty, I found the locals who were not working to be friendly and pleasant. Those who were working, except the hang glider pilots, were mostly rude and not happy to be dealing with you. There are people everywhere constantly trying to sell you something, and in one case, even drugs. With a blend of ocean and city, Rio has a uniquely wonderful smell. In contrast to many warnings, I never really felt threatened but was generally cautious as anyone should be in any big city. The famous women and plastic surgery? The weather wasn't spectacular so I probably missed out but there was nothing to write home about. Sure, some were very pretty but the same can be said anywhere.

The rain hurt some of the enjoyment but the last 30 hours of the trip were probably the best 30 straight hours of my life with the marathon, hang gliding and going out in Rio. Will I go again? Yes, and I think you should too.

More pictures can be found here but a couple are below.

Just after finishing the marathon with Stephanie and Rob:

Running off the mountain:

On top of Sugar loaf Mountain:

Joining the SD Air National Guard

2010-07-10T11:46:00.014-05:00

July 9, 2010 was a pretty important day in my life as I joined the military. While it was merely a step toward the journey of becoming a fighter pilot, it was a very symbolic step that I was able to enjoy with my parents and grandfather, who gave me his dog tags from the 1950s when he was in the Air Force as a fighter pilot.

For those questioning my decision, who would not want to receive the best training in the world, for the best job in the world, doing the one thing they love, all while serving our country? Over the last 5 years I have spent a lot of time thinking and talking to people about what career would be make me the happiest and is the most rewarding. The only profession people have encouraged and recommended without a doubt is the one I am starting. One of the pilots yesterday mentioned he hates talking to his friends about his "work" because it is nearly impossible to call it a job. Two years ago, my good friend Eli Bozeman introduced me to the idea of the Air National Guard. I remembered yesterday that I told him I would gladly pay the government to get this chance. I hope more decisions in life are this black and white.

Ironically, one of the first forms they had me fill out was a life insurance policy. At $400K, my only dependent, Roxxy, should be set for life. Am I worried about dying? No. Fighter pilots have a very clean record, especially as of late. Further, we all are going to die sometime, might as well be doing the thing you love while serving others. I can't wait to get started.

I am fit for uniforms and the top security clearance investigation begins. After that, off to San Antonio sometime early fall for a 3-day medical. Then Montgomery, Alabama for Guard Officer Boot Camp hopefully in January. The details of my journey will start becoming limited but I will do my best to tell a good story or two along the way.

Below is a video of my oath along with a couple of pictures from the day. The rest of the pictures can be found on facebook. Click here.

Life is a game of Roulette

2010-07-08T10:11:00.012-05:00

In roulette, there are 38 numbers the ball can randomly land on. Pick any one number correctly and the payout is large, let's pretend it is 38:1. Note there are other bets that have greater probability of winning but less of a payout. You are simply choosing how much risk you are willing to take, deciding how much money you want to put at risk and hoping for the respective payout.

You can't win unless you put chips on the table, and the more spaces you bet on, the higher probability you will come out a winner. In roulette it takes money to put chips on the table. In life, it often just takes time and effort. You will have to risk failure and sometimes money, but usually it is just time and effort, something we can all afford in our one life. Further, unlike roulette, life's decisions can also come with a calculated rate of success, making the bets more attractive.

Just like the ball in roulette, many things in life you cannot control. But it is far more risky to not play life's roulette than it is to play. You can't do well unless you play. This analogy doesn't apply just to financial gains in life either. Marrying the first person you meet seems like putting all of your chips on one number. Not very good odds that will turn out well. Try dating many numbers while you are young and the chances of finding a winner increase significantly. Even if it takes a random trip to Chicago or the Niagara Falls to meet someone, your bet could very well payoff and be worth the time and money taking that risk.

I spend time and endure embarrassment putting videos on YouTube but randomly made the wall street journal and have a contact there because of those videos. The odds of getting the fighter pilot slot were significantly worse than betting a number in roulette but working hard and applying more than once turned that bet into a winner.

To be a winner it just takes 1 successful business idea out of 100 ideas, it takes finding the right spouse out of 3 billion options and it takes similar odds for most of life's decisions, you just have to keep trying. The next time friends invite you to a party to meet new people, go; the next time you have a hobby you might pick up, do it; and the next time someone asks you out, enjoy it.

So while I don't think you should include gambling in Vegas as one of your efforts to win at life, at least you would be out trying, which is more than most can say.

My Paparazzi Experiences

2010-06-30T13:25:00.010-05:00

As of today, I have made it in two national print publications, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal. Unfortunately, in both instances, I gained my fame by pure chance and not by merit. While I hope this will change in the future, I am still not complaining and shall tell the story of each.

It was the summer of 2000. I was 12 and way to cool to like something as lame and childish as Harry Potter. It happened to be the night of a book release so Barnes and Noble was having their infamous midnight party. My sister asked me to go along so I agreed with the stipulation I would read golf books the whole time. As midnight approached, they wheeled the books out to a frenzy of applause and I walked over to see what was sooooo cool. I looked for a couple of seconds and then returned to my golf books.

Flash forward a week later and my mom gets numerous calls one day to check out this week's Newsweek magazine. Under an article poetically entitled, "Why Harry's Hot." There is a 12-year old Taylor staring blankly at the books as they are wheeled out with the caption something like, "Excited Harry Potter fans in Springfield, MO await the new release." While I did find the article online today, it comes with no pictures. The internet must have been so lame back then. So at 12, my first brush with fame was just as celebrities describe it, annoying and something I wanted to avoid.

The irony now of course is that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the entire Harry Potter series. I still use this story as an answer to "What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?"

Now lets pretend it is December of 2006. I am moving from Tempe, AZ to Columbia, MO and packing a Uhaul. My printer is out of ink and was really cheap so I decide to throw it away. In a moment of genius, I get a friend to film me tearing it apart before throwing it away. Almost 5 years later, a pitiful 548 poor souls have seen that video. Not quite the viral video that earns 40 million views and people talk about, but a video good enough to land me an interview for the Wall Street Journal.

About 3 weeks ago, I get a random message on youtube from a person claiming to be a reporter with the WSJ. Skeptical, I ignore for a couple days but then Google the email address he provided. He appeared legit so I called and had a fun conversation of 10 minutes describing my hate for printers and the events around the video. He called again yesterday to fact check and the rest is history.

Publicity and being in the news for the right reasons is generally a good thing but it almost always seems reporters try to twist quotes and make you appear stupid. Last year I was asked to give an interview for KOMU, the local news station in Columbia and my response was, "Before I agree, I want to know whether you guys always make the people you interview look dumb or are they actually are dumb?" The reporter hinted it was the later so I agreed to the interview.

My quote in the WSJ article is brief but as a close friend of mine pointed out, "Your voice pours out through that quote. lol. Such a "you" thing to say." Job well done Wall Street Journal.

Here is a link to the WSJ article and below is the video that made me famous for today. And yes, check one more thing off the bucket list.

Vegas

2010-06-08T12:13:00.007-05:00

Last weekend took me to Las Vegas. It was my 3rd post 21 trip and with each one I get wiser. Less money lost on gambling and more money spent on shows, drinks and cover charges.

Did I win money? No, but did hang out with the coolest bachelorette party ever that came away with $1,000 from one pull on a penny slot. Just the kind of story that will keep millions of people coming back and wasting millions of dollars on the chance for a similar story.

And yes, in the spirit of the Hangover, I came back without a complete set of teeth and with a scar on my face. Something about dancing and wedding ring. (not out of anger) Don't worry, all shall be remedied within the week.

It is interesting how perception of money changes. In Missouri, if I spend $40 dollars on a night out I have done a lot and will probably end up regretting it the next day. In Vegas, I spent $40 on a cover for the first club we attended and it felt like a good deal. So did the $9 beer.

The trip concluded with the following set of events over 24 hours:

In-n-out burger for brunch, pool for 7 hours, Dinner at the Bellagio, Circque Du Soleil "O", the top floor of the Palms at Moon Nightclub, Next Drai's with hours of operation from 5 AM to 10AM, packing, champaign brunch and we were off to the port of air.

The best news? I did nothing to jeopardize my future military career.

Dreams come true at Mach 2

2010-04-18T21:06:00.010-05:00

We all have wild childhood dreams. I was probably 7 or 8 when I declared mine. It was dusk and my parents and I had just finished dinner when I announced that I was either going to be a pro basketball player or a fighter pilot. Pretty standard answer for many kids that age I am sure. While I had numerous things working against me regarding the NBA dream, the fighter pilot dream had a slight chance if I really wanted it.

My grandpa was a fighter pilot in the 1950s and continues to fly today. This passion has rubbed off on me as we have pictures of a 3 year old Taylor flying co-pilot and I had to get my license the first day I was eligible. Thanks to a lot of support from Pop, my family and many others, I have been able to put together a good resume flying jets, competing in aerobatics competitions and simply flying for vacation during the last six years.

All of the support and hard work paid off in one single moment last weekend when I was offered a pilot training spot to fly an F-16 for the South Dakota Air National Guard. I have the opportunity to pursue the best job in the world all while serving the United States of America.

It has been a long journey getting to this point. I was reminded numerous times that this job is more difficult to get than a position in the National Football League. I have taken a variety of mental and physical tests and been asked in interviews how I would feel about killing someone along with what would make me a great fighter pilot.

My left hand will control the throttle in the F-16, and in that hand, I will control more horsepower than the entire field of the Indianapolis 500 combined. I have a friend who pheasant hunts in South Dakota and said he would try and shoot me down. This prompted us to look up the speed of his shotgun shell only to realize the F-16 can travel faster than the speed of his bullet.

However, I am still a long way from the cockpit of an F-16. I should start training in 10-12 months and it will last 2 years. There are many medical and flying tests that must be passed in between but the hardest part is over. I just needed to get the chance. My grandpa learned to fly in the T-6 and I will do my initial training in a T-6 II almost 60 years later.

The first thing I did after getting home was watch Top Gun and let me tell you, it was a surreal feeling. It will sure make focusing on school and my MBA more difficult knowing this will soon be my profession but I will still graduate in December.

Ben Gaus was nice enough to ride to South Dakota for my interview and this video was captured just seconds after hearing the news on our ride back.

Below are two videos highlighting the F-16 and what it can do.

Wild Rob and the Firefighters

2010-04-02T16:01:00.011-05:00

It is April 1st 2010 around 8:00PM and I am enjoying a beer overlooking a beautiful view of Table Rock lake with my two good friends, Rob and Angie Voss, when the call comes in. Sean, the carefree neighbor down the road, ignored the numerous fire bans and wind advisories and decides to do what any normal hillbilly would and burn trash and other unclaimed items. (interview can be seen below) Rob hops in his mini bulldozer, and I, armed with a camera, take the pickup to see what kind of adventure we can get into.

I ended up taking a couple pictures standing in the yard of the doomed house and heard comments like,"I just know its that damn pyro down the street." or "This is goin' to be real interestin' to see how they stop that fire." Interestingly enough, these people invited the whole county to come watch the fire nearing their yard but never got the idea they should maybe help put it out. Cue Trevor, a volunteer firefighter from the "Treasure State." He was traveling through the Ozarks and devised a plan that included me to protect these three houses the 14 firetrucks and 50 firemen seemed to ignore. Where does one set a camera in a forest fire? In one of the 4 immovable cars in the backyard of one of the doomed houses of course. So we interrupt the complaining of the doomed rednecks, get two shovels and a rake, and before I know it we are running through the woods in shorts toward the fire. Bleeding from the thorns and hitting a barbed wire fence at a nice pace, we spend the next hour digging and raking a line the fire cannot cross. Combined with Rob's skill on his machine and his heroic actions seen in the pictures below, houses were saved and 35 acres of forest were cleaned up.

Considering my attire and lack of any forestry knowledge, it probably wasn't the smartest thing we have ever done, but it was rewarding and having people thank you and shake your hand is a nice feeling. Nothing like a little excitement on a Thursday night.

You can see Rob in the pictures below driving through the fire.

We ran into the guy who started the fire around midnight, after the excitement had died, and were granted the following interview.

Below Average Days

2010-03-11T20:01:00.007-06:00

There are good days and there are bad days. I will be the first to admit my life has had more of the good but yesterday was an exception.

It is not everyday you flush the toilet and the contents of toilets come up in the bathtub and washer/dryer room drain. It's not every week that this happens 3 times during a week. It actually has been everyday, however, that I get headaches from the tooth that I spent $300 fixing a month ago and now have to spend well more than that for a root canal.

Let's take someone working for $10 per hour who experiences this trouble. Assuming $10 per hour taxed at 30% plus 8% sales tax. Lets pretend this plumbing debacle will cost $2,500 and the root canal rings up at around $1,000. So $3,500 times 8% for sales tax equals $3,780. $3,780 divided by $7 per hour earned after taxes equals 540 hours. 540 divided by 40 hour work weeks equals 13.5. Is this not disgusting, figuratively and literally? That person would spend three months and then some, working full time, to take care of my situation today.

I brush my teeth multiple times each day, don't eat sugar or drink soda and the plumbing issue was completely out of my control.

As humbling as yesterday was, there are always others to think about. I have a good friend, Blair, who joined the Peace Corps in Zambia just a couple weeks ago. She has been wanting to do this for years and finally was accepted and left. They go through a couple months of training once they are there and then live in a village, as the only American, for almost 2 years. Imagine being in the middle of Zambia and getting appendicitis. She is being flown to South Africa to have it removed, but what is she worried about? She is worried about missing the language classes and possibly getting removed from the Peace Corps just a couple weeks in.

When you put it like that, my day wasn't so bad. Fortunately, I just read she will probably just have to take a few extra classes to make up for it.

In any situation, a couple of glasses of wine can take the edge off and today turned in to quite a good day. I decided to reread one of my older posts and it helped a lot.

Weather's Mood

2010-02-24T16:48:00.010-06:00

Talking about the weather seems to be the default topic of conversation for any setting. It is something we all have in common and is a part of your life. Further, people often talk about how weather influences their mood. Sunny, everyone is happier. Cold, gloomy winter and we are all depressed. It is a polite thing to discuss but I feel it is almost lazy.

Having noticed this I am purposefully avoiding talking about the weather or at least not bringing it up in an average conversation. Further, I generally believe it is ridiculous to let the weather affect your mood. You can't control it so don't let it bother you. Worry about things you can influence.

Having said that I will play the devil's advocate and consider why weather does affect your mood.

First Scientifically: I have learned a decrease in the amount of sunlight may lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder because sunlight stimulates serotonin and melatonin production in the brain; serotonin and melatonin are needed to maintain normal levels of happiness. A chronic lack of sun exposure has been linked to fertility problems, several forms of cancer, general poor health and varying degrees of depression. People actually get depressed, with symptoms like sadness, fatigue and hopelessness -- from a lack of sunlight.

Second, Personally: Being able to run, ride my bicycle, play tennis or golf, ride the motorcycle, fly and take my dog to the dog park all positively affect my mood and with correlation, my health. When it is too cold or even too hot, I can't do any of them. When it snows, the wind is blowing too hard, or it rains for a week straight, these activities are limited. While it forces me to be creative with forms of entertainment and working out, the weather prevents me from doing my favorite things. Not being able to do my favorite things and workout as effectively as I can are negative influences on my life. I realized last night that if the winter had been this bad last year, I may not have been able to sufficiently train for the marathon in Rome.

However, the weather also allows you to make certain ordinary activities, extraordinary. Last night I ran 4.5 miles which is a pretty standard run in my training. At 25 degrees and wind blowing up to 20 MPH I really felt like I accomplished something and was proud of what I did, even though I physically couldn't smile. Reaching the South Pole walking through green grass at 70 degrees wouldn't be nearly the feat is was 100 years ago or even now.

While the weather can significantly influence your life and mood, your attitude can overcome it. Bad weather is just an opportunity for a good story.

Pushing the Envelope

2010-02-13T00:05:00.009-06:00

In a world of 6 billion people, you have to try harder, be crazier, sacrifice more and be willing to cross lines to succeed.

The phrase "Pushing the Envelope" comes to mind. Often conjuring up images of living and training at the maximum of capability, the term was actually derived from aviation in World War II. Defined: "The ‘flight envelope’ covers all probable conditions of maneuvering flight." In other words, get out of the envelope and there are no guarantees with how the airplane will perform. It could stall, spin or break. All potentially hazardous results.

The same can be said about human capability as well. In athletics or business, sometimes we have numerous chances to succeed, sometimes there is just one. "This is the Olympic games, she had to go for it" was a comment made tonight after a crash. Regrettably, sometimes getting out of the envelope is fatally dangerous as we saw yesterday in the luge. I think there are two reasons for this even though Georgian President mentioned, "No sports mistake is supposed to be fatal."

In a commentary on the danger of winter sports, "What brings them in are the same risks that take them out." The Georgian luge participant wouldn't have been there if they didn't go 90 MPH 3 inches from the ground. I can say the same about riding the motorcycle, riding a bicycle down a hill at 45mph, skydiving, stock market investing or starting a business. They wouldn't be exhilarating and worth doing if everyone could and wanted to do them. It is the risk and reward that causes the excitement, something life is boring without. Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained. Further, it is pushing yourself mentally and physically that helps you gain confidence and identify what you are capable of. You should, however, mitigate as much risk as possible while reaping the same reward by wearing a helmet on the bike or taking classes on the stock market before investing. Just make sure your rewards are great enough to feel like you are really living. Remember, even without the track improvements after the luge death, I would guess all of the contestants would have still participated. Just like aerobatics pilots continue to perform and NASCAR continues to race at Daytona after Dale Earnhardt's death.

The second factor involves what I started this post about. Competition. There are probably millions of other people around the world doing whatever it is you do. Therefore, to be successful in relation to others, you are going to have to push the envelope. In the heat of competition, you may have to get outside your comfort zone to be successful. You may have to talk in front of 1000 people at a conference or drive 10mph faster than ever before. Both could end in disaster but they could also be your greatest moment. Either way, you must do them to separate yourself from the rest.

Tom Brokaw mentioned the athletes willingness to "risk failure in front of millions" is what impressed him most about the Olympics. It is a similar risk of failure that causes us to avoid starting a business or asking a girl out.

The athletes train 4 years for a 30 second moment as the world watches. You train your whole life to make the most of it and perform at the critical moments. How could you not push the envelope?

Olympics and the Tundra Boogie

2010-02-12T23:24:00.008-06:00

Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time! COOL RUNNINGS! Yes, it is the Winter Olympics. Yes, Jamaica has a bobsled team. Yes, just like in the movie, the Olympics are in Canada. Unfortunately for the Jamaican bobsled team of 2010, that inspiration was not enough to qualify for Vancouver.

I did learn however, there is something called a tundra boogie that was used to carry one of the 12,000 legs of the Olympic torch relay. A quick Google search reveals no indication as to what this is. However, and I can't believe I am questioning Bob Costas, a tundra buggy is seen to the right.

The Olympics are full of many other endless stories of inspiration, competition, entertainment and politics. How about Iran's first women to compete in an Olympics this year. Or that, in the last couple of games, North and South Korea came out together as one but this year they are separate.

While Vancouver spent one tenth of what Beijing 2008 spent on the opening ceremony, I was very pleased with the show. Simply considering the logistics of the torch relay is staggering. 190 days of aligning 12,000 people all at the right time and place. I was particularly entertained when they forced the natives to dance through the entire parade of nations. Yes, I clocked it. 63 minutes of dancing continuously in one spot. Some were laying down by the end but there were those who stuck it out as well. Then, there was the kid who flew around the stadium, all eyes on him. I made the comment I would pay a significant amount of money to be him at that moment and wondered how one gets chosen to do that. We find out from the National Circus School, of course.

I will spend most of the next 16 days taking in these Winter Olympics. Regardless of your opinion on sports, politics, or how you like to spend your time, it is the one event the world comes together and we see the world's best perform. These people can truly say they are better than 6 billion other people at what they do. Hard for people to say because of competition and it is hard to measure other professions. It provides inspiration and entertainment for me and I hope you can take something positive from watching the events as well.

Perishable Goods

2010-02-10T22:20:00.012-06:00

The other day in marketing class we were discussing perishable goods. While one would often think of a product like milk, if you don't sell it, it will go bad and you lose that cost, we were discussing services, such as a baseball game ticket. If a team doesn't sell that ticket that day or a hotel room doesn't fill all of its rooms one night, they lose that revenue forever, they cannot get it back. Therefore, you need to do everything possible to maximize revenue for each ticket available.

So what are the options? You could charge a cheaper price to encourage more people to come. You could let people in for free because knowing they will still buy concessions. You could charge more per seat to give the activity a prestige factor that might actually increase attendance. The point is, you must be creative to maximize revenue because there are so many variables.

Time is also a perishable good. You should try maximize it regarding your life, or at least want to. The more quality activities you do with your time, the more your time is in demand by yourself and eventually other people. You can give your time away to volunteer for a charity or you can give it away watching a Soap Opera at 1:00 on a Monday.

I have a friend who participates in rush for a fraternity each semester. Simply voting and evaluating who gets in their "club." They spend the equivalent of 8.6 days straight during college evaluating for this fraternity. Ouch. Or consider that if you slept 5 minute less per day for a year, you would have an extra 30.4 hours to be productive.

Every second that passes is one you cannot get back. Whether you spend it writing a blog, watching TV, running, working or with your family is up to you and how much utility you get from each. I just ask that you actually think about how that second was spent and how you can improve the value of the next one.

Also reference my posts: I am too busy for you and What is your Time Worth?

Home of the Brave

2010-02-07T09:55:00.014-06:00

Our national anthem ends with the words, "O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

So our flag waves over the free citizens and the brave soldiers who made and preserve that freedom.We are generally only reminded of these words before sporting events, so when people tarnish even those few chances to hear it, it bothers me. I love Mizzou but we have derived a tradition from a professional football team that crosses the line. This tradition is to conclude each national anthem with many students yelling "Chiefs" instead of "Brave."

Being a person in consideration of pursing a career in the military, it genuinely offends me when the students say this. I can't imagine what an active service member or veteran thinks or feels. A couple of games ago, Mizzou welcomed twin brothers who fought in World War II. Imagine all of the people they knew and saw die for our country, the brave, get replaced in a song by the Chiefs.

Yes, this is disrespecting the world's strongest military currently at war to favor arguably one of the weaker franchises in the country. The Chiefs are 10-38 over the last three seasons. Compare that with winning an independence, a couple of world wars and more.

While it might seem like a small sporting tradition to some, I can't think of one group of people to respect more than the Brave.

(This post was also published in the University's newspaper, the Maneater. Click here to see comments of the post)

The Endurance Addiction

2010-02-02T12:48:00.008-06:00

Try doing a few searches on addiction. You will only find information on drugs, alcohol, gambling, TV, computers and in Tiger's case, sex. Sounds like addiction is not a very good thing.

However, all of those addictions started with a couple bad decisions and, in some cases, cause a biological addiction that can be even harder to overcome. So why not make a couple of decisions to essentially become addicted to "good" things? I can safely say I have a moderate level of addiction to endurance sports. A mental and biological addiction that I can happily say I am proud of. I knew I had the addiction after I broke my finger and couldn't workout for a month. I should have been placed on suicide watch due to the withdrawals.

Biological: Exercising releases endorphins which are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during strenuous exercise. Endorphins work as "natural pain relievers". This is why people that exercise feel so much better after they finish their workout routines. Exercise also boosts your metabolism and energy levels which is why people usually don't get the feeling of being tired right after a workout. Further, among other benefits, you are strengthening your heart, the number one cause of death in our species.

Mental: Running, swimming or biking any distance makes you feel good about yourself. It also gives you the confidence of accomplishing things that can be applied in other areas of life. The thought of lower resting heart rates, having the capability to physically do almost anything I want, having more energy and looking significantly better each get me excited to workout each day.

Looking good does more for you socially and in career advancement as well. There is research that talks about the `Halo Effect,'" says Dr. Mona Phillips. "This is when people assume that if someone is attractive, then they have other good qualities. It's a clustering of good attributes that are assumed based on one's appearance."Dr. Gordon Patzer of Roosevelt University has spent 30 years studying and writing about physical attractiveness. He says, “People are valued more who are higher in physical attractiveness. As distasteful at that might be, that's the reality.”

Endurance Sports are also a gateway drug to other beneficial addictions. The more I workout, the better I eat. I am at a point now where I can not stand the idea of ordering fried food, potato chips or dessert. The addiction also leads to a more disciplined and earlier rising schedule. I will still stay out late at bar, but each time I take a sip of beer, I treat it as a reward and know that I earned it.

Just like any other addiction, it takes time to get there. However, I can promise it is worth it on the many levels I have mentioned.

Selling and Dancing

2010-01-17T21:43:00.010-06:00

For many, the thought of walking up to a stranger and talking to them is unbearable. Let's raise the stakes and have you ask that stranger for money, or even worse, to dance.

I spent the last 5 days in Dallas, Texas attending a trade show for a product my cousin and I are developing. I couldn't help but notice the similarities between business and dancing as we attended Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honkey tonk, in Fort Worth Friday night.

First, is the eye game. Girls near the dance floor and customers at the trade show will shoot you, or your booth, a glance if they are interested. Catch them looking more than twice and you are stupid not to say something.

Next is the adrenaline. They are both very exciting venues. At any one moment, a new girl or customer could walk up and make your day. Adrenaline starts pumping and even scarier, they could turn into a lifelong partner, customer or wife.

At both venues it is also annoying how some think you are great looking and the best new idea while some hardly notice you are there.

Sales reps could be compared to girlfriends. When you have a sales rep, you always have someone to sell your product in a territory but it comes with commitment. When you have a girlfriend, you always have someone to dance with but she is often very territorial and it also comes with a commitment.

Below is a video of this scenario as it unfolded, filmed by my cousin as Doug and I attempt to sell ourselves.

Wheelchair Snow Shoveling

2010-01-06T23:38:00.003-06:00

So it is 6 in the evening, dark, 15 degrees, snowing and windy. Want to go out and shovel? Neither did I, but walking out of Mizzou's workout facility, they had two employees out shoveling, one of whom was in a wheelchair.

I had to stop and watch for a second. Try imagining how one could possibly do this with any level of success. You don't have an anchor (legs) to push against to drive the shovel under the snow. Further, this kid was on an incline, so he had to have one hand on a wheel to keep him from rolling back. I have trouble imagining myself simply trying to move the wheelchair up an incline or even finding the fire to get outside and shovel.

Unfortunately, as difficult as it is to imagine this activity being a success, he wasn't having anymore luck. I watched for 30 seconds or so and saw essentially nothing get done. So it begs the question, why was he out there?

1. Pride: Stories like this come up every once and a while. A golfer with one leg or pianists who are blind, people in extraordinary circumstances doing ordinary things that, because of their situation, become extraordinary. They want to be treated as equals so they act as equals. Impressive.

2. Punishment: In a wheelchair or not, no one likes shoveling snow, especially when the wind chill factor is below zero. But it today's litigious society, I can hardly imagine a manager forcing this kid outside to shovel snow.

3. ??? I have no idea why else he would be doing this because it clearly wasn't to clear the sidewalk. It did leave me inspired though.

As I watched with amazement, I tried to come up with something to say to him to explain how impressed I was. Everything I came up with I could twist into a comment of pity on him so I just moved on.

Regardless of why he was out there, it was impressive. Regardless of how impressed I was, I still will not shovel my driveway.

2009: Year in Review

2009-12-29T11:54:00.012-06:00

I have always wanted to say, "That was the best year of my life" and while I hope every year continues to improve, I can easily say that about 2009. The difference? I am starting to find a nice balance in life and am trying harder in everything I do. Whether it is fitness, school, work or a social life, it is amazing how just a little effort, with a good attitude, can make all of the difference.

Highlights: My one single favorite moment was turning the corner at mile 25.5 in the Rome Marathon. The sense of relief knowing the event was almost over, combined with the thought of running a event that was over 2500 years old alongside the most famous venue for sporting events the world has ever seen was overwhelming.

I was also fortunate enough to graduate from college, experience the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, start my masters, continue flying, work for Noble, a best friend and currently Newsy, meet a great group of new MBA students at Mizzou and continue the workout motivation. Since my workout spark started: Ran 1,106 miles Cycled: 1,423 miles Swam: 36,150 meters.

Lowlights: Spraining my ankle just a few weeks before the race in Rome, my 100 year old great grandmother passed away and all of the times I was sitting around being lazy.

2010 will include a lot of career planning and investigation. Graduation from my masters program in December and hopefully a marathon in August at the Victoria Falls or Bogota, Colombia . There could be a job with the World Food Program in Rome all summer and I will continue work with Newsy until at least May. I think it has potential to top 2009 and be sure that I will try. So should you.

The Jewish Christmas

2009-12-21T17:37:00.010-06:00

Over thanksgiving my uncle, who happens to be Jewish, and I were talking about the upcoming holiday season.

Me: "You know the commercialization of Christmas is really amazing. From music, to books, to trees and everything in between, none of that is mentioned in any ancient literature but people are making money from it. The Jews really dropped the ball with Hanukkah."

His hilariously stereotypical response?

Uncle: "No, we just didn't need the money."

From a neutral perspective, which religion does their holiday better? The silent Hanukkah that is eight nights and lasts eight nights? Or the craze that is one day that lasts over a month we call Christmas?

In a touch of irony: If you look at a list of the most popular Christmas songs, you’ll find that the writers are disproportionately Jewish: Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” “The Christmas Song” (yes, Mel Tormé was Jewish), “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Silver Bells,” “Santa Baby,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Winter Wonderland”

So the Jews profited after all....

Changing the world: One business at a time

2009-12-20T17:58:00.008-06:00

I will argue the greatest humanitarian of all time is Sam Walton. More than Mother Teresa or Ghandi, Sam Walton influenced and will continue to influence the lives of more people than anyone on earth. What is the evidence for this statement? Money. Having not divided all his money between the kids, Sam Walton would still be the world's richest man, with an estimated wealth of $120 billion if he were still alive.

A humanitarian is defined as someone devoted to the promotion of human welfare. Mother Teresa helped the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying children and people. She opened up orphanages all around the world and did most of her work in Calcutta helping people in the slums. Great work, but her sphere of influence was limited.

Who else positively influences more people in this world? Who has made your life easier? Who has helped the general welfare of society progress at a larger scale? Less people will need Mother Teresa's services because of Sam Walton. In business you are successful if you provide something that people need or want at a competitive level, making society better. The beauty of capitalism and entrepreneurship is that it rewards those who help society the most.

Walton, Bill Gates and Henry Ford are examples of people who have influenced and made the lives of billions better. Mother Teresa's work, while great, doesn't compare to the level of impact. I am not discrediting what she did, it just that wealthy businessmen have a horrible image, especially Wal-Mart. Why? It helps more people afford more things everyday than anything else in this world. It wouldn't be as successful and huge if it was not providing a great value.

Not only should success in business be enough for society, the world's greatest philanthropists tend to come from big business. In 8 years, the Walton Charitable Support Foundation, gave over $400 million. Gates and Buffett have teamed up to form a foundation donating billions of dollars. Another example of business success helping society.

Sure, some of the wealthy may have an attitude about that money and are pricks, but those pricks also made the lives of thousands, millions or even billions better. Besides, most of those pricks hate Wal-Mart because it is too trashy for them.

If you want to make a difference in this world, start a business or organization and leverage the amount of people you can touch, not just one at a time.

Meteor Shower

2009-12-14T21:37:00.009-06:00

Yes, I am one of those people who, once a year, puts all of the meteor showers in my calendar to remind me. Last night happened to be the Geminid Meteor shower and it did not disappoint. The forecast was for overcast clouds so I didn't make any plans, but at 11:00 PM last night I let Roxxy out and happened to check the skies just in case. Not only not overcast, it was the perfect clear only found on cold winter nights. It is amazing how much better you can see without humidity. Further, the peak for this shower was at midnight and with a meteor every 20 or 30 seconds, it was well worth it.

So with all of the stars aligned and the heaven's parted, I convinced a friend to join me and we set off for the middle of nowhere.

The great things about meteor showers:

They are always exciting.
Generally during a time of the day you don't experience outdoors.
One of those few activities you won't be bothered doing because no one else is awake.
Makes for a good time to have a nice conversation.
Stars always make you realize the test or job you are stressing over really isn't very significant in the grand scheme of things.

The not so great:

Usually have to wake up at 4 AM
Some planning is required...a place to go, bathrooms, dressing properly, blankets, maybe a bottle of wine and finding someone willing to join.
You realize that what you thought were shooting stars were actually meteors all along.
Like fishing, sometimes they are biting and sometimes they aren't. Some alleged meteor showers seem like a hoax. Of the three I have seen this year, this has been the only good one.
It always seems to be cold.

For those I have just convinced to try this next time one comes around, here is a link for the 2010 calendar. Unfortunately, last nights show is generally the best, but there are others throughout the year.

2010 Meteor Shower Calendar.

Going to dress nice or lazy today?

2009-12-11T14:38:00.005-06:00

People are always told personality is more important than looks, especially when it comes to a spouse. You are going to have to live and talk with this person everyday for the rest of your life, so just worry about compatability. I will argue the two, looks and personality, are correlated.

First, not many will argue that you must have a level of physical attraction to someone for a relationship to work out. However, to be physically attractive almost always requires an active and motivated personality. A person who cares about their health by eating well and exercising is also something attractive. Fitness is something important to me and important for survival in the natural world.

Second, someone who like to dress nice and makes an effort is also attractive, physically and with respect to personality. They are not too lazy to decently present themselves in public. One thing I love about Europe is how nicely people dress in public. You will not see anyone in pajamas. I often catch a lot of flak for not owning a hoodie. I don't like the way I feel wearing them and they don't look nice. Your appearance says a lot about who you are. A friend made the comment the other day that you should dress nice wherever you go, life is too short to blend in. Would we all like to walk around looking at ugly paintings all the time or look at Van Gogh?

Being physically fit and well dressed means you care about yourself. If you don't, why should you expect anyone else to?

So instead of wondering if this good looking girl is fake, respect that she probably isn't lazy and has a motivated personality.

Besides, Roxxy always looks nice in her daily tuxedo.

What is your Time worth?

2009-11-11T21:30:00.011-06:00

I heard a great story about my Great Grandfather M.E. Gillioz a few weeks ago. Apparently he was driving to somewhere in northern Missouri and was pulled over by a policeman for speeding. The officer told him the ticket would be $20 and in those days you paid right then. My Great Grandfather handed him $40 and said don't bother stopping me on my way back through later this afternoon.

I have had this conversation multiple times with my experience in flying. Commercial flying is often more expensive than driving, and flying privately is generally more expensive than both. However, as the mode of travel gets more expensive, it also saves time, is more comfortable and is safer. It may cost $3000 more to take the corporate jet rather than fly commercial, but if the customer is billed at $100 per hour for each of the 10 employees traveling, it only takes saving three hours of traveling to justify it.

Bill Gates makes more money because he has influenced and contributed to the lives of more people than me. Is his time more valuable because he contributes more to society? He earns around $300 per second so is it worth it for him to pick up the $100 bill he just dropped? But what about Mother Teresa? She hardly made any money but her time was in demand. Is your time worth about what you get paid on an hourly rate? I had a kid once tell me he was worth $80,000 a year. After inquiring what he did, he told me he was temporarily delivering pizzas for $8 an hour. He obviously has this dilemma figured out.

In the meantime, I will walk 20 minutes so I don't have to pay for the $3 metered parking, drive 70 instead of 75 to save on gas, but fly myself every chance I get at a greater expense.

Regardless, if I can ever be as cool as my great grandfather, I will consider my time well spent.

I am too busy for you.

2009-11-09T14:06:00.008-06:00

We are all too busy.

Or at least we like to think, and make people believe we are. But then how do we have the time to do the things we actually do? It is obviously a matter of priority. So when you ask a girl out for the second date and she says,

"I can't do anything because I have 3 tests this week."

Realize she would say, "what time" to Brad Pitt. Depending on you and how the date went, she might even say yes to another normal guy at school. She will make time for those things that she is more interested in.

Or when a co-worker says, "I can't play golf because I have a ton of work to do." I am pretty sure that work would disappear if you were Tiger Woods or the CEO of your company.

Unless you say yes to everyone all the time, this is true about you. You chose to do things because the monetary benefit is larger, because one person is more fun or famous than another or because another social equity is higher.

What if you are still interested in the person but really do have things you MUST get done? I suggest proposing an alternative time. "Sounds great but can we push it to tomorrow?" If not, you are telling them they are never worth your time.

However, maybe you are boring or actually not worth their time. Change or move on from that person. Can't seem to get a sales meeting? Offer a better service or market it better.

So while I actually may choose a second date over meeting Brad Pitt, this girl still better be interesting, good looking or paying to make it worthwhile.

Morally Casual

2009-10-19T18:17:00.011-05:00

So you walk into a bar and start talking with friends. Next, a good looking girl in a cute dress with a smile comes up and starts talking to you. You are wondering what you did to deserve this? The conversation continues and you discover she is witty, engaging and funny. For 10 minutes she gives you all of her attention and makes you feel like a million dollars. Now friends and not to be too forward, you exchange phone numbers, wrap up the conversation expecting to meet again soon. Feeling pretty good about yourself, you skip back to your friends to look socially accepted, still confused about where that last conversation was heading.

However, all of these good notions are quickly erased when you see her treating the next guy shes starts talking to the same way. They are both having a great time, just as you were a few minutes ago. Not jealous, just disappointed you are not going to be the most entertaining person she talks to that night. You then judge: "She could obviously go home with most guys here, and probably does." You find out she is also in a sorority which fuels the stereotype. This scene continues for a few more weeks. You have a great time with her at the bars and she has a great time with everyone else, fueling your suspicions.

Then one night, you pay a little more attention and realize she acts the same way around everyone. Girls, guys, people she is most likely attracted to, and those with whom she is most likely not. You also find out she never stays the night after bars with anyone. All of the sudden she goes from a girl with a certain kind of morally casual attitude to someone you admire.

How many people can walk up to anyone at a bar, have an engaging conversation for any period of time, and leave both parties feeling good about it. How many of us want to?

I judged, judged wrong, and apologized. I am now trying to be more like the girl who appeared to have the morally casual attitude.

Supply and Demand

2009-10-15T17:49:00.008-05:00

Like I mentioned in the Charles the Bus Driver post, commuters take a bus to campus. While they are efficient, the buses come once every ten minutes and thousands of kids commute each morning. An obvious supply and demand problem occurs. Imagine 80 kids trying to get on a bus that fits maybe 60, all trying to get to class on time. And thus a scene of personality contrast arises:

The Pacifists: They respect those people who were already there and have no problem, or at least don't act like they have a problem with anyone moving ahead of them. They are also the pour souls late for class and left to wait for the next bus. FAIL.

The Pushers: Their time and agenda is more important than yours and it is obvious. There may be a crowd of 80 already there, but they are walking straight to the front. They may even "pretend" to see a friend up near the front to make it look okay but they aren't fooling anyone. Regardless, once the bus shows up they are going to grind against you until they have officially made it on the bus. However, they will make it to class on time.

The Middle Ground: There are those who respect those already there and would probably feel guilty jumping ahead. However, they also aren't going to get screwed. They may even say something to those damn "pushers." They usually make it to class on time.

True emotion and character present themselves during midterm week and when the temperature is subfreezing.

I'll let you guess which one I am. Which are you?

Paying to Volunteer

2009-09-30T20:55:00.004-05:00

Continuing my campaign to be a better person, I was cleaning up the trash outside Cornell Hall on Mizzou's campus this evening with a group of fellow MBAs. After picking up the 100th cigarette butt from the ground, it dawned on me.

I have, and will continue to pay, thousands of dollars to the university and they have still tricked me into cleaning up their trash. Further, the MBA association with whom I am affiliated and was picking up trash for, charges a membership fee to join.

So there I am paying, to two different organizations, the chance to pick up one my biggest annoyances. I think it is at that point I may have grown up a little. Further, one girl in our group was feeling a little sick. Swine Fluish sick. I was trying to cheer her up and get a few smiles but was failing miserably. However, I was carrying a bag that began leaking coffee all over my white shirt. Smiles erupted and it was an immediate success at the expense of a white shirt.

There was even a girl walking by who said to me, "Is that Taylor Fox picking up trash?" It was like she was rubbing in the coffee stain.

I guess a cleaner Mizzou is a better Mizzou, and a better Mizzou is better for me and all other graduates. Either way, I got her to smile, even if it was at my expense.

The Fear of Flying

2009-09-28T15:16:00.011-05:00

With my interests of Flying and Motorcycles, the topic of safety often comes up. It often gets me a little fired up since they are a big part of my life and are often indirectly questioning my judgment.

People often start telling me how to fly like, "You shouldn't fly in rain or storms." Instead of explaining how things work I often just end the conversation by saying, "I probably want to die less than you do" and it ends there. One parent in high school told me their kid could ride in the plane as long as someone over the age of 21 was in the plane. For what, to buy the alcohol?

Odds of dying in your lifetime:
NTSB Accidents and Accident Rates and National Safety Council

Motorcycle: 1 in 1000
Bicycling: 1 in 5000
Flying: 1 in 5000. 1 in 11,000,00 on any given flight, and even in a crash with fatalities, you have a 33% chance of living.
Running: 1 in 10,000
Car Accident: 1 in 75

I ran across this statistic as well: If a pilot flies 847 hours in a lifetime, their death rate is equal to dying in a car crash. This prompted me to look in the logbook where, ironically enough, I have accumulated 853 hours. Hmm.

So why do people hate airplanes and motorcycles? Airplane crashes recieve between 150-200 times more front-page coverage than other types of death that are more common. Further, I think it is a lack of understanding. Numerous times I have had very nervous friends sit in the cockpit with me, and after the flight, have no fear of flying at all. After I explained why certain things happen, why we hit that bump or are flying through rain, it makes sense and there is nothing to be afraid of. We all understand why people occasionally have to slam the brakes in a car or make a left turn in front of oncoming traffic. I think it may also be the idea that when a plane or motorcycle crashes, the odds of the crash being fatal are substantially higher. Remember those statistics above are fatalities and not just crashes, so motorcycles and airplanes still have cars beat. Besides, you can't text message while flying or riding motorcycles.

Still won't ride with me? A few years ago I gave my sister a ride in the plane capable of aerobatics. The whole family was watching from the ground when we performed a spin. The engine was at idle and the plane was pointed straight down spinning pretty fast. She screamed the entire way down and since it was an open cockpit plane, everyone on the ground could hear her as well. Believe it or not, she will still ride with me to this day.

I was recently informed of a friend who lost their cousin yesterday to a motorcycle accident. They also let me know they would never ride with me or anyone else on a motorcycle again. While I understand the emotion, I have met or am related to people who have died riding in cars, motorcycles, airplanes, running, sitting in a hot tub and countless other activities with little risk. All of those activities I consider fun and I am okay with the odds. In fact, the stress they relieve and happiness they produce, lowers the risk of heart disease (1 in 5), cancer (1 in 7), stroke (1 in 24) and suicide (1 in 119). Besides, I would rather go out in a ball of flames than in my bed any day.

When you look back at your life, I think you might be a little disappointed in all of the things you never tried because they were too dangerous. If you die in one of those "risky" activities, you probably won't have time to think about it anyway.

Charles the Bus Driver

2009-09-24T15:03:00.009-05:00

At Mizzou, those students who commute to school must take a bus in from the parking lots to campus. They come every ten minutes, and it is the same few bus drivers, all day, every day. With two buses, they do the same loop 3 times per hour, or 24 times per day on an 8 hour schedule.

99% act they way you would imagine. They hate their job and the only entertainment they can muster is to mess with the riders by tapping the brakes or reminding us of their powerful position. I actually have a slight phobia of all buses due to the apparent lack of concern regarding safety and their smell.

But then, there is Charles. (seen right) The 1%. The guy for whom a Facebook group was created in his honor. The guy who would not just stop at the bus stop, but would drive through the parking lot to drop you off at your own car. I would even wait for the next bus and waste another 10 minutes of my evening standing on the street corner so I could ride with Charles.

Sitting at red lights he would lean out the window and ask drivers if they wanted to race his bus. We even asked why there was a Facebook group about him just to get a reaction. His response, "Cause I'm a fuc*ing cool bus driver." Indeed he was. People loved him and I think he genuinely enjoyed what most of us would call a terrible job.

Charles was fired 2 years ago and myself and a group of students called the public transporation to voice our opinions without success. Some politically correct student trying to act important was probably offended and complained.

Now I am back riding a bus that I hate being on and the driver hates being there. I haven't seen or heard about Charles since but wish there were more of him around.

National Stearman Fly-In

2009-09-17T14:13:00.008-05:00

Last weekend I attended the 38th National Stearman Fly-In in Galesburg, Illinois. My third time attending but first since starting college. My grandpa has been attending since 1977. Similar to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally I recently attended, but for airplanes, and with a slightly different demographic.

Why is it cool? Imagine 100+ beautiful open cockpit airplanes flying off grass just as they did 70+ years ago. There is the constant rumble of their radial engines and there are even competitions to make me happy.

While my grandpa and I flew up, cousins and family friends drove up to meet us. My 1st cousin's son, Arlen, is 5. Arlen made the lengthy drive up and loves to fly in the Stearman. However, he constantly reminds me not to go upside down. His lack of willingness to do a loop has turned into quite the challenge for me. I argue that he would be one of the coolest 5 year-olds in the world to have done aerobatics in a biplane. His response? "I will do one when I am 7." You can't aruge with that. Any suggestions? The irony of the story is that I wouldn't even ride in the plane until I was 10. "No yoops papa" was my infamous remark. Now I can hardly stand to keep the plane right side up.

The competitions went well. I came away with 4 awards. Great, but most had a #2 written somewhere on them. As well all know from Ricky Bobby's father, "If you are not first, you are last." I was also humbled when a good friend started calling me AVIS. Apparently they have a reputation for being 2nd their industry. Regardless, I was lucky to get enough attention, especially due to my age, to get a job offer immediately after the awards flying the plane my grandpa learned to fly in the Air Force during the 1950s. Oh the irony.

Finally, I will use this platform to congratulate my cousin Mike on soloing the Stearman at Galesburg on the 11th. It is a significantly harder plane to land than most and I was lucky enough to give a few pointers making the experience more memorable. Here is a video of his landing. I love how the video quality makes the images almost match the age of the airplane. He was also my passenger and critic of aerobatics before my competition which helped me tremendously.

A Successful Difference

2009-09-06T17:43:00.005-05:00

I was fortunate enough to have a friend a few years ago that sponsored a car in NASCAR. This is a big deal in NASCAR and you meet many successful and important people in the sport as a result of the sponsorship. I attended numerous races with these friends and came to realize an important distinction among leaders and successful people.

I was simply "the friend" at these races. I didn't have the money and probably couldn't financially benefit anyone we met. From NASCAR drivers, to the pit crew, or the Public Relations people, I wasn't going to sponsor them, so why should they waste their time talking to or introducing themselves to me? Well to no surprise, they didn't. I would argue 90% of the people we would talk to would hardly glance, not to mention introduce themselves. Not only awkward, I would laugh hearing the fake treatment all of these people would pay my friend. But what of that 10% that would acknowledge me?

Only the owners of race teams, CEO's or founders of other sponsoring companies were the people willing to introduce themselves and engage in conversation with me (the kid who, in all probability, would never directly benefit them). The same people who have a lot more going on and have millions of dollars at stake on Race Day are talking to a 16 year old kid. Richard Childress is a team owner worth an excessive amount of money. He went as far as remembering my name at the next NASCAR race I attended two months later. Bill Jourdan, the founder of Realtree Camo, would also interrupt conversation with my friend to at least introduce himself.

Is this the reason these people are tremendously successful and others are not? They understand the value of relationships and people? I am sure they treat everyone the same way and it truly made a great impression on me.

The Tough Choices in Life

2009-08-30T19:12:00.004-05:00

So I am halfway through a 4 hour car ride the other day. I am very tired and possibly had one to many cocktails the night before. Naturally impatient Taylor is now very impatient, tired and irritable Taylor but still trying to make use of the time. A friend called and began telling a pretty good story. A story that should take 5 sentences turned into one taking 50. My car has the blue tooth connected to my phone so I was hands free and can change the volume from the steering wheel.

The friend begins dragging the story along and I become continuously less interested. Losing focus, my mind started wandering. After going to a better place and still being dazed, I realized, whatever I was listening to over the radio, I didn't want to be. So what would any logical person do but try and change the channel. A few frustrating failures to change the channel later, I realized I was still on the phone. Laughing to myself, I chose not to tell her.

I guess there are times you may want to simply the change the channel. While most of the time I would say you should go ahead and change it, sometimes it may pay off in the long term to leave it. For example, you could listen to your favorite band, or listen to CNBC and learn something. You could listen to your favorite band, or hear your friend tell an unnecessarily long story and continue to build a friendship.

Either way, your band will still be there. You probably pirated their music anyway. Your friend may not.

I sucked it up and listened.

We are all Terminal.

2009-08-20T11:40:00.006-05:00

At one time we have all thought, "if I were to get cancer and have 6 months to live, I would really live it up." But at what point is it time to start living for yourself and doing the things you really want. If you knew you had 10 years to live would you start now? 1 year? I think it is obvious, but I would propose now. We all have a terminal illness. Your body will quit, hopefully through natural causes, but it could be because of the moron texting while driving swerves into your lane on your next car trip. Not only sad because it was unexpected, but you never made time to do the things you really wanted. You have little influence on when you will die, but you have complete influence on what you do in the meantime.

I was forced to think about life and death a lot this summer due to four events that took place I would like to share.

First, one of my best friends has battled cancer for 12+ years. He was in great shape participating in triathlons and in the prime of his life when he found out. What looked like a bleak situation has been evaded through chemo, surgery and the works. However, this summer, as I spent most of it with him, a test came back that included a time to live date. This was the first time he had been given this information and it lead to quite the conversation late one summer evening. He immediately starting thinking about all the things he wants to do in the remaining time.

Second, another good friend who is also in the prime of his life, found out his wife had stage 3 breast cancer just 2 months after having a checkup yielding no reason for concern. I was fortunate enough to have another lengthy conversation with him where it was obvious, this event completely changed their lives. They were ready to downsize their house so they could move the travel plans up 10 years or so that they had been planning to do in retirement. They quickly realized their priorities. I spoke with him the last day of her chemo treatment and now, one week later, they found out the treatment worked to perfection. You could simply hear the life back in his voice.

Third, it was just today I attended the funeral of my Great Grandmother. She was 100 years old and simply passed away due to old age. Studies show people often die the first year or two after retirement. Nothing is there to challenge them or get them excited so their mind fades away. "Mimi" as we like to call her, was fortunate enough, and liked to tell us she didn't have to work a day in her life. 100 years later, you can only imagine the amazing things she had seen in her life during what many call the greatest century in history. You almost wonder if she had simply seen enough. The last few years she often commented how she didn't really want to do anything and nothing excited her. What is exciting is relative to each of us and I would assume her standard was a little higher. I am just thrilled I saw her last Friday and got her to laugh. I took her for an airplane ride when she was 97 and I was 19, even she had probably never experienced that.

Finally, and the event that hit home the hardest was a phone call I had to make with a friend in the middle of July. Her dad, in his early 50s, was killed by a car while he was out for his evening jog. I spoke to her the next day and it was by far the hardest conversation I have ever made. However, she told me something that has stayed with me everyday since. She said two nights before he died, before their entire family in the living room, he told them how much he loved his life. His job, his wife, and the successes his kids were enjoying. That it simply could not get any better.

Can you imagine? Can you honestly say that right now?

I would argue the last two months have been the best of my life. I have done fun things and been with great people, but more importantly, my attitude has changed. After experiencing those three events and then my great grandmother today, should we really be down about anything or waste any time? Should we really put off those things that you actually value?

The movie Bucket Lis t documented a case of two guys realizing they have things they still wanted to do and went out and did them. The movie inspired me to create one and I now live me life in order to check them off. When faced with a decision that involves a decent amout of time, I often ask myself if I would be proud I did it laying on my death bed.

Realize you are terminal and live your life the way you should.

My Unwilling Donation

2009-08-18T20:27:00.004-05:00

Charity is important in society. While I am pretty conservative in my economic politics, I still feel those more fortunate should help those less fortunate. I would just prefer to decide where my donations go as opposed to the government making those decisions for me.

However, today, someone else got to make the decision for me and it wasn't the government. My road bike, which has been well documented on this blog was the item "donated." Sometime between 11 PM and 7 AM I made my unwilling "donation."

I am experiencing an exciting week during my life, MBA orientation so I did my best not to let my donation ruin my day. As I write blog posts, I generally try to take different perspectives. I would say the only positive twist I can put on this situation is that I am reminded once again how well I have it. This person obviously needed the bike a lot worse than I do. Maybe it was to sell it and feed his/her family. With that said, I genuinely feel better.

But it still genuinely pisses me off to think about. Something I worked hard to purchase is gone in some unethical and spontaneous act. This person is just a leach on society. Reference my older blog post about punishment for further thoughts about how I feel at the moment.

Almost makes me want to get into politics. Just kidding.

Sturgis Rally Week 2009

2009-08-07T23:03:00.008-05:00

My life of contradicting personality characteristics continued this last week with a trip to Sturgis, South Dakota for the annual motorcycle rally. Stopping somewhere in the middle of South Dakota for dinner on the drive there, I was immediately greeted with the shirt, "Nice trailer, pussy." And with that, the trip began. I remembered that T-shirt on the drive home, admiring those "tough" guys riding in the rain thinking I still preferred my more feminine status.

The nude women didn't really show up until the Aerosmith concert. Which had plenty of its own stories. For those who haven't heard, Steven Tyler fell off the catwalk and hit his head causing the concert to be cancelled only 45 minutes after starting and he got a helicopter ride to the hospital. Here is a video and it happens about the 50 second mark. There was also a nice rain and lightening storm before the concert which made me wonder if 75,000(?) people standing in a field was such a great idea.

Every town within 100 miles is setup to accommodate bikers. The states population essentially doubles this week so everyone is happy to see you. There are High School and College girls in bikinis in every town offering to wash your bike and guys who let them, often. They same guys who probably competed in the "Best Beer Belly" contest. His acceptance speech was with mixed emotions but in the end, he was there just to have fun. The roads seemed to be made for motorcycles. Smooth, scenic, and very windy, there was always the rumble of another Harley within earshot, wherever you were. I also ate a Buffalo Burger for the first time, the same day I saw wild Buffalo roaming.

Here is a video we took from the Badlands. They say this is the closest thing to Moon terrain we have on earth. The second video is in Custer State Park.

Custer State Park

Things seen:
Badlands
Spearfish Canyon
Sturgis during Bike Week
Mt. Rushmore
Indian sculpture thing
Devil's Tower
Deadwood
Custer State Park
Toby Keith
Aerosmith
Topless old women
More motorcycles than imaginable

The demographics would be as you assume. Late 50s, predominately male, 275 lbs, tattoos and more handlebar mustaches than clean faces. But everyone was very nice and proud to be Americans. And yes, I got a couple fake tattoos to fit in.

As Toby Keith elegantly concluded his concert to much applause, "Never apologize for being patriotic. Fuck 'em."

More pictures exist and they will emerge on facebook. Or, do something really crazy, and interact in person and I can show you those I developed.

The Tales of the Louisburg Picnic

2009-07-27T18:11:00.007-05:00

Last Friday night I was lucky enough to be invited to the Louisburg annual Picnic thanks to Ms. Candace Jones. It is your standard fair, but just a touch smaller. Louisburg is in Dallas county and has a population of 147, down from 175 back in 1965. Besides Detroit, how many cities do you know that have experienced a 16% decline? Ouch. Regardless of this downturn, the picnic is alive and well and I can promise there were far more than 147 residents of the town in attendance. Apparently they are master marketers.

The first comical moment happened as we were walking around the booths. They were all bustling with spirit except one. Politics aside, we live in the Bible Belt and there is no denying that. I couldn't help but laugh seeing the lack of any activity at this particular booth seen in the picture. It prompted me to look at the voting record of Dallas county in the last election. Considering the booth 3 down from the Democrats was selling confederate flags, I was surprised to see McCain only receiving 64% of the 7,700 registered voters.

A few booths further down was the Constitutional Party. Having never heard of them, I heard their argument. Blah Blah, we love America and the Constitution, the Democrats and Republicans are ruining the country. I must give them some credit as they told me to go to the Democrat booth and pickup a pin, read it, and then flip it over. I excitedly followed the request and the pin read, "We Support America." Noble. I flip it over. "Made in China." After chuckling to myself, I called those Dallas County Democrats out and they could do nothing more than laugh as well. But Seriously, what's the deal?

After getting in only one carnival ride of nausea and shotty maintenance, my new greatest fear in life, we decided to test our luck with a little bingo. Initially, I was excited by the cheap 50 cent price tag. However, a wiser Ms. Jones pointed out my error. That sign actually reads half a cent. Can I get change for that?

Oh Europeans

2009-07-26T14:35:00.004-05:00

My spring Europe trip included a stop in Geneva, Switzerland. The first night, Cole, Eli, and I were walking around trying to find something to do when we asked a girl for directions. She ended up inviting us to "American Night" with her friends and we turned into quite the accessories. A Greek, an Egyptian, a Romanian from Transylvania, a Canadian, and the three Americans all in school had a nice time and exchanged contact info. Bassant, the Egyptian, and I have become great friends since and talk nearly everyday. She has a sister, Nancy, wanting to start her college career in the United States and has Mizzou and Arizona State in her final schools under consideration. Smart Girl.

So naturally, I have been giving my biased advice. They are thinking about visiting this winter and I get an email from Bassant asking about transportation:

"You guys are so strange. Missouri doesn't have a transportation website, like you can't say I want to go from point A to point B, which buses should I take? How does one go about doing that?" She follows that up with, "How do you get around? This whole ordeal makes me feel geographically challenged."

Oh Europeans.

This led to my explanation of how things work here. We all drive cars. Almost everyone can afford them and things are spread out here. Her response?

Bassant: Well wouldn't it be nice if you decided to save gas?

Taylor: Gas isn't nearly as expensive here.

Bassant: hello. environment.

Oh Europeans.

She went on to say that a 4 hour shopping trip can cost 20 Swiss Francs in parking. To get a driver's license, you must be 18, do 10 trillion hours of driving school, and then you can drive with someone over the age of 23. Further, "they usually have a really stupid system where you can park only for an hour and then you have to change your spot. That's their solution to long term parking."

There is no better feeling than spending two weeks in Europe and then sitting in your car alone- without French body odor, with the music you like turned up, the air conditioning on, with lanes wide enough for two cars, and not stopping at every block.

mmmm America.

Riding Bitch

2009-07-23T18:33:00.006-05:00

I am fortunate enough to be able to fly airplanes and ride motorcycles. With these opportunities comes a lot of responsibility for the lives I take with me. While I could go into a discussion about responsibility, I would rather talk about a humorous contradiction I discovered regarding giving these rides.

If people can get past the fear of either mode of transportation, they are both going to be fun. The ironic part is that people are generally more afraid of flying. I am guessing because it is more foreign to them than riding a bike with an engine.

Girls love to go for a ride in either, but there is a certain look in their eye when riding a motorcycle. I am not sure if it is the position we sit, but there is a difference between it and an airplane.

Guys, however, get childlike excited about going for rides in an airplane, but very defensive and awkward about going for a ride on the motorcycle. They immediately puff up their chest and say "that's alright." Or, "I don't think so." The best is, "Do guys do that?" Apparently, they are a little insecure about this image and are willing to give up the great feeling of getting a taste of Harley motorcycle riding. In their defense, I can't stand riding on the back of my dad's bike, but that is more of a function of control. I don't like being copilot either.

For the record, the pilot in the Stearman (yellow plane above) sits in the back (bitch) and the passenger sits in the front.

I am headed to Sturgis, South Dakota next Friday for the largest motorcycle rally in the world. My dad tells me they sell a shirt for men with this written on the back: "If you can read this, the bitch fell off." I also just heard a story of two guys riding one bike all the way from Springfield to Sturgis next week. Talk about ruining my theory.

I guess guys aren't man enough to ride bitch.

What octane do you need?

2009-07-13T12:30:00.007-05:00

You pull up to a gas station and have the choice of what octane fuel to put in your car. 87 looks most appealing as it is the cheapest. It will definitely help you save a couple of dollars and maybe allow you to buy a ticket to a movie tonight. You will feel the benefits of choosing 87 immediately.

Or you could go with 91 or even 93 octane. You will pay a lot more, but is it worth it? Normally, people use higher octane for one of two reasons. First, with effects not realized for years, 93 burns better and improves the life of your engine. Second, it creates more power and efficiency instantly.

So which do you choose? A minor instant gratification of monetary savings at the cost of a longer engine life and performance now.

Hopefully you are realizing the analogy. Why would you fry your chicken when you could grill it. Sure, it might taste better for 3 seconds after the bite, but then what? You feel worse, and your "engine" (health) is something I would think you should respect. Besides, think about the medical bills and appearance problems you will experience 30 years from now due to these poor decisions.

If a good taste for a few seconds is worth feeling sluggish and tired all of the time, spending more time in the hospital later in life and a shorter life, please do enjoy that flavor.

However, if having more energy, alertness, a better appearance and a longer and more pleasant life are important to you, please grill that chicken instead of frying it. Please say no to potato chips on the side and yes to vegetables. I am pretty sure most of us would like to preserve our engine as long as well.

What spurred this rant? Besides healthy eating always being important to me, I heard a story that blew me away. As a pilot, weight, especially on smaller airplanes is very important. Keeping personal details a secret, I heard of a fellow pilot who had a flight in a smaller single engine propeller airplane. He knew of the weights of all passengers except 1, and since she was a woman, assumed 200lbs or less. As they show up to the airport, it doesn't take long to realize that wasn't the case. Tipping the scales over 300 lbs, they had to switch the flight to a jet. So what would have been a few hundred dollar flight turned into a few thousand dollar flight. Something not too thrilling in a recession. I can't imagine the conversation that took place explaining the change.

Race to Rome

2009-07-08T15:55:00.011-05:00

Many of you know Eli Bozeman and I ran the Rome Marathon in March. Not only for ourselves, we decided raise money for Isabel's House while training. Entitled, Race to Rome, our campaign was something to add a little more meaning to our effort and it turned out to be a lot of fun as well.

Isabel's House, the Crisis Nursery of the Ozarks, provides immediate refuge for children ages birth to 12 whose families are in crisis. By partnering with families and the community, they will strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.

I stopped by today and met with director of Isabel's House, Gretchen Gambon, to make our donation of $550. I was given a tour of the facility and met a few of the kids. The kids can stay there up to a month of each calendar year and it can house up to 20 kids. Typically they only stay for 4 to 5 days.

I was greeted with warm smiles, laughter and "Oh no, not another boy." "He's really tall." "Look, he is the motorcycle guy." The comments definitely reaffirmed our decision and made an already fulfilling marathon truly meaningful. They didn't know why I was there but they were still thrilled to see me and were very outgoing. It was a refreshing sight and I instantly knew the services of Isabel's House were very beneficial in each of their lives.

Special Thanks to those who contributed:

Rita and Kessag Baron
Mike Wakefield of Binky Guy Textiles
J.T. Griffin with Arctic Shield
Anne Marie Rhodes
Jack and Mary Sue Fox
Emily Potts
Angie and Mark Harrell
Teresa Bozeman
Nelson Hernandez
Christi Nix Bloomer
Willa Fry
Cathy Smythe
Jeff and Cristy Cox
Ed Daugherty

Aerial Fireworks

2009-07-06T21:00:00.005-05:00

Had a rare experience on the 4th of July that I felt like passing along. Four friends and I had to fly to Ohio on the 3rd for a wedding since the first of my friends to take the fall decided to have his wedding on the 4th.

We left the reception around 8:00 which would put us in a perfect position to see some fireworks from the air. Fortunately the winds dictated the lower I flew, the better, so we cruised around 4000 above sea level.

There was a lot of weather and thunderstorm dodging and when we did pop out of the clouds, we could generally see firework shows all around. Add the lightening in the background we were avoiding, it might for quite a show. I would love to have some pictures but it was nearly impossible to take. I stole this one from Google.

A side story, on the way out to Ohio, one friend was asleep while the rest of us were awake. We flipped on the video camera and adding screams as I nosed the plane over made for an unpleasant wake up call for him. What else would expect from 5 guys in an airplane cruising to a wedding.

Econ 101

2009-07-02T17:00:00.003-05:00

Needed a haircut today. There is this old style barbershop in downtown Springfield, MO. Without the barber's pole outside, you would have no idea what is inside, but for $8.00 you will come out with a very professional haircut.

The barbers are all older men, all worked there for years, and all are interested in you. If you are boring, they have some decent stories of their own.

Believe it or not I actually received my Diploma in the mail today. Being a graduate in business, there are three fundamentals this little barber shop does to perfection.

1. Offer a great product: They constantly make sure you are satisfied with each cut and it turns out very good.
2. At a great price: $8 in 2009? I think they have the same pricing schedule as they did when they opened in 1943.
3. With great customer service: How often do you feel like someone is genuinely interested in you?

Put these three together and you get barber chairs that are never empty. In fact, it was 4:45 when I left and they closed at 5. All 7 waiting chairs were full and I asked if he will have to turn them down. No, this happens every night but we will cut everyone's hair that is still in here.

Further, they only take cash. What started as a simple haircut turned into a refreshing look at business and a nice conversation.

Strong or Light Punishment?

2009-06-28T11:35:00.006-05:00

I was sitting at a 4-way stop intersection this morning on my bicycle waiting to meet a friend. As he was about 10 minutes late, I had a lot of time to observe. 7:30 AM on a Sunday and almost everyone who came through this intersection rolled through without actually stopping. It was a guarantee if there wasn't another car around. It is the law to stop, but everyone, most probably going to church, did not stop.

Do you think everyone would stop if the punishment for rolling a stop sign was a week in jail? Or death? I know I would probably stop and put the car in "park" just to make sure.

We live in the greatest country in the world but there are nights I don't feel safe in my house. Especially in Columbia. I don't feel safe driving home late at night, not because I am drunk, but because the other drivers are. Why? Apparently people feel the punishment is worth the risk.

I met an old friend who has recently moved to Singapore. It is illegal to chew gum there, but they have the cleanest streets in the world. To be found with drugs deserves capital punishment by hanging. Drunk driving is an automatic year in prison and then you are deported. You hear about other countries who will chop people's hands off for stealing. He told me about a 20 year old Australian tourist there a few weeks ago that was caught with weed. It was big in the news but same result. Game Over. He was warned on the plane but ignored the warning.

Personally, I would love it. My friend said his wife and one year old daughter are still in Singapore while he is on this 2-week business trip. He followed that up saying he is not the least bit concerned about them.

All of you who love fudging the law better hope I never get into politics. Or, even more probable, why I would never do well in politics.

Table Rock Sauna

2009-06-25T09:10:00.004-05:00

Big News Today!

A good friend Chad Harris, who started hilarious improv routines of the Skinny Improv and Improvadors, has started a satire blog regarding Springfield and the ozarks. Entitled Fair City News, their mission is to leverage local news driven issues in and around Springfield, MO and the Ozarks area to draw humor from current events, recent news stories, political figures, and media organizations to provide entertainment via comedic pseudo-stories. Just to brighten your day a bit.

I was in the writing mood yesterday and asked if I could try to write a story for him to use in the blog. So to writing I went and with the help of Ms. Jacque Haik, the critical eye of Mr. Eli Bozeman, Mr. Mike Wakefield, and Ms. Bassant El Attar, and we produced the following:

You can read the original blog post here at Fair City News. The great news is the publicity. Apparently Chad was interviewed by local radio statio 96.5 about the post this morning. Very exciting stuff.

Branson, MO- What started as a very typical summer with a rainy Memorial Day Weekend has turned into a very atypical June with record temperatures. An unpleasant byproduct of this weather is the already extreme temperature of lake water at Table Rock Lake.

Soaring over 90 degrees, local residents and lake goers are reacting to the warm waters in different ways. Local Ridgedale, Missouri resident Roberto Voss had this to say, “We was thinkin’ bout buyin’ one of those hot tubs but the lake is good nuff these days. We can’t wait till July and August!”

Another resident maintains the glass half empty perspective. Angela Morrison, also of Ridgedale claims she is now hauling her boat to nearby springs to find cooler water. “We spent all of this money on a lift on Table Rock but now have to trailer the boat an hour to find cool, refreshing waters. It is hard to ski but there aren’t as many waves.”

There have been other reports of people using the steam off the lake to remove wrinkles from clothing, talk of transforming the Branson Belle into a steam ship, and a local energy company is reportedly building a steam engine to haul residents to local cooling centers.

Indian Point resident Mark "Maverick" Sager claims he once worked as a lake-cooler and knows how to make “them fish stop sweatin’”.

U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for Table Rock Lake are considering purchasing a new pump to reverse the flow of water from Lake Taneycomo to Table Rock Lake to bring the temperature down. In the meantime, they recommend dumping ice in the lake, not peeing in the lake, and exercising the use of scuba equipment since the water is colder below the surface.

My First Biker Trip

2009-06-20T15:19:00.002-05:00

Soon after deciding we are going to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August, I was invited on this little excursion with the "Thrill Jockeys," a club in Springfield. Entitled the "Chicken Run," this was a 100 mile ride to Pittsburg, KS, spend the night, and ride the 100 miles home. To keep some of the trip a mystery to make some of you want to go, I will just comment on a few of the comical highlights.

The name "Chicken Run" was created as the first stop in Pittsburg is "Chicken Annie's." Supposedly the best fried chicken, ever. For those of you who know me, fried chicken being a desitnation and reward is far different than the typical avoidance and punishment relationship I have with the food. The thing to note is that next door to Chicken Annie's, is Chicken Mary's. Apparently these two sisters got in a fight and now have essentially identical restaurants next door to each other. I dont think FEDs have to worry about a lack of competition in this fried chicken market.

After waking up this morning, I was standing in line waiting for the tastey toast from the continental breakfast. CNN was doing a report on Obama so he begins speaking on the TV. Politics aside, and sorry for the language but a man standing in line behind me mutters, "God damn I hate that son of a bitch." Welcome to Kansas. To add to the irony, on the ride home I followed a car for about 50 miles that had a bumper sticker saying "Rednecks for Obama." I have seen it all.

I will keep most of the nights activities a mystery but did ride right behind a guy who stood on the seat of his motorcycle while riding 70 MPH. Finally, and after a few drinks at the bar next to the hotel, I heard this valuable statement, "STDs are a myth."

Do you Cheer for the Opponent?

2009-05-28T14:15:00.004-05:00

Watching the French Open along with the NBA playoffs today, something crossed my mind.

In Golf, Tennis, Pool, Bowling, Cycling, Running, and almost all Olympic sports there is a sense of camaraderie among all participants. As a fan, regardless of who you want to win, you applaud the victor and defeated in these individual sports. Almost never will you hear negative reactions from the crowd or opposition unless they do something unethical or against the rules.

Basketball, Football, Baseball, Soccer and other team sports are generally accompanied with an emotion of hate toward the other team. People yell obscenities, throw things, fight the opposing fans in the parking lot, and in extreme cases, fight players. The only time I can imagine people from an opposing team applauding at the same time is when someone injured is carried off the field. Even then, it is sometimes hard to applaud.

I have always wondered why Hockey or Baseball fans riot and burn cars after their teams win the championship. Imagine the golfers of the world rioting in the streets after Tiger Woods wins his next major championship.

What makes this difference? Do people not boo individuals because it is too personal? We all watch sports to be entertained, and in team sport, there wouldn't be much entertainment without the other team. People love to follow and assemble in groups so is a team sport a similar dynamic? I am just as guilty knowing how much I hate the Kansas Jayhawks, but enjoy and would applaud every point in Tennis even if I do secretly hope Maria Sharapova wins every match.

People die (especially around Soccer Matches) because of this hate of the other team and I simply cannot figure it out.

The one exception I found was NASCAR. Predominately seen as an individual sport, people genuinely hate individual drivers. Oh NASCAR.

Marathon in Rome

2009-05-25T11:54:00.006-05:00

I decided to run with my camera during the marathon and took an occasional video update. While embarrassing, I am glad I did. Here are a selection of of my favorites. Be sure to turn your speakers down a little, especially before the Pre-Race Video. They are in chronological order, and judging by the expression, you can probably tell.
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New Business Idea (HumanHunting)

2009-05-19T18:14:00.003-05:00

It is natural for dogs to want to chase. Hell, it is even natural for humans to want to chase. I spent the last two days riding the bicycle 115 miles through Southwest Missouri's most rural farm roads and had to deal with about every breed. Apparently out in the country, the dogs just sit in the front yard waiting for anything to happen. Cyclists, while rare out where I was, are like Christmas time.

So the business: Tentatively named HumanHunting, would be a service for dog owners to call spandex-wearing, almost property right infringing cyclists willing to make a buck and just continuously ride by their residence. We could even setup a plan with the pet owner where we could randomly come by 2 or 3 times per week.

For an Additional fee, I could strap on some kevlar pants and let the dog take a chomp.

There is obviously demand, it is dog nature. Based on my market research over the last two days, about 95% of all canines would be interested. I didn't investigate about the other 5% but would assume they knew they were tied up or they were still fatigued from an earlier cyclist.

I am also investigating a human application of the service. Current services could include throwing drinks, food, or any other non metal object. Running us off the road is an option as well but it might have to be alongside a lake. Will keep you posted.

Thank You for helping the workout

2009-05-15T08:15:00.003-05:00

The first thank you is to the guy on Missouri highway MM. You live on a hill coming up from the Missouri River bottom. As I had already ridden up much of the hill, I was pretty fatigued upon reaching your house. With more hill to go, I really want to say thanks for giving your dog roids and teaching him that cyclists are the enemy. The fact he/she could run at a full sprint for about 3 tenths of a mile is incredible and it really helped my heart rate increase. Without sprinting up the hill and the fear of being roadkill, I never would have reached my workout goals. Judging by your facial expression standing there in your yard watching, it looked like you enjoyed it. I will be back.

The second thank you is to the guy on Route K. Granted, you didn't know I had already ridden 50 miles and was pretty tired. I also realize your red little coupe may lack a few manly features other cars have. Further, I completely understand how being slowed up by a beautiful BMW convertible might cause a little jealousy and lower you ego some. However, passing on a curve so compensate for all of your shortcomings is not the answer. I happened to be the unfortunate soul that was on that curve as you passed. Who knew you could fit 2 cars and a bike across the length of the road with no shoulder. Well, the three of us do now. Again, the extreme fear you briefly caused helped the heart rate and the workout. Thank you.

Ride Details: Miles: 70.25, 3069 calories, 16.4 avg. speed, 42.1 max speed, 140 avg. heart rate, 172 max heart rate, 4 hours and 22 minutes. And a nice little sunburn.

You should Try Trying

2009-05-10T16:45:00.005-05:00

I was watching the Player's Championship (golf tournament) on TV this afternoon. Tiger had a chance but was playing poorly and knew he was going to lose relatively early on. However, after he was irrelevant to the outcome, he made the biggest impact on me.

The feed cut to him preparing to hit a 6 foot putt on hole #16. He had no chance of winning and the money doesn't really matter to him, but he analyzed every angle of this putt. It was as if it was to win the tournament. He made it, but it really hit me with the comment made by the announcer.

"Whatever score he turns in, it will be the best he could do today."

While on average Tiger is the best golfer in the world, he isn't every day. Regardless, he will continue to try harder than anyone else. Many hypothesize it is his mind that separates him from everyone else. The patience, determination, and will of Tiger Woods is better than anyone else. You wont see an apathetic attempt.

A few months ago I had an email conversation with a good friend Ed Daugherty. In a series of emails, he made one comment that stood out.

"The joy of doing a job well is still the spice of life"

Can you really say you always try to do a job well done? I can not but coming from these two, it sure seems like there might be something to trying in everything you do, even if it isn't the most important thing in your life.

And they say watching TV rots your mind.

"First" Bicycle Crash

2009-05-08T21:16:00.005-05:00

I had made it 883 miles on the bicycle without even a scratch until today. I had made it 30.86 miles of 31.4 on the ride today without a scratch and was feeling great. Cruising down the designated bike lane once I was back in town, a piece of curb had broken off and was laying in the middle of the lane. I never saw the rock until I was laying on the ground.

Injuries include a few pretty bad scrapes on arm, hip, and another awkward place. The bike has a few gashes in the handle bars but amazingly the tire is still in good shape.

As I laid there after impact, this old guy pulls up in a car. Doesn't get out and waits for me to slowly get on my feet. Once I do, he says, "How are you?" I respond, "Fine, I guess." He says ok and leaves. Fantastic.

As a friend reminded me, Lance Armstrong gets in wrecks too.

Between this wreck, my house borderline collapsing, nearby home invasions, finals week, and not being able to find roommates next year, it has been a grueling couple of days. As it can only go up, the next post will be full of optimism I am sure.

The Badass Biker Wave

2009-05-06T19:20:00.007-05:00

In the motorcycle crowd, there is the biker wave. The expected greeting one biker gives to another as they pass. In fact, a biker is almost offended if they don't return the greeting.

I am probably in a rare crowd having a strong interest in both two-wheeled hobbies, cycling and motorcycles. Knowing this, I have been cycling for almost a year and do the biker wave to every motorcycle I pass. Big surprise, but I have never received the wave in return when on the bicycle.

Apparently cycling is not badass enough. If I were to confront an unwilling biker, I would hope the conversation would go like this:
Cyclist: So why won't you guys wave back?
Badass Biker: You don't have an engine on that machine and aren't wearing leather chaps. We are a different crowd.
Cyclist: Something has to power our bike.
Cyclist #2: That's what she said, and preffered.

But let's flip this: Taylor, when riding the Harley, are you really willing to ruin your badass image and "badass biker wave" to those spandex wearing, self-improving, healthy eating cyclists?
Yes, the two-wheeled community should unite against all four-wheeled road ragers.

Other notes from the ride today:

Used a live snake as a speedbump for the first time. Caused an already elevated heart rate to skip a beat, especially when it raised up right before I hit it.
Rain turns to pain at about 36 mph.
Ride stats: Distance: 31.75 miles, Avg Speed: 16.6 mph, Max Speed: 43.1, Avg. Heart Rate: 142, Max Heart Rate: 172, Wind: South @ 10, Calories Burned: 1453

A Local Celebrity

2009-05-05T12:05:00.005-05:00

If you haven't already heard, the house next door was broken into a few weeks ago. Apparently, similar robberies have been going on and they think it is the same people. So out comes the news crew to start interviewing.

Before agreeing to interview I had to ask the reporter, "You know how everyone looks stupid on on the news? Is that because they are stupid or because you guys make them look stupid?" She assured me it was because they were stupid, so I agreed to the interview.

After the interview, I walk inside to hear the doorbell ring again like 2 minutes later saying she can't find her keys and is getting a ride back to the station to get a spare. She comes back 30 minutes later to find the spare doesn't work. So the reporter, her friend and I spend 15 minutes searching everywhere. I took this picture while she was gone and if you enlarge this picture, you can see the keys on the top of the car on the far right. I finally found them after about 10 calls to the news station, police department, and nearly the tow truck.

I can't find the video online yet but I have received a couple calls about the news last night. Here is a link to the article.

Apparently I love the phrase, "kind of." I guess I can look stupid on my own as well, without their help.

The puzzling town of Rock Port Missouri

2009-05-01T20:00:00.006-05:00

Left early this morning on a trip to Omaha for Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting. While I may have something to say about that event later, our lunch stop really blew us away.

Rock Port, Missouri is in the middle of nowhere. We drove for 40 miles looking for a place to eat and it happend to be the place. Essentially it is a highway exit, and little more. A little googling led to me to find out it is a population of about 1300. One would assume your standard, nothing to do, and nothing worth mentioning farm town.

The puzzling part started as we exited and were greeted by 6, yes 6, all in business firework stores. There weren't any other firework stores along the route but right here. The restuarant we chose easily had the friendliest staff one could hope to encounter. Jim and I ordered the "Big A** Steak" off the menu. 48 ounces. Apparently that had never been done before and the waitress replied with, "Are you shitting me?" You can see the picture of us before. That is all one patty but 4 buns used to hold it.

The bathroom stall was marked in real duct tape and there was the sign you can see asking for payment to use. While Americans think that is funny, the French are serious. This quiet little farm town was also heavily advertising for beer pong. Further, tomorrow night they have a big Elvis impersonation competition.

To top it all off, this conservative little farm town was powered 100% by wind power. Truley unbelieveable but they are giving small towns a good name in my book.

Missouri's Natural Selection

2009-04-30T13:11:00.004-05:00

Being the mother that she is, she called me today the moment she found out Missouri is considering modifying the Motorcycle helmet law. The new law would allow riders the option not to wear helmets unless they get on the interstate. The House and Senate have approved and they are waiting on the governor.

I am initially surprised considering all of the bad publicity motorcycle safety has received recently but I have no problem with it. Generally, I prefer the government not make choices about how I live my and spend my money and this is not an exception.

My mother made my promise I would continue riding with a helmet to which I set the cell phone down so I didn't have to hear the lecture. When the faint buzzing of the phone had stopped, we resumed our conversation, knowing that she still cares but still made me feel like a teenager.

I am well read on Darwin and if you are dumb enough to not wear a helmet well, maybe you have it coming.

Laughing in the Hospital Waiting Room

2009-04-29T15:10:00.003-05:00

So there I am, sitting in the student health center waiting for my name as I start reading a blog post on the ole iPhone. I came across this post and, after reading the comments associated with it, left me laughing out loud. It is relatively long but entertaining if you have 5 minutes to kill.

Quick Summary: This very famous blogger (100,000k followers) used the term “feel the fear and do it anyway.” Some lady wrote a book entitled this and her lawyers contacted him about it. It wasn't used in a title, the blog is free, just in everyday speech. The comedy results in his response and the comments by readers.

Blog Post in Question

Some of the Digg Replies:

Go to amazon, and give her book a 1 star review. That impact in sales should offset any publicity.
..Internet justice... We can serve it...
Comic Sans walks into a bar, bartender says, 'We don't serve your type.'
Intellectual Stupidity.

I'm sorry, but I own the copyrights to the phrase "The Privatization of the English Language". Please either place a (R) at the end of your post or remove it entirely.
I think we should all "feel the fear and do it anyway" on as many blogs, twitters, digs, etc. etc. as possible!
I have a feeling a lot of people will be contacting her about the phrase in the next few hours.

Nothing like 15 minutes of entertainment in a hospital waiting room.

Concealed Weapons on Campus

2009-04-27T17:05:00.004-05:00

Checked my school email today to find a link to a poll the school was conducting.

The question was simply this, "Would you support allowing individuals with a conceal and carry permit to carry concealed weapons on campus?"

I was torn at first. My initial thought was, "I would rather not have the guy sitting next to have a handgun in his belt." However, if the next psycho came rolling into our class with an automatic rifle, I would be a lot happier about the situation. Further, if they have the permit, they will have the gun with them at the movies, or the restaurant anyway, so what is the difference?

I think there is a stigma attached to guns and schools that freaks everyone out. Even though it is college, it is still the real world.

I voted Yes. Thoughts?

End of April

2009-04-26T10:49:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the leave of absence. I am essentially trying to figure out what to do with this. I think turning it into a personal blog with the occasional rant, rave, or update will do. I recommend subscribing so you don't have to keep checking.

For a quick update:

Eli and I finished our marathon. It was great. Check our facebook for pictures. I am working on a video I took during the race as well.
I graduate in 3 weeks. I have decided to stay at Mizzou to get my MBA and should graduate in December of 2010.
I am currently working on summer plans...work/play. Any suggestions would be fabulous.

In a bit of a hurry but I will try to keep this entertaining.

Thanks.

Final Pre-Race Post

2009-03-17T22:16:00.002-05:00

Total Miles of Training 438.8

Training is officially over for my second marathon and we leave tomorrow for Rome. What was initially a joke when I sent the link to the Rome marathon for Eli as something to shoot for is now a reality.

The marathon of traveling starts at 5:30 AM tomorrow and ends 6:55 AM in Rome the next day.

Would like to thank all of those who encouraged, ran with, or donated to, Race to Rome.

My confidence is not especially high going into the race considering I haven't really ran in the past three weeks due to the ankle injury but I will do what it takes to finish the race. Without a focus on time, Eli and I are considering running together and bringing a camera to document with event with pictures and videos.

Either way, we are pumped, and it will be a great trip. Follow my twitter with updates tomorrow and during the trip anytime I can get on the computer and I will try to post on here after the marathon with hopefully some great news.

Thanks for the support.

Damn you weatherman

2009-03-16T08:02:00.003-05:00

Miles: 27 cycling (9 converted)
Total Miles: 438.8

Drove to Springfield Saturday to part ways with Roxxy for the trip. On Saturday, I tried to ride but got about a mile before I had my first flat tire. Was able to figure out how to fix it by myself, which, if you know me at all, is a miracle.

Sunday I was supposed to run with Tom but he had lasik done on Friday and was still a little sensitive to light. The weatherman called for 62 degrees and partly cloudy. Reality was no sun, and 51. Pretty chilly the whole way but I can't afford to miss a workout right now this close to the race. It is supposed to be beautiful in Columbia the next two days so I am going to ride both days and then call my training complete. That picture is before my ride on Sunday. All of those clothes I bought online and then sent to my cousin @ Binky Guy Textiles to throw his company's name on there and make them look cool. I think it all turned out really well.

The ankle is actually bothering me more this week than last week but I will start taking the drugs a couple days before the race and hope to be fine.