Please wear your damn seat belt

I've waited quite awhile to get on my soapbox about seat belts on the blog, for fear of sounding preachy or cranky-old-man-y. But it's getting ridiculous, especially in Missouri.

Three of every four Missourians do not wear their seatbelts. That makes me sad. But get this: 70% of people who die in traffic crashes are UNBUCKLED. For teenagers, the number jumps to 80%. And these are kids who have pretty much always been buckled by their parents. Now they're cool-kid James Dean move is to drive without a belt on? Really?

Here's the thing: We have a solution that would really help. It's called a Primary Seat Belt Law. Most states have it. Missouri doesn't.

Today, you cannot get pulled over in Missouri for not wearing a seat belt. If you get a ticket for something else, the officer can tack on a $10 seat belt fine. As you might have guessed, this is not particularly effective.

In states that have passed Primary Seat Belt laws, their usage jumped 10% immediately. Soon after their traffic death rates went down. This isn't rocket science. It's basic cause and effect.

Opponents cling to their rights of freedom and privacy (on a public roadway paid for with public dollars). Until they get in a crash. Then the expectation is for the insurance company (to whom all drivers contribute) or the government (to whom all people contribute) to cover medical expenses -- expenses that would have been greatly reduced by using a proven safety device installed in every vehicle.

I don't generally lean toward increased regulation of people's personal decisions, but in this case I believe it's appropriate to legislate some safety into our state, for the greater good of all.

Here's my ask:

1) Wear your seatbelt. Buckle your kids.

2) Take a look at the information on www.savemolives.com.

3) Join the converstation. I understand this is not a black & white issue, and I enjoy the discussion.

Props to Zed, Best Buy Salesmen Extraordinaire

I had a unique experience at Best Buy this weekend that I thought worth sharing.  For every "less-than-stellar" sales person on the planet, there are a few that stand out.

Janelle was in the market for a new laptop computer, and with a little research we picked out a nice Acer model that we were excited about.  Mr. Internet told us the Best Buy in Columbia had at least one in stock.  I usually like to buy our computers online with Dell - partially to avoid the big electronics stores.  But this was a good deal, so I headed to the big box.

I eventually found the floor model and began checking the spec details and pecking the keys (I guess to make sure it was a normal computer, and not an alien breed of some sort -- the keys pecked just fine).  

Enter Zed.

First of all, the kid's name is Zed (Strike one).  He was decked out Gen-Y style, with thick-rimmed coffee-house glasses (who needs glasses like that at 19? - Strike two) and some sort of ear piercing/stretching, including a 1/2" stone implanted in his lobe (I'm outta here).

I played it out, assuming a 30 minute session of "this computer is OK, but you might want to consider..."  I was wrong.  I told Zed what I wanted.  He didn't think they had any in stock, but he did a quick search and determined they did.  Though it wasn't where it should be, he did some extra searching.  He found it.

At the checkout, I was behind a couple other computer purchasers getting the full package of "necessary" add-ons for optimal computer performance (overpiced mouse, overpriced case, overpriced surge protector, extended warranty, Geek Squad we'll-come-to-your-house-at-midnight-to-fix-anything-even-your-relationships plan, etc.).  

When Zed stepped behind the counter, he rang up the computer, swiped my card and sent me on my way.  What the hell?  Where's the banter?  The "no thanks, just the computer today" or "I think I'll take the risk my laptop doesn't burn in a forest fire in the next 12 months" discussion?  Nothing.  Just a credit card receipt and a smile.  I had to know why.

I asked Zed why he didn't offer my 52 other things with the computer purchase.  "Body language - I could just tell"  was his response.  Impressive.

So big props to Best Buy for hiring Zed and props to Zed for learning how to read people.

TV is back!

I haven't been all that excited about TV programming for quite some time, and was particularly board with last fall's offerings. Besides "The Office," I didn't really follow a single current show. But January has brought a lot of great stuff back that I'm excited about. A quick run-down.

24

The first 4 hours from this week have been as good as I can remember from 24 for quite awhile. Jack Bauer is the Shaft of our generation. He's a bad mother...

The "putting the band back together" feel of this season has already been rewarding, and the fast-paced nature of the season so far means the plot shifts on a regular basis (sometimes even within a single episode).

LOST

This has been my favorite show for awhile now. I'm a sucker for a good, long, detailed story (whether on TV, from a book, or in a video game), and LOST fits the profile. Also, the weekly discussions with family, friends, and the online community about what the hell is going on adds to the fun of the show.

I'm also impressed that the producers/creators/writers made a deal with ABC to cut the show off after a finite number of episodes. LOST should not die a slow death (see Alias) or get cancelled after a great season finale cliffhanger (Joan of Arcadia).

(Aside - Yes, I watched Joan of Arcadia and loved it. A little sappy, perhaps, but a good solid family drama that also included God jumping into the bodies of random people to help guide the main character. Worth a DVD rental if you missed it.)

Battlestar Gallactica

We were a little late to the party on this show, but it was fun to catch up on DVD and a great ride since. I haven't been as excited about the series of late, but I have to know the identity of the final Cylon, so I'll be watching.

American Idol

Idol is my reality show guilty pleasure. I've particularly enjoyed a couple changes in the early 2009 episodes. The new judge - Kara, I think - is good (for the love of all that is good and holy, please fire Paula now). They've also shown fewer awful singers (the gag is getting old, and they've realized it) and added more tear-jerking, Olympics-syle stories about the contestants. My favorite so far is the welder from Oklahoma.

So there it is - excitement for Spring '09 TV. What about you? Anything you're watching, or have given up on, of late?

Movie Pick: Born into Brothels

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388789/


This 2004 documentary follows nine children living in Calcutta’s red light district. Their mothers are prostitutes “working the line,” and their fathers are nonexistent, abusive, and/or tied to the current economic system of the neighborhood.

Zana Briski, a freelance photographer, was working on a documentary of the conditions. She found it very difficult to get anyone to open up to her, an outsider. She began teaching photography to the kids in the area, and in doing so got them to both trust her and create great art.

The life change in the kids was impressive, and a “3 years later” extra on the DVD showed how improved many of their lives were by the experience.

I was particularly struck by two things:

1. The parents had generally given up hope for themselves and their children. Some did not allow their kids to attend a nearby boarding school, which was disheartening. I couldn’t imagine not promoting the best for my children -- but then thought about times when it happens.

2. The kids took some incredible pictures with basic equipment (hand-me-down 35 mm cameras).

The film was awarded the Oscar for Best Documentary, and has since launched a movement: Kids With Cameras.
http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/

Looking to '09

After looking back at 2008, it seemed appropriate to take a quick look at some things I'm excited about for 2009

Movies
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Night at the Museum 2

Harry Potter has been delayed for awhile (I think Daniel Radcliffe has kids), but I'm still a sucker for anything in the HP universe. It'll probably be too much for the kiddos (I'm guessing PG-13 like movies 4 and 5), so we'll likely be in the weird situation of hiring a 14-year-old babysitter to watch our children while we go watch the Harry Potter movie with a bunch of 14-year-olds and children.

Night at the Museum was the first true "Family Movie" experience in the Chandler house (defined as a movie the kids loved that did not include Janelle and I poking out our eyes - I'm talking to you, Strawberry Shortcake), and I'm looking forward to watching the sequel with the kids as well.


Blake in Kindergarten
We'll have both kids in school full time this fall, which I think will be fun. Blake's gotten a taste with preschool in his eventually elementary school, but it will be a whole different ballgame come August. Our baby is growing up.


Ten Year Anniversary
Ten years of wedded bliss (etc.) this June will obviously be blog-worthy in its own right. But I figured we'd might as well celebrate early. I'm sure we'll spend some extra time reminiscing this year as we look back on the last decade, and forward to the next one.


The Unknown
At the beginning of 2008 I was working for MoDOT, had never tried sushi, and only knew the name Barack Obama because of my brother's Myspace page. Now I'm serving at the pleasure of President Obama in my current job and I haven't been on Myspace for a year.

And eating raw fish.

A Few More Favorites

I came up with a few more favorites from the year that was.

New Discovery: MKT Trail

I've lived in Columbia since 1996 and had never been on the trail until this summer. We took the kids a couple times and had a blast

Photo: This one

Janelle got a new camera this fall, and she's taken a ton of great pictures. This shot of me and the kiddos is on the aforementioned MKT trail in Columbia. I think it looks like we're walking in The Shire from Middle Earth.

Month: September

We often complain about how we go directly from summer to winter around here sometimes. This autumn was an incredible exception. I think we cooked, ate, and played outside more this past September than the entire last couple years. I can't wait until spring when we can do it again.

New Foods: Lobster and Sushi (not necessarily together)

I was fortunate to have my first real lobster dinner at a business conference in New Orleans this spring. Yum.The sushi introduction was a bit less exciting (refrigerated section of Hy-Vee), but also tasty. I'm a fan of both.

Poppy Love Song: Come On Get Higher, Matt Nathanson

Nothing particularly deep or special about this one, but I simply cannot turn the radio dial when it's on. A great sing-along song.

Kid-Friendly Movies: Prince Caspian

I'm loving our kids ages (8 & 5), as it means we've entered into true "Family Movie" territory. We're watching movies and TV shows together that we all enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I'm as big a Blue's Clues and Ruff Ruffman fan as anyone my age, but it's been fun to start watching Big Kid stuff, too.

Prince Caspian is a much better movie experience than Lion/Witch/Wardrobe, mainly because it's a better story for the screen. The battles are done well, even without much (if any) blood. And Blake even survived the "romantic" part at the end. Good show.

TV Show: Star Wars, The Clone Wars

First of all, this is not a great show. It is a very fun Saturday-morning-type cartoon that Blake and I have enjoyed together. I make the kids wait for me to watch each new episode -- just in case there is a scary part (but mainly because I want to see it).

Another Book: In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan

http://www.michaelpollan.com/indefense.php

The author makes a compelling argument that most of what we eat in our current culture is not food, but "edible foodlike substance." As discussed before, I'm a sucker for anti-status quo writing. His suggestion is simple but not easy: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Another Website: www.kayak.com

This travel site takes the best of the others (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.) and puts them in one place. It also adds a piece that is missing from most of the others: Southwest Airlines.

Feel free to share more of your favorites. You have about 15 hours 'til 2009!

Favorites of 2008

I guess if you have a blog it's pretty much expected to list some sort of End Year post. Here's my attempt to follow that crowd and share some of my favorite stuff of '08.

Rock Song: Old Enough by The Raconteurs
I'm a late adopter of The Raconteurs, and I thank BXR for overplaying this song over the summer so I didn't miss it.

Pop Song: I'm Yours by Jason Mraz
Another on the overplayed list, this was our family sing-along song all summer. This is a full album pick up.

DVD and Movie Dispenser: Once and The Redbox
Once is a great movie with incredible music. I was tempted to watch it again as soon as I finished it the first time. I wanted to renew my piano lessons from 1986.

The Redbox is genius (especially the one within walking distance of my front door) and will make a fortune off me -- one dollar at a time.

Video Game: Mario Kart Wii
I've been playing video games for more than 20 years, and this one ranks toward the top for pure fun, especially multiplayer, and especially-er online multiplayer. I'm not very good (yet), but for the first time in a long time I actually want to play enough to get better. (Sorry Guitar Hero - I just couldn't muster up the effort to dislocate my pinky in Expert Mode.)

Book: The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
I tend to read/listen to a lot of books over the course of a year. And most years I don't read a book that changes the way I think. This guy did it by challenging conventional wisdom and doing it well. It's not a "do this" book, at least not for me. But it has a little something for everyone. A quote reference in the book is a good summation:

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination. -Oscar Wilde

Website: Facebook
I check two websites every day: Gmail and Facebook. I now know much more about current friends of friends than I ever knew about people I went to school with for 12 years (check that -- now that I've "reconnected" I also know more than I ever wanted about my old friends from high school).

Tech toy: Moleskine
OK, I lied. I went anti-tech this year, trading in my PDA for some a pocket-sized notebook. It was a great trade. I always have it with me, and I don't have to memorize anything anymore -- it just goes in the Moleskine. It contains random sketches, grocery lists, and that million dollar idea that would have been lost by the bedside in 2007 (In the interest of full disclosure, I'm still waiting on that idea). Oh... and I don't check my e-mail every 22 seconds.

Trip: New Orleans
I had the opportunity to take a business trip to New Orleans last spring with Janelle. We had an incredible time eating seafood, drinking frozen something-or-others, and soaking in the environment. Highly recommended.

Musical Performance: David Cook on American Idol
At the risk of outing myself as an American Idol and Michael Jackson fan in the same sentence, my favorite live performance of the year was David Cook's Billie Jean. If you didn't see it, take two minutes to watch:




Favorite Person: Janelle Chandler, my rock-awesome wife
We've been married nearly 10 years (next June) and this one has been the best by far. We've had lower lows than most years, and higher highs as well. We've laughed, cried, traveled, sang loudly, defaced our otherwise perfect bodies with tattoos, and otherwise had a heck of a good year. I'm in love with that girl.

So there it is. What about you? What was your favorite song/movie/book/game/website/techtoy/trip/person of the year?

Where's the Funny?

I'm not a newspaper guy, but the break room in my office has a St. Louis Post, so I occasionally skim over it at some point during the day.

I had an epiphany this week as I was looking over the Funny Pages. They're not funny. As I read through the comics (Ziggy, For Better or Worse, Family Circus, etc.), I was amazed at the lack of humor.

Zero laughs above the fold.

Things got a little better with Dilbert lower on the page, but I've determined that the laughs per comic strip metric is not good -- at least for me.

It sure seems that comics were comical when I was a kid. The Far Side comes to mind. But maybe that's it. Garfield wasn't really funny, and Peanuts seemed to get less funny each year.

Maybe it's me. Perhaps I'm just not a "comic strip guy." There are definitely things I laugh at (Stephen Colbert, The Office, Saturday Night Live, dirty limericks), but this just wasn't it.

In the Moment

I had an absolutely great Columbia weekend, and have had a tough time attempting to put it into words. I thought maybe a quick event log would help me share my thoughts. Advanced apologies for the ramblings...

Saturday 8:00 - Haircut with Blake at Tiger Barber
Blake had a deep conversation with his barber about Halloween, and we got to have a race to the finish. Blake finished his cut first and earned extra pennies for bubble gum. Big props to Tiger Barber on 9th Street.

Saturday 10:00 - Marko at the House
My brother came in from Denver this weekend to watch the Mizzou game and catch up with friends. He hung out with us for a couple hours in the morning. The kiddos loved tackling him and showing off their Lego Star Wars skills (they are quite good). Good to see the little brother again.

Saturday 12:00 - Living Canvas
I got my first tattoo (pics coming once healing is complete) and had a great time with my wife and Laurie and Erick Creach, all of whom added ink to their exterior. Surprise visit by the VanDykes topped off the afternoon, as did valuable discussion of the parlor's choice of artwork in the waiting room. (My personal favorite: Inappropriate Blue Frog)

Saturday 4:00 - Tin Can Bar & Grill
Had a mediocre dinner and great discussion with aforementioned group. They serve beer in cans and a WIDE variety of food (wings, pot roast, chicken fried steak, and probably stir fry if you ask). I'd suggest a more focused menu.

Saturday 6:00 - 30 degrees at Faurot Field
Walked from downtown to the game. It was a blast...and freezing. Drunk guys nearby added to the game's entertainment value. Hearing the "Z-O-U" from 35,000 people on the other half of the stadium still gives me goosebumps every time. Loved it.

Saturday 8:00 - 72 degrees at Home
We wimped out at halftime and finished the game in the comfort of our living room. We weren't alone, as evidenced by the TV shots of the crowd in the second half. Hot chocolate, cookies, and warmth made it a great decision.

Sunday 3:00 - Hollywood Theater Birthday Party

To top off the weekend, Madilyn celebrated her 8th birthday party at the theater. She invited a few other girls, chaperoned by two strapping gents (Blake and me, both newly haircutted). After cake eating and present opening in the party room (yep, they have one - it's awesome), we enjoyed High School Musical 3 on the big screen. Huge props to Hollywood Theater for taking care of screaming girls running amok in their establishment all afternoon. Highly recommended for your next b-day party.


Not to give away the HSM3 plot, but Troy and Gabriella have some minor relational conflict that turns out OK in the end. Insert funny guys and lots of music and dancing, and you get a nice close to the gang's career at East High.
(Note: Yes, I know High School Musical. I have a 2nd grade girl in the house. And of the range of things she could be asking me to participate in, this one is a pretty easy give.)


So there you have it. A full Columbia-themed weekend with family and friends. Good times, good friends, good memories.

The Speeches

All in all, Election Night was pretty uneventful in terms of "who's gonna win" drama. That never seemed to be in doubt.

What I wasn't prepared for were two of the best speeches I've heard in a long time. McCain was incredible, and I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering where this John McCain was hiding for the last six months. He's a true patriot in every sense of the word, and I hope he's able to do exactly what he wants to do the rest of his life.

Obama set the course for the near-future, inspiring as he has for so many months, and leading me to become more interested in the process than I had ever been. I'm excited to see what happens over the next 4-8 years.