Stupid Patent of the Day #1 - Bread Refreshener

Bread refreshening method - patent # 6080436

Have you ever wanted to take bread that was stale and make it edible again? Save money and a trip to the grocer with the Bread Re-freshener (UPO #6080436). Your bread will come out "more palatable and tasty  than [it was] prior to being exposed" to to our patented method.

How does it work? Stick your bread into the machine and it will be heated to a temperature between 2500 and 4500 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 to 90 seconds.

You'll love how much better your bread tastes after being toasted to perfection.

Credit: This American Life "When Patents Attack" for pointing out this patent.

Ramblings #1: Weird and a little creepy

I started my morning ride a bit earlier this morning because my body woke up early to take care of some necessities. There wasn't much point going back to bed for 10 minutes and I was excited to try out my new bib knickers. (They are awesome - I'm now addicted to Bonktown.com).

I stayed on the canal path because the sun wasn't quite up yet and I haven't had the chance to get lights for my new bike yet. As I was riding along, I saw what I thought was a shorter person dressed in black up ahead. Not really that out of the ordinary. But as I got closer, I saw that this guy was tall and burly, dressed in black, and just standing there. It was a little too late to turn around so I kept going. I figured if I had to I could outrun him on the bike. About a block later, I thought I saw another figure in black up ahead. I wasn't going to take my chances, so I turned around. There was a road between me and the guy I had passed so instead of continuing on the path I turned onto the road. By that time it was barely light enough that I figured the road would be safe. The guy was still there. I passed by another 15 minutes later when the sun was finally partially up, and he was just starting to walk away. It creeped me out. I don't know if I should have called the police or not.

Why do gnats have to fly in groups? I got one in my eye, one down my throat, and ten or so more plastered to my chest this morning.

Back to the bib knickers. Yeah, they're a bit long for this hot weather, but I've become a wimp for cold and I knew I needed something to keep me a bit warmer once it cools down. The bibs are Castelli brand and they are awesome. The padding is not too thick but plenty comfortable and it stays where it should be. I'll just have to keep my eye out for a better seat, as well as a pair or two more of the bibs. I'll probably go for the shorts this time. The site said I should order one size larger than normal. I'm glad I didn't.

I absolutely love getting up with the sun. It's nice to see the neighborhoods quiet and calm. It makes it a lot easier to cross the road when the path comes to a major intersection. I love the early morning reflection on the canal water, and the ducks just starting to wake up nearby. Yesterday I noticed that the ducks like to sleep in the middle of the lake in the park - at least that's what it looked like.

On Compromise

Bikes are expensive. The gear can be even more expensive. The more you get into the sport it becomes apparent how much it can cost. Most people probably don't have the income they need to jump right in and buy the cycle and all the gear that all the literature says is necessary. So, most of us compromise. We look at how we plan to ride and make informed decisions about what is really necessary. Do I really need that full carbon frame with top-of-the line components, or will an entry level bike suffice? Should I get everything at once, or can I make do as I add items one at a time. Clearly, there are tradeoffs. There are constraints. Costs and benefits to each decision. Compromise is hard - yes, it would be nice to have a couple of pairs of really nice bib shorts, but is it really worth the $150-250 price tag for each one? Should I spend that money on instead fixing my house or paying for gas? Or would one a step or two down that is much more reasonably priced work just as well? After all, I'm not a pro.

Compromise is even more necessary in the political realm. Here too there are tradeoffs to be made. Limits on what is possible. The real limits in government are the differing opinions among the body politic. There will always be a section of the population that wants government to do more and another group that wants it to do less. More of one thing and less of another. Without compromise on these issues, congressional work would come to a halt. Some of the basic functions of government - to make reasonable laws to provide a reliable framework for people to make decisions - wouldn't function reliably. This would create uncertainty. Has created uncertainty.

I would describe myself as a classical liberal, so my philosophy is mostly in line with libertarians. I think it would be good if the actions of government were limited to a much greater extent than they currently are. However, I recognize that many of my views on the appropriate function of government, say, my stance on drug regulation, are highly controversial and are unlikely to be enacted any time soon. Does this mean I pull a Ron Paul and refuse to vote yes on anything that doesn't completely match what I want done? Absolutely not. There are times, such as the recent debt ceiling debate, when compromise is essential.

The debt ceiling crisis was particularly annoying for me in that regard. Neither side wanted to compromise and they brought us to the brink of causing major financial upheaval. We are lucky that some planning and a lot of accidents of history have made the nation the most desirable place for other nations and people to save their money. Otherwise markets would have reacted much more harshly to the instability and uncertainty the bitter, uncompromising debates of the last few weeks have caused.

It's important to understand that raising the debt ceiling does not cause congress to spend more money. We've already agreed to spend the money in the various appropriations and entitlement bills. It's a bit like planning to spend money, and then giving ourselves permission again to spend it.

I'm thankful some form of agreement was reached, but there needs to be a lot more willingness to compromise if serious progress is to be made on fixing the debt problem. Will that mean higher taxes? Yes. Will it mean cuts to entitlement programs? Absolutely. It won't be perfect. It won't match all of your or my ideas of an ideal solution. But that's the nature of politics. Compromise must be made.

As I heard Doug Wright on KSL say recently, the only political situation where compromise is unnecessary is in a dictatorship.

Small adjustments lead to big rewards

"...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." - Alma 36:6

When riding a bike for more than a few miles, it becomes very important that each piece of the bicycle is positioned correctly to fit the rider. Even a centimeter or two in either direction makes a big difference. If the bike seat is too short or too high, you get knee problems. If you have clipless pedals, a degree or two away from perfect in the position of the cleats can also cause knee problems. Even the tilt of the seat is important. Too far down, and you put too much pressure on your hands and wrists. Too far up and you have other issues where the seat comes in contact.

It's the same way with our spirituality. Doing small things, like reading scriptures and saying prayers, is essential to having the spirit in our lives directing our decisions for good. It's effective in degrees - while reading one verse every day may keep us in the habit, actually spending time to study and ponder is much more effective.

Even with all the adjustments to a bike that I mentioned above, prevention of injury and the ability to endure to the end of a ride depends on training and practice of correct posture. It requires dedication to always striving to improve riding technique. Similarly, the ability to maintain our testimonies is dependent upon our continued practice of the basics, and our efforts to continue to grow in the gospel.

Fear

Creak, creak, creak, creak, clickclickclickclick, creakcreakcreakcreakcreakcreak....

Sometimes while in the drops on my bicycle, the rhythm of the motion becomes hypnotizing and I get lost in thought. I enjoy my mornings on the bike because it's one of the few times that I am completely disconnected from the siren call of electronics and I know that my responsibilities at home and at work can be put on hold for a moment or two.

I've been thinking of writing my thoughts down over the past few days, and so today I was wondering what I might name this blog and what I might write today. I figured it would be appropriate to make some reference to where these thoughts come from, hence the name "Muses in the drops."

Too much of my life is caught up in fear. Small and large decisions all are influenced by the fears I have. There is a difference between concern and fear, and I often cross the line between the two into fear. Posting this is a challenge to my fear and reflects the hope I have that I can get my ideas written down without the barriers of fear that would normally prevent me from posting as often as I would like.

I will often spend half an hour worrying about calling someone that I need to call, because I'm afraid of their reaction - am I calling too late, do they not want a call from me, etc. Sometimes I will get so used to this kind of fear that I will avoid making a call or doing something even though I don't have any specific reason to avoid doing it. I suppose it's good that my church calling gives me practice breaking this fear - I have to call at least a few people each week that I've never met.

It's interesting to me that the fear I reference above does not apply to interaction with youth, especially 13 and younger. It does apply to their parents, though. At least until I get to know them really well.

A wise person once told me that it is not a good idea to live in fear, and that I should never make decisions based on fear. I can definitely say that when I make decisions based on reasoned thought and prayer rather than on fear the results are much better.

Fear also influences other decisions that I make, but I'm working to move away from that.

My biggest fear right now is that this post isn't perfect, but if I don't post now the ideas will grow stale and I'll always have a bunch of incomplete ideas floating out there. How else can I refine my ideas but by inviting others to interact? I'm posting this as it is because I want to explore other topics, I want to see the reaction others have, and I don't need any of my posts to be flawless.