Hungry and tired Aug 28, 2008
It's funny to watch how babies and young kids act when they're hungry and/or tired.  They whine and cry and act out and have meltdowns.  It's always interesting to see a watchful mom fully understand the situation and solve the problem with some food or a nap.  So simple, yet effective. 

I'm quite convinced that this phenomenon is completely independent of age.  The older I get, the more I realize it.  Sometimes I'll be driving on the highway, and I'll start getting ridiculously angry at the guy who didn't use a blinker when he changed lanes.  That's when I realize it's lunchtime and I haven't eaten.  Or I'll be watching TV and become more and more impatient with commercials.  That's when I realize it's bedtime. 

It's weird how we humans think we're all grown up and have control over our bodies' simple desires for sustenance and rest, when in reality we really haven't progressed much since birth. #psychology
Loud motorcycles (1) Aug 28, 2008
I don't have a motorcycle, but I fully support them in theory.  They're great on gas mileage, they're totally badass, and there's nothing quite like having a roaring engine sitting directly between your legs.  (I'm not sure if that's a joke or not.)  But one thing I don't like is when motorcycles are stupidly loud, like when my neighbor arrived at his house at 2am on a Saturday riding his apparently jet-powered bike.  Sure, it was Saturday, so it doesn't matter if I got woken up in the middle of the night.  But it was less about being woken up, and more about being disturbed by an unnecessarily loud noise.  I understand the sound is part of the fun for some people.  It's kind of like buying a sports car or wearing tight jeans that emphasize one's manliness.  Some guys need loud bikes.  That's fine.  But the problem is that loud bikes disturb.  On a recent trip to the beautiful mountains and wooded areas of New Hampshire, sights and experiences were ruined by ridiculously loud bikes.  And what did all that noise actually prove, and what did it gain them?  Nothing.  I was seeing the same things and driving the same roads with my quiet little Japanese car.  The point is this:  Loud motorcycles should get some mufflers so the rest of us can live our lives in peace.  The end. #travel