Random Thoughts

"Writer's Block" by Mike Bobbitt
http://offthemike.com/2011/09/02/3227/
No Copyright Infringement Intended

Two of the biggest challenges that I face is in making sure that Codified: The Life and Thoughts of Matthew Morse is interesting, not just to others, but to myself, are that the overall narrative of each entry is insightful and that the writing is in the correct "voice."  I have been struggling to fulfill both of those aspects relative to a concern that I have at the apartment complex where I live.  My first attempt made prolific use of the word "we," in an attempt to draw you into the story artificially.  Additional attempts have sounded alternately preachy or whiny - or both.  There are also corollary concerns as to post length and to finding images that go along with my thoughts - as well as to finding sufficient credit for those photos.

Today's entry will consist of shortened versions of some ideas that have been languishing in my own personal editorial hell for at least a week.

Open Sesame!

One of the topics that has been on my mind for the last week - in fact, I started writing a draft about it immediately after posting the last update - is how people react when having to use a shared resource such as the United States Post Office, the public library, the weight bench at the gym, et cetera.

People Waiting in Line
http://theultimateyoulifetool.blogspot.com/....
No Copyright Infringement Intended
No Endorsement of Source Material Intended

One arrangement of which I often take advantage is the community computer located in the clubhouse at my apartment complex, as it has more-updated versions of a few programs than my own computer does.  Given that there are eighty-four units spread across seven buildings, it is often the case that someone will come in with similar purposes in mind, and their various reactions absolutely fascinate me.

Without getting into an excessive amount of details, there is one particular resident who, when she comes in, does not address me for some reason, so there are times when I don't even know that she is there.  The funny thing is, I would probably finish whatever I was doing in five minutes - ten at the most - and let her have it to her heart's content, but if she doesn't ask me, I might have no way of knowing.  We are trying to build a community here, and that starts with dialog - an "open sesame" of our thought processes, if you will.  Since is seems that she is having a challenge initiating the conversation, I will look for opportunities to engage her.

Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders, Artwork by Russ Nicholson
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Fiend Folio (Published  1981)
http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/Tannhaeuser/....
No Copyright Infringement Intended

Excessive Posting

Note:  The image at the right really has nothing to do with the subject at hand, but when I put a particular set of (somewhat unflattering) terms concerning original thoughts into Google Image search, this was one of the results.  As Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was one of the most popular pastimes in my youth, this was too good to pass up.

I "like" over 1,000 pages on Facebook.  One of my favorite things to say is  that I like everything from a talking marshmallow to the Queen of England.  In addition to over two-hundred mermaid-related pages and over sixty-five burlesque-related pages, I also follow wineries and vineyards, media organizations, and the vibrant stage theater community in the Twin Cities, as well as a wide variety of other interests.

Some of the administrators post sporadically throughout the week, some on a daily basis, and others a few times throughout the course of the day.  Then there are the pages that post as many as forty times per day!  It can be a bit overwhelming, and what is worse, it chokes my News Feed.  I also have a few friends who go on "sharing" binges, posting photos of nature scenes with Bible quotes, funny cats, and any variety of images and thoughts that are not of their own manufacture.  One friend posted nineteen times in a sixty-minute period on January 19th, and that was frustrating.  I don't want to "unlike" the pages or "unfriend" the individuals, and it is certainly not within my rights to tell them how to conduct themselves.  I just wish they would show a little bit more restraint sometimes.

Bat Guano 10-3-1 High Nitrogen
http://www.biconet.com/soil/batguanoHN.html
No Copyright Infringement Intended

The Differently Disposed

As you know, there have been a number of gun-related tragedies over the course of the last few years alone, not to mention throughout the history of the United States.  I addressed some of these in a post dated December 6, 2012, eight days before the horrific tragedies at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Just as there are websites devoted to Hurricane Katrina being a terrible, swift sword wielded by the almighty hand of God or how God is punishing members of the United States Armed Forces because our nation allows homosexuality, so too are there a shocking (to me) number of individuals who apparently believe that these various shooting events are actually elaborate conspiracies staged by anyone from movie studios to the Department of Homeland Security, and that the individuals who lost their lives were in fact actors who lived - not to tell the tale, but to keep their silence.  If these subjects were not so heart-wrenching, the fabrications might have some value as works of fiction.  Unfortunately, the only dubious purpose that they serve is to throw salt into the wounds of an already beleaguered society.

Our Rights

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
http://musicians4freedom.com/restore-the-republic/....
No Copyright Infringement of This Image Intended

In her biography of Voltaire, the English writer Evelyn Beatrice Hall penned "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."  The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides for, among other things, the freedoms of speech and of the press.

As trying as these conspiracy theorists are, they are given privileges within our great democracy.  As British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (with whom I share a birthday) once said, "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried."

I may not like what some people have to say, but the alternative is something that I shudder to consider.

How do you handle it when someone is using a common resource, or when someone overwhelms you with a great deal of information all at once?  In the case of information with which you disagree, do you give it any attention, or do you disregard it altogether?  Please feel free to share your thoughts below.

Two Not-So-Great Tastes That Taste Great Together

Ingredients for Chili Cookoff
Links to recipes provided in body text below

Well!  It has been a few days since my last entry.  Sorry about that.  One of the diversions into which I threw myself was a chili cookoff at my apartment complex, and all of the preparation that went into that - finding recipes, shopping, cooking, and then the event itself.

As I wrote the other day, the community is going through a bit of a re-building phase, as we have an enthusiastic new property manager after having had one who had lost her zip... but maintained her position for at least another year.  Fearful that there would be a low participation rate, I looked up four recipes -

Super Easy Vegetarian Chili:
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/maindishentreerecipes/r/EasyChili.htm

White Bean Chicken Chili: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-bean-chicken-chili/

5 Alarm Chili:  http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1849,158181-234200,00.html

Award Winning Chili:  http://www.food.com/recipe/award-winning-chili-105865

It was my intent to combine the 5 Alarm and Award Winning recipes all along, and to prepared the Super Easy Vegetarian Chili and the White Bean Chicken Chili recipes separately, thus having three entries; however, as the latter two turned out to be somewhat disappointing (to me), I combined those as well.  More on that in a moment....

Mac and Cheese Costs Too Much!
https://www.coupons.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXDZj3IuPhI
Cropped without Permission

The chili cookoff was also a benefit for the White Bear Lake Food Shelf, so I went to Aldi with the intent to spend ten dollars.  While that certainly doesn't sound extravagant, it far exceeded the one-item expectation.  As I walked through the store with my Mom, trying to find the best use of the allocated funds, she pointed out that boxes of macaroni and cheese were marked at $0.49.  In a nod to a commercial that I absolutely despise, I exclaimed "mac and cheese costs too much!"  If anybody gave me strange looks, my heart weeps for them in light of their judgmental nature.  A link to the marketing nightmare is found under the photo at left.

The final tally was ten boxes of macaroni and cheese and ten cans of tomato soup, for $9.40.  I am happy to report that the food drive was quite successful.

As indicated above, I combined the Super Easy Vegetarian Chili (without the textured vegetable protein) and White Bean Chicken Chili recipes.  To my absolute shock, the combined work, one of six total entries, won second place!  I won a $25 gift card to Target, presented to me by guest judge, White Bear Lake Mayor Jo Emerson, and my photo may be in the White Bear Press.

The other combined recipe was spectacular, in my opinion, but lost out to another entry.  I am very pleased with it though and would definitely make that again.  Please note that I did not use the six tablespoons of ground chili pepper listed in the 5 Alarm Chili recipe.  It was my intent to add that after simmering everything for an hour, but it was already "hot" enough for me.

Have you ever had two things that were weak on their own, but when you combined them, they worked out really well?  Please share your comments below.

January 19th - A Good Time for a Good Cause

Colon Cancer Coalition "Get Your Rear in Gear" Logo
http://www.colonclub.com/resources/
No Copyright Infringement Intended

We have all been touched by cancer in some way - perhaps a friend or a loved one, a co-worker, or at the very least, a favorite performer.  Dallas star Larry Hagman died from complications of acute myeloid leukemia on November 23, 2012 and Jack Klugman of The Odd Couple fame died on December 24 from prostate cancer.  My own father died of stomach cancer on December 18, 2003.

My specific focus today is colon cancer.

The Colon Cancer Coalition is sponsoring an event called the "Get Your Rear in Gear Booty Ball" at 7:30 PM on January 19 at

Chester Bird American Legion

200 North Lilac Drive

Golden Valley, Minnesota 55422-5121

A link to the Facebook event can be found here.

According to sponsorship publications released by Get Your Rear in Gear™,

Get Your Rear in Gear™ races are produced by the Colon Cancer Coalition, a national grassroots organization dedicated to furthering the advancement of colon cancer awareness and screening. Get Your Rear in Gear events are planned and run entirely by volunteers who are passionate about putting an end to this preventable disease by increasing screening rates and encouraging people to take charge of their own health.

Founded in 2005, Get Your Rear in Gear™ began as a tribute to Susie Lindquist Mjelde who passed away in 2002 at the age of 46. Her sister, Kristin Lindquist Tabor, an avid runner, recruited her running club to plan an awareness-building, fundraising race in her memory. That first race attracted over 1,200 people. In 2012, Get Your Rear in Gear events drew over 30,000 runners and walkers nationwide. Since 2005, the organization has distributed over $2.5 million for colon cancer awareness, education and prevention programs. By making the words colon, colorectal and colonoscopy a part of the everyday language, we believe we can overcome the fear and decrease deaths from this largely preventable cancer.

Brat Pack Radio
Image obtained from Facebook
Used with Permission

Tickets to the Get Your Rear in Gear™ Booty Ball are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.  There will be a silent auction and an '80's costume contest.  Brat Pack Radio will be performing their Supershow starting at 8:00 PM.

Will I see YOU there?

Some portions of this entry were copied verbatim and without permission from http://www.getyourrearingear.com/media/docs/gyrig-sponsorship-packet2012-4pagelo-1.pdf.

Do you have a charitable organization that is important to you?  Does it address health?  Animal welfare?  The environment?  Please feel free to share your comments below.

Win a Valentine's Day Dream Date with Matthew!

Kristin Chenoweth
http://www.justjared.com/....
No Copyright Infringement Intended

I consider myself quite charmed (and let's be honest, charming - and modest) on occasion.  Over the course of the past two years, it has been my fortune to win tickets to see productions of Avenue Q and Arms and the Man, concerts by Celtic Woman and Kristin Chenoweth, a preview screening of the movie The Immortals,  and a comedy show put on by the team of Williams and Ree, as well as to win - or otherwise be gifted, because of my devoted following to the distributor, performer, or venue - restaurant gift cards, books, CDs, DVDs, and free or reduced admissions to various events.

There is just one small "problem," if you even want to call it that, which is the fact that I am single.  One becomes accustomed to circumstances, so it usually doesn't bother me in the slightest to go alone to a movie, dinner, stage show, et cetera.  My thinking is "If I don't go alone, then I won't go at all."  Many  times,  I run into people and wind up joining them anyway, but in the event that I don't, that's okay too.  This is my version of "normal"; however, when I have two tickets to an event, that means, for lack of a better phrase, that I need to find a date.

Harvey Johnson, as played by Peter Menefee
Bye Bye Birdie (Columbia Pictures, 1963)
Screenshot from YouTube, cropped without permission
No Copyright Infringement Intended

As I have mentioned in previous entries, this is not exactly my strong suit, but I venture forth and ask people if they would be interested in joining me, with varying degrees of success.  It becomes my own version of "The Telephone Hour" scene from 1963's screen adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie, wherein I play the role of Harvey Johnson.  "Penelope?  About the prom....  Saturday?"  There have been a few occasions where I have gone with someone whom I have known my entire life - my Mom.  She thoroughly enjoyed the Kristin Chenoweth show, so I was glad to take her.

Of course, free shows are not my only source of entertainment.  Many nights throughout the course of any given month will find me watching an 80's band, getting together with friends, or (*gasp*) staying at home.

The Midnight Muse Burlesque Show
Promotional Poster for July 2012 Show
Used with Permission

I also see a number of burlesque shows every month.  These are exclusively in the Twin Cities, with one highly notable exception.  One of my friends uses the stage name "Musette the Mistress of Mischief," and she produces The Midnight Muse show at the Wicked Moose Bar and Grill in Rochester, which is located about ninety miles away from my home in White Bear Lake. I am always impressed by the award-winning talent that she brings in from across the nation for her shows.  Her July 2012 show, for example, featured performers from Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis and New York.  It was absolutely incredible, and each show since has been equally entertaining.  This has motivated me to write reviews for her shows on more than one occasion, such as this one from a few months ago:

With a little bit of brass and a whole lot of sass, the Midnight Muse show at the Wicked Moose promises an evening of entertainment for both men and women. Rochester’s own Musette the Mistress of Mischief uses her clout within the burlesque community to bring in a variety of award-winning acts.  I challenge anyone to find as enjoyable an evening for only $7.00. The audience never quite knows what to expect next – belly dancing, fan dancing, singing, hula hoops, pole fitness, a bed of nails.… I give it all an “A” (with a little bit of “T” thrown in for good measure.)  I am really looking forward to seeing what Musette has in store next!"

To express her appreciation for my most recent recommendation, Musette has generously offered me two complimentary tickets to her next show, which is scheduled for February 14.  This means that I need an out-of-town date for Valentine's Day.  

The first thing that occurred to me was "Win a Dream Date with Ox," the cover story from one of the magazines (specifically, Tiger Beat) featured in the final scene of 1981's Stripes.  So, with that in mind, I offer the following:  Win a Valentine's Day Dream Date with Matthew!

C'est Moi

The details are as follows:

-I would be happy to pick you up at the location of your choosing, and then drive to Rochester and back in the same evening.  

-Tickets for two to an incredible show.  I do not which performers are scheduled to appear that evening, but I can promise that they will be amazing!

-There will also be a dinner served before the show, catered by Tilly's Tavern Original Catering and served buffet-style.  I am not aware of the dinner menu as of this writing, but again, Tilly's does not disappoint.  (Please note that the complimentary tickets do not extend to the dinner portion of the show, but I would be happy to make the necessary arrangements to make that possible.)

-The opportunity to meet the performers after the show, and the *possibility* to be photographed with one or more of them by my friends from Southern Touch Photography.

Would YOU like to join me? (Of course, we already need to be friends.)

Have you ever been in a similar position, where you wanted to go out with someone, and there was already special significance attached to the calendar date or to the occasion?  Perhaps you won tickets to an event on New Year's Eve or Thanksgiving.  Maybe you wanted someone to go with you to a wedding, class reunion, or a work function.  How did you handle it?  Did you ask someone to go as a friend?  Did you just go alone?  Did you  you decide not go at all?  I sure hope that was not the case!

Please share your experiences in the comments below.

Sometimes, "Good" is Just No Longer "Good Enough"

Setai Resort and Residences
101 - 20th Street, Unit Penthouse-A
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
http://www.zilbert.com/....
No Copyright or Individual Privacy Infringement Intended

I live in an apartment, similar in several respects to the one pictured at right, which is to say that I have a floor, ceiling, windows, and furniture.  Other than that, there are a few differences.

Regardless of where one lives, there are relationships within the community that come with two-way expectations, such as those with utilities, neighbors, public works, law enforcement, et cetera.  If everybody behaves within the defined boundaries, the water runs, the neighbors are friendly, the streets are maintained, and everyone is safe.  Life if good.  Sometimes though, life can be much better.

I have lived in Casa de Mateo for over four years now, and for three-and-a-half of those, we had a property manager whom I shall call Angelina (not her real name).  For most of her tenure, we got along really well, I think primarily because of the fact that we would discuss in general terms some of my experiences from the faith-based non-profit housing organization where I worked, and then apply those situations broadly to the apartment community that we both called home.

New York Brownstone
http://www.lincolnapts.com/....
No Copyright Infringement Intended

Every once in a while, I would be in the rental office and be present during discussions with other residents about possible community activities - grilling on the patio, karaoke nights, trips to local attractions, and the like.  We even set up a community council and talked about having one of the resident's son's school choir come in and perform.  Very little of this ever came to fruition.  I would follow up with Angelina, and she would say that the idea was "on her list," but that she was working on something else.  The position of her computer screen betrayed her though, as it was often the case when I went into the rental office that she was looking at coupons or recipes.

Still, I liked her as a person, and we continued to get along reasonably well.

A Typical "Deluxe Apartment in the Sky"
The Jeffersons (CBS, 1975 - 1985)
http://www.suprmchaos.com/....
No Copyright Infringement Intended

At some point though, and I can't even tell you why or when, that changed.  It got to the point where the ideas stopped flowing, because nothing ever took place anyway.  Phone calls and e-mails went unanswered, and I am always extremely specific about wanting a reply - if not details, then at least acknowledgment.  One time, the schedule in the monthly newsletter (which rarely came out before the second week of the month)  indicated that there would be a community council meeting, but when I asked Angelina about it, she admitted to having no intention of holding it, placing it on the schedule only as a ruse to appease her superiors at the corporate office.

In spite of all of this, I never called the corporate offices to complain, because I did not want to take on the behavior of the mentally ill, chemically dependent individuals whom I had served at the non-profit organization.  They would file a grievance with my supervisor at the drop of a hat, so I extended Angelina a tremendous amount of latitude.  If something was really important, I would just ask her about it again.  If it was something I could finally live without, then... I did.

People who are being neither hassled nor hustled
Good Times (CBS, 1974 - 1979)
http://tvone.tv/.....
No Copyright Infringement Intended

A detail of note is that my Mom lives at a property managed by the same corporation, and the contrasts were as night and day.  There are a multitude of  differences between the two locations, of course, but the fact became glaringly apparent that one was a community, while the other was simply a place to live...  but I was not living.  I was avoiding.

Excalibur (1981)
http://popdose.com/....
No Copyright Infringement Intended

I no longer looked at my apartment as a home, but merely as a place to sleep, and I sought out every manner of diversion to take myself off the premises.  It was never my intention to move, but...  it just became somewhat depressing to live here.  As a result, things started to slip.  Maybe making the bed or washing the dishes could wait a day.  One of my light diffuser panels fell out of the ceiling and broke.  Why bother getting another one?  That one would fall down too, right?  It became a scene straight out of 1981's Excalibur, with me as none other than King Arthur himself.  I was in exile, waiting for Sir Perceval to come to me and say "You and the land are one.  Drink from the chalice.  You will be reborn and the land with you."

My life was good, but my living arrangements allowed something to be desired.  Angelina was - and is - a good person, but she stopped being a  community leader.  Instead, she was the nice lady that worked in the office, and while that was good, it was no longer good enough.

It came time for me to renew my lease while Angelina was on a two-week "vacation," so I kept putting that off until such time as she was scheduled to return.  On the way home one day, I received a call from Charlize (not her real name), asking me to come into the office to sign the paperwork.  With no fanfare, Angelina was no longer the property manager.  With even less, Charlize was soon not either, and the gentleman who operates the community where my Mom lives did double-duty for about a month.

Then one day, Marjorie (not her real name) came to work.  My hypothesis was that the company could not afford to have a revolving door of managers, so her selection for the position was a decision that simply must have been made with great care.

Sunbeams
http://www.amilya.com/....
No Copyright Infringement Intended
Not Responsible for Content of Source Material

Things started to change right away.  Marjorie scheduled a meeting with me (stating that it was her intention to do the same with all of the residents, one by one) and asked my opinions about things, and she took notes.  We talked about having events for the community, and how she wanted to be a "concierge manager."  For the first time, at least since I have lived here, we will have a "National Night Out" next summer.  Every Friday morning, including Black Friday, we have had complimentary breakfast in the community clubhouse.  She has hired a masseuse to come in and give head and neck massages in the clubhouse every other Monday evening.  We finally got recycling bins big enough to handle the needs of all of our residents, so now people are not putting their recyclables into the trash or on the ground beside overflowing barrels - that is something that our community council had discussed TWO YEARS AGO!    And... our newsletters come out in the first few days of the month, not in the second week.  Additional events are in discussion....  For example, we are having a chili cook-off this month, and I have encouraged Marjorie to invite the mayor, our city council ward member, firefighters from our local fire department, et cetera.  I am re-invigorated and want to help in any way that I can to put my home back on the map.

Camelot - My Once and Future Home
http://merlin.wikia.com/wiki/Camelot
No Copyright Infringement Intended

For a homeowner, this might all seem like a bunch of nonsense, and if that is how you feel, that's okay.  I know that, if you want to have breakfast on Friday morning, you have to make it yourself.  If you see the mayor at a chili cook-off, chances are that it is not in your clubhouse, because you probably don't have a clubhouse.  That is the life that I had at one point, and it is a life that I want again, but for now, my home is in an apartment community, and both the site and the corporate management are enthusiastic about retaining residents.  If that means throwing a few dollars at pancakes once a week, it's all part of a bigger picture, just as with any customer retention program.

In the final analysis, it is not as though I want to say anything bad about Angelina, because, really... what good would that do?  We got along fine, for the most part, and she kept the place running.  Life was "good." But life can be so much better, and sometimes, we don't even understand that.  With Marjorie, we realize it.

NOT Where I Live
Springfield Retirement Castle, from The Simpsons
http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Springfield_Retirement_Castle
No Copyright Infringement Intended

In closing, there is just one thing that concerns me about the potential for ongoing success.  I recently saw a corporate van, and it advertised "Senior Housing," so I called the number on the side of the van and asked the woman who answered if the management company has any multi-family housing.  The person with whom I spoke mentioned several locations, but not the one where I live, and I am not a senior citizen, thank you very much... not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.  I even specifically mentioned the names of two immediately adjacent cities, hoping that the general geographic area would spur the answer I sought, but it did not.  I did not press the matter further and thanked the individual for her time.  This was not the first time that I have tested that, received the same response, and ended the conversation without further questions.  My concern is that the people at the corporate office can not in one breath insist on 100% occupancy and in another not acknowledge that the location even exists.  If I have occasion to make another such call, however, you can be assured that I will discuss the location that I now call my home.

If you are looking for an apartment in the Twin Cities area, please let me know.  I would like to recommend the company that manages the property where I live.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where things were tolerable, but certainly not fantastic, yet you didn't know how to make positive changes?  Did you ever like someone (professionally, not romantically) so much so as to overlook their shortcomings and accept their flawed performance, knowing that if you said something, things might change, but the person could also get into trouble?  Have you ever thought that things were good, then something changed, and the climate turned out to be better than you could ever have imagined?  Please feel free to share your comments below.