Tony’s Journal

Well, I have put up a sign to address the “stuck in the bathroom” problem that so many of tomorrow’s leaders are having in the bathroom across from my office. We’ll see if it works. I think it might just confuse them.

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There is a men’s bathroom across the hall from my office. This is pretty convenient, even though the lock sticks a little bit. It’s pretty easy to figure it out. And yet, about 20 times a day I am treated to the sounds of some dude panicking and furiously trying to work the lock. Metal on metal scratching, thuds, etc. It’s a source of entertainment and slow, rueful head-shaking.

Given the title of this post, I might as well post a link to one of the classic scenes in American cinema, from that timeless classic Coming to America.

Tags: General Thoughts by Tony
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So, as a general rule, I don’t like spending money on things for myself. Oh, I’ll spend money on gifts for others. If I am cooking for others, such as baking a cheesecake I will go out with all the finest ingredients. (I sound like Smoove B now. ‘I will serve you this cake on Chinet, as it is the most durable and strong of all disposable dishware. This will fill you with a profound yet manageable amount of desire.’) I’ll also spend money on travel, but I will do it cost-effectively.

But when it comes to spending money on goods for myself, ho ho, I do not spend much. I mainly eat turkey sandwiches for dinner. I will buy rice for lunch at the Chinese place, as it costs $1.35. I buy shoes online, which is where the discounts live, and hope they fit (they always do). I will buy nice clothing but only if I can get it at a bargain price at Ross or somesuch store, or an outlet.

Now I went and did something that I normally do not do: I bought an item that I know to be gimmicky. I have that Nike+ thing for my iPod, which allows me to be a huge dork and keep track of my runs, even though I’m not a competitive runner. It motivates me because I know that when I get home, I can look at the internet and go Oh Man The Internet Knows How Fast I Ran Up That Hill.

The system is just a little thing that plugs into the iPod, which receives a signal from a pedometer/sensor that is roughly the size of a Brussels sprout that has been slammed in a book. Nike makes special shoes for this system with a little cut-out hole for the electric sprout. Here is an illustration.

Why should I buy a specialized shoe with a freaking cutout? I have just used some Velcro with a sticky back to affix that to the top of my non-Nike running shoe. It looked a little funny, but who cares. Lately the sticky part has been coming unstuck, and I will be striding along and the sensor detaches and flies across the trail and a dog on a leash inspects it and is told that by its owner that No We Do Not Eat Those.

But my Sauconys are at the end of their useful life, and it is time for a new pair, and I actually went and bought these Nike+ shoes.

This is a bizarre and unusual thing for me. Buying a gimmcky overpriced item that is overpriced solely due to its gimmick? It’s not like I didn’t do my research. I went and tried one on. It felt good. So do a lot of shoes. But this one! It has a Special Hidden Compartment for the sensor!

I bought the shoe online to ensure that I got a good deal on it, but first I felt that it was necessary to try it on. I tried it on at the Athlete’s Foot near the Wal*Mart. It was my plan all along to try the shoe on at a store and then order it online, you know, to save money. I did not feel guilty about this because I knew that the employees at that store are sufficiently disinterested in their customers to prevent me from feeling guilt about my maneuver. Mission accomplished. Then I went home and bought them online.

Buying expensive gimmicky things? That’s not me! But I guess it is now. Now it will be even easier for me to nerd up my fitness.

This concludes a pretty boring blog entry.

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