Merland

More hair

So we still aren't sure who Sonja looks more like, Jenn or me... But we both agree that she has my hair style and Jenn's hair color

Not everything in life is easy

Not everything in life is easy. Raising a baby, it turns out, is one of those things. Sonja must have a little runner gene in her because last night she was sleeping in fartlek fashion. That is to say, instead of a nice continuous sleeping pattern we had the more variable variant - 2.5 hours, 1.5 hours, 1 hour, .5 hours... I am certain that this means she is gearing up for some marathon sleeping sessions in the coming months. Training is never easy.

Sonja is actually at the doc's office right making sure everything is okay. We are scheduled to head down to Iowa for a wedding this weekend. Hope that goes okay.

My wife is a saint. She is with Sonja all day long and she is still alive when I come home. I am with Sonja for 5 hours at night and the sheer volume and intensity of our poor daughters crying is enough to bring me to my knees. Everyone one keeps telling us that it gets better. Right now the jury is out on this.

Don't get me wrong. I am head over heels in love with the little peanut. But trying to console an inconsolable child is heartbreaking. It's so hard to know she just ate, has a fresh diaper and yet still seems upset. The whole guess work of communication between parent and baby is not turning out to be my strong suit so far, but according to several resources I will get better at understanding what these wails and shrieks mean as time goes by. I was kind of hoping the wails and shrieks would subside as time went by, but that must just be the Pollyanna in me...

The Everlasting Hug

Sonja gave me a hug for an hour... it was awesome. It makes the hours of crying and screaming seem insignificant. More photos at the kodak site for those who care click here

Sonja

Short video clip of Sonja's first walk whereupon she met (dun dun dun daaa) The BuNnY

Rupophobia (fear of dirt) Haiku

It's said - God made dirt
And dirt doesn't hurt...yeah right!
Rupophobia

King of the Can Opener

All humility aside, I am the king of the can opener. I learned this technique from my dad who's running the camera.

Somniphobia haiku

Somniphobia
Goes with the territory
If you have a child

Daddy does my hair

I had to buy this onesie for Sonja. We really didn't need more outfits but I couldn't resist since she has the sticky uppy hair just like daddy does... hard to tell from the photo but she is also wearing a little barrett that daddy put in for her : )

Non-baby post

Apparently this is all the rage in France... called parkour???

Kind of a long video but it has stuck with me for a few days.

One more before bed

Okay, I was going to just download the images off of the camera and then head to bed but I found this one there and just had to add it... Thanks sweetie for taking the picture!

Asleep in my arms

Sonja fell asleep on my chest this evening... It's the most wonderful feeling in the world. So peaceful, so calm. Of course she awoke screaming in a fit of anger. Seriously, we live close to the airport but the shrill screech that was emminating from Sonja was amazing. The airport actually called us to file a noise complaint...

I love the middle picture here. Jenn and I call it the thinker (or the stinker - depending)

The last picture is Sonja getting her first bottle! Mommy is pumping successfully and I am going to be able to start to help out with something other than diaper duty (tee hee I said doodie)

Okay, it's late and I must sleep while I can.

Two pictures for me to stare at while at work. I have more pictures just click here

My first outfit

Yes, it's pink and a little over the top but mom and dad think it's cute...

Help Put Sonja Through College

Okay, for all 3 of the fans of my blog, you hopefully have noticed the shiny new template that I have enabled. I hope you like it. Feel free to comment if not.

The ads are located at the top of the page and under the link section. Apparently Google will pay me a percentage of their ad revenue for clicks on ads on my page. I tested it out yesterday and it looks like I get about $0.23 per ad click. The great part is that you don't have to buy anything; all you have to do is click on an ad and wham-o - $0.23 towards Sonja's future education. Currently with $0.65 in the bank she will be able to afford a stamp to apply to Arthur Murray's School of Dance, but I have to start somewhere.

I have also put in some links to my friends' blogs on the right hand side as well as a Google search function which can search this blog or perform a standard web search.

Just below the search field is another ad for Google's photo editing software Picasa. I added this small ad link only because I am a Picasa user myself and it is a very, very cool photo handling application - and it's FREE. Can't beat that. So please feel free to give it a try.

All-in-all I hope the ads aren't too distracting and I plan to continue posting video clips as well as haikus and various thoughts on fatherhood and life so please keep on reading (and click on an ad every now and then).

- Humble money grubber Merland

Talking 'Bout My Love

Cry cry baby

Here is Sonja crying... isn't she cute? Okay maybe cute in a silent picture but less cute at 3am and for 30 minutes. On the upside, when she cries like this it makes her all red and it matches her hair very nicely...

Sonja update

Having been somewhat lax on picture updates I feel I owe something to the blog...I hope to have some more video clips up this weekend... as well as some more photos

It is true what everyone says about the sleepless nights. I feel a bit zombiefied but completely in love with our little peanut. She is so wonderful. We have already gone out to two different restaurants with her (Champps and Chipotle) and she was very well behaved. That is to say she didn't cry or poop on any of the servers. Good Girl Sonja.

In other firsts, her belly button fell-off last week and we were able to give her a genuine bath in the tub. She didn't seem to mind the water too much. A little squawking at first but then she seemed to groove on the water.

I am feeling a lit bit isolated from Sonja as I have now returned to work so I miss out on much of her day. Mommy has been very good about filling me in on the details, however, and it doesn't sound like I have missed too much so far. A screaming bout that went on for hours. Several multi-stage diaper changes, and some marathon feeding sessions that are wearing mommy down. This may sound odd, but I wish I could be there for all of it, even the tantrums and the diaper blow-outs. I don't want to miss any of it, but perhaps more importantly I want to be able to give Jenn a break. I think we are going to start pumping some milk soon so the bottle may be in the near future which should allow Daddy to feed Sonja at least once during the night.

Right now, Jenn is my hero.

Haiku for Freud

When I was younger
I formed the words hate and love
In Oedipal clay

More photos than you can shake a stick at

Due to the large request for photos of Sonja I have uploaded all of the photos I currently have to kodak gallery. The photo can be viewed by clicking here and then clicking on the picture. You can order prints if you wish for only fifteen cents per.

Mom and Dad are still hanging in there although the 4 am cryfest is a tough road to hoe. Seeing Sonja's beautiful face makes everything seem worthwhile.

Text is like video, but you sometimes have to scroll

Okay, enough with the video clips already. How about some good ol' fashioned words. I know I have gone on a bit of a tear with the video clips as of late, but it is the easiest way to show off baby.

I don't even know where to begin, the actual day was amazing. I had, at one point, actually thought of writing about how the day of delivery was like a microcosm of what the years ahead will bring. Moments of sheer terror and pain followed by waves of relaxation and pride, but once Sonja arrived none of that seemed apt anymore.

To be honest I have had so little sleep in the past two weeks everything has been a bit of a blur. Sort of odd menagerie of leaky boobs, poopy diapers, incredible screaming, and hour upon hours staring at my daughters face. She is still so young that it's just hard to know what she is thinking. Mostly I find myself staring at her and wondering, "What's going on in there? What will you be like in a few months? Few years? Will we raise you right? Will you be right or left handed? Will you like to shop or read (if your are kid it definitely wont be the shopping). Such a mix of awe and wonder. It really is amazing to stare into her little face and know that she is equal parts mom and dad and that this makes her unique. Really she is the ultimate expression of Jenn and mine's love for one another.

Not sure how I will be able to face next week going back to work with out being able to see her at will.

Sonja video and haiku

You were born June 10th
And every day since then
You've stolen my heart

Video from the big day!

I apologize to you concrete sequentials out there but it takes a while to edit video compared with digital photos. the following video is a compilation of the actual day. Hope you enjoy.

So far being a dad is awesome! Father's day rocked. I find myself everyday walking around with a goofy grin on my face thinking about my daughter. She is a beautiful little peanut. I am smitten.

Isn't she cute!

A few more stills while I wait for google video to approve the video montage I have put together for posting...

Sonja 5 to 7 days old

As promised more photos of baby Sonja. Sorry for the brief pause in postings but we had an unexpected visit to Children's Hospital on Thursday and didn't get home until today. Everything is fine. Sonja just had a little jaundice that needed clearing up so they placed her under the cooker for a couple of days. She was given the okay this morning and Mom, Baby and Dad were all happy to return home!

Let's give a big hand to the Finns

Okay, I promise to put on some new Sonja pictures tonight but until then please enjoy this Finnish music video from the 80's. I have to give a shout out to Rob for digging up this nugget.

More pictures of baby!

As promised here are some more photos. I apologize if you know your pictures was taken and it's not on the site. I took some photos with a film camera and some with the video camera, these are just the ones from the digital for now.

BABY HAS ARRIVED

Name: Sonja
Age: not quite one day
Time of birth: 6:35pm
Weight: 6lbs 15oz
Height: 20 inches

Both mom and baby are doing great! Here are some quick pictures more to follow soon!

Amazing!

Yacht Party

My sister and brother-in-law were kind enough to host a yacht club party this past weekend. Everyone had a blast! Basically, the only requirement was to come dressed up in your best/worst sailing attire. Enjoy the vid.

Just a few days left

I have gone into a bit of a fog. Last weekend was good but crazy. Friday my wife hosted a baby shower for a co-worker, Saturday - my sister and brother-in-law had a Yacht Club Party (video clips to arrive soon) and Sunday I went to a 4-year olds birthday party while Jenn went to a grandma shower hosted by her and her sister.

Needless to say we got nothing done as far as the house goes.

I expect this crazy schedule thing only gets crazier with kids but I just can't think of that right now. For now I am trying to figure out how to lower the temperature in the nursery by about 10 degrees so we don't have a baby sauna. I have purchased a small window unit to back up the central air we already have but not really sure where this is going to be mounted as the window in that room is not the right kind for the AC. Next I will have to find some time to put the final touches on the room small little things like cleaning all of my stuff out of the closets up their to make room for the heaps of baby clothes that will go in there. I am also trying to use an upcoming neighborhood garage sale as motivation for clearing out lots of old items from the house. Just not enough time in the day. If only I could take 3 months off from work...

For now I just have to remained focused and calm. Very nervous making this don't know when baby will come. I think the honest truth is I just don't feel prepared. I've never had a baby, how will I know what to do? When will I learn?

It’s just a matter of time

Any day now Jenn and I will be staring down at a new life, a new little person and that child will be totally dependent on us for many years to come. I can’t wait to meet baby and for baby to meet us, but I am also looking forward to seeing how we do as parents. Thankfully we have wonderful role models in our own parents.

A previous post highlighted some of the traits that I admire in my dad, so now I am going to focus on my mom.

I have been thinking about what I want to write about regarding my mom for several days and I realize that this is no easy task. It’s not that there is nothing to say about my mom, just the opposite is true, there is too much.

My mom is loving, kind, gentle and caring. She is funny, thoughtful, fun, and intelligent. She is everything one could every want in a mom.

I remember being little and being quite the little mommy’s boy as a child. I was the kid who, when confronted by a crowd or strangers, would immediately run over to Mom’s leg and grab hold. Mom has always been a rock in the storm that is sometimes life. Often my boat would stray far from the shores of home but Mom was always there, always waiting for me upon my return.

My mom raised me to see the good in people, to try hard to do the best I can, and to remember to laugh and smile a lot. To this day when I think of my mom I picture her smiling.

I am truly fortunate to have the parents that I do. They helped to make me who I am today and for that I will always be grateful.

And now life has come full circle and my wife and I are about to raise our own child. With my Mom and my Dad as role models for me I know that Sonja is already off to a great start.

Halloween 2002

Just because this rocks and I think I may be developing a youtube problem.

Danger, I now have a camcorder

Yes, it's true. Jenn and I are now proud parents of a camcorder. A Sony DCR DVD-105. It's a low end DVD recording Camcorder but so far I think it's really awesome... I love technology!

This silly little video is just a first attempt to see what the camera and editing software can do.

Enjoy!

My old golf swing

Just testing out some youtube things.

Behold! New Carpet

For those of you who were not familiar with the previous carpet I realize that some of the effect will be lost but too bad!

Apple Store Shenanigans

Will, a friend of mine, works at the Apple Store in Minnesota. This was made by a customer in the store and he left it on one of the Macs. It gets funnier every time you watch it so view it at least twice!

The Desire to Create

I am uncertain if this is an irrational desire or a rational one, but every now and again I get a nagging feeling that I should build something. This feeling somewhere in my gut that I should saw, drill, nail, sand, varnish, create. The problem with this feeling is two-fold: first, the urge is not very specific as to what I should build; second, I have a very limited skill set for actually building anything.

My dad is handy. He has the tools and the means to create. I grew up watching him fix and build things. He built a porch for our house. He finished our basement. He has "helped" me start and finish countless projects around my own house. I always watch what he does, trying hard to learn his secrets. I have picked up just enough to be dangerous. I am notorious for starting a project and then realizing, once I have gotten past the point of no return - punched a hole in the wall, peeled back the carpet, disassembled various electrical or plumbing components - that I don't have the tools or the know-how to finish what I started. So I pick up the phone and call for Dad.

I don't mean to say that my Dad is the world's greatest handyman - more than once I have stopped him before he cuts that last piece of expensive molding too short or he starts to drill holes in the wall all willy-nilly. No, it's not that he's perfect, just fearless. I admire that. I think that my dad and I make a perfect team. I am a good supervisor (a role previously held by my grandfather, late in his life). I know when something makes sense and when it doesn't. My Dad also has this ability to think through problems but we both think just different enough that we often stop one another from making the big mistakes. We compliment each other's thought processes. We talk through our ideas okay; it's often more like a debate than a conversation but we both know how to argue and thankfully we have learned how to listen.

I hope to one day pass along to Sonja the things my dad has taught me.

Be stubborn when you think you're right, but be contrite when you find out you're wrong.

Nyctohylophobia Haiku

A forest at night,
Nyctohylophobia
All fear and no light.

Link to a friends blog

A friend of mine who now is living in Singapore has a blog and man o' man does he have some funny video clips... Enjoy!

www.snowless.com

The Pressure Builds

We live in an older home, built in 1938, and apparently folks back then didn’t see much of a need for a large bathroom. Our main bathroom is tiny, but it has served us well for the year and a half we have lived in the house. There may not be many cabinets or much counter top space… wait, there are no cabinets and no counter tops. Just a modest glass shelf, and a medicine cabinet which doesn’t open up all the way due to a do-it-yourself tile job that prevents the mirror from swinging open fully. The back of the toilet is always crowded with bathroom paraphernalia – combs, brushes, towels… etc. My knees almost touch the side of the tub when I am perched on the throne. The bathroom door, in sympathy with the medicine cabinet, does not fully open if there are towels on the towel rack or anything hanging from the hooks on the back of the door. To top off the whole claustrophobic nightmare, the bottom 2/3 of the bathroom is tiled with Pepto-Bismol pinkish tiles; sadly this color scheme matches the floor tile in there as well.

My relationship with this room has been strictly utilitarian. I try not to spend much time in there as I can get a little claustrophobic from time to time. There is a baby on the way, however, and that baby will need to be cleaned on occasion, and that has put me into sanitize mode.

Sanitize mode is a scary place, especially if one is standing in my shower. Since the tub is older, the enamel has begun to wear away meaning that water doesn’t just slip right down the drain anymore. The drips and drops and moisture like to puddle up and then slowly evaporate. This is fine by me except that it tends to leave behind a nice pinkish mildew (yes, I know it matches the tile but it's really not very sanitary). So, for the health of my pregnant wife and soon to be child I decided I would squash my mild fear of tight spaces and clean the tub.

Now there are a variety of tub and tile cleaners available on the market. Some work better than others. Some foam up, some need to soak and then you scrub, some require plastic gloves and a gas mask. Not wanting to marinate my pregnant wife and unborn child in a toxic stew of corrosive chemicals I was searching for an alternative cleanser. Bon-Ami, basically baking soda, works great but takes time and lots of elbow grease. I needed something fast, effective and environmentally friendly. Then it struck me - the power washer!

My father-in-law loaned us his power washer last summer to enable us to quickly strip the paint off of our back porch (which, by the way, we still haven’t gotten around to doing). I thought to myself, it’s just high-pressure water…what could be more environmentally friendly than water? If it can strip paint away from wood surely blasting mildew from worn tile and enamel would be a snap.

So I hooked the hose up to the outside spigot and dragged it through the kitchen and hallway which lead to the bathroom. I had the power washer sitting in the sink (I thought that it may leak some so it should rest in the sink). For those that have never used a power washer before it’s a great piece of equipment. You plug it into an outlet which drives a motor which builds up air pressure in the tank. A hose is attached to the side of the tank to feed water into this high-pressure environment. Then there is a trigger operated gun/wand, much like you’d find at a coin-operated car wash; this is the business end of the washer.

I hooked up the hose, plugged in the washer and fired it up. The noise level was pretty fantastic. The air pump is loud and the water, as I had predicted, was leaking out at the connection between tank and hose… maybe leaking isn’t quite right, squirting out in a small stream is perhaps a better description, but it was in the sink so no harm no foul. I pulled the shower curtain to the side and boldly told my bathroom mildew to say ‘ello to my little friend (a la Scarface). With a pull on the trigger an ultra-concentrated stream of water shot out of the nozzle. It was working! I could see the mildew disappear right before my eyes. Aim and fire! Voila, a clean tub. I methodically worked my way around the tub and drain, up the tile, around the built-in soap dish. It was a truly fantastic sight.

About midway through the operation, however, I realized there was some blow back - while the water was blasting away the scum, it was also creating quite a bit of mist. This mist was similar to the mist one might find at the base of a large waterfall; the type of mist you can barely feel but within seconds it has coated everything and soaked it through and through. I turned my gaze away from my now sparkling tub to stare at the rest of the bathroom and it was like a Salvador Dali painting. Everything was dripping. The lights, the mirror, the toilet, all were glistening with a fine coating of environmentally friendly water. Not only was there the water but the pressure seemed to blast away some of the caulking around the tub and bit of grout was now missing from between some of the tiles.

I had passed the point-of-no-return, however, and finished the job. I mopped up the floor with several towels. I still have to re-caulk the tub and tiles. In the end, the tub was clean and I was glad that my bathroom was as small as it was because my pond would have been a lake and, instead of clean up with a few towels, I would have needed a sump pump.

I promise only to bathe baby with a soft and supple wash cloth…

Monday, May 15 2006

Jenn and I had another baby class over the weekend. Our first was on the birthing process. The class was 8 hours long and very detailed. This weekends class was called all about baby. Its intent was to give some guidance as to the rearing of a baby after first-time parent head home from the hospital. This class was 4 hours long.

It seems like the lengths of the classes are backwards to me. After all raising a child goes on far longer than birthing one...

The good news is that I now know how to swaddle a baby, wash a baby and change a diaper... well, actually I know how to swaddle a doll, wash a doll and put a diaper on a doll. I am sure the real deal will be very similar.

Where Have I Been?

As the post right below this will attest I have been busy with school for the last few weeks. Had to write a book review on a Econ based book. It's long and likely not all that interesting - but again, I took the time to write it so I may as well post it.

Baby countdown is in full effect. It's getting very close now. Just a few more weeks to go and then Ta Da we will have a baby!

I have So much to do between then and now. At least it's raining out today so I don't need to bother with yard work.

The Wal-Mart Effect Book Review

The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman examines how America’s largest retailer is transforming the way companies conduct business and its overall effect on the American economy. Before beginning this book I have to admit that my attitude towards Wal-Mart was not exactly what one would call friendly. I have not shopped at a Wal-Mart store in over a decade; I tend to believe that they do more harm than good in a number of areas, not the least of which are the environment and the economy. So I began reading Mr. Fishman’s book with some personal baggage. I had gleaned from the dust cover that this book was not a manifesto on the evils of Wal-Mart nor was it a tome singing the praises of Sam Walton. The dust covers states, “Fishman has discovered how Wal-Mart brings prices down so dramatically and what the remarkable payoffs and high costs of those ‘everyday low prices’ really are.”

Indeed, the book opens with a remarkable example of how Wal-Mart’s drive for low prices helps to save millions of trees. Prior to 1990 when you bought deodorant it came packaged in a cardboard box. Wal-Mart, in its quest to keep costs low for their customers, saw the box as an item that was really just waste. It added cost to the product but no value. Generally everything that was printed on the box was also printed on the plastic container of deodorant inside the box. The first thing the customer did when they got the deodorant home was to tear open the package and discard the box. The box added extra weight in shipping the product. The box was waste and it had to go. So, Wal-Mart asked its antiperspirant suppliers to leave out the box. This one seemingly small change saved millions of trees. Perhaps my loathing of Wal-Mart had been misplaced. My curiosity was piqued.

As I worked my way through the book many things jumped out at me – for instance, the size of Wal-Mart. I had always known Wal-Mart was big, but it took some facts and figures to really put it in perspective for me.

There are 3,811 Wal-Mart stores in the United States (p.6)
93% of American households shop at least once a year at a Wal-Mart store (p.6)
Wal-Mart is the world’s largest private employer - 1.6 million employees (p.7)
Half of all Americans live within five miles of a Wal-Mart store (p.5)
In the United States Wal-Mart is the number one seller of:

Pet food and supplies (p.108)
Home furnishings (p. 108)
Routine apparel (p.108)

In the United States Wal-Mart sells:

16% of all groceries (p.4)
21% of all toys (p.108)
23% of all health and beauty products (p.108)
27% of all house wares (p.108)

Wal-Mart’s U.S. sales are equal to $2,060.36 spent per household per year (p.6)

Wal-Mart’s average profit on $2,060.36… $75.00 (p.6)

A typical Wal-Mart checker scans six to eight items per minute (p.13)

According to Fishman this huge scale is what makes “the Wal-Mart effect” so powerful. It’s the huge volume of products sold through Wal-Mart stores that enables them to pressure deodorant suppliers (as well as all their many other suppliers) to change the way they do business.

As I read on I begin to see Wal-Mart in a more neutral light. No longer did they seem to be the evil despots of capitalism, but rather just a very successful business which, unlike many corporations, strives to keep their costs low so they can pass that savings along to their customers. Indeed, I was surprised by the apparent absence of any sort of corporate greed. The book doesn’t talk about lavish birthday parties thrown for executives’ wives on strange exotic islands. In fact, just the opposite comes out in this book. The absolute austerity of the Wal-Mart corporate community took me by surprise.

Fishman writes about corporate offices furnished with lawn chairs likely left behind by some potential supplier to Wal-Mart. He goes on to tell us how many of the executives bring office supplies from home to help keep costs down. I began to feel my anti-Wal-Mart position fade a little bit. I found myself feeling a strange affinity for this mega-retailer. It was refreshing to see a wildly successful company not acting like it. Here is Wal-Mart, the most dominate retailer in the US, and it requires its vendors to supply them with an 800 number to call or be willing to accept collect calls from Wal-Mart.

So what’s the catch? Why have I thought ill of Wal-Mart for so many years? There had to be something I was missing. As I continued to read Fishman pointed it out that there is, indeed, a catch.

“People say Wal-Mart is making $10 billion a year. But that’s not how the people inside the company think of it. If you spent a dollar, the question was, how many dollars of merchandise do you have to sell to make that $1? For us, it was $35.” – Ron Loveless, one of Sam Walton’s early managers (p.23)

Wal-Mart sells its goods at razor thin margins. This is the philosophy which has propelled them to the top. The problem with operating under razor thin margins is that a company is forced to turn a profit by selling large volumes of its goods, which can have unintended consequences.

Fishman provides a good example of some of the problems that low margin/high volume items can present. Wal-Mart sells Atlantic salmon fish fillets for $4.84 per pound. Not too many years back salmon sold for $15 to $20 per pound. What happened to make this fish so affordable? Salmon farming happened. The ability to raise fish within a controlled environment within the ocean enabled fish farms to spring up. These farms allow huge quantities of salmon to be produced. This massive worldwide increase in the supply of salmon has helped to push the cost of salmon down year after year. Still, Wal-Mart sells it for less than the competition.

This dynamic is possible because of the scale that Wal-Mart brings to bear on the marketplace. In fact, salmon farming is the second largest export industry for Chile when just over a decade ago Chile exported exactly zero pounds of salmon. The problem isn’t that Chile is raising fish for consumption by Americans, nor is it that Chile plans to double its output of salmon in the next few years; the problem lies in how Wal-Mart is making its low prices possible.

If Wal-Mart were to purchase the salmon from a U.S. supplier, the supplier would include in the cost of the product to Wal-Mart everything that goes into the production of the salmon filet. This cost would include wages, benefits, environmental safeguards, safety considerations, etc. However, raise the same fish in Chile and not only are wages lower and benefits rare, if existent at all, but also there are no regulations about farming of salmon off the country’s coastline. Perhaps this lack of regulation is due to the relative newness of the industry in the country, or perhaps not, but the point is Chilean salmon farmers are not required to pay the (immediate) cost of killing thousands of acres of seafloor with huge deposits of salmon droppings. The salmon are raised in large netted areas just off shore, and this concentration of fish has a detrimental effect on the ocean floor directly beneath the nets. The cost associated with the destruction of this valuable resource, however, is not included in the cost when Chile sells its salmon to Wal-Mart.

As I continued reading I happened upon another interesting bit of information. Despite Wal-Mart’s dominance across a wide array of consumer goods, the U.S. government does not include any information from Wal-Mart in its Consumer Price Index (CPI) calculations. At first this omission didn’t really mean that much to me, but as I read on I began to realize the implications of not including Wal-Mart in this calculation. By not including Wal-Mart in the CPI we tend to get an inaccurate depiction of what is happening with inflation. The CPI figure assumes that the average American family is spending $100 per month on groceries, but due to the effect of Wal-Mart’s low prices this family is really only spending $85 dollars per month. Now, multiply this $15 difference by 100,000,000 families and then by twelve months and all of a sudden the CPI is off by millions upon millions of dollars. This miscalculation can lead to poor monetary decisions by the Federal Reserve Bank which, in part, bases its decision to raise or lower the prime lending rate on the CPI. The discrepancy can also lead to poor decisions made by politicians regarding public policy.

The book ends with Fishman making a call for more openness and transparency for all corporations, noting that Wal-Mart, as well as most major U.S. companies, keeps much of their financial and business-related information secret. Some of the information being withheld really holds no value to competitors but is crucial for economists and policy makers in order to help better plan and regulate how business grows in the United States.

Although the book does not directly call for the break-up of Wal-Mart under Anti-trust laws, it does reference the break-up of AT&T as means of illustrating the ubiquity of the company. Such marketplace dominance can lead to non-competitive behavior within the marketplace. Wal-Mart appears to exploit its powerful position not to line the company’s pockets with dollars, but rather to put a few extra pennies in the pockets of their customers. Ironically, to save these few extra cents it has become increasingly common for Wal-Mart’s suppliers to look overseas for a cheaper labor supply to help keep cost low to help keep Wal-Mart happy; thereby undermining the purchasing power of the very customers it seeks to serve.

By the end of The Wal-Mart Effect my attitude towards the company has cooled to more of a neutral stance. I no longer view Wal-Mart as a soulless, grasping empire with no regard for the environment or the economy. I still don’t intend to shop there, however, and believe it prudent to carefully factor the Wal-Mart effect in to national economic and public policy, as well as to monitor the company for any non-competitive behavior in the future.

Mayday

The nesting instinct has taken over. Just put on the third coat of paint in the nursery. Getting ready to pull up all of the carpet upstairs so that new carpet can be laid. Then planning on moving the office from the upstairs down into the fourth bedroom. Not sure what will happen with the couch down there. Anyone want one? It has a hide-a-bed.

I have so many things all happening at once right now. Work is busy, life is busy, but things remain good. Sure there are panic points. How are we going to survive for 3 months on 1 income? How are we going to pay for Sonia's college? Day care Day care Day care.... Have to pick a Physician for little baby. How do you change a diaper? Am I going to be a good parent...

Despite my anxiety closet, I feel good today. Life is moving quick but I feel like most of my cylinders are firing.

Twenty, 19, eighteen , 17, 16, fifteen, 14, thirteen, 12, 11, 10, nine, eight, seven, six, 5, four, 3, 2, one zero.

We have lift off. Your life as you know it is about to become a tiny point dangling somewhere in your past. Soon you will be orbiting around your daughter at 1,2000 m.p.h. Your hair will begin to grey and continue to fall out. None of this will matter, however, because the horizon that you are racing towards is not the one you ran at in your youth. This is a new vista, a new life, a shared life... This is a family...

Muffeleta Haiku

I just realized:
Muffeletta's Italian
for "sandwich of bliss"
---------------------------------
This one is from my
Wife. Her haiku ability
Far surpasses mine.

7 things I love about my wife

7. She remembers holding hands crossing the finish line at Grandma's Marathon
6. She is already caring for our child in ways I can never appreciate
5. She is the most considerate person in the world
4. She loves to laugh
3. She smells like chocolate
2. She makes me feel safe and happy
1. She wears pajamas to paint in - buys DQ for me and my mom on the way home - she loves thin mints.

Man am I lucky! Sonia, you are already the luckiest little girl in the world and you don't even know it yet.

Dipsophobia Haiku

No beer, no liquor.
I am a teetotaler.
Dipsophobia.

Top 10 Reasons I Love Golf

10. It’s four hours outside vs. in front of the TV
9. It’s not as easy as it looks
8. It requires mental focus and relaxation at the same time
7. No two shots are alike
6. It’s a chance to talk to friends
5. Being surround by nature (even manicured nature) is invigorating
4. The rules of golf translate well into life lessons
3. You can wear crazy pants and not attract too much attention
2. It’s a game that can be played by all ages
1. Patience is often rewarded

Sunshine hurts my eyes

I remember as a child staring at the sun for at least a good minute. Surprisingly, you can stare at the sun for a long time. I think I was motivated by someone telling me that you shouldn't stare into the sun - "it will hurt your eyes," they would say. I remember how bright it was, how completely white it was, how all encompassing it was. It consumed my vision, the world melted away and all there was was a white hot orb burning its reflection onto the back of my retinas.

I must be naturally paranoid or curious but I thought maybe there was something in the sun that the adults didn't want me to see, so, like a dolt I stared. I think I saw spots for about an hour afterwards. Oddly I didn't suffer any physical damage from the episode, but I do remember it vividly. I wouldn't say the memory haunts me so much as nags me.

Why, despite good and well intentioned advice did I do what I was told I shouldn't? I can only hope that when Sonia decides not to heed good advice it's "You shouldn't eat in the family room." or "Remember to brush your teeth." and not when I tell her "You shouldn't stare into the sun ."

Thursday April 13th

I have had lots happening as of late. Trying very hard to keep my thoughts together. Trying to get the nursery paint selected and the floor selected and baby stuff registered for, day care toured and selected and do my homework and make dinner and clean the house and stay caught up at work and go out with friends and family.... and write the blog.

When did I get so busy? In some respects my life is going to slow down when baby arrives and in others it's going to go faster than I can even imagine. I have a feeling we won't be hauling off all over town every weeknight and weekend, rather people will be stopping by our house more often. But with the total lack of sleep and constant baby attendance things will still seem a blur.

I was driving into work today and there was a story on the radio about geriatric doctors and how he saw his job as trying to help people meet their end of life goals. Being able to die in their own home or being able to be alive for a wedding or the birth of child. Next thing I knew I was crying. Driving and crying - not the best combo - but it was early and the roads were still relatively empty. My grandpa would have loved to meet baby and baby would have loved grandpa. I am quite certain the same is true for my wife's grandma. We miss our grandparents very much.

On the happy side - life is good. Jenn is healthy and feeling good. Just a little over 2 months left now. I predicted that baby would be born on June 30th (the actual due date) but part of me would love to have a daughter on father's day June 18th. All I know is that I am anxious to meet baby and can't wait to say hi little one! I love you! and then tickle her little tiny toes : )

An e-mail from my wife

I have the best wife in the world! She sends me wonderful e-mails like this one (note the haiku):

Hello, love of my life:

Thank you for being my sunshine, my peanut butter, my soul's sweetest music, my raucous belly laugh, and my happiest and most beautiful place.

Little Sonja, the
sweetest daddy waits for you.
You will love him so

all my heart,
tubby me

For my wife

With a heart so large
And that effervescent smile...
Love's my hand in yours.

Zeusophobia haiku

When I was younger

Greek mythology scared me.
Zeusophobia

Happiness is injustice

One thing I am really looking forward to about being a parent is that one day our kid will be in school. Spring will come around and it will be spring break. Our child will be excited and looking forward to a well earned break, time with friends, sleeping in, doing whatever kids do in the future. What brings a smile to my face is that one year, one of her teachers is bound to do the unthinkable - assign homework over spring break - and once that happens I am looking forward to being totally unsympathetic when my daughter is complaining about having to do homework over break.

It may seem odd but it makes me happy. I am not a mean man, nor am I unsympathetic. It really comes down to experiencing something I experienced as a child but being on the other side... I remember the look on my mom's face when I would complain to her about the book reports or math problems some cruel teacher assigned over break. "Mom, can you believe that they assigned homework over break?!" I would pout, "Yes, it's a real shame." my mom would drone without the slightest hint of sincerity... I also secretly thought she was fighting back a smile or holding back a laugh. The injustices of middle-class childhood - there ought to be a support group : )

Life will change

I have had several friends comment to me about the blog that it's great but that I just won't have time for that sort of thing once baby arrives. Perhaps they are right, but I like to think that if you really enjoy doing something you will make time for it. If writing a blog that 4 people read is something I enjoy enough remains to be seen but for now... I write.

I know it is true, because everyone says it, "Your life is never going to be the same" they say... I can not dispute this. In fact it would be folly to do so. My life is about to take a dramatic turn down a road of which I know very little. I have traveled down this road growing up as a child, but soon I will be the one guiding another small footsteps on the winding road of life. It is an overwhelming task when I sit and think on it, but there is one thing I don't want to forget... I want to teach our child to be true to herself. And to do this I think it is imperative that I remain true to myself. True, my golf game may suffer, or my time playing video games may dwindle, but I hope that I am able to hold onto these activities even if just a sliver of them - for both my sanity and for perspective.

I imagine I will go back and read this someday and laugh to my hearts content. Perhaps little Sonja (Sonia) will sit by my side and read it with me and say, "Daddy you don't golf" and I will look into her eyes and strain to remember why I ever golfed in the first placed, but I just don't see it happening.

For Amy

I am
Not afraid to
Try something different
Case in point - writing a cinquain.
Love change!

Monday meanderings

Monday today. Little sun, therefore ergo whatever now to no energy.

Sugar-free popsicle for dessert - is that aftertaste carcinogenic?

Often I wonder what it would be like to just type without really caring what I was talking about and not overly worried about sense or meaning. It actually feels therapeutic. Like the remainders in math... 7 divided 4 by 1 with a remainder of 3.... How non-scientific is that. is that even legit math... it was the math for me... lazy math... wonder what math will be like for baby. will I be able to help her with her homework? for how long?

chewing on the popsicle stick now. gnawed into a flat soggy splinter stick.

lots going on but calm like an eddy in a river. caught outside the stream but only briefly. soon baby, crib, sleeplessness and a family. So exicted to experience it all.

I have big questions... I wonder about life, about where we came from, why we are here, where we are going. Big questions make me feel right sized. Miniscule in a universe of big. But even the big has a limit - what lies there - the edge of things. A land of imagination of things unknown and unknowable.

Apologies for any who read this hoping for a point.

(πr²)(r) - (1/2)[(4/3)(πr³)] = (1/3)πr³

Asymmetriphobia

Unlike a haiku,
Asymmetriphobia.
Tick without a tock

The Diaper Champ

Not in full blown panic mode yet but nearing it. Time is both racing by and at a stand-still. I can't wait to meet little baby, but I am a lifetime away from being ready. So much to do and so little time. Jenn and I spent 4 hours on Saturday registering for baby stuff. Did we get registered for everything? Do we have a list as long as your arm? No. No. No. In point of fact, we spent 4 hours researching a bucket.

A bucket to put poopy diapers in. Okay a fancy bucket, but still a bucket. You wouldn't believe the options out there. ranging from $10 bucket with a deoderizer under the lid to the $40 suck away the besmirched bundle of goodness and wrap it up tightly, hermetically sealed away in the bowels of the diaper champ.
After about 1 hour of registering at target.com we found what we were looking for. The diaper bucket. 4 diaper buckets to be exact. Under each diaper bucket a handy link to reviews written by honest to god consumers who used the products themselves - although there were a fair number of effusive reviews written by expetant mothers (I don't really want to know if they have tested the bucket themselves...) So 4 buckets, 25 reviews apiece. 2 hours later and copious note taking we have it narrowed down to 3.

Next, onto the manufacturers' websites to download .pdf documentation and engineering specifications showing how great each bucket is. Look, one has a piston! Is that a good or a bad thing? Is our baby going to be filling up those pampers so full that it requires a piston to ram it down the bucket hole?!? Step away from the computer... 1 hour later and we have decided. The diaper champ is king. Personally, I think it looks like a little person which is strange because of where you would be putting the diaper.

I think our new strategy will be to actually go to the store next time. Be given a scanner, walk over to the shelves and say ohhh that looks cute and zap, the magic red laser beam instantly records our split-second impulse. No reviews, no limitless amounts of information, just a pull of the trigger, and beep and done. Knowledge is power, but impulse is king.

Econ take home exam question #2

Are sweatshop workers exploited or are they rational maximizers?

Yes, sweatshop workers are exploited and, yes, they are rational maximizers. Unfortunately, exploitation and rational maximization are not mutually exclusive states. The deplorable working conditions in China as described by Jasper Becker’s article Sweatshop Hell for China’s Toy Maker’s Worse Than Ever (The Independent, Dec 2002), are possible, at least in part, because there is a ready and willing supply of labor and a large demand for that labor.

Pressures to keep production costs as low as possible are being applied not just by the corporations that are setting up shop in these areas, but also by the consumers that buy their goods. A competitive marketplace in a global economy can be a double-edged sword. Our desire for low cost goods and the necessity for corporations to remain profitable and competitive create a system which feeds upon itself.

We desire cheaper goods. Companies need to make a profit in order to stay in business. In order for companies to meet the marketplace demand for lower cost goods and at the same time remain competitive and viable, it may become necessary to produce goods overseas, where labor costs are cheaper. This shift of manufacturing abroad translates into a loss of manufacturing jobs in America. The newly unemployed workforce is often forced to take significantly lower paying jobs in the service industry. This reduction in income increases the desire (and sometimes necessity) for lower cost goods.

However, these newly created jobs in China have a positive impact on that country’s population as a whole. Yes, the wages may be low compared to what the identical job pays in America, but often sixty cents a day represents a siginificant improvement in wages prior to foreign companies moving in. There are cases of abuse. Sub-contractors who supply parts and materials to these companies may not pay a decent wage (in some cases they may pay nothing at all), however, history has shown that these abuses, while abhorrent, tend to extinguish themselves in time. If an employer will not pay acceptable (or any) wages, eventually the workforce will no longer work for that company.

Change is painful, and not always pretty. Capitalism and a free market economy, in my view, tend to make living conditions better overall for most people. However, as one group benefits from the relocation of jobs and factories, another group suffers. Ultimately, a free and open market levels the playing field - increasing the welfare of some of those who are poorest and, at the same time, decreasing that of some of those who were well off in the previous system.

Econ take home exam question #1

Are the people of Jamaica better off through free trade? Why or why not?

It is difficult to say whether or not Jamaica is better off under free trade. Certainly, some economic indicators are positive, “The annual inflation rate has decreased from a high of 80.2% in 1991 to 7.9% in 1998.”[1] Other indicators, however, are not as positive. “The Jamaican dollar has been slipping, despite intervention, resulting in an average exchange rate of J$43.5 to the US$1.00 (2000).”[2]

So what do these indicators mean in real terms for the people of Jamaica? According to the video we watched in class, it would seem that the people of Jamaica are much worse off under free trade. The island has been flooded with cheaper international goods, which has all but wiped out domestic production and consumption of these same goods. Unfortunately, this huge influx of cheap international goods has not been balanced out by a large demand for many of Jamaica’s exports.

In the video it was clear that dairy production was decimated by the importation of dry milk. Likewise, many of the agricultural products (carrots, cabbage, and onions) which can be grown in Jamaica are not able to compete on a global scale with vegetables from Europe and America. These importing countries’ agricultural technology is generally far more advanced than the Jamaican technology. Also, some of the importing countries prop up their farmers with subsidies, making it cheaper for them to produce their goods, while Jamaica is unable to offer the same subsidies under terms imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Exacerbating the country’s dire economic situation a severe island-wide drought (the worst in 70 years) struck in 1997 drastically reducing agricultural production.[3] Jamaica’s strongest industries have been traditionally mining (bauxite and alumina) and tourism. [4] Although both tourism and mining are profitable these industries are not large enough to employ the entire population. Accordingly, Jamaica is left with the majority of its domestic production losing out to lower cost imports, while its exportable industry is too small to support the entire population.
Making matters worse, at least in the short term, a division of the IMF has imposed stringent monetary and economic policies upon the government as preconditions for receiving loans. The IMF’s stated long term goal is to assist “member countries in implementing economic and financial policies that promote stability, reduce vulnerability to crisis, and encourage sustained growth and high living standards”.[5] According to the video, however, the IMF’s terms have caused massive hardships to date for many Jamaicans.

Michael Manley asserts in the video that it is important to consider who founded the IMF and whose interests and stability they are ultimately looking after. By opening up an economy to free trade the IMF aims to benefit its 184 member countries. Some of its member countries benefit more than others, however, and the voting within the organization is heavily skewed towards the more well-to-do member nations.[6]

It remains to be seen if free trade will make the people of Jamaica better off or not in the long-run. Change and stabilization of an economy is never smooth. While the IMF may offer loans and policy advice that is purportedly designed to help Jamaica’s economy by bringing the nation into the global free market, it is important to consider the repercussions resulting from the particular terms and conditions of entering into that agreement. Free trade has, in my opinion, in the short-term been an overall detriment to the people of Jamaica. Although parts of the economy have improved, it seems that a larger portion has been damaged by an influx of cheap goods into a market that was not yet ready or able to compete in the global marketplace.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica#Economy

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Jamaica

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica#Economy

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica#Economy

[5] http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/globstab.htm

[6] http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/memdir/members.htm

For SJ

Please write something else
Why the phobia haikus?
Phobophobia

Graphophobia haiku

Graphophobia
I have a paper to write
Shudder at the thought

Stress

Too much stuff to do
Homework, Family and Friends
Where do I fit in?

Econ Homework part deux - Mao

If I were Mao Tse-Tung what would have been the first three things I would have done to support Communism?

The first of the three things I would have done to support the successful growth of Communism would be to start the transition slowly. To change from one system of government to another is a huge task that requires at least a somewhat measured, and well thought-out, progression. While the revolution may happen in a relatively short amount of time, I would try to take a step back once in power to let things settle down. Changes made in rash and hectic conditions, though perhaps undertaken with great fervor, are often only half thought out, giving them lower odds of success.

Next I would try to minimize the anger towards landowners in the rural communities. Specifically, I would ask the "hated" landowners to hand over their land peacefully and explain why it was in their best interest to do so. It seems that Mao found modest success with such a transition policy in the city, by explaining to factory owners that the only option for remaining with the company was to sign over the deed. When Mao had the peasants berate their former overseers and landowners, it encouraged a general animosity towards authority. To rule effectively one must try to bring all people together towards a common goal. When that goal is the destruction of a certain class of people you create a self-devouring form of government: the oppressed become the oppressors…overthrow... repeat. This strategy is a poor one for placing your own system of government into a lasting authoritative role.

Finally, Mao's attempt at controlling the marketplace was flawed. If I were in power and realized that China needed to double its production of steel, I would not address the problem by asking farmers, doctors and their wives and children to make steel in their spare-time. Rather, I would increase the output of existing factories to their maximum, and have a portion of the population involved in the building of newer steel factories. I would then invest in the education of the public with a heavy emphasis placed on math, science and technology, in an effort to create a population that would, eventually, allow China to leap past other nations through superior intellect and innovation.

Oh it takes so long

Just waiting for my wife to get ready before we head out for the evening. I have learned that when she says that she is just going to 'quick' throw on some make-up it really means -Sweetie, I am going to try on every piece of clothing I own. Throw them all on the floor in a large pile. Swear about how I don't own the right style of clothing and then end up putting on the same outfit I had on to start with... all the while forgetting to put on the make-up I discussed earlier.

As the minutes tick by we become later and later and instead of looking relaxed and restful we both end up looking like we are flying via small tornado from one social function to the next. Never fully at the place we are because we are getting ready for the next place we have to be.

People say that once we have a kid we won't go out anymore... I yearn for the day. No offense to any of my friends or family.