Winter 1, Winter 2

Do you ever notice how winter before New Year's looks different from winter after New Year's? True, the Christmas decorations are taken down sometime in January, but that's not exactly it. I could never really place it until a few days ago, when I saw a man in a stylish coat and scarf.

After the first of the year, we stop giving a shit about how we dress, because it's just too damn cold.

Before the first of the year, people are still excited about wearing their nice pea coat, a stylish scarf, and some sort of jaunty hat. But once January gets at full tilt, and all the way until March, it's like a race to see who can wear the most layers. This results in lumpy, waddling, sad-looking Minnesotans.

I don't think the fact that spring is just out of reach helps things much, either.

Star Tribune: Should Gomez Be Sent to the Minors?

Star Tribune reader Howard asks: Should Carlos Gomez be sent down to the minors for a while? That would give him time to get his head straight, which, according to Howard, is needed:

Gomez has one single in his last 19 at-bats and a .103 batting average. He looks lost and dispirited and there’s no way (other than the “give him time, he’ll snap out of it” speech) that playing Gomez regularly came be justified right now.

You know what? No. Because if we take Gomez off the roster and send him to the minors, what am I going to do with this?

How Should I Spend My Stimulus?

When I filed my taxes (actually, when I had my mom do it, because I'm a child), I discovered (my mother informed me) I am receiving $300 in stimulus money for some reason. I am a patriotic American, so I intend to use this money to its exact purpose: to stimulate the economy. Which means I'm going to buy some stuff.

But I'm no fool. I think before I spend. I present to you three options I am considering for my $300.

The Nerd Collection

Register www.punsultancy.com $10

Fill out my Led Zeppelin collection (all their albums except Houses of the Holy) $75

Battlestar Galactica seasons 1, 2, and 2.5 (I own three and four already, which give it a slightly more nerdy edge) $70 (on Amazon)

LOST seasons two, three, and four $125 (on Amazon)

Dark Knight $20

OR

The Comedy Collection

All My Stuff (George Carlin DVD box set of TV specials) or Seinfeld -- the complete series $180

Let's Get Small and A Wild and Crazy Guy (Steve Martin comedy albums) $15

Venture Brothers Season 3 (but only after March 24) $20

Andy Richter Controls the Universe -- the complete series (but only after March 24) $30

Saturday Night Live season one -- $50

OR

The Responsible Adult Collection

Membership to the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association $195

Microsponsorship of MinnPost $25

New business cards $20

Socks and underwear $40

Backorder www.artallen.com on Godaddy $20

And there you go. $300 smartly spent.


So what do you think? Which would you spend your $300 on?

What I Saw On TV Today

I was watching MSNBC and they were doing a teaser for a story coming after the commercial break, going on and on about the dress Michelle Obama was wearing for the inaugural ball. They were all, "Oh, is she the new fashion leader? Move over Paris and Milan!" For about two whole minutes! They also managed to suggest that the Obama children were also fashion leaders (?). Then, without any segue or other transition, they went to commercial by saying "This is MSNBC, the place for politics."