Lemmy

I like movies. To me, a good night can be as simple as seeing a really good movie. I am a huge fan of almost any genre, except one: movies about musicians. I find most movies about musicians (or concerts), to be at best, self-serving praise, or more likely, boring as hell.

That all changed for me this past week. I saw "Lemmy".

"Lemmy" is a biography of Lemmy Kilmister, of Motorhead fame. The tagline for the movie sums it up well, "49% Motherf**ker. 51% son of a bitch." I admit, before seeing the movie, I didn't know much about him, or Motorhead, outside of their song "Ace of Spades". If it wasn't for the folks on 89.3 The Current here in the Twin Cities, I would not have known this movie existed, much less would I have seen it. Of all the movies that came out in 2010, this one could be my favorite.

Lemmy is about as normal as you can get for a rock star. He has no entourage; fans can walk up to him in bars and get their photo taken with him for free. He lives in rent controlled apartment in LA. He has no pretensions about his greatness. When asked if he really thought he would still be playing now that he is in his 60's, he replied, "I'm not qualified to do anything else."

But at the same time, this is a guy who lived his life the way he wanted to, and he didn't care what anyone thinks. If he thinks you are an SOB, he tells you it to your face. Nothing is held back, and no apologies are made. Musicians and fans love him for it. Ozzy, Alice Cooper, David Grohl, along with a cast of others, all praise him as the Godfather of metal, but also because he did it the way he wanted to, and f-off if you don't like it.

I give it a big thumbs up. Jim Bob says check it out.

So what....

Today I am beat up and physically sore.

I have been trying to get into good shape, particularly the cardiovascular, which for me is, well, lacking. About a year and a half ago I changed my workout routine to CrossFit St. Paul, and it has been an improvement. The workouts have been brutal, and I still have a ways to go, but I have been happy with the progress. That was, until Wednesday's workout: the 1/4 mile walking lunges of death workout. It was a good workout, but my legs are shot. To borrow a quote from Lili von Shtupp, "everything below the waist is kaput".

Today as I hobble around, aching every time I sit (or stand, or walk), I had to ask myself, so what if tomorrow really is the rapture?

First off, I don't believe the faithful will leave our world at 6pm Saturday May 21, 2011. But if it does happen, what would I have done differently? Top of my list, I would not have done that d@mn walking lunges workout which has made it difficult to get around. Second, I think I would have stopped working out altogether, and probably ate a lot more junk food (tonight's nights dinner: bacon flavored spray cheese and wine!). That is the beauty of knowing when things will end. It removes a lot of personal responsibility and accountability for your actions. Had I know absolutely and without question that tomorrow would be the day, I would have engaged in a lot more reckless activities. I would have picked up smoking, or hard core drugs. It wouldn't matter - it was all going to end soon. Also, I wouldn't have bothered with saving for retirement or any sort of other financial planning. I would have spent like a drunken sailor.

After that, I am not sure. There are things I would like to change about myself, or that I would have liked to try, too. The good news is there is still time. There is nothing stopping me from making any of these changes, except myself. So while I think the rapture believers are a bit nutty, at least they have provided a good reminder to reevaluate your life, even if it is for the wackiest of reasons. A little introspection is good now and then.

Also, I will be traveling most of next week, so chances I won't see many of you. Do not take this as a sign I have left you behind.

"...must be willing to wear a harness."

A few years back, I was in Las Vegas for fun with a group of friends from Minnesota. It was February, and we had a few hours till our flight, so we were sitting outside, soaking up the 50-degree sun. I started flipping thought the newspaper, and in the want ads, there was a listing for the following job:

"Borg needed: Male, 5' 10" to 6' in height, 160-180 lbs, must be willing to wear a harness"

It was a listing for a Star Trek themed show, or casino (I'm not really sure). They needed some "actors" to play a Borg; based on the description, I fit the bill. The harness might prove to be tricky, depending on how high off the ground I might be (fear of heights), but as for the rest of the requirements, I fit them perfectly. Plus, I'm a bit of a Star Trek geek.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Borg, they first appeared in "Star Trek: the Next Generation". The Borg are humanoid but with cybernetic implants. They are both man and machine. They are all part of a "collective", which shares the experience and knowledge of all members throughout the hive. They are devoid of emotion, and they seek to enslave other races to join the collective ("Resistance is futile"), and some of them apparently wear a harness. So besides fitting the basic physical parameters for membership, this was a philosophy which I think I could really get behind.

So why I am bringing this up?

No reason, really. I just remember this story whenever I think about career decisions I have made, and the other career paths I could have taken. I am not unhappy with the choice I made and I don't want to be an Actor for a career, much less a Borg. But still, it might have been fun to play one for a little while, just for the experience.

It is a shame that most people can not take off from their jobs for say, a six-week sabbatical, to try new, random jobs that strike their fancy. I think it might be a good way to stop folks from daydreaming about what they might have done if they had the chance to try it out some of these other career paths. They could try them out, and if it is not as enjoyable or rewarding as they thought, they could back to their real job without any repercussions, and my guess is with more focus and enjoyment then they had before. I think this is a policy everyone would enjoy. In today's economy and job market, it is unlikely to happen, but maybe, someday, it would be possible.

And yes, if I could take off time to try something new, it would be a monorail conductor.

So Osama bid Laden is dead...so why am I worried?

So the news is being relayed around the world. Apparently Osama bid Laden is dead. So why I am so worried and why do I think this doesn't make one bit of difference?

Yes, he is (was) a horrible person. Yes, he declared war on the US and yes, I am glad he is gone. But so what? He was one man in charge or an organization that was (and still is) hellbent on destroying the USA. Their figurehead leader is gone, but the threat still remains.

Sorry CNN, I do not see what this does to improve USA's "prestige" in the world. It took the USA, the lone superpower (for now) - both economically and militarily - almost a decade to kill one man. How this improves our stature, much less secures the world, I do not know. His control over the al Qaida organization was questionable. Post 9/11, how many terrorist attacks can be attributed to him? Did he personally orchestrate and plan all these attacks, or was he a figurehead, a symbol of anti-Americanism? The USA has in effect martyred this madman. His death will be a recruiting tool to would be terrorist around the world. Al Qaida's war against the USA is not over. It will be fragmented among many potential leaders, many of who we do not know.

Today, I am happy for the families of folks who died on 9/11 (RIP Dan McNeal). I am very proud of the troops who have fought and died overseas for the last 10 years in search of this madman. Yes, the world is a better place that he is no longer here, but now I am worried. We don't know what to expect next.

On Sept 11, 2001, there was the sense of surprise and fear: we were attacked without reason or cause and from an unknown enemy. Today, I fear the same will happen again.