You Can't Do Anything You Put Your Mind to

There is an expression that I hear tossed around frequently that bothers me. "You can do anything you put your mind to." Really? If I try very hard, I can play defensive tackle for an NFL team? No chance in hell! Most defensive tackles weigh over 300 pounds, not to mention they are immensely athletic. It's pretty obvious that my 6 foot 165 pound frame would have absolutely no chance at making it in the NFL. We need to accept that due to genetics, some things are out of our reach.

So why do we want to believe that we are capable of anything? Everyone has limitations. We all have a unique set of strengths and weaknesses that should be utilized accordingly. It's a simple concept: we should use our strengths to our advantage and minimize the impact of our weaknesses. For example, if you are good at math but are not artistic, become an actuary. Don't try to become an artist. And odds are we will enjoy doing what we are naturally good at because, let’s face it, everyone likes to WIN and everyone likes to be successful. In other words, we will usually gravitate toward what we are good at to begin with.

While I think the notion that we can "Do anything we set our minds to" is a silly one, I also believe it is well intentioned. It's all about working hard and putting your best foot forward. Hard work is important; it will generally pay off. And if the hard work doesn't pay off then it most likely increased your odds of success, which I consider to be a moral victory in and of itself. There are a lot of scenarios in life where there is a winner and loser. It is always worthwhile to work hard and maximize our odds of success, regardless of whether or not our efforts are fruitful.

A New Look at Global Warming

Global warming is one of those divisive topics that gets everyone heated up (pun intended). I find it very interesting how it has become a partisan issue: Democrats tending to buy into it and Republicans tending to denounce it. Personally, I don't believe in the phenomenon, but I'm not here to argue that point. I want to look at global warming in a different light. Support or oppose! Many of you may not know this, but I am Pro Global Warming. It is simply too cold in Massachusetts in the winter. Yes, we'll have to make some sacrifices. Those ski trips to New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont would be a little less exciting, but think of the possible benefits! We could have barbecues and cookouts in February. We could play traditionally "seasonal sports" all year long.

What's that you say? We'd be dooming our children's futures and our children's children's futures? Who said I was planning on having kids?! No kids, no issue! Perhaps you should do the same. And if you do have kids, then that's your problem! You better hop on the "I oppose global warming" bandwagon while there is still room.

For those of you who are with me, please support our cause by polluting whenever possible. This will help us achieve our goal of better Massachusetts winters!

You say "Rotary" I say "Circle of Doom"

Now that I'm 22, I've been driving the roads of Massachusetts for about six years. Luckily, my hometown is fairly small, meaning we don't have much traffic on the roads. However, eastern Massachusetts (as a whole) is a dangerous area to drive around! From poorly constructed roadways to hot-headed drivers, it can be a struggle to do what should be simple: get from point A to point B. One aspect of roadways that has stood out to me as being particularly dangerous is rotaries (aka roundabouts).

Yes, you heard me! You know those circular things on the roadways? (where EVERYONE seems to think that THEY have the right of way) It's ridiculous! Last summer I drove through Norfolk, Massachusetts on a daily basis on the way to work. There is a small rotary in Norfolk, which almost ended my life! The correct way to approach a rotary is to yield or stop before entering the rotary, depending on how the rotary is designed. Those who are already in the rotary own the coveted "right of way". Apparently, one of the following is the case:
1) Many drivers know the rules of the road and disregard them!
2) Many drivers have no bleeping idea how to drive!
3) A combination of 1) and 2)


On a number of occasions I observed Massholes driving directly through the rotary in Norfolk without hesitation! I want to know how these people are still alive. I almost hit one of them, but luckily had the driving awareness necessary to stop short in the middle of the rotary. Since I was already in the rotary I should have had the right of way, but honestly, who cares about those silly things called laws?

To be fair, I have to admit to breaking some driving laws, but I follow the important ones. You know, the ones that could easily mean the difference between life and death!

Not to mention the extremely dangerous, multiple lane rotaries a la Revere and Everett. That last "sentence" was a fragment. The grammar police are on patrol tonight! (I'm sure there are others multiple lane rotaries too; I just haven't seen them yet) I should feel lucky to be alive!

Now I'm trying to figure "Do I have a point?" I think the point is rotaries are dangerous, and you should approach these circles of doom with caution!

The Cost of Fame

Yesterday I was chatting with my friend Devon about Twitter and its use as a tool for celebrity self-promotion. Devon mentioned that she wouldn't want to be famous and that got me thinking. Is being famous worth it? There are some obvious advantages associated with fame/wealth (which generally go hand-in-hand). Financial stability comes to mind. But when you really think about it, there are as many negative aspects to being famous as positive ones. This leads to an obvious question: Do the pros outweigh the cons?

First, we need to define what famous is. There are different "degrees of fame". Some might consider Lou Merloni famous. Others might be wondering, "Who is Lou Merloni?" He's a former Red Sox player who is moderately famous. For sake of argument, I want to define famous as "Albert Pujols Famous." Many non-baseball fans will know who Pujols is. He's famous to the point where he could walk through a city and "get noticed".

Possible benefits of fame:

1) A legacy/being remembered

2) The ability to influence what others think (whether right or wrong!)
3) Financial stability

Possible disadvantages of fame:
1) Being under the public spotlight
2) Determining who your friends are
3) Higher probability of stalkers/assassinations

I’m sure there are other pros and cons of fame, but the items listed above are things which I consider to be most important.

I’ve thought about this for a while, weighing the pros and cons against one another, and I ultimately reasoned that being famous is not worth giving up anonymity.

First I thought about the positives: The aspect of fame which I find most appealing is having a legacy after death. It would be great to be remembered once we are gone! I’d love this: “Ooooh remember Jason Pennini, that crazy bastard!”

If you think about the other benefits of being famous, they are less important. Consider financial stability; it can be achieved without fame, making it inherently less valuable. One might argue that along with fame comes not only financial stability but affluence as well. This is a legitimate point, but if you ask me money only goes so far. I won’t argue that money matters to a point, but if your net worth is $10,000,000, for example, is another $1,000,000 going to significantly improve your standard of living?

Also, I am intrigued that fame (sometimes) enables us to influence one another. Why should we care who a celebrity is voting for in an upcoming election? And more importantly, why should we base our vote on what that celebrity believes?! Oprah’s endorsement of President Obama comes to mind. It is stunning to me that a celebrity can have that degree of influence on public opinion. However, few celebrities have this much “pull”, which is why I am discounting its value to fame.

Then I thought about the negatives: It would be a huge hassle to be in the public spotlight, having paparazzi monitoring your every move and the media criticizing what you say and do. On top of that, fame would hinder our ability to determine who is a real friend and who is befriending us due to our celebrity status. For me this ambiguity would present a huge obstacle in making new friends.

Lastly, being famous would increase our odds of being the target of a stalker/assassin. I don’t see a need to elaborate on this!

All thing being equal, I have no problem with remaining anonymous.

-J Penn