So continuing on our theme of junk mail. The US Census bureau sent me a letter telling me I am going to get another letter, specifically the census forms. This just seems like a big waste of taxpayer money, especially for a government who is in debt. Thankfully the census is only once ever 10 years.

In the penultimate episode of Dollhouse, we unfortunately do not learn the third color flower in the vase. They do use the green flower again, which seems to have Millie kill whoever is in the room not anyone in particular. Wonder who would win in a fight Millie or River from Firefly?

I got a letter in the mail today from Netflix. It says they missed me, and I should come back and try their service again. It came with a 2 week promo code and everything. The only problem is I am already a member of Netflix, I have been for over a year. Netflix even shipped me a movie today. I just went and double checked online, and yes my Netflix account is still active, and I started an instant stream just to make extra sure, and yes it does work. Netflix stop sending offer letters to existing customers, use the money instead to go buy another movie to put on instant streaming.

I have been using Redbox a lot recently. I went to return a movie yesterday, but it wouldn’t let me. It said that the kiosk was full, and that I should come back later or try another Redbox. There seems to be something wrong with this process, because if I return the movie the next day, I get charged more money, sure it’s only a buck, but I should not get charged if I tried to return the movie and Redbox wouldn’t let me.

I have been playing through New Super Mario Brothers Wii with my boys. This can be both a fun and frustrating experience depending on how you play the game. I will share with you a few tips to make New Super Mario Brothers Wii fun that also apply to life as well.

• Don’t Steal – In Mario share mushrooms, flowers, stars, etc. You might be able to get them all this time, but the next time they appear, you can be sure, no one is gonna share them with you. In life pretty much everyone is guilty of this in one way or another.
• Don’t Kill – In Mario don’t pick your friend up and throw them in a hole, if you do you better believe you will be thrown in a hole soon enough as well. In life this kinda goes without saying, although some people do need to be reminded.
• Work as a Team – In Mario don’t run ahead, trying to blaze through the level as your teammates many times die from this. Many star coins are much easier to acquire if you jump on each others heads. It also helps to attack enemies as a team. Or in a ghost house to have one player face each way so the ghosts don’t come at you, until you need them to move out of the way. In life almost everything we do can be accomplished quicker and with better outcome if you work together with others.
• It’s the Journey not the Destination – In Mario you can use warp tunnels to get to the end, but then you miss all the interesting worlds along the way. In life, death is the destination, that’s no fun life is the journey. Always remember Rule #32: Enjoy the little things. When you are going on a road trip somewhere, don’t forget to make fun stops along the way, this makes the whole experience much more enjoyable for everyone.
• There is More than one Way – In Mario there many levels have more than one exit. In the worlds there are many paths you can choose. In life this is abundantly clear. Think about making something as simple as a hot dog. Easily 4 ways to cook it: microwave, pan fry, boil, grill. And the toppings, there is just a never ending list of what to serve a hot dog with. Someone else might do something differently than you, but that doesn’t mean they are wrong about it.
• Perseverance is Rewarding – In Mario getting all the star coins takes time, but it also opens up a new world to explore. In life many things take time, cooking a nice meal, teaching your son to play catch, learning how to ride a bike, but the payoff is worth it and then some.