Colds and the ability to concentrate.

         Ever have one of those days that just jumps up and grabs you by the nose and refuses to let go.  Today is such a day for me.  I have a cold that is killing me right now.  To make it even more interesting, I didn't get my coffee this morning due to my forgetfulness last night (I forgot to set my coffee maker to auto-brew).  In other words, if the rest of today goes like this morning did, it is not going to fun at all.  I also have AWANA tonight.  That should be fun.  A cold with a ton of kids going nuts.  Every Wednesday I get a new respect for teachers and I only run the games. 
       I really am having trouble focusing so I think I will just end this early today.  I apologize for the shortness of it and, hopefully, I will feel better tomorrow.  Have a great day and keep on moving.

Halloween: Scaring Others Hurts.

         So yesterday was Halloween.  Took the boys trick or treating and they had a blast.  My oldest decided that nothing was going to keep him from going to any house and getting what they were giving.  A few of the houses had some scary stuff going on and he went up.  He may have had his head on a swivel, but up he went.  It was our 6 year old that would stare wide eyed at a house and in no uncertain term inform us that he was not going to that house.  Surprisingly, our 3 year old went to a few scary houses as well.  In all, it was a good night.
         I remember as a kid what trick or treating involved.  Usually, it meant going to my Grandma's house and going around her neighborhood.  Mainly because I grew up in the country and didn't have any neighbors close enough.  Our costumes were less elaborate and usually homemade.  The great thing was, what my mom lacked in ability she made up for with creativity.  I remember the year we went as pirates.  Mom took some pieces of cloth we had lying around and sewed a jar lid ring to the side and placed it on our heads as a bandanna.  thus the jar ring acted as an earring and coupled with our winter boots, torn jeans, and some of her old blouses over our regular clothes, we were quite the pirates. 
         After my Mom passed, things got weird.  Our costume were left up to us to design and make.  this meant our costumes became simpler and less inventive.  Mostly because we waited until we got home from school on Halloween to come up with our costumes. 
         Then there were the years I refer to as my hooligan years.  Those were the years that my friends and I became that group that parents warned their kids about.  The ones that scared the kids hoping they would drop their loot and run so we could get the candy.  Most people frowned on teenagers who trick or treated, we just wanted our share.  I really regret those days.  It is one of those things that I am not particularly proud of.  The most ironic part of it all is, not one kid ever dropped their Candy.  They may have let out a satisfying scream and ran in mid air while spinning in a circle (which, by the way, is even funnier than it sounds), but they never once let go of their candy.  That brings up another pointer for those of you who think that this may be fun to do, never scare a kid that is carrying anything that can be used as a weapon.  This includes, plastic swords, baseball bats, wands, brooms, sticks, or anything that can be swung.  Even though they may break when they hit you, it still stings and the smaller it is the nastier the bruise.  The one thing they won't swing is their candy.  Even if it is in one of those solid plastic pumpkins, they won't use it for defense.  Apparently, the mere thought of losing a single piece of candy is more frightening than that apparition that just jumped out in front of them.  They'll break that sword they just got on your shin, but they won't lose a single piece of candy.
         I guess the moral of all this is to just have fun.  If you want to scare kids, be blatant about it.  Make sure the parents are aware it is going on and be prepared to have a ton of bruises the next day.  Kids can be vicious.
       Until next time, have a great day and don't be afraid to be yourself.

A new direction and refocusing.

         I'm back.  Sorry for the lack of posts, last week I was in a transition class that kept me from computers (through sheer lack of time).  It was an awesome class and put out a lot of good information.  Other than that, I have been kept pretty busy. 
         I have done some reflecting and realized that I have been allowing to many distractions to come into my life.  They crept in slowly until, suddenly, the things that I needed to do were on the back burner to things I wanted to do strictly for selfish reasons.  I allowed myself to be distracted by entertainment websites and useless browsing instead of actually putting effort into the things that I needed to get done.  I would justify what I was doing by telling myself that there was no rush until there was.  After last week, I realized that I needed to refocus.  I realized that I needed to prioritize what I was doing and start actually following up with what was happening. 
          The class I was in convinced me that I need to start focusing on what I can do to direct my future and to figure out where I am going.  I allowed myself to be convinced that living in the moment and not worrying about the future was the best way to live.  Why worry when you can enjoy the now?  turns out, if you ride the wave, you eventually crash into the shore.  If you direct yourself just a bit, you can swim out onto the beach instead of the rocks.  I will continue to post daily as it is a way of organizing my thoughts and communicating who I am, but I will be eliminating a few of my regular features to allow me a little more freedom in what I write.  I will continue to have at least one day a week  where I try my hand at humor (I get mixed reviews from my family) to ensure that this doesn't become a blog to cry to, I just won't have it on a regular day.
          I thank you for your support and continued readership.  I will try to make sure I continue to touch on current events and other things that are going on in my life.  Have a great day and keep on trucking.

Read the comments.

        Every morning, I read the news on the Internet.  Some of the stories I read because they are new and interesting.  Some I read because they are continuations of what I have already read.  But no matter which one I read, I always look at the comments.  I probably shouldn't, because it just convinces me that there are a lot of idiots out there.  Some people say things that aren't true to get rises out of people (recognized by the way they repeat whatever comment got the worst rating before theirs or by stating the exact opposite of the most liked comment).  Some comments are actually thought out and coherent.  These are the comments I tend to pay the most attention to as they are the ones that reveal the underlying beliefs of society.  Try it sometime, you may find yourself amazed at just how much our society has declined. 
      Take the recent ruling by a judge here in Washington.  The ruling was that the names of the people who signed the petition to put the issue of gay rights on the ballot should be released to the public.  The arguments for and against were heated.  Those for the release cited that you signed at your own risk and thus had no protection.  That they had the right to avoid doing business with those that signed it.  They also said that this didn't constitute harassment or vengeance as it was just a part of the free market.  Those against the release of names cited the harassment that would result from the release of names.  It amazes me that we can redefine things to meet our narrow views of the world.  Granted, I have done this myself, but I also corrected myself when the truth was pointed out to me.  How can you say that choosing not to do business with someone as a result of a petition they signed is not retaliation for signing the petition, is beyond me.  It is a scare tactic.  If you don't sign on the line for the community watch and agree to pay for it, we will ensure you don't get business.  That is a felony as it is a protection racket.  How is that different from saying that because you signed that petition, I will make sure that no one does business with you?  It isn't and yet it is being touted as just the price of a free market.  Amazing isn't it.
        Looking back at what I wrote, I realized I just gave you a second installment of Manic Monday by accident.  Sorry, But I had to say it.  Have a great day and don't let it get to you.

Manic Monday: Occupy Wall Street: You got the wrong address.

       First off, I would like to apologize for not posting last week.  I was busy and decided to put the blog on the bottom of the list.  After a week off, I feel as though I was missing something so I am back. 
      Today is Monday, which means, Manic Monday!  Today, I think I will tackle this Occupy Wall Street thing.  After reading what it's about and what the protesters are saying, I find myself of two minds.  On the one hand I sort of agree with what they are saying, but on the other, I find it to be overridden by angst against our system.  Allow me to explain.
     The parts I agree with are the some of the base points.  The first being that the majority of Americans have the minority voice in our government.  Our Government tends to listen to the biggest donors (this is done by both Democrats and Republicans), which are not the majority.  How many middle class families can afford $1,500 a plate fundraising dinners?  The Democrats like to point out that the republicans are the most vocal for these businesses, but you have to ask yourself, are the Democrats really against them?  They had 2 years in which to raise taxes on them and they waited for the inevitable swing to blame it on the Republicans.  I agree that we should raise the taxes (or at least remove the deductions they use to not pay taxes) on the rich.
        The second thing I agree with is the underlying message we are feeding our kids these days.  The one that says you have to go to college to get a job.  Years ago, college was what you used to make yourself stand out.  You got your degree in the field you were going to work in and you worked in that field.  You followed it all the way and became as close to an expert in the field you wanted to work in as you could, then you worked in it.  Now, we are told to, "just get a degree."  Really, what in?  It doesn't matter, the employers "just want to see that you are capable of learning."  I looked it up (it was quoted to me so I had to), less than 30% of college grads are working in the field in which they got their degree.  Granted, Lawyers don't necessarily have to have a pre-law degree to go to law school, so they aren't technically working in the field they got their degree in, but it is still a statistic that I find disgusting.  Especially when you add on the fact that the average college grad owes $30,000 in student loans.  Couple that with a tight market and you start your career in debt and behind.  Not a recipe for success.  Let's be realistic, we don't need a degree to be work in a mail room or as a receptionist.  These two positions were the starting points of many a millionaires careers.  The other side of this is that these college grads are led to believe that their degrees rate a higher starting pay.  The sad truth is that this is false.  When you have 20 people vying for the same job, the person who will do it most economically (cheaply and good enough), gets it.  The guy that tells the hirer that he will do it for whatever and has the ability, will get it over the guy with the degree that demands a higher salary.  That's just econ 101. 
            Now for the tough part.  I disagree with the Occupy Wall Street movement on a couple of issues.  The first being the ire directed at inequality in pay.  Yes, there is inequality in pay.  This happens in a society such as we have.  The rich must be taxed.  If you tax their income, they will keep it in the company as much as possible.  If you tax the company profits, the company will put the money into expanding the company and thus create more jobs.  Simple economics.  Yes, this is contrary to what the republicans preach, but it is the truth.  This means the problem isn't with the CEO's or the wealthy, it's with our government.  The Idea that all pay should be equal, or close to it, is a communist ideal.  To protest that corporations should share their wealth, is ludicrous.  You have to reward innovation and business sense.  Failure to do so, will lead to loss of business and thus loss of jobs.  Allow the rich to amass wealth, but at the same time, tax them in such a way as to aid the nation.  The difficult part is finding the balance.  We have to find a balance where we tax the wealthy enough that they find it better to reinvest in society, but not so much that they leave altogether.  The same with businesses. 
            The second thing I disagree with is where it is located.  As you can tell from my comments above, this should be a Occupy Washington movement.  Camp out on the capital's steps, in front of the White House, and at the congressional offices.  The CEO's are laughing at you because you are ineffectual in your actions.  Move to Washington, and they may start quaking in their boots.  Right now, the CEO's are finding your actions laughable because, while you may inconvenience them a little bit, they are still raking in the cash.  While you may draw attention to yourselves, you are not inconveniencing anyone who can be swayed by your stance.  True, the media is following you, but you are railing at the CEO's to change.  True, some elected officials are listening and commenting, but they aren't afraid because you haven't targeted them.  Move you your protest to Washington and start naming who is donating to who.  Start pointing out the money and what needs to be done, not just in Washington, but in their home states.  You can affect the elected officials' jobs with your protest by pointing out how they are stopping the necessary change.  You can't do that by protesting the guys who worked their way up to the top and managed a company that made money.  they just aren't going to listen because you can't affect their pay.
         That's all I have for today.  I know some of what I said is controversial, I just ask that you be respectful in how you respond.  Thank you.

See you Tuesday.

        The wife and I managed to figure out our phone issues.  Come December (the end of our current contract) we are going to shift over to a net 10 phone.  This is due to the fact that we don't use them all that much.  This just makes a bit more sense than a monthly bill and a lengthy contract.  Especially sense we don't know where we will be in a year after I retire.  It just makes sense to have a pay as you go plan that reflects what we use, vice a contract that is more than we need.  The good thing is our number should not change so the only inconvenience will be to us as we have to transfer all of our contacts.  But that is in December and we are still in October. 
       I really don't have a lot to go over right now, so here does nothing.  I am hoping I get off a bit early today as I have been the late guy 2 times a week for the past two weeks.  It doesn't make me any happier that I was here until 1430 last Friday when everyone else left at 1015.  But, then again, it is my job and no one ever said it was fair.  Why have one standard when you can have two.  That's just me complaining though.  It's not like it's a hard job.  Just boring and long.  Makes it all the more annoying when you see others leaving at noon and you are stuck here all day every day, just because you refuse to make up reasons to leave early.  Oh well.  I am sure there is more to it than I realize. 
     I hope to be able to enjoy this weekend.  That may not be possible since they rewrote the overtime schedule.  Turns out this is now my weekend.  If they need military for overtime, I will be one of those they use.  I am currently only scheduled as on call Monday, which usually means I won't have to worry about it.  It isn't official yet though, so I may end up working this weekend.  That sucks a bit because I wanted to take the kids over to Seattle Monday since we just don't have time to do anything as a family with our current schedule.  We'll see how it works though.  I hate disappointing my kids.
     Speaking of the kids, I made chocolate chip cookies yesterday.  Ended up one short of 6 dozen.  If I had been a little neater as I made them, I probably would have had that last cookie.  Oh well, you can't win them all. 
      That's about it for this week.  Just a reminder that, with Columbus day next Monday, there won't be a Manic Monday post (unless I decide to get angry Tuesday).  Have a great weekend and smile at whatever comes to mind.  Enjoy.

Priorities: Find yours.

       Let's start with a notice.  I reread what I wrote yesterday and found quite a few glaring grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors.  I have since corrected these and must apologize to any of you who care about those things.  The rest of you who didn't notice, well, ignore the first three sentences.
       Today I wanted to share with you some things that have been going through my head for a while.  Then I thought about it and realized that may be a little gross, so I decided to give you this instead.  Try and imagine the one thing that would change your life the most.  Think on it.  Don't just grab the easy, more money.  Try and think of something that would make a substantial change.  Something that involves more than paying the bills.  Something that would make a difference in how you thought of yourself and how you acted.  True, vast amounts of money might do that, but would it be a change you would be proud of?
        We have all had the dream of being rich and not having to worry about money.  Turns out, no matter what you do, you will eventually worry about money.  It's just the way we are.  If you don't have it, you worry about not having it and what you need it for.  If have some but not a lot, you worry that what you are doing with it is right.  If you have a lot of it, you worry about other people trying to take it and how you spend it.  True, the worries are different, but then, so are we.
        I like to go through this mental exercise every once in while, just to remind myself that money doesn't end all our problems, it just changes what those problems are.  It becomes more of an attitude adjustment at that point.  Yes, I would love to have a few hundred thousand dollars to get myself out of debt and living comfortably, but how would that change me and would I want that change?  There is always something I can improve on and money is not something that is key to those improvements.  Attitude is.  I find it funny that people think that they would be better people if they just had more money.  Not true.  If you are a jerk (to put it kindly) before you have money, you tend to be a jerk after you get it.  Money is an amplifier.  It usually amplifies the trait you least like about yourself.  The guy who never paid for a date, he spent all his money on cars, houses, and parties.  The guy who was rude to the homeless, he ignores his old friends because they can't afford to hang with him.
        There are exceptions, there always are.  But usually, what you see as exceptions, are just amplifications of the rule.  The couple that won the lotto and founded and ran several charities, they were active volunteers in their community before they won.  The guy who payed off his debts and the debts of his family, he was struggling to get by and paid his debts before he fed himself.  Money amplifies not only our personality, it amplifies our priorities.
        In the bible, it says, "the love of money is the root of all evil."  This has been perverted to "money is the root of evil."  While to a degree this is true, I think it is more accurate to say, "money amplifies evil."  The more money you have, the more obvious your priorities.  Ask yourself what you would do with the money if you won the lottery.  Would you invest it to make more?  Maybe you would pay off all your debt first.  Maybe you would give a bit to charity.  Or would you just spend it on a bunch of toys?  Where you put that money tells a lot about where your priorities are.  What you find important is where you will put your time and energy as well as your money.  By asking yourself these questions and being honest with the answers, you will find what you deem worthy of your time.
      Now for the clincher.  Where is your family on the list?  Is it first?  If not, what are you giving up your family for?  Now is the time to adjust your priorities, not when you win the lottery.  If your priorities are right now, they will be right later.
       In closing, I just want to say that, by investing in things that are worthwhile (I can't think of anything more worthwhile than my God and Family), you can't help but be content.  I am not saying you will be monetarily rich or that it will be easy.  I am saying that even when things are tough, you will be able to find a way to smile.  That investment will give you the strength you need to get through those tough times.  Take a second and discover your priorities.  Better to adjust them now and find contentment, then be miserable when you find your priorities left you alone.