Wow - I'm bushed. I mean physically and mentally tired, and the reason is, I think, that I may be trying to educate myself beyond reasonable limits.
In an effort to "find money" to ward off the IRS who were hounding me for some strong disagreements about positions on taxable income, I decided to go back to school. I know - you are probably a little confused. Really, it is simpler than it sounds.
I sign up for school - in this case an MBA program offered by the main on-line university 'round here. I apply for Student Loans. I get the money up front. Tuition is deferred - I will pay it later. I give the money to the IRS and they are off my back.
Friends - it is this kind of thinking that got me in trouble in the first place. Nothing works like I think it will. The money does not come to me. It stays in a "holding tank" until needed. I borrow from my Mother to pay Uncle Sam, and then I am still enrolled in school. Sheeeeesh.
Well school is tough. It is a lot of work. I am a perfectionist - must get all 'A's. I do. Seems like it will take forever. It doesn't. Exactly 21 months later as advertised, I am walking across the stage at Constitution Hall in Washington DC and collecting my diploma for a Masters in Business Administration. How cool is that?
So cool, that I immediately enroll for a doctorate in organizational management. I have completed 1 of 3 years for this degree, and the really hard work is yet in front of me. I wake up tired. Go through the day tired. Go to bed tired. You see, I manage dynamic family relationships, life activities, a full time job, and a 2.5 hour one-way commute to work each and every day. (That's right - 5 hours commuting every day).
So I have a right to be tired. But one thing I recognize is that the degree will come, and the sense of achievement, and the increased self and marketplace value. I will have accomplished another goal in this journey of life, and will rub my eyes in disbelief that this late-bloomer has been able to do it once again.
I keep saying to anyone that will listen that once done with this I "will never go back to school. Not no how, not no way." But the reality is that as long as I want to learn of something or how to do something, I will continue to seek education. I think that I am simply a perpetual student.
And that's OK. School's cool.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Getting Gas Over Gas
What is this new indigestion? Good LORD, I have never been denied cash on my ATM card before, and yesterday while trying to fill up my gas-hog Dodge Ram pickup, the card "quit" at $75, but I had not yet topped out.
Now, I'll freely admit that driving a 12-mpg vehicle in today's climate is not exactly Harvard-quality thinking, but let's be friends and say that if I have the money and want to spend it that way, then I should not be artificially constrained by the bank!
You know what? I have my ideas about what is causing the high price of gasoline, as you, no doubt have yours. To avoid an argument, I will only stipulate that "It is NOT Bush's fault".
Beyond that, you may conjecture what you wish. Speculation, demand/supply, refining limitations, gas-guzzlers, conspiracy, etc. Maybe they are all true. The end result is painful, nonetheless, and appears to be severely holding back our economic growth.
I have noticed that our area restaurants are sparcely populated, and some have even closed. A very popular pizza parlor near me has been open in my county for over 15 years. Yesterday while I ordered a couple large, delicious, fat-loaded pies (before they are banned) the waitress told me that she didn't think they could survive a year with current business. She said everyone says the same thing: "gas is eating up all the spending money".
I would like to see movement on all fronts to try and reduce the price of gas. I will not be partisan here - this is what I hope for:
1 - open ANWR ASAP
2 - invest in alternative energy R&D ASAP
3 - build 10 new nuclear plants - buy them from France and install them - French technology has surpassed our own, and is well tested - we just need to determine geographic location
4 - build 2 new mega-refineries ASAP
5 - Give the owner of every car that will agree to switch to partial hydrogen conversion or alternative diesel conversion (i.e. restaurant waste oil) $400 immediately - ensure that they DO convert
6 - offer a $1 million prize to the first person that demonstrates total-efficiency fuel-cell technology
7 - open ethenol production to use beets and cane sugar as well as corn - let's help these food prices a little!
8 - Issue a 1-year federal and state moratorium on gas taxes (Hey - this is an immediate reduction of $0.50 to $1 per gallon)
Start all these today. I bet gas would be around $2 per gallon within the year, even though most of these actions would take much longer to generate any concrete results. The idea that we were taking fast and forceful action itself would drive speculation lower, in my opinion.
Instead, if we sit around with our thumbs up our rears and whine and cry, then we deserve what we get - higher prices, and a resulting change in our way of life.
Many people doubless welcome this change, and would be quite happy if we all had to walk, ride bicycles, or use mass transit.
All respect due to each preference, I enjoy an energy-abundant, independent, and mobile way of life. In my mind there is little if any reason to believe that the current astronomical fuel prices are sustainable.
That is, unless we will it so.
Now, I'll freely admit that driving a 12-mpg vehicle in today's climate is not exactly Harvard-quality thinking, but let's be friends and say that if I have the money and want to spend it that way, then I should not be artificially constrained by the bank!
You know what? I have my ideas about what is causing the high price of gasoline, as you, no doubt have yours. To avoid an argument, I will only stipulate that "It is NOT Bush's fault".
Beyond that, you may conjecture what you wish. Speculation, demand/supply, refining limitations, gas-guzzlers, conspiracy, etc. Maybe they are all true. The end result is painful, nonetheless, and appears to be severely holding back our economic growth.
I have noticed that our area restaurants are sparcely populated, and some have even closed. A very popular pizza parlor near me has been open in my county for over 15 years. Yesterday while I ordered a couple large, delicious, fat-loaded pies (before they are banned) the waitress told me that she didn't think they could survive a year with current business. She said everyone says the same thing: "gas is eating up all the spending money".
I would like to see movement on all fronts to try and reduce the price of gas. I will not be partisan here - this is what I hope for:
1 - open ANWR ASAP
2 - invest in alternative energy R&D ASAP
3 - build 10 new nuclear plants - buy them from France and install them - French technology has surpassed our own, and is well tested - we just need to determine geographic location
4 - build 2 new mega-refineries ASAP
5 - Give the owner of every car that will agree to switch to partial hydrogen conversion or alternative diesel conversion (i.e. restaurant waste oil) $400 immediately - ensure that they DO convert
6 - offer a $1 million prize to the first person that demonstrates total-efficiency fuel-cell technology
7 - open ethenol production to use beets and cane sugar as well as corn - let's help these food prices a little!
8 - Issue a 1-year federal and state moratorium on gas taxes (Hey - this is an immediate reduction of $0.50 to $1 per gallon)
Start all these today. I bet gas would be around $2 per gallon within the year, even though most of these actions would take much longer to generate any concrete results. The idea that we were taking fast and forceful action itself would drive speculation lower, in my opinion.
Instead, if we sit around with our thumbs up our rears and whine and cry, then we deserve what we get - higher prices, and a resulting change in our way of life.
Many people doubless welcome this change, and would be quite happy if we all had to walk, ride bicycles, or use mass transit.
All respect due to each preference, I enjoy an energy-abundant, independent, and mobile way of life. In my mind there is little if any reason to believe that the current astronomical fuel prices are sustainable.
That is, unless we will it so.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The old car
Ahhh - I have had a faithful friend in my Honda minivan. It's not considered a "man's" car, the minivan, but it has really been my favorite vehicle of all. Fun to drive, comfortable on long trips, incredibly nimble - more so than any car I've owned, great utility - carries people or belongings in a multitude of configurations, and relatively easy on gas at over 20 mpg. Oh, did I mention reliable? Yes - amazingly reliable. That is, until recently. At 9 years old and with 278,000 miles, that reliability is, I'm afraid, coming to an end.
Things are wearing out, and I am entering the struggle that a lot of us go through. When is "enough enough?"
Dropping $1500 or $2000 a year to keep a car rolling is now forcing me to consider picking up a car payment. Trouble is, I don't want to pick up the $500 or $600 a month a new car will cost. So I look at recent used cars, in the $12-$15000 range.
This is how I picked up the Honda. 3 years old, one owner, available on Ebay, close enough to go look a it and drive it. What a great find. Good enough that I will probably do the same thing and head for Ebay motors. [Disclaimer: I do not work for, or have any vested interest in EBay - it is simply a service that I have used with much success]
Now here's the trouble. The van just sucked out another $1500. Do I replace it now, or try to recoup some of my money by driving it longer. What happens if the motor dies? The transmission falls out? The brakes fail? All of these are real worries, and I must weigh them against picking up another monthly payment of $200-$300 for a late model used vehicle. That is $2400-$3600 per year (without interest) for hopefully trouble-free driving for a few years.
BUT - if I'm willing to spend $2400-$3600 per year, why don't I just keep spending $1500 on the OLD van? I mean I like it! It still looks good, inside and out. It has been my favorite car. And I AM on a pretty tight budget.
Still - the attraction of something new and different...
See?
Something that should be simple, is a dilema after all.
What would you do?
Things are wearing out, and I am entering the struggle that a lot of us go through. When is "enough enough?"
Dropping $1500 or $2000 a year to keep a car rolling is now forcing me to consider picking up a car payment. Trouble is, I don't want to pick up the $500 or $600 a month a new car will cost. So I look at recent used cars, in the $12-$15000 range.
This is how I picked up the Honda. 3 years old, one owner, available on Ebay, close enough to go look a it and drive it. What a great find. Good enough that I will probably do the same thing and head for Ebay motors. [Disclaimer: I do not work for, or have any vested interest in EBay - it is simply a service that I have used with much success]
Now here's the trouble. The van just sucked out another $1500. Do I replace it now, or try to recoup some of my money by driving it longer. What happens if the motor dies? The transmission falls out? The brakes fail? All of these are real worries, and I must weigh them against picking up another monthly payment of $200-$300 for a late model used vehicle. That is $2400-$3600 per year (without interest) for hopefully trouble-free driving for a few years.
BUT - if I'm willing to spend $2400-$3600 per year, why don't I just keep spending $1500 on the OLD van? I mean I like it! It still looks good, inside and out. It has been my favorite car. And I AM on a pretty tight budget.
Still - the attraction of something new and different...
See?
Something that should be simple, is a dilema after all.
What would you do?
Monday, June 9, 2008
Sad day for me as I leave the Republican Party
The time has arrived for me to make this decision.
I lived through 8 years of George Bush trying to make nice with Democrats receiving the shoddiest treatment over and again by those he "befriended" on the liberal side. I took it on the chin along with Bush, hoping that those evil peoples' better nature might take over. No chance - they don't seem to have a better nature.
I put up with RINOs (Republicans in name only) pulling the rug out from under the President's and the Party's feet, time and again, thinking that in the end it would all work out. From the unconstitutional implementation of campaign finance reform, to the horrendous overspending that resulted in huge deficits in spite of the surge in treasury receipts resulting from tax cuts. From the sinking of judicial nominees and diplomatic appointees, to the outrageous criminal pursuits of Tom Delay and Scooter Libby, and the dangerous failure to support America's anti-terrorist fight.
I watched with disbelief as John McCain became the Republican presidential nominee, and finally, I made a tough decision. I would not mark the ballot for McCain. My presidential vote would go blank, but I would vote straight ticket Republican for the representative races, even if I had to hold my nose while doing so.
Then today I watched two Virginia Republicans endorse the Democratic candidate for Senate.
"According to the The Washington Post, Republicans Vince Callahan and John Chichester will officially endorse Democrat Mark Warner for Senate on Monday."
Gentlemen and ladies in the RNC: enough is enough.
If I go on, I will end up cursing you, and I want this to remain a family-oriented blog!
Therefore, I have decided today to bid the GOP a not-so-fond farewell.
I am mad, sad, frustrated, frightened, and depressed that the great launch of conservative ideas launched under Reagan and the 1994 Republican Revolution have come to naught.
Perhaps I can find a political home where these great ideas, coupled with great minds and with great achievers can once again become ascendant.
One thing I am certain of is that the Republican Party is not that place.
I lived through 8 years of George Bush trying to make nice with Democrats receiving the shoddiest treatment over and again by those he "befriended" on the liberal side. I took it on the chin along with Bush, hoping that those evil peoples' better nature might take over. No chance - they don't seem to have a better nature.
I put up with RINOs (Republicans in name only) pulling the rug out from under the President's and the Party's feet, time and again, thinking that in the end it would all work out. From the unconstitutional implementation of campaign finance reform, to the horrendous overspending that resulted in huge deficits in spite of the surge in treasury receipts resulting from tax cuts. From the sinking of judicial nominees and diplomatic appointees, to the outrageous criminal pursuits of Tom Delay and Scooter Libby, and the dangerous failure to support America's anti-terrorist fight.
I watched with disbelief as John McCain became the Republican presidential nominee, and finally, I made a tough decision. I would not mark the ballot for McCain. My presidential vote would go blank, but I would vote straight ticket Republican for the representative races, even if I had to hold my nose while doing so.
Then today I watched two Virginia Republicans endorse the Democratic candidate for Senate.
"According to the The Washington Post, Republicans Vince Callahan and John Chichester will officially endorse Democrat Mark Warner for Senate on Monday."
Gentlemen and ladies in the RNC: enough is enough.
If I go on, I will end up cursing you, and I want this to remain a family-oriented blog!
Therefore, I have decided today to bid the GOP a not-so-fond farewell.
I am mad, sad, frustrated, frightened, and depressed that the great launch of conservative ideas launched under Reagan and the 1994 Republican Revolution have come to naught.
Perhaps I can find a political home where these great ideas, coupled with great minds and with great achievers can once again become ascendant.
One thing I am certain of is that the Republican Party is not that place.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Charleton Heston - 2008 - My Hero
Well, one of my heroes has passed, and as with most icons, the last days have been anticlimactic. Mr. Heston, of course a monumental figure in movies and politics is perhaps better remembered by me as one who held strong beliefs and worked publicly and privately to promote his solid ideals: of liberty, morality, civil rights, and overall equality.
I loved Heston's quip to then Pesident Clinton in 1998: "America doesn't trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don't trust you with our guns." Heston was tireless in his work with the NRA to protect our 2nd-amendment rights, and of course I was heartily satisfied with his political and social conservatism. Heston's daughter shares my wife's name: "Holly Ann", which endears him to me even more.
It makes one proud to see individuals stand up to wrong ideas and actions even at great personal and professional cost. Hollywood became Heston's target, and he scored bullseye after bullseye on radical leftists ensconced at their mecca. Ed Asner certainly took a few well-aimed hits, and in my view never mounted a credible defense, and all of Hollywood's attacks on Heston fall on deaf ears here, as I know that Heston was active in the civil rights movement, working toward fair and equal treatment for everyone in this country. He was regarded as a great family man, and as of his passing leaves his one and only wife of 64 years. 64 years. 64 years. What love. I am inspired.
Good bye for now, Mr. Heston. Thanks for enriching my life, and for living a life that inspires and motivates others in the best way.
I loved Heston's quip to then Pesident Clinton in 1998: "America doesn't trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don't trust you with our guns." Heston was tireless in his work with the NRA to protect our 2nd-amendment rights, and of course I was heartily satisfied with his political and social conservatism. Heston's daughter shares my wife's name: "Holly Ann", which endears him to me even more.
It makes one proud to see individuals stand up to wrong ideas and actions even at great personal and professional cost. Hollywood became Heston's target, and he scored bullseye after bullseye on radical leftists ensconced at their mecca. Ed Asner certainly took a few well-aimed hits, and in my view never mounted a credible defense, and all of Hollywood's attacks on Heston fall on deaf ears here, as I know that Heston was active in the civil rights movement, working toward fair and equal treatment for everyone in this country. He was regarded as a great family man, and as of his passing leaves his one and only wife of 64 years. 64 years. 64 years. What love. I am inspired.
Good bye for now, Mr. Heston. Thanks for enriching my life, and for living a life that inspires and motivates others in the best way.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Wii Wii
Oh what a great blog title, and an exact expression of my sentiments on the topic!
In an earlier blog I presented the difficulty of obtaining the much-desired video game system
Well I landed one. Through the son of my sister who "has connections" in the gaming world. This fine young man got a friend employed at WalMart in another state to grab a box. Then he put me at the top of a list of 6 immediate prospective buyers, and sold me the system at NO MARKUP. (Hey E-bayers - how about doing the Christian thing and selling YOUR extra games at NO MARKUP?????? If you had tickets insted of Wii's, you would be called "scalpers").
Now I am a hero to my 13 year old, and I am happy. To all you unwashed waiting out there to secure your Wii, I cannot resist:
"I got mine!!!"
I hate socialism, and I loathe everything that Karl Marx's thoughts foisted on the world. But if Cuba guaranteed each of its citizens a free Wii I might consider transplanting. In the case of this game, capitalism has failed...
(JK)
In an earlier blog I presented the difficulty of obtaining the much-desired video game system
Well I landed one. Through the son of my sister who "has connections" in the gaming world. This fine young man got a friend employed at WalMart in another state to grab a box. Then he put me at the top of a list of 6 immediate prospective buyers, and sold me the system at NO MARKUP. (Hey E-bayers - how about doing the Christian thing and selling YOUR extra games at NO MARKUP?????? If you had tickets insted of Wii's, you would be called "scalpers").
Now I am a hero to my 13 year old, and I am happy. To all you unwashed waiting out there to secure your Wii, I cannot resist:
"I got mine!!!"
I hate socialism, and I loathe everything that Karl Marx's thoughts foisted on the world. But if Cuba guaranteed each of its citizens a free Wii I might consider transplanting. In the case of this game, capitalism has failed...
(JK)
Monday, March 10, 2008
Oui, Oui, We want Wii
I tried to buy a Wii, evidently still a very difficult proposition even though the game system has been out for over a year. For the grand occasion of my daughter's 13th birthday I made the mistake of picking the Wii off her wish list as the target present. She was thrilled.
We took a night off our regular schedule and trundled to Best Buy. There, in the video game section, were Wii boxes towering high amidst colorful ad posters and stacks of Wii games and peripheral controllers. Ahh, a smiling sales-boy approached. "Can I help you?"
A hundred questions ensued, along with earnest considerations of various games, controllers, and configurations. As time went on we slowly "built" the exact system we wanted, with enough controllers for the family, a satisfying inventory of games, and some extra equipment to make playing and maintenance easier. A half hour had passed. I was happy. My daughter was ecstatic.
"OK, I'll take it!", I beamed.
"Oh, we don't actually have the game sir, nobody does".
Stunned and uncomfirtable silence followed. Weakly I managed to emerge from my daze to murmur: "What? You don't have it?" I vaguely pointed at the stacks of boxes, which I now learned were actually empty displays.
I found out the hard way what everyone else in the world seems to already know: that Nintendo is not producing enough games to meet demand. Each truckload of a precious 10 or 20 games to a store is met by potential customers camping out as we did in the 70's for rock concerts, each hoping to get a precious ticket "allowing" them to take a game (1 per family!) home with them. Hopes for the remaining wishful buyers are gone with the last ticket, until the next truck comes in.
"When will that be?", I ask.
"Oh, we don't know until a day or so before just when the truck will come", is the dismal answer.
Well folks, I am 50. I am a bit jaded, and I don't want to wait outside a store for hours before it opens to get a video game system. They are upgraded and go obsolete as fast as computers. In a few months or so the Wii will begin to lose some of it's luster, I guess. Then I may spring for one. I consoled the daughter with a trip to the clothing stores and emerged several hundred dollars lighter - about the same as I would have spent for the Wii.
Nintendo's loss, I'm afraid.
I find it difficult to comprehend in the days of the global market, flexible manufacturing, advanced technology, and rapid-response, high-performance corporations that Nintendo's situation is anything but a marketing strategy. Kudos and raspberries to them, at the same time.
While the situation may be making Nintendo lots of money and generating lots of interest in the product in the short run, I predict that there will be a groundswell of resentment and ill will over time as more people are disappointed in the same manner as I.
I for one, am eagerly waiting for the next game technology release that garners interest away from Nintendo. It is a sad, sour way to be, but I feel righteous indignation as I take in the massive marketing for this vapor-ware, and then see the games popping up by scalpers on Ebay and other sites at serious premiums. They will not see my money either.
Today I got a flyer in the mail from Best Buy. The front page is nothing but Wii. Huge. Colorful. Promising great family fun and entertainment. The system, the controllers, the games, and the accessories are all there on the page. Prices are highlighted. A new store is open in my area! "Get everyone in on the action!!!! screams the headline. "We'll help you pick the right games and gear for your family!!!"
I open the Best Buy online website and search for "Wii".
Shipping: "Sold Out"
Store pickup: "Not Available"
Our price: "Sold Out Online"
Sigh.
We took a night off our regular schedule and trundled to Best Buy. There, in the video game section, were Wii boxes towering high amidst colorful ad posters and stacks of Wii games and peripheral controllers. Ahh, a smiling sales-boy approached. "Can I help you?"
A hundred questions ensued, along with earnest considerations of various games, controllers, and configurations. As time went on we slowly "built" the exact system we wanted, with enough controllers for the family, a satisfying inventory of games, and some extra equipment to make playing and maintenance easier. A half hour had passed. I was happy. My daughter was ecstatic.
"OK, I'll take it!", I beamed.
"Oh, we don't actually have the game sir, nobody does".
Stunned and uncomfirtable silence followed. Weakly I managed to emerge from my daze to murmur: "What? You don't have it?" I vaguely pointed at the stacks of boxes, which I now learned were actually empty displays.
I found out the hard way what everyone else in the world seems to already know: that Nintendo is not producing enough games to meet demand. Each truckload of a precious 10 or 20 games to a store is met by potential customers camping out as we did in the 70's for rock concerts, each hoping to get a precious ticket "allowing" them to take a game (1 per family!) home with them. Hopes for the remaining wishful buyers are gone with the last ticket, until the next truck comes in.
"When will that be?", I ask.
"Oh, we don't know until a day or so before just when the truck will come", is the dismal answer.
Well folks, I am 50. I am a bit jaded, and I don't want to wait outside a store for hours before it opens to get a video game system. They are upgraded and go obsolete as fast as computers. In a few months or so the Wii will begin to lose some of it's luster, I guess. Then I may spring for one. I consoled the daughter with a trip to the clothing stores and emerged several hundred dollars lighter - about the same as I would have spent for the Wii.
Nintendo's loss, I'm afraid.
I find it difficult to comprehend in the days of the global market, flexible manufacturing, advanced technology, and rapid-response, high-performance corporations that Nintendo's situation is anything but a marketing strategy. Kudos and raspberries to them, at the same time.
While the situation may be making Nintendo lots of money and generating lots of interest in the product in the short run, I predict that there will be a groundswell of resentment and ill will over time as more people are disappointed in the same manner as I.
I for one, am eagerly waiting for the next game technology release that garners interest away from Nintendo. It is a sad, sour way to be, but I feel righteous indignation as I take in the massive marketing for this vapor-ware, and then see the games popping up by scalpers on Ebay and other sites at serious premiums. They will not see my money either.
Today I got a flyer in the mail from Best Buy. The front page is nothing but Wii. Huge. Colorful. Promising great family fun and entertainment. The system, the controllers, the games, and the accessories are all there on the page. Prices are highlighted. A new store is open in my area! "Get everyone in on the action!!!! screams the headline. "We'll help you pick the right games and gear for your family!!!"
I open the Best Buy online website and search for "Wii".
Shipping: "Sold Out"
Store pickup: "Not Available"
Our price: "Sold Out Online"
Sigh.
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