Thoughts on a few things...

Hello everyone. It's been a very long time since I've rambled on about topics that strike me as interesting. I took 2014 off, from this blog, but wanted to jump back in for 2015. There is a lot I'd like to cover so I'll do my best to keep this blog updated on a monthly cadence.

Oh, before I continue typing let me remind everyone that if you're a huge fan of proper grammar please do us both a favor and click out of this blog. It's inevitable that you will be disappointed. Admittedly I do find errors and do my best to edit these post when I do find them. Also remember that you chose to click on the link so if you are offended by some of the views I express well, again, you chose to click on the link. You can easily click out.

With that out of the way let's get started. I have to start with Facebook. Yes I do check Facebook regularly. I'd be lying if I said any different. I don't know what its turned into. It seems that Facebook has become a string of memes followed by "true" or "yep" by the poster. Or apparently it seems that I only support our troops if I "like" this post or I only believe in God if "share" that post. Good grief that's annoying. Stop giving me rules Facebook. I'm a grown ass man. And don't get me started on the politics from both sides. A lot of hyperbole, lots of rhetoric, with very little substance, and most importantly, little to no facts to back up an argument.

This let's me segue into the another topic, which is this current Presidential Administration. Before I continue let me say for the record I've voted for Republicans and Democrats. Further my views are both liberal and conservative. I refuse to buy in the social construct of Political Parties and I especially refuse to lock myself in to any specific political ideology. To do so is shortsighted, dangerous, and unproductive. Want and example? Look at the current congress. Okay so back to the President and his administration. What strikes me is the hate and vitriol that this President gets. Am I in lock step with everything this President has done? Absolutely not but my displeasure is 180 degrees different from the reasons of others. To call this man the worst President in the history of the Presidency is just lazy and dumb. So with that let use some facts because, as I have said before, never let facts get in the way of good political rhetoric.


Let me start this next paragraph with this statement. Just because your tired of hearing it it doesn't make it less true. So let me remind everyone of the conditions in 2008. America was a heartbeat away from a great depression. I think that's well documented. Both political parties had a hand in the financial crisis and Bush happened to be in office. We were in two wars and the economy was a catastrophe. I personally lived it. In general, Presidential Candidates like to ask are you better off than you were 4 or eight years ago? In my case absolutely! No question. So here is the administrations report card as of this January. Yes it's a mixed bag both negatives and positives. However in ter ms of the economy here is what strikes me.

• Jobs up
• Unemployment down
• Long Term Unemployed up 
• Corp profits up (record profits)
• Stock Market up (record numbers) 
• Food stamp recipients up 
• Weekly earnings up
• Home ownership down

Worst President in history? Please go out and read a history book. I understand if a lot of folks don't see eye to eye with this President. There are things that make my blood boil but never get talked about because, as I mentioned before, both parties do a fantastic job of keeping non issues as earth shattering issues. Below are few examples of what pisses me off but no one else seems to care under this administration.

• F-35 (next generation fighter aircraft program) by the time the program is complete it will have cost the tax payers over a Trillion Dollars. Yes that's with a T. No one asks why no one cares. Driven by gross negligent over sight where another corporation gets paid or non-performance on the tax payers back.
• The cost of College and the system set up to finance under graduate and post graduate education. Since 2003 the cost of college as risen 73.9%. Books have been in lock step from a percentage stand point. Let that marinate in your head for a moment. For those of you with young children just imagine the cost. I have a senior in HS and a 5th grader. That keeps me up late at night not other trivial issues
• The fact that everyone seems to forget that tax breaks, tax loopholes, and subsidies for corporations are the same as welfare. I guess it's easier to demonize a sample of the population that needs publics assistance rather than corporations that profit on the backs of tax payers. 

Which leads me to this. I have a question for my conservative friends. Corporations are making record profits. The stock market is at record highs, which means higher market capitalization and stock holder wealth, which is all good and have no issues with that. But where is the trickle down effect? Where is the reinvestment in employees? Where's the hiring? 

Okay last topic which is immigration or illegal immigration. They say the truth comes out in a joke so I'm stealing this or giving credit to Carlos Mencia. There are at least two other countries that border Mexico aside from the USA. That's Belize and Guatemala and, here's is the fun fact, they don't seem to have an illegal immigration issue. You want to know why? Because there are no f'ing jobs there. For you hate mongers please do me a favor and refocus your energy and hate on the US companies that solicit, interview, and hire these illegals immigrants. Here's the one thing people either ignore or seem to forget. The illegals that get hired are the most qualified. Again let that marinate in your head for a little bit. Are you telling me that an American can't get that job? Here is the reality. An American will not work for that wage or want that position. Period. If they did they would be hired.

Okay my peeps until next time. This has been very therapeutic for me.

Cheers!

Jerry


http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/10/23/charts-just-how-fast-has-college-tuition-grown

http://www.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/2015/01/ObamasNumbers-2014-Q4-revised.png

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101883138

    So here we are ready to end 2013 and welcome in the new year. The one thing I always loved about New Years Eve is that after the clock hits midnight you get a do over, so to speak. It's a clean slate, clear canvas, and the hope that the new year will bring tremendous opportunities. For that I am hopeful.

     It's no secret that I completed my education with the culmination of my MBA as a much older student. Do I wish that I would have finished school much earlier? Of course! It is what it is. Through the course of my studies I learned a few things about business. However, what I was also able to do is incorporate some of those business fundamentals in my life. There a three in particular that I think maybe helpful to others. Maybe this will help in the New Year.

1. Cost Benefit Analysis
      To be fair the concept is more complicated in terms of its application to business, projects, investments, etc. However the basic idea can be applied in all aspects of life. The idea is that if something costs you more than you benefit you should walk away from whatever that something is. Costs could be money, time, emotion, property, or anything that you value. For example if you want to start a house project a simple cost benefit analysis can be applied to decide, from an objective point of view, if it's worth it. You can also apply this to your relationships. If at the end of the day it costs you more to be in a relationship, than you benefit, why continue to sustain it? Of course this is an oversimplification, but sometimes decisions can be that simple when you look at it through an objective lens. 

2. Law of diminishing returns
     By definition it means: The tendency for a continuing application of effort or skill toward a particular project or goal to decline in effectiveness after a certain level of result has been achieved.

Through this perspective it would not make sense to continue to put effort into something that has stopped giving you or will never give you the return you're looking for. I don't discount human emotion. As a matter a fact it's  the main driver as to why things can't be viewed objectively and decided on objectively. There is always that human subjective lens. But the idea makes sense. If something or someone has reached that point of diminishing returns your resources are better suited for something else. 

3. The common denominator 
     By definition it means: 

1. Mathematics A quantity into which all the denominators of a set of fractions may be divided without a remainder. 2. A commonly shared theme or trait.

Do you know those friends or family that always have drama or chaos in their lives? Year over year they are the same stories, same circumstances, same outcomes? Well here is a piece of advice for those folks. If they are the common denominator in all those situations, they need to stop asking why. They are the issue! Change starts within and then the rest will follow. 

So with that I'm throwing up deuces and I'm out! 

Happy New Years to whoever reads my ramblings. Looking forward to 2014!

Thoughts on the new generation

    Wow it's been a while since I rambled. I put my head down for a little while and next thing I know the school year has started. Just like that summer vacation is over.

    I'm not sure if I can write the next post without sounding old but I'll try. In the recent news cycle a huge deal has been made about the VMA's and Miley Cyrus's performance. In my humble opinion I thought the coverage was overblown. But in today's world of social media the velocity in which news travels, the coverage didn't surprise me. Did I like her performance? No! Do I think it merited the media and social outrage? Not really. What offended me wasn't her and her behavior. What offended me was the basis of her performance. Or more to the point, the lack of basis. She has no talent. Her performance wasn't based on the art or her artistic ability. Everything about her performance was produced or better yet manufactured. Production was the substitute for talent. Her performance was like a genetically modified food. It was enhanced. Give her a mic with no auto-tune, band and lets see what she does? For that matter lets ban auto-tune all together. Image, behavior, looks, style, attitude, has become far more important that talent. Instead of developing artists the industry produces them like a TV shows.

     Next topic. I know I'm speaking to the choir but why does everything have to be amazing, classic, epic, extreme, hot, cool, sick, insane, or the best ever? Why can't one win or have success without having to crush it, kill it, destroy it, own it! You can't just fail anymore unless it's an epic fail. Ugh, I'm tired. Yes I'm as guilty as the next person of using these inane terms. Please help me stop. I really want to.

     Next topic. Does it seem like everything is a highlight? I am a huge fan of ESPN and Sports Center and my generation, in particular, grew up with the highlight reel. But I've noticed that ESPN has a section of videos that show random highlights. One was a dude dressed like Spiderman that seemed like he had great ball handling skills. Great for YouTube but let's ignore the fact that this guy was carrying the ball over which is not allowed in Basketball. Right! That's not important. The important part is that I saw the video. Or this random video of a college kid (wide receiver) doing a backflip and catching a football. Okay, try that in a football game and let me know how that works out. Hey but it got my attention. I feel like an ass for watching that one.

     Next topic. Do we, in general, have that inherent trait that forces us to get distracted by the shiny pretty thing in front of us? I think we do. It's not until later we find that there is no substance underneath the shine. And by then it's too late. Smart people make this mistake all the time and it kills me. I've made that mistake but have learned my lesson.

     Okay I'm done rambling for now. Just had to get all that off my....wait, what's that shiny pretty thing over there? Squirrel! Until next time. Deuces and I'm out :-)

   

Thoughts on the power of choice

     When my dad was visiting over the holidays we got into a conversation about human nature. I started off the conversation by saying "you know dad, in general, people are in their current position and situation in life, good or bad, because they deserve to be there. It's the choices they do or do not make that put them in their current station in life. Of course, as my dad does, he disagreed with me, at first. However over the course of the conversation he saw my point although he didn't completely agree with everything I said.

      The statement I made to my dad was not something I pulled from the air. The idea stemmed from general observation, mixed with school and career experiences, over the past 20 years. I've always been interested in human behavior, especially the difference from one person to another. Aside from genetics and the environment I always thought there were other factors that separated one person from the next. Why is one person miserable and the another happy. Why are some people successful while others are not? Why are some mean while others are kind? Yes genetics and environment play a part as to why a person ends up where they are in life or who they become, however I believe the third factor is choice or the ability to make choices. 

     Somewhere along the way our society has moved from a state of accountability to a state that assigns blame for everything that is wrong with their lives. Society in general needs to get in front of a mirror and take a hard look as to why they are where they are. Yes there are always exigent (always wanted to use that word) circumstance as to why something happens on ones life. However over the course of a lifetime one can find the reasons as to why things are the way they are if there is some self reflection. People, in general need to look in a mirror and ask "what choices am I making?" Blaming others, blaming circumstances, is easy and frankly lazy.

    Personally, looking in the mirror was a hard process. In my late twenties I was no where near where I wanted to be or thought I should be, and frankly I was bitter about it. I convinced myself that if certain things hadn't happened, or if other things would have worked out differently, I'd be in a better position. 

The truth was I was waiting for things to happen. I forgot that I had choices and as a result had no power to makes the changes necessary to get where I wanted to be. Doing the same thing over and over was not working and I knew I was wasn't crazy. So the look in the mirror was harsh, very harsh, but necessary. Since then, I have achieved success that I'm happy with and reached personal goals I thought were out of my reach, and so far things are where I want them to be and where I deserve to be. 

    So far I have made good choice and bad choice and honestly I don't regret any of them. The only thing I regret are the choice I didn't make along the way. What about you?

Fitness update: clothes are fitting looser 

Thoughts on Yoga Pants

     Admittedly I've always been a late bloomer. As a result I've always been one step behind trends, whether they be fashion trends, food trends, and so on. So if this topic seems a little dated...my bad. Current events in the news cycle inspired me to bring this topic up for this latest edition of my blog. So here we go.

    Yoga Pants, let me count the ways

     I had no idea how versatile a pair of yoga pants could be. Who knew that they could be used as pajamas, lounge wear, casual wear, work out gear, and also as actual yoga pants. The multiple uses, intended or unintended are quite remarkable.
     Are they the equivalent of men's sweat pants? I don't know. The thing is that I don't know of any man that has more than two pairs of sweats, and frankly sweats don't have the same panache as "Yoga Pants". How many pair of yoga pants does someone own on average? I thought that's a good question so I decided to interview my wife. The answer? Not enough. So how many pair do you own? And how do you use them? I don't usually solicit comments but I would like to hear from those that actually bother to read my rambling.

   Controversy at Schools 

     Recently there was a controversy at a High School in Lake Minnetonka, MN (yes the same one as in Purple Rain) where the principal wanted to ban yoga pants/leggings for students. The issue was that the young ladies wearing the yoga pants were not covering enough of the actual pants, if you know what I mean. My curiosity was peeked so I went to google images to get photos of some yoga pants. The pictures to the right are the tamest images I was able to pull. Most of the images that popped up were of hard bodied woman showing their backside, in the pants, or of young woman taking "selfies" of their butt in the Yoga pants. I'm never one to stand in the way of the freedom, to do what-cha-like, but maybe in this case HS girls can either cover their assets or just stay in jeans. Just sayin.

Men in Yoga Pants?

Ahhh, NO! The end.

This Generations Spandex/Biker Shorts?

     That's right. You that are my age or close to my age remember what I'm talking about. We were the same generation that clowned those unfortunate folks that practiced the illegal use of spandex. You know what I mean.
     So my question is do the same rules apply? I don't care whether they are Lululemon, Nike, or BCG there is always opportunity to abuse the use of Yoga Pants. Question is are you in violation of the use of yoga pants :-)

With that I'll wrap up this edition of my blog. Hope you all have a great week.

http://www.today.com/moms/leggings-pants-cover-your-butts-one-principal-tells-girls-1C7154422

P.S
Fitness update: feeling real good, still working out at least three times per week.

Thoughts on drama

    I've been meaning to write a new post but frankly I struggled with what topic I'd settle on. For a moment I thought about going heavy by giving my thoughts on immigration, since that issue seems to never go away. But as I thought about it, I felt that I could not separate emotion from the topic. So decided against it. May save that for another day. So I decided to take on a subject that I think anyone can relate to. 

     In my 42 years of life I've met all types of folks. I've met folks that thrive on drama and those that have no use for it. The people that I find uniquely entertaining are those that are not self aware enough to know where they are in the spectrum. 

    I'm not here to pretend that I've never been caught up in drama. Whether it's work related, relationship related, family related, friends related, I have experienced it. The bulk of the drama was in my formative years. As I've matured, and frankly grown older, I have found that I really have no use for any type of drama. It just exhausts me. To me getting involved in any ones drama cost too much. It cost time, it costs energy, and it costs me my good mood. 

     All that said I have implemented a no drama policy. Does that mean that I'll be able to eliminate all drama in my life? Of course not. I'm not that naive, I'm still married, I have kids, and I will still have family, friends, and work, and I'm pretty sure I'll create some drama ;-). 

     So how does this no drama policy work, you may ask? Glad you asked. Here are few things I try to do to limit the drama in my life. 

Drama Mitigation Policy

• Pick and chose your battles. "Yes Dear" has saved me a lot of time, effort, and heartache.
• Stay out of conflicts that do not concern you. I have a, don't take sides and don't get involved where it does not concern me, strategy. You'll have the urge to put in your two cents worth. But don't... put that change back in your pocket.
• If you find yourself spooled up about something and reaching critical mass, get up and walk it out. Go outside, got to a different room, just get away and reset. 
• Do not enable Drama Kings or Queens. Do not give he or she an opportunity to get started. Keep a conversation focused and deal in details and avoid emotion at all cost. If the person starts down the path to Victim Lane, have an escape route. 
• You're the parent not the child. The end.
• Leave work at work. Don't bring that crap home. If you can't, learn how...quickly.

This post has been therapeutic for me. I will go out and continue my campaign against drama. Hope you all have a drama free week. 

Fitness update . I let the flu derail me. I was down for 7 days and got discouraged. Just started working out again today. Back at it though. 

Thoughts on local business

     I'm constantly surprised to what I pay attention to. There is no pattern. At least for me, it's completely random. If something strikes me as interesting I'll make the effort to investigate further. Some topics, however, are more prevalent than others. Recently two topics that constantly grab my attention can be generalized as "American" topics. One, is supporting the troops and the other is the second amendment. In the news, on the net, on Facebook, there are constant reminders that these two subjects are directly tied to Americanism or being American. No opinion just a general observation. 

     So maybe you're wondering, what does this have to do with local business? Well here it is. To me there is nothing more American than starting and owning a business. The process of developing an idea, planning, and then executing a start up business is what America is all about. In short the entrepreneurial spirit can also be characterized as the American spirit. You have to admire the type of person that is willing to take a risk on their dream knowing that there is success for failure. Yet they still make the choice to take that risk.

     I've been in our community for over 12 years and I have seen a lot of local business come and go. However it's not until the last 6 years that my attitude on local business has changed. Now more than ever I find myself  searching out local and independent operators and offer my patronage. In most cases I find the quality of the product or service better than the larger corp owned chains. That's a win for the local community and for the patron.  Yes there have been negative experiences but no more than with the larger corp owned operations.

      Am I saying that I am turning my back on the corp business? No, that would be naive. Time and money dictate that I still need to use these businesses. What I am saying is that I have made the choice to take a stand in a few areas.

Coffee

Going forward I will seek local coffee houses. I will no longer go to Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, etc for my coffee. There is a local spot right down the street so that's where I will take my business. Yeah, you maybe able to package and ship boxes from he same spot but who cares the coffee is awesome.

Food

To the extent possible, we will keep eating out to local spots

Beer

I'll also keep this local to the extent I can. There are various options for local Texas beer. However given the location and offerings, I'll at least keep my beer drinking to craft and artisan beer.

Services 
Whatever the service I'll seek out local independent businesses

That said I encourage all my friends to keep it local and keep it in the community. Have a great weekend.