Proverbs 3:3-4
3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;bind them around your neck;write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good successin the sight of God and man.
April 25, 2012
February 14, 2012
life has been busy
I'll be back here in a bit. Life has taken over, haven't had much time to compose my thoughts. Cheers everyone
February 1, 2012
working thoughts
I keep sitting down to write a post, but nothing comes to mind. I've been having severe writer's block lately. Oddly, it's not for a lack of material. Work has been entertaining lately, in particular, the attitude of those who think they are in control. I find it funny the different approaches people take to motivate people. Some use heavy sarcasm, others are very direct, almost intimidating, but almost none are down to earth people. There always seem to have some sort of social angle they are up to. Which, of course, causes me to reflect on myself and how I would stack up.
I don't have the social qualities these people have. I'm generally pretty straight forward about my feelings, and don't deal well with people who slack at work. I'm not a go getter all the time, I love to take some time to just waltz around from time to time. Those people that are taking naps at their desk, or who milk a task just to avoid more work... yeah those are the jabronies I'm talking about. Anyway, but my social qualities. Clearly, I have an issue with speaking my mind. I've had it since the day I was born. I will tell you how I feel, whether that's a good thing or bad. It got my chastised quite a bit through school -- teachers don't much like sarcastic quips about their shitty classes (see my religion teacher Deacon Schwartz and his useless religion class). Do I hold grudges regarding past Detentions. Clearly. Regardless, not much has changed at work, though I guess I'm a bit more cautious before firing off. It really depends on the crew in the room and who may get offended. The other rule that I learn to deal with every day is speaking about things you aren't too sure about. Oddly, as you hear these higher level discussions, things actually get more complicated, and people are always looking for answers. The funny thing is, in my position, I hear a lot of things. So I really have to be choosy when speaking up, because that will directly beam the spotlight on me. I'm clearly finding out that disclosing only the pertinent info is generally the way to go.
That is until you get into smaller groups. Then I open up a bit, and definitely feel more in my element. In those smaller groups you can get more accomplished, and make sure messages are conveyed correctly. And generally you can solve problems in a quicker manner. Back to the large groups real quick. Lately, my biggest fear is opening a can of worms that I can't finish. As I said before, opening your mouth quickly spotlights you as a person who knows what's going on. Consequently, that means these guys asking technical questions at me that are not even in my remote wheelhouse, I just happened to know what was going on. But here's the rub. You walk a fine line when heavy hitting questions are fired. You don't want to look like a complete idiot, but you also have to be careful to side step the convo from going real in depth. I feel like I am getting better at that one. Just don't get cornered one on one, and you can generally find your way out of those scenarios, while preserving your intellectual integrity.
The reality is with all of this, I find my job somewhat humorous. We plan and budget and schedule, identifying all those RISKS. Then I just watch as the whole things changes -- daily. And how all that upfront planning blows up in your face. Ha, and those guys planning for years down the road?? Even better. We have a hard time calling the shots on what will happen this month, let's project out 3 years. Clearly, this isn't just an issue at my company, it happens everywhere. What can you do. In my case, I keep my head down, speak when I need to, and observe these guys as they get their rocks off. It really is an entertaining ride when I really think about it.
I don't have the social qualities these people have. I'm generally pretty straight forward about my feelings, and don't deal well with people who slack at work. I'm not a go getter all the time, I love to take some time to just waltz around from time to time. Those people that are taking naps at their desk, or who milk a task just to avoid more work... yeah those are the jabronies I'm talking about. Anyway, but my social qualities. Clearly, I have an issue with speaking my mind. I've had it since the day I was born. I will tell you how I feel, whether that's a good thing or bad. It got my chastised quite a bit through school -- teachers don't much like sarcastic quips about their shitty classes (see my religion teacher Deacon Schwartz and his useless religion class). Do I hold grudges regarding past Detentions. Clearly. Regardless, not much has changed at work, though I guess I'm a bit more cautious before firing off. It really depends on the crew in the room and who may get offended. The other rule that I learn to deal with every day is speaking about things you aren't too sure about. Oddly, as you hear these higher level discussions, things actually get more complicated, and people are always looking for answers. The funny thing is, in my position, I hear a lot of things. So I really have to be choosy when speaking up, because that will directly beam the spotlight on me. I'm clearly finding out that disclosing only the pertinent info is generally the way to go.
That is until you get into smaller groups. Then I open up a bit, and definitely feel more in my element. In those smaller groups you can get more accomplished, and make sure messages are conveyed correctly. And generally you can solve problems in a quicker manner. Back to the large groups real quick. Lately, my biggest fear is opening a can of worms that I can't finish. As I said before, opening your mouth quickly spotlights you as a person who knows what's going on. Consequently, that means these guys asking technical questions at me that are not even in my remote wheelhouse, I just happened to know what was going on. But here's the rub. You walk a fine line when heavy hitting questions are fired. You don't want to look like a complete idiot, but you also have to be careful to side step the convo from going real in depth. I feel like I am getting better at that one. Just don't get cornered one on one, and you can generally find your way out of those scenarios, while preserving your intellectual integrity.
The reality is with all of this, I find my job somewhat humorous. We plan and budget and schedule, identifying all those RISKS. Then I just watch as the whole things changes -- daily. And how all that upfront planning blows up in your face. Ha, and those guys planning for years down the road?? Even better. We have a hard time calling the shots on what will happen this month, let's project out 3 years. Clearly, this isn't just an issue at my company, it happens everywhere. What can you do. In my case, I keep my head down, speak when I need to, and observe these guys as they get their rocks off. It really is an entertaining ride when I really think about it.
January 19, 2012
Stop SOPA/PIPA!!
The fight has just begun. Please contact your senators today. Below is my letter to Barbara Boxer, and soon to be other senators. Please take up the fight this is very important!!
It's truly unfathomable that these bills are on the table for discussion. The internet is the truest form of freedom and the threats from the government to try and regulate the technololgy is truly appalling, threatening the foundation upon which this country was founded: freedom of speech. If there is nothing the internet has shown its been the resiliency of people to reinvent themselves around undue government and political restriction. I think its an overly ambitious goal for the government to try and monitor all suspicious connections and links connected to these bills in order to prosecute "guilty" parties. Where will these investigations come from? The government will have to contribute time and effort to prosecute and my tax payer dollars will be spent having someone comb the internet for violations.
This bills promotes an internet police. If you have followed the history of the internet you should know that the internet will police itself. Leave the control up to the individuals. If Hollywood wants to continue to sue for copyright infringement, then they can. Sweeping legislation will not solve their problem. Like other companies in the world (ie Apple, Google, Microsoft etc) when faced with litigation or restrictions, they find innovative solutions to pay the bills, and furthermore, thrive. The movie, music and entertainment industry is more than capable of doing the same. They too can learn to thrive in an internet driven world, with the parameters the way they are today. They should not receive special treatment in the form of these "laws". It is of high likelihood that they will get challenged in court, costing tax payers even more money in the long run. Please stop the suffocation of taxes. Allow this country to get back on its feet again and thrive. The internet is the best form to promote such growth. Restrictions will only choke American growth. Far more people lose by these laws (the common man using YouTube to promote himself, or children looking up free, GATHERED information on topics in Wikipedia) than the entertainment industry stands to gain.
Thank you for your time. Please do not just disregard this letter. Read the facts and form your own opinion. Please see how deeply important this is to the common citizen.
It's truly unfathomable that these bills are on the table for discussion. The internet is the truest form of freedom and the threats from the government to try and regulate the technololgy is truly appalling, threatening the foundation upon which this country was founded: freedom of speech. If there is nothing the internet has shown its been the resiliency of people to reinvent themselves around undue government and political restriction. I think its an overly ambitious goal for the government to try and monitor all suspicious connections and links connected to these bills in order to prosecute "guilty" parties. Where will these investigations come from? The government will have to contribute time and effort to prosecute and my tax payer dollars will be spent having someone comb the internet for violations.
This bills promotes an internet police. If you have followed the history of the internet you should know that the internet will police itself. Leave the control up to the individuals. If Hollywood wants to continue to sue for copyright infringement, then they can. Sweeping legislation will not solve their problem. Like other companies in the world (ie Apple, Google, Microsoft etc) when faced with litigation or restrictions, they find innovative solutions to pay the bills, and furthermore, thrive. The movie, music and entertainment industry is more than capable of doing the same. They too can learn to thrive in an internet driven world, with the parameters the way they are today. They should not receive special treatment in the form of these "laws". It is of high likelihood that they will get challenged in court, costing tax payers even more money in the long run. Please stop the suffocation of taxes. Allow this country to get back on its feet again and thrive. The internet is the best form to promote such growth. Restrictions will only choke American growth. Far more people lose by these laws (the common man using YouTube to promote himself, or children looking up free, GATHERED information on topics in Wikipedia) than the entertainment industry stands to gain.
Thank you for your time. Please do not just disregard this letter. Read the facts and form your own opinion. Please see how deeply important this is to the common citizen.
January 10, 2012
untitled
It's interesting to meander through life, getting caught up in the day to day grinds, the looming deadlines, or whatever stresses we have. As a warm blooded human, I'm quite susceptible to falling into the trap of assuming I'll live for many years. No reason to think at 27 that this isn't possible. It's just one of those things people tend to take for granted at our age.
It's definitely weird though when you have those moments, whether brief or not, where your recognize that mortality and that it just may be worth your time to live for the day. Odds are, most of don't live for the day and figure there's time to change. Again, I fall into that category quite often. Hate your job? Meh, few years, I'll change it and then I'll be happy. Clearly, it could be better if you started today, bit the bullet and charged ahead. Of course therein lies the rub. Risk. Given there are no guarantees in life, that new charge forward attitude may land you in front of a brick wall. So clearly, even with mortality in the rear-view mirror, I'm often left balancing the now against the future.
My biggest struggle tends to be falling into lulls, or standard routines. I, for one, am I big fan a decent routine. Keeps you square and knowing what's on your plate. My life at the moment is quite predictable. Most days, I'm at work till 3-4ish, probably hit the gym 2 to 3 times a week, then home for dinner. Generally, once I'm home I'm in. Weekends clearly lend themselves to some change to the routine, but everyone knows you even fall into tendencies on the weekends as well. So where is that 'live for today' attitude??
It's a bit ironic for me. On one hand, I'm fully aware of my youth and being 27 and still being 'young'. It's not like I've stopped working out or stopped going out all together. And, in general, I often contemplate in my head, "Are you really doing enough to take advantage of this age?" The answer is generally, yes. Although I could probably handle heading out every night on the weekend and some days during the week, the reality is I'm over the scene. Although dabbling in that can still be fun from time to time, sometimes you are just ready for new challenges or experiences. At the moment work offers some of that, but I guess I'm in search of something else during my free time. So what to do, the eternal question, to take advantage of the now.
Obviously, there really is no real answer. And often times you are always waiting for some other event or thing to occur. Again, balance. I will say I'm anxious about the new year and the possibilities it brings. I also am probably going to pressure myself a bit more to take advantage of the things available to me and cherish what I do have. As I've said in previous posts (or at least I thought I did), my life tends to operate in 4 year cycles. Starting with grade school, my mind has just floated around that idea. 1st grade to 4th, 5th to 8th, high school, college, grad school, etc. I've exited the grad school realm (plus a year) and here I am today. I'd like to think I've already begun putting seeds in place for the new round of 4 years, (wink), and the future looks bright.
Clearly this post was a useless rant to all of you. But it gave me the chance to dump a bit. Probably could just keep these thoughts to myself and not post them. For some reason though, I always find reading similar circumstances of others offers some comfort, even if small, for me. Ha, of course, that assumes anyone followed any of the garbage I just laid out. Well, whatever. That's why this is a meandering site, folks. Deal.
It's definitely weird though when you have those moments, whether brief or not, where your recognize that mortality and that it just may be worth your time to live for the day. Odds are, most of don't live for the day and figure there's time to change. Again, I fall into that category quite often. Hate your job? Meh, few years, I'll change it and then I'll be happy. Clearly, it could be better if you started today, bit the bullet and charged ahead. Of course therein lies the rub. Risk. Given there are no guarantees in life, that new charge forward attitude may land you in front of a brick wall. So clearly, even with mortality in the rear-view mirror, I'm often left balancing the now against the future.
My biggest struggle tends to be falling into lulls, or standard routines. I, for one, am I big fan a decent routine. Keeps you square and knowing what's on your plate. My life at the moment is quite predictable. Most days, I'm at work till 3-4ish, probably hit the gym 2 to 3 times a week, then home for dinner. Generally, once I'm home I'm in. Weekends clearly lend themselves to some change to the routine, but everyone knows you even fall into tendencies on the weekends as well. So where is that 'live for today' attitude??
It's a bit ironic for me. On one hand, I'm fully aware of my youth and being 27 and still being 'young'. It's not like I've stopped working out or stopped going out all together. And, in general, I often contemplate in my head, "Are you really doing enough to take advantage of this age?" The answer is generally, yes. Although I could probably handle heading out every night on the weekend and some days during the week, the reality is I'm over the scene. Although dabbling in that can still be fun from time to time, sometimes you are just ready for new challenges or experiences. At the moment work offers some of that, but I guess I'm in search of something else during my free time. So what to do, the eternal question, to take advantage of the now.
Obviously, there really is no real answer. And often times you are always waiting for some other event or thing to occur. Again, balance. I will say I'm anxious about the new year and the possibilities it brings. I also am probably going to pressure myself a bit more to take advantage of the things available to me and cherish what I do have. As I've said in previous posts (or at least I thought I did), my life tends to operate in 4 year cycles. Starting with grade school, my mind has just floated around that idea. 1st grade to 4th, 5th to 8th, high school, college, grad school, etc. I've exited the grad school realm (plus a year) and here I am today. I'd like to think I've already begun putting seeds in place for the new round of 4 years, (wink), and the future looks bright.
Clearly this post was a useless rant to all of you. But it gave me the chance to dump a bit. Probably could just keep these thoughts to myself and not post them. For some reason though, I always find reading similar circumstances of others offers some comfort, even if small, for me. Ha, of course, that assumes anyone followed any of the garbage I just laid out. Well, whatever. That's why this is a meandering site, folks. Deal.
January 3, 2012
Hawaii -- The good and not so good
Visited Hawaii over break. Lot of positives going for that state: weather is pristine, views are unbelievable, sunsets amazing... much to like. One of the more impressive things to note was just how easy it was to get a view from just about anywhere on the island. There were multiple little hills that would allow you to just get up high enough to see the entire country side. Coupled with the most obviously spots to get views, such as on hikes etc, and it's easy to see how people fall in love with this place.
The island I visited, Ohau is fairly small. Something like 60 miles north to south, so you can quickly see the boundaries of the entire place, assuming you don't get caught in traffic. In that sense, I could also see how one would get island fever. Definitely is a constrained place even if you are not one to travel much in your current living area. Plus the fact that it'll take you a solid five and half hours to even hit the states, and it's definitely a place I'd like to just visit -- not live in.
I also have to say that the food was quite sensational. Everything from their breakfasts with fresh fruit and unbelievable pancakes (see Original Pancake House) to dinners with the fresh catch of the season. I gotta say I have no eaten such good fish before, it truly was awesome. Favorite lunch was definitely up near the North Shore when we hit up a few food trucks on the side of the road. One named, Dat Cajun Guy, served some really solid gumbo, as well as a very tasty po boi. There was another truck there as well that served really good, fresh shrimp. They did them in a variety of sauces as well, which really hit the spot. And the flavor ice up there was great stuff, complete with 39 flavors of your choice and ice cream at the bottom if you so choose (see Matsumoto). The two major drawbacks where we were in Waikiki were the amount of humans and driving. First the humans. God this place populated. People on top of people for as far as the eye could see. Really operates like a metropolis or major city, and VERY commercialized. The good news, even for Hawaiian chains, there were still some local eats you could get your hands on. But yeah, truly reminded me of Las Vegas with just the sheer number of idiots wandering around. And of course they wander around without any regard for you and the path you are on. The manners in this world have truly gone to shit, and it's not specific to one race of people. What can you do
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| Double Rainbow! |
Overall though, a very solid place to visit and fairly relaxing when you could finally separate yourself from the crowds. Definitely a very lovely place to visit for the holidays. Certainly didn't feel much like a holiday, but I'll take that in this case as it was definitely worth it for a year. Anyway, cheers to all and welcome back to work. Ha 2012 here we go
December 20, 2011
Christmas Shopping
As my family will attest to, I'm pretty horrible at shopping for gifts in general. Birthdays will roll around, and I'll get the card out late, or in the worst scenario forget to send one. Gifts are sort of icing on the cake. I'd say in the past few years I've gotten better (sans one incident last February). Christmas shopping is one of those things I've always done alright with. I mean let's be honest, its an IN YOUR FACE holiday, what with advertisements beginning in September it feels like. Not going there, though I probably bitched about it in some other post.
So here's the dilemma and everyone faces it. When do you do the Christmas shopping. If you start in November on Black Friday, ugh. That's way too early, but I guess I can understand with the discounts and such. Love a steeply discounted gift for a loved one. Realistically, I feel like Christmas shopping should have to begin in December. The problem is, I'm normally busy with other things and like most human beings will procrastinate. Here's where the difficulty sets in. You have two serious deadlines to consider.
First deadline, the online deadline: What I love about today's world is this thing called the "information super highway" or "world wide web of information". I mean, buying all the shit I need from Christmas from my computer at home... jackpot. But there is a very important deadline and it's that nasty shipping deadline. It's a funny one too. Most things I order online, within a few days its at your doorstep no problem. But they always warn that the standard shipping is going to range from 7-13 business days. That's like half a month and a huge gamble around the holidays. That's when those pricks really get you. Oh, select super shipping and we'll get that yo-yo to your nephew by Christmas for an additional $40, or 10 times the value of the item you just purchased. So you have to be leery of crunch time and allow your online treats to make it in plenty of time.
Second deadline, about a week out from Christmas: The stores just turn into absolute anarchy. Humans everywhere, the Mom with a shopping cart full of things she doesn't need, Jimmy buying the electronic radio car because it's on sale... but we all know Jimmy's kid will drive that thing like 3 times and then the battery will die or the controller won't work and the money is wasted. Either way, you are dealing with all these meatballs and lines out the store. It's enough to literally make you want to get violent. So the key is to be up on that date and not wait too close to Christmas.
But we all know, we pinch both those dates and always end up ramping up our anxiety levels unnecessarily. It's life. It's the holidays. OH and btw. Enjoy those holidays to all of you out there. The blogs will continue to come next year, and I'm hoping at a more regular pace. Video blogs need to start happening as well. I feel like a lot of potential can come out of that. Hopefully I get another one in before NYE, but if not, enjoy the mini breaks you all may get. If you don't get a break, tell your boss to grow up. Cheers everyone!
So here's the dilemma and everyone faces it. When do you do the Christmas shopping. If you start in November on Black Friday, ugh. That's way too early, but I guess I can understand with the discounts and such. Love a steeply discounted gift for a loved one. Realistically, I feel like Christmas shopping should have to begin in December. The problem is, I'm normally busy with other things and like most human beings will procrastinate. Here's where the difficulty sets in. You have two serious deadlines to consider.
First deadline, the online deadline: What I love about today's world is this thing called the "information super highway" or "world wide web of information". I mean, buying all the shit I need from Christmas from my computer at home... jackpot. But there is a very important deadline and it's that nasty shipping deadline. It's a funny one too. Most things I order online, within a few days its at your doorstep no problem. But they always warn that the standard shipping is going to range from 7-13 business days. That's like half a month and a huge gamble around the holidays. That's when those pricks really get you. Oh, select super shipping and we'll get that yo-yo to your nephew by Christmas for an additional $40, or 10 times the value of the item you just purchased. So you have to be leery of crunch time and allow your online treats to make it in plenty of time.Second deadline, about a week out from Christmas: The stores just turn into absolute anarchy. Humans everywhere, the Mom with a shopping cart full of things she doesn't need, Jimmy buying the electronic radio car because it's on sale... but we all know Jimmy's kid will drive that thing like 3 times and then the battery will die or the controller won't work and the money is wasted. Either way, you are dealing with all these meatballs and lines out the store. It's enough to literally make you want to get violent. So the key is to be up on that date and not wait too close to Christmas.
But we all know, we pinch both those dates and always end up ramping up our anxiety levels unnecessarily. It's life. It's the holidays. OH and btw. Enjoy those holidays to all of you out there. The blogs will continue to come next year, and I'm hoping at a more regular pace. Video blogs need to start happening as well. I feel like a lot of potential can come out of that. Hopefully I get another one in before NYE, but if not, enjoy the mini breaks you all may get. If you don't get a break, tell your boss to grow up. Cheers everyone!
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