As I spend my day in Smalltown USA, i recall the life I had as a boy. Such a sweet simple existance, that I ran from - arms flailing, screaming, crying as fast as I could.
And with good reason, this place is frickin boring.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Blog Topic Bias
I have a reminder set to write something in here every day at 8am. I'm starting to realize that I may only have my mind on certain things at this time of day.
Perhaps I should blog in the afternoon or evening once in a while.
Also, I wonder to myself, will anyone ever read this?
Perhaps I should blog in the afternoon or evening once in a while.
Also, I wonder to myself, will anyone ever read this?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
My Passe Starbuck Vice
A guy i work with used to work for a coffee company in Seattle (not Starbucks). He says what SB does that everyone loves is roast the living shit out of the coffee - to give it kind of a burnt taste.
I drink SB almost every day. I get an iced coffee, unsweetened. I spruce it up with a little Splenda and milk. I've tried replicating it at home, but I cannot.
I'd love to save the $3 a day at work. I have a coffee machine and small fridge (for milk). So there is no excuse other than - I can't make it taste the same! Um, and I'm probably lazy too.
I drink SB almost every day. I get an iced coffee, unsweetened. I spruce it up with a little Splenda and milk. I've tried replicating it at home, but I cannot.
I'd love to save the $3 a day at work. I have a coffee machine and small fridge (for milk). So there is no excuse other than - I can't make it taste the same! Um, and I'm probably lazy too.
My Two Million Dollar Plan
For a while I've had a plan to retire. The details are fuzzy (or don't exist), but the gist is... get two million bucks. Why two million? Glad you asked.
$1M in investments. This will provide at least 10% per year ($100k) for taxes, food, travel etc. It's not big money, but it's enough to get by.
$1M in 2 or 3 housing locations. Nothing fancy, just a place for me and the wife to stay. Probably a small 1BR condo in downtown Chicago for $400, a small cottage on a lake in Wisconsin for $400 and $200 for a time share or something small overseas.
That's it. Quite a plan, eh? Ok, now to work out a plan to get $2M...
$1M in investments. This will provide at least 10% per year ($100k) for taxes, food, travel etc. It's not big money, but it's enough to get by.
$1M in 2 or 3 housing locations. Nothing fancy, just a place for me and the wife to stay. Probably a small 1BR condo in downtown Chicago for $400, a small cottage on a lake in Wisconsin for $400 and $200 for a time share or something small overseas.
That's it. Quite a plan, eh? Ok, now to work out a plan to get $2M...
Monday, August 13, 2007
Music to Hear
I put these on my iPod this weekend:
The Editors
The Coral
The White Stripes (new one)
The Republic Tigers
By far the best is the Republic Tigers. They are an unsigned band from KC MO. One of the dudes in the band was a college roommate of Cory. I describe them as The Shins meet Tripping Daisy, but thats not really a fair description. Just listen to them on myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/therepublictigers
The Editors
The Coral
The White Stripes (new one)
The Republic Tigers
By far the best is the Republic Tigers. They are an unsigned band from KC MO. One of the dudes in the band was a college roommate of Cory. I describe them as The Shins meet Tripping Daisy, but thats not really a fair description. Just listen to them on myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/therepublictigers
Fatherhood and My Former Life
My single life is forfeit. My married life as well. My life revolves around a tiny person.
It hit me, maybe for the first time this last weekend that everything that was, is no more. I'll be sad to see some of those times go, but I am not sad overall.
My friend Katie said it best to me, "it's not good, it's not bad, it's just what's next". She's a smartie for a young lady from Vegas.
There were those that said, "your life will change." No shit?
There were those that said, "it's the best thing that will happen to you." These are the people I would like to talk to. I did not clarify what they like the most. Is it the little smile? I think most of those people like to either A) want to have total power over something, B) want something to need them or C) want to see something of themselves in a new life.
The weight of responsibility begins a few days in. Prior to that it's all a whirl. However, I don't think parenthood starts until they know you are their parent. I'll check back on this subject in a month.
It hit me, maybe for the first time this last weekend that everything that was, is no more. I'll be sad to see some of those times go, but I am not sad overall.
My friend Katie said it best to me, "it's not good, it's not bad, it's just what's next". She's a smartie for a young lady from Vegas.
There were those that said, "your life will change." No shit?
There were those that said, "it's the best thing that will happen to you." These are the people I would like to talk to. I did not clarify what they like the most. Is it the little smile? I think most of those people like to either A) want to have total power over something, B) want something to need them or C) want to see something of themselves in a new life.
The weight of responsibility begins a few days in. Prior to that it's all a whirl. However, I don't think parenthood starts until they know you are their parent. I'll check back on this subject in a month.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
More Motivational Thoughts
So, i never came up with anything good yesterday on the worker bee motivation. Oh well, I may never have to manage the entry-level employee again (hopefully). Ok, now how about the mid-level employee?
Mid, high, exec... these all have different definitions wherever you go. I might be considered high someplace else, but at my company I'm mid. So what makes me tick? I might be different than other people, but, let me do a mental dump and see where I get...
I like to own things, and be responsible for them. I like to think about them from a high level and figure out how this thing can be the best thing it can be. Ok, good, now why, Chad, why? Well, I want to be recognized as the person who did this. But this is only part of it.
I also want to feel like I did a good job. I don't just want to feel like I did a good job in the "I worked hard" sense.... certainly the worker bees can work their ass off and they are doing a good job. I want to feel like I gave something of myself that most other people could not have done. So, it's both intellectual and creative.
Money plays a part, only so much that I need to be rewarded with a raise and bonus occasionally - not frequently. This is assuming I don't have financial constraints at home. If home life is hard because I don't make enough, I'd get unhappy real quick. So it's only small part money.
The social thing is part of the job for sure. I'm not sure how much tho, probably more than money, but less than the work. If I don't want to "hang out" with the people I work with, it will eventually drag on me.
So, I think the formula is:
3 parts enjoying the work (intellectual and creative challenge)
2 parts liking the people I work with
2 parts recognition
1 part money
Of course there are other things like commute and location and leadership that all come into play too. Any one thing can kill a job, but the ones I listed are "must haves" for me.
Mid, high, exec... these all have different definitions wherever you go. I might be considered high someplace else, but at my company I'm mid. So what makes me tick? I might be different than other people, but, let me do a mental dump and see where I get...
I like to own things, and be responsible for them. I like to think about them from a high level and figure out how this thing can be the best thing it can be. Ok, good, now why, Chad, why? Well, I want to be recognized as the person who did this. But this is only part of it.
I also want to feel like I did a good job. I don't just want to feel like I did a good job in the "I worked hard" sense.... certainly the worker bees can work their ass off and they are doing a good job. I want to feel like I gave something of myself that most other people could not have done. So, it's both intellectual and creative.
Money plays a part, only so much that I need to be rewarded with a raise and bonus occasionally - not frequently. This is assuming I don't have financial constraints at home. If home life is hard because I don't make enough, I'd get unhappy real quick. So it's only small part money.
The social thing is part of the job for sure. I'm not sure how much tho, probably more than money, but less than the work. If I don't want to "hang out" with the people I work with, it will eventually drag on me.
So, I think the formula is:
3 parts enjoying the work (intellectual and creative challenge)
2 parts liking the people I work with
2 parts recognition
1 part money
Of course there are other things like commute and location and leadership that all come into play too. Any one thing can kill a job, but the ones I listed are "must haves" for me.
Happy Birthday Blog
Two days in a row I write. Good for me.
Note: I put a daily reminder in outlook, so i'm kind of a cheater.
Note: I put a daily reminder in outlook, so i'm kind of a cheater.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Motivating the Worker Bee
I need to think today about what motivates the entry-level employee. For me it was the promise of promotion (I think). I want to come up with the 1 think that will motivate the most people, realizing one thing won't fit 100%.
Money? Promotion? Recognition? Responsibility? The work?
Money? Promotion? Recognition? Responsibility? The work?
Posting off my pedastal
On my blog I can say whatever. If someone reads it, fine. But I control the information quite a bit here.
Some news and opinion articles have a "comments" area. I am reluctant to post there. Why? It's mostly unregulated. On a news site, generally, the author of the article isn't responding to people in the comments. It's just a forum for people to bitch, and that's just not my cup of tea.
I sort of feel like internet comments make it fine for people to just hate. It somewhat eliminates the internal monologue. Many people should really think before they speak, or type. I am *not* saying people shouldn't say what they mean, or censor themselves at all. I am simply saying, you might want to think about it - if only for a second - before hitting post.
Example: News article about the atomic bomb. Comments lead off with: "Bombing people is a crime and anyone who drops a bomb should be tried as a war criminal!"
Analysis: Really? Did you think that through? No, I don't think so.
Some news and opinion articles have a "comments" area. I am reluctant to post there. Why? It's mostly unregulated. On a news site, generally, the author of the article isn't responding to people in the comments. It's just a forum for people to bitch, and that's just not my cup of tea.
I sort of feel like internet comments make it fine for people to just hate. It somewhat eliminates the internal monologue. Many people should really think before they speak, or type. I am *not* saying people shouldn't say what they mean, or censor themselves at all. I am simply saying, you might want to think about it - if only for a second - before hitting post.
Example: News article about the atomic bomb. Comments lead off with: "Bombing people is a crime and anyone who drops a bomb should be tried as a war criminal!"
Analysis: Really? Did you think that through? No, I don't think so.
Music I Listen to ATM
So i can look back and laugh at my musical tastes, here is a playlist of songs off my ipod:
Bloc Party - Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
Massive Attack - False Flags
Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the Experiment
The Get Up Kids - Central Standard Time
The Long Blondes - Lust In The Movies
Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent
Mew - The Zookeeper's Boy
The Decemberists - 16 by 32
The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
Dresden Dolls - Mandy Goes To Med School
Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
The Kooks - Match Box
Blonde Redhead - 23
Sufjan Stevens - The Predatory Wasp of the Pali
Radiohead - You And Whose Army?
Pearl Jam - Nothing as It Seems
Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation
Guillemots - Were Here
Modest Mouse - Spitting Venom
Muse - Exo-politics
Belle & Sebastian - She's Losing It
Mohair - Stranded
Kasabian - Empire
Wolf Parade - You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son
The National - Secret Meeting
Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger
Klaxons - Golden Skans
Quarashi - Tarfur
The View - Superstar Tradesman
Forward, Russia! - Nine
Razorlight - America
Silversun Pickups - Melatonin
The Long Blondes - Once And Never Again
The Pixies - Bone Machine
Tokyo Police Club - Citizens of Tomorrow
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - An Oak Tree
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Caterwaul
Snow Patrol - Hands Open
Spoon - The Beast And Dragon, Adored
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion
Massive Attack - Angel
Bloc Party - Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
Massive Attack - False Flags
Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the Experiment
The Get Up Kids - Central Standard Time
The Long Blondes - Lust In The Movies
Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent
Mew - The Zookeeper's Boy
The Decemberists - 16 by 32
The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
Dresden Dolls - Mandy Goes To Med School
Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
The Kooks - Match Box
Blonde Redhead - 23
Sufjan Stevens - The Predatory Wasp of the Pali
Radiohead - You And Whose Army?
Pearl Jam - Nothing as It Seems
Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation
Guillemots - Were Here
Modest Mouse - Spitting Venom
Muse - Exo-politics
Belle & Sebastian - She's Losing It
Mohair - Stranded
Kasabian - Empire
Wolf Parade - You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son
The National - Secret Meeting
Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger
Klaxons - Golden Skans
Quarashi - Tarfur
The View - Superstar Tradesman
Forward, Russia! - Nine
Razorlight - America
Silversun Pickups - Melatonin
The Long Blondes - Once And Never Again
The Pixies - Bone Machine
Tokyo Police Club - Citizens of Tomorrow
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - An Oak Tree
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Caterwaul
Snow Patrol - Hands Open
Spoon - The Beast And Dragon, Adored
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion
Massive Attack - Angel
The Missing MMO Pause Button
I played World of Warcraft. I played it a lot. I have 70 Undead Priest, and a litter of other 30s,40s and 50s. I had a guild, and played most nights.
On July 19th my wife gave birth to a baby boy, Monty. He is healthy, and his mom is healthy too.
I'm sure you can understand I don't play Wow anymore.
MMOs can't really have a pause button. Single player games will still have a place in my life, because I want to game, but I need to get up at a moments notice. I can't be the only one with this dilemma.
On July 19th my wife gave birth to a baby boy, Monty. He is healthy, and his mom is healthy too.
I'm sure you can understand I don't play Wow anymore.
MMOs can't really have a pause button. Single player games will still have a place in my life, because I want to game, but I need to get up at a moments notice. I can't be the only one with this dilemma.
Old Posts : New Thoughts 3
I've never used the word poppycock before, or since this post. I kind of hate myself.
-------------------------------
is it just me or are the pre-set margins and spacing in MS-Word getting bigger? it used to be that I'd write a doc and it would fill 90% of a page. Now its more like 75%.
Out of the box I have margins of 1" on top and bottom, 1.25" on left and right, and Times New Roman 12pt font. Is that what it used to be? I have office 2003, somebody with office 2k should look.
If my assertion that it has increased is correct this must be the result of paper companies lobbying Microsoft to increase them so we use more paper - under the guise of "it's more readable". Poppycock!
-------------------------------
is it just me or are the pre-set margins and spacing in MS-Word getting bigger? it used to be that I'd write a doc and it would fill 90% of a page. Now its more like 75%.
Out of the box I have margins of 1" on top and bottom, 1.25" on left and right, and Times New Roman 12pt font. Is that what it used to be? I have office 2003, somebody with office 2k should look.
If my assertion that it has increased is correct this must be the result of paper companies lobbying Microsoft to increase them so we use more paper - under the guise of "it's more readable". Poppycock!
Old Posts : New Thoughts 2
Cory and I are uninformed. This doesn't stop us from bitching that everyone is dumb and that we are really smart.
----------------------
11:24] cory: thoughts on dependencies on foreign oil?
[11:37] snoogiboogi: raise gas prices
[11:37] snoogiboogi: $10 a gallon
[11:37] cory: make people drive less
[11:37] snoogiboogi: yep
[11:37] cory: get bikes
[11:37] cory: get in shape
[11:37] snoogiboogi: ride trains
[11:37] snoogiboogi: etc
[11:37] cory: use their fat blob of a body
[11:37] snoogiboogi: you got it
[11:37] cory: walk to a train
[11:37] cory: instead of the garage
[11:37] cory: fucking america
[11:37] cory:
[11:38] snoogiboogi: use taxes on gas prices to pay off national debt... then cut my income taxss
[11:38] cory: what about people that actually need to drive
[11:38] cory: 10 bucks a gallon still
[11:38] cory: like...my mom doesn't have a resonable route to work w/o driving
[11:38] cory: i think you should make it 10/gallon in major cities
[11:38] snoogiboogi: carpooling
[11:39] snoogiboogi: people are clever, they'll figure it out
[11:39] snoogiboogi: how far does your mom drive?
[11:39] cory: not far
[11:39] cory: she could bike if she left early
[11:40] snoogiboogi: so she'll start looking at a hybrid car next time around too
[11:40] snoogiboogi: use electricity
[11:40] snoogiboogi: which is from burning coal
[11:40] snoogiboogi: fossil fuels rock1
[11:40] cory: walk
[11:40] cory: lose weight
[11:41] snoogiboogi: some people do have to drive
[11:41] snoogiboogi: but they'll just have to factor that into the decision to work at a certain place
[11:41] snoogiboogi: industry will have to carpool workers
[11:41] snoogiboogi: free gas for buses
[11:41] cory: blog this
[11:42] snoogiboogi: more (smaller) towns will adopt public transit
----------------------
11:24] cory: thoughts on dependencies on foreign oil?
[11:37] snoogiboogi: raise gas prices
[11:37] snoogiboogi: $10 a gallon
[11:37] cory: make people drive less
[11:37] snoogiboogi: yep
[11:37] cory: get bikes
[11:37] cory: get in shape
[11:37] snoogiboogi: ride trains
[11:37] snoogiboogi: etc
[11:37] cory: use their fat blob of a body
[11:37] snoogiboogi: you got it
[11:37] cory: walk to a train
[11:37] cory: instead of the garage
[11:37] cory: fucking america
[11:37] cory:
[11:38] snoogiboogi: use taxes on gas prices to pay off national debt... then cut my income taxss
[11:38] cory: what about people that actually need to drive
[11:38] cory: 10 bucks a gallon still
[11:38] cory: like...my mom doesn't have a resonable route to work w/o driving
[11:38] cory: i think you should make it 10/gallon in major cities
[11:38] snoogiboogi: carpooling
[11:39] snoogiboogi: people are clever, they'll figure it out
[11:39] snoogiboogi: how far does your mom drive?
[11:39] cory: not far
[11:39] cory: she could bike if she left early
[11:40] snoogiboogi: so she'll start looking at a hybrid car next time around too
[11:40] snoogiboogi: use electricity
[11:40] snoogiboogi: which is from burning coal
[11:40] snoogiboogi: fossil fuels rock1
[11:40] cory: walk
[11:40] cory: lose weight
[11:41] snoogiboogi: some people do have to drive
[11:41] snoogiboogi: but they'll just have to factor that into the decision to work at a certain place
[11:41] snoogiboogi: industry will have to carpool workers
[11:41] snoogiboogi: free gas for buses
[11:41] cory: blog this
[11:42] snoogiboogi: more (smaller) towns will adopt public transit
Old Posts : New Thoughts
This post is from a while back, maybe 2 years. I'm not sure what roused my ire this day, but i was clearly a little pissy. Nonetheless, I can't argue with myself.
----------------------
2 things I don't understand. Completely unrelated other than I don't understand them.
1. Terror attacks/bombings. What's the point? Are you trying to gain public attention? If you want to fight America/Europe then rise up an army and we'll fight. Or how about attack military installations or government agencies. That makes a little more sense to me, not much, but a little. Bombing buses and trains? thats just pussy.
2. People who love being married. I'm married. It's fine. I love my wife. Everything is good. However, I know people who *really* love it. They tell you all the time how great it is. Its very fucked up. I have no idea what is so great. They've explained it to me, several times, and I still don't get it.
----------------------
2 things I don't understand. Completely unrelated other than I don't understand them.
1. Terror attacks/bombings. What's the point? Are you trying to gain public attention? If you want to fight America/Europe then rise up an army and we'll fight. Or how about attack military installations or government agencies. That makes a little more sense to me, not much, but a little. Bombing buses and trains? thats just pussy.
2. People who love being married. I'm married. It's fine. I love my wife. Everything is good. However, I know people who *really* love it. They tell you all the time how great it is. Its very fucked up. I have no idea what is so great. They've explained it to me, several times, and I still don't get it.
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