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Thoughts and info from http://www.canisurvive.com
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Our Deficit Our Problem
So while watching the news last night the number came up in regard to the federal deficit. They are projecting close to a 2 trillion dollar deficit by end of 2009. This number is staggering when you realize that this is the most we have "borrowed" in our entire history as a country combined! I say borrowed because we are spending money we do not have and my fear now is that we may never be able to pay this debt off. Our country is broke! There is no other way to describe what has happened other than we are borrowing to put money into the system to keep it alive and as of yet have come up with a way to pay it back.
What will happen to us the people who will be paying for this 2 trillion dollar mess? I am not sure. Inflation for one. We will see prices increase for sure. The amount of money that has been printed to hold up these companies will affect our inflation and will have some affect on us down the road. So let's take a step back and think about this for a moment.
If unemployment is still at highs not seen in decades people will still be hoarding money as much as they can to keep the spending under control and try to make their savings last as long as possible. Can the American people afford higher inflation when jobs and salaries are stagnant or falling? What about taxes? Taxes are what pays for this huge debt the we have. How can a government continue to cut taxes and pay off debt? The simple answer is they can't! At some point in our future they will have to ask the people to pay back what was borrowed. There are already signs that China (our biggest loan provider) is going to stop investing in the U.S. and has concerns that our economy will not recover enough to justify the investments. What happens when the money runs out?
If government is broke (we already are) what other thing can they do? Print more money? That brings us back to inflation.
These questions weigh heavily on my mind because I truly believe that we are in a wildly out of control situation that I am not sure the government or the American people can get themselves out of.
Just recently our President stated that the government can't spend more than they have. WHAT??? 2 trillion dollar debt does not equal spending what we have.
I truly hope that the powers that be can get our spending under control. I hope that our economy will bounce back and be strong again. I hope unemployment subsides and we are all working. I do hope for these things but the mountain that we...yes WE built it...this mountain is a huge one to climb and it is still growing.
Take time to reflect on these issues. It's important regardless of your position. Your views are just a relevant and possible as mine and we all must keep these issues in our thoughts.
I want to make this country better. I want to find a way to help. I have a daughter that I want to grow up in a healthy, stable environment. I want to leave this planet in better shape than I found it before I leave this world.
I know most of you feel the same way. If you have ways to make a difference then lets work together.
The more we work together the more we can overcome!
JM
http://www.canisurvive.com
China's Influence and Alternative Fuels
In recent weeks I have found myself paying more and more at the pump for gas. Initially I thought it was due to the summer season kicking in when most gas companies raise prices because of travel patterns etc. Yet when I kept reading that U.S. demand for oil is down due to the recession I began to wonder what it is that is pushing prices up.
Well there are several factors but the big one is China. They have begun to see a recovery there and the Chinese economy is still growing. The expectation that China will demand much more oil is driving the price upwards of levels not seen since late last year! I noticed the price of gas up almost 50 cents in the last month or two and that is a significant climb especially when people in the U.S. are still being battered with unemployment and lower salaries.
It is a sign of the times that the U.S. has lost a lot of it's affect on the price of things like oil and metals. There is a new player and they are consuming at an enormous rate.
I find myself having a big change of heart about our use of fossil fuels in general. I personally believe the shift in America will be to move away from these fuels and into alternative sources of energy. Which in the short term may be a difficult transition due to costs associated with new technologies being created and we (The People) have to deal with change and embrace it as best we can in trying times.
If I could become energy independent on my own I would. If I could afford to put a complete solar unit on my house and not use electricity from outside sources (or very little) I would love it!
The problem is that many of us are not in a position to do so...YET. I think it will be viewed initially by many countries as the U.S. has lost it's strength or is not a major player in the world markets but internally we will be setting ourselves up to look at all of the other countries that are dependent on fossil fuels (like China) who are still developing their economies and say "We don't need oil".
When peak oil hits (some theorize that is already has) the less dependent we are on it the less of an impact it will have on our economy. The other countries will be scrambling to catch up or in serious financial turmoil due to the inability to continue progress.
I find this important for everyone to embrace what we can when we can. If we are able to make ourselves less dependent on fossil fuels we take the burden off ourselves in the long run.
I think a lot about my 2 year old who is going to face an enormous debt as well as a possible end to abundant fossil fuels and how difficult it would be for her if I do nothing. If I go on without care then I leave her with the mess to clean up. Is that what I want to leave this world with? Knowing that I did nothing and forcing my child to deal with it is not the answer. I am starting now and going to do everything I can to protect myself and my child. Now and most definitely for the future! I hope you agree and will do the same. We can make the difference and we can do it now.
Find Ways To Survive and to Do Your Part!
http://www.canisurvive.com
It's a Good Switch!
For many of us in the digital age with large screen LCD's and HDTV the switch coming to analog over the air television may not seem like much to get worked up about. On June 12 the "official" switch to digital over the air broadcasting should occur (unless they postpone it again). You may know someone who still uses analog TV signals. I know many of my family (Parents, and Aunts) who still use these types of televisions mainly due to fear of the unknown or lack of understanding of technology.
Many of them will need digital converter boxes which are not too difficult to install. This process may seem like a nuisance to some but there are going to be some advantages that we will all benefit from.
The most obvious advantage to this move to digital is the sharper, clearer picture that you will get on your digital screens and even on the older analog televisions.
The switch to digital also frees up the frequencies in which the over air analog signals were broadcast on. This will open them up for emergency services and even make for more advanced wireless and Internet services.
These new services will allow for better technologies to come into play. I can imagine in the years to come clearer cell phone communications, faster browsing on your phones or PDA's and much better wireless Internet services Oh MY!
With our never ending thirst for more information and data this will open up a new era(with old signals) in information transmission. Now that's progress...isn't it?
If you have questions as to whether or not you should be getting a digital converter box or the switch to digital you can go to http://www.dtv.gov/ to find out more.
My Debt and My Freedom
I thought I would take a minute and talk about debt and how it affected me and my life and how I got out from under it.
My father decided when I was still in high school that it would be a good idea for me to establish some credit. I had my little part time job at the local grocery store and now was as good a time as any to learn the ways of the credit card.
My first card had a two thousand dollar limit and for about a year I never touched it. Not really understanding what it was all about and didn't really care. On one glorious day I decided I needed something that I couldn't afford...How do I get it??? I thought "I'll use my card!!!" Great Idea! "I am so smart" I thought to myself. Thus began a 5 year spree of credit card spending. My credit limits kept rising so I kept spending. I used it to buy everything and because I was so good at making the minimum payments they kept giving me more money to spend! WOW!!! Fast forward 5 years after I had graduated college and started my career. I know had a full time well paying job so from my perspective it was a whole new range of possibilities to buy crap and spend without any thought as to what might happen in the future.
A year or two after college I began to notice myself shifting my payments and timing my paychecks down to the day to cover or front money for things I wanted to buy or bills that needed to be payed for. The longer this went on the harder it got to keep up. It all came to a head one month when a bill came in that was double what it was the prior month. I was in shock! A call to the credit card company quickly informed me that I had been late a few days on a bill so my interest rate had jumped and I was charged a hefty late fee.
I did what I could to get things back on track but it was too late. I had overdrawn and over extended myself beyond what I could pay. I was scared and didn't know what to do. This prompted another call to the only people in your life that you will always count on...Parents! I explained my situation and thus started the finger pointing and needing to take responsibility lecture. I was embarrassed, angry and hurt that I had to go through this but it was my own fault and something I needed to accept. I was now facing a eighteen thousand dollar credit card bill along with student loans and living expenses.
My family ponied up the money for my debt and allowed me to pay it off over time. I consolidated everything into one big loan and began to chip away at my debt situation. I had to make sacrifices and sell off things that I couldn't afford. Wait for things that I couldn't afford. In the end (about 4 years) the debt was gone and I was no longer using credit cards. I pay cash for the things I want only if I can afford to. I use debit cards only and don't hold a balance on any credit cards to this day.
I learned my lesson and was fortunate to have people to help me. If you are in this type of situation there is help all you have to do is ask for it. Go to those you can trust and see what they can do to help you out of your situation. Make the tough choices and stick with the plan to pay off your debt. Stop incurring more debt by not using credit cards!!!
for advice on debt and what to do if you are facing a situation where bankruptcy is your only alternative go to http://www.canisurvive.com/Can_I_Survive_MoneySense.html#can_i_survive_bankruptcy
I can tell you that tough choices will have to be made. If you are determined you will survive and can eliminate your debt problem for ever! I am living proof and If I can do it so can you.
Good luck!
What's That Smell? Part II
As soon as I sat in my 15 year old office chair I realized immediately that something was going to go wrong. I no sooner sat down when I began to smell the most awful smell AGAIN!!! Memories rush back as I snap around to check my trash can. Knowing full well the culprit of such a stink last time I had been taking extra care not to leave things in my trashcan to prevent another incident as before. Looking in the can i notice it to be clean with a new trash bag in it. So what in the world has stunk up the building?
I begin to follow the smell around the corner of my office and down the hallway a bit. Here is where the small coffee station and break area are where people can get their fill of caffeine and tea. People hustle and bustle about around this area. They bring their lunches and stash them in the refrigerator that is next to the coffee and water cooler. I stand for a few seconds noticing the smell is strong and worse when someone opens the fridge to put in their food.
It strikes me as odd how many folks don't pay any attention to what's going on around them. They shove their bags and Styrofoam containers of leftovers and home made sandwiches in and walk away without noticing the death stench that is emanating from within the cold depths of that refrigerator.
I slowly approach the biscuit colored appliance with care. I open the door only to be slapped in the face with a smell that cannot be described. It brought back memories of a joke I once heard when I was a child and has stuck with me my whole life for some odd reason. Do you know what's grosser than gross? When you open the refrigerator door and your rump roast farts in your face!
That's exactly what had just happened! I held my breath and stuck my head into the abyss of plastic grocery bags and paper sacks trying to find the culprit before my oxygen supply is depleted and I pass out on the floor.
I had to take breaks and get fresh air only to turn around and head back in to the reactor core to stop the meltdown. After a few minutes I realized that it was a loosing battle. I wasn't going to find it. There is just too many things in the fridge that could cause it. The best course of action would be to use some type of flammable liquid and set it on fire but that's not really an option at this point. I came back to my office and shut the door. I suspect the only thing to do now is notify someone to bring in a hazmat unit and clean the fridge out.
Maybe I should have one come in and decontaminate me.
Now That's Smart
It was my goal to make it home today in record time. My commute down the 8 lane super slab from hell isn't normally that bad but today for some reason I wanted to get home quicker than usual. I had put my mind into racing mode pretending to be in a new Dodge Challenger...I really want one of these bad and I thought the plain ol white ford pickup I drive every day just wasn't going to put me in the right mood. Especially when you slam on the gas it has this wonderful sound of grinding metal and something of a clatter under the passenger seat. I put my mind onto something else and dreamed of carbon fiber (yeah I know the challenger doesn't have any but I would trick mine out) and superchargers. I know, I know...this is about the least green, fuel efficient vehicle (both the challenger and my truck) but it's my dream so deal.
Anyway, I make my way onto the interstate entrance ramp only to see nothing but red! Bahh!! Red tail lights as far as the eye can see. Nothing but a parking lot of cars, trucks and SUV's. I was content idling in my shiny new challenger...oh right, truck. Well, as I idle, if I would have blinked I would have missed it. It was a sight that can only be defined as the most ironic site I have ever seen.
As I sit in a sea of metal and carbon monoxide out of the corner of my eye I see a tiny red "smart" car doing what seemed to be 70 mph in the HOV lane. Blowing past car after car without slowing down. The little car was moving so fast I think I heard it fart as it blew past the hundreds of cars and trucks. I could only chuckle to myself as I sat quietly in my Hemi powered Dodge...I mean my truck. Here I am burning 14 mpg sitting still and that little piece of .... is busting out 70mph in the HOV lane screaming "Get out of my way you Son's O Bitches!!!"
Man if I was in my challenger I would have so caught up with that thing and showed it who's boss!
A Question of Pride
Today I just have some points about the employers market.
It has come to be lately that as times get tougher I work harder. Not necessarily because I want to but because they make me. I get more projects with ridiculous time lines and I accept them knowing that now is not the time to lose a job. I try very diligently to meet all my obligations but here recently it has become somewhat daunting.
I do as much as I can but can't seem to keep up with the demand of customers and my employer. I take pride in doing my job and completing projects on or ahead of schedule. It has become a standard and they know that I come through. I also know they take advantage of this as much as possible.
I know I'm not the only one in this boat. As layoffs occur at many companies the employees left to handle the workload gets smaller yet the workload stays the same.
I have recently started documenting more of my emails and discuss time lines and utilization with my manager more often. I find that I am communicating more with project managers to insure their expectations are set. It seems to take some pressure off and help me focus and prioritize my workload.
It's very easy to continue to be a "yes" man (or woman) at the expense of your own sanity in this environment. I think all of us that have a job are thankful in that we are still employed. I am sure there are just as many unemployed workers who would be willing to trade without a second thought.
As I recognize the need for all of us to stay employed or find employment I have added a search tool for everyone to use at http://www.canisurvive.com or http://www.canisurvive.net
For those of us who are fortunate enough to still have our jobs I say we are going to have to keep our heads to the grind stone for the time being.
And for those of you who have had the misfortune of being laid off from your work I truly wish you the best of luck finding a new place of employment. I urge you to start your search as soon as possible! http://www.canisurvive.com and http://www.canisurvive.net are in place for just these types of situations. I hope everyone can find something to help them in times like these.
Taking it Seriously
So Swine Flu is in the news every day and I have been concerned from the first reports. I do take something like this very seriously yet I see and hear so much bad information and lack of understanding in many! That alone is enough to keep me up at night. With a toddler who attends a daycare during the week and both myself and my wife going into an office it has become more stressful than usual. I made it a point to ask the daycare workers what they have in place for a plan of action if a child comes down with fever or respiratory symptoms and if they knew what was happening in response to the swine flu problem.
I was shocked when I was told there wasn't a plan and they thought the disease was only in Mexico and only to do with pigs!!!
I promptly sent an email to the director of the facility explaining this and the urgency of the workers to understand how to deal with this problem.
Soon after a mass email was sent out explaining to the parents the steps being taken and information for parents as well. This was a good step but I was still surprised at how slow the response had been with all of the developments over the past week.
Another interesting encounter was at my local hardware store where I had to get some paint. I was waiting on my paint to be mixed and the two women behind the counter were discussing the finer points of how to cook pork and at what temperature. They also stated that the government was claiming this to be the next "Pan...Pana...Panamanian Flu"!! I thought of correcting the ladies and telling them the proper term is Pandemic but refrained from getting involved in the conversation. My thoughts are if you don't understand then you are not taking it serious enough.
This may all be a big case of nothing. The fact is that people are dying from it and it is dangerous and a lot is still unknown. So I will stay prepared for the worst and hope for the best. That's all we can ever do right?
So let's all take a breath and do our best to stay calm and rational in times like this. Just do your part and wash your hands, cover your mouth, take care if you are sick and keep the kids home if they are ill. If you believe you have the flu or something like it go see the doctor and get medicine. A little prevention can go a long way in keeping this disease contained.
You can follow developments at http://www.canisurvive.com where you can find links to the CDC and many other topics that we deal with today.
Good News Travels Fast
It amazes me how fast information can travel in an office environment. No sooner do you mention something to someone and you turn around and someone tells you they heard something from another person which is basically what you just told the first person! Wow, I think I just spoke in circles.
I know there is a network at work. One that travels the speed of light and is like a intra-intranet within these walls of gray plaster and pail blue carpet. That special network of people who you know in the office that possess that "gift" of knowledge and foresight. That special ability to sniff out leads and find evidence that points to some piece of info given by someone in passing. They know everything about everyone and everyone knows something about someone!
I made the mistake of heading to my favorite gossip section of the building and making a comment about the fact that someone I knew recently got hired at a new job. Within milliseconds my IM starts popping. It was a text from one of the "people"...it read "X wants to talk to you..."
Oh hell! Somehow my comment has now made the headlines and secret agents are going to storm my office and take me away for opening my big mouth. I take a deep breath and think to myself for a moment. What in the world could they possibly do to me? This is a professional environment and we are all adults right???
I decide to head to X's office. I stick my head slowly in the door and see the individual with their head down. I softly speak and say "You wanted to talk to me?" I swear my voice cracked and I sounded like a 12 year old (Which happens alot apparently if you were to ask my wife...go figure).
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