Life Update

Wow, so things have been happening, despite my being too tired to deal with them appropriately.  Here’s are some of said things:

• Carrie’s Papaw passed away last Friday (the day before his dearly-departed/now-reunited wife’s birthday FTW), and we spent much of the weekend and this week with her family.  I’m fucking exhausted as a result, so I can only imagine how tired Carrie must feel (though, to be fair, I haven’t had a good night of sleep in weeks now, while I think she’s had at least 2).
• My Brother got engaged on a beach in El Salvador while the sun was setting, and they’re getting married 25-July this year.  Carrie & I aren’t engaged.  Yet.  (In other news, how in the fuck does one “top” the aforementioned beach proposal?)
• Finally got to meet Adam’s squeeze, Heather.  She’s awesome.  Nice, smart, funny, easy-going and just quirky enough to fit in.
• I think my inability to sleep well has really been catching up to me.
• Carrie & I saw The Watchmen, and thought it was incredibly entertaining, though a bit too long.
• I’m getting a new phone, finally.  My RAZR has been pretty much fucked since I tried to do an OTA update last year, and upon shutdown, discards any and all settings.  I’m getting a Blackberry Curve 8330 in the vibrant color of Titanium (aka “silver”).  Having a smart phone is gonna be fun… I think.  Which reminds me – how many porn sites are optimized for mobile browsers?
• My Parents are taking Carrie and I to The Masters this evening, where I will most likely order the filet.

That is all.

Extremism FTL

Over the last year or so, there’s been a lot of interest in politics, which is generally a good thing.  I think.  But the dark side of that is what seems to be extremism mixed with hypocrisy with a dash of my shit don’t stink.

I’ve sort of always felt that extreme political ideologies are never good, and history sort of indicates that’s not far from the truth.  Extreme Liberals are no better or right or less frightening than extreme Conservatives.  Extreme Conservatives are just as terrifying as extreme Libertarians.  Bill O’Reilly is no less scary than Keith Olbermann.  And on and on it goes.

I’ve seen people posting stuff on Facebook touting how we should just abandon anything that’s not purely Libertarian or Capitalistic (because unbridled Capitalism is perfectly euphoric and makes unicorns have multiple orgasms, or some shit like that).  I’ve heard people idiots complaining about what a terrible job Obama is doing, and how he’s destroying the fabric of our Country (and presumably raping and eating small children in Darfur).  These same people barely said a single fucking word about anything Bush had done during his term clusterfuck of a “presidency”.

Now, I’m no rabid Obama fan (I like him less every minute of every day), but pinning any of this shit on him is like pinning a basketball team’s 40-point loss on the 3rd stringer who comes into the game with 4 minutes left.  Its nothing short of grotesquely absurd.  When the DOW tanks, its Obama’s fault, but when it rallies, its just those darn markets being all wacky and unpredictable again.

Why is it that people on extreme ends of the spectrum almost never get it right, and can’t ever see that they’re just as fucked up as those they vehemently oppose?  Seriously – take a look in the mirror!  All too often in life, we find that things aren’t black or white, and are almost always a shade of grey somewhere in the middle.  The same applies to governing.  You can’t simply ignore failures or successes because you’re so ridiculously tied to some stupid ideology.  Not to get too high on the hyperbole horse, but terrorists are ideological, in case you hadn’t noticed.

I’m not suggesting I have the first fucking clue as to what the “right” or best way to do things is.  But that’s the point – I understand that I don’t fucking know!  Any ridiculous, extreme ideas I have are just as careless and wrong as ridiculous and extreme as ideas from people who oppose my ideology.  We all have ideologies.  We all have gut feelings on how things should be done.  But we also have to reconcile that with the fact that not everyone shares that ideology, and that the World is just way too complex for a one-size-fits-all approach.

What to Say to People Who Tell You Now’s a Great Time to Buy a House

Not that we’ve ever been very tempted, or really been in any position to buy a house here, but after the last year or so of watching the economy and housing markets fist-fuck themselves, I’ve been reminded time and time again that I’m infinitely grateful to not be tied down to the Metro Detroit area by a house that no one wants.  And reading this has reminded me once again:

Woe unto the person who is young and single and makes a reasonable amount of money and yet for some reason does not own a home. As soon as your status as a renter is revealed to a friend, relative, neighbor, or cashier, inevitably it starts: “But now is such a great time to buy. Don’t you want to build up some equity? Aren’t you tired of throwing your money away?”

Whenever I heard this in the past, I would always smile politely and say that, sure, someday I hoped to own a house. But the economy being what it is, and journalism being what it is, I couldn’t justify taking the risk of being pinned down in a city that might not have a job for me. This response never satisfied my friends and cashiers, of course. And I never really knew what else to say. Until now.

Richard Florida, the influential author of Rise of the Creative Class, had many provocative things to say in his terrifying look at America post-whatever-the-F-this-is. But the one that caught my attention was his point, persuasively argued, that our focus on homeownership is a large reason why we found our way into this mess to begin with. Says Florida:

“The solution begins with the removal of homeownership from its long-privileged place at the center of the U.S. economy. Substantial incentives for homeownership (from tax breaks to artificially low mortgage-interest rates) distort demand, encouraging people to buy bigger houses than they otherwise would. That means less spending on medical technology, or software, or alternative energy—the sectors and products that could drive U.S. growth and exports in the coming years. Artificial demand for bigger houses also skews residential patterns, leading to excessive low-density suburban growth. The measures that prop up this demand should be eliminated.

If anything, our government policies should encourage renting, not buying. Homeownership occupies a central place in the American Dream primarily because decades of policy have put it there. A recent study by Grace Wong, an economist at the Wharton School of Business, shows that, controlling for income and demographics, homeowners are no happier than renters, nor do they report lower levels of stress or higher levels of self-esteem.

And while homeownership has some social benefits—a higher level of civic engagement is one—it is costly to the economy. The economist Andrew Oswald has demonstrated that in both the United States and Europe, those places with higher homeownership rates also suffer from higher unemployment. Homeownership, Oswald found, is a more important predictor of unemployment than rates of unionization or the generosity of welfare benefits. Too often, it ties people to declining or blighted locations, and forces them into work—if they can find it—that is a poor match for their interests and abilities.”

Unemployment by State

Holy shit…

Incessant, Pointless Bitching

I’ve mentioned before how there are certain people where I work with a high degree of… displeasure regarding the recently elected President of the US.  Despite the basis for said displeasure, the fact remains that their displeasure is, in fact, their right.  As such, I don’t feel the need to ever speak my mind, as its quite obvious they’re not going to change theirs.

However, since the election, these two coworkers have been having daily (and I really mean daily – every single fucking day) bitch-and-moan sessions about how unavoidably fucked this Country is, presumably all-of-a-sudden (you know, because prior to 20-Jan-09, things were totally awesome, or something).  I’ve successfully bitten my tongue so far, but my resistance is fading.  Its not that I disagree with everything they say, or that I don’t respect their right to an opinion.  Its that I don’t see the value in whining like a little bitch on a daily basis, while at the same time not doing anything to improve the situation.  You know, like writing letters to your representatives in Washington – something I’ve done numerous times over the last few years.

If you want to bitch, fine, but if your conviction is only strong enough to warrant crying into an echo chamber with the 20% who agrees with you, perhaps its time to re-think your strategy.  Or just shut the fuck up.

I’m “this” close to telling them exactly that.

Is California About to Legalize Marijuana?

I read this rather sensational headline at John C Dvorak’s blog.  Of course, these things usually have several false starts before they’re actually passed, but given the State’s economic situation, it could be the right bill at the right time.

The proposal would regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21 years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis – all of which is barred by federal law.

Ammiano said taxes and other fees that accompany regulation could put more than a billion dollars a year into state coffers at a time when revenues continue to decline. He said he anticipates the federal government could soften its stance on marijuana under the Obama administration.

Time, Value and Opportunity

It was about 2 years ago that I last did a thorough evaluation on my market value and career opportunities, relative to my experience and skill set.  At the time, I was woefully underpaid (as compared to average national market value for what I do), and upon realizing this, went about preparing an argument to request a raise – after all, I was an incredible bargain.  And then it got weird.  Totally unprompted – almost magically, even – I was called in to my manager’s office, given a pep talk about my worth, along with a raise and a promotion.  And while this didn’t necessarily align me with my market value, there is something to be said for loyalty both on my and my employer’s part.

One of the key factors that drove my decision to evaluate my career at that point was my experience level.  At just over 2 years in, I had surpassed the restrictive “entry level” barrier and crossed into that oh-so-wonderful “experienced/non-manager” territory, and that’s a pretty massive step, in terms of responsibility, pay scale and the like.  And now here I sit, two years later, in an almost identical situation – evaluating my market value and opportunities.  And while some might scoff at the notion, given the economic downturn of the Country, I think they’d be surprised at the potential out there, for those with the right skill set.

So, I’ve begun looking at opportunities again, and I’m very pleased with what’s out there – if I wait for the right opportunity, I could double my salary!  So long as I’m open to relocation throughout most of the Country (I most definitely am), its almost as if there isn’t a recession going on, and this is especially true of the energy and IT/software/web fields.  It feels dirty looking for work while still securely employed, because I’m loyal to my employer because they’ve been loyal to me, and its a great place to work.  That said, business is business, and I’m sure part of my infatuation with working here has to do with it being my first white-collar job (its easy to be impressed by free coffee and paid time off after delivering pizza in college).

Despite the recession and otherwise shaky economy, there are opportunities out there.  Its time to find them, and realize my potential.

Pepsi Throwback

I’ve been on the hunt for non-HFCS soda for quite some time, and most recently have been finding  solace in Red Bull Cola.  Thankfully, Pepsi Throwback is on its way.

I’m Sick of Being Sick!

OK, so maybe I haven’t technically been “sick”, but I’ve certainly not been well lately, and its really starting to wear on me.

It started last year with my switch to new meds for my heartburn, which caused occasional side effects like headache, nausea and stomach pains.  Of course, as my body adjusted, the side effects subsided and everything was fine.

In a follow-up visit to my doctor, after having an upper GI to ensure I was ulcer-free (I am), he noticed that I had an umbilical hernia.  Its not a big deal, but it did require surgery, which I had over 2 weeks ago.  Of course, the recovery from that was pretty brutal, but overall not a big deal.  One of the problems I encountered during recovery, however, was that I carried myself strangely, so as to avoid causing pain to my abdomen.  In doing so, I ‘effed up my back pretty good.

When I mentioned this back pain to my doctor, during my recent surgery follow-up appointment, he checked out my back, and noticed that a few of my vertebrae (in my thoracic region, whatever the fuck that means) are turned slightly, which was causing back spasms.  Normally, he would’ve simply “adjusted” these vertebrae, but didn’t, so as to avoid possibly tearing the stitches in my abdominal muscles.  So, to alleviate the problem, he put me on a steroid which act as an anti-inflammatory.  Of course, the steroid comes with some nasty side effects, most notably headache, nausea, heartburn and dizziness.  I’ve felt like shit since last night, slept terribly and feel VERY hung over.

So, while things could certainly be worse (this stuff is happening when the weather sucks, so at least I’m not wasting valuable outdoor time, for example), I’ve felt pretty miserable in one way or another for weeks now.  Its getting old.

B is Back to Blogging

Over the last month, I stopped blogging.  I suppose it was sort of an experiment of sorts, in that I started blogging as nothing more than an online journal that helped me vent or whatever, and also kept friends and family up to date on random goings-on in my life.  When I stopped, I guess it was to find out if there was any value in it, from the viewpoint of whether or not it made me feel better.  As it turns out, it is helpful in getting things off my chest or simply to keep a log of what’s going on in my own life.

While on my hiatus, I wondered if blogging was a narcissistic act, and whether or not it mattered whether it was or not.  I think that yes, it can be narcissistic if you have expectations for your blog or journal or whatever, but if you’ve got no expectations, blogging is no more narcissistic than a diary – that is, not much, if at all.  That said, I’m a narcissistic person, so it doesn’t much matter, does it?