Career opportunities are there, you just need to see them!

I previously mentioned the need for good financial people in the current fiscal uncertainty we share, many people are needed that have the training and have ethics, unlike the last lot. I also brought up health care opportunities but the one I want to talk about in this post is the fast food industry. People have to eat and in trying times, with financial restrictions, people will be giving up going out to restaurants and doing more supermarket shopping for eat-in as well as visiting the lesser expensive take-away establishments like burger, pizza and sandwich shops for their personal and family meal needs. Consumers, especially parents, are looking for better nutrition that they can afford for their families which will lead many to avoid the grease pit fast food joints and opt for the more healthy 'you choose what you eat' shops. This brings up an interesting business concept that has been around for years but can be a gold ring for many that can take advantage of it. What I'm talking about is franchising and right now the people that are in place are in a great position to seize the fast growing, healthy directed, lesser priced take out food market. The economy isn't going anywhere for a while and people need affordable food that won't put them in the hospital with clogged arteries. That was said to me by a friend about the health non-benefits of the 'grease pits' that are still around.

I went through the list of the more popular food franchises and eliminated the 'unhealthy' ones and got down to a choice few. The top of my list was the Subway franchise. Why was this at the top of my healthier list? I've eaten there several times and each time I go I know exactly what I'm going to be eating. I choose what goes into my sandwich and I decide how high a degree of healthy the final product will be. I have a franchise just up the street from me (no, I don't have one myself yet) and I've been seeing their business leap up, even at dinner time when it used to be quieter. You don't need a crystal ball to see the future, just open your ears and eyes and pay attention to your surroundings.

I'll be looking at some good medical field positions soon and I'll try to identify some interesting employment directions for you!

What are you going to do for work?

I've been watching the news and other related venues where they discuss the failing employment situation in this nation of ours. In reality, the current rate as of this date in Wyoming is 3.2% up to 9.6% in Michigan. I'm sure this number, as reported by CNNMoney.com, does not take into consideration people who have been refused unemployment benefits and those that have used them all up. These numbers are very hard to accurately track. Adding a few more percent to the higher total would mean that at least 85% of the country is still working. I'm trying to be positive here folks! Now to the point I'm trying to make about employment. What fields are safe to go into? Well there's food service (gotta eat) and health service (ate too much?) to name just 2. How many people work for the golden arches this year as compared to last and how many of those swore that's the last place they would ever work!

There is another field that is worth a serious look, banking and finance! I know what your going to say about failures and frauds and mismanagement but stop and take a look. What do you see? I mean take a third person serious look and what you should see are opportunities! The failures had a reason(s), the frauds had perpetrators and the mismanagement had mis-managers identified and singled out as part of corporate cleansing. What else do most of them have in common? Government oversight for those that opted for bailout funds. What happened when these employees were routed out that failed to perform? Employment opportunities opened up across the board and some of the best positions were investment banker jobs and auditors. These are prime positions for bright motivated people who are looking to be successful in today's financial market. You can't rebuild a nation's finances without financial people. If you have a decent finance background or training check into it. It pays to be smart!

I have a few diet product ideas and recommendations.

Like I said in the title, I have a few diet product ideas and recommendations that I now need to explore, money-wise now! I spoke with my doctor and he, reluctantly, gave me some things to watch out for when I delve into diet pills and supplements. One of the things he said to be careful about was herbal substances, which many of todays diet products are based on. The problem for me and anyone else who has Hypertension (high blood pressure) is that some herbs can exacerbate your condition making it a riskier issue than it is for most people. Things like Ginseng and Guarana can actually increase your blood pressure without warning, which is why even if your doctor says no, you need to tell them you are and then what should you watch out for. Why take a blood pressure medicine if your going to negate the effects with something else and No, they will not cancel each other's effects. To think that way is the same as saying that if you eat a package of Twinkie's and was it down with a diet Coke there will be zero effect! I know a dumb-ass who thinks that way with a butt the size of a Lazy Boy reclining chair. There are products out there that are safe when you know what you can and can't take.

Always research the product(s) you are looking to purchase because there will always be differing opinions on the Internet about everything. Pricing, as I started to mention in the beginning, is always an issue and I have a good price shopper web site for you to check out before you buy any diet pills. Be smart, research everything, keep your doctor in the loop, and as always - use as directed! If one tablet drops 1 pound, 2 will not drop 2 pounds. Playing with diet products can be harmful if abused!

Tree Repairs are underway, finally!

I finally got the tree removal approved from the insurance company. This took a small amount of time because the neighbor kids were playing on it and the risk of a liability claim was now running high. The tree is gone and I had a screen company come out to look at it. I told them when I could be home and they said it didn't meet their estimate mans schedule so he would look at the damage and leave the estimate for me. When I got home it took me a half hour to find where he put the estimate. When he could have opened the front screen door and left it inside he chose to leave it on the ground behind a potted plant. I found it just as it was blowing away into the front yard. This company was not my first choice but rather the only company on the referred list that was still in business. These subcontractors got hit hard also when the construction industry in Florida went semi-bust!

The estimate was a bit confusing though. They left me a price for the insurance repair and a price for replacing ALL the screening on the enclosure. I just don't know where these prices intersect. I have to wait till a business day to call to see what it would cost to do the insurance work AND finish the rest of the enclosure, which would be out of my pocket. It would have been nice if he could have met me to go over the repairs because the insurance company already said if the estimate was reasonable they would give me the go ahead with just one estimate. I guess this screen company has enough work to keep themselves busy without my work. If I get a runaround I'll find someone that needs the work more. Keep America moving and support your local merchants.

The Truth Kinda Hurts

While trying to cope with the debris and other logistics regarding the tree that decided to take a nap on my pool enclosure I had a realization. I gotta lose some weight. I was hefting some, what used to be, easily handled debris and kept finding myself out of breath and those bend-over and pickup the branch moves suddenly got trickier to do than ever before. I wasn't out of breath due to my smoking because I quit that 2 years ago this May. It was the 'gut factor' getting in the way! The trouble is that I get up so early for work and get home so late. This leaves me almost zero time to exercise like I should because by the time I get home I'm too tired to do it. What I need is something that I can take to curb those munchy moments at work and home that isn't a scam. I don't believe in spending money on things that don't work because I have to work to get the money to spend on it! I figure that I should spend some time on the Internet and do some research on a diet pill and their effects and expected results and then decide. I'll probably get my doctor involved, even though he's an exercise advocate, and he's right about that too. Exercise is a necessary component to any weight loss program but I just need to get a jump start on the eating part of it. I'll keep you posted, as usual.

Looking for the Black Cloud over the house

I guess, as things go, that my household has been fortunate today. Where my mother in law would have been gardening, if she weren't in England for a funeral with my wife, at very large pine tree saw fit to fall onto my pool enclosure and taking out the whole rear corner. This is also where she was going to be doing gardening if she hadn't been called away for the funeral. If she were home it could have been her funeral. It does seem odd that a second micro burst hit this area twice in less than 6 months and each time a long standing growth came quickly down to the ground. I called the insurance company, reluctantly, to have an appraiser come to see it and let me know what my options are. If I'm not covered I will withdraw the claim and get a tree hauler to cut away the tree(25' tall by 4' around) so I can tarp the enclosure to keep my critters in and the wild ones out, then see about securing parts and a screener to replace some screens. I have a feeling the deductible will be as much as the repair. Oh well, at least it's something inanimate and everyone is unharmed by it. I'll post when I get more details from the insurance company. Guess I'll be taking some time off from work!

A Project I Can't Do Myself!

I got the bathroom installs finally done and I've got one last thing I need to take care of before she returns from the 'Old Country'. I need to replace my home security system. The old one was getting a bit annoying to the neighbors. I don't know why they would get upset when the garbage truck would set off the siren in the garage. How else would they know their barrels need to be brought in from the street. I know, it's not funny for anyone involved, especially the deputies that kept coming to the house for false alarms. Several of my friends have ADT systems so I figured I'd give them a call and see what they currently offer. I was surprised at how far home security has evolved. I remember when it used to be magnetic switches on the windows and doors along with motion sensors for the main rooms and outdoors(optional installs), and as always the call center was there when the system tripped.

The days of the 'one size fits all' home security system are dead and buried and anyone trying to sell you something that is, is a scam. Take for example that I have 3-$100,000 paintings I inherited from Uncle Carl and you have a copy of the painting of Dogs Playing Poker. Who needs more security than the other? The one price will leave someone either very short of protection or the other very over protected. Custom tailoring isn't just for slacks anymore. You need to have a complete assessment of your property done to tailor your security system for today into tomorrow. You want to be able to upsize or downsize according to your needs and the new ADT systems do just that. I trust them because they have been around a very long time and you still see the familiar placards on lawns in front of houses they protect. I do see other names here and there and some even switched to the ADT sign from the others.

The real reason I'm spending money on a reliable security service is this. The most valuable things in my house are the living ones, they can't be replaced by insurance or well wishes. Protection has to be up front and personal. I live in Florida and the warm climate here means something else besides walks along the beach and outdoor bars, it means crime is consistent for all seasons. One of the worst crimes we've seen a resurgence of are home invasions. Unfortunately, by the time police are notified through regular means the perpetrators are gone and the victims are either injured or dead. When that alarm trips, silent or loud, the ADT personnel are on the phone to you. No answer means immediate police dispatch to you. The fire detection feature will get fire equipment to you without a phone call when minutes count. I put in a link for you to get further information just as I did and you can get a free security analysis of your home by them, no obligation. There are many different options available to you to select from based on your needs. I placed a picture of the current internet offer they have for home use, it's a really good deal.

I've been busy lately, sorry!

I apologize for the lack of new and exciting content on this site lately. The wife had to leave the country due to a death in the family and the house is wide open for me to do all those menial things that everyone always gets in the way of, mostly me! I appreciate your readership and following and I will be back in the saddle shortly. No, not a brokeback saddle!

Dave

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to wish all my readers and followers and very Happy and Healthy New Year in 2009!

Dave

First of the Month!

White Rabbit! The Brits will know what I mean. :)