Why Do I Try To Understand People?

Why try indeed. I have a relative, through marriage that is, who had a great job and proceeded to let it slip through his fingers into unemployment. He had a job as a life insurance lead person in the office of this, of course, insurance company in England. It was such a great gig that he could have taken half the year off because he was, say, depressed and they'd ask him if he needed more time off. In this country he would have been fired for failure to return to work in the allotted time given. He was offered several promotions and he turned them all down because he didn't want to leave his 'mates' in the office. One day the office was told that they were being relocated to another city to work under a combined department, except for the supervisor since they already had one in place there. Goodbye! His 'mates' all went to the new office and he went on redundancy for several months until he found a laborers job for one third of his old pay, all physical labor. The people that took the jobs he turned down still have their positions and last reports show they haven't dug a single hole or filled any ditches yet!

How To Git a Job!

That's right Gomer, git a job. It's not as hard as folk will say if you don't panic and don't assume there aren't any jobs to be had. If you watch partisan news broadcasts that want to make the current administration looks bad you'll know there are NO jobs out there. If you leave your mind open to new ideas and non-partisan views you'll see there are jobs out there, you may just need to fine tune your search, and possibly yourself, in the process. You could just sit and complain and get deep down depressed. Relatives could say "what are ye doin' to git a job, Gomer?" and you could say "I'm lookin' through the job search engines pa" and hope they understand. The best way would be to talk to an employment counselor at the local job bureau about what is available and how to market yourself to the jobs that are there, that's what they do, that's why they're there. From there you can hit the bricks the old fashioned way or go online and hit many company's all at once. 20 resumes in the hands of hiring managers is better than 3 or 4 for a days work of lookin' fer work!

Finally, My Vacation is In Sight!

Here I am wanting to take a trip and I still haven't taken care of my insurance since I got my new 'higher' rate. I guess I've put it off for a little while now, say a few months worth of time. The wife is busting my chops to do something before we get out the door to take my vacation. I'm glad I looked at the calendar to see when all the political and retail stuff had peaked first. What I need to do is find a reputable web site where I can get honest, competitive car insurance rates. I really don't want to deal with the Aunt Flo company. That name brings negative things to mind that I won't discuss here. I have my health insurance all set but I can't get car insurance with the old company because they are in the middle of switching underwriters, whatever that means and of course the price has to go up. I don't know, at what point have I paid for a whole new car in premiums? If I'm ever going to get out of the country, or at least the state, I better contact someone tomorrow. That's what I like about the internet, it never sleeps!

Hard Times and Hard Decisions

I would have to say, without a doubt, one of the most difficult places to be employed, let alone be responsible for, is a health care facility in these times of varying insurance coverage and medical predispositions with so many people looking for affordable health care. I did work for a company that provided health care in the Boston area for several years when things were going along pretty well and they were considered the 'good times' and working conditions were nice, to say the least. This was before the current times when you needed to get a life insurance policy before having surgery, if you can afford the surgery that is. This was before the economic crunch that we have been spiraling into for the past several years where health care insurance is also getting harder to get every day. In these environments the management of these medical facilities becomes ever more important, not that it was ever less important, to attract and retain top medical talent such as surgeons, medical doctors and support personnel such as LPN's, RN's and CNA's and administrators with their support staff to name but a few, or so. I tip my hat to all of those dedicated people who basically devote their lives to their professions in health care as it can be demanding and rewarding at the same time! Good job guys and gals!

Bygone Days of Good Cartoons.

There was once a time where it was actually enjoyable to watch a cartoon on television. Nowadays it's like watching a CGI movie with too much actual detail and not enough imagination. I remember watching Yogi Bear, Space Ghost, Tennessee tuxedo and Chumley, Quick Draw McGraw, Secret Squirrel, and especially Johnnie Quest, to name but a few. The new stuff they have today removes the imagination quotient from a child's mind and supplies the answers as it moves along, almost like reading a text book. These characters were walruses, penguins, bears, squirrels, moles, boys, dogs, and scifi space heroes. What's not for the imagination of a child to dial into. When a young mind is allowed to spread open their imagination they set a positive trend for their future lives by allowing their minds to analyze, interpret, and anticipate new and different situations. A straight lined mind where answers are easily obtained cannot move in non-linear directions as it's not imprinted in their brains to adapt to changing variables that move from left to right and back again but rather back to front only. It's kind of like Captain Kirk's reasoning and decision making compared to Mr. Spock with only logic to fall back on. That was an imaginative simile. Hmmm.

What's Considered The Best?

That's right, what is considered the best. We spend most of our lives seeking it because we're told we desire only the best and should settle for nothing less. Who decides what's the best for me? What's the best car for me to get? What's the best insurance for me? What's the price for the best medical insurance? Who'll give me the best term life insurance quote? What bank or company do I go to to get these best policies? What kind of food should I be eating for my own personal needs and who's to say it's my best choice? I don't know who and I don't think I'll ever know who or what might make that choice, right now it's just me making those decisions. It would be nice if I had a super smart robotic assistant to advise my all the time but being human is just, well, being human. I'll have to make my choices and hope they were wise ones for later on. On the car front I'd like either a Ford F150 or a Ford Mustang Roush edition, I'd probably get picked out a Kia instead!

I Thought I Got To Choose.

I got two credit cards a while back from the same unmentioned financial company and both were different. I have one with % back on purchases which I don't mind but the other is for miles which I never use. I never asked for the mileage card but there it is. Every month I get my statement telling me how much I owe and how many miles I've accumulated so far. I don't care. I just want the credit card to have a reasonable rate of interest that I can use when I need it, not an airplane card for an airline that I never fly on. I like that Blue jet with the high leather seats though-out and video screens on the back of every seat, which is also priced the way I like it. I have a few others that I don't use much anymore but I keep them because they're older accounts that give me better credit worthiness than newer cards can. Before closing accounts that you don't wish to use, make sure they're not over 10 years old as these are the best ones to keep even if you just buy a tank of gas with them once in a while to keep them from being closed due to lack of activity.

SciFi Meets Larry Flynt?

I remember when a short skirt on Star Trek the Original Series was considered risque and just plain daring. I don't pretend to be Mr. Upstanding Straight-and-narrow by any means. I'm not a prude or puritan either. I'm just kind of curious where their clothes went all of a sudden. The best guess would be to me that Europe has finally made an impact on the American scene where the stuffiness of television and the main screen cinema is concerned. I enjoy the new freedom they have given the actors and directors in allowing productions to use sexy costumes with sexy aliens. If you want to look at it from an outer space viewpoint, do you really think aliens would be wearing thongs while fighting enemy beasts? I think not but that's my thinking on it. I wonder what it's going to be like in 10 years?

What is Worth?

Really, what is worth nowadays? Is it having cash, currency, mulah, gedis, scratch, greenbacks, C notes, Lincolns? No, it isn't anymore. These currency descriptions all mean dollars, except in other countries of course. What are they worth today? Have to read the newspaper or go to a web site to find out. There used to be a time I could tell you based on what the paper said a couple of days ago, not anymore. The paper/coin currency market is unstable at best and not worth a kings schilling to invest. The dollar has done more bouncing than can be seen at the NBA championships. Just not a good investment. I, for one, wish I had put some serious money into gold when it was affordable, today it isn't even funny unless you did buy it early. Gem stones such as diamonds(remember what currency they chose for the alien in The Day the Earth Stood Still?) and other precious and semi-precious stones are still a good option and they don't wear out because they are stones(in simplest terms), still and always should be, a good investment. Platinum is also a good mineral to buy as is copper but silver has been off since the old west was mining it. Watch out for the cash for gold schemes as they're geared for profit for the buyer, not the seller and there are some very unscrupulous dealers out amongst the legitimate ones so seller beware!

Summertime In Florida, Almost!

It's funny, and also sad, to see so many tourists trying to make the best of things in Florida right now. The BP oil spill/eruption has put many businesses on alert for possible long term disruptions and many that would normally visit the Gulf Coast cities such as Tampa and the cities of the Panhandle, are now looking inward. Visitors are looking at the NASA Space Coast and Orlando vacations that are chocked full of popular theme parks, not to mention the Keys(until they start to see tar on the beaches), Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami. It's unknown how long it will exactly be before the Atlantic coast is effected during this crisis, all the way up the mid-Atlantic states then out towards Europe due to a Northern trough that will push the currents eastwards. It is hoped that Georges Bank will not be impacted as the fish stocks would be decimated. Right now, central and eastern Florida are still excellent destinations that should not be overlooked, just bring a poncho or umbrella, the afternoon rainy season is upon us.

I Can't Stomach the Loss

There is an issue I have not written about in quite a while but should be addressed again because it does impact our lives and that's obesity. Not only is obesity a physically harmful condition but it also leads to excess waste that must be disposed of, since excess consumption leads to excess waste. The best way, all around, is to treat the obesity, especially stomach fat loss to reduce heart impact concerns, and everything else will follow. Probably the best way we currently have for surgically treating this condition is a minimally invasive, laparoscopic surgery, to attach a small device known as the LAP-BAND® System. The doctor makes small incisions to allow an inflatable silicon strap to be placed at the upper portion of the stomach. The other, non-invasive ways are through prescription medications and OTC supplements, such as fat burners. People who have done this procedure have seen dramatic weight differences, for the better. Obesity is a leading cause of Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), heart disease, and Diabetes in America.

Oily Buildup Is No Longer A Shampoo Issue!

1989, the Exxon Valdez and it's incompetent captain succeeded in spilling apprx 257,000 barrels of crude oil into Prince William Sound in Alaska. At the time it was thought this would be one of the worst catastrophes of all time concerning oil pollution. This title really didn't need to be passed, and then some. British Petroleum (BP) is now responsible for probably the biggest crude pollution tragedies in modern times. What an honor to attain. Their attempts at capping the well worked as much as finding diet pills that work. One report suggested using a 'nuke' to implode the sea floor onto the well and cap it that way. I guess by doing that we'd have plenty of glowing fish to light up the oil that will be circling up Florida's east coast and north to the mid Atlantic states then over to Europe where BP execs can view it out of their office windows. The point is that with all the contingency plans that people and companies and governments make every day, why there was never one for this type of tragedy. No one thought it could ever happen or no one wanted to think about the expense of a disaster plan and follow through. To late to plan one now!

I Don't Like Needles In My Face.

I'm at that age where my skin isn't as elastic as it used to be. I accept that and don't feel I need to compete with anyone to be the tightest face in town. I could really care less. It would, however, be nice to look less older than I am without those painful Botox shots in the face that need to be done every so often. No thank you please! I don't feel that bad about a few wrinkles. I figure that I did contribute to them by all those years of cigarette smoking which I only have myself to blame for. There are alternatives though. I recently read an article about a topical Botox, prototype 37c, that works very close to what the shots will do and can be applied as needed WITHOUT a needle. That I can live with. A few wrinkles add character to a person so long as you don't look like a hound dog. How many Hollywood actors have seen their careers skyrocket with age. It lends credibility, and a certain amount of respect, when you have some grey and a few wrinkles. It's almost like the sailor in the Old Spice commercial or the cowboy riding the range. Looking at it from a woman's perspective I think it would be a great benefit, especially since it virtually eliminates the potential Joan Rivers look a needle could deliver.

Fruit Juicing is Good, Performance Juicing Isn't!

Why on Earth would someone who makes millions of dollars a year (lots more than me) put their career at stake to use an illegal growth hormone? You think that's a stupid question that is self-answering? Think again! It just doesn't make sense because they face contract termination and even jail time, not to mention disqualification of awards and entry into their respective Hall's of Fame being removed. Look what happened to Pete Rose for making a bunch of bets. Gambling is a sickness but they didn't care because it said in the rules that you couldn't do it, no matter what the situation and the same goes for HGH injections. It creates an unfair player advantage and will also cut ones life short. Remember Mark Mcguire and the home run derby he had with Sammy Sosa? Where is Mark now? Without the added 'help' he was getting he couldn't do it. Just to be a better baseball player? How did that make him better? It didn't, it just gave him an unfair advantage over the other players that did did what they did but legally. Just plain stupid but from their perspective I can kind of understand it, not condone it, just sort of understand it. When the players start to fall away from their career highs they start to fear trades and/or non-renewal of their contract and being put out to pasture while the younger, stronger players take their place. They don't need to be taking what is illegal when they could take human growth hormone that is legal and will work to allow their own body to manufacture what cannot produce enough of anymore. HGH manufactured in them by their own body. If the body still won't produce it with the use of legal supplements than it won't produce it! Keep working out and pray you didn't make a wrong decision by not going to college when you had the chance. It's not worth the risk to you or your loved ones to get 'juiced', and I don't mean oranges and apples!