“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” Those, now infamous, words of Charles Dickens parlayed well with the first quarter of the twentieth century. The United States had just come out of, what was then, the “Great War.” Coupled with the troops return home, the government’s expenditures for the war lead to a substantial increase in Gross Domestic Product. This transition from a war-time economy into a peace-time economy lead to the “Roaring Twenties,” and a time of great economic prosperity.

Over the course of the decade, the ability of the American people to buy new cars, houses, and other good began to weaken. At the time, the weakening economy was masked by a bull market that gave the appearance that the increase in wealth, through stocks, would never end. However, that aura of invisibility did end. On October 29, 1929, known to many as “Black Tuesday,” the stock market crashed. Within a couple of months investors had lost nearly $40 billion dollars, uninsured deposits caused banks to fail and spending had nearly come to a halt. The “Great Depression” began.

In 1935, rather than letting the business cycle correct itself, President Franklin Roosevelt introduced an economic stimulus plan known as, the “New Deal.” The overarching goal of the plan was to sure up the economy, reform business and financial operations and give aid to the unemployed and worker’s who had lost their pensions. While many of the programs lasted only until World War II, one of the largest programs still in existence today is Social Security.

From its compassionate, early beginnings Social Security was an attempt to limit what some saw as the dangers of modern American life. This included providing benefits to retirees, the unemployed, and lump-sum benefits upon death. This social insurance act established the framework for the American welfare system.

Upon its inception, the Social Security program was meant to pay benefits out of a large reserve fund. However, an amendment in 1939 changed the system to a “pay as you go,” model. With the switch, the fundamental flaws and numerous problems of the Social Security program began to come into light. In addition to the problem of the pay as you go model, Social Security increased the size of the government, not only in expenditures but also in its encroachment on personal liberties. With the changing demographics of the public, and without major reform, Social Security is on a path to insolvency.

Unlike private insurance or private pension models, Social Security was designed (after the amendment in 1939) to pay out benefits before adequate contributions had been amassed. The monies were to be collected by a payroll tax known as FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act), under the guise of making it appear as though people were contributing to a fund that was designated specifically for them. In reality, nothing could have been further from the truth. Essentially, benefits of current retirees were to be paid for partially, and sometimes wholly, out of the contributions of current workers. Although a partial reserve was set up by investing surplus Social Security taxes into government bonds, those reserves were far from sufficient to cover accrued liabilities. Since the reserves were in government bonds, they amounted to little more than IOUs that would have to be redeemed by future taxpayers. When those workers eventually retire, their benefits, in turn, depend on the ability and willingness of the next generations of workers to pay. This threat was either overlooked or ignored, despite the final report of the 1937-1938 Advisory Council on Social Security proclaiming, “No benefits should be promised or implied which cannot be safely financed not only in the early years of the program but when workers now young will be old.”

As mentioned previously, when tax revenues exceed the paid benefits, the surplus funds are placed into the Social Security Trust Fund. In turn, the trust funds are invested in special government treasury bonds. This cash flow helps ease other financial pressures on the government and the general fund budget, but has created a perfect storm for failure in regards to the Social Security program. Based on the OASDI (old age, survivors, and disability insurance – official name of Social Security) Trustee’s report in 2007, the program cost will begin to exceed its tax revenues in 2017. When the time comes for the next generation to begin drawing on the trust funds to pay out benefits, the federal government will face a very difficult fiscal situation. If Social Security is to pay out the promised benefits, the government will have to find the money to repay what it borrowed from the trust funds, with interest. However, the federal government doesn’t have any cash or other assets with which to pay off the bonds. It can obtain the cash only by borrowing and running a larger deficit, increasing taxes, or cutting other government spending. By 2041, the Social Security Administration projects the trust funds to be empty, and the tax revenue to only be able to finance 78 percent of the scheduled annual benefits.

“The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” (Margaret Thatcher)

If financing of Social Security weren’t an issue, there is still the notion of the changing demographics of beneficiaries and tax payers. Longer life spans and changing birthrates have dramatically affected who retires, how many years of retirement are supported, and how many people in the work force provide the funds necessary to support the retirement system. Thanks to significant advancements in health care and standards of living, larger portions of the population are living beyond their adult years and into old age. When Social Security was first introduced only 54 percent of men and 61 percent of women born in 1875 would survive from age 21 to age 64 in 1940, the first year benefits were available. In contrast nearly 72 percent of men and 84 percent of women who were born in 1925 survived to age 65 in 1990. The Social Security Administration projects that the amount of years retirees will live past retirement age will approach 20 in the coming years, thus placing a larger burden on tomorrow’s tax payers.

The birthrate is another major demographic factor that strongly affects both benefits and taxes within Social Security. Following the baby ‘bust’ of the Great Depression, the post World War II baby ‘boom’ swelled the size of the labor force and increased Social Security taxes during their working years. Beginning in 2010, however, the leading edge of the boomers will start to retire. After that, the retirement population is expected to increase dramatically, while the size of the working-age population will have become rather stagnant due to the low birthrates since the mid-1960’s. By 2030, about one-fifth of the population is expected to be receiving Social Security benefits. Compared to the 16-to-one workers-to-retirees ratio in 1950, today that ratio is 3.3-to-one, and is expected to hit 2.2-to-two, putting a huge burden on workers as they pay for retiree benefits in an intergenerational transfer of wealth.

“Security will never come from a Social Security system in an expansive welfare state. It can only be realized when the source of security is discovered to lie within the individual himself.” (Hans F. Sennholz)

The annual cost of Social Security benefits represented 4.3 percent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2007 and is projected to increase to 6.1 percent of GDP by 2035. Further, the $500 billion spent on Social Security benefits made it the largest government program in the world and the largest expenditure in the federal budget at 20.9 percent, compared to 20.1 percent for military expenditures. This massive amount of spending does more than create financial burdens on tax payers it also encroaches on personal liberties, as it allows government to determine retirement ages, incomes, and investments.

Keep in mind that the government produces nothing. Thus, when it gives benefits to its citizen, whether ‘free’ or at a bargain cost, it must first had to have taken it from the citizens, in hidden or direct taxes. Then is returns a portion of the benefit at its discretion. If a welfare state truly worked, then as the nation became more affluent, you would expect the need for welfare to diminish, but in fact the opposite seems to be true.

One of the issues of infringing on personal liberties is the fixed retirement age. Cases can be made for both raising and lowering the retirement age. If the age were raised, more taxes would be paid in, and fewer benefits would be paid out, thus lowering the overall program cost. Likewise, if the retirement age were lowered, many workers may opt to retire early, while they have good health and can enjoy their leisure time, post-career. The United States has already seen a movement in that direction, especially in the more affluent, that choose to retire early. Another benefit of a lower retirement age is the potential job opportunities for unemployed youth.

In addition to the age itself, there is the so-called “retirement test,” that penalizes recipients of Social Security benefits that opt to supplement their income with additional work. If the program is truly a social ‘insurance’ rather than a means-tested benefit, recipients should receive benefits as a mater of right.

Another concept to consider is that Social Security is somewhat of a forced pension plan. Workers pay 7.65 percent of their income into the program which is matched by their employer, for a total of 15.3 percent. Self employed persons bare the entire burden. If an average college graduate made $30 thousand per year, and never received a raise, they could expect to pay $664 thousand in Social Security taxes over the course of their working life. For those taxes, they would receive $3.5 thousand per month in benefits. The rate of return is negative 1.85 percent. However, if they had been able to invest all of their taxes into a personal retirement account, and a conservative rate of return of 4.89 percent, they would have a total of $1.8 million when they retired, and would receive monthly benefits of $15.5 thousand dollars. Instead, they miss out on $11.8 thousand monthly, under the guise of ‘insurance.’

By giving workers the choice to determine their own retirement, they could yield a much higher rate of return. With that, the more money retirees made, the more they would spend, which ultimately would increase the total economic gain.

Without mentioning the rate of inflation and the decreased buying power of the dollar, it is easy to see that the Social Security program in America is flawed. From its inception it could be labeled as a pay as you go “Ponzi scheme,” that has greatly increased the size of government, created a welfare state, and infringed on the personal liberties of its citizens. Without drastic changes to the way the program is funded, or to the benefits that are received, the program will be bankrupt by the mid twentieth-first century.

We are a nation in peril. The economic foundation that has provided many American’s a great opportunity is being attacked. Stocks are plummeting, oil prices (until recently) have been through the roof, business credit is frozen, houses have lost over half of their value is some markets, and tax paying citizens are now on the hook for over $700B in what is being called a Financial ‘Rescue’ Plan.

We must take control of Federal spending. As a country, we are over $10 Trillion dollars in debt. That equates to nearly $34,534 per citizen. We cannot allow that number to increase, and must work toward reducing the burden. In 1997 the Clinton administration worked with the GOP controlled congress to enact the Balanced Budget Agreement. The essence of the agreement was to restrain the growth in spending and cut taxes over a 10 year period. Although, clearly not followed, our government needs to run like any corporation; we need a balance sheet that controls expenses in relation to income. The man to do this, is John McCain.

On top of all of that, we are still engaged in a war in Iraq. A war that was mistakenly dubbed ‘mission accomplished.’ A war that has now lasted longer than WWII. Regardless of whether or not you support the war in the geographical area known as Iraq, we are at war against terrorism. There is a grave threat still looming in the Middle East, and it must be resolved. The United States is the leading country in the world, not because we wanted it, not because we strived for it, but because our form of government has produced it! We need a Commander-in-Chief that understand this threat, and will work on the offensive, rather than the defensive. That man, is John McCain.

On the home front we are faced with another battle by way of illegal immigration. Understand that we are all immigrants. Unless you are Native American, this was not your family’s original home. For over the last 200 years, we have made this nation into what it is today. The United States of America. We’ve become an empire recognized and sometimes despised globally. However, to continue this empire, we must stop the influx of illegal immigration. We must secure our borders. If you understand world history you will know that the great Roman Empire fell due to the illegal German immigrants. The Germans did not believe in paying taxes and began taking the land, and calling it their own. The Roman natives began to change their culture as they agreed with the Germans. Today, we read about Rome only in the history books. Unless we want to follow the same fate, we need to elect John McCain.

In regards to taxes, we all know that if we want a sound national infrastructure we have to invest in it. That said we must have a clear understanding of how our tax system works. Considering our tax code is over 67,000 pages, that is pretty tough to do. Know that, 70-80% of all businesses in the United States are small businesses. Thus, the number one issue crippling innovation is payroll taxes. It is the small businesses that create jobs for America. When they want to expand, they have to look at the tax implications of hiring additional staff. Lowering capital gains will do nothing for these businesses. We must also understand that large corporations do not pay taxes. They simply pass that expense on to the consumer. It is estimated that our current tax code is embedded in the price of our goods and services by the amount of 22%. We need these business owners, both large and small. The Federal government is not in a place to create jobs. If we truly want the economy to rebound, we must elect John McCain.

For too long now, the citizen’s of this great country have propped up their lifestyle by way of debt. In fact, the most aggressively marketed product in this country is debt. Countless people are making $40K a year, but living on $75K-$80K with nothing in savings. We’ve bought houses that are bigger than what we need and allowed people to purchase more than they can afford. We’ve seen people spend more money on cars than they put into a retirement account. We must get this inline and instill a sense of personal responsibility in people. Our current credit crises has been perpetuated by our overextended consumerism. The man to help us along this path, is John McCain.

I could belabor points forever, but I will choose to stop here. In five days we will cast a vote for a President who will lead us out of our current situation and set the path of this country for years to come. The man we need is John McCain.

After a great day of golf yesterday – I came back to check my email messages and I find “Infringement of Hasbro, Inc.’s MONOPOLY® Logo.”

Immediately, I laughed and said to myself “yeah right.” First – why in the world would they care about my logo, and second – HOW in the world did they find MY blog??

Now, anyone who knows even the slightest about me knows that my absolute favorite board game of all time is… MONOPOLY!!! So, when I wanted to officially start blogging (somewhere other than MySpace), I decided to create an ‘online brand’ for myself. There are several things that could be used to describe me - Monopoly, entrepreneur, Captain Morgan, Marine, Republican, etc.

I took all of those things into consideration and decided that since my life as an entrepreneur always seems to have me in a world of chaos – I needed to include that word. Okay… so we have part of the brand – what else? I really do love Monopoly so, I wanted to find a way to incorporate that as well. As I thought to myself about what a ‘monopoly’ was I mixed that idea with my conservative Republican nature, and decided that since our (Republican) beliefs are the only ones that should matter – we want to ‘monopolize’ the country. Thus – Monopolized. Put the two together, and you get Monopolized Chaos!

PERFECT! Jim Brown IS – Monopolized Chaos.

So, what’s next? I need a logo – right? Of course I do – I have to also rely on my design background! What would represent my new brand and persona better than the Monopoly logo? After doing a little digging, I figure out what font they used to create the logo, changed the name to Monopolized, and the color to orange (my favorite color – again, has to represent me), added Chaos, and viola!!! We have a logo!

Fast forward nearly six months later and I get the letter below from Hasbro demanding that I immediately cease the use of my ‘infringing’ logo. Are you serious? Again, I ask the question, HOW in the world did they find my blog? But it gets better – read the letter…

Hasbro states that the use of my logo will cause “confusion with respect to Hasbro’s authorization or sponsorship of or association with your activities,” and further the use of the logo will, “dilute the distinctive quality of the MONOPOLY® logo.”

Still laughing.

I guess I should feel honored that Hasbro thinks that my little blog on my portion of the internets (Insert George Bush parody here), will impact so many people that it will cause confusion of their brand.

Wow.

So today was Easter.

A friend of mine, Pat Coyle, posted a question today on Smaller Indiana, that made me desire to respond. The question was “Can Easter Eggs really walk on water?” Although asked tongue in cheek, the point of the question was, what is Easter all about? Are we celebrating a miracle that occurred 2,000 years ago? Or is today just about eggs and bunnies?

This whole idea of Jesus, or more so, “God” has made me question a lot through the years. Recently, in an effort to find the truth, I’ve been studying this topic pretty heavily the last few months. I’ve struggled with the idea of how one religion could be right and others wrong. I’ve wondered if we were all praying to the same “God,” but calling him different names.

Then something really stood out to me in my readings, and it was the life of Jesus. Jesus did indeed walk on this earth, as a man. Nearly all religions have testament to this, including, Buddhism. That said, the man, Jesus, made claim to be one and the same with God and his deity.

In looking at that, Jesus’ comments came off as blasphemy, and he was punished, and ultimately crucified for this. However, let’s consider our options here, either Jesus was a) telling the truth, and indeed was our Lord, or b) he was committing blasphemy, and thus, was a liar. Those are our only two choices.

Okay, let’s consider these choices: Lord or Liar?

In Hinduism, they consider Jesus a great guru, and some even say he is an avatar (incarnation of God on earth). Mahatma Gandhi, considered Jesus a teacher and inspiration. In Islam, Jesus is known as Isa and is one of God’s highest-ranked and most-beloved prophets. These are only a few examples, but if these two strong religions have this to say about Jesus… how could he be seen as a liar?

Jesus then said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

I think I’ll continue to celebrate his crucifixion and resurrection, minus the bunnies and eggs.

“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he’d learned in seven years.”
-Mark Twain

Isn’t it interesting? Isn’t it ironic? As children, mainly teenagers, we seem to know it all. We’ve ‘been there, and done that.’ What could our parents possibly know, that we do not? We rebel and disagree, sometimes, just for the sake of doing so.

When I first came across this quote, almost a year ago, it made me stop and think. Wow, how true. Growing up, my father and I were nowhere close to being on the same page. My dad was a hard working laborer, who could do anything with power tools. He liked to hunt and fish, but that was about the extent of his sportiness. Myself on the other hand, I was a geek, and still to this day, do not like to get dirty. While mediocre in ability level, I was also an athlete; football, baseball, and basketball were my sports.

Often times my dad would try to teach me things, or get me to tag along with him for the day. I had no interest. I would rather sleep until noon and then bang on the keyboard of my computer for the rest of the day. Thinking back, I sure did miss out on some great life skill experiences.

Today, my dad and I are growing to become best friends. I love, and thus miss, him more and more every day. Our conversations are actually starting to contain a lot of substance, and I thoroughly enjoy the time that I get to spend with him.

These days, I call my dad for almost everything. “How do I…..” Anything from keeping the toilet from constantly running to when to plant grass seed. It has to get on his nerves, and I’m sure he sometimes thinks, “boy, if you would have only listened to me when you were younger…” Oh well, gives me good reasons to call him!

One of the lessons my dad did teach me (although, I thought he was out of his mind for the longest time), was not to borrow, anything. I was not allowed to borrow video games, money, toys, anything. I was told that if I couldn’t afford it, I didn’t need it. Boy, did I think that was unfair. All of my friends got to, why couldn’t I? I wish it would have stuck with me then, but just as the quote insinuates, it took me “seven years” to realize he was right. If only I had listened to him then, I wouldn’t have credit card debt, an expensive car payment, or even two houses, both with mortgages. I would also have a heck of a lot more actual cash in the bank.

Oh well. I wonder how much smarter he’ll be in another “seven years.”

With a little over eight months until the 2008 Presidential election, many are starting to ask the questions that will ultimately decide their vote. That said, I have THE question to help you decide which way you should cast your ballot:

Who’s job is it to take care of you? (Pick One)

               Mine           The Government’s

I am a huge proponent for personal responsibility and believe strongly that it is NOT the government’s job to take care of me. Thus, whoever is elected will not make my life any better… however, they could make it worse. As I continue to live in a free, capitalist society, I can continue to work hard, create jobs, and ultimately create more wealth, but if the government continues taking more and more in the way of taxes and regulations, at what point do entrepreneurs throw their hands up and say “It’s not worth it?”

Why am I so adamant about this? Let’s look at a few issues:

Housing/Real Estate/Mortgage Crises – Many people have seen their adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) rise over the last year, and have pointed their fingers at the government and said, “fix this!” Others have seen the value of their home drop significantly, and have been unable to get out from underneath their situation. They too, have pointed the finger government’s way. Is this the government’s fault, or even their place to fix the situation? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Home ownership is not for everyone. Most likely those who have ARMs in all reality, could not afford the house they purchased to begin with, and had to opt for a less than favorable financing arrangement. Why in the world should the government bail you out?

Retirement/Social Security – This is probably one of the most evident places that government should not be involved. Why in the world as an able-bodied, working citizen, would I (or should I), ask the government to take my money and hold on to it for when I retire? To me, this idea basically says, “work your whole life, spend everything you have, and then, we will take care of you.” How about we throw a little bit of personal responsibility in there and A) live on less than what we make, B) invest our own money in good growth stock mutual funds, and C) take care of our own retirement. It’s shocking to me that the government has a plan that tells me I’m not smart enough to take care of my own money, yet their program is inching closer and closer to bankruptcy every day.

Universal Health Care – Oh boy, this is a big one these days. Now, not only am I not smart enough to take care of myself during retirement, I guess I’m not smart enough to take care of myself during my working years either. It looks like big government is about to strike again and start taking care of our health care for us. Having served in the military, I’ve seen Universal Health Care at work, and it’s not pretty. Yes, all prescriptions are filled for free. Yes, all surgeries are performed for free. Yes, all check-ups and regular care is free. However, the quality of service is subpar. Think about it this way, if a doctor has his patients given to him, guaranteed that they will keep these patients, and then told they will only make half of what a private doctor would make – what would motivate this doctor? If you answered absolutely nothing, you would be correct. What would drive innovation? Discovery? Medical breakthroughs?

Regardless of your thoughts on these issues, how about we ask a different question, where does the money come from for these government programs? It comes from able-bodied, tax-paying citizens, and the more we make, the more they take. Kind of sounds like a redistribution of wealth to me, and correct me if I’m wrong, doesn’t that sound an awful lot like socialism? If we continue to let government take care of us, when does it end? What’s next? Are they going to provide housing for us? How about a car? Why not go ahead and throw in season tickets to our favorite sports team!

It really is the little things in life that matter the most. I have been extremely happy lately. From a macro level it has been pretty easy to figure out. I enjoy the business that I am in, and the tasks that I complete on a daily basis. I have a wonderful girlfriend who is amazingly kind to me. I’m enjoying my studies in school. But why is this making me as happy as I am?

I believe the overarching happiness is better seen on a granular or micro level. For instance, one of the reasons I’m actually writing this blog today, is because I got a little bit of prodding from a new friend in my life that knew I had made a commitment to blogging once a week. After not seeing any words coming from me for well over a month, I got a pleasant email from her basically reaffirming my commitment to myself. Having friends that care enough to hold you accountable is a nice feeling. Thanks Julie.

Another thing that put a huge smile on my face today was a little trip to the mail box. In today’s world of digital communication, email, voicemail, texting, etc, it’s a rarity to get meaning snail mail. Today was different. Being Wednesday, I have grown accustomed to it be “Junk Mai Day.” The day you get all the flyers and coupons to places you never go to – you get these too right? J Well today I pull out what I expect to be junk and low and behold, I found a hand written envelope from a friend I haven’t talked to in quite a while. It was a little heavy, so I ripped it open to find a card, along with a Monopoly Board magnet. Scribbled inside was just a note that said she had been thinking about me. It was perfect. Thanks Ellen.

And I can’t forget my wonderful girlfriend. For the first time ever I feel a sense of true completeness. I don’t mean that in the Jerry McGuire “You had me at hello,” way, no, it is a total feeling of being whole. She has all of the attributes I could ask for. She’s beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, and ambitious. But more importantly, it’s the little things; the way she looks at me, the way she kisses me, and the way she just wants to be with me. Thanks Kathy.

It really is an odd feeling more me. I’m not used to being genuinely happy for an extended period of time, but after a week of carrying a big smile on my face, I’m kind of getting used to it. I’m enjoying the little things.

More to come.

***Disclaimer***

I’m sure this post will piss some people off, and that’s okay. I have never said I was perfect when it came to money, but the following examples are just moronic.

Our country is in trouble. Not because of looming terrorist attacks. Not because of the invasion of privacy known as the Patriot Act. Not because social security is running out.

No, America is in trouble because we are on the verge of becoming a cashless society. It is bad enough we went off the gold standard a few years ago. What does that mean? Well, basically it means that the money you have in your wallet is not worth the ink it is printed on. Wonder why the dollar is not worth as much as other foreign currency? It used to be that each dollar printed was back by its weight in gold. Nowadays, if the government needs money, they just print it.

My concern actually is not with the government. It is with the banks, credit card companies, and other lending organizations that are financing the bankruptcy of America. My dad once taught me that if you cannot afford to pay cash for something, you don’t need it. Wow… if only I had listened to him. Instead I managed to get myself in the typical routine of living beyond my means, and like most Americans, racking up the credit card debt. Then one day, I woke up. I realized that if I didn’t change the way I was living, I was never going to get out of debt.

Nowadays, I live on a budget, I quit using credit cards, and I’m working my way out of the whole I dug. For anyone who has reached the bottom like I did, and is looking for some inspiration and a little help on planning your path to get back to the top, I recommend Dave Ramsey’s – The Total Money Makeover. The best thing about Dave, is he just tells it the way it is. If you are a moron, he is not going to put sugar on things—he will simply tell you that you’re a moron.

Once you make up your mind to live a debt free life, you will be amazed at some of the things you see right in front of you. Sometimes you’ll want to help, but after your advice falls on deaf ears so many times, you simply realize that those people are comfortable living pay check to pay check, and you can’t help them. The best is those people that talk about ‘good’ debt and ‘bad’ debt. The fact is, if you are in DEBT – it is bad. PERIOD.

So what are some of the things that have amazed me?

• I know someone who recently went on a vacation that was paid for entirely on a credit card—one month after over-drafting their bank account more than once. Does that make any sense at all? If you’re over-drafting your bank account, do you really think you need to go on vacation?
• I know someone who went over a year without any kind of employment, yet insisted, that he was too good to drive anything less than a brand new $35,000 car that they pays $400/mo for let alone the insurance. Wow. God bless credit cards.
• I know a single person who makes less than $35,000/yr that bought a house. What was hilarious was they got a 90/10 loan. Now, you might be thinking, well, that’s good – they put down 10%. If that were the case, I would shut up. But no, their parents paid the 10% down, so in all reality they took out a 100% loan on a house. WOW. I’m all about home ownership, but take a look at all the cookie cutter homes and bank foreclosures and you will start to see the picture that is being painted. Home ownership is NOT for everyone.
• I know a person who is waiting until January to buy presents for his friends and family for Christmas. I first thought – this is GREAT!! They are going to wait until they have the cash to pay for the presents. Unfortunately, that is not the case. They are waiting to get their financial aid check for school. Yes, that is correct they are using money meant for education to pay for frivolous gifts. I hope Sallie Mae at least sends them a Christmas Card every year!
• This is the best one… I know someone who drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee… good car, wish I had one. They traded the Jeep in for a Lexus RX350 and the $600/mo payment that came with it. After a year, the Lexus wasn’t ‘good’ enough for them and they traded that in for a Land Rover, as well as the $800/mo payment. Now, less than a year later, they are looking to trade it in again for a Mercedes M-Class and the $1000/mo payment. Really????

I guess the point of this blog goes back to the title – “Act Your Wage America!” People need to realize that if they cannot afford to live the ‘high life’ that’s OKAY!!! A friend of mine once told me that life is a marathon, not a sprint – what a brilliant concept. What happened to saving money until you can buy the things you want?!?

Maybe I should become a bankruptcy lawyer?

The presents have all been unwrapped. Leftovers will be served to unsuspecting individuals for the next week. Festive lights and decorations will soon be taken down to prepare for a new year.

Ah… Christmas, as the song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

As my girlfriend and I drove from parents house to parents house and back yesterday, something struck me. Now for those that know me, you know I have no problems conjuring up a political squabble from time to time. This time I will mix a little bit of religion in the mix. Did anyone else notice that EVERYTHING was closed yesterday? Seriously, even Wal-Mart (the devil in disquise) was closed yesterday. Doesn’t that seem a bit odd? In a country where we are no longer allowed to utter the word’s “Merry Christmas” in fear of being reprimanded, every single business was closed on Christmas day.

Why?

Why is it that in a country where nativity scenes breach the boundaries of the seperation of church and state all businesses were closed on Christmas? Why is that in a country that was founded on Christianity, are those same Christians being suppressed to the point of not being able to say “Merry Christmas” because it might offend other religions, yet, everything was closed on Christmas? Why is that the big box retailers have taken “Christ” completely out of “Christ”mas, again because it is not politically correct, but they rely on Christmas sales to guide their profits for the year?

All of these things kind of just struck me at once, and I needed a place to vent my frustrations. After talking about it with my girlfriend, she said to me that it sounds like another goal for this year just made itself apparent. I need to work on my own faith.

After growing up in the church and understanding enough to build the foundation of my morals and beliefs, I, like most teenagers, strayed away in search of answers. During my four years in the Marine Corps I got a bit closer to the big man upstairs, but never really latched back on to the “every Sunday church-going experience.” In recent years I’m maintained the same level of belief. I know there is a greater being, a creator, a “god,” but for some reason have not been able to call him, “God.”

Therefore, in light of my disgust for the politically correct, I will make it a priority to find the answers that I need to grow stronger in my faith of Christianity.

Merry Christmas

For me, 2008 will be the year of self improvement on many fronts. I’m the type of person who always has several things going on. Whether it is business, personal, social, or whatever, I’m usually juggling 10-15 things at a time.

So, why will 2008 be any different? If you have not read Tony Robins – Lessons in Mastery, I highly encourage you to do so. He talks about an idea called CANEI, which stands for Constant and Never Ending Improvement. That concept motivated me to start this blog.

Men’s Health wrote an article this month about how to make goals more effective, and thus, more attainable. Thus, this blog serves two purposes: it lets me put my improvement goals in writing, and by making them public, it allows for others to hold me accountable. To recap their three step approach:

1. Put it in writing
2. Make it specific, realistic, and measurable
3. Put a date on it

That being said, I will outline my goals for 2008, adding as many specifics as possible. My goals, as well as the posting in this blog, will cover several topics all wrapping around the central idea of personal development. If you read this I ask that you help me attain these goals by challenging me, and holding me accountable.

Business:

• Identify and join two organization boards by June 31.
• Acquire and retain 20 clients on set monthly retainer by August 31.
• Speak at a minimum of 12 events by December 31.

Personal:

• Workout 3x/week resulting in desired weight of 190 lbs and 32” waist by March 31.
• Take a ‘real’ vacation to Hawaii, by July 31.
• Increase vocabulary. I’m not exactly sure how to measure this, but the following goal is a step in the right direction.
• Read two books monthly – one business book and one personal development book.

Financial

• Reduce total debt by 25% by December 31.
• Improve credit score by 50 points by June 31.
• Quit using credit cards completely January 1.

There they are. As of December 24, 2007 those are my goals for 2008. I know more will come into play, and I know I have others that aren’t measurable. I will blog about all of them, but these will be my starting points for the new year.

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“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” – Benjamin E. Hayes