Ok, It's getting late and I just noticed a disturbing trend on TV. It seems to be the era of dating services, and the ads on TV portray young 20 something trying to be sexy and acting like they are the typical demographic. OK, I do not believe this is true, however, the commercials are a little rediculous. To the point that they're funny to watch. I can sit here all night and poke fun at the wanna be model/actress's on these commercials, but I will not succomb to my desires (hee hee).
It was funny until my 13 year old daughter walked in and expressed an interest in the commercial. From my own point of view, I thought the commercial was funny, however, when my daughter experienced an interest, it made me sick to my stomach. Five years ago, this type of stuff wasn't on until late at night; now with the advent of cable, you see more and more sexual content on commercials, TV shows, and even infomercials. Between Viagra, Penis Enlargement, Ribbed for your pleasure sex content, it's amazing that people are questioning the early maturity of our youth. I remember when TV was considered virgin in respect to todays content, so I can safely say that although more liberal than my wife, I still feel weary about what is coming up next or what commercial is going to be shown.
Let me know if you think I'm too conservative, liberal, or just plain off base.
While you do this, and while you think and ponder the lessons given, Please reflect on your situation, the scenario unfolding daily that has some sort of impact on you. Good Luck!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Home and Bothered
Between contracts and running out of money is a little stressful. Where do we go and what do we do when we find ourselves into this very type of situation? If you have an answer, please let me know. My bishop counseled me in trying to have a weekly date with my wife, and to try to have fun. You know, release some stress that may bottled up. That is a terrific thought if there's some money, you know, 5 bucks or so. If you don't you find a problem of gas money, emergency money in the event something happens. I find myself sitting at home trying to find myself in this ever growing situation.
The economy appears to be in a tight spiral downward over this credit crunch. In case this is read in the future, we are in a potential problem arising for free flowing credit and the lessening of reqard for credit risk. If you are in credit, you will know terms like debt to income ratio, asset allocation, etc, and for some reason, with the ever growing housing market, the desire to find their place into this burgoening industry, banks and other financial institutions have relaxed their credit requirements to lend to those with not so savory credit. Thus a higher credit risk, and when they lent on Arms, floating interest rates, etc, customers have found themselves in a world of hurt when the Fed's rose the interest rates to curb inflationary factors. By doing this very thing, people started loosing the very asset they pursued, their homes. With foreclosures on the rise, these financial institutions were finding themselves in a credit crunch themselves and unable to extend their own lines of credit with the very risk they had helped to create. When that happened, companies were closing their doors because they were unable to fund these deals. In an attempt to correct or curb their potential loss, they also made it extremely difficult on securing financing on new applications, even those that had a very stable credit history were being declined.
There have been posts of companies pulling out of their deals right before the customer signed their closing papers. As I type this, the Fed's are currently lowering the short term discount rates, the rate at which financial institutions can borrow funds, and since it's now lower, it has allowed consumer confidence to rise. With this rise, they may also lower other interest points to help curb other negative inflationary rates. Most likely, this will reinforce the negative lending habits that were so relative in the late 90's and early part of this century. I believe in history, in that we have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. That includes short term as well, and I hope this correction has scared others into being responsible with their lending practices.
I can go on with other examples of incompeting and irresponsible lending practices, but I would like to hear from anybody else about what they are tired about.
The economy appears to be in a tight spiral downward over this credit crunch. In case this is read in the future, we are in a potential problem arising for free flowing credit and the lessening of reqard for credit risk. If you are in credit, you will know terms like debt to income ratio, asset allocation, etc, and for some reason, with the ever growing housing market, the desire to find their place into this burgoening industry, banks and other financial institutions have relaxed their credit requirements to lend to those with not so savory credit. Thus a higher credit risk, and when they lent on Arms, floating interest rates, etc, customers have found themselves in a world of hurt when the Fed's rose the interest rates to curb inflationary factors. By doing this very thing, people started loosing the very asset they pursued, their homes. With foreclosures on the rise, these financial institutions were finding themselves in a credit crunch themselves and unable to extend their own lines of credit with the very risk they had helped to create. When that happened, companies were closing their doors because they were unable to fund these deals. In an attempt to correct or curb their potential loss, they also made it extremely difficult on securing financing on new applications, even those that had a very stable credit history were being declined.
There have been posts of companies pulling out of their deals right before the customer signed their closing papers. As I type this, the Fed's are currently lowering the short term discount rates, the rate at which financial institutions can borrow funds, and since it's now lower, it has allowed consumer confidence to rise. With this rise, they may also lower other interest points to help curb other negative inflationary rates. Most likely, this will reinforce the negative lending habits that were so relative in the late 90's and early part of this century. I believe in history, in that we have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. That includes short term as well, and I hope this correction has scared others into being responsible with their lending practices.
I can go on with other examples of incompeting and irresponsible lending practices, but I would like to hear from anybody else about what they are tired about.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Experience in Life
Finding the soul of a person through their words becomes an art in itself. I have been revisiting every conversation that I have had over the past 5 years to see exactly where my life has made its specific turns. How did I end up here? Why am I languishing over past jobs like they were appendages? I see my life as if I was the ship stuck with in the glass bottle with no where to turn, and no hopes of escaping in one piece. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my family, since they are the ones that I wake up every morning with a drive to help them succeed. I just cannot seem to get the same motivation for myself, which in turn, makes me miserable in all that I do.
Am I depressed? No, I really do not think that I am. Now, the medication would be an interesting play on this scenario, but for now, I will leave it out. I must take the fifth amendment on this question, only because I am finding myself facing a part of my psychie that I do not like. Rather, part of myself that does not seem as flattering. I rate myself as a wannabe hack, one that has aspirations to do more, however, fail to complete anything that he starts. Again, my recollection of events. You ask those around me, I do a good job at anything that I set my mind on, and I exceed expectations. Again, the bilateral view of my life only bears down further on how screwed up I really am. In high school, I used to councel students that callin into my own suicide prevention line. I had a large number of students from all over calling me to just talk through their problems. I actually had a purpose in life, you know, something that actually helped people. I can pretty much add up how I feel about myself from a series of events that happened a long time ago. I was a sophmore in high school and my friends were partying pretty good. Ok, they were out of their minds wasted, but I wasn't. I had stepped out for a moment when I heard the loud pops, you know, the sound that m80 fireworks sound like. Loud and hollow metallic sound emenating from the room that I had just left. Apparently, the person's house that we were at had a loaded gun under their couch. This is what they were able to pick up, I had walked in after they were playing a game called quarters, which is a game that the person that doesn't make the quarter into the others glass, they had to drink or chug the entire contents. Well, that mixed with some habituates, caused them to escalate their behaviors. Mind you, I had been gone for about 10 minutes before the accident happened, but they pulled a gun out and decided to play Russian Roulette. My good friend pointed the gun and pretended to shoot the gun to show the others that nothing would happen. Well, the next event would change the lives of so many people. The next person proceeded to put the gun to their head and pulled the trigger, and with the gun being fully loaded, managed to dislodge his face onto the other two. They panicked and while grabbing the gun, it apparently went off shooting my friend into the throat, ending is life immediately. The third, being in an escalated paranoid delusion cause by the trauma around him took his own life. I had heard each shot, the entire event took less than thirty seconds, but in that time, an eternity had passed.
The parents didn't want to hold services for any of them, the school swept it under the carpet, and the media used it as an example of students gone awry. I took over 200 calls in the following weeks, and each person that called me didn't know that I was the only witness to what they were doing before this awful event.
I do not have any point to this, however, I will be following up with some more content to possibly do each person justice, and provide some insight to their lives and how they touched so many people.
If you have any stories that you want to share, please do so. Sharing will lift the vail of anger and pain, since sharing with others that care, you can start to heal. It's been over 15 years since my tragedy, and I am finally taking my own advice.
Am I depressed? No, I really do not think that I am. Now, the medication would be an interesting play on this scenario, but for now, I will leave it out. I must take the fifth amendment on this question, only because I am finding myself facing a part of my psychie that I do not like. Rather, part of myself that does not seem as flattering. I rate myself as a wannabe hack, one that has aspirations to do more, however, fail to complete anything that he starts. Again, my recollection of events. You ask those around me, I do a good job at anything that I set my mind on, and I exceed expectations. Again, the bilateral view of my life only bears down further on how screwed up I really am. In high school, I used to councel students that callin into my own suicide prevention line. I had a large number of students from all over calling me to just talk through their problems. I actually had a purpose in life, you know, something that actually helped people. I can pretty much add up how I feel about myself from a series of events that happened a long time ago. I was a sophmore in high school and my friends were partying pretty good. Ok, they were out of their minds wasted, but I wasn't. I had stepped out for a moment when I heard the loud pops, you know, the sound that m80 fireworks sound like. Loud and hollow metallic sound emenating from the room that I had just left. Apparently, the person's house that we were at had a loaded gun under their couch. This is what they were able to pick up, I had walked in after they were playing a game called quarters, which is a game that the person that doesn't make the quarter into the others glass, they had to drink or chug the entire contents. Well, that mixed with some habituates, caused them to escalate their behaviors. Mind you, I had been gone for about 10 minutes before the accident happened, but they pulled a gun out and decided to play Russian Roulette. My good friend pointed the gun and pretended to shoot the gun to show the others that nothing would happen. Well, the next event would change the lives of so many people. The next person proceeded to put the gun to their head and pulled the trigger, and with the gun being fully loaded, managed to dislodge his face onto the other two. They panicked and while grabbing the gun, it apparently went off shooting my friend into the throat, ending is life immediately. The third, being in an escalated paranoid delusion cause by the trauma around him took his own life. I had heard each shot, the entire event took less than thirty seconds, but in that time, an eternity had passed.
The parents didn't want to hold services for any of them, the school swept it under the carpet, and the media used it as an example of students gone awry. I took over 200 calls in the following weeks, and each person that called me didn't know that I was the only witness to what they were doing before this awful event.
I do not have any point to this, however, I will be following up with some more content to possibly do each person justice, and provide some insight to their lives and how they touched so many people.
If you have any stories that you want to share, please do so. Sharing will lift the vail of anger and pain, since sharing with others that care, you can start to heal. It's been over 15 years since my tragedy, and I am finally taking my own advice.
Experience in Life
Finding the soul of a person through their words becomes an art in itself. I have been revisiting every conversation that I have had over the past 5 years to see exactly where my life has made its specific turns. How did I end up here? Why am I languishing over past jobs like they were appendages? I see my life as if I was the ship stuck with in the glass bottle with no where to turn, and no hopes of escaping in one piece. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my family, since they are the ones that I wake up every morning with a drive to help them succeed. I just cannot seem to get the same motivation for myself, which in turn, makes me miserable in all that I do.
Am I depressed? No, I really do not think that I am. Now, the medication would be an interesting play on this scenario, but for now, I will leave it out. I must take the fifth amendment on this question, only because I am finding myself facing a part of my psychie that I do not like. Rather, part of myself that does not seem as flattering. I rate myself as a wannabe hack, one that has aspirations to do more, however, fail to complete anything that he starts. Again, my recollection of events. You ask those around me, I do a good job at anything that I set my mind on, and I exceed expectations. Again, the bilateral view of my life only bears down further on how screwed up I really am. In high school, I used to councel students that callin into my own suicide prevention line. I had a large number of students from all over calling me to just talk through their problems. I actually had a purpose in life, you know, something that actually helped people. I can pretty much add up how I feel about myself from a series of events that happened a long time ago. I was a sophmore in high school and my friends were partying pretty good. Ok, they were out of their minds wasted, but I wasn't. I had stepped out for a moment when I heard the loud pops, you know, the sound that m80 fireworks sound like. Loud and hollow metallic sound emenating from the room that I had just left. Apparently, the person's house that we were at had a loaded gun under their couch. This is what they were able to pick up, I had walked in after they were playing a game called quarters, which is a game that the person that doesn't make the quarter into the others glass, they had to drink or chug the entire contents. Well, that mixed with some barbituates, caused them to escalate their behaviors. Mind you, I had been gone for about 10 minutes before the accident happened, but they pulled a gun out and decided to play Russian Roulette. My good friend pointed the gun and pretended to shoot the gun to show the others that nothing would happen. Well, the next event would change the lives of so many people. The next person proceeded to put the gun to their head and pulled the trigger, and with the gun being fully loaded, managed to dislodge his face onto the other two. They panic'd and while grabbing the gun, it apparently went off shooting my friend into the throat, ending is life immeditately. The third, being in an escalated paranoid delusion cause by the trauma around him took his own life. I had heard each shot, the entire event took less than thirty seconds, but in that time, an eternity had passed.
The parents didn't want to hold services for any of them, the school swept it under the carpent, and the media used it as an example of students gone awry. I took over 200 calls in the following weeks, and each person that called me didn't know that I was the only witness to what they were doing before this awful event.
I do not have any point to this, however, I will be following up with some more content to possibly do each person justice, and provide some insight to their lives and how they touched so many people.
If you have any stories that you want to share, please do so. Sharing will lift the vail of anger and pain, since sharing with others that care, you can start to heal. It's been over 15 years since my tragedy, and I am finally taking my own advice.
Am I depressed? No, I really do not think that I am. Now, the medication would be an interesting play on this scenario, but for now, I will leave it out. I must take the fifth amendment on this question, only because I am finding myself facing a part of my psychie that I do not like. Rather, part of myself that does not seem as flattering. I rate myself as a wannabe hack, one that has aspirations to do more, however, fail to complete anything that he starts. Again, my recollection of events. You ask those around me, I do a good job at anything that I set my mind on, and I exceed expectations. Again, the bilateral view of my life only bears down further on how screwed up I really am. In high school, I used to councel students that callin into my own suicide prevention line. I had a large number of students from all over calling me to just talk through their problems. I actually had a purpose in life, you know, something that actually helped people. I can pretty much add up how I feel about myself from a series of events that happened a long time ago. I was a sophmore in high school and my friends were partying pretty good. Ok, they were out of their minds wasted, but I wasn't. I had stepped out for a moment when I heard the loud pops, you know, the sound that m80 fireworks sound like. Loud and hollow metallic sound emenating from the room that I had just left. Apparently, the person's house that we were at had a loaded gun under their couch. This is what they were able to pick up, I had walked in after they were playing a game called quarters, which is a game that the person that doesn't make the quarter into the others glass, they had to drink or chug the entire contents. Well, that mixed with some barbituates, caused them to escalate their behaviors. Mind you, I had been gone for about 10 minutes before the accident happened, but they pulled a gun out and decided to play Russian Roulette. My good friend pointed the gun and pretended to shoot the gun to show the others that nothing would happen. Well, the next event would change the lives of so many people. The next person proceeded to put the gun to their head and pulled the trigger, and with the gun being fully loaded, managed to dislodge his face onto the other two. They panic'd and while grabbing the gun, it apparently went off shooting my friend into the throat, ending is life immeditately. The third, being in an escalated paranoid delusion cause by the trauma around him took his own life. I had heard each shot, the entire event took less than thirty seconds, but in that time, an eternity had passed.
The parents didn't want to hold services for any of them, the school swept it under the carpent, and the media used it as an example of students gone awry. I took over 200 calls in the following weeks, and each person that called me didn't know that I was the only witness to what they were doing before this awful event.
I do not have any point to this, however, I will be following up with some more content to possibly do each person justice, and provide some insight to their lives and how they touched so many people.
If you have any stories that you want to share, please do so. Sharing will lift the vail of anger and pain, since sharing with others that care, you can start to heal. It's been over 15 years since my tragedy, and I am finally taking my own advice.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Home and Bothered
Between contracts and running out of money is a little stressful. Where do we go and what do we do when we find ourselves into this very type of situation? If you have an answer, please let me know. My bishop counseled me in trying to have a weekly date with my wife, and to try to have fun. You know, release some stress that may bottled up. That is a terrific thought if there's some money, you know, 5 bucks or so. If you don't you find a problem of gas money, emergency money in the event something happens. I find myself sitting at home trying to find myself in this ever growing situation.
The economy appears to be in a tight spiral downward over this credit crunch. In case this is read in the future, we are in a potential problem arising for free flowing credit and the lessening of reqard for credit risk. If you are in credit, you will know terms like debt to income ratio, asset allocation, etc, and for some reason, with the ever growing housing market, the desire to find their place into this burgoening industry, banks and other financial institutions have relaxed their credit requirements to lend to those with not so savory credit. Thus a higher credit risk, and when they lent on Arms, floating interest rates, etc, customers have found themselves in a world of hurt when the Fed's rose the interest rates to curb inflationary factors. By doing this very thing, people started loosing the very asset they pursued, their homes. With foreclosures on the rise, these financial institutions were finding themselves in a credit crunch themselves and unable to extend their own lines of credit with the very risk they had helped to create. When that happened, companies were closing their doors because they were unable to fund these deals. In an attempt to correct or curb their potential loss, they also made it extremely difficult on securing financing on new applications, even those that had a very stable credit history were being declined.
There have been posts of companies pulling out of their deals right before the customer signed their closing papers. As I type this, the Fed's are currently lowering the short term discount rates, the rate at which financial institutions can borrow funds, and since it's now lower, it has allowed consumer confidence to rise. With this rise, they may also lower other interest points to help curb other negative inflationary rates. Most likely, this will reinforce the negative lending habits that were so relative in the late 90's and early part of this century. I believe in history, in that we have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. That includes short term as well, and I hope this correction has scared others into being responsible with their lending practices.
I can go on with other examples of incompeting and irresponsible lending practices, but I would like to hear from anybody else about what they are tired about.
The economy appears to be in a tight spiral downward over this credit crunch. In case this is read in the future, we are in a potential problem arising for free flowing credit and the lessening of reqard for credit risk. If you are in credit, you will know terms like debt to income ratio, asset allocation, etc, and for some reason, with the ever growing housing market, the desire to find their place into this burgoening industry, banks and other financial institutions have relaxed their credit requirements to lend to those with not so savory credit. Thus a higher credit risk, and when they lent on Arms, floating interest rates, etc, customers have found themselves in a world of hurt when the Fed's rose the interest rates to curb inflationary factors. By doing this very thing, people started loosing the very asset they pursued, their homes. With foreclosures on the rise, these financial institutions were finding themselves in a credit crunch themselves and unable to extend their own lines of credit with the very risk they had helped to create. When that happened, companies were closing their doors because they were unable to fund these deals. In an attempt to correct or curb their potential loss, they also made it extremely difficult on securing financing on new applications, even those that had a very stable credit history were being declined.
There have been posts of companies pulling out of their deals right before the customer signed their closing papers. As I type this, the Fed's are currently lowering the short term discount rates, the rate at which financial institutions can borrow funds, and since it's now lower, it has allowed consumer confidence to rise. With this rise, they may also lower other interest points to help curb other negative inflationary rates. Most likely, this will reinforce the negative lending habits that were so relative in the late 90's and early part of this century. I believe in history, in that we have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. That includes short term as well, and I hope this correction has scared others into being responsible with their lending practices.
I can go on with other examples of incompeting and irresponsible lending practices, but I would like to hear from anybody else about what they are tired about.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Earthquakes in Utah
Growing up in the Western United States, one fact has always been true, It's not if an Earthquake will hit, rather When.
The Richter Scale was developed by Charles Richter in 1935 as a means of categorizing local earthquakes. It is a collection of mathematical formulas that measures the strength or magnatude of earthquakes. More specifically, it's a logarithmic scale that measures the amount of energy released during an earthquake on the basis of the amplitude of the highest peak recorded on a seismogram. Each unit increase in the Richter scale represents a 10-fold increase in the amplitude recorded on the seismogram and a 30-fold increase in energy released by the earthquake. Theoretically the Richter scale has no upper limit, but the yield point of the Earth's rocks imposes an effective limit between 9.0 and 9.5.
One of my houses was built directly on top of the San Andreas Fault in Southern California. This fault is one of the more active faults in the world, and is predicted to deliver a 7+ magnatude earthquake in the San Fernando Basin, near Los Angeles, CA. When I moved to Salt Lake City, UT, I was interested in the environment, such as skiing, hiking, mountain biking, NOT for earthquakes. The wasatch fault is apparently due for a magnatude 7+ earthquake as well. Now, it appears that I cannot avoid having the risk of earthquakes follow me, which is a little unnerving in it own. I started researching this fault line, it's active history, and the potential for destruction. After doing this, for the first time in my life, I am worried. The frequency of this fault shows activity approximately every 1300 to 1700, which according to geologic accounts is approaching 1700 years from the last event.
That type of frequency, the regularity of it has prompted a very profound urgency for emergency preparedness. 72 hour emergecy food kits, tools to shut off gas meters, and instructions on how to secure water heaters and other devices in the house. If an earthquake occurs, not only will there be the typical shifting of earth, a liquification due from the limestone/sandstone composition and high water table will cause extensive damage and deaths as a consquence. The apocolyptic view projected is a very real possibility and with the pressure constantly building and showing signs of stress due to the upshift in the plats have caused emergecy officials to publish seismic reports and safe zones in the cities and rural area's.
For an updated Image of Utah, Please go here http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/39.41.-113.-111.php
Father and Husband
I heard today that my wife and I may be expecting another child, our fourth. I have three other children by other personalities, and I hope this one will be able to relate to me in terms that I can understand, you know, sybil like.
Ok, bad joke. I normally don't talk about this, however, I think I need to publish how I feel about my family. I currently have One daughter (13) and two boys (12 and 7), and the addition on another child will make for a terrifically wild ride. I see alot of me in my children, and the two oldest were infact raised like twins, so again, my bad. They've developed into two very productive and intriguing individuals with views and personalities very complimentary and in some ways just plain funny.
Well, for my wife, she's a very stead fast kind of person. She doesn't like change, however, recently, I've really tested this mantra of her's. You see, health issues have presented some interesting problems, and I have also proceeded on a path to start my own business. As you can probably imagine, the stress level in my house has just elevated to a tune that will parallel the moon in distance. Yet, through all of this, she has supported me in every step, and it is just terrific. For the first time in my life, I am at a loss for words for how I feel.
The sparkle in her eye when she looks at me speaks of volumes, and for that, I am lucky for being in her presence, since it's a feeling like nothing else. We've been married for 14 years, 15 this November, and my feelings for her have grown stronger and stronger.
Ok, bad joke. I normally don't talk about this, however, I think I need to publish how I feel about my family. I currently have One daughter (13) and two boys (12 and 7), and the addition on another child will make for a terrifically wild ride. I see alot of me in my children, and the two oldest were infact raised like twins, so again, my bad. They've developed into two very productive and intriguing individuals with views and personalities very complimentary and in some ways just plain funny.
Well, for my wife, she's a very stead fast kind of person. She doesn't like change, however, recently, I've really tested this mantra of her's. You see, health issues have presented some interesting problems, and I have also proceeded on a path to start my own business. As you can probably imagine, the stress level in my house has just elevated to a tune that will parallel the moon in distance. Yet, through all of this, she has supported me in every step, and it is just terrific. For the first time in my life, I am at a loss for words for how I feel.
The sparkle in her eye when she looks at me speaks of volumes, and for that, I am lucky for being in her presence, since it's a feeling like nothing else. We've been married for 14 years, 15 this November, and my feelings for her have grown stronger and stronger.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
How Would You Fix the Countries ILLS?
How Would You Fix the Countries Ills
This question seems to fill each couch politician around the country. I would like to ask all of you what needs to be fixed and why. Also, a little bit on HOW you would solve these problems.
For example. The TAX code. Simple or Not. That is an inarguable fact. Some of the fixes out there that seem to be making some headway is applying a Flat Tax. This would work if there's no exceptions. For every exception, a new rule or policy needs to be enacted. Every time you do this, it does nothing except add more language that can be misconstrued to help others where the intent was not there.
Please take a moment to think about your answers and post your answers. I really want to know, and I want to research any questions that you may have!!!
Thank You,
This question seems to fill each couch politician around the country. I would like to ask all of you what needs to be fixed and why. Also, a little bit on HOW you would solve these problems.
For example. The TAX code. Simple or Not. That is an inarguable fact. Some of the fixes out there that seem to be making some headway is applying a Flat Tax. This would work if there's no exceptions. For every exception, a new rule or policy needs to be enacted. Every time you do this, it does nothing except add more language that can be misconstrued to help others where the intent was not there.
Please take a moment to think about your answers and post your answers. I really want to know, and I want to research any questions that you may have!!!
Thank You,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)