It's interesting.
After being at work for 60 hours in one week it's hard not to work. I've been on call this week.
And the chaos has finally subsided for a bit. But now I can't seem to do anything that isn't work. Sure, I've only got about 30 minutes to go. But its my free time. And I don't have anything that can't wait until after lunch.
I just can't seem to do anything that isn't work.
Weird, isn't it?
Or not really.
What you think about and what consumes you is what you do.
The more you do something, the more you think about doing. Talking about doing something doesn't count. That just counts towards talking.
Anyways... back to work. Or lunch. Whichever I end up doing.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
the passenger
It's been almost 10 years since I was last in Iraq. I've got to wait until March 2017 for that time line to pass. It's taken me that long to understand a few things. Probably the wrong things.
Such as: why was I so willing to die for my country? Why was I not willing to put the effort in to to my own interests?
I guess this is the conclusion I came to.
Regardless of who you are, you are going somewhere. You can easily think of it as a car ride.
The question is simple. Are you driving the car, or are you riding?
It doesn't matter which you are doing. You are going to end up somewhere. Would you rather that be a place you decided. Or would you rather it be a place someone else decided?
The interesting part of the equation is regardless of what you want to do, you are still going. The car is still driving. You can be in denial about that all you want. But it's still going somewhere. If you have children, think of yourself in the back yelling how you don't want to go to school as your parents take you to school. All that complaining didn't help then. It's not going to help now.
My days of dying for random ideas are gone. Now, I have concrete things to protect. I have people that depend on me. They are small and ornery some times, but I still love them. And they are still worth protecting. It's worth it to provide them opportunity.
So figure out what you want to do.
Do you want to control what you can about the journey? Or are you going to complain every step of the way.
Either way, you're going to end up somewhere.
Question is: is it a place you want to go?
Such as: why was I so willing to die for my country? Why was I not willing to put the effort in to to my own interests?
I guess this is the conclusion I came to.
Regardless of who you are, you are going somewhere. You can easily think of it as a car ride.
The question is simple. Are you driving the car, or are you riding?
It doesn't matter which you are doing. You are going to end up somewhere. Would you rather that be a place you decided. Or would you rather it be a place someone else decided?
The interesting part of the equation is regardless of what you want to do, you are still going. The car is still driving. You can be in denial about that all you want. But it's still going somewhere. If you have children, think of yourself in the back yelling how you don't want to go to school as your parents take you to school. All that complaining didn't help then. It's not going to help now.
My days of dying for random ideas are gone. Now, I have concrete things to protect. I have people that depend on me. They are small and ornery some times, but I still love them. And they are still worth protecting. It's worth it to provide them opportunity.
So figure out what you want to do.
Do you want to control what you can about the journey? Or are you going to complain every step of the way.
Either way, you're going to end up somewhere.
Question is: is it a place you want to go?
Monday, May 16, 2016
Start
Because you have an idea.
Because everything you think about that idea is wrong.
Because it's time.
Because it's worth it.
Because trying and failing is better than never having tried.
Because you don't want to be Al Bundy.
Because you currently are Al Bundy.
Because all the problems are in your head.
Because you aren't even aware of the real problems.
Because someday never comes.
Because you can.
Because you should.
Because it's still worth it.
Because failure is not an option.
Because if you don't start, you will fail.
Because there are more reasons to start than their are to not.
Because you are wrong.
Because you have the wrong reasons.
Because you have the right reasons.
Because you have no reason.
Because it sounds like fun.
Because you don't owe anyone an explanation for your dreams.
Because they are your dreams.
Because you can achieve them.
Because it's going to be hard.
Because it's going to be hard for reasons you aren't even aware of.
Because.
Because everything you think about that idea is wrong.
Because it's time.
Because it's worth it.
Because trying and failing is better than never having tried.
Because you don't want to be Al Bundy.
Because you currently are Al Bundy.
Because all the problems are in your head.
Because you aren't even aware of the real problems.
Because someday never comes.
Because you can.
Because you should.
Because it's still worth it.
Because failure is not an option.
Because if you don't start, you will fail.
Because there are more reasons to start than their are to not.
Because you are wrong.
Because you have the wrong reasons.
Because you have the right reasons.
Because you have no reason.
Because it sounds like fun.
Because you don't owe anyone an explanation for your dreams.
Because they are your dreams.
Because you can achieve them.
Because it's going to be hard.
Because it's going to be hard for reasons you aren't even aware of.
Because.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Thoughts
I read an article on Forbes a week or two ago about a person who was mad. I don't remember what the title of the article was, but it was humorous. It was one of the advice columns. The writer complained they kept jumping into startups and then the startups sold. The creator/owner made a killing while the employee didn't.
What was more humorous was how the author declared that having these high profile jobs caused them to buy a horrendously expensive house due to California's expensive real estate market.
The part that bothered me most was the author/responder didn't tell the person a fundamental fact. The person probably got caught up in the hoopla of the question.
The fundamental fact is this:
It is not your employers job to make you rich.
It is not your employers job to make you rich.
It is not your employers job to make you rich.
Do I need to say that again so that you hear it correctly and without question?
It is not your employers job to make you rich.
It is your job to make you rich.
Your employer agreed to pay you for the work you do. You agreed to work for that price. That is all. If you want to be rich, then quit waiting for your employer to make you rich.
I'll go with a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but I've heard it attributed to many different people.
The best way to predict the future is to create it.
If you want to be rich, start doing the things that will make you rich.
If you do not know how to be rich, go study people who are rich.
Quit waiting for someone else to make your future and go create your own.
What was more humorous was how the author declared that having these high profile jobs caused them to buy a horrendously expensive house due to California's expensive real estate market.
The part that bothered me most was the author/responder didn't tell the person a fundamental fact. The person probably got caught up in the hoopla of the question.
The fundamental fact is this:
It is not your employers job to make you rich.
It is not your employers job to make you rich.
It is not your employers job to make you rich.
Do I need to say that again so that you hear it correctly and without question?
It is not your employers job to make you rich.
It is your job to make you rich.
Your employer agreed to pay you for the work you do. You agreed to work for that price. That is all. If you want to be rich, then quit waiting for your employer to make you rich.
I'll go with a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but I've heard it attributed to many different people.
The best way to predict the future is to create it.
If you want to be rich, start doing the things that will make you rich.
If you do not know how to be rich, go study people who are rich.
Quit waiting for someone else to make your future and go create your own.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
CCNA class
The final class of CCNA prep is done today. I've got to take the final, and then the formalized class is over. It has been kicking me up one side of the street and down the other.
It's not that material is hard. It's just that there's a lot of material covered in an incredibly short time period. What is normally a 16 week class has been reduced to 8. And that's pretty crazy. That's nothing for many classes. But a bunch just turns college into some horrendous grind.
I guess colleges needed to find a new way to make money. And grinding students through faster always seems like a good idea. How much do I want to bet they are charging the same amount for the 8 week class as they were the 16 week class? Nothing.
Anyways. Once the class is finished, I need to start studying to take the CCNA. I'm aiming for about one month out for that. My goal is to have it done before July 1st. Maybe June 12th, as the place I take the test schedules on Thursdays.
Seems like that is the next thing I need to do. Schedule the CCNA, so I have a definite date in which I'm going to take the thing. Definiteness adds a sense of urgency.
It's not that material is hard. It's just that there's a lot of material covered in an incredibly short time period. What is normally a 16 week class has been reduced to 8. And that's pretty crazy. That's nothing for many classes. But a bunch just turns college into some horrendous grind.
I guess colleges needed to find a new way to make money. And grinding students through faster always seems like a good idea. How much do I want to bet they are charging the same amount for the 8 week class as they were the 16 week class? Nothing.
Anyways. Once the class is finished, I need to start studying to take the CCNA. I'm aiming for about one month out for that. My goal is to have it done before July 1st. Maybe June 12th, as the place I take the test schedules on Thursdays.
Seems like that is the next thing I need to do. Schedule the CCNA, so I have a definite date in which I'm going to take the thing. Definiteness adds a sense of urgency.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Why I homeschool
Something I've been thinking about lately. One of the local schools here said they were going to have to release teachers after the senior year because they didn't have enough students.
Good.
I feel sorry for the individuals. But for the school? I'm happy. Why should the populace accept such failure as we get at public education? There needs to be a culling. For people who's only answer is "spend more" it's time they learned to deal with the inadequacies of their methods.
For some reason, whenever I think of this I imagine either a teacher meeting with a dozen teachers lined up like the inquisition. That occasionally vacillates towards a giant room full of people.
So, let's talk about the socialization program in school. Let's discuss ages, curriculum, and time spent. Well, there's speech class. So socialization is taught in school at the very end to people who by and large are now phoning their effort in? Great teaching job. So if school isn't teaching proper social behavior, who is? That would be the other students. So you send your kids to school to learn how to socialize. They are then taught by people who are also learning how to socialize. And the teachers are doing what?
Guess no one ever thought of teaching power distance at an early age? Yet that's more of a defining characteristic for success than intelligence. Malcolm Gladwell spends an entire chapter on it in Outliers. That is one of the greater definers of a person's ability to succeed in life.
I know a person who was trying to get into college. Power distance defeated him until I gave him a pep talk. The college kept telling him he couldn't go, but he didn't understand why. I got him to ask until he know the answer and could explain it. After all that fight, turns out his FAFSA was turned in late so he couldn't get federal aid. If he couldn't get federal aid, he couldn't afford college (at least in his eyes). Now there is an answer. All it took was a little persistence and understanding of power distance.
And why is someone having to learn how to deal with people of greater authority at 20 as opposed to 5? Why all the deferral? Couldn't this have been easily taught in kindergarten?
It could have been taught. But that's not the purpose of school.
So we've beaten up on the first idea of public school. What about the rest of it?
What about those schools who profess their "quality of teaching"?
And I ask: in comparison to what? The children and adults of today have to compete on a global scale for many things. Being the only shoemaker in town doesn't benefit you anymore. Anyone can go on the web and order any individual item they want. Unless your profession is in the trades, you need the ability to compete globally. Even the trades aren't a good example.
Let me illustrate. Company A has a preferred electrician. The electrician does good work, and always fills the order as requested. Unless that electrician stops performing, Company A will continue to hire that electrician anywhere that electrician is licensed. 150 miles away? Pay the trip charge. 300 miles away? Pay the trip charge. Why? Because you know the quality of work you are going to get out of that electrician. And quality work is worth the extra expense. So hometown electrician isn't competing on those big jobs with Company A because Company A is going to hire the same person over and over again. Until that subcontractor pisses off Company A. And the subcontractor knows it. So that person makes Company A happy.
Once again, in comparison to what? To the local schools? According to Pearson, the United States is 14th overall, 11th in Cognitive Skills, and 20th in Educational Attainment. So "best of the best" in America is still pretty pathetic in comparison to South Korea. Or Japan. Or Singapore.
Unless you are being compared to the best, you are not the best. The cream of the crap is still crap.
How do you solve that problem? Pretty simple. Eliminate stuff in the daily class load, and spend more time in teaching each skill. Math goes from 45 minutes a day to 2 hours a day. When was the last time a student was at the board solving a problem in American public school? Once a week? Once a month? With homeschooling, that child is answering questions and getting direct solutions to problems every single class period.
What happens if one student falls behind in public school? Nothing. What about a lack of understanding? Also nothing.
Until the student fails school and can't move on because they didn't understand material that built on other material.
In home schooling, the class never has to go on until the student understands. Period.
There's probably more. I'm sure there is. But I'm done with the hippy failure mindset of the US. Go out. Be more than a conquer.
Opportunity abounds everywhere, yet many can't get beyond minimum wage. What has the education system taught those people? Why are they failing?
Good.
I feel sorry for the individuals. But for the school? I'm happy. Why should the populace accept such failure as we get at public education? There needs to be a culling. For people who's only answer is "spend more" it's time they learned to deal with the inadequacies of their methods.
For some reason, whenever I think of this I imagine either a teacher meeting with a dozen teachers lined up like the inquisition. That occasionally vacillates towards a giant room full of people.
So, let's talk about the socialization program in school. Let's discuss ages, curriculum, and time spent. Well, there's speech class. So socialization is taught in school at the very end to people who by and large are now phoning their effort in? Great teaching job. So if school isn't teaching proper social behavior, who is? That would be the other students. So you send your kids to school to learn how to socialize. They are then taught by people who are also learning how to socialize. And the teachers are doing what?
Guess no one ever thought of teaching power distance at an early age? Yet that's more of a defining characteristic for success than intelligence. Malcolm Gladwell spends an entire chapter on it in Outliers. That is one of the greater definers of a person's ability to succeed in life.
I know a person who was trying to get into college. Power distance defeated him until I gave him a pep talk. The college kept telling him he couldn't go, but he didn't understand why. I got him to ask until he know the answer and could explain it. After all that fight, turns out his FAFSA was turned in late so he couldn't get federal aid. If he couldn't get federal aid, he couldn't afford college (at least in his eyes). Now there is an answer. All it took was a little persistence and understanding of power distance.
And why is someone having to learn how to deal with people of greater authority at 20 as opposed to 5? Why all the deferral? Couldn't this have been easily taught in kindergarten?
It could have been taught. But that's not the purpose of school.
So we've beaten up on the first idea of public school. What about the rest of it?
What about those schools who profess their "quality of teaching"?
And I ask: in comparison to what? The children and adults of today have to compete on a global scale for many things. Being the only shoemaker in town doesn't benefit you anymore. Anyone can go on the web and order any individual item they want. Unless your profession is in the trades, you need the ability to compete globally. Even the trades aren't a good example.
Let me illustrate. Company A has a preferred electrician. The electrician does good work, and always fills the order as requested. Unless that electrician stops performing, Company A will continue to hire that electrician anywhere that electrician is licensed. 150 miles away? Pay the trip charge. 300 miles away? Pay the trip charge. Why? Because you know the quality of work you are going to get out of that electrician. And quality work is worth the extra expense. So hometown electrician isn't competing on those big jobs with Company A because Company A is going to hire the same person over and over again. Until that subcontractor pisses off Company A. And the subcontractor knows it. So that person makes Company A happy.
Once again, in comparison to what? To the local schools? According to Pearson, the United States is 14th overall, 11th in Cognitive Skills, and 20th in Educational Attainment. So "best of the best" in America is still pretty pathetic in comparison to South Korea. Or Japan. Or Singapore.
Unless you are being compared to the best, you are not the best. The cream of the crap is still crap.
How do you solve that problem? Pretty simple. Eliminate stuff in the daily class load, and spend more time in teaching each skill. Math goes from 45 minutes a day to 2 hours a day. When was the last time a student was at the board solving a problem in American public school? Once a week? Once a month? With homeschooling, that child is answering questions and getting direct solutions to problems every single class period.
What happens if one student falls behind in public school? Nothing. What about a lack of understanding? Also nothing.
Until the student fails school and can't move on because they didn't understand material that built on other material.
In home schooling, the class never has to go on until the student understands. Period.
There's probably more. I'm sure there is. But I'm done with the hippy failure mindset of the US. Go out. Be more than a conquer.
Opportunity abounds everywhere, yet many can't get beyond minimum wage. What has the education system taught those people? Why are they failing?
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
walking in the rain
Saturday, I took a walk and got caught in the rain.
It was an interesting experience.
Normally, people avoid walking through the rain. The instant a down pour starts, people scatter. We can't stand the thought of being drenched and out in the cold.
As the rain hit, I realized I would be just as long to turn around and head home the way I came. The path behind was longer than the path before. So I walked on.
Years ago, I used to read a comic called Hound's Home. The author made a comic where a person is desperately running to get away from the rain. Only to make it home and take a shower. The contradiction has stuck with me for more than a decade.
So I decided I wasn't going to pick up and go at any faster pace than I had been. The rain started lightly, and I kept walking. And I realized: despite the seeming trouble that I happen to be in thirty minutes from now I will barely remember any of the experience.
And the rain got harder. I could see the house as I turned the corner. There was an urge to break into a run. I didn't. And that realization hit again: ten minutes from now, I'll walk into my driveway and stare at the rain, protected and observing. Twenty minutes from now, I'll be playing with my kinds. And thirty minutes from now, I will have completely forgotten about the rain.
And I was right.
And it happened just as I thought it was going to.
It made me realize that some of the darkest times in my life have suddenly just disappeared. And then it's back to a sense of normalcy. A place where nothing seems to be complicated.
The problems of the moment are the problems of the moment. Nothing more.
When the moment passes, the problems will be gone. The moment might be twenty minutes. It might be two days. It might be three years.
But one day, after slugging through the rain, you will realize you have walked into your carport, and the misery is behind you.
Keep walking.
It was an interesting experience.
Normally, people avoid walking through the rain. The instant a down pour starts, people scatter. We can't stand the thought of being drenched and out in the cold.
As the rain hit, I realized I would be just as long to turn around and head home the way I came. The path behind was longer than the path before. So I walked on.
Years ago, I used to read a comic called Hound's Home. The author made a comic where a person is desperately running to get away from the rain. Only to make it home and take a shower. The contradiction has stuck with me for more than a decade.
So I decided I wasn't going to pick up and go at any faster pace than I had been. The rain started lightly, and I kept walking. And I realized: despite the seeming trouble that I happen to be in thirty minutes from now I will barely remember any of the experience.
And the rain got harder. I could see the house as I turned the corner. There was an urge to break into a run. I didn't. And that realization hit again: ten minutes from now, I'll walk into my driveway and stare at the rain, protected and observing. Twenty minutes from now, I'll be playing with my kinds. And thirty minutes from now, I will have completely forgotten about the rain.
And I was right.
And it happened just as I thought it was going to.
It made me realize that some of the darkest times in my life have suddenly just disappeared. And then it's back to a sense of normalcy. A place where nothing seems to be complicated.
The problems of the moment are the problems of the moment. Nothing more.
When the moment passes, the problems will be gone. The moment might be twenty minutes. It might be two days. It might be three years.
But one day, after slugging through the rain, you will realize you have walked into your carport, and the misery is behind you.
Keep walking.
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