Can I Survive?

Our Deficit Our Problem

2009-06-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

So while watching the news last night the number came up in regard to the federal deficit. They are projecting close to a 2 trillion dollar deficit by end of 2009. This number is staggering when you realize that this is the most we have "borrowed" in our entire history as a country combined! I say borrowed because we are spending money we do not have and my fear now is that we may never be able to pay this debt off. Our country is broke! There is no other way to describe what has happened other than we are borrowing to put money into the system to keep it alive and as of yet have come up with a way to pay it back.
What will happen to us the people who will be paying for this 2 trillion dollar mess? I am not sure. Inflation for one. We will see prices increase for sure. The amount of money that has been printed to hold up these companies will affect our inflation and will have some affect on us down the road. So let's take a step back and think about this for a moment.
If unemployment is still at highs not seen in decades people will still be hoarding money as much as they can to keep the spending under control and try to make their savings last as long as possible. Can the American people afford higher inflation when jobs and salaries are stagnant or falling? What about taxes? Taxes are what pays for this huge debt the we have. How can a government continue to cut taxes and pay off debt? The simple answer is they can't! At some point in our future they will have to ask the people to pay back what was borrowed. There are already signs that China (our biggest loan provider) is going to stop investing in the U.S. and has concerns that our economy will not recover enough to justify the investments. What happens when the money runs out?
If government is broke (we already are) what other thing can they do? Print more money? That brings us back to inflation.
These questions weigh heavily on my mind because I truly believe that we are in a wildly out of control situation that I am not sure the government or the American people can get themselves out of.
Just recently our President stated that the government can't spend more than they have. WHAT??? 2 trillion dollar debt does not equal spending what we have.
I truly hope that the powers that be can get our spending under control. I hope that our economy will bounce back and be strong again. I hope unemployment subsides and we are all working. I do hope for these things but the mountain that we...yes WE built it...this mountain is a huge one to climb and it is still growing.
Take time to reflect on these issues. It's important regardless of your position. Your views are just a relevant and possible as mine and we all must keep these issues in our thoughts.
I want to make this country better. I want to find a way to help. I have a daughter that I want to grow up in a healthy, stable environment. I want to leave this planet in better shape than I found it before I leave this world.
I know most of you feel the same way. If you have ways to make a difference then lets work together.
The more we work together the more we can overcome!

JM
http://www.canisurvive.com

China's Influence and Alternative Fuels

2009-06-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

In recent weeks I have found myself paying more and more at the pump for gas. Initially I thought it was due to the summer season kicking in when most gas companies raise prices because of travel patterns etc. Yet when I kept reading that U.S. demand for oil is down due to the recession I began to wonder what it is that is pushing prices up.
Well there are several factors but the big one is China. They have begun to see a recovery there and the Chinese economy is still growing. The expectation that China will demand much more oil is driving the price upwards of levels not seen since late last year! I noticed the price of gas up almost 50 cents in the last month or two and that is a significant climb especially when people in the U.S. are still being battered with unemployment and lower salaries.
It is a sign of the times that the U.S. has lost a lot of it's affect on the price of things like oil and metals. There is a new player and they are consuming at an enormous rate.
I find myself having a big change of heart about our use of fossil fuels in general. I personally believe the shift in America will be to move away from these fuels and into alternative sources of energy. Which in the short term may be a difficult transition due to costs associated with new technologies being created and we (The People) have to deal with change and embrace it as best we can in trying times.
If I could become energy independent on my own I would. If I could afford to put a complete solar unit on my house and not use electricity from outside sources (or very little) I would love it!
The problem is that many of us are not in a position to do so...YET. I think it will be viewed initially by many countries as the U.S. has lost it's strength or is not a major player in the world markets but internally we will be setting ourselves up to look at all of the other countries that are dependent on fossil fuels (like China) who are still developing their economies and say "We don't need oil".
When peak oil hits (some theorize that is already has) the less dependent we are on it the less of an impact it will have on our economy. The other countries will be scrambling to catch up or in serious financial turmoil due to the inability to continue progress.
I find this important for everyone to embrace what we can when we can. If we are able to make ourselves less dependent on fossil fuels we take the burden off ourselves in the long run.
I think a lot about my 2 year old who is going to face an enormous debt as well as a possible end to abundant fossil fuels and how difficult it would be for her if I do nothing. If I go on without care then I leave her with the mess to clean up. Is that what I want to leave this world with? Knowing that I did nothing and forcing my child to deal with it is not the answer. I am starting now and going to do everything I can to protect myself and my child. Now and most definitely for the future! I hope you agree and will do the same. We can make the difference and we can do it now.

Find Ways To Survive and to Do Your Part!
http://www.canisurvive.com

It's a Good Switch!

2009-05-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

For many of us in the digital age with large screen LCD's and HDTV the switch coming to analog over the air television may not seem like much to get worked up about. On June 12 the "official" switch to digital over the air broadcasting should occur (unless they postpone it again). You may know someone who still uses analog TV signals. I know many of my family (Parents, and Aunts) who still use these types of televisions mainly due to fear of the unknown or lack of understanding of technology.

Many of them will need digital converter boxes which are not too difficult to install. This process may seem like a nuisance to some but there are going to be some advantages that we will all benefit from.

The most obvious advantage to this move to digital is the sharper, clearer picture that you will get on your digital screens and even on the older analog televisions.

The switch to digital also frees up the frequencies in which the over air analog signals were broadcast on. This will open them up for emergency services and even make for more advanced wireless and Internet services.

These new services will allow for better technologies to come into play. I can imagine in the years to come clearer cell phone communications, faster browsing on your phones or PDA's and much better wireless Internet services Oh MY!

With our never ending thirst for more information and data this will open up a new era(with old signals) in information transmission. Now that's progress...isn't it?

If you have questions as to whether or not you should be getting a digital converter box or the switch to digital you can go to http://www.dtv.gov/ to find out more.

My Debt and My Freedom

2009-05-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take a minute and talk about debt and how it affected me and my life and how I got out from under it.
My father decided when I was still in high school that it would be a good idea for me to establish some credit. I had my little part time job at the local grocery store and now was as good a time as any to learn the ways of the credit card.
My first card had a two thousand dollar limit and for about a year I never touched it. Not really understanding what it was all about and didn't really care. On one glorious day I decided I needed something that I couldn't afford...How do I get it??? I thought "I'll use my card!!!" Great Idea! "I am so smart" I thought to myself. Thus began a 5 year spree of credit card spending. My credit limits kept rising so I kept spending. I used it to buy everything and because I was so good at making the minimum payments they kept giving me more money to spend! WOW!!! Fast forward 5 years after I had graduated college and started my career. I know had a full time well paying job so from my perspective it was a whole new range of possibilities to buy crap and spend without any thought as to what might happen in the future.
A year or two after college I began to notice myself shifting my payments and timing my paychecks down to the day to cover or front money for things I wanted to buy or bills that needed to be payed for. The longer this went on the harder it got to keep up. It all came to a head one month when a bill came in that was double what it was the prior month. I was in shock! A call to the credit card company quickly informed me that I had been late a few days on a bill so my interest rate had jumped and I was charged a hefty late fee.
I did what I could to get things back on track but it was too late. I had overdrawn and over extended myself beyond what I could pay. I was scared and didn't know what to do. This prompted another call to the only people in your life that you will always count on...Parents! I explained my situation and thus started the finger pointing and needing to take responsibility lecture. I was embarrassed, angry and hurt that I had to go through this but it was my own fault and something I needed to accept. I was now facing a eighteen thousand dollar credit card bill along with student loans and living expenses.
My family ponied up the money for my debt and allowed me to pay it off over time. I consolidated everything into one big loan and began to chip away at my debt situation. I had to make sacrifices and sell off things that I couldn't afford. Wait for things that I couldn't afford. In the end (about 4 years) the debt was gone and I was no longer using credit cards. I pay cash for the things I want only if I can afford to. I use debit cards only and don't hold a balance on any credit cards to this day.
I learned my lesson and was fortunate to have people to help me. If you are in this type of situation there is help all you have to do is ask for it. Go to those you can trust and see what they can do to help you out of your situation. Make the tough choices and stick with the plan to pay off your debt. Stop incurring more debt by not using credit cards!!!
for advice on debt and what to do if you are facing a situation where bankruptcy is your only alternative go to http://www.canisurvive.com/Can_I_Survive_MoneySense.html#can_i_survive_bankruptcy
I can tell you that tough choices will have to be made. If you are determined you will survive and can eliminate your debt problem for ever! I am living proof and If I can do it so can you.
Good luck!

What's That Smell? Part II

2009-05-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

As soon as I sat in my 15 year old office chair I realized immediately that something was going to go wrong. I no sooner sat down when I began to smell the most awful smell AGAIN!!! Memories rush back as I snap around to check my trash can. Knowing full well the culprit of such a stink last time I had been taking extra care not to leave things in my trashcan to prevent another incident as before. Looking in the can i notice it to be clean with a new trash bag in it. So what in the world has stunk up the building?
I begin to follow the smell around the corner of my office and down the hallway a bit. Here is where the small coffee station and break area are where people can get their fill of caffeine and tea. People hustle and bustle about around this area. They bring their lunches and stash them in the refrigerator that is next to the coffee and water cooler. I stand for a few seconds noticing the smell is strong and worse when someone opens the fridge to put in their food.
It strikes me as odd how many folks don't pay any attention to what's going on around them. They shove their bags and Styrofoam containers of leftovers and home made sandwiches in and walk away without noticing the death stench that is emanating from within the cold depths of that refrigerator.
I slowly approach the biscuit colored appliance with care. I open the door only to be slapped in the face with a smell that cannot be described. It brought back memories of a joke I once heard when I was a child and has stuck with me my whole life for some odd reason. Do you know what's grosser than gross? When you open the refrigerator door and your rump roast farts in your face!
That's exactly what had just happened! I held my breath and stuck my head into the abyss of plastic grocery bags and paper sacks trying to find the culprit before my oxygen supply is depleted and I pass out on the floor.
I had to take breaks and get fresh air only to turn around and head back in to the reactor core to stop the meltdown. After a few minutes I realized that it was a loosing battle. I wasn't going to find it. There is just too many things in the fridge that could cause it. The best course of action would be to use some type of flammable liquid and set it on fire but that's not really an option at this point. I came back to my office and shut the door. I suspect the only thing to do now is notify someone to bring in a hazmat unit and clean the fridge out.
Maybe I should have one come in and decontaminate me.

Now That's Smart

2009-05-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

It was my goal to make it home today in record time. My commute down the 8 lane super slab from hell isn't normally that bad but today for some reason I wanted to get home quicker than usual. I had put my mind into racing mode pretending to be in a new Dodge Challenger...I really want one of these bad and I thought the plain ol white ford pickup I drive every day just wasn't going to put me in the right mood. Especially when you slam on the gas it has this wonderful sound of grinding metal and something of a clatter under the passenger seat. I put my mind onto something else and dreamed of carbon fiber (yeah I know the challenger doesn't have any but I would trick mine out) and superchargers. I know, I know...this is about the least green, fuel efficient vehicle (both the challenger and my truck) but it's my dream so deal.
Anyway, I make my way onto the interstate entrance ramp only to see nothing but red! Bahh!! Red tail lights as far as the eye can see. Nothing but a parking lot of cars, trucks and SUV's. I was content idling in my shiny new challenger...oh right, truck. Well, as I idle, if I would have blinked I would have missed it. It was a sight that can only be defined as the most ironic site I have ever seen.
As I sit in a sea of metal and carbon monoxide out of the corner of my eye I see a tiny red "smart" car doing what seemed to be 70 mph in the HOV lane. Blowing past car after car without slowing down. The little car was moving so fast I think I heard it fart as it blew past the hundreds of cars and trucks. I could only chuckle to myself as I sat quietly in my Hemi powered Dodge...I mean my truck. Here I am burning 14 mpg sitting still and that little piece of .... is busting out 70mph in the HOV lane screaming "Get out of my way you Son's O Bitches!!!"
Man if I was in my challenger I would have so caught up with that thing and showed it who's boss!

A Question of Pride

2009-05-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

Today I just have some points about the employers market.
It has come to be lately that as times get tougher I work harder. Not necessarily because I want to but because they make me. I get more projects with ridiculous time lines and I accept them knowing that now is not the time to lose a job. I try very diligently to meet all my obligations but here recently it has become somewhat daunting.
I do as much as I can but can't seem to keep up with the demand of customers and my employer. I take pride in doing my job and completing projects on or ahead of schedule. It has become a standard and they know that I come through. I also know they take advantage of this as much as possible.
I know I'm not the only one in this boat. As layoffs occur at many companies the employees left to handle the workload gets smaller yet the workload stays the same.
I have recently started documenting more of my emails and discuss time lines and utilization with my manager more often. I find that I am communicating more with project managers to insure their expectations are set. It seems to take some pressure off and help me focus and prioritize my workload.
It's very easy to continue to be a "yes" man (or woman) at the expense of your own sanity in this environment. I think all of us that have a job are thankful in that we are still employed. I am sure there are just as many unemployed workers who would be willing to trade without a second thought.
As I recognize the need for all of us to stay employed or find employment I have added a search tool for everyone to use at http://www.canisurvive.com or http://www.canisurvive.net
For those of us who are fortunate enough to still have our jobs I say we are going to have to keep our heads to the grind stone for the time being.
And for those of you who have had the misfortune of being laid off from your work I truly wish you the best of luck finding a new place of employment. I urge you to start your search as soon as possible! http://www.canisurvive.com and http://www.canisurvive.net are in place for just these types of situations. I hope everyone can find something to help them in times like these.

Taking it Seriously

2009-04-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

So Swine Flu is in the news every day and I have been concerned from the first reports. I do take something like this very seriously yet I see and hear so much bad information and lack of understanding in many! That alone is enough to keep me up at night. With a toddler who attends a daycare during the week and both myself and my wife going into an office it has become more stressful than usual. I made it a point to ask the daycare workers what they have in place for a plan of action if a child comes down with fever or respiratory symptoms and if they knew what was happening in response to the swine flu problem.
I was shocked when I was told there wasn't a plan and they thought the disease was only in Mexico and only to do with pigs!!!
I promptly sent an email to the director of the facility explaining this and the urgency of the workers to understand how to deal with this problem.
Soon after a mass email was sent out explaining to the parents the steps being taken and information for parents as well. This was a good step but I was still surprised at how slow the response had been with all of the developments over the past week.
Another interesting encounter was at my local hardware store where I had to get some paint. I was waiting on my paint to be mixed and the two women behind the counter were discussing the finer points of how to cook pork and at what temperature. They also stated that the government was claiming this to be the next "Pan...Pana...Panamanian Flu"!! I thought of correcting the ladies and telling them the proper term is Pandemic but refrained from getting involved in the conversation. My thoughts are if you don't understand then you are not taking it serious enough.
This may all be a big case of nothing. The fact is that people are dying from it and it is dangerous and a lot is still unknown. So I will stay prepared for the worst and hope for the best. That's all we can ever do right?
So let's all take a breath and do our best to stay calm and rational in times like this. Just do your part and wash your hands, cover your mouth, take care if you are sick and keep the kids home if they are ill. If you believe you have the flu or something like it go see the doctor and get medicine. A little prevention can go a long way in keeping this disease contained.
You can follow developments at http://www.canisurvive.com where you can find links to the CDC and many other topics that we deal with today.

Good News Travels Fast

2009-04-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how fast information can travel in an office environment. No sooner do you mention something to someone and you turn around and someone tells you they heard something from another person which is basically what you just told the first person! Wow, I think I just spoke in circles.
I know there is a network at work. One that travels the speed of light and is like a intra-intranet within these walls of gray plaster and pail blue carpet. That special network of people who you know in the office that possess that "gift" of knowledge and foresight. That special ability to sniff out leads and find evidence that points to some piece of info given by someone in passing. They know everything about everyone and everyone knows something about someone!
I made the mistake of heading to my favorite gossip section of the building and making a comment about the fact that someone I knew recently got hired at a new job. Within milliseconds my IM starts popping. It was a text from one of the "people"...it read "X wants to talk to you..."
Oh hell! Somehow my comment has now made the headlines and secret agents are going to storm my office and take me away for opening my big mouth. I take a deep breath and think to myself for a moment. What in the world could they possibly do to me? This is a professional environment and we are all adults right???
I decide to head to X's office. I stick my head slowly in the door and see the individual with their head down. I softly speak and say "You wanted to talk to me?" I swear my voice cracked and I sounded like a 12 year old (Which happens alot apparently if you were to ask my wife...go figure).
Without looking up X begins speaking to me about the information I had passed along to others earlier in the morning (see my blog about Multitasking Magicians and you will get the picture). They know someone who knows someone else at some place with some connection to something I said. What??? The more I listened the more confused I became. I can't keep up with this much information at once. It was like I was plugged into the Matrix and my head was being filled with endless amounts of data. I listened quietly, processed what I could and kindly left knowing now that this information highway is way above my head.
What have I learned by all this...well, I can't say because "they" are listening.

Multitasking Magicians

2009-04-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

Ever watch those people who can walk down the hall, never look up, typing an email out on their blackberry while talking through their blue tooth headset on a conference call? It's an amazing site! I see it every day and sometimes I make it a point to test these multitasking magicians to see how far they can be pushed. Try standing in the way of one of these super humans and you will see what I mean. Without a blink they will do a Matrix type move on you and keep on going about their business.
I consider myself good at my job but I tend to find myself unable to focus on too many tasks at once due to the nature of my work. It can be easy to make mistakes if I am not thinking about the problem I am solving at the time so I can't do what these people do. I don't enjoy talking on the phone and walking down the hall. I think it's rude and confusing to everyone else around you. I stood in an elevator one day talking to a man only to find out he wasn't responding to me but the person on the other side of his blue tooth speaker. Not only did I feel like an idiot I felt like punching the guy in the face for not notifying me of the other conversation that I wasn't aware of.
I spent the majority of one hour trying to get my email in my inbox to reconcile with the inbox on my blackberry with very little luck. My keyboard typing skills are pretty good but the qwerty keyboard on my blackberry is like typing pig Latin with only three fingers on each hand.
I often wonder if these people get anymore work done than I do. I imagine that so much is being done at one time that something has to be missed and they inevitably have to go back and redo something after the fact.
I think we all should become better multitasking magicians yet I do believe there is a point of diminishing returns. If you are like me I reach a point where I feel lost and out of control. At that point I know I am doing too many things at one time and need to slow down, focus and systematically attack each problem individually. I feel better and I leave less room for error.

Human Chew Toy

2009-04-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you today the pain and agony that I have endured over the past few days. Not because of work but because I have now become a human chew toy for a monster with no remorse or care for my own well being. This has become quite a journey in self preservation and patience as I walk daily into the din of this beast and realize the beating that I will inevitably have to take.
See it was the spontaneous nature of our decision that I am now paying for not realizing the full breadth of that decision. It can only be described as shocking and stressful. It is a decision that keeps me up at night sometimes for hours where I must labor to deal with this in the only way I know how.

I try desperately to discourage any actions that may result in further punishment. I now know that the only way to survive this torture is to push forward through the pain, focus on and instill discipline in the eyes in which try so hard to harm me. I must stay the course and work towards resolution! I am determined to make things right and will do everything in my power to teach the path that is right for me and my family. It will be difficult but in the end it will be worth it...and if I think about it now, it already is!

Time Warp!

2009-04-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

I would like to announce the first successful attempt to bend the time/space continuum! I have been able to jump from 8:00am this morning to 4:30pm today in less than a second...I think. It began as any normal day except that today was the day I returned to the office after a vacation. As short as this vacation was one would expect things to be rather light and catching up on emails and generally chatting with work colleagues would be the norm for today. I was, however, completely taken off guard by the cosmic forces that were about to try to rip my body into two billion separate molecules and put them back together again in an instant. As I opened my email I could tell that something wasn't right. It was filled with email after email threads about mundane and technical chit chat that I would need to decipher if I was to have any idea what they were talking about. I begin to read through the emails only to find a meeting notification pop up that I needed to attend. I glance at the appointment only to realize in horror that I have no idea what the meeting is about. Thus begins the fastest fifteen minute ramp up in the history of mankind! My light speed engine had fired and I was now unable to turn back. I hang up the phone from my first meeting only to be sitting in another office talking to someone else about another meeting coming up. I begin to wonder if I am in some type of perpetual loop of meetings to go to meetings to meet about other meetings. I then proceed to look at the clock to realize that the day is now half over and I have yet to do any "real" work. How can this be possible??? I have spent four hours of my life running so fast that I haven't been able to stop and work? Impossible!!! I decide that I must catch up at lunch and begin preparing for the next event. Things are seeming to fall into place now and I think I may be catching up. After the afternoon meeting I am finally going to work hard on projects. I sit down to do a few quick items only to find out that they are not so quick and have yet to figure out what's wrong.
I am now looking at an entire day at work and nothing to show for it. How does that happen? Why is going on Vacation a nightmare when you return? I ponder the thought as to why or how people take vacations only to find themselves buried with work and unable to breath for a week afterwards. It doesn't make much sense really. You go on vacation to relax and yes there will be work to do when you get back but it should be proportional to the length of time you were gone. If you are gone for one day then the expectation should be there is one day of work to catch up on. You and I know this is not the case. One day off equals the entire building on fire and you are holding the only bottle of water in three counties and everyone is running from the building and wanting you to put out the fire!
I think they need to come up with a program to mimic your daily routine so that when you are on vacation it looks like you were never gone. I suppose if they were able to do that then why would they need you to work.
My hope is that tomorrow will move much slower and time will take a back seat for a day and allow me to finally catch up. Or on the other hand it won't and I am writing tomorrows blog already and I don't even know it yet because my mind is moving slower than the speed...oh never mind!
You can continue this discussion and others at http://forum.canisurvive.com
New Webmaster's Voice section and 16 new topics to review at http://www.canisurvive.com

Two Stroke Nightmare!!!

2009-04-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

I sit here today a humbled man. Not because of some major event that has taken place in my life(though there plenty to be humbled about) but because of the weekly routine that drives the American male (and female!) nuts this time of year. I am talking about yard work! I can tell you that this year is going to be special. I am on a mission to have a great looking yard and from the looks of it my yard equipment doesn't seem to agree that I should.
I took my time this morning and mowed the grass extra carefully to make sure I am getting it cut the right way and to prevent ruts in the ground. As I look at the finished yard I realized that I need to trim the edges and weed eat the various areas around trees and borders etc.
I take my 21cc two stroke fun stick off the wall and prime the engine with the thought of a perfect edge and clean cut lines around the house. I begin the first pull and it comes to life with a furry that only a true lawn professional can appreciate. I pick up the vibrating beast and begin my trek towards the backyard. Seconds later the engine grinds to a bumping halt.
No worries I think to myself as I firmly grasp the pull lever and give it a good strong pull only to find that it doesn't start.
This then begins the thirty minute life killing battle to bring the monster back to life! I pull and pull and pull! Wait!!! Pull and pull and pull oh and then I pull some more with only a few fluttering turns of the motor! Each one giving me hope that I have come to the end of my struggle and can complete my quest for the perfect lawn. But alas after 20 minutes of pulling I begin to lose strength in my arm. I begin trying different techniques that look similar to the Heimlich maneuver. Nothing works! I even give it a swift kick with my boot only to jam my pinkie toe which infuriates me even more!
I sit slumped in my lawn chair exhausted, defeated and on the verge of a heart attack. I give up! I pick up the metal turd and place it back on the wall with a firm hand as if I am scolding a child. I begin to go back into the house and then it clicked...that little fire inside that says "Don't Give UP!!" "Show that thing who's boss!!!"
I quickly snatch the machine off the wall and begin to yank on the cord like a wild maniac. I yell the most profound thoughts that have ever been heard in our neighborhood and should never be heard again! Sweat drips off my nose and I feel as if blood were about to poor from my body because of the strain. After twenty or so pulls my mind comes back to reality only to allow me to think rationally for a moment and realize that this is a lost cause. I stop and put down the weed eater. I know it won't start and I know now that no matter how hard I try it isn't going to happen. I will not finish the lawn this morning.
I calmly put the weed eater back on the wall turn slowly away and walk with my head low to the door of the house. I close the garage door and watch it fall slowly creating an ever increasing dark void over the lawn equipment as if the ending credits of a movie had begun. The machines won this time but it's just one battle in the long waging war for yard supremacy. I will be back to finish what I started! ...in like three hours or so.

Staycation? I don't think so

2009-04-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

So as preparation for the huge updates to http://www.canisurvive.com/ I decided that I would take some time off from my real job to finish working on the site updates, do some activities that I enjoy around the home and spend time with my family. Given the nature of our wired in world I am completely addicted to every gadget, email, text, tweet and Facebook status that keeps me in the loop with the outside world. As everyone knows a person can't live without knowing who had a bad hair day or which customer meeting produced a sale!

I don't seem to take vacations or as they are called these days in the economic crisis a "Stay-cation" anymore. I have to know what is going on, reply to emails, update status and general keep my head in the work so when I return to the office I don't feel behind and overwhelmed with all I will have to do to catch up. It's no wonder most Americans are stressed out to the point of blowing a gasket or spontaneous combustion while doing mundane activities such as flying a kite or walking your dog.

I blame the system and the economy. I figure it's my responsibility to stay involved at all times since times are so tough. You have to be on your toes, answer emails and keep in the know!
That's the price we pay for success and the American dream. It seems kind of silly though. Why do we not just unplug, slow down and relax every once in a while? We deserve a break and that's why they give you that great benefit called "vacation". You and I both should take a moment right now and not focus on anything work related or forget about that social networking for sixty seconds!!!
Oh wait, I just got an email...

Coffee Pot Etiquette

2009-04-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful Wednesday morning and my hopes are high that I can actually get some work done today. I've plugged in and go to grab a hot cup of java to start my day since my mind doesn't even really start to function beyond the basic breathing and blinking that occurs without thought. I turn the corner only to find a tired puddle of burnt coffee in the bottom of an overheated pot sitting as if its sole purpose was to fester into the black, tar substance that inevitably stinks up the whole floor! I control my anger and take a moment to ponder the result of my actions if I were to take this glass pot and toss it against the nearest metal object. Realizing that I would most likely create a mess but also a gaping wound on my hand or a shard of glass in my eye I breath deep trying not to go on a hunt for the one person who thought of only themselves and disregarded anyone else who wanted coffee!
This is a blatant violation of section 12 article 1 of the Coffee Pot Etiquette which clearly states that you shall create a fresh pot of coffee when you take the last cup from the pot! OK, I made that up but it should be a law! There should be coffee police that will tazer someone if they pull a stunt like that. I want to see someone on the floor with 90,000 volts piercing through their veins and then look up at the officer and say "Good Work Officer! You got another one off the streets!". OK so maybe that's a little violent. I apologize because it's not really my fault. See my brain is still in primal, survival, breath and blink mode.
I of course complete the process of cleaning and setting a new pot of coffee to brew and patiently wait to get me a fresh cup of coffee to enjoy. I wondered while I waited if the same person who left the pot in the shape it was in was also just around the corner saying "Oh Look! A fresh pot of coffee! Let me go get my cup!"
It's rather simple really. If you take the last make some more! This common courtesy will keep things calm and happy for all of us who are addicted to caffeine and require it to stay sane during our daily hustle and bustle around the office.
I say enjoy your coffee and your day!

On a side note:
It is my hope to finish the major updates to http://www.canisurvive.com this week. A quick hint as to what is coming...I am preparing 18 new topics that cover everything from unemployment, retirement to natural disasters! New home page layout to make getting to all of that new content easier, new webmaster's voice topics and more! It's a big update and I'm working as fast as I can to get it out for you so stay tuned!

The Helicopter

2009-04-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

The drive to the office had a since of urgency to it today. As I pull up to the office my head was floating with ideas and plans on how I was going to attack the mountain of important work I had laid out for me. As I walked out of the steel hydraulic box with dimly lit lights (the elevator) I just knew that things were going to be different.
I began my usual walk towards my office and began to notice the faint hint of what could only be described as nothing more than a helicopter hovering outside the building. As I get closer to my office I am excited as the helicopter must be close to the windows at the end of my hall because the noise was getting much louder almost to the point of being deafening! Being the geeky guy that I am and one who loves aviation I was just hoping I would find some fancy corporate helicopter buzzing around. I am now just a few feet from my office and I can no longer hear myself think. The ground is vibrating under my feet and I have this sinking feeling that what I am hearing is not a rotor spinning wind beater but something else. I follow the sound to within a foot of my door only to realize that something is vibrating the walls and ceiling like a tornado coming down the street. Some crazy metal spinning contraption above my office is emitting the most god awful sound along with a smell of burning wires and foam board!
As I continue to investigate I have now become the most popular guy in the building as I have now attracted every man and woman on my floor. I must have had a hat on that said "subject matter expert" because everyone continued to ask me what it was. Along with questions I get the comments like "That is driving me crazy!" and "I can't work in this type of environment" as if I were supposed to say "I'll have this fixed in no time and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you."
A work colleague has begun the search for the facilities fixer upper guy while I begin to look for smoke and a quick exit strategy in the event an explosion occurs above my head.
Within minutes a man was on the scene pulling and prodding in the ceiling at the mechanical beast that had taken up refuge above my office. A few quick pops and buzzes and the grinding stopped! He had slain the beast and everyone disappeared like I had the plague. So much for my 5 minutes of fame. I had hoped for more time to plan a speech or presentation but I was now reduced to nothing more than a worker standing in the hallway by myself staring at the ceiling. At least it's quiet!

Autopilot

2009-04-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

I am just amazed at what the mind can do. It can process so much information and most of the time we (our collective consciousness) have no idea what's going on in the background! It's just a marvelous piece of work. For example, I have to commute to work every day. I take my morning and evening commute back and forth to and from the office and home. Usually its uneventful and is a relatively short drive. The funny thing is on most occasions I don't remember the drive at all!
I mean I know that I am driving to work because I get into the drivers side of the car and turn the ignition and I arrive at my destination and turn the car off but I have no real memory of what happens between the time I leave and the time I arrive. Usually what I remember are thoughts of flying a colonial viper in a raging battle with the Cylons or completing a great lap at Laguna Seca raceway in my brand new Ferrari 430 that I just bought after winning the lottery (Ferrari red of course for those of you wondering!). None of which have anything to do with actually driving my automobile from point A to point B. Maybe it's my minds way of telling me I'm bored or maybe I need to pay more attention. Now I am even wondering how I managed to stay safe all these years. I guess the mind truly is a multitasking machine.
I'm not sure if any of this is good or bad. All I know is I can't wait to fight the 100 ninjas on my way home from work today with nothing but my bare hands and a mechanical pencil I have in my glove box!
For those visiting you can check out my site at http://www.canisurvive.com or join the forum at http://forum.canisurvive.com
Have a great weekend!

Failed Negotiations

2009-04-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

I have always considered myself a good communicator. At least I can convey a message and get others to understand my train of thought. When it comes to negotiations of various types I would like to think I am fairly good at that as well. I have, however, started to realize that I am not all that good at it and I have some great examples as to why!
The mornings begin relatively uneventful with not much fanfare to speak of. Yet at some point in the morning routine I know there are going to be some major negotiations that will take place. I now realize that my 3 year old is an expert negotiator and has a way of dominating the conversation with little else than a word or two. I politely ask her to do something thus initiating a request for action. I then promptly get a reply for my request with a simple "No!" I then proceed to follow the parents operating handbook and negotiate with this 3 year old. There are several exchanges all of which her reply is "No!" This leads to more aggressive negotiations by which the tone and volume begin to increase at an exponential rate! Her response is unwavering and more pronounced leading to the ultimate "NOOOOOOOOO!!!"
By this time my wife has joined into the negotiations and is trying desperately to get the process back on track. Another negotiation begins telepathically with my wife as she sends me her subliminal message across the room with just certain looks. I then precede to plea my case to her telepathically with no avail. Her response is as difficult to break as my 3 year old. The battle of the minds and looks continues however as I am trying to maintain some level of dignity but the force of the telepathic connection has gotten so strong that a rift in the time/space continuum has begun to form and furniture is beginning to levitate off the floor!
Realizing that I will not win this battle and before our home turns itself inside out I break off the mind meld with my wife only to realize that the 3 year old has gone on about her business doing what she wanted to be doing in the first place and I am standing left holding an empty bag.
As I ponder the outcome it has become clear that I may not be able to negotiate as well as I once thought! Unable to accept this idea I take on another challenge and talk to my boss about promotions or raises. As I begin to plea my case he starts off his response with a firm "No!" after which I drop my head realizing there is no winning in this exchange and quietly walk out of the office. Maybe I should start incorporating these tactics into the negotiations myself. I may end up on the winning side for a change! NO! NO! NOOOOOO!!!
Have a great day!

What's that smell???

2009-04-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

As I walked down the long uniform gray hallway to my cell...i mean office I could see the morning sun coming through the 3rd story windows which are at the end of the hallway. I had thoughts of spring and excited that summer is just around the corner. I turned to my right through a dark brown prefab door and sit down plug in and start thinking about my day and how I am going to approach each project. As I begin to focus on emails I smell an aroma that is no more attractive than a skunk cornered in the backyard by the neighbor’s dog. Of course my attention goes into search mode for the offending smell. My search is limited to my office since it is strongest in this area. I know it won't take long because I am in a 10ft x 10ft square box that is the exact same color and feel as everything else in the building.
I follow my nose and find that my trash can isn't empty! What! Well, mystery solved. The trashcan is overflowing with a massive odor of half eaten tuna fish and spilled coffee from the day before! In my haste to throw away my lunch and various cups of coffee flavored milk I have realized that doing so in this box, that I call an office, may not be the best route to take! I also realize that due to the economic downturn our building trash collectors, the wonderful people they are, may not be running as often as they used to. So with that surprising morning wakeup call I make a mental sticky in the gray matter between my ears to take a moment and clean up after myself, eat everything on my plate, not be wasteful and generally remember to put my trash in another trash can that is not located near my office! Now, back to my email.

Work for Employment

2009-04-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

As many of us face the tough realities of unemployment those who have a job are struggling to keep it. The thought of losing your job can be a tough pill to swallow given the state of the economy and many cannot afford to lose employment due to high debt to income ratios.
There are many things one can do to work to keep their employment status. One of which is taking on more work. You may be saying to yourself "There is no way I can do that!" and you might be right and in that case you do what you can when you can. For many people work has slowed due to the economy. For these people now is the time to pile on other work that you might be able to do from other teams or for other projects.
Take it upon yourself to branch out into other groups who may be needing work! A simple gesture of helping out another team might be the deciding factor if layoffs become a reality in your department. Let everyone know that you are working with other teams and doing your part to keep the company profitable. Now is not the time to twiddle your thumbs waiting for the next project. Now is the time to take action to be as profitable as you can be. Not only will you help yourself but your small contribution may actually help your company and that is a double whammy!
Start off with one or two extra projects that you can finish relatively quickly and then add from there. Only take on as much as you can handle but keep things lined up with other groups so that when one project ends another can begin.
You will find that you will feel and be much more productive and you will be helping the cause. Keeping your job AND helping the company remain profitable.
Join us for discussions like this and more at http://www.canisurvive.com or contribute to the forum at http://forum.canisurvive.com

Are we there yet?

2009-04-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

So I woke up this morning and realized that, yep, we are still in an economic crisis. I was hoping that had changed overnight but I guess I'm going to have to face the truth. So! What to do now. Well, I have been saving, preparing for the worst yet hoping for the best like most of you reading this. I was talking with a good friend of mine about this very subject recently and he asked me what I was doing to stay prepared...of course I respond with "I'm saving as much as I can!". He then made a comment that i think about a lot lately...he said "Oh! So you are contributing to the economic crisis then huh?"
I hadn't thought about it that way...but when everyone starts saving the economy slows...and as it slows more people save...then the economy slows some more. Around and around we go! Weeeeeee! I'm no economist but I can understand why the government wants to "stimulate" us.
So now I am kind of reconsidering...of course I'm not going to go crazy spending every dime but I think I will let loose a little and buy something I’ve been holding off on due to this "crisis". Maybe my meager contribution will help "stimulate". I don’t know...then again...maybe i should just save it. Around and around I go...again!