An old gem

So I was rummaging through an old disk drive when I stumbled across this. I made this when I was working in Mexico during the spring of 1999. I was pretty bored at work and figured that my time was best spent learning power point. So here is my life, circa 1999, as presented by Microsoft technology. (Please excuse the formating. The upload caused certain slides to get a little funky.)

Running off the rough edges

I came to a certain understanding the other morning while I was slogging away on the treadmill. I was somewhere between miles 4 and 5 and I was desperately trying to keep my mind occupied and away from the fact that I was jogging for that long. The mental exercise involved me replaying some of my finest athletic achievements from my youth, keep in mind that they are few and far between, and then determining whether or not I could replay those feats in my current physical condition. The conclusion?

NO.

I no longer have that burst or ability to cut quickly. I guess that happens with age. I even observe it while watching the older players in the NBA or NFL. The player no longer has the ability to dart or weave so his actions become more measured, more controlled, more economical. It’s just a fact of life. As we get older our flashes of brilliance get replaced with more level play. I suppose that this analogy can carry over to a wider range of relevance.

When we are young we want the music loud, the movie big, and the extra value meal. We think in terms of big returns, massive ratings, and big curves. As we get older our experience and wisdom kick in. We start to balance our checkbook, watch our diet, and think in more tempered moderation. A large part of that may be due to the fact that we have more at stake- family, career, etc…- and that we are responsible for more things then just ourselves.

So we evolve. I look at myself and see that the rough edges and spiky hair have been replaced with softer features and a more corporate look. I work within my limitations but I also still see possibility. Aging isn’t all that bad once you get used to it. Instead of preparing for a sprint I am trying for a long distance race. There is still much that can be attained and accomplished. I don’t mind the process so long as you don’t fill up my closet with a bunch of chinos and polo shirts.

The tracks keep a comin'

I was hoping to have this one complete but the timing of the vocals were off in a couple of places. I need to go back on the drawing board. The final cut will also contain a hammond organ in the bridge and an additional guitar.

Feedback is appreciated.

Click here to listen to Ryan's super cool "Untitled-Track-1-46"

Where have all the “early risers” gone?

We see it all around us. Its ubiquitous, it’s everywhere, you can’t look at a single scene from our daily existence without running right into it. You’ve most likely fallen victim to it more then once. It can be equal parts help meet and hell. It is also, in my opinion, one of the primary reasons that we have witnessed such a precipitous decline as a nation these past several years.

What is it? It can be called many names. Short cut. Expedience. Convenience. But at it’s core it’s the same….wanting optimal results with minimal effort.

It can be very simple and with minimal consequences. Something that comes to mind might be a fast food dinner. It’s understandable that time is at a premium and that we can’t expect a five star meal without the effort. Yet we still want to get a good meal and keep our figures. These circumstances span a whole litany of ’30 Minute Meals’, Home-Style Deli’s, and frozen meals. Yep, we all want to feel like we are having aunt Betty’s blueberry pie but we don’t want to put in the time or hours to get it right.

But things can get far worse when the stakes are raised. And this is what has me worried about where we are heading. Here are a couple of examples to illustrate the point:

• I see so many people who look to ’swing from the fences’ when it comes to finances. As a result you see so many schemes that are marketed as low risk- high reward. The whole lottery mentality has replaced the notion of slowly building up a nest egg.
• This extends to companies. I see a lot of small firms and venture capitalists who have 3-5 year plans. They want only to fatten up a company to the point that it can be taken to the market and sold. So in essence they want 30 years worth of income for 3 years worth of work. I understand that those that take the high risks need the high rewards. But I’ve been a part of several of these companies and the greater emphasis on the short-term (getting a company ready for the sale) has greatly and negatively impacted the company’s long term viability. (I wish I had some statistical evidence to validate this claim.)
• I even see this with larger more established companies. Long term goals are completely ignored because short-term expectations need to be met. Programs that will pay great dividends down the road are sacrificed in order to meet the Wall-Street EBITDA expectations for that quarter. A vicious cycle ensues as companies have to find increasingly creative, and sometimes unethical and unwise, ways to keep up with investor expectations.
• Perhaps no world is more soiled then the realm of politics. One of the strange ironies however is that we excoriate the politicians for actions that many of us practice in our own private lives. Politicians operate at the behest of the latest opinion poll and pander for votes by adding wasteful pork to our public spending. Our budget is shot to hell and no current politicians have the courage or leadership to do the necessary things to getting things back on track. Not when it would mean that you might short change a powerful lobbyist or offend one of the hands that feed you.
• It’s not just business. It extends to popular culture and relationships as well. It seems like everyone is pandering for their 20 seconds on You tube. Nothing can top the instant gratification that comes with the thrill of seeing your senseless exploit viewed by 200,000 anonymous viewers or colleagues, or potential employers. The dark side of this primal urge is revealed when we see people denigrate, humiliate, or scandalize others for the sake of the temporary notoriety. This is yet another case in which people are willing to sacrifice the long-term efforts required to build an honest reputation for the thrill being talked about.

I could go on and on with more examples of people or organizations that have stunted the natural gains that come through hard work and labor by making short sighted decisions. I have lived long enough to where I can successfully measure the ebbs and flows of societal progress.
In talking to people and organizations I am able to observe motivations. Sadly these motivations generally don’t include things like group benefit. It is a lot ‘parts not looking to sum up into something greater’. Short cuts are being taken at an alarming pace. Self interest has never been higher. Effort has never been lower.

Crap…I better not continue for fear of setting off the apocalypse. I believe that at our roots we are all great. But I hope that we realize that before our situation becomes worse, our purchasing power further diminished, and our “light on the hill” has been extinguished by the economic and military prowess of China or the moral superiority of some other culture or form of government.

The Essence of Life

Sure, it's in human nature to aspire for something that is bigger and better then what we currently have. I think that we've all seen enough sales pitches from the neighbors down the street who want to get us involved in the next big MLM scheme to agree. While yachts, shiny red European cars, a 5th home in the Carribbean, and endless cuts of Omaha Steaks are all nice, I would have to declare that it's the simple pleasures that really squeeze joy from the fruit of life. Hat's off to those people who can live independent of the rat race and can enjoy those things that are simple, cheap, and around us....those things that might be unheralded or simply waiting to be discovered.


Here is my own little simple pleasure list:

• Public Libraries
• Cheap books at half.com
• "Promenade" by U2
• Fresh almonds, lightly roasted
• The 1st season of "Arrested Development"
• Free software
• Walks at dusk in Phoenix when the Orange trees are blossoming
• Photography
• Revisiting old back issues of Sports Illustrated and National Geographic
• Fun time with kids
• Getting great service at your favorite restaurant
• Ideas
• Coming up with schemes with friends
• Wikipedia
• Frosted Mini-Wheats
• Weekend getaways
• Music Making
• Netflix

Selling a house in a bearish market

I've got somewhat of a conundrum on my hands. I've got a perfectly fine house that I'd like to sell....in the midst of a very tight real estate market. I could wait and sell the house in a year or two once the market stabilizes. I live in a great area that will continue to see growth and investment. But that delays our goal of getting into a more suitable "family friendly" house when the market is ripe with good buys.

So I am going to test the market now and see how it plays out. If no wealthy benefactor decides to swoop in and make a generous offer I will just rent it out. Until then we have a nice weekend cottage in the city.

Here is the link to the MLS listing for your viewing pleasure. Don't be afraid to make an offer.

Your Future Dream Home