"What, HO?!"

Octtober 3rd, 2009

2009-10-05T22:53:06Z

My manager was sick, so I worked a 12 hour day that yielded a conversation this morning that involved the question: "Should I have earmarked you for management? ...because EVERYBODY on the store side said you handled the busiest day that should never be worked alone in stride!"

Derrell had my car for a maintenance check/oil change, so he dropped me off and picked me up. On the way home, he turned left to make a bee-line for my favorite local Italian eatery where we had our first date: Vito Provolone's. To make a long story short, an extremely romantic man popped the question in traditional style after asking my Father's permission. He still seems worried that the ring isn't as much as he wanted, but I'm trying to get it across to him that he is my biggest shiny :)

Don't laugh...pictures are ACTUALLY to come :)

May 28th, 2010 beach wedding NC plans TBA :D

So my Uncle....

2009-06-04T01:53:19Z

New Markets Tax Credit ProgramAnnouncement

Media Coverage Report

Boston

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<bstyle='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

My Uncle is one of the bald spots in the below press release. The company that made the loan possible for the opening of the featured restaurant is where my Uncle works :) It was neat, even though I patently oppose the federal reserve system and it's cronies.

http://www.truveo.com/geithner-unveils-stimulus-tax-credits/id/1472267940

<lj-cut text="Speeches for my Uncle's firm">1`Secretary’s Remarks at Project Hope
May 27th, 2009

Governor Patrick, thank you for that kind introduction.
And I want to thank Mayor Menino for joining us today.
It is a pleasure to be in Massachusetts, and to be here with Chairman Barney Frank and Congressman Mike Capuano. And even though they cannot be here today, I want to acknowledge the leadership and advocacy of Senator Kerry and Congressman Neal for the New Markets Tax Credit program.
You are doing great things for your state and for the President’s efforts to lead this economy out of recession and put us on a path to recovery and growth. In health care and in many other areas, your work is a model of innovation, of getting government to do a better job of providing the framework in which businesses can grow and our citizens can prosper.
I also want to thank Sister Margaret Leonard for hosting us, and for her service to this community.

President Obama took the oath of office in the midst of the worst recession in generations. A recession which had already cost millions of Americans their jobs and livelihoods, caused enormous damage to pension values, millions of homes lost to foreclosure, college education deferred, businesses failing.
One hundred days ago, on February 17, in Denver, Colorado, President Obama signed into law the most sweeping economic recovery package in our nation’s history. This was the first, and the most critical step toward getting our economy back on track.
As part of that program of investments -- alongside tax cuts for 95 percent of working Americans and millions of small businesses, funding for states and local governments, and investments to rebuild neglected infrastructure, to improve energy efficiency, expand support for education -- alongside those programs, with the leadership and support of many in this room, the Recovery Act substantially expanded a terrific program designed to support investments in low income neighborhoods and communities, called the New Markets Tax Credits.
Today I am pleased to announce 32 New Markets Tax Credit awards, which will enable community development organizations to invest $1.5 billion into struggling neighborhoods.
The awardees are planning investments in at least 33 states including renewable energy projects, charter schools, health care facilities, manufacturing companies and retail centers.
3 of these awardees are considering projects here in Massachusetts.
This program works.
Too often, when it comes to development, distressed communities are simply ignored. Many worthwhile projects never get started because of a lack of investment. Without that necessary financial backing, communities can fall further behind.
The New Markets Tax Credits help break that cycle. They attract private-sector investments through a tax credit, valued at 39 percent of the investment’s cost and claimed over a seven-year period.
The program provides a powerful incentive to investors to take a chance on projects in communities which have potential. This helps offset some of the risk. And in partnership with businesses and developers, these investments help create jobs and opportunity.
This program is a great example of smart policies, which at modest cost, can make a real difference.
I want to introduce you to Donna Gambrell, who runs this program for the Treasury. And I want to thank her for all her work.
Since 2000, Treasury has made 386 New Markets Tax Credit awards totaling $21 billion, helping to finance thousands of projects, including a sustainable forestry business in rural Maine; an alternative energy provider in Mississippi; charter schools in Newark and Detroit; grocery-anchored retail centers in Cleveland and Washington, D.C.; and right here in Roxbury a new headquarters for Project Hope.
This building has expanded the number of families Project Hope can help. It has turned an empty lot into a hub of community activity. And, with a focus on the environment, it has become Roxbury’s first certified “green” building.
New Markets Tax Credits made that all possible.
I want to highlight today two award recipients in Massachusetts that are supported by New Markets Tax Credits.
The first is National Consumer Cooperative Bank, Capital Impact who, today, is getting an award for $90 million. Over the past few years, NCB has received $229 million in three New Markets Tax Credits allocations.
One of the NCB financed projects was an expansion of the Match School, a charter public school that prepares inner-city Boston students for higher education, including many who have no family history of college attendance. The Match School has the amazing distinction of sending 98% of its graduates on to four year colleges.
At Match, the school days are long, the classes are intense and, in 2004, to help students better achieve academic success, they set up a tutoring program where 45 recent college graduates are hired to live at the school and spend a few hours every day working with individual students.
Shaniqua Choice is one of those students. She is graduating from the Match School on June 19th and will soon become the first in her family to go to college. In fact, in all, she got 10 acceptance letters.
Shaniqua lives in Dorchester. She gets up at 4:30 am every morning, traveling an hour and half on the train to make it to school on time. And having experienced the tutoring program for the past four years, Shaniqua told us it is essential to the Match School’s success and to her success.
That tutoring program was made possible by NCB financing through New Markets Tax Credits.
And I would like to invite Shaniqua to say a few words because she is a powerful example of how this program can impact lives.
[[Shaniqua remarks]]
Thank you Shaniqua. And thank you to all the Match school students and tutors who are here today.
The second awardee I want to mention is Rockland Trust who is getting an award of $50 million. Over the past five years, with prior awards totaling $75 million, Rockland Trust tells us they have helped employ over 1,200 workers. Among those projects was a new restaurant in Brockton.
Restaurants are a family business for Mike Psikarakis (SICK-A-RA-KAS). His parents own one in Freetown, Massachusetts and in December 2006, Rockland Trust financed, through New Markets Tax Credits, Mike and his younger brother Nicholas’ hope of opening up their own place.
Mike and Nicholas turned a vacant building into “Micos Café” and have even leased out extra space to a biomedical consulting firm. The construction meant around 30 people got a temporary job and a month ago “Micos Café” opened for business with 8 staff hired from the local area.
This is the kind of development Brockton needs. And as we work to turn our economy around, such investments in small businesses are critical.
I’d like to invite Mike to say a few words.
[[Mike remarks]]
Thank you, Mike.

These are just two examples of how important New Markets Tax Credits are to helping small businesses, students, families and local communities. At a time when small businesses and entrepreneurs are struggling to find funding for new ideas, the New Markets Tax Credit program is providing a critical source of capital for new projects and providing opportunities to American families and businesses.
The programs make possible by the Recovery Act are starting to make a difference. The national economy is showing some initial signs of stability. Confidence has improved. The financial system is starting to heal, and credit is starting to ease.
This is just the beginning, however. We have a lot more work to do. To lay the foundation for a more sustainable recovery, with the gains more broadly shared among all Americans. To reduce growth the costs of health care. To improve the quality of public education. To reform our financial system. And to get us back to the point where we are living within our means, not just individually, but as a nation.
The President is committed to getting us there. And we are going to keep at it until we have strong foundation for recovery in place.
Thank you all. </lj-cut>

<lj-cut text="Media Coverage my Uncle's Company got">
<![if !vml]><img width=232 height=90><![endif]>New Markets Tax Credit ProgramAnnouncement <o:p></o:p>Media Coverage Report<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Boston</st1:City></st1:place><bstyle='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><spanstyle='font-family:Georgia'> Globe<o:p></o:p>On Thursday, May 28, the <bstyle='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>BostonGlobe ran an article about the New Markets Tax Credit Program andmentioned Rockland Trust as a beneficiary of the new tax credits.<spanstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> The article included a quote from EdwardSeksay. <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Boston</st1:City></st1:place><bstyle='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><spanstyle='font-family:Georgia'> Herald<o:p></o:p>On Thursday, May 28, the <bstyle='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>BostonHerald ran an article in its business section about the New Markets TaxCredit Program and mentioned the tax credit allocation to Rockland Trust.<spanstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> The article stated that Rockland Trust wasthe only <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:State></st1:place>entity to receive an award.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>PatriotLedger<o:p></o:p>In an article that ran onTuesday, April 21, the <istyle='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Patriot Ledger described RocklandTrust as the only <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:State></st1:place>organization to be awarded tax credits as part of the New Markets Tax CreditProgram. The article mentioned plans forthe use of the tax credits and included comments from both Chris Oddleifson andEd Seksay.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>The<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Enterprise</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p>On Thursday, May 28, thenews of Rockland Trust’s federal tax credit award ran in The Enterprise.<spanstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> The article mentions that the allocation willallow Rockland Trust to support low-income communities and that the bank wasthe only Massachusetts-based entity to receive tax credits.<spanstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> It also includes numerous comments from Mr.Oddleifson and Mr. Seksay.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>WCVB<o:p></o:p>On Wednesday, May 27, asegment about the New Markets Tax Credit program ran on WCVB-TV during the 5:30p.m. news. The segment mentioned thatRockland Trust received $50 million, and the Miko’s Café project in <st1:Cityw:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Brockton</st1:place></st1:City>.<spanstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> Chris Oddleifson was interviewed on camera.<bstyle='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><o:p> </o:p>WBZ<o:p></o:p>On Wednesday, May 27, asegment about the New Markets Tax Credit program ran on WBZ-TV during the 6p.m. news. Ed Seksay was interviewed forthis segment.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City><bstyle='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><spanstyle='font-family:Georgia'> Business Journal<o:p></o:p>On Wednesday, May 27, abrief appeared on the BBJ’s website about the New Markets Tax Credit awards andmentioned Rockland Trust as a recipient.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>Banker & Tradesman<o:p></o:p>On Thursday, May 28, abrief was sent out in the Banker & Tradesman’s daily email and online,about the New markets Tax Credit program awards and mentioned Rockland Trust asthe only <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:place></st1:State>based recipient.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>WBUR<o:p></o:p>On Wednesday, May 28, WBURradio reported about the New Markets Tax Credit awards, and included a quotefrom Ed Seksay.<o:p></o:p></lj-cut>

Feeding my brain.

2009-04-14T03:40:33Z

Because anybody that reads this will be moved by it through inspiration, or that heavy sigh a person emits when they know that someone else knows that they suffered.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Lately

2009-03-17T03:53:19Z

I've been spending alot of time away from the internet getting rooted in a new relationship. He's a great guy, as I'm sure I've mentioned. Someday, I might even have a picture he wouldn't mind me posting where people I know could find it.

So far, we've spent alot of time hiding inside from the weather engaging in an activity he's never had: sharing. Where you have something nifty or influential to the formation of your character that the other person enjoys as well. He's not dated a woman that he had anything in common with. I'm excited because if I watch any of the videos of my art, I have someone to work through new stuff with. I'm excited because I get to watch someone take in the Firefly series after completely dumping TV due to lack of worthwhile content, like I did.

We've worked through some of the major talks, and a couple of minor talks, but mostly, he's a strong, silent type. But we talk, about anything we can. Show the shape of our minds, kind of thing.

I remember a story from Syrce, about how someone said she was dating 'some old guy,' and I kind of giggled to myself. My sweetie is 40. But he feels younger than me (mentally and physically), but I've never felt more than 20 or so. It isn't anything to do with maturity. There's just a youthfulness about him that makes sense to me. He's certainly mature. And loving. And thoughtful...and I'll stop it there, because I'll go on.

Quote Wars, II

2009-02-08T05:28:47Z

I post a quote, or a series of quotes, and hopefully, people respond with some favorite quotes of their own that aren't repeated from our last adventure.

"There isn't any point in trying to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time, and it annoys the pig." -Unknown (Ruff)

"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds." -Albert Einstein

"What is happiness? The feeling that power is growing, that resistance is overcome." -Friedrich Nietzche

"In the beginning of a change the Patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." -Mark Twain

"Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it." -George Bernard Shaw

"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving." -p.405 Terry Pratchett 'Hat Full of Sky'

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Well written explanation.

2009-01-18T14:50:09Z

To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY:

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9 A.M., mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5 P.M., I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made. Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers’ compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero.. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now. When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. (This is essentially buying the “poor” vote. See my quote below) Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep. So where am I going with all this?

It's quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you. I'll fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....

Signed,

THE BOSS

A good week gone past

2009-01-12T01:48:32Z

Work was unremarkable in a pleasantly passable way, busy enough not to drag. I got to see a friend that I had not seen in two years, and catch up on things. I got to spend another lovely Sunday at the range with a person I could pass hours in the presence of without saying anything, and successfully scheduled next Sunday as a trip to the art museum with said person.

For all the words I have running around in my head, this is all that seems appropriate for now. Larger post due the sixteenth, I think. Perhaps another on the fourth of next month.

For Quote Thieves

2008-09-25T23:06:39Z

"There are only two things that are infinite: The universe, and human stupidity....and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein

Yeep.

2008-08-11T02:32:42Z

This is scary....

Squee! Whedons at it again!

2008-07-03T05:48:01Z

I think everyone will be happier if I give them something entertaining to look at. Check this out!

If it involves the word teaser, it must be good :D...

Also, look here.

Lyrics

2008-04-15T05:28:48Z

An adorable little song that i can recommend to anyone.

Loose Lips
by: Kimya Dawson

loose lips might sink ships but loose gooses take trips
to san francisco, double dutch disco,
tech tv hottie, do it for scotty
do it for the living and do it for the dead
do it for the monsters under your bed
do it for the teenagers and do it for your mom
broken hearts hurt but they make us strong and

we won't stop until somebody calls the cops
and even then we'll start again and just pretend that
nothing ever happened

we won't stop until somebody calls the cops
and even then we'll start again and just pretend that
nothing ever happened

we're just dancing, we're just hugging,
singing, screaming, kissing, tugging
on the sleeve of how it used to be

how's it gonna be?

i'll drop kick russell stover, move into the starting over house
and know matt rouse and jest are watching me achieve my dreams

and we'll pray, all damn day, every day,
that all this shit our president has got us in will go away
while we strive to figure out a way we can survive
these trying times without losing our minds

so if you wanna burn yourself remember that I LOVE YOU
and if you wanna cut yourself remember that I LOVE YOU
and if you wanna kill yourself remember that I LOVE YOU
call me up before your dead, we can make some plans instead
send me an IM, i'll be your friend

shysters live from scheme to scheme and my 4th quarter pipe dreams
are seeming more and more worth fighting for
so i'll curate some situations, make my job a big vacation
and i'll say FUCK BUSH AND FUCK THIS WAR

my war paint is sharpie ink and i'll show you how much my shit stinks
and ask you what you think because your thoughts and words are powerful
they think we're disposable, well both my thumbs opposable
are spelled out on a double word and triple letter score

we won't stop until somebody calls the cops and even then we'll start again and just pretend that
nothing ever happened

we won't stop until somebody calls the cops
and even then we'll start again and just pretend that nothing ever happened

we're just dancing, we're just hugging,
singing, screaming, kissing, tugging on the sleeve of how it used to be

You know....

2007-11-18T05:10:39Z

http://discovermagazine.com/2007/nov/did-a-comet-cause-the-great-flood/article_view?b_start:int=1&-C=

Maybe you should all just start checking out www.lewrockwell.com They link to all kinds of neat articles like these.

Interesting to me...

2007-11-18T05:03:37Z

...likely to piss most off, though.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article2852551.ece

Thoughts?

So there I was....

2007-11-13T18:46:48Z

...minding my own business at work, when the fedex guy wanders in with a box. A kind of big, longish, green box. That says 'Pro Flowers.'

.....

I just got two dozen red roses at work.

Oh dear.

kelda_too_soon @ 2007-10-30T22:24:00

2007-10-31T02:35:08Z

Dear world at large:

If you have not read a book in a long time because you don't think you have the focus, go pick up a copy of 'Dumbing Us Down' by John Taylor Gatto. There are functionally only 106 pages of the most enlightening read I have experienced in years.

Allow me to quote:

"But here is the calculus of time the children I teach must deal with:

Out of the 168 hours in each week my children sleep 56. That leaves them 112 hours a week out of which to fashion a self.

According to recent reports, children watch 55 hours of television a week. That then leaves them 57 hours a week in which to grow up.

My children attend school 30 hours a week, use about eight hours getting ready for and traveling to and from school, and spend an average of seven hours a week in homework - a total of 45 hours. During that time they are under constant surveillance. They have no private time or private space and are disciplined if they try to assert individuality in the use of time or space. That leaves them 12 hours a week out of which to create a unique consciousness. Of course my kids eat, too, and that takes some time - not much because they've lost the tradition of family dining - but if we allot three hours a week to evening meals, we arrive at a net amount of private time for each child of nine hours per week.

It's not enough, is it? The richer the kid, of course, the less television he or she watches, but the rich kid's time is just as narrowly prescribed by a somewhat broader catalogue of commercial entertainments and the inevitable assignment to a series of private lessons in areas seldom of his or her own choice."

Important. VERY Important.

2007-10-17T02:28:21Z

"It is therefore easy to see why authority frowns on friendship. Every real friendship is a sort of secession, even a rebellion. It may be a rebellion of serious thinkers against accepted claptrap or of faddists against accepted good sense; of real artists against popular ugliness or of charlatans against civilized taste; of good men against the badness of society or of bad men against its goodness. Whichever it is, it will be unwelcome to the Top People. In each knot of friends there is a sectional "public opinion" which fortifies its members against the public opinion of the community in general. Each therefore is a pocket of potential resistance. Men who have real friends are less easy to manage or "get at"; harder for the good authorities to correct or the bad authorities to corrupt. Hence if our masters, by force or by propaganda about "Togetherness" or by unobtrusively making privacy and unplanned leisure impossible, ever succeed in producing a world where all are Companions and none are Friends, they will have removed certain dangers, and will also have taken from us what is almost our strongest safeguard against complete servitude."

--C.S. Lewis
Four Loves (1960)

kelda_too_soon @ 2007-09-25T07:48:00

2007-09-25T11:48:34Z

So, why am I so cocky? Well, let's see...I'll give you the short version of the past few days.

Saturday and Sunday were the Carmel International Arts Festival, which literally took place right outside our front doors at work. And I sold stuff. A $600 amethyst and white gold pendant on Saturday (my first ever sale) and then a $3700 watch and a $8800 2.25 ct diamond pendant on Sunday. True, neither of the latter would have sold without the boss' clout to give a 20 % discount, but holy crap. I sold $10,000 worth of stuff *in a day* And I didn't get there til noon. To get a sales bonus for each person, a show must have a $10,000 increment. So everyone gets a sales bonus, and we didn't even have to put up the booth tent for a show! A completely unique situation that put us in air conditioning :D

This Wednesday is the Indy Libertarian Meetup Group where in I try to get Monthly Movie Night and Monthly Range Trip off the ground. Then Friday, I will be spending some range time with one of the other Libertarian ladies and a gentleman kind enough to get our feet on the right path. Then Sunday, instead of hiking, I'm heading out with FDG to do another range trip free of charge with a Libertarian willing to give the full gun safety classes as a supplement to anything at the range: Rifle, pistol, revolver, all of it. He actually has a piece of property for things to happen on :D

I have set a goal between a year or a year and a half: If I meet one, I will be completely happy. One is to get yoga instructor certification so that I can volunteer some time at church and the dojo, and possibly teach a few morning classes a week to supplement the income. Another is to catch at least one day a week as a gondolierie down on the canal downtown if I decide to move on from choir at the church, because paid to sing and exercise would just be awesome :D The other is really a two part: Get a chapter of Hunters for the Hungry off the ground here in Indianapolis, along with a chapter of the 2nd Amendment Sisters. Since I was fortunate enough to meet the gentleman that founded HftH in NC and VA, I can pick his brain because the homeless population here in Indy is large enough to be visible. The economy is not doing so well here, and since I mark myself fortunate AND capable, that puts me in a position of capability to affect a change, even if it is minor. I will have tried versus the 300,000 or better in this city that just don't.

I like to think big :D

I recently had a date with a jeweler that has children old enough to have children out of the house. That's the short version. I was fed sushi and schmoozed over air hockey...and to be honest, I went out with him because he asked. He's a nice enough guy, and it was VERY nice to have someone to talk shop with. However, I never think a jeweler should attach to a jeweler. If there are differences in methods and style, there could be an explosion. But in other news....

I had another talk with sensei about how I need to avoid Tuesday nights (hem hem) As it turns out, another person is going to be alternating Tuesdays, so I'll only lose half as many. He also pointed out that both myself and Mr. Instructor Guy are adults, and that he would be tickled pink if we ended up together. He doesn't think its possible for his own reasons. What he pointed out specifically is that MIG doesn't drink and doesn't dance when out at dojo functions...there are other things, but that was the primary, I think.

So the plan for tonight, if I can get MIG alone for a moment, is to openly and honestly explain that he IS an amazing teacher, but that he, well, distracts me. That I'm not going to be avoiding him because he has 'problems with women.' There is an attraction issue that makes it difficult to focus on training, which gets frustrating. Give him a heads up instead of just going ghost, because no one ever takes that well. They always assume they have done something wrong when they don't see you. And happy alone is such a rare person to see nowadays that I don't want to go invading that kind of space. Its a damn shame what with him being a machinist and the hands-down best person to learn range skills from, but such is life. I'll see where it goes.

And Ruff is seeking to get me a job in NH to get me in on the Freestate project...maybe in a couple years, but only if I think my happiness will be maximized by moving.

Quotes for how I am feeling as of late.

2007-09-09T01:38:40Z

"Is not the State an idol? Is it not like any graven image into which men have read supernatural powers and superhuman capacities? The State can feed us when we are hungry, heal us when we are ill; it can raise wages and lower prices, even at the same time; it can educate our children without cost; it can provide us against the contingencies of old age and amuse us when we are bored; it can give us electricity by passing laws and improve the game of baseball by regulation. What cannot the State do for us if only we have faith in it? And we have faith. No creed in the history of the world ever captured the hearts and minds of men as has the modern creed of Statism."
Frank Chodorov from The Need of a Golden Calf

Read More

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." - Albert Camus

"I'm far from home, thought Tiffany, [.....] but I have it in my eye. Now I open my eyes. Now I open my eyes again---Ahh." -Terry Pratchett A Hat Full of Sky

In the Aching series by Terry Pratchett, the girl knows she is 'different' (a witch) because she has fist sight and second thoughts. I'm learning to be this girl. You see something, OK. But then you think about what you saw, and analyze it. I do this every day now for practice, and the things I see depress me utterly. Of course, this has carried over into hearing versus listening, and realizing sometimes that both cannot be done because some people don't have any thought of substance enough to listen to. And they all have more money and success than me, but none of them are content with their life or growing in the leaps and bounds that I am.

I have never missed kindlechan, ghibbitude, defunct_world, and candacefox so much. It is hard, once you have found thinking women that act on their beliefs, to find women to fill their shoes. I don't think I will ever have that here, so I'm trying to fill them all at once by myself.

I feel buff!...and a bit sore.

2007-06-20T12:43:18Z

I made a trip to the gym for a full workout, knowing that next week I'm not likely to workout at all since I'll be hanging out at a family reunion. I got home, did some reading, and then made my way out to the dojo for another good evening at the dojo. We have a new white belt *this happens once a month and they leave*, so the other six of us *five green belts and myself* were left to our own devices. Surprisingly, the Thursday night instructor came by and ended up sticking around going over 8th cue requirements until after the end of class. Then, I stuck around even later with the instructor and E, chatting about various things.

That's the whole day in a nutshell...getting ready to go to the family reunion, and hanging out at the dojo. No big break throughs: Just normal progress made.