Bob Dylan and thoughts on right-sizing

Dear Reader,
So how's it going? How've you been? I haven't heard from anyone in awhile, and part of that is my fault: I haven't been very prolific.

I've been distracted lately, trying to plan the next 20 years of my life. Everything is on the table (except my wife and family, of course). We're considering downsizing, or right sizing, or what ever you call it when you're trying to create a sustainable lifestyle that will allow us to be here for kids, and save a little bit of money. I've realized now, at age 41, I'm not ever going to be someone's "Executive Vice President." I've decided I'm not willing to pay the same price to climb the corporate ladder at age 41. When I was 27 the future was different, and responsibilities few and far between. At 41, I see my career for what it is -- a means to an end. My career does not define me, the way it defined my father. I am not what I do. I'd rather be a stay-at-home dad, than a stay-at-work dad. I had the latter, growing up. He's a rich man today, which is nice, but I'd much rather have had a dad around when I needed one.

I told you started a new job last May. Sorry to report it is not what I thought it would be. Much more responsibility, much less control, and much more travel than was originally thought. I don't think I will be in this job in two weeks (my choice). Just a hunch, but its sucking pretty hard right now. This needs to change.

The oldest son started first grade a few weeks ago, and is doing great. Jane went 3/4 time at work, and that means she's done by 2:30 pm, and can pick up Jorgen by 3 pm.

In anticipation of a pending financial earth quake, we've decided to re-finance our house from a 15 year to 30 year mortgage, and in the process roll up some automobile debt. That should take about $1,000 off of our monthly payments. We're not having any trouble meeting our bills, but again, just trying to get things "sustainable." No telling what the future holds (note to self: don't quit job before refinancing is complete). We will always have the option to pay down the 30 year mortgage at the 15 year rate in good times, but will have the flexibility to step down the payments as necessary.

I bought an apartment building in June, and have been working on it since. It's an 8 plex, and I now have all the units rented out. Hopefully I've chosen good tenants. It should provide a free and clear income between $500 and $750 per month. Lets hope this was a good long term financial move for the family.

So what does this post have to do with Bob Dylan? I watched the PBS documentary on him last night. I can't say I was inspired, but I was... amazed. I've always loved his music, but didn't understand the reluctant role he played in the 60's protest culture. The world needs interesting people to inspire it, challenge it, and infuriate it. People like Bobby D. who through either luck or good planning, are able to rise up above mediocrity. God bless Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie.

Thanks for listening,

Scott

Diet update: holding steady around 175.

Why America is Going Broke

Is there a more ethereal discussion you and I can have? Most of us can't make the connection between the well-being of our families and the U.S. Government's deficit spending, fueling the national debt. The numbers are too big. The solution involves pain. There's too many cogs in the deficit machine for us to understand. We feel powerless to do anything.

For all its blessings, this is the curse of democracy: politicians buy votes by borrowing from your future. Osama Bin Laden knows this -- his grand scheme for destroying America isn't to kill lots of American's in burning buildings or in wars. His plan has to be to provoke America into deficit spending, overreacting, over reaching, over promising. He wants to reveal that the emporer has no clothes, and he will do this by provoking America into spending itself into its grave. One day, the deficit money machine will break, and our American dream lifestyle will come to an end. Some day, the foreign investors who are loaning us money to finance our spending spree will want to live the good life themselves -- when that money stops flowing into the U.S., the machine will break.

The best article I've read on this problem in a long time is posted here. It's written from a Canadian perspective, looking after their own national interests.

What the hell is George Bush doing? It seems that he will not rest until America is broke. He doesn't explain how America is going to pay for the two wars it is fighting and now embark on the biggest "reconstruction project that the world has ever seen." I love New Orleans, and I lived there for years -- but how can we invest in rebuilding a city that is still vulnerable to hurricanes, that sits on sinking ground, below sea level, in a marsh that is disappearing into the sea?

The New Orleans rebuilding effort will only accellerate our debt. How big is the debt? Click here to find out.

Here's some other bell ringers in the blogosphere:
http://libertyforsale.com/2005/09/16/the-public-debt-is-the-real-emergency/
http://www.livejournal.com/users/madkiwi/23780.html
http://www.bettershorter.com/2005_09_01_bettershorter_archive.php#112687356438032324





What are you thoughts?

Waste Not, Want Not...

Is garbage interesting? If you doubt that it is, then check out this link for interesting facts on waste: http://www.cleanair.org/Waste/wasteFacts.html

Among the stunners:

• Inthe U.S., 4.39 pounds of trash per day and up to 56 tons of trash per year are created by the average person.
• Only about one-tenth of all solid garbage in the United States gets recycled.
  Every year we fill enough garbage trucks to form a line that would stretch from the earth, halfway to the moon.
• Each day the United States throws away enough trash to fill 63,000 garbage trucks.
  Almost 1/3 of the waste generated the U.S. is packaging.
• Every 4 quarts of oil discarded during an average oil change can contaminate 1 million gallons of water
• Recycling an aluminum soda can saves 96% of the energy used to make a can from ore, and produces 95% less air pollution and 97% less water pollution.
• It takes the energy equivalent of half a soda can of gasoline to produce one soda can from bauxite ore.

Our family are not hard core environmentalists, but we try to do what we can. We've been able to incorporate recycling as a fun activity that our kids enjoy. You doubt that little kids would enjoy recycling? Just let them plop a glass jar into a glass recycling orbit: my kids can't get enough of the shattering sound.

Recycling isn't that difficult. It makes a difference, and is one of the things within an individual's control that really helps reduce America's energy appetite, keeps the environment clean, slows the expansion of landfills (i/e saves your tax dollars), etc. If not for the sake of my kids, then recycle for your own greedy self serving reasons, but just do it. It's in your best interests.