Hey--do you guys use Pandora? Because if so, 'twould be cool to hear what you guys are listening to--using the friends/share feature.

This is a great read if anyone has the time. In essence, captain Evans charged his tin can against the largest battleship ever built. Much like a Toyota Tercel charging a tank, he (and eventually the rest of Taffy 3) caused a japanese retreat, thereby saving the soldiers landing on Leyte. It's perhaps one of the best American underdog stories of the war.

The hobbettes might appreciate this...

Look at what i have become. Working in an estrogen dominated environment for some 5+ years now, I have come to appreciate certain things that baffle me. And at this point--it's second nature. Example: a student just walked by my office in Capris. That's right--Capris pants. I would have thought that any self-respecting SEC girl would know that, according to Tim Gunn, Capris do few people justice. (?) (!) They cut you off in all the wrong places... (This is common knowledge, right?)

I need to get out of here more often. I think, at this point, that's a given.

Genuinely wishing tremendous physical harm on someone is something I try not to indulge in too often.

But a living pile of feces named Ian Murphy is a big winner on that account.

I almost feel silly getting so upset, since he's clearly saying these things in order to piss off as many people as possible. As Greg is fond of saying, it's so ridiculous it's not even worth my time.

It's probably no secret that I'm really not liking my job all that much at this point in time. But you guys may appreciate this personal experience...

It's not secret that stuttering therapy pretty much sucks. I won't go so far as to say that it's worthless, but when we don't even know how to think about the pathology, it should come as no surprise that the management of said pathology is really no better than chance (i.e., control group).

So when I heard about a new drug trial for stuttering management, I was pretty pumped. The more I researched, the more I realized that this drug is the real deal. Only about a 50 to 70% improvement--but relative to all the past drugs (who's side effects were worse than the pathology), this drug was actually tolerable. It could help a whole lot of people--but more importantly, change the public perception of the phenomenon. (Coincidentally, the drug also when to a Phase II for pre-mature ejaculation...so maybe the stuttering population could get a whole new stereotype?)

So I worked and lobbied, and I got my foot in the door. Until my dumbass ex-chair submarined it. She killed my project. (She disdained great ideas (coming from other people) that would outshine her.) So I got kinda depressed about it, but moved on with life.

The next year at a professional conference, I was invited to a swanky party in which I had no reason being invited to. Seriously. I had no business being there. But I went, stag. And the woman who sat next to me is running the drug trial. Dumb luck, or divine intervention.

So my foot was in the door, yet again. However, the problem was that I'm not an MD, so I can't prescribe drugs. I worked out an overly complicated scenario that involved the med school; it might have worked out--if all parties involved did their jobs...but it's all moot, because the pharm company didn't have the funding. Deal dead.

So after that time, I met another family at the park. (Note: The Park. A public playground. Not the traditional place of business and research networking.) Turns out that the father is a neurologist and the wife is an SLP. (They've got 2 kids.) He wanted to be a part of it, if it ever got off the ground.

Now the drug company called me back saying that the clinical trial is a go. I've got no crazy ex-chair to deal with, I've got a funded pharm company trial, and I've got a local MD that's totally excited about the idea. It looks as if it may work out perfectly. Sometimes, you'll only see it after you can look back and the divine pieces of the puzzle.

And the thing is--the thing that kept me going on this was the belief that there was no way I could have sat next to who I sat next to by chance. I wasn't even supposed to be there, but I was there. And there was probably 100 people at the thing...but I only sat next to two.

Anyway--crap like that keeps me going.

Ugh, why do I do this to myself?

That MassResistance site I linked to earlier today is disgusting. Just read the "Introduction" on this page about a bill that has been introduced in the Massachusetts legislature. I'm sure I would find plenty to disagree with in the bill itself ("hate crime" = one step away from "thought crime"), but... the language is just dripping with... well, I'll go ahead and say it, hate.

Can't we disagree without vilifying--or quite literally, demonizing--those with whom we disagree?

With all due respect, Greg, I couldn't possibly disagree with your last post more.

With regards to HIV/AIDS being a "lifestyle disease" (and thus no longer worth fighting), I would simply ask you to be consistent. Consider the following list of the top three killers in the United States.

1. Heart Disease
The leading causes of which include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, excessive weight, and lack of exercise. While some of these causes do have genetic factors, most agree that the majority of problems with these issues relate to "lifestyle" choices.

2. Cancer
The five leading types of cancer include: breast, skin, lung, colon and pancreatic. Now lung and skin cancer are clearly impacted by "lifestyle" choices. Breast cancer, the only form of cancer actively on the rise (even as others are in decline), is directly tied to use the birth control pill and abortion. As for colon and pancreatic, I don't have a lot of data, nor the time to dig it up.

3. Stroke
The leading causes of which include: high blood pressure, unchecked diabetes, high cholestarol, heart attack, heart failure. Clearly, each of these causes contain significant elements of "lifestyle" choices.

So, if you want to eliminate research into an HIV/AIDS vaccine, I suggest that you consider modifying your proposal by also supporting the elimination of research in Heart Disease, Cancer and Strokes -- all of which are massively impacted by "lifestyle" decisions.

And as for those suffering in Africa, I would be happy to discuss this in another post. I just don't have the time at the moment.

In a word... Yes. It is time to stop spending millions (if not billions) on a lifestyle disease. Sure--I know things are pretty tough in Africa (of which the true "victims" of this actually exist), but things here state side are entirely different.

So if all of you are ditching cable (or at least seriously reducing your channel load), then how will you ever know who becomes Paris' new BFF? Sorry about that. It's a really slow day on CNN.

As curmudgeonly as I am about the whole Day of Silence thing, neither do I think this is a good idea: Parents Urged to Stage 'Day of Silence Walkout'

Personally, the DOS being about "propaganda" has not been my experience. I guess my schools have been relatively good about keeping the focus on anti-harassment. Plus, I get the feeling that a disproportionately large percentage of my students can smell propaganda from a mile away, and are quick to question it.

Anyway, groups like CWA and MassResistance annoy me just as much. I mean, talk about propaganda.

Where are the voices of calm, cool reasoning?

In preparation for my first GPC smackdown (referenced in a comment from a previous post), I've been watching Good Cop, Baby Cop. Say what you want--but Pearl's awesome. She makes a mean Landlord.

And on a side-note, today the experiment begins. Court and I have cut the (cable tv) cord. I just got tired of watching crap, and getting pissed about the crap that I was watching enduring. (And then paying to watch the crap that I've been getting pissed about.) The only show I'll miss will be Battle 360, which I can download off of iTunes. Kinda excited to see how it affects our lives (if at all); I'll keep you guys posted if there's any interest...

For those wishing to re-endure Naked Lunch, you may do so here.

(Site is worth exploring; it's got more content than I thought... Might save a rental fee if you've got a computer hooked up to your TV.)

Dear Esteemed Colleague,

We asked a group of advanced senior engineering students to create a prototype of a stuttering management prosthetic device--and they have worked (quite hard) all semester long to turn our extra-paradigmatic idea into a reality. As a consequence, it's a bit rude to ditch the final meeting in which they demonstrate (to us--in theory) the results of their effort. Moreover, ditching the meeting--only to be found in the office of the resident professor sex-offender (who has a preference for molesting freshman girls) appears to be an overall lapse in personal judgment.

In the future, we would appreciate an increased effort in professionalism and courtesy. And while who you spend your time with is your own choice, I'm sure your wife and daughter would be thrilled to discover the company in which has been kept.

Regards,

One week from today, on Friday, April 25, our country will celebrate a National Day of Silence to help raise awareness of the silence LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered) people face in their everyday lives. More information about this day is available at www.dayofsilence.org. In the past, Dana Hall has participated in this event, and we plan to this year as well.

Students who want to participate need to send me reasons why they want to participate, and then I will send the entire list to all of you.

Students understand that if they need to speak in class for an activity that can't be recreated on another day, they should do so. They also do need to take quizzes and tests on that day, and they know they can ask questions should they arise. Every year we talk to the students participating to help them understand the significance of their actions and how important it is to speak (or not speak!) only for themselves. There isn't a right way to do this, but we have stressed that getting around silence through note-taking and charades doesn't really represent the purpose of the day. Please take a look at the list when it comes to your mailbox, and pay attention to the voices that are silenced. Your respect for the day shows support. Everyone, students and faculty alike, can show support also by purchasing a rainbow ribbon outside Waldo Friday morning.

Everyone participating will have a red and black ribbon and a card explaining why they are not speaking.

If you would like to participate yourself, please talk with your Department Head about the best way to make this happen. It's amazing how much learning can take place in silence!

Thank you for your support.

Yes, it's that time of year again. The irony is lost on so many people. (I had no idea that old site was still kickin' around!)

I will not be purchasing a rainbow ribbon, partly because I don't like the implication that anyone who does not wear a ribbon supports "name-calling, bullying, and harassment," but mostly because I don't feel like acting out The Sneetches in real life.

Please... someone tell me that this is not actually happening.

Well done, America! The moral-absolute-ectomy of our culture appears to be progressing nicely.

UPDATE: Well, I got what I asked for...

You guys read this? I can't help to think that this is really a non-issue (i.e., "news" from a nobody) that is being blown out of proportion by a liberally biased media...

...Hey Guys... I'm at my wits end down here. 2 neighborhood dogs have (for whatever reason) chosen our lawn in which to dump. Daily. Seriously. No lie. And they let them out under the cover of darkness (intentionally) as to avoid detection. So pretty much every day, I have to sweep our yard (front and back) for crap. (Once, when my kid was one, we didn't sweep--and she got into it. One year olds act like scientists--and this was her discovery.)

Anyway--I'm done with it. Tried being nice; talking to them; etc... no results. Called the sheriff--who gave me three possibilities: (1) Talk to them. (Didn't work.) (2) Build a fence around your own yard. (No way am I spending thousands due to some one else's irresponsibility.) (3) The sheriff said something like, Ssshh--that would piss me off too. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I'm not sure what that means, but it doesn't sound pro-dog.

So I'm honestly thinking of going public with this idea. Just going public with this little reality. We will be putting large bowls of green fluid around our yard at random intervals throughout the day and night. Some days, they will be filled with green Kool Aid. Other days, they will be filled with Ethylene glycol. Feel free to take your chances...

Thoughts?

A little something for everyone ...

For those that enjoy laughing at stupid people, I give you ...

For those that enjoy really unique takes on classic tunes, I give you The Clark Brothers and their take on "This Little Light of Mine" (available on iTunes). Check it out.

Lastly, for those that are wondering, we have decided to pass on purchasing the game store. We're looking at some alternative models in terms of building something grassroots, but in the end, the store (as it was currently configured) just really wasn't the right fit.

But on the subject of games, I highly recommend picking up Balloon Cup. It's a great little two player game that I think you would all enjoy. Best buy on the web is through Gamesurplus.com.

So I dodged a bullet today... I thought my dean was going to observe me teaching a class--so I thought I was prepared and all. Key word is thought. Turned out to be one of my most craptastic lectures in recent memory. Fortunately--the dean didn't come. :)

Note to self: Prepare lectures.

Hey Matt--How 'bout an example of what might be the world's worst tattoo? (I so hope it's fake...)

Ok--now I'll finally buy one. (Heck--I'll just buy the phone-free iPod version...)

Private, Private, Public. (Note: The public school's site looks impressive, although the pics are from the University and the town square.)

I know I'm a little ahead of the game here, being that my kid's 2 years of age. Just looking at our options. Matt--do you think websites are realistic reflections of the actual (private) schools themselves? (i.e., do "mission statements" and the like actually filter down to experience?)

Interesting Read: Perceived thought crimes now written into a Bill in the state of Maine. I'd love to see them try and uphold this one in a court of law. (No, your honor... I was looking over there...)

Quick drive-by posting...

Wondering how you guys did this year at Tax Time... The only reason why I ask is because this is the first year that I've broken down and used an accountant. (In the past, I've used TurboTax, either in software form, or their online version.) We used an accountant at Court's request (second to my workload and current stress levels)...

And I'm actually wondering if the guy paid for himself. He certainly seemed to go much more in-depth than the computer program did, and we're paying less this year than we have in years...

I'm a nominal Red Sox fan at best, but this still made me cry like a baby.

Umm... yeah.

Sorry for the drive-by, I know it's been a while...

We had an assembly this morning, where a parent talked about the documentary he was making about his grandparents, who were Unitarian Universalists who (along with a network of others) saved hundreds of families from France from Nazi persecution. It's an interesting story, but I was a little annoyed when he emphasized that his grandparents were only the second and third Americans to be declared "Righteous Among The Nations" by the State of Israel (out of over 20,000 so honored). According to Wikipedia:

In secular usage, the term is used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust in order to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis.

So apparently, only three Americans risked their lives in this way. It's as though those other hundreds of thousands don't count, because they were (say it with me ominously now) military, and, well, war's bad, mmkay?

I dunno, maybe I'm being overly sensitive. It's happened before.

What is the point? The needle would barely move north while driving in a school zone... (The dash of a Lamborghini Murcielago.)

Hey Scott--I hope I didn't come across as to diss or disrespect. That wasn't it at all. On paper, and from a traditional business perspective, it seems like a very interesting deal. Someone like Robert Kiyosaki might give it the big thumbs up. And when you see his portfolio, it's difficult to argue with his level of success.

The only thing I was trying to express is that it isn't how I roll; I just don't do well with the concept of debt on a personal level. At all. I just don't like risk. I rarely take chances unless I am confident of the outcome (in my favor), and this is only magnified relative to finances and my ability to support my family. It screws with my head, which ultimately affects my happiness and the quality of life for my family. If I could play the last 4 years of my life over again--I would have rented a place down here until I got tenure and had the ability to buy a house in cash. (Or--I would have bought a smaller place out in the county in cash outright.) Looking back, had I chosen this path--I expect that our quality of life would have been better. Instead, I'm chained to a house that I really don't like all that much. For the next 27 to 26 years of my life. And my wife, who wants nothing more than to be the best SAHM she can be, has to (at least in the short term) find supplemental sources of income. (We're over-funding the house payment to try and cut the loan's time in half.) In short, what resonates with me emotionally is that debt robs choice. The borrower is slave to the lender. So that's the cornerstone of my world view.

And a good example is straight out of my own life. The way I designed our move from the north to the south was textbook and relatively conservative pop-culture-finance. We had a cash offer on our house that resulted in a massive profit. And plans were made accordingly. Until it began to fall apart. My plans were based on theory, and nothing more. So after having a massive fear instilled in me, along with true (Dave Ramsey) fiscal conservatism... that's where I got where I got.

Another issue is the whole Dave Ramsey perspective. I first heard the guy when we moved down here--and at first, I thought he was nutty. His perspective didn't make sense. No credit cards; no credit (period); screw FICO; no debt; pay off debts from smallest to largest (rather than by interest); etc... Stuff that's just counter-culture in even conservative pop-economic theory. But I liked the topic, so I kept listening. And over the past year or two, I think I've drunk his purple flavor aid. What he says makes emotional sense to me now. And (I think) he has some pretty strong arguments relative to Biblical support. Now I take a look at pop-culture-finance, and I shake my head at it. It just doesn't make sense to me anymore. That's not to say that it doesn't work--it may or may not. It just doesn't make sense to me on an emotional level.

Perhaps that's the biggest thing that I think I've learned over the past 2 years. Finances isn't math. Finances are emotions. Math is just the symptom or consequence. (Sorry, Matt.)

But I digress. My pathologies only apply to me. Not to you, your family, or your bi'niss.

If you can get this deal done w/o a loan, I'd say that's a pretty neat trick . The things that might concern me are (a) going into partnerships (b) with family (c) in a depressed market. Dave makes a pretty strong argument against the use of partnerships--simply because they rarely seem to work out well. And as far as receiving familial support--his argument would likely be that Thanksgiving Dinner just doesn't taste the same under such circumstances. Money deals gone bad wrecks relationships. (My wife being a perfect example.) Further, dealing with family seems to have other potential side effects, of which I've seen that on a personal level. Court and I are largely independent from our families, as a function of who we are and (more importantly) the distance. My other brothers continue to get support from both of their families (parents & in-laws)...and I've seen them secretly resent it. They take the stuff (fiscal support, including cars, et al.), but on a certain level, they both resent and are exhausted with the situation. (Although--I readily admit that I am likely more sensitive to family and money issues than most--second to my in-laws. Money nearly wrecked that relationship, so I've got a learned taste aversion on the whole concept.) Finally--the concept of going into a sole proprietorship in the face of a lean economic period seems like an uphill battle.

It seems like this particular situation is more emotional than financial for the owners, and this puts you in a great position, I would think. Any chance they could be swoon by a powerful presentation to let you run the shop (and assume the expenses)? See if it's really what you want? (Learn the trade w/o the risk.) They would get a cut of the profits, which went towards the purchase price? Almost like leasing the business with an option to buy. (This kind of deal goes down all the time in real estate. I wonder if they'd bite for a brick and mortar.)

My final concern being the quality of life for a sole proprietor. Few things in life are more stressful. If there is food on the table, it is because you went out, killed something, and drug it home. And if health was an original concern with the prior job, I wonder if running a small business is an improvement upon the last gig?

In any event--I love seeing all you guys succeed and surpass my meager levels of earthly success. And anyone that's got the brass to put themselves out there and take these types of risks--I just respect the crap out of them. My views are admittedly hyper-conservative and warped, and thus may offer limited validity. Robert Kiyosaki wrote a column a while back that essentially said that fear is perhaps the single biggest predicting variable between those who are and are not fiscally successful. (Based on his operational definition of success.) And he makes a great point--I'm never going to reach that level of success, because I'll never take those kinds of risks.

Hey Greg,

Read you reaction to my "Game Store" post and thought I'd clarify why this is actually a do-able deal.

Two and a half years ago, a Christian guy in our area started a game store. His folks were independently wealthy so there were no money pressures for him. Last November, at the ripe old age of 34, he passed away via Nyquil. Apparently, he was an undiagnosed diabetic. So the nyquil, which contained alcohol, sugar and acetimenophen (sp?) was like liquid poison for his body. He came down with what he thought was the flu, and three days later, his kidneys failed (via the Nyquil) and he died.

Anyway, in the two and a half years that he ran the store, he had grown the business to a point where the store was self-sufficient and he was able to draw a meager (but entirely unnecessary) salary. The interesting thing was, he was never really interested in the business side of things. He had no web presence, he did no advertising and he had no real business model. He simply relied upon good service and good word of mouth to build a $125K business.

So now, his parents are at a crossroads. He had become a believer in college, but his family never understood that. So they don't have any beliefs in the afterlife, etc... So when they see the game store, they see his ongoing legacy. And because they are independently wealthy, they could care less whether they sold it for $30K or a $150K. They just want to see it continue.

So right now, they have a inventory of $75K that they can retail for $125K (not including the computers, security systems, hardware, etc...) and they are looking to sell it for $55K. Their thought is, sell it to someone who wants to make a run at building an income-generating business (not just a self-sustaining business that functions as a hobby). If that someone can't make a go of it within six months (when the store lease is up), that individual can liquidate the inventory and recoup all of their money (and probably even make a small profit). But, if they can make a run with it, you have the start of an honest to goodness business that could carry on his legacy.

So in terms of business ventures, this is about as close to zero-risk as you can get. Moreover, if I do this, my brother is very interesting in fronting the money for a percentage of the business down the road. If I so desired at some later date, I could easily buy him out and he is fine with that. His interest is in getting something like this off the ground without having the time to invest in making it happen.

So I've got the backing. I've got a steal in terms of inventory. And I have a client base that has already brought the store to profit-making status (althoug that profit is extremely minimal at the moment).

So that's a more in depth view of what I'm looking at. And hopefully, that puts your mind at ease in terms of debt. Because like you, I too share a strong aversion to the whole concept of credit, etc ...

Quick Post: Found this to be an interesting read...
There Is No Gas Shortage

So ... you want to know about the Game Store, eh Greg?

Well, in short, I have loved games my whole life -- board games, card games, role playing games (for a period of time), strategy games, etc... I think I've mentioned this hobby to you guys once before, but no one really bit (in terms of conversation), so it quickly faded away.

Anyway, as you know, I quit my job (due to health) in January and so I am looking for something new (in terms of employment). What you probably didn't know is that I grew to love the challenge of growing the ministry (at Tri-County). I got a real kick out of increasing the number of churches that supported us, increasing revenue streams, etc... I think it probably appeals to the part of me that loves a challenge and it appeals to the part of me that loves numbers, etc... Somewhere deep inside, I have an entreprenuer that has been longing to get out. It's part of why I loved taking on the task of Tri-County. When I came aboard, it was in the red. By the time I left, its operating budget had grown by over 20%, while its expenses had declined by 10%; and we had a roughly $50K margin in the black.

So how does this fit in with a game store? Well, at present, the third largest online game store is looking to sell its business. Additionally, a local (brick and motor) game store with no web presence is also looking to sell (due to the untimely death of its founder). So I'm looking at possibly combining the two ventures and making a run at a specialty game shop.

The goal here would be to develop a niche market that exposes people to something totally new. Did you know that for every 10 board games that are produced in Europe, only 1 is translated and imported to the US. Put simply, there is a whole world of games that Americans have not been exposed to. Moreover, I have a sense that this post-modern generation is reacting against the isolationist tendencies of modern life (e.g. Facebook, PDA's, video games, etc...). They're looking for ways to develop community, but there aren't a lot of good options in terms of making that happen.

Right now, I host a regular "game night" at my home that draws about 15 friends. We play from 7:00 until 2-3:00 in the morning, we drink coffee, we chow down on some snacks, and we talk about life, politics, beliefs, etc... The interesting thing is, whenever I extend an invitation for someone new to join our "game night" crew, I don't ever loose them. Once they've been invited and they come once, they are consistently there every single time. I'm not kinding. They rearrange their schedules to make this happen. And why? Because its a great way to pass time with friends, and they're getting exposed to stuff that they can never find in a Toys R Us or a Target.

I'm kind of running on at the moment, so I should probably just shut my mouth. But you asked, and this is a long time passion of mine. So there you have it. Feel free to ask questions.

Hey Guys,

Sorry for the silence. Things have been a bit chaotic as of late.

Bought the new REM album. All in all, a solid outing -- far better than either Reveal or Around the Sun. It's still not Document or Automatic for the People, but good tunes. I love "I'm Gonna DJ at the End of the World."

Let's see, what else? We just got some news on Saturday that my Dad is not doing well. Huge problems with his colon, which will require semi-experimental surgery. Please be in prayer.

Thinking about buying a game store and going into business. We'll see ...

Gotta run.

The media is stupid. I just can't stand it. So stupid.

It's apparent that the media has no clue what a "recession" is. Nor a "depression".

Things have been so great for so long--that once there's a hiccup, people think they have it bad. (While being ignorant about what bad really is...) People seem to think that history begins when they're born, and I guess I just get tired of it...

And it's a banner day for the government... "On April Fool's Day, the biggest joke of all is being played on American families by Big Oil," Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said, aiming his remarks at the five executives sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in a congressional hearing room.

Ok--when can I throw-up. Seriously. I know that I'm in a bad mood, but how dumb do they take us for? Oil profit for a gallon of gas: 10 cents. The government's take from a gallon of gas: 18.4 cents. State gasoline tax is extra... (In MA, it's something like 28 cents per, IIRC.)