Follow-up to Financial Services

I just wanted to say thank you for anyone who participated in that little survey.

The discussion stemmed from a recent transaction I was involved in. My focus is, was and always will be doing what my clients want when they want it. I will always give sound advice, to the best of my ability. If I think someone is making a mistake, I'll simply point out all options and risks, but in the end, the client's will is law.

I firmly believe that there is a need for life insurance, particularly when none is in place. A lot of people get life insurance through work, etc, so purchasing their own policies isn't always a priority.

Some of my clients do not have the luxury of having both retirement savings in place along with life insurance. In fact, in that is the case with many of them. When they decide they want to implement an IRA or other savings plan, I am only too happy to oblige. As I said, I go with the clients' wishes, and while offering advice, I don't like to try and "strong-arm" anyone into doing things they don't agree with.

I made the statement in the office that most people would probably prefer a savings plan if forced to make a choice between that and life insurance. I would say that our little survey agreed with that statement.

The best service is the kind that provides what my clients want. Not what I want.

Would you agree?

See?

Well there you are, you're driving along on a rainy day, maybe the windows start to get a little foggy, so you hit the defroster and WHAM.

The whole windshield blasts over and now it's like looking through cement! Gotta love it.

Oh yeah, I survived.

Wow

I sometimes wonder if these maniacal reactions we see from people, when they're faced with disappointment, really are an indication of some sort of mental disability, or just another sign that we're doing a really lousy job raising our offspring.

When people aren't equipped to handle situations, they either fight or flee. Maybe we can add "totally freak out" to the occasion. There have been a slew of movies like "Fatal Attraction" the past few years, but they don't have the same appeal or attraction because a lot of us know people like that. Still scary, just not so unusual.

They had a series of raffle drawings for the kids the other night at my church. Just pulling tickets for a bunch of toys, etc, no big. But when they finished and announced the last prize, I saw three different examples of just what I'm talking about. There was one boy, big enough to know better, who absolutely threw a fit because he hadn't won anything. He began flinging the folding chairs as he stormed out of the gym. Another girl, also big enough to know better, began to scream and cry that she "wanted something", refused to leave or quiet down, and essentially had to be dragged out by he mother. The last one was another boy who was a little young, so I'm going to pass on that one. Future psycho will suffice.

Life disappoints sometimes. We don't always get first prize. It might be a good idea to stop the BS of the last 20 years and start informing our little charmers that no, not everyone wins every times. It sounds like common-sense thinking, but I'm starting to believe common sense isn't so common anymore.

The "better" we get as people, the worse off we seem to be. Unrealistic expectations only increase the bad feelings that come about when disappointment hits. Soft-soaping, sugar-coating, rationalizing, it all sucks in my opinion, because the first time these charmers get hit, they're down for the count, and it's up to the rest of us to pick up the slack.

That's ungood, to say the least, huh?

Financial Service

Hi there..help me settle a discussion. Over on the sidebar I've placed a poll. Really simple question.

If you HAD to choose from one of the following, which would you prefer:

I would contribute $50 per month into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) in your name, for the next 40 years or,

I would pay $50 per month for a $250,000 term life insurance policy in your name for the next 40 years.

You can only have one, and can't change your mind once we start. Which one would it be?

OK go over and vote your choice on the poll.

And for my friends who are dummies, that means votes don't count in the comment section. You know who you are, too!

Good

The bad thing about good days is that they never last long enough. People wish us a good day quite often, but if we had that many, we'd never really appreciate them, that's for sure.

For me, the "good" in my "good day" was really enjoying the connection that I've had with my kids, as well as a bunch of my nieces, recently.

I get these little "flash-floods" in my eyes on days like that. It's not crying or anything like that, it's just that momentary rush that happens when my heart takes a snapshot of a moment to make sure it goes into my memory forever. My oldest knows when I hold a camera to my eyes for a bit longer than normal, it's because I'm having a "flash-flood" moment. It's what happens when your heart melts, ya know?

I think I'm pretty lucky. I'm not a greedy person by nature (cheeseburgers aside, that is) so I've developed a pretty good skill for recognizing moments I'll really want to cherish forever.

I'm so glad I had kids. Even when they break my stuff.

A Chapter Closes

Funny thing about failure...it's that gorilla in the room that we can't ignore. It's a bad thing in some ways, but it can sure be good. After all, what else would we measure success against?

Failure is also not permanent. Imagine that?

Technically, we have to fail if we're ever going to make a "comeback", ya know?

Of course, anytime we cite "failure" in our lives, our supporters are quick to remind us of how much good we have going for us. And I'm really not going to delve into that philosophical debate now because I'm not calling myself a failure. I'm definitely not that. I'm just talking about looking directly at an aspect of my life where I am a failure.

And now it's time to do something about that.

I am saying gooodbye to some things in my life that I've done badly. I still have to do them, of course, but I'm now declaring it time to do it right. The three most important people in my life are dependent on me doing just that. I can't think of a better motivation than the well-being of the very reason I wake up in the morning.

I wasn't screwing up, so to speak. I was just doing things wrong, and now I've come to grip with the fact that simply doing something the same way for a very long time will not make one successful.

I know this is a little vague in regard to what I'm talking about. The specifics aren't important. I just need to make myself accountable, and there isn't a better group of people to hold myself accountable to than the folks who are kind enough to share their time with me here.

I'm going to turn things around. I have to. I have the brains to do it, and I most definitely have the will to do it.

Now I have a lot more people to answer to. That's a good thing.

More details will follow.

Wish me luck, and hold me accountable. I'm counting on that.

In My Humble...

There are few absolutes in life that I can think of, offhand, but one that I'm relatively sure about concerns opinions.

The way I understand it, an opinion is a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty. A feeling. We're all wayyyy up to speed on feelings, at least in this country, right?

My opinions doesn't have to be your opinion. Me telling you my opinion is simply that: telling you. I'm usually not of the opinion that opinions can be right or wrong.

I just don't understand how one person can get angry at another based on said person's opinion. (by the way, is it bad sytnax to italicize a period at the end of a sentence?)unless maybe that person's opinion is that you are an idiot maybe. Then your feelings are hurt, and well, I just don't want to get into that circle of hell, ok?

Anyway, I just don't get it. We ask people to express their feelings, and then get mad at them for those feelings if they don't fit our profile too well. (is welly an adverb?)

My opinion for tonight is that "Sex and the City" sucks as much in the re-runs as it did in the first run. Oh, and Ron Paul will never, ever be the President of the United States.

Bye now.

A Fun Blog

This blog is a new favorite of mine. I think you'll get a few smiles here. A Penny For My Thoughts

See???

A while back, I was carrying on about how they make commercials with the camera shoved in people's faces. And I complain about everyone talking in scratchy bedroom voices too.

Here's an example that covers both: (by the way, I'm not commenting about the product being advertised...just the means with which it's advertised, ok? No preaching thanks!)

Nostalgia

I talked about coming back to familiar favorites the other day, when I talked about people getting back to eating real food when they go out. I'd just like to clarify if I may?

I wasn't talking about the frequency of dining out, I was talking about the activity when they go out. I'd just gotten tired of dining out and watching people eat yard clippings instead of food. I can't imaging viewing a meal of birds nests as something people enjoyed on purpose, ya know?

Anyway, something else I miss:

Yay.

I miss "yay!"

When people burst out into cheers nowadays, they yell "wooo!"

Poor "yay!" No one uses that one anymore. And don't get me started on "hooray!"

And I miss clear, pronounced speech. Every time I watch TV or a movie, it seems that, no matter the situation, everyone talks like they're in bed, just waking up. Bedroom voice, that scratchy tone that I often whine about, is ok when they're filming a bedroom scene or something, but I see news interviews, documentaries, etc., and everyone speaks like they're seducing us or something!

And I miss, "I'm good, thanks, how are you?" Nowadays, you ask, "How ya doin?" and you get these silly, over-the-top responses such as, "I'm awesome today!" or "I'm better than I deserve to be!"

Cut it out, will ya? I get it.

Of course, there's the reverse, such as "Don't ask!" That's probably why people don't like to ask, "How ya doin?" as much anymore.

What do you miss?

Not Mine, But...

I didn't write these. I got a kick out of them and thought you would too. If you're old like me, that is.

Hollywood Squares:

If you remember the Original Hollywood Squares and its comics, this may bring a tear to your eyes. These great questions and answers are from the days when ' Hollywood Squares' game show responses were spontaneous, not scripted, as they are now. Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions, of course..

Q. Do female frogs croak?

A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.

Q.If you're going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?

A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.

A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.

Q.You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?

A. Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.

Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he's married?

A. Rose Marie: No; wait until morning.

Q.Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?

A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say 'I Love You'?

A. Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.

Q. What are 'Do It,' 'I Can Help,' and 'I Can't Get Enough'?

A. George Gobel: I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment.

Q.As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?

A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I'll give you a gesture you'll never forget.

Q. Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?

A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

Q.Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?

A. Charley Weaver: Of course not, I'm too busy growing strawberries.

Q. In bowling, what's a perfect score?

A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.

Q. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics, what is the other?

A. Paul Lynde: Tape measures.

Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?

A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom.

Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?

A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.

Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?

A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?

Q.If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?

A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?

A.. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.

Q. It is the most abused and neglected part of your body, what is it?

A. Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn't neglected.

Q.Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?

A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.

Q. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?

A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?

Q.When a couple have a baby, who is responsible for its sex?

A. Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car, the rest is up to him.

Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?

A. Charley Weaver: His feet.

Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?

A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh

WE DON'T STOP LAUGHING BECAUSE WE GROW OLD, WE GROW OLD BECAUSE WE STOP LAUGHING

Things That Need To Stop!

Politics in this country will never get better. Bad weather will continue to ruin big events, taxes will always go up, and the government will always suck no matter who is in power.

Those things we can't change.

There are a few things, though, that we probably have a bit of control over. And I was thinking of a few that we could could fix. Or at least make go away. Let's look at my suggestions, and then maybe you could add yours to the list.

Here goes:

1. Tire Warranties. Firestone, Bridgestone, it doesn't matter. If you read the list of things these tire warranties don't cover, it's 10 times as long as the list of things that are under warranty. Basically, if your tire goes flat, get a new one. The tire company will only make YOU go flat trying to make a claim.


2. Same with Verizon Wireless. Their "water damage" bullshit, the reason they will declare a phone out of warranty is a crock. Even if you live in the desert, during an extended drought, that little red button by the battery will tell them your phone is water damaged. Blame it on a mirage maybe.


3. People who include the phrase "wake up people!" when they're expressing their political opinions. Yeah genius, the whole world has been hibernating while you went and figured it all out.


4. Calling Reality TV "Reality". Most of us don't, and probably couldn't live in that "reality." And others among us don't want to ever accept that people like that define "reality."


5. Dismissing asenine, rude, obnoxious and stupid behavior in others by saying "Oh it's just So-and-So being So-and-So." No, Sir, an idiot is an idiot. It's not charming. "Free Spirit" is not the moral equivalent of "Complete Moron."


6. Television broadcasts that are nearly unwatchable now due to the screen being splashed with logos, animated ads and crawls. Advertise during scheduled breaks. simple as that.


7. Business news channels. CNBC, FBN, Bloomberg, whatever your choice. The reporters on these channnels have now assumed the role of "Experts." 90% of what these so-called "Experts" are spewing over the air is complete nonsense. Go back to reporting on stories, and stop editorializing. Let the experts be experts. Those people screwed things up badly enough. We don't need reporters and anchors adding their own two cents.


8. And let's close with a business fix. The CEO's and their teams of leaders, who have blessed us with the most recent financial disaster need to be held accountable for their accomplishments. This wasn't "business gone awry", this was arrogance, ignorance and stupidity run amok. These people didn't fall prey to cyclical downturns. These people let greed lead them to try and tap into something that should have been left alone. Period. Make some noise. Get them called onto the carpet.

OK, your turn...

A Plug For A Friend...

Hi folks.

You'll often hear me talking about the wonderful young couple who used to be my neighbors. When I was laid up like an invalid a while back, these two young people took care of me like I was their own family. Two of the best people I have ever met.

Niki, the Mrs. of the couple, recently pointed out that her sister is running an online business. So as I am eternally indebted to Niki, I just thought I would add a plug and links to her sister's site and blog.

I like that is on the site, and I think you will too. Geezees Canvas

Here they are:

The business website: click here

The blog: click here

Shaking It Loose...

Being that I am such a tech geek, I keep up on the latest gadgetry, toys, trinkets.

I don't, however, like cellphones at all. I like the technology, mind you; it's the application I dislike so much. We have grown adults walking around using them like pacifiers...when something gets boring, watch them reach for the binky. Kids don't even seem to be aware that life exists even when it isn't on the other end of a cell call.

But my real problem is that I got one for the obvious reasons. Safety, convenience, security. Turns out, mine is turned off a lot for a lot of other reasons. though.

It never rings when I want it to, always rings when I don't. It's a portable invasion of privacy, as far as I am concerned.

And people who have sense of courtesy, manners or civility feel free to invite us into their personal nonsense on a daily basis. And I say nonsense because, as I have figured out, people with brains and class don't hang their filthy laundry for the world to hear. People without those two things have no problem spewing their personal business anywhere and everywhere.

Anyone who has read me here realizes this is nothing new. My un-love of the mighty cell has been around for a while. It's gone from a peeve to an outright dislike. I figure these things aren't going away, I better do something. Legal I mean.

I guess this is my attempt to shake it out of my system.

Just Thought This Was Funny