AHHH! It’s commin’ right for us!
Posted on October 30, 2007 in the Parenting, Stay At Home Dad category
Even though this is my second child, it is new to me. Simon is crawling now and its absolutely amazing. Vinny never really crawled, he just went from flopping around on the floor to cruising. This morning something just finally clicked in Simon’s head and now he is tearing up the place faster than before. The best part was when he figured out that he no longer has to fuss when he wants my attention or to pick him up, he just turns around and makes a b-line to my legs. He usually starts biting them soon upon arrival, but its still great to watch. He is just so happy to be “independent,” at lest as independent as a near 8 month old can be.
This week has been filled with so many fun things for Simon - other than the crawling, the rest really revolve around food. He is definitely tired of breast milk and oatmeal - he has been going great guns with potatoes, bananas, peas n carrots, and whatever Vinny happens to throw at him. I have to be careful still - while it is OK for Vinny to have peanut butter, (he loves it) Simon is still a bit too young. Vinny is quite generous and likes to share his food, sometimes he doesn’t quite get it when I say that “Simon is too little to eat that.” Too bad his generosity with toys isn’t the same as it is with food.
It is what it is
Posted on October 30, 2007 in the My Stumbles category
Hypothetically speaking . . .
Lets say you are a stay at home parent. The dishes are done, laundry is put away, living room is clean, and the kids are napping, what do you do? I am sure nearly every one of you out there said (or thought) “take a nap.” While I do understand where you are coming from, there is something much more fun and interesting to do with those rare moments.
You can Gamble Online of course! Its so much more convenient than having to find a sitter and a designated driver anyways. Besides, this way you wont be tempted (or able) to put your car, house, or first born up for collateral.
I found a simple but effective website that compares the various online casinos for the United States, oddly enough called http://www.topusaonlinecasinos.com/. When you visit, don’t expect any frills - all they do is review the best casinos available and report back to you the sign up bonus, payout percentage, and an “out of 10″ rating. For the rating they also take into account customer support, number of games, various other options, and ease of use. Just straight up useful information from professional poker and blackjack players with no fluff. Check them out when you get a chance!
I wanted something with better gas mileage anyways
Posted on October 30, 2007 in the Ranting category
Don’t worry, everybody is OK – the only real damage was to the vehicles. Mary was in a car accident on Friday evening when coming home from work. She was driving down the main road (ie 55 mph, no stop sign) and came to an intersection. Another driver was attempting to cross the road and had no visibility because of the vehicle next to her, however, she crossed the road anyways. Mary saw her in time and was able to slow down a bit but still hit her in the rear of the car. There was nothing Mary could have done to avoid it . . . if she swerved left, she would have hit the front end of the car or oncoming traffic. If she went right, she would have hit the other car waiting at the stop sign or ended up in a ditch.
So now we are down to exactly zero vehicles. Mary’s parents have been kind enough to let us use their car for now but not sure how long this can go on. Oh and the best part . . . we were told the other driver didn’t have insurance. Mary was too rattled to think to ask while at the scene but the garage was told that someone didn’t have insurance (and we know we do). We just happen to be in a state where car insurance is not required – so it looks like we ended up on the short end of the stick this time. Of course we have insurance so we aren’t totally pooched, however, there is no rental car coverage on our policy. So our car will be fixed or totaled, I don’t know yet, and we will be set there but in the mean time we don’t have many options for a vehicle.
I am kind of hoping that it gets totaled – I liked the Jeep but I would like something with better gas mileage. When we got it, gas cost under $1.30 per gallon so it wasn’t a big deal, but now that gas has easily doubled from that, it has become an issue. The downside to getting it fixed is that its going to be nearly impossible to sell it now – whether to an individual or a dealer – because it will have been in an accident. I would think that it reduces its value, even if it was fixed as good as new.
Oh well, at least everyone is OK.
A shout out to Florida
Posted on October 30, 2007 in the My Stumbles category
I know I have several readers in Florida - many of which is family and friends. Something I have learned in my short but illustrious career as a blogger is that, in order to capture the attention of your readers, you must provide value.
Value from a blog? What the heck does that mean?
To me it means writing posts that make a user want to return - perhaps that means it had great information or it was humorous, or maybe I offered a bribe in order to get more traffic. Whatever the reason, if all you saw on this site was a bunch of useless posts and advertisements, would you want to come back? Not likely . . . which is why I carefully evaluate every post before its submitted to be sure that I am providing something useful for my readers.
That being said - here is something of interest to my peeps (does anyone use that word anymore?) in Florida. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you are human, you need health insurance. For those of you who happen to be looking for Florida insurance plans, I think I have an option for you. David and Susan Lovelace of Florida Insurance Plans specialize in Individual and Group Health Insurance, Life Insurance, AFLAC, and more. What strikes me about this site are a couple of things. First, David and Susan are actual human beings, so when you call, you probably wont have to sift your way through automated messages and 15 underlings before you get to talk to someone. The other great thing is their website - don’t let the “mom -n- pop” front fool you. Its offers tons of information and enables you to get up to 50 rate quotes in a matter of seconds.
So you get the best of all worlds - great insurance products through their impressive list of partners, an online interface, and the benefit of personal assistance. Check them out if you find yourself in the market!
Are you a kiss up?
Posted on October 28, 2007 in the Entrepreneur category
Kissing up to your boss is a must if you want to get ahead . . . yeah, I have hear this before. Truth is that I have NEVER kissed up to a boss and I NEVER got ahead - primarily because I understand the fact that it is impossible to “get ahead” by working for someone else. The only way to be top dog is to work for yourself because, lets face it, by working for someone else you are only helping them achieve their goals and dreams, not yours. It has been 2 years now since I have stopped working for someone else and began my own business and I haven’t looked back. I am not saying that it has been all lollipops and sunshine but it sure beats dealing with stuffy bosses and office politics.
Think of it this way: those of you that have actually kissed up to a boss to get ahead . . . how long did the afterglow last? Probably long enough to realize who’s rump you have to stick your nose in next. When working in the corporate world - or for anyone but yourself - there is always someone above you. If there is no one else above you, then you must be the owner of the company, thus reinforcing my point.
I am harder on myself than anyone else could possibly be - especially a boss. Therefore, what would be the point to kissing up? It has been my experience that some employees routinely suck up as a matter of habit. Perhaps it’s just their personality, however, more likely they are just searching for definition and affirmation because, historically, it was lacking. I have no beef with striving to excel - matter of fact, this article is about celebrating excellence, not mediocrity. This is why I cannot understand why those who achieve excellence as habit, become so complacent in their chosen profession as to feel the only way ahead is through the bottom end of the person in front of you. It’s what I call the line of elephants mentality - everyone traveling nose-to-tail. I don’t know about you, but that is a line I want to be the head of!
More great articles - by me of course - can be found at Helium!
Slow but steady
Posted on October 28, 2007 in the Entrepreneur, Marketing category
Becoming a small business owner and entrepreneur, one learns very quickly that its synonymous with becoming a salesman or marketer. The difference here is that you are trying to sell yourself or develop your own brand. One issue that I have encountered is that - to my surprise - potential clients (aka: leads) just don’t get it on the first contact.
If you have run into this issue with your business, I am sure you are just as surprised as I am - after all, you are offering the perfect product or service for your customer, they should be knocking your door down, right? Truth is people need repetition of your message - it goes towards building a relationship with the client. This, usually, cannot be accomplished with a single sales pitch or reading of a brochure.
That is where drip marketing comes in. Kolbrener is a corporate branding agency & branding company that can create a customized drip marketing program for your company. The idea is that several pieces are marketing material are sent to your target clients at designated intervals over the course of several months. The repeated exposure to you and your company will create a sense of familiarity and trust with your clients which will help increase referrals and new sales which, of course, means more money. That’s what its all about, right?
You can check them out at KolbrennerUSA.com
Holy crap, I have a two year old
Posted on October 26, 2007 in the Parenting category
What happened to my well mannered, cuddly little boy? He has been replaced by an obstinate little monster that navigates his day from tantrum to tantrum. And, in true Vincent style, he tackles life’s milestones well ahead of the curve because he isn’t even two yet. OK, so its not really that bad most days but I am relieved to have come up with this conclusion finally - this way I can convince myself that its just a “stage” and I haven’t failed as a parent 
It took forever to get him to bed last night - he was much too busy playing to listen to me that it was bed time. When I finally cornered him, he stood his ground and proceeded to tell me that he needed to play with his motorcycle. Then it was the flashlight, then he needed water, then a book, and so on. Every time I got him to lay down, he needed something else to play with. I finally instructed him that it was time for bed and there is no more playing - at which point he thrust himself into a fit of screaming and writhing while yelling for his motorcycle. This proceeded for 10 minutes or so - no bad for a tantrum newbie. I got tired of saying calm, soothing word to him only to have him yell louder for his motorcycle - so I just started shouting random words back at him. It was actually kinda funny as he got confused, forgot about the motorcycle, and started repeating what I was saying - and started giggling of all things. I don’t understand how you can be in a whole-body, convulsing, crying tantrum one second and laughing the next. Ahh, the mysteries of childhood.
Exploring your artistic side
Posted on October 26, 2007 in the Marketing, Technology category
Sometimes I wish I was artistic - to be able to express myself in some other media other than written or spoken language. Not to say that I am not creative, heck, my banking skills are a shinning example of my creativity. What I would love to be able to do someday is string together some notes on a guitar and entertain someone other than myself my indiscriminate children.
For those of you that already have such musical skills - or even other artistic skills - there exists a forum on which you can share your greatest opus or your Sistine Chapel, as long as it can fit onto the screen of a cell phone.
Virgin Mobile recently announced the kick off of a new website, Studio V, which allows cell phone users the ability to share personally created ringtones and wallpaper. In addition, users of the website get free access to web based audio and video editing software to create your masterpiece.
When I was first exposed to this site, I immediately thought of a tremendous way to apply it to your benefit. With a well planned and executed mobile website design by utilizing a WAP site, you could quickly generate buzz for your work. Besides, isn’t it everyone’s dream to be able to tap a relatively untapped market?
Back to normal
Posted on October 25, 2007 in the Parenting, Stay At Home Dad category
I can finally get back down to the business of blogging now that my DT’s have subsided enough to type again. Basically going a month without a reliable computer have really dampened my style (wait, I don’t have a style).
Unfortunately I can’t blame my lack of work entirely on computer problems, my boys are doing a bang-up job of reminding me that I am a stay at home dad, not a work at home dad. Simon hasn’t been feeling well lately - presumably because he is getting more teeth in. He has been so clingy that I cannot put him down without a total meltdown. Vinny isn’t much better - battling the demons of toddlerhood. It seems that, no matter how early I wake up, the boys are not far behind. My mornings are usually jam packed from 5a.m. until they get up which, lately, has been by 7 (its 7:17 so I am on borrowed time right now). . . no sooner had I completed that last sentence did Simon wake up, now I am just getting back to typing and its after 9 .. . oh well, I will finish eventually. Now that both boys are up - I have no idea when that might be.
Donkey or Elephant - who cares, they are all jackasses!
Posted on October 23, 2007 in the Politics category
First let me start out by saying that I am completely biased and I have an agenda. I do not fancy myself a freelance journalist - I am just some schmuck with a computer that thinks someone wants to hear my conservative opinions. Actually that last statement is not completely true - I actually don’t really care if anyone wants to hear my opinions, I am going to give them to you anyways.
Every Presidential candidate is out there trying to buy your vote. This statement may not go over very well in conservative circles, after all, this is an accusation commonly hurled at Democrats, but it also fits the Republican framework as well. There are 2 primary ways in which both parties intend to buy your vote next year and they both involve your money!
But wait a minute Mathew - how can someone buy my vote with my own money? Isn’t that kinda like stealing?
Well, you said it, not me . . . here is a cursory look at how each party intends to accomplish this.
1) Democrats - Spending, spending, spending. I have always heard that the Democrat party was the party of big spending and the candidates in this election cycle seem to want to keep this moniker. I think all of the major Democrat candidates are proposing some sort of nationalized health care that will cost an absurd amount of money. What this translates into is a tax hike - someone has to pay for it, right? Perhaps I am a bit cynical but when was the last time you were the customer of some governmental service and thought to yourself, “Wow, what a great experience that was. How efficient and the quality was second to none!”
Let me answer that for you - NEVER! Now I want you to visualize this: apply government thinking and strategy to your next endoscopy or pap smear. Sounds like a service I would not wish on my worst enemy. I just cannot fathom how people can think that the government can take care of the so called health care crisis when the whatever crisis that exists was created by the government in the first place. Leave the solution to private enterprise!
Oh, don’t even get me started on Hillary Clinton’s proposal of giving every newborn baby $5000 . . . or is it $1000 now? Wait a minute - didn’t she change her mind again and now its a $1000 in your IRA? What voter block is she trying to hit anyways? I have never witnessed such an all out bribe for votes in my life (well, I admit, I’m not even 30 yet).
2) Republicans - I warned you at the beginning that I have a conservative bias and, as such I will likely sound less harsh on Republicans. If you don’t like it, too bad
Historically, Republicans bill themselves as the party of smaller government and lower taxes, a credo I happen to agree with. Lets just hope that current Republican candidates do better at this than the Bush administrations largest entitlement / social program (read: vote buying) since Medicare was established in 1965. I am talking about the $400 billion Medicare Prescription Drug Modernization Act that he signed into law in December of 2003. Oh well, so much for reduced spending.
Current Republican candidates are promising (again) lower taxes and, in some cases, eliminating certain taxes. One of Mitt Romney’s recent TV ads has him saying that he will get rid of the “Death Tax.” The Death Tax (Estate Tax) was created in 1916 under the guise of funding World War I (or other national emergencies) while, in reality, it was just another step to penalize the rich for being successful and incite class envy. From now until 2008, the Death Tax rate is at 45% of the estate, over $2 million dollars. In other words, you are taxed at 45% after the first $2 million (example: $2.5 million estate will be taxed 45% on half a million). In 2009, that threshold will rise to $3.5 million and, because of a bill signed by Bush, there will be no Death Tax in 2010 but this is only temporary. Starting 2011, the threshold will plummet to $675,000 at a 55% rate. Ridiculous.
While it is nice to get some of my own money back, I have to be a little indignant at the arrogance on display. All this amounts to is buying your vote with money that we overpaid in taxes to begin with.
Yeah, I know I have been long-winded about this . . . I guess the idea I want to convey here is that you shouldn’t place a vote based on hot topics such as taxes. If people voted based on character and values, we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.
