Joe Nickels

To The Fighters of Foo: Farewell and Thanks for All The Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 01:15:00 +0000

Foo Fighters why are you toying with me?

I have just found out that my favorite current band is taking an indefinite hiatus. This band swept in right when rock n’ roll music needed it. They didn’t hit the world with a large splash but worked themselves up to a solid following based on good music and silly wigs. When their debut album came out the other bands that where the brightest of stars are now forgotten or just waiting for Time life to call and ask if they’d like to be part of the 90’s limbo period of rock.

This band is the Foo Fighters. Spear headed by little Davey Ghrol. I would like to say that I am hurt and sadden by this news. IN part because a band that has put out an album roughly every two years, and helped give me hope after uprooting my life to purse my dream of being a curmudgeon. They have not broken up but are not together either.

To me this Ross and Rachel attitude towards being a band is more insulting to the fans than the guys in it. If it’s over, let it be over till you do your reunion tour in 5 years and do a 25 year farewell tour. Don’t make me feel like there is hope when there really isn’t any…. Oh wait little Davy Grohl is an Obama supporter…..
For certain bands there is a need for a hiatus. I think it did the society wonders when the Black Eye Peas took a hiatus. What I don’t get is why? The Foo Fighters much like Wilco have been okay with band members going off, doing solo stuff, touring with that stuff and then coming back. Write an awesome album, tour the world and eat a danish. Dave Grhol has ran off and done almost as many side projects and failed albums as actual Foo Fighter albums and projects. So why? Why not just make a clean split. Are you afraid that you awesome melody section will find Buda, and become to smooth?

I think this toying of emotions is just mean. Break up guys. Come back later on and do it all over again. We’ll be here. Your fans will welcome you back. Like I said Kiss has been saying good bye since right after they wrote a love ballad with Michael Bolton. I think them leaving is make them more money than if they would have stayed.

I don’t want you to leave, but this half in the house half out the door stuff has to go. Hell Foo Fighters. You don’t even need to tell me you’re going on hiatus or breaking up. Just say as a band you’re going to get a carton of milk and a pack of smokes. Just say you’ll smell me later. Don’t tell me I’m special and that you need time to think. Because you know what, I don’t need time to think. I need you to do an awesome song in which your three guitars are each tune differently and fight to find a harmonic rhythm while doing soft verse, loud chorus, softer verse loud chorus, bridge loud chorus soft verse loud chorus. That’s all I need, aA little drop D. I can’t any more….

Call me... you might not be Pokemon'... but I've collected you all..

Sincerely
Joe Nickels

Shortly After Getting the Prize for Peace... He declared war on Achievment

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 02:40:00 +0000

I was rocking out to some AM talk radio the other day. The host ( Laura Ingram, I think. Or maybe it was Hannity. Eh they'll all the same)... The host was interviewing Donald "The Donald" Trump, steak and birther spokesman. they were chatting/ ranting about the debates and the Democrats in general.

Mr. Trump did hit on something I noticed as well. When our Demander in Chief is out sanding down the campaign stump he keeps talking about "what he'll do". He does hammer the point of how there is so much more for him to do. I'd like to point out that no one is saying that President Barry Obama has wrapped anything up. Well that he didn't wrap anything up that a coked up Bob Clinton or drunk Billy Carter wouldn't have done. Sober or in a crazy "Mr Bro's the President, bro.. so yea let's do this" hazy moment.

He is currently the President and it doesn't look like congress is getting a good flushing. so it'd be virtually the same congress. So why isn't he just doing it? If he has some great voodoo that'll put together those bridges he set fire to. Why doesn't he? Five and half years ago when he started campaigning in for his first term, there was a lot of "When I'm in there", "Once we make it", "After I'm..." and then he was. He got elected. He got 66,862,039 of the 125,181,481 votes for the Republican and Democratic votes cast. That means he got a great 53% of the popular vote. He was more likes than a war hero by 5%. He came in more popular than a guest host of SNL and Daily Show token Republican with a congress where there Democrats were large and voting present.

Understanding the Electoral College

I would have understood if he came in with low popularity with a combative other party congress. He didn't and didn't do that much with it. Even his love child Obamacare got rushed through and was a battler. Also depending on who you ask, Obamacare is such an authentic knock off of what Rommeny did as Governor the street importers in China town are jealous they didn't have time to sell it. The cash for clunkers program was President Bush's program. Some of the recovery and stimulus package that happened for most of '08 and '09 was from Bush.

I am basing that statement on my personal memory of the time as well as the generalized knowledge that congressional legislation go in affect either the following January or July after a session has ended. Unless the bill states other wise. I would also like to pose this question publicly If the President thought his legacy "Obamacare" was such a great bill and the great social bridge he made it sound. Why didn't he want it to start up during an election year? Some of it's starting this January, the rest takes affect the following year.

Well that's because he knows how to set him self up for a win win. If his great healthcare revolution doesn't make the nation sicker then he's good. However if it puts doctors out of business and makes sick people he'll already be elected and there will be little anyone can do at that point.

The true fear I have about a second term with this President is how nothing can and will be accomplished. He is going in as a lame duck president. President Obama has been the most divisive President in recent history. In my short time on this planet I can't think of another President that has split the nation to this degree. When was the last time a President has made so much of congress so made that they get less done than normal? The deserves repeating. The President has helped make congress feel justified in doing less than normal.

This is not good.

Please let me know how a rich lawyer college professor relates to the common folk? According to Current TV documentary on him "Becoming Barrack" while he was commissioned to write a book about voting an civil rights, he realized. That he was just writing an autobiography. When he was paid to write book about civil rights and the importance of the black vote. His research made him realized it was/ should be a book about him. He does not represent anything that helps poor people, the disenfranchised, unions, education or merit.

That is why I am going to cast my vote for Gary Johnson.

Popular vote information was retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781450.html

6 Reason to Use a Realtor: If Your Selling: Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:19:00 +0000

*Originally post at joenickelsrealtor.blogspot.com/

In these tough economic times, everyone and I mean everyone is looking to save a little money. Cut a corner or two there, so they can keep a couple of dollars. If you haven't heard the housing market is coming back around. Slowly, which is actually much better than if it came back quickly. However in some markets it's slower than others. This is causing many people to try and list there own homes. There are pros and cons to this. Today I'll be talking about 6 reasons why you should use a professional Realtor to list your house.

1) To Get the Current Market Value:
Single family homes are valued by the comparative market analysis method. What this means is that an appraiser takes three or more like houses and basically averages their value. (The true method and social science of appraisals is another topic for another day.) So even though you know what you paid for the house, and what you've done to it. Your house may not be worth what you think it is. At times it can be worth more

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely wrote about the "High Price of Ownership" in his book

Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions goes in to great detail on studies performed at Duke University about people assigning values to items they own. This can and does happen with homes.

2) Marketing/ Networking:
    When it comes to selling of products, you can have the greatest house, car, widget or wonkit. But if no one knows about it then no on can buy it. When it comes time to selling a home, many people forget that there are marketing costs that are needed. Professional Realtor either have a budget or budget in the cost of newspaper ads, online ads, signs, banners balloons, flyers, MLS (multiple listing service) and mailers. Since Realtors are a licensed profession they have professional connections that can get them great prices on this type of marketing than if you were to walk in off the street.

   Part of the marketing dollars that many Realtors keep off to the side include money to find.... buyers! Depending on their brokerage and local laws. If a Realtor lists the house and sells it. They get both sides of the commission. So it's a double pay day. This means that many Realtors spend as much time networking for listings as they do buyers. That way when the stars aline. They can get a double pay day and lessen the hold time of a house for the current owner. Which also means less holding costs for that owner.

3) Quicker Sale Time:
      This on is very subjective. Realtors have marketing networks in place along with being able to publicly list it through the MLS, your house will be easier to find than if listed by owner. Even though you as the seller can make some money on the sale of your house. It's not your main source of income. Where as it is for your Realtor. So they will be more focused on trying to get you qualified offers. Even though they have budgeted to market your property. The sooner they can sell it. The less that will end up coming out of that commission.

Those are the first three reasons to use a Realtor when selling your home. They weren't put in any special order since every person and every house has different needs and different wants. Depending on the skills and the job you're in one or none of the reasons may appeal to you. I know with my history in broadcast and social media. The marketing and networking is so easy that it's more hobby than job. Prior to becoming a Realtor and working deeply in the Houston Metro market, I will be honest. I would have fallen prey to over pricing my home. Which would have left it on the market long than desired.

I'd like to thank you for your time.

Sincerely
Joe Nickels Realtor

Voting your preferences

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:12:00 +0000

It is that time of the Olympic season. The season of the US presidential election. Where bitter friends become combative associates. Folks who couldn't spell democrats and republicans two weeks ago are now so well informed that their opinion is truth. If you're plugged in to the ether of social media reality. They will let you know their gospel of opinioal truth every chance they get.

I understand that political leanings are more skewed than the leaning tower pf Pisa. I get that there are deep root family ties to parties. I know that when looking through the forest of 24 news channels, blogs, talk radio, social media and neighbors is tough.

To me I have noticed a true lack of logic in the modern American political loop. The US is great, don't want to go anywhere else. Would be happy if it could stay the way it is. I'd prefer it be more like it was say circa 1993. That way we could have kept Cobain and provided a better musical front to stop the ushering in of the millennium boy bands. That is a different issue for a different day. However at some point in this countries evolution it has become a two party system of powerful, elitist, self-righteous millionaires, making laws and not having to answer to anyone. Or feeling as though they are bless to be representing this nation. Instead they act as though this nation should be blessed by their representation.

I don't blame these fake smiles for feeling that way. The nation has let them become that and we treat them as such. So the fact that the two parties are vastly different yet eerily similar. The baton keeps going back and forth between two groups that have their own agenda. An agenda not being set by the people giving them power.

The disconnect in this logic loop for me is this. I meet very few people the agree more than 70% with either party. The true preference of most folks I street poll is an approach of a balance. YET... YET no one I know (other then a couple nut bars looking to embodied US rhetoric) would and do vote third party. I get lambasted for voting third party. I vote third party even if I dig a mainstream candidate. I got verbally assaulted for saying that if you're undecided vote for someone who matches your ideals or vote third party.

I feel as though the two major parties are failing this nation. They have dug in the heals to the point where nothing is getting done. They are hindering progress to spite each other. Instead of working hard towards a better tomorrow for the benefit of mankind. That is no way to lead, that is not a way to help yourself, your party or your employers.

I recommend and endorse mixing it up by voting out any incumbent and putting in a third party guy. Third party candidates don't have to answer to big political machines. They agenda's are steeped in marketing campaigns and voter polls. They're more interested in listing to their district and trying to prove themselves so they can keep doing good.

-Joe Nickels

Fit Dad: Quitting Time

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:50:00 +0000

Let them eat cake! Hell I want to eat some cake and I do. There is a reason that I am almost always attempting a fresh rounds of exercise. I always kid myself and say that next week I will be better then this week. That has not be true on any aspect of my life. Well I actually have gotten better and more frequent with cleaning. I think I'm getting addicted to the fumes so that is starting to border on the extra unhealthy. I am not a certified anything. So in the name of your God and or science please do your own due diligence. BUT based on the many articles and now books that I am ingesting about nutrition along with fitness. The talk of cheat day is coming up more an more.

I agree a cheat day is a good concept. The credit card is also a good concept. Both are design to help ease the pressure temporarily to then give you a chance to take care of it when you can. With credit cards they were intended to be payed off every month. No floating/ revolving balances, that is no longer the case. The cheat day is designed to make it so you have something to work towards almost a reward for eating foods you barely like 6 days a week. Personally I have gone WAY to far with the cheat idea and just went to town on food. I am a member of keeping your plate clean clue on my cheat days. I also have a credit card(s) that I have keep a balance on. Eh, I'm weak.

OR I just need to re-frame the way in which I look at this "cheat day" and as for my credit cards... well that's a bag of issues I just don't want to talk about yet. May be over lunch long as your buying. The reason I feel as though there should be a re-framing of the "cheat day" is because it has been talked about either a reward or a release value because junk food is addictive. You doubt me? What type of sugary food do you eat on a regular basis? Stop eating it as of right now and count how often you get a craving or almost break down and eat it. Some of you have iron wills or have already started the phase out of crap food. I am in the process of that too.

My breakfast foods are always healthy. Other then every now and then making real bacon. Turkey bacon is.... is healthy and is no the worst thing ever. Real bacon how ever is great. Much like most forms of red fatty meat. My breakfast foods are healthy no cereal anymore unless it has the words granola or no artificial tree bark flavoring added. Lunch and dinner I'll go 50/50 on. Some days a grilled cheese or a Mexican grilled cheese is just easier then tuna with freshly minced veggies. Same with dinner.

If you've read the same type and amount of article as I have. You are wondering snacks what are those like? Well apples, veggies and protein shakes. UNLESS there is a box of Goldfish hanging out. Then its on like donkey kong. Where my bandwagon really gets derailed and causes the snowball is candy and soda pop. There is a long standing credit card history of how I would buy what is needed with Soda pop and a candy bar. It was like that almost every where I went if they sold it.

I am only sub-human after all. I have quite smoking, drinking, no drugs, and I'm a faithful husband so all I have as an outlet is soda pop and candy. So I am trying to phase that out. Just kick the habits. I'm pretty sure the day when I decided to cold turkey soda pop I'll be curled up in the fetal position mumbling about babies on the ceiling. It will not be pretty but I'll be healthier for it. Maybe happier in the long run too.

I say all this because even though a cheat day is great in concept just remember its called a "cheat" because you didn't earn it. I cheated my way back up to a slight belly and now I'm trying to work it back off. The amount of sodium, sugar, and other items in junk food gives me the same type of happy feelings nicotine did. Standing outside holding a snickers doesn't look as cool as holding a cigarette either. I'm not endorsing smoking by the way. It was just something that gave me happiness and will be a rant for another day. The ending point to this rant is even though I'm far from perfect I realize that since 90% of fitness is based on what I eat. I just need to quite eating crap food, and eating a lot of it too. The hardest thing to do is just cut it out but anything worth having is hard. So long as I can be a better man starting tomorrow I'm going to cut out 1 piece of crap food. I think it'll be candy. Good bye happy food that makes me sad later.... it's been... *sniff* fun.

-JN

Fear is a Jerk-wad.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:12:00 +0000

Hello and welcome back to my blog and thank you for reading this post. There is a slim chance that you are becoming a regular read much like I am become a regular blogger. So to help build this bond of writer read may be honest? No. Well I'm going to be anyways. I'm afraid. I am afraid of a lot of things. Some of my fears are real and some are cerebral. It is not manly to admit fear or failure. I am willing to admit fear and failure but not defeat. There is a difference.

As a man who is waiting for the birth of his child I have an upcoming life times of fears for him, of him and what I'm going to do to him. I also have a healthy fear and respect for electricity. That is why I'm on day two of installing a remote in to the ceiling fan. I personally think that my dislike/ fear of heights is normal and healthy. So no hot air balloons or sky diving for this guy. There are also a bunch of other little fears that only get more ridiculous. That's right I have stupid fears like send my kids to public school in Florida. I don't live in Florida but still it's a fear that they could end up there.

Since we're not on the verge of being acquaintances can I be honest again? Yes, good. Even though I am scared of so many of things I still do them. I'm having a child and as a real man I'm taking responsibility and will never let him see fear. Children are like bears in that aspect, never let them see fear and you can't hide from them. The ceiling fan will be installed and I may end up with a funny story of how I got electrocuted. Just like when I tried to fix the drier and light fixture in my wife's closet. (See why my fear of electricity is healthy? Every time I try to work with it, it bites me. It bites my electrically.) I may not bungee jump but I'll still grit my teeth and take part in some activities high in the sky so they don't get this fear.

Fear can be a good thing. It can save your life, keep you safe and it can also deny you success and happiness. I bring this up because the world crashed in 2008 and since then people have become afraid to invest. Millions of people got burned by the collapse and since then have been rationalizing and licking their wounds. Once bitten twice shy right?

Well as an investment grade Realtor I have to say that that fear has helped people loss thousands of dollars of unrealized equity. It is also means there are more empty homes, a couple isn't closer to retirement, and that a different family might not be renting their dream house. When it comes to buy a home to live in or invest all fears are valid no matter how rational or fake. The issue really becomes which of those fears should stop you from living life and helping your family and another family.

On my first rental property it was a daily fear filled experience between what if they don't except the offer and worse yet what if they do? Then financing, rehab, and renting it out? Oh my having to deal with people. I didn't let those fear slow me down or stop me. My rent is a very nice lady who was loosing the house she had been living in for 25 years, right down the street. She still qualified on every aspect of my rental criteria and she end up being able to stay in her community near where she raised her kids and friends she has made for 35 years.

I showed this house to 4 other investors who passed on it. They all had different reasons. Their fears boiled down to What if it doesn't appraise and I can't get financing? It appraised for more then I thought and a bank lent on it. What if I can't get a renter? I got a renter. It took longer then expected since there was no heat in the house and Houston was going through a freeze. What if I can't sell it? Since I didn't buy it from the original owner I must assume other have owned this house and that others will own it after me.

Investing for me is like the remote for the ceiling fan, using sleeper sofas and raising a child. They are scary and things can go wrong. I can either let that fear control me or I can just move forward and see what will end up killing me. Also it's not true what does not kill me does not always make me stronger. At times it just makes me wiser.

-JN

Generation X You're on Deck!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:34:00 +0000

In the year 2008 the world crashed and changed forever. That is just my opinion but one that I have heard echoed around many hallowed halls. The world also changed and expanded beyond belief in and around the year 2000 with the tech boom. Thomas L. Friedman who wrote "The World is Flat" goes into much better detail no the how and why then I ever could. So feel free to check that book out. I am also reading about how to be a better interview for jobs. Some how my personality gets lost in translation. Oh well. An interesting point on the job front and the world we live in today is that there are roughly 4 generations at work and in business.

The Echo Generation, Generation X, Baby Boomers and a few of the Greatest Generation. All very different people. All very different and have different ideas on how, what and where things should be heading. The generation that is getting the shortest end of the control stick is Generation X. Of the generations it is smaller then both the Boom generation and the Echo generation. Generation X is not nearly as important of influential as the greatest generation.

On a regular basis I talk (Or commonly argue or loudly debate depending on your perspective) with a member of Generation X. There is trend when I talk with people from Gen X. They are straddling the world in which things worked and the modern world. They are old enough to remember how things "should" be or "Should" work. They are very well read and an intelligent bunch but well... their ideas and principles are out of date.

They are also able to understand the technology of today and are easy to adapt to it. I'm not saying that their opinions matter less or the the echo generation is more important. I am just repeating to my angst ridden flannel wearing predecessor that you where right. You're misunderstood and have been passed over. You are sandwiched between to larger generations. The me generation and they're even more self involved oblivious offspring. (I am included in that, and feeling included is important.)

This is the time for the Generation X congress though. We are on our third Boomer president. Congress has to have some members for the Dock Martin maniacs. This is their chance to break free, DO something and Do something different. Since the world crashed in 2008 I have heard a lot of "should" and "shouldn't s". "if only", "It worked in the70s or 80s etc", "Or back in the...". I think Gen X has a chance as a generation and as a group that could have a very small window at power to say, "Should don't matter. This is the reality and this is what we are going to do".

There has been a lack of leadership in Government since the 1990s. If Generation X is willing to carry the burden of leadership not just say it's not their fault and things should be different. Then the Angst Generation will be the generation of change and progression. If not then... get ready to yell out Echoooooo.

-JN

UnOccupied Anger.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:04:00 +0000

I am going to lead off by recommending reading this article from the "Freakonomics Blog" Dear Occupy Wall Street: Are You Sure You're in the Right Place? Why you might ask am I routing you to another blog. Simply because it is a well thought out and written post about what the OWS movement say's they are mad at. Or at least what I have heard they are mad at, or what some of them are mad at while other are slightly upset with these elements, disappointed in others and enraged by something completely unrelated.

Does that make sense to you? Well if it does there is a chance you are occupying your local city/ township. As I have gripped before I feel as though I am an under employed and under appreciated person. If I haven't said it before now I have and I'm putting that on my next set of business cards. I am working towards a degree in a world where you need a college degree to drive a cab or be a night manager at a fast food restaurant. I am working on the degree for that reason. In the United States some many people have college degrees that I can no long get a style of job I had when I was 18. Now isn't that a mind freak?

At first I was going to ask the question of what are the people at Occupy Wall Street so mad about. Corporate greed is to simple of an answer for me. Since some of the demand I have heard and read about from the OWS folks are just as greedy. Yet during the writing of this post up to here I changed my mind. I'm no long worried about why they're mad. I understand some of them feel slighted by the system, let down by the media and betrayed by the business they helped make rich. I get that they feel that congress and even the President have let them down. (I'm not using name since Presidents have been letting the populous down since Truman. Who is my boy.)

Before I project anymore on these people miles away from me I have to ask why aren't I as angry? Did I just get that jilted and jaded sooner then them? Or worse yet and I to old to understand this level of youthful bitterness now? Maybe, I prefer to rationalize that maybe I'm not that mad because I am working to hard to be that angry. I don't want to imply that I'm busier then those who are camping in the park in an effort to show those fat cats what is what by their lack of effort. Instead I'd prefer to imply that even though things are hard and work is tough to come by I'm still trying. I still am looking for work, I am still working, I am back in school and I am looking into how to start a small business or two. Also my wife and I are expecting our first child so the economic pressure cooker just got turned up.

I'm still not angry and wall street. I how ever have been against the idea of such large corporations and banks becoming as large as they have. So I for years I have been doing what some people from Occupy Chicago have recommended. I will pass this along and encourage you to do the same. I try to shop locally, I avoid Wal-Mart as much as I can. Once I get some money coming in I'm going to use local banks and credit unions.

There are a few other ways but I'll harp on that another day. I know people out there are mad and angry and sitting around is their way of expressing that. I'm angry but I'm moving forward. When the world comes back and life starts to settle again I want to be better off then when this started. I'm afraid unlike our parents the booms, that a protest like this won't leap frog us forward.

-JN

Fit Dad: Free Failing

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:30:00 +0000

Second post and second week of my trek to become a fit father. Or at least a healthy one. Not sure who, how or what defines a fit parent. Effort and love are important but this isn't a post is not about to discuss those surface level questions of parenting. This post is going to be about the importance of failing while trying to get back into shape or healthy.

I'm not an expert about anything.
Doubt it keep reading.

Failing is important to getting fit? Do you mean in muscle failure right? Well I'm not a certified anything. And I mean that. I'm not a personal trainer or anything so consult a real professional before you take part in anything I do, say or use as illustrations. Okay? Well back to failure.

In my humble opinion it is important to fail while working towards something. It helps you know whether it's really important or not. Wealth and health are two large social gauges that people often wish they could change but rarely due. Over the years of helping people purchase and invest in Real Estate I came to realize it's because when the failed at something it threw them horribly of track.

Failures range from small to extra large with a side of whip cream covered french fries. Failures of that size that is a pause and try to survive sized failure. I am going to use this week as an example of a small failure. This week I failed in my quest to be fit and healthy. Starting tomorrow I am going to get back on track though. First some exposition.

Prior to July I was working on regularly and was down 4 pants sizes and starting to look more square then gooey round. Then something in the month of July threw me off track. Maybe it was the heat wave and my house only being able to get down to 85. It was still close to 30 coolers in my house then outside. What ever the reason real or made up I let my discipline slide. I let it go to the point where when I started to back slide I felt so bad about it that I waited till I was back to where I was 2 years ago.

Danger: Backsliding can occur randomly.

I am sure like many this is a very familiar story. Well this week I noticed that I worked out/ ran as much as I did that faithful week in July. (See keeping track of yourself has hidden benefits). So I have the choice to accept that I failed this week and try again or to just give in. I'm not going to give in. This little hic up which has occurred and will occur again, shouldn't derail all my work. Why? Because getting in shape even if I don't look like a body builder is important to my current health and future Joe will look back and thank me. Future Joe you're welcome.

This leads me to remind you that failure can be good if you let it be. If you're on a budget and you over spend. Well then get back on track next week and then try to cut back a little bit the second week to help make up for it. Took a week off from training for that 5K you're wife signed you up for. Well next week start power walking / jogging again. Life is hard and success is earned. That's why it's called success. So if you fail accept it, admit it and then over come it. Easier said then done, but the alternative is to accept it wallow in it and give up. Which sounds better?

-JN

Paso Por Paso: Revisited.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:01:00 +0000

This is a repost of an old blog. The other blog was my attempt to try and be Mr. Cool Realtor guy and blog about investment Real Estate and so forth. Well even though I personally feel that I'm very good at and with investment Real Estate. There are lots of better Investment bloggers out there. So I stopped that form of blogging and now I'm back to this form. The random schizo blogging of what ever catches my fancy or if some one wants to send me a topic. I'll give that a shot.

So with out further delay....

Paso Por Paso is Spanish for step by step. It gets lost in translation either on the way in or the way out I really can't tell.

As of late there has a been a spoken up rising with questions in the vain of "Are you doing your passion?" My long answer is "time will tell". The short answer is "no". Your follow up is why do it then?

Ah it is simple. It leads to my passion. What I am doing right now will lead me to the next phase of my passion. With that in mind, why not do it?

I am not saying that I don't enjoy helping families work on long term wealth building, or developing plans for passive income. I do. It has better days then others but so does everything. My passion and joy is being the center of attention, being loud and if possible what I'm talking about should lead to bad jokes and some puns.

I am a good Realtor who likes to help people. My brokerage is the sister company to an Educational and Mentoring Group. So by being successful as a Realtor and helping other become successful I have the chance to possibly stand in front of people, drop some knowledge bombs, and tell some jokes. BAM! Something that might not be my passion leads directly to it.

I'm not zen enough or a Guru so the relation to you is this. Look at your life. Everyone needs to work or do something for money. What you are doing for money? Does is it lead to your passion and what you want out of life? If it does then good for you and we love/ hate you. You are our frienemy. If you said no. Does that allow you to do your passion or give you the chance to grow in to it?

Stock car racing is just my example to help make it real. (I am afraid of cars and anything faster then a frisky Jon Cryer.)

If you love driving stock cars but know you couldn't go pro but have a job that pays you well enough where you can race on the weekends. Then you're doing okay. If you love driving stock cars and know you can't go pro and you work at a job that barely pays you enough to ride the bus. Then it may be time to sit down and make the hard choices.

The hard choices suck by the way. They are the choices like, quitting smoking, and putting the 5-6 dollars a day habit into a savings account that you don't touch. Its canceling cable. So you don't pay almost $100 a month for the 5 channels out of 100 you watch. It's realizing if your cell phone can make and take calls then you're good till it doesn't. Keep your data plan where it is and up grade when needed not wanted. Those minor sucky choices could in theory save you around $3,000 or more a year. You might not be able to race every weekend but to live your dream once a year ain't bad.

Step one is to figure out what you want and then do the smallest step towards it. Do that one thing everyday or as often as you can. After that figure out the next 2 steps do those along with the first. Then figure out the pattern and keep doing it till you can live and do your passion.

Told you I wasn't a guru or zen enough to make this overly helpful. I'll talk more about this method in the future if you want. So I'll end with this question. If you're not out there working towards happiness what are you working towards?

-JN

Is Job Hunting my New Hobby?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:25:00 +0000

Like many people out there I am currently a professional hunter. I'm a professional job hunter stalking the allusive prey of full time employment that pays enough to feed a family. Not even a large family. Just my wife, our 9 kids and myself. My wife and I don't have 9 kids. That would be way to many in modern life. I'd have to go out and start finding kidneys to sell on the black market just to make ends meat. Come to think of it? No selling human organs on the black market is a bad idea. I hear Iran is paying people for them so there is an idea and chance for the worst vacation ever.

My issue with this modern white collar form of hunting is just how different it is. I'm not horribly old. I'm not even 30. I do remember and now even look fondling on having to go to the location, call or fax over my information. Why do I look fondly on that. Well because I knew there was a person on the other end. It made me really think about that job and I also knew they'd think about me. Now I have to create and fill out a "profile" for every position out there. Even if all I want to do is work part time.

Why is this so bad and making job hunting feel like a journey into the dark recesses of societies jungle? I'm sure only a select and few companies have automated programs scanning, searching, selecting and judging resumes right? I am starting to doubt that. With the speed they get back with a form rejection letter (if there is one) I get the hint that the machines are taking over and they're not happy that I've been warning people about them. I base this allegation on the fact that I am slightly snarky and even in my well crafted resume that elements of me being.... well me. Have shined through.

Every employer prior to the technology technology revolution liked my spark of humanity. The whimsy and charm of making working at Subway ans Starbuck seem paramount to the function of this engine we call society. I was the fuel injector.

I was asked recently home many application I have out there. I calmly counted aloud to help show that I can do math, (all take time to toot your own horn) and estimated nearly 200. So I am either high unqualified to hand out coozies for the local morning zoo radio show or Adonis styles work ethic has frightened the villagers.

I will admit to a horrible habit I have gotten into since this devolution of hiring practices. Since I now have to spend an hour creating a profile, then another hour answering 120 questions just to submit my interest to be a cashier at Target. You bet your bottom line I'm going to apply to every job I'm qualified, pre-qualified, overqualified and unqualified for. It's not something I'm proud of. It's not something I'm ashamed of either. Since I am putting it on the internet and the machines talk to each other.

I guess I'm really wondering who's at greater fault? Me for over applying myself to the application process with in companies or the companies for making it so easy to over apply and reject applications? With reported unemployment at or near 9% this should be a real question. Are skilled people getting passed over by the search engine HR program or are the people who hire just swamped because of jerks like me?

-JN

Growth of Green Day Causes evolutionary Clash.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:49:00 +0000

The title of this post is an odd one isn't it? The long part of the story is the other day as I was going through and creating what I dubbed my "Big Mix" in a play list. Taking my favorite songs from the nearly 60 gigabytes of music I have amassed over the years. (I still have one milk create full of CD's that hasn't made it to the land of Tron but I'm in no hurry.)

So there I was going through and listening to thousand of songs and hundreds of bands. I came to the odd conclusion that Green Day is the Clash of my generation. Okay while the music elite and intelligentsia gets their torches and pitch forks I'll try to explain.

In 1994 I was a youthful guy full of energy and anger. What was I angry about? Well like most teenagers I was angry I was young and had my whole life ahead me. That year Green Day's album "Dookie" came out and it was everywhere. Enjoyable innuendo with a solid back beat and enough cursing to make my friends mom ban us from listening to it. Thus making it even cooler to us.

Around that same time I was learning and listening to other bands. The Clash also came upon my radar. I heard "Combat Rock" and waged a war on lameness. Which I lost as you can by the end of that last sentence. The rawness, the passion, the anti-politco politics of the Clash struck me and is still with me. When I would listen to their albums in order the music kept getting better. It wasn't just three chord speed rock. It had started to grow and expand. Kept that same edge and ant-causal intensity that makes them legends. The actual technical skills of them started to bloom and I liked it. I like it a lot, still do.

Green Day followed a similar pattern. Of fast paced three chord encoded message of rock. To well having one of their albums becoming a broad way musical. I am hinting at a "London Calling" musical.

I do personally think the Clash are a bigger better band then Green Day. But I'd like to give Green Day credit where credit is due. When rock n' roll was on the way in a creative trough. Green Day climbed their way out by breaking their own mold.

If you look at any band with legs you'll see that their albums go through phases. Tom Petty (with or with out the heart breakers) pre "Southern Accents" is a far cry from "Echo". Rush has a new era every album. That is many because Geddy Lee's voice is getting more bass. Can't you tell?

I'm not a music scholar, critic or anything really. I'm just a fan. For instance I think Metallica going through their "Load" phase was in the long run a good thing. I'll write about that one day. For now let us all take a moment to enjoy the growth of bands especially ones that grow with us.

-Joe

Fit Dad: Tracking With Myself

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 02:41:00 +0000

"Write it down! How do you know how far you've
come if you don't know what you did?"
-Tony Horton from P90x

I am a soon to be proud father. Or to help clarify that statement I will be a father soon and I am proud of that fact. The pride comes from an instinctual part of my brain. Every other part of my brain is screaming in rational panic.

One area is screaming "Hey you're not in great shape and all that little guy is going to do is run around. Right now you're to lazy and fat to keep up with him, and he's not even born yet"

Well I'm trying to take the pride and energy from my pride and take care of that over weight aspect. I'm not in the morbid area of my weight but if I could I'd prefer to swim with my shirt on. The first step in fitness is getting back on the treadmill. The treadmill of fitness and weight loss.

This time around I am attempting the nerd version. I am trying to collect data on what works for me. Tracking weight, the size of arms, legs, waist, chest and hips. Then I'm keeping track of the foods I eat focusing on fat, carbs and protein. When I work out how many projected calories burned. ( I say projected because well there is now way for me to know for sure) The question I have is, how lame is that?

Why bother creating and collecting this data. It's exercise you work out you should be able to tell what works. This has a few key benefits.

One: it's self policing. If there is a blank day of data when I know I should of work out it is an impartial, non-emotional remind. It's like a work out buddy who you can't rationalize away or trick in to agreeing that you should take a day or two off. It also won't guilt you back into action though.

Two: It also reminds you of how far you've come.

Three: You can figure out what actually works. There are many work out books, diet books and fitness programs out there. That doesn't mean they work for everyone. I personally use P90X and have Insanity in the wings for when I can build up some endurance. Even still I have to keep track of what works with in those programs for me. Due to poor hand eye coordination and lack of rhythm. I don't get the full benefit of "Kenpo X". So I go for a three mile interval run. How did I learn that? Data.

Four: After getting enough data you can make charts. And chicks especially European chicks love chartists.

Being roughly 6 feet tall and having a starting weight of 233 that puts my body mass index at 31.1 Which according to the "National Heart Lung and Blood Institute". Means I'm obese. ....again.

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

Till next time I'm going to eat my vegetables, take my vitamins and write it all down.

-Joe

Why I'm not Funny!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 02:59:00 +0000

I was rocking out to some old school David Cross stand up comedy today.

A) He's funny B) he's bald and C) He's angry. I like my comedians angry. There are always those rogues who don't have to curse or be angry to be funny. Bill Cosby, Bob Newhart, Woody Allen and blah blah blah blah.

I like a little poisonous venom with my giggles. It got me thinking. I'm angry why can't I do be funny. I think I use to be funny. I have arresting reports stating that not only was I angry but, I was fat and drunk. THAT IS COMEDY GOLD!

Maybe that's why I'm getting old and boring. I'm sober, I'm back down to the low 200s, (yes back down) and I wouldn't say that I'm angry as much as mildly agitated at my lack of concern.

The little concern I have is that my wit has dulled and that soon I'll start planning couples nights involving cheese, wine, board games and sheep.

So the cheese part doesn't sound so bad. Is this just part of the passing of time. Making cheese the high light of socializing and always riding inside the car in it's designed seats? Should I really be sad that my friends are now responsible enough to notice that I'm on the roof of their car not inside before they peel off and start doing doughnuts in the parking lot? Isn't that what universal health care and insurance is for?

Meh I guess I shouldn't worry about being funny right? Hell my wife doesn't listen to me so I should only really start to worry once I no longer amuse myself. Or have to awkwardly try to explain my own joke to me. I hate it when my sub-par pun get to metaphysical.

Till Next time.
Peace out!

Looking For Change

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:40:00 +0000

Man I am ready for a change.

I'm at about year 2-3 of almost being full time. Yet not being full time. I am going to clarify what being full time means to me. I earn enough to pay my bills and have a little extra with only 1 job.

As mentioned Previously I'd like to start investing. To do that I need enough income in which I can qualify for certain programs.

Its nice to be considered but it's tough to be so close most of the time. I know this is a horrible grip. We're in tough times and here I am complaining that I'm working to much / to often.

Most of my generation we wait for change, we're looking for change. For some reason I am guessing my father and grandfather never really waited for change at my age. They made it.

I too plan to make the change. I am going to get things going.

My skills are simple, I know a few things. Media and Real Estate. So most of my actions and movement are going that route.

I'd love to get a radio show going, partner in some real estate and find funding for a management business.

I'm looking for suggestions, ideas, and motivation that I can use or pass along as well.

What's Next?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:18:00 +0000

What's Next?

Should be an easy question. I mean I'm 26 married and I'm employed. What more could a guy want? A lot is the answer.

Love my jobs, dig what I'm doing. But I want more with less work. SOOOOOO what am I doing to make it happen.

Well trying to get Full time some where. Then I'm going to get INVESTMENT properties. Yep I plan to become a land lord. The key reason I'm looking to do this is because I believe that with passive streams of income I can retire earlier and also live a less stressful life.

She's not pregnant but once my wife is. I want it so 1 of us can raise the kid(s) and have us still be able to eat. Old fashion but that's okay.

How do I hope to achieve this tricky dream during the great recession, with the housing bust, and lending freeze? Any way I can. Private money and any other way I can go at it.

I'm about to get my Realtor license here in Texas. Pending educational and other background check. (EEK!) Then the ship of my life is going to get sailing again.

I'm going to try to update and take part in this more often. But I'll try to keep it more ranty and personal. If you'd like to follow my real estate journey or once I start giving Real Estate based advice follow me at http://joenickelsrealtor.blogspot.com/ that is where I'm going to try and have it all focused.

-Joe

Dangers of Chillie Cheese Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:30:00 +0000

Despite the tasty name, there are grave and dangerous dangers of chillie cheese fries. On of the most dangerous things about them is getting to Chile and catching a native to turn in to liquidfied material to put over the cheese fries.
Sure they don't look dangerous but we all know they are. Mainly because of poor medical care. If you eat a bad Chilieian, you'll know in less then five minutes.
A stale or rancid batch of chillie cheese fries is what killed Prince Charles the 5th to the third power.

Which was a sad , sad day for all of Britain.

It's All Good In The Hood

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:46:00 +0000

It's All Good In The Hood

Chicago

DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy to a whack at a sociological question that has dogged America since 1984 when Finger Licking Slick James uttered the phrase "It's all good in the Hood" to his the debunked drummer Pete about his current emotional state.

"When I was growing up things were changing. Billy Joel was my hero and Rap was becoming more well known." Said DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy, " I lived in the western suburbs of Dupage County so I had never seen the hood."

So DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy took out a research grant and began looking into the hood, to find out how good the hood is or how good, the hood should be. As with many sociologist graduates of Chicago City Community College he had a thirst for knowledge and adventured. While immersed in to the sub culture he dubbed that "Throwledgest".

DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy office is small and mobile. This is how he likes it. He sprawls out a map on his 1996 Ford Taurus hood to show me where the perimeter of the hood is. The hood where it might be all good, not the car hood, the car hood was quite visible. More so before the map even.

While discussing the invisible tribal boundaries of the hood a local merchant approached both of us to sell us some goods, a service, dirty solicitation, donation, and wondered if we had found Jesus. DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy being use to the customs of the area proceeded to wave his arms in the air while cursing, and using profane language, and all put a pea soup curse on the man. It was frightening and beautiful all at once. It was the hood.

As we wondered through the streets and the wafting smell of urine DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy spoke on how the Hood was not a place, but a state of mind.

DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy, "It's a state of Mind. The Hood is a Throwledgest".

The hood is much like the Keats poem in which home was were your heart couldn't return to but had no where else to go, so it ends up sleeping on the fold out couch of an old friend who isn't to happy you stopped by so late.

While buying meat off of a local street vendor and popcorn from an international tradesman, we spoke of how since the expectations are lower there is less need to achieve and fall in to the moral, social, economic, spiritual and physical trappings of all the non-hood area. It’s a self serving and self sustaining way of life. That will as soon shot you as steal your wallet.

I awoke 3 hours after DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy explained that last theory. Along my side I had a lovely cross stitch and some bruising. It turns out that the food we bought off the street was laced with lace. DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy knew of my allergy to the fabric and took that opportunity to rob me of my kidney. DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy could steal my kidney, my wallet, but he could not steal my newly founded Throwledgest for the hood.

DR. Shay Jays McMackpaddy is writing a book based on the theory that it's not only good in the hood but also awful and kidney crushing at best.

26 yr Vintage.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:06:00 +0000

Yea, I use to be one of those funny people living in a large city. Working a job that had no future, for just this side of a livable wage, took public transportation and more often then not had to wear an apron.

Now, not so much. I've grown. I'm older now. I am a man. I've come to terms with the fact that I am now old.

"Old? How Old Are You? Why Do You Think You're Old? Is Hamlet Truly the Most Tragic figure in Literature? Or is he just Shakespeare's idea of a night time Soap?"

Those are the questions that usually get posed when I say that. While at the eye doctor I took an eye test in which all I could see was the... the... E. Even that was FUZZY! I felt like a drunk sorority girl trying preach Thoreau just to get in to some hippy massage circle.

People of my age are no long posting picture of cute pets (Dogs, Cats, Genetically altered Ferrets, Birds), in cute outfits (Cowboy, sailor, lobbyist for a third party soap factory, and ninja), doing cute things (open heart surgery, sitting upright, and sleeping).

They are now posting pictures of cute kids (Boys, Girls, Boy Georges), wearing cute clothes (Cowboys, dental hygienist from Morton Grove, sailor, and raggedy Ann) and doing cute things (lying there while drooling, Sitting there while drooling, sleeping while drool, open heart surgery)

Even I myself, has come to a personal realization that myself is marring. (Marring up but that is the point). So soon my pictures of dogs will be kids. But then I see some friends partying on boats, playing mud volleyball, going to rock concerts, performing open heart surgery and skiing in the summer time. Where as I myself go to bed around 9sih unless one of my shows are on. I read. That alone screams old man. I work in AM talk radio and listen to AM talk radio.

I fear and hate change. This is my first blog, I can't tell where this is going or if this is close to the end or not. I've gone on that many tangents. I just don't know the point of this right now.. zzzzzz I'm sorry I almost passed out by my prattling. Is it time for my bath>Yea, I use to be one of those funny people living in a large city. Working a job that had no future, for just this side of a livable wage, took public transportation and more often then not had to wear an apron.

Now, not so much. I've grown. I'm older now. I am a man. I've come to terms with the fact that I am now old.

"Old? How Old Are You? Why Do You Think You're Old? Is Hamlet Truly the Most Tragic figure in Literature? Or is he just Shakespeare's idea of a night time Soap?"

Those are the questions that usually get posed when I say that. While at the eye doctor I took an eye test in which all I could see was the... the... E. Even that was FUZZY! I felt like a drunk sorority girl trying preach Thoreau just to get in to some hippy massage circle.

People of my age are no long posting picture of cute pets (Dogs, Cats, Genetically altered Ferrets, Birds), in cute outfits (Cowboy, sailor, lobbyist for a third party soap factory, and ninja), doing cute things (open heart surgery, sitting upright, and sleeping).

They are now posting pictures of cute kids (Boys, Girls, Boy Georges), wearing cute clothes (Cowboys, dental hygienist from Morton Grove, sailor, and raggedy Ann) and doing cute things (lying there while drooling, Sitting there while drooling, sleeping while drool, open heart surgery)

Even I myself, has come to a personal realization that myself is marring. (Marring up but that is the point). So soon my pictures of dogs will be kids. But then I see some friends partying on boats, playing mud volleyball, going to rock concerts, performing open heart surgery and skiing in the summer time. Where as I myself go to bed around 9sih unless one of my shows are on. I read. That alone screams old man. I work in AM talk radio and listen to AM talk radio.

I fear and hate change. This is my first blog, I can't tell where this is going or if this is close to the end or not. I've gone on that many tangents. I just don't know the point of this right now.. zzzzzz I'm sorry I almost passed out by my prattling. Is it time for my bath?

Oh that's right. I'm talking about how old I am. I have a career. It's still pretty crappy with very little future. But it's a career. It might not require any true skills or talent. It's still helps me find a reason to get out of the apartment which I'm over paying for. Just like an adult.

I don't quip, pun, muse or use pros like I use to. Now I use innuendo as an innuendo. I grab a dictionary to read the works of Bob Newhart and Woody Allen while using Tolstoy* and anthology and history or Metaphysics* as a yoga block. That is how I use large volumes to help me. My posture has improved that asterisk. *

One day I'll be able to retire. Then I'll be able to watch all the great works as done by PBS, Ken Burns, and the Katy Independent School Districts under funded theatrical program.

As an old man I've made myself sad. So I'm going to go shot rats at the dump.

Thank you for reading this as you age with me.