(UN)Complete Man

Wage Slave

2010-06-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

I've been reading up on passive income, lately, and I'm liking what I see. But more on that later. As of right now (and for the past 10 years) I've been a wage slave. One of those poor, misguided bastards who works for "the man."

I'm not an office worker. I work at a labor intensive blue collar job. It's hot, sweaty, dirty, and grimy, but it does pay well. I have great insurance, two weeks of vacation, a week of sick time, and several paid holidays every year. I only work 8 hours a day, but I do have the option to work more, if I want the extra money. We work a lot of mandatory Saturdays, but hey...it IS time and a half. I have a relatively stable job in a horrible economy. So, why should I complain?

I think it's a scam. And I think we've all been brain washed and conditioned to assume we HAVE to have a job. Sure, we need income and how better to get paid than to get a job? But surely there's a better way to do it than pimping your time out. With a job you get paid FOR YOUR TIME. Not for what you're worth or for how much money you generate for your bosses (or lords).

The question is, how do I branch out and start working for myself? I'm not an artist or a musician. I don't have a tangible trade. I'm not a craftsman. I gave up my dream of becoming an online poker sensation years ago and the stock market scares the hell out of me. And as you can see I'm certainly not talented enough to be a professional writer. So, what's left? Surely there's a way.

If you're looking for the answers to my rambling questions, keep looking. I have no idea. I only know I'm done working for "the man." I want to make a product I'm proud of. Or provide a service that I can really put myself behind. I don't want to be the middle man or the shift working drone....working 40-50 hours a week just to make someone else rich. I want to do as much or as little work as I want. I want the freedom to take a month off and go backpacking in Big Bend. I want PASSIVE INCOME.

I'm not looking for the easy way out or a get rich quick scheme. I'm just looking for the freedom to live and breathe the way I want to. I also don't like the idea of having all of my eggs in one basket...or one job. What happens if I lose my job? I'm pretty certain I could easily find another job quickly, but what would that leave me with? Another mundane company with hourly wages and benefits. And more bosses.

So, my goal is to figure out just how I can become my own boss. It's risky, but I think the rewards will far outweigh the risks. I don't want to conform to our society. I don't want a job just because I'm supposed to have one. I want to be my own man. Independent and secure. Just a pipe dream? Maybe it is, but I'd rather try and fail than live a comfortable life as a drone.

Preperations For Huricane Season

2010-06-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

I may be the only person on the face of the earth who actually likes both hurricanes AND jury duty. Hurricane season started yesterday and the experts are predicting that it will be very active. And I say BRING IT ON!

It's not so much that I actually enjoy hurricanes. People die. Businesses go under. Houses are destroyed. It's often a very devastating experience. I do, however, like the adventure of it. As long as I'm properly prepared. So, I've decided I'll list a few of the preps and decisions I've made (and some plans) to ensure that I can at least ride out the disaster in relative comfort.

FOOD:
The last time a hurricane hit my area I subsided mostly on Gatorade, cashews, and cold Chef Boyardee. I also learned that Dinty Moore Beef Stew is freakin' DISGUSTING cold! So, I decided I'd buy a cheap charcoal grill. Nothing fancy, just a $20 Old Smokey from Walmart. I also have a medium sized cooler. So, first sign of eminent doom and I'm headed to the grocery store to stock up on cheap steak and sausage. And ice. I figure on my lights being out for at least 3 or 4 days, so I should be able to keep the perishable food fresh for that length of time. I also stock up on canned food every time I go shopping. Usually two or three cans at a time. I also bought a few packs of Mountain House. These are freeze dried meals in a bag. You boil up some water, pour it in the pouch, let it sit for a few minutes and voila! A slightly acceptable alternative to real food! I actually tried one and it wasn't THAT bad. Much better than cold Dinty Moore...ugh. I also plan on stocking up on water, even though we never lost water last time. But hey, you never know.

SECURITY:
I don't live in Compton or East LA or anything, but it ain't exactly the Hamptons, either. My apartment complex could be lightly referred to as "da hood." I feel pretty secure living here, but I wouldn't recommend roaming around the area at night. Last hurricane we had a curfew and a pretty heavy cop presence. This didn't stop the roving bands of morons from causing trouble. Groups of wanna be thugs (and a couple of real ones) were roaming the complex, screaming profanity and threatening everyone who DARED tell them to shut up. I have since acquired a Marlin lever action 30-30. Not exactly a AR-15 but hey, I like John Wayne movies! And you never know when the Comanches will rise up and attack again. Anyway, I got it because I wanted to get back into hunting, but it's also nice to know that I have a means of protecting myself and my son. I don't think I'd ever really feel good about using it, though. Unless I'm being shot at or Russians are parachuting in from above, It'll probably be used as a big heavy steel club. I have a Glock 9mm on my "too buy list" also, but it's waaaay down there on the priority level. So, other than that my safety precautions are minimal. I don't have a large family to protect. I'm fairly confident in my abilities to avoid trouble and mind my own business. I also have this really cool $200 tactical flashlight I got for free through my job. It's not that big, but it will blind you for a few seconds!

COMFORT:
You can never have enough toilet paper. I could end the comfort section with that statement alone, but I'll go on. COFFEE! I decided to buy a percolator and a teeny tiny propane camp stove. No electricity? Fine. No internet? I could care less. No coffee? SOMEONE WILL DIE! As far as entertainment goes, I'm pretty easily entertained. I have a mini library here at my apartment. Gimmie a few books to read and a small battery powered radio and I'm golden. Heat is my main concern. I live in an extremely hot and humid area. It might only be 97 degrees outside, but with the humidity it's like you're in a sauna. You can almost feel the water going up your nostrils as you breathe. I have access to a pool nearby, but what I really need are a couple of battery powered fans. Anything to keep the air circulating when I'm trying to sleep. And if all else fails, there's one lesson I learned from our last bad hurricane season. Liquor stores DO NOT shut down just because there's no electricity. They'll gladly meet you at the door and take cash for any and all purchases.

SAFETY:
Please don't be the moron that kills your entire family because you've never heard of Carbon Monoxide! Also, don't burn down your house because candles smell good. I got one of those battery powered lanterns and will probably buy a couple more. I also need to buy a fire extinguisher. I actually did start a fire once trying to cook hamburger helper. Sad, really. I do have a nice first aid kit and a medics bag that was bought at a garage sale. It was carried in Iraq and came will all sorts of cool tourniquets, IV's and bandages. I was once a first responder at a job, but that was 10 years ago. I should really take a course and brush up on my first aid techniques.

Anyway, that's my small list of preps. I'm not exactly ready for mutant zombie bikers or Armageddon, but I should do alright during a hurricane and after a short power outage. Unless a pine tree comes crashing through my window. Or I poison myself with my own cooking. Are YOU prepared?

An Uncomplete Man

2010-06-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

What makes a man complete? And why do I have this crazy idea of attaining completeness? And what the heck does that even mean?

I have an amazing, intelligent son who is the pride of my life, yet I feel like a horrible father at times. There's so many questions that I can't answer. So many ways I pale in comparison to my own father. I have a small circle of friends with whom I'd trust my life, yet no wife. I have an active prayer life, yet I feel lacking spiritually and completely ignorant with it comes to the subject of God. I have a good job, but I routinely go from pay check to pay check. I don't believe that I'm a stupid man (lazy, maybe), just an uncomplete man. A work in progress. Unfinished

I've started this blog as a personal attempt to analyze and improve myself. And to vent and spew and rant and rave. I just want to become the best person I can possibly be in the short amount of time I'm allotted on this planet.

That said, stick around, read and enjoy. Some of what you'll find here will be helpful and insightful information. I might talk about guns and video games one day, and politics the next. You might get a movie review, a humorous anecdote or a glimpse into my sometimes insane and dark mind.

All in all my hope is that this blog will be both an outlet and a venue for my soul. And maybe you'll learn something along the way, as you sift through the ramblings of a half crazy fool trying to figure out how to become a complete, finished man.