Some tower, France

 

It’s early morning on the 14th of Occtober and I’m on a train from Paris to London. After racing on the train with a group of 7, complete with the largest amount of luggage you’ve ever seen, we stayed on a sidewalk all night waiting for the trian station to open. Cold, not fun, however, its just why we’re hear. You have to take the good with the bad and live life with a grain of salt. It always amazes me how two can communitcate with only a limited vocabulary and expressions-you can get around the world in a heartbeat with this skillset. It’s one that you have to develope, learn and teach.

 

We arrived in Paris at midnight after my wisdom prevailed the peer-pressure of binge drinking on a 6 hour ride. I would not feel sorry for the winner of that battle the following day. We had a coffee, some had an Irish coffee actually, and jumped in a couple of taxis to a desolated, dark Eiffel Tower. It was rather unique to see the most recognizable man-made object on Earth without anyone else around. We had parked out luggage at a hotel for 90Euros but couldn’t stay in the lobby so we found a place to ourselves between the Monday night drunks and the homeless. Everyone else slept while I leaned on a light post and finished my novel. At 5:30am the train station “opened” but it was more of an unlocking of the doors. Now, only if we could get our luggage out of our locked-up hotel we’d be on our way to further delays. 

 

The security to get to the U.K. was the craziest, most-intense customs I’ve ever been through. Here I am, with 6 friends-who are all hung-over, half asleep and smell like a distillery, talking to an English fellow who was relentless on our occupations, places of visits, returns and staying in the U.K. “I dont know,” was my most common answer. I didn’t look halfway decent with smelly clothes, no sleep and a two-week old beard from a 24 year-old. “Do you have a return ticke?” I showed him my train ticket to Paris.

“No, home? A plane ticket”.

“Yes”.

“Can I see it?”

“I didn’t print it out.”

“You didn’t print it out?”

No you fricking idiot! Waste trees because you think I’m lying to you? Get real I was thinking. This is when I

some tower, France

 to let him know that he is God and can do whatever he wants to complete his power trip.

 

 

Then my ticket was checked twice more before boarding my coach as if customs, immigration, the turnstyle entry and security missed me.

 

I’ve learned a lot of this trip thus far. Foremost to follow where life takes you-you’ll enjoy it a lot more and become more educated throughout the process. France, in my humble opinion, is the most beautiful country in the world and along with it comes the most beautiful woman. To go with the flow (with is usually backwards in France) will get you there while being able to enjoy the journey along the way. As I type I’m passing thru the Chunnel and still can’t bring myself to close my eyes. I fell as if I blink I will miss something. Something minute it may be but I’m not going anywhere with my eyes closed. Are you?

 

I am on my way to Scotland for a few days. I woke up yesterday morning and had a brief converstation with my travel companions and Scotland it was. The night before it was Italy and the day before that it was Ireland. Goodbye French beauties, baguettes and beachbreaks, for now-will return soon. I am speeding through fog banks and fields with little small houses occupying. Im confident that the three pairs of shorts in my suitcase are useless and the 3 smelly sweatshirts will all be worn simultaneously (or at the same time).

 

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Perfect Bailout Plan

This is a perfect bailout plan. This is an email chain being sent around cyberspace and hopefully into the hand of George W. Bush, John McCain (if he isn’t dead by now) and Barack Obama.

I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of wall street. 

Instead, I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in 
a We Deserve It Dividend. 

To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 
bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+. 

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman 
and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.. 

So divide 200 million adult s 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00. 

My plan is to give $425,0 00 to every person 18+ as a 
We Deserve It Dividend. 

Of course, it would NOT be tax free. 
So let’s assume a tax rate of 30%. 

Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. 
That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam. 

But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. 
A husband and wife has $595,000.00. 

What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family? 
Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved. 
Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads 
Put away money for college – it’ll be there 
Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs. 
0ABuy a new car – create jobs 
Invest in the market – capital drives growth 
Pay for your parent’s medical insurance – health care improves 
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else 

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks 
who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company 
that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces. 

If we’re going to re-distribute wealth let’s really do it…instead of
trickling out 
a puny $1000.00 ( “vote buy” ) economic incentive that is being proposed
by one of our candidates for President. 

If we’re going to do an $85 billion bailout, let’s bail out every adult U
S Citizen 18+! 

Sure it’s a crazy idea that can “never work.” 

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party! 

How do you spell Economic Boom? 

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion 
We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at wall street or in
Washington DC . 

And remember, The Family plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because
$25.5 Billion is returned 
instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.

Social Media Marketing Examples

I found a pretty comprehensive list of social marketing examples that major companies are doing on Peter Kim’s blog. If you’re into this kind of stuff then it is a must read. Also, if you are looking for viral videos, web commercials or the like you should check out Tar Productions. Tar works with many established companies and brings together the best ones to suit your needs. I recommend them.

 

Today is my Mom’s birthday. Get ready for cooking a family dinner at Grandpa’s house.

Birthdays and Jose Gonzalez

My grandfather turned 82 years old yesterday-the guy’s still trucking! Had a wonderful evening with the family at a nice restaurant. I got potato soup and veggie squash-Im the only veggie in y family and everyone else got meat-yuck!

 

Also, found a new favorite artist by the name of Jose Gonzalez. He’s a swedish guy and plays the acoustic nylon guitar and he’s really good at it. He has a interesting fine tone with beautiful harmonics-most if drop D tuning or something weird like that. Here’s my favorite track by him….

Untitled, 1

My family really is nuts! But, after some thought, thats why you love them, its what a family needs. Ever seen the movie Pleaseantville? Who wants a family like that? I grew up in a suburb of North San Diego. Mom and Dad have their own business (yes, its a mom and pop shop), I have an older sister, younger brother, and 3 dogs. I live close to the beach, did well in school, played sports…but Im still nuts (or everyone else in my family is). But the moral of the story is to always love your family and learn from altercations (a fancy word for fighting). Try to put yourself in their shoes and look at it from their perspective-if you’re not then that is being selfish-something Im definitely guilty of and aware of, yet also very conscious of.

 

The surf is small and kinda windy, blah.