I'm not sure where it came from, but a common point of view among millennial is that work is supposed to provide some sort of fulfillment or self validation. It is nice if your job does provide those things but these are not the reasons that people work. People work to make money.
To me, I don't really care what sort of work I do as long as I'm making a good salary from it. One of my previous jobs paid me to sit at a computer for 8 hours a day pulling information from different databases and organizing it to get ready for auditing. It was boring. It was mind numbing work. It made me feel like a machine and by God I loved it.
If I could make the salary of an accountant for just sweeping up floors at a restaurant, I wouldn't be complaining that sweeping floors, wiping down tables, or scrubbing toilets wasn't providing me fulfillment or self validation. All that matters is seeing the numbers of my bank accounts increase.
I write this because I've seen my peers make really dumb decisions. I've seen old friends leave okay paying jobs just because "they weren't happy" or "they felt like they could be doing more". This action isn't the dumb decision. The dumb decision comes in the fact of leaving an okay job to shell out several thousands of dollars to pursue a master's degree of business administration which is no guarantee in this economy to lead to a high paying management job.
As I've heard from older wiser men, work sucks. Work is supposed to suck. If people enjoyed doing something, they would do it for free.
When people make decisions based on feelings rather than math and reality, people will suffer in the long run.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Day 10, 11, and 12 results
I completed week 4 of the program. Week four is actually the first week where I had a challenge with the bench press.
The work out is as follows.
Bench press: 245 4 reps, 225 4 reps, 205 4 reps
Incline Bench press: 155 7 reps, 145 6 reps, 135 5 reps
Bar Dips with 25 lbs attached: 12, 7
Dumbell Flyes: 60 4 reps, 50 6 reps, 40 6 reps
On the first day of week 4, I had a little difficulty completing all four reps with 245 on the bench press. However, I noticed that the second day of the week is much easier and I had no difficulty finishing 4 reps of 245. No other issues occurred with the rest of the sets.
In two weeks, I'll face the challenge of lifting 265 3 times. I've never actually done this before, so if I can make it, I'll know this program is working.
Next week, the heaviest weight for bench press decreases and the bench press of incline increases. At the same time, the bar dips gets harder because you have to do dips with 50 lbs attached to your body.
The work out is as follows.
Bench press: 245 4 reps, 225 4 reps, 205 4 reps
Incline Bench press: 155 7 reps, 145 6 reps, 135 5 reps
Bar Dips with 25 lbs attached: 12, 7
Dumbell Flyes: 60 4 reps, 50 6 reps, 40 6 reps
On the first day of week 4, I had a little difficulty completing all four reps with 245 on the bench press. However, I noticed that the second day of the week is much easier and I had no difficulty finishing 4 reps of 245. No other issues occurred with the rest of the sets.
In two weeks, I'll face the challenge of lifting 265 3 times. I've never actually done this before, so if I can make it, I'll know this program is working.
Next week, the heaviest weight for bench press decreases and the bench press of incline increases. At the same time, the bar dips gets harder because you have to do dips with 50 lbs attached to your body.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Reasons why personal financial planning isn't focused on in public schools
Personal financial planning isn't a difficult concept to understand. Most problems could be solved or avoided if people don't spend more than they make. However, a significant amount of American's live paycheck to paycheck and have barely anything in savings while owing a ton of debt.
One of the things I've pondered is the topic of personal financial planning in the public school system. In my K-12 education, I only took maybe one or two classes that taught students how to budget and the importance of investing and compounding interest. Only one or two classes out of 13 years of education. If proper knowledge of personal financial planning would help teenagers from ruining their lives, how come the public schools don't focus on financial literacy?
I've heard a reoccurring explanation in the manosphere that the government wants public schools to indoctrinate young minds to turn them into socialists in order to vote for expanding the size of the government. While the logic seems perfectly reasonable to me, I think there might be a few other reasons why financial literacy isn't taught in public schools.
The biggest reason is that young students probably won't have any idea of how much stuff costs and what it takes to support a single person. This is due to the fact that kids live with the parents and the parents will pay for all the things that the child needs. For this reason, a young student doesn't keep track of the price of gas, groceries, oil changes, clothing, or roof repairs. Along with not having to pay for living expenses, a child doesn't really understand how much different jobs pay and how much effort it takes to make money. Since most Americans cannot become a W-2 employee until the age of 16, young students won't appreciate learning how to budget until they are in the last two years of high school.
Teaching young children how to budget probably won't be very effective until the student actually starts working and buying things and starts to get some real world experience.
A smaller reason why this knowledge isn't taught in the public schools is because this is knowledge that is assumed to be bestowed from parent to child. Unfortunately, a lot of children don't receive this knowledge because a lot of parents don't spend the time to teach children these skills. This is one of the reasons the manosphere exists.
It is a shame that personal financial planning isn't focused on in public schools. Financial literacy is one of the most important tools a man can have to get through life yet no time is spent on it. However, the public schools will find time to include a lot of fluff classes that are just there to babysit kids. Art, music, and a lot of literature are common classes in the K-12 system, but these classes don't provide a man the skills needed to find employment and start accumulating wealth.
One of the things I've pondered is the topic of personal financial planning in the public school system. In my K-12 education, I only took maybe one or two classes that taught students how to budget and the importance of investing and compounding interest. Only one or two classes out of 13 years of education. If proper knowledge of personal financial planning would help teenagers from ruining their lives, how come the public schools don't focus on financial literacy?
I've heard a reoccurring explanation in the manosphere that the government wants public schools to indoctrinate young minds to turn them into socialists in order to vote for expanding the size of the government. While the logic seems perfectly reasonable to me, I think there might be a few other reasons why financial literacy isn't taught in public schools.
The biggest reason is that young students probably won't have any idea of how much stuff costs and what it takes to support a single person. This is due to the fact that kids live with the parents and the parents will pay for all the things that the child needs. For this reason, a young student doesn't keep track of the price of gas, groceries, oil changes, clothing, or roof repairs. Along with not having to pay for living expenses, a child doesn't really understand how much different jobs pay and how much effort it takes to make money. Since most Americans cannot become a W-2 employee until the age of 16, young students won't appreciate learning how to budget until they are in the last two years of high school.
Teaching young children how to budget probably won't be very effective until the student actually starts working and buying things and starts to get some real world experience.
A smaller reason why this knowledge isn't taught in the public schools is because this is knowledge that is assumed to be bestowed from parent to child. Unfortunately, a lot of children don't receive this knowledge because a lot of parents don't spend the time to teach children these skills. This is one of the reasons the manosphere exists.
It is a shame that personal financial planning isn't focused on in public schools. Financial literacy is one of the most important tools a man can have to get through life yet no time is spent on it. However, the public schools will find time to include a lot of fluff classes that are just there to babysit kids. Art, music, and a lot of literature are common classes in the K-12 system, but these classes don't provide a man the skills needed to find employment and start accumulating wealth.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Day eight and nine results and predictions of future tax rates
Day eight and nine were completed just fine. I did notice that during the first set, normal bench 225 at 6 reps, I was having some challenge completing the 5th and 6th rep. I completed them just fine but it didn't feel as easy as I wanted it to be.
Tomorrow, I'm starting week 4, and the first set is normal bench 245 at 4 reps. I've done it before, I just hope I can get it tomorrow.
In the last couple of days, I've been seeing advertisements for different tax preparations companies such as H&R Block, Liberty Tax Service, and Jackson Hewitt. When I see these advertisements, I get reminded of some key economic indicators such as our national debt. As it stands today, the national debt is over $18 trillion. This wouldn't be a problem if we had a gross domestic product that was much greater than our debt but as it stands today, our gross domestic product is only more than $17 trillion dollars.
Our national debt keeps going up because, each year, we keep on running budget deficits. Each year, our government keeps spending more money than it takes in tax revenue.
For the government to start paying off the national debt, it has to stop running budget deficits each year. Unfortunately, there are only two ways to do this. Either cut government spending or increase taxes. Neither one of these is popular and there are people on both sides fighting tooth and nail to prevent one or the other from happening.
If the national debt keeps increasing, more and more money needs to be created to keep our economy from falling to pieces. With more and more money being created, this indirectly leads to an increase of prices for most everything.
An increase of prices makes it more difficult more the average American to sustain a certain quality of life. The difficult economic conditions of the past 10 years is one of the factors that have been putting pressure on couples getting married and/or staying married. Extra pressure to marriage has been leading to a decrease in the number of married couples in this nation.
With fewer couples being married, less production occurs in the economy and the government has less tax revenue to take in.
It is for these reasons I believe that that government may start providing incentives to get more people married. And by provide incentives, I mean implement punishments for men being single and not getting married.
In the future, the government may increase the tax rate for men who file tax returns as single. I look to Japan, which has significant problems with an again population. Ideas of bachelor taxes float around in Japan.
This is how the government will try to deter men going their own way. A near invisible and gradual increase to tax brackets for single individuals. This will not significantly push men into marriage. It is just a way for the government to suck more of our blood. Our life. And it is only the first step the government will take.
It is for this reason that I believe, in the next 10 years, there will be more teenagers and single men in their 20's adopting the streamlined life approach.
Tomorrow, I'm starting week 4, and the first set is normal bench 245 at 4 reps. I've done it before, I just hope I can get it tomorrow.
In the last couple of days, I've been seeing advertisements for different tax preparations companies such as H&R Block, Liberty Tax Service, and Jackson Hewitt. When I see these advertisements, I get reminded of some key economic indicators such as our national debt. As it stands today, the national debt is over $18 trillion. This wouldn't be a problem if we had a gross domestic product that was much greater than our debt but as it stands today, our gross domestic product is only more than $17 trillion dollars.
Our national debt keeps going up because, each year, we keep on running budget deficits. Each year, our government keeps spending more money than it takes in tax revenue.
For the government to start paying off the national debt, it has to stop running budget deficits each year. Unfortunately, there are only two ways to do this. Either cut government spending or increase taxes. Neither one of these is popular and there are people on both sides fighting tooth and nail to prevent one or the other from happening.
If the national debt keeps increasing, more and more money needs to be created to keep our economy from falling to pieces. With more and more money being created, this indirectly leads to an increase of prices for most everything.
An increase of prices makes it more difficult more the average American to sustain a certain quality of life. The difficult economic conditions of the past 10 years is one of the factors that have been putting pressure on couples getting married and/or staying married. Extra pressure to marriage has been leading to a decrease in the number of married couples in this nation.
With fewer couples being married, less production occurs in the economy and the government has less tax revenue to take in.
It is for these reasons I believe that that government may start providing incentives to get more people married. And by provide incentives, I mean implement punishments for men being single and not getting married.
In the future, the government may increase the tax rate for men who file tax returns as single. I look to Japan, which has significant problems with an again population. Ideas of bachelor taxes float around in Japan.
This is how the government will try to deter men going their own way. A near invisible and gradual increase to tax brackets for single individuals. This will not significantly push men into marriage. It is just a way for the government to suck more of our blood. Our life. And it is only the first step the government will take.
It is for this reason that I believe, in the next 10 years, there will be more teenagers and single men in their 20's adopting the streamlined life approach.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Day seven results
Week 3 of the 12 week program is very similar to week one. The biggest changes occur in the incline bench press. The routine is as follows.
Bench press: 225 at 6 reps. 205 at 5 reps. 185 at 5 reps.
Incline bench press: 155 at 5 reps. 145 at 6 reps. 135 at 5 reps.
Bar dips: 11 reps. 5 reps.
Dumbbell Flyes: 50 at 8 reps. 40 at 8 reps. 30 at 10 reps.
225 lbs is the heavies weight I've lifted since week one so as soon as I lifted it, I felt this shock of extra weight. It is quite surprising, I was quite sure if I was able to make all 6 reps but I just barely got all of them. Week 3 adds one extra rep to 225 lbs and 205 lbs.
The biggest change is on the incline bench press sets. Week one had incline 135 at 9 reps and 115 at 8 reps. Week 3 gives you 3 sets and the first two are heavier weight however you do less reps.
I'm excited for week four because 245 becomes a challenge and I am really excited for week six. Week six starts you out doing 265 at 3 reps on the bench. 265 is my one rep max, so if I can make 3 reps, I'll know this program is working.
Bench press: 225 at 6 reps. 205 at 5 reps. 185 at 5 reps.
Incline bench press: 155 at 5 reps. 145 at 6 reps. 135 at 5 reps.
Bar dips: 11 reps. 5 reps.
Dumbbell Flyes: 50 at 8 reps. 40 at 8 reps. 30 at 10 reps.
225 lbs is the heavies weight I've lifted since week one so as soon as I lifted it, I felt this shock of extra weight. It is quite surprising, I was quite sure if I was able to make all 6 reps but I just barely got all of them. Week 3 adds one extra rep to 225 lbs and 205 lbs.
The biggest change is on the incline bench press sets. Week one had incline 135 at 9 reps and 115 at 8 reps. Week 3 gives you 3 sets and the first two are heavier weight however you do less reps.
I'm excited for week four because 245 becomes a challenge and I am really excited for week six. Week six starts you out doing 265 at 3 reps on the bench. 265 is my one rep max, so if I can make 3 reps, I'll know this program is working.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
How to save $1000 over the course of a year.
When it comes to saving money, there is only really 3 ways to do it.
1. Don't but something.
2. Buy less of something.
3. Find a cheaper substitute.
$1000 seems like a lot of money up front but stretched over the course of a year, it is only $83.33 per month.
Get a cheaper phone.
It is hard to find the statistic for the average American cell phone bill. Some people pay over $100 a month for phone bills. I've done a little searching and found an average of $71 monthly according to one survey. Over the course of a year, the total bill comes out to be $852.
If you are willing to strip away all the non phone features of a phone, a prepaid phone can run $50 or less. Personally, I use a prepaid phone and I barely talk to people. I bought a tracfone that came with the triple minutes for life feature. My phone only costs me about $8 per month. Granted, I can't surf the net, play with applications, watch movies, or play Angry Birds with my phone.
Today, a prepaid phone with the triple minutes feature can be bought for $65 and you can get 1200 minutes (after the triple minutes) for $100. By substituting the $852 annual bill for a prepaid phone and 1200 minutes, you can save $687 a year.
Get comfortable shaving your head.
Again, it is difficult to find the solid statistics for how many haircuts a man gets per year. I've found the number of 9 times a year. I think myself, I would only get it cut 4 to 5 times per year though. It is reasonable to spend $28 on a haircut depending on where you go. This brings the total cost to $252 per year. However, if you are comfortable just having a shaved or buzzed haircut, it is easy to just pick up a hair clipper for $35. This can save a man $217 a year if he gets a lot of haircuts or in my case $65 a year as I only spend about $20 a haircut at the place I go.
These are two instances of finding cheaper substitutes.
Cut back on drinks at the bar and dining out.
Each time a man goes to the bar, it is reasonable to spend about thirty dollars. That includes just a few drinks and a tip. By not going to the bar 5 times, you save $150 (just as long as you don't waste it on something else). The same can be said for dining out at $20 a meal. By not dining out 5 times, you save $100. Of course, you will have to eat something. Either cook at home or get cheap fast food (value menu items).
1. Don't but something.
2. Buy less of something.
3. Find a cheaper substitute.
$1000 seems like a lot of money up front but stretched over the course of a year, it is only $83.33 per month.
Get a cheaper phone.
It is hard to find the statistic for the average American cell phone bill. Some people pay over $100 a month for phone bills. I've done a little searching and found an average of $71 monthly according to one survey. Over the course of a year, the total bill comes out to be $852.
If you are willing to strip away all the non phone features of a phone, a prepaid phone can run $50 or less. Personally, I use a prepaid phone and I barely talk to people. I bought a tracfone that came with the triple minutes for life feature. My phone only costs me about $8 per month. Granted, I can't surf the net, play with applications, watch movies, or play Angry Birds with my phone.
Today, a prepaid phone with the triple minutes feature can be bought for $65 and you can get 1200 minutes (after the triple minutes) for $100. By substituting the $852 annual bill for a prepaid phone and 1200 minutes, you can save $687 a year.
Get comfortable shaving your head.
Again, it is difficult to find the solid statistics for how many haircuts a man gets per year. I've found the number of 9 times a year. I think myself, I would only get it cut 4 to 5 times per year though. It is reasonable to spend $28 on a haircut depending on where you go. This brings the total cost to $252 per year. However, if you are comfortable just having a shaved or buzzed haircut, it is easy to just pick up a hair clipper for $35. This can save a man $217 a year if he gets a lot of haircuts or in my case $65 a year as I only spend about $20 a haircut at the place I go.
These are two instances of finding cheaper substitutes.
Cut back on drinks at the bar and dining out.
Each time a man goes to the bar, it is reasonable to spend about thirty dollars. That includes just a few drinks and a tip. By not going to the bar 5 times, you save $150 (just as long as you don't waste it on something else). The same can be said for dining out at $20 a meal. By not dining out 5 times, you save $100. Of course, you will have to eat something. Either cook at home or get cheap fast food (value menu items).
Day six results and an a review of Cowboy Bebop
I just finished the last day of week 2. Week 2 was still very easy. At this point, I kind of wonder if I should have skipped a few weeks in this program. I haven't experienced anything too difficult or challenging. None of the weights on the reps comes close to my limit until at least week 4.
On week four the first exercise is to bench press 245 at 4 reps. I can see where the challenge starts in week six where the first exercise is to bench press 265 at 3 reps. Currently 265 to 270 is my one rep max. I won't deviate from the program but I am looking quite forward to week 6.
Last week, I was walking through Wal-Mart in the electronics department and I found a gold nugget. I saw the complete Cowboy Bebop series on sale for $30. Immediately, I picked it up without a second thought and that means a lot because I am not one prone to impulse spending. This wasn't even really an impulse spend. I've been wanting the box set for a few years but the cheapest price I could find was $70 or $80. The last time I spent money on myself for something other than food was probably several months ago.
Cowboy Bebop is just amazing. I've been a fan of it ever since I saw it for the first time on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim in 2002 or 2003. It is only 26 episodes long so it doesn't drag out and it has almost no filler. But since I'm a man that really loves stories, it is the narrative that sells the series for me.
The anime takes place in the future where men have figured out space travel with the use of hyperspace gates. These gates were constructed with the help of two crime syndicates and there was some disaster that happened during construction if I can remember correctly. I'm in the process of re watching the series.
This is the plot but the best part of the narrative is that this isn't really explained from the beginning. The plot of the past and history is told by anecdotes and some flashbacks. The anime isn't slowed down by this sort of exposition. From episode one, all you really know is that there are two bounty hunters that travel through space trying to earn money.
What gives Cowboy Bebop more depth is a sense of cohesion. All four members of the Bebop have a back story that ties back into the construction of the space gates and the disaster that happened during construction. Spike was in a high position in one of the crime syndicates. Jet was a former police that was hunting down the members of the syndicate. Faye was knocked into a coma for a hundred of years as a result of the exploding space gate. And Edward was ...... Ah jeeze. I forgot Ed's backstory. She is just kind of a girl that does what ever.
Even the bounties have a small back story to them and each one usually ties back to the syndicate or the space gates. Each bounty is given at least a few minutes to develop them. When I thought about it, the way the bounties are developed kind of feels like the numerous NPC's in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Even though you see them for a short amount of time, you get a moment to see deep moving moments in their lives.
The last thing I'll mention about Cowboy Bebop is the humor scattered throughout. The episode that sticks out most in mind is when Spike runs across another bounty hunter that is dressed like a cowboy complete with cowboy outfit and a horse. And the horse goes everywhere. I'm pretty sure I remember a scene where an elevator dings and this cowboy walks out of the elevator with the horse.
During this whole episode, the cowboy causes so much grief and frustration for Spike that most of the episode shows Spike and the cowboy fighting each other instead of actually trying to hunt the bounty. And the bounty sees this and gets mad because he really wants the attention for blowing up buildings. In the end the cowboy gives up to Spike and gives up the fight. The cowboy was some rich kid that played pretend for a while and got bored being a cowboy. But the funniest part of the episode is at the very end when you just see the same guy riding on his horse right next to the train dressed in a samurai getup.
On week four the first exercise is to bench press 245 at 4 reps. I can see where the challenge starts in week six where the first exercise is to bench press 265 at 3 reps. Currently 265 to 270 is my one rep max. I won't deviate from the program but I am looking quite forward to week 6.
Last week, I was walking through Wal-Mart in the electronics department and I found a gold nugget. I saw the complete Cowboy Bebop series on sale for $30. Immediately, I picked it up without a second thought and that means a lot because I am not one prone to impulse spending. This wasn't even really an impulse spend. I've been wanting the box set for a few years but the cheapest price I could find was $70 or $80. The last time I spent money on myself for something other than food was probably several months ago.
Cowboy Bebop is just amazing. I've been a fan of it ever since I saw it for the first time on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim in 2002 or 2003. It is only 26 episodes long so it doesn't drag out and it has almost no filler. But since I'm a man that really loves stories, it is the narrative that sells the series for me.
The anime takes place in the future where men have figured out space travel with the use of hyperspace gates. These gates were constructed with the help of two crime syndicates and there was some disaster that happened during construction if I can remember correctly. I'm in the process of re watching the series.
This is the plot but the best part of the narrative is that this isn't really explained from the beginning. The plot of the past and history is told by anecdotes and some flashbacks. The anime isn't slowed down by this sort of exposition. From episode one, all you really know is that there are two bounty hunters that travel through space trying to earn money.
What gives Cowboy Bebop more depth is a sense of cohesion. All four members of the Bebop have a back story that ties back into the construction of the space gates and the disaster that happened during construction. Spike was in a high position in one of the crime syndicates. Jet was a former police that was hunting down the members of the syndicate. Faye was knocked into a coma for a hundred of years as a result of the exploding space gate. And Edward was ...... Ah jeeze. I forgot Ed's backstory. She is just kind of a girl that does what ever.
Even the bounties have a small back story to them and each one usually ties back to the syndicate or the space gates. Each bounty is given at least a few minutes to develop them. When I thought about it, the way the bounties are developed kind of feels like the numerous NPC's in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Even though you see them for a short amount of time, you get a moment to see deep moving moments in their lives.
The last thing I'll mention about Cowboy Bebop is the humor scattered throughout. The episode that sticks out most in mind is when Spike runs across another bounty hunter that is dressed like a cowboy complete with cowboy outfit and a horse. And the horse goes everywhere. I'm pretty sure I remember a scene where an elevator dings and this cowboy walks out of the elevator with the horse.
During this whole episode, the cowboy causes so much grief and frustration for Spike that most of the episode shows Spike and the cowboy fighting each other instead of actually trying to hunt the bounty. And the bounty sees this and gets mad because he really wants the attention for blowing up buildings. In the end the cowboy gives up to Spike and gives up the fight. The cowboy was some rich kid that played pretend for a while and got bored being a cowboy. But the funniest part of the episode is at the very end when you just see the same guy riding on his horse right next to the train dressed in a samurai getup.
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