More info...

Ok. So I've received a couple emails asking for more information on what all is going on and stuff because I was too vague in my last post. So...here goes!

I'm going to be moving to Maryland shortly after May 27th (which is my last day of work). Why? Several reasons. 1) I want to be with groovy. We've been seeing one another now for a while, and quite honestly, the flying back and forth, while fun, is getting old. Plus, it was costing an arm and a leg to fly plus food etc. 2) I've come to a point in my job where the longer I stay here, the further behind I'm going to get. While my job is fun and I get to interact with some interesting people, the technologies that are in place here are decidedly outdated. Add on top of that the fact that I can never progress in my present job. Sure, I can get certifications, my MBA, whatever...but I can never move up. I'm at the top of the ladder as far as this place is concerned...and that's not where I want to be right now. 3) I've never really enjoyed Louisiana, and especially North Louisiana. It's hot, humid, no scenery, nothing to do...ok, plainly put...it sucks. Sure, it was several steps better than where I lived before (in the Midwest), but it's time to move on.

Now, those are the reasons why I am moving. There are other reasons, sure...but those are the main ones. No, there is no other news that needs to be dissiminated. Nothing else is happening in my life (nobody is about to die, etc).

I've been told several times in the last week how much this place, and the people here, is/are going to miss me. Personally, I don't believe it. I mean, there is only so much being taken advantage of that one person can take. Granted, the people that I believe when they say they will miss me never have taken advantage of me...but many of the ones that do say that have. That's very frustrating. You show up to work and hour early. You do your job. You go home. As long as all the work gets done, who cares how long it takes (I can usually get all my work for the day done before lunch...and I typically do other people's work after that).

One negative thing about moving...I haven't found a job yet. This is an area of frustration for me, personally. I don't know anyone in that area, other than groovy, so my network is VERY small there. How do you meet people in a given field when they live 1200 miles away from you? it's difficult. I'm taking a gamble (something I don't do often) and assuming that I'll be able to find a job easier when I live in that area. You know what they say about assuming...yeah, I know too. If need be, I'll take a job, any job, just to get there and then I'll get the job I'm supposed to have. I hope, anyway.

I fixed my link area to the right of this page. Check out the links, and if you want me to add you to my links, let me know and I'll be happy to do so.

Busy...Lots of news

First, I want everyone to notice the little Donation button on the right here. Yes, that’s right…I’ve slipped into the beggar mode and am asking for donations from everyone that I don’t know so that I can get myself a new camera. The camera I want to get is the Canon Powershot S1. Now, I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking, “Scott…don’t you have a camera? Isn’t this the same thing as falling into the “Why do American’s collect stuff?” idea? In a word…no. The camera that I presently have is all but on it’s last leg. It’s a Sony Mavica that records to floppy disks that will meet an untimely end once I get a new camera. So, if you’re feeling generous…donate. If not, I love you anyway.

Ok, last 2 weeks have been busy. I went to Maryland twice in the last 2 weeks and have been horribly busy in the time that I haven’t been traveling. I have a bit of an announcement. *drum roll* My official last day here at work, and perhaps in Louisiana as a whole, will be May 27th. That’s right ladies and gents…I will be moving Memorial Day weekend. It’s been very nice for the last couple days because now the tunnel has an end to it.

My hard drive in my computer at home crashed the other day. I ended up losing pretty much everything. I was able to save some stories that I’ve written, as well as some pictures of trips and stuff, but that was about it. If you haven’t emailed me your email address and other pertinent info, I don’t have it anymore. If you read this and want me to email you for whatever reason, please be sure I have your email address as once I move…well…I won’t be getting in touch with people as regularly. Probably. Well, until I get settled.

Well, that’s pretty much all I want to write for now. If anyone knows anyone local that wants to buy a couch, a bed or a desk, please let me know.

Stuff...*huah!*...What Is It Good For?

What is it about Americans that causes us to try and gather as much stuff as we possibly can and to live WELL beyond our means? This is the question that I’m going to try and address today.

Historically speaking, all great civilizations go through an expansion phase that eventually ends. This is not to say that the American “civilization” is great by any means, but when compared to some of the other “options” that one has when it comes to choosing where they live, America isn’t really that bad.

Take, for instance, living anywhere in the Middle East. Women are suppressed and are not viewed as equals (heck, sometimes they aren’t even viewed as humans and more like a possession). The people really don’t have the right to vote on anything. Sure, they “vote” on small issues, but as it is in many other places, the vote doesn’t really count and it’s up to a vast minority of people to determine what is best for the people as a whole (sound familiar?). This, apparently, works for them…more power to them.

In America, almost everyone has the right to vote (if you’re under 18, the government says, “Sorry, kid…you’re too young to really care or devote enough time to research the options and make an educated decision about anything”). Women are STARTING to be equals to men. We have semi-free commerce (sales tax sucks). We have the freedom to choose whatever religion we want to follow without the interference of the government. We have the freedom to say pretty much whatever we want (within reason, it seems). America isn’t that bad of a place.

Then why, if we have it so good here, do we find it necessary to acquire more and more goods that mean absolutely nothing and that don’t do anything to better our lives? Is it the joy of spending money? If your answer to that question is yes, please let me know and I’ll send you my address so that you can just send me the money instead. Is it the desire to be competitive and try and keep up with our neighbors? If your answer is yes, you need to live next to me because I’m getting rid of a vast majority of my things. You won’t have to spend any money at all, and can, therefore, give me the money you would have spent! No, I think the answer is far more involved than either of these simplistic things. Let’s delve deeper.

If you were to take a look at the Roman Empire at it’s peak, I think you would see people that were prosperous, that spent money on nonsensical things, paid their taxes dutifully, and did all the other things that good Romans did. What I find interesting is the fact that, while we’re doing something similar in our own civilization, we aren’t mindful of the fact that the Roman Empire fell and wasn’t successful over the long term. Define ”Insanity” – Doing something over and over again in the same way and hoping for different results. If this definition holds true, then the revelry in decadence will come to an end…but not the way that most people hope for.

So, if we look at how we are as a civilization (and I’m talking mostly about Americans here): we see that we spend money faster than we make it, we purchase items that mean nothing and do nothing simply to obtain them and hope for some small piece of joy to come out of it and then - when the joy is gone - we do it all over again, we take pride in the way that we do things and we try to go to other countries to set up small versions of our government in the hopes of making little clones of us all over (this is, of course, another topic)…the list could go on for pages.

What, then, do I think will happen to our society? Well, quite honestly, I think we’re in for a rude awakening. One of these days, our senseless spending and over extension of our bank accounts and credit accounts is going to come back to bite us on the rear. It’s going to happen, and when it does, it’s going to be bad.

Perhaps one of the most important things that I think we, as a society as a whole, could learn was written over a thousand years ago – True happiness doesn’t come from anything that you can experience with any (or all) of your five senses. True happiness, we’re talking complete and total peace and contentment, comes from within. Sure, I could go purchase a new book. This book could give me joy and a sense of accomplishment (once I’ve finished it, that is), but the feelings that this thing gives me are very short lived. In a day or two, I’ve begun to forget about it and have gone back to my equilibrium state. To be TRULY happy takes contentment. Contentment comes from the mind, body and soul.

In the movie Fight Club, Tyler Durden (if you haven’t seen the movie, I won’t explain his existence) states: “You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your khakis” and then “The things you own end up owning you.” Both of these statements are exactly right. We shouldn’t be tied down to worthless trinkets and senseless purchases. You want to buy a DVD to watch? Go right ahead…but don’t expect it to change your life or make you happy long term. It’s just an item…it’s nothing. If you let that nothing define who you are…what does that make you?