Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Financial Planning as Football

How you handle your money resembles how a manager handles his football team.

Having a good job is the same as being able to generate predictable yards, mostly on the ground. Variable work, like that done by entrepeneurs, real estate agents, that sort of thing, is the passing game. When it works, it's amazing. It does, unfortunately, have a potential for disaster. Big risk can lead to big disaster.

What you do with your money once you earn it compares to a team's defense. After all, you want to keep as much as you can. A good defense balances risky attempts at sacks and interceptions with solid fundamental football. A smart offense, and smart financial planning can maximize the benefits of your money generation (and scoring). On the other hand, it in itself probably won't make you rich. If your offense is disastrous, it can completely undermine the work of the defense.

I realize now that I need to bolster my defense a little. I have a decent ground game; my job pays well enough. My passing game is a little shaky: I do have a few extra income streams, and I believe that's the way to really win. Unfortunately, I'm still paying for the mistakes of past passing games. Analagous to interceptions run back for touchdowns, my last failed business really socked me, and I'm still paying off the credit debt.

Recent story about my neighborhood

Yesterday morning, at around 5:15am I awoke to yelling: "OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!"My first thought was domestic violence.

I listened further, but the shouting ended. My girlfriend was already up, coincidentally. A few minutes later, after my alarm had gone off (this happens at 5:25am) she came down and said "there's police activity going on. A bus, and guys with guns and stuff"

Yep, our neighbors got raided. When I left for work at 6:05, they were still searching the house, and two of the male members of the family were in custody.We weren't terribly surprised by this whole event. It was the "Bad House" of the neighborhood. I saw one of the guys, "Rob" doing a walk-by money exchange, presumably for drugs, right off a main arterial, about 10 blocks from the house. Dummy. It was really a matter of time.I can hear the value of my house rising as I type this.

Somewhere along the way I'd left a message on the Narcotics division voice mail about my general concerns. They never called me back, so I'd assumed I'd been blown off. Maybe they did listen to my message!

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

fantasy football

Gotta keep an eye out for Kyle Boller in later rounds. He's at a make or break point in his career, and is set up for success. If he steps up, he could have a great year.

Monday, June 27, 2005

Halliburton's Iraq deals described as contract abuse

To be fair, this is still one person's allegations and an audit's concerns. The facts aren't out yet. We need to see the facts though. At the very least, this proves why the appearance of a conflict of interest is detrimental to one's credibility.

Sunday, June 26, 2005

Gay Pride; Seattle 2005

My girlfriend and I went to the Gay Pride parade today. I've never been. Every year, it rolls around, every year I watch the highlights on the news, every year I feel like I've missed something.

It was an amazing blend of personal and political, what should be public, properly celebrated as public, what probably should be private, also celebrated in public.

The parade traditionally begins with Dykes on Bikes: around 100 lesbians ride motorcycles of all kinds up and down Broadway; all kinds of lesbians were present: sporty lesbians, dykish lesbians, transgender lesbians, aging hippi lesbians. One women rode her bicycle, and did a damn fine job of keeping up. Considering the distance that piled up the third or fourth time the rotation passed by, I was impressed.

One older woman dropped her bike near the end of that part. She probably shouldn't have been on a motorcycle at all, and the bike she rode was definitely too big for her. Someone from the crowd wound up driving her bike off somewhere safe, with the older woman riding along.

At the end, a probably drunk gay man asked my girlfriend (who was wearing a cowboy hat and looked completely alterna-ravishing) 'who's that skinny boy you got there...' referring to me. Yep, I was checked out too.

There were lots of support groups represented, a few major sponsors whose shouldn't be trusted, but it's nice that they made an appearance (Budweiser specifically). All the usual political organizations and candidates walked, including our mayor, Greg Nickels, County Executive Ron Sims, the Socialist Party, the Progressive Party, and others I'm forgetting.

I saw two pair of bare breasts. At least two pair of tassled breasts. I saw a bare chest where breasts once had been. The Rad Dyke Plummer was there. Several boys wearing only their underwear. One group of Filipino performers were amazing, but looked miserable. Every one looked like they'd rather be anywhere than there.

Apparently next year the parade is not scheduled to run down Broadway. There is a vocal group against this change, but I can't help but think it's a good thing. Get the Pride Parade out of the magical liberal island of Capital Hill (or is it the gay ghetto?), and run it down 1st Avenue.

I haven't been to a parade in years: do they usually last for 3 hours? Do they often have pacing issues, with starts and stops and large gaps instead of even smooth flow?

Doctors 'find dead foetus in boy'

Friday, June 24, 2005

Morrison at play in the fields of the nerd

DC may get fun again! I enjoy Grant Morrison's work quite a bit; I think he's a little overrated in some circles, but he brings an enjoyable creativity that I'm looking forward to.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Grandfather kills leopard with his hands

If God tells you to drop your machete and grab the tongue, I guess that's what you should do.

I'd like to point out that this is a good example of indirect tactics succeeding. The obvious response would have been for him to use his machete by swinging it at the beast's neck or face. However, he chose to go for the weakest point and essentially won by attacking from the inside out.

Opponent Preview: The Atlanta Falcons

Home opener is against the Falcons.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Room supplies

Room supplies are my next challenge. When I started my job, getting the rooms routinely stocked with necessary supplies was a big deal and a recurrent problem. The problem with a shared space with high turnover is that it's tough to get people trained and performing to meet expectations.

In its simplest form, the system is that PCC's are responsible for making sure rooms are ready to go prior to putting a patient in the room. Generally, it's a good rule, however with the flex room system, no one knows what flex rooms they'll be using until they use it. Since rooms are generally prepped at the beginning of the day, this leaves a gap. Or rather, the lack of the gap is the problem.

Having PCC's stock and prepare their core rooms is simple enough. The flex rooms are the trick.

A Guide to Men's Health

Alright fellas, you know you need to take care of yourself. No one's going to do it for you, nor should they be expected to.

*********
After posting this message I started reading the pamphlet; it's still good info, but I'm a little annoyed. Every nutrition article I read, including the one in this pamphlet begins with the assumption that the reader wants to lose weight, or at least that weight maintenance is an issue.

I've been at the same weight since I left the Army over ten years ago, which is actually less than I weighed while I was in the Army. I wear the same pants size now as I did in 1991.

I'm not complaining about these facts; I'm a little tired of having to dig through resources to find something relevant to my health needs.

Yes, I'm an egoist, so I consider myself to be the normal one, even when I'm not in the majority.

Monday, June 20, 2005

Romanian prosecutors wait for autopsy on nun who died in apparent exorcism

BUCHAREST, Romania — A Romanian Orthodox monk has been indicted in the death of a 23-year-old nun in an apparent exorcism in which she was allegedly bound to a cross, had a towel stuffed into her mouth and left without food for three days.
Four nuns also were indicted yesterday in connection with the death of Maricica Irina Cornici of the Holy Trinity convent in northeast Romania. The prosecutor said today authorities were awaiting the results of a second autopsy before deciding how to proceed.
Police said Cornici died Wednesday, three days after she was left in a cold room, without any food. She was bound to the cross, with the towel stuffed in her mouth to stop her from uttering any sounds, authorities said.
A medical examiner's report based on an autopsy concluded the nun died due to dehydration, exhaustion and lack of oxygen, state news agency Rompres reported.
A second autopsy is carried out when there is suspicion of foul play to minimize possible error.
Monk Daniel Petru Corogeanu and the four indicted nuns were charged with depriving a person of liberty resulting in death, but they have not been taken into custody pending results of the second autopsy, prosecutor Ovidiu Berindei told The Associated Press. If convicted, they could face 25 years in prison, said Berindei, prosecutor of Vaslui, a region in northeast Romania.
The monk said yesterday he was trying to "take the devil out of her," N24 news television reported.
When asked whether the nun was mentally ill and in need of medical help instead of exorcism, he told the television station, "you can't take the devil out of people with pills."
The Romanian Orthodox Church has called the death "abominable" and has suspended Corogeanu pending an investigation. However, he refused to recognize the suspension and carried out a funeral service for the nun on yesterday. Cornici will be buried in a separate service in her home village.
Nuns yelled at a vicar who had come to suspend Corogeanu yesterday, and scuffles broke out, N24 reported. Riot police intervened and order was restored, the television station reported. There were no injuries.
Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Colville data / elevation

Nick's parent's house looks to be at 1700 ft; I'm not sure why the site says that Colville's elevation is 620. The topo map doesn't agree.

The end of the road to the top of Colville Mt looks to be around 3175 ft; I had a little trouble finding the exact location. That's a change of about 1400 ft.

About a mile and a half as the crow flies.

My house looks to be at about 15 ft, I think the nearby hill rises to 50 or 60. The Seattle map is muddy and hard to read, so I'm less sure of this information.

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Thursday, June 16, 2005

New Building

The hospital will be completing construction of a new wing next Spring, and I'll be involved in the move. This will be a huge project to be accomplished in a very short amount of time. When we moved from the old wing to this one, we had 2 1/2 work days to move everything out of one, into the other. Operations started promptly on Tuesday morning. I imagine this will be the same.

Last time, the feeling was of general discoordination. I very much hope to reduce the sticky points, to make this as smooth as possible. Not only will this be a way for me to shine, it will be an authentic way for me to help the organization and my peers.

Here is what the director in Facilities advised so far:

"We are just now in the process of looking at the timeline for moving into the new building and should have a better understanding in a couple of months. We will certainly have more conversations with the ambulatory team as soon as we have a little better picture of the issues. What we are currently thinking we will do is more in to the new building floor by floor...moving offices at the beginning of the week and then clinics on the Thursday/Friday of the week over a 2-3 week period of time.
What would be helpful now is to really look at your space....5S whatever you can....take a look at the utility rooms and dispose of items that is are not needed....inventory the exam table. and hi/lo tables...how many of each color. It also would be helpful to inventory the wall hung view boxes (newer style...and whether they are single or double)...as well as how many new otoscopes/ophthalmoscopes, stadiometer, scales, etc we have....we will need to move all the equipment that is in good shape. "

I realized that I already did an inventory when I filled out the Hazardous Surveillance Survey, since most of that equipment needs to be inspected. Some only once, some annually. So far, so good. The real planning begins over the next couple months.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Wallace opening eyes with run at No. 2 QB

The national media repeatedly reports that the Seahawks need a backup QB now that Dilfer has moved on. I've also heard the job given to the new rookie. They seem to have forgotten Seneca. Sure, if a Testaverde or Flutie drop into our laps, we should take him. Experience at the #2 slot would be good, at least for another year. However, the 'Hawks are loaded at QB right now. Seneca is a solid player; while he's never played in a regular season game, he has been impressive during pre-season play. I'm pulling for him.

Friday, June 10, 2005

Reservations

It has occurred to me recently that our use of exam rooms resembles restaurant table useage. Every patient essentially has a reservation for an exam room. Their stay has great varience, we have an almost predictable no-show rate (around 5%). If they stay in that room because of inefficiency, it's a problem. If they stay to receive services, that's a good and useful thing.

Lessons Learned and Challenges Identified at the Hospital

The mindset is still primarily service based. It's very tough to get people thinking in terms of Whale 7, or Ambulatory in general. It reminds me of the U.S. goverment before it became the U.S. government. Under the Articles of Confederation, and during the early years under our current system, the autonomy of states, and states' rights were very hot topics. I'm no expert in this field, but I do know that it took lots of blood, sweat and tears for the Federal government to assert and maintain its sovereignty.

My main angle is to state the obvious: it's not right that a patient for one clinic should wait in the waiting room, when a room sits empty, because it's reserved for a patient who hasn't arrived, and may never arrive.

There's more room for team building work. People who know and like one another are more likely to share.

On a related but separate note: PCC's very often hear the instructions, understand the instructions, then do what they want. Yes, communication is a problem, comprehension is a challenge, but a lot of the time, it's a discipline issue.

I'm working on the balance between indirect and direct strategy and tactics. I've tended to be a direct sort of person. I've worried about doing the right thing more than how to accomplish that right thing. A lot of times, that simply isn't good enough. People are not often persuaded by large demands, or what they perceive as large demands, issued all at once. On the other hand, if you start small and build gradually, you can accomplish the same thing.

A great example of this is how much better items in an auction do when the starting price is low. People will work the price up as they get caught up in the action. Items with a high starting bid, on the other hand, are likely to be ignored.

On the other hand, sometimes you simply have to get a shovel and kill the rat in the basement.

Running

Last night I ran from my home to the Madrona Bathhouse and back. Yahoo says it's 2.7 miles. I was cruising along comfortably until I saw another runner, doing about my same pace, in the medium distance. Because runners are crazy this way, I upped my pace, passed him, and added to my lead. This was not particularly wise, because up until last week, I've been running 4 miles at a go, rather than nearly 5 1/2.

I was dying by the end. Completely used up. Had a cramp, no energy, I'm still sore from it, in a way I'm not often sore.

It was awesome. No running today. Tomorrow morning I'll probably do a nice and smooth 4 miler. Then probably two days off, since I'll be out of town. I'll worry about Tuesday when it comes. I will be due for a hill run...

Sunday, June 05, 2005

Running

I've been running lots lately. I've been sticking to the 4 mileish range, and it feels good. Running is a wonderful way to get to know the neighborhood, and the city.

Smart Couples Finish Rich

My girlfriend and I are working through this book. We want to get a financial plan, so we're headed in the right direction. We both have more debt than we oughta, that's the bad news. We both have good jobs, and we own our own home (well, we're paying a mortgage). That's the good news.

This book told us to write our values, then write goals based on those values. Here's what we have so far (my goals correspond directly with my values):

My Values

  1. Power – the ability to do what I want, when I want to do it.
  2. Freedom – the absence of restrictions on or claims to my time. This is also the absence of financial responsibility and/or debt.
  3. Family and Close Friends
  4. Health – time to exercise, and the ability to seek medical care when I need it. This includes preventative medical care and regular dental visits.
  5. My Long Term Relationship with Nora

Girlfriend's Values

  1. Bedrock Relationships
  2. Security
  3. Health
  4. Making a difference – volunteer work, lifestyle choices
  5. Indulgence – A life in color, rather than black and white.
  6. Freedom

My Goals

  1. 20% reduction in credit card and student loan debt within 12 months
  2. Debt free in 5 years (credit cards and student loans)
  3. Ultimate Adventurers Inc. self-sustaining in 1 year, and profitable in 5 years
  4. Keep positive control of my health:
    1. Eat 5 servings of fruits or vegetables each day
    2. Compete in a Seattle Half Marathon: Nov 27th, 2005
  5. Organize our wedding for July 29th, 2006

PostSecret

PostSecret

Friday, June 03, 2005

Homeowners find records still hold blot of racism

I don't have much time for comment, so this will be brief:

Clearly we as a society and a region are still dealing with segregation. As positive as our gains have been, the work is not finished.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Robinson Charged With DUI

Are you kidding?! I'm all about second chances, but seriously: how much are they going to endure? Mr Robinson needs to grow up and take care of himself. He can't help anyone with recurrent behavior like this.