The World According to John

Time Waits for No Man - 2011 Is Already Upon Us

2011-01-17T07:14:00.001-08:00

Well folks, it's already 2011. It seems like not that long ago when I posted my first 2010 entry. I think we can all agree that 2010 was a very challenging year that we are , frankly, happy to have behind us. It was marred with untimely celebrity deaths, record foreclosures, and the ultimate insult, the Atlanta Falcons earning a number one seed in the NFC. The football fans among us know that that is just not supposed to happen.

As I write this on the morning of Martin Luther King Jr day, the Falcons have already returned to their familiar ways, having been trounced at home by the wild card Green Bay Packers, so I do feel some sense of normalcy returning. But I am also deeply saddened by another 2 untimely deaths before we could even comfortably settle into 2011. The first was the incomparable Tina Marie. While I never heard her perform live, my wife did on several occasions and said she was one of those rare artists who is just as good on stage as she is on a CD or in the studio. At 54 years of age, her death was an absolute shock to me and I would presume many others.

The second celebrity death I speak of is a local Atlanta radio personality who passed away Saturday morning at the mere age of 43. Royal Marshall was an Atlanta fixture for many years, but some of you may also know him on the national scene as the sidekick and producer of the Neal Boortz radio show. Royal served as the voice of reason for Neal's politically-charged rants and also anchored his own local night time show for many years called The Royal Treatment. I met this man on more than one occasion and spoke to him over the phone on several other occasions. He was a first rate human being all around. The rare celebrity who went out of his way to treat everyone he encountered with respect and decency. While I know that most of you did not know this man, if you did, you would understand the sadness his death casts over the ATL.

For 2011, I have some decisions to make. After about a year and a half of motorcycle riding bliss, I suffered my first major accident just a couple of weeks ago. While I was not hurt, I could have been seriously injured or even killed had God not chosen to spare me. With that in mind, I have had to reevaluate whether or not I should continue in this inherently risky behavior. Part of me says "leave it alone," while another part says "face your fears." As I always try to do when I am in need of direction, I turned to both prayer, and the counsel of others. I still do not know what my ultimate decision will be, but I can tell you that it was a harrowing experience that has reminded me of just how fleeting life can be. These things happen in instants and we are rarely prepared for them. Regardless of what I decide concerning my future with riding, I know that I need to live my life as if it will end today, because one day that will indeed be the case and I don't want to have a list full of regrets.

In closing, I hope we can all share in a collective prayer concerning the fate of our nation and indeed our world as we bravely step into 2011, and as always, it is my privilege to have this time to share my thoughts with you. Though you rarely comment, I know your are reading. Yes I do!

Where Did The Time Go?

2010-09-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's September already. I figured I had better write something now before I become totally engrossed in football. Ah yes, this is that magical time of year. Temperatures are cooling off to comfortable levels, and both NFL and college football teams are lining up to do battle. What can I say? I'm getting all emotional.

But let's catch up. When we last touched bases, Tiger Woods was in the hot seat and had decided to "take some time off" from golf. I judged that a mistake at the time and I believe what has transpired since has proven me correct. Now Tiger is back [minus his wife and untold millions] and his game is not what it used to be. He will be ridiculed wherever he goes and that will probably only make his game worse. Some will say he deserves all of this, and perhaps he does, but I think it is mostly the result of bad decision making. Sadly, Tiger was probably just doing what he was told by his advisors.

But what have I been up to since January? Well, since you asked, besides working at a feverish pace to keep up with my company's demands, I have gotten into motorcycles. I bought my first bike about a year ago. It was a 500cc Kawasaki Vulcan. I used this as a starter bike since it was still a big step up from the 250's I rode during my MSF training. A few months later, I felt I was ready for something a bit more powerful, so I traded up for a 2009 Yamaha V Star 950. I rode that bike up until just a few weeks ago. It's a beautiful bike but not an all out power bike like I ultimately wanted. The V Star is what is referred to as a cruiser. These are nice and very cool, but built more for comfort than performance. I wanted something with some real power, but was not ready to totally sacrifice comfort. Then I found the Yamaha FJR 1300. One of my close friends has one of these so I was able to take a closeup look at it some time ago. It's a perfect blend between sport bike and cruiser. It is classified as a sport tourer because it has the power of a sport bike yet is comfortable enough for long outings and can also accommodate luggage. Well, I realize this is not a motorcycle enthusiast site, but I mention motorcycles for a reason. Since I've started riding I've noticed something. When you bring up the topic, or just show up somewhere on a bike, most folks immediately want to tell you graphic stories about a relative, friend or acquaintance that was involved in an accident. Usually when I encounter these people I am on my bike, and don't really want to hear such things at that particular moment. But my ultimate point is this. It seems many people live their lives based on fear. They've been told motorcycles are dangerous, so they believe motorcycles are dangerous, and they will not even consider riding them. Now, if you are involved in an accident on a motorcycle, I freely admit that your chances of survival are not nearly as good as if you were in a car. That's why motorcyclists have to be more responsible and aware of their surroundings. They should also always wear complete protective gear instead of just the [usually] mandatory helmet. But it is my opinion that a life lived in fear is a life poorly lived. As with all things, balance is the key. Risk should be balanced with reward and fear should be balanced with fun. If you want to be completely safe, then just barricade yourself in your home with a gun. That should protect you from all except perhaps the police and the IRS. But it probably won't be very much fun and I doubt it will offer any rewards either. In summary, bikes are obviously not for everyone, but don't let fear be the main factor in any of your decisions. Life can be either an adventure or a drag. It's your choice.

The Economy:

It has been said that this is the worst economy since the Great Depression. I don't doubt that, but the thing is, most of us today didn't live through that difficult period of American history. In fact, with the exception of the horrific September 11th 2001 World Trade Center attacks, most contemporary Americans [myself included] haven't lived through any serious national or international crisis. When I was in the military, I had to learn to live and sleep in simulated combat zones. That meant constant gun fire, mortar explosions and sonic booms caused by F-14 flyovers. Whenever I wasn't on watch duty, I needed to fit some sleep into my day [or night]. At first, I could never get any sleep, especially since we were sleeping outside and in jungles where it was often raining. But eventually the very same things that used to unnerve me became routine and I was sleeping perfectly. The point here is that this economy scares us because we haven't seen anything like it before. It should probably serve as a warning [in my opinion] for this country to get back to our core beliefs. Chief among those is our God-fearing roots. I realize many in todays America don't necessarily acknowledge God, but America always has and must continue to do so, while at the same time respecting the rights of others who may choose to worship differently or not at all. I love America. We are not perfect, but I do believe we still strive to be. We have survived hard times before, and we will survive this period too. But I do hope we learn from it and return to the roots that made America the envy of the world.

As I write this, I am watching the NFL's opening weekend, and Michael Vick is doing it big for Philadelphia and might just pull it out against Green Bay. That means we'll have to pick this up later. I know there are folks out there reading this who never post comments and I want to say "thanks!" With me, however, it's all about dialog, so please do post your comments. If you agree with me [rare] that would be fine, but it's even more interesting when you don't, as long as you tell me why.

In conclusion - I was sitting at a red light while out riding my bike earlier today. It was a nice clear day here in the ATL and I saw the American flag waving majestically in the wind. Folks, all I can say is that I was captivated and hated it when the light turned green and I had to move on. As I said earlier, I love America. I'm not ashamed to say it. Even at our worst, we are still great. I hope you feel the same way, but if you don't let's talk about it.

Until next time, may God be with you.

Sprinting Into 2010

2010-01-16T17:21:00.000-08:00

2009 is gone. I think most of us are probably happy about that. It was a tough year for America and for most of the world I would dare say. But all things go in cycles and there are undoubtedly better times ahead. As with all adversity, there are also lessons for the wise and humble.

So what's on my mind right now? Well, let's talk a little Tiger. Tiger Woods to be exact. I'm going to be candid, so you may want to take the kids to a secure location. I guess the best way to tackle this topic is to break it down into a few categories. As I see it, they are as follows.

1) The Deed

2) The Response

3) The Aftermath

Each will be addressed below, so strap in.

The Deed - Tiger Woods is a man and all men share certain afflicting attributes. The pertinent one before us now is the desire to have sex with multiple women. Ladies [as far as I know] do not generally share this affliction. Unless a man severely mistreats [or neglects] a woman, she will generally be faithful to him. This does not make women better than men, only different. Women have their own set of common afflictions, and maybe that will be the subject of a future discussion. Both genders would do well to accept this premise.

Now back to Tiger. Tiger did what 99% of men would do given his circumstances. He is a huge celebrity and is adored by women, who are naturally attracted to powerful men. He travels frequently and is , by necessity, away from his wife for prolonged periods of time. I don't pretend to know the state of Tiger's marriage [pre-scandel], but it really makes no difference. Even a happily married man is susceptible to the advances of another woman. Single men are programmed to pursue women, but once they find their mate, they should settle in and commit to that relationship. A happily married man should not be prowling for women as a single man might, because his basic needs are being met. The difference between Tiger and "Joe Average" is that Tiger doesn't have to prowl. The women will do the prowling. Now women may not be able to understand this simple precept, but men are generally not able to routinely turn down sexual advances. We know it's wrong and we know it may lead to trouble, but our genetic programming tells us to "proceed with caution." Most men don't have to deal with what Tiger Woods does. My wife tells me all the time that I "have no game." She knows that she'll probably never have to worry about women throwing themselves at me. I love my wife with intensity, so I don't look for dalliances. I'm only willing to work or fight to please one woman, and that is Mrs Phillips. As Steve Harvey said "I wouldn't fight traffic" for another woman. I am giving Tiger the benefit of the doubt in assuming he felt the same way. But if you marry a celebrity such as Tiger Woods, you need to know that there will most likely be infidelity. He won't love the other women, but he will have sex with them. It's a simple carnal response to opportunity and really means little to him. If you take the millions and other trappings of the super-rich, you should know what you are signing on for in the fidelity area as well.

The Response - This is where Tiger made fatal errors. As is illustrated on shows like TMZ and Extra on a nightly basis, celebs who don't "play nice" with the media suffer consequences. Tiger should have understood that once his "accident" became public, the media would want their pound of flesh. As a major celebrity, he would have been well advised to supply it upfront. This would have made for a couple of days of tabloid bliss followed by a natural, unceremonious death of the story. But Tiger decided to be arrogant and tried to maintain his clean-cut image when it was obvious that his story simply didn't wash. You can't do that if you're Tiger Woods. That type of behavior is the domain of "Joe Average." Tiger wanted it both ways. In contrast, David Letterman understood the dynamics of his situation and made the appropriate choice.

The Aftermath - Sadly, Tiger continues to make bad decisions. Actually, it's probably not him making the decisions, but he is still ultimately responsible. Going into seclusion at this point is costing Tiger a sponsor a minute. Further, he is away from the game he loves and this will harm him career-wise. He may be practicing somewhere, but it's just not the same as facing actual competition. In the end, I suspect Tiger will be back at some point when his handlers tell him it's opportune. But when he does return, he'll be a mere remnant of his former self, similar to what is happening with Michael Vick right now. It will be sad to see a prolific athlete like Tiger demoted to the status of "another golfer" based on scandal as opposed to ability.

OK - I've given enough of my time for now. Want more? Say so.

State of the Union

2009-12-21T19:42:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a long while since I espoused my unsolicited thoughts out to the public via the magic of the Internet, so I thought another installment was appropriate. Certainly, there is no shortage of interesting fodder for me to delve into. Here it goes.

President Obama -

A few things need to be cleared up about our President.

White people do not [overwhelmingly] hate President Obama, but sadly, black people do seem to overwhelmingly love him. I say "sadly" because I believe the sentiment is often based more on rhetoric and [yes] race, instead of results, and perceived ability and sincerity as it should be. White people elected him President in the first place, so I feel the argument that there is mass hatred within white circles towards him to be patently ridiculous. There will always be extremists on both sides of the political fence, but they represent a relative small portion of the populace yet they get entirely too much attention. As for me, I admire our President as a man, but have not seen anything too spectacular from him yet as a President. As a master orator, he built up a considerable amount of hype during his campaign [even for a politician] and now I need to see some results. I don't doubt that they are forthcoming, and I am also aware and realistic about how much any one man can accomplish on his own. Accordingly, one of the main jobs of any President is to garner support amongst disparate groups and make things happen. President Obama appears to be doing just that with healthcare reform, which is the subject of my next rant.

Healthcare Reform -

This is a hot topic, so it's a good thing I don't generally care what people might think about my positions. After all, I'm just a guy with a blog. I'm not running for any office. Humor aside, [yes, that was my best attempt at humor] here are some of my thoughts on the subject.

I think we can all agree that healthcare in America needs some work. Costs are out of control and even those with "good insurance" can find the red tape burdensome and end up receiving what amounts to poor care. Cheap and easy access to an MD is not the same as good healthcare. That's good insurance coverage, but the actual quality of the care is a completely separate issue. To achieve good care we need to make sure our MD's are qualified and not over-burdened with restrictions on what they can and cannot do. They should also not be pressured or enticed to prescribe certain medications over others that may be chemically identical yet more affordable. Finally, they should have reasonable patient loads and work schedules.

I don't believe the government has a legitimate role in any of this. Private industry should be allowed to do what it does best, spur competition. As we now appear to be on the brink of some major changes in our healthcare system, it concerns me that our government wants to basically broker coverage for millions of Americans. Government need only apply reasonable competitive regulation to the healthcare industry, just as it would with any other industry. There will always be some folks who simply cannot afford or obtain the coverage they need. But this is the case with any valuable resource, and it is the role of charitable institutions, clergy, family etc to address this, not the government. It is important to remember that every dollar the government gives to one person must be forcibly taken from another. There are situations where this is necessary, but it should be minimized at all costs since it can [if taken too far] kill the incentive for hard work and creativity that have historically fueled the American way of life. I recently spent some time reviewing our Constitution and Declaration of Independence. I believe our founding fathers would be appalled by the current over-reaching policies of our government.

The Media-

This is perhaps a little light compared to the above material, but what has happened to the mainstream media? First there were serious network news broadcasts. Then came the gossip magazines, which eventually found their way onto the screen as well. Finally, there came the national and International news behemoths such as CNN. But today, even though all three of these categories ostensibly exist, their content is virtually indistinguishable. We tune in to ABC's World News Tonight only to be updated on the latest exploits of Bradd and Angelina alongside the current events in the Middle East. What has happened? Well, there are only so many sets of eyeballs in America, and most of them have a limited amount of time they can devote to TV altogether, let alone a generally dull news broadcast. The onset of Cable TV has created far too many choices for the marketplace. If this dissolution of the market were not enough, there is also the looming threat of the almighty Internet.

Despite what you may think, all television [except that which is publicly funded] is about ratings. To the execs, a news broadcast is no different than a sitcom. It has to put butts in seats and eyeballs on screens, so that advertisers will continue to purchase time on the station. Knowing this, TV execs have learned that their shows must "pop" to grab the interest of the fleeting American attention span. And so, just as actual sports has given way to the abomination euphemistically known as "sports-entertainment," so the serious newscasts of yesteryear have taken on the characteristics of their tabloid underlings. What we now have is a system that delivers what they think people will want to know about, not necessarily what they believe to be important for people to know about.

As always, I have much more to say, but I think this should suffice for one installment. Please keep in mind that these are only my opinions. An opinion, by definition, cannot be wrong, although it can be ill-informed and thus unworthy of serious consideration. I try to assemble a good general understanding of the issues I discuss so that [agree or disagree] your time will not have been wasted here. Thanks for reading. I welcome your comments.

Random Thoughts [Continued]

2008-10-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

OK - Wife has been hugged and listened to. She's now on the phone, so I am dismissed.

Random Thoughts

Real Estate - Here in Atlanta, you see a whole lot of "Real Estate investors." You know, people like you and me with regular jobs, yet they think they will make a fortune by "flipping" homes. So they carry as many mortgages as they possibly can, and often live in a home well beyond their means. Thanks to pathetically inadequate screening processes and interest only loans, they are able to play this game just long enough to really get in trouble when the market tanks [which it always eventually does]. Our current predicament is not permanent. We'll bounce back as a nation, and those who lived within their means all along will be generally unscathed. On the other hand, most of these so-called Real Estate investors will find themselves in trouble. While I wish them all well and understand that we all do stupid things, I'm not going to loose any sleep over it either.

On the other side of this coin, people just starting out will now find it more difficult to get mortgage loans. Good! Mortgage loans are serious business and shouldn't be handed out like candy. Had lending guidelines been as stiff as I think they will soon be when I bought my first home, I would have needed to wait a few years while I saved up the down payment. But I also would have appreciated my home all the more when I did get it. People these days have no real investment in their homes,so they'll just surrender it to forclosire when times get tough. The same thing has happened in the business world. CEO's have no real stake in the company. But that's a subject for another discussion.

So. For those of you in dire straights because you got in over you head in Real Estate. Sorry, but learn the lessons that are before you now, less you one day find yourself in an even worse predicament.

Wall Street:

Well, I have to admit, I know nothing about "high finance." But I do know that I've seen these fat, bloated CEO types all over TV lately expaining why Wall Street must be bailed out of their mess. Sory, but even with no training in high finance, I'm just not buying it. How is it possibly good for me to pay someone elses bills, when I had absolutely no say so in the bad decisions they made. As for the government, unless they have some private source of income aside from our tax dollars, they have no business trying to bail anyone out. Besides, the last time I checked, it looked like the government itself was in need of a bailout!

We need to decide in this country whethr or not we really believe in Capitalism or not. I'm tired of seeing th egovernment attempt to manipulate the economy with their tax codes and legislation. If we're converting to Socialism, just say so. Poorly performing companies are supposed to fail in a Capitalist society, no matter how big they are. So what's this "too big to fail" nonsense? I can understand too smart to fail, or too hard-working to fail, but not too big to fail. What kind of sense does that make?

OK - Dinner time

More to come

Random Thoughts

2008-10-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

I decided if I'm going to have a blog, I might actually want to occasionally contribute some content. Here's what's been occupying my thoughts lately.

1) Gas Prices - When I first moved to Atlanta about 7 years ago, gas was barely $1.00/gallon. I hadn't see prices this low anywhere else in the country. Looking at what we have today, I just can't understand what went wrong. When I can't make sense of something, I suspect there's a scam somewhere. Hurricanes aren't new, yet I don't remember this happening in the past. Not saying it never did, just that I don't remember it. We have 2 separate issues with gas right now. Shortages [in the Southeast anyway] and prices. Now, having traveled extensively, I know that gas is still a relative bargain in the U.S., but that doesn't mean it's OK for prices to shoot up as they have with no tangible explanation. All I hear is that it's the speculators. Well, make them stop speculating! I'm forr free market economics, but there has to be a limit. Of course, long-term, we need to find alternative fuel sources. This should be priority one in my opinion, because when we do it,we can send those OPEC &*^&%$ a serious wake-up call.

Wife's home.

More to come

The Presidential Race

2008-02-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

I was just watching CNN's coverage of the "Race for the White House." It occurs to me that everyone is arguing over which candidate speaks to their issues etc, when we should be insisting on better candidates altogether. Of course, to get better candidates, we would have to greatly simplify the process of becoming one to the point where it might actually interest well-intentioned and intelligent individuals. The system we currently have in place can only produce the types of candidates we are now seeing. Power hungry zealots, smooth-talking masters of rhetoric, or venerable war heroes way past their prime. Oh, I almost forgot... Rich late-bloomers with well-connected Dads.

If we're sure we actually need a president [I remain unconvinced,] then we should get serious about how we go about electing them. What we're doing now makes about as much sense as our tax code, and that's a matter for a separate discussion.

John

Intro

2008-02-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog. I have a lot to say about lots of things. Up to now, I have limited my posts to responses to others posts. Several months ago I posted to a forum and another poster took offense to my comments. She suggested I start a blog since I had so much to say. Well, I couldn't argue with that, so The World According to John was officially born.

I don't think a persons opinions matter much without some context, so let me introduce myself. My name is John Phillips. My middle name is Dirk, which is what my family calls me. Before you ask, "no" you can't call me that.

I was born in Muskegon Michigan in March of 1966. I lived there until age 15 and then moved to San Jose California to live with my older brother who was attending San Jose State at the time. When I graduated high school I immediately joined the US Navy as a Fire Control technician, which is essentially an Electronics Technician with an emphasis on weapons systems. I later trained as a Hospital Corpsman. During my 4 year Navy career, I visited Japan [lived there for a year], Korea, Guam, and the Philippines.

Since my Navy days I have settled into a career in computer networking. I spent 5 years working for Pacific bell Internet Services in San Francisco, CA and moved to Atlanta, GA in 2001.

My interests are as follows.

1) Home Theater
2) Guns
3) Music (I played oboe and percussion in school, but I love all forms of music)
4) Technology

Politically, I would probably fit the Libertarian category best, although I detest labels. I have been happily married for the past 6 years, and now work for a large HMO as a network engineer. As for siblings, I have 5 sisters and just as many brothers.

That should be enough for now. I'll be posting my take on current events as well as some general thoughts here. Until I have cause to think otherwise, all comments are not only welcomed, they are encouraged. I am not an overly sensitive person, and I can take a punch. Just keep it civil and productive. That's all I ask.

More to come...

John