Valentine’s Day

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
(William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5)

I am a hopeless romantic.  For the first year of dating my wife, I wrote her a poem a day for almost 18 months.  When I ran out of amorous inspiration or just got too busy or whatever happened the day I didn’t write her a poem, I compiled the hundreds of poems I had written and printed them out to one day be presented to her if/when I proposed to her.  Well, I did propose to her in Central Park, in a small corridor of trees and benches affectionately known as Poet’s Walk (the last time I saw this location was in the opening scene of the “The Happening”, the dreadful last M. Night Shyamalan film).  So, that evening, by a roaring fireplace in a quaint restaurant in the West Village, I handed my fiancé  her tome of poetry written over the first year or so of our courtship.  It was impressive, I have to say.  Not because I impressed with myself (well, maybe a little), but because that bound collection of words cost me nothing.  It cost me time and creative forethought, and when you have a subject of inspiration such as the one you love, it’s not really a cost as much as it is a gain.    

Being married only 5 years (in Hollywood, that is like dog years), I am no expert on love.  But, I do know a few things.  On one hand, love requires everything.  Your time, energy, focus and ability to fight our biggest epidemic – selfishness.  For my wife, one way for me to show love is to not crack my knuckles.  It drives her crazy.  I still do it anyway, because, I forget and I don’t think about doing it when I’m doing it because it is habitually impulsive.  In many ways, for love to be love, the demands are so high that it almost seems impossible to live up to them. However, and this is the wonderful dichotomy, love doesn’t cost much.  And, I mean monetarily.    

Did you know that an estimated one billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent worldwide every year?  Next to Christmas, it is the largest “holiday” or sending cards.  Imagine that each one of those billion cards had a $.42 stamp.  That is $420 million dollars on postage alone.  Imagine each card cost $2.99 (some are five dollars more if they sing when opened), but for the sake of simplicity, that is $126 billion on greeting cards.  This doesn’t count the flowers and chocolates and anything/everything else that is given  Is this possible?  Is this right?  Because I see an economic stimulus package hidden amongst the reds and pinks of Valentine greetings. 

Maybe Cupid works for the Treasury Department.

I am not condemning spending money on your beloved on this “holiday”.  I am suggesting taking a closer look at what is motivating us in our hearts. Because, if we are reserving February 14^th to be the one day out 365 that we celebrate love, then something is wrong.  Every day should be Valentine’s Day.  Every day should hold a small celebration for the love we give and receive, share and grow.  I am also suggesting that we take a look at the sheer commercialization of this holiday, or any holiday for that matter.  We are so “green conscience” these days.  We don’t want to waste or abuse our resources, but just think about the flowers and paper used alone for this one holiday.  Again, I am not placing judgment as much as I am trying to open my own eyes to the realities of how  much we consume, spend and invest in to “show love”.  Showing true love doesn’t come disguised in heart shaped boxes or flowers already on their way to a slow, withering death.   Daily, we have an opportunity to show love in so many ways, that if we just took a break for one year, the millions and millions of dollars we spend could be put toward those who don’t know love, those who don’t have affection, those who have nothing… the marketplace does not have the corner on love. 

As I reflect on this day and as I write this stream of consciousness, I am humbled by how fortunate I am to have a wife who loves me.  And, despite my shortcomings, knuckle cracking and impossible perfectionism, she still loves me.  That is something money cannot buy.  There is no price tag on true love. 

And, yet, I remain hypocritical, because as I write this, I stare at a big, red bag filled with cookies, a book on poetry, some clothes and the first poem I’ve written my wife in several years.  She is my Valentine, but not just today.

It's no secret that the economy is tough right now. It's heavily affected all of us, destroying jobs, foreclosing houses, and bringing wave after wave of general discomfort. (The state of California, the 7^th largest economy in the world!, is actually giving out IOUs this year for tax returns, haha. sigh) That being said, what I want to know is, through all this, are we as Americans going to learn our lesson? What lesson is that, you ask? Why do Americans always live so far above their means? We analyze how much we make and squeeze every last penny from our salaries, or even perhaps more, going into debt.

I'm not trying to slam people who have legitimate bills. There are millions who have no choice about this. They have families to feed and clothe. But there are plenty more of us with no excuse and we know who we are. For all the rest, I give you this quote by Henry David Thoreau:

“Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have... It is possible to invent a house still more convenient and luxurious than we have, which yet all would admit that man could not afford to pay for. Shall we always study to obtain more of these things, and not sometimes to be content with less?”

The reason I feel comfortable preaching such a financial gospel is because, out of everyone I know, the present state of the economy has affected me the most. I work for a non-profit organization and in the last four months have been paid a total of a whopping $675. And yet, I've muddled through. The reason why is because I've always tried my hardest to spend far less than what I earn. “For my greatest skill has been to want but little.” Another quote from Henry David Thoreau.

To me, it's always been more important to do work that's meaningful than work that's high paying. But often times, in order to be employed in meaningful tasks, one has to be content with little pay. Most of us, however, take the opposite approach. We associate pay with value, and think that when we have that high salary career, we'll finally have found everything we're after. But this is a fatal misconception. For who among us can control those unforeseen storms, like the current financial crisis? (Ok Ron Paul probably saw it coming, but who else?)

I guess what I'm trying to say is that contentment is a skill, one which most of us have not yet learned. I hope that through times like these, we'll learn. What do you think?

I always thought that college was supposed to prepare a person to join the workforce. When did college become a place that prepares a person for getting experience? Who in their right minds wants to spend 4 years of their life learning and many thousands of dollars just so they can be told, “Sorry, you need more experience.” Somewhere along the line, the mentality of the academic world has become consistent with one of my favorite quotes: “Always remember that you're unique... just like everybody else.”

Because of this, however, something surprising has happened. A shift is slowly building in today's economy. The trade jobs of yesteryear are actually gaining more of a rise in the modern workforce. One would think that with technology abounding more and more, jobs like carpentry and plumbing would lose their appeal. But in fact we find the opposite. Trade schools in our modern age are becoming like a fresh breath of air in an otherwise stagnant, musty atmosphere. Just imagine it with me for a moment. Going to school for a mere two years and stepping straight into the workforce. Wait, no unpaid internships? No experience oriented programs that resonate vaguely with the words: “indentured servitude?”

The trade jobs of yesteryear (Welding, Auto Mechanics, Plumbing, Electricians) have gotten somewhat of a bad rap in times past. With the advent of computers and the internet in our modern age, trade jobs seem to almost have an air of stupidity associated with them, like a backward step on the evolutionary chain of society. In other words, in our modern society, there's a clear attitude that trade jobs should never be a person's first choice. But now, surprisingly, things are starting to change. Trade schools actually offer viable training for the working world, not training towards eventual indentured servitude. I, personally, think it's about time.

It's always been one of my dreams to build my own house somewhere out in the recesses of the San Diego countryside. Beyond actually having a house, one of the most exciting things about that goal is the opportunity to learn many of the trades. To try my hand at plumbing, electrical work, foundation pouring, and carpentry will be more than a little challenging, but also very rewarding. And though I will only gain a cursory knowledge of the trades required in construction and will most likely hire professionals to work with me, the idea of one day learning those time tested trades is a welcomed thought.

John Ratzenberger (played Cliff Clavin in the TV show Cheers) is a big advocate of encouraging children to learn about and be proud of the fabrication and manufacturing professions. Among other accomplishments he founded “Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs” the Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International. This foundation educates and encourages children and to explore the professions in the fabricating and manufacturing fields. Here is a link to his site. http://www.fma-foundation.org/nbtf/

It may be that the pendulum is about to swing back in the favor of trade jobs. With so much of our industry now in foreign hands, and with the constant problems we have with Chinese-made goods, good old-fashioned American manufacturing might gain a little momentum and respect. The trades might actually become the first choice in the minds of the youth of tomorrow. Wouldn't that be an interesting thing? It might, in fact, be the only hope for getting back the industrial roots this country was founded upon. One day, we might actually be able to give our children toys again that aren't coated in lead paint. I look forward to it.

Let's face it, we're in a recession and times are tough. Everyone could use a little extra cash. What most people never consider are those time tested, good old fashioned, rustic jobs. I spent a couple of winters in the northwoods of Minnesota, and seeing as how employment options in that part of the world are about as desirable as lockjaw, I began to explore the more traditional methods of making money. One which proved very lucrative was wood splitting. I'll admit that I got a little lucky on the timing, cutting firewood during the peak of the friendly price gouging of our OPEC neighbors, but still, there was money to be made, and I made it.

But then I came back to the deserts of California and lost all hope of making money the old fashioned way that I had gotten used to. Or so I thought. Many people think that in order to make a little extra cash they have to go out and get a part time job at a Starbucks. But this simply is not true. There are a wealth of unusual, quirky jobs that makes one scratch his head in wonderment to consider if such a thing is still done. At the top of the list, my favorite:

Gold Panning

That's right, you heard me. I'm talking good old fashioned, time to head down to the family stream with uncle Cletus type gold panning. Believe me, when I first considered the notion of gold prospecting to make a little extra cash, I thought it was the most ridiculous notion since the invention of the pet rock. But then I started doing some research and I realized very quickly that the society of gold prospecting is alive and well in the American public. This quote was taken directly from an article in ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal, at the end of a gold panning tutorial: “In conclusion, don't let anyone tell you that this country's rivers and streams no longer contain gold. Every year winter storms bring more to the surface, continually renewing nature's supply. It's all there for the taking, and the gold pan is still the best way to find it!”

I've since done a lot of research into the potential of gold prospecting for a little extra cash, and have actually been surprised by the results. Apparently gold panning is legal on virtually all land controlled by the Federal Bureau of Land Management, which is quite a lot of land. I live smack dab in a big city, San Diego, and still am only half an hour's drive from an old gold mining town on the edge of BLM land. From the research I've done, the experienced panner in a good location can hope to make over $100 a day worth of gold, which probably has increased all the more with the large increases in the price of gold.

Still not convinced? I don't blame you. Telling your date that you pan gold on the side for a little extra is not always the best way to impress. But then again, when offered in a casual, confident, entrepreneurial fashion, that could be the thing that sets you apart from the rest whose lack of vision has wound them up down the street at their local McDonalds 25 hours a week.

Getting Creative

What you're looking at, friends, is a Star Wars Stormtrooper mounted as a stick shift knob. Dismantling a bobble head doll and spending a quite a few hours in the shop, I managed to mount it to my Honda Accord, transforming an otherwise dull, commonplace vehicle into the pride and joy of my creative mind. And now that I've gained the skill of stick shift knob modification, which I do say is probably quite unique, I'm devising strategies for widespread production, or at least to all my friends. And though the idea may or may not make me the extra cash I need, the mentality behind it is sound.

During the economic crisis, though many of us have been drastically effected, some people have still continued to thrive. Chances are, these friends of yours who have a little more disposable income than most, they have things they wish would get done but haven't had the time or money to have it done the right way. But you, having that rare initiative and hard working spirit, might be able to create a mutually beneficial arrangement. This is how I envision the conversation going. “Hey Mike, remember how you always said that you wished you had the time to tear out that old tile and put in wood flooring? It turns out I'm looking for a little extra work right now. Why don't you hire me to do it for you?”

With the advent of the internet, and the overwhelmingly vast wealth of tutorials and how-to guides available, take some time to ask your well-off friends if there's any work they could use done around their house or business. Though it might mean going online for a few hours to learn how to rip up tile and replace it with wood flooring, it can still be done, and you can do it cheaper than the tile company's $20 an hour employee. Plus, since you're doing it for a friend who's helping you out by hiring you, you'll obviously do a very good job, right? That's the sale's pitch anyway. I guarantee you won't be turned down. This is good old-fashioned, friend-helping-friend business. And though it won't make you rich, it should still help get you the extra few hundred bucks you need.

Sell Your Junk!

Let's face it, people still love garage sales, and you still don't need that Total Gym you've never used (Well maybe you still need it but you're still not going to use it). And with the advent of Ebay and Craigslist, you have no excuse. Just get it done.

Join Online Communities that Benefit You

There are numerous ways to make money online; one is through the networking of like-minded, local individuals. In the past, people have had to do their own networking, infiltrating places like Myspace and Facebook to find those individuals you might be able to form a mutually beneficial relationship with. This process is time consuming, or was in the past. Servana is an online community that does automatically what ordinarily was a long and laborious process. At Servana, persons are already networked locally-based on the services they offer. So not only do you get to blog and interact with like-minded individuals who are just fun to know, you can even hire one another's services, especially for jobs that ordinarily have no forum. My case is the perfect example. With my newfound stick shift modification skills, I can offer my service to anyone in San Diego, giving my friends a welcome relief from my constant prodding.

There are other websites, such as Craigslist, which provide similar possibilities, but Servana was designed specifically with the idea of linking like-minded, local individuals together to interact through seeking and selling a vast array of services. Though we are obviously biased toward Servana, us being the creators and all, we encourage you to use all the forums available that can help you network and find jobs.

Benji