Cubicles

I read an article today about a guy I worked with years ago.  I actually lived with him along with 2 other buddies - kinda like a frat house without all the rules and nonsense.  4 guys early into a professional career living together and working together.  It was great; we'd have lunch together occasionally, we end up in some of the same meetings, and most nights we'd be out having dinner and a few beers together.  Well like all good things, it had to come to an end.  1 got married and moved in with her and the rest of us just got on with our own lives.  Eventually, we all moved onto other companies with the exception of one of them.  We would keep in touch during holidays and through phone calls.  Talking about camping trips and drinking beers and who made out with the ugly chick.

Well 10+ years later I am reading through a FB posting of another person about an article in the local paper.  2 of us had already moved out of state so the last thing we were ready was local news from this tiny little town.  Curiosity called and I clicked on the link......................................
I immediately had to stop everything I was doing and sit down.  My wife was yelling for me to do something but I had no idea what it was.  For a moment of time my world was frozen. 
One of the nicest and most honest guys had plead guilty to federal mail fraud and tax evasion.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars in total were part of this scheme.  Possibly 20 years in prison....to be sentenced at a later date.
I guess you never actually know someone or their character or maybe I am just to easily fooled.  I never pass judgement and believe that all people are inherently good but I am starting to doubt myself.
I am by no means perfect and could use a little adjusting but this is a total miss for me.  I would never guess in a million years that the guy I knew could do something like this.
So Cubicles......
Did the air in the office that is pumped in and filters cause his brain to change?  Did the chemicals used to clean the carpets do it?  Maybe having to eat the same exact cafe food do it?  Could it be having to change his password every 90 days and it can't be anything like any of the previous ones do it?  Could it be the swiping of his badge to get in the building trigger a mental block?  Could it be the signing another review that was cut/pasted again telling him he needs to work on the same exact things as everyone else?  Could it be the white lights or the ergo chair or the dual monitors or the mouse or the dirty mouse pad or the free coffee?  Did he tie a half windsor one too many times?
What would make someone do this?
Greed? Desperation?  No fear of being caught?  No fear of jail or losing family?
I will be chewing on this for a bit. 

bscottkelley can be found on most web sites including bscottkelley.com, FB, Instagram, gmail, and everywhere inbetween.
Spread the word and carry on!
E. Abbey

Soap, yup bar soap

In my college marketing class they taught us that one of the best ideas was when shampoo added one word to the instructions .....Repeat if necessary.  Sales doubled and I'm sure all of the executives got big bonuses. 
Today I'd like to discuss a very important topic.....soap.
I bring the subject up because it seems to me that soap just does not last like it use to.
It feels like every other day I am reaching for a new bar of soap.
The box goes in the recycle and the soap on the shelf.
The brand I use sounds like the word love.  I looked at the ingredients and they were about the same as my wife's brand (sounds like mile).
I don't get any dirtier and I am showering about the same amount as I always have.
Have the marketers run out of creative ways to get us to use more soap?  Are less people showering?
Are the chemist now in charge of marketing and bringing in higher profits?
Is there a possibility that soap is being designed to breakdown faster?  I could buy this if I was using a hemp based or organic soap but I am not.  Plenty of chemicals in my soap so why not throw one more in that keeps the soap full size for a bit longer?
On the soap subject, why has Ivory soap increased in price?  It's the same soap that is probably manufactured the same way for the last 100 years.  I'm sure they can fall back on 'supplies are more expensive' but I'm not buying it.  Take a look at the salaries of the top 10% and you will see why the same basic item continues to rise in price.

Ok not much of a blog but I did stay true to writing one this month and on my way to have 12 by the end of the year.
Next topic will be about flip flops and why I can't seem to walk in them without making that slap on the bottom of my foot. 
bscottkelley can be found everywhere including Instagram, facebook, and twitter. 

Weight restrictions for flying on airlines seems a little unfair

Views from above so I've decided to tackle the weight issues on planes. My luggage can top out at 50lbs. So 2 bags + me (150lbs) = 250lbs allowed when flying. So the 250lbs person sitting next to me gets an extra 100lbs of weight over me. Seems a little unfair right?

*Took this picture travelling to Anchorage June 2010.

Why can't the airlines who are so concerned with weight give folks pricing based on how much total weight they will be flying through the air. So my total weight of 250lbs would cost me say $500 round trip to fly to Hawaii. From 250-350lbs would pay $600 and 350-450lbs would pay $700.

I'm sure the airlines can figure out down to the dollar each pound cost to fly and then charge customers accordingly. They can then factor in where they are flying and the distance.

Easy for me because I happen to weigh around 160lbs and would love the discounted tickets. I earned it....by eating right and exercising my whole life and along with good health can't I get some other benefits?

As I pack for another trip and break out my scale to make sure I show up to the airport under the 50lbs, I think about my fellow passengers. They will be stopping by In and Out before the flight and adding a few more pounds to our flight.

This concept is not discrimination it is simple math. You pay for how much weight you want to bring. If you happen to weigh 300lbs well then I guess you'd better pack a little lighter to keep your cost down.

If I want to ship a package via UPS or FedEx guess what????? I'll be charged based on where it's going and........ you guessed it....how much it weighs!!!

It's time for the airlines to address this issue and stop worrying about discrimination and face the fact of weight vs. cost of flying. If the airlines are so sensitive to weight then why are they not addressing this very basic concept? When I check my bags in and if they are over by 5lbs the airlines will charge me extra but the 250lbs person behind me does not pay extra??

Hate to point out the obvious but it's really time to charge based on your overall impact on the flight. When you go online to buy airline tickets they will need to add just one extra drop down box for weight. When you show up to the ticket and you are over the amount you put down when purchased.....you pay more period. I'd even be ok with a 10lbs +/- rule on this.

Look around the next time you're at the airport and see if get what I'm saying and let me know your thoughts.

bscottkelley can be found on most web sites.

Spread the word and carry on!!

iPhone charger cords are pathetic

$97,000,000,000....$97 billion.....that's a lot of cash! That is more than most small countries and more than any other US corporation.
Apple has put together a product line that is unstoppable. Everyone loves the cute logo and well lit stores. How can you not...the products are great and the support is better. There are less users than windows so there are a lot less people trying to steal your information. Fewer viruses, less spam, and less nonsense.
The iPhone - lightweight, able to use it around the world, wifi, gps, camera, retina display, 3 axis gryro, etc, etc, etc.
So why does a company with $97 billion chose to be sooooo cheap with a 3' charger cord?? Seriously folks, if I want to use my phone while it's plugged in then I have to sit on the floor or against the wall? My place is a little older so I'm not sure if they are designing homes now with sockets all 3' apart throughout the home. My night stand is maybe 3 1/2 feet from my closes outlet so I'm in trouble. Every night I am reminded of how lame these cords are. When I sit on my couch I have the same problem. I can't Skype or Facetime while my phone is plugged in unless I am hanging off the edge to reach the outlet. Why do I have this problem in my own home?? because I have a 3' cord.
Forget any other upgrades for the iPhone 5 until you decide to give use a matching 5' cord.
I'm sure Apple has an entire division of nerds with MBA's from Harvard and Yale sitting on medicine balls in a eco friendly conference room discussing the cost benefits of this smaller cord. I'm sure the group met and told the head cheese that, 'at three feet we can hit our target goal of $97 billion in cash reserves.'
Cut your loyal customers some slack (pun intended) and give us a longer cord.
As you spend all of that cash buying back your stock make sure to consider a longer cord on your next release!!
bscottkelley can be found on most sites.

Tiradentes Square

November 2011 this photo was taken while we were on vacation. Directly behind me is the street from the other picture. The other picture showing my beautiful wife is from the top of a hill looking down towards the trees and centre square. Brasil has so many historical cities and I plan to add a photo and story of the ones I've been to. This is really going to help in my quest to hit 12 blogs in 2012. The city if filled with great places to eat, shop and of course photograph. There are some very old and beautiful churches here as well.

Tiradentes or 'tooth puller' is the other name for Joaquim José da Silva Xavier; a revolutionary figure of Brasil who wanted to make Brasil independent.

Brasil is with an 's' and only the US likes to 'Americanize' it with a 'z' but the great people of Brasil seem ok with it.

Tiradentes is about 1/2 way to Rio (another route) from the city of Belo Horizonte. It's mostly a single lane secondary road until you get close to the city. As you get closer it becomes brick and them it becomes stone when you are in Tiradentes proper. Even with a modern car the road kinda sucks but the locals want to keep it that way. It keeps it authentic and I agree. Walking around it much easier and the city is so small that you don't need to use your car.

During Carnaval this city is wall to wall people. My wife talks about a time her and her girlfriends rented a house down here and had a blast. It was strange for her to be back with no one there, she could actually see the city and all of it's glory.

Tiradentes moved to Ouro Preto later on and it's a place I visited on my first trip to Brasil. Photos to come in another blog!

Thanks for visiting.

Spread the word and carry on!

bscottkelley can be found on most sites so you can find me anywhere, so say hello!

Apple and American Pie 2012

Time to kick off writing the blog again as promised when the ball dropped. 2012 is upon us and lots of changes in my life. We added our first child to the family and are excited each day and what it brings. More blogs probably about this topic in the near future. 12 blogs total this year...it's my goal!
Apple Computers and the American homeowner is the topic today.
I am a believer that the United States is great place. We have great National Parks, great roads, and it's pretty safe here.
Now that I've been employed again for the last year and a half, I've turned a blind eye to the serious unemployment issues this Country still faces. There is work out there, you either have to move or change what you are doing. I moved and couldn't be happier about it. I am in a completely different area, away from the beach but I'm working and the check clears every time.
So the housing market continues to drag and we continue to attempt to fix it. I agree with taking a close look at each individual asking for help and their situation. What I have an issue with is those who cannot accept the fact that they cannot afford their home. I also take issue to those who walk away from their home due to falling property values. You are now hearing about celebrities walking away from their million dollar properties due to values. Great role models for the young people during this time of crisis; 'it is a business decision'. All of these folks that are upside down are now asking for principal reductions. Sorry you bought in 2006 but that's the breaks of the game. Do you think people who bought Apple stock in 2000 and saw the price of it cut in 1/2 ask for their money back? No, they waited it out to see a split and a rising star!
We as a Country have to believe this Country is a mirror image of Apple. There are ups and downs but over the long haul we will be back on top.
Let's sit down and enjoy some humble pie and regroup. We have the resources and brain power to be great again. We should take this time to improve our infrastructure. Fix our schools. Hire more teachers and have a teacherbook.com where we can rank and track each teacher. We can build a great rail system. From LAX to San Fran and LAX to Las Vegas. Los Angeles should start becoming a more vertical city. Let's build up instead of out and save some of the land for the dog lovers.
I had a great 2011 and even had to pay more in taxes this year. I'm over it now but I was a little disappointed when I compare to the years as a 1099 where you can write off everything! More blogs this year and lots of positive energy out there for the world to enjoy!
Spread the word and Carry on!
bscottkelley can be found on every major site out there and I think they are all me so stop by and say hello would ya!

Cancer

What does cancer have against us people? Why are we are still hearing stories about losing another close friend or family member to cancer? It seems that life is going great and then all of a sudden.....................BAM!...............someone else has cancer.

Seriously, are we waiting to kill off the Greatest Generation with cancer because keeping them around would prove to be too costly for our country? Are we going to miraculously have a cure AFTER the baby boomers are gone? Being a Generation Xer....I'm ok with that but in the meantime we are going to lose some pretty great people. Even though we don't appreciate our elders we do still enjoy having them around. Spend some time with an old person and you'll be glad you did, they know a lot about everything. Matter a fact they know more than all of my know-it-all friends combined.

Who is winning the cancer battle? Some do and will continue to.....like Lance Armstrong the the Army of LiveStrong.org folks. The yellow bands may not be in style but I still where one because the last time I checked.....we still have cancer kicking around.

Have you seen the salaries of the American Cancer Society? It's good work and the pay is not bad either. With cancer gone, jobs in this field would take a hit big time. Also...the number of non profits supporting this cause doesn't fit on the first page of a google search. There are a lot of groups out there, supporting individuals, families, and everyone else affected by this sucky cancer stuff that could simply change their focus. We'll give them all a copy of Who Moved My Cheese? and they'll be helping children with autism.

There are also lots of types of cancer. You name the body part and you've got a great matching cancer to go along with it. Like peanut butter and jelly or rice and beans or bagels and cream cheese or breathing and water we get throat and cancer or brain and cancer or lung and cancer...you get the point.

We can fly to the moon, we can put a plastic knee in person, and we can switch out a person's heart for a new one but we can't beat cancer. We are losing to cancer and it's not fair. Cancer is winning and that's not to say I'm giving up but come on......we need a breakthrough. I'm ok with baby boomers breaking the bank by draining social security and bankrupting our country and exhausting our medical services if we can just get cancer under control. I hope there isn't a person out there in the world who would not give up everything in their bank account to find a cure.

Is the cure out there sitting in a lab? Are 'they' waiting just a little longer to have less folks here in the US? I'm sitting in the USofA so my thoughts are US based. My wife is from a country in South American so her country is also in my thoughts. I'm sick of it...I'm sick of cancer!!

In 2008, I spent a month with my Mom as she finished her last days on Earth. It was cancer, her second go around with it that finally took her down. When I first arrived at my parents house she was aware and in somewhat good spirits considering she had cancer. I took notes, pictures and the memories of being there 24/7. I am so grateful to have had 30+ years as her son and 30+ days at the end. She passed without pain at the Auburn Hospice in 2008 and I played golf the next day. After 9/11 happened in the morning I decided that I'd better get a quick 18 in case it was all going down but I digress. Being around cancer is painful and I'm not the one with it. It's painful to know that you are helpless and you'd give anything to help that person.

We all have to go sometime but does every person have to die of cancer? What happened to dying of old age? Everyone dies of cancer it seems and it's becoming the norm. I'm over it, cancer really needs to be old news and soon. Can't we go back to dying of old age or in a fiery crash at a tragically young age? Frostbite? Natural causes?

cancer sucks and I hate you cancer seriously!