I have spent a little time over the last week tweaking e-books for the “Kindle” book reader.

This morning, Monday, April 23, 2012, I uploaded the freshly tweaked version of my book, “Get Happy, Write Away” to the Amazon servers. Within twelve hours or so, it should be “live” and ready for download. I have tweaked the text tomake your reading experience better and I actually found a couple of typographical errors that elluded us during the original editing process.

I also added the heading “Happiness is a State of Mind, Not a State of Being” to the section on future plans. I felt that it was important to remember that you can be happy or you can be miserable, it’s all up to you.

We’ll be rolling out a bunch of videos to support the book and putting them on YouTube in the near future. We’re looking forward to it with anticipation!

Cheers.

Why should I be in favor of student loan debt forgiveness?

I know a lot of people that went to college and had student loans. They worked hard to pay off their debts. I also know people that won a scholarship of some sort, whether academic or via participation in sports, they still worked hard to earn their education.

In a society where trophies are given to people for simply “showing up”, I guess we can expect people to feel that they are entitled to a FREE education and just expect absolution when it comes to paying off their obligation. I don’t buy it! Listen here, kiddies, you took on the student loan and attended college– and if you are like a lot of college kids, today, most likely, you partied a lot and wasted lots of time rather than actually learning something.

If you want a genuine education, then pay off your debts! That’s what things are like in the REAL WORLD. You took on the loan and YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for paying it. So, pony-up chumps. Don’t expect the government to step up to the bat and rescue you.

Now, get to work!

Job hunting is a Confidence Game.

I have been answering a lot of career-oriented questions on Linked-In lately. There are lots of people searching for new jobs or making a career changes.

When you are looking for a new job, especially when it is a career change, you must be confident. You should prepare yourself for the interview by dressing for the position to which you are applying. If it is an executive position, don’t go to the interview dressed in denim jeans.

Be prepared… Research the company to which you are applying. Know what it is that they manufacture or the services they provide. If possible, know the company officers.

Bring a laser-printed resume to the interview and use high-quality stock, not some cheap copy-paper. NEVER rely solely on your e-mailed resume, even if it was a PDF format. Chances are good that the HR recruiter printed the resume on cheap copy-paper and you want your resume to stand-out from the rest of the pile.

A professionally designed resume is a big benefit and can make a huge difference when you are applying for a management job. The more you put into producing the resume, the better your results. The purpose of your resume and cover letter are to GET AN INTERVIEW.

At the interview, be sure to sit up straight. Lean forward slightly when the interviewer is speaking. Maintain eye-contact. You want your body-language to say, “I am interested!” If the interviewer asks why you are leaving your present employer, stick with positive answers. Don’t whine about conditions or mention anything negative whatsoever. Simply state that you are looking for new opportunities.

After the interview, send a followup note in the mail, not an e-mail. A simple “thank you for the interview” will do. A post-card is perfect for the job and hand-written notes add a nice personal touch that people rarely see these days. After a week, if you don’t hear from the company, make a follow-up telephone call.

Remember, be confident and dress for the job. Keep smiling.

What is it with belts?

I bought a new holster and belt for a pistol I own. The holster was perfect and met every expectation. The belt was worthless. It was supposed to be a size thirty-two waist. In reality, it measured about a twenty-four waist. Otherwise, it was made well.

Yesterday, I went to “Tractor Supply Company” because they typically have high-quality goods at very reasonable prices. I bought a belt to replace the one that came with the holster. I bought a “thirty-two waist” and I could not even buckle the thing, it was that small. So, I return to TSC and exchanged it for another belt, “thirty-four waist”, and it fits– barely, but it will do.

The one common thing with these belts is that they came from Mexico. While they don’t have a factory name on them, just the brands (Hunter on the former and Schmidt on the latter), I have to wonder if they were made in the same factory, AND, do they have any quality control at all?

A good friend of mine tells me that you should always buy belts with sizes larger than your waist-size. So why, then, don’t they put waist sizes on belts that actually reflect their true size rather than play this idiotic game with people? Is this just some twisted mind-game, or do they just want to make people feel fat? Well, I have a thirty-one-inch waist and in a boot-cut pair of Levi’s a thirty-six-inch in-seam. Sorry, ain’t fat, ain’t gonna be (pardon the grammar).

I have never been much of a complainer, but, I am practical and like to find solutions to things of this sort. Since I can count on one hand the number of times I have worn a belt since 1976 (without a holster or belt knife of some sort), I don’t buy many of them and I certainly didn’t anticipate running into this issue, but now I know.

Manufacturers of belts are either as dumb as a brick or don’t know how to accurately measure their wares. I’m happy knowing that they are not building bridges. Perhaps they can call in a consultant. Exit laughing…

“You’re A Cowboy!” Yep, that’s what he said.

My family came together last night to celebrate my father’s eightieth birthday. My niece’s little boy Braden said to me, “You’re a cowboy.” I arrived wearing a Drover coat and hat from the “Outback Trading Company”, an Australian manufacturer of genuine outdoor gear of the sort used by Aussie cowboys. I was also wearing a Western-style leather vest.

From my earliest recollections of childhood, I have always loved Western-wear, not the rhinestone, glitzy stuff, I mean the genuine article. I am talking about flannel shirts, button-fly jeans, cowboy boots, leather vests, rugged outdoor clothing and six-guns. I could never explain it, but it has always been a part of me. In fact, it was no surprise at all that I became an avid outdoorsman.

People’s perception of “cowboys” is defined by Hollywood, and in most people’s mind they are a thing of the past. No so. Today, in the American West, and in Australia, there are, still, working cowboys. They wear their “drovers” and tend their herds. They are rugged individualists and outdoorsmen (and sometimes ladies). They work hard, they play hard, and they are passionate about what they are doing.

Yes, Braden, I guess I am a cowboy at heart. It’s just a part of me. It’s who I am.

Outback Trading Company Drover Coat and Hat

Eternal Happiness is the stuff of legends if you ask most people, but, it needn’t be that way.

My wife and I just returned from a wedding in Cincinnati. Her first cousin was getting married. He is Catholic and, as such, embraces the doctrine that marriage is a life-long commitment. Funny, most people his age look at marriage as if it were a pair of shoes. If the fit doesn’t seem so “perfect” after the novelty wears off, just cast them aside and find another pair.

People often enter into marriage with the expectation that there will be arguments and there will be hard times. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. If you expect friction, that is what you’ll get. If you enter the Holy state of matrimony with the heart of a servant and the goal of providing happiness for your spouse, then follow through with it, you should be content and find every happiness.

I am fortunate because I have a wonderful wife and she feels the same about me. We are a genuine partnership and truly care about each other. I place her happiness before my own and in so doing, I have been very happy.

May Andrew and Beth find every happiness.

I used to do a lot of target shooting. I shot black-powder rifles and pistols, small caliber firearms, and high-performance pellet rifles.

When it came time for a new rifle, one name came to mind, Henry Repeating Arms.

The Henry lever-action rifle helped win the West. It was the rifle that decided the fate of several major battles during the American Civil War. It was the most sought-after long gun on the frontier and not easy to get. With that in mind, I set my sights on a Henry H001, the lever-action 22 caliber long-rifle.

This one has the large-looped lever so that shooting with gloved hands is easier and faster. The matte finish is flawless on the American walnut stock. The blued barrel is eighteen inches long and the gun weighs 5.25 lbs. Best of all, it is totally American-made with American raw-materials.

Owning a Henry is like owning a piece of history.

Here I am with the Henry H001.

Actually, it is January 2nd already. We have a light dusting of snow on the ground and the temperature is in the low twenties, but later in the week it will climb into the forties and be quite comfortable.

This is an election year… that means we have to put up with politicians at their best and their worst. The news media will also be at their worst, so, prepare yourself for inane dribble from all media outlets and politico-speak, the politics of meaning, double-talk, lies, accusations, and stupidity. If this sounds rather cynical, well, think of it as knowing from experience that Washington is as Washington does.

For now, forget all that and plan to make 2012 the year that you turn your dreams into realities.

A Letter From Santa
lyrics and music by Mickey Maguire

I’m writing this letter to tell you
that taxes have taken away
the things that I really needed
my workshop, my reindeer, my sleigh

I’m now making rounds on a donkey
He’s old, and crippled and slow
So you’ll know when I’m not there by Christmas
I’m out on my ass in the snow

The government says I owe money
and I ain’t been treating elves fair
So they’re gonna take all my income
to pay for Universal ELF CARE

So I’m now making rounds on a donkey
He’s old, and crippled and slow
So you’ll know when I’m not there by Christmas
I’m out on my ass in the snow

Yes, I’m out on my ass in the snow.

I have been so busy with work that I have not posted anything since Thanksgiving.

Well, it’s Christmas Eve and I finally have some free time. My son arrived home for the holiday and I am awake before anyone else– perfect time to post.

I’ll be spending time with my family and sharing love, laughter, and music.

Happy Holidays to All.