All my adult life, I've seen politicians talking about addressing problems in our country, but never do they talk about taking on the root cause of those problems. For me, the difference between Obama and every other serious contender for the presidency during my adult life is pretty simple. Everyone else talks about fixing problems through a broken political system; Obama talks about changing the system. It makes sense really; if you're job is to be a politician, then you're employed by the system. This speech moved me to tears. Yes, it's half an hour long, but it's required listening (you don't have to stare at the screen) for anyone voting in this election.

What are five words you really like? 
Submitted by purplesque.

Bill will rock your world.

I've had insomnia for about two weeks now. I'm stressed out, worn out, and exhausted, and it's for the best reasons. I have a new job, and I'm finally moving back to NYC. In February, I will be the GM of a new web venture. I hesitate to use the term "start up" only because our sister company has long, successful track record, and we benefit from that.

As many of you know, I've been flirting with jobs in New York for a couple of years now. It's been very hard. There are two types of jobs you can be successful at: jobs your competent to do and jobs that you are uniquely suited for. The prior are easy to find, but why should a company move someone in for a job they can fill locally? The latter are much harder to find, especially when you are looking long distance. Throughout this flirtation, I've interviewed for jobs I wouldn't have accepted if they'd been handed to me with a mega signing bonus. I've flown in twice for jobs I would have jumped at, only to see the company hit with a hiring freeze before the hiring manager could close the deal. I've had more lunches, coffees, and meetings than I can count -- and these I don't regret as I've made some great friends and colleagues. This is a job I never  applied for. It's a colleague I met answering a question on LinkedIn. The question lead to an  exchange of ideas. The exchange of ideas led to lunch around Thanksgiving. The lunch led to a job offer. And in this case, I would have to say the job takes advantage of some of the most disparate skills I've developed. In a sense, it's like someone said, "Let's look at Bill's work experience and create a job based on it." It's also a job that, though drawing on my skills, is different from any other job I've had, which is both exciting and a little bit scary. The base salary is reasonable and the profit sharing is excellent -- now all I need to do is bring in MONEY. (Remember, this is a new venture.)

It's been a while since I've posted, so I'll just tell those of you who haven't read or don't remember the past posts, that I needed to get out of my current job before I died of boredom and frustration.

So, why the insomnia? Why is this post titled "Sometimes it's about nerve"? This is the riskiest thing I've tried since my 20s. I'm 41; leaving the city I've lived in for 19 years; leaving behind 19 years of friendships; moving to a city that has changed so much I sometimes don't recognize it; starting a job that has a promising, but untested business model; leaving a frustrating but familiar workplace for an exciting but unfamiliar one; and basically starting a new life. I don't know what my mailing address will be this time next month. The older I get, the harder these changes are to make.

Here's what's keeping me up at night:

1. Money. Those of you who know me well, know that I WORRY about money -- a lot. Even with my relocation package, this is an expensive move. Also, I make a comfortable living here. Money goes a lot further in Minneapolis. Money can be tight, but I'm by no means living on the edge. The base salary in this new job is a $24k pay raise for me. (In the short term, at least, I'm budgeting as if there's no bonus, because it will take time to build up clients. I'm also a conservative budgeter.) I crunched numbers with my accountant today. After the increase in my tax bracket and the addition of NYC taxes, I'll keep $10,517. That comes out to $876 per month. My rent will likely increase $1,000 a month. That doesn't account for the other expenses that will jump. And I'm not sure that I'll be able to continue my freelance work, which brings in extra cash.

2. Apartment Hunting. I've already started laying the groundwork, but I'm certainly not going to rent without seeing. Thank God my dad lives in NJ, and I can stay with him a couple of weeks as I apartment hunt. Gratefully, my employer is also being very flexible with the start date, to facilitate the move. That said, even over the two years since I last looked, rents in NYC have sky rocketed -- not just in Manhattan but in Brooklyn as well. Trying to find a place that is comfortable, affordable, and a reasonable commute to work is a challenge -- and it's competitive enough that some property owners have no issue making  potential renters jump through hoops.  Also, I have fewer friends in NYC than I do in Mpls, and most of them live in the northern part of Brooklyn, so I have obvious biases.

3.  Movers: I'm researching and meeting them already. BBB and Angie's List ratings are useful, but movers are in a unique position to screw you if they want to. After all, they can hold everything you own hostage.

4. Farewells: I have some of the most amazing friends here, and leaving them is heart breaking.

4. The Miscellaneous Stuff: Utilities, insurance policies, getting rid of old stuff, furnishing a new place, wrapping up an old job, changing banks, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on.

So, yes, on some level this is about fear: fear of lack of money, those lingering thoughts in the back of my head that tell me I'm not good enough to do this job (even when I'm successfully doing this job), the uncertainty of my living situation, the stress of building a new social network. And really, almost all tie to money, which is my achilles heal.

I'm very fortunate. This job is a great opportunity, and I think it will be an energizing one. And this is my chance to finally move home, to my family and the city I love. (Minneapolis is great, but after 19 years, I still don't feel Minnesotan.) And my family and friends in the NY area have been incredibly helpful and supportive. So I'm realizing it's about nerve and faith. About saying, "The pieces have fallen together to get me this job, and they will continue to fall together until I have a home and a steady income." For me, it's also about spiritual faith. And it's about resisting the urge to run back to the familiar dead end -- where I will be safe but never thrive -- instead of the promising unknown.

Oh yes, and it's about learning how to not worry about money.

There is a thread on facebook debating whether Obama should be president because, "He used to be Muslim."
I find it totally disturbing that we're even having this conversation. Even more disturbing, though, was this comment from a student from Arkansas Baptist High School. I can't say this makes me angry, so much as it makes me sad. (I suppose if she were older, I would be angry, but I'll keep hope that she'll grow up and get a broader perspective on the world.) Anyway, without further comment, here it is. I want to cry reading it.

i completely agree with Chris. We are in a war where if you go back, has to deal with a *promise made about the end times in the Bible. now, i dont know how many of you reading this are a Christian but if you are then you know that there is the Anti-Christ that is going to bring peace between the Muslims and the Israelites. i have reason to believe that this may be him.
Also, on the note that Obama is a muslim, how do we know that he is not going to turn on us as soon as he gets in office and starts terrorist camps. if you have done your research on Muslims, the reason for the suicide bombings is because they believe the more bravery they put into sacrificing themselves and others for "Allah" (their false god) the more virgin wives they will receive as wives waiting for them as they die and "go to heaven". MURDER IS A SIN AND IS ONE OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS: THOU SHALT NOT MURDER. unless you see your future as a terrorist ready to kill yourself so you can go straight to Hell, then be my guest..

in case someone does not want to take this message and accept it because i am a Christian, then i just want you to know that Christianity has been around longer than any other beliefs, the bible is the only book that has been perfectly preserved and unaltered over the past 4-6 thousand years (yes, that is how old the earth is...BELIEVE IT. carbon dating does not work, its scientifically proven to be DISPROVEN) and it is the only beliefs that cannot be found faulty because nothing has ever been proven wrong, the Bible has been proven to be correct, research it yourself if you don't want to listen to me.

A link to the thread for those of you on Facebook.

Show us your life in ten years.

10 years? I'm about to move from Minneapolis, where I've been for 19 years, to NYC, which is "home." I don't know where I'm going to be living next month no less 10 years.I can show you what my life will look like in 10 days if you like.

A little Christmas cheer! This is wonderful.

Made for me by Kenji, my favorite sushi chef.

IMG_0016.jpg

2 comments

Polling groups like to track the approval rating of politicians.  What's your approval rating for President George W. Bush?  

If we've learned anything from this administration, it's that future presidents should have to pass a vocabulary test, defining the words and using them correctly in a sentence. That simple check would have saved many people from eight years of misery.

I have four amazing nieces and nephews and I saw them all last weekend. I adore them all equally. However, when I'm in need of cuteness (or want to pick up women), Olivia is the one to have around. Not quite sure how she did it, but she seems to have gotten more of the cute gene than  the rest of the family combined.

This was taken the morning after my nephew Rocky's bar mitzvah. More tales and photos to come.

Me with Olivia

Living in Minneapolis, I'm often stuck flying NWA -- to clarify for you music fans, I'm talking about the airline --
 as they control most of the airport. On my last trip, I had to do just that, and it was another awful experience, worse than the ones I've had in the past -- exceeding in incompetence the normal low standards I have for air travel

Just to share my frustration with you, and do my part to let people know just how bad this airline can do its job, I thought I'd post the email I just sent to customer service:

I'm writing about luggage damage, but I'd like to give you a little bit of trip background first, as this was the single worst flying experience of my life. I was traveling to NJ for a family bar mitzvah, an event I could not postpone or reschedule.

* Half an hour before I was to depart for the airport, I get an automated call telling me that my flight (NWA 676 Departing at 10:32 a.m.) was canceled and that I had been rescheduled for NWA 672 Departing 12:57 p.m.

* I get online to book a seat. On my original flight, I had an aisle seat, which is important as I'm 6"3" and 210lb. There are only a handful of seats left -- mainly premium seats with a few middle seats. Concerned that I might not get a seat if I didn't reserve one in advance, I shell out another $15.

* I arrive at the airport to find my new flight delayed an hour.

* I get on the plane where the flight is delayed another hour.

* On the plane, the pilot announces that we're going to be sitting on the plane until 3:50 (two hours). Passengers start talking to each other and figure out he's probably has his time zone wrong, which turned out to be the case (he meant 2:50). I hit the light for a flight attendant to see if this is the case, but nobody comes or even passes by. After 10 minutes, I turn off the light when another passenger gets the attendant's attention and confirms that the pilot did, indeed, mean 2:50.

* In flight, I again ring the attendant light. Nobody shows up. The first class attendant looks at me a few times, notices the light but doesn't seem to inform anyone in coach. After 10 minutes, the snack box cart passes by, so I talk to that attendant. I assume, had she not been trying to sell me something, I could have sat there the rest of the flight with the light on.

* We reach Newark and circle for another half hour waiting to land.

In total, I say I landed about 7 hours late.

But, this is where it gets good. I'm visiting my parents and make it to their house. My new rolling luggage (first time I've used it) is in a confined space for the first time (the foyer of their house). I leave it there for a few minutes. My stepfather walks into the foyer and notices a stench. We all walk into the foyer. There's a smell that my mother described as "dead fish" and my father described as a body being embalmed (yes, he's experience that smell). All I know is that it smell like some kind of rotting animal matter. We trace the smell to some light stains on the front of the luggage. (Remember, the luggage was brand new, so there were no previous stains.) Some sort of liquid had obviously leeched out of another package and stained my luggage, and the smell was nauseating. Fortunately, it didn't soak through he luggage, but it does seem like the luggage is ruined.
I call your 800 number, and wait 10 minutes listening to recordings of reasons I shouldn't wait on the phone but instead use your website. 1) I don't have internet access at my parents. 2) ten minutes of these message would piss anyone off, especially after an awful trip and ruined luggage.

I finally get a customer service rep, who is unable to help me. I ask for a manager. He puts me on hold when he talks to his manager. Then gets back on, says he's transferring me, and disconnects me. (I believe this was an accident.)

So, here I am a day later. 7 hours of my vacation time (I mean accrued vacation from work) wasted and my new luggage ruined. Needless to say, I'm pissed -- pissed about my luggage, pissed that I paid an extra $15, pissed at the flight attendants' lack of attending, pissed that my luggage is not even ruined but that it smells of things I'm scared to imaging, and generally pissed that NWA has succeeded in providing me with a travel experience worse than I could have imagined, and I've experienced some awful ones.

Sincerely,
William Snyder