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The Move to Tinton Falls is Complete

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After spending a ton of time moving into our new townhouse, my roommates and I are finally “just about” finished. One of my roommates is on vacation so he still has to set up his room when he gets back, but 99% of our “stuff” is unpacked and where it needs to be. A quick story about moving into this place…

One of my roommates and I went to get the box truck on move-in day at about 8:00am. We were back at the old apartment by 9:00am and the moving began. First we moved the heavy and awkward stuff like the living room couches (by the way, “moving” items meant taking them from the apartment, down the hallway, across the roof, down two flights of stairs, and then into the truck). Then we moved out our beds (more on this in a minute). And then it was time for the televisions.

I have a 27″ cathode ray tube (not flat screen – think old school) TV that we use in our living room. I’ve always been able to move this television on my own. Well, I went to move it and it seems that either I remember it being lighter or I’m not as strong as I once was…most likely the latter. At that point I got a little annoyed at myself because not only was I winded from moving a few of the heavy items down the steps, but I couldn’t carry my old television. I took the next half an hour or so to get myself mentally ready and I told myself that if I couldn’t move that television by myself then I ought to be really ashamed. After the mental preparation, I picked up the television on my shoulder and brought it down to the truck.

And that’s all she wrote.

I was spent. I told myself that even though I may like to go around thinking that I’m still a college-aged kind of guy – I’m really not. It was at one time both depressing and exciting. Depressing for obvious reasons (who wants to realize that they’re old?). Exciting because I told myself that while I may not have the strength of a college kid any more, I advise a bunch of college kids and I have some money that college kids don’t have. This is obviously a perfect combination when you need some muscle to make a move go easier.

To make a long story short, three of my undergraduates came over and the entire apartment was moved out of the old place and unloaded into the new townhouse in three hours. Incredible. The strength that those kids have is unreal. Very impressive.

Getting back to my bed – we moved my old full-size bed into the new place and after sleeping on it for a few nights, it just didn’t feel right. There were some lumps, some bumps, and some indentations. Here I am in this new townhouse which is only about 20 years old itself and I’m sleeping on a mattress that is about the same age as the building! Plus, it was a used mattress that I took from a friend. Anyway, I went out and bought a brand new mattress, box spring, and bed rack on Friday afternoon and it was delivered yesterday. The bed is a queen size and it is completely awesome!

All in all, a good move and a nice new place to start some new adventures and make some positive lifestyle (*cough* go to the gym *cough*) changes! I’m very pleased!

What does “Change” mean to you?

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Pretty much all of the polls show that Barack Obama is ahead in the Presidential election. Though we’re still far away from ballots being cast, I was thinking earlier about what “change” means to me. About six months ago I posted about the danger of harping on change in an election – let’s see if my idea of change as dangerous holds up!

To me, change means living a better life in all aspects. Financial change means that that I will not have to be a slave to the workforce just to make enough money to get by in New Jersey. It means that I can continue to be a higher earner like I currently am, but that I won’t have $100,000+ in student loan debt holding me back from buying a house or starting a family. What good is a high paying job if you can’t use that extra income to advance yourself, your family, or your friends in society? I began to “change” this aspect of my life two years ago by sticking to a strict budget and I’ve been in good fiscal shape ever since. If I vote for Barack Obama will he pass a law that says college graduates with a 3.9 or 4.0 GPA will be forgiven from their student loans so long as they have gainful employment for a certain number of years? There are current policies in place that allow that, but they are 10 year plans and I don’t quite fit them. Will any change Obama makes be retroactive? That’s a change I’m looking for!

Speaking of money, change means that the value of the dollar will go up without more of my own dollars being funneled through Washington. Further, change means that I will not have to give up large percentages of my paycheck just to pay for gas.

Which brings me to environmental/societal change. If I vote for change then I expect alternative energy sources to be realities in the next four years. I expect that the next time I drive from New Jersey to Chicago or from New Jersey to Nashville I won’t see hundreds and hundreds of miles of nothing. There will be windmills generating clean power for thousands, possibly millions, of people. There will be hybrid, fuel cell, and hydrogen cars all over the road. That’s real change.

Voting for change means that I will no longer have to look at local school districts and see abysmal achievement rates. Going to school in the Asbury Park, Camden, or Newark public school system won’t be a matter of life and death, but rather a matter of choosing which college to attend at the end of your senior year. Why should going to school in an inner city mean any less of an education for students? Further, why should those students who live in small, rich suburbs have their parents’ property tax dollars moved from their district to an inner city district? Income redistribution is a socialist concept and not one worthy of America’s time. Change will occur when our education system pumps out scholars, scientists, and math geniuses instead of worker bees.

Immigration needs to be changed. If I vote for change I expect that the laws of my country will finally be respected since they are not respected now. I expect that we, as a country, will change our belief of “Multiculturalism as King” and instead join the rest of the world in their view of immigrants: they are to be welcomed, rejoiced over, and assimilated. Why America is afraid to assimilate its newest members is beyond me. Hell, most of these people know more about American history than those who are born here! And we can’t make English the official language of this country? If I vote for change, do I get to call English my official language?

What about law enforcement. When I was a college student members of the Ocean Township Police Department walked into my home at all hours of the night because they were, “just checking.” As a college student I had no way to combat this disgusting abuse of my and my roommates’ civil rights. Who do you call when the cops are the ones breaking the law? That’s just my story. What about the police officers who fire 50+ bullets into one person in less than ten seconds and aren’t punished for it? How does a candidate balance the idea of change with the knowledge that without standing behind law enforcement officials, he will lose the faith of those who are supposed to protect us? Can “change” achieve a healthy balance?

Think about all of these issues and think about what the idea of “change” means to you? Is it just a rallying cry (yes)? Or is there something concrete in YOUR life that you can point to and say, “Hey! If I vote for the change candidate I will benefit in this way: ____________.”

I’m just taking a shot in the dark here, but we’ve already talked about how the “new politics” doesn’t exist in this Presidential race and chances are the change candidate is nothing more than momentum and empty promises. Which gets to another point – who is making the promises?

With Obama running around saying change and yes we can, he’s making a brilliant political move. He’s wearing no face. In other words, the voters can see him in any light they wish! And how do voters define that light? By the issue of change in their minds. So I see a man who will help abolish student loans for those who graduate with near a 4.0 GPA while someone else sees a man who will change the inner cities by raising middle income taxes. Then there are the middle income people who see a candidate that will not raise their taxes and instead demand that those in the inner cities become more self-sufficient by refusing to continue government handouts and thus lowering the costs of government!

These are two diametrically opposed view points that Barack can point to and say, “Yes we can!” Well…no you can’t! It’s one or the other – you can’t have them both! As Joan Rivers said on Stern this morning, “What change? Show me the change already!”

Can a candidate really run on the idea of “change” and make the majority of his supporters happy? I don’t think so. That said, I still think we’re going to get Barack in the White House next January – he’s got the uncritical masses behind him who harp on Iraq and that’s all he needs to win the election.

It’s Really Good To See You.

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Joe spoke about the inability of college students to transition into the “real world” post-college graduation. Actually, independence and beginning a career are two things that I look forward to with decided enthusiasm. It’s everythigng else.

I suppose we all go through the same shit, I guess. I’ve concluded that my life doesn’t evolve. It’s on spin cycle, moving slowly in the same exact circle since I was 14 years old. They say that when you go to college, everything changes. It’s a time of personal growth physically, mentally, and emotionally. In theory, you go to college and bury your face in some books, some legs, and some bottles of beer and you emerge an enlightened, refined individual. You meet new people, you learn new ideas, you do different things, and I guess that’s all true. Here I am though, having the same problems, the same conversations with the same people. It’s like those past four years have now been blacked out, they didn’t happen. The only trace of this personal growth is the incessant bitching and whining about how nothing will ever be that good ever again. That this is it. We’re fucked.

Really, that’s all I have to say. Perhaps this frustration, confusion, and sense of overwhelming uncertainty sounds familiar to you. If it does, then the rest of this is for you. Perhaps the following situation is remotely familiar to you (actual translation is in parentheses).

Me: “Oh wow, hey man, I haven’t seen you in awhile. How’ve you been?” (Jesus christ, I remember this fucking loser)
You: “Oh, I’m good, bro. I’m just over at the Thompson’s working at the bar.” (Jesus christ, I didn’t want him to see me, but I work at Thompson’s, I’m so cool.)
Me: “Great man, that’s very cool. I will see you around.” (This kid is actually proud of that. What an idiot.)
You: “Sounds good, bro.” (He thought he was a big shot, but now he is 100k in debt and hanging out in the places I’ve been at all along. Idiot.”

And see, the problem is, this stupid motherfucker is right. He’s totally right and we both know it. Here I am, here my friends are with our fancy college degrees and we are right back with all of these idiots in the same exact place. I know I’m better than these people, and time will eventually reveal this, or so I’m taught to believe. But right now, tonight, there is no substantial proof of my superiority over this idiot that is proud of working at Thompson’s. And depression sets in.

Stop Being a Bunch of Crybabies and Get to Work!

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One of today’s society issues which gets me fired up is this growing environment where today’s college graduates are shell shocked by getting a job and moving on with their life after they graduate. It seems that I see these types of stories on CNN during the day and now the New York Times is reporting on it. What is there to be confused or aggravated about?! You go to college, you graduate, and you either get a job or go back to school. Where’s the room for being shell shocked? Alright, if you want to feel sad that you’re moving on with your life after four years of a presumably good time, that’s fine. Take a week and get over it. But make sure you DO get over it!

Today’s society has infantilized this graduating class (and the last one or two graduating classes) since the time they were born. These are the kids that played in tee ball leagues where every team won because no one could be a loser. The same kids who played for CYO basketball teams where everyone had an opportunity to play even if they were the dumb kid who didn’t know how to dribble a ball. These are the kids whose parents harangued 30-year veteran elementary school teachers because their dear, sweet, brilliant child failed a test. Obviously if their angel failed a test, then the teacher has no idea what she’s doing and she needs to be fired (this situation actually occurred at my old grammar school a few years after I graduated eighth grade – ridiculous).

And now society is reporting on the fact that these young adults – who have been coddled through high school and college by overprotective parents, scared teachers, and miserable on-campus administrators – are having issues adjusting to life after college? Well what the F did they expect?!? You can’t raise a fish in a bowl for 22 years and then drop it in the ocean and expect it to survive! In that situation, the very best you can hope for is that the fish finds a little place to hide and survives without really becoming a part of the large ecosystem.

That’s what we’re making in America today – scared fish.

I’m not saying that parents shouldn’t be protective of their kids or that teachers shouldn’t acknowledge and help students who need extra help, but if we don’t start putting some self-sufficiency back into America’s youth, then the future of this country is in trouble. Hell, on the very face of it we can all look forward to paying some 40% – 50% in income taxes because we’ll be a society that needs our government to take care of us! Seriously, though, we need to get back to business in this country, but it doesn’t need to be all or nothing…

For example, if you’ve got a kid in college who keeps coming home so you can do his laundry then it might be time to teach him how to do it on his own. Yes, I know that parents get great pleasure out of seeing their kids come home and the truth is that many kids love going back home to see their families. But if they’re coming home so their parents can perform basic tasks (laundry, grocery shopping, calling professors for class scheduling or asking questions about a test, etc), then the parents are actually hurting their kids. Cut the cord. Let the kids handle their own business, but teach them how to do it so they can be a fully functioning adult when they graduate. Don’t worry – you’re not alienating your kids. They’ll keep coming home because they like you!

Of course my commentary, as always, goes beyond the scope of the New York Times article linked above. However, this is a growing issue that I see with the guys I advise all over the state for the fraternity (hello GGL and Walnuts). Thankfully, these guys aren’t from the type of backgrounds that I talk about above, but the lack of proper preparation for post-collegiate life for today’s graduates is frightening and something that we need to reverse as soon as possible.

Money Magazine’s Tips for Graduating Seniors

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For some reason I really like reading Money Magazine. Their articles aren’t the most ground-breaking things on the face of the earth and in the financial world if you find out a new fact it’s obsolete within the hour, but I still like reading the magazine. I think it’s because of quick, small articles like one from their recent magazine: “The Pros’ Best Advice For New College Grads.” Here, Money gives graduating seniors 3 quick tips on what to do right now.

On Career: Clean up MySpace and Facebook pages!
This is an excellent piece of advice! I know at least 3 dozen guys from my fraternity who graduated yesterday between William Paterson University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Monmouth University and they absolutely should start cleaning up their online profiles – today! I’ve even been thinking about contacting a few of them directly and telling them that they need to “de-tag” some pictures of themselves wearing less than full attire or making liberal use of alcoholic beverages!

On Spending: Have more money coming in than going out!
Though it seems like common sense rule #1, many college students don’t realize that sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I think this particular tip is going to hit New Jersey extremely hard in the next 12 – 18 months. A lot of college graduates in New Jersey are what the rest of this nation would call “privileged” in that certain standard expenses are taken care of for them (gas for the car, food, housing, etc). The prices in this state aren’t going down and (as sad as this sounds) a lot of people will be full functioning members of the economy for the first time ever now that they are college graduates. Of course this probably won’t apply to any of the New Jersey, Daddy’s Little Girl, Princesses – but for the guys out there…get ready for it. As Money Magazine says, you may have to drive that clunker of a car for another year or maybe not take that expensive vacation…

On Saving: Don’t let credit cards or your parents be your emergency fund!
Ugh. If I could drill one thing into every college graduate’s head it would be to break the cord from Mom and Dad! Understand me here, though. I don’t mind college graduates that move home – especially in New Jersey. This state is unbelievably expensive and unless you’re getting married straight out of college (also generally not recommended) or you’re loaded, you likely won’t be able to afford an apartment. But do NOT rely on Mom and Dad for YOUR expenses. In other words, when you want new clothes, BUY THEM ON YOUR OWN! When you need gas for your car, pay for it yourself! When your cell phone bill comes in…PAY IT! There’s nothing quite as pathetic as seeing a college graduate who doesn’t know how to be self-sufficient.

That’s the extent of the article and it’s common sense advice that all of today’s college graduates should follow. More advice (from the article) is to opt into your company’s 401(k) – 403(b) for teachers – on the first possible day that you can. A recent study (which I can’t find for the life of me) shows that if a 27 year old simply placed 3% of their lifetime salary in a standard 401(k) earning historical trends, you’ll have $1 million by the end of your working career. And that’s just at 3%!

Start an ING Direct Savings account as an emergency fund. By the way, I’m glad to talk to anyone about that since I have one of these accounts and I absolutely love it. Do NOT get deep into credit card debt! If your student loans are less than $60 thousand, pay them off as soon as possible. If they’re more than $60 thousand, sit down and devise a sound financial strategy to pay those loans back within a 10-year period. It goes back to that “s” word – sacrifice! Be confident enough to say no to your indulgences most of the time, but don’t be afraid to treat yourself only once in a while.

Good luck out there!