Don't Judge a Book...

So this morning I stopped at a gas station to put a few quarts of oil into my engine. This got me quite a few strange looks, and it was probably because I was doing so in a tailored suit. Being well dressed and professional aught to indicate that a man CAN take care of his own affairs, not an automatic assumption that he cannot. Most successful individuals become so through hard work, sacrifice, and no small amount of grit. This is the United States, and nothing worth having is just handed to you. As Americans, we aught to remember that, because drive, ingenuity and worth ethic are what have made this country great.

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Free Speech Area

Saw this a few days ago at a local shopping center, and figured I should make some comments

Now, no one could ever really call me a friend to hippies, protesters, or any of the other subsets of society that enjoy using and abusing the Constitution of the United States only when it serves their interests, yet never lifting a finger to support it in any other way, however, I am not altogether sure that I approve of this solution.

The right to free speech should not be relegated to a designated area. I am all for property rights, and the rights of business owners to cater to consumers, but this does not mean that they (or the city... or whatever government entity you choose) can limit the rights of others. No, there should be no soliciting or protesting or pandering for signitures inside any privately own (or rented, or leased, establishments, as property rights extend to those as well) and there can certainly be restrictions on blocking sidewalks, doorways, etc. but these caviats and addendums should be kept to a list of places where someone's right to free speech might impede on the rights of others (consumers, shop owners, etc)

Rather than an individual's right to free speech be regulated to a 10" x 4" designated area, I think that it should simply be understood that there are places where someone's right to do business takes precident. If necesary, post signs defining THESE areas, not limiting something protected in our bill of rights.

5000!

So apparently a few days ago, this little blog of mine surpassed 5000 hits! I know to some major writers/bloggers out there, this is nothing, and they get that number in a day. These people blog professionally, and are typically associated with a Yahoo or Google news site that sponsors their links. Thats cool and all, but it is certainly not my case. I am a member of a few forums where I have links to my page, and I write about interesting topics - which apparently come up in google searches, plus a lot of my friends and people that I know take a valid interest in what I have to say. This, I think, is pretty exciting, as it proves that people actually read what I write, and I'm not just going through the motions out of vanity. Combine this milestone with a few comments and emails I have received recently about the quality content of my writing, and my shared opinions, and I am really pleased with this little venture - even if it isn't making me any money, I am getting my stuff out there, and that is important too.

Hope you continue to enjoy my page, and hope to hear from you all while on the way to 10,000!

~Marshall
DTOM - ATW

S&P Downgrade and the Volitile Markets

Today marks the fifth or sixth day in a row of extreme highs and lows for the market. This all started because of fears of a downgrade by the S&P in the US debt rating, then continued after our downgrade, and then sprang back up after many wisely reacted to the fear and bought in while the market was down about 10% in a few days. This, of course, prompted a sell off the next day, or those investors timing the market simply taking their profits, and we see the markets tumble again. That brings us to today, where markets are again undervalued, and those that have assets liquid enough to do so, are buying in hopes that they can either take a profit or catch a stretch of good new (which may be coming up... and I will discuss this in a moment) This is an extremely volatile and stressful time to be in the investment world – overall the markets are off their highs from just a few weeks ago by as much as 1000 points (around 8% or so) and this is bad for everyone involved. My typical go-to safety funds of emerging markets aren't doing too hot either, as the Euro is in serious trouble, and the European debt crisis (Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal... etc) is far worse (respectively) than the situation in the United States. This may not mean that Brazil or India is in bad shape, but it means that no one is buying their products or services at the moment, and therefore a best case scenario is a stalled economy, if not a significant drop as we are seeing here in the US.

Going back to the root of the matter – The S&P downgrade – seriously, what the hell? Where do they get that kind of nerve? The United States is the model economy in the world, yes, even right now. If we are not AAA, then who is? As much as much as the President and I do not agree on a few fundamentals, I did like what he had to say about the drop in the Dow “Markets will go up, and markets will come down, but this US has always been, and will always be a AAA country.” The United States and the US Dollar are the standards upon which everything else in the world is judged, and there is no denying that. It's strength may wax and wain depending on the performance of some emerging market or new investment in currency or industry, but we will always be there, and be on top. Something my Economics teacher told me my sophomore year at West Point is that “If America fails, the world fails, and that is just not going to happen” I could write volumes on why the world depends on the United States, and will do so for the foreseeable future, but that would really take away from the object of this post.

The past week or so has been caused by fear mongering and speculators taking advantage of low markets. It drives me crazy to watch it, but it is what it is, and nothing I do is going to change that. I think that tomorrow will be a good day for the market as well, when the Jobs report comes out favorably (which I believe it will) we will still see a run in the green, and it is always nice to end on a high note going into the weekend. I am annoyed at S&P, because if we are not AAA, then who is? I am not happy with our current deficit or spending plan, and think that it seriously needs to be addressed (without doing something as brutally cold hearted as cutting military retirement for those who served 20 years in harms way) but the simple fact of the matter is that the US will never default. There may be a long and hard road ahead of us, but we are the United States of America, and the collective ingenuity and work ethic of this great nation will push us through it.

San Bernadino

Went up to the SBNF yesterday and spent a few hours taking in some of the hills. Parked off of the gravel trails with my Adventure Pass and went esentially straight up. No trails, just traversing the slopes trying to get to the top. Ran a few ridgelines after that and basically got myself nice and worn out. It was a beautiful day for it, and my first time in San Bernadino. It's a Great feeling hitting a crest and watch the ground slope down in every direction. Got some nice pictures, of which here are just a few, and overall it was just peaceful to be up there by myself for a while. no trails, no people, just me and the hills.

Published!

So, as a lot (some) of yall may know, I have recently been writing for a relatively new publication called Cigar & Spirits Magazine. I would like to say that I am now officially a published writer! I have two articles in the magazine's current issue, and have at least one slotted for it's next publication. I am pretty excited about this opportunity, and hope that you will check it out. The physical copy of the mag should be out in two weeks or so, and I will let you know where you can find it. The articles that I wrote begin on pages 14, and 35, but the entire magazine is worth a look. Enjoy!

July Issue - Cigar & Spirits

http://www.cigarandspirits.com/

Cigar & Spirits Facebook Page

Hiring our Heroes Review

I would first like to apologize for the tardiness of this post. I had originally wanted to write and publish about the Hiring our Heroes career fair within a day or so of the event, but technical difficulties foiled my plans. All that being said, here is the last of several attempts.

During my time transitioning from the Army, being in an underemployed workforce, and in business school, both in Florida and here in California, I have been to more than my share of career fairs. Some were military specific, some business specific, and some were little more than outright scams. The Hiring our Heroes veterans job fair in Los Angeles, however, was above and beyond. It was easily the most organized, professional, and well run career event that I have attended. I attribute much of this to the national level of the organizations behind it, the staffing from Blue Star Families – a non profit organization made up of military spouses and dependents which provided much of the staff and volunteers for the event, and also the international attention that Hiring our Heroes due to the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

There were around 200 companies represented in Hanger 15 of Sony Pictures Studios (Hollywood aficionados might know this as where they filmed much of the Spider man movies, as well as the Wizard of Oz, and numerous others) making it large, but not the largest of the career fairs I have attended. Employers ran the gamut of the mechanical and skilled labor jobs, to security and law enforcement that are staples of any military hiring event, all the way to corporate and financial positions that are typically reserved for graduate programs. I was particularly pleased to see organizations like Bank of America (a main sponsor of the event) and JP Morgan Chase offering military specific recruiting websites, acknowledging the flexibility, leadership, and technical skills of military veterans that seem to go unnoticed by many others. (It should be noted that upon further investigation, many of the “entry level” positions offered at these companies still required 3-5 years of financial experience... something not typically learned at Ft. Benning by a newly transitioning veteran. Full marks for effort though)

The highlight of the fair, however, was the appearance by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate. They were there basically for the closing ceremony of the event, many of the companies stayed for a while afterward to get maximum exposure. The prince was very humble about his own service, but spoke about the sacrifices made by soldiers of both nations, and the need to assist returning veterans when they get back home – with education, employment, and all around reintegration. Maybe I am an optimist, or hope to believe the best in people, but I still tend to believe that Americans know the value of their returning veterans, and they know the skills and experiences that they can bring to the table, it is, unfortunately, only the current economic climate that keeps veteran unemployment numbers hovering around 30% or so (again, this might simply be my optimistic opinion)

Meghan Weiten-Scott, Left, of Blue Star Families,
 discussing military families with Princess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

My friend Meghan Weiten-Scott (wife of my USMA roommate, CPT Drew Scott) of Blue Star Families, spoke at length with the new Duchess Catherine about being a military wife, and it seems that the Duchess may work to implement similar programs with British troops and their families once she returns – it is, after all, a full time job being a military wife.

Note: in the time between the event and publishing this post, I have sent in dozens of applications, set up a few interviews, gone on one, and have still put in countless man-hours in the search for a career that does not require body armor. It is hard work being unemployed (for a Republican anyway) and remember to go after the companies you want to work for – you cannot just wait for them to come to you.