All Around Town

Anytime you hear of companies moving into an area, bringing X number of jobs, I always tend to think “well, thats nice, for someone”.

Until that someone was me.

After getting unceremoniously bounced from an industry I truly enjoyed, it took me a while to find something that I really wanted to do and do well. I spent most of my pre-media life working in customer service, and I learned a long time ago that I am at my best when I am helping people, meaning a return to customer service was inevitable.

When it was announced AAA was building a Customer Service Center in Oklahoma City and that it would generate upwards of 1200 jobs, I was sure that it was going to be a good thing, but until I got a job with them did I realize how important national companies extending their roots our area are for the big picture. National companies, create jobs, employing talented people, and stimulating the economy better than any government program can.

I went almost 7 years without an honest to goodness 8-5 job, but I am glad that the 20 some applications I filled out, the 5 or more employees that told me I was overqualified, and the mountains of headache I went thru were worth it when I found a company that wanted me as an asset, not just filling a hole.

Businesses make our city standout, including the great companies listed on www.360OKC.com !

The island nation of Haiti has been devastated by major earthquake that has rocked the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Thousands have died, and upwards of a million people have had their lives forever changed.

As always, Americans have risen to help a fallen people with donations of money, clothing, volunteering time. Celebrities will gather their influence to ensure we do the right thing, and while this is an incredible show of generosity, every time a tragedy strikes a foreign land we are among the fore-front in response.

At risk of sounding like Buchannan or Limbaugh, what about the millions of people in America that need our help?

Granted, nothing can affect our basic human reaction to help someone in need especially in such a tragic situation such as a natural disaster, but why do we overlook the people we see everyday to help someone in another country we have never met? Thousands of homeless, hungry, and poor people in Oklahoma could benefit from any of our assistance, especially children born into those situations. I understand that many of the homeless are self-inflicted situations, drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc.,.. and that the panhandling teams in the metro area really put a bad face on the situation for those who genuinely need help.

I am not here to admonish anyone who feels compelled to donate anything at anytime. Volunteering and donating are good for the soul, all that I ask, is that you give overseas, please consider doing locally as well. I sent $10 to Haiti via a text message, and recently dropped off clothes at the City Rescue Mission, while neither were much, I really wish I could do more.

If you feel compelled to donate, either locally or abroad here are a few avenues…

American Red Cross
Habitat For Humanity
City Rescue Mission – Oklahoma City

I dont know about you, but New Years Resolutions are soooooo 1995… Seriously. When was the last time you EVER heard of anyone a) Making a non-obvious one b) Keeping one past Valentines Day c) Anyone who made one telling you every detail about it… I’ve come up with a few ways to bypass Resolution-itis…

Lose Weight. This one always puzzled me a bit. Sure a majority of us could stand to lose a few pounds, but why wait until New Years to start? Is Grandma’s Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner THAT good that you can’t make it thru without stuffing your face and keeping the diet going? Save your sanity and start in June… and you can pack on a few like the people who go on Biggest Loser do, so when you lose 10 pounds you actually feel better even though you weigh the same as you do now…

Get Organized. Lets face it. Unless you are OCD, or you cleaned your room for fun as a kid, this simply isn’t going to happen. I honestly believe that it is against human nature to change anything about your personality after the age of 15. Best way to remedy this resolution, find something else…

Save Money. This one is incredibly feasible, but it takes dedication. Suze Orman is a money nazi, but damnit, she gets results! The best way to save money, don’t have kids… for the 98% of the world who jumped (or fell) off that plank, you have no chance. You might as well sell a kidney or something because it is entirely uphill from here. My wife and I are now one of only 3 married couples in the 28-34 range who don’t have kids, and it is everything you thought it would be. To be honest, I don’t know how you people do it. I am too selfish to put someone else before my needs and wants. So in 10-15 years, you will be much happier, just be sure to get fixed so there aren’t any surprises that could derail financial freedom.

Be healthier. I’ve got nothing here,… I am lazy as all hell when I am not working, and mix in a salad every once in a while, but still… I have no advice here..   so yeah… crazy weather we are having huh?

So in closing; Procrastinate, Ignore, Don’t procreate, and don’t lazieate… and yes, I know I just made that word up…

2011 will be here before you know it!

2009.
I think a lot of people will look back on this past year, and have plenty of memories, but not ones we willingly hold on to.

Start with a Mortgage Crisis and a global economic collapse, and there wasn’t a ton of optimism for the final year of the decade. But there was plenty of sunshine coming off the election of Barack Obama as our nations 44th president, but with a lot of things that came into fruition this year, time will tell.

We became friends with words like Swine Flu, Octomom, and Pirates, but 2009 might be remembered for things we lost more than what we gained.

Locally Wayman Tisdale, Oral Roberts, and Walter Cronkrite touched the hearts of many Oklahomans. Entertainment lost faces of the 1980’s in Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Patrick Swayze, and John Hughes. The world lost greats like Edward Kennedy, Les Paul, Arturo Gatti, Harry Kalas, Paul Harvey, and various celebrities like Billy Mays, Ed McMahon, David Carradine, Chuck Daly, and Danny Gans.

The 2009 Sports landscape… yeeesh… From Bradford’s shoulder and Gresham’s knee to Free Dez and the Thunder’s rough first season, it was a tough year. But a lot of positive sparks were produced, including an OSU Cotton Bowl, the emergence of Oklahoma’s defense, Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefalosha, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka becoming household names.

I don’t know what I will remember most from ‘09. But there are plenty to chose from, Carrie Prejean Controversy, Jerome Ersland and the Drug Store Shooting, Jessica Alba’s love of Sharks, U2 playing Norman, Obama’s Inaguration, MJ’s Death,…

2009 is over, and it was much better than 2008. 2010 could me something amazing… so lets see, and hope for the future!

So now that the world is enamored with Blu-Ray, Wii, iPhone, Zhu Zhu Hamsters…

Have we all gone mad?

I realize that there is always a desire to advance and evolve, but its getting a bit crazy. Can we all agree to just stop with Blu-Ray? I really dont want to restart my collection, again… But then again, just 15 years ago, the internet required a phone line and a squawky connection that could wake the dead. Now we can get on the internet on our phones and launch missiles at KRYZHFSEASDASTAN…

So why hasn’t the rest of civilization caught up with the advances made in technology? If the car industry had advanced at the same rate as the computer industry, cars would hover, cost $1000, get 250 miles to the ounce, and drive themselves.

Maybe humans are just stubborn, or hypocritical… we expect advances in medicine, technology, and science, yet we continue to fear change. Stupid people breed faster than the rest, thus dumbing down society, and we seem to be OK with it. We tell people they are free to live their lives the way they want, then slap them down with draconian rules and ideals.

Here’s hoping we create advances in humanity in 2010.

Although this upcoming MAPS vote really doesn’t do a lot for me personally, it helps the community. Just like every vote before Tuesday, I don’t believe I have been affected by much of anything on the ballot, but its for the better of us, therefore I am for it.

So in 24-30 months when the next MAPS vote pops up, here are a few things I would like to see…

A true farmers market.
Or at least a place for people to hawk their crap instead of the mall. Seriously, when did the mall become a flea market? I realize the economy is iffy right now, but are malls that hard up for cash they will let anyone set up a tent and hawk their stuff? Maybe I just want a resurgence of the Flea Market, but you get my point.

Expanded bus service.
It never fails if I decide traffic is too jacked up on the interstate, I elect to take backroads home, only to get stopped by empty city busses making stops on major streets, slowing down traffic. If more people rode the bus, I really wouldnt have an issue with getting stopped behind one on the street. Truth be told, if city bus service was expanded with more routes and stops, I would ride the bus. Especially to events in downtown.

Mutli-use stadium near downtown OR renovations to Taft Stadium
I broadcast a couple high school football games from the once grand Taft Stadium, and it made me hurt on the inside that we allowed such a great relic to fall by the wayside. Taft was once the epicenter of sport in OKC, from car racing to football, if it was big, it was at Taft. While a 10-15,000 seat multi-use stadium south of the Oklahoma River might be more financially sensible, part of me wants to hold onto SOME tradition.

A medium sized theater
Ever since the fall of the Tower Theater, OKC has really lacked a GREAT concert venue. The Diamond Ballroom gets you up-close and personal with your favorite artists, but the site is less than desirable. The Coca-Cola Events center is a good multi-use facility, but it lacks a soul. A carbon copy of Tulsa’s Brady Theater is something I REALLY want, and if I ever win the lottery, will be on my list!

Let us know what you think at the message boards.

360OKC.com gives us a coupon this week that I am VERY excited for! http://www.360okc.com/Restaurants/Pizza/OldChicago.html  $5 off $20 at Old Chicago!