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Things I Learn About Myself

5 Mar

Needed a break in my book writing so I thought I’d read a little. I was reading an article about your online profile. It’s basically what people can find out about you from the information that is publicly available online. So, I thought, what is available online when I type my name in Google. (BTW – I don’t make it a practice of Googling myself. It just feels dirty.) Anyway – here are a few interesting things I found out about myself at kgbpeople.com/people/david-petersen

David Petersen

  1. was a lecturer, author and retired comprehensive financial planner. (true – I am a lecturer, aspiring author and I retired from my financial planning career after 6 months)
  2. is one of the coolest dudes working in comics today. (really? why thank you)
  3. is married. (Well they got that right)
  4. has a good dating list by features in the appendices (I must have misplaced that in high school, somewhere near the bibliography. That explains why I never dated in college.)
  5. has 32 friends (tells you how much they know. According to facebook, I have 274 friends)
  6. has no plans to resign, despite the recent scandal in his office involving misuse of state resources and pressure from those in his own (OK – now I’m getting worried)
  7. is a master of his trade. (Really? I thought I was master of my domain)
  8. has done a wonderful job with this world he has created (Exactly – see previous comment)
  9. was fortunate enough to teach the children at Oso Grande Elementary about the basics of podiatry (that must have been after I retired from financial planning)
  10. has 24 years of auction experience. (One dollar bid, now two, now two, will ya’ give me two? Two dollar bid, now three, now three, will ya’ give me three?)
  11. is a writer’s writer (Let’s just hope)
  12. was able to obtain such a wonderful robust collection (must have left that with my dating list)
  13. is a careful man in the forest. (You got that right. If you fall there, nobody will hear you.)
  14. is one of the founding members of the club. (Yes – the club is the place to be. It is so exclusive, it doesn’t have a name)
  15. has a friend “Bob” who designs and builds Chinese style. (“Bob” is not his real name.)
  16. is responsible for setting the vision and execution path of Sense. (Don’t we all need to be on the path of Sense? It’s my new religion.)

OK, enough of this wasting time. Time to get back to something more important, like teaching small children the basics of Podiatry.

Veterans Day 2009 (Here’s To Brothers)

11 Nov
Cpl. Paul Flewwellin and Sgt. David Petersen
Cpl. Paul Flewwellin and Sgt. David Petersen

Yesterday was the Marine Corps 234th Birthday. As our custom, I called my bro’ Paul and wished him a Happy Birthday. We hadn’t talked for about a year but it was as if we were still onboard the USS Raleigh in the middle of the Persian Gulf talking about our dreams, goals and our wives. We didn’t know each other very well before that deployment but by the end of the deployment, we became brothers. It’s been about 16 years since I’ve seen him. When we talk, we speak about how fun it would be to get back together. Another year passes and we do it all over again. Our kids grow older, our hair gets grayer (or in Paul’s case – becomes non-existent). But one day a year, we are back on that ship. Laying on the deck staring up into the vast theater of stars provided by God, talking about life and solidifying our bond as brothers.

It is with this fond memory that I wish all who served a Happy Veterans Day. The bond we share is deep and only fully understood by those who have served. God Bless those who are standing in harms way today – forming the bonds that will last them for the rest of their lives.

Semper Fi. I Love Ya ‘Bro.

Poop Sandwich Revisited

16 Feb

In my previous Poop Sandwich post I wrote about a guy in Montana who was so disgusted with Obama’s plan prior to the 2008 elections that he parked a truckload of poop in front of the Democratic campaign’s office. Well the election has come and gone and we have a new President, which brings me to today.

I was listening to the radio this morning and I heard the announcer read an email that our Democrat Senator Ben Nelson received regarding his stance on the Congressional spending bill they are calling a stimulus package. The email said, “You can scrape a few flys off a poop sandwich but you tell me how it is NOT still a poop sandwich”.

I don’t think it needs an explaination.

Well said.

Believe – He Will Be Fun To Watch Grow Up

27 Oct

I was reading Phil Gerbyshak’s, Make It Great! blog today and his most recent post featured a video of 10 year old Dalton Sherman delivering a keynote address to 20,000 school teachers and administrators in Dallas. It is an amazing video. The boy has amazing presence. It will be fun to watch him grow up – to see what he becomes. Watching him now – he is poised to become great and to do great things.

Take 9 minutes out of your day to watch and listen to his message.

If you can’t see the video above, click here to watch the video.

Perspective

8 Oct

As our own financial world crumbles around us, it could be worse. I just read the following…

This week while many people in the United States were fretting over the credit crisis and its effect on their 401Ks, Christians in the Indian village of Sindhipankha were mourning the death of their friend Dushashan Majhi. A bold Christian, he was shot on Oct. 3 by a band of Hindu militants who then cut his body into pieces.

The people in Sindhipankha do not have 401Ks. Many of them, in fact, no longer have homes. Across the state of Orissa, in northeast India, Hindus have ransacked and burned hundreds of Christians’ houses and churches during the last two months. Hundreds have died.

“The violence in August and September of 2008 has been the worst in our 2,000-year history in India,” says John Dayal, an Indian journalist and founder of the All India Christian Council. “Fifty thousand are homeless and 30,000 are hiding in forests, chased like animals by Hindu fanatics who are forcing them to become Hindus or die.”

The number of deaths continues to climb in India while most Americans are consumed with the stock market and the Obama-McCain contest. (You won’t hear too much about the anti-Christian attacks from the mainstream media.) I wonder: Could we call a brief timeout and pray for the persecuted church on the other side of the world? more…
from Fire In My Bones – J. Lee Grady

Reading that article grounds me. When was the last time a Christian was hacked to death in America? Are Christians in America hiding in fear for their lives? When you are facing death – a drop in our 401Ks seems pretty minor. It’s all about perspective.

Is Obama Lying?

7 Oct

I try not to be political on this blog but I am just amazed that during this presidential election, Obama has been given a pass in the press… I was just amazed then to see this on YouTube by CNN.

Cash Is What We Need!

1 Oct

cashI don’t claim to be the smartest person in the world but it seems that the solution to this is to get cash flowing. Right now, the people who need cash don’t have it and the people who have cash are hanging on to it. Regardless of how we got here, something has to be done. Here is my suggestion:

  1. Suspend capital gains taxes for at least 2 years – retroactive to the first of the year – this would encourage more investment (i.e. cash)
  2. Reduce corporate taxes – right now corporations are paying a very high tax. I know – I used to own a private corporation! Lower the rate to 10% or even 15% for a couple of years. That would free up some cash and spur growth.
  3. There has been some talk of insuring the bad debts instead of just giving them the $700 billion. That, to me, would be a much smarter course of action. How does that work? When I got my first VA loan, the loan was backed by the federal govt. The bank still held the loan but in case something happened, the fed govt insured the loan. This could happen to the current mess.

I’m sure there are other ideas out there that make sense also – I can only speak to what I have experience with. I know the effect the above steps will have on the economy would be positive.

The second part is that we need to “Enron” all those involved in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and any other company involved in this fraud. I am discouraged that I don’t see any hint of an uproar over the failure of either one. From everything I have heard, they did the same thing to their balance sheets as Enron did.

Now – would a certain Maverick please step up! Someone has to lead!