Humble Honor

Honour or Honor (from the Latin word honos, honoris) is the evaluation of a person's trustworthiness and social status based on that individual's espousals and actions.

Today I heard a sound bite from Coach K. (Duke University), who's last name I am not going to attempt to spell, talk about his civic responsibility to coach the Redeem Team in 2008 because he never had the honor of serving in combat. Coach K is a graduate of West Point and served approximately 5 years as an officer in the Army.

I was an enlisted member of the Coast Guard, one of the nation’s Armed Forces, and the only one that is not administered by the Department of Defense. In all likelihood, if I was in the service today (enlistment ended in 2000), I would not see combat, but be, again worst case, be patrolling shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf. I too, never had the honor, or the privilege to serve my country in the most meaningful way – by giving my life for those living under the umbrella of the United States’ Constitution.

Humility is a strong word for me, partially because I see my father as being humble. Though he never served in the military, as I reflect back on my life, I can tell that his job was to raise two children the best he could, so that one day we could stand on our feet and help our own families. When I think about what America means to me, I think of my most memorable work experience: being allowed to fail in order to succeed. Now almost 33, 4 years removed from the age my father restarted his life in mechanical engineering, I see this great nation for what it is – he brought himself back from debt and hardship to being a great father. So while, I have not died for my country, if I can love my wife, my dogs, and my extended family, I will be carrying on the legacy of my father, whom I believe was a great American.

Humility is what keeps me seated when asked to stand to be recognized as a veteran – I volunteered, and I did my job. I did not fight in a war, I did not serve in a hostile country, I did not serve in a more ballyhooed service like the Marine Corps. No, I served in the Coast Guard, a service that is oft forgotten, but well received.

While most military services are either at war or training for war, the Coast Guard is deployed every day. With a decentralized organization and much responsibility placed on even the most junior personnel, the Coast Guard is frequently lauded for its quick responsiveness and adaptability in a broad range of emergencies. In a 2005 article in TIME magazine following Hurricane Katrina, the author wrote, "the Coast Guard's most valuable contribution to [a military effort when catastrophe hits] may be as a model of flexibility, and most of all, spirit." Wil Milam, a rescue swimmer from Alaska told the magazine, "In the Navy, it was all about the mission. Practicing for war, training for war. In the Coast Guard, it was, take care of our people and the mission will take care of itself." (a referenced portion of Wikipedia)

Humility regarding my service is second nature to me. I was on a fire team when the Anchor Windlass caught fire on my 180-ft boat and I saved a man’s life by performing CPR in the water in Cleveland Harbor. I expected no recognition… I was just doing my job.

To me, I think this attitude that I learned from my father suited my entry into the service, and really most service men and women – they don’t feel they are heroes, they just do there job.

So, after a day to remember our veterans, say thanks again that they do do their job, humbly, professionally, and with honor.

Sam J., who is generally awesome, is a college graduate, a Midwesterner living in Arizona, and unemployed. He is a recreational runner, licensed Professional Engineer, an accomplished technical writer, as well as a freelance writer who currently writes for several blogs including 30 & Learning.

Top stories

2 of the top stories on CNN.com on Tuesday, November 10, 2009:

Report: Fort Hood suspect asked military to give Muslims an out

Fort Hood, Texas (CNN) -- The suspect in the Fort Hood shootings gave a presentation in 2007 saying the military should allow Muslim soldiers to opt out of fighting Muslim enemies, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/10/fort.hood.shooting/index.html


New jihad code threatens al Qaeda

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- From within Libya's most secure jail a new challenge to al Qaeda is emerging.

Leaders of one of the world's most effective jihadist organizations, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), have written a new "code" for jihad. The LIFG says it now views the armed struggle it waged against Col. Moammar Gadhafi's regime for two decades as illegal under Islamic law.

The new code, a 417-page religious document entitled "Corrective Studies" is the result of more than two years of intense and secret talks between the leaders of the LIFG and Libyan security officials.

The code's most direct challenge to al Qaeda is this: "Jihad has ethics and morals because it is for God. That means it is forbidden to kill women, children, elderly people, priests, messengers, traders and the like. Betrayal is prohibited and it is vital to keep promises and treat prisoners of war in a good way. Standing by those ethics is what distinguishes Muslims' jihad from the wars of other nations."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/09/libya.jihadi.code/index.html

Initially, these stories are connected by the wars that the US is fighting in Asia. Slightly below the surface is the complexity of why people fight, or more specifically, why people should fight for their countries or religion.

Take the Ft. Hood case. If the Major had a problem, hey, turn down your commission as a conscientious objector. Hell as volunteer service, as all US forces are, you don’t get to chose who and when, but rather are told. As an enlisted member of the armed forces, I once took the enlistment oath:

I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice [UCMJ]. So help me God.

Nowhere in it does it say, “except for those with similar beliefs as I do.”

In America, not only do we have the Oath, but also the UCMJ, a formal set of rules and regulations that is above and beyond civil laws. To read Islamists about attempting to create a similar structure, it’s interesting not only from safety of life concern for my country men, but also of those (seemingly) innocent people caught in the middle.

At the end of the day, as a volunteer soldier, you must come to your own place, mentally and spiritually, and whether it is coerced or not, this placation is helped along by a uniform set of rules that help define the position, goals, circumstances, and morals. But, once that placation is reached, and you volunteer to serve, you should not be allowed to be singled out and selectively removed, but rather be a member of the unified force you volunteered to be a part of.

Sam J., who is generally awesome, is a college graduate, a Midwesterner living in Arizona, and unemployed. He is a recreational runner, licensed Professional Engineer, an accomplished technical writer, as well as a freelance writer who currently writes for several blogs including 30 & Learning.

Landslide

http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/landslide-dynamics.html

I thought this was an interesting piece, if for nothing else, because it shows, graphically what soil fails during a landslide and where it goes.

Life Strike

Imagine, if you will, that you are given a shopping list for 2 weeks worth of groceries:

Apples,
Lettuce
Potatoes
Onions
Burger buns
Granola bars
Fruit juice
Soup
Meat
Frozen pizza
Napkins
Milk
Cheese
Etc.

Now, imagine you just got out of your car and about to enter the store when you are told that you are to complete your list, but at any given moment you may be told to drop everything and get back to your car.

What do you do?

(stay with me, eventually my point will be revealed)

Objectively, I would consider you have an infinite number of choices that invariably boil down to 3 simple options
1. Try to get everything before you are told to leave.
2. Try to get one item and get out, then repeat as often as you can.
3. Try to gather a few items and repeat.

The folly in all of this is that you would never know when you have to stop, whether it’s right after you step in the door, or after you get milk and eggs and nothing else, or right before you pay for all of your groceries.

In a way, getting laid off is like this, never knowing when you will be recalled to a life that is more normal, with the “shopping list” consisting of a job and some other life goals, whether it means run a marathon, learn to play a guitar, or read 200 books a year, whatever. You never know when you will be told to stop, drop everything and return to a “normal” life.

I was essentially given a choice between finding a job and being better, and I chose the going for a job above all else (a one at a time method). Unfortunately pouring my heart and soul into finding employment thoroughly drains me to the point that I could probably write 3000 words a night and little to nothing else.

In retrospect, I believe this was right, but moving forward with my sanity, and my temperament being as important as paying the NetFlix bill, I am thinking of changing it up. I have recently decided to go for the whole list: run, read, learn a new skill, go to college for an M.S. or M.S.E., and look for a job.

I was listening to a Bill Simmons podcast (ESPN’s the Sports Guy), who was interviewing Seth Meyers, of SNL, about five weeks after the 2008 writer’s strike. Seth was talking about his life during the strike and how strange it was. He said nothing was accomplished, nothing was planned, he didn’t write, nothing, and he explained it away because the strike could end at any time; a scenario I find similar to unemployment.

Now, I know a lot of people are amazed by this concept –I have had 12 unplanned months off, why didn’t your life progress; kind of an abstract situation. Hell, my wife even talks about eventually taking 12 months off in light of my situation. In reality, it’s a crappy, pointless life when you don’t know if it’s going to end in 3, 65, 180, or 365 days. Troubling.

I know I will have the next month off… life begins anew.

Sam J., who is generally awesome, is a college graduate, a Midwesterner living in Arizona, and unemployed. He is a recreational runner, licensed Professional Engineer, an accomplished technical writer, as well as a freelance writer who currently writes for several blogs including.

A General Lack of Defining Traits

I think there are things that are inane to a region’s youth culture: n New England, for example, this can be exemplified by their propensity to ‘yacht.’ Perhaps you could consider that in large cities, like in California or on the East Coast, youths grow up faster, take more responsibility, and live beyond their age. In the Midwest, growing up in the country or in a rural area, I wouldn’t say there is a specific trait that youths are expected to take-on almost naturally – on the surface at least.

I don’t have a hobby – really I don’t care about material objects that much. There was a time when a dollar in was a dollar out and later a dollar in was 25 cents saved, but when I was about 20, six months before my 21st birthday as I was living in a house with four other guys (one of which slept on an air mattress in the dining room and rarely wore pants or shorts), and I looked around and saw the material objects that my roommates had acquired. I then entered a phase where I bought stuff, quality stuff, as a show for my earnings, to make up for the relative lack of material goods that I had acquired to that point – I was sleeping on a 6’ long futon (about 6” too short) that I bought at Wal-Mart for $125. Eventually I bought a really expensive mountain bike that at an age of 7 years, has never needed an adjustment, and has only had one broken part. This all ended when I got a full-time job and started to save for retirement.

I don’t know how to tie a bowtie, wouldn’t consider myself a yuppie, a preppie, or fashionable, but rather go for classic looks: black 3-button suits with a starched white shirt, T-shirt and jeans, polo and khakis. I have even successfully massaged my wife into buying clothes that can be considered classic rather than trendy (I introduced her to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” starring Audrey Hepburn, and then guided her to an respected columnists’ article stating Hepburn’s wardrobe was as timeless today as it was in 1961). Using this approach, I have managed to maintain shirts that are 10 years old, managed to dress youthfully at social engagements, and have held a respectable business wardrobe.

I don’t wear jewelry with the exception of a wedding ring and my Order of the Engineer ring, ‘worn on the pinkie of the Engineer’s working hand to remind him/her of his/her ethical responsibilities.’ White gold and stainless steel respectively. I occasionally wear a watch, which has been silver (I wouldn’t mind a black one though). Odd story, when I first got glasses, I was 12, had the choice between a couple of frames, and undecided, I asked the fetching lady who was working at the eyeglass store for some help. She said, “Go with the silver; gold is gaudy.” I don’t know why, but it’s stuck with me. Hell, when I proposed to my wife, I procured out a platinum engagement ring because I don’t like yellow gold.

So, no hobbies, no strong fashion trends, and no propensity to wear jewelry, but rather a thrifty conservative? So far, this sounds like my friends making fun of me because of my Luxembourg heritage…

When I consider my lack of creativity, generally speaking, my wife consoles me. She then asks me a series of questions: what can you do, what do you like to do, what will people pay you to do, and if those answers eventually align, she then asks why will you succeed. The answers to the first few questions, in relation to this piece are irrelavant, but the answer to. “Why will I succeed,” is that I will out-work anyone, take on responsibilities, learn new things, expect little to no credit, and be relatively happy about it all.” And I don’t think I am alone in this answer. In fact, in my experiences living across the U.S., people love people from the Midwest, especially as employees, contractors, service providers, or for general counsel (non-attorney), because, more often than not, they all answer that question the same way – a way that is indicative of a strong work ethic.

I wont be able to sail a boat, go to a white tie affaire, or claim I went on some cross country road trip with a friend I was 16 in my parents Range Rover, but I will always hold my dedication to what I do, whatever that is, close to my heart.



Sam J., who is generally awesome, is a college graduate, a Midwesterner living in Arizona, and unemployed. He is a recreational runner, licensed Professional Engineer, an accomplished technical writer, as well as a freelance writer who currently writes for several blogs.

The Difference Between a Button-Down Shirt and A Shirt With Buttons

The Difference Between a Button-Down Shirt and A Shirt With Buttons

Sometimes life decisions are trivial, while other times they are important. Usually these decisions come across as piece of a larger decision: a short-term goal that, while important to a long-term goal, is generally inconsequential. So, when does a trivial decision become important, and conversely, when does an important decision become inconsequential?

Take my decision to eventually go to college, graduate, and then become a Civil Engineer. Such short-term decisions that were made which influenced that goal were: enter the service to get money for college, leave the service for college, and then dedicate myself to my coursework to get through college. All relatively large decisions, but with respect to the endgame, they were merely a means toward that end-goal of a career.

To further show that these decisions can be considered trivial, consider that in the State of Wisconsin, there are five Civil Engineer bachelor degree programs. Assuming an equal number in every state (vastly underestimated), for a total of 250 college choices, then my decision on any single Wisconsin school equates to a 0.4% chance that I would make a correct school choice nationally. In summary, I had less than a 1% chance that I would make a correct choice while attempting to achieve a career.

As I go through the wiles of unemployment, I find that connections are important: networking, social circles, professional organizations, and yes, even alumni associations. While I in no way am attempting to criticize my choice of school, I do find that certain colleges and organizations are better to belong to than others. Take a high profile State School, for example, like UW (Madison). If you are to assume that it has a large student body, which it does, an affluent cross section of alumni, a large national presence of alumni, and a generally positive public perception, which it does as a “public ivy,” than one can assume that it could be easier to earn gainful employment when seated against an equally qualified candidate from a school no meeting all of those criteria.

When I made my seemingly inconsequential decision on a college, it was done on a cost-basis: I would go to the best school that I could afford to attend. Little did I realize that such a disparity in collegiate perception in the ability to pull a job would be such a factor in my life as it is today?

As it would happen, my current state of unemployment leads me to question several things in my life and play what-ifs? What if I didn’t push 4 miles so early in training last May, or what if I kept training to push through the grief that I had after my grandmother died? Would I have been able to run a half-marathon this coming January?

When I was attempting to figure out what to write today, in the depths of another rejection for a job, I thought, “What is the earliest decision that I made which I would consider changing?” The answer was that I would change trying to make a point that a shirt with buttons, similar to a polo shirt, was in fact a “button-down” shirt because it buttoned partially down, not completely down. I was in fourth grade.

While I do think I was right, in examining the general context of the defining characteristics of the polo shirt in relation to the desired shirt classification and in the mind of an 10 year old, I now realize that, colloquially, a button-down shirt has buttons that extend the length of the shirt, and not partially like a polo shirt.

Why would I take back the decision? Initially, it was because I was kicked-out of my home because of the discussion with my parent. But upon further review, it’s because the decision I made to put on a polo shirt ended up in my parent making a shitty decision. So, in summary, it’s not that I would take it back for me, but for my parent and my view of what a parent is… A simple discussion about a shirt, seeming pointless, won by a person 28 years my senior as an 10-year old, led to a life questioning past behavior. So maybe my unemployment has nothing to do with my life, or generally inconsequential decisions, but the poor decision of a 38 year old?

Determinism, generally, is a theory that everything happens for a reason, and a person can do nothing to stop what will happen next, whereas predestination is determinism designed by God. Causality, on the other hand is that everything is generally caused as an effect of a prior occurrence. As a Christian, I may have learned to believe in determinism or predestination, and later as an agnostic/deist, I thought causality was correct. However, as a public school kid, and a guy who considers himself a man (as opposed to any male who has reached the age of 18+ and acts irresponsibly), I tend to think a little differently. For me, it’s more like a graphed sine wave, with the deterministic route being the x-axis. As a human, I make my own choices, veering off-track constantly, but unknowingly being brought back to my predestined path. Abstract I know.

So, if I inconsequentially make a wrong decision, eventually I will be brought to a place that I would be, had I made an inconsequentially correct decision. Additionally, if I make a decision that is wrong, however inconsequential, and I were able to change the past poor decision to a seemingly more-correct decision, I would have just returned to a predestined place sooner than I actually did. Thus, it can be derived that I will be employed, and making as much in compensation, eventually, as I would have if I had made the decision to attend M.I.T.

So, is it fair to blame an 10 year old child for not knowing the difference between a polo shirt and a button down shirt, or is just human nature to hold on to poor memories and hope that the decisions of the past lead to a better future life?

What the Deuce?

I would like to be a writer, but as I am sure a lot of you know, it takes a lot. Not only a lot of practice, but a lot of God-given talent.

Me, I think I have a talent with engineering. Sure, one day, if it hasn't already past, maybe I will figure out that Civil was a dream and not a talent, but for now, like my balky right leg, I keep plugging away trying to get a noodle to stick to a wall. My buddy John is a good writer, but I would be happy with, "he's alright, will never make any money at it, but he's alright." I know people who have written books, legal briefs, tech manuals, short stories, and poetry that have half the writing talent my dog Steve has, but they keep plugging away thinking they're great - I know I am not.

What I do know I have, however, is a few great ideas. Maybe that's why I am a civil designer, or am trying to be one again. One of my great ideas isn't great, definitely isn't original, and will probably end up the way of the Dodo bird, but I hope to keep it going for a while; essays. It's a simple concept, as short as 5 paragraphs, informational, and it helps the writing process. Over the next few months, hopefully longer, I hope to write mostly essays about my life as a runner, albeit injured, and a engineer in whatever state of employ that I am. Additionally, I will write about other topics, like I did this past week.

Hopefully interesting.

Probably mundane.

Factual, but not heavily researched or referenced.

Short.

Non-fiction or opinion.

That's it; it's what's happening, Willis!

As you may have noticed, my most recent posts have NOT been about running - it's because I haven't run lately. It's my fault, I admit - poor training/stretching/care. There, that's covered.