7milesdown » Food for Thought

Ignorance no longer!

trench — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:07:51 +0000

When I started driving back in ‘93 I recall paying about a buck nineteen for a gallon of gas. A few bucks could take me a long way and I never really worried about having enough money to fill my tank. Living on a small island, two to three dollars of fuel could actually last me a couple of days depending on my driving habits and I never concerned myself with speed, tire pressure, or distances. All that has changed over the past year.

Earlier this evening I was reading the local newspaper online and noticed that the price at the pump rose another $0.12. We are now paying $4.31 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel and about $4.44 for premium. Even with this rise in cost, it amazes me when I see people driving V8 vehicles and speeding in excess of sixty miles an hour. I guess some folks are still in denial and don’t realize that we are already in a recession.

The price of gas is just the beginning of our problems. The costs of food and imports on island have gone up exponentially over the past few months and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down one bit. Guam being a small island in the Pacific depends almost solely on imports to support its population. Without these imports, I don’t know how many people will make it here.

There have been many other indirect effects because of the rise in fuel cost as well. The most prominent so far is the rise in crime, poverty, and unemployment. I’ve always thought Guam would be exempt from all the troubles the world was facing because of how isolated we are from everyone else. I guess it was ignorance. Actually, I’m sure it was ignorance. I am ignorant no longer. The effects of this war has traveled the globe even to my tiny home called Guam. Its time to wake up and face reality. It hurts doesn’t it?

We need standardized carry on sizes!

trench — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:59:19 +0000

With a little over five weeks left before our month long vacation to the US mainland, my wife and I have been debating on whether to check in luggage or to simply travel light with a single carry on and a small backback.

After reading all the problems the airlines in the continental United States have had the past couple years with baggage claims and lost luggage, we opted for the latter. We just need to find time to sort out our things so we know exactly what we’ll be needing and what we can do without.

Its seems that the biggest problem now is figuring out what carry on we can use to get to all our destinations without having to check-in anything. Each plane we board on our flight route have different specifications for their carry on capacity.

After finalizing the itinerary we ended up on three different carriers. The most accommodating was Continental. They allow the following size. 51 linear in or 130 cm(L+W+H). Northwest however, was a bit more restrictive at 45 linear inches (9 inches by 14 inches by 22 inches)

My biggest problem however is the intercontinental travel on US Airways. Although they allow up to 51 inches/129 cm (11×14x26 inches or 28×35x66 cm) I have this short flight on a smaller aircraft run by US Airway Express which requires a much smaller carry on 45 inches/114 cm (19×15x11 inches or 48×38x28 cm). I think it would be pretty ridiculous if I had to check in my bags just to fly on a plane for about an hour. I’ve been trying to get more information on this because the plane although operated by US Airways Express is called Air Wisconsin so the bag requirements might be different. I have not been able to get any information on this however.

So many problems to take a simple vacation these days. It would really be ideal if they could come up with a standard size for all planes. Or at the very least make it so that if we buy the complete package route on your carrier, we can use the carry on throughout our trip with no complications.

My Secret to a Healthy Marriage

trench — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:33:39 +0000

I recently read a post on The Secret to a Good Marriage on Saphrym’s site and just had to add my 0.02.

Although I’ve been married for just a little over two years now (since ‘05), my wife and I had actually dated and lived together for a total of eight years before we took our formal vows. During that period of time we went through all the typical trials of a growing relationship, but we managed to get through them by learning the art of picking and choosing our arguments. In the beginning we fought about everything, and it soon became physically and mentally draining for the both of us. Our relationship took some bad turns, but I think that we both realized at some point that some things were just not worth arguing about and changes had to be made if we ever had plans of actually spending our lives together. For the past few years now, our fights have been few and far in between, and I credit that to the fact that we both have learned to accept some of our differences and work beyond them.

The second secret to a healthy marriage is setting a regular schedule for quality time. Not very long after my marriage, I got caught up in bodybuilding, my regular job, web design, and several other extra-curricular activities, that kept me away from my wife for extended periods of time. Although we sat in the same room, the fact that my attention was not on her made her feel quite neglected.

Recently, I’ve made it a point to spend Sunday’s with my wife watching a film, going to lunch, or taking her out for dinner. Simple things such as these really save a marriage, and I’ve noticed that she much happier since I’ve made it a point to take some time out for her. No matter what goes on in your life, quality alone time with your other half is a incredibly important aspect to keeping a healthy relationship.

My last secret to a healthy marriage may seem very trivial, but is perhaps the most important ingredient. Saying the simple words “I love you” sincerely can save a relationship from its demise. I know it has made a huge impact on my relationship and has kept me on solid footing when times have been rough. My wife reminds me every single day, and it always puts a secret smile on my face. No matter what the circumstances are, just knowing she is by my side and is willing to do anything for me is enough to conquer the world and all its problems. Those three little words are very powerful if used properly, and it serves as a reminder, to why you fell in love in the first place.

Do you know whats funny? This post was actually written as a simple to entry for a contest. It became much more than that in the end! Hopefully this helps some of our lost couples out there! Best of luck!

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A Soldiers Story…

trench — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 22:18:21 +0000

Smoke. Screaming. Blood. All he remembers was being dragged across a rooftop while the enemy continued to fire upon his platoon. He had lost consciousness. For a time his was mistaken for dead. His comrades who were breathing just minutes before were now dismembered, disemboweled, and almost unrecognizable. Tattoos helped identify them. They were good friends. His lifeline. His family. He had been thrown over ten feet, but that mattered little now. Besides the blood flowing heavily down his eyes and head, he was mobile and in good condition.

Just five minutes before, he had been in the thick of a fierce gun battle. The sounds were deafening. Lights littered the night sky. These exchanges were very routine. He was always prepared for them. It happened almost every night. He was keen at recognizing the enemy. Tonight had been a special night for his entire unit. This was the last night outside the wire. Tomorrow he and his buddies would prepare to head home to their families after a long and extended tour. Unfortunately for them, it was the end of their road. He would be the only one to tell their story.

Glad your home and safe homie. Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. I’ll carry them always.

Focusing on Education

trench — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 11:49:38 +0000

I’ve been teaching elementary students for the last six years and I’ve watched many of my students grow from young adolescent children into bright young teens. It makes me very proud to see many of my students continue to succeed in school, but it also bothers me when I see many of them struggling just to pass to the next grade.

The biggest changes I’ve seen in my former students is their attitudes towards doing school work and towards academic acheivement. Most of the students I’ve talked to who were doing poorly simply said that they didn’t really care about their grades. Studying for tests and doing homework are for kids with no life.

Growing up, I always did well in school. I actually found girls with brains to be very attractive. Even when I had crushes, extra curricular activities, and other hobbies, I was always able to maintain my grades. Succeeding in school was always a top priority, and I did a very good job at it. I don’t know why my attitude toward school was good, but I maintained it throughout my academic career, including college. I think that my mother had a very strong influence on me, but then again, my brothers didn’t do as well as I did. Perhaps its my personality? Im not sure. I do know that I’ve always been very ambitious and willing to go beyond the call of duty to achieve my goals regardless of what they were. Perhaps this is the key. A strong ambition. A strong drive to succeed in general.

Whatever the reason may be, Im hoping to find a way to instill the importance of a good education to my present and future students. I’ve noticed that the importance of school work in the minds of many of my students have seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Every year it gets tougher to teach my students because many of them just don’t have the proper attitude about school. Of course there are the exceptions to the rule, but the amount of negative attitudes about school in general has doubled in just the six short years I’ve been in the classroom. This is what I’ve noticed.

What must we do to teach the importance of school? How can we teach the value of a proper education? How can we implant in our youth, that success in anything starts with a proper attitude? These are just some questions to think about.

Human Rights First

trench — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 06:12:09 +0000

Join the H.O.P.E. for Darfur Campaign Will you make sure “never again” doesn’t become “yet again” in Darfur? We’re looking for at least 200,000* caring people to stand in for the victims of mass atrocities in Darfur – and to help us to build a lasting peace in western Sudan.

The Sudanese Government, using Arab “Janjaweed” militias, its air force, and organized starvation, is systematically killing the black Sudanese of Darfur.

Over two and a half million people, driven from their homes, now face death from starvation and disease as the Government and militias attempt to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching them. The same forces have destroyed the people of Darfur’s villages and crops, and poisoned their water supplies, and they continue to murder, rape and terrorize.

Do your part as a member of the Human Race and help organize a Peace Envoy for Darfur buy signing up using this link. It only takes a minute.

Coincidence or Conspiracy?

trench — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:16:31 +0000

I was reading up on a little history about ancient civilizations and something occured to me. Ancient Sumeria was one of the first civilizations to have existed on earth. Today, the land of Ancient Sumeria is known as the infamous country of Iraq. I found it pretty interesting because of the current state of Iraq and the rest of the world. Could this War on Terror we are fighting on the lands of our first civilizations result in the end of civilization? A coincidence or a conspiracy? If this is teh beginning of World War III, it will be fought conventionally at first, but may end with the use of nuclear weapons. If a nuclear fallout ever occured, our world as we know it could come to an end and civilization would cease to exist. Just a little something to think about…

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Man Dates a Super Hot Gal…

trench — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 08:18:24 +0000

This is funny stuff. Just thought I’d share it. I’m not sure I would be able to look at my mother the same way if this happened to me. I prefer the old fashioned way of getting a date.

Guily of Sex with Student…

trench — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:06:23 +0000

Being a elementary teacher I’m always kept in the loop about things happening in our profession. Debra Lafave was obviously one teacher who stepped on the wrong side of the boundaries. Teaching is a full time job that requires you to be very careful about what you say and what you do. You are a role-model not only to your students but to your entire community as well.

As for Debra, she plead guilty to two counts of lewd behavior with a 14 year old minor and was sentenced to three years of community control, or house arrest, and ordered to register as a sex offender. I dont condone rape, regardless if it is a male or female, but what was interesting was the way I felt about the whole thing. Do you just put the sole blame on her because she is the adult? How did the 14 year old really feel about his encounters with her?

Being a male, I know that we go through intense changes in our body around 12-14 years of age. Our sexual curiosity increases and our testosterone starts to skyrocket. Im not going to be prude about it because I can admit that I had my share of fantasies of sleeping with the hot teacher or secretary as a young teenager. Think about it. This kid had sex with his 23 year old teacher at least four times. When his friends wouldn’t believe him, he had his cousin drive him around while he had sex in the backseat of a car. At that age, that just boosted your popularity and manhood 100 times fold. The kid probrably enjoyed it. Just being real.

On a sidenote, I bet if it were a male teacher, he would be facing some serious jailtime. How many of you would agree with me on that?

Children thrown off bridge…

trench — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 05:01:51 +0000

I hope she was insane. This is just disgusting. A mother throws her three children off the bay area bridge. Full Video.