John – Personal Sharing

Don’t make Resolutions – Use PRA!

Don’t make resolutions – use PRA!

It is amazing what you can do when time is limited.

I live by the motto, “when you have time to waste you will waste time.”

I have always been obsessed with productivity and discovered my own tools during my career. I have never read the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” because I was able to accomplish what I wanted to. I never found myself short on time. For the past 30 years I have used the same techniques, fine-tuning them, but more or less the same. Before I ever saw a Franklin Planner I would fold a sheet of paper in half and create columns for the upcoming ten to twelve days, about five days per half. Next, I would list tasks for each day. In college I carried 22 semester hours my senior year, had two jobs, and was president of the college of engineering at the University of Florida. I managed to workout, go to the beach, have good grades, and find contentment. After college I immediately set goals to accomplish within five years: my MBA, my Professional Engineering license, and an income related goal. I accomplished all of them because I focused.

Day in and day out I use Projected-Retrospective-Accomplishments ™ [PRA].

What is PRA?

PRA is about taking a trip forward in time, looking back, and seeing what was accomplished. For instance, in 2012 I made a decision to consider going to law school. I had just turned 45 and realized if I started law school in the fall of 2013 I would graduate in the spring of 2017, just before my 50^th birthday. I had encountered a Life-Fork(tm) – a decision point in my life that could dramatically change my future. I used PRA to make a decision: I Projected myself forward to my 50^th birthday party and considered my Retrospective look back to see what Accomplishments I might have made. In short, would I be glad I went to law school or wish I had gone. It was an easy choice, go to school.

Back to resolutions. Today many people will make resolutions and most will fail within three weeks. There are numerous articles on resolutions and succeeding. I offer a different consideration. First, don’t make New Year’s resolutions but instead wait for your birthday then use PRA to look forward five years, one year, one quarter, one month and one week. If you must start today then do so but again use the same 5y1y1q1m1w method.

Next, start from the bottom up – the week ahead. Layout each day and determine the action items needed to embark toward the one month goal. Obviously the one month goal should support your 90 day (1q) and one year goals. You get it…..

On December 9^th I took my last law school final for the fall 2014 semester. School starts again on January 12^th. I knew I had just 30 days or so to accomplish a large number of tasks. Thus, with my short break between Fall and Spring semesters of law school I had to manage my time very efficiently. With that, I made a day by day list of tasks to complete after first making a list of goals. So I move from a high level plan to a detailed tactical plan with concrete action items.

I am an Evernote user, a fanatic, and set up day by day a list of tasks. It looked like this:

Tue Dec 10
- Workout
- Ride bike
- Work
- Go to home depot and buy ceiling fans, speakers
- Go to James’ basketball game
Wed Dec 11
- Workout
- Ride bike
- Work
- Install one set of speakers
- xmas party

You get the idea. I am not perfect though and I fell behind in certain areas – like writing my screenplay and preparing to ride my bike across Florida. However, I excelled in family time, being tuned in for the holidays and accomplishing some home improvement tasks as New Year’s Eve was one year in our house.

Between December 9 and December 31 here is what I completed:

Successfully renewed my BFR after a three year lapse and am legal to fly airplanes again
Cleaned my wardrobe closet and discarded old law school notes
Cleaned out hallway closet and small table that had accumulated crap
Applied for and took 4 hours of continuing education for the ethics portion of my Professional Engineers license for renewal
Installed two dimmer switches
Installed a new ceiling fan
Installed two sets of in ceiling speakers to complete our whole house music system
Changed all four disc brakes on my car
Fixed the burned out driving light bulbs on my car
Fixed the heater blower bearing on my car
Worked out nearly everyday (85%)
Created the outline for my screenplay. Wrote 5000 words so far.
Built a portable Linux distribution I can carry anywhere
Changed the oil on my car
Painted my son’s room
Delegated to my teenage son touch up painting of the whole house.
Helped my teenager’s paint my daughter’s room
Hung chair rail in our living room
After a visit to Ikea hung shelves, built shelves, a dresser and made other improvements
Did all of the cooking (and most cleanup) for Christmas
Went away to Amelia Island for four days
Read two books and five magazines to catch up on my reading
And, I worked, prepared for work for next year, and managed what needed to be done

I have fallen short – I did not ride my bike, run, or work on the draft of another book idea. One thing I have learned is choosing certain tasks will naturaly determine what is important.

So, with twelve days left until my January 12^th deadline what remains?

Driving to my cabin in Georgia and renovating a bathroom, a sales meeting at work next week, Nitrox certification for scuba diving, taking the second four-hour course I need for my PE license renewal, and of course spending time with my family.

LeeAnn and I also planned the next eight months on our calendar, marking what we know we have committed to. We set goals regarding places to visit and things we want to do with our children. It is exciting to look forward and have enthusiasm for the new year. At the same time it is scary because it is easy to see “when you have time to waste you will waste time.“

Build an awesome laptop for $100 (Chromebook running Linux)

How I built a Rock’n laptop for $100.

First, I bought an ACER C720 on ebay for $100. This is a Chromebook and comes with the Chrome OS installed. After receiving the computer I took the Chrome defaults, setup my network, user name and learned about Chrome. I was stunned by the battery life and the speed. Both of which were amazing. OK – I had now reached the limits of what the computer could do. So, I started to want to load Linux so I could really use my new laptop.

So how do you do this?

There is an eternal debate on the web regarding ChrUbuntu vs. Crouton. Having just gone through the process I would recommend Crouton. Why? Although I did not think I would care, the ability to switch between OS’s is nice. Sometimes I just need web access and having Crhome OS available works great. Two browsers, two OS’s It’s fast!

Step 1 – Enter developer Mode

1. Hold down the Esc+Refresh, and whilst keeping them pressed, hit the power button. Once the computer restarts you will be in ‘Recovery Mode’. 2. Press Ctrl+D, which will bring up a prompt asking if you want to enter Developer Mode. Press Enter to proceed. 3. The Chromebook will start initialising Developer Mode – this may take some time. 4. When the setup is complete you will be faced with a screen that displays an exclamation mark and the phrase ‘OS verification is OFF’. From now on you will see this screen every time you turn on your Chromebook. If you wait 30 seconds your Chromebook will start automatically, or you can press Ctrl+D to boot immediately.

For an ASUS Chome Book http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices/asus-chromebox

Step 2- Get Crouton

In Chrome, https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton 1. Scroll down to “usage” and click on “Crouton” hyperlink. Download the crouton program to your “Downloads” folder. 2. From your Chromebook’s desktop press Ctrl+Alt+T to launch the device’s terminal. 3. Type “shell” and press Enter.

Step 3 – Install Crouton

The easy way (assuming you want an Ubuntu LTS with Xfce) 1. Decide on an environment and intall either KDE, unity, or XFCE 2. Run 1. sudo sh -e ~/Downloads/crouton -t xfce 2. OR: sudo sh -e ~/Downloads/crouton -t kde 3. OR: sudo sh -e ~/Downloads/crouton -t unity 3. Wait patiently and answer the prompts like a good person. 4. Done! You can jump straight to your new ubuntu session by running 1. sudo enter-chroot startxfce4 2. OR: as a special shortcut, 1. sudo startxfce4. 2. OR sudo startkde 3. OR sudo startunity 5. Cycle through Chromium OS and your running graphical chroots using Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Forward. 6. Exit the chroot by logging out of your OS

Step 4 – Updates

1. Now we start the after installation changes. First, updates. 2. Go to terminal 3. Type “sudo apt-get update” ENTER 4. Type “sudo apt-get upgrade” ENTER 5. Type “sudo apt-get install” ENTER 6. Check Version number: Cat /etc/lsb-release 7. https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-upgrade-ubuntu-12-04-lts-to-ubuntu-14-04-lts

Step 5 – Make life easier

1. There are several items that are difficult in the new environment and need to be resolved. 2. Open a terminal and type “sudo apt-get install update-manager synaptic“ 3. Work your way through this list next: 1. http://www.webupd8.org/2013/12/things-to-do-after-installing-ubuntu-on.html 2. Do NOT overlook the screen saver disable issue. 3. And this list: http://fuyuko.net/basic-tweaks-and-tips-for-crouton-in-chromebook/ 4. Now, get the browser updated. 1. You may need Firefox (if you did xfce) otherwise skip to the Chrome install. 2. Firefox: 1. Go to a terminal and type “sudo apt-get update“ 2. then type “sudo apt-get install firefox“ 3. Chrome 1. Use firefox to open find the Chrome download. Install the Chrome browser. 2. Log in and make sure Chrome works. 5. DropBox 1. Install dropbox by using Chrome to go to the Dropbox site 2. Download and install Dropbox 3. I setup up custom install because the files are shared between OS’s in the “Downloads” folder. 1. Setup dropbox for the “/home/[yourname]/downloads/dropbox/” folder 2. I used selective install to limit my files due to disk space. 6. Install Skype next: 1. You will need Pulseaudio volume controls. http://askubuntu.com/questions/506691/no-sound-on-skype 1. Download and install from the package manager “pavucontrol” 2. Using Chrome Browser, go to http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/ 7. Install unetbootin 1. use your synapti to install the linux version of unetbootin. This is so you can create new linux distributions! 8. Install gParted. A great disk formatting tool. 9. Consider a video player, VLC or Kaffeine. 10. Install Pavu voume control.

Step 4 – Install Libre Office/PDF Viewer

1. Go to the Synaptic Package Manager. If the GUI does not work in the launcher then: 1. Open terminal 2. Type “gksudo synaptic”

2. Type Libre and check the select the right items

3. Install Okular for viewing PDF files 1. In package manager go ahead and search for Okular. Click and install. 4. Check APPLY to install the above packages.

Step 5 – Checklist

As of now we have a web browser (Chrome), file storage (Dropbox), and office applications (Libre Office). You should be fully functional. Of course, a printer is nice. This about kicked my butt. However, I got it to work, somehow.

Step 6 – Some clean up items

1. As previously noted purge xscreensaver. 2. My synaptic would not start without using terminal. To fix the menu launcher: 1. Open terminal Ctrl+Alt+T and execute this command: 2. gksudo gedit /usr/share/applications/synaptic.desktop 3. With the file open, change find this line: 1. Exec=synaptic-pkexec 1. And change it to: 2. Exec=gksudo synaptic 4. Save file and exit the text editor. 5. I browse to the file. Second, I right click and open with gvim. Next, move to the line and press “x” to delete. Use “a” to append. When done press escape to return to the command line. Finally, type “:w !sudo tee %” this will save the read only file. 6. Now synaptic is fixed.

1/16/2015 – So after using Libre Office for a while I discovered some issues. First, my spell checker was not working. Exit Libre Office and use this command:
sudo apt-get install myspell-en-us

And, you made need times new roman font:
If, for some reason, Liberation fonts are not satisfactory to you, install the mscorefontspackage
sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

Times New Roman is part of that package, and will be recognized one you restart your LibreOffice.

A few other notes, sometimes an install goes bad. Do this to reactivate the package manager: sudo dpkg –configure -a

Regarding the EULA for the microsoft fonts, use the [TAB] and [Shift]+[TAB] to move focus to the “OK”. Use enter to select it.

Step 7 – Install a printer.

The short version — install CUPS, install Brother printer driver and setup for IPP with the IP address of the printer. This makes it work every I included the below as reference. 1. I have a Brother printer and there are no options in the Ubuntu version installed. 2. I first downloaded the Brother printer drivers and followed the instructions. Mistake! Wait and get CUPS working first. 3. This link will get you close: https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton/wiki/Printing 4. I have added to the above, pasted the instructions and tried to help. 5. First, you need an editor. Go to Synaptic and install ViMproved. 1. You will need to hack your way through your own understanding of VI. 6. This aligns with the above: 1. Install cups and related packages: 1. Open terminal. 2. Type: sudo apt-get install cups system-config-printer-gnome 2. To get a working lpr command, also install cups-bsd (similar to above) 3. Add yourself to the lpadmin group: 1. Open terminal. 2. Type: sudo adduser lpadmin 4. init scripts don’t work right in crouton so we need to start cups somehow. One way is to edit /etc/rc.local and add: /usr/sbin/cupsd 1. This took me the longest….make sure you go to synaptic and install the vi GUI version of the editor (makes life easier). 2. Open file manager 3. Change to /etc/ 4. Find the file rc.local and right click it. 5. Choose open with “GVIM” 6. I think “a” will insert a line. Add the required text. To save the file use the following command within the editor: 1. “:w !sudo tee %” 5. start manually 1. sudo /etc/init.d/avahi-daemon start 2. sudo /etc/init.d/cups start 6. because the printer gui run from applications – system – printers doesn’t run with the correct permissions, run $ sudo system-config-printer. I’m sure this could be corrected by updated the permissions on some config file, but running sudo works 7. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions to install the printer at this point. 8. Finally, log out of your crouton and back in. You should now be able use Printer Settings to configure your printer. 9. Lastly, for a network printer – what settings? 1. PD is an old standard, IPP is newer. Ubuntu uses the Common UNIX Printing System (“CUPS”) to handle printing. CUPS uses the Internet Printing Protocol (“IPP”) as the basis for managing print jobs and queues. Other protocols are also supported (LPD, SMB, AppSocket a.k.a. JetDirect), some with reduced functionality. LPD/LPR is still commonly used and works quite well but it doesn’t provide much control for users on the printer settings per print job. Both the LPD and JetDirect/AppSocket protocols can be used over the Internet today, however neither of these protocols provides authentication services, access control, and all of the document management and formatting (including printer-specific commands) must be handled by the machine sending the document. IPP is preferred as it uses bidirectional communication which gives you more feedback and control. Some printers may not support IPP. http://askubuntu.com/questions/401119/should-i-set-up-my-cups-printing-to-use-ipp-lpd-or-url 2. Choose IPP when doing “find network printer”

Last Step – What next? 1. Enjoy your low cost laptop!! 2. Tweak your settings. Make sure to change between both operating systems. 3. Do Over? 1. When you log into the red exclamation point press the space bar and wipe the system. Make sure you grab any files first because you will have a clean chrombook.

Chrome Chromebook Linux Linux Mint Crouton Chromium

December 31, 2014 by admin John - Personal Sharing Linux

Bicycling

At the beginning of the summer I made a decision I was going to ride my bike across Florida. An easy trip – from Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach to the Gulf of Mexico on the West Coast. I estimated the trip betweeb 130 and 150 miles. Previously I have ridden two centuries, but that was in 2006 and 2007. Then, training to ride in the bike across Florida Race I hurt my knee. Ultimately, I had to have orthroscopic surgery and essentially quit riding. In 2009 I injured my back when we moved from Florida or to our cabin in North Georgia. The last five years truly became a battle of pain management, and strength maintenance. In 2013, last year, I started running as a way to stay in shape while we were living in our RV and building our house. Unfortunately, one Sunday I had to run to get a life guard for an injured person at the beach and tore a calf muscle in the process. Again, dreams were sidelined.

Over the past year, August 2013 to May 2014 I attended law school at Barry University in Orlando. Over the course of the year since my focus was on grades I did little or no working out (nil would be the best description). I found myself snacking on skittles and drinking Starbucks Frappuccino’s on the way to class since I attended four nights a week. This past spring while working on my Appellate Brief for LRW2 I realized I needed to change some habits, I didn’t feel healthy. This was subsequent to some similar thoughts around the New Year. In January I started doing the 7-minute workout – very irregularly. Off and on I would do Yoga, stretch, push-ups and abs. Most was hit or miss.

Finally, when I set out to start on the Brief I set a plan to complete the work. I also realized it was a very concise eight week goal and I could simultaneously take on a committed workout for eight weeks which would result in feeling better for summer. So, in mid-March I started riding my bike.

The first few rides were incredibly tiring and slow. The weather was colder, I was out of shape and overall my ass hurt. However, I did some reading with a focus on how not to hurt my knees and learned I had been a “masher” instead of a “spinner”. I changed to focus on spinning and just worked on making sure I was on the bike nearly every day. Any good cyclist knows it is time in the saddle that creates success. Over the course of writing my Brief and preparing for oral arguments I started to ride each morning. I was not as consistent as I hoped, but averaged two to three times a week and sometimes more. The best outcome I was found a route I could do daily, safely, and knew how long it would take me.

As I improved, I found myself knowing I could ride the route in exactly 40 minutes (or less). Initially it was 45, and today it is closer to 30 minutes. The route is exactly eight miles. Since I knew a workout took 40 minutes I could look at the clock and budget my time, thus I became consistent.

By May I felt good about my progress and knew I could ride further as I had not been hurt. I set my goal to ride across Florida by my birthday, August 12. I am writing this post in past tense and have the advantage of knowing what has worked and hasn’t, but will share more in separate posts. For now, I started the summer with about 120 base miles behind me and a goal to get across the state.

July 20, 2014 by admin Bicycling John - Personal Sharing Self Improvemet

Time…Again

One of my favorite songs is Styx’ “Too Much Time on my Hands.” However, most of us don’t have that luxury. I assert people waste time. People waste their own time, or more importantly they waste other’s time. Time is a nonrenewable, there’s nothing to replace it. I hate people wasting my time due to their inability to manage their own time.

Example, have you ever waited in the doctor’s office? You have a scheduled appointment and find 45 minutes past the scheduled time the doctor finally makes it in to see you. How about the cable guy? A block of time is given for cable or internet installation, “he’ll be there between 10am and noon tomorrow,” the installation scheduler tells you. After taking off time from work you watch the clock hoping the installer will arrive anytime. As noon comes and goes our irritation builds. Finally, at 1:35pm the installer shows and we realize we are at his mercy.

On the other hand we expect a flight schedule or train schedule to run perfectly. Airlines are actually penalized for a failure to arrive on time or depart. School bells similarly ring at certain times – life as a teacher (I did this job once) is dictated by the bell.

I work with a variety of people and have noted almost all are incredibly conscientious of being on time. Appointments scheduled with sales leads execute on time. At the executive level there is significant respect for other people’s time I find myself guilty though, on days when over-booked with appointments and there is no slack in the schedule, of running late. I am generally late by no more than a few minutes, but running late nonetheless.

To me it appears economic status also impacts respect for time. Additionally, culture has a huge impact. Maybe time is not worth much to them. Culturally in America with certain groups it appears being late is fashionable, part of the norm. Our own President Obama has been criticized as the first president unable to punctually follow a schedule; bad time management, cultural habit, arrogance, or disrespect for others? I once had a dinner party and waited nearly 90 minutes for two guests, of a different culture, to arrive.

I’ve made a resolution to be overly conscious of how I manage time. More importantly I have made a resolution to hypersensitivity respect other’s time. This is especially important when someone has invited me to a meeting. In addition I want to ensure I am not only on time, but give quality time. I have also made a pact with myself to have no electronic devices in meetings to ensure I give them my undivided attention.

When I was an Air Force ROTC cadet I was taught a very important saying, “If you are on time you are late. If you are early you are on time.” A professor in MBA School similarly shared wisdom with our class and called it “flat tire time.” He said you should always leave for an appointment with enough time to change a flat tire and not be late. Most people could not imagine arriving early, so early, but the problem is easily solved by keeping a book handy.

My question for you is, “do you respect or waste other people’s time?”

March 4, 2013 by admin John - Personal Sharing Self Improvemet

2012 Nelson Recap

2012 Recap

LeeAnn and I started talking about 2012 this morning and discussed all of the things we have done this year. Our year has been full and I thought it would be fun to recap, share with my kids, family and friends.

New Year’s 2012 in New York

We started the new year in New York at LeeAnn’s Uncle Joe’s house after celebrating New Year’s Eve. Haley, Marcella, and Jack had never been to one of LeeAnn’s family events before and it was overwhelming with food, family, and celebration.

Our biggest impacts in 2012 were Ty as the newest addition to our family and me traveling to Dallas. Meanwhile, LeeAnn was going to school and taking care of Ty and James on her own. We made a trip to Daytona Beach the last weekend of the month to go to the Rolex 24-hour race, another chance to spend time with Haley, Marcella, and Jack.

Jack at the Rolex Race

February came fast and we went to Florida the first weekend for Marcella’s dance competition at Disney. LeeAnn and I also managed a business trip to Charleston, SC that gave us a short weekend away. We wrapped up February with another trip to Florida for Jack’s Cub Scout to Boy Scout Crossover.

March was a little easier, less traveled with LeeAnn and I making a 10 day trip to Dallas in anticipation of moving. We had the kids in Georgia the following week and shared with them we would be moving.

The second week of April we made another trip to Florida, this time for Haley’s Sweet 16 Birthday party. Our good friends Barbara and Neal were able to spend time with us, little did we know it would be the last time we would see Barbara (R.I.P..June 2012). The following weekend LeeAnn, the boys, and I made a trip to New York for Ty’s Christening.

May started with LeeAnn graduating with her accounting degree, two solid years of work behind her and adding to her marketing degree. For Mother’s Day I took her to the Biltmore House in Asheville, something we had talked about the entire time we lived in north Georgia and now time to go with urgency around moving in front of us. Memorial Day capped the month with Haley, Marcella, and Jack coming to the cabin. More importantly, our friends Greg and Chelley from Florida came up, and my sister and her family with my cousin Kevin and his family made it over. We have a Memorial Day celebration on the porch at the cabin.

June was the Genesis of a new part of our life – a move to Dallas from Georgia, The hardest part of the change was not Dallas, but the distance from Haley, Marcella, and Jack. However, I “sold it” to them based on the opportunity to see a new part of the country. We moved in to our apartment on June 8^th. I made a trip to Salem the week of June 24^th and then flew back to Atlanta to meet my kids in Tifton, Georgia (Starbucks) on June 29^th – we drove straight through to Dallas.

James and Ty in the pool at the apartment in Texas

July was about sharing Dallas with Haley, Marcella, and Jack. I worked my ass off at work and they went to the pool every day. However, we all took a trip to the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Salem, Seattle, and Vancouver) which we followed by a cruise on the Inside Passage to Alaska. A great time to leave Dallas when it is 105 degrees. LeeAnn’s nieces came when we returned and we shared DFW

Stockyards, Ft. Worth TX

experiences with the kids.

August 9^th found us in New Orleans taking my kids back to Florida to meet their mother in Tallahassee. In a rented minivan LeeAnn and

My daughters, Haley and Marcella, on Bourbon Street New Orleans

My Dad came to visit – four Nelson men: Bob, John, Ty, James

I made our way to the cabin. It gave us a chance to see my parents, check on the house, and more importantly drive the motorhome out to Texas (with big plans to vacation in it!). James started school upon our return – attending a Montessori school in Las Colinas. The highlight of the trip was my Dad coming home with us. We were able to take my Dad to see my Uncle Gary in LaGrange, Texas.

September could not have come sooner. We had no company, we were settled, and we seemed to have a routine finally. LeeAnn started studying for the CPA exam and James was loving school. The week of September 10^th we went to Costa Rica, a trip I had longed for a long time and a reward LeeAnn gave herself for finishing school. I also began taking steps to attend law school: registering for the LSAT, studying, accruing reference letters and filling out applications. Long a dream, but always impossible, living in Dallas with two schools offering part-time programs made it seem realistic. The last weekend of the month was concluded with a visit from my sister-in-law Margaret. The highlight, LeeAnn and I bought cowboy boots. James also started t-ball! This was a new experience for us having practice twice per week and games all day Saturdays.

Jack came to visit – flying by himself

October 6 was the LSAT exam for me, and then off to James’ t-ball games on a cold, dreary day. Jack came to see us by himself, his first time traveling alone and I made a trip to Florida for NBAA which allowed me to see Haley, Marcella, and Jack in New Smyrna for dinner one evening. We found out LeeAnn passed the Financial section of the CPA – another milestone!

November started with LeeAnn having foot surgery that put her on crutches for 6 weeks – a challenging time

My Mom, Karen, came to help LeeAnn with her crutches

for us. My Mom came out to help for 10 days so I could travel for week. The second weekend of the month Haley, Marcella, and Jack came to Dallas and we did an early birthday celebration for James. Sometime in

My daughter, Haley, loves my new Jeep

the month we found time to buy a new car, a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, trading in our Volkswagen. When Thanksgiving came LeeAnn was still on crutches so I did all of the cooking for us and we had our neighbors/friends from downstairs over for the day. November 29^th was James’ real birthday so we took him to Medieval Times in Dallas (Lee on crutches..) and LeeAnn’s birthday was the following day. We managed dinner out the next day – all you can eat sushi.

LeeAnn with crutches

Ty’s 1st Birthday

James’ on his 5th birthday at Medieval Times in Dallas

It was hard to believe December finally made it. We were challenged with LeeAnn’s crutches, Christmas shopping, planning a trip to Georgia for the holidays, and Ty’s 1^st birthday. Somehow we managed to get it all done! More important, LeeAnn continued to study for the CPA, I found out I was accepted to one of the law schools of many to which I applied, I traveled, balanced work, and we made important decisions for our family.

Each year I try to challenge myself to do more, to stay ahead. I also want to share with my kids adventures in life. As I look to 2013 I know there will be many challenges and much excitement. Like last year, LeeAnn and the boys will start the year in New York, me – Dallas. Where we end the year I do not know. However, I know we will move to Florida by March, LeeAnn will wrap up all of the CPA exams and find a job, James and Ty will both start a new day school, James will play spring t-ball, living in Florida will facilitate closer relationships with Haley/Marcella/Jack and bring us even closer together. In the summer we are taking a family vacation our west to the Grand Canyon with my sister-in-law, and in the Fall James will start Kindergarten and I will start law school part time. Haley will take the SATs again in March and the two of us will work on picking a college as she starts her Senior year of high school. I don’t know what unexpected events will transpire but I am confident we can handle anything we face.

My daughters, Haley and Marcella, on their visit to Dallas and Bass Pro in November 2012

James celebration of life at Las Colinas Montessori

The great blizzard of 2012 in Las Colinas, TX

James’ on his 5th birthday at Medieval Times in Dallas

Arriving in Florida after a great summer – Haley, Marcella, Jack, James and Ty

December 30, 2012 by admin John - Personal Sharing

I love cars

Recently I saw an early 1980’s Datsun 280ZX in perfect condition pass by and it reminded me of the one I owned from 1986-1988. I

AFROTC Cadet John Nelson and 1980 280ZX

loved that car. It was black with rust fenders when I bought it. I cut out the rust, put in new metal, added some Bondo, and had the car painted gun metal gray. With tan leather interior and 5-speed the little two-seater was a blast to drive with Frankie Goes to Hollywood singing “Relax” as a cruised the highway from Gainesville to Crescent Beach.

Remembering my Z-car created a flood of memories of different cars I have owned from a BMW to a Crown Victoria and I thought it would be interesting to list them.

1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle (1984-1986) – my first car. The little 4-speed manual was fun to drive. In red and rather plain I was glad to have a car. I started reading VW Magazine and found myself soon making modifications to the Beetle. I sanded out the rust and repainted it with a new shade of red. I replaced the front windows with tinted one piece windows and added Baby Turbo mirrors. Of course, I installed a new stereo and speakers. This is the car that got me from Minnesota to Florida to go to college. Ultimately, my sister got this car.

1980 Datsun 280ZX (1986-1988) – Loved this car…A 5-speed with power windows, mirrors, cruise control and just shit hot fun to drive.

Just washed, 1988 Honda CRX

1988 Honda CRX (1988-1990) – My first brand new car. Tinted the windows nearly black, installed a new stereo, and got nearly 40 mpg. The car was white with a dark blue interior. The 5-speed had great mileage but lacked power and pizazz I wanted, especially after the Z-car.

1990 Honda Prelude Si (1990-1992) – My second brand new car and first out of college. I put 60k miles on this car in two years commuting to work. It was also the last time I every leased a car. White with a dark interior and 5-speed it was fun to drive home with the sunroof open.

1990 Honda Prelude – note the owner’s bleach blonde hair

1988 Honda Civic DX (1990-1995) – By marriage I inherited this car. We put 120k mile on the 5-speed, red, plain jane Honda. It was cheap to drive and did its job.

1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo (1992-2012) – This car replaced the Honda and it is still in the family with 230,000 miles. I drove it off the lot in Spartanburg, South Carolina with 78 miles on the odometer. The Jeep was rugged and a great family hauler.

1990 Buick LeSabre (1995) – a company car. Silver, big boat.

1973 MGB Convertible (1994-1996) – My first fun car. Green with a black top. Not quite as much fun as I expected because of its lack of power. But, I could put the top down and drive around in a classic convertible.

1994 Ford Crown Victoria (1995-1996) – I was working as the branch manager of an engineering company driving all over the southeast. This car made sense, plus I looked like a cop driving it. It was dark green with a gray leather interior. The big V-8 went like hell and it road like my living room couch going down the road.

1967 Mustang Convertible (1996-Present) – I finally got the car I always wanted, and still have it until this day. It took 8 years to restore and has been on the road for 8 years. Green with a tan interior and top this car turns heads.

1967 Mustang Hardtop (1996) – I bought this car to cut up and build my convertible, but I couldn’t do it. Some work on it and a new paint job I sold the six-cylinder automatic within 6-weeks for twice what I paid.

1988 BMW 325i (1996-1998) – I sold the Crown Vic when I quit my job and went on my own. This 5-speed BMW was a little worn when I got it but I learned what “the Ultimate Driving Machine” meant. I remember my ex-wife calling “Big Money Waste”. The gray on gray 4-door ran well unless it was in the shop.

1969 Cessna 150K (1997-2001) – I felt it would make sense to mention my first airplane about this time…

1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (1998-1999) – OK the BMW bit the dust and need about $1500 in repairs. Emergency trade for the most boring car I ever owned. More or less a Lumina with two doors and the crappiest seat and interior known. Chevy used to suck super badly.

1998 Ford Expedition (1999-2002) – So I was out of town and the Monte Carlo broke down. That led to a decision to get the Expedition. This SUV was good looking, deep burgundy with a tan leather interior, but the highway ride always sucked. I think the right rear tire was out of round but replacing it did no good and there was always noise from the rear-end.

2000 Volkswagen Passat (2000-2001) – The economic downturn in 2001 post 9/11 drove selling this car. This German car performed great and was incredible on the road.

2002 Dodge Caravan (2002-…) – my ex-wife still has this car. Dark blue on a gray interior. Quite honestly, a great investment (like the Jeep). A car that delivered what it was meant to do: haul our family well.

The driveway at this point had the Mustang under restoration, the Jeep showing about 75k miles and the minivan. Divorce led me in a new car direction. I got the Jeep and kept my Mustang.

For a while I enjoyed driving, on occasion a 2003 Nissan Murano.

1996 Chevrolet Suburban (2005-2007) – I had to get a bigger car to get around. The Suburban was the answer with kids to haul. I was able to park the Jeep in my warehouse and hang onto it.

1994 Honda Shadow – (2006-2008) – My first motorcycle. Black and white, I added saddle bags and took the windscreen off.

1995 Piper Saratoga N325CA (2006-2009) – I think I am shedding tears on this one. An incredibly beautiful aircraft worthy of note. I traveled to New York, the Bahamas, back and forth to Texas, all over the southeast, and to Oshkosh. I loved this 6-seater aircraft. I miss N325CA.

2006 Honda Civic EX (2006-2011) – LeeAnn had this car when we got married. It was a decked out Honda that we put 100k miles on. I only wish it had been a 5-speed instead of an automatic, but otherwise I have great family memories and we went many places in this Honda.

1974 Corvette Convertible (2007-2008) – This car had more speed than anything I have owned. The silver on silver sports car was an automatic with the 350 cu in standard engine. There were rattles from the top and door windows but this car turned heads and was truly a lot of fun.

2007 Ford Freestyle (2007-2010) – Leeann and I bought this car together, our first new car. Main reason was three rows of seats so we could move four kids around in reasonable comfort without breaking down. The Suburban was showing too much wear.

1996 Gulfstream Conquest E350 (2009-Present) – our motorhome. The Beast…

2007 Chevrolet Suburban LT – just after purchase parked at the cabin

2007 Chevrolet Suburban (2010-present) – We outgrew the Freestyle. The kids got bigger and we were going further. With five kids there could not be a better car for us as we can pack all of our gear in back, and use the roof. We have driven the Suburban to NYC twice, Florida a dozen times, and of course out to Texas. The Suburban will be with us for many years as she is reliable, solid, and gets the mission done.

2012 Volkswagen CC Lux (2011-Present) – a blast to drive the turbo-four 2.0 liter in black on black gets me around town and still gets 30 mpg. The Germans build great cars.

1980 Honda CB650 (2011-Present) – my second motorcycle. This bike is a lot of fun and the classic look of bikes I saw growing up.

I count 22 different cars I have had over 28 years of driving. I estimate I have driven approximately 500,000 miles. My favorite cars by far are the 280ZX and the Corvette. The car I love the most though is my 67 Mustang, probably because I built.

Where I could, I tried to find an image that matched my car as close as possible.

October 30, 2012 by admin John - Personal Sharing

October and Looking Forward (10/7/2012)

October and Looking Forward
(10/7/2012)

My last column was on my birthday, August 12^th. Since then I have worked to plan and accomplish several goals for the upcoming year. Most important among them was taking the LSAT. I feel too many people waste away time with meaningless “filler”, like watching the Sunday afternoon football games or episodes of Honey Boo Boo at night. Whereas, capturing and controlling time allows accomplishments.

As much as I think I manage to do a lot, continually working on professional development and spending time with my family I am often blown away by others. For instance, James Altucher continues to write and create new ideas. This column from last week shows a lot of insight into how he does so much. More important, he starts his day early – 4:30a and begins doing more before most people wake up.

Studying for the LSAT I did the same. Over the last seven weeks I ran my life like a training exercise. I awoke early most days, between 4:30a and 6:00a. I blocked 2-3 hours each day to study. Thus, I was able to find 40-60 hours to spend studying. In the evenings I studied, on weekends I studied. This is why I do not know who Romo is or can’t tell you scores of NFL games on Monday mornings. Five years from now what will matter more, today’s meaningless contest between multi-millionaires or working hard to advance my career?

I have made a decision to continue the challenge and find a true way to accomplish more. So many books exist, many people try hard but most methods fail. I think I am onto something. First, I am a believer in Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. If you never read it, order it now. Second, passion is the driver for everything. Finally, I have discovered pre-planning and accountability drive an emotion that forces me to accomplish goals. Failure to meet my plans drives guilt and that keeps me on task. Others may describe it as character. My son learned at Cub Scouts that character is what you do when no one is looking. Maybe goals and desires are the same.

My action plan is setup like this:

– I took my August 12 list and planned out the entire year. Making reasonable plans to accomplish different goals.

– Every 6-7 weeks I will revisit the list and “blitz” the next major desires.

– Some goals will take the entire year, so they require ongoing attention.

– A year from now I can look back and evaluate.

With that in mind, here are my goals from the original column, “A birthday reflection.”

– Work on being a good dad and husband

I am managing this throughout the year by special messages to my kids (setup on my Outlook calendar) and scheduled date nights with my wife (on my calendar). Most important, I am trying to make sure I am not an asshole.

– Supporting LeeAnn with the CPA exam.

This one is easy. I continue to clear time on my calendar to put her first. Today, for instance, she is off studying for her first exam on October 12 and then will start another class for an exam on November 3^rd.

– “Born in ‘67’” – this is an ongoing item and my first task is to start writing weekly. Thus, I have setup my calendar for Saturday’s and Wednesday’s to start writing a page between now and December 1. Thereafter I will write everyday 500 words by getting up each morning. Over 100 days, I will essentially have completed 100 pages.

– “If I can remain fit and healthy” – yeah, just need to get back to the gym on this one. Starting tomorrow…

– “Learn a few Spanish phrases” – moving this one to the next phase, starting in December. We went to Costa Rica and the desire is there.

– “Happy Birthday” on my guitar – Ty and James’ birthdays are just around the corner. November 30^th so this is the new blitz

So, the short version for the next 7 weeks is:

– Learn to play “Happy Birthday” on my guitar

– Start working out on a regular schedule again

– I have four books to read: The 3^rd Hunger Games, Good to Great, a marketing book, and something personal

– My RV needs repair – the roof and suspension

– I have a longer term project that has some milestones to accomplish in the next 3-4 weeks and know with 100% I will complete those. However, important to list because of the time commitments.

– If I can write 15 pages for my book between now and December I will be satisfied too.

– And finally I have something I promised to take care of for LeeAnn

Sound like a lot? I don’t think so. Add work, travel, seeing kids twice, a lot of t-ball games and practices and it becomes more challenging. But, one thing is certain; I won’t waste my time with football…

In other words, don’t succumb to Bread and Circuses.

October 7, 2012 by admin General Rant John - Personal Sharing Self Improvemet

Gay Marriage will help Father’s Rights

I’m divorced and have kids; I am not gay. In the near future these two worlds will collide as same-sex civil unions continue to increase and family court judges will face challenges previously unconsidered. Historically family court judges have awarded custody with a prejudice toward the mother over the father, but when a judge must consider custody between two fathers I assert there will be a move toward equal parenting.

My own journey into the family court system started in 2003 when I filed for divorce. Personally miserable, in a loveless marriage, I feared the impact of divorce upon my children. At the time my wife and I had relatively equal parental roles, but a traditional marriage affording her the opportunity to work part-time as a family court attorney while I was the primary income earner. Finally I made a choice to divorce and naively expected an agreement supportive of my role as a father.

It was then I learned there is a strong precedent to relegate divorced fathers to the sidelines in a child’s life. Out of fairness, we must recognize the historic precedent of the Mad Men style of philandering, leaving behind family for a younger woman. In the post-war era fathers were bread-winners and mothers were left to raise the kids. Divorce therefore required strong remedy to protect mom and children. Televisions shows like One Day at a Time of the 1970’s drove the need for child support and alimony to the public’s attention.

The father of the millennium is far different. We are hands-on, equally sharing in parental responsibility whether it is bathing, feeding, reading, or interests at school. We can change diapers, get up at night, and care for our ill sons and daughters. Our current two-income society has forced involvement, but more importantly we have rejected the parenting style of our fathers.

Unfortunately, the family court system has lagged behind and child support collection in many states has become a corrupt enterprise putting money ahead of family. If a father loses his job the state views it more important to incarcerate him than his role in his child’s life. Divorced dads have become checkbooks supporting wealth transfer to millions of women when most want to share equally in the responsibility of raising their children.

In May 2012 two states passed legislative changes supporting equal parenting. Minnesota’s Senate recently passed a law requiring a minimum 35% overnight time for either parent, focused on stability and importance of both parent’s role in their child’s life. More aggressively, Arizona passed SB1127 requiring equality for both parents.

I argue civil unions in the coming years will be the catalyst for divorced parental equality; gays seek marital equality and desire traditional family units, typically via adoption. For women, the task is easier, possibly avoiding adoption, but creates debate as arguments will focus on birth-mother versus mother-partner rights. Today’s court bias, children inherently belong with their mother, where father is stripped of parental influence and relegated to financial provider, will not work.

The “standard visitation” of dad seeing his children every other weekend and one night a week will fail when there are “two Moms” or “two Dads.” Gay marriage will instantly invalidate the bias toward Mom and force the courts to a presumption of parental equality. Politicians and courts will insert themselves in arguments and face challenges to sort out what they believe is “best” for children. As they do, the news will cover new versions of Kramer v. Kramer, but expect two men to be the center of the controversy.
.

June 2, 2012 by admin Big Government General Rant John - Personal Sharing

A Recipe for Success

A Recipe for Success (2/1/2012)

At dinner last week my friend Scott shared comments from a seminar he delivered to MBA students about entrepreneurship. His observation from spending time with these millennials was their questions focused on how to be successful; not in generalities but seeking a specific checklist void of risk. Mutually we agreed there is no checklist to succeed, but commonalities exist which create a method to achieve success. Personally I have formulated a recipe, based on experience and believe three essential elements are required: S-E-P, Evolution, and no Plan B.

S-E-P

is Skills, Education, and Passion. First,Skills are the know-how we develop over time that contribute to our expertise. For example, we all can pound a nail, but a carpenter knows how to build a house. In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell describes a 10,000 hour requirement for our skills to develop to an expert level. Second, Education is required to differentiate ourselves, but may come from military, college, or teachings of others. Most important, communication, whether written or verbal, is the critical learning requirement. Third, Passion is the ultimate differentiator between success and failure, but is the hardest to explain. Passion will drive one to succeed no matter what obstacles are confronted and passion is what engages us to continue when our energies are exhausted.

The second essential element is Evolution. Our lives are about learning from mistakes and this is the evolution I refer to, understanding how to move forward after a perceived failure and use failure as way to unlock opportunities. I argue each failure makes us stronger because they are events, not who we are. For example, when I owned my company many people assumed my most successful software program was the first I developed. To the contrary, I counted there were nearly 14 different programs I had tried to develop and sell. Most business owners evolve to create opportunities and rarely is success found the first time.

Lastly, to succeed there must be no “Plan B” because failure cannot be an option. I assert if an easier option exists affording failure then our effort will stop when the most difficult challenges loom. When failure is not an option, our creativity is ignited to try new methods and search for alternatives supporting our passion, in other words evolution occurs. For example, today’s college graduates can choose to move home because finding a job or supporting themselves is deemed impossible. If moving home was not an option these struggling graduates would share cheaper homes, work three jobs, and live on their own. Success cannot be had when one can turn his back on hard work and fear of bankruptcy.

There is no checklist for success, but I can assure you without elements of the above achieving success is impossible. Our current economy is tough and it saddens me when I hear about friends and neighbors losing jobs and homes, but at the same time I can identify friends finding success because they will not be victimized by systemic factors and have demonstrated the above elements. No guarantee for success exists, but I assure you practicing and understanding the above will bring reward.

January 30, 2012 by admin Capitalism Economic Development John - Personal Sharing

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