Community Emergency Response Team

The stimulating point to join was after the Japanese tsunami and watching it with my wife and kids. I knew I needed to be better prepared, so I found and joined our local C.E.R.T the Community Emergency Response Team, which had been originally implemented on a national level. That at least got me started with some of the main tools I needed as well as much guidance by Aaron Grossman who leads the Mountain View team. I started some supplemental training, which was led by Lynn Brown the Coordinator of the Office of Emergency Services with the Mountain View Fire Department. On August 24th, 2011 we were on our second night of training and earlier that day had served as a great lesson even though the impact from the 5.8 earthquake centered in Virginia was minimal we were able to tackle some tough realities like the fact that my Grandfather would need some major assistance walking down four flights of stairs in the case of another emergency. It also solidified the importance of having this background knowledge (as they say here in California) not in case something happens, but WHEN the next one happens. I have also reserved time to go get licensed as an Amateur HAM radio operator and Lynn asked about helping out with the Spanish C.E.R.T class , which would be awesome. I would like nothing more than to do the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in this short life span of ours. There is still more to learn as always so on and forward to the next chapters.

"The Unemployment Numbers in the United States - July 2011"

As July unemployment numbers are repeated there are also mentions of a discouraged workforce leaving the employment arena. I think what bothers me most about those mentions is the word "discouraged". I personally feel blessed as far as having my complete health, a strong family, and a relatively young mind and maybe that is what has helped me maintain such a positive outlook. I see it as an opportunity and I always have whenever I left any place of employment. Being able to do what I truly LOVED this time around. Making enough money to not worry about bills is another story. What has helped is that my mentality for the past couple of years has been one of a person focused on creating his own business opportunities, in industries of my own choosing to ultimately be HAPPY in life. I guess I have also been "discouraged" in the sense of the searching for responsibilities in the traditional labor market and in that case would be content because the end result of that should be the growth of private and small businesses.  We all have a responsibility to each other to motivate one another and keep each other or at least ourselves passionate and social (NOT facebook) about the things we LOVE in life.