Redoing the redone

So sometimes in life mistakes are made. Sometimes in graduate school, you write a self-reflective paper and sort of miss the point of the assignment decide to re-write starting at 1130pm on the night before it is due at 830 in the morning. Here is the paper that (sort of) missed the point of the assignment. Enjoy. This [year/month/post's] cultural topic is:

Personal Development/Self-reflective Planning

I am present two (of many) social media platforms which require brief description in my profile. Twitter: “MBA candidate in marketing strategy, photographer, musician...pretty cool guy interested in interesting things!” LinkedIn: “President MBA Society, Photographer, Aspiring Marketer”…but are these synopses really indicative of what I believe? Are they who I am or are they what I do?

What would I do if I won the lottery?

I often ask myself this question and the answer is consistently: travel, motorcycle, take photos, write about it…but beyond these seemingly selfish wishes, my thoughts consistently come back to the impact on/benefit I receive from my friends and community.

Why I do what I do

I spend a great deal of my leisure time in the Calgary area riding motorcycles. The freedom of the open road allows time for self-reflection, coupled with a group activity (often ride with close friends). I have spent over 18 months living and traveling abroad in 32 countries on 4 continents and I do not consider a country visited unless I have actually “experienced” local culture. Balance is very important in my life and while many people have a hard time finding time, I find refuge in simple things like watching sports, having coffee with my mom or going for a hike. I often act impulsively, but balance is the pinnacle for me to seizing opportunity, open-mindedness and keeping a positive outlook on life.

I was raised without any formal religion, but raised to be curious and open-minded. I am outgoing and outspoken. After an interdisciplinary undergrad degree, at age 22 I set off on a number of trips to that took me to southeast Asia, USA and Central America, where curiosity and (lack of) communication lead me to learn Spanish. But knowledge bug wanted more. At 24, I impulsively moved to the UK and even more impulsively set off on a 5 month, 14 country tour of Europe and north Africa which included a 33 day pilgrimage through northern Spain, “El Camino Santiago”. It was during this hike that I began to truly embrace the act of self-reflection, the ability overcome pain in pursuit of a goal and to appreciate the journey en route to the destination.

Mulligan on life: second chances

A mentor of mine once told me I could make as many mistakes as I wanted – as long as I didn’t make the same one twice. I enjoyed my most recent “previous life” as a sales manager but I was not passionate about it. I had a team of 15 and was part of a management team of 4. I respected my boss because he knew how to “get things done” in a business sense, but I was respected by my team because I explained the high-level, customer-centric, “why”. (As it turns out, focusing on the customer can actually make tons of money!) I was selective in recruitment and lead in a consensus-based way – as I like being lead – in a sort of pay-it-forward type system. Coming back to MBA (also impulsively), I hoped to get more out of life than a grind, find personal clarity, career direction and ultimately, guidance in trying to find my passion. I have many talents and while I have acquired many new skills (as well as business contacts and close friends) throughout the program, I am still uncertain that I have found my true calling.

I believe in seeing problems as opportunities and, while it has become somewhat of a joke with those in my class (along with having a reputation of being incapable of stress – a reputation I appreciate), I rarely say no to opportunities and always find time to try new things (including parties, social events, networking). In the short and long term, I hope to maintain this outlook.

My people: why I am who I am

I seek counsel from anyone willing to give it (but mostly my close friends, brother and parents) and I am in the position of MBA Society President because I trust myself to trust others and others trust in me (and because, while I was not planning to run, a good friend of mine convinced me that it was my destiny). My inner circle has diverse viewpoints and I consider most of them to be smarter than I am, so I can learn from them, but (equally important) they from me. They have made me the man and leader I am today and I maintain my unconditional trust in many of them. I follow the golden rule: I treat my friends and community the way I expect to be treated and hope they do the same for me.

Onward and upward: goals and actions

In the short term, I will continue to get on the motorbike to encourage solo-reflection; I will continue to watch the Flames to maintain a sense of community (and because I like hockey), and I will go for drinks with my friends to hear their ideas.

I also plan to cook more. Evening classes have not afforded me time to eat at home or as healthily as I would like. I play guitar, bass, sax and keyboard, but weekly playing hours manage to be absorbed into other activities. I will attempt to stop taking freelance photography gigs, as event photography is too scripted and my love of photography is in the relaxation found by uncovering new points of view and natural beauty. I also intend to read more books instead of watching TV (though several documentaries can be quite good as well). I currently have a mentor and am mentor to two undergrad business students. Both experiences are rewarding and I hope to stay in touch with all three of them for years going forward.

In the longer term, I will continue to keep an open mind. I plan to travel again: my goal is 50 countries by age 50 (one per year shouldn’t be so hard). I will continue to work with charities, particularly cancer, arthritis, diabetes and mental health (all conditions that have affected my family). I would also like to have a family, but mostly so I can teach my kids to skate.

In business, all there is is integrity and reputation; I believe the same goes for personal life. I admit when I’m wrong, I don’t do anything I will regret, but I don’t regret anything I’ve done. On the “Open road of life”, say no to saying no. Stay balanced, stay on the bike. 

How to make friends and learn something too

“Stay Hungry, stay foolish” – Steve Jobs

Shortly after beginning the program last fall, I was in a conversation with a guy who was about to finish. He told me that to him, MBA meant one thing: “MBA means ‘I’m better than you’”. I humoured him and laughed at the time, but after completing my 1st year with good grades and a successful CV of handshaking events and networking, I respectfully disagree.

FIRST YEAR MBA

One thing that is interesting to me about the way programs like the MBA are set up is that “cohorts” (I dislike this word…different story for a different day) move through the program and end at various times but end up in courses together, even though one part-time student is in their third year and a first year full time is in second semester. One result is a mixing of what I will call “generational ideologies” where older/more experienced students have become jaded and lackadaisical, while the other is fully dedicated and hyper eager. One looking forward to the end of the degree, while the other looking for nothing short of an A. What’s funny is that we all did that once the first time around.  “This is the last exam I’m ever going to take”. WRONG. What we should have said is “this is the last exam I’m ever going to take until I decide I don’t want to work at the job/jobs I will have in the next few years until my company offers to pay for a parttime program in something or I quit and dedicate two years to school!”  That would be more appropriate, anyway.

“I don’t give a [crap] mode” is a special period of time in everyone’s career (work or school) when they know a transition is imminent. This happens for students who have a good idea they will be finishing their program within the semester and to workers as they hand in their letter of resignation. If you’ve never experienced this felling, go: quit your job (but actually, do what makes you happy).

I have really enjoyed my time over the last months. Not only did we have long weekends every week, but the program is actually much more difficult than I had expected (in a good way) and low and behold I learned a thing or two. Grad school is a whole new world: B- is minimum pass, professors (usually) actually care what your name is, and going to class really does matter. Like many grad school programs, MBA is difficult to fail but easy to do poorly. Unlike most grad school programs, we pay a great deal to do it!

Truth of the matter is I, as did many of my classmates, expected the MBA to be a daily gathering of our class to discuss intellectual matters, write a couple of papers and BOOM: Degree! Well, turns out they actually want you to learn something this time around (as compared to many people’s fluffy first degree *cough* engineering or comsci *cough*). I started out with experience in sales, recruiting and sales management and I wholeheartedly believe that I have a background that suits the curriculum. Without supervisory/management experience (especially in tasks like conflict resolution, hiring, etc) I wouldn't have had the right background to actually learn anything…which would have make the whole exercise purely academic.

The great debate: full-time or part-time. Full-timers are seen as the academic types. University (as it was in undergrad) is designed to show prospective employers that you know how to learn. Of course, the running joke is that MBAs are entitled and don’t actually know how to do anything, even after graduation. Well, I don’t have the most spectacular GPA and never have and care less about amazing grades than actually getting something out of the education. Sure, exams and grades are a supposed measure of how much of the course you understand, but “common sense” and “analytical skills” more important than memorizing the formula for “master budgets” or the definition of “hollowed out”.

I believe in doing the right thing. I believe in doing things that make you happy. I believe it is possible to do the right thing, be happy and make money all at the same time. Call me naïve, but I believe you get out what you put in. MBA is about creating relationships and developing skills.

So, if being happy while doing the right thing makes you happy, and being happy makes you a better person, maybe MBA does mean I’m better than you…or maybe we’ll just turn out like this guy:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vx1BTBhg4c

Now there’s something we can look forward to. But for now, I’m just going to continue the journey and see what happens. 

Here's a video I put together for the Haskayne MBA Society:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXCljkgjHD8

PS I’m working doing marketing for the University this summer. WOO!

WHY do you do?

When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. - John Lennon 

As many of you know, I work at Western Canada’s largest self-serve automotive dismantling/recycling store. Yes, I work at an auto-wrecker. But it’s not just an everyday run of the mill auto dismantling recycling facility: it is a used Auto-Parts Retail Outlet. I told you that to tell you this: 

People don't buy things from companies, they buy ideas. 

Customers don’t realise what they are buying; for this reason, many staff equally do not realise what they are selling; therefore, all parties involved believe that they are buying and selling used car parts from a field full of old cars. WRONG. 

We sell ideas. We not only sell ideas, we sell knowledge. The biggest “idea” we sell is that we are going to do whatever we can do to help the customer “believe” so that they leave satisfied and we create the IDEA that it is a good idea to come back again one day. Of course, optimally they do go home with someTHING as well. 

Companies call this “creating repeat clientele” and see it from an economic/financial standpoint: 

Repeat clients=Greater Revenue=Higher Profits 

Of course, companies are in the business of making money, but it has become increasingly apparent to me over the last few years that many companies (as well as many individuals) do not know WHY they do what they do. Do companies and individuals simply want to make money (to please shareholders and bring home a paycheque), or is there a greater good that can be accomplished by doing what they do? Companies want to create demand for their customers. But WHY? If we have customers that still come to us to buy THINGS, we aren't selling ourselves properly. We haven’t created the DESIRE for them to come back…You can buy things anywhere, after all. 

Companies tell us WHAT to do, but they don’t tell us WHY we should do it, so it is difficult for these companies to have truly engaged staff. Of course, some staff will take it upon themselves to find why they do things or what makes them happy, but without engaged staff you just have people going through the motions and not actually believing in what they are doing. Happiness is everything and if you aren’t happy doing what you do, don’t do it. Each day you have to ask yourself why you do what you do in order to be successful; if money is the ONLY reason that you go to work, then you should likely reconsider what you do for work. 

Personally, I wholeheartedly believe that I go to work each day to help people. Companies look at quarterly reports and financial statements and write missions statements, but they are ultimately accountable to two groups: stakeholders (including shareholders and employees) and their customers (who rely on the company’s services for their own wellbeing). So if the company is not doing what is right for the customer, writing mission statements doesn't mean anything. 

Corporations (which I have interchangeably called companies) often give their stores or branches or locations (or whatever you would like to call it) many tools to be successful. Tools can be in the shape of coupons, promotional sales, extended warranties, loyalty cards, radio or print ads, etc. but if the employees are not using these tools to their full potential, these tools are useless: this ends up failing the company (because of wasted investment (both creatively and financially)), the employee(by not living up to full potential) and in turn, the customer (who suffers the most). Promotions are designed to give all parties a mutually beneficial result.

Remember:

"We miss 100% of sales we do not ask for", and 

“You can’t buy something you don’t know exists”. 

Poor customer service comes in many forms. Some might think having to bag their own groceries is unacceptable. Some might not like the prices of something and believe it is the fault of the cashier (caused by customers’ unrealistic expectations). Some might think that when a customer service agent is blatantly rude that they should their business elsewhere. I agree with (and only with) the latter. 

Having worked in customer service and sales for the better part of the last 15 years, I can assure you it is a two-way street. Customers bring money, but good customer service brings the clients back. Customers often lash out; unacceptable. Employees of companies can also lash back: MORE unacceptable.  

Sometimes all it takes to put things in perspective is to take half a step back and to put yourself in the shoes of the other side. Picture yourself talking to you and see how that makes you feel. Maybe the employee is slouching over or avoiding eye contact or seems to be more concerned with what their co-worker is having for lunch than what the customer is ready and willing to spend money on (ie WANTS and/or NEEDS). Angry customers should consider how they would like to be spoken to and conversely, lazy employees should consider how they would like to be treated when they go to a different store run by a different company. Everyone is a customer, but not everyone is a customer service agent. Having said that, it is not all about courtesy, but it is all about respect. 

When I started working at Pick-n-Pull, I was a 19 year old student who needed a part time job to pay for my partying habits. I worked there because I had friends who worked there and it was convenient and fun. I also got to learn about cars but really I didn’t care about cars and still don’t. I never thought that 7 years later (after being gone from the company for almost 3 years) I would get a phone call from the newly promoted Store Manager (who started the month before I did) to ask if I would like to be a part of his sales management team. I would consider this among my top two greatest professional accomplishments. I have been successful in my career so far for one main reason: I do everything I do because I believe in what I am doing and I try to have a good time while I do it. 

Every day, my goal is to learn something new. I learn from my manager, I learn from my staff and I learn from my customers. I learn about how to manage, I learn about how to be compassionate, I learn about cars and most of all I learn about how to teach other people how to learn like I do. I walk through the doors every morning interested in getting better at something. Business is about meeting goals and making contacts or new customers or whatever but it is really truly about doing something that you love to do and being happy. 

I don't LOVE stacking up tires or buying cars or filling antifreeze or cleaning batteries but I love helping people. As it turns out, by doing these simple things, I can help make people’s (customers and staff) lives better. 

 I want to come to work to work hard and have fun while I do that. I know you all want that too.  

People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it. 

You like what you read, watch this for further insight: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

Being Cold vs Having One

*Cough, cough*
“Robitussin!” It’s like bless you for coughs...

Of course, bless you is like bless you for sneezing, which most people say to sneezing. With the World Junior Championship of Hockey starting today in Calgary and Edmonton, it's only fitting that people in the media are talking about how mild a winter we are having so far in the great white north. This week’s topic is:

Cold Season

More often than not, I find myself having the sniffles. I usually have excuse – it’s allergy season, or I’m just getting over a cold, or I’m just getting sick, or I am allergic to your horse/cat/dusty dog... of course, I’m stubborn so I won’t go to the doctor, but as I get older I feel like it might be a wise move – that is, seeking the council of professionals. On a different topic for a different day, it has likely been about fifteen years since my last visit to a scheduled doctor’s appointment (though I have been for filling prescriptions or emergency anaphylaxis treatment).

It’s not that I don’t go to the doctor because I don’t think they will help – obviously it’s their job to be helpFUL and for the most part they are competent, but it’s just the general inconvenience of driving down there and waiting in the waiting room and then waiting in the mini room and telling them what’s wrong (even when there may, in fact, be nothing blatantly wrong other than the fact that you just waited for an hour to get a little chicken scratch of a piece of paper requesting the pharmacy to give you a bottle of pills or a vile of serum that you requested by name. I do understand why the process is in place, but for a non-drug abuser like myself it is just a simple pain in the figurative rear end.

People often complain about the horrible conditions they have endured in Alberta hospital waiting rooms and as recently as this last weekend, my cousin, a BC paramedic with a nurse wife had the joy of visiting the Rockyview hospital after eating cashews in a chexmix. Yes, he is allergic. Of course, he was admitted nearly immediately – not because he is in the Canadian health care system, not because of his large and sometimes intimidating stature, but rather because of the severity of his ailment. My experiences have yielded similar VIP treatment as well. When it is an emergency, the triage nurses are pretty good at identifying them as such. Sorry to say, but if you are not in some sort of trauma, please don’t take up the seats in the emergency rooms. It is the people with non-fatal, non-emergency injuries or sicknesses who have generally bad experiences in the hospitals and skew the data for long wait times.

I complain about being sick, but it’s really my fault whenever I am. Not sleeping enough, not washing my hands thoroughly enough or often enough, not drinking enough water, or in a more obvious and general sense, working in a service industry, dealing with not only a close-knit coworker group, but with the general public as well – touching money, talking to close-talkers, or dealing with close-dealers. When I was in Japan in 2003, this was around the tail-end of the big SARS outbreak. At this time, many germ-conscious Japanese were sporting masks and even to this day (as I saw my mom’s photos of her recent trip) I was interested to see that many still do. Maybe they’re on to something.

Of course, there are varying degrees of what one might refer to as “being sick”. From a working standpoint, being physically unable to safety and effectively do one’s job is a reasonable excuse not to go in. But I’m the kind of guy who got the “attendance award” in junior high because I missed so few days in the school year. People who just “call in sick” make me question the goodness of the human race. Being sick for the sake of using up sick days is immoral and unjust to the people who are generally healthy. Many companies have ways to incentivise workers who do not use their sick days positively by adding vacation days, or negatively by docking pay for missed days. I remember hearing of kids in high school calling in for each other to skip class or even better calling in sick for themselves, but doing so first thing in the morning while their male voices were lower and more adult sounding. Crafty, but I never did that mainly because I was going to have to be at school anyway so I might as well go, but also because I would have been scared of the consequences I might face if my parents ever found out. And I don’t have a low voice.

What can you learn from this post? Well, don’t lie. Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. If you’re smarter than I am, you’ll visit a doctor more than once every ten years but if you aren’t really all that sick, do yourself and everyone else in the waiting room a favour and don’t go to the emergency.

Thanks for stopping in.

Here's a photo to warm you up.
Huntington Beach, California

Get the Clean On - Make the Mess Gone

You shower, everyday, right? I hope so. Or at least every second day...the point is you have a personal hygiene schedule, I would expect, so why is it so difficult to maintain a certain level of hygiene for your house? The laissez-faire attitude of someone-else-will-do-it can only get you so far, but eventually there comes a time when you just learn to shape up and clean up. This week's topic is:

HOUSEWORK

There was a time when chores were chores and you had no idea why your mom and dad would make you do them. It was because they were mean parents, the WORST! and didn't remember what being a kid was like. They just make up chores cause they can. Vacuuming, picking up clothes, stacking shoes nicely, hanging up your coat. Some were easier than others and of course, being kids, you took shortcuts or lied and said you did something but really just swept the crumbs under the counter...

Well, now we're all grownups. We have our own places to live and we all have jobs. Guess what: chores still exist. Of course, we don't have kids to do the work for us but chores being chores are just that - chores. If chores were fun we would call it fun time. But then we would avoid fun time like the plague.

So if you don't want to do chores, why do we? Well, they have maid services. Paid people who come to clean your house. It doesn't cost all that much and they generally do a pretty good job. That's all fine, but I live in a 1200 sq ft townhouse. I don't want to say it all comes down to money, but when you don't have a lot, why would you pay someone to do something you can do just as well in about an hour.

Well, procrastination is the key to this puzzle. I hate cleaning the bathtub more than anything in the world and I'm often unmotivated to pick up the vacuum and walk it up and down the stairs. It is, however, somewhat gratifying running the vacuum over the carpet and hearing nothing but the clickity-clack of little rocks and dirt flying up through the vacuum hose and into the canister. It's gross to think about it but it's one small victory in the battle of home maintenance satisfaction.

I love to cook. I'm not all that good and my food usually comes out too spicy, too salty, too burnt or a mix of all three. For this, my kitchen MUST be clean. We're not talking countertops made out of Lysol, but a little bit of daily TLC wouldn't hurt the kitchen's ego. To make matters worse, we don't have a dishwasher. I know it's a pain but it just means dishes have to be done literally every day. There is no way to hide them away, close the door and walk away to clean dishes. It's a horrible job, but with no kids around, it has to be done...but grownup people. Movies often portray horrible messes in kitchens with dishes stacked to the ceiling and garbage bags flung all over, empty beer cans astray on the floor and a fat guy with a half eaten pizza lounging around in a mustard stained la-zee-boy recliner. Well, my house doesn't have enough dished to stack to the roof but if it did, it would be impressive (damn you, raise ceilings). Alright, so my point. I like the kitchen clean and these days it's because I like it clean, not because my parents tell me I should.

I have no problem with mess, either. But selective mess is the key. You see, the key itself is the difference between DISorganized and UNorganized. Disorganized, of course, if your average "oh my god, it's time for work and I don't know where my keys and wallet are" versus the unorganized "I, personally, know where everything is that I need but if YOU came to my place to try to find it, you would be as lost as a sheep with no herd (or something else that gets easily lost)". For those keeping track, I'm the unorganized type.

Sorry to jump back to kitchens, but this is a place where I will always be lost. Moving to a new kitchen is like falling asleep on a road trip and having no idea where the heck you are when you finally wake up. The plates are in the corner, in the side, up top, to the left, on the bottom on the right...it's insane. Don't even think about finding a specific kind of glass! Glasses organized by colour, size, weight, genre... Even cutlery drawers are confusing sometimes.
But it all comes down to chores. Maybe the kitchen owner was having a bad/great day that day and thought it would be a horrible/great inconvenience/prank if they put the spoons in one drawer and the forks in another. Maybe they just don't really care about how messy the food cupboards are, or maybe they were being lazy and they asked their kids to do it for them. Maybe all or none of this is true and maybe, just maybe (and most likely) they just really didn't want to care about anything because it's just another chore.

Thanks for stopping in.

Commenting on the Comments

Sometimes I misspell a couple words, but I'm pretty good. Sometimes I mess up my punctuation, but not often. sometimes don't properly capitalize of my words, but that's because i'm SOMETIMES too lazy. When people are ranting on a public forum, this ALWAYS annoys me. This week's cultural topic is:

FORUMS

News sites and forum sites insert the "comments" section at the bottom of the page for the readers. It allows readers to elaborate on the story or voice their own opinion about the topic in question. It is supposed to ad value to the story and increase enjoyment of the reader. My enjoyment is drastically reduced when the aforementioned conditions are not met.

Counterproductive comments. A Vancouver Canucks fan coming onto the Calgary Flames or the Calgary Herald website leaving a comment saying "Calgary Flames Suck" is not productive. Sure the Flames are having a tough year, but we obviously didn't go to the website to see some uneducated fan of a different team voicing their unwarranted (though sometimes truthful) boisterous exclamations. You don't see me going onto the Maple Leafs website talking about how their 9-1 win over Atlanta probably won't happen again this year...

Unnecessary additions. Comedy pairing announcing a show in Toronto with comments like "Come to Ottawa" which is clearly not their intention in the first place. www.jakeandamir.com If they wanted to announce a show to Vancouver, or Sweden or Montreal or Missouri, they would announce it. Thank you Jake and Amir for acknowledging your Canadian fans. And dear Canadian Fans, if you live in Edmonton, you will just have to wait a while longer.

Poor spelling and grammar. Not only are naysayers ruining my reading experience by telling me things I don't want to read and don't care about, but they are commenting negatively without proper grammar! This is not a text message. This is not a casual conversation with your buddy after the game. This is the internet. Oh, and in case you didn't know, anyone with the internet CAN access your ill-advised, poorly worded, rantings - and they DO. "Kippersof is a amazing golie. He is to kewl for the calgery flamers." If this made sense and had factual data to back it, it might be acceptable but in it's current state, let me tell you: it does not.

"First!" That drives me insane. Enough said.

Listen, I get that people want to affirm what a news story is talking about, but keep it to yourself. Going onto the Globe and Mail or New York Times forums to post "that is really horrible" talking about a suicide bomber does not positively affect anyone's day. Everyone knows that terrorism is bad. So thanks for agreeing but affirmation does not necessitate redundancy, and no one in northern Manitoba needs to know that Joe-blow from Oklahoma City agrees with a generally understood fact of life: bad things are bad. (no disrespect if you are from any of these places)

The world has ups and downs and everyone understands that different events affect different people differently. This is what makes everyone individuals. Obviously, it's not reasonable to assume that people aren't going to disagree with what reporters report, or that everyone in a certain area is homogenous in thought or opinion. Forums allow for public discourse and people expressing themselves is what makes a forum a forum. But next time you disCOURSE, please make sure you aren't being disCOURTEOUS.

DKH

Next Gent

Sometimes opportunities present themselves and you jump. But you jump maybe in a slightly wrong direction. You miss the landing, you crash, and everything goes horribly wrong. This week's cultural topic is:

The Reset Button

Starting over from the point of failure? Vanilla Sky touched on the idea, but that was in the form a "lucid dream". Sad to say, folks, but that just doesn't exist. People talk about going back to high school or university or getting married or buying a house "knowing what they know now". Yeah a time machine would be nice - you could talk to your past self and fix little issues that had come up in your past in their future. This causes problems with the space-time continuum and according to Doc Emmett Brown "having information about the future can have disastrous consequences. Even if you're intentions are good, it can backfire drastically!"

I won't compare it to sports, because obviously many athletes would love to not have taken that penalty or shot the puck/thrown or kicked the ball differently, not to mention that happens hundreds of times of day in tens of different sports on hundreds of different levels to millions of different players in every single country in hundreds of different languages in tens of different dialects and if a reset button existed it would simply be re-reset by the reseter's opposition in an eternal dual of resets and time may even cease to continue. It does exist in some recreational golf in the mulligan, but it also usually results in a penalty stroke. OK - RESET.

Do you think Columbus got it right on his first try? Of course not. In fact, he tried four times to make it to India via the Atlantic Ocean before the Americas were officially considered discovered. (Not to mention - why does USA get a Columbus Day and Canada doesn't? Our 1490s history looks pretty similar to me...) Columbus is kind of a hero, but don't you think he would have preferred to have found India like he had planned? RESET.

It's like when you're cruising down the highway and you see that red and blue flash coming up in your rear view mirror. Hearts start racing, palms become sweaty and studies suggest that an overwhelming majority will reflexively hit the brakes. Makes sense, but if you are the one they want it's probably too late and if you're not the target, you probably don't have much to worry about anyway. You are in control. RESET.

Photography is always a hit and miss. Sometimes the shots come and some days they don't. The nice thing about photography though, is that you CAN try again. No one is going to know if the shot was the first shot or the last shot from a shoot. And the truth of the matter is that it doesn't really matter. Often all it takes is one. Photoshop helps too.

As we all know, my positing has been sporadic at best. A good friend of mine, Dale Vaughn, has a growlingly successful website, www.nextgent.com a type of open forum for the next generation of gentlemen. I have the opportunity to do some work with it and possibly get some great exposure, but here's the thing. In real life, there is not reset button. We learn from our mistakes and try again. So that's what I'm doing right now - getting the fingers moving, the mind rolling, and the creative juices flowing. You can look for me there soon, but for now, let's focus on not needing that reset button to (re)begin with.

What's Fair about it?

So I'm sitting here watching the Oilers get very badly beaten, waiting for the Flames game to come on after a long day of selling tires, buying cars and researching Alberta employment legislation on boring technicalities of sick day pay and I think to myself...holy crap it's been a long time since I posted on this less than often viewed blog of mine. That isn't very gracious of me and definitely isn't fair to anyone looking to read. On the subject of fairness, this post's cultural topic is:

FAIR TRADE

I was recently at Second Cup (yes, the generally accepted lower quality Canadian long lost step sister of the great Starbucks but went to it because it's close and I'm lazy) with no real purpose other than buying a pound of coffee. If you know me, you know that I have a pretty regimented routine in the morning and coffee is an integral part of that process. Just like any addict, I have very particular tastes that need to be satisfied and considering I haven't been to a Second Cup in what is likely 5 years, I had no idea what kind of coffee I was supposed to order. I asked the girls for something medium-dark with sort of a chocolatey finish and after much deliberation, they came to the conclusion that I would like CUZCO, a Medium roast Costa Rican bean which, when I got it home was EXACTLY what I wanted. Why they would call a bean from Costa Rica Cuzco, a town in the Peruvian Andes is beyond me but I got over it pretty quickly and now is besides the point.

The big thing, however, that caught my eye (not on the first half pound that I bought but rather on the second full pound!) is the Certified Organic Fair Trade factor. (Look for the label!!)

Now, I've never really been all that into hippie things like fair trade or organic and especially not veganism (which goes hand in hand with both but is not the subject of tonight's post) so I decided to read into it a little...like a good curious little boy. I mean, I knew the premise or the facts and why it exists and for those who don't know, allow me to explain.

Historically, Americans (Canadians included) have been the by far the number one consumers of international coffee and make up nearly a fifth of the entire worlds consumption. Since coffee harvesting is so labour intensive, small player farmers producing coffee for export are able to cover basic supply costs but are left to make up for cost of harvest, manufacturing and shipping and many are literally losing money by producing their crops. (There are other contributing factors, but let's not worry about them for now.) Fair Trade coffee, on the other hand, guarantees farmers minimum prices for their harvest and retail buyers will often purchase directly from the farmers in order to minimize costs and maximize farmer profits. Of course, there is a growers' co-op to oversee and protect the farmers as well.

So let me get this straight à la FAQ.

Q: So I get the same quality coffee for the same low price?
A: Not true. Fair trade coffee often ends up costing you, the end consumer, more money but allows the international coffee community to grow and improve their growing practices and remain sustainable and profitable so we Americans can continue to be addicted to coffee-based caffeine.

Q: People actually like paying more for things?
A: When it's for the good of humanity sometimes people don't mind.

Q: So if I pay marginally more money for dramatically better coffee that doesn't treat emerging Third World Countries like coffee producing sweat shops, how am I supposed to feel good about it? In the end I still have less money...
A: Feeling good is a matter of opinion. Just keep a positive attitude, maybe pick up a second job and you'll be buying fair trade for the rest of your life.

Q: Is fair trade coffee right for me?
A: Personally I don't like the taste of Folgers or Nabob anyway. Does that answer the question?

Q: If Starbucks thinks this is such a great thing to do, why don't they buy and sell exclusively fair trade, why do they still hate some farmers?
A: Baby steps, I guess. Besides, some people (even farmers) just aren't that likeable.

Q: Do I have to stop eating meat, stop washing and cutting my hair, and buy a VW van if I start buying fair trade coffee?
A: Of course not. All of those things are unhealthy and owning a VW can become costly and parts are difficult to find in times of repair.

Since having bought my Cuzco label Second Cup coffee, I have recommended Second Cup to many a person. The girls were helpful and I found a coffee that exactly met what I wanted going in. Will I go to that location again to purchase my coffee? Yes. Have I already? Yes. Do I like the coffee only because it's fair trade coffee? No.

So what's the moral of the story? It's not that horrible to drink fair trade coffee. Coffee chains look good. My wallet barely notices. Farmers are happy. My taste buds are happy. So is it "fair"? No. It's FAIR TRADE!!


Guerrilla Coffee Fare

Quotes

James: Hey Kai, that was some good cheese.

Kai: Yeah, I got it at Superstore. Do you want some more?

James: No, I've got enough dick cheese...WHAT?! Did I just say that?

Kai: Yeah, you really did.

James: I don't know why that was the first thing that came into my head. Shit.

Kai In Quotations

Some months ago, shortly after becoming one of they luckily recently re-hireds, I got sent a message on Facebook regarding some of my unemployment posts and the guest blog that I managed to snag on my good friend Dale Vaughn's Stop Surviving Website. I was requested an interview and I sat down one afternoon with a young journalist, Bryan Weismiller to give him my point of view on the bigger picture of being unemployed and finding work in an unspecified field. I promised him that if he did not manage to get the draft published after he had written the article that I would accredit him on my blog. Though readership is not particularly high on this site, it is as they say in the media, any publicity is better than no publicity! With that being said, enjoy.

Working to Live
By Bryan Weismiller

Recessions shouldn’t be depressing for young Canadians who’ve been impacted by the recent economic downturn. Young adults need to put their jobs in perspective to deal with being unemployed.

It could’ve been shoveling mud in South America that taught Kai Hochhausen to see the bigger picture. Working as a 25-year-old at an international recruiting agency, Hochhausen was laid off when the recession hit.

“It was a really big operation that just got slashed. I mean there’s nothing you can do about it,” says Hochhausen. “Looking at the numbers, I can totally understand.”

Hochhausen’s ability to disassociate himself from his work shows a high level of maturity. Travelling around the world has broaden his perspective and it helped him handle being unemployed. His travel resume includes stops in 32 countries across 4 continents.

“I’ve been so many places and dealt with so many people. I take that back and use it in real life,” explains Hochhausen.

In 2005, Hochhausen was travelling through Central America when Hurricane Stan tore through the region. He was in Antigua, Guatemala when violent weather conditions triggered a large mudslide. Many of the local homes were buried beneath a layer of mud and rocks.

Hochhausen, while studying Spanish, was part of a relief effort that worked to clean up the area. His main job was shoveling debris away from the local’s lean-to shelters. He recalls being shocked at how homes were constructed from five pieces of tin.

“You think- this is what people live in? Holy crap.”

The economic downturn affects everyone in different ways. However, its effects are particularly damaging to young people because of how they value their jobs. According to Isha Sharma, a Mount Royal University sociology professor, young people are more likely to take being fired personally.

“You are what you do these days,” says Sharma. “You base your identity on the kind of work that you do. Being fired really questions your identity. It maybe says that you’re not doing a good job.”

It’s clear that young people are particularly hurt by losing their jobs. It’s a dangerous reality, especially because young workers are amongst the affected by the economic downturn.

Statistics Canada recently reported significant employment losses for Canadian workers between the ages of 15 to 24. From October 8, 2008 to October 8, 2009, employment fell 10.5% for males and 6.9% amongst females.

There was also a 24.8% decrease in employment for workers making less than $10 an hour. Conversely, employment increased for workers who made more than $40 an hour.

If young Canadians continue to be affected by the recession then they need to learn how to cope with it. Life experiences develop the maturity that is needed to deal with unemployment.

“You eventually realize that your work is a part of you, but it’s not all about you,” says Isha Sharma. “You get a broader perspective and realize that there are other people who don’t have a job either. So you tend to blame yourself less and try to understand the larger implications of not having a job.”

Kai Hochhausen is currently 26-years-old and he now works in sales for a large auto-wrecker chain. He’s slightly older then Statistics Canada’s definition of a young worker. However, his perspective on employment makes him a good example for other young adults:

“I’m not only a sales manager. I’m an amateur photographer. I like to write. I like to play sports. I’m not my job. I work, so I can do what I love to do.”

-30-

The Basics

There seems to be a great deal of negative connotations around spending money these days. Though the Canadian government has recently declared the worst of the recession over, it seems to be that people are still very cautiously spending their money. Companies are still undergoing layoffs and many unemployeds can still not find work. Kai’s cultural topic of the week is:

CONSUMERISM

I was once at a family reunion where everyone had to give a little speech about who they are, what they do, what they believe, and demonstrate a special skill. My skill turned out to be wearing a Calgary Flames Jersey, putting on a cowboy hat and shot-gunning a beer. Glacier fresh-tasting Kokanee, it’s the beer out here. My uncle, on the other hand, spoke of the downward sloping demand curve – the basis for understanding economics.

Consumerism is not a new concept but the fear of it is. Economic principles and cultural norms suggest that we can stimulate the economy by spending, but what happens when there is no money to spend on an individual level?

The recession took its toll on many countries, companies, families and individuals. Those who made it out unscathed should consider themselves lucky. I have been in my current job now for about 9 months and the company is doing well by most standards but there will obviously be obstacles as no business is truly recession-proof, as I became merely one of the many statistics to be unemployed in the last two years.

I’m beginning to sound very textbook and uninteresting, so let me just simplify it for myself and for everyone reading…

When you have very little money, it’s simple: you should not be spending. Buy what you need at that’s it. In fact (to over-OVER-simplify) this is what caused the entire recession in the first place (along with other complicated refinancing plans and poor decisions by financial institutions and international bodies).

There seems to be this general understanding and acceptance of people who live outside their financial means and it needs to stop.

From time to time I get criticized for driving and older vehicle because it’s not as pretty or as fast as something only a couple years old. Driving newer/financed vehicles often can have as many if not more costs than driving an older vehicle that once all the balance sheet is laid out. Increased insurance payments coupled versus do-it-yourself maintenance projects can often leave you on a similar playing field. Obviously you don’t plan for emergencies and this is why you need to have a safe-hold. It’s not that I can’t afford to drive a nicer vehicle, it’s just that by driving a reasonable older vehicle I allow for other luxuries in my life: photographic equipment, snowboarding, international vacations, motorcycle, eating out, etc…

Financial advisors suggest keeping on hand at all times a minimum of three months salary in liquidable savings in order to safeguard any sort of job loss or accidental costs that may occur. Sounds pretty reasonable to me…

The easiest way? There is no clear cut method but savings have to be in your spending budget. You can easily budget fun, travel, luxury items and other big tickets into your spending but the most important key is to pay yourself first. If you can’t save money, don’t buy anything else. Just slow the spending. Buy essentials. No, a $2500 purse on sale for $1500 is not an essential item…

When it comes down to it, you are going to be the only one affected by your good or poor spending habits, so if you can either live with the consequences of living in debt or stretching yourself so far that you can literally not afford to splurge or you can just think a little.

Spending money is not rocket science, it is simple economics.

YOUR HOMOS

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUTTA MA MOOOOOOUUUUTH?! - Chris Tucker to Jackie Chan, Rush Hour

This will be a short one - like a refresher course cause it's been a while. This week's cultural topic is:

HOMONYMS

What's with people these days not knowing how to spell the words they are trying to write? English teachers are rolling over in their graves trying to figure out why it is such a big issue with kids (in particular) knowing how to use simple homonyms.

I would like to highlight the three most simply corrected spelling errors in commonly used English language - and I'm NOT trying to be a dictionary here...I just can't take it anymore!

You're/Your/ur
You're = you are. Your=possessive. Therefore, YOUR so cool is not correct. You're NOT cool if you're thinking that you're and your are the same. You're can be possessive as in you are possessive and have possessions but your not possessive cause that doesn't make sense. You're=U R does not equal Your=ur. .

To/Too/Two - I see two people messaging to each other using the wrong to/too/two all too often.

Their/There/They're. They're=they are. There=a place. Their=like your=possessive. They're going to meet us there with their friends. THERE, see the difference?

Shorthand - somewhat acceptable in t9 phone texting and even then is stupid in my books - books whose dictionaries don't even include shorthand! Ur buddies might think you're def pretty tight cuz ur party last nite was the sickest. Talk 2 u L8r! DUH

No, I'm not angry - It's grammar and grammar is simple if you follow the rules. Remember: Ain't NOBODY touch a black man's radio!


PS I really like this photo - From Zoo Lights 2009, Calgary, AB

Guest Blogger

If you check in more frequently here than I do, you'll remember my good friend, Dale Vaughn. As I mentioned, he's written a short how-to guide for those "just surviving" and I had the great honour of being selected as one of his first guest bloggers.

It's a little different from the way I usually blog post, so it was a lot of fun and you might even be able to learn something.

Check it out. Let me know what you think.

http://startlivingfortoday.com/Stop_Surviving,_Start_Living_by_Dale_Vaughn/Living_For_Today/Entries/2009/9/6_Opening_doors.html

Great book, great motivation and a great way to see things in a little different light.

Howdy Y'all

Nothing makes me happier than to know I am making difference. Unfortunately, these days I am not doing that. Being an unemployed part of society is really draining. This week’s cultural topic is:

COUNTRY MUSIC

This is also a game: guess how many country music titles are blatantly incorporated.

It seems every summer I get a little bit more into country music. I’m worried that eventually it will take over my main repertoire of music, but for now it’ll stay number two. Why? One magical event happens every year that increases exposure. This event is the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth aka the Calgary Stampede. Cal-GRY. Calgary turns country. Cow-town. Despite growing up with most of my friends in the city, they, like me, have become pretty countrified too.

My interest in country music is relatively recent. I grew up with the likes of Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn blasting from the kitchen, and rock music constantly on the radio. My brother liked this kind of music but fell into a crowd that also liked rap (for some reason). Myself, I was always a rock kid – strayed off (for some reason) into ska and punk for a brief period, but came back to my senses and went back to the classics like the Stones, Zepplin and the later glam rock of Guns n Roses or Def Leppard.

The fundamentals of rock and country music are the same. Based on Blues patterns or 1-4-5 progressions, appreciation came easily once regular attendance at Cowboys nightclub’s 25c draft Thursdays in University made it impossible to avoid. We resisted at first, of course, but wearing cowboy hats (last count for me 8) to the bar and teaching hot girls to two step became fun. I ain’t as good as I once was, but the line dance set is still the highlight of my night, whether I’m stone sober or after ten rounds of Jose Quervo.

After I bought my first country album (not that I have all that many), I bought Led Zepplin III to counter act my potential fallacy. You see, though both of my parents are from Alberta, it was somehow looked down upon. My dad nearly kicked me out of the house when he heard Toby Keith coming from my computer....but after reasoning we agreed to disagree despite classic blues riffs existing in all country and rock.

I’m becoming worried because all I’ve been learning lately on the guitar are country songs and though they are catchy and easy to play, I’m not learning any new chords. It’s not tough, but someone’s gotta do it. Live country music is good too. They can put on a show just as well as any rocker – the only difference is that cowboy hats are allowed.

In other news, I recently had a photo of mine discovered on Flickr which was shortlisted, then approved for inclusion in an online guide of Calgary. It’s not great publicity and I will not anytime soon be making photography my main objective in life, but it’s pretty neat to be recognized for work, even if it is only for exposure. Everyone wants to be kind of a big deal – like playboys of the southwestern world.

Calgary Geese – Schmap Calgary Guide

What does taking photos have to do with country music and being unemployed? Not much. But no matter what, you can make a difference in the world no matter how small. So let’s get rowdy and give somebody a great big howdy. Trust me, the chicks dig it.

The Great Red and White

With Canada Day just around the corner (July 1 - tomorrow) many people may be ramping up their plans for the big mid-week day off. This week’s cultural topic is:

HOUSE PARTY

Sure, you could make your way down to the festivities around town, fight the crowds, overpay for drinks and battle traffic after the fireworks…which, ironically, is likely what I will be doing. But consider this option: party in a controlled environment at someone’s house.

They’ll have a nice little BBQ - maybe do up some steaks or burgers or chicken or veggie burgers for you weirdos. If they have the ability, they might have a little fire - hopefully in a fire pit – and of course – drink just enough to be satisfied but not too much that you can’t make it up for work on Thursday (unless you’re like me and don’t have a job in which case days of the week don’t really matter). If you’re lucky, you might even find a party with a hot tub in case it rains or gets characteristically Calgary-cold at night…

Attention Asian people:
YOU ARE NOT GOOD DRINKERS. Asian people suffer from what is known as ASIAN RED FACE – aka Asian Flush, Asian Glow, Red Cheeks, Oriental Flush…or more scientifically – Alcohol Flush Reaction. It’s caused by an asian gene’s inability to quickly metabolize alcohol intake and a lack alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme which breaks down simple drinking alcohol (ethanol) into the eventual digestible product – acetic acid. Approximately half of people with Asian descent are considered to be sensitive to this drinking condition. The interim byproduct of the conversion of ethanol to acetic acid is acetaldehyde, and it is this byproduct which causes capillary constriction through face, eyes, neck, and virtually all other epidermal surfaces and gives Asians that bright hue we all like to make fun of them for, leading them to make us think they are in fact way drunker than they may actually be.

Attention White/non Asian People:
Just because you aren’t Asian doesn’t mean you can’t suffer effects of acetaldehyde. This is a possibly (unconfirmed studies) carcinogenic byproduct and is one of the leading causes of the dreaded HANGOVER…but at least you won’t turn bright red after a couple sips of your favorite bevie.

Luckily for me, this deficiency skipped most of my asian-half of the family, though one time I had a really stiff and super spicy Caesar and was also sun burnt, so it might have looked like I had it, but several follow up attempts have confirmed that I am mostly immune.

Whether you're RED faced (Asian) or WHITE faced (non-Asian), the combination of faces at your house party will be perfect in the spirit of our great country's confederate anniversary. So this Canada Day, remember kids:

Whatever you do, this Bud’s for you…unless you’re Asian.

Procrastination Meeting: Tomorrow

Thought it would be fitting to throw up a post since I haven't officially written anything in more than approximately three weeks.This week's cultural topic is:

PROCRASTINATION

Over the last few months I have become a master of this act. Without hard deadlines, it becomes very easy to put things off. Excuses can constantly be made on why things aren’t done. The weather is nice. The weather is crappy. Traffic is congested. A good show is on TV. Youtube. Maybe you just don’t feel like it. (ps check out Sungha Jung on youtube)

Ever found yourself using one of those excuses in order to do something more fun and likely less productive? Maybe you play video games or watch a movie instead of cleaning the house – I have NEVER done that... Or maybe you sit outside and read a book instead of cooking dinner. But you still have to clean the house. You still have to eat dinner. You still have beat your newest game on Playstation 3. I still can’t pass Rockband on Expert – maybe because Green Grass and high tides is retardedly difficult even on difficult on bass, but we’ll talk about Rockband some other day.

Nay, we will talk about RockBand right now. Rockband is easily the sweetest video game ever made. Drums, guitar, bass, singing all in one magnificent plastic conconction? Absolutely brilliant. Anyone who has NOT played Rockband – STOP READING RIGHT NOW AND GO PLAY!

WAIT! DON’T LEAVE. COME BACK. Dang, just lost a reader two. Too late for them anyway. Their life is better now having played that awesome game. They’ll be back sooner or later. Anyway, anyone who HAS played and doesn’t like Rockband, I ask you this: what the hell? Classic rock songs in an interactive format with so many different difficulty levels (4) that even a geriatric could pass on a first attempt – what’s not to like?

I was talking with some people the other day about the merits of learning an instrument or new language, versus something like photography as a hobby. Argument was raised strongly support music (by musicians) and how it’s a skill you learn gradually and can often retain for the extent of your life with occasional practice and early dedication. The counter argument, of course, is that it DOES take a great deal of dedication, whereas photography relies heavily on the equipment at the photographer’s disposal. A beginner guitar or piano player will not be able to break out Stairway, but a first time photographer might be able to capture the world’s greatest scene (subjective, of course). I like to think I dabble a little in both: Travel inspired photography; Rockband inspired guitar.

Did you ever see the episode of Family Guy where “Stewie Kills Lois”? (Spoiler Alert!)Well, turns out at the end of the a two part episode, Stewie dies at the hands of his parents after taking over the world. Then we learn at the end it was a all a simulation Stewie was running and Bryan called him on it. Well that’s not really all that different from what has just happened here. Only this was probably way more entertaining. No real substance and time well wasted….but better to procrastinate than do something productive. Thanks for stopping in.

Trooper-less

“There could be only one…” – Mark Stanley, upon seeing the Trooper downtown

 Quotation could also have been “here for a good time, not a long time…”. This week’s culture topic is:

 

CARLESSNESS

 

No, I didn’t spell that wrong, nor did you read it wrong. I am without vehicle. I am, therefore, car-less. I mean, you could probably carelessly read the word wrong, but if you did, you would miss the point of what I am trying to get across. Well, there really isn’t a real point yet, but it’s the idea.

 

Beginnings:

My story with the Trooper dates back almost 3 years. The history before my ownership is somewhat hazy. All readings were in imperial units and for the first while I needed a cheat sheet for conversions. The alignment is slightly off and only while driving in the left lane of a highway was the steering wheel straight. It had oversized tires and the speedo read low. Before me, it was likely an off-roader because the owner who had it before I did had to do major repairs on the rear differential. My troubles with the vehicle were minimal. I bought it for only one thousand dollars.

 

Driving:

It probably needed new seals all around.. After an early overheat and thermostat replacement (which never actually fixed the problem), my car was somehow deemed highway worthy by most of my friends, my family and, finally, me. We took some pretty good drives out the mountains – shifting down into fourth gear when necessary – some easy drives up to Edmonton – which proves undoubtedly that they are at different elevations (study driven by fuel economy), and of course, had some pretty good times in the city. All I ever put into it was oil and a starter, oh and a non-rusty front bumper.

 

I believed in the vehicle. Sure it was unsafe by many people’s standards, but it got me around. By the end of its life, the end section of the exhaust was all but gone. I drove for the most part on PnP gas and the engine knew it. It was never the smoothest 2.6L engine but it was a failing clutch that eventually got the best of the machien. One time I backed into lamppost and needless to say, the lamppost won that battle. Big dent, cracked plastic. No biggie.

 

Math about it:

Let me let you know something. I will not be getting a brand new car anytime soon. Sure, it’s less attractive picking a girl up for a date in an old rust bucket, but I paid $1000 for three years of driving. Add in the repairs I had done and that’s $1500 and subtract the measly $250 I managed to sell it for the open market…1250 for 3 years of vehicle. Dang that’s good value. Plus, now it will be in a better place and will get that clutch and exhaust it’s been rumbling and screeching about for the last 6 months.

 

Personality:

You see, many people have made fun of my vehicles over the years…station wagons and SUVs (and I also owned a Honda Accord for one day, but then sold it back because it wouldn’t start when I went to pick it up). It has easily been the coolest (unfortunately) and best looking vehicle which I have ever owned (unfortunately). I would even say it looked kind of rugged (with rear tire on back) and had good tire to wheel well ratios. But your car kind of becomes a part of your personality, so I have learned over the years never to insult a person’s car, because that’s like insulting the person directly. After all, having an ugly car is sure a hell of a lot better than not having one at all.

 

I will finish this post off with a musical tribute to my late Isuzu Trooper. Feel free to play along if you know how…

 

The Trooper Song

   G     D         Em7

A long, nine-teen years ago,  

Am               C                Em                   D

I can still remember how that loud exhaust used to make me smile

     G      D    Em7

And I know if I had my chance,

      Am                 C                Em              C           D

That I could drive those people around and maybe they'd be happy for a while            

    Em          Am                   Em          Am

But April road made me shiver, with every gear change I'd deliver

 C          G        Am          C                      D

Bad news for the AMA, that one last mile I couldn’t make

   G          D           Em           Am7            D

I can't remember if I cried when I realized I had a broken ride

 G         D          Em

Something touched me deep inside

     C       D7    G   C   G

The day the TROOPER died…

CHORUS

    G    C         G        D

So bye, bye big old practical ride

     G            C            G        D

No you’re not a chevy - that’s no reason to hide

          G        C                  G           D

And the good old toy was drinkin' coolant and oil

         Em                          A7   Em                          D7

Singin' this will be the day that it dies, this will be the day that I dies

 (instrumental)

G C G D

G C G D

G C G D

   C                D7             G   C   G

…this will be the day the trooper died.