Cry Baby
Before Dominic was born the sound of a baby crying was probably one of my most hated noises. It annoyed me beyond belief. If I was near a crying baby I wanted nothing more than that baby to shut-up. My views on that changed the second Dominic was born as the Doctor was delivering a VERY LOUD crying baby. The Doctors and the nurses in the room warned Brooke and I that Dominic was born with a very healthy set of lungs as his cries were plenty loud enough for nearly everyone on the labor and delivery floor to take cover. Nearly 7 months later my hatred for crying and annoyance of it has changed to concern, empathy, and helplessness.
On our way home from my parents this last weekend Dominic was extremely overtired combined with teething pains. We had to pull over about a block from my parent’s house and I got in the back seat to try and console Dominic. Nothing worked for about 10 minutes as Dominic’s crying was hysterical. It was one of the worst feelings of my life because he was clearly in so much pain and I couldn’t console him. Every trick to get him to calm down failed except one. Brooke and I ended up singing 3 rounds of the ABC’s as Dominic settled down and fell asleep.
Now when I hear a baby cry my first reaction is someone help that baby. Not being able to comfort Dom was tough on Sunday. Brooke put it best as we pulled in the driveway. She said if this is the worst pain he’ll ever be in he’s going to be very lucky. It helps to put everything into perspective sometime and Dominic’s little fits and moments of un-comfort are a part of life and we’ll be very lucky if the good moments out number the bad ones.
Economic Perspective
I’m not an economist or an expert but I do have an educated opinion on what we’ve been experiencing. If you don’t know me I’m an accountant and currently manage a pension & healthcare fund. On October 12, 2007 the Dow Jones reached it’s peak of 14,093 points. Nearly 17 months later on March 6, 2009 the Dow Jones reached it’s lowest point since January 1997 with 6,627 points. The market plummeted by 53%! For comparison purposes the market dropped 27% in the year after 9/11. It took 5 years for the market to recoup those losses. Today the market is at 8,764 so we’re slowly on our way back. I’ve heard it will likely take 10 years to recover those losses. NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST…if you can!!
I’m young so I shouldn’t be concerned with what we just experience as far as my retirement is concerned. The stock market is violate and is supposed to rise and fall over a person’s lifetime. I have a long time before I retire to make up those losses. The losses we’ve suffered is hopefully a once in a lifetime experience. These losses are having an indirect negative impact on the younger generation. For the baby boomers who were hoping to retire they saw their retirement savings slashed nearly in half. It has forced them to work a couple extra years which won’t allow younger workers to enter the field.
Companies are forced to lower their benefit obligations and workers are forced to change their retirement expectations. On top of lowering our retirement outlook we can probably expect to pay an insane amount for retiree healthcare with is another topic for a different Tuesday. We’re a long way from recovery. If you like reading my thoughts on the economy and what we’re experiencing let me hear about it and I’ll make sure to comment on it in the future. I know this sounded like doom and gloom but it’s always best to plan conservatively and hope for the best.
Before Dominic was born the sound of a baby crying was probably one of my most hated noises. It annoyed me beyond belief. If I was near a crying baby I wanted nothing more than that baby to shut-up. My views on that changed the second Dominic was born as the Doctor was delivering a VERY LOUD crying baby. The Doctors and the nurses in the room warned Brooke and I that Dominic was born with a very healthy set of lungs as his cries were plenty loud enough for nearly everyone on the labor and delivery floor to take cover. Nearly 7 months later my hatred for crying and annoyance of it has changed to concern, empathy, and helplessness.On our way home from my parents this last weekend Dominic was extremely overtired combined with teething pains. We had to pull over about a block from my parent’s house and I got in the back seat to try and console Dominic. Nothing worked for about 10 minutes as Dominic’s crying was hysterical. It was one of the worst feelings of my life because he was clearly in so much pain and I couldn’t console him. Every trick to get him to calm down failed except one. Brooke and I ended up singing 3 rounds of the ABC’s as Dominic settled down and fell asleep.
Now when I hear a baby cry my first reaction is someone help that baby. Not being able to comfort Dom was tough on Sunday. Brooke put it best as we pulled in the driveway. She said if this is the worst pain he’ll ever be in he’s going to be very lucky. It helps to put everything into perspective sometime and Dominic’s little fits and moments of un-comfort are a part of life and we’ll be very lucky if the good moments out number the bad ones.
Economic Perspective
I’m not an economist or an expert but I do have an educated opinion on what we’ve been experiencing. If you don’t know me I’m an accountant and currently manage a pension & healthcare fund. On October 12, 2007 the Dow Jones reached it’s peak of 14,093 points. Nearly 17 months later on March 6, 2009 the Dow Jones reached it’s lowest point since January 1997 with 6,627 points. The market plummeted by 53%! For comparison purposes the market dropped 27% in the year after 9/11. It took 5 years for the market to recoup those losses. Today the market is at 8,764 so we’re slowly on our way back. I’ve heard it will likely take 10 years to recover those losses. NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST…if you can!!I’m young so I shouldn’t be concerned with what we just experience as far as my retirement is concerned. The stock market is violate and is supposed to rise and fall over a person’s lifetime. I have a long time before I retire to make up those losses. The losses we’ve suffered is hopefully a once in a lifetime experience. These losses are having an indirect negative impact on the younger generation. For the baby boomers who were hoping to retire they saw their retirement savings slashed nearly in half. It has forced them to work a couple extra years which won’t allow younger workers to enter the field.
Companies are forced to lower their benefit obligations and workers are forced to change their retirement expectations. On top of lowering our retirement outlook we can probably expect to pay an insane amount for retiree healthcare with is another topic for a different Tuesday. We’re a long way from recovery. If you like reading my thoughts on the economy and what we’re experiencing let me hear about it and I’ll make sure to comment on it in the future. I know this sounded like doom and gloom but it’s always best to plan conservatively and hope for the best.
Annoying Commercial Warning
We’re lucky enough to skip a lot of commercials since we DVR most our shows but one commercial is really getting on my nerves. I’m sorry if I’m out of line ladies, but the commercial starts like this, “Who says you have to have 12 periods a year?” Hmmm. That’s tough right? No, God says you have you 12 periods a year. The commercial is for a shot that would reduce your period from 12 to 4 a year. The product doesn’t bother me as much as the marketing of it. I guess they get a reaction out of people and create a buzz but still “Who says?” has an obvious answer. If you see this commercial try doing what we do and find the mute button on your remote as fast as possible.
We’re lucky enough to skip a lot of commercials since we DVR most our shows but one commercial is really getting on my nerves. I’m sorry if I’m out of line ladies, but the commercial starts like this, “Who says you have to have 12 periods a year?” Hmmm. That’s tough right? No, God says you have you 12 periods a year. The commercial is for a shot that would reduce your period from 12 to 4 a year. The product doesn’t bother me as much as the marketing of it. I guess they get a reaction out of people and create a buzz but still “Who says?” has an obvious answer. If you see this commercial try doing what we do and find the mute button on your remote as fast as possible. 
3 comments:
Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it. I also like reading what you have to say about the economy. I don't understand some of that stuff but you put it into clear topics easy to understand. Thanks again. Oh, and I am totally with you on the crying baby thing. Now, you just want to help out and make it all better.
Thank you for the post. I enjoyed it too!
It was also very entertaining to hear your perspective on that commercial.....and you are totally correct! :)
keep your economy posts coming, i enjoy them! also we don't get the depo commericals but I would say F-OFF because I was on that for 2 years and it is messed up and screwed my body is so many ways - awful, should be taken off the market! UGH!
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