Study Frenzy

I really don't miss school/college, but I do love to learn. So it is not surprising that from time to time, I choose topics to study and can sometimes overdo it, much like I find myself this week. Because of upcoming changes in my work environments, I've found it necessary to spruce up some technical skills. So I am currently reading:

• Ext JS 4: a technology for rich web user interfaces and mobile applications. You can produce some nice-looking and responsive websites and mobile apps this way.
• Spring 3.1: a technology used widely in Java to wire various components of an application. For example, I use it a lot to manage how I use Hibernate (data persistence), security, website presentation on the server, and application configuration, to mention but a few.
• Hibernate 4.1: my preferred library to handle interaction with databases, abstracting a lot of the details and allowing me to use ORM in my apps.
• Mule ESB 3.3: in an enterprise with different kinds of applications and systems, you need a data conduit that can connect everything together. I use this enterprise service bus to achieve exactly that, enabling legacy and other proprietary applications to communicate.
• ActiveMQ: a better way to move data reliably using message queuing. This is part of what will be implemented on the ESB.

All the above studies are skill/tool upgrades except ActiveMQ. Usually when I find myself using older libraries and technologies (or newer ones offer attractive features or fix old problems), I conduct a study to learn what's new and end up upgrading my entire code base. So it looks like the rest of the year will be consumed with completing this upgrade.

Besides these studies, I am also primarily still developing LeafCompass, the portal for landscapers. The first release is out, to be followed soon by a mobile version and a comprehensive support site.

As if that isn't enough, I am in self-taught mode for business administration: I'm feeling the itch to start ramping up my small business Strive Consulting, LLC and taking on more jobs, and eventually becoming completely self-employed. So I am designing a new app that will help administer that business too (so I can achieve operational automation and efficiency through technology).

Talk of busyness, I am! But the study frenzy seems like a necessary step at this stage in my life. I know it will pay off, so I do it despite how boring it is and how tired I end up.

We Fit(ness) Together

I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that never works out and yet is physically fit. So that we look and feel good, we all must work out. Some do gyms and others get personal trainers -- we just do DVD programs at home. Enter "Insanity", which we have been doing on and off for the last couple of months. My wife does another women's Beachbody product from time to time, which has served her well.

We've seen some results, even with our lackluster commitment, so we know that if we work harder at it and be more consistent, we'll see even better results. Actually, my wife has been more successful at exercise than I, working out pretty much every weekday even if I do not join her. I realize that (1) I have a bad habit of working out in 1-2 week spurts then taking a week or two off, (2) I work out better in the evenings than in the mornings, and (3) exercise can become routine and boring, creating less of an desire to commit seriously.

So I've designated October and November as the months I intend to finish the entire "Insanity" workout. To encourage my wife in her workouts, I'll workout in the mornings with her. I'll workout everyday (except Sundays) so I can be true to the workout and see if it really delivers on its promise of serious abs and better cardio response. I'll work out to my own music though, to keep things interesting, and will "test" my physical fitness every 2 weeks with a brisk hike up the Manitou Springs Incline. Yes, this all sounds like a New Year's resolution -- and it is. Simply applied really late into the year.

At the other end though, I expect good health and vanity. I mean, why else do we work out?

Be Still

Psalm 46:10 (NIV) “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;”

Right now I’m struggling with the stillness God has placed in my life. As my friends run around franticly with their busy schedules I sit with little to do. As Americans we fill our days and our importance is based on how busy we are. In my devotionals it talks about King David being anointed at age 15 but not made king till age 30. 15 years of waiting- wow! Not an easy thing to do. I struggle with being still and waiting on God. I’ve been calling out to God. Talking to him in verbal conversation. Even though I struggle I am finding some sweet time with Him. I see how too often I exhort God and go about my busy life but now I’m resting in Him. Take some time to be still and be with God.

Do Newly-Weds Need Life Insurance?

Soon after the wedding day, somebody will approach you with an offer for life insurance (your bank or companies that hawk change-of-name records from the state). You'll hear how important it is to "protect" your loved ones, and scary scenarios will be presented, with an emphasis to buy coverage right away. Nobody really sits down to discuss with you whether you really need life insurance at all, or which kind will work for you best. If they did, they might find out that you don't really need it, kind of like where we find ourselves at this juncture.

Newly-weds (less than 24 months married) don't need life insurance if they (1) both have jobs/incomes, (2) have no children, (3) have no debt, including a mortgage, (4) have a fully-funded emergency fund, (5) are young and healthy enough, (6) have low-risk livelihoods, and (7) have no other shared long-term financial obligations. Note the emphasis on "need", because some agents sell insurance as a necessity, which it isn't. The key: if one spouse could comfortably live on their own income, it is not needed. It is important to understand term life insurance as "income replacement" and be realistic about what additional help you would need were your spouse to pass away. As newly-weds in said situation, we figure the only costs we should care about in that sense are funeral costs and perhaps any related hospital bills. As it is, our emergency fund would help with that. This highlights another reason why you should have a generous emergency fund even before you consider the luxury of life insurance.

Every marriage is different though, so assess yours carefully. The 7 criteria above will be a good start. The sooner you buy insurance, the lower the premium you are likely to secure because of your age, health, and prevailing market conditions (insurability). Your insurance agent will make sure you know this fact, but don't panic: everyone will die someday (Heb.9:27), and what matters more than anything is where your soul is headed at that point. Actually I find it a little ridiculous that the life insurance calculation is basically a bet that you will both outlive your policy (or they wouldn't offer to insure you if it were more likely that you'd die within term). It makes business sense that way for the insurer. But just be objective about it, understand it, ask a ton of questions, then choose a policy that is right for you.

That said, it makes good financial sense to considered it and buy a policy no later than your second anniversary. Use the time to stabilize and understand your particular financial dynamic, build a healthy emergency fund, and prepare yourself to tackle the hard topic of death and beneficiaries. It need not be seriously emotional or morbid, but sensible.

A Political Stake

Considering the upcoming US presidential elections, everyone has a political opinion about today's national issues and which presidential candidate would be best suited to resolve them. We are no exception: our home is a two-party system, representing the Republican party and the independents, so our political opinions come from those perspectives. Whoever said marriage was supposed to be an "equally-yoked" union didn't consider that politics can be an integral part of a marriage: a Republican can marry a Democrat and they will thrive.

I am more politically active than my wife, participating in various debates, political forums on various issues, and volunteering in local politics. I am interested in how government works, and how the experiment of democracy manifests itself. I am also interested in social justice issues and the exercise of morality in society (as informed by my Christian faith). In fact, I think that morality and social justice precede politics, which is why I would more likely vote on the issues than the hardline party positions.

In another life, I'd do well as a political analyst or fact checker. I listen to both liberal and conservative opinion but make up my mind based on research, facts, and general reality. Wherever the apparent truth leads is where I establish my position, no matter which political party originated it. My politics are not too tightly coupled to my religion per se, leaving me room to consider positions that perhaps many fellow Christians would frown own. In fact, the only hate mail I've ever received came from well-meaning conservative Christians against certain political opinions I espoused. I've surprisingly lost friends over politics. I find that some people are so deep into their party or politics that they fail to recognize when change is needed or know when they might be wrong about certain issues. I call that "political slavery", when you do not feel free to even hear out dissenting opinion or understand those that may not agree with you, to the extent that you harbor hate towards them and propagate lies about them. I'd rather the truth be known, undefiled, and let there be a variety of political opinion and debate about it.

So as I embark on a fresh review of current political issues and consider the presidential candidates' positions, I am burdened to find truth in the rhetoric, consider implications of positions or policy proposals, and figure out how I will be impacted or benefit from them. It is prime to be informed before you voice an opinion. In short order, I'll also discover how politics works inside a family: is it necessary that you agree on everything politically, or is it alright (and even desired) that there be differing perspectives in that regard? As long as you are not politically enslaved, healthy debate or current affairs and freedom of political expression (without imposing on your spouse) should be a good thing.