My Feelings on the Origin of God

I have never really believed in God.  I have never been religious.  I always wondered why people believe in something that seems so farfetched and inconceivable.  I always wanted to know how the idea of God came about.  I finally got my answer, at least the one that I came up with on my own.  I was in the Marine Corp for a short period of time, but found myself caught up with many people of different faiths.  Anyway, I would go back and forth from my barracks to the base hospital for rehab and noticed something.  When there is nothing around you but nature, you wonder how everything came about.  You wonder how this planet came to be and how it is so beautiful.  I would just be looking at the mountainous terrain and think to myself, "This is why people came up with the idea of God."  If I had been born some time ago before all this technology and scientific advancement was around, I might believe in the idea of a god, or a creator.  I don't know how anyone would not believe in a god in a time before all this innovation.  This is my short take on the origin of God, but I still don't understand why people believe in God now, after all the science has come out to dispute a creator.

Haven't Posted in a While...

So I haven't really had the urge to post anything in a while. I'm not sure why, but I want to try to start having regular posts. I started this page to have my own blog, but over the years, I have only posted, what 7 posts. That's not very many. So this post is really to get me to post something and maybe get me interested in doing this at least on a weekly basis. I hope this works. Another post will be coming soon...

The Timid Investor

What is it about investing money in stocks that makes people scared? Historically the stock market has had an average annual return of about 12 percent. Compared to interest bearing savings accounts or money market accounts or even Certificates of Deposit (CD's), one would be uninformed to not think about the potential gain in capital the stock market may bring. People may say that they don’t know too much about specific stocks or even what stock is and what it means to own stock in a company. Even if you are one of these people, there are other ways to invest in the stock market without buying specific stocks.

Index funds are a very popular way to invest in the stock market with a very low amount of risk as well as cost. Many investment firms have funds that follow the major indexes. These would be the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Standard and Poor 500, and the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. These exchanges don’t cover all stocks on the market, but they are a fair representation of the overall market. When people say that the stock market has an average annual gain return of about 12 percent, these indexes are usually their proof. So if you are unsure of which industry or even which specific stock to put your money into, these three indexes would be a very safe place to put your money.

Besides the index funds, there are other funds that may be of interest to you. Mutual funds are also like index funds in the sense that they are made up of a group of stocks. However, they differ in many ways. One, mutual funds can be made up of stocks in one industry or many industries. These funds may also be specializing in the size of the companies they invest in such as small caps, medium caps, and large caps. Most mutual funds also pay quarterly dividends to their stockholders. This might sound good, and it is, but it also increases your tax burden as it adds to your income for the year. Mutual funds are also actively managed unlike index funds, which means the fund managers will charge a higher fee to its customers and decrease total gains you may make over the year. For example, if the fund appreciated 6 percent for the year and the fund had an expense ratio of 1 percent, your total gain would be only 5 percent.

I want to join the Army

This has been a constant thought in my mind for the last 4 months, and somewhat in the back of my mind since I graduated high school in 2003. That's a long time, I know, but it is a big commitment. One must leave everything he knows behind for something he is not quite sure of, and then commit to it for at least 3 to 4 years. Friends will be left behind, but new friends will be made. Possessions will become meaningless and the only things one will possess protect him and allow him to complete his mission. Family will be there only in spirit. All will be left behind for a new and exciting future that I think is more important than anything one can do as a civilian. We live and work just to get by in life. We work for companies that only care about the "bottom line" and to some extent, customer satisfaction. Employees are never given enough credit for a job well done, but are always criticized for any mistakes made from day to day. The only thing that helps is a manager that cares more about the employee than the customers and the company they work for; and that manager is me. Only a handful of people can fill this role, and these people never feel like they are making a difference.

Back to the topic at hand. The military, no matter which branch one chooses, offers one the chance to prove themselves where it really matters. Nobody is thinking about profit margins when bullets are whizzing by their head. Nobody is wondering when the next generation video game console will be released when they are standing side by side with fellow soldiers holding a fortification from a never ending onslaught of enemy fire coming from all directions. I will always be thinking of my fellow soldier and that polite little girl or boy that says please and thank you when ordering popcorn from the senior assistant manager working for a movie theater chain. I will finally be shown respect from my superiors that I have waited for, and never received, from my bosses and supervisors. Why live in a world where everyone is looking out for #1, and leaves the rest of us behind to suffer?

My parents made me strong, the Army will make me Army Strong.

Thoughts on Writing a Book

Ever since I was a kid I have always wanted to write a book. It would be so cool to have a book published with my name on the cover. I never did get around to writing, and I never could think of what I would want to write about, but every now and then I get an urge to start writing. The only problem is that when I actually get a chance to sit down and start writing, my mind goes blank and nothing wants to come out. My mind likes to wonder a lot, but when I think about it, there is nothing much to write about. Most of the time, there is meaningless thought or just repetitious reminders to keep my mind working. Nothing substantial enough to gain a true insight into how to develop a character or even a situation in enough detail to write anything substantial. I wish I could be more disciplined... Funny because I think of myself as being the most disciplined person I know. Anyway, I just had the urge to write this out; and now I'm done.

Start Investing

The stock market is nothing to be afraid of, but from the impression I get from my friends and colleagues, the stock market is to be feared or avoided. Most people are just misinformed. Most people make money trading stocks either on a short or long term basis. I myself have made close to $3,000 on E*Trade. Sure that might not sound like a lot of money, but I have only been trading for two and a half years. I also go to school studying finance, so I don't have all the time in the world nor the money to invest at a moments notice. But for me, $3,000 is a lot. I do not take that money out to use as I want either. Any gains I may have I re-invest in the next trade. This is known as compounding. Most of us know this term from interest payments we make on credit cards or loans. Compounding adds up in the long run. But my advice would be to start investing sooner than later as your situation allows. Don't make foolish decisions and trade on a whim or a tip you get from a friend or stranger. Do some research in the company first. Look at the industry and see if they are one of the top players. Look at the yearly and quarterly reports and see if their profit margins stay pretty steady or increase from time to time. Also make sure that their business is looking toward the future. If you have any questions, just ask. But like I said, don't be foolish, but also don't be too cautious. This is a game of risk, after all.