Adam’s House of Ideas

Well, first I would like to say welcome back to writing a post to myself. That was one of the longest hiatus of my life. Of course, now my wife blogs about our family and does it soooo much better than I ever would. Dolezal Blog.

Anyway, I digress to why I am posting again. Many of you that know both Ben and myself don’t know that we actually use to bowl in a youth league as kids. Ben was much better than me! He even made it to Bantam state tournaments. I wasn’t bad, but nothing special. Tragically, for both of us we were forced to retire at the age of 14 for health reasons. The reasons were inhaling enough second hand smoke in the 2 plus hours of bowling each week to put a spot on my lung. (No I really don’t have a spot on my lung) All through high school we would go out to the smoke-free bowling alley on KSU campus with our friends who had not bowled before. We made a pack to never let any of these novice bowlers beat us. Week after week the pressure mounted as our friends would slowly improve and get closer and closer.

Until one time when both Ben and I were bowling with friends. The pressure was at its highest. I had a bad ball, a slick lane, and a tired arm, simply put I was off my game. When I bowl I am normally good for 160 or higher, but this time I was flirting with a 130!! This put me in the range to be beat. Luckily for the Dolezal Brothers, we had Ben bringing his B game and coming away with a edge over one of our friends who bowled a 165(I believe still his all-time high) and Ben put up a 172 or so to keep our streak alive.

On Wednesday May 21st, 2008 the streak was once again put on the line. This time I had been invited to play by our Bishop with the church youth group in Wamego, KS. Now; none of the youth scared me for hurting the streak, but the Bishop and both young men advisor’s worried me a little. I played it cool not letting any one know of the streak or that I had bowled as a youth. There was one of the advisor’s who bowled in a league, has his own shoes, and three balls. With all that knowledge I know that I could allow myself to lose to this guy. He doesn’t fit the profile of the STREAK credentials.

I started off a little rough with only knocking down 6 pins on my first roll.  Then only getting 2 more for an 8.  He of course, got a strike, than a spare.  Well, I only managed a 17 after 2 frames.  Progress was being shown by me.  I liked the ball I was using and I was starting to find my form with each frame.  The breakthrough came in the third when I got 9 pins down on the first roll and picked up the spare in the third frame.  The fourth frame was the same, now I am feeling pretty good I can get a 160 here and be respectable without letting anyone else beat me.  Then the miracle happened.

In the fifth frame, I hit the rhythm I had been searching for.  STRIKE! Then the sixth frame came, and STRIKE again!  Now I am feeling it.  As I go to roll my ball in the 7th frame, one of the kids says you can’t get three in a row…..BAM STRIKE!  Now I just got a turkey.  I am in the zone now.  Come up on the 8th frame still focused and thinking only about letting the ball do all the work.  Then I throw it like I had thrown the three balls before as the ball heads down the lane for another…STRIKE!  Four in a row, now people are noticing my bowling and not the other guy bowling anymore.  I was flying so high I forgot it was now the 9th frame.  Any good bowler knows you don’t want to leave an open frame in the 9th frame.  I let the pressure build…Could I really get 5 in a row? I wondered.  NOPE!  Gutter ball, I pulled the ball too hard.  No worries, I can get all 10 down on the next roll, maybe?  Only 9 with the 10 pin wabbling.  Now we are sitting with a 164 and only the 10 frame left.   I can relax again, no one is watching me bowl anymore.  With the tenth frame all to my self, I hit the first strike.  Bonus, two more rolls now..  Second strike down, with one last roll to go.  At best I am looking at a 194 my all time high.  I roll the last ball knocking down only 6 for a 190 game.

Meanwhile, the competition has fallen off, he can only muster a 175.  This is a victory for the Dolezal Brothers Pride Streak.  And with that I pass the bowling ball over to my brother for the next time.  I am hanging up my bowling shoes for another 5 years!

“Beating the Street” by Peter Lynch was a great book for those looking to invest in the stock market. I am writing down all his “principles” of investing.

 1. When the Operas outnumber the football games three to zero, you know there is something wrong with your life.

2. Gentlemen who prefer bonds don’t know what they are missing.

3. Never invest in any idea you can’t illustrate with a crayon.

4. You can’t see the future through a rearview mirror.

5. There’s no point paying Yo-Yo Ma to play a radio.Â

6. As long as you’re picking a fund, you might as well pick a good one.

7. The extravagance of any corporat office is directly proportional to management’s reluctance to reward the shareholders.

8. When yields on long-term government bonds excee the dividend yield of the S&P 500 by 6 percent or more, sell your stocks and buy bonds.

9. Not all common stocks are equally common.

10. Never look back when you’re driving on the autobahn.

11. The best stock to buy may be the one you already own.

12. A sure cure fo taking a stock for granted is a big drop in the price.

13. Never bet on a comback while they’re playing”Taps”.

14. If you like the store, chances are you’ll love the stock.

15. When insiders are buying, it’s a good sign–unless they happen to be New England bankers.

16. In business, competition is never as healthy as total domination.

17. All else being equal, invest in the company with the fewest color photographs in the annual report.

18. When even the analysts are bored, it’s time to start buying.

19. Unless you’re a short seller or a poet looking for a wealthy spouse, in never pays to be pessimistic.

20. Corporations, like people, change their names for one of two reasons: either they’ve gotten married, or they’ve been involved in some fiasco that they hope the public will forget.

21. Whatever the queen is selling, buy it.

  This video of Mike Nugent is incredible.  I have seen it about 10 times now and it hasn’t lost it wickedness.  I thought I would share for all of you football/soccer fans out there.  I am so ready for football season to get started.  Baseball, just hasn’t been doing it for me lately.  Bring on the NFL!!!  Enjoy the other videos that are on there.  They are very good and light hearted.

I went to watch Transformers last night, which was AWESOME!!  That wasn’t the most amazing part of the night.   That happened during the first thirty minutes of commercials when I witnessed one of the most disturbing and yet hilarious commercials I have ever seen.  The only thing I could keep thinking was why hasn’t anyone blogged about this yet and why are we not seeing this on the TV’s at home.   What I beheld can only be explained as the lowest point of someone’s career and selling out completely come together as one.

Vince Gill who was once a two time country entertainer of the year less than a decade ago.  Vince was doing a Fruit of the Loom commercial, you know tighty whiteys or aka underwear.  That alone would have been alright, since even Michael Jordan works for Hanes.  Well this takes the cake for biggest sellout/lowest point in someone’s career.  Vince Gill is singing a Duet with a DUDE dressed up as an APPLE, not that there is anything wrong with that.  Seriously, IT IS TWO DUDES SINGING ABOUT UNDERWEAR, why would anyone agree to do this.  I am not even famous and I would not even consider doing this.  I sure hope he gets paid lots of money so he and Amy Grant can support both of their former spouses they cheated on before they were married.  Here is the link to Apple undies video.  I find the audience the funniest of all.  The audience is acting like this was the best song they have ever heard and singing along.

Anyway, I hope you all will enjoy the stupidity of this video/commercial as much as I do.  I will now be considering boycotting tighty whiteys for good.  Actually, I have been boycotting tighty whiteys since age 13.  I know, I know TMI!  For you old people  TMI stands for too much information.  I just wonder who will be the next former big singer to sell out.  We have had Michael McDonald with the telephone commerical, John Cougar Mellencamp or is is John Mellencamp or John Cougar with his This is My Country for Chevy trucks.  Well, John and Vince this in MY country and I don’t want to support your sad careers anymore.  Please post your thoughts in the comments section below.

First off, I know a lot about Arrogance, if you don’t believe me I will tell you how great I am at knowing about Arrogance.  I have been thinking a lot lately about the differences between these two for some reason.  I know part of it has to do with my new job and it requires much self confidence, but arrogance could destroy one’s ability to be successful.  I believe the difference can be summed up in this little quote “The difference between arrogance and confidence is simply, one must tell you how great they are; the other only shows you.”  Yes, I am quoting myself and I know that is arrogant, but I don’t want to read this on a Hallmark someday and feel someone stole that from me. 

     From my experience as a referee and meeting some of the most arrogant people I have ever met who referee.  Most of them continually telling me how great they were and how much the games they had were just the absolute hardest games to work and only they could have handled that game.  Yucky, that type of arrogance is just disgusting to be around.  Then watching other referees who quietly did their job and never drew much if; any attention to themselves when they were on the field.  They were the ones who you wanted to learn from and who had so much self confidence to make the right call in the critical moment of the game. 

    The same goes for a salesperson.  I am amazed at the arrogant salesperson who is cocky and greasy, but still able to make a sale.  I would never work with a person like that.  I want a salesperson who listens to me and asks me questions that make sense to help me find my way into buying what I am looking for.  I don’t need to be sold on something, I know what I am looking for.  I only need some guidance.  These are the people who will be successful sales people.  The ones who are self confident enough to help you buy something not try and sell you something.

     Self confidence comes from within, well arrogance is a thin wall keeping people from getting inside an arrogant person.  If someone got to know that arrogant person, they would see he/she is truly insecure on the inside.  Arrogance uses fear and humiliation to make themselves feel better.  Self confidence only wants others to feel good about themselves as well. 

   This is the latest in books I have read.  Yes, I am a Mormon learning the art of doing business.  I will admit a little bias towards this book from the beginning.  What I didn’t know is that Jeff Benedict who is well know in the business world for writing books; is also a Mormon.  He does a great job of explaining all this in the beginning of the book.  These men are all CEO’s of some of the most major companies in the country and all of them have been extremely successful.   The wild part is how they have all done it.  Almost in exactly the same fashion and principles.  They work hard, honest, and make time for their families.  They never or hardly work on Sunday’s and have all done dedicated service in the Mormon church.  Some of these men have been so successful in business that in their current positions they do not take their salary.  They instead give it back to the companies employees. 

      I did really enjoy reading about all that each one does and how much time they devote to each day in work and family.  I can truly say that these men do not have an idle moment in their daily lives.  They are either sleeping, working, eating, spending time with family or listening to books on CD.  They are truly amazing men.  The part I really learned the most about was their faith in Heavenly Father.  They all paid one tenth of all they earned to the church and all had made millions.  All have more than three kids if I remember right and one had 9 kids.  NO they only had one wife each at a time! For all you jokers out there thinking they have one kid with 9 wives.  The church stopped  that practice just a little over 160 YEARS AGO!  Moving on, as I take a deep breath.  I am not offended, just frustrated with stupidity.  The same people who think we still practice ploygamy are the same people who ask me when I tell them I am from Kansas, “How Dorothy is doing or if I have a dog named Toto?”  UMMM…..NO AND NO, Wow I have never heard that before. Really; you should be on a stage or something.  REAL GENIUS! 

     Back to the book after we pass on that little side note.  As I was reading the book I did notice a few of their qualities are ones that I have been working on as well.  They all continually read and strive to get better everyday.  These are things that I have been trying to do for most of my life, well at least getting better everday.  The reading more has been for the last three years and I have really noticed a difference in my intellectual ability.  Shameless plug for my Library buddy Todd, Reading books can really help you improve you entire outlook on life and help you become successful.  “Reading is FUNdamental”.  And now back to our regularly scheduled blog.  They also have traits that I would like to add to my increasing skill set.  The ability to delegate, motivate, and inspire.  I know I have had moments when I have done one of the three, but to put all of it together on a regular basis will be something awesome to be able to accomplish. 

     This book is a great book for anyone wanting to understand the Mormon culture a little bit more, without feeling like someone is trying to brainwash you.   Mormons are the best, you want to become a Mormon…..Rinse and Repeat as neccesary.   This is also a wonderful book for learning how to make deals happen and work smarter in everyday business world.  Learning how to be successful without losing your family in the process.  All of them agreed that no amount of success can overcome failure in the home.  I give this book a Mormon chapel clap with two bowls of green Jello salad rating.  For those of you who don’t know what that means.  Ask a Mormon friend to take you to chruch and/or a Mormon potluck dinner and you will understand competely.  You might even laugh at that. 

    

   Yes this is another book about making money that I have read recently.  I have been trying to change the way I think about money and how to become financially independent for my family.  I again highly recommend reading this book when you get a chance.  Robert does a great job of making you think differentially about money, but still feel like you understand what he is saying too.  I will say that his books are not for everyone and for many they probably make them mad.  I know if I had read this book three years ago I would not have accepted what he says as something that I could do or believe in. 

     Now I have a different view of how people think and act with finding jobs and careers to go into.  This book is good for all ages of people.  Here are the seven steps to finding your financial fast track. 

Step1: It’s time to mind your own business.  Take action start your own little business and look for ways to bring money in, without a lot of work.  Set goals that you can acheive.

Step2: Take control of your cash flow.  Get out of debt and start budgeting all your expenses. 

Step3: Know the difference between risk and risky.  Many say investing is risky, Robert says “being uneducated is risky”   Know the difference, we can never have enough financial intelligence or literacy.  The one thing not taught in schools that should be is how to balance your check book and avoid debt.  Why is that??  Our country continues to fall deeper and deeper into debt as a people and as a government.

step4: Decide what kind of investor you want to be.  There are three types of investors and sometimes we need to be all three, but we need to figure out who we are and how to invest.

Step5: Seek Mentors.  This one is easy. Find people who have been there and done that.  Talking to your friends is fine, but you must seek the advice of someone who has done what you are trying to do.  Their guidance will save you much time and money in the long run.  No one needs to reinvent the wheel, just put 22inch spinning rims on your wheel.

Step6: Make disappointment your strength   “who do you become when things don’t go your way?”  Disappointment must be looked at as a learning experience and how to make it an opportunity for us in life.  Everyone who is has been or is successful in life has overcome many trials and disappointment along their path to success.  We learn the most from our mistakes in life than the successes. 

Step7: The power of Faith.  We must have faith in ourselves as well as our business plans and goals.  Without faith, we cannot accomplish the many goals we have set without faith in ourselves.  Money will not stay long with those who do not trust themselves.  God wants us to be wealthy and financially secure.  We must believe in this to achieve all our dreams.  

This is just a little bit about the book with some notes for me to remember mostly.  Also, I would hope you would go out and borrow from the library or you can purchase the book online as well. 

     Well, I have a good friend named Noah, who is returning ironically to Manhattan on May 7th, 2007.  Looks like he will be bringing his ark with him.   We have been getting heavy amounts of rain the past few weeks around the Manhattan area.   This has been rain like we haven’t seen since the flood of 93 in this area.   I am glad that he will be returning and bringing his almost 10 years of hotel and restaurant management experience to our town.   He will starting his own business venture here in town.  I know this place will be a wonderful place for families and couples to go and enjoy a lovely meal in Manhattan. 

    Having a friend in the food industry that isn’t working at McDonald’s is exciting!  Not since high school have I had any connections in the food industry.  Of course, then all my connections were bus-boys and cooks.  Now I get to know the big time manager/entreprenuer of a restuarant.   I know he will be very successful with what he is doing.  He understands the business well and understands the needs of this town.  I look  forward to making many trips to his place.   I will update this blog when I know I can tell everyone more about where this place will be and what they will be serving. 

    Until then, watch out for animals leaving the zoo in two by two formation.   

      With the NBA playoffs getting started last week, I felt a need to get my loyal reader some insight on one of the greatest first round series of all time.   The Golden State Warriors the #8 seed vs.  The Dallas Mavericks the #1 seed (and best time in the league this season) playing a best of seven game series.  Every game has been an absolute thing of beauty to watch.  Don Nelson the coach of the Warriors use to coach the Mavericks until about 2 seasons ago when he retired.  Then this season the Warriors fired their head coach and asked Don Nelson who had coached the Warriors before to come out of retirement to coach again.  

    Of course this season the Warriors beat the Mavericks all three times they played each other in the regular season.   All of this setting the stage for these awesome games.  For those who didn’t get to watch much NBA in the 80′s this is what it was like.  Two teams just playing basketball with two home crowds so loud that I can not hear the TV announcers over the crowd sometimes.  This is icing on the cake that is this playoff series.  Both teams are playing extremely hard and fast.  They are just fastbreaking eachother to death.  When you see the scores you would think that these teams are not playing any defense.  That is the best part, both teams are playing good defense; the players are making tough shots or great passes. 

        I just love watching how the NBA is evolving into a TEAM game again.  The Suns, Nuggets, Warriors, and Mavericks are the teams of the future and the one great player teams are a thing of the past.  Now it is about putting the best five players out there at one time and forget about having a center, forward, guard out there.  Give me one true point guard and four good players and we will beat most teams in the league.  Watch the Mavericks vs the Warriors tonight and hopefully it will go to a game seven.

      I would like to watch them play each other for the next month.  If you don’t like the NBA, you will still like watching these teams play.  Just like watching a Suns vs. Mavericks series; this one has all the makings of a great story/rivalry for the next few years.   I can’t wait for the all the NBA teams to start making all their teams this way. 

         Since I will be posting more on www.thedatingdude.net soon; I thought I would give you a teaser for when I go public.  Many of us have dated someone for a long time, maybe 6 months, one year, or even GULP….6 years and then found out this person wasn’t “right” for us.  Well, in my personal experience as well as those around me I have found the way to speed up this process of elimination.  No longer will you need longer than 6 months to figure out if this person is worth maintaining a relationship with for the long haul. 

         Now, if you are into dating someone for a long period of time and then finding out they were a loser, please don’t continue to read this article.  This will only confuse, frustrated, and flat out annoy you.   I only annoy my little sister, so please don’t continue reading.  I have plenty of other good articles you can read throughout this blog space. 

   First off is the call back test.  If the person is really into you, they will call you back.  This is a way to test the relationship early.  (Ladies, if you call a guy back before he gets home from your date……translation DESPERATE!!) There is an old rule and a good one.  The rule that at least 24 hours before you call after a date.   No one likes the marriage happy person on the first date or second or even the first seven.  Calling quickly is the fastest way to end a relationship.   If you are looking to see if the relationship has a chance;  call when you know this person won’t be around to answer and leave a message.   See how long this person takes to call you back.  If they don’t call in under 24 hours, they are not interested in you or are more interested in themselves.  Now in the cell phone age, they have caller id and have the phone on 24/7 which means don’t call at 3am.  That is just stalking, not dating.    Call their landline phone if they have one while they are at work or something.   The call back is critical in the early stages of a lasting relationship.  If you don’t get one soon, they aren’t worth your time.

     One of my favorite ways to test a person to see if they are worth dating, is ”the door test” for guys.    Which is starting to die because of automatic everything on a car now .  Guys we should be getting the doors for our dates, no matter how much we have come with equal rights for women; chivalry is not dead.  Having said that GET THE DOOR!  Leave your door locked to see if she will lean over to unlock your door.  If she does, she is a keeper.  This tells you a number of things all in one little gesture.  First, she is thinking about you; which means she is into you.  Second, she isn’t thinking about herself first and all the wonderful things she could be doing without you.  I have tested many a lady on this test and that test works everytime.  If you have power locks, only unlock her door and see if she will unlock yours.  There are others like this, but I don’t want to give the ladies all our secrets.

     Another good test is; making the decision of something to do.  If you are dating a woman who is always picking where you go and what you do.  You are in trouble; she will never stop deciding all of those things.  In fact, she will soon tell you how to cut your hair and how to dress yourself.  A little bit of this in every man’s life isn’t bad, but all the time is awful.  Here is how you test her out.  Make plans for the weekend, make it an all day thing from lunch through dinner.  Give her about five to seven days notice and tell her you made all the arrangements.   If she goes crazy on you before the date, you know not to continue this relationship.  If she is impressed, but doesn’t believe you; give her a chance to go.  If while on the date, she is constantly complaining about the little details you forgot, then as soon as you can.   Get away from this relationship. 

    For the ladies, who never decide where to go or what to do, but always say “I don’t know what do you want to do?”  And then when the man does suggest somewhere and you say, “I am not in the mood for mexican”.  You ladies are driving us (men) absolutely crazy!  MAKE A DECISION!!!  IF you really like the guy you are seeing and constantly say something like this he will find someone else.   You must find balance with how much control you want to take from the man.  LADIES!,  IF a man asks you where do you want to go, at the very least give three suggestions that you would be satisfied with.  Also, for the ladies who are like this, you too need to plan a day together; all on your own and see above for the guy responses.  The same applies to men, we can be just as controlling and whiny as women.   Well almost anyway.

   Another testing situation for the relationship after you have been dating for a while is the sickness.  Getting sick brings out the worst in people.  Both those who are sick and those who are around the sick person.  When you get sick, call the person you are dating to come over and help you.  If the person you are dating comes over and takes good care of you.  You have a keeper on your hands.  If this person comes over and only annoys you more, then maybe you need to move on.  If when this person is called they don’t come over, well you know they don’t love you.   This also works for the one who isn’t sick.  When you go over and the sick person is all gross and constantly complaining about being sick.  And you still love them after all that, you know you really do love this person.  If no matter what you do for the sick person; they still aren’t happy you are there to help them.  Don’t continue this relationship.  They are always going to be selfish and put their own needs ahead of yours or anyone elses.  

     These are just a few of the ways to help speed up a relationship.  Remember you don’t need to date someone for more than a year to know if you want to marry them.  You only need to test the relationship at the early stages to find out if you really can be happy with them.  Remember if she or he is really hot and you like a trophy/sugar spouse don’t do the tests.  All you have to do is keep smiling when you are with them.