Kirtonomics Focus More Defined

I've recently mentioned on my Facebook page that I took a break from the site to figure out life. This last year has been an emotional roller coaster for a number of reasons. Money has been tight, paying jobs few and my overall health was the worse ever. But, that was last year... good riddance!

So now what?

The reason and focus of Kirtonomics will now be more defined. The title is new: Creating Disabled Financial Security. Watch and listen to me tell about the life-changing discovery I had. CLICK HERE

So, if you didn't already know, I'm the Dad of six children with various levels of Autism. (click the various links to the right for more details if you choose). I worry about their future... I worry about their NOW.

What's the plan?

I have created relationships with mentors and investors. In the next few days I'll be adding a tab called, "Financial Security" to this blog. There I will detail how ANYONE can partner with me to earn substantial amounts of income to do with as you and your family needs require. Don't worry, it will not cost you anything and it's not MLM or something like that.

Glenn Beck is an Alien

I mean he must be, right?  Something like the Terminator robot that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger... he's a machine!  I've heard, and assume that it's true, that he does eat -- but does he sleep?

I doubt it.

How can any NORMAL person do the prep and host a three hour radio program -- plus the prep and host an hour long TV show?  Sure he has a staff of assistants, but I can't imagine he's asleep in the corner while they do all the work.

Then there is books.  He reads them all the time... "Last night I was reading the latest..." he'll say often on the radio.  And he not only reads... he writes books to!  I read this just yesterday:  "The Overton Window is Beck's sixth number-one
bestseller. According to his publisher, Simon & Schuster, he has previously reached the top spot with An Inconvenient Book, The Christmas Sweater, Glenn Beck's Common Sense, Arguing With Idiots, and the children's version of The Christmas Sweater."

Six number one best sellers?!  Glenn Beck must be an alien.

Additionally besides radio, TV and books -- he does tours.  Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck hit the road together this past January on the “Bold and Fresh Tour.”  He has done his "Christmas Sweater" show.  And now he has recently started the "American Revival" tour.

He's a married man.  Got the wife and kids, goes to church on Sunday's.  I understand he drives a Chevrolet and I bet he eats apple pie too.  Does way too much to be just a 'regular' Joe.

So there's the proof: Glenn Beck is an alien.

But, there is another possibility.  Maybe he is so committed to what he believes in that he doesn't need that much sleep.  Maybe he feels that our time to make changes to restore this great country of ours to it's once high position in the world again, is short and he has to do all he can.  Maybe he feels an unspoken mandate or mission from God himself.

Nah, he's an alien.

1956 Chevrolet Nomad and other Dream Cars

There are a number of reasons why this is my favorite classic car or 'hot rod'.  Number one, this car is an absolute beauty.  Closely followed by the fact that I was born in 1956.  Also, if you look closely -- you'll notice that the chrome piece extending down from the band of red behind the door, follows the natural lines of the unique door only the Nomads have.  Check the '55 or '57 Nomads and you'll notice that this unique feature is ignored.  Unfortunately I have never owned the '56 Nomad.  But I did own, for a few short months, a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air.

While receiving Air Force technical training in Denver at Lowry AFB in 1975, I happened upon a '56 Chevy Bel Air at a small dealership on one of the main drags near the base.  I was currently driving a 1962 Chevrolet Impala convertible.  It was white with a white top and red interior.  It had the 327 cu. in. engine Duntov solid lifter cam version that produced 340 hp with single Carter 4-barrel, a fuel line that was as big around as your thumb and a 2 speed automatic transmission.  When you floored this baby and it shifted from first to second... it was like going into Warp drive -- no kidding!  I'm amazed to see 6 and 7 speed automatics that are available today.

However, I was growing tired of the '62 Impala especially since the convertible roof was leaking and what 19 year old kid doesn't tire of a car he's had for 2-3 months already?

So I traded in the Impala and got the '56 Bel Air.  It didn't look EXACTLY like the one above -- but it was close.  The same Bel Air two-tone paint scheme and colors.  It was a hard top with a red and white interior.  Someone had taken out the two-speed automatic and replace it with a 4-speed Hurst shifter tranny.  The engine was the 265 cu. in. V-8 that Chevrolet had introduced the year before.  But, mine was the Power Pack option.  The engine included a four-barrel Rochester, dual exhaust and was conservatively rated at 180 hp.


But, it had a few problems.  The power steering pump leaked... badly.  It needed to be filled almost daily.  The battery was weak and I had to get my buddies to give me a push so I could pop the clutch and start it in the morning.


Then it had some problems at highway speeds.


One was the transmission would pop out of 4th gear when ever it felt like it.  That was fun.  Then above 50 mph the front end would shake and you'd have numb hands holding the steering wheel after a few minutes.  Checking with a mechanic, the front end needed around $300 of work.  I know, not that much for today.  But, I was making about $500 - $600 a month in those days.


I SHOULD have kept it and limped it to my next assignment in South Dakota, fixed it up and had a really cool and classic car today.  But... I didn't.  Hindsight is 20/20.


(Note: I tried to fix the last 5 paragraphs a half dozen times -- damn Blogger sometimes!)

Male Depression is Killing Our Country

I thought I read or heard the following quote -- but I couldn't find it anywhere or who the quote is from.  So until someone tells me different, it's mine.

"If it's to be... it's up to me!"  ~ John W. Kirton Jr.

I'm come to this realization (the quote) recently.  You can wish and hope, or pray and curse or cry and complain.  But the bottom line in life is that, no one gives a rat's behind about digging you out from under YOUR problems.  There is so much lip service about helping the needy or giving 'service' to others (especially during Sunday School lessons) -- that the gum flapping is a hurricane category 5 wind storm!

Sure call me a cynic, an unbeliever -- but prove me wrong.  Sure there is occasions of help given during disaster relief.  And the only truly charitable relief for the average person during non-emergency times is 'Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition.'  Other then that you are pretty much on your own.

Until now.

I have wanted, needed, desired, prayed for, screamed for, cried for -- a way or someone to help me come out of my depression of late.  But as I think about it more, I realize that I've had a really tough life that has caused me to be depressed and feel worthless since before my earliest childhood memories.

Because I know how much life can really suck, I'd like to do something about it to help others.  Specifically, men.

I found a book, "I don't want to talk about it" by Terrence Real.  The sub-title is: Overcoming the secret legacy of male depression.  The main point that I've gotten so far, is that men don't want to admit they are depressed.  The reason?  It's 'unmanly'.  They found that a male college roommate admitting he suffered from depression, was shunned more then if he said he had AIDS.

That's terrible!

It's hard enough to be depressed, but to seek help by opening yourself to a friend and to be treated worse than having a life-threatening communicable illness?  The natural tendency to NOT tell others is reinforced, and I'm sure the depressed person would then fall into ever-increasing despair.  Thanks!

I'm no doctor, but at least I'll be an understanding listening ear.  The statistics mentioned in the book, tell of ten's of billions of lost production each year.  And with the state of the economy and job losses -- the level of male despair and depression has to be rising to ever-increasing levels.

With this small little blog corner I'd like to add a group:

DUH!

Depressed Ugly Husbands.

Depressed - that's what we are.
Ugly - we must be, because no one wants to be around us because we are "depressed."
Husbands - we either are, want to be, used to be or have a woman we want in our lives.  Additionally, DUH! is catchy.

So if you, a friend or someone you know does not wish to formally admit to depression --  that's OK.  I'll listen and hopefully we are joined by others wanting to give or receive.

Leaders Are Readers

And in today's newer world of electronics -- listeners are as well.  In my case, I found the gem in my title while listening to an audio book on my iPod.  The book is 50 Success Classics by Tom Butler-Bowman.

One of the points I found especially interesting was that leaders did not have to prove  their leadership.  Another was that every person, has the potential in becoming a leader.  However, all leaders are not required to be a leader in the conventional ways that our world may recognize.

All very interesting and thought-provoking ideas.  As I discover more nuggets of interest, I'll post those.

What is the main ingredient of WD-40 ?

Very interesting and useful email I received recently.  Do not know the original author:

Before you read to the end, does anybody know what the main ingredient of WD-40 is?  Don't lie and don't cheat.  WD-40.  Who knew; I  had a neighbor who bought a new pickup.  I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the  sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason).  I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news.  He was very upset and was  trying to figure out what to do... probably nothing until Monday morning,  since nothing was open.  Another neighbor came out and told him to  get his WD-40 and clean it off.  It removed the unwanted paint  beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck.   I'm impressed!  WD-40  who knew?

'Water Displacement #40'. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts.  WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.  Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound.  They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40.  The Convair Company  bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.  When you read the 'shower door' part, try it.  It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower  door.  If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass.   It's a miracle!  Then try it on your stove top... Viola!   It's now shinier than it's ever been.  You'll be amazed.  

WD-40 uses:
1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them  slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.  
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from  oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly..
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in  homes.
18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor!  Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring.  It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off.  Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly!  Use WD-40!
20. Gives a child's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast  slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers...
22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open..
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as  vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy  handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running  smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other  tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the  smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis  pain.
37. Florida’s favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38. The favorite use in the state of New York, WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish.  Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time.  Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose.  Keep in mind though, using  some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites..  It takes the sting away immediately and  stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls.  Spray on the mark and  wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried  a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash.  Presto!  The lipstick is  gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

The basic ingredient is... FISH  OIL.

Shocking Business Statistics

79% of all leads generated at a trade show aren’t followed up.

Only 3% of our mail is personal…how do you feel when you walk out to the mail box and see a personal card addressed to you? Your clients/prospects are no different.

Average company loses 50% of its customers every 5 years…Cost of replacing them can be 6-7 times more expensive.

5% increase in customer loyalty will yield 20%-80% to our bottom line profit…Much wiser to spend money on customer retention than acquisition.

For every month that we don’t contact or communicate with our client, we lose 10% of our influence.

82% of all homeowners can’t tell you the name of their Realtor if they bought their home more than two years ago.

Just saying thank you to our clients…particularly new clients even with only a phone call to do nothing more than saying thank you…(do not try to sell on this call) it will increase your business by 17%.

95% of our customers will purchase from a competitor even if you provide a great service on an impulse.

So can you do something about these stats -- or is that just the way things are?  This  is a simple and inexpensive way to make all the above problems... just go away.