"Be a lifelong student. The more you learn, the more you earn and the more self-confidence you will have." – Brian Tracy

I haven’t posted in a while for many reasons, but I felt this was more than appropriate for everyone in this COUNTRY to read. This message speaks volumes to what really goes on in Congress, and their failure at progress and necessary change:

Announcing his retirement plans this afternoon, Sen. Evan Bayh [D, IN] cited the dysfunctions of Congress as his main reason:

“For some time I’ve had a growing conviction that Congress is not working as it should. There is much too much partisanship and not enough progress. Too much narrow ideology and not enough practical problem solving. Even at a time of enormous national challenge, the people’s business is not getting done. Examples of this are legion but two recent ones will suffice.

Two weeks ago, the Senate voted down a bipartisan commission to deal with one of the greatest threats facing our nation: our exploding deficits and debt. The measure would have passed. But seven members who endorsed the idea, actually co-sponsored the legislation, instead voted no for short-term political reasons.

Just last week, a major piece of legislation to create new jobs — our nation’s top priority today — fell apart amidst complaints from both the left and the right.

All of this and much more has led me to believe that there are better ways to serve my fellow citizens, my beloved state and our nation than continued service in Congress. To put it into words I think most people can understand, I love working for the people of Indiana. I love helping our citizens make the most of their lives. But I do not love Congress.You can watch full video of his announcement here.

This is copied from a post by OpenCongress.org available here.

It’s been nearly 1 month since I earned the Technician Class amateur radio license. I’m scheduled to go back to Forest, VA on Sunday January 10 to take the General Class exam. I’ve been on the radio, almost daily since the FCC issued my first license.

The Technician Class license is fun, and if you just want to chat on the radio locally, it works really well. You have privileges on multiple bands / frequencies, but there are so many more opportunities as you upgrade your license.

I’ve tuned around on a few HF bands with my Dad, and brother. My Dad, WB4FLM introduced me to 40, or 80 meters and let me scan around and listen to a few QSOs, CW, even some AM stations as far away as New York and Kentucky! My brother, W4NJE introduced me to PSK31, aka. digital radio. He has a laptop connected to his radio and uses the soundcard of the computer to transmit messages over the radio. While we were on the air we heard from an operator in Cuba, and made contact with a person in Mexico.

I don’t have an HF radio, so it may be a while before I’m actually on the air, at least from home. Of course in my case, as in the case of many HAMs, I’ll be without a decent antenna and that makes all the difference.

I’m still working on my wife, Sarah to study for and get her Technician license. I think she will, one day. She actually committed to testing with me on January 10, but admittedly, I didn’t get her the study material.

73′s, and good luck to me. I’ll report back on my test results in a few days.

My LIFE goal is to own my own business, for more details visit my Goals page. I have already started, and ran (for a short while) my own business, The Bruington Corporation. In the future I intend to own a business consulting firm which I will probably call, “The Bruington Group”.

The purpose of this post is to identify a few workplace hazards, and provide advice for ‘Operations Transparency’.

(This advice is intended for “Upper Management”. If you’re not in “Upper Management” you should stop reading immediately. The information contained in this advice may be presented to you, at the discretion of “Upper Management” in the form of edited, re-written and otherwise defunct emails, memos, etc. ;))

What is meant by the term “Operations Transparency”? It means to run your business so all segments can see, and have access to the decisions that affect them from the top-down. In other words, as changes are debated, and new guidelines are decided, a business should make available the “Why” to the enterprise.

In business it’s unfair to assume the ignorance of the lower rungs of your corporate ladder. In many instances, younger, faster, fresh-minded employees grow with and become part of the business at the Upper Management level. It would be unwise to neglect these employees, especially those who think critically, and understand the big picture. The employee who lacks appreciation for the complexities of industry metrics, and corporate policy can be easily dissuaded, and even amused. The employee who realizes his/her value to the organization should be challenged, encouraged and rewarded where appropriate.

In an ever-changing technological world it’s easy for a business to have difficulty keeping pace. It’s understandable that policies change, procedures are [constantly] rewritten, and opportunities take different forms. It is, however critical to the success of the business, as a whole to approach this ever-changing landscape with the realization that employees are smart, capable and understanding. In other words, shoot straight, and tell-it-like-it-is!

What could be worse, as an employee than to arrive for work with a smile on your face, only to discover that what you heard in ‘the meeting’ yesterday has changed, twice or three times overnight. What you thought would be the new compensation plan, dress code, or benefit(s) had been altered, deleted or otherwise modified so as to negatively impact your work experience?! Employees have expectations, and they understand when changes have to be made. The point here is not to avoid budget cuts, policy changes or procedural development; rather, it’s to emphasize the importance of inclusion and transparency.  Let the employee know, and take part in, the employer’s changes. Tell them the “Why”!

As a final note, don’t treat your employees as if they’re idiots because most of them are not. If you’re going to make budget cuts, reduce wages/commissions/benefits, be up front, and honest. Let your staff know that, “Hey, the economy sucks and we can’t afford to pay what we used to. We appreciate all of you, and the work you do which is why we’re keeping you as employees.” I guarantee that you will have greater ALIGNMENT with more (than expected) AGREEMENT. Employees are not machines, they have feelings, families, expenses and responsibilities and should be treated as though they can think!

Don’t let the Company down by operating behind closed doors, and leaking new information down the “proper channels”. Open your door, open your policies and embrace Operations Transparency, your employees will thank you for it. This improvement will empower your employees, leaving them feeling appreciated, and valued, and will advance the mission of your organization.

When I was a kid my Dad would honk the horn as we left his friend Dave’s place. I remember the “tune” (if you will) vividly, “dah-dit-dah-dit, dah-dah-dit-dah”, or as CW (Morse Code) operators will tell you, “CQ”. I thought “CQ” meant, “goodbye”, or “see you later”. I didn’t know anything about HAM radio, or morse code, but I (as well as a few of my siblings) would also honk “CQ” as we left our parents house, on occasion when we were older.

I now have a new appreciation for “CQ” and it’s actual, intended meaning. Essentially “CQ” means “calling all stations” when presented over the radio. I know this, now because I’ve recently studied for, and passed the Technician radio operator license exam. One of the questions is:

T3A08
What is the meaning of the procedural signal “CQ”?

1. Call on the quarter hour
2. New antenna is being tested (no station should answer)
3. Only the called station should transmit
4. Calling any station

The purpose of this post is not to give the history or meaning of the ‘radio code’, “CQ”. I simply wanted to provide an introduction, MY introduction to HAM radio, through my father (WB4FLM) and the BruingtonFamily-famous horn honking of ‘dah-dit-dah-dah, dah-dah-dit-dah’!

I’m 27. I’ve never had much interest in the radio. I’ve always known that my father used the handle/call sign ‘WB4FLM‘ and my mother, (was at one point, and is now again) ‘KA4USI‘. Additionally, I knew my grandfather, “Papa” (May he rest in peace.) as ‘W4NJE‘.

A few months ago my brother announced his passing of the Technician and General exams, this made him the newest official member of the HAM community. I don’t know his first FCC-assigned call sign, but he soon sought out the assignment of Papa’s call sign, ‘W4NJE’ which he was finally awarded!

At this point I still hadn’t taken the bait, but I was proud of my little brother for carrying on a cherished past-time, and even the unique identifier of our Papa.

I believe it was 2 weeks ago, today, I listened in on a “net” with W4NJE and WB4FLM. My brother and I were “mobile” in the front seat of a Dodge Ram, and my father was not far, perched behind his rig. This net operates weekly at 7:00 PM on Sunday evening on 146.685 MHz, which I believe is a repeater on top of Apple Orchard Mountain. It was kind of fun to listen to the net control operator go through the script and hear other HAMs call in and talk across the net.

I was mildly amused, but admit my curiosity had peaked like never before. I had my family going, thinking I would actually study for, and receive my HAM license. I spent the next week poking around the internet and looking for the exam questions. Once I found the questions and began reading, I realized the process is fairly easy to earn the Technician license, so I studied, and I passed!

I listened tonight, this time ‘behind the rig’ with WB4FLM on the net at 146.685 MHz and had a great time. My Dad handed the mic to me and I transmitted the news of passing my exam, and told the group I look forward to getting on the air as a “call sign-bearing radio operator”.

I’m really clueless when it comes to electronics, radios, etc., but I’m having fun and learning a little bit at a time. I told my brother (W4NJE) tonight on my way home that I’ll download EchoLink and try “keyin’ up” a few repeaters from my computer, just to give it a whirl until I have an actual radio.

In the mean time, thanks for reading and I look forward to talking with any HAMs on the radio.

73′s

I thought it might be important to give a quick re-cap on the past few weeks and months to identify the progress I’ve made. There have been so many changes in my life over the last weeks, months, years that it’s sometimes hard to keep track. I could spend hours writing about all the different areas of my life and the intimate details of each, but I decided to narrow it down to a select few: relationships, career, education and fitness.

Relationships
I can’t say that I’ve mastered this one, but I’ve learned enough to know that it’s easy to mess up without realizing it. I’ve had my fair share of challenges, frustrations, battles with pride and learning experiences. I’ve been up hill…and down…and up, again…and down, again. I finally feel like my “boat” is running an even course and the keel is finally fully inserted.

I’m engaged! I feel so lucky to have this girl in my life. After all I’ve been through I not only felt like giving up, but I was convinced that I wouldn’t find anyone to love me, care for me, trust me and open their arms, life and heart to my daughter. Well, I found her!

Sarah and I have been together for almost a year. We met a long time ago, in Richmond, but never really knew each other. We became re-acquainted on Facebook, I moved to Utah and spent 6 months with her out there, then she moved back to VA with me and the rest is history. We’ll be married on November 28, 2009 and neither of us has been so excited. She’s bought a dress, I’ve rented a tuxedo. We’ve had engagement pictures taken, invitations created, printed, put together and mailed; dinner reservations made, and to top it off – my Dad’s performing the ceremony. Ah, life is good! :)

Career
This has been a looong, difficult, exciting, motivating/depressing road that has taught me more than nearly any other area of my life. I’m currently working for UnitedHealthcare as a “Medicare Inside Sales Representative”, ie: I sell health insurance, via the phone (inbound calls) to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries across the entire US. I feel very blessed to have this job, it pays a base salary plus commission. I’ve become fairly proficient at this job and attribute my immediate success to the experiences and life lessons of all the other jobs I’ve had, combined.

At this point I’ve worked in such a variety of industries and positions I’m not sure what’s left. Waiter, check. Cashier, check. Manager, check. McDonald’s, check. Small business owner, check. Call center, check. IT support, check. Military, check. Sales, check. And the list goes on.

Education
This area still has work to be done, in fact quite a bit more, but the fact is I have a plan and I’m sticking to it. I’m 18 credit hours shy of an Associate’s degree in Business Administration from Virginia Western Community College. I’ll complete my degree in the Spring or Summer of 2010. Once graduated my current plan is to transfer to Virginia Tech’s Accounting program and finish my bachelor’s in the Spring of 2012. This goal may get bumped or skewed since I’m currently considering running for political office, at some point in my future, and may re-direct myself onto the attorney/politics track.

Fitness
Ah, the category of greatest need for improvement. :( I must say, it’s so much more depressing to lose weight and gain it back, than it is to lose weight. I spent most of my adult life around 180lb, but then ballooned to 230. I was then able to lose about 35 pounds and hovered under 200 for almost a year. I’m now back to 205lb and sad about the loss of progress over these past few months, but I digress.

I hope to run a marathon. I said, “hope” not “I have a goal” because I don’t know if my knees will carry me that far. The farthest I’ve ever ran is just over 13 miles and that was about all my poor little legs could take. I’d like to think I can complete a 1/2 marathon, but we’ll see. For now, I want to trim down to 170 – 175lb and be able to breeze through a 6 – 8 mile run, regularly.