Today is the day, where not having a job, has really sunken in. It is Monday and usually, I am shaking off the weekend and diving full force into business mode at the office. Instead I am at a coffee shop getting into, find a job mode. I must say that not having a job is a huge time for introspection! It seems like everything makes me pause and ask myself the tough questions. One really big question I am finding surprisingly hard to answer is “What would be your dream company to work for?” This is a question that a lot of recruiters start out with. I really don’t know the answer! I know I want to work for a big company, one that isn’t in the start-up phase. I know I want to do something in sales (because I am really good at it!) and possibly something in Management (I found a lot of joy managing a team of 30 employees). I really enjoy systems, tracking, training, being trained, and statistics… but all of this is describing a bunch of different jobs. Not my dream company or job. It is on my to do list to get clear here… I will get back to you on this… I have found it very intriguing how much I define my self and my success by having a job. And how not having one makes me question my self worth, my abilities and my past choices. I have spent the past few days organizing my house and life. I am pretty sure I am driving Mimi nuts! I have a hard time holding still and my OCD brain seeks order and consistency and since I am not at the office, it is happening in my house. I am truly grateful to have so many friends and family that are assisting me in moving forward!!! I am also grateful for the many lessons, experiences, and opportunities I have had over the years. Even though this roller coaster is at a gut wrenching drop, I am grateful for the ride and for the many people that are riding it with me! I have created a strategy and I am working with my EBS business partner, Justin, to stay focused and obtain results. Here is the game plan: Parameters:

• 20 hours a week finding a job
• 1 hour a day of physical activity 4 days a week
• Meditate 4 days a week
• No drinking on weekdays
• No TV on weekdays

Goals:

• Find a new, even better job
• Have rental properties fixed up and with tenants
• Have house “To Do” list completed
• Get current songs finished (Kill the radio, Brain on, Freestyle, Increase the Gain, Way we are, Evolutionarie)
• Gain weight while losing stomach and love handles
• Get it all done by September 9^th – Plus one is getting it done by September 2^nd

Reward:

• Going to Wendover with Justin and the guys

Consequence:

• 20 hours and $100 in community service

I am unemployed… Jobless… no longer working at the office I have been a part of for 5 years… and I am going to blog about my experience of finding a new job… that is the short of it.

The long of it:

It didn’t come as a surprise and my wife and I were prepared for it. I worked for an umbrella company called Cerebra that currently owned 2 companies; Trendant and SyncCreation. I spent 90% of my time on Trendant as a Business Analyst, Consultant, Sales, Tracking and a whole ton of other random roles.

Trendant has struggled to keep its head above water. Its target market was small businesses and due to the economy small businesses didn’t have the resources and/or couldn’t afford our services. We hit some home runs and had some good months, but the down months were increasing and slowly killed it… and now Trendant is closing up shop.

I am very grateful for the many years, lessons, people, opportunities and all of the experience I gained while working for Cerebra. I will truly miss the people I worked with and hope they too find a job that is even better then the last!

I am also very grateful for the way I was let go. I can’t go into details, but I have some time to find a job without being financially stressed. My good friend and boss, Jeff, came in and got right to the point. “The time has come, we are closing up shop and here is a check. Let’s go to Pat’s BBQ, eat some meat and drink some beer… I am buying”.

SyncCreation will continue. In what form and for how long, I don’t know. But like I said, I only worked on that 10% and that wasn’t enough to pay my salary and keep me around. In fact, one person could run SyncCreation completely.

So, for the 3^rd time in my life, I have found myself without a job.

Over the years I have coached many people in finding a job, writing resumes, etc. and I have to admit I am excited to practice what I preach and fine tune my approach to finding a job.

I am going to create a game plan and treat finding a new job like it is my job. Also, I am going to take some time to get our house in South Jordan ready to rent out, workout, create music, organize the basement, go biking and do some other things on my list that I haven’t had time to get to.

I am going to blog about my experience as I find a job. As I have prepped to write my resume and find a job, I have found many other resources, forums and blogs and I will post them for others to use.

I know many people that are jobless right now (or looking for a new job) and maybe I can save someone some time. Hopefully I can not only find a better job but also assist someone else in finding one too.

Life comes in seasons. It is time for me to start a new one… a better one… wish me luck!

(This is a picture of me from my wedding announcement. To find a job, I am going to tap into my superhuman self, as depicted, and find a job that lets me bring all of me to the table)

I have expertise in and I am looking for a job in:

• Sales, Sales Management
• Marketing and Social Media
• Business Analysis and consulting
• Employee Management
• Job costing, proposal creation
• Reporting, tracking, system creation

Are there any of you that are addicted… addicted to music? Yeah, I knew I wasn’t the only one.  Like many of my fellow musically addicted friends, I have found myself wanting to share my passion, vision and thoughts with others through the medium of music.

In past blogs I have posted about this subject. I even have a musical label and a blog just for music and bands I come across.  Those of you who know me, know that I have dabbled in music (poetry, lyrics, beats, production, etc) for years.

I have had some successes (Producing the Vocals for Emotional Choice); but mostly, I haven’t put myself out there to really do something with it. In fact, the last time I preformed was at a few folk punk shows over 5 years ago.

I have let family, job, school, house, and life be my excuse to not doing my passion. Saying things like “I don’t have time”, “I can’t find anyone who will make me decent beats” and “when I make my own beats I get to OCD and never let them out”  (except this one)…

… In reality, it’s just me; letting my fear of failure get the best of me! I could write a whole blog on this alone, but I wont.

Now is the time to get over my fear. Thanks to my long time partner in music: Preston (aka Fyzyk). He has never given up on me and has been my inspiration all these years. This is the week where I, John Rogers, Intro*Spec (my stage name) gets out of the box!

(Flyer Courtesy of Design By Mimi)

This Friday, I have been invited to be the Master of Ceremonies (MC) and introduce all the groups that are playing (Concert Details). On top of that, I am preforming with our crew (Evolutionarie Rebels) on stage for a group song we recorded a while back.

Baby steps people! Like I said, it has been over 5 years since I was in front of a crowd!

All ready I have met a person (DopeThought) who has taken away my 2 biggest excuses: Not being able to find beats, and not being in the scene enough to know what is going on and get/give support.

So I am using this Friday as the end of the begging. I will start sharing my music and my passion. I will start supporting people locally who are sharing their music through Hip Hop (instead of just supporting out of state crews).  I will stand tall and be willing to fall!

That being said… I am Intro*Spec. I chose the name after going through about 3 identity crises. It sings to my soul. I live my life in constant introspection and I also connect with being a spec in the cosmos that‘s part of something bigger.

(Intro*Spec – Courtesy of Design by Mimi)

I would love if you would come and support me as I MC and join for one song. I would love it if you came and saw some of the most inspiring, passionate, people I have ever met who I am honored to be involved with (Evolutionarie Rebels). I invite you to come support local Hip-hop and people making a difference through music (Dope Thought and Free Speech Syndicate). And come have your mind blown, by one of the most brilliant minds in Hip Hop,   LMNO from the Visionaries!

Hope to see you there!  Stay tuned for some lyrics and music from me / Intro*Spec, and if you know anyone that makes awesome beats and wants to collaborate, send them my way… please!!!

(I couldn’t find a ‘no sperm 2′ sign… a well)

Okay, so I promised an update on my Vasectomy in my last blog and have had a few people ask about it.  So here it is…

Once again, the disclaimer… blunt, crass, ‘virgin ears’ don’t read, etc…

Post – Post surgery:
Right after my last blog I spent the following day running around the house cleaning, packing and doing other dad tasks. By the end of it I was ready to sit on an ice block…

…Then I went fishing for 5 days at Fish Lake.

So I am going to get right to the point. Here are the things I recommend avoiding post surgery:

• Driving for hours
• Camping 3 hours away from a hospital
• Going without a shower for 4 days
• Replacing water with booze

Prior to explaining the above, I must say that camping was a blast! Every time I have gone up to Fish Lake I have been inspired and in awe of the beauty, amount of fish and the good food, friends and memories! This time the moon was nowhere to be seen the whole time and the stars were so bright I could almost touch them!

(Here is the river/creek we camp by and fish when we are to lazy to hit any of the other hundred lakes at Fish Lake)

Now to explain the above recommendations:
First off the drive up there… Think about this with me. What do you cram into an uncomfortable space and/or sit on while in the car. Yes! No bueno! Add to that some dirt roads (or the Roads in Nephi Utah) and you have an uncomfortable situation that should be avoided!

Day one on the mountain was mostly setting up and saying hello to everyone. Fished the stream, hung out, and drank enough to give myself a hangover the next day (oops).

Day two was relaxing, did a little more fishing, told some stories and drank a little less.

Day three however, I woke up in pain. I think I had attempted a samurai kick while in a mummy bag… not a good idea! I woke up and checked the family jewels, only to find that the previously un-bruised package (as mentioned in the other blog) was now completely purple.

I had a moment of panic. Here I was, 3 hours from anywhere and for all I knew, the newly cauterized tubes had come undone and were filling up my package with blood. Death by Vasectomy and I was only 29 years old…

So what did I do? I iced them, with a cold beer… that I drank… then with another… that I drank… (No I didn’t put the beers down my pants, I am to OCD to cross that hygienic line).  An by the time everyone was up and ready, enough to do something about my situation, they no longer hurt (Beer = good pain reliever)

And that was that. I ended up going fishing (took me forever to get to the lake due to taking it easy) but my regiment of icing, drinking and moving slow, took some of the color away and the next day I was fine.

No other scares or worries and the family jewels came out intact…

In short… I probably should have waited a week or so before going on such an intense trip.  But I made it through and as I am writing this I am at about 95% of normal (minus the 2 stitches)

Here is a time line of feeling better:

• Day 1 – 3
  • Don’t do anything!
• Day 4 – 9
  • Be slow even if you are feeling better and Ice is your friend!!!
• Day 10
  • Get laid! Even though you are still sore and you have know clue if you will backfire and explode or not, do it! You will be okay!
• Day 11 and on…
  • Just keep testing. There are some things that are still uncomfortable to do (running down the stairs naked, crossing my legs, bike riding) but other things are no problem (lifting heavy items, having sex, running around Beer Fest)
• And remember!
  • Even though you are snipped, you still have up to 12 weeks or twenty plus orgasms (which I hope happens for you, long before the 12 week mark) until you are shooting blanks!

P.S. I promise, no more talk on this subject… hopefully I can gain back my readers that have left me for an easier read

(A lot of people asked me if it was cold. It really wasn’t to bad. It only snowed/rained on night while we were there. In fact you valley people had worse weather then we did)

(This is us driving to find gas, which took 3 hours because the towns were fludded and the power was out. We almost had to get a hotel due to not having enough gas to get back to camp. Caution, there is swearing in it)

Due to the many questions from my fellow men and because I wish I knew someone who had blogged about it; I decided to share my experience of getting a Vasectomy.  I will be blunt and possibly a little crass. Now that you know what this blog is going to be about, if you fall into the category of ‘virgin ears’ and or get squeamish easily, I recommend skipping this one!

The Decision:

First off, this is not a decision I took lightly nor should anyone else. The medical profession agrees and will require an “interview” prior to getting snipped (so will most insurances). During this interview your doctor will ask you questions to make sure you never want to have any more kids.

While the process is reversible it is very expensive, painful and doesn’t have a very high success rate. To reverse it, they latterly have to reattach 2 hoses and hope they stay attached and will let your soldiers pass.

Through my research I have found that the youngest age, on average, to get a vasectomy, is between 35 – 40. Being that I am only 29, there was some reserve by my doctor to give the green light. But since my doctor is the coolest and my passion for not wanting any more kids was clear, he gave me the go ahead.

(If you don’t have an awesome Doc, go to mine! Here is his info: Dr. Ross Brunnetti)

If there is even the slightest thought that you might want more kids, THEN DON’T get a Vasectomy! This is the way my doc put it “If you hit the lottery and found a princess to marry, would you want any more kids”. If your answer is still no, then get-r-done.

Prior to surgery:

Google knows all… but also has to many horror stories! Yes I recommend searching Google to hear about other people’s experiences but know that most of the horror stories where from years back (they have learned more since then) or from men who went running, hiking or shark boxing directly after.  Take it easy…

Once you feel informed (Feel free to call, email, comment or text me for questions, support or doc referrals) and have had your “interview”, I recommend doing the following:

• Find someone to drive you
  • While this isn’t necessary, I do feel it is beneficial. This way you can worry about the donkey kick to the groined feeling you have, rather then staying in between the yellow lines. Also, this person can run into the store to grab medication, ice packs, munchies, etc.

• Take 3 days off!
  • There are stories about people going straight back to the office and sitting on a bag of frozen peas but come on, these are your nuts we are talking about here. No need to be a hero.
  • I had mine done at noon on a Friday and the weekend was just enough time to feel a little better and/or get practice moving around with sore balls.
  • If you have a job that requires physical activity then make sure to get work off! Physical exertion can make your tubes open and have bleeding problems (internally and with your stitches)! 

• Make sure your doctor is a Ninja!
  • From all that I have read and the people I have talked too, the difference between bruised swollen balls with a big scar and a little ball pain, no swelling and only 2 stitches, is your surgeon.
  • My surgeon was a Ninja! No bruising, very little swelling and only one incision with 2 stitches instead of the 2 incisions that other surgeons do.
  • Here is my surgeons info: Doctor Shane Christensen

• Get some good movies and soft ice packs
  • You will want to do a lot of sitting with your feet up! I prefer some good anime and/or adult swim cartoonst but to each his own.
  • Make sure to get ice packs that don’t turn solid when frozen. This while make it easier and less painful to get in the right position

• Bring the following to the appointment     
  • Insurance info and co payment (no duh)
  • Slip on shoes (trust me! Worst part of the whole thing was trying to put my shoes on right after the procedure)
  • Tight underwear and/or a Jock strap
  • Pants that are easy to get on and off
  • Angry Birds and/or Tweetdeck (after they shoot localized anesthesia it takes a good 10 minutes before go time. I kept my mind off the impending operation by tweeting and shooting birds from a slingshot)

Surgery

The whole process is pretty quick. It took my doctor about 30 minutes from start to finish. Half of the time was spent in preparation and waiting for the local anesthesia to set in.

So here is the big question, does it hurt? Yes!

When they stick a needle into your nut sack… twice…  to numb it, it is going to hurt. It is the usual needle prick with the burning sensation while the medicine is getting injected.

Also, all the tugging that goes on as things are being moved around, to find the two tubes that will be cut, hurts as well. Even with your whole sack numb, if someone pulls it, it is going to send the panic signals to your stomach and brain to fight or flee.

The actual procedure in layman’s terms (or as John can remember)

The Doc makes an incision in the scrotum (or two, depending on the doc) finds the tubes, pulls them out, cuts out a section (to make them less likely to reconnect when healing) clamps each end and then cauterizes them shut. Then he repeats the process on the other side and stitches you up.

Is it traumatizing? Yes!

I am glad I only have to do it once! I don’t know about the rest of the men in the world, but I have spent my whole life, post puberty, protecting and thinking with that area of my body. To have someone slice, pull, cut out a section and then cauterize, is enough to make me lose some sleep in the future!

(There are some videos of the process on YouTube and South Park and Family guy have even done episodes about it. I recommend NOT watching them until after you have had it done!)

After the procedure is done, you get after care instructions, a cup (to bring back a semen sample and sure you are shooting blanks), and get sent hobbling like a virgin cowboy out the door.  That’s that… no one cries for your unborn children, there is no Atari sound signaling that you don’t get to restart or a committee that crosses you off of the “repopulate the planet after Armageddon” list…

Post Surgery

My doc was nice enough to prescribe some Lortabs for the pain. While not necessary, I highly recommend taking them for the first day!  In fact, I recommend going straight to the pharmacy and popping one right then, before the anesthesia wears off.

While the pain isn’t unbearable, it’s a pain that is very uncomfortable and one that sent all sorts of panic signals to my brain. Being that I am not opposed to pharmaceuticals I say: chillax, pop some Lortabs and watch some cartoons.

Here is some information about post care: (From my doctor, sources online and my two cents)

• Bed rest for 24 – 72 hours (take it easy!)
• Take acetaminophen for the pain (this is found in Tylenol and Lortabs. No other pain meds because they thin the blood)
• Ice the jewels every hour for 15 – 20 minutes (The key is to not only ice the testicles, it’s to also ice the area above and to the sides of your penis. This is where the nerves travel)
• Don’t shower for 24 hours and no baths or pools for 10 days
• Change the dressing if needed (mine never needed it, I barely bled a drop)
• Wear tight fitting underwear with dressing for padding and/or a Jock Strap for support (I highly recommend using a jock strap)
• No sex for 10 days (This is the worst part!)
• DO NOT get your spouse off of birth control until the doctor gives the green light. It could take up to 12 weeks and/or 20 orgasms for your soldiers to clear out of the plumbing! (This is why the doc gives you a cup to bring back a sample)
• Refrain from heavy lifting and physical activity for 10 days. Rigorous exercise (specifically bicycling) should be avoided for 2 to 4 weeks

(I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. Check with your physician. From my research each one gives some different suggestions but in general they are about the same)

In short

Do I think this was a good idea? Yes!
Was it worth it? Yes!
Would I recommend it? Yes!

It sucks, it hurts, and the fact that you aren’t supposed to have sex for 10 days (some doctors say 5 days depending on how you feel) is enough to drive any man crazy. But I would gladly trade that for never having to worry about “OOPS!” and for putting the prevention responsibility on my shoulders instead of messing with my wife’s chemistry… come on, the ladies all ready have to deal with PMS. Let’s not make it harder by putting them on birth control!

I am just glad I never have to do it again!

P.S. I am on day 6 since the surgery. I still walk like I am saddle sore and ice the jewels at night for 10 – 20 minutes.  I have found that wearing briefs with a jock strap over them is the most comfortable for getting around.

I have to sleep with a big pillow between my legs to avoid squeezing them at night and walking a lot and/or lots of physical activity starts to make them throb.

Most of the time I forget about them, until I try and cross my legs, over exert or feel the urge to club a baby seal due to sexual frustration… 

I am spending 5 days camping at Fish Lake starting Friday. Pray for me and check back to see how they made it through the trip and when they get back to normal.

First off, I intend this to be the shortest blog I have ever written. We shall see…

29 years ago, I was born. It has been quite the roller coaster and this ride has taken me from the some of the brightest places and faces and to some of the darkest and back. I have had the opportunity to see both sides of religion, money, violence, hate, love, scarcity, abundance, and more.

I don’t say this to distinguish myself as having lived more then others, only to explain my come from on my epiphany this morning. Often times in my life I have taken complex people and stripped or judged them down to a sound bite; he is weird, she is boring, religious, drunk, crazy, etc…

Today, as I was showering for work, the above song came on. The band is Dispatch and they are amazing. This song (The General) in particular, is amazing. Here is a part of the song that stood out for me as I was pondering life, my journey and the battles I have chosen to fight:

“He said,
I have seen the others and I have discovered that this fight is not worth fighting
And I’ve have seen their mothers and I will no other to follow me where I’m going

So, take your shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living
Take your shower, shine your shoes
Well, you got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living
Go now you are forgiven”

(Under the youtube video the full lyrics are written)

In the hustle and chaos of daily life, I often forget that you are a complex person. So, today, on this the day of my birth 29 years ago, I make one more birthday wish. I wish that we all remember, if only for a moment that you were once a child, that he is someone’s brother, that she is someone’s sister, that they have mothers, fathers, dreams, passion, fear, doubts, love… but most of all, “that this fight is not worth fighting!”

-       Peace

P.S. Happy Cinco De Mayo!.. Tequila!!!

Lyrics to the above video

Friends

I have been feeling a lot of gratitude lately for my friends. Two of my most favorite people on the planet, Preston and Holly, where just in town and it was the perfect opportunity to get some old faces together and spread the love.

If you are one of my friends I write this for you:

When I was younger I was told that friends come and go. I was also told over and over and that friends who drink, party or do other things that aren’t “bringing me closer to God” will only be around as long as the money, booze or party is going.

I was even shown religious cartoons, videos in seminary, and read scriptural stories that warned me that my friends were temporary. And that my blood family and God where the only ones that would stand the test of time.

When I was getting towards the end of high school my family and I went on different paths. Due to my developing none religious lifestyle, my parent’s divorce and a new step dad, my family asked me to leave and I left planning on never looking back.

I eventually did come back into my blood family but during that time in my life my friends carried me. My friend’s parents took me into their house (Huge thank you to the Hammil’s! I hold you with gratitude in my heart for all you did) and I got a glimpse of friends being more then just friends.

I used to think of myself as a collector of people. Each stop along my path, each new group, I would find a few new brilliant souls and enroll them into being part of my family, our family.

Granted, there was a time when I left almost all my friends and went some very dark places. But even in these dark places I found a few brilliant souls and took them back to my friends, our friends, who like family welcomed me back with open arms.

There was a time when most of my friends, our friends, were all together. Those summers seemed like they would never end. They were the stuff of legends! It was as if we were dancing in the fire and instead of getting burned we absorbed the light and used it to move on.

Years ago, Preston and Holly moved on. This shook my view of our friends/family to the very core! Preston wasn’t the only one, there where others that had moved, or moved on and where rarely seen. I did a lot of soul searching at that time.

During my soul searching the following came to me “ True friends aren’t just friends, they are family, and time and distance mean nothing to family”. I have since experienced this over and over. As friends moved state, as they got boyfriends, girlfriends, new friends or new life styles. Yet, over and over when I see them, when I bask in their unique light, your unique light, I know that time and distance mean nothing!

I want all of you to know, all of my friends, all of our friends, my family, I love you with all of my heart. I would not be who I am today with out you! Each of you! Even the ones who I don’t get to see very often and when I do it is but for a brief moment, have made a difference in my life.

Each of the memories we have, each of the moments we share, each of the times you carried me when I was weak or allowed me to be there for you when you were down. Each of the smiles, the long talks, and the beers shared, the adventures, the journeys and even the fights.

Forgive me for the times I have been distant and the times I will be distant. Forgive me for the times I doubted and the times I full on ran from our friendship. Forgive me if I have done something to make you feel less then family!

I want you to know that you are still my family. I want you to know that even if it has been a while, I love you! I am here for you and will always be! For the smile, the talk, the hug, the beer, and the memory.

Thank you for being a friend! Thank you for being a brother! Thank you for being a sister! Thank you for being a drinking buddy! Thank you for helping me move, rebuild my house, escape to the mountains, enjoy the sun, love, for having my back, and for being an example to my children.

If I have not seen you in a while, know that I think of you often! I promise! If we only speak for brief moments when we see each other, know that I love you and even those moments mean the world to me.

If you feel us splitting apart, know that it is just the ebb and the flow of life and we will all still be here when you get back, or I get back… and time and distance mean nothing to family!

So…Three cheers to the 911 house, three cheers for Green Skull Ranch, The West Jordan house, Bluffdale, Sandy, EBS, Imbibe, the Spot Crew, Little Sisters, Kamas kids, Stumble Inn, The Tree House, Great Life, The Trailer, High School and all the other places we have come together to share our light… Three cheers to those who passed on… Three cheers to the memories… three cheers to the ones to come… and three cheers to you!!!!

To those who said that our family, our tribe would end with time… I am sorry that you did not get the amazing opportunity to not only experience a blood family, but also a group of friends that can stand the test of time… Our tribe is welcoming! Come warm yourself by our fire!

- Love 4 Ever, TheMrRogers… John.

Hello again my fellow computer users. I am back to report on my Mac journey. Like I mentioned a few months ago, we changed out all the computers in the office and I got a new iMac.

Now I promised I would be a good sport about this, even though my nervous system is made out of PC components. I have held to my word, and despite a rough start, I have continually given this Mac the benefit of the doubt.

When I checked in last time I mentioned the good-looking screen, lame keyboard and nifty mouse. Then everything went down hill from there. The first iMac lasted me almost a week. Then, one morning, I came into an “automatic update” that left my Mac stuck in a computer glitch nightmare.

After trouble shooting, rebooting, phone calls, etc. I took it into the Mac store at Gateway. Now, if you have never been to the Mac store at Gateway, it is a site to behold. In short, their salesmen/women are amazing and the way the whole sales floor works is ingenuous. Then it stops there…

(The genius bar. Aka the the Dog Pile)

The so-called “Genius Bar” (the tech/repair department), which I think, is named as an affirmation for someday and not a description of today, is a joke. It is one table filled with geeks that don’t have the space, time, or hardware to be very effective.

Now, I love Geeks. I myself have been called a geek many times and so I call them geeks out of respect for their geekiness. And I am sure that given the right opportunity, away from the general public and with the right resources, these geeks would thrive.

However, that is not the case, and so I met my first “Genius Bar” geek, with no people skills what so ever (should have used a sales person as a buffer) and showed her my new iMac.

After watching her do all the things that I had all ready done, she decided that there was a hardware problem. Congratulations, you came to the same conclusion, as everyone in my office… was it the clicking noise that gave it away?

She took it in the back to test the hardware. She came back and informed me that the ram was fried and she would have to replace it but they didn’t have any ram in stock. Yes, that is right, they don’t keep the parts for one of their highest selling products and will have to order it in. I was a bit dumbfounded but what could I do.

So this geek with no social skills tells me to wait 5 minutes while she gets the paperwork for me to sign so I can go. 25 minutes later, I have her paged so I can ask her how the tree chopping and paper making was going and if she could speed it up a bit.

She came back and told me that while she was filling out the paper work, she noticed that it wasn’t just the ram (yes paperwork sheds light on new hardware problems) and that it was the whole mother board as well, that will need to be replaced.

Guess what, they don’t keep that in stock either (I think they don’t keep parts in stock at all, just new things to sell, why not…). I told her to do whatever with it, call me when it was done, signed the freshly cut paper and left.

The whole process took about two and a half hours…

Two days later… I got a call. “Mr. Rogers, your part for your iMac is in,” said, what I can only imagine was a half robot, half just out of high school, girl. “Great” I said, “Is the part in my computer and can I come pick it up?”  The robot girl answered with a slight voice fluctuation “We have your computer?”

She put me on hold to find out if, where and why they had my computer. After waiting for 10 minutes she came back and informed me that they do indeed have my computer and will call me when the part is in my computer. Novel idea!

2 days later, I pick up the iMac, take it back to the office, plug it in and hear the joyous sound of it starting up, loading and making electric static noises. Yes, one of the speakers was blown out and it was making the sound that a loose live wire makes.

After convincing the phone tech support that it was broken again (she couldn’t believe it was possible that it could be broken because they turn on and check them before sending them back out) I was told to take it back to the store.

I attempted to make an appointment for the same day with no luck and then, out of frustration, I did the best move so fare. I called their business department. I figured since we bought these as a company and it was part of a huge order that they should be kissing my but a little better. I was right, they should have been.

I got a hold of their business sales department (once again, love their sales guys) and was set for an appointment with in the hour. I showed up with the iMac and with in 10 minutes I was walking away with a brand new one, no tech, no run around, just a new Mac…

… That I took back got going and killed in 3 days.

So the 2^nd, out of the box iMac had a CPU fan problem. It would stay on, full blast and sounded like a mini airboat fan in a box. I did a ton of tech support calls, reboots, swearing and waving’s of my fist and was told I had to take it back in.

I learned my lesson from last time and called the business department. Once again they moved me to a close appointment and traded me a new iMac once I got in there. With new box in hand; I headed back to the office with my 3^rd iMac and a prayer that this one would work.

(This is my Mac graveyard)

On a side note, every time they gave me a new iMac it came with a new keyboard and mouse. By this time everyone in the office who all ready had a Mac (and didn’t get a new iMac this time) had a new wireless keyboard and mouse and there are still a few extras kicking around the office.  I tried to change them in for a real keyboard with a keypad but they wouldn’t let me.

(This is my 3rd iMac… and it is working. Notice the back up keyboard so that I have a number keypad. Also, 2 screens are always better then one!)

Anyway, the 3^rd iMac worked. It has been a month and no huge hardware failures to report. There are things I love about the iMac and things I hate. In true review fashion I will list those for you now:

Pros:

• Great graphics, cool looking icons, visually appealing
• Big beautiful screen!
• Cool design (having the tower and screen all one thing, makes my desk look clean and cuts down on cables)
• Lots of cool software options (I like the way they do the program bar and launch, download and run software.)
• It is easy to change files, convert files and open files (switch from PDF, to Word Doc, etc.)
• Pretty good stock stereo speakers built into the iMac
• It is a computer, that does computer things

Cons:

• It took me 3 tries to get one that works
• The Microsoft Office Suite for Mac is horrible and using none Apple software/hardware is a nightmare! Even though I know Apple is trying to rule the world, I recommend going all Apple if even a little. If you buy a Mac you better have an iPhone, be mainlined into iTunes and play by their rules or spend HOURS trying to get simple things accomplished!
• Mac has a really cool feature called Expose and Spaces. To bad it doesn’t work! I had all my software and programs broken into the different spaces for each business and project I was working on. It was a nightmare! I had to turn it all off.
• Quick keys. Fail! On a PC all the quick keys are the same on all the software (With a few specific custom exceptions). On Mac the quick keys are a hit or miss and some don’t even have quick keys. Geeks beware! If you don’t believe me, try using your main Mac quick keys on Excel. Neither Mac quick Keys nor PC quick keys work all the way.
• Design got in the way of convenience! I have to turn my whole screen around to plug in my headphones. There is no keypad on my keyboard!
• Moving files around is a pain. Once again, quick keys like cut files and paste them elsewhere don’t work! It takes to long to do basic things!
• ITunes is hands down the worst software ever! I don’t want to give you my credit card to update my album art and if you duplicate my audio files again it is war!

Overall:

A Mac is a computer. It does computer things. Skynet has not shown up and implanted a chip in my brain (that I know of) and I have not wanted to start worshipping Steve Jobs the more I am using the iMac.

If you choose Mac you get some things you don’t get with PC and visa versa. Each has their strengths and each has their weaknesses.

Personally, I can honestly say I wouldn’t by a Mac and here is why: For how much was spent on this Mac I could have my computer Jedi build me PC that would out perform, out last and do twice as much as this Mac. It would be completely upgradable and would be custom to my every need.

Macs are expensive and what do I get with that? Design and graphics? Great, for designers (plug for my wife to keep living the Mac dream) get one, they look great and all your software is made with the same quick keys and format so you can avoid my headache.

For people that push computers to there max, do 10 things at once and go through programs like candy: Get a PC! There is no surprise why gamers and hackers use PC’s; the freedom to customize, adapt quickly and have quick keys that run rampant through software.  So we get more viruses… Learn how to clean your computer clean. It is like washing a 4×4 that you just took rock crawling!

I will keep using this iMac and there will be things I will enjoy and things that drive me crazy. I have enjoyed learning about Macs and if you own a Mac and have trouble with it, call me. I learned a tone of tech tricks throughout this journey. I have been amazed how many of the Mac users I have talked to, about my challenges, don’t know how to solve them.

To those that worship Mac, put down the punch. It is a computer. To those that worship PC’s you can use a Mac… if you have to… they can serf the web and check your email… just don’t try and sync calendars with out having an iPhone… Steve Jobs doesn’t like it.

P.S. To the Mac users that read this and say it was user error, I have spent many hours researching to address my concerns and I have found many others who have the same ones. To the Mac users that say my hardware problems were due to my energy towards Mac, I played nice, and the tech guy at the Genius Bar said that “Macs don’t care if you are PC or hate Mac… they should still run just like a Mac”.

I love emotions… most of the time. In the past I have been accused of being emotionless and at times I am sure that has been true. However, over the years I have come to believe that the answer to “Why are we here” is to experience the gamut of emotions. In essence, experience the vast depths of life. I believe there is a productive, creative, way to do this and a reactive or subversive way to do this.

There has been an increasing influx of books, movies, etc. out there talking about the Law of Attraction, and the Power of Intention over the past decade. There are many people that believe we have a say on the outcome of our life. Many of these theories talk about the power of having high energy, or remaining positive. The Law of Attraction states that we get what we give. If we are joyful we will receive joy in return.

While I agree with much of this, I have often seen people walking around with fake smiles and crappy jobs hoping for joy and financial abundance and completely closing themselves off to all other emotions for fear that they won’t get what they want if they feel sadness or anger. Is it possible that these people are closing themselves off from a huge part of life in hopes of some spiritual or emotional jackpot.

As I reflect on my life, the memories that have stayed and made the biggest impression, have been the ones where I experienced the most emotion. Whether it was a joyous vacation or a brutal fight, each of the times I let myself experience the depths of emotion my experience was more present, full and memorable.

I am not suggesting that we go around crying when ever we feel tired or jumping for joy at a funny thought during a meeting. Instead, I am suggesting that we become familiar with all of the emotions. That we understand why and when we choose those emotions. That we become in alignment with the results of the emotions that we choose.

Above all, I suggest that emotions become a choice, an emotional choice. That we live a life of creation, one in which we acknowledge the emotions that come unannounced, we dive into them and explore their reason for emerging and then we choose whether or not they serve us going forward.

Recently I found out that I am not the only one who looks at emotions as a choice. I was blessed with the opportunity to assist in the creation of a powerful tool that uses technology, binaural beats, music and vocal guidance to aid in experiencing, understanding and choosing our emotions.

Aptly named, the tool is called Emotional Choice and was created using the amazing musical talents of J. S. Epperson and the calm, clear vocals of Lori McDonald.

I was fortunate enough to be able to record and edit the vocals in my studio (Phantom Tollbooth Records) and was amazed at the amount of thought and power put into Emotional Choice. Even as I was editing it I found myself changed by the concepts and gained a deeper understanding of my emotions. That combined with the binaural beats have created a powerful tool that can give the listener the ability to create and live life while experiencing the depths of emotion.

If you would like to experience or just check out what Emotional Choice is all about, click below:

Emotional Choice

P. S. I feel that being able to work on Emotional Choice as P.T.R. has assisted me in getting out there with my musical talents and I am excited to keep moving forward with them!!! – John Rogers

To here a sample of Emotional Choice click Here!

Hello fellow computer users. Today is the beginning of the end… or the day I got a Mac… which one,  we shall soon find out.

Now before my fellow PC loyalists hunt me down and take away my stripes.  I must say that it is my office computer and because I didn’t pay for it, I didn’t get to choose (almost everyone in the office got a new Mac). Now I believe this means that I should get a severe beating but still be allowed to keep my well earned stripes… right?

Many of you know that I am anti all things Apple. That means iPods, iTunes, iPads, and especially iMac. That being said, I am not only going to try and make the best of it, I am going to blog about my experience along the way. Even though I have my current beliefs about the dark empire that is Mac, I promise to approach this with an open mind and a willingness to be swayed.

I promise to be fare, honest and give Mac the opportunity to show me its super powers. Yes I will through in my own thoughts from time to time but only to offset the Mac’ness and keep my PC still loving me.

Throughout my journey we shall see, if what all of the Mac soldiers say is true and that Mac’s are the end all be all or I might find out that Mac’s really are part of Skynet and are the gateway to the apocalypse. Either way, I will have to get good at using it since I use computers as a central part of my job and my other office computer is on its last leg. So here we go…

Out of the box:

I opened the box and my first impression was “That is a huge screen”. I gave Mac 10 points for screen size but then I looked at the keyboard… It doesn’t have a key pad! I crunch numbers people, this is essential! I took back the ten points and vowed to get another keyboard.

The mouse is cool looking, I like that the tower is built into the monitor and I like that there is only one cable because everything is wireless. That appeals to my OCD, “see no cords” nature… so gave back some points for that.

After I got it all out of the box, I stared at it for a good 5 minutes before deciding that there wasn’t a brain scrambling signal being sent and/or a cable wasn’t going to jump out of it and lodge itself into my spinal cord. I was sure this was how they got every other Mac user to say the same, rehearsed things about their products. Maybe that comes later…

Set up was ridiculously easy! Bravo! This thing started up super fast. After playing around on it for a few minutes I had to let my PC know I still cared (before it sent a message back to my home base) and decided to write this blog (while looking up on my PC how to do things on my Mac).

Well, I am now off to dive into the inner workings of this Mac. This is day one and so far Mac hasn’t tried to brainwash me, it looks good and has only lost a few points for its accessories. We shall see what the future holds.