“Teaching was a job,” said Jeremey, “financial planning is a career.” What is the difference between a job and a career? For this blog I interviewed Jeremy Kirkham. Jeremy is a financial planner in Corydon, IN. He works for Edward Jones Financial Services. As a financial planner it can be repetitive and monotonous, or aggravating and exciting.
Who is Jeremy?
Jeremy Kirkham is from Corydon, Indiana. He is married with two children. He received a degree in history, and became a high school teacher at North Harrison High School. He taught there for a few years before deciding that teaching was too much of a job, not a career. He decided that a great way to get a career would be to become a financial advisor. He applied to Edward Jones, where he got a job and started training for his series seven exam. The series seven exam is the test one has to take to become a certified stock broker.
What Goes on Everyday?
The day to day, according to Jeremy, is what keeps the job interesting. No two days in a row are the same, you can have the market soar one day and plummet the next, no one knows what is happening. It can be exciting and fun during the good times, yet infuriating when times are bad. When the times are good people are buying so there is more money he’s making. When times are bad people sell and he still makes money.
About Edward Jones
Jeremy’s favorite part of working for Edward Jones is the fact that you’re basically running your own business. Edward Jones gives you the basic training you need, and they force you to basically go door to door to get yourself out there to make your client base. This business model is very similar to that of Mary Kay. It forces you to expose yourself to the public. “There’s three main ways that these door to doors can go.” said Kirkham, “The first way is the middle way where they take your card and listen to what you have to say. The second way is the good way where they tell you to come in and sit down because they have a CD, or Certificate of Deposit, coming in soon or they have money sitting around and they want investment advice. The third and final way they can go is they pull a gun on you and tell you to get the fucking hell off their property.
Old School Smoking
When most people think of pipe smoking they think of one of a few things. They range from an old man in overalls to a man from the 1960’s in a suit to Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings to the most iconic of all Sherlock Holmes. At one time pipes were a very normal way to use tobacco; however, pipe smoking started to decline in popularity when cigarettes became a main stream way to smoke. In recent years pipe smoking is once again becoming more popular as people look for a cheaper way to smoke.
Types of Pipes
There are many types of pipes that a person can have. The most common pipes that people think of are corn cob pipes and briarwood pipes. A corn cob pipe is made out of exactly what it sounds like it is made from corn cob. Corn cob pipes are the cheapest pipes one can buy. They are short stemmed pipes that are good for people who are beginning to smoke pipes. They usually run around ten to fifteen dollars.
The next most common kind of pipes are briarwoods. Briarwood pipes are the next cheapest kind of pipe. They are generally made out of inferior wood than more expensive pipes and they are also short stemmed pipes and usually hold about the same amount of tobacco as a corn cob pipe. They are slightly more expensive usually running from twenty to thirty dollars; however, they are still good pipes for someone who wants to learn how to smoke a pipe.
Now we will look at more expensive pipes. These are usually found at stores that sell custom pipes and specialty tobaccos. My personal favorite is the churchwarden style pipe. Churchwardens are often thought of as Gandalf pipes. They have a longer stem to allow for longer draws. This allows for a shorter smoke time and a smother smoke.
Pear wood pipes are also more expensive pipes. They are usually short stemmed pipes that are made out of wood from a pear tree. These pipes are usually slightly harder to find and are often have intricate finishes or textures on the woods as compared to the smooth wood on a briarwood pipe.
The final type of pipe that is commonly known is a meerschaum pipe. Meerschaum pipes are usually imported from the Turkish region of the Middle East because of the meerschaum stones that are only found in that region. They provide a cool dry smoke as well which is extremely desirable. When smoking a meerschaum one must hold the stem of the pipe instead of the bowl because as you smoke out of the meerschaum the stone changes color as it absorbs the nicotine, if you hold the bowl the oils in your fingers will stain the bowl and the color change will not happen.
How to Smoke a Pipe
Smoking a pipe is a relatively simple process. There are a few things that you need to smoke a pipe. First you need a pipe, next a tamper, then pipe cleaners, next tobacco, then finally you need matches because if you used a lighter you will get the flavor of the lighter fluid in your smoke. This is undesirable because not only does it alter the flavor but it puts unwanted chemicals in the smoke.
The first thing to do when smoking a pipe is to pick out a tobacco flavor that you want to try. These flavors range from aromatic blends, with flavors like cherry or whiskey or vanilla, to English blends, which are usually more pungent and are much more of an acquired taste. A beginner should only buy an ounce of tobacco to start off because one ounce is usually about ten bowls. Keep in mind an ounce of tobacco usually ranges from two to four dollars.
Then next step is packing the bowl. When packing the bowl you want to fill the bowl and pack it down with your tamper so when you inhale through the stem the air flowing through the stem is roughly the same as if you were inhaling through a straw. Once you get the bowl packed correctly you need to light it. When lighting a pipe you want to take short quick inhales being sure not to inhale the smoke into your lungs because it will cause pipe burn which can be painful. It may take a few tries to get it lit. Next you have to tamp your coal down at a 45 degree angle as you smoke so that you do not put out the cherry. This allows you to be sure you smoke all of the tobacco.
After you are done smoking you can clean out the pipe by using the shovel and pick on your tamper. Once you have finished cleaning out the bowl you can take the stem off of the pipe and clean it with a pipe cleaner.
For visual instructions what this video
Famous Pipe Smokers
There are many famous people who have smoked pipes from fictional characters to inventors to big names from sports. The first person I am going to highlight is Albert Einstein. Einstein even was quoted as saying “I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.” There are many famous authors who smoked pipes, a short list of these authors are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, and Ernest Hemingway. There are also many famous world leaders who smoked pipes. Some of these are Franklin Deleano Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Joseph Stalin, and Gerald R. Ford. One major sports personality who smoke a pipe was former Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson.
Sparky Anderson Smoking a Pipe
Want to Learn More?
If you would like to learn more about smoking pipes or would like to get started smoking pipes you should look into Straus Tobacconist. They have two locations in the Cincinnati area. They are extremely reputable and know what they are talking about.
Smoking a pipe is very simple and cheap. So while pipe smoking fell out of style with the popularity of cigarettes it is coming back. The iconic pipe smokers of history are bringing pipe smoking back into style.
As The Gap Grows
Mansions are being built all around the country, yet people are living out of cardboard boxes and houses are being sold for one dollar in Detroit. The as the rich grow richer and the poor just keep getting poorer. That gap is the income inequality also known as the income gap. What is causing this? What can be done to fix it?
How Big is The Change?
The income gap under the last three has went up nearly four percent; however, of those last three presidents the entirety of the growth in the income inequality gap has come under the Clinton and Obama administrations. The irony in this is that a key goal of both of these administrations was to close the income gap. The Obama administration has recently admitted that ninety-five percent of the income gains from 2009 through 2012 went to the top one percent. That combined with the fact that the median income in the United States has dropped four and four tenths of a percent during the “Obama Recovery” period.
What is Causing The Growth?
There are many things causing this increased income gap. The first major thing is President’s own economic policies. As President Obama said last July, “This growing inequality isn’t just morally wrong; it’s bad economics because when middle-class families have less to spend, guess what, businesses have fewer consumers. When wealth concentrates at the very top, it can inflate unstable bubbles that threaten the economy.” The policies that President Obama has been using have been doing exactly that. A change in those economic policies are going to be small step to closing the gap.
The next main reason that is causing this gap is single parent families. A study from Harvard University states from a study of de-identified tax returns. The study identifies that children from these families are less likely to go on to getting a higher education despite the increased access to financial aid for public universities. The study says that “[children] of married parents also have higher rates of upward mobility if they live in communities with fewer single parents.” This is the most difficult reason for the income gap to solve. This is an issue that is becoming more and more acceptable which makes it an even larger problem than it has been in the past.
The final big reason is that the rich keep getting richer by marrying other rich people. This is discussed in an article from the Wall Street Journal called, “One Cause of Inequality: More Rich Marrying One Another.” This obviously causes the rich to get richer because it combines the incomes of two people who already have a high salary. This is normal in society, looking back into history social classes have almost always intermarried to preserve the way that the family is viewed. This is the one reason that is nearly impossible to change.
Closing The Gap
While there are many causes to why the income gap is growing there are relatively few ways to fix it. One way to start fixing it was proposed by President Obama in his State of The Union Address in February 2013 was raising the federal minimum wage to nine dollars per hour. President Obama stated “This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families,” the president said during his speech that night. “For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets.”
There are multiple issues with President Obama’s plan. The first large issue is that minimum wage is not supposed to be a living wage. Minimum wage is designed to be a supplemental income for people who need extra money or high school and college students trying to have a little money spend. By raising the minimum wage to a livable wage it takes away the ability for those who the jobs are meant for to have access to those jobs.
The only realistic method to closing the income gap is getting people back to work. The problem with these jobs is that people would have to take are mainly jobs that those people do not want. These jobs usually start in fields that require manual labor. Whether it is cleaning parks, building homes, or picking vegetables people do not want to do them. People want jobs that have high pay rates for little effort. Some of these jobs now pay what people want to make, but these jobs require more effort. As an example the Department of Labor Statistics says the mean income for a carpenter is $45,000 per year this is over four times the poverty line in the United States according to the United States Department of Commerce.
The best way to get people to go into these jobs is reforming the educational system. Reforming the educational system to be more like those of the European countries would force people onto tracks to go into those jobs. With the European education system during high school students take a placement test, depending on the student’s score they are assigned to either a collegiate tract or a vocational tract. By doing this, the amount of people who cannot find jobs are lowered because they are funneled into the jobs that are correct for them.
By getting people back to work it forces people off welfare as well as closing the income gap because they are actually making an income. It also forces companies to create jobs for qualified employees rather than switching to automated systems. This is the only practical method to getting the income inequality to shrink as well as helping to get out of poverty.
Finishing Up
The policies in place, single parent households, and the rich marrying the rich cause the gap are continually causing the gap to grow, while getting people back to work and out of poverty will force the income inequality gap to close. This is the only sure fire way to get the income inequality gap to shrink and get the poverty level to drop.
Billiards on a Budget
Purchasing a Pool Cue
When looking to purchase a pool cue one has many things they must consider: budget, weight, length, skill level, purpose, and the list goes on. Taking that all into account, there are just so many options out there. For the price range of under $200 the best cues one can buy are the McDerrmott Star Series.
What Is in the Price?
With prices ranging from $10 to $4000 there are obviously many things that go into the price of a pool cue. The first thing is the quality of the wood in the shaft. If you have an inferior quality of wood then you are more likely to have issues with the stick. There are very few types of wood used in pool cues. They are all hard woods, such as maple, so the power is transferred through the stick into the ball.
The next thing that goes into the price is the general purpose of the cue. There are three basic types of cues: break cues, jump cues, and game cues. The basic description of each cue is as followed. First the break cue, this cue is used for the break at the beginning of the game only. These cues are usually heavier and have a stiffer shaft. Next are jump cues, jump cues are shorter than a regular cue and are often required if you want to jump a ball in various rule sets. While often you see jump cues sold as solid pieces they are also sold as a piece to go along with a break cue. A game cue is the cue that you use to make all of your basic shots during a game.
Other factors that go into the value of a cue are: inlays or artwork, joint type, wrap, and warranty. The inlays depend on the complexity of the inlays or art work or the quality of the inlays. The inlays are usually made of a fake pearl. The high-end of pool cues actually have real pearl inlays. The wrap on the handle of the pool cues are usually important from person to person. These wraps are usually leather or linen. The joint is where the shaft and handle connect. The warranty is a huge part of purchasing a higher end cue, without these you would not see many people buying these high end cues.
How Do the Stars Stack Up?
How do these cues from the McDerrmott Stars stack up? The McDerrmott brand of cues range from your cheap bar cues to custom made cues that run up to a few thousand dollars. The star series are the economy line from McDerrmott. These cues are held to the same standards as the custom cues they make.
From many people’s opinions on message boards such as this one http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=111038&page=2 on azbilliards.com give these cues good reviews. Manwon a McDerrmott cue dealer says on azbilliards “But in my opinion McDermott are by the far the best production outside of Schon, on the market today. These cues are made to exacting standards, except on the cheapest models they use quality materials and nicely figured woods. They also offer the best warranty in the business and as a dealer I can also say that they will back it up.”This review from Kanda on amazon.com agrees by saying, “I received it two weeks ago and I already love it, great cue, professional, and great material, great cue for this price.” About the S1 model of the Star series. Personally I find this cue has great balance and quality for the price.
Remember when you are looking for a pool cue consider what you are looking for and the differences between the price ranges and the purposes. For more information on this subject go to: http://billiards.about.com/od/howtochooseyourpoolcue/bb/03_01_01cue.htm . To view the entire line of McDerrmott Star Cues go to here http://www.mcdermottcue.com/star_pool_cues.php .
How Do the Stars Stack up?
Purchasing a Pool Cue
When looking to purchase a pool cue one has many things they must consider: budget, weight, length, skill level, purpose, and the list goes on. Taking that all into account, there are just so many options out there. For the price range of under $200 the best cues one can buy are the McDerrmott Star Series.
What Is in the Price?
With prices ranging from $10 to $4000 there are obviously many things that go into the price of a pool cue. The first thing is the quality of the wood in the shaft. If you have an inferior quality of wood then you are more likely to have issues with the stick. There are very few types of wood used in pool cues. They are all hard woods, such as maple, so the power is transferred through the stick into the ball.
The next thing that goes into the price is the general purpose of the cue. There are three basic types of cues: break cues, jump cues, and game cues. The basic description of each cue is as followed. First the break cue, this cue is used for the break at the beginning of the game only. These cues are usually heavier and have a stiffer shaft. Next are jump cues, jump cues are shorter than a regular cue and are often required if you want to jump a ball in various rule sets. While often you see jump cues sold as solid pieces they are also sold as a piece to go along with a break cue. A game cue is the cue that you use to make all of your basic shots during a game.
Other factors that go into the value of a cue are: inlays or artwork, joint type, wrap, and warranty. The inlays depend on the complexity of the inlays or art work or the quality of the inlays. The inlays are usually made of a fake pearl. The high-end of pool cues actually have real pearl inlays. The wrap on the handle of the pool cues are usually important from person to person. These wraps are usually leather or linen. The joint is where the shaft and handle connect. The warranty is a huge part of purchasing a higher end cue, without these you would not see many people buying these high end cues.
How Do the Stars Stack Up?
How do these cues from the McDerrmott Stars stack up? The McDerrmott brand of cues range from your cheap bar cues to custom made cues that run up to a few thousand dollars. The star series are the economy line from McDerrmott. These cues are held to the same standards as the custom cues they make.
From many people’s opinions on message boards such as this one http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=111038&page=2 on azbilliards.com give these cues good reviews. Manwon a McDerrmott cue dealer says on azbilliards “But in my opinion McDermott are by the far the best production outside of Schon, on the market today. These cues are made to exacting standards, except on the cheapest models they use quality materials and nicely figured woods. They also offer the best warranty in the business and as a dealer I can also say that they will back it up.”This review from Kanda on amazon.com agrees by saying, “I received it two weeks ago and I already love it, great cue, professional, and great material, great cue for this price.” About the S1 model of the Star series. Personally I find this cue has great balance and quality for the price.
Remember when you are looking for a pool cue consider what you are looking for and the differences between the price ranges and the purposes. For more information on this subject go to: http://billiards.about.com/od/howtochooseyourpoolcue/bb/03_01_01cue.htm . To view the entire line of McDerrmott Star Cues go to here http://www.mcdermottcue.com/star_pool_cues.php .
Aaron Letts Blog 