Monthly Archives: December 2013

Movie Review: The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street
2013
Martin Scorsese

I recently went with my girlfriend to see The Wolf of Wall Street. This movie is about Jordan Belfort and his company Stratton Oakmont. Stratton Oakmont was a boiler room. The story follows Jordan from starting out as a stock broker, to his ascendency and financial success, and finally to his arrest.

I had watched the previews and read a little about the movie before I saw it but I was still surprised by many aspects of the story. First off this is rated R for a reason. There was a lot of sex and drugs. Way more than I was expecting. No matter what else you may think about the characters one thing everybody must agree on is that they lead quite an exciting life. Not a life for everyone, mind you, but an exciting one.

I had three main takeaways from this movie:
1) If something sounds to good to be true (stocks in particular) it probably is.
2) White collar crimes carry way less penalties compared to other types of crime.
3) Don’t do drugs.

The main character and his pals had a lot of money and partied a lot. But they didn’t exactly acquire all of the money legally. They never show the person on the other end of the phone. We only see the perpetrators and their lives. I wonder if this still goes on today, and if it does I also wonder how widespread it is.

After the movie my girlfriend and I tried to come up with characters that we liked. There were not a lot of candidates. I liked the FBI agent and the friend who was a drug dealer (Brad – the character with the mustache and the foreign wife). I also thought the Swiss banker was funny and Aunt Emma was a nice addition to the cast and story.

Did you see this movie? What did you think of it? What was your favorite character?

Goals Page

I have recently added a goals page to the top menu. This will help me keep track of my goals and give me some public accountability. It will also help to keep me focused. I have been known to flit from thing to thing in the past.

I would like to keep the goals page to medium to long term goals that are realistic and measurable. I am not sure how well it will work but I think it will help me keep my goals fresh in my mind.

Do you have a goals page on your blog? Why or why not? How can I make mine better?

The Gap Year – Not Just for Youngsters Anymore

I was perusing Google News when I came across an article about baby boomers taking a gap year very late in life. (Article) I have heard of gap years for younger people between high school and college or between college and starting a full time job. This was the first time I have read about it for older people.

The impression I received from the article is that these individuals took a risk. They gave up their secure but stressful jobs to pursue a passion and they mostly enjoyed the change. I like this idea. I wonder how many people that do this wish they had done it sooner. I hope I have the courage to follow my passion when the opportunity presents itself (or to even make the opportunity.)

I think being at the same job for 30 years would be incredibly boring. I think everybody probably thinks that when they are starting out. I am working hard to pay off my student loans so I have the chance to pursue more opportunities if I wish. I would like to save up a bit of money and then take a year off and go traveling. This might not be the most practical thing to do but it gives me a medium term goal.

This post has given me two goals

1. Pay off student loans

2. Take a gap year to travel/pursue hobbies

I may make a goals page. This would be a good way to track my goals and keep me somewhat accountable. Sometimes just typing things out helps me understand the situation better. I would suggest a blog to anyone.

Have you taken a gap year or know someone who has? Did they feel it was an overall positive experience?

Three Practical Benefits to taking Baths in the Winter

I decided to take a bath this afternoon after a long weekend and I came up with 3 practical benefits to bathing in the winter.

1. It warms you up

I take warm baths and after I get out my body is really warm form sitting in the tub.

2. It warms my apartment up

After I am done I sometimes leave the warm water in the tub and let the heat dissipate into the air rather than sending it down the drain. This is like recycling the heat that is stored in the water.

3. It adds moisture to the air

When I leave the water in the tub it also adds some moisture to the air which can help humidify my apartment which can get quite dry in the winter.

These three benefits are in addition to getting clean and relaxing that come with bathing anyway. Readers of my previous work know I am already a fan of baths. I would encourage you to give bathing a try if you haven’t done it in a while.

 

Carmex

It is the season of Carmex! I am partial Carmex over Burt’s Bees and other lip balms because I am from Wisconsin and Carmex is from Franklin, WI. I like to support the home team.

I was reading the tube today and it says”apply to lips not more than 3 to 4 times daily”. I have been flouting that “guideline” every winter. When my lips are chapped I need the soothing relief!

What lip balm do you use?