The Number 22

22.  Do you know what 22 is?  22 is the number of young military veterans that take their own lives everyday.  It is an epidemic that can be prevented, yet so little is done to actually address the issue.  For one day that is a lot.  The number surpasses the number of suicides by civilians by 2 times.  Is it because of the operational tempo at which military members deploy and separate from their families and loved ones?  Is it due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?  Is 22 an accurate number and should we be concerned that this number would create an unhealthy stereotype that all military members of the armed forces have a wire lose somewhere?  The truth is, the vast majority of our young veterans are okay.  Most of them are healthy and doing well.  Most of them have strong, everlasting friendships.  The pay isn't even that bad.  The military provides enough money and allowances for food, shelter, education, healthcare and beer.  So why are they killing themselves?  I believe the answer to this is one simple phrase.  "High expectations."  In the military, members are taught to have a slightly greater than zero tolerance for failure.  Military members have sharper instincts, they show up on time, they have a greater understanding of responsibility and have an uncanny sense of attention to detail.  That type of stuff cannot be taught in college.  Teenagers are thrown into bootcamp and are challenged mentally and physically and are forced to make swift decisions as if their life and the lives of their fellow members depend on it.  Military members are taught to adapt and overcome any adversary that may come along the way in life, however the one thing that isn't taught... is dealing with failure.  Everything that is done, there is an "instruction" or manual for it.  Instructions must be followed or consequences will be dealt with via the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).  Of course, there is annual "training" to identify that there is indeed a problem with suicide, but given how military members are programmed, failure is too much.  The problem is, high expectations are expected.   There's gotta be a phrase that says if you keep your expectations low, than you'll never be disappointed.  The cure for suicide?  There isn't any, but you know what helps?  The Swahili's got it right.  "HAKUNA MATATA."

San Diego Comic Art Gallery

 

Every first Friday of the Month at NTC, Liberty Station there are free art exhibits.  On June 5, 2015, Kevin Eastman, the co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, came to show off his first turtle sketches.  It was a great night with super-TMNT-fans, photographs and autograph signing.



Hillcrest Farmer's Market in San Diego

I just stopped by the Hillcrest Farmer's Market in San Diego and here are my unbiased observations.

Perks:
-Get to run into a lot of great people with positive attitudes.  There's no hate here.  Everyone is the same and they all love each other.
-Nice variety of fresh grown organic produce.
-Nice variety of world cuisine.
-People watching.  There's a lot of unusual looking humans of all types on Hillcrest.

Cons:
-Park far and take a free trolley bus, it says "FREE" all over the bus, but there's a huge tip jar at the exit next to the driver with dollars spilling out, so exiting the bus without tipping feels kind of bad.
-Price of produce.  How do they decide the price of their food???  Do they just round up and guess what the local price is?  Have the sellers NEVER visited a grocery store?  It's like $5 for a bag of ugly Naval oranges whereas it's $2.50 at a local grocery store for the same amount.  A small basket of strawberries are also nearly double priced as well.  Do they think I'm stupid? 
-Bring cash.  Sorry, you can't utilize your "rewards" card and earn points here.  I spotted maybe two or three places that took credit.
-People bring their dogs.  If you don't like dogs or are allergic to them, avoid this place at all costs!


Overall, don't expect to go bargain shopping here, but to find a good local variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, and world cuisine.  It is a good way to try out unusual foods like raw sea urchin or tofu dipping sauce.

My New Crib

I moved into this new place in San Diego at the Rancho Mission Villas.  I've been remodeling this place by myself.  So far, I've replaced the flooring with porcelain wood-like tile, repainted all the walls, repainted all the baseboards and replaced the damaged ones, removed the popcorn ceiling, replaced all the outlets with updated ones including those with USB, placed motion sensing light switches to automatically shutoff, replaced kitchen lighting fixtures with LED, installed a ceiling fan in the dining area, replaced all chrome faucets and knobs with brushed nickel... the projects don't stop.  I'm planning on putting a backsplash in the kitchen and vanity room.  So far all the improvement projects have cost me around $3,000 doing it all myself.