Midland, Texas : 100% Occupancy ?

I'm sure you've all heard about this housing problem: thousands in foreclosure, markets across the nation have crashed, people are being kicked out, etc. Well, welcome to Midland, TX.!

www.rentmidlandtexas.com

If you click on this link, you'll see a front page article from the Midland Reporter-Telegram. (Image of paper courtesy of the MRT) Back in April when this article came out, you couldn't hardly find a place to live in this town. Rents were at an all-time high, apartments were full, houses were full, mobile home parks were full, RV parks were full. It was a pretty sad state of affairs.

Well guess what? Still that way.

Yes, ladies and gents, if you want to rent a basic, 80's built 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 garage standard house with no updating really... you'll be paying in excess of $1,500/month easily. Nicer, newer homes are renting for $1,900 and up. Apartments have no come down. And the new ones recently built in both Midland and Odessa are all full with at least a 2 month waiting list.

Being a property manager, this is all job security for me. Being a caring human being, I'm almost sick over how the market has shot up! I've been encouraging investors to come to Midland to buy and lease, only we have less than 330 properties for sale on the MLS market!

Oil is up, and that is good for Midland. But if you are planning to move here for the work, PLEASE do a little planning ahead.

And for those of you checking Craig's List: BE WARY. I've heard more than one story of someone mailing/wiring their deposit money to someone to hold a property, only to find they were bogus, took the money and ran! If you are not dealing with a reputable REALTOR who's got your back, then it really is Buyer Beware!

By they way, if you are an investor: you still need to check us out. Midland is going nowhere but UP from this point, and continued into the future for minimally a year, potentially next 5 years ... straight up and vertical growth.

Future projects coming on-line in the Permian Basin:
UTPB Fine Arts building - 1,800 capactiy theater
Summit Energy clean coal plant in Penwell just outside Odessa
191 Development, including Sewell Village development
Completion of Loop 250 to I-20, fostering growth along the interstate and in Greenwood
Over a dozen subdivisions, many of which are on to phase 2 or 3 of their expansion
..and much, much more.

I'll be back!

@jaeboswell

Yes, Twitter is up and running. Still don't know what I'm doing!!! But it's there:

@jaeboswell is my account on Twitter. Talk to me! Tweet me! or whatever might call it. ;) Getting ready for a closing on a sale tomorrow, followed up Friday with a long-needed trip outta TOWN! It's been almost two years since we've had a trip out of town that did't involve surgery or quick down-and-back trip.

Upcoming posts: update on Midland (development, zoning, business), update on work and real estate, update on kids (pretty darn cute!) and more rambling on about politics and how everyone is wrong and I'm right. ;)

Take care and

Twitter!

Hi there!

In an effort to get back to my blog, I'm signing up for, and soon will be...
Tweeting! Twitter finally has an app on the iPhone that looks workable, for me, so I'm back to blogger as well!

Hope everyone is doing well! From my previous posts, you will derive many things: 1) I've been busy with the kids 2) Work has been kRaZy! 3) Obama was exactlly what I feared and 4) Midland is booming... thus work has been KrAzY!

I'm not exactlly par myself. ;)

Anyhow, Take care and look for me to be back and certainly more frequently than every 6 months!

Happy New Year, Midland, Texas!!

Well, it's that time again!

2011 is upon us, and that means that 2010 is officially over with. Hope it was good for you! It was a busy one for me. The kids are growing way fast, work has been busy and growing as well. And if oil keeps going the way it appears, Midland is heading into another boom!

Booms can be good and bad. The good is a bustling economy, lots of new faces and friends, everyone that wants to make a living will be, and the city will grow and prosper and become more of a great town.

The downside of a boom is things can often happen too fast. People show up and find searching for a place to live is harder than expected. Yes, many will be getting a bigger paycheck, but sometimes in a boom the cost of living goes up as well. Gas prices being tops on that list.

Things to remember if you live in Midland in 2011:

1) Drive safe. The local paper made it one of their major stories about how many accidents there were, how many people were hurt, etc. Think before you drive. Always look both ways, and you might even consider doing that several times! Always assume the other guy can't see you, and keep your guard up.

2) Help out your neighbor! One thing I've always enjoyed reading about was how people came to Midland and found it to be one of the best, most pleasant places they've ever been. People here hold doors for each other. We like to smile and say "Howdy" or "Hi" whether you know the person or not. Drivers will nod or wave to each other as they pass on the highway. Courtesy is a good thing!

3) We live in a desert. "Huh?" you may be saying to yourself. Well, I just thought I'd remind everyone, we do indeed live in a desert. Midland is not friendly to those of us who have allergies. Change your air filters in the house monthly, or more often. Use the better 3M filters when you can. Check the house out: caulk window and doors, replace weatherstripping when/where you can, keep your yard up so the grass will keep the dirt and dust down. And in general, brace yourself for weather! West Texas is not the easiest of places, but then again, I've never seen prettier sunsets either. :)

4) Last but not least, be safe! Midland is a great place, but we still have the small percentage who will do the wild, crazy and stupid things no matter what. That can be said for anywhere. But minor precautions will keep you safe. AWARENESS of your enviornment will keep you safe. And in the end, you'll be better for it, and make this a better place as well!

So take care, everyone! Enjoy your family, they're the only one you got. Enjoy and respect your friends, they are a gift. Be thankful, hopeful, helpful, honest, and above all else... be True To Yourself. If you can't trust you, why should anyone else? And if you ARE true to yourself, it will show.

Welcome 2011! Let's get after it!!!

Respect, itself, is dying.

A slow and painful death occurred recently, http://www.npr.org/2010/12/10/131978052/famous-christian-landmark-tree-cut-down-in-u-k , when a landmark tree outside of London was vandalized and all of its limbs were cut from the body of the tree, and left to waste. Some may say,” It’s just a tree.” Others will pay no attention at all. Some will go seemingly too far and cry for the loss of a miracle that was yearly harvested for thistles to adorn the royal Christmas table in London, England.

What I morn is the respect such an entity is entitled to, and was so blatantly stolen away. Whether we are discussing the Christian aspect of the history of the tree, the idolatry of the Egyptian culture and the great Pyramids, the rock used for Muhammad’s ascension (Dome of the Rock), any of the thousands of Buddha’s throughout southeast Asia, all of these and more are icons, yes. But they deserve not necessarily worship, but most certainly Respect.

And why? Why should you, me, or anyone else show respect to “pagan” idols, farcical icons, faded and tattered images of the past?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Beauty, something else dying away and lacking in respect.

When a monk, priest, cleric, pastor, rabbi, see the writings of their faith, it is gibberish to some and priceless to them. Who are any of us to judge a rock, a tree, a stone, a parchment, and place a value on it above or below any other thing? Why am I so special that if my car gets damaged at the mall shopping for gifts, that mine is more important than you and your endeavors?

One thing, “tis the season to be jolly.” This is Christmas, a Christian holiday, hugely shared the world over as a magical time of peace, joy and goodwill… for many reasons. Chopping up trees, landmarks, icons, symbols, is hardly the way spread anything good, much less goodwill.

Two, be respectful and considerate of others. It is a good tenet to live by, and is generally expected from us of others. We would expect consideration, we should grant such consideration. It is worth the time and energy required of us, and rewarded over and over again.

Lastly, this is not about me. This is about us. My car was not vandalized, nor was I disrespected in any way. This is Me talking to everyone including Myself to remind us all, no matter how much that nattery old church in Kansas might be evil for protesting funerals, of all things, they will have to live with themselves for that and are not worthy of our attention: positive or negative. Yes, “terrorism” might exist in the world, but Muhammad down the street has done nothing to you. You may not believe in God or Christ, but that has never been any excuse to trample on the rights of those who do. I’ve seen enough demeaning of Christians lately, from the “learned Scholars of Higher Education.” I’ve had my fill. They can no sooner convince me of their beliefs than I can convince them of mine, why try?

But, we can all be Respectful of one another, quite easily.

So, in the “spirit” of Common Sense, I would ask of you Reflection. Ponder the concept of Respect: what it means? What it is? How it exists in your life? And is there enough? Not only respect FOR you, but also FROM you. And do others have respect for each other? It is a very telling thing, Respect. How it is given and taken can convey a wealth of information to those who will only open their eyes.

Have yourself... a very Merry Christmas!

Greetings, Friends!

Just popping in to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Life has been busy, fun, crazy, exciting, worrisome, mind-boggling, and down-right... usual. ;) I'll give ya a quick update on things and then I'm off again for a bit. Hopefully, next year will be much better:

1) Norah is doing great! She just turned 2 this past November, and is a walking-talking baby. Always happy, never made, but will throw a fit if she doesn't get her way. It's pretty cute. But don't laugh... only makes her more mad. ;)

2) Aiden is doing great too! Growing like a weed, that child can consume a pound of bacon for breakfast, throw a football is pinpoint precision, taller than boys a year older than he, skinny as a rail, loves to play, has a great sense of humor, and boy... does he like to talk!

3) Life is good! Leslie and I have been busy, working hard, visiting family at every opportunity, wrestling kiddos, and working hard. Did I mention work? We've been working!

4) MIDLAND is changing! I know the economy nationwide is kinda in the dumps, but Midland has been keeping its mouth shut, building and moving and remodeling all over town. There are four brand-new subdivisions that I know of going up, not to mention previous ones that are expanding. We have had some rocky points (Blue Ridge Apartments) but they'll get sued and that'll be that. (*hint* next time... don't build something other than the plan passed by city council!)

So, here is wishing You and Yours a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy this time, your family, rest and relalx when you can, look up at the stars and smile once in a while. Take care. And talk to you again soon.

~ John

Facebook: Work? What work?

Yet again, I have managed to be absent from this blog for entirely too long, but hey! There's past stuff on here that's still a good read!

Anyhow, to anyone that finds me from Facebook, this is my blog. It is my bullhorn to the world, where I get to vent and brag and boast and yell and various other things because my opinion is just SOOOOOO important. ;)

One of these days I hope to return to work and actually accomplish something. Thank God duty pulls me out of the office so I can get off the stinkin' computer!

Anyhow, surf and enjoy... or not. I'll be back again soon to tell all the Obama voters "I told ya so." Peace!

Welcome to the world: Norah Raelyn Boswell !!

Yes, baby is HERE! Norah Raelyn Boswell : Born Nov. 20, 2008 at 12:43pm. She was 6.5 lbs., 18" long, and has RED HAIR!! In lieu of flowers, prayers to St. Patrick for this red headed child to have mercy on her parents will be greatly appreciated. ;)

Pictures will soon be posted on Walgreens.com so you can view them, and if you want to, order them. We've found it to be a very easy and helpful website for photo taking. I'll keep you posted as this occures.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!!

Update on Midland, Texas

Greetings and Salutations!



Well, time to take a fresh look at Midland again, been a while since I've taken time to do that. And yes, there is much to report: some good, some not so good. Or is it?

First off, let's get some of the obvious updates out of the way, for those who aren't in Midland:


1) Midland Savings Building finally came down. This was a 14 story impolosion that cut into the saturday morning TODAY show, so it must have been big news! Formerly owned by Leona Helmsly, the MSB has been a blue/green monster that was so outdated, there was no saving it. It just had to come down. And it did. Two more to go: Metro Building and First National on corner of Texas and Colorado. Google maps is soon to be very... out of date. ;)


2) Loop is booming! We have 3 new hotels out by the 2 newer stadiums. Another hotel is going up on Loop 250 just west of Midland Drive, next to the new Nissan of Midland dealership, which is down the road from the new West Texas National Bank. Maurices is next to Kohl's now, and that finished of that shopping center, though they have a little space to lease now. And we have a new place called "Massage Envy" just across from Kohl's. Very posh massage therapy center. Reasonable prices to, though I need to schedule a time to get in there.


3) Tons of houses still being built. One oil company has purchused land south of Midland with the intention of building houses for their employees. Now THAT's thinking out loud, eh? Go team! Despite oil taking a dip, there's still much going on around Midland's housing market.


4) The two new apartment complexes are filling up. The Palms is nearly full, with construction just completed. Vantage apartments on north Midkiff is making rapid progress, but I think they are still wrapping up construction... though they are leasing. They have been a big relief to the many people moving to Midland.


5) Price of oil is still dropping. :( Down at the bottom of this blog is a chart I found on line that keeps and up-to-the-minute accounting of the price of oil per barrell. If nothing else, it will get my "hit count" going up because I check it everyday for sure. (I'm sneeky like that.)


That's about it for now. I have many ideas of things I've wanted to talk about: journalism, the 2nd amendment, parenting, etc. I'll be trying to get consistant again... as if anyone cares what I have to say. BUT... if you do, keep coming back! OR if you have a question of me, or a topic you'd like to discuss, send me an e-mail: jaeboswell@yahoo.com I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comments are once again welcome on this blog, just no spam. I had to knock off comments for a while because of spam stuff, but I'm back up again.

Comment away...!
Thanks,
John

Welcome the 21st Century

"The King is dead! Long live the King!"

The days of old have now passed, as will many other things of "old." Obama did indeed win the election of 2008. I am pleased that a black man in this nation has risen to the highest position of power. I'm happy for change, as I have no doubt change is coming. The only question now is, what will it be?

Economic change: Wall Street is currently on its ear. The dow jones industrial, a barometer for financial times around the world, has been in flux for months now, and is currently in a spiral from which no bottom is seen or heard. The major industries of yesterday are in cardiac arrest. Auto, Insurance, Airline, Investments, Banks, are all crying for help. Even the oil industry, which normally is the exact opposite of everyone else across the nation, is floundering about in doubt and disbelief of the worldwide crisis at hand. This is all going to change.

Domestic change: Gay marriage was voted down in California, but just today, Connecticut passed gay marriage into law. And don't get me wrong about California, even though the people voted it down, they are fighting in the courts to legalize it anyway. It'll pass eventually. It is California after all. Like the concept or not, this is a change that will alter the landscape of American domestic development for years to come. How? I have no idea. But I have no doubt that it will. This is all going to change.

International change: Money that was previously being invested in the United States is now going overseas. Dubai is booming like no one's business. Dubai, a desert nation that has nothing except central location to Europe, Africa & Asia ... and oil. The worlds eyes are no longer focused on the U.S. and companies that had grown lazy and fat are now in a panic. This is all going to change.

Political change: The GOP is G no more... Grand Old Party my foot! Sen. McCain, a fine man and decorated war hero had NO business being the republican candidate for president. He's 72 years old, part of the establishment that needs to go, uninspiring to listen to, and this is the best the GOP could do? Mitt Romney was shot down for his religion, being Mormon. Name me one other reason he was NOT selected as the candidate? Mitt could run circles and DID run circles around everyone during the primaries. This nation was FOUNDED on the freedom of religion. Shows how tolerant we truly are, doesn't it? This to is all going to change.

Change can be good, and change is needed in this country now more than ever. People have forgotten what is means to earn a salary, work a real job, get your hands dirty, appreciate the fruits of your labors. Too many of us grew content with the "status quo" and forgot to keep an eye on the people with the real power. And in the dead of night, they let loose the reigns of this great nation and look where it got us... hell.

So I say... let the 20th century die. Let the past be gone, and lets work on a better tomorrow. Lets only look back to learn the lessons of yesterday, and take none of it with us into the future that is upon us. And to the newly elected President Obama, as I have said before, I hope you are nothing like I believe you to be. But it doesn't matter any more. We are here... now. So change everything. It can hardly get much worse. And if it does get worse, we'll have learned one more thing to never repeat.

Talkin' bout a revolution

“…a little rebellion now and then is a good thing,”
Thomas Jefferson ~ January 30, 1787

In the interest of full disclosure, it has been a philosophy of mine for a couple years now that the only way for us to make a change in Washington would be to vote out everyone. Well, I still believe that, no matter how painful it might be.

So, as much as it truly does pain me, I’ve got to tell you that my vote will most likely be going to Obama for 2008. I’m not doing this because I like the guy, quite the contrary. I’m doing this for many other reasons.

1) America deserves Obama. If the people of this once-great nation believe that he is the instrument of change in Washington, then we deserve whatever he gives us. Higher taxes, shoddy health care, fewer jobs, greater turmoil overseas, we deserve all of it. If the people that vote in this country can’t educate themselves beyond the talking points parroted back to us by the evening news, then by God we deserve the hell that comes with such a lack of knowledge.

2) Obama does equal change. He stands for change, and I don’t doubt that for a minute. But let’s look at the change he’ll bring us. Higher taxes, which will equate to more lay-offs, higher unemployment, less productivity, less exportation, and further recession. Healthcare for all, which will bring about fewer doctors (because they will quite before working for cheap or nothing), over-loaded hospitals, poorer quality of care, and huge delays in that care. The only ones who benefit from all this will be the insurance companies and the pharmaceuticals, so if you’re looking for a new profession… look there.

3) McCain is part of the “establishment.” As much of a maverick he likes to think he is, he’s just as guilty as the rest of the Keating Five who stood up for a crooked bookkeeper some years ago. Did McCain break any laws? None that I know of. But he’s shown his true colors when he brought pressure to bear on an investigation of someone he had financial ties to. Everyone in Congress who has accepted campaign funds is beholden to someone. They’re all dirty… it’s the nature of the business.

4) Time to accelerate the beginning of the end. Listen, America has had it good for a long time. We’ve got public education, the best hospitals in the world, strong universities that are the destination of students from around the world, home ownership, fast and varied transportation, we’ve got it made! We have so much going for us… and no one stops to appreciate the fact that we have it now. Oh no… it’s not good enough. We need cleaner cars and energy; we need better education for elementary and high schools. We need cheaper health care and EVERYONE HAS TO HAVE full coverage on health care. Damn the cost, 100% of the people are entitled to it … or so it is said.

“…a little rebellion now and then is a good thing,”
Thomas Jefferson ~ January 30, 1787

Time for change has indeed come, but it isn’t what anyone is thinking of or expecting. Congress has grown fat and lazy on the greed that is modern day politics. And “we the people” have grown ignorant and lazy, we do not learn nor do we try to learn about what is going on at the national level until it is too late. Coming up in the next two years will be the national I.D. card. Did you know that? Professions across this nation are being expected to produce fingerprints for identity purposes, so they say. Wire-tapping is done on regular citizens in the name of national defense. One by one, our freedoms and liberties are being stripped away by the very people we put in office to defend us… and no one seems to know about it, and when they do learn, they choose not to believe.

So do us all a favor, come next election day, go on out and vote for Barack Obama and lets put the ball in his court. Either he’s the “savior” that the media elite have built him up to be, or he is the catalyst for the even greater change that this country is so very long overdue for. It is time to close our eyes and step off into the void of Fate. Because I know with every fiber of my being… we sure aren’t on the path our forefathers set us upon.

IT'S TIME TO GET MAD!!

I know it's been a while since I've been here, but hear me out on this:

It's time to get LOUD, MAD, and in the face of Capital Hill... RIGHT FREAKING NOW!

Politics is an ugly business. Anyone involved is automatically a liar because you are forced to vote for "bills" that have little hitches in them that you would NEVER vote for, except for the fact that it's in there and it ain't coming out. (ear marks, pork spending, etc.)

So here we are, about 50 days away from the presidential election, and the economy is taking a nose-dive into oblivion. Why is this? Well, let's follow the money. Less than 10 years ago, "regulations" were changed so that lending institutions and investment houses could keep less liquid capital (cash) on hand, and thereby invest more money into other things. However, the reason for keeping cash on hand is so that if the economy ever hits a snag, you can roll with the punches. Right? Well... enter the snag.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were lending money like crazy. Loans were made to people that should have never been given a loan, and just as soon as they cried "uncle" and foreclosures started to happen... guess what? Notes got called. Notes on loans that were not backed up with anything other than paper. Now look at what's happening: Merrill Lynch, Lehmann Bros., WaMu, and others we don't even know about yet are all screaming in fear of hell breaking loose.

The Dow Jones, nothing but an indicator of what is to come, is swinging drastically, hundreds of points in either direction, because no one knows what the hell is going on. ENTER: Congress.

Democrats: "We're gonna fix it!"
Republicans: "We're gonna fix it!"
Both of 'em secretly: "we're gonna fix it and pad our 'special interest' buddies pockets" wink wink

I sware, if we don't start getting out some of the old wood, and get in some new blood, we're going to see worse than a tanking economy in the next ten years. People like Reed, Pelosi, Kennedy, Frank, and the rest of them... are doing NOTHING but GETTING IN THE WAY!!!

Why else would congress have an "approval rating" of 9. Yes, NINE. On a scale of 1 to 100, 9% is all they get. You know what THAT means? In a democrat led congress, even the DEMOCRATS hate them!! BUSH, who all demorats hate, has a higher approval rating... and he's ticking me OFF right now!! "Let's bail out Fannie and Freddie." uh... excuse me? When a company goes under, they go UNDER. Bankrupt. Kaput. Dead. Then someone comes along, buys them out, and sells off the company for parts. But OH NO... not Uncle Sam! We're gonna buy this thing, and profit from it ourselves (the government) and leave things JUST LIKE THEY ALREADY ARE!!! Setting themselves up for yet ANOTHER LOSS!!!

Damn it people, get Mad! Remember Eddie Chiles, and all the bumper stickers that said, "I'm mad too, Eddie!"? He was mad over gas prices and how liberals were beating up on the oil companies. We'll, it's beyond that now. Not only is oil up, it's WAY up. Gas is up. Food costs are up. Demand in the world is up, and nothing can be done about that. However, congress is tying the hands of oil companies so we can't even refine the oil we have RIGHT HERE!! Do you realize, we literally export crude oil, and import the refined stuff? TRUE STORY! Yet one more reason for congress to get the hell outta the way!

As if the oil crisis weren't enough, the mortgage crisis is now upon us, this is already effecting the banks and investment industry, this will then domino into God only knows what... and we're left holding the bag. AND WHY? WHY ARE THINGS SO BAD???

Congress. It's high freaking time that we start OUSTING the damn people in congress. Impeach the President? The hell! Impeach Congress! They want to launch investigations into steroids, into pork spending (that they did themselves), into pictures on the internet of POW's being embaressed, HELL! Harry Reed tried to get an investigation going on Rush Freaking Limbaugh who did nothing more than point out the TRUTH about how REED has his hands into CORUPTION in Nevada real estate!!! And what did Rush do? He got his hands on the letter that Reed wrote, auctioned it off on e-bay, and raised millions for veterans and their families.

Take that, Harry!

I'm serious, people. If we don't CHECK congress in November, we're all going to hell in a handbasket. At the rate things are moving right now, I feel safe in predicting a second civil war in my lifetime. Washington D.C. is so outta whack, short of a civil war, I don't know what else can change it. I'd run for congress myself, if I weren't so scared of getting sucked into the b.s. too! Or being seen as politically impotent due to the powers that already "BE."

Get mad, people. Get loud, and get mad. And tell your rep's to do the same. Conaway! That means you, too! I want to see you on the news, red in the face for all the yelling I want to hear.

Get after it!

Midland, Texas makes National News!

Okay, Midland didn't exactly make national news... today. But why haven't we??

RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT:
Midland has held the record for unemployment state-wide for over a year. As fast as we're building, getting new business, expanding existing businesses... people are finding jobs. And pick up the Sunday paper anytime and you'll find a dozen pages, front and back of "help wanted" ads. Everything from fast food, to medical, to executive, to oilfield related.

RECORD GROWTH:
Midland had over 500 housing permits sent out in 2007 and in 2008, we're going to dwarf that number. Basic Energy bought THREE different buildings downtown, tore one of those down and are planning on a huge retro-fit of the other two with parking and retail... and that's just one little corner of downtown! Seriously, if you haven't been downtown Midland lately, you have no idea.

RECORD EXPANSION:
Midland has annexed large tracts of land and have expanding the city limits greatly to the northwest. A water tower is under construction to help water pressure in the part of town because the growth has been beyond belief. Development of business districts, downtown and near the Midland International Airport is moving at an unbelievable pace. But no matter how many facts I give... who the hell's gonna believe me!

NO ONE... believes just how much Midland has grown. And we're just one city. Stanton, Big Spring, Andrews, Odessa... and God help "Penwell" when we finally do slam-dunk a futuregen project of some kind. Oh... it's coming. Do not doubt me. The oil industry needs the CO2, west Texas needs the electricity, this nation needs the technology up and running... the list goes on and on.

OIL... just hit $110 per barrel. As much as the New England states might dread that, for Midland it means growth, expansion, and money. And when do you see oil dropping? Five years? Ten? No. Twenty? doubtful. But with the population of Texas due to DOUBLE ... by 2030...???

I'm sorry folks, but we're on a roll and there's nothing gonna stop it. Question is: are you here getting in on it? or are you going to let this RECORD BREAKING time pass you by???

What is it going to take to get the national press coverage west Texas deserves... AND NEEDS... in order to help us launch off all the pinned up potential?

Anyone know Rupert Murdock? Better yet, get Mr. President to come down for a visit!! I think he needs to fly over Midland and give us his take on how things are changing here. ;)

Midlanders need a place to live! ...and go vote.

Can someone explain to me why, when Midland is desperate for housing and places to live... the city council failed to vote on passing or not passing on a proposal to build a new apartment complex?

Here is yet another city council meeting I'll have to attend to make sure things get done. *sigh* I'd much rather be working.

Speaking of work, Midland is still on a boom. Met more people from Kansas, Arizona, and a couple more places. It really amazes me how people are flocking to Midland these days.

Today is "junior Super Tuesday" whatever the hell that means. The media is such a joke anymore. Reaching, stretching, grasping for anything and everything to come up with a "story." Anyways... GO VOTE! Don't make me tell you again. And don't do that silly "vote for Hillary" thing to beat Obama that so many people are talking about. After Barry's Canada snafu, he's just as bad as Hillary and neither deserve the time of day. I voted for Romney, personally.

What do you mean he's outta the race??? D'oh!

Have a nice day!

Integrity

Courtesy of Merriam-Webster On-line Dictionary

integrity
Main Entry:
in·teg·ri·ty
Pronunciation:
\in-te-gr-tē\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English integrite, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French integrité, from Latin integritat-, integritas, from integr-, integer entire
Date:
14th century
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility
2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness
synonyms see honesty

Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.

Question: What "code" of moral values do you look toward for guidence? The Bible? Koran? Torah? How about in your profession, do you uphold a professional code of ethics as a doctor? lawyer? business professional?

When I was in the Boy Scouts, many years ago, we had a candle lighting ceremony where we lit candles as we read about the Boy Scout pleadge: "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,brave, clean, and reverent." When we got to 'brave,' the candle decided to melt and drip on my hand. It was hot... damn hot. BUT, I bit my lip and was brave. I endured the moment's worth of pain in order to have a story to tell you now. I was once brave when it mattered a lot... to me.

I still think back on those values from time to time: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient. Let's stop there. Kind? I can admit I could do better there. Obedient? That depends on to whom, and why do I owe them my obedience. For the most part, I can think for myself and that can get me in trouble... when "obedience" might have served me better. Cheerful? eh... sometimes, though there is a synic alive and well in me. Thrifty? Work in progress. Brave? Yup. Covered that. Clean? Sure! Just don't look at my desk! Reverent? That's a matter of opinion. God and I know each other well enough to know where I stand, but other's might have an opinion on my "reverence."

So, getting back to Integrity, "where are you going with this, John?"

Good question, thanks for asking.

And while your at it, that is my point: Ask yourself what guide you use for a moral compass? A Scout pledge? Code of Ethics in your profession? Can you remember one line from that "code?"

I was just thinking, words have a meaning. Codes... have meaning. If there is a "code" in your life, whether it be the classic "Ten Commandments" or something else, why not go refresh yourself a bit? It never hurts to freshen up a bit.

This public service announcement brought to you by a busy-body with far too much on his mind than he can ever spill at one time. Remember? I'm still working on the obedience thing. And cheerful... and reverent.... and get outta here. But hurry back!

Presidential race? Vote : None of the Above

I'm sorry, but I gotta tell ya... I'm just not happy with our (limited) choices this time around for President of the United States.

On the one hand, we have John McCain as the leading contender for the Republican party. However, he's for amnesty for immigrants, spends money like everyone else in D.C., fouled up the campaign contribution world of politics with his "fix" of it, and will make a deal with a Democrat, and stab his own party in the back... at the drop of a hat.

Then we have Hillary and Obama. Obama is inspirational. I kinda like the guy. His heart is in the right place but he has no experience, and what he DOES have experience in doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Hillary, on the other hand, has all KINDS of experience: cheating lying husband, dirty back-room law deals, takes money from anyone willing to hand it out... only to later deny knowing who they are or what they do when you KNOW she knows. And what has she "fought" for all her career? Status. The whole thing is just a game to her. She didn't want to be Senator Clinton from New York! She wanted to be Senator Clinton... candidate for President of the United States!

That was her one and only purpose from the word go, and you & I know it.

So what do we do?

Well, first of all, come March, I'm still voting for Romney. I think he KNOWS more than all 3 others will ever hope to know about business, finance, budgets, spending, etc. I think he is a moral man and will "do the right thing" no matter what that might mean. And then, come November, I'm strongly leaning toward taking my voter registration card to the nearest news camera... making sure they are filming me... and burning it.

Yes, that's right. Burn it.

To hell with the "system" because it's broken. Since when did "taking the lesser of two evils" become a good thing and not an evil thing to do? If you have to vote for Lucifer or Lord Sauron as the next President of the United States, why are we voting for Lucifer? Because we know our real guy will beat him in the end?

How's about we vote for neither? Better yet... don't vote! Let's all protest next November 4th, or whatever day it might be, and tell Washington D.C. we choose NONE OF YOU!!!

Choosing the lesser of two evils? Sounds evil to me. It is evil to choose... because either way, your choice was wrong. Damn wrong.

Just something to ponder. I welcome comments on this... any and all will be welcome and posted.

Welcome to Midland, everyone from North Dakota, Idaho, Michigan, California, Montana, Wyoming, Florida...

Seriously, this is a quick "Howdy!" and a "Welcome to the party!" to everyone new to Midland from other states. I've seen nearly a dozen different state license plates in the last week. Yesterday, I even saw a car (jeep?) from Alaska. So welcome to you eskimos too!

On the downside, traffic is backing up and getting a little more crazy around here. So if anyone out there has issues with Midland growing? expanding? developing? Might I encourage you to drive from downtown Midland to ... oh, I dunno, the mall perhaps? or Loop 250 and Midland drive? Yeah, do that. Drive from downtown Midland to Loop 250 and Midland Drive... and see how long it takes you.

You can even take the loop if you want, but don't say I didn't warn ya. ;)

Welcome to one and all! Now grab a hammer, we got some building to do around here!

Basic Energy : Congratulations!

Congrats to Basic Energy of Midland! After years of hard work, and the benefits thereof, they have made such progress as to warrant two new buildings and are laying the groundwork for development in downtown Midland.

Basic recently aquired the "Hightower Building" downtown on Illinois Street, as well as another office building and the old and infamous "Belt Buckle building" next door on Illinois. They had a ground-breaking ceremony this past Friday on their plans to level the old BBB and put up a new structure in its place. We know parking will be involved in their new plans, but dare we hope for a new resturant location? or perhaps some shops of some kind? Tons of potential... literally.

Work is still going forward on Big Spring St. and Texas where two builds were leveled. It is my understanding the Metro building and adjacent bank on the corner of Colorado and Texas will soon meet their maker and also be demolished. Now... if we can ever get the MMMD to make up their mind on tearing down the old Midland Savings on the corner of Wall and Colorado, then we'd have some serious prime real estate just ripe for development down there!

Still no word on the old Vaughn building becoming Midland Sky Tower. I haven't given up hope for it. With Midland making national news as frequently as we are, we're due for about 5 to 10 more good years of growth.

Did anyone ever doubt me? All my predictions about Midland and its future growth?

Of course not. Who would dare doubt me? ;)

Have a great week!

Happy Anniversery, Blogging for Midland!

Yes indeed. Three years ago today, I started a blog that has been rather interesting to me. I've met people across the nation, found readers who are friends, neighbors, and even my "betters!" (notice I didn't say "elders?" *grin*)

I was thinking the other day how I need to change up the content a bit. Last few posts have seemed a little repetitious. But I've learned something over the years, something that aikido and real estate each have taught me very well: repeat, repeat, repeat.

You can't try something once and think you understand it. You can't attempt anything once, and "know" you know it...you're just kidding yourself. You can't advertise "here and there" and expect people to know who you are.

"Good things come to those who PERSIST."

Remember that. It's a truth that I came across years ago when I was the wandering philosopher I once was. I was pondering the thought of "good things come to those who wait," when it occured to me: the hell it does!

You can wait your whole life for Mr. (Ms.) Right to come along, and you'll never see them. You can wait your whole life for the perfect job, perfect house, perfect (fill in the blank here) and guess what? You'll miss it, not see it, let it get away, think it is something else all together... and you'd be wrong.

No, good things do NOT come to those who wait. It comes to those who persist. You have to work FOR something, TOWARDS something, in the general DIRECTION of something.

In this world, you can either be the Cause of your life, or the Effect of it. Ever heard the saying," God helps those who help themselves?" You have to give God something to work with in order for God to Work It!

There is another saying that drives me absolutely batty: "I guess it was just meant to be." You hear this all the time from reality t.v. people, and so many others. The DANGER in this particular thought is... you are placing yourself in the position to be the effect of any and every outcome situation there might be. How terrible is that?

Car breaks down? Meant to be.
Lose your job? Meant to be.
Go into bankruptcy? Meant to be.
Divorce? Meant to be.

Uh.... EEEHHH! Wrong. You could have budgeted and fixed your car. You could have come in early, stayed late, work through lunch or bring the boss lunch to save your job. You could have not charged up a dozen credit cards to AVOID bankruptcy. And you could have done a million different things to work on saving your marriage, but I'll grant you this... it takes two to make a marriage work, so sometimes it can be another's fault.

BUT... point is, don't just sit back and take it. Get out there and work for what you want. NAME the thing you want so you know, without a doubt, what it is you are going after. WANT what you just named. Do you REALLY want that? or are you just mentioning it because it is what someone else expects you to say? Ya gotta want it. Finally, ya gotta go for the gusto. GET what you want. Don't sit back and wait for it to happen along... go, go, go!

Okay, I'm getting preachy again.

Just think about it!

"Good things come to those who persist."

Start.

Anyone else feel the ground shaking...???

Busy these days around Midland? Traffic getting a little more congested than usual? How about going out for a bite to eat, longer waiting time? And have you seen the classified section of the sunday paper lately? If you haven't answered "Yes" to at least one of those questions, then you are not in the Midland, Texas area. And that's just a shame.

Midland is booming right now, and I mean BOOM-ing. Well, for that matter, so is Odessa and Andrews, Texas! MSNBC recently did a segment on Andrews and all the work going on there: experimential nuclear facility that the University of Texas is building, the uranium enrichment plant between Andrews and Eunice, N.M., and also the nuclear waste storage facility the government is building. The next day, people were packing up and moving from California, Montana, Wyoming, and Michigan to move to Andrews. ANDREWS!! Okay, it's a good town, but what is their population? Maybe close to 10,000 people now? Multiply that by TWENTY and you've got Midland and Odessa with even more growth going on.

Yes my friends, we are booming. I feel like we're all sitting on a powder keg just waiting for it to go off.

This past monday, Montana Properties group from Alberta, Canada came before the planning and zoning commission of the city of Midland and announced their intentions to begin develpment of over 640+ acres of land in north Midland. In a time when the rest of the nation is slowing down to catch their breath, investors from coast-to-coast, literally, are coming here to BUILD! And we are building.

Right now, these are the facts:
Three (3) hotels are under construction out by the stadium, one is nearing completion.
Several new resturants have just opened, or are about to open in the next few months.
Midland and Odessa have collectively over 50 subdivisions building up, the majority of which are new within the last year! And those are just the ones that have broken ground. Still others are in the works to break ground this year!
Interstate 20 is undergoing a major renovation at Cottonflat Road which is in actuallity a continuation of Garfield Drive.
TXDoT is breaking ground right now on the "reliever route" north of Midland that is soon to become the next "loop" of Midland. (mark my words)
Opening in two months is the newest apartment complex boasting rentals from just under $1,000 per month to as high as $1650 per month for very nice, very spacious apartments with attached garages! Last one built was what... 20 years ago?
Midland Reporter-Telegram has a classified section that is over dozen pages or more (for jobs), and last I checked Saudi Aramco is hosting a job fair in Midland! Even OPEC is coming here looking for help!

Midland is about to see a lot of change. Now, I know a lot of people are not that comfortable with "change" but you just gotta get over that. People from around the nation are starting to notice Midland/Odessa in a big way, and that means we're going to see a lot of people come here. Now is the time to really buckle down and keep Midland running. People need to exercise patience on the roads and watch out for the other guy. Friends and family need to spread word of mouth when someone comes along needing a job, some place to live, somewhere to shop, or just looking for something to do.

But the one thing I would like everyone to do, more than anything, is: Get Involved! Right now, the city of Midland has dozens of committes and boards that need volunteers to help. Once or twice a month, you'll get together with others and help the city make plans and decisions that will guide our growth over the next 2 to 25 years... and beyond! There's a lot of change and Midland needs our help. We need workers to fill jobs, we need houses for those workers, and we need volunteers to help the city make sense of it all.

Get active.

Get involved.

But get with the program, because we're growing by leaps and bounds and there is literally nothing we can do but hold-on and help guide things when we can.