While I agree that we should cut defense spending (and all spending, for that matter), there is a difference between an O-3 in Afghanistan and the kid working at the Burger King by my house.

The chance of on-the-job injury (whether being wounded in combat or simply tearing at ACL during PT) for a soldier is FAR greater than the chance of an injury for the cashier at BK.

The kid at BK gets to go home to his family every night (or day, since fast food chains have decided that we should be able to eat their crap 24 hours a day), the soldier does not.

Of course the soldier gets a pay raise for marrying because most likely, the spouse will not be able to hold a full-time job as military families move quite often. Why would a kid at BK need to move for work?? Anyone who moves for a fast food job is just plain dumb.

And childcare? If you have a kid before being financially stable, you don’t think things through very well. I’m 19. I don’t have a kid because I’m not out of school and while I plan to be a self-made entrepreneur, I won’t have kids (or a family for that matter) until I am completely financially stable. If you want to have a kid at 16, then by all means, that is your right. But be prepared to accept the consequences.

I just don’t see this as a good comparison. I believe that anyone with the drive and willpower to succeed in life can succeed, even the kid working at BK. Will there be roadblocks in the way? Absolutely. I go to school (paid for by my own hard work) and spend 60+ hours a week working on my business. I’m not a genius, I’m not rich and I’m not exceptionally talented, but I have drive. I don’t like seeing people complain when there’s nothing substantial holding them back. They have just bought into the beliefs that have been fed to them by colleges, corporations, and other institutions their entire lives. Personally, I saw the truth and rejected the blue pill that society offered me. I took the red pill instead (see: The Matrix)and never looked back.

Still, that invites the question of whether that non-compete will be imposed upon people who join the company in the future …

Gracious. This non-compete is utterly ridiculous — but don’t forget to add to your breakdown of the legalese some perspective about HOW Halifax presented these non-competes to everyone. Here’s how I explained what was observed at the (Wilmington, N.C.) Star-News to my Facebook network:

“So, these cumbersome documents were distributed to everyone late Friday afternoon. Employees had the weekend to study them — and of course everyone did so and raised a million questions. The employees returned to work Monday (yesterday) and were told that the director of HR and the newspaper’s publisher were in Florida, meeting with Halifax executives.

TODAY is the deadline by which the employees have been told they must sign these non-competes or risk losing their jobs. And yet Halifax hasn’t made anyone available – not the HR department, and not the publisher’s office – to address concerns and answer questions.

The Star-News’ staff is meeting in just a few minutes to discuss all of this. I’m hoping NO ONE will sign these agreements – and that they’ll politely explain to the company (taking the much higher road than the company has so far) that they expect today’s deadline to be extended until after a Halifax official has met with them.”

As if all of this isn’t bad enough, let’s take a look at Halifax’s nepotism policies, which have resulted this week in the termination of employment of two Star-News staff members (am sure similar situations will play themselves out at the other newly minted Halifax properties).

Again, here’s how I explained the “nepotism situations” to my Facebook network:

“Halifax already has seriously bungled its transition into ownership of the Star-News in Wilmington, N.C. Here are just three examples:

“1. Halifax sends an e-mail, confirming that one longtime staff writer named CeCe Nunn would be granted continued employment. THEN, less than a week later, they realized she’s actually a part-time employee. Soooooo, because they aren’t retaining part-time employees, Halifax dispatched the woman another missive essentially stating, ‘Whoops! You gotta go.’ No real apology. Not even a small offer of a Starbucks latte to compensate her for the emotional turmoil. (In light of what I’m about to share, CeCe might have been shown the door for another reason: she’s married to a full-time staff writer …)

“2. Halifax informs Merton Vance, a senior writer/editor who has written for the paper for decades, that he has a job. Whew! What a relief it was for me to learn that because Merton is a real rock and force in that newsroom. Then, Halifax has yet another ‘Whoops!’ episode and informs Merton that he’s out of a job. Why? Because they learned (after sending their employment offer, of course) he’s married to Tricia Vance, who also works in the newsroom. As a married couple, they’ve worked there — reporting to different department heads — without a problem for 18 years. Now, according to Halifax, there’s a problem.

“3. Ditto for Stacie Hidek, director of online news at the Star-News. Stacie is PREGNANT and — after initially learning she remained employed — also has been informed by Halifax that she, too, is out of work. Why? She has a husband who works in the newsroom — and, according to Halifax, that just can’t happen.”

When I was in my final year of creative writing and preparing for my masters degree I was fortunate to be taught by a professor named Jerri Kroll, Jerri was the head of Creative Writing at Flinders University in Australia and a published childrens author. What made Jerri’s influence on me resonate was 1 very important rule she taught me, and I think this rule breaks the barrier to all creatives. Her philosophy was simple:

No matter how good or how bad it was, never under any circumstance throw out any of your writing. Put it in a cabinet, and leave it there. when your stumped or need the muse your cabinet is there.

These failures that you have had might never have come to fruition, but you wear your failures through life as badges of courage. past challenges shape your impressions on what you will do in the future, influence the decisions you’ll make on your next project, and sometimes it just means your too close to the project and need to walk away for a bit

Regardless the creative process is an amazing thing, and it comes to each one of us differently but in the end some things pop and others don’t. A lot of times its the things we want the most that don’t while the ones we really don’t care about explode, but personally and this is jut IMHO I like that you have shared these misgivings from your portfolio, and if nothing else it inspires me to want to create more…