Top 5 World Problems

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Top 5 World Problems

1)    Terrorism

Justification- This is by far the biggest immediate threat to individuals around the globe.  Terrorists have are not selecting one particular Country to go after, they are attacking innocent people that they deem to be different than them around the world.

2)    Cyber Theft

Justification- This is a growing issue that continues to be a source of huge concern for Governments and people around the globe.  This problem is growing bigger and more serious every day.  This issue plays into another world problem that did not make the top 5, National Security. 

3)    Lack of Government Leadership

Justification- Government leadership has always had their differences, and at times when the opinions were the most diverse is when we had the most conflict.  Unfortunately, as of late this diversity is growing again.  There are summits and world organizations that seek to improve these relations, unfortunately not all countries are members, and depending upon the subject, all have their own agendas.

4)    Human trafficking of Women and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation and forced slavery

Justification- This issue has been around since the beginning of time and continues to become worse each year.  Regulation tends to slow this issue at times, and then the traffickers find a ways around the regulation and then it increases again.  Not as pressing as some of the other immediate concerns.

5)    Destruction of Natural Resources

Justification- This is a big problem, fortunately some safeguards have been instituted.  We just unfortunately need more safeguards to further protect these delicate environments that are still shrinking.   

Top 5 Solutions 

1) Cyber Theft 

Justification- We already have an International Criminal Court that prosecutes individuals for crimes against humanity and other similar crimes.  We need this court to recognize the seriousness of these crimes and to push for the prosecution of the individuals involved.

2) Destruction of Natural Resources

Justification- There are already World Organizations in place that need to become more involved in these issues so that we can better conserve these resources.  

3) Human trafficking of Women and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation and forced slavery

Justification- As with Cyber Theft, there is already an International Criminal Court that needs to step in and help bring the individuals responsible to justice.  This issue is a little harder to tackle due to the heads of the trafficking organizations not being directly involved.  So bringing them to justice is a little harder.  Government agencies working together should be able to overcome any issues that are presented.

4) Lack of Government Leadership

Justification- This issue is a one of the hardest to fix due to each Country having its own agenda when dealing with one another.  This mixed with several other factors, the largest of which is national pride and the egos associated with it.  Coming together for a common cause is almost impossible. 

5) Terrorism

Justification- Terrorists abilities to blend in and assimilate to the societies that they ultimately terrorize makes this the hardest issue to tackle.  IT is easier to defeat an enemy when you can readily identify them.  With terrorists, that identification is sometimes impossible until after the attack takes place.  Even though this is the biggest worldwide concern, due to the all the uncertainty that can surround Terrorists, this is the hardest to prevent and enact.

Week 3 Reading Reflection

My biggest surprise from this reading came from the list of distinguishing characteristics associated with people that have type A personalities.  From previous personality tests I have always tested differently.  However, these descriptions describe me to a Tee.  When I read them aloud to my wife, she was wondering what I was writing that I had to describe myself.  When I told her that I didn’t write it, she stated that the author must have known me.  I was quite surprised to determine that I had a type A personality.  The most confusing part for me centered on the portions related to Ethics.  There seems to be a large gap in what is and is not considered ethical and legal.  One thing about this I would have loved to see the author address is how an entrepreneur’s nationality and belief system play into this behavior.  There are places in the world where we look at what the inhabitants consider moral and legal that we would never consider here in the United States due to how society and the law view it.  If I could ask the author two questions they would be the following:

Question #1- In the study of entrepreneurial cognitive research referred to in the beginning of the chapter.  How do you feel that continued research into this topic will change the concept of entrepreneurship in the future?

Question #2 - How does the difference in the view of societies of what is considered ethical and legal affect the entrepreneurial relationship between countries?

There was nothing that I felt the author was wrong or that I disagreed with.  My only real question that stood out above all else related to ethics.  Due to the internet, trade agreements, and various other business activities that occur around the world on a daily basis, the world is not as big as it used to be. An entrepreneur back in the 60’s would only have to really worry about how his business was affected in the locale where the business was located.  In 2016, an entrepreneur could easily be doing business in 6 different countries in one day.  It would seem to me that the differences in these societies would murky the ethical waters even more.  

Identifying Local Opportunities

For this assignment I searched my local newspaper which is the Bradenton Herald.  This assignment was more difficult for me than I imagined it would be, I would have thought that the newspaper would have been chock full of opportunity, but I found that was not really the case.  Possibly moving to a newspaper in a larger area may have made this assignment easier.  After spending a considerable amount of time searching for opportunities I settled on the below list. 

Manatee and Sarasota to conduct a homeless census over 24 hours next week

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A89107C9CBDFA0?p=AWNB

This news story is about a local non-profit organization named Turning Points that will be conducting a census of the homeless population in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.  The purpose of the homeless census is determine the depth of the homeless problem within the counties.  This census is performed in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The problem presented in the story is the annual total of homeless people in these areas.  There are multiple people with problems in this story, one being the homeless themselves, who are living on the streets.  Turning Points, whose mission it is to help and serve the needy in these counties and HUD who seeks to understand the change in the population from year to year.

Bradenton officials look to cut lease payments for Twin Dolphin marina to spur improvements

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83CA7C515FC98?p=AWNB

This story revolves around city owned property on the waterfront in downtown Bradenton.  The city has unsuccessfully tried to obtain grants so that it may move forward on renovating the area.  After many failed attempts, the city is now considering lowering the lease payment on the property in exchange for the Lessee to pay for the redevelopment.  The hope is that if they can improve the marina, that they will be able to attract vacation and weekend boaters to the area so that they will spend more money in the downtown and surrounding areas.  The problem in the story is whether it is economically feasible for the city to do this, since ultimately it is the tax payers that own the property.  The city of Bradenton is the one who has the problem of whether to accept the request to lower the lease payment or not.

Wakeland Elementary School parents worried Manatee County facility will be closed

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83CA8CF426710?p=AWNB

This story is about a local Elementary school that is need of repairs and renovation in order to remain a structurally safe and viable school for children to attend.  The main issue centers around what would be more cost effective, renovating the school at a cost $3.6 million or combining the school with a local Middle School that is underutilized.  Combining the school is looking like the cheaper option, however it creates other issues, the biggest being combining Elementary and Middle School students.  The problem presented in the story is whether to renovate or combine the school.  The individuals with the problem are the Manatee County School Board and the Parents, Faculty, and Students at the schools involved.

Southeastern guide dog returns to work after attack in Bradenton

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83CA785D25370?p=AWNB

This story is about a local blind man, Richard Draper, that was out walking with his guide dog when the guide dog was attacked by 2 other dogs.  The guide dog was injured, and since the attack Draper has been stuck at home without the ability to get around.  He is excited to be getting his guide dog back soon, who is healing and seems to be showing no ill effects from the attack.  Southeastern Guide Dog Representatives are happy to hear about the resiliency that the guide dog is showing.  The owner of the 2 dogs that attacked Draper and his guide dog was cited by animal control for dog at large causing and injury.  The problem presented in the story is the attack on Draper and the subsequent downtime this caused while his guide dog healed from her injuries.  The individuals experiencing the problem are Draper himself, and the Guide Dog.

With arrival of cold weather, Salvation Army opened Bradenton shelter at 6 p.m

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7E84552828680?p=AWNB

This story highlights the influx of homeless people that the Salvation Army receives on a nightly basis when it gets really cold outside.  Their statistics show that they may receive anywhere from 75 -100 additional people on a very cold night.  The problem described in this story is the strain that it places on the Salvation to find safe housing for the homeless as the temperatures drop.  The people affected is the Salvation Army and the homeless people that are seeking shelter there. 

Very Short Interview No. 1

For my short interview, I interviewed Peggy Sammons, owner of Creative Kids Preschool.  Peggy purchased this preschool back in 1996 and has been in business over since.  Helping parents, but more importantly, helping children as they learn the fundamentals that they will need to enter kindergarten and progress through Elementary school.  I consider Peggy an Entrepreneur for multiple reasons.  The first reason is Peggy sees a huge opportunity to be successful in a business doing what she loves.  This shows in the daily care and the atmosphere at the school.  Another reason includes the continual uncertainty that occurs each year as kids move on to Elementary Schools, leaving vacancies in the program.  She strives to provide a fun, educational, and safe environment for her children to grow and learn.  Her continued success is a testament to the service she provides to families around our County. I asked Peggy the following questions, and she was gracious enough to take the time in her busy day to answer them. 

Question #1- What does it mean to be an Entrepreneur?

Answer- First, let me say that I never saw myself as a business owner 20 plus years ago.  I remember sitting on my front porch, crying, and praying to God that the business deal of purchasing my first preschool would not go through.  The proposal to purchase the school was from a friend of mine and I felt so inadequate to have the responsibility.  Obviously, God saw me differently than I saw myself.  Being an entrepreneur is a two edged sword for me.  On one side it is nice to be able to be “The Boss” and make daily decisions and on the other you have the ramifications of a bad decision. I find myself working more hours at home and on weekends that anyone knows, therefore sometimes making less than my employees and others think I make.

Question #2- What do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?

Answer- I wish I had been taught record keeping and more computer programs on business management.  I fumbled through those areas twenty years ago and learned from my own mistakes.  Sometimes those mistakes were minor but a few cost me a lot of money.

Questions #3- What do you think that I should learn in this entrepreneurship course?

Answer- Everything you can!  There is not a lesson that won’t benefit you in the future.  Especially those that will give you better insight to manage your business.

I thanked Peggy for her time, and greatly appreciate what she did for me in answering these questions.  I would have to say that my biggest surprise, was that this woman who is always smiling, is so great with all the children, and seems to have been put on this earth to do what she is doing, had so many insecurities at first.  Managing any business is a difficult task, and to learn as you go is quite something!  I learned that having the right attitude and perseverance to push on during the bad times is a must to be a successful business owner and entrepreneur.

World's Biggest Problems

Here is my list of the World's 10 biggest problems!

1)      Human trafficking of Women and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation and forced slavery- Women and children are being kidnapped and coerced away from their homes at an astounding rate.  These people are being forced into the sex trade and into slave labor type jobs around the world, including right here in the United States.  The only way to combat this type of atrocity is to severely stiffen the penalty associated with committing these crimes.  All too often individuals are able to escape prosecution due to legal issues between countries.  Often allowing the individuals to walk free.  We need some sort of worldwide organization that has the power to prosecute and track these offenders so that they can be brought to justice.

2)      Identity Theft - As technology improves so does the abilities of cyber criminals around the globe to reach out and commit crimes without even leaving their computers.  This type of crime can be devastating to the individual, company or Government that happens to be the victim of it.  While this crime causes no physical loss of life or property, it does cause a considerable amount of damage to individuals’ lives and large costs to try and thwart this behavior.  To combat this growing epidemic, Nations need to come together to crack down on this behavior.  We need a united front and cooperation to properly fight this crime.

3)      Cyber Theft- Again the increasing abilities of cyber criminals to commit crimes globally without leaving their computers is causing worldwide problems.  Whether it be corporate or government espionage, individuals are being hurt by the theft of this data and property.  To combat this growing epidemic, Nations need to come together to crack down on this behavior.  We need a united front that allows for the prosecution of guilty individuals or organizations that electronically steal data from others.

4)      Terrorism- It is hard to just point the finger at one particular group of people and say they are responsible.  There are many groups throughout the world that are targeting innocent people over their religious and political beliefs.  The loss of life associated with this has grown significantly over the last few years.  As time goes on, terrorists become more empowered and commit more heinous attacks.  Their abilities to blend in and hide amongst the innocent individuals in society make this a difficult problem to defeat.  One way to help curb this behavior would be to improve the abilities of governments to be able to scan and track known terrorist groups and their activities.  When individuals involved are identified they should lose all basic rights and should be turned over to some sort of world police organization to for interrogation and ultimate punishment.  These individuals cannot be rehabilitated and returned to their environments where they can continue to harm innocent people. 

5)      World Hunger- There are places in the world where people are still starving on a daily basis and routinely dying from starvation and hunger.  Issues with climate and water supply have made certain areas unfit for farming and have continued to keep the indigenous people of these areas living in poor and desolate conditions.  With all the technology today, there needs to be a movement that puts people before profits and make it a priority to bring these societies up to a basic level where they can survive.  If we can engineer grass that can grow on dessert golf courses with little to no water, then we should be able to create crops that can grow in the same conditions.

          

                                    Photo courtesy of Jim Williams 2016

6)      Safe Renewable Alternative Energy Sources- The world has been so dependent upon fossil fuels that we have not made many gains in this area.  As fossil fuels become scarcer, the need for renewable sources becomes more and more

apparent.  Although more efficient vehicles and uses of these fuels is needed, more of an effort needs to be made towards the research and development of alternatives.

7)      Growing National Debts of Countries around the world- As of late there have been quite a few countries that have been having troubles paying their bills.  Some Countries are going bankrupt and relying on loans from other Nations just to keep operating.  Individual governments need to balance their budgets and find ways of increasing their revenues.  Either by increasing current exports to other countries in an effort to increase revenues or develop new types of products for export.  Countries need to become financially independent so that they can protect their citizens.

8)      Destruction of Natural Resources- Countries all over the world are destroying the very natural resources that they need to survive.  Whether it be the deforestation of the rain forests or overfishing the fisheries.  If we do not start conserving these resources, they will eventually be gone.  We as a planet need to realize the importance of these natural resources and think past present gains in order to stop their destruction.  We need to learn to live within boundaries, wither by implementing quotas for the amount of trees that can be removed or national seasons for the harvesting of the fisheries.  We need to conserve and replenish.

                                   Photo Courtesy of Jim Williams 2015

9)      Lack of Government Leadership- This is an issue around the world, that I feel needs to be addressed so that we can grow as a whole.  The lack of political leadership in countries around the world is leading us down a path to another conflict.  Leadership needs to come to the table with their egos aside and work together to address issues that affect us globally.  We cannot continue to hold some countries accountable let others do as they please.  I in no way am looking for one world government, however I am looking for our leaders to come together and try to solve the world problems.  Stop pointing fingers, eliminate special interest groups and work together to better us all.

10)   National Security- We are seeing an increasing amount of people flee the fighting occurring in Middle Eastern countries and nations around the world.  When this occurs some people are forced to leave behind all their possessions and identifying papers.  This lack of documentation of who an individual is creates a security threat to any area or host nation that they might seek asylum in.  It is imperative that individuals being allowed to enter another country be able to be properly identified for the safety of the natural citizens of that country.  Each country needs to adopt a system that properly documents the births and identifies the individuals’ native to that country.  In today’s modern age of technology, Countries should be able to document the inhabitants of each nation.  The documentation and identification is necessary to increase security everywhere.

    This was my list of the World's 10 biggest problems, they were listed in no particular order and definitely not in the order that I would solve them if I were King of the World!

Week 2 Reading Reflection

My reflection post on the week one reading consisted of the following responses to the areas we were asked to address.  The biggest surprise for me in the reading was the noted differences between a small business owner and an entrepreneur.  I, as the book referred, had always assumed that they were one in the same.  To read the differences between the two has lead me to not only see the distinction but to also characterize each one differently.  The most confusing part of the reading to me was the information regarding the gamification of apps.  I had a hard time distinguishing whether businesses where going to be leaning towards their apps becoming more game like or actually taking part in the development of gaming apps.  I would ask the author the following questions if I had the opportunity.  Question #1- In the macro view of entrepreneurship, the environmental school of thought and the displacement school of thought seem to go hand in hand.  Each dealing with external forces that control the way an entrepreneur responds to or views progress in their ventures.  These are all macro concerns.  However, the financial capital school of thought seems to be an issue that all entrepreneurs should be concerned with regardless of having a macro or micro view.  Why would you include that school of thought all on its own?  Question #2- The Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial activity indicated that the in 2010 565,000 new businesses were created, representing the highest level of entrepreneurship over the last decade and a half.  You stated earlier in the book that a small business owner is not necessarily and Entrepreneur.  How are they differentiating between businesses that are actively engaged in new and innovative practices and small businesses that are not?  Finally, an area that I disagree with the author was presented in the impact of entrepreneurial ventures in the United States.  The author states that GEM data shows 110 million people were actively engaged in starting a business, while another 140 million were running new businesses started less than 3.5 years ago.  You go on to state that this data shows that 250 million people were engaged in entrepreneurial activity.  In the opening paragraphs of the book you drew a distinct line between small business owners and entrepreneurs, yet in this example you have effectively called them one is the same.  Overall, there was a considerable amount of interesting information in this chapter that help to better understand the contributions that entrepreneurs have on the economy.  

Bug List

Here is my bug list of items that leave me feeling disappointed, aggravated, or with unmet needs. They are not listed in any particular order.

1)     Lights left on in a room.

The biggest reason this bothers me is that I have flashbacks to my childhood, and then I sadly remember that I do not own the power company.  There really is no reason to need a turn a light on in every room that you walk through.  Especially if you are just passing through on your way to another room.

2)    Leaving your dirty cloths all over the bathroom after your shower.

There really is no reason that you have to leave your dirty cloths there once you are done.  I really shouldn’t have to step over them later when I want to use the bathroom.  We have already established that I do not turn on lights everywhere, so I really don’t want to step on dirty clothes them in the dark either.

3)    Using your cars hazard lights in the rain.

This should be self-explanatory.  It is illegal in the state of Florida to drive in the rain with your hazard lights on.  You may think that you are helping yourself, but in all reality this is a huge safety concern and you could just cause the accident that you are trying to prevent.

4)    Expecting more of others than you expect from yourself.

This happens all the time to me at work.  I have employees that get really upset when their coworkers do something that causes them to have to work harder.  But, it is perfectly ok for them to do it to their coworkers.

5)    Dirty dishes left in the kitchen sink after I just finished cleaning the kitchen.

Nothing irks me more than to have spent the time cleaning up the kitchen after a meal to come back 20 minutes later and find that someone has put all the dirty cups and plates from their rooms or where ever in the sink.  Clean up after yourselves!

6)    Disrespectful kids.

I wish to be treated as I treat others, so to be disrespected by a child shows poor parenting skills on their parents.  I try hard to teach my kids right from wrong and the proper way to treat others.  I don’t feel it is too much to ask for us all to do that. 

7)    Whining.

This really gets you nowhere and is really annoying.

8)    Spending more energy to get out of work than it would take to actually do it.

It still has to be done, either later or by someone else, why not just do it and possibly improve the life of someone else.  This bug goes to all levels, I work in a hospital, so when someone tries to get out of work, the patient suffers by having to wait for whatever particular test or treatment that was ordered.  This shouldn’t be, they wouldn’t do that to their own family members, and so why do it to others.

9)    A sense of entitlement.

For an accomplishment to really have value, there needs to be some sort of effort to obtain it.  I’m not saying that everything needs to be a struggle, however there is nothing wrong with having to put out a little effort.

10) Weak work ethic.

Please see my comments on a sense of entitlement.  They apply to this as well, you are being paid to perform a function.  Please put a little effort and pride behind what you are doing.

11) Norton Antivirus.

No I don’t want to restart my computer every time I sit down and get logged into canvas to do something.  I appreciate your commitment to keeping my computing experience as safe as possible, however let’s be a little less aggravating.

12) People that sit in a restaurant and use profanity as if it has to be a part of every sentence.

There really is nothing else to say, not all of us use profanity in such a public way nor do we feel that it is appropriate.  Especially when it is a family type restaurant.

13) Dust Bunnies.

We vacuum a lot, you have to with animals.  It never fails though, once you are done and put the vacuum away you turn around and there they are. 

14) Expensive college text books.

An education should be a reasonable expense not a way for publishers to make such a huge profit.  50 Shades of Grey, sure charge me a bundle for it.  There is no reason for college textbooks to cost as much as they do. 

15) Expensive college tuition.

I understand the need for tuition and what it goes for at a University.  I just feel that it should be much more reasonable for people to get a college education.

16) Birds that poop on your car hours after you get it washed and waxed.

Come on, you couldn’t have done that earlier.  Before I spent all that time and money washing off your last meal. 

17) Ohio State fans and really any individual from the state of Ohio.

One word.  Annoying.  If Ohio is so great, please go back and take some of the Boston fans with you.  I know Boston is not on your way, but I can’t think of a better place for someone that is so much better than everyone else to go visit.  Go Rays, Go Bucs, Go Lightening, Go Gators!!!

18) People in the check out at the grocery store that have to keep moving as close to you as they can during check out.

Breathing down my neck will not make my checkout experience go faster.  Nor do I like such close contact without first buying me at least a drink, preferably dinner as well.

19) Not owning up to your mistakes.

I make them all the time.  I find it easier to admit it and then move on to taking care of the mistake or other business at hand. Nobody is perfect, and I do not expect them to be.

20) Political rants on social media.

I really don’t care to know your views on these subjects unless we are sitting down to have that type of discussion.  Please don’t force it upon me, and remember no means no.

Reflecting back over my list and the challenges I faced coming up with it was not a very long process.  The only issue I had, was really not coming up with more things.  I am not sure what that says about me as individual.  That reflection will take a lot longer and cost some money on a good therapist.  All joking aside.  I found the process to be rather refreshing to kind of get it all out at once.  Hopefully, I can move on now and not focus so much on these negative daily occurrences.

My Entrepreneurship Story

When I was in my early twenties, I had a friend, who I will refer to as Mark for the sake of this story, whose father was a contractor up in New Jersey.  Mark's father was fairly successful in the the community where they grew up.  The unfortunate part of the whole thing, was that none of the father's children wanted to follow in his foot-steps and take over the family company.  They all moved to Florida and took their own paths in life.  Zack, the youngest son, followed suit with his older brothers and moved to Florida to attend college.  During college he enjoyed himself, partaking in all the normal college activities, and not really applying himself to the academic side of things.  After a few years of dropping out of classes and not really completing anything, Zack's parents had enough and cut him off.  Zack was bothered by this, and was angry with everyone for not giving him the time he needed to find his way.  Midway through Zack's last semester of college that he attended, he drove down to stay with Mark for the weekend.  When he arrived, Zack said that he wasn't going back to school.  He now knew what he wanted to do with his life. Growing up, he had always seen his father having to pay others to perform grading and site prep for his construction sites, and had seen firsthand how expensive that could get.  Zack had decided that he was going to drop out of college, get his hands on a front loader and a digger and start his own company performing this kind of work.  Needless to say, Mark did everything he could to convince Zack not to do this.  He called the other brother, Robbie, and the father, who all told Zack the same thing.  They told him that the equipment was too expensive, he would never be able to afford to purchase it.  They told him the business was too streaky, that he would never know if he was going to work or not.  They continually laid out the negatives trying to persuade Zack not to try and start this business.  The father wanted him to go back to school to complete his degree and then take over the family business when he retired.  Against all their wishes Zack moved back to New Jersey. It took him a while, but he eventually raised enough capital to purchase the equipment on loan.  In the beginning the work was exactly as all the family had told him.  It was a rough road, he would take on work for clients, and after the work was done people wouldn't pay, or because of the harsh winters he wasn't able to work at all.  There were quite a few times he thought he was going to lose it all. Eventually though, it started getting better, he started making money, started getting out of debt, and started to grow.  Today, fourteen years later, he has quite a few employees and more backhoes and front loaders than one person should own.  I look at the determination Zack had to have to keep going, to believe that he could make this work, and I realize now that he is the epitome of an Entrepreneur.  Zack knew he might fail, but he was still ready to face his future and give everything to make it work.

To be honest, I enrolled in ENT 3003 due to it being a required course for my degree.  I am very curious to see where this semester will take me, and if I will see a change in my perceptions and actions due to the subject matter.  I have never been one to want to stake it out on my own and try to blaze my own trail so to speak.  However, we never know what the future has in store for us.  This course may be the beginning of a new mindset that could possibly lead to me taking a swing at one of those crazy ideas that you think might be just the ticket. Only time will tell and I for one am definitely interested to see what the future holds.

                          photo courtesy of Jim Williams.

Introduction

Hello ENT 3003,

My name is Jim Williams and I am currently living in Bradenton, Fl.  I am a very lucky and blessed married man and father of 4 children.  My wife's name is Christy, we have been married for 11 years and are looking forward to the new chapters of our lives that are continually being written.  As I stated earlier, we have 4 children, Jesse, Gage, Addison, and Lila.  In addition, we also have a dog, a cat, and a guinea pig.  Not to mention various other children from around the neighborhood who always happen to show up at dinner time and want to be fed! We are a fun loving family that enjoys activities ranging from the guitar to gymnastics and everywhere in between.  Personally, I enjoy golf, fishing, football, baseball, and most importantly my Gators!  I am an Army Veteran, who currently works as the Manager of Radiology at a local Hospital in my area.  My future plans are to take the next step in my management career and become the Director of a Radiology Department.  Our oldest son, Jesse is attending classes at University of South Florida, and Gage currently is in Basic Training for the Air Force.  Those of you that can do math are saying wait, they have only been married 11 years, how do they have kids attending college and in the Air Force. I was lucky enough to become a father to my wife's 2 sons from a previous marriage and I have raised them as my own.  Addison is in the third grade and Lila is in VPK.  I have my hands full to say the least!  Most of our grand plans for the future include spending as much time as we can ensuring that our family has the tools it needs to be successful regardless of the activities we may choose. Past travel has included various trips to Mexico, Aruba, the Bahamas, and lots of States within the good ole USA!  Future travel includes a trip to San Antonio, Tx. at the end of January to see our Son graduate from Basic Training and become an Airman!  I am very proud of all my children and cannot wait to see the heights that they attain in their lives. My major is Business Administration here at UF, and I am working as fast as I can to obtain my Bachelors degree. Realizing that school for me takes a seat behind my family and work, has made this quest seem like an eternity.  That said, I will obtain my goals!  I look forward to this semester and seeing how each of us grow throughout this course. Good luck everyone and Go Gators!!!

Jim

                                                         The Family

Week 2 - "Entrepreneur's Mantra"

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