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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Wednesday, 26 March 2008 |
 I'm going to flight school! I will be starting September 2nd and will be in Pensacola, FL for 1 1/2 years.
It goes like this: I start off with Introductory Flight Screening (IFS): I will get 25 hours in a single engine plane to see if I have the "basic aptitude" for flight school. Next I move on to API, 6 weeks of hitting the books hard, learning about the T-34, weather, aerodynamics, machinery, navigation, and all sorts of other stuff. After that I move on to Primary where I will fly the T-34C aircraft and even touching on some aerobatics and formation flying.
After primary (if I get through that), I will go onto advanced helocopters (I want to fly a HH-60 [Jayhawk]) and learn to fly helos. After I finish helos, I will earn my wings and then spend 6 weeks learning the HH-60.
Good times! I can't wait.
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Wednesday, 26 March 2008 |
I'm almost finished with my MBA from the University of South Florida...finally! I will be done this summer and will graduate August 9th 2008. It has been a challenge going back to school while working 50+ hours a week in the Coast Guard. [Visit USF's MBA website]
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Thursday, 24 May 2007 |
We're married! Dee and I got married May 25, 2007 in Tampa and it was awesome! It was held at the Wyndham Westshore and was absolutely beautiful. We have some great pictures and will have them posted sometime...hopefully in the next year.
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Saturday, 02 February 2008 |
I haven't posted anything for a while...my bad. It's been kinda busy you know. The wedding, the house, the dog, the MBA, the job, and everything else. But I do want to post some more stuff so keep checking back once in a while and I will try to keep this site up to date. Especially with more pics. We will have some more soon.
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Monday, 03 July 2006 |
Happy Independence Day everyone! Celebrate by getting everyone you know to start saying "Independence Day" instead of "July 4th." We deserve it. Our forefathers deserve it. Read an article I wrote last year about this: A Day Worthy Of It's Name
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Monday, 03 July 2006 |
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Yes, May 25, 2007...a special date for us as well as my parents. It will be exactly 2 years from our first date and it is also my parents' anniversary. A special date indeed.
Check out the wedding site I created for us: http://www.McCarthyWedding.com
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Monday, 04 July 2005 |
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I was lucky enough to have this article published in a few papers around Florida on Independence Day. Check it out:
I ask the question, why do we say "Happy 4th of July"? Most of the
cards, fireworks, and literature for Independence Day refer to the
holiday as the "4th of July." When we talk to friends and family, we
wish them a "Happy 4th." But why do we call it the "4th of July"?
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Monday, 17 October 2005 |
 Originally scheduled for October 21, 2005 the proposal was moved up one week to October 14, 2005 for many reasons. First, I felt terrible that Dee went home the other day and for about 12 hours straight was crying and making herself physically sick because of the uncertainty of “us” after I finish OCS. Second, I had this ring in my possession so I was ready to get it out of my hand and on to hers. Finally, I knew her Mom was just simply dying over the fact that she had to keep the secret from Dee for another 7 days. I had the ring already, had the plans complete so pulled a few strings and voila, we were set up one week earlier.
I originally told Dee that we were going to Kissimmee to visit my parents and to say goodbye to friends before I go to OCS so she had her stuff packed for the weekend. I altered the plan slightly and told her that we were going to go to dinner at the Don CeSar beach front restaurant with a friend of mine who lives in St. Petersburg. We got to the Don CeSar at 5:30 pm and I called my “friend” a.k.a. Mom. My friend told me that he couldn’t make it to dinner but that his friend Ron would have a table ready for us and would buy us a bottle of champagne. We thought we’d take him up on the offer so we went inside the Don CeSar to find Ron waiting at the reception desk. Ron introduces himself and takes us to the restaurant where the hostess walks us over to our very secluded table for two with a bottle of champagne waiting for us.
 Dee said “something’s not right here” and I confessed that the story about my friend was a ruse and that I just wanted to surprise her with a nice sunset dinner before I went to OCS for 4 months. She bought it hook, line, and sinker. A funny note though; after I told her about the ruse our waitress came out and congratulated Dee. She asked to see the ring and noticed Dee’s right hand diamond ring (dinner ring as she calls it). She was foreign so we just brushed it off that she didn’t know that the ring was supposed to be on the left hand.
We ordered dinner and started talking about our future…what will happen after OCS and whether or not we can really keep it together. I asked her about the uncertainty and that it will be tough for us if I don’t get stationed near her in Florida. I got up and told her to give me a hug and a kiss. I told her that the only thing certain is that I wanted her in my life no matter where I go or what I do. I put the ring in her hand and asked her if she’d marry me and she said yes. She was breathless and stunned.
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Monday, 17 October 2005 |
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So I did it. I proposed to Dee on Friday. I can make my intentions known to the whole world. Finally I am able to let everyone know how I feel about her. Here is my story of how we came to be.
The monumental decision was made over the course of 5 months or so, and was certainly not made off of a whim. The decision to marry someone, to decide that one person is the one you will spend the rest of your life with, is not easy nor should it be. From the beginning, Dee and I had our checklists of things we wanted and stuff we abhored about a potential wife/husband.
We met online. Yes, as taboo as it sounds we did. It really is a great way to meet others as long as you do it the right way. For me, I knew I wasn't going to meet my future wife at a club or bar, nor would I meet her at work or at the grocery store. Work wasn't very condusive for meeting people and I rarely go to the store. Plus, I am so picky that 9 out of 10 girls I meet I wouldn't be interested in.
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Wednesday, 03 August 2005 |
Are you a 95%er? I heard Brian Murphy talk about 'em, Dee MacPherson talk about 'em and I've experienced 'em. You know, the 95% of the population out there that is happy to be status quo. Those out there that are just here on earth to make it through. The Americans that do the bare minimum to get by. The ones that do just enough to make the wife, husband, or boss happy enough to be quiet. I've experienced these people. They are all part of the "Rat Race" as Robert Kiyosaki says. They take the easy road of life and just coast by.
The first time I experienced the 95%er mentality was at PwC. My first job out of college was as a consultant and trainer for PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Consulting practice. I was a team lead for a training class and had a team discussion meeting where I posed the question, "Who here wants to be a leader one day?". To my surprise, not ONE of the 30 college graduates raised their hand. Not one. I further elaborated and coaxed one of the participants into raising his hand. I was so surprised by this that I had no steam left for where I was going with the discussion. We were going to discuss John Maxwell's book, "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership." as well as Steven Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."
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Written by Dave McCarthy
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Tuesday, 19 July 2005 |
What is this Fair Tax all about? What is it that makes it good for us tax paying citizens? Why won't it get passed in Congress for at least 10 years?
You could spend days reading over the white papers, the House of Representatives and Senate proposed bills on the Fair Tax but here is the jist of it:
- NO INCOME TAX - You get 100% of your paycheck. No income tax, medicare, social security tax, employer matching payroll tax. 100% of it.
- NO FILING TAX RETURN - April 15th will be the day we USED to file our taxes.
- Pay 30% sales tax on NEW goods and services for personal consumption. It's equal to and just like saying "I spent 23% on taxes last year." Sounds high but most people now are taxed 15-50% of your income plus 20-25% for other taxes associated with goods and services (hidden taxes) for a total of 35-75% of your income.
- Get a REBATE every month depending on how many are in your family. The rebate for a family of four would be about $5,600/year. This is to offset purchases that are made for necessities (items like bread, milk, produce, etc. that are not taxed) and will help out a poor family much more than it will a wealthy one.
- The Fair Tax benefits the poor and the retired better than the current system. The poor or those on Social Security end up paying a zero or negative tax on consumables because their rebates surpass the taxes they pay.
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