We need a Guarantee

Don't you hate it when you feel like you have been cheated? You buy a toaster and after a few days it stops working. You take it back to....Wal-Mart or Best Buy or wherever. They tell you all sales are final or drop dead. You have been cheated. Don't go back.

To relieve this feeling of being cheated we have all begun to look for guarantees. I expect a guarantee at the car wash by my house. If I'm not satisfied I get another car wash for free. FedEx used to have a guarantee..."Absolutely, Positively overnight or it's free". Those days are gone. Their guarantee sounded more like a line from a hooker and they dropped it.

As tax payers we want a guarantee. How much money have you sent to government? Do you feel like you are getting your monies worth? Many of us don't think government is spending our money in the best possible way. We feel cheated and like with the toaster....we won't let this happen again. We want a guarantee.

Increasingly it seems that more and more Americans and Europeans are on the "dole". Government takes money from solid hard working people who have paid their taxes and gives it away to dead beats that did not get an education or a job and expect hand outs.  Perhaps this is an over simplification. Regardless, money is taken from people who planned and worked hard. This money goes into "programs" that "help the poor and the needy". The problem is the group of "poor" keeps increasing and the group of hard working tax payers is getting smaller.

Something has to change. The money is running out and tax payers are fed up with paying for dead beats. If tax dollars are being spent on poor people.....should we get to tell the needy what to do? Kids drop out of school, do drugs, have babies and tax payers have to cover the cost. Over half of Amerika and 80% of Greece on are government payments. It is unsustainable and there is a revolt coming.

People, who have taken responsibility for their lives, went to school, got a good job and work hard, are not going to pay anymore. Think about taxes for just a minute. You pay federal income tax, state income tax, city tax, sales tax, gasoline tax and misc excise taxes on things like your phone. Over half the money you earn goes to one form of tax or another. We have to draw the line. No new tax. No more money for government. Here in California, Governor Brown is begging people to approve new taxes. He swears "all of the money will go to schools." This is the same story we heard when we were asked to approve the lottery.

We need a guarantee. No New Tax or you can stop paying.

2013 is closer than you think

Most Amerikans don't pay attention to financial news and even less to European financial news. That's too bad. If you had been following this news for the past three years you know it is all bad and getting worse. There appears to be no end to the sovereign debt crisis. The European leaders have failed repeatedly to come up with a plan to resolve these debt issues. Amerikans have been little help. We and the British have our own problems and likewise we do not have a long term solution. Two clear schools of thought have developed along traditional lines. One, to cut Government spending to the bare minimum, thus reducing ongoing future debt. The other idea is to spend more on "infrastructure" to help rebuild the economy and create future tax revenue.  I'm not an Economist. Regardless, Economist have not had a good track record over the past ten years, so I am qualified [as Jesse Jackson used to say] to comment on the economic mess. One point is painfully clear. Nobody in government seems to have the answer or ability to resolve the problem.

Here in the US it is estimated that the total loss from the crisis is about 7 Trillion dollars. That is really a lot of money. Somebody has to pay this money back or take it as a loss on their balance sheet. The problem is nobody wants to take on this debt or pay it off. I can understand why. It is a crushing amount. Even if this debt is restructured....extended to be paid off over longer time, it will take millions of tax payers hundreds of years to pay this down.

Most of us did not create the financial crisis we are facing as a nation. It would be easy to say, "Let the Bankers who created this mess pay for it." The hard fact is that even if they paid back everything they earned in salary and bonus money, it would not add up to one Trillion dollars. Somebody else is going to have to help pay this money. If, as it is often suggested, that Business pay more taxes, then in reality they will pass these tax cost on to us, their customers, and in the end we will pay it.

I think each family needs to have their own Financial Plan for the future. I have had one my whole life. I learned all about financial planning from the economist in our family, Mom. She grew up in the Depression. Her father died when she was young and my Grandmother struggled to feed and clothe her four kids. Mom learned Econ 101; Spend only what you can afford and save half of what you earn. She went to work at 14 and never graduated high school. When she died, she only owed the phone bill. My mother was the leading Economist of my life. Mom would say we need to cut expenses and increase income. This is good advice for government and for each of us.

Cutting expenses means only spending on the things you absolutely need. It also includes working to reduce or limit your tax burden. Clearly, everyone is going to be paying more in taxes over the next ten years. You need to know and understand the tax laws. They will be changing in the near future as politicians try to come up with ways to increase government income [taxes]. If you don't know or understand taxes you better learn. In the macro economy governments will be forced to cut spending and increase taxes. On the micro or individual level the "trick" will be to find ways to cut spending and limit the taxes you pay.  

If sovereign debt brings Europe to a crash, and I really think it will, Amerika and Britain will be drug into this mess. No matter what happens, 2013 will be a restructuring year politically and out of this will come new taxes and bigger spending cuts by government. Poor people will suffer. People with income will be taxed. Each of us needs to plan ahead by cutting spending and limiting or taxes.

Strategic Default.......the new rules

For many Americans their Home is their single biggest investment. Buying a Home is one of the ways that the US middle class has created enormous wealth. The market fundamentals on home investment show a strong return over the period from 1950 through 2005. During this fifty plus year period money invested in US Homes was safe and grew into significant cash reserves.

Everything changed when the Housing Bubble popped in 2008. Home value dropped by over 30% and many families lost all or nearly all of the equity they had in their single biggest investment. These events were not created or the result of action on the part of Home owners. The entire situation was created by the Banking & Mortgage industry.

Bankers have long known that there is a link between average home prices and average income. Housing cost can not raise beyond the income to repay the mortgage. In spite of this knowledge, Banking lent money to people with little or no chance of paying the mortgage. Many others speculated on the Housing run up by buying multiple homes on extended credit in the hope of "flipping" them and reselling at a profit.

All of this would be normal and OK in a fair market where the persons taking the risk also took the loss or gain. But that is not what has happened.

Families with good credit and good jobs made decisions along with the speculators during this same period. Those families played by the rules. They put 20% down on a new Home and paid their mortgage on time every month. Their decisions were based on the long standing market fundamentals of Home Ownership. Housing was a safe investment and always had been. Until it wasn't.

Government made the decision to "bail out" Bankers who were directly responsible for the creation or the Housing Bubble and the financial crash. Homeowners who followed all the rules and paid their mortgages found themselves paying for Homes that were worth less than they owed. Their down payment and all of the equity they had accumulated was gone.

The normal rules of investing had been altered. The risk takers in Banking were covered by Government bailouts and the Homeowners, who followed the rules, were left holding mortgages for property that would not recover it's value in ten or fifteen years, if ever. So even though the Bankers and the Homeowners had a mortgage, that defined the shared risk of ownership, the Bankers losses were covered by Tax money and the Homeowners lost everything. How could this be fair?

It is not fair, but it is the current situation.

Homeowners have been upset about this outcome. They face two difficult choices. They can continue to pay for their homes knowing that they will never recover the money they have invested. Or, they can refuse to pay and let the home go into foreclosure. Many are choosing STRATEGIC DEFAULT. In this case, they stop paying the mortgage to the Bank and live for free in their home until they are evicted. In some cases this is taking 18 months or longer. Then they can Rent another home for much less than they were paying on their mortgage and in a small way begin to rebuild the money they have lost.

Why should Homeowners play by the old rules when Bankers and Government protect each other at the expense of good people who did everything right? The old rules have changed and if Government won't hold Bankers accountable....then Homeowners are under no obligation to repay mortgages that were created in a climate of deception and greed.

Let me know what you think.

HP revisited.....YES they suck

Back on February 9, I asked the following question:  Is it just me...or does HP suck? 

Today the news came out that HP is hiring Meg Whitman as their new CEO. How could a company like HP make so many bad decisions and then repeat them over and over?

Here is the news line today: 

HP's board convened Thursday "to consider a host of issues, including jettisoning Apotheker, who in less than a year on the job has slashed sales forecasts several times, backtracked on promises to integrate Palm's webOS software into devices, and struggled to halt a 50 percent plunge in the share price," Reuters reported."

The answer to my question from last February is YES. HP really does suck. And the HP Touch Pad shown above is now dead. Someplace, Steve Job is smiling.

Ask Congress to do the right thing

On the surface it looks like the Presidents Plan to increase Taxes is a good idea. It's hard to argue against everyone paying the same tax rate. In fact, Republicrats have often talked about the idea of a "Flat Tax".

Current Tax Law is a mess with hundreds of special deals and loopholes for special interest groups. It would seem that the only people who DON'T get a special deal are those people working on a salary making under 100K. Even Social Security contributions are cut off for those earning more than $108,000 per year.

Spending is Washington is a Huge Problem but spending cuts alone will not solve our current mess. Tax reform and a balanced tax law are needed to make sure everyone is paying their fair share.

Crisis of Expectations

Everyone says things are bad. Government, Economy, Jobs, and more. The news is all bad. But what if it isn't?

Maybe the real crisis is in our collective expectation that something needs to be done.....by someone else. Maybe we need to rethink this Crisis and bring it all down to individual responsibility. If you are unemployed, is it really the fault of government or business? Isn't it really because you got a poor education and made bad career decisions?

Since the 1930s America and much the World have looked to Government for the solutions to every crisis. Paul Krugman repeatedly calls on Washington to spend more on Jobs Bills. The President makes a speech about "creating jobs". People really think the President and / or Congress can fix things in their lives. The reality is each of US needs to have a plan for ourselves and our families. Presidents cannot stop Hurricanes, tornadoes, or oil wells from linking. Moreover, they cannot find you a good job or fix the economy. We need to stop looking for BIG solutions and begin to act on our own situations. We know what to do. Mom told me when I was really young: Eat right, get plenty of rest, study hard and get the best education you can, work hard, save your money, have a plan and a good back up plan for your life.

The idea of crisis and everyone being "saved" by government needs to be put aside. This is victim thinking and it prevents real action. You and I control our own destiny and we do not need to be saved. We can work through this if we plan well and work hard.

Article One Section Eight of the US Constitution

A declaration of war is a formal declaration issued by a national government indicating that a state of war exists between that nation and another. In the United States, Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution says "Congress shall have power to ... declare War". 250 years ago, War was any act of open agression against another state. Today, President Urkel is trying to re-write Webster.

The idea of seperation of Powers was designed to prevent government from acting or over reacting too quickly. It forced discussion and consideration prior to acting. The President is Commander in Chief as defined by the Constitution, but he does not have the power or authority to "declare war" or begin a war without Congressional approval. This is to prevent stupid acts of chest pounding. Five times in the History of the United States Congress did declare War:

• The War of 1812 against Britain
• The Mexican - American War
• The Spanish - American War
• World War I
• World War II

War may be necessary. Our Constitution makes it clear that the process of going to WAR requires consideration and approval from Congress, and perhaps the voters. Events of the last half century have shown us that we cannot allow the President, regardless of intentions, to circumvent the Constitution. America should not be at War unless we fully agree that it is in the best interest of our country.

Currently we are involved in four Wars: iRock, Effenstan, Libya, and Yemen. None of these have proven to be in our best interest. They are far too expensive. They drain our national wealth and they are hurting our military. We need to return to the Consitution and require all Wars to be dclared by Congress alone. Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul are correct to file suit to limit the powers of the President.

The Best Candidate

So, like twenty or thirty other Americans, I watched the CNN Republicrats Presidential Debate last night. Wow, what a group of losers. I was really disappointed and, as Bill Gough used to say, "Underwhelmed."

It might just be that the best Republicrat candidate is Obama. Let's look at the facts. Obama bailed out GM, Wall Street, and Big Banking. That is solid Republicrat work. Obama agreed to keep Gitmo open. Again, Obama and Dick Cheney agree so it must be OK. Obama agreed to continue our Wars in Effenstan and iRock. Plus he added a brand new war in Libya. This is again the kind of work you would expect from a Bush follower. Finally, unemployment is way too high and ONLY a Republicrat would allow this to happen going into an election year. It seems clear....Obama is the best Republicrat candidate.

But let's look at the field. Only Ron Paul seems to have a clear message. All the other candidates have two things to say: First, everything is Obama's fault. Second, they want less government but they won't commit to cutting spending in any specific way. These are not the vague wishy washy wimpy Republicrats we need. Looks like if Ron Paul get's the nomination I could support him....otherwise, I'm voting for Urkel.

Stick a Fork in it......it's over. End the War now!

It appears that Osama Bin Laden [OBL] has been found and killed by the US Government. Yes, there are many who say this is a Hoax. Many others also believe OBL is alive and being questioned by the US Government. Regardless, it seems clear that he has been found and any threat from him is now over.

There are ongoing questions about "proof" that OBL has been caught and killed. Some say the US Government should release photos of OBL. Anyone who has ever seen Photoshop knows that photos do not prove anything. Therefore, since we are told the body has been buried at Sea, there is no iron clad Proof of anything.

I am sure OBL is dead. Barrack Obama would not make a public statement unless the facts proved his point. With an election coming, could he really risk faking such an important event?

My question is...What does this event say about our ongoing War in Effenstan [Afghanistan]? We went to Afghanistan to find Al-Qaida and Osama Bin Laden. I think our work is done and it is time to end this expensive waste of military manpower. Please ask everyone you know to demand an end to the war. OBL is dead and Al-Qaida are gone....they moved to Yemen. Bring the troops home.

SPORTS HOAX

The recent events at Dodger Stadium made me think. Was Bryan Stow, "savagely beaten" as some accounts have said...or, is this just one of the Hoaxes of Professional Sports?

I have been a lifelong Dodger Fan. My Dad loved baseball and his idol was Branch Rickey. Mr. Rickey created the Saint Louis Cardinals in the 1920's and in 1943 began to manage the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was Mr. Rickey who hired Jackie Robinson and, broke the color barrier in professional sports. Dad and I would listen to Vin Scully announce the games through the 50's and 60's.

Over the last 16 years I have been to Dodgers Stadium maybe 50 times to watch the games. I have taken my family there and never felt in any danger. Dodger fans are outspoken but rarely insulting or threatening. I was surprised to hear that Bryan Stow, a Giants fan was injured after a recent game. As the story developed it became almost impossible for me to believe. Something is just not right. Is the so called "beating" another hoax of professional sports?

The TEAM HOAX
When I was a kid Sports Teams had players for life, or at least a really long time. Today there really are no "Teams" in the sense that we used to know them. Players move around like a huge game of musical chairs. I hear Albert Pujols may even leave the Cardinals.....There is no loyalty except to the contract. The idea of the TEAM is a marketing Hoax played on the fans.

The RIVALRY HOAX
Fans that are naive enough to believe the TEAM HOAX are then willing to believe that there is some RIVALRY between these so called Teams of millionaires. It's just another marketing hoax played on fans. The Cubs and Cardinals. The Dodgers and Giants. The Yankees and Red Soxs. Please. Baseball is made up of 30 professional teams each with a 40 man roster. This equals about 1200 millionaires who move around from team to team just to get the best financial deal. The only Rivalry in Baseball is to see who gets more of the fans money. The Players really only care about their contracts, bonus money for the play offs, and endorsement deals. Fans should not be fooled by the idea that Players have ANY rivalry with other teams.....they may be playing on those teams next month.

The BEATING HOAX
On March 31, 2011 the Dodgers played the Giants at Dodger Stadium. It was first reported that Bryan Stow and two friends were "walking in the parking lot when Bryan was pushed to the ground." He hit his head and suffered a serious brain injury. Once the story became well known, it changed into a "savage beating" by rival fans. It was also reported to have been witnessed by over "100 fans".

Could this be another Sports Hoax? Maybe. There remains no clear explanation as to why Bryan was pushed. Sports radio and others have assumed it was due to the long standing rivalry between Dodger and Giant fans. It might just be that Bryan was blocking an exit and he fell. We know his two friends did not stop the so called "beating" or catch the guys who allegedly assaulted Bryan. We also know that none of the "100 fans" who saw the incident took any cell phone photos. Why?

Now we hear that it is dangerous to attend Dodger games. Security is an issue. The facts are that 3 million fans attended Dodger games last year. There were 29 major crimes at Dodger Stadium in this period. Nobody was killed and more people have died in plane crashes over the last 40 years than have been assaulted at Dodger stadium. Maybe flying isn't safe? Don't be fooled by this crap. Think for yourself and always...always ask, why? Do you think the Dodgers need a new Stadium and they want the City of Los Angeles to pay for it....all in the name of safety?

When he is right....he's right

Like many Americans, I did not vote for President Obama. Regardless, I watched his speech on Libya and agree with his leadership in this critical situation. Like his direction in Egypt, President Obama has maintained America's credibility among Arabs in support of self determination. This is not an easy path to walk and President Obama deserves credit for the way in which he has worked in support of Arab freedom fighters.

Many, including myself, have did not want "another war" in a Muslim country. We have spent nearly two trillion dollars fighting two pointless wars with no end in sight. President Obama, in his speech, was clear that the US role in Libya would not degenerate into another long term expensive conflict. He also was clear about our unique position to save thousands of people from certain death. These people would have died as a result of an attack on Benghazi. America and our allies saved these people so as to help them continue their struggle for freedom.

America has often been wrong in the past when we support dictators who crush their citizens. In Egypt and Libya we are on the right side of the conflict and the President deserves credit for his leadership. When he is wrong....say so. When he is right....be sure to tell him.

HOW MUCH WAR CAN YOU AFFORD?

On September 11, 2011, it will be ten years since the Terrorist attack on New York and Washington. As a result of those attacks, America went to War in Afghanistan and Iraq. To date, after nearly ten years of fighting we have not caught the persons responsible for the attacks. This week we began a third war with Libya. I think it is time to ask....How much War can America afford?

In the Congressional Research Service Report "The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations since 9/11," Amy Belasco lists the current cost as of September 2010. Here is a link. Please read it yourself: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL33110.pdf

• The War in Iraq has been costing America $5 Billion per month, or $60 Billion per year, a Total of over $500 Billion
• The War in Afghanistan has been costing America $4 Billion per month, or $48 Billion per year, a Total of another $500 Billion
• Total cost of these Wars has reached over one Trillion Dollars

Now we have begun another conflict in Libya. The cost of this new War will quickly reach a Billion dollars per month. You and I are paying for these Wars. President Urkel said he was opposed to these Wars and would end them if elected. How much War can you afford when your country is near bankrupt? Do you really think you are getting your money's worth from the fighting in any of these places? It is time to rethink BIG GOVERNMENT.

Quality Edjamacation

I like trade unions. While I was in College, I worked summer jobs as a Union Boiler Maker, Carpenter, and Brewery Worker. I made way too much money, filling in while real workers were on vacation. It was this money that helped me pay for college. Along the way I learned more than I wanted to know about Unions.

Unions helped to create the modern work place. They established the 40 hour work week, paid vacations, retirement plans, and healthcare coverage. Work would be awful today if it were not for the hard work of Unions in the 1920s. But, have Unions lost their way?

Today Unions seem to be focused on unreasonable demands. Union Teachers seem to be the most out of touch. Teachers work nine or ten months a year and only six or seven hours a day but they expect to earn more than other people. They complain about layoffs, when millions of other workers have been unemployed for years. And, they refuse to take responsibility for the students they produce. Now the Teacher Unions want all the rest of us to help them. Fat Chance.

Unions need to accept responsibility for the products they produce. If a product or service can be produced better with a non union work force, where is the value in Union Labor? As a union Carpenter, I helped to build high quality homes. We took pride in the product we produced. How can Union Teachers expect us to support them when they have produced poorly trained and near illiterate students? If Unions want broad support they need to make Union Labor a point of difference in producing quality products and services. Teachers need to be accountable for the students they produce.

The Six Ps

It was my Dad's Birthday on March 15. He would have been 91 years old but he died in 1998. He was a great guy and I miss him.

Dad fought the Japanese on Okinawa in WW II and never really ended his personal war with Japan. He was attacked by a Japanese solider in hand to hand combat. He killed the Japanese soldier and brought back the sword that almost killed him. Yes, Dad if you are reading this....I still have the sword.

Dad grew up during the depression working with his brothers selling illegal whiskey. His job was to carry a shotgun and shoot people who tried to rob them. He told me many times that he was really lucky that WW II came along because he never graduated from eighth grade and didn't have any real skill, except his ability to shoot people. Dad stayed in the military as a First Sergeant and retired after 30 years. One of his favorite sayings was about the SIX Ps. He told me that: Piss Poor Planning Predicated Poor Performance. Dad was full of wise First Sergeant Idioms.

Dad would have laughed his ass off this past week at the Japanese and the events at the Fukishima Power Plant. Yes, I know it is all horrible and a tragic loss of life. But, if you were my Dad, and you spent most of your adult life hating the Japanese, the Japanese cars, Japanese TVs, and all things Japanese. If you lost friends at Pearl Harbor and hated watching TV during the 70s and 80s because they kept saying Japanese this and that. If you heard it 10,000 times that the Japanese are soooo much better at making things, inventing things, and business. Then last week was your big HA! The Six Ps caught up with Japan and I'm sorry Dad did not live to see it.

I guess the shock for me has been the total lack of anything close to a real plan to protect and save these reactors. I grew up thinking Japan really had their shit together when it came to industrial and manufacturing stuff. Turns out they don't know any more about what they are doing than we do in the good old USA. There is a place where old military guys go when they die, I'm sure Dad and some of those guys from the USS Arizona are drinking beer and laughing.

Rethinking the Oscars

I watched the Oscars last week. It was the most disappointing Academy Awards Show I have ever seen. The best Movie of the Year was clearly True Grit, the story of a young girl's struggle for justice. The original movie version of the book won an Oscar for John Wayne. That was a movie which failed to capture the quality of the book by Charles Portis. The 2010 movie by the Coen brothers was extremely well made and both Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld deserved Oscars. Jeff Bridges won an Oscar last year and Hailee will no doubt go on to win many herself.

The real tragedy of the Oscars was the praise dumped on the King's Speech. I'm upset about the movie because it seems like a really minor event blown way out of proportion. Let's get our facts straight. Albert, King George VI, was the dull brother of the rightful heir to the British Crown, Edward VIII. He only became King because his playboy brother abdicated. During his reign, Britain went from a global leader to its current status. George was not a great leader and, as the movie explains, a poor speaker.

The idea that King George VI inspired anyone is total rubbish. All of the inspiration among the British came from Winston Churchill. Moreover, Churchill had an American mother and right to US Citizenship. He used this to gain support with President Roosevelt and bring America into the war and that saved England. The speeches by King George VI make good reading if you are a person who stutters but the reality is he was a dull and uninspiring leader. The movie attempts to remake history and create the sense that King George VI inspired Britain. It did not happen and the movie is much ado about nothing.

Finally, the Social Network was a great movie that provides insight into the creation of Facebook. I loved the movie and the portrayal of the Winkelvoss idiot brothers. Clearly the social network was better than the King's Speech. I think the same people who rig the Super Bowl are rigging the Oscars.

The Zuckerburg's vrs the Winkelvi

I have friends who think Facebook is stupid. When I have asked them..."are you on facebook?" they say rude things. One friend told me that facebook was for kids. Another told me that facebook was for people with no life. John told me to, "fuck facebook." How nice was that?

I think facebook is a tool. I have told all of them that when Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1439, 98% of Europe was illiterate. In my view, there is a direct link between the invention of the printing press and the American, French, and Russian revolutions. Gutenberg made it possible to share ideas. These ideas, some of which may be silly, led to enlightenment and democracy. Likewise, facebook is a tool. Young girls can talk about boys at high school and Egyptians can use it to change their country. It is just a tool for social interaction.

So, because I think facebook is powerful, I saw the movie "the social network". The movie was equally powerful. It explains how a person with an idea can change the world. It also shows a clear distinction between the two key ways to develop a business. I need to tell you that I identify with Mark Zuckerberg. I feel his pain as Bill Clinton would say. I know what it is like to say the wrong thing when I believe it is the truth, and have everyone around me upset. I know what it is like to be driven and obsessive about silly little things. I also know what it is like to work at odds with the "system". Mark Zuckerberg is everyman. Likewise the brothers Winkelvoss represent the establishment. They are the suits.

I was amazed that the "Winkelvi" never considered a formal agreement necessary with Mark Zuckerberg. Likewise they did not ask him to sign a confidentiality agreement. These are smart guys from a rich family who went to Harvard. Were they really that stupid? If you have a good idea.....protect yourself...duh? Or, maybe it wasn't their idea after all. I was very pleased when Zuckerberg said, "you can stand on my shoulders and pretend you are tall."

Business is really developed by the guy with a good idea. The suits can take an idea by stealing it or buying it, and build it into something bigger, but they almost never create it. The big companies I have work with were good at having meetings but really bad at creating value. I loved the movie the social network because it was a movie about the guy with an idea and his vision for its development. I really hate to think what facebook or the Harvard Connection would have been like under the direction of the Winkelvoss brothers. In the end business is really summed up as the Zuckerbergs versus the Winkelvi. Gutenberg would be happy.

BIG GOVERNMENT

We keep hearing that government spending is out of control. Something really needs to be done. Congress and President Urkel seem reluctant to make the critical cuts needed to get spending in line with tax revenue. I think over spending is our number one national security issue.

For all the talk about cutting spending nobody seems willing to discuss the money spent on National Defense or Social Security. You can cut Amtrak and NASA to the bone but the real cost of BIG GOVERNMENT is in Defense and Social Security. I have a couple of suggestions which I have written about numerous times in the past....long before this issue boiled up to the top. First, we need to end these Wars in Iraq and Effenstan [That's my way of saying f'ing Afghanistan]. Second, we need to pay Social Security tax on ALL earnings. Today Americans only pay Social Security tax on the first $106,800 earned each year. This means that everyone earning OVER this amount stops paying Social Security tax once they earn $106,800 in the calendar year. All of Wall Street and 99.9% of all CEOs earn more than $106,000 per year.

Regarding the Wars, how long does this need to continue? We spend billions per day on these wastes of time countries chasing so called terrorist who have long ago moved to Pakistan or Yemen. It's well past time to end this farce and cut the cost of killing low level rag head soldiers. The recent revolution in Egypt proves that there are other Arabs out there who want a better life and we need to support them. Our Wars in Arab / Muslim countries send a bad message about Amerika, and they cost too much. The troops must be tired of this never ending mess. Let's stop the War.

Regarding Social Security, I'm in favor of us having a national safety net for old people like me. The system was set up a long time ago and it needs to be revisited. The idea of people NOT paying into social security who earn over $106,800 per year seems crazy given the lack of funding for the program. This is an easy fix and the right thing to do.

Say NO to BIG SIS

I read today the comments of Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security. She said, "The terrorist threat facing our country has evolved significantly in the last ten years -- and continues to evolve -- so that, in some ways, the threat facing us is at its most heightened state since those 9/11 attacks," I cannot help but thinking that these comments are designed to create more fear among the population and to justify increased "police state" spending and abuse.

It is important to keep the threat of terrorism in perspective. The US death Rate is about 2.4 million people per year. The single biggest cause is heart related disease with about 800,000 deaths due to heart attack and stroke. Cancer is a big killer too, with over 500,000 deaths per year. Tobacco kills about 400,000 and our old friend alcohol kills 100,000. Auto accidents kill 40,000 and Homicide kills about 18,000. Terrorist kill less than 20 US citizens per year with the exception of 9/11. There seems to be a greater chance that you would die of a heart attack, while smoking and driving your car, than from any act of terror. Even airplane deaths are more common with nearly 1,000 aviation deaths per year and most of those are private plane deaths. Drowning kills 3,000 per year.

So we need to ask: Why all the scare tactics about Terrorism? In the 1950s we heard similar scare tactics about the Russians bombing America. This lead to huge increases in spending to "keep us safe." Turns out the Russians weren't going to bomb us after all. Now the new "threat" is terrorism. To keep us safe...we need to spend more Tax Money on scanners, and TSA agents. All this spending is justified because we need to be Safe.

Life is not safe. There is a risk just getting up each day. The biggest threat to America is bankruptcy and we need to cut spending. Creating a huge Orwellian Police State and spending Billions will not keep us safe. If safety is what we are seeking we should close our borders and prevent potential terrorist from walking into the United States. Paying more to search little old ladies at the Airport is not keeping us safe.

Is it just me...or does HP suck?

I have an HP Desk Top computer and it drives me crazy. I think it has some secret "back up" program on it in case there is a crash it can go back to a previous time and rebuild all my files. I guess that's nice, but the hard drive runs for about an hour each afternoon while it is backing up. I have tried fifty things to get this to stop. I already use CARBONITE as my back up [Thanks again Jay] and I don't need the computer "thinking for me." HP service tried to tell me this is my fault. Thanks.

As part of all this, HP sends me great little suggestions from time to time via email. I REALLY hate that too and have tried to stop it as well. I am on a one man WAR to end all Junk Mail and Spam. Today HP sent me a note about their new Touch Pad due out this summer. Does the photo look like anything you have seen or bought before? I think HP is saying: "We can't invent anything new but we sure can copy stuff made by other people."

I am fed up with my HP Desk Top and the Printer that jams. Why would I want to buy a clone of the iPad from these guys?

The Adventure

Life is an adventure. As I watch my son Jack grow up, I see the stages he is moving through much better than I saw them for myself. Now, I am making the transition to another stage in my own life and I can't help but look back. Some part of each change is the need to let go of the things you are leaving behind. I see Jack letting go of his infancy as he becomes a "boy". He is not a baby anymore. In the same way, I am letting go of being the "man of the house". I am no longer the financial support for our family that is was just five years ago. Likewise, Pam is moving from being a "kid" to becoming a real adult. She has people working for her who are, in many ways, the same as she was when she began her career. Now she is more serious. More focused on the numbers. More like I was, for far too many years.

It's good to let go of some of this crap. For years I worried about "work" and the future. Pam calls it "being on the wheel," chasing the dime, going for the brass ring. My view is that I am moving on to things that are more important. In April, we will have a new baby. My job will be child care for the next two years...and maybe rest of my life. Jack will be in First Grade and I will be home with "Paddy" [Michael Patrick May] every day. I already buy the groceries, cook the food, clean the house, wash the clothes, and take Jack to school. When you stop, as I have done, and think about it, isn't what I am doing more important work than all the P&Ls, gross margins, business meetings, and office politics? I think so. Maybe I am rationalizing these changes. Trying to compensate my ego for the loss of a career or position. Nope.....I'm not.

My life, on the edge of change, is just part of the big adventure. I could not be happier. I don't miss any of the idoits for whom I worked. Stanley Allen stands alone as the only person I ever respected whom I called my boss. All the others, from Bill Hyer to Ned were short sighted dumb ass morons. I had my share of real career success and I am over it. My goal now is to work every day to teach my sons the things I learned growing up. How to build stuff and fix stuff. How to skip a rock across the lake four times. How to pick up a snake and not get bit.

This next stage sure looks like fun. I had the Kaiser health check up and passed all the tests. My face is starting to look ten years younger. I'm going for a walk. I need to build up my stamina. I will have two little Ninjas to fight starting in April, and I need to get myself in shape. The adventure continues.

Black Eye, Please

Like nearly everyone on Earth I watched the Super Bowl. I was a Packer Fan and wanted Aaron Rodgers to win the game so as to be vindicated from his history as a "bridesmaid". Aaron is the guy who never seemed to get the credit or attention due his remarkable talent. I think he was drafted into the NFL in the 900th round. Playing second to Brett Favre must have been demoralizing with constant comparisons being stuffed in his face. I was also happy to see that the Black Eye Peas were going to do the half time show. These half time shows have been a joke for the last several years and I really thought BEP would return the half time show to a new high. Guess I was wrong about that.

I knew things would not be what I expected when Christina Aguilera could not remember the words to the Star Spangled Banner. Next Year, let's ask Christina and Rosanne Barr to do a duet. Then came half time. As the Show began I thought the sound was off on my TV. I kept trying to find the music....I heard none. Then it went terribly wrong. These robot dance numbers with TRON light suits just plain suck. I felt like we went back to 1999 and after the second guest appearance [UGHSHER] I fully expect Janet Jackson to come out and join in the silly dance line.

How could a Group as good as the Black Eyed Peas screw up a Half Time Show? My expectations were so high and the show was so tired and out dated that I can only blame their Producers. Who ever thought the light suits and LOVE stage was a good idea misunderstood the NFL fans and the expectations of the audience. I fully expected a pumped up show and we got a tired old rerun from the past, doing all the choreography from every Michael Jackson video. Moon walk? Were they serious? Was this show rehearsed and did anyone say....Maybe we should rethink our direction here?

So, it was the Best Super Bowl ever. Aaron Rogers is the new star of the NFL. The Black Eyed Peas with be playing at an Indian Casino near you this summer. Their Show ended their Career.

å min gud i himmel

Two things happened in the last two days to make me embarrassed to be a US Citizen. I am reminded of the term used by my German friends "the ugly Americans".

Today Canadian Prime Minister Harper was in a news conference with President Obama. I was watching CNN as they took questions from Journalist. A Canadian Journalist asked Prime Minister Harper to comment and also asked that he reply in BOTH English and French for Canadian viewers. The feed from CNN stalled and I switched to FOX News [for some crazy reason] to continue to watch. When the Prime Minister began to speak in French, the Fox News Anchor Idiot yelled, TURN THAT OFF. Then he turned to the camera and said, "I'm sorry I can't stand to listen to him in French." I was stunned.

Most of the world speaks multiple languages. I can get by speaking German in most social situations and Pam can speak enough French to save us in Paris. Nearly everyone in the United States came from someplace else and most spoke a language other than English. When we refuse to speak other languages or we are just too stupid or arrogant to try, we tell the world they are right about America. We are self centered and narrow minded.

The second situation is about the Movie, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." The movie is based on the very popular Swedish book by Steig Larsson. The movie was made in Sweden and produced in Swedish. Nearly everyone in Sweden speaks perfect English and at least two other languages like German and French. The Swedes like the Norwegians realize that their language will not become very popular internationally like English, Spanish or Chinese. The Movie was made in Swedish, even though all the Actors speak English, because the Book and Story are Swedish. To change the language is to change the context of the story about Swedish Culture.

Now the Movie is being remade by Hollywood in English. The original Actors in the Swedish version have been replaced with English and American actors. To make the damage worse, the new English version of the film is being shot in SWEDEN! å min gud i himmel [Oh, my god in heaven...in Swedish]

We live in an ever smaller world and as Amerikans we need to learn to fit into the world we live in. It is NOT always about us. I do not know anyone who can name the capital of Canada or Sweden. How can we expect them to respect us?

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

I think the United States, President Obama and Hilary Clinton have done a good job in dealing with the crisis in Egypt.

Over the last 60 years the US has supported all sorts of crazy Right Wing Dictators. We did this in Cuba, Vietnam, and elsewhere only to have popular democratic uprisings develop. In most cases we supported the wrong side until the Dictators were expelled from power. I'm proud to say we are not doing this in Egypt. In Egypt, we appear to be supporting the people and not the Dictatorship. This is good for Egypt and for the United States.

Please try the Kool Aid

Have you seen the TV Commercials for SCIENTOLOGY? Is it me or are they just too weird?

Let's clear the air....I am a non believer, with the one exception for Santa. [He brought me a bicycle] All other gods, ghost, bogey men, aliens, and assorted myths are just crap and the fabrication of the human mind. I live in a real world with more than enough bad guys and unexplained events. I don't try to dream up imaginary friends or some invisible man in the sky. I also do not try to "prove" I am right. It is impossible to prove the non existence of people or things.

Back to Scientology. I think they are classified as a religion. The word CULT comes to mind as I listen to their commercial and read their information. It's like having a commercial with Jim Jones selling Kool Aid...just too strange. Please, when the commercial comes on your TV, please explain to the people in the room that this is a CULT designed to steal your money with promises of false hope and personal enlightenment. I read that these commercials are banned in Europe.

FREEDOM of the PRESS

Last night I watched the 60 Minutes interview with Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. Frequently we listen to news reports and develop opinions based on the thinking of those who report the news. I made this mistake regarding Julian Assange and Wikileaks. However, the 60 Minutes interview with Steve Kroft was very powerful and surprisingly informative. Julian Assange is NOT a crack pot or terrorist. He is a PUBLISHER much like Rupert Murdoch or William Randolph Hearst. If you missed the interview you can watch it on 60 Minutes.com.

Assange's point is that the free flow of information is critical in a free society. He believes that the so called "Free Press" is not free and that the raise of internet publishing creates the opportunity for Global Free Press. Assange says, WIKI LEAKS does not solicit information. They only publish the information sent to them. They do not edit the information but only publish it for others to evaluate. Assange gives an example: He says WIKI LEAKS does not take a position on whales. They publish all the information sent to them so that informed people can make informed decisions on whaling. Likewise, Assange believes that support for WIKI LEAKS and he, is based on those who send him information and those who donate money to his organization. In his view, he is working for them and Global Freedom of the Press.

As I listened to him discuss his views calmly, in spite of Steve Kroft's belligerent style, it became clear that Julian Assange is really on to something important. Freedom of Speech and Free Press are critical to free society. If Assange is wrong, society will stop reading his site. BUT, like Matt Drudge before him, I think Julian Assange has created a whole new wave of Free Press beyond the bounds of traditional print or broadcast journalism. It seemed almost silly to watch Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes attempt to discredit Assange. 60 Minutes has made its reputation on doing exactly the same thing Assange is doing but using an older form of publishing, TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzC9invn4Ko

CHECK ENGINE

If you have ever been driving your car and the Check Engine light comes on, you know the feeling. UGH, what does this mean to me? Likewise as you reach your "golden years", you need to go in for the 60,000 mile check up. In my case, a growth developed on my shoulder and it served as my "CHECK ENGINE" light.

I first noticed the rough spot on my skin about 60 days ago. I believe strongly in self care and home surgery so I attempted to sand the rough spot off my shoulder. That did not work. It bled and became infected. Then I tried all kinds of chemical treatments to kill the growth. Nothing worked. Pam quietly watched over about a week as I kept trying to cut the growth off. Then, well after she was near crazy watching me, she suggested I go see a "DOCTOR".

We have the BEST Health Coverage on Earth, KAISER. Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium found by Henry Kaiser to cover his employees. Today Kaiser covers over 8 million people with full service integrated healthcare. We have been in the Kaiser system for eight years but.....I have never seen a Doctor. I did get my eyes examined once but I did not have a Doctor assigned to me. So I went to Kaiser and saw Dr James Sandys. I picked him because he is an old white guy who can identify with my style.

Dr Sandys looked at my shoulder and asked if I had been "messing with it." I told him I tried home surgery and he asked what I did for a living. I told him I sold food. He said, "I promise I won't try to sell food if you let me take care of the surgery." He sent me to the Lab for some Tests. They cut the growth off my shoulder and I waited for the results.

Turns out I am in great shape. See test results below. The growth was a simple keratosis and not cancer. I need to end my all bacon diet to bring my lipids down a little but I passed the 60,000 mile check up.

My test results:

PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA)
Component Your result Standard range Units
PSA 1.18 < or =" 4.5">

Component Your result Standard range Units

CHOLESTEROL 205 <200>

TRIGLYCERIDE 159 <150>

HDL 44 >/=40 mg/dL
LDL CALCULATED 129 <100>

COP KILLERS RUN FREE ......details at 11:00

I grew up with a very healthy disrespect for authority. Authority figures, like teachers and the police did not seem to be very smart. Their strategy was to use force or threat of force to motivate people. I never understood why they could not earn the respect they demand through the use of force. In my view, society selected these persons to teach us and keep us safe. Why did they need to then threaten the society in order to gain respect and support?

On January 19, there was a report of a Police Officer shooting in a suburb of Los Angeles. The Officer, Jeff Stenroos, was on School Patrol at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills. The shooting occurred at about Noon on Wednesday. The LAPD reacted very quickly. It must have been a slow crime day. 350 police officers responded closing off seven square miles and "locking down" nine area schools. The Children in those schools were prevented from leaving their class rooms....even to use the toilet. For eight hours the LAPD searched for the shooter. He was described as a white male in his 40s with a bomber style jacket.

They did not catch the shooter. They searched door to door with police dogs. The LAPD used multiple helicopters to sweep the area. The next day they held a press conference and showed a composite sketch of the shooter. A $100,000 reward was offered to catch the guy. Parents who complained about their children being locked up for hours were told, "WE NEED TO TAKE THIS ACTION TO KEEP YOU SAFE." Parents and children just don't understand how the Police need to work...for our safety.

Turns out...It was all a hoax. The dumb stupid Cop shot himself playing with his gun and made up the whole story. He was arrested today for making a false report. Really, I'm not kidding. This would be a great joke if it was not so very sad. By best guess, the police spent well over a million dollars trying to catch the shooter. Nine schools were locked down and perhaps 10,000 families were worried and upset about their children.

My healthy disrespect for authority remains safe. Moreover, my question continues: Why do we hire morons to do this important work of teaching children and keeping us safe? How can the Los Angeles Police Department face the public after such a stupid over reaction to a false shooting?

The Teachers Unions, Police Unions, and Homeland Security would have you believe that you are not nearly smart enough to understand how they work. Really? You need to continue to question authority and hold these people accountable.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs has taken a medical leave of absence from Apple. My wife thinks I talk too much about all things Apple/Jobs related, but this news isn't good. It's not good for Steve Jobs. Not good for Apple consumers. Not good for America.

Steve Jobs is a real American entrepreneur. He is visionary and he has changed the way we think and work. There are almost no words big enough to explain his impact on civilization. Think for just a minute of anyone you know with his history. Steve Jobs was adopted. He dropped out of College in 1972 after just one semester. He got a part time job to save money to take a retreat in India where he became a Buddhist. He shaved his head and took LSD while working part time on a Video game at Atari. Any kid today with this profile would be called a "burnout" or Loser. Then in 1976, four years out of high school, no college, and a Buddhist acid freak, he helped to found Apple Computers. By 1984 Apple had built the Macintosh, while PC computing was still using DOS, C: run.

Jobs was fired from the company he helped to create. Apple we were told, was doomed. But Jobs went on to invent Pixar and digital cartooning. Today Steve Jobs is on the Board at Disney and one of their biggest stock holders. Then Jobs went back to Apple. The company was in trouble and Jobs helped to create the iPod. This led to a shift in the way we buy and listen to music. After inventing the Macintosh Computer, Pixar, and the iPod some people would have quit. But Steve Jobs went on to invent the iPhone and recently the iPad. Both are revolutionary new products that have changed our lives. I believe the iPhone created the entire Smartphone App based hand held business for Blackberry and Android. Now the iPad is creating the digital tablet business for others to follow.

Steve Jobs has the ability to see the potential in things we cannot even imagine. Apple announced their quarterly results for the period ending December 25, 2010. They had record earnings of $26.7 billion up 70% from the same period last year. If Apple were a German or Japanese company we would be studying, "how they did that." But Apple is an American company with a driven visionary leader who did not go to MBA School or climb the corporate ladder.

This is a remarkable American story and I only hope it ends well.

Get to Know China

Today the Chinese President, Hu Jintao comes to America to visit Washington. Much has been written about the "Raise of China" and its competition with the United States. Before you begin to think that China is an advisory, take the time to get to know China. What do you really know about China? Most people know nearly nothing or worse, only what they are told by FOX News.


China, [The People's Republic of China] is over 1.3 Billion people and the second largest country in area. Chinese civilization is the world's oldest, dating back nearly 6,000 years. The Chinese invented gun powder, but only used it to make fireworks. The Chinese invented noodles or pasta and shared this with Marco Polo to bring back to Italy. The Chinese, much like the Irish, Mexicans, and others came to America seeking opportunity. There are many Chinese American families who have lived in the United States for over 150 years. Chinese food, as we know it, is not served in China and is a product of the Americanization of real Chinese cuisine. China has never attacked or invaded another country. The Chinese have spread around the globe, but in every situation the Chinese are peaceful, respectful and model citizens. During the twentieth century China transformed itself from a farming economy into the world leader in manufacturing. Today, China is one of America's best trade partners. More General Motors automobiles are sold in China than in the USA. The Chinese are not Muslim. Officially, China is non religious. Buddhist and Taoist make up nearly 90% of those who identify a religious preference. The largest English Speaking population on earth are the Chinese.

China is America's friend and partner with a similar relationship to that of America and Europe. The Chinese have problems and they prefer that America not try to tell them how to run their country. Take time to learn more about China. It is important that you know and understand this country and their culture.

Comic Books, Blue Jeans, and Mom

Sometimes things are just what they appear. As a kid in grade school at Our Lady of Holy Bingo, I was repeatedly told two things by the "Nones" who taught me:
• Reading comic books was bad because it wasn't "Real Reading"
• Wearing Blue Jeans was bad because it "made" you a juvenile delinquent.

After 50 years of observation I call tell you today that reading is reading and all reading is good for you. Moreover, you can wear jeans to church and you will not be struck by lightning.

The shooting is Tucson has everyone out beating the drum for their own favorite cause. Many say this is a result of one or all of the following:
• Rush Limbaugh
• Republicrats
• Demopublicans
• TV
• Video Games
• Rap Music
• Skateboarding
• Gun sales

Again, I am 99% sure this tragic shooting is a result of a crazy kid who needed attention and did not get help sooner. If there is a lesson here, it is that when you think someone is crazy....they might be crazy. Don't talk about them. Do something to get them help. My mother, Saint Mary-Helen, used to tell me she "would rather go to jail for beating me to death with a broom handle than let me turn out badly." She was "engaged" in child development. She was a "hands on mother". Common fear of her disapproval was enough to keep me from shop lifting, smoking, and staying out after the street lights came on.

The shooting is Tucson is a result of not enough people stepping in to stop this crazy kid sooner. Blue Jeans and Comic Books had nothing to do with this.