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.