This is a difficult thing to write about but even more difficult to keep bottled up. Lately I have been lamenting (yes, Lazlo laments) about the personal affect the economic downturn has had on me. Sure, I get the macro and even have my own villain’s list, but that aspect of the mess seems so trivial when it touches your own life and the lives of the people you care about.
Over the past few months I have had to lay off friends and associates to stem the bleeding in my own business and have seen others I care deeply about lose their own jobs. With very little in the way of employment prospects out there right now – made even more troubling by the fact that most companies don’t consider hiring leading up to the holidays – it’s very depressing for those without jobs. Add to the fact that most of the people I know who are looking are in professional fields or fields hit the hardest by the economy, and it is very bleak indeed.
It’s so difficult to watch people I know and care about go through this, and it has been very painful for me to make my own economic-based decisions that I know affect the lives of some very good friends and hard workers. It has offered me no solace that I know what it feels like to be on both sides of this equation; just anger. I can never say I am sorry enough to those whose jobs I took by putting my own financial needs ahead of their own. I will suffer through this more than people will ever know because I know it is due to my own failures to be a better steward of my business that caused it.
Most of us were raised with the understanding that we had to fend for ourselves, create our own opportunities, become educated or trained and, especially, be responsible. I think we’ve all been aware of the downside of failing in these areas. Lately, however, there has been a subtle shift in many people’s thinking and what they expect of themselves. I sense there has been a growing expectation that we’re all working with a safety net and others are ready to catch us if they happen to fall, even if they fall out of their own carelessness. Once someone gets to this way of thinking I guess you expect the safety net will get as large as necessary.
It has become far too easy to walk away from responsibility lately. The ability to walk away from one’s problems with little debris left in the way may be the hallmark of the first decade of this century. I know far too many people, responsible people, who have walked away from their homes and businesses; some who could have either avoided the underlying problems that pushed them to their decision or who made bad choices in the first place. I don’t pretend to know what went on in their minds as they made their choices or how agonizing their decisions were. I am sure it has not been a picnic to lock the door in their empty house for the last time. And far be it for me to chatise them when I have walked away from some of my employees.
I guess where I get selfish in my own thinking is that these decisions, when added together with so many similar decisions by others, begins to bring the rest of us down in this slow death spiral. When one house gets taken back by the bank and sold at a hugely reduced price, it causes all the other houses in the neighborhood to lose value. When you get too many houses being sold by banks that are under no pressure to get top dollar, suddenly the whole area sees a drop in home values. Naturally this has a negative impact on the economy in general, causes governments to bail out banks who made these loans (many unsound loans, mind you) and tightens credit to the point that it is essentially unavailable.
And here’s the part where it gets personal: The safety net is now gone for me and my family. Our retirement account has been devastated by the stock market crash, my business has been nearly shut down due to a collapse of personal and corporate wealth and now the one area where I thought I could always count on as a nest egg, my home, is losing value so quickly that I am panicked.
OK, so woe is me. I get it that there are people worse off and many who didn’t want to walk away from their homes. But the fact that it has been made so easy and in such large numbers is trickling up to those of us who took out a fixed rate loan and have (had) 40 percent equity in our homes. The message almost seems to discourage people from keeping their job and their house; the government will be there to pick up the broken pieces. The same is true for businesses. Why should anyone work at keeping a business afloat when a bailout is around the corner? I guess the part that troubles me and worries me to the core is, what happens when there is nobody left to hold the safety net, and are we almost there?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
If I Had A Vote
As some of you may know, I am not a registered voter (or registered anything, if that clears some things up). I usually get strange looks when revealing this information but, then, I am used to strange looks. I have just a few reasons why I refuse to participate in what most people call “the democratic process.”
1. Voting for politicians only encourages them, and I really believe this. If we stop voting for them, they’d all go away and we’d live happily ever after. Furthermore, when a candidate claims victory by securing 45% of the vote with a 45% election turnout they are not the real winner. Statistically, the real winner is “none of the above,” because 55% chose to not vote for any of the knuckleheads running in the election while the proclaimed “winner” received just a bit more than 20% of eligible registered voters. By most standards, 55%-20% is a landslide.
2. Speaking of knuckleheads, are any of you truly happy with the people who are elected to lead us? Think of your council members, county supervisors, assembly and senate members, Congressional members and president. Would you hire any of them to do anything for you (assuming you know their name)? Well I wouldn’t hire a single one to simonize my car so why would I want them to run a government that ultimately runs my life? Give me anarchy over wars, financial collapses and taxes any day; at least I’d have a fighting chance.
3. Finally, I am involved in the democracy process in that I help citizens participate in direct democracy – or, better put, citizens going around our elected officials with ballot measures that speak to needed change that is ignored by those we send to various capitols. It’s an imperfect system, but still better than relying on people we all wanted to beat up in school to make decisions on more than 6,000 laws that get offered in California each year alone.
Since my vote doesn’t count – and you should all be happy it doesn’t – I will at least try to influence others in voting on the various California ballot measures. If I convince a few of you to see it MY WAY, then I will have actually accumulated three or four votes, which is similar math to ACORN’s master plan. What follows is the first six of the 12 measures on the California ballot and how one should vote and the reasons why. The other six will be in a soon-to-be-published post.
Proposition 1A: SAFE, RELIABLE HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAIN BOND ACT.
Normally I hate bond measures because they have to be paid back with interest and the way California’s bond rating is heading to junk bond status, that interest could add up to repayments of three times the original bond. However, in this case, I have two friends who are in the high-speed train business and they may get some work out of this and take me and the Mrs. to dinner a few times. Probably not an even exchange for the added tax burden, but I am feeling generous tonight and urging a Yes vote.
Proposition 2: STANDARDS FOR CONFINING FARM ANIMALS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
I would have to urge a Yes vote on this or suffer a hemorrhage to the head from the Girl (she would kill me in the name of animal rights, which probably doesn’t make much sense, but enough of a threat that I don’t want to take the chance). So, for the sake of keeping me alive, please vote Yes.
Proposition 3: CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BOND ACT. GRANT PROGRAM. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Okay, another bond and this one will cost us $2 billion to repay. But, you know, it’s for children’s hospitals and there are not enough hospitals that specialize in care for childhood illnesses and injuries. It should also be noted that this group is a client of mine and paid for the down payment on my house so, please, have a heart and vote Yes.
Proposition 4: WAITING PERIOD AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION BEFORE TERMINATION OF MINOR’S PREGNANCY.
To me this has always been a no-brainer. A minor need to get permission from a parent to take an aspirin in schools these days, they should at least have to get a parent’s permission to have an abortion. Sure, there will be many tough discussions with the parents and, assuming your parent is not Sarah Palin, the talk may not result in an unwanted pregnancy or a “Juno Situation.” There are also provisions in the measure that allow a minor to seek a parental notification waiver from a judge if it can be shown that a minor is potentially endangered by telling a parent. My only reservation is that this measure is sponsored by a couple of real weenies. But I would suggest a Yes vote anyway.
Proposition 5: NONVIOLENT DRUG OFFENSES. SENTENCING, PAROLE AND REHABILITATION. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
Well the title sounds good and the concept of getting minor drug abusers out of our overcrowded jails seems like a good idea. But this measure fiddles around with a few other laws and actually allows reduced sentences for meth dealers and even makes it easier for white collar criminals (like corporate CEOs, real estate agents and mortgage and stock brokers) to walk. This measure was poorly drafted with the intent of getting one of the author’s kids out of jail. If I were to vote, I would vote No on this one.
Proposition 6: POLICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNDING. CRIMINAL PENALTIES AND LAWS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
This initiative has good intentions and nobody will be certain if it will pan out unless it’s tried. Essentially this measure puts more cops on the street aimed at curbing gang violence. Since California is one of the few states with a rising homicide rate – ostensibly gang related – it might be a good idea to make an attempt to keep fewer people from being killed. The authors of this measure (who should have had the sense to hire me instead of others) say it won’t cost any money to the taxpayer as they will set up an independent board to review police costs. They actually think they can counter the additional spending on more cops by cutting wasteful spending in other areas. It will be a good trick if they can do it and I highly doubt they will be successful, but I think the bottom line merits of the measure are worthy of a Yes vote.
So I will review the other six on the ballot and, soon, my recommendation for who you should vote for president. I am sure there is a lot of suspense riding on that one!
1. Voting for politicians only encourages them, and I really believe this. If we stop voting for them, they’d all go away and we’d live happily ever after. Furthermore, when a candidate claims victory by securing 45% of the vote with a 45% election turnout they are not the real winner. Statistically, the real winner is “none of the above,” because 55% chose to not vote for any of the knuckleheads running in the election while the proclaimed “winner” received just a bit more than 20% of eligible registered voters. By most standards, 55%-20% is a landslide.
2. Speaking of knuckleheads, are any of you truly happy with the people who are elected to lead us? Think of your council members, county supervisors, assembly and senate members, Congressional members and president. Would you hire any of them to do anything for you (assuming you know their name)? Well I wouldn’t hire a single one to simonize my car so why would I want them to run a government that ultimately runs my life? Give me anarchy over wars, financial collapses and taxes any day; at least I’d have a fighting chance.
3. Finally, I am involved in the democracy process in that I help citizens participate in direct democracy – or, better put, citizens going around our elected officials with ballot measures that speak to needed change that is ignored by those we send to various capitols. It’s an imperfect system, but still better than relying on people we all wanted to beat up in school to make decisions on more than 6,000 laws that get offered in California each year alone.
Since my vote doesn’t count – and you should all be happy it doesn’t – I will at least try to influence others in voting on the various California ballot measures. If I convince a few of you to see it MY WAY, then I will have actually accumulated three or four votes, which is similar math to ACORN’s master plan. What follows is the first six of the 12 measures on the California ballot and how one should vote and the reasons why. The other six will be in a soon-to-be-published post.
Proposition 1A: SAFE, RELIABLE HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAIN BOND ACT.
Normally I hate bond measures because they have to be paid back with interest and the way California’s bond rating is heading to junk bond status, that interest could add up to repayments of three times the original bond. However, in this case, I have two friends who are in the high-speed train business and they may get some work out of this and take me and the Mrs. to dinner a few times. Probably not an even exchange for the added tax burden, but I am feeling generous tonight and urging a Yes vote.
Proposition 2: STANDARDS FOR CONFINING FARM ANIMALS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
I would have to urge a Yes vote on this or suffer a hemorrhage to the head from the Girl (she would kill me in the name of animal rights, which probably doesn’t make much sense, but enough of a threat that I don’t want to take the chance). So, for the sake of keeping me alive, please vote Yes.
Proposition 3: CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BOND ACT. GRANT PROGRAM. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Okay, another bond and this one will cost us $2 billion to repay. But, you know, it’s for children’s hospitals and there are not enough hospitals that specialize in care for childhood illnesses and injuries. It should also be noted that this group is a client of mine and paid for the down payment on my house so, please, have a heart and vote Yes.
Proposition 4: WAITING PERIOD AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION BEFORE TERMINATION OF MINOR’S PREGNANCY.
To me this has always been a no-brainer. A minor need to get permission from a parent to take an aspirin in schools these days, they should at least have to get a parent’s permission to have an abortion. Sure, there will be many tough discussions with the parents and, assuming your parent is not Sarah Palin, the talk may not result in an unwanted pregnancy or a “Juno Situation.” There are also provisions in the measure that allow a minor to seek a parental notification waiver from a judge if it can be shown that a minor is potentially endangered by telling a parent. My only reservation is that this measure is sponsored by a couple of real weenies. But I would suggest a Yes vote anyway.
Proposition 5: NONVIOLENT DRUG OFFENSES. SENTENCING, PAROLE AND REHABILITATION. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
Well the title sounds good and the concept of getting minor drug abusers out of our overcrowded jails seems like a good idea. But this measure fiddles around with a few other laws and actually allows reduced sentences for meth dealers and even makes it easier for white collar criminals (like corporate CEOs, real estate agents and mortgage and stock brokers) to walk. This measure was poorly drafted with the intent of getting one of the author’s kids out of jail. If I were to vote, I would vote No on this one.
Proposition 6: POLICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNDING. CRIMINAL PENALTIES AND LAWS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
This initiative has good intentions and nobody will be certain if it will pan out unless it’s tried. Essentially this measure puts more cops on the street aimed at curbing gang violence. Since California is one of the few states with a rising homicide rate – ostensibly gang related – it might be a good idea to make an attempt to keep fewer people from being killed. The authors of this measure (who should have had the sense to hire me instead of others) say it won’t cost any money to the taxpayer as they will set up an independent board to review police costs. They actually think they can counter the additional spending on more cops by cutting wasteful spending in other areas. It will be a good trick if they can do it and I highly doubt they will be successful, but I think the bottom line merits of the measure are worthy of a Yes vote.
So I will review the other six on the ballot and, soon, my recommendation for who you should vote for president. I am sure there is a lot of suspense riding on that one!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Winning By Losing
While the determined Sladed spent his Saturday at the desert in a 102.5-mile bike race, I participated in my own athletic challenge. Sladed burned 4,500 calories in his 6-hour 52-minute race; which is pretty good. But I bet I burned 10 percent of that today when I swam one mile, biked 6 miles (or 15% of Sladed’s achievement) and began to run two miles before getting a debilitating cramp in my calf. Sladed is training for an Ironman Triathlon and I’m conducting a Wussathlon.
Please don’t misunderstand, I am pushing my body further than I have since 70 pounds ago, but I much farther to do. Still, I am constantly amazed at how far the body can be pushed in the first place. Six months ago I couldn’t walk for 15 minutes on a treadmill and now, barring nasty cramps, I can usually run – with some walking – three miles on a treadmill. And I can swim up to 2.5 miles in a workout where I could barely swim 1,000 yards last May.
A lot of what I have been able to do is the direct result of watching Sladed continue to push his body to new and amazing limits. If I didn’t have him as an example, I am not sure I would have been as aggressive at testing the limits of my own body. So, I thank him for leading by example.
The interim news of my efforts is all good, too. Back in April, I finally had enough of my huge gut and poor health. I began a program that was something like the Biggest Loser TV show and lost 14 pounds in six weeks, dropping my weight from 246 to 232. I learned to make better choices in the food I put in my body and, as important, I began to exercise more regularly and more vigorously.
Since then, I am exercising on average 5-6 days each week and, while my diet has slipped some, I am still eating much better and much less. I now weigh 214 pounds, a loss of 32 pounds, and have the goal to be under 200 pounds by the end of the year. This also happens to have been my New Year’s resolution that I had no real belief I could keep. I wasn’t even sure I would try all that hard to fulfill the resolution.
My doctor even likes the results as my most recent blood test reveals that I am no longer technically a diabetic, my blood pressure is actually a bit low so my medication has been cut back, my cholesterol is also low, and a lot of the ailments that used to plague me no longer occur. In short, I feel marvelous.
As I am sure Sladed would concur, regular training and regular focus on diet leads the body and the mind to accept this as your normal lifestyle. Something clicks at some point that almost seems like a compulsion, but I am sure it is just the body settling into a routine. I think the routine can be fragile as I have been in this kind of shape before; about the time that Bill died. His death likely contributed to knocking me off course and, once you begin to slip, it’s such a slippery slope.
And I guess that’s the message that you, the reader, were likely looking for. Weight loss, or anything that requires such concentration, is a full time job and so difficult to keep up with each and every day – especially when tasty ginger snaps or gummy cinnamon bears are within reach. But I am thankful that I have Sladed around to set an example and the support and encouragement of my family to continue with this very worthwhile endeavor. Thank you to you all.
Please don’t misunderstand, I am pushing my body further than I have since 70 pounds ago, but I much farther to do. Still, I am constantly amazed at how far the body can be pushed in the first place. Six months ago I couldn’t walk for 15 minutes on a treadmill and now, barring nasty cramps, I can usually run – with some walking – three miles on a treadmill. And I can swim up to 2.5 miles in a workout where I could barely swim 1,000 yards last May.
A lot of what I have been able to do is the direct result of watching Sladed continue to push his body to new and amazing limits. If I didn’t have him as an example, I am not sure I would have been as aggressive at testing the limits of my own body. So, I thank him for leading by example.
The interim news of my efforts is all good, too. Back in April, I finally had enough of my huge gut and poor health. I began a program that was something like the Biggest Loser TV show and lost 14 pounds in six weeks, dropping my weight from 246 to 232. I learned to make better choices in the food I put in my body and, as important, I began to exercise more regularly and more vigorously.
Since then, I am exercising on average 5-6 days each week and, while my diet has slipped some, I am still eating much better and much less. I now weigh 214 pounds, a loss of 32 pounds, and have the goal to be under 200 pounds by the end of the year. This also happens to have been my New Year’s resolution that I had no real belief I could keep. I wasn’t even sure I would try all that hard to fulfill the resolution.
My doctor even likes the results as my most recent blood test reveals that I am no longer technically a diabetic, my blood pressure is actually a bit low so my medication has been cut back, my cholesterol is also low, and a lot of the ailments that used to plague me no longer occur. In short, I feel marvelous.
As I am sure Sladed would concur, regular training and regular focus on diet leads the body and the mind to accept this as your normal lifestyle. Something clicks at some point that almost seems like a compulsion, but I am sure it is just the body settling into a routine. I think the routine can be fragile as I have been in this kind of shape before; about the time that Bill died. His death likely contributed to knocking me off course and, once you begin to slip, it’s such a slippery slope.
And I guess that’s the message that you, the reader, were likely looking for. Weight loss, or anything that requires such concentration, is a full time job and so difficult to keep up with each and every day – especially when tasty ginger snaps or gummy cinnamon bears are within reach. But I am thankful that I have Sladed around to set an example and the support and encouragement of my family to continue with this very worthwhile endeavor. Thank you to you all.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
401-Keg Plan
Thought for the day with a nod to Agent 69:
If you purchased $1,000 of Delta Airlines stock 1 year ago, you would have $49.00 today.
If you purchased $1,000 of AIG stock one year ago, you would have $33.00 today.
If you purchased $1,000 of Lehman Brothers stock 1 year ago, you would have $0.00 today.
But, if you purchased $1,000 worth of beer 1 year ago, drank all the beer, returned the aluminum cans for a recycling refund, you would have $214.00.
Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily and recycle.
A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon!
Makes you proud to be an American!
If you purchased $1,000 of Delta Airlines stock 1 year ago, you would have $49.00 today.
If you purchased $1,000 of AIG stock one year ago, you would have $33.00 today.
If you purchased $1,000 of Lehman Brothers stock 1 year ago, you would have $0.00 today.
But, if you purchased $1,000 worth of beer 1 year ago, drank all the beer, returned the aluminum cans for a recycling refund, you would have $214.00.
Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily and recycle.
A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon!
Makes you proud to be an American!
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