Back to basics.

March 24th, 2011

I bought this domain with the purpose of sharing my thoughts, feelings, experiences, projects, ideas, even impulses in the hopes that I would inspire others. If not inspire, maybe uplift, help in some way or otherwise influence for good. To that end I return to blogging and maintaining this site…and a few others. ;) In fact, if you’d rather watch than read, look at My Life, in Pictures.

Normally, I would delete all posts, comments, links and pages and start from scratch. I’m going to try something different this time – move forward and not look back. I have a hard time keeping everything together. I’ve written before, in other places, about being scattered. I sat down this time to just write. Just. Write.

I have a lot of projects on which I’m currently working. Some of these projects are scheduled to take a long time while others will be over soon, for example: our baby is due in June and I’m keeping a blog about the pregnancy. I’m going to post about these projects and provide updates as I get things done. In contrast to my normal way of announcing things, I’m going to delay sharing anything publicly until after I’m finished. Some say that by telling others about what you’re doing it increases the likelihood that you’ll finish what you started. I don’t think this is true for me. I’m notorious for starting and later stopping things, so I’ll tell you when it’s over (for most things).

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America’s 12-Step Program

February 4th, 2011

This is an excerpt from an article in FORBES magazine, January 17, 2011.

1. Admit we’re addicted to cheap money. Raise the fed funds rate to 1% immediately and then to 2% – and then peg the dollar’s value to a gold or gold-like standard. This hike would signal dollar strength and remove uncertainty.

2. Freeze the federal budget at 2008 levels. Allow private-sector growth to shrink the budget’s relative size back to the Clinton-era levels of 18% of GDP.

3. Allow one excpetion to the frozen federal budget: Increase military R&D. America can never afford to lose its high-tech military superiority. And military high tech has often transferred well to the private sector. Think semiconductors and the Internet.

4. Simplify and flatten the tax code. The federal tax code with its attendant regulations is 8 million words and growing. It distorts investment decisions. And its complexity is regressive, since only the rich can afford the best tax attorneys to reduce their effective rates.

5. Ban public employee unions. They have driven our states and municipalities to the edge of bankruptcy and have damaged public school performance and student prospects in a time of heated global competition for smart industries and educated workers.

6. Let smart and motivated people teach school. It’s silly to require a retired businessman to obtain a fifth-year “education” degree in order to teach. Kids from poor and broken homes – boys, especially – need successful role models from the real world.

7. Enact the “loser pays” legal reform. The best way to stop silly lawsuits is to raise the price of failure.

8. Make it easier to start a business. Follow the Singapore example, where a one-stop website covers all tax, regulatory and business license issues.

9. Dump Sarbanes-Oxley. Enacted in 2002 to prevent the next Enron scandal, Sarbox has thrown sand into the gears of entrepreneurship. It has severely slowed the US market for IPS, since companies earning less than $200 million in revenue can’t afford the legal and accounting costs of being a public company today. Deprived of capital, young companies not named Facebook or Twitter prematurely stagnate or sell out. Investors are deprived of opportunity, and the nation is deprived of independent companies that surpass the $1-billion-in-revenue mark.

10. Dump ObamaCare. Replace it with market reforms that encourage innovation – especially innovation that intersects with IT and the Internet. There’s no reason that healh care can’t simultaneously get better and chepaer. It would if harnessed to Moore’s Law and market pricing.

11. Privatize Social Security. The arguments against privatization come down to: What if you retire when stocks are down? Or you lacked discipline? Or what if you’re unlucky and all your investment choices were stinkers? These are false arguments. Nothings says Social Security privatization has to be a free-for-all. Limit risk by allowing only a mix of conservative stocks and bonds. The returns won’t be great – maybe 3% net of inflation – but they’d still beat today’s system, guaranteed to go bust without ruinous tax hikes.

12. Recruit more foreign-born entrepreneurs. From 1946 to 2000 the world’s best young business minds beat a path to our shores. But this flow was never ordained to be permanent. America must compete for, and nuture, talent like every other country.

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Personal Financial Reform

January 21st, 2011

A few weeks ago, while listening to the Dave Ramsey Show I was introduced to a bank called Perkstreet Financial. Dave endorses them and as such promotes their website and business model as part of his show. Naturally, I was skeptical, but I went to the website anyway. I quickly discovered that Perkstreet Financial claims to offer a 2% cash back rewards debit card. I became interested in their offer, especially since I still can’t get a credit card.

I’ve learned that smart, financially smart, people take advantage of any and all rewards programs available. I have a business partner who pays for everything, except his mortgage, with a Marriott Rewards VISA card. He accumulates points toward hotel accommodations, travel expenses, etc., just for using the card; evidently it also gives him one FREE night per year just for having an account! The bottom line is that for those who are financially disciplined there are a thousand different cards and offers available, but what if we cant get a credit card? Enter, Perkstreet.

It took me a few weeks to have the money set aside to open the account. I went online, filled out an application, requested cash as my perk (they also offer coffee and music downloads) and clicked SUBMIT. The next step is to wait. It only took a day or so for me to get an email response. They needed more information to finish the account setup and promised if i responded to their email within 5 or so days that I would earn an introductory 5% cash back! I responded immediately with the information they requested, the account was established and they mailed me my debit card.

Only non-PIN debit transactions qualify for perks. It turns out that basically means any purchase except those for which you use a PIN. In other words, if the register asks, “Credit or Debit”, I always answer, “Credit”.

I earned more than $30 in cash perks, for various reasons, just for opening the account. I began running transactions through the account and waited anxiously for my perk dollars to increase. The wait from checkout to perk is about 10 days, which I don’t mind considering I’m getting paid to spend money!

Our major monthly expense is rent, but I couldn’t figure out how to run that through the account, until I realized I could buy a money order. We haven’t done it yet, but intend to for February rent.

Year-to-date I’ve earned almost $100 in perks and at this rate I’ll likely end the year with close to $800 in FREE money. I highly recommend anyone who regularly uses a checking account for most of their purchases look into Perkstreet Financial.

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Unemployment Benefits Expire

December 1st, 2010

Today’s news is littered with reports that “2 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits if Congress doesn’t do something”. My response – Yeah, so?

On my way home from work this evening I was listening to AM960 WFIR and a reporter for Fox News radio mentioned this news about unemployment benefits. They aired a recording of an interview with a man who reported he’d been without work, no excuse, he had been “trying to find work for a year” to no avail. Wait, what? What does a man do with himself every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month, for 12 months wherein he is totally, and completely unable to find any gainful employment of any kind?! Oh wait, this guy’s drawing unemployment, does he really need a job?

There are very few, VERY few government welfare programs that I believe serve a legitimate purpose, and none of the programs currently in place work very well, and most should be eliminated altogether, at least in my opinion. Unemployment should be terminated, effective immediately. ALL welfare programs, not a few, not most, but ALL should be eliminated. These programs are designed to DISCOURAGE personal responsibility and independence from the government and ENCOURAGE a negligent, blind-eye approach to life! Think about it, in America if you lose your job you simply go to the “Unemployment Office” and file for benefits. Once approved, the government PAYS YOU TO NOT HAVE A JOB! Wait, what?! Let me say that again, The US Government Will Pay YOU to NOT HAVE A JOB!

What would I do? I’ve never filed unemployment benefits, but I’ve spent my fair share of time unemployed after being fired. I don’t believe the government’s role is to pick us up when we fall down. The government is there to protect our rights, our freedoms. While I appreciate having a job, it is not my “right” to have a job in this country – it is my privilege to be able to obtain gainful employment.

My advice to all who have lost their jobs, get out there and be willing to do anything, ANYTHING for work and for money. Don’t sit back and let Uncle Sam pad your bank account while you watch Soap Operas and cash in your food stamps so you can buy beer and cigarettes.

Congress did the right thing by letting unemployment benefits terminate and will do well to end the program permanently.

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This is how you fix Congress!

November 10th, 2010

This idea is not my own, it came in an email (chain) from my Mom. Although I didn’t write it, I wholly agree with all the suggestions contained herein. Enjoy. :)

1. Term Limits; 12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2.  No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3.  Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately.
All future funds flow into the Social Security system and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.  Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the
American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.

The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your
term(s), then go home and back to work.

While it would take years to implement, and millions of supporters, this CAN be done. THIS is how the Founders envisioned our government. What happened? How did we get to this point?

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