Fortune Cookie
Your ambitious nature will help you make a name for yourself.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Interesting video. Watch it all the way through to appreciate it.
Perspectives from Peacemaker Ministries on Vimeo.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Mesaba Airlines Incident
Regarding this story, it should never have happened. Why didn't anyone put the customers first?
A lot of people have talked about what should have been done in this situation. I'm a big believer in getting to the root cause. Now I don't know all the info, but I wonder why the plane ended up at an airport that couldn't service them. Maybe that was the only airport they could use. But if it wasn't, shouldn't they have landed at an airport where they could have deplaned?
If this was the only airport they could land, why didn't people at the airport get ready to receive them even if it meant they had to call people back to work?
Totally unacceptable for this to have happened.
Regarding this story, it should never have happened. Why didn't anyone put the customers first?
A lot of people have talked about what should have been done in this situation. I'm a big believer in getting to the root cause. Now I don't know all the info, but I wonder why the plane ended up at an airport that couldn't service them. Maybe that was the only airport they could use. But if it wasn't, shouldn't they have landed at an airport where they could have deplaned?
If this was the only airport they could land, why didn't people at the airport get ready to receive them even if it meant they had to call people back to work?
Totally unacceptable for this to have happened.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Jobless Recovery
I think the jobless recovery is due to many things, but one reason is that companies are getting more productivity from the surviving workforce. People are worried that they'll lose their job, so they are putting in overtime to make up for the employees laid off, like myself.
The thing is, I don't see an end to this. We are in a death spiral. I think we've been on this path for a very long time, ever since the deficit spending of the eighties. Couple the government's fiscal mismanagement with the decline of education and you have a recipe for the end of America. This saddens me greatly. I didn't think my generation or the next would fail.
Who cares about health care reform when the existing government social programs are all bankrupt. Adding universal health care will just add more fuel to the fire.
In the end, I think by 2015, if not sooner, America will be morally and financially bankrupt. Hyperinflation will rule and the breakdown of American society will have commenced. I don't know what will happen. The Feds will try to hold on through force and the States will try to break away.
Maybe connected states will try to form new nation states. All I know is that it will be a mess and it will get ugly. Once the government starts to fall apart, it will be every man for himself.
This didn't need to happen, but We the People have let it develop by electing people who were more concerned with themselves and their ambition rather than the common good.
Our culture has reflected these values and has contributed to this decline.
I think the jobless recovery is due to many things, but one reason is that companies are getting more productivity from the surviving workforce. People are worried that they'll lose their job, so they are putting in overtime to make up for the employees laid off, like myself.
The thing is, I don't see an end to this. We are in a death spiral. I think we've been on this path for a very long time, ever since the deficit spending of the eighties. Couple the government's fiscal mismanagement with the decline of education and you have a recipe for the end of America. This saddens me greatly. I didn't think my generation or the next would fail.
Who cares about health care reform when the existing government social programs are all bankrupt. Adding universal health care will just add more fuel to the fire.
In the end, I think by 2015, if not sooner, America will be morally and financially bankrupt. Hyperinflation will rule and the breakdown of American society will have commenced. I don't know what will happen. The Feds will try to hold on through force and the States will try to break away.
Maybe connected states will try to form new nation states. All I know is that it will be a mess and it will get ugly. Once the government starts to fall apart, it will be every man for himself.
This didn't need to happen, but We the People have let it develop by electing people who were more concerned with themselves and their ambition rather than the common good.
Our culture has reflected these values and has contributed to this decline.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Saturday, August 08, 2009
African Proverb
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
from "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
from "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Mouser for being awarded the 2008 Catalog Distributor of the Year from Dialight.
Congratulations to Mouser for being awarded the 2008 Catalog Distributor of the Year from Dialight.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Reporting Fraud
If you think you have been a victim of identity theft or fraud, contact one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your account. A fraud alert will help prevent new credit accounts from being opened without your permission.
Equifax
1.800.525.6285
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian
1.888.397.3742
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion
1.800.680.7289
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92864-6790
Also contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1.877.438.4338 to report any incidents of identity theft or to receive additional guidance on steps you can take to protect against identity theft.
If you think you have been a victim of identity theft or fraud, contact one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your account. A fraud alert will help prevent new credit accounts from being opened without your permission.
Equifax
1.800.525.6285
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian
1.888.397.3742
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion
1.800.680.7289
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92864-6790
Also contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1.877.438.4338 to report any incidents of identity theft or to receive additional guidance on steps you can take to protect against identity theft.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Michael Jackson
I liked MJ up through Thriller. Once he started altering his appearance and his behavior got all weird, it became tragic to me. The guy was blessed with immense talent, but unfortunately (and this happens to many famous people) fame was too much to handle. He didn't have a normal childhood and never grew up. I really think to him that his behavior with children as an adult may have been completely normal to him since he was still a child in his mind. I guess you could say he suffered from arrested development. I don't blame him. I blame the people around him that enabled him to be that way and didn't help him grow up to be the man he could have been. He died too young. I really wish his life had turned out different. I really enjoyed the retrospective of his early years. He was so gifted and an amazing performer.
I liked MJ up through Thriller. Once he started altering his appearance and his behavior got all weird, it became tragic to me. The guy was blessed with immense talent, but unfortunately (and this happens to many famous people) fame was too much to handle. He didn't have a normal childhood and never grew up. I really think to him that his behavior with children as an adult may have been completely normal to him since he was still a child in his mind. I guess you could say he suffered from arrested development. I don't blame him. I blame the people around him that enabled him to be that way and didn't help him grow up to be the man he could have been. He died too young. I really wish his life had turned out different. I really enjoyed the retrospective of his early years. He was so gifted and an amazing performer.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
The Most Important Things in Life
1. Use Common Sense (ALWAYS)
2. Family - Set Priorities
3. Keep Up with Your Priorities. Focus on What's Important (i.e. Studies, Work, etc.)
4. Be On Time!
5. Set Your Goals, Both Long and Short Range. Write Them Down and Keep Track.
6. Protect Your Credit -- Always Make Payments On Time
7. Always Think of What's Right (What Would Jesus Do?)
1. Use Common Sense (ALWAYS)
2. Family - Set Priorities
3. Keep Up with Your Priorities. Focus on What's Important (i.e. Studies, Work, etc.)
4. Be On Time!
5. Set Your Goals, Both Long and Short Range. Write Them Down and Keep Track.
6. Protect Your Credit -- Always Make Payments On Time
7. Always Think of What's Right (What Would Jesus Do?)
Friday, June 05, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Where's a Slanket When You Need One
NSFW - Naked Man in the Video Below
Naked Wizard Tased By Reality from Tracy Anderson on Vimeo.
NSFW - Naked Man in the Video Below
Naked Wizard Tased By Reality from Tracy Anderson on Vimeo.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Happy Earth Day
Managing to take care of the earth is the greatest and most difficult duty of man. This becomes more difficult with every person born. Therefore, the biggest threat to the environment, is not global warming or the automobile or cow emmissions, but rather it is overpopulation. At some point, I predict the earth will self correct this problem. In the meantime, we need to be more conscious of our contribution to the problem.
[jumping off soapbox]
Managing to take care of the earth is the greatest and most difficult duty of man. This becomes more difficult with every person born. Therefore, the biggest threat to the environment, is not global warming or the automobile or cow emmissions, but rather it is overpopulation. At some point, I predict the earth will self correct this problem. In the meantime, we need to be more conscious of our contribution to the problem.
[jumping off soapbox]
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Letter to Senator John Cornyn
Economy/Jobs
I'm primarily a conservative libertarian and believe that government is the problem, not the solution, BUT I think when it comes to getting people back to work, the government needs to compell businesses to hire Americans first.
I'm an unemployed IT professional and I see lots of great jobs that I almost qualify for, but not quite. Why don't businesses consider that someone may be qualified enough for a position, despite the fact that they might not have exactly what is required.
Please consider these two things:
1. Businesses must hire citizens before hiring anyone imported into this country on an H1B visa.
2. If a job has been posted for 30 days without anyone meeting the businesses specific requirements, the government should compell the business to hire the next best qualified candidate or else face penalties.
Why do I propose this? Well, companies today often require specific technical expertise or years of experience in a specific skill, yet companies are not willing to train or develop employees with those skills. Everyone needs to be responsible for their personal development, but without the opportunity to gain experience in a production environment, having the education is not enough. Government needs to encourage businesses to develop the workforce of today and tomorrow with incentives or otherwise face penalties.
This needs to be done sooner rather than later or else this recession will deepen and last a lot longer than it needs to last. Foreign businesses operating in this country need to be required to develop the local workforce before they move workers from their company's home country.
Thank you for your consideration of my proposal and I hope that you will work to shepherd this through congress.
Economy/Jobs
I'm primarily a conservative libertarian and believe that government is the problem, not the solution, BUT I think when it comes to getting people back to work, the government needs to compell businesses to hire Americans first.
I'm an unemployed IT professional and I see lots of great jobs that I almost qualify for, but not quite. Why don't businesses consider that someone may be qualified enough for a position, despite the fact that they might not have exactly what is required.
Please consider these two things:
1. Businesses must hire citizens before hiring anyone imported into this country on an H1B visa.
2. If a job has been posted for 30 days without anyone meeting the businesses specific requirements, the government should compell the business to hire the next best qualified candidate or else face penalties.
Why do I propose this? Well, companies today often require specific technical expertise or years of experience in a specific skill, yet companies are not willing to train or develop employees with those skills. Everyone needs to be responsible for their personal development, but without the opportunity to gain experience in a production environment, having the education is not enough. Government needs to encourage businesses to develop the workforce of today and tomorrow with incentives or otherwise face penalties.
This needs to be done sooner rather than later or else this recession will deepen and last a lot longer than it needs to last. Foreign businesses operating in this country need to be required to develop the local workforce before they move workers from their company's home country.
Thank you for your consideration of my proposal and I hope that you will work to shepherd this through congress.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Quote of the Day
The late Dr. Adrian Rogers (1931-2005) offered the following observation several years ago and it bears poignant significance today: You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the rich out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply the wealth by dividing it."
The late Dr. Adrian Rogers (1931-2005) offered the following observation several years ago and it bears poignant significance today: You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the rich out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply the wealth by dividing it."
Monday, March 02, 2009
Looking for an ERP system??
Contact me. I'm looking for manufacturing people that want to lower their business system software costs with an easy to use, full-featured, flexible enterprise resource planning system.
If you'd rather contact the company directly, that's fine with me. I'm promoting Millennium III (M3) from Rover Data Systems. Check it out at:
Rover Data Systems
Contact me. I'm looking for manufacturing people that want to lower their business system software costs with an easy to use, full-featured, flexible enterprise resource planning system.
If you'd rather contact the company directly, that's fine with me. I'm promoting Millennium III (M3) from Rover Data Systems. Check it out at:
Rover Data Systems
Monday, February 16, 2009
32 More Positive News Items
Air Liquide Fiscal-year Net Profit Up 9%
Czech Economy Grows By 1% in Fourth Quarter of 2008
Cognizant Technology Fourth-quarter Profit Rises 17%
Nordic American Tanker Profit Climbs On 'sound' Market
Pernod-Ricard Half-year Net Profit Up 5%, Confirms Guidance
Foreclosures Fall from December to January
Strayer Revenue Up as Enrollment Rises
Smith & Nephew Profit Steady
Better-than-expected Results Lift CB Richard Ellis Shares
Genzyme's Profit Rises in Fourth Quarter
GE to Sell Saudia Arabia Nearly $1 Billion in Gas Turbines
Dean Foods Quarterly Profit More Than Doubles
3M Lifts Quarterly Dividend 2% to 51 Cents a Share
Macerich Profit Climbs 58%
Genesee & Wyoming Profit up 81%
DaVita 4th-quarter Net Up 15% on 7.8% Higher Revenue
Vestas Wind Systems 4th Quarter Revenue Gains 31%
Daily Mail Operating Profit Ahead of Group Expectation
Danone Quarterly Sales up 10%
Reckitt Benckiser Quarterly Net Income Up 36%
Computer Sciences Posts Profit
ProLogis Shares Rise on Earnings, Outlook
Intel Plans Two-year, $7 Billion Investment in U.S. Plants
Expeditors Posts Higher Fourth-quarter Profit
DirecTV Earnings per Share up 6.7% in Quarter
Genesee & Wyoming Carloads Up 12.2% in January
Patriot Coal Swings to Profit as Sales Jump
McDonald's January Global Comparable Sales Up 7.1%
Kirin Holdings Fiscal Year Net Income Up 28% to $878 Million
Elan Corp Swings to Quarterly Net Profit
Lorillard Earnings per Share Up 24%
U.K. Comparable Retail Sales Up 1.1% in January
Thursday, February 12, 2009
15 Positive News Items
There is too much negativity going on right now. So to remedy that, here is some positivity to consider.
There is too much negativity going on right now. So to remedy that, here is some positivity to consider.
Embarq Fourth-quarter Profit Rises To $1.34 a Share
McAfee Profit Rises On 19% Revenue Gain
Mortgages Rates Fall After Last Week's Increase
T. Rowe Price Raises Quarterly Dividend To 25 Cents
Weekly Jobless Claims Drop 8,000 to 623,000
Freddie Mac: 30-year Fixed-rate Mortgage Average Falls
Coca-Cola Profit Tops View, Shares Rise
Netflix Passes 10 Million-subscriber Mark
Retail Sales Jump 1% in January
Progress Energy Net Income Rises 4%
Teradata Earnings Per Share 4.7% Higher In Quarter
NRG Energy Net Income Nearly Triples
Northwest Natural Gas' Fourth-quarter Profit Rose 12%
Stifel Financial Generates 5% Quarterly Revenue Growth
Diageo: 6-month Net Profit Up 16%
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Random Thought of the Day
I wonder if one could go about their business dressed like a pirate. While it would be odd, there's no law that says you can't go around wearing a costume all day, is there?
When you think about it, people in uniform are wearing a costume all the time, so why not the rest of us?
I wonder if one could go about their business dressed like a pirate. While it would be odd, there's no law that says you can't go around wearing a costume all day, is there?
When you think about it, people in uniform are wearing a costume all the time, so why not the rest of us?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Dan's Plan
Look it, I've got this plan. I realize this may not be a new idea. If so, point me to the original and I'll promote whoever thought of it first.
You see there is a strong moral hazard that we have to deal with right now before it is too late. The problem is failing to pay our debts.
Currently, if someone does not pay their bills, the worse that will happen to them is that they will ruin their credit. While this is bad, it isn't the end of the world. They can still continue with life, but with a financial weight hanging around their neck.
Now this can get really bad if they don't pay their mortgage. If that happens, they will lose their house. So that has a major serious consequence. I'd like to believe that no one wants to lose thier house. Same goes to not paying their car note. No one wants to lose their car. So above all other debt, I would think that people will always pay their house and car before their pay any other debt.
Expenses are a different matter. After the house and car are paid, people will spend money for food, electricity, utilities, etc. before they'll pay their unsecured debt.
So the problem is with unsecured debt. How do we make people pay their debts. Well, short of putting a draw on their account, I think the financial industry needs to be a little creative. Why not offer an incentive to pay your bills?
If someone has bad credit, their are faced with punitive interest rates on their credit cards, plus they need to usually put down a deposit before they are issued a card.
What if the bank said that if you paid your debts on time, then at the end of the year, the bank would rebate some of the interest that was paid?? Wouldn't that encourage people to pay their debts? Granted, the banks would need to be a little less greedy, but at least they wouldn't need to write off as much as they have.
A creative wrinkle to this is if someone is late on one payment in 12 months, they could still get a rebate, but it would be less.
And further, at the end of the year, the customer would have an option to use the rebate to pay down their debt instead of being issued a check. Plus the good thing about getting a rebate at the end of the year is that it can help you with your Christmas gift giving.
What do you think? Good idea?? Look, I know the Discover card did this, but I don't think it was enough of an incentive. Didn't it pay like 1%? Why not make it 5%?
If you agree, say so. If you don't, tell me what you would do different?
Should people be thrown in prison for not paying their debts? Should they be forced into indentured servitude?
Look it, I've got this plan. I realize this may not be a new idea. If so, point me to the original and I'll promote whoever thought of it first.
You see there is a strong moral hazard that we have to deal with right now before it is too late. The problem is failing to pay our debts.
Currently, if someone does not pay their bills, the worse that will happen to them is that they will ruin their credit. While this is bad, it isn't the end of the world. They can still continue with life, but with a financial weight hanging around their neck.
Now this can get really bad if they don't pay their mortgage. If that happens, they will lose their house. So that has a major serious consequence. I'd like to believe that no one wants to lose thier house. Same goes to not paying their car note. No one wants to lose their car. So above all other debt, I would think that people will always pay their house and car before their pay any other debt.
Expenses are a different matter. After the house and car are paid, people will spend money for food, electricity, utilities, etc. before they'll pay their unsecured debt.
So the problem is with unsecured debt. How do we make people pay their debts. Well, short of putting a draw on their account, I think the financial industry needs to be a little creative. Why not offer an incentive to pay your bills?
If someone has bad credit, their are faced with punitive interest rates on their credit cards, plus they need to usually put down a deposit before they are issued a card.
What if the bank said that if you paid your debts on time, then at the end of the year, the bank would rebate some of the interest that was paid?? Wouldn't that encourage people to pay their debts? Granted, the banks would need to be a little less greedy, but at least they wouldn't need to write off as much as they have.
A creative wrinkle to this is if someone is late on one payment in 12 months, they could still get a rebate, but it would be less.
And further, at the end of the year, the customer would have an option to use the rebate to pay down their debt instead of being issued a check. Plus the good thing about getting a rebate at the end of the year is that it can help you with your Christmas gift giving.
What do you think? Good idea?? Look, I know the Discover card did this, but I don't think it was enough of an incentive. Didn't it pay like 1%? Why not make it 5%?
If you agree, say so. If you don't, tell me what you would do different?
Should people be thrown in prison for not paying their debts? Should they be forced into indentured servitude?
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Friday, January 09, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
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