As the recessionary woes plague the nation your beloved Captain, now on permanent Galt vacation, has had the time to observe a couple trends or phenomenons occurring. Most notably the young man who now sleeps on my couch on account he is a friend and he is in a time of need because, well, his wife is an insufferable pain in the ass. This has resulted in my abode becoming what I like to call "Fort Bachelortude" - an oasis for bachelors as they battle against life's daily onslaughts.
Go to the neighboring town of mine and you will see two other bachelors forming a brother fort on account one of them is a pilot (whose industry is not known for long term, stable employment) and needs just a place to sleep and a stall to shower in. The owner of the house (a bachelor) does not have a wife nor kinder and therefore has an extra room by which he can rent out for very cheap to the pilot bachelor. This is a mutual advantageous relationship in that the room has gone unused and why not generate at least a pittance of rental income while splitting chores.
Of course these are merely anecdotal stories of bachelors shacking up, but enough anecdotes make a trend, and trends make statistical fact, and so allow me a prediction;
The RISE OF THE BACHELOR FORT!
Both the pilot and my romantically beleaguered friend are empirical evidence of two traits of society that are going to drive this "bachelor fort" trend. A trend by which bachelors minimize their expenses, just try to get by as cheaply as possible, and therefore form MANLY coops (because most coops are pretty effeminate) of residency by which to save money.
For example my friend who now resides on my couch is suffering from one of society's trend whereby the entire courtship/romance/marriage or whatever you want to call it industry is completely biased and tilted against men. Divorce courts, child custody, and forget law. Just look at the purified hell a young man must go through in the US when it comes to dating the American Idol worshipping prima modannas. Inevitably a man comes to the realization that he is finite and he is going to die. Does he spend his time slaving away to make daddy's little princess happy? Or does he decide to find a couch, play some video games, smoke some cigars, drive a motorcycle and do what he wants to do? I could go into this in infinite detail and no doubt I will receive many complaints from women, but it doesn't change the fact that courting and marriage for the average American male is so horrendous that it should not be surprising that the trend of men opting to never marry will not just continue but increase.
This trend of course is great for Fort Bachelortude in that without a wife demanding a brand new 3 story suburbanite dream home and children crying and screaming and bringing communicable diseases into the house, the sole, lonely bachelor only needs a couch and a bathroom for his living needs.
The second trend is what my pilot buddy faces - unreliable employment. Not because he is an unreliable employee. Oh no no no. Scott Adams has long ago proved corporate America is to blame for the lack of loyal employees. But because employers, for the most part, are just as incompetent as the employees they love to blame their incompentence and quarterly losses on. The WWII generation is no longer at the helm. It's the baby boomers at the helm, the even-more-entitlement-mentality-driven Gen X'ers seeping into middle management, and the even-more-entitled-than-that Millinials at the entry level. And you people wonder why there's 10% unemployment and no private sector growth.
Regardless, this poses a quandry for your conventional bachelor. Simply;
THERE'S NO JOBS!
You also combine that with the fact that this latest recession has disproportionately affected men more than women to the point it's called the "mancession" it leaves a populus of bachelors out there looking to minimize expenses as much as possible. This drives American men NOT to go back home and live with mom at the age of 40 (like many of our southern European counterparts do), but rather shack up with other impoverished bachelors to pool resources and share expenses.
Now at first, most people would look at this and say, "My god, what a bad thing. How could this be happening?" But permit me a couple observations.
First, bachelors, if they're real tough, traditional American men, do not have their lives nor base their lives on their homestead. Their lives are defined by what they do OUTSIDE of their place of sleep. Ergo, a single male WHO HAS NO KIDS, does not call home "where he rests his head" but rather "home" is his network of friends, his hobbies and what defines him as a man. And whlie in our ignorant youth some of us may have thought a house in the suburbs with a June Cleaver wife (who was actually pretty hot by the way) was the "goal" as we've aged we've realized there's more to life than just doing what literally billions of people have done before us. And instead of having the majority of our finances tied up paying for a mortgage and family we can't afford, with minimal living expense and a lot of free time (thanks Barack!) we can now actaully pursue interests and hobbies that interest us. This is the key thing to Fort Bachelortude - trading labor for leisure. Since there are no jobs, if we can master the art of cost-minimalization, we can enjoy a higher standard of living at a much lower income in that we have all that much more free time.
Second, Fort Bachelortude is not a frat house. I'm not talking about a bunch of rowdy teenagers, getting drunk, living off of daddy's dime while they major in "business." I'm talking men in their 30's and 40's who can actually shack up without any drama or chaos about who left the puking donkey in the living room. Men who are forced to join Fort Bachelortude are much more mature and make any kind of traditional roomate dramas a thing of the past.
Thirdly, it forces bachelors to rethink what's really important in life. I know women are not going to like this, but men, you are a factor too. And not just any factor, a very important factor. Matter of fact a completely necessary factor in by that default you are 1/2 the factor. Your life and your happiness should come first as long as it does not expense or hurt somebody in the process. I know we've been trained to put family and household ahead of us, but please. That doctrine was established in the 40's and died once conventional feminism took hold. There is a whole world out there for you to explore, and as I mentioned before in point #1, you may be forced through divorce or dumping, combined with economic realities, to not just minimize expenses, but that you will also have a wake up call forced upon you. If you have such minimal resources to pay for your living, what are the most important things for you to spend your money on?
In other words, Fort Bachelortude is not just a means by which you get cheap rent and your landlord buddy gets beer money, it makes you take inventory of your life and ask how do you want to spend it.
Now the ramifications of this trend are very politically incorrect. Men just going and doing what they want? MEN abandoning the courting/dating/marrying market and pursuing hobbies of leisure? Men not walking up the isle and instead just renting a room in the basement of some other heathen bachelor while he plays video games all day???
Sadly (or perhaps maybe happily) yes.
For you see, men don't really have a choice. The economy has been feminized to the point safety is put ahead of any kind of innovation or production. Equality is more important than excellence. And harmony has replaced competition. This is not a welcoming environment to the traditional American male simply because it goes against a male's nature. And when this is the environment a male doesn't go forth and try to produce huge amounts of production or start up a new company or become the next Tony Stark, because...well...why should he? (First, he can't, second, you'd tax him to death) Instead, and this is the real threat to the conventional way American thinks, what if the real men of society, just plain gave up, decided to play video games, decided to minimize expenses, and never work hard again? What if they stopped marrying, working, and instead put their own happiness ahead of everybody else's and simply pursued a life of leisure and hobbies that they wanted? What would be the long term economic consequences if such a large percentage of the labor force just plain gave up or didn't try their best anymore?
I'll let that thought fester in your mind, in the meantime, doors are open at Fort Bachelortude. BYOB.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Non-Ivy League Observations
Was having an e-mail conversation with a student and noticed this might be worth posting;
"Yes, correct. I tune into CNBC every once in a while and I'm amazed how in general the gurus of Wall Street have horse blinders on. They look at financial statements, they look at balance sheets, they run their little models and they only look at the industry. They never go BEYOND the industry and incorporate the ecnomy.
What is ironic about this is (ESPECIALLY in the past 4 years) the majority of stock price movement has had NOTHING to do with individual companies, but rather the overall economy. Even with the housing bubble, subsequent crash, debt crises in Europe, these Wall Street drones just keep looking at the industry and drone on.
You could also see it in the build up to the housing market bubble. Economists such as Shiller, Roubini, not to mention my humble self, were trying to warn people and banks about the housing bubble, but all the TOP FINANCIAL GENIUSES AT THE TOP FINANCIAL FIRMS DIDN'T SEE IT COMING. I remember the chief risk officer of Merrill Lynch (I think) being interviewed by The Economist about 2007 and he was quoted as saying, "We looked forward, didn't see any risks to the economy." I was sitting there thinking, "How on earth did you NOT see any risks?"
Well, again the reason is they're trained as Ivy league MBA's to just do DCF, look at what they've always done and ignore the larger economic picture.
I'm afraid, given what I see on CNBC, these geniuses are still missing the boat. The larger economic threats are debt, a "perma-retirement" bubble in the stock market, and scloretic eocnomic growth that will impair entitlement programs in the future and undermine the entire retirement planning philosophy (ie-the stock market may not grow by 12.5% per year "like it always has.")
Of course, I don't have enough gray hair and went to just a Big 10 school, but your observations of where their analysis was lacking was indeed spot on."
Again, my services are available for the now failing, taxpayer-bailed-out bulge bracket investment banks who eschew those icky gross Non-Ivy-League commoners - at a premium of course.
"Yes, correct. I tune into CNBC every once in a while and I'm amazed how in general the gurus of Wall Street have horse blinders on. They look at financial statements, they look at balance sheets, they run their little models and they only look at the industry. They never go BEYOND the industry and incorporate the ecnomy.
What is ironic about this is (ESPECIALLY in the past 4 years) the majority of stock price movement has had NOTHING to do with individual companies, but rather the overall economy. Even with the housing bubble, subsequent crash, debt crises in Europe, these Wall Street drones just keep looking at the industry and drone on.
You could also see it in the build up to the housing market bubble. Economists such as Shiller, Roubini, not to mention my humble self, were trying to warn people and banks about the housing bubble, but all the TOP FINANCIAL GENIUSES AT THE TOP FINANCIAL FIRMS DIDN'T SEE IT COMING. I remember the chief risk officer of Merrill Lynch (I think) being interviewed by The Economist about 2007 and he was quoted as saying, "We looked forward, didn't see any risks to the economy." I was sitting there thinking, "How on earth did you NOT see any risks?"
Well, again the reason is they're trained as Ivy league MBA's to just do DCF, look at what they've always done and ignore the larger economic picture.
I'm afraid, given what I see on CNBC, these geniuses are still missing the boat. The larger economic threats are debt, a "perma-retirement" bubble in the stock market, and scloretic eocnomic growth that will impair entitlement programs in the future and undermine the entire retirement planning philosophy (ie-the stock market may not grow by 12.5% per year "like it always has.")
Of course, I don't have enough gray hair and went to just a Big 10 school, but your observations of where their analysis was lacking was indeed spot on."
Again, my services are available for the now failing, taxpayer-bailed-out bulge bracket investment banks who eschew those icky gross Non-Ivy-League commoners - at a premium of course.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
A Cartman Moment
There is no limit to the number of men and women I run into who upon finding out that I ballroom dance on the side are immediately intrigued and interested. I then say, "well, why don't you come out dancing with me and my friends? Or perhaps take a class?"
To which they predictably respond, "oh, well I don't know how to dance."
And thus I feel like Cartman talking to Butters in the episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft" (see here).
You see (ladies and gentlemen who are interested in dancing but then never take a dance class because you innately don't know how) you CAN'T LEARN TO DANCE UNLESS YOU EITHER TAKE A CLASS OR GO OUT AND TRY!!!
I file my complaint today primarily because of the lost amount of fun people could have if they just went out and at least TRIED dancing. They're missing out a great world simply because they somehow magically think all ballroom, swing and salsa dancers somehow were just born dancing and we never ever had to train or learn the basic steps in the first place. As if just after college, BOOM, the Magic Salsa Fairy took her wand and went "pwaaaaannng!!! You can now dance, Captain!"
The other reason I bring this up is for the younger men in the Capposphere. I have retired from the courtship/dating game and now never ask a girl I don't know to dance. And the reason is simple - they always say the same thing - "Well, I'd love to, but I don't know how?"
This you understand has happened at least a hundred times in my life. But understand the irony of it.
The Young (and highly accomplished ballroom-dancing) Captain, goes up to girl X. There is a nice open wood dance floor. There is a GREAT band playing. And everybody is dressed to the nines looking sharp.
I say to girl X, "Girl X, would you like to dance?"
She says "I'd love to, but I don't know how" to the ballroom dance INSTRUCTOR.
"Well I'll show you how to dance" says the ballroom dance INSTRUCTOR.
"Oh, well I don't know the moves." invariably says girl X.
"Yes, but that is why I would SHOW YOU THE MOVES" says the ballroom dance INSTRUCTOR.
By that time inevitably the situation deteriorates to a cackle of girls are wooing and giggling, pointing to one another jesting the other should dance with the "foolish" dance instructor, who leaves the table and takes with him what was a genuine and great opportunity for these girls to learn to dance.
So to the younger ballroom-dancing men in the Capposphere - don't bother asking girls to dance unless it is at a bonafide ballroom dance and they are bonafide dancers. You're just wasting your time.
Regardless, the overall lesson for the aspiring, junior, deputy, official or otherwise economists out there is to just try dancing ONCE. Go take a class, especially if you don't know how, because that's why you take a class. Or if you're particualrly shy, the Captain does sell instructional DVD's which you can practice to in the security and safety of your own home. And ladies, the dirty little secret of the ballroom dance world is that you don't even need to take a class because there is no limit to the number of men who like to use it as a means by which to hopefully get your number or pick you up.
Alas, I fear I shall still be Cartman in this regard.
To which they predictably respond, "oh, well I don't know how to dance."
And thus I feel like Cartman talking to Butters in the episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft" (see here).
You see (ladies and gentlemen who are interested in dancing but then never take a dance class because you innately don't know how) you CAN'T LEARN TO DANCE UNLESS YOU EITHER TAKE A CLASS OR GO OUT AND TRY!!!
I file my complaint today primarily because of the lost amount of fun people could have if they just went out and at least TRIED dancing. They're missing out a great world simply because they somehow magically think all ballroom, swing and salsa dancers somehow were just born dancing and we never ever had to train or learn the basic steps in the first place. As if just after college, BOOM, the Magic Salsa Fairy took her wand and went "pwaaaaannng!!! You can now dance, Captain!"
The other reason I bring this up is for the younger men in the Capposphere. I have retired from the courtship/dating game and now never ask a girl I don't know to dance. And the reason is simple - they always say the same thing - "Well, I'd love to, but I don't know how?"
This you understand has happened at least a hundred times in my life. But understand the irony of it.
The Young (and highly accomplished ballroom-dancing) Captain, goes up to girl X. There is a nice open wood dance floor. There is a GREAT band playing. And everybody is dressed to the nines looking sharp.
I say to girl X, "Girl X, would you like to dance?"
She says "I'd love to, but I don't know how" to the ballroom dance INSTRUCTOR.
"Well I'll show you how to dance" says the ballroom dance INSTRUCTOR.
"Oh, well I don't know the moves." invariably says girl X.
"Yes, but that is why I would SHOW YOU THE MOVES" says the ballroom dance INSTRUCTOR.
By that time inevitably the situation deteriorates to a cackle of girls are wooing and giggling, pointing to one another jesting the other should dance with the "foolish" dance instructor, who leaves the table and takes with him what was a genuine and great opportunity for these girls to learn to dance.
So to the younger ballroom-dancing men in the Capposphere - don't bother asking girls to dance unless it is at a bonafide ballroom dance and they are bonafide dancers. You're just wasting your time.
Regardless, the overall lesson for the aspiring, junior, deputy, official or otherwise economists out there is to just try dancing ONCE. Go take a class, especially if you don't know how, because that's why you take a class. Or if you're particualrly shy, the Captain does sell instructional DVD's which you can practice to in the security and safety of your own home. And ladies, the dirty little secret of the ballroom dance world is that you don't even need to take a class because there is no limit to the number of men who like to use it as a means by which to hopefully get your number or pick you up.
Alas, I fear I shall still be Cartman in this regard.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Oh am I Good
See, now it's legitimate. BEforehand I was just a crazy kook, now since the WSJ has ordained this as a possibility, I am a visionary.
Enjoy the Decline!
You mean all that monetary policy, low interest rates and stimulus hasn't made my house worth millions?
Enjoy the decline!
Enjoy the decline!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny, RAH RAH RAH!
I was going to write something intelligent and insightful and then I realized too high a percentage of the population is too damn stupid to listen to what I say anyway. That being said, I refuse to degrade myself to an American Idol level of stupidity and entertainment, so permit me to post this so those of you in the Capposphere may enjoy an intelligent yet entertaining post.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Fun Fed Charts!
Today's exciting economic charts are brought to you today by the US Federal Reserve!
Your thought of the day:
"How much lost economic production have we have lost because 10% of the labor force is unemployed
AND
not just unemployed, but unemployed for a longer period of time than ever recorded
AND
also considering the labor force participation rate is going down?"
Your thought of the day:
"How much lost economic production have we have lost because 10% of the labor force is unemployed
AND
not just unemployed, but unemployed for a longer period of time than ever recorded
AND
also considering the labor force participation rate is going down?"
Enjoy the decline!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Stock Market Valuation
Read the following as if you were a suburbanite young girl who always speaks as if she's asking a question;
So like, I think I should um, like invest in my 401k????
Becuase um, like the HR person said it was good thing to doooooo???
And, um like, I'll buy a stock and it will, like, you know, go up?????
Because that's what I've been told and everybody should be throwing their, um, hard earned money into the stock market because the government said we should???
But then again, never listen to me. What do I know.
So like, I think I should um, like invest in my 401k????
Becuase um, like the HR person said it was good thing to doooooo???
And, um like, I'll buy a stock and it will, like, you know, go up?????
Because that's what I've been told and everybody should be throwing their, um, hard earned money into the stock market because the government said we should???
But then again, never listen to me. What do I know.
Wells Fargo Wouldn't Do That Now Would They?
I remember my youth working at Wells Fargo where the text on my computer screen was green. I also remember having to print off reports on a DOT MATRIX COMPUTER. We would then fax these reports long distance to bankers in far away lands. This was the year 1998 when not only did laser printers exist, but so did scanners and this new-fangled thing called "e-mail" with brand "Attachment Capability."
I was foolish enough to suggest that they spend some money on some new PC's, have the IT set everybody up with e-mail, get a couple scanners and we could save some money and time. I also did a NPV calculation to prove how much it would increase not just the net worth of the company, but for each share.
I was summarily told I did not run the company and I was to get back to data entry and filing.
Later that year the bank closed down that branch and fired everybody, but not before I quit and went back to working security at nights (which is a great job by the way because nobody is around to bicker and moan about how you do your job).
Good to see Wells Fargo still has great minds at work for them.
I was foolish enough to suggest that they spend some money on some new PC's, have the IT set everybody up with e-mail, get a couple scanners and we could save some money and time. I also did a NPV calculation to prove how much it would increase not just the net worth of the company, but for each share.
I was summarily told I did not run the company and I was to get back to data entry and filing.
Later that year the bank closed down that branch and fired everybody, but not before I quit and went back to working security at nights (which is a great job by the way because nobody is around to bicker and moan about how you do your job).
Good to see Wells Fargo still has great minds at work for them.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Consult the Captain
Hello fellow Aspiring, Junior, Deputy, Official or otherwise Economists!
As you know your beloved Captain is gifted with Super-Awesome Economic Genius. And as you know your humble Captain dispenses this Super-Awesome Economic Genius on a regular basis on this here blog. However, a couple of you have recently contracted the Captain out for specific or unique consulting projects which has prompted him to officially offer his consulting services to anybody who may be in need.
The range of services can entail anything from general personal financial advice to specific and unique corporate projects. Most of it has been personal financial advice to help navigate and prepare for these difficult economic times, but as you've seen from the blog we here at the Capposphere cover pretty much everything.
Pricing is done on a project by project basis, and yes, the Captain is going to charge enough to make it worth his while. However, it will be nowhere near as pricey as Bain, McKinsey or Accenture and it will be infinitely better (simply on account they do not have Super Awesome Economic Genius, let alone independent thought).
So shoot the ole Captain an e-mail if you have a question or a problem that needs resolving and we'll see if we can't help you out!
CAPTcapitalism - a.t. - yahoo dot com
As you know your beloved Captain is gifted with Super-Awesome Economic Genius. And as you know your humble Captain dispenses this Super-Awesome Economic Genius on a regular basis on this here blog. However, a couple of you have recently contracted the Captain out for specific or unique consulting projects which has prompted him to officially offer his consulting services to anybody who may be in need.
The range of services can entail anything from general personal financial advice to specific and unique corporate projects. Most of it has been personal financial advice to help navigate and prepare for these difficult economic times, but as you've seen from the blog we here at the Capposphere cover pretty much everything.
Pricing is done on a project by project basis, and yes, the Captain is going to charge enough to make it worth his while. However, it will be nowhere near as pricey as Bain, McKinsey or Accenture and it will be infinitely better (simply on account they do not have Super Awesome Economic Genius, let alone independent thought).
So shoot the ole Captain an e-mail if you have a question or a problem that needs resolving and we'll see if we can't help you out!
CAPTcapitalism - a.t. - yahoo dot com
Friday, June 11, 2010
Where the Hell Have You Been?
Really, it takes the MSM this long to finally start asking these questions?
Yes, Where Will They Find the Money to Cut?
I love how the government (at varying levels) claim "we've already cut everything down to the bone."
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Tuition
I wonder how much tuition would drop by if we ended all the worthless programs that give the kiddies worthless degrees and just left engineering, accounting and the sciences at the U of MN.
Of course this is laughable because it's little Susie's and little Jimmy's right to go to college, have their "college experience," while majoring in a hobby with no employment or productive prospects in the future, all while having it subsidized by the taxpayer.
Enjoy the decline!
Of course this is laughable because it's little Susie's and little Jimmy's right to go to college, have their "college experience," while majoring in a hobby with no employment or productive prospects in the future, all while having it subsidized by the taxpayer.
Enjoy the decline!
Monday, June 07, 2010
Go Back to Organizing Communities
I bet, I just bet, there's a lot of people ruing the fact that they not so much voted for this incompetent child, but that they got caught up in such frivolous tomfoolery as "nice pecs" and "hope and change."
I'll try to be as simple and direct as possible.
In the real world, you have real problems that require adult attention and action. And when you're nothing more than a trust fund baby brat, with no galvanizing, harsh, real world experiences-say like working to support yourself-, you (no matter what your age) are nothing more than a child faking it as long as possible before the population realizes you are not an adult and are supremely incompetent to handle any responsibility, especially the tonnage of responsibility known as the presidency of the United States.
And it must be a huge blow to the ego to realize the only reason you're president is because society has degraded to such a point that a bunch of dolts watching "American Idol" who thought you had nice pecs and were "cool" voted for you quite simply on those grounds.
Regardless, enjoy the decline! I'm going fishing!
I'll try to be as simple and direct as possible.
In the real world, you have real problems that require adult attention and action. And when you're nothing more than a trust fund baby brat, with no galvanizing, harsh, real world experiences-say like working to support yourself-, you (no matter what your age) are nothing more than a child faking it as long as possible before the population realizes you are not an adult and are supremely incompetent to handle any responsibility, especially the tonnage of responsibility known as the presidency of the United States.
And it must be a huge blow to the ego to realize the only reason you're president is because society has degraded to such a point that a bunch of dolts watching "American Idol" who thought you had nice pecs and were "cool" voted for you quite simply on those grounds.
Regardless, enjoy the decline! I'm going fishing!
Minnesota
At the 6:40 mark you can insert "until the unions ruined it and now nobody is employed in Hibbing."
Friday, June 04, 2010
A Home Work Assignment for Any Cappy Cap Reader That Wants It
Driving around the Lake Minnetonka area today because, well, what else do you do on a 78 degree day when there is no work to do and while listening to the news I slowly saw the Dow drop 100, 200 and then 300 points and then had an interesting thought.
"Based on the number of retirees, pensioners, present and future, and considering the amount of money being invested in the stock market, and based on average life expectancies and cost of living requirements, how much will the stock market have to go up by in order for traditional retirement plans to succeed?"
In all of my studies and research there was always that 8-9% annualized price appreciation in the stock market that was assumed to go on into perpetuity. With the collapse in long term economic growth, what if the entirety of Americans relying upon their 401k's and IRA's, just plain don't get 8-9%? What if it's going to be something more like 5-6%, or maybe like Japan, 0 to -2% for the next 20 years?
Regardless, I am curious what the "Dow would have to be" in order for everybody's retirement plan to work out the way it's supposed to. If somebody wants to take a crack at it (on account that I am lazy) I would certainly be interested in seeing the numbers as well as the methodology.
And then I will laugh heartily when we see how egregiously and impossibly high that number is compared to the reality of American economic productive capacity.
"Based on the number of retirees, pensioners, present and future, and considering the amount of money being invested in the stock market, and based on average life expectancies and cost of living requirements, how much will the stock market have to go up by in order for traditional retirement plans to succeed?"
In all of my studies and research there was always that 8-9% annualized price appreciation in the stock market that was assumed to go on into perpetuity. With the collapse in long term economic growth, what if the entirety of Americans relying upon their 401k's and IRA's, just plain don't get 8-9%? What if it's going to be something more like 5-6%, or maybe like Japan, 0 to -2% for the next 20 years?
Regardless, I am curious what the "Dow would have to be" in order for everybody's retirement plan to work out the way it's supposed to. If somebody wants to take a crack at it (on account that I am lazy) I would certainly be interested in seeing the numbers as well as the methodology.
And then I will laugh heartily when we see how egregiously and impossibly high that number is compared to the reality of American economic productive capacity.
Enjoy the Decline!
Hey, look at that booming economy!
Anybody want to join me for a scotch on the top floor of the Titanic?
Anybody want to join me for a scotch on the top floor of the Titanic?
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Or Courtney Munna Could Have Just Read This
I don't know how much clearer I can make it. (or if you prefer paperback, here)
But then again, reality doesn't matter. It's what you want to do and what your heart tells you and that's all that matters. I'm sure majoring in communications will land you a job somewhere.
If you want to see denial (or just an outright lack of spine on the part of people telling Courtney the reason she doesn't have a job is because she majored in a worthless subject) just read the comments here. It's amazing and appalling the sheer ignorance these people display.
But then again, reality doesn't matter. It's what you want to do and what your heart tells you and that's all that matters. I'm sure majoring in communications will land you a job somewhere.
If you want to see denial (or just an outright lack of spine on the part of people telling Courtney the reason she doesn't have a job is because she majored in a worthless subject) just read the comments here. It's amazing and appalling the sheer ignorance these people display.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
The $64,000 Question Is...
Will people now change their minds and realize this was a cowardly attempt by terrorists, guised under noble, humanitarian clothing to smuggle weapons in (and thus in part admit there is now a desire of lefter leaning elements to combined forces with terrorism) and therefore condemn it
or
Will they refuse to admit they're wrong and tacitly support terrorism because their leftist ideology blinds them from any kind of capacity for intellectual honesty
or
They will cowardly claim this report is false and that the Israeli's made it up.
It is a very important question because it's going to test whether people (primarily of the lefter persuasion) can set aside their ideologies and as adults acknowledge they were wrong and condemn terrorism or if their ideology is so strong they will still maintain their positions and thus tacitly APPROVE OF TERRORISM.
I shall now sit back and watch this unfold like a movie, much like a did the housing crash, without an utter care or concern because simply it's a lost cause and life is too short to worry about things you don't control. So, enjoy the decline!
or
Will they refuse to admit they're wrong and tacitly support terrorism because their leftist ideology blinds them from any kind of capacity for intellectual honesty
or
They will cowardly claim this report is false and that the Israeli's made it up.
It is a very important question because it's going to test whether people (primarily of the lefter persuasion) can set aside their ideologies and as adults acknowledge they were wrong and condemn terrorism or if their ideology is so strong they will still maintain their positions and thus tacitly APPROVE OF TERRORISM.
I shall now sit back and watch this unfold like a movie, much like a did the housing crash, without an utter care or concern because simply it's a lost cause and life is too short to worry about things you don't control. So, enjoy the decline!
Today's Idiot Is...
You have to read down a bit to find out why this moron is out $100,000 and unlikely to ever pay it back.
The crusade against worthless degrees will continue.
The crusade against worthless degrees will continue.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Three Blind Mice
Imagine the smile on the Captain's face when he saw not one, not two, but THREE banks he had approached before regarding having him do their loan analysis for them mentioned in this little article.
Now if only...ah, never mind. You know the rest of it.
Now if only...ah, never mind. You know the rest of it.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Big Oil vs. Big Banks
I'll send somebody a shinny new nickel if they can explain to me that when BP screws up we make sure they pay every dime in damages, but if a bank screws up we bail them out with taxpayer money.
Rita Wilson
I love how they use children to extort money from the taxpayer.
Yes, won't somebody please think of the children.
Another question is would you really want this woman teaching your child in any subject, simply because what kind of warped ethics would she be teaching them?
Yes, won't somebody please think of the children.
Another question is would you really want this woman teaching your child in any subject, simply because what kind of warped ethics would she be teaching them?
Steve Wynn
My new hero.
Of the many things I like in it those that I like the most;
1. He's essentially shorting America by investing in its vices. Spend money you don't have, sex, live for the moment. He'll be the one with the cash after it's all said and done.
2. He finds it easier to deal with the Chinese government than the US government.
3. His quip on EBITDA. EBITDA, for those of you without the benefit of an accounting degree is your "Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization."
This measure is basically the most liberal and handicapped measure of a company's profits because (as far as lenders are concerned) this is the amount a company has to pay any loans that are made to it - the money you have before you pay out interest, taxes and account for depreciation and amortization.
I've never liked the concept of depreciation and amortization. I do understand the "matching" principle of accounting in that you spread out the cost of long term fixed assets to match the overall expense with the revenue it helps generate over the years, but for larger companies that are always buying fixed assets to replace the old ones, would simply expensing your purchases outright really make any difference between your cash flow and net income.
I also have a distaste for EBITDA because it was always used by bankers as the measure to see how much debt a company could afford. LITERALLY ignoring the fact the company would have to spend some money SOMETIME in order to keep its operations going. So if you based your loan on the amount EBITDA showed, you were pretty much guaranteed to be lending beyond the payback capacity of the borrower.
Alas, it was these sort of "rocking the boat" observations that attracted the criticism of my now insolvent previous employers, but as Steve Wynn has pointed out the "City Center" project which was financed by the likes of my previous employers, is belly up and bankrupt.
Of the many things I like in it those that I like the most;
1. He's essentially shorting America by investing in its vices. Spend money you don't have, sex, live for the moment. He'll be the one with the cash after it's all said and done.
2. He finds it easier to deal with the Chinese government than the US government.
3. His quip on EBITDA. EBITDA, for those of you without the benefit of an accounting degree is your "Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization."
This measure is basically the most liberal and handicapped measure of a company's profits because (as far as lenders are concerned) this is the amount a company has to pay any loans that are made to it - the money you have before you pay out interest, taxes and account for depreciation and amortization.
I've never liked the concept of depreciation and amortization. I do understand the "matching" principle of accounting in that you spread out the cost of long term fixed assets to match the overall expense with the revenue it helps generate over the years, but for larger companies that are always buying fixed assets to replace the old ones, would simply expensing your purchases outright really make any difference between your cash flow and net income.
I also have a distaste for EBITDA because it was always used by bankers as the measure to see how much debt a company could afford. LITERALLY ignoring the fact the company would have to spend some money SOMETIME in order to keep its operations going. So if you based your loan on the amount EBITDA showed, you were pretty much guaranteed to be lending beyond the payback capacity of the borrower.
Alas, it was these sort of "rocking the boat" observations that attracted the criticism of my now insolvent previous employers, but as Steve Wynn has pointed out the "City Center" project which was financed by the likes of my previous employers, is belly up and bankrupt.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Bachelor Budget
Many years ago, when the Captain was but a wee private, he put himself through college working at the campus police department doing campus security. It paid $6.90 and after three years and several promotions he was making $9.10 per hour.
I worked full time while going to school full time, but not once did I ever make more than $20,000 in any given year. However, I didn't need to, because by the end of my college days I had a surplus of $6,000 (which I bought a converitble with to celebrate finishing college). And while there has no doubt been inflation over the past 15 years, this spartan existence behooves the question;
"What is the absolute minimal amount a single person can live on today?"
I ask the question because whereas 15 years ago your young and naive Captain had dreams of working hard and establishing a long and successful career, observations of mortality and a limited life starts to make one think how does one spend their finite time on this planet. You throw in a recession, a-soon-to-be overall tax rate of 40%, the increasing likelihood Roth/401k's/IRA's will be rescinded and nationalized, and a general deteriorating future for the country it's like being the navigator on the Titanic. Inevitably you should give up trying to convince the captain to change course and just pony up to the bar and get the finest bottle of scotch.
Thus some back-of-napkin calculations to find out what, if necessary, is the absolute minimal a single person can live off of and pursue a life of leisure fully intending to maximize their free time on this planet and not to build up an estate or empire.
My estimate is in today's dollars $16,200 in annual income should cover every bachelor's basic desires and needs. This of course assumes several things;
1. Never a new car, always used.
2. Liability insurance only
3. No children
4. Catastrophic insurance only
5. No traditional "$25,000" wedding should he/she get married.
6. Living in an area that is NOT New York or San Francisco or some other expensive area to live
7. Roomate or a cheap one bedroom apartment
Now I am being serious here because I want to make sure I've caught everything. Do any of the Cappy Cap readers see something in my budget that is missing? The reason for my adamancy is because if we can calculate a precise number, then it will allow people to look at their personal finances, see if they can live on that amount, and if so, then weigh whether a life of slaving away for $60,000, $35,000 net, not to mention the standard corporate political BS that comes with it and complimentary high blood pressure and 2 hour commute, is a better existence than working some night time security job for $18,000 a year and fishing and reading books.
"Where are We Going?"
A colleague of mine asked and I thought this e-mail might be of some humor and entertainment;
Without going into detail, I predict a general decline ala Japan from 1989 to today. YOu will see the "Herbivore" movement in Japan come to the US and (gender politics set aside) men just frankly leave their traditional roles which will have large implications for future economic growth as well as stagnation in corporate profits and thus stock prices. This decrease in economic growth, combined with a decrease in asset prices is going to impair and underfund not just private pensions, but 401k's IRA's and 457's. Spending commitments made by Obama will essentially make the future so uncertain and taxes so likely that everybody, regardless of gender, will be less incented to work. Productive, hard working people who would have normally bred future generations of workers will opt for vasectomies instead and choose a life of leisure over work. This will bode ill for current and future pensioneers who were relying upon others to essentially work for them and pay for their retirement, not to mention health care. Nothing will change until the younger generations get a rude awakening that "unfortunately, yes little Jimmy, you do actually have to produce something of value in order for society to succeed, let alone, survive," but this lesson will be delayed as the rest of the world panics and throws money into the US dollar as a flight to safety simply because its "the US" permitting us to borrow more money and live the Barbie World lifestyle where we produce nothing, but buy everything as if the US was one big shopping mall. Financial crisis inevitably ensues, Keynesian fiscal stimulus never works, economy collapses and now people will finally have the free time to study economics and figure out how we got there in the first place because nobody will have jobs.
And everybody will blame Bush.
Without going into detail, I predict a general decline ala Japan from 1989 to today. YOu will see the "Herbivore" movement in Japan come to the US and (gender politics set aside) men just frankly leave their traditional roles which will have large implications for future economic growth as well as stagnation in corporate profits and thus stock prices. This decrease in economic growth, combined with a decrease in asset prices is going to impair and underfund not just private pensions, but 401k's IRA's and 457's. Spending commitments made by Obama will essentially make the future so uncertain and taxes so likely that everybody, regardless of gender, will be less incented to work. Productive, hard working people who would have normally bred future generations of workers will opt for vasectomies instead and choose a life of leisure over work. This will bode ill for current and future pensioneers who were relying upon others to essentially work for them and pay for their retirement, not to mention health care. Nothing will change until the younger generations get a rude awakening that "unfortunately, yes little Jimmy, you do actually have to produce something of value in order for society to succeed, let alone, survive," but this lesson will be delayed as the rest of the world panics and throws money into the US dollar as a flight to safety simply because its "the US" permitting us to borrow more money and live the Barbie World lifestyle where we produce nothing, but buy everything as if the US was one big shopping mall. Financial crisis inevitably ensues, Keynesian fiscal stimulus never works, economy collapses and now people will finally have the free time to study economics and figure out how we got there in the first place because nobody will have jobs.
And everybody will blame Bush.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
How William Shatner Could Reform Health Care More than Obama
So I apply for health insurance online because the Captain is one of those swashbuckling, self employed entrepreneur types that answers to no one, drives a motorcycle, calls his own shots, and ultimately as a result of his non-conformance has to get his own catastrophic health insurance.
I shopped online at esurance and noticed the application process was nearly identical to looking for hotels and flights. The only difference was that unlike Hotels.com, you can't "name your own price."
Thus I wish I had the Priceline Negotiator with The Big Deal backing me up when I got my quote.
It was a fair quote, but I noticed the one sidedness of it all. I either had to accept or not. There was no way for me to talk to the underwriter and say, "look, I use tobacco, but it's a cigar every 2 months. I'm not smoking a pack a day, cut me a deal or I'll go look elsewhere."
Alas, this option does not exist. However, if it did, I wonder what effect it would have on health insurance prices? Not that there are a lot of margins to be squeezed out of the insurance industry, but by simply having The Negotiator and The Big Deal on your side, perhaps some savings, or at least cost control would be realized.
I shopped online at esurance and noticed the application process was nearly identical to looking for hotels and flights. The only difference was that unlike Hotels.com, you can't "name your own price."
Thus I wish I had the Priceline Negotiator with The Big Deal backing me up when I got my quote.
It was a fair quote, but I noticed the one sidedness of it all. I either had to accept or not. There was no way for me to talk to the underwriter and say, "look, I use tobacco, but it's a cigar every 2 months. I'm not smoking a pack a day, cut me a deal or I'll go look elsewhere."
Alas, this option does not exist. However, if it did, I wonder what effect it would have on health insurance prices? Not that there are a lot of margins to be squeezed out of the insurance industry, but by simply having The Negotiator and The Big Deal on your side, perhaps some savings, or at least cost control would be realized.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Liberal Arts Majors Get Hit Upside the Head By Reality
This is absolutely priceless.
It's a 30 minute long podcast from NPR and basically it's the host taking calls from listeners, specifically, recent college graduates to tell him about their current job prospects.
It's a lengthy broadcast, but if you have the time I suggest downloading it because you will get a good guffaw out of it.
In any case, allow me three quick points;
1. The only people calling in are liberal arts majors who cannot find jobs. This unto itself makes it worth listening to, but what is really great is how the host and guests cannot get up the gumption to tell these children their degrees are worthless. The hiring expert users terms like "that's one of the weaker degrees for the current labor market." I especially like how they explain to the "environmental science" major how green jobs are not there for her.
2. They then turn their attention to the employment gap between minorities and whites. And instead of actually helping out minorities by pointing out a disproportionate number of them major in fields that are not in demand, they lie and say, "they don't know" why there is an employment gap. Their cowardice angers me because if you really cared about helping out minorities you would grow a spine and tell them they should major in engineering and computers. But no, that would be "hurting their feelings" and we can't have any of that tough fatherly love (no matter how much it would help out our fellow minority brothers and sisters) now can we?
3. At the tail end, what do you suppose the solution is they recommend? Federal government intervention.
Ah, liberal arts majors and the adults who lie to them.
If only they read my book first. It could have all been avoided.
It's a 30 minute long podcast from NPR and basically it's the host taking calls from listeners, specifically, recent college graduates to tell him about their current job prospects.
It's a lengthy broadcast, but if you have the time I suggest downloading it because you will get a good guffaw out of it.
In any case, allow me three quick points;
1. The only people calling in are liberal arts majors who cannot find jobs. This unto itself makes it worth listening to, but what is really great is how the host and guests cannot get up the gumption to tell these children their degrees are worthless. The hiring expert users terms like "that's one of the weaker degrees for the current labor market." I especially like how they explain to the "environmental science" major how green jobs are not there for her.
2. They then turn their attention to the employment gap between minorities and whites. And instead of actually helping out minorities by pointing out a disproportionate number of them major in fields that are not in demand, they lie and say, "they don't know" why there is an employment gap. Their cowardice angers me because if you really cared about helping out minorities you would grow a spine and tell them they should major in engineering and computers. But no, that would be "hurting their feelings" and we can't have any of that tough fatherly love (no matter how much it would help out our fellow minority brothers and sisters) now can we?
3. At the tail end, what do you suppose the solution is they recommend? Federal government intervention.
Ah, liberal arts majors and the adults who lie to them.
If only they read my book first. It could have all been avoided.
Dow 8,000
A new twist I hadn't factored into my Dow 8,000 prediction was the risk of war on the Korean peninsula. Regardless, enjoy the decline!
Monday, May 24, 2010
You Mean We Have to Grow Up and Be Adults
Seriously, this article should be titled, "Europe realizes it has to grow up and become an adult."
I grow so tired of trying to explain the simple concept that in order to have such luxurious benefits a country must produce an insane amount of wealth and production in order to have the tax base to raise such a infantile-dream level of benefits. I then get enraged when I hear not only people my age (35) but people who should know better (50 year olds) dismiss it as "right wing talk" as well as dismiss all my research and experience and a triffle with youth and a cute childish experiment in economics. But then I have to tell myself;
"Cappy, Cappy, now come on now. You told yourself you were going to ignore this and just hunt fossils and go fishing and play Bio Shock 2 and purposely force yourself to enjoy life. You can't let the ignorant people of the country get you down. Besides, you don't have any kids and you are not encumbered by any real financial obligation. And even though becoming the world's next best and highly paid economist will be a never-realized dream, the next best option is to barely work and head out to North Dakota and Wyoming on multiple fossil hunting expeditions. Nobody is going to listen to you now. Nobody is going to listen to you tomorrow. But someday, when they've slaved away, socking hundreds of thousands of dollars into an IRA account, only to have it confiscated by the government they voted into office, you will bit sitting there pretty with over 4 decades of fishing, fossil hunting and video gaming under your belt asking them the ultimate question in economics;
"Did you spend your finite time on this planet wisely?"
I shall now go ride my motorcycle and NOT contribute to GDP today.
I grow so tired of trying to explain the simple concept that in order to have such luxurious benefits a country must produce an insane amount of wealth and production in order to have the tax base to raise such a infantile-dream level of benefits. I then get enraged when I hear not only people my age (35) but people who should know better (50 year olds) dismiss it as "right wing talk" as well as dismiss all my research and experience and a triffle with youth and a cute childish experiment in economics. But then I have to tell myself;
"Cappy, Cappy, now come on now. You told yourself you were going to ignore this and just hunt fossils and go fishing and play Bio Shock 2 and purposely force yourself to enjoy life. You can't let the ignorant people of the country get you down. Besides, you don't have any kids and you are not encumbered by any real financial obligation. And even though becoming the world's next best and highly paid economist will be a never-realized dream, the next best option is to barely work and head out to North Dakota and Wyoming on multiple fossil hunting expeditions. Nobody is going to listen to you now. Nobody is going to listen to you tomorrow. But someday, when they've slaved away, socking hundreds of thousands of dollars into an IRA account, only to have it confiscated by the government they voted into office, you will bit sitting there pretty with over 4 decades of fishing, fossil hunting and video gaming under your belt asking them the ultimate question in economics;
"Did you spend your finite time on this planet wisely?"
I shall now go ride my motorcycle and NOT contribute to GDP today.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Dow 8,000
Another post in my series "Dow 8,000"
Apparently the "Puppies and Flowers and Unicorns" fiscal policy isn't working. Who would have thought!
Apparently the "Puppies and Flowers and Unicorns" fiscal policy isn't working. Who would have thought!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
GM Payback
This math reminds me of the good ole days when a client would have one LLC hemorrhaging money, but another LLC that was just squeaking by on profitability. Of course overall his entire business was losing money, but we were supposed to make the loan to the one profitable LLC and ignore his collapsing "business empire."
Ahhhhh, fuzzy accounting.
Ahhhhh, fuzzy accounting.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Dow 8,000
I will say it again for the cheap seats;
Based on corporate earnings the Dow should be trading around 8,000.
But (to quote Michael Savage) "You don't want to hear about this. You want to hear about some guy who hits a ball over a fence."
Based on corporate earnings the Dow should be trading around 8,000.
But (to quote Michael Savage) "You don't want to hear about this. You want to hear about some guy who hits a ball over a fence."
Friday, May 07, 2010
The Ivy League Bubble
Your Captain is largely self-employed. It is because of this he greatly appreciates your contributions. However, because of his self-employed nature (and his rebellious psychological handicaps which prevent him from becoming a cubicle slave), he needs to put food on the table and therefore has to come up with new ideas and ventures. Most of these (like his attempts to court women) fail. But because of the sheer volume of attempts made, I do inevitably succeed (in both work and the ladies).
However, your Captain is working on something very big. And by very big, I mean Gru attempting to steal the moon big. If funding is received for it, I will have to employ people and executives and probably a lot of them, however;
NONE of them will be Ivy League graduates.
And NONE of them will be MBA's.
The reason why is so blatantly obviously, that perhaps it needs explaining.
First, look at our beloved president. Barry is a Harvard graduate. Not a great marketing campaign. "Hey, look, I graduated from Harvard! I'm so smart, I spend $1.4 trillion more than we take in EVERY YEAR!"
Second, if you are on the other side of the political fence, Bush Jr also a Harvard graduate. Not a great marketing campaign. "Hey, daddy, give me money so I can run an oil company and a baseball team into the ground!"
Third, if you look at the
housing bubble
dotcom bubble
Savings and Loan scandal
Asian currency crisis
Enron and the accounting scandals
and pretty much every major economic disaster in recent history it is caused by two general groups of people;
Ivy league graduates
and
MBA's
(sometimes both)
Now who am I to claim this? I went to some crap state college and paid my way through. I don't make more than $30,000. What the hell do I know?
Well, I'm an entrepreneur. And like all entrepreneurs we fail miserably for the most part. But inevitably we break through with something. We come up with something that is so big, "it will blow this pyramid thing out of the water." And when we succeed, it is not GW taking his daddy's money and buying a baseball team. Nor is it Barry Hussein taking his grandmother's money and writing books about himself. It revolutionizes economies and entire industries and it is the Ivy leaguers that work for us. Not the other way around. And the reason why is that Ivy leaguers and MBA's are not trained to think or be creative, they're not even trained to obey. They are trained to work the system. They are trained to simply be one thing and one thing only;
Rent seekers.
Don't believe me?
Look at GE.
That entire corporation is pathetic to my smallish LLC. Why?
I don't need to force through legislation that the entirety of America buy my light bulbs. I produce something of value people want.
Goldman Sachs anyone? Matter of fact the entire bulge bracket. They can't get it up unless the government bails them out. Hmmm...so they hire from any place outside the Ivy League?
Look at all of K street. You think lobbyists exist because their company makes the best product the people want? No, they exist because corporations figured out it's more profitable for them to bribe elected officials to enact laws that give them an unfair advantage over their competitors. So instead of developing the latest and the greatest, it becomes fighting over the remains of a stagnant economy.
Of course what happens is the "old" economy while wrapped up on politicking and bribery and law suits, loses its creativity and vitality to the "new" economy where younger whipper snappers come up with ideas that obsolete the old economies, turning them into worthless bankrupt entities over night. Regardless, understand the MBA's and Ivy Leaguers can only exist and survive in a cronyistic and corrupt environment. And not only will those environments inevitable fall to new ones, the new industries that do come about are going to look at the Ivy League's "product" and MBA's and say, "Good lord, why in the Patron Saint's Name of Frick are we going to hire these charlatans?"
Thus the collapse of the education bubble, particularly the Ivy League.
Understand this and understand this well. It may not happen tonight. It may not happen tomorrow. But until MBA's and our precious "best of best" Ivy Leaguers start actually proving their worth (or perhaps just stop destroying the economy every 5 years or so), the real capitalists and entrepreneurs are going to get wise as to what a scam it is hiring these overpriced dolts. And when this epiphany hits (and also assuming our great Harvard-educated leader can get the economy growing significantly again - ha!) the demand for MBA's and Ivy legaue degrees will have so dried up, that the likes of Yale and Harvard are going to be synonymous with "The University of Phoenix" and "Rasmussen Business College."
Enjoy the decline!
However, your Captain is working on something very big. And by very big, I mean Gru attempting to steal the moon big. If funding is received for it, I will have to employ people and executives and probably a lot of them, however;
NONE of them will be Ivy League graduates.
And NONE of them will be MBA's.
The reason why is so blatantly obviously, that perhaps it needs explaining.
First, look at our beloved president. Barry is a Harvard graduate. Not a great marketing campaign. "Hey, look, I graduated from Harvard! I'm so smart, I spend $1.4 trillion more than we take in EVERY YEAR!"
Second, if you are on the other side of the political fence, Bush Jr also a Harvard graduate. Not a great marketing campaign. "Hey, daddy, give me money so I can run an oil company and a baseball team into the ground!"
Third, if you look at the
housing bubble
dotcom bubble
Savings and Loan scandal
Asian currency crisis
Enron and the accounting scandals
and pretty much every major economic disaster in recent history it is caused by two general groups of people;
Ivy league graduates
and
MBA's
(sometimes both)
Now who am I to claim this? I went to some crap state college and paid my way through. I don't make more than $30,000. What the hell do I know?
Well, I'm an entrepreneur. And like all entrepreneurs we fail miserably for the most part. But inevitably we break through with something. We come up with something that is so big, "it will blow this pyramid thing out of the water." And when we succeed, it is not GW taking his daddy's money and buying a baseball team. Nor is it Barry Hussein taking his grandmother's money and writing books about himself. It revolutionizes economies and entire industries and it is the Ivy leaguers that work for us. Not the other way around. And the reason why is that Ivy leaguers and MBA's are not trained to think or be creative, they're not even trained to obey. They are trained to work the system. They are trained to simply be one thing and one thing only;
Rent seekers.
Don't believe me?
Look at GE.
That entire corporation is pathetic to my smallish LLC. Why?
I don't need to force through legislation that the entirety of America buy my light bulbs. I produce something of value people want.
Goldman Sachs anyone? Matter of fact the entire bulge bracket. They can't get it up unless the government bails them out. Hmmm...so they hire from any place outside the Ivy League?
Look at all of K street. You think lobbyists exist because their company makes the best product the people want? No, they exist because corporations figured out it's more profitable for them to bribe elected officials to enact laws that give them an unfair advantage over their competitors. So instead of developing the latest and the greatest, it becomes fighting over the remains of a stagnant economy.
Of course what happens is the "old" economy while wrapped up on politicking and bribery and law suits, loses its creativity and vitality to the "new" economy where younger whipper snappers come up with ideas that obsolete the old economies, turning them into worthless bankrupt entities over night. Regardless, understand the MBA's and Ivy Leaguers can only exist and survive in a cronyistic and corrupt environment. And not only will those environments inevitable fall to new ones, the new industries that do come about are going to look at the Ivy League's "product" and MBA's and say, "Good lord, why in the Patron Saint's Name of Frick are we going to hire these charlatans?"
Thus the collapse of the education bubble, particularly the Ivy League.
Understand this and understand this well. It may not happen tonight. It may not happen tomorrow. But until MBA's and our precious "best of best" Ivy Leaguers start actually proving their worth (or perhaps just stop destroying the economy every 5 years or so), the real capitalists and entrepreneurs are going to get wise as to what a scam it is hiring these overpriced dolts. And when this epiphany hits (and also assuming our great Harvard-educated leader can get the economy growing significantly again - ha!) the demand for MBA's and Ivy legaue degrees will have so dried up, that the likes of Yale and Harvard are going to be synonymous with "The University of Phoenix" and "Rasmussen Business College."
Enjoy the decline!
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Monday, May 03, 2010
Commercial Bank Profits
Thought this chart would make those of you in the Capposphere a little smiley today.
Now imagine if banks were to have just paid the ole Captain a mere $10 billion to tell them not to make bad loans as a consulting fee.
Now imagine if banks were to have just paid the ole Captain a mere $10 billion to tell them not to make bad loans as a consulting fee.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
My Old Digs
Riverside Plaza is also affectionately known as "the Crack Stacks" or "Ghettos in the Sky."
It is also where your humble Captain resided for 2 years of his collegiate days.
It is your classical government/affordable housing project where somebody high on pot back in the 60's was given the architectural contract to make it look hideous and be an eye sore to the city's skyline.
All that being said I have fond memories of the Crack Stacks;
washing clothes in the bath tub because you couldn't trust your clothes to be washed in the public laundromat, not to mention it was 34 stories below my apartment
carrying 60 pounds of groceries in one shot because you didn't want to make multiple trips
running down 34 flights of stairs during a fire only to realize that if there ever was a real fire, everybody in the building would be doomed because the slow old people who live downstairs back up the stairwell like a Wisconsin driver hauling horses during rush hour on 494.
Looks like it's going to get an overhaul (of course with part of yours and my dimes), though sadly, the city will continue its rapid charge to become the next cold Detroit so it's kind of like grooming your dog before you put it to sleep.
It is also where your humble Captain resided for 2 years of his collegiate days.
It is your classical government/affordable housing project where somebody high on pot back in the 60's was given the architectural contract to make it look hideous and be an eye sore to the city's skyline.
All that being said I have fond memories of the Crack Stacks;
washing clothes in the bath tub because you couldn't trust your clothes to be washed in the public laundromat, not to mention it was 34 stories below my apartment
carrying 60 pounds of groceries in one shot because you didn't want to make multiple trips
running down 34 flights of stairs during a fire only to realize that if there ever was a real fire, everybody in the building would be doomed because the slow old people who live downstairs back up the stairwell like a Wisconsin driver hauling horses during rush hour on 494.
Looks like it's going to get an overhaul (of course with part of yours and my dimes), though sadly, the city will continue its rapid charge to become the next cold Detroit so it's kind of like grooming your dog before you put it to sleep.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Counter Boycott
I loathe the hypocrisy and intellectual dishonesty of the mayors of both San Fran and now St. Paul "boycotting" Arizona.
Yes, how dare we protect US sovereignty and have the slightest bit of self-respect for ourselves. I mean this isn't our country. It's the world's country.
Of course, this is nothing more than a dispicable level of hypocrisy to protect an illegal voting bloc, while they sacrifice the integrity and sovereignty of the nation (I particularly like how Coleman calls it "hate.")
Regardless, listen to your Captain and do me one huge favor.
Go here and look up a company that you have a need for and FREAKING buy something from them.
I know you didn't want to buy my book (sniff, sniff, guilt trip, guilt trip), but please make the Captain happy in thinking that he somehow caused a nation-wide phenomenon to boost Arizona's GSP and interstate exports by 300%.
Yes, how dare we protect US sovereignty and have the slightest bit of self-respect for ourselves. I mean this isn't our country. It's the world's country.
Of course, this is nothing more than a dispicable level of hypocrisy to protect an illegal voting bloc, while they sacrifice the integrity and sovereignty of the nation (I particularly like how Coleman calls it "hate.")
Regardless, listen to your Captain and do me one huge favor.
Go here and look up a company that you have a need for and FREAKING buy something from them.
I know you didn't want to buy my book (sniff, sniff, guilt trip, guilt trip), but please make the Captain happy in thinking that he somehow caused a nation-wide phenomenon to boost Arizona's GSP and interstate exports by 300%.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Effrontery
So I'm watching "Charge of the Light Brigade" and Errol Flynn just used the word "effrontery."
Meaning shameless boldness that is an insult to standard social decorum and propriety.
I shall try to incorporate it into my speech.
Meaning shameless boldness that is an insult to standard social decorum and propriety.
I shall try to incorporate it into my speech.
I Need a Doctor
Because my eyes just got stuck rolling in the back of my head.
Peter Schiff better run for president.
Peter Schiff better run for president.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Sun Chips
Your Captain grills a lot. And his friends bring over "Sun Chips" as a snack. Of course you can't ignore the boasting of their green credentials because all over the bag they brag about how the bag will naturally decompose and their sun chips are made with "100% natural sun." So you could imagine my happiness when I saw this on Sun Chip's banner advertisement on You Tube.
Apparently you can all upload what you did for Earth Day. It is subject to censorship...err..."moderation." We'll see how long Michael's stays up.
Apparently you can all upload what you did for Earth Day. It is subject to censorship...err..."moderation." We'll see how long Michael's stays up.
Happy Earth Day...I Think
I'm under the impression it's Earth Day or something today.
Whether it is or not, it's always a good day to drive your 8 cylinder car around. I have an old GM car, the tires on which are NOT inflated properly. I shall drive it.
I will go to the grocery store and ask them to double bag.
I will then burn the bags.
I will also grill a steak because cows emit carbon and to grill I will have to use fossil fuels to heat it.
Do your share to emit more carbon than the phonies claim to save.
Whether it is or not, it's always a good day to drive your 8 cylinder car around. I have an old GM car, the tires on which are NOT inflated properly. I shall drive it.
I will go to the grocery store and ask them to double bag.
I will then burn the bags.
I will also grill a steak because cows emit carbon and to grill I will have to use fossil fuels to heat it.
Do your share to emit more carbon than the phonies claim to save.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Great Ugly Jean Purging of 2010
Lo!
Your Captain, not only be wise in the world of economics, but is also an accomplished ballroom dancer, extraordinary video game player, fossil hunter extraordinaire and all around funny and amusing guy. And thus, your beloved Captain would have thought this would be enough to satiate the intellectual and romantic desires of his beloved Natasha.
However, unforeseable to your humble Captain, he walked right into a trap without knowing it. Oh, it started innocently enough, but little did he know what was in store for him.
It all started when thanks to President Obama both your Captain and Natasha had no real work to do for about 2 months. Besides which we were told we didn't have to worry about our mortgage or paying for gas any more, so off we went to Missouri for a 6 week vacation. A mere week before this I had come down with a nasty bout of poison ivy, and was thusly aware of what it looked like. However, eager to find fossils in Missouri, I pulled over my motorcycle when I saw a promising strata of rock, running up to it, only to realize I went through a 20 yard patch of poison ivy.
It then became a mission to immediately get rid of the jeans I was wearing and buy a new pair. Stopping at the local Pamida, I bought a nice, big, baggy pair of jeans, perfect for riding my motorcycle.
However, Natasha protested. Not that I would swap poison ivy infected jeans for clean ones, but that the others were too baggy and did not show off "my cute little butt" (her quote, not mine).
I dismissed this as typical foolish female tomfoolery as I thought all jeans were the same. Sure some might fit better, but it was merely a whim of preference of women that would ebb and flow every other day, surely to be ignored because of it's irrelevance.
Now fast forward 6 months where the Minnesota winter has been replaced with a VERY early and VERY wonderful spring, permitting me already to put over 3,000 miles on my motorcycle. Not only has the weather allowed for me to bring out my bike early, it has also allowed me to start my seasonal running early. Your Captain is already running his goal of 7 mile runs which he usually attains come mid-May. Combine this with the wonderful economic boom promised to us by Barack Obama, and your Captain has more free time due to a lack of work which he has now dedicated in part to lifting weights.
What does this have to do with the Great Ugly Jean Purging of 2010, you ask?
Well, the combination of lifting weights AND running has resulted in...um...shall we say, a very Cappy Cap physique. So much so that Natasha, IGNORING MY INTELLECT AND PERSONALITY TRAITS, has now taken a new-found and cheap affection for my physical looks! Discarding my great economic insights and wonderful personality, she now barks orders at me to "take off my shirt."
I feel so cheap and used!
However, simple demands that I take off my shirt are the least of the costs of the Captain's new bod. The Captain's wardrobe has taken a beating as well, specifically jeans.
I had, I HAD, a nice collection of nice comfy jeans. Perfect for any kind of activity. Fishing, motorcycle riding, wearing, you name it.
But oh, no. No more. Those jeans just won't due according to the illustrious Natasha. And ever since this early spring sprung, she has declared war on my "Ugly Jeans."
The purge started much like Stalin's purge of his military officers, except with more vengeance, aggression and hatred. I was TOLD that I was going to get rid of my ugly jeans and replace them with NEW, BETTER FITTING jeans.
To this I had no choice.
And so, much like 1982 where my mom would take me to Goodwill and I would try on some stranger's jeans, with the tugging and the pulling and hemming and the hawing, Natasha took me to Old Navy (that's where the cool hip kids go if you didn't know) to replace my Ugly Jeans with new, "sexy" jeans ("sexy" apparently meaning they look worn and tattered like my old jeans, but cost 3 times as much).
And thus, at the ripe old age of 35, your Captain now has sexy jeans. The ugly jeans have been bannished, burned or otherwise taken care of, and now I can't ride my motorcycle for more than 10 miles without having to constantly...um..."adjust."
So men, beware. If you ever decide to work out, run, tone up and just become more sexy than you already are, realize there are consequences. Your women will no longer desire you for your intelligent conversation, your wittiness, or your knowledge of economics. No, they will become carnivorous temptresses, demanding a constant display of your body accentuated by "sexy jeans." You will be their little doll so they can dress you up in clothes to meet their shallow, lewd whims. You will become nothing but a piece of meat for their eyes to devour!
And alas, there's nothing you can do but grin and bear it.
Your Captain, not only be wise in the world of economics, but is also an accomplished ballroom dancer, extraordinary video game player, fossil hunter extraordinaire and all around funny and amusing guy. And thus, your beloved Captain would have thought this would be enough to satiate the intellectual and romantic desires of his beloved Natasha.
However, unforeseable to your humble Captain, he walked right into a trap without knowing it. Oh, it started innocently enough, but little did he know what was in store for him.
It all started when thanks to President Obama both your Captain and Natasha had no real work to do for about 2 months. Besides which we were told we didn't have to worry about our mortgage or paying for gas any more, so off we went to Missouri for a 6 week vacation. A mere week before this I had come down with a nasty bout of poison ivy, and was thusly aware of what it looked like. However, eager to find fossils in Missouri, I pulled over my motorcycle when I saw a promising strata of rock, running up to it, only to realize I went through a 20 yard patch of poison ivy.
It then became a mission to immediately get rid of the jeans I was wearing and buy a new pair. Stopping at the local Pamida, I bought a nice, big, baggy pair of jeans, perfect for riding my motorcycle.
However, Natasha protested. Not that I would swap poison ivy infected jeans for clean ones, but that the others were too baggy and did not show off "my cute little butt" (her quote, not mine).
I dismissed this as typical foolish female tomfoolery as I thought all jeans were the same. Sure some might fit better, but it was merely a whim of preference of women that would ebb and flow every other day, surely to be ignored because of it's irrelevance.
Now fast forward 6 months where the Minnesota winter has been replaced with a VERY early and VERY wonderful spring, permitting me already to put over 3,000 miles on my motorcycle. Not only has the weather allowed for me to bring out my bike early, it has also allowed me to start my seasonal running early. Your Captain is already running his goal of 7 mile runs which he usually attains come mid-May. Combine this with the wonderful economic boom promised to us by Barack Obama, and your Captain has more free time due to a lack of work which he has now dedicated in part to lifting weights.
What does this have to do with the Great Ugly Jean Purging of 2010, you ask?
Well, the combination of lifting weights AND running has resulted in...um...shall we say, a very Cappy Cap physique. So much so that Natasha, IGNORING MY INTELLECT AND PERSONALITY TRAITS, has now taken a new-found and cheap affection for my physical looks! Discarding my great economic insights and wonderful personality, she now barks orders at me to "take off my shirt."
I feel so cheap and used!
However, simple demands that I take off my shirt are the least of the costs of the Captain's new bod. The Captain's wardrobe has taken a beating as well, specifically jeans.
I had, I HAD, a nice collection of nice comfy jeans. Perfect for any kind of activity. Fishing, motorcycle riding, wearing, you name it.
But oh, no. No more. Those jeans just won't due according to the illustrious Natasha. And ever since this early spring sprung, she has declared war on my "Ugly Jeans."
The purge started much like Stalin's purge of his military officers, except with more vengeance, aggression and hatred. I was TOLD that I was going to get rid of my ugly jeans and replace them with NEW, BETTER FITTING jeans.
To this I had no choice.
And so, much like 1982 where my mom would take me to Goodwill and I would try on some stranger's jeans, with the tugging and the pulling and hemming and the hawing, Natasha took me to Old Navy (that's where the cool hip kids go if you didn't know) to replace my Ugly Jeans with new, "sexy" jeans ("sexy" apparently meaning they look worn and tattered like my old jeans, but cost 3 times as much).
And thus, at the ripe old age of 35, your Captain now has sexy jeans. The ugly jeans have been bannished, burned or otherwise taken care of, and now I can't ride my motorcycle for more than 10 miles without having to constantly...um..."adjust."
So men, beware. If you ever decide to work out, run, tone up and just become more sexy than you already are, realize there are consequences. Your women will no longer desire you for your intelligent conversation, your wittiness, or your knowledge of economics. No, they will become carnivorous temptresses, demanding a constant display of your body accentuated by "sexy jeans." You will be their little doll so they can dress you up in clothes to meet their shallow, lewd whims. You will become nothing but a piece of meat for their eyes to devour!
And alas, there's nothing you can do but grin and bear it.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Dow 11,000
Because I am in general a financial "party pooper," bringing in and highlighting facts, that "no, I'm sorry Suburban Sue, your house is not worth that much and you shouldn't have taken out that HUGE home equity loan to pay for your child's "masters in communications" degree," it is therefore behooved upon me to point out yet another sad fact for those who are woefully financially ignorant (which is most of the population).
I know you're all giggity giggity about the Dow breaking 11,000. But sadly, nobody paid attention to that all important economic lesson - CASH FLOWS DRIVE MARKET PRICES.
You see, prices can go up and down all they want, whether they are actually worth that price depends on the cash profits those assets generation. So yes, you can be very happy the Dow is up to 11,000, but did corporate earnings go up by a proportional amount?
Well, here's your answer;
You see, the PE ratio of the US stock market (as measured by Prof. Robert Shiller) compares the price of a stock to its earnings. Historically this has averaged around a ratio of 15 - 15 dollars in stock price for every dollar in earnings. And after the stock market crashed due to the housing market, stocks were ever so briefly "accurately valued." Meaning they weren't a steal or a great buy, nor were they overpriced.
Of course, that lasted about as long as sanity usually lasts in the financial markets and stock prices once again rallied, driving the PE ratio up to 22.10.
What does this mean for you the average investor? Well, for those of you who religiously invest in your 401k or 403b, you better pay very close attention to the prices you're paying for those stocks and mutual funds. For younger investors, I don't even know why you would invest in a stock market when not only it's overvalued, but it's progressively likely your "Roth" IRA or 401k plan will simply be nationalized and taken over by the government (much like they did in Argentina) to fund unfundable entitlement programs.
But I know, I know, I'm shouting into a hurricane. Why ruin everybody's good time?
Let's just party because an index broke an arbitrary number like 11,000.
I know you're all giggity giggity about the Dow breaking 11,000. But sadly, nobody paid attention to that all important economic lesson - CASH FLOWS DRIVE MARKET PRICES.
You see, prices can go up and down all they want, whether they are actually worth that price depends on the cash profits those assets generation. So yes, you can be very happy the Dow is up to 11,000, but did corporate earnings go up by a proportional amount?
Well, here's your answer;
You see, the PE ratio of the US stock market (as measured by Prof. Robert Shiller) compares the price of a stock to its earnings. Historically this has averaged around a ratio of 15 - 15 dollars in stock price for every dollar in earnings. And after the stock market crashed due to the housing market, stocks were ever so briefly "accurately valued." Meaning they weren't a steal or a great buy, nor were they overpriced.
Of course, that lasted about as long as sanity usually lasts in the financial markets and stock prices once again rallied, driving the PE ratio up to 22.10.
What does this mean for you the average investor? Well, for those of you who religiously invest in your 401k or 403b, you better pay very close attention to the prices you're paying for those stocks and mutual funds. For younger investors, I don't even know why you would invest in a stock market when not only it's overvalued, but it's progressively likely your "Roth" IRA or 401k plan will simply be nationalized and taken over by the government (much like they did in Argentina) to fund unfundable entitlement programs.
But I know, I know, I'm shouting into a hurricane. Why ruin everybody's good time?
Let's just party because an index broke an arbitrary number like 11,000.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Wage Gap
Can an IT professional of the female persuasion please field this one?
With such intellectual dishonesty, the people at Newsweak wonder why their subscriptions are tanking.
With such intellectual dishonesty, the people at Newsweak wonder why their subscriptions are tanking.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Your Recession Medicine
I hear leading economic indicators are pointing to a recovery....well, not a GW circa 2002 economic recovery, but you know, actual positive growth in the private sector. In the meantime, enjoy the recession!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
"...and then I will take her to the theater."
Let me tell you about a foreign friend of mine. We'll call him "Jose" just to keep him anonymous.
Jose came to the US several years ago. Highly trained in computer networking, he stopped in on one of my dance classes to learn how to dance. At that time he was actively engaged in pursuing American women. While growing up in his home country, American women, as well as the American singles scene was so glamourized on TV and the movies that he too wanted to participate in this wonderful world. He started by going "clubbing" in Minneapolis' daycare center...err....I mean "hipster" area - Uptown. He failed miserably and thus changed tactics by taking classes from "pick up artists."
Here he had limited success. He did learn the basic rules of ignoring and being indifferent, "negging" and so forth, resulting in a fair amount of dates, but the problem was that he was at heart a traditional man. Yes he wanted to play the scene, but it was for the ultimate goal of finding a wife, settling down and having children.
Sadly the "singles scene" in Minneapolis is NOT designed to produce high quality marriage candidates.
Thus when he was stood up, 505025'd, strung along, or just plain dumped when he started asking about getting serious, he become frustrated. Realizing at the age of 35 what most American native males do around 25, that finding a quality marriable woman is laughably impossible, he sank into a deep depression as he saw his imaginary wife and little Joses fade away.
However there was an unexpected life line of hope. Jose flew to Eastern Europe to do some mountain climbing, where at a small motel he stayed there was a nice central European woman. She ran the bed and breakfast he was staying at, cooked him meals, EVEN CLEANED HIS CLOTHES, and well...you can imagine what happened from thereforth.
Now, after two years of semi-annual visits, and constant contact on the phone, Jose is on his way back to this former Soviet country to marry this girl and bring her back to the states. I was driving him to the airport and asked him, "So when she gets here, is she going to work, or are you guys going to work on a family right away?"
And he said, "Oh, no. She will not work. I will go and work and make the money. She will stay at home and keep the house in order and make meals and bring up the children. I will work all day, come home and then I will take her to the theater."
It was a beautiful statement because whereas today people have been brainwashed to believe a woman staying at home doing the "womanly duties" is nothing more than a slave to the man, the reality is that Jose really does love this girl.
And the reason why is that she is not going to be some "slave" that he comes home to and yells at, "where the hell's my dinner, woman?!" It's the beautiful division-of-labor idea that one person would work, the other would work at home, they would raise a family and then my buddy Jose would look forward to nothing more than coming home and taking his wife to the theater.
Of course, what do those stupid Latino's and dumb Eastern European morons know about love and marriage? Look at how neanderthal Jose is, let alone how naive his fiance is. Why, don't they know the pinnacle of marriage is to have TWO people working TWO, if not, THREE JOBS, while they outsource the upbringing of the children to the nanny, or pay higher taxes to the state educational system? They then rush home where no food has been prepared and the children are slowly alienated from their parents. Let's not forget that Mrs. Jones-Hyphenated-Smith needs to get her masters is child psychology so she can better understand why little Johnny set fire to the couch. And Mr. Smith better work really hard to buy all those toys his children want, not to mention baseball practice, volleyball, student council, debate and racquet ball. And he better work doubly hard to buy his wife that new SUV she NEEDS, otherwise, she may just have to file for divorce because there wasn't enough jewelry to reconcile their differences.
Obviously Jose does not know what he's doing.
Jose came to the US several years ago. Highly trained in computer networking, he stopped in on one of my dance classes to learn how to dance. At that time he was actively engaged in pursuing American women. While growing up in his home country, American women, as well as the American singles scene was so glamourized on TV and the movies that he too wanted to participate in this wonderful world. He started by going "clubbing" in Minneapolis' daycare center...err....I mean "hipster" area - Uptown. He failed miserably and thus changed tactics by taking classes from "pick up artists."
Here he had limited success. He did learn the basic rules of ignoring and being indifferent, "negging" and so forth, resulting in a fair amount of dates, but the problem was that he was at heart a traditional man. Yes he wanted to play the scene, but it was for the ultimate goal of finding a wife, settling down and having children.
Sadly the "singles scene" in Minneapolis is NOT designed to produce high quality marriage candidates.
Thus when he was stood up, 505025'd, strung along, or just plain dumped when he started asking about getting serious, he become frustrated. Realizing at the age of 35 what most American native males do around 25, that finding a quality marriable woman is laughably impossible, he sank into a deep depression as he saw his imaginary wife and little Joses fade away.
However there was an unexpected life line of hope. Jose flew to Eastern Europe to do some mountain climbing, where at a small motel he stayed there was a nice central European woman. She ran the bed and breakfast he was staying at, cooked him meals, EVEN CLEANED HIS CLOTHES, and well...you can imagine what happened from thereforth.
Now, after two years of semi-annual visits, and constant contact on the phone, Jose is on his way back to this former Soviet country to marry this girl and bring her back to the states. I was driving him to the airport and asked him, "So when she gets here, is she going to work, or are you guys going to work on a family right away?"
And he said, "Oh, no. She will not work. I will go and work and make the money. She will stay at home and keep the house in order and make meals and bring up the children. I will work all day, come home and then I will take her to the theater."
It was a beautiful statement because whereas today people have been brainwashed to believe a woman staying at home doing the "womanly duties" is nothing more than a slave to the man, the reality is that Jose really does love this girl.
And the reason why is that she is not going to be some "slave" that he comes home to and yells at, "where the hell's my dinner, woman?!" It's the beautiful division-of-labor idea that one person would work, the other would work at home, they would raise a family and then my buddy Jose would look forward to nothing more than coming home and taking his wife to the theater.
Of course, what do those stupid Latino's and dumb Eastern European morons know about love and marriage? Look at how neanderthal Jose is, let alone how naive his fiance is. Why, don't they know the pinnacle of marriage is to have TWO people working TWO, if not, THREE JOBS, while they outsource the upbringing of the children to the nanny, or pay higher taxes to the state educational system? They then rush home where no food has been prepared and the children are slowly alienated from their parents. Let's not forget that Mrs. Jones-Hyphenated-Smith needs to get her masters is child psychology so she can better understand why little Johnny set fire to the couch. And Mr. Smith better work really hard to buy all those toys his children want, not to mention baseball practice, volleyball, student council, debate and racquet ball. And he better work doubly hard to buy his wife that new SUV she NEEDS, otherwise, she may just have to file for divorce because there wasn't enough jewelry to reconcile their differences.
Obviously Jose does not know what he's doing.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Bachelor Pad Economics
For all the single, swinging bachelors out there, permit me a great bit of financial advice.
Clippers.
Drop the $35 on a good pair of clippers and you'll earn back your money easy within a month or two.
Now some of you will complain that you are not barbers, let alone self-styling ones, and therefore you will not be able to cut your own hair.
That is why you hence forth resign yourself to the buzz cut.
No doubt some of you will earn back your clippers in just one shaving in that you drop $35 on a hair cut. Others it will take 3 or 4 shaves if you go to a Great Clips to earn your clippers. Regardless, by a year's time going by, you'll certainly earn more than you did your 401k.
I have also found it a great way to get pampered by women who want to cut your hair.
Don't ask me how it works, I've learned long ago to stop asking why.
Clippers.
Drop the $35 on a good pair of clippers and you'll earn back your money easy within a month or two.
Now some of you will complain that you are not barbers, let alone self-styling ones, and therefore you will not be able to cut your own hair.
That is why you hence forth resign yourself to the buzz cut.
No doubt some of you will earn back your clippers in just one shaving in that you drop $35 on a hair cut. Others it will take 3 or 4 shaves if you go to a Great Clips to earn your clippers. Regardless, by a year's time going by, you'll certainly earn more than you did your 401k.
I have also found it a great way to get pampered by women who want to cut your hair.
Don't ask me how it works, I've learned long ago to stop asking why.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Ready the Vomit Bags
I promise that I will remain a male, defend my loved ones with my life, destroy enemies that threaten my loved ones, be charming and charismatic towards you, support myself, and work out and stay in shape. And if that ain't good enough for you, then I'm sure one of those lovely men above are available for courtship.
In the meantime, here's an alternative.
Now, on a serious note, ladies, who would you rather date? The guys above of the guy below? Make your responses in the comments section, and I shall make a chart.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Nice Charts
Something tells me "hope and change and flowers and chocolates" and in general wishful thinking and good thoughts is not going to solve this problem.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Not a Post
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Apparently It is Not Urban Legend
Didn't believe it until I actually saw it.
Of course, these were the days when we actually defended the country's sovereignty.
Of course, these were the days when we actually defended the country's sovereignty.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Instead of Going to the Movies...
you can just watch the trainwreck of a show that is about to happen.
If only there was somebody who saw it coming.
Heh.
If only there was somebody who saw it coming.
Heh.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
$20 Movie Ticket
The price of a movie ticket is going up.
I stopped going to movies about 3 years ago. I think I saw maybe, MAYBE 2 two movies last year (Gran Torino being one of them).
I've predicted in the past a decline in movie-going as hometheaters, combined with Netflix, not to mention modern-day parents who fail to keep their children quiet, drive people out of the theaters and into their home theaters, just like communism drives capital into tax havens.
But $11 for a regular show, not to mention $20 in New York City for A ticket? All so you can stand in line and listen to kids make noise while you view a screen from the far left corner of a theater? Yeah, that's going to help attendance.
You'll forgive me if I just sit in my finished basement with the LCD projector, surround sound, bean bag and a bottle of Jameson with Natasha in a nice little number under my arm.
I stopped going to movies about 3 years ago. I think I saw maybe, MAYBE 2 two movies last year (Gran Torino being one of them).
I've predicted in the past a decline in movie-going as hometheaters, combined with Netflix, not to mention modern-day parents who fail to keep their children quiet, drive people out of the theaters and into their home theaters, just like communism drives capital into tax havens.
But $11 for a regular show, not to mention $20 in New York City for A ticket? All so you can stand in line and listen to kids make noise while you view a screen from the far left corner of a theater? Yeah, that's going to help attendance.
You'll forgive me if I just sit in my finished basement with the LCD projector, surround sound, bean bag and a bottle of Jameson with Natasha in a nice little number under my arm.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
International Corporate Tax Rate Comparison
Hey Kids!
Want some fun excitement and craziness in your day!?
Want to be the cool guy on the block that impresses all the girls???
Want to be able to be the one kid in the entire college that might actually know what he or she is talking about?
Then learn your corporate tax rates!
Yes, corporate tax rates!
It's what all the cool young hipsters are learning!
------------------
On a more serious note, sadly corporate taxes are the silver bullet to end this recession. You eliminate them you not only bring a flood of investment and capital into the US, but you also immediately boost stock prices and recapitalize people's pensions, 403b's, 401k's, IRA's.
But who wants any of that icky stuff when we can blame corporations for all of our problems?
Want some fun excitement and craziness in your day!?
Want to be the cool guy on the block that impresses all the girls???
Want to be able to be the one kid in the entire college that might actually know what he or she is talking about?
Then learn your corporate tax rates!
Yes, corporate tax rates!
It's what all the cool young hipsters are learning!
------------------
On a more serious note, sadly corporate taxes are the silver bullet to end this recession. You eliminate them you not only bring a flood of investment and capital into the US, but you also immediately boost stock prices and recapitalize people's pensions, 403b's, 401k's, IRA's.
But who wants any of that icky stuff when we can blame corporations for all of our problems?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
I Just Like the Way It Looks
Not adjusted in terms of Percent of GDP, duly noted, but even the KGB and Osama Bin Laden in their wildest dreams couldn't have done this kind of damage.
You will enjoy the ensuing chaos.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Charles Beasley
Sadly a another great one has passed on. I must have danced to his band at least 2 dozen times over the years.
Enjoy playing with Benny, Arty, Duke, the Count, and Jack, Charlie.
Enjoy playing with Benny, Arty, Duke, the Count, and Jack, Charlie.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Health Insurance Industry's Profits
OK, one more time for the cheap seats;
Really??
REALLY???
THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IS NOT THE PROBLEM. THEY DO NOT HAVE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS IN PROFITS. THEY ARE NOT THE CAUSE OF YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE GOING UP.
This isn't an opinion. This isn't a suggestion. It's just an "inconvenient truth" (that actually happens to be true) that leftists just plain refuse to verify or confirm.
Here is United Healthcare's income statement from their latest annual report.
If you compare the revenues to profits, you'll see they have roughly a 4% profit margin. A COUPLE billion in profits. Not the hundreds of billions Obama says they have, let alone the trillions he plans on spending.
"Yeah, well those greedy insurance executives are hoarding all the money paying it out to themselves!!! That's why their profits are so low!"
Really??
REALLY???
Because, frankly, I've yet to meet a liberal, the president included, that has had the intellectual honesty to look it up first.
Look, at that. Under $1 billion in executive compensation AND THAT'S ASSUMING HEMSLEY CASHING IN ALL OF HIS OPTIONS RIGHT NOW.
If you don't believe me, just look it up here.
The ignorance of the average American is disgusting and I will be happy to watch all the idiots that were taken in by this group of charlatans ask 20 years from now why GDP per capita is down to $20,000 in the US.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Some Short Observations About Liberal Talk Radio
Well I was going to go to my favorite Irish bar and do taxes, but I forgot that today is St. Patrick's Day and there was no way I was going to get any work done, so allow me this short post.
I can't listen to right wing talk radio any more because
1. I can finish their sentences.
2. I already know everything they're going to say.
3. It's really depressing.
So, for the past month I've been listening to Air America (which I thought was going bankrupt, but apparently they are still on the air). It's really had to listen before you turn it off or change the station, but after a month, I've come up with some observations about liberal talk radio that are not biased, but just simple observations.
1. They are reactionary to right wing talk radio.
I would say the most prominent thing you notice about liberal talk radio is how about 35% of their show is responding to right wing talk radio. You can't listen for more than 4 minutes before you hear "Glenn Beck" or "Rush Limbaugh" of course referred to in the pejorative. It shows me that their entire existence was founded in countering right-wing talk radio. The problem is this doesn't really pioneer any new lines of thought. It's just them bashing on right wing radio. Not once have I heard Rush or Glenn or Sean utter, "Nick Schultz" or "Mark Malloy." Ergo, right wing talk radio is established unto itself, while left wing talk radio is merely reactionary. There was no real ideological reason for it except to debunk or besmirch right wing talk radio. It's almost like a shell corporation, no real purpose to it.
2. No "Linking" "Domino" or "Cause and Effect" Thinking
To varying degrees all right wing talk show hosts carry through their lines of thought to a logical conclusion or result. Dennis Prager in particular is good at this, but regardless, ALL right wing talk show hosts do a "Cause and effect" analysis of policy, statements, economics, etc. Their left wing counterparts do NONE of this. And it's frustrating because half the reason I started listening was to understand the rationale or reasoning behind the socialist ideology. But since there is no explanation or linking all you get is talking points or stances. For example their arguments are really no more complex than "Oh, those partisan Republicans are trying stop health care because they're rich." No consideration is given to maybe the procedure or the constitution or the real reason "why" Republicans (as well as some democrats) are against the health care bill. It's just "they're rich, they're in bed with the insurance industry" and that is as deep as they get. In other words, even though the hosts are well into their 50's, it's no deeper than having a conversation with a 20 year old theater major.
3. Hate speech
This was the most shocking one of all. Mark Malloy, if you haven't listened to him, puts to rest the notion the right wing of politics in America is the source of hate. He has threatened to kick Glenn Beck's ass more than once, you can't go 10 minutes with out him calling the Republican's nazis and cursing up a storm (amazing the FCC doesn't shut him down) and wishing them essentially death. You think I'm joking? Listen in yourself.
At least when Rush or Glenn or even myself was broadcasting, our ideas were for the overall good of the nation. Balancing the budget, getting the economy going, fighting terrorism, stopping illegal immigration. But this guy just abandons any intellectual honesty and views all conservatives and republicans as nazis no matter what you say or do. You are the enemy to him and forget being Americans, you need to be taken out of the gene pool.
4. Presumption of Premises
When callers call in, there is a whole host of premises and assumptions leftists make that they just take for granted. For example George Bush is to blame for everything. Economy, war on terror, the terrorist attacks themselves. There's no discussion of it. It's just a given Bush caused this all when an intellectually honest person would maybe suggest 100 million Americans spending more than they made was the cause of the recession.
But Bush aside, simple childlike assumptions are the bedrock of their ideology. "Rich people need to be punished." The insurance companies are out to get you. Mark Malloy even cited that some CEO at one of the largest insurance companies in the US made something like $37 million over the past 3 years. Well....yeah, that's about right. By the same logic he should LOATHE professional sports, which he might, but you never hear about it. The overall point is that you can't listen to any intellectual discussion, not matter how intelligent or insightful the people are on liberal talk radio, because they're operating from false premises and thus the entire conversation is worthless.
5. Absolute Ignorance, Pushing Cluelessness, About Economics
Perhaps what gets me to turn to another station so quickly is when I hear them spout off some statistic I know to be completely wrong or just statistically impossible. They have no clue just how much spending Barack Obama has committed the US to, but it's not that they care, they literally think there's $100 trillion in GDP to tax. If you ask them, EVEN THE RADIO SHOW HOSTS, how big the government budget is relative to GDP, or just how much in GDP we produce, I don't think they could answer correctly.
Worse still is the borderline indifference about what the economic ramifications are to implementing higher taxes, higher spending, nationalization of industries, etc. They don't seem to understand that the government gets its money from the private sector. They don't seem to realize that the government needs the private sector and not vice versa. The impression I am LITERALLY getting from them is they think the "economy" is this big, amorphous blog including the government and basically, "stuff comes from it." No concept of taxation, no concept of the Laffer Curve, no concept of income statements or balance sheets. Just, "there's the economy and we get money from it and rich people control it and they suck."
In any case, if you have the time I DO recommend tuning into liberal talk radio and I would love to hear your observations. I just can't listen for more than 10 minutes at a time because it's like listening to 10 year olds trying to explain why they don't like having to work. You don't learn anything and it gets repetitive.
I can't listen to right wing talk radio any more because
1. I can finish their sentences.
2. I already know everything they're going to say.
3. It's really depressing.
So, for the past month I've been listening to Air America (which I thought was going bankrupt, but apparently they are still on the air). It's really had to listen before you turn it off or change the station, but after a month, I've come up with some observations about liberal talk radio that are not biased, but just simple observations.
1. They are reactionary to right wing talk radio.
I would say the most prominent thing you notice about liberal talk radio is how about 35% of their show is responding to right wing talk radio. You can't listen for more than 4 minutes before you hear "Glenn Beck" or "Rush Limbaugh" of course referred to in the pejorative. It shows me that their entire existence was founded in countering right-wing talk radio. The problem is this doesn't really pioneer any new lines of thought. It's just them bashing on right wing radio. Not once have I heard Rush or Glenn or Sean utter, "Nick Schultz" or "Mark Malloy." Ergo, right wing talk radio is established unto itself, while left wing talk radio is merely reactionary. There was no real ideological reason for it except to debunk or besmirch right wing talk radio. It's almost like a shell corporation, no real purpose to it.
2. No "Linking" "Domino" or "Cause and Effect" Thinking
To varying degrees all right wing talk show hosts carry through their lines of thought to a logical conclusion or result. Dennis Prager in particular is good at this, but regardless, ALL right wing talk show hosts do a "Cause and effect" analysis of policy, statements, economics, etc. Their left wing counterparts do NONE of this. And it's frustrating because half the reason I started listening was to understand the rationale or reasoning behind the socialist ideology. But since there is no explanation or linking all you get is talking points or stances. For example their arguments are really no more complex than "Oh, those partisan Republicans are trying stop health care because they're rich." No consideration is given to maybe the procedure or the constitution or the real reason "why" Republicans (as well as some democrats) are against the health care bill. It's just "they're rich, they're in bed with the insurance industry" and that is as deep as they get. In other words, even though the hosts are well into their 50's, it's no deeper than having a conversation with a 20 year old theater major.
3. Hate speech
This was the most shocking one of all. Mark Malloy, if you haven't listened to him, puts to rest the notion the right wing of politics in America is the source of hate. He has threatened to kick Glenn Beck's ass more than once, you can't go 10 minutes with out him calling the Republican's nazis and cursing up a storm (amazing the FCC doesn't shut him down) and wishing them essentially death. You think I'm joking? Listen in yourself.
At least when Rush or Glenn or even myself was broadcasting, our ideas were for the overall good of the nation. Balancing the budget, getting the economy going, fighting terrorism, stopping illegal immigration. But this guy just abandons any intellectual honesty and views all conservatives and republicans as nazis no matter what you say or do. You are the enemy to him and forget being Americans, you need to be taken out of the gene pool.
4. Presumption of Premises
When callers call in, there is a whole host of premises and assumptions leftists make that they just take for granted. For example George Bush is to blame for everything. Economy, war on terror, the terrorist attacks themselves. There's no discussion of it. It's just a given Bush caused this all when an intellectually honest person would maybe suggest 100 million Americans spending more than they made was the cause of the recession.
But Bush aside, simple childlike assumptions are the bedrock of their ideology. "Rich people need to be punished." The insurance companies are out to get you. Mark Malloy even cited that some CEO at one of the largest insurance companies in the US made something like $37 million over the past 3 years. Well....yeah, that's about right. By the same logic he should LOATHE professional sports, which he might, but you never hear about it. The overall point is that you can't listen to any intellectual discussion, not matter how intelligent or insightful the people are on liberal talk radio, because they're operating from false premises and thus the entire conversation is worthless.
5. Absolute Ignorance, Pushing Cluelessness, About Economics
Perhaps what gets me to turn to another station so quickly is when I hear them spout off some statistic I know to be completely wrong or just statistically impossible. They have no clue just how much spending Barack Obama has committed the US to, but it's not that they care, they literally think there's $100 trillion in GDP to tax. If you ask them, EVEN THE RADIO SHOW HOSTS, how big the government budget is relative to GDP, or just how much in GDP we produce, I don't think they could answer correctly.
Worse still is the borderline indifference about what the economic ramifications are to implementing higher taxes, higher spending, nationalization of industries, etc. They don't seem to understand that the government gets its money from the private sector. They don't seem to realize that the government needs the private sector and not vice versa. The impression I am LITERALLY getting from them is they think the "economy" is this big, amorphous blog including the government and basically, "stuff comes from it." No concept of taxation, no concept of the Laffer Curve, no concept of income statements or balance sheets. Just, "there's the economy and we get money from it and rich people control it and they suck."
In any case, if you have the time I DO recommend tuning into liberal talk radio and I would love to hear your observations. I just can't listen for more than 10 minutes at a time because it's like listening to 10 year olds trying to explain why they don't like having to work. You don't learn anything and it gets repetitive.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
"Hey, Is That an Iceberg?"
The iceberg we knew was coming for the past 40 years, but did nothing to change our course? Yeah, that one? Yeah, it's here.
But do not worry.
You want to know why?
Because Obama will fix it.
A 20 year old philosophy major from the suburbs told me so.
But do not worry.
You want to know why?
Because Obama will fix it.
A 20 year old philosophy major from the suburbs told me so.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sophia Loren
My god, what a timeless woman. 75 and she beats most modern day American 20 something teen idol worshipers.
EelkemaCare
I took my car in for an oil change. I didn’t make it for the early bird special and thus with tax and everything it cost $42 and some spare change. It took about 15 minutes, the guy came in, tried to up-sell me on some window wipers which I declined and then off I went.
Juxtapose that with my visit to my new, most favorite doctor, Dr. Eelkema.
I don’t like him because he’s personable.
I don’t like him because he’s professional.
I don’t like him because he’s on time.
I like him because he’s cheap.
So cheap in fact that it cost me LESS TO VISIT HIM THAN TO GET MY OIL CHANGED.
I showed up, and with a militant level of adherence to time he was ready for our appointment. Checked a couple things, took my blood pressure, diagnosed my problems and BOOM, I was out the door. And the price for this standard doctor’s visit?
$38 and spare change. AND less time than it took to get my oil changed.
It was one of those times where you were happy to pay because the deal you got provided more utility than the price you even paid.
The question is how does Dr. Eelkema do it?
Simple, he got rid of the insurance companies, thereby eliminating a huge amount of overhead, time and paper work, only takes cash payment and makes you sign a waiver essentially saying you won’t sue.
Amazing.
You eliminate three things – insurance companies, collection problems and lawsuits/lawyers – and the cost of a doctor’s visit drops to $38.
Now it could be because Dr. Eelkema is an older gentleman and maybe he has earned his fortunes and can afford to run his practice that cheaply. Perhaps he is just getting older and as one ages time becomes more valuable than money. But it still couldn’t prevent my economic spidey senses from thinking about what would happen if instead of the 2,000 page health care reform monstrosity Obama/Pelosi/Reid are trying to ram down America’s throat we did a Dr. Eelkema Health Care style reform. That instead treating health insurance like a right, we treat it more like car insurance. You pay OUT OF POCKET expenses for regular maintenance of your car such as oil changes, tire replacement, batteries, etc, just like you would regular maintenance on your body (check ups, visits, tests, etc). However, you only have insurance should a catastrophe occur. You crash your car, the insurance company pays for its repair or an entire new one. You crash your body, the health insurance the insurance company kicks in to repair you. And what amazes me is that if you’re in reasonably decent shape your health insurance and general health expenditures on YOU will cost the same, if not LESS THAN YOUR CAR, BUT THAT'S IF YOU'RE USING A DOCTOR LIKE DR.EELKEMA.
In otherwords, Dr. Eelkema is the empirical proof of "what could be" or what the REAL costs of health care are if you get rid of insurance companies, lawyers, lawsuits, and government. That $38 is what you really have to pay. Not the $200, the majority of which goes to other entities that have NOTHING to do with your health care except to make it more expensive.
But, I know, I know. We’ve all been told health care is a right (forget the fact rights don’t cost anything while health care is a commodity no matter what anybody tells you). And it’s a tragedy if a single mom of 6 children from 6 different fathers has to pay a $15 copay for each of them. And it’s a travesty if a union member has to pay a copay at all. Matter of fact it’s dictatorial totalitarianism if you have to spend a single penny on your own health care. And besides, we have to make sure all those lawyers have plenty of money coming their way, not to mention government bureaucrats need jobs too and taking over 1/6th of the economy will certainly help with that.
But the simple problem is health care reform is just like tax reform. The American people are just too damn brainwashed or perhaps too damn stupid to think that it can be that simple. You can have a flat sales tax or the 13,000 page tax code, just like you can have Obamacare or EelkemaCare.
Enjoy fighting for Obamacare.
Juxtapose that with my visit to my new, most favorite doctor, Dr. Eelkema.
I don’t like him because he’s personable.
I don’t like him because he’s professional.
I don’t like him because he’s on time.
I like him because he’s cheap.
So cheap in fact that it cost me LESS TO VISIT HIM THAN TO GET MY OIL CHANGED.
I showed up, and with a militant level of adherence to time he was ready for our appointment. Checked a couple things, took my blood pressure, diagnosed my problems and BOOM, I was out the door. And the price for this standard doctor’s visit?
$38 and spare change. AND less time than it took to get my oil changed.
It was one of those times where you were happy to pay because the deal you got provided more utility than the price you even paid.
The question is how does Dr. Eelkema do it?
Simple, he got rid of the insurance companies, thereby eliminating a huge amount of overhead, time and paper work, only takes cash payment and makes you sign a waiver essentially saying you won’t sue.
Amazing.
You eliminate three things – insurance companies, collection problems and lawsuits/lawyers – and the cost of a doctor’s visit drops to $38.
Now it could be because Dr. Eelkema is an older gentleman and maybe he has earned his fortunes and can afford to run his practice that cheaply. Perhaps he is just getting older and as one ages time becomes more valuable than money. But it still couldn’t prevent my economic spidey senses from thinking about what would happen if instead of the 2,000 page health care reform monstrosity Obama/Pelosi/Reid are trying to ram down America’s throat we did a Dr. Eelkema Health Care style reform. That instead treating health insurance like a right, we treat it more like car insurance. You pay OUT OF POCKET expenses for regular maintenance of your car such as oil changes, tire replacement, batteries, etc, just like you would regular maintenance on your body (check ups, visits, tests, etc). However, you only have insurance should a catastrophe occur. You crash your car, the insurance company pays for its repair or an entire new one. You crash your body, the health insurance the insurance company kicks in to repair you. And what amazes me is that if you’re in reasonably decent shape your health insurance and general health expenditures on YOU will cost the same, if not LESS THAN YOUR CAR, BUT THAT'S IF YOU'RE USING A DOCTOR LIKE DR.EELKEMA.
In otherwords, Dr. Eelkema is the empirical proof of "what could be" or what the REAL costs of health care are if you get rid of insurance companies, lawyers, lawsuits, and government. That $38 is what you really have to pay. Not the $200, the majority of which goes to other entities that have NOTHING to do with your health care except to make it more expensive.
But, I know, I know. We’ve all been told health care is a right (forget the fact rights don’t cost anything while health care is a commodity no matter what anybody tells you). And it’s a tragedy if a single mom of 6 children from 6 different fathers has to pay a $15 copay for each of them. And it’s a travesty if a union member has to pay a copay at all. Matter of fact it’s dictatorial totalitarianism if you have to spend a single penny on your own health care. And besides, we have to make sure all those lawyers have plenty of money coming their way, not to mention government bureaucrats need jobs too and taking over 1/6th of the economy will certainly help with that.
But the simple problem is health care reform is just like tax reform. The American people are just too damn brainwashed or perhaps too damn stupid to think that it can be that simple. You can have a flat sales tax or the 13,000 page tax code, just like you can have Obamacare or EelkemaCare.
Enjoy fighting for Obamacare.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Does Anybody See the Common Trait?
I'm not joking. There is a physical trait I've noticed of liberals.
Tyranny Will Form
One way or another. In the past 3 years I've learned to loathe ignorant people who live in democracies and do not understand their duty in protecting the nation, themselves and their children's future from charlatans known as socialism.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Comic Book Guy Terrorist Potentially Caught
I will buy everybody a round if it turns out to be the Comic Book Guy.
Don't get me wrong, I loathe terrorists. But spoiled brat suburbanites when are so desperate to join a crusade that they betray their home country for something as foul as radical Islam, they deserve a special place in hell.
Don't get me wrong, I loathe terrorists. But spoiled brat suburbanites when are so desperate to join a crusade that they betray their home country for something as foul as radical Islam, they deserve a special place in hell.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
The Last Boyscout and Public Schools
"The Last Boyscout" which is a great movie, Daman Wayans has a great line;
"I'm going to say it again for the cheap seats. I DON'T KNOW WHERE JOE HALLENBACK IS!"
And so I often find myself saying things that don't need to be said, but apparently people aren't listening. So, in a very Last Boyscout way;
"I'm going to say it again for the cheap seats. PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS DON'T GO THERE TO EDUCATE THE CHILDREN FIRST AS MUCH AS THEY GO THERE TO HAVE A JOB.
Until you get rid of this "teachers license" BS and allow people with REAL WORLD experience in to teach these kids, you're going to have deadbeat losers like this who have nothing better to do with their lives that they run for school board as a means of a career on account they can't be employed anywhere else.
Oh no, I know, I know. Alan Greenspan can't teach economics because "he doesn't have a teacher's license" or a degree in "education."
Yes, won't somebody please think of the children indeed.
"I'm going to say it again for the cheap seats. I DON'T KNOW WHERE JOE HALLENBACK IS!"
And so I often find myself saying things that don't need to be said, but apparently people aren't listening. So, in a very Last Boyscout way;
"I'm going to say it again for the cheap seats. PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS DON'T GO THERE TO EDUCATE THE CHILDREN FIRST AS MUCH AS THEY GO THERE TO HAVE A JOB.
Until you get rid of this "teachers license" BS and allow people with REAL WORLD experience in to teach these kids, you're going to have deadbeat losers like this who have nothing better to do with their lives that they run for school board as a means of a career on account they can't be employed anywhere else.
Oh no, I know, I know. Alan Greenspan can't teach economics because "he doesn't have a teacher's license" or a degree in "education."
Yes, won't somebody please think of the children indeed.
Friday, March 05, 2010
When Liberal Arts Majors Marry Engineers
An extreme example, but will highlight the point I'm trying to make here, I know a couple where the guy got his masters in computer engineering and her a degree in journalism. Her dad was a brain surgeon or heart surgeon or something big and thus she had a house and a car bought and paid for as well as a spending account until her knight in shinning FORTRAN armor came along and took over from the father.
Now, with children, the wife stays at home, doesn't really work, but woe upon you if you dare suggest she wasn't really ever independent in her life and didn't support herself.
Naturally what irks me is the hypocrisy of people who major in a worthless field, espouse to be independent and self-reliant, and then marry somebody who actually produces something or work, YET STILL MAINTAINS THEIR lefter leaning ideology about wealth distribution, essentially taking the stance their engineering majoring spouse should be taxed in a quasi-slave-like arrangement.
Ergo, why my blood pressure rises when I see this.
Who precisely do they think is going to turn the country around or produce the wealth to pay down our debts? Additionally, how much you want to bet those liberal arts majors are going to be scurrying for engineers when the stimulus money runs out to make ends meet.
As always, enjoy the decline.
Now, with children, the wife stays at home, doesn't really work, but woe upon you if you dare suggest she wasn't really ever independent in her life and didn't support herself.
Naturally what irks me is the hypocrisy of people who major in a worthless field, espouse to be independent and self-reliant, and then marry somebody who actually produces something or work, YET STILL MAINTAINS THEIR lefter leaning ideology about wealth distribution, essentially taking the stance their engineering majoring spouse should be taxed in a quasi-slave-like arrangement.
Ergo, why my blood pressure rises when I see this.
Who precisely do they think is going to turn the country around or produce the wealth to pay down our debts? Additionally, how much you want to bet those liberal arts majors are going to be scurrying for engineers when the stimulus money runs out to make ends meet.
As always, enjoy the decline.
Today's Economic Comparison
Jobs losses "under Bush" vs. "under Obama."
What I love is that both presidents inherited recessions, but guess who the media loves to blame for both, even though it was neither of their faults.
Also, on a side note, anybody else sick of 20 somethings, let alone older adults blaming the economy on Bush who in the same breath then complain about how they had to go into foreclosure on their home because they borrowed too much money?
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Why You Shouldn't Send Your Kids to Antioch College
In reality, this isn't really a "new" post. It is just a re-posting under a title that is more appropriate given what has just happened and some good advice for any parents in Ohio thinking about pissing away their hard earned money.
So permit me to recap;
Mom of Antioch College graduate comes in and goes to bat for "Antioch College" after I link to the Spearhead's article citing its closure, claiming her daughter got a "great" education and "immediately" found employment in her field.
I make "cynical" "evil" "republican" "nazi" predictions that her daughter majored in a worthless subject and the only reason she found "employment in her field" was because her "field" was essentially subsidized by either charity or the taxpayers. In other words, she doesn't produce anything of economic value to society and is literally a parasite.
Readers of Cappy Cap come to bat IN STYLE and prove;
1. Her daughter works at a community theater
2. That receives money from charity
3. Most of which is from the Ohioan taxpayer
The overall lesson to learn here is that Antioch College, as well as many others, simply just produce what could be considered "economic parasites" who instead of "lowering themselves" to collecting a welfare check, engage in faux, fake "professions" or "careers" all of which are economically no different than collecting a welfare check in that it is still paid for by others. They just go through the facade of having a "job" presumably to make themselves feel better.
So here is the question to would be Antioch students and parents;
Do you have the intellectual honesty to admit that if it requires a government subsidy and the taxpayers to finance you, that you are indeed an economic parasite?
We all hate GM and the federal bail out.
We all hate the big banks and the bail out they received?
What about the millions of worthless degreed people who only have jobs because the tax payer is forced to provide them some make-work job that produces nothing society wants?
If you have the cognitive dissonance skills to tolerate this hypocrisy, then send your children to Antioch. If not, then send them somewhere else.
So permit me to recap;
Mom of Antioch College graduate comes in and goes to bat for "Antioch College" after I link to the Spearhead's article citing its closure, claiming her daughter got a "great" education and "immediately" found employment in her field.
I make "cynical" "evil" "republican" "nazi" predictions that her daughter majored in a worthless subject and the only reason she found "employment in her field" was because her "field" was essentially subsidized by either charity or the taxpayers. In other words, she doesn't produce anything of economic value to society and is literally a parasite.
Readers of Cappy Cap come to bat IN STYLE and prove;
1. Her daughter works at a community theater
2. That receives money from charity
3. Most of which is from the Ohioan taxpayer
The overall lesson to learn here is that Antioch College, as well as many others, simply just produce what could be considered "economic parasites" who instead of "lowering themselves" to collecting a welfare check, engage in faux, fake "professions" or "careers" all of which are economically no different than collecting a welfare check in that it is still paid for by others. They just go through the facade of having a "job" presumably to make themselves feel better.
So here is the question to would be Antioch students and parents;
Do you have the intellectual honesty to admit that if it requires a government subsidy and the taxpayers to finance you, that you are indeed an economic parasite?
We all hate GM and the federal bail out.
We all hate the big banks and the bail out they received?
What about the millions of worthless degreed people who only have jobs because the tax payer is forced to provide them some make-work job that produces nothing society wants?
If you have the cognitive dissonance skills to tolerate this hypocrisy, then send your children to Antioch. If not, then send them somewhere else.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Ball Throwing vs. Brain Cutting
Unlike all the other professional football players, this guy will actually produce something of worth for society. Sadly there will be no play-by-play radio coverage of his brain surgeries on AM 1500.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
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