Knowing how to bring about change in the beliefs of a society a little quicker would certainly come in handy in today's world. But if I've learned anything in life it is that this process is a slow one. It seems a natural tendency in people, even after admittedly convinced of something new, to revert to a previous position without explanation, even to themselves. For most of my life I thought of this as an impediment to progress but then I'd run into an incessant mind changer or two and realize that there is value to this kind of friction. These are hard pills to swallow when your young. I surely would not have accepted this when I was twenty. But under normal circumstances this resistance probably takes much of the volatility out of the course of change. It can give good change a second chance and bad change further examination.
These thoughts all started on a walk while observing the architecture of the homes in the neighborhood. The trend has notably changed toward a modern style of late. In fact it's rare to see new homes being built in the Spanish/Mediterranean style that had been predominant for so many years. This hasn't happened overnight, in fact some of the earliest examples were so bad that it nearly brought the whole movement to a halt. Unlike the previous styles, there was not much possibility of hybridizing to make these homes less distinct. So to make this step was a gamble on many levels. More time passed as people got used to even the possibility of change. A lot of work and slow and steady improvement over time helped make these homes more appealing. Finally, only after younger customers began to be able to afford to build, the change began in earnest. These homes are now popping up everywhere and most of the people I speak with and virtually all young people prefer this style.
What in a hundred years, will look like one day everybody just up and changed their mind, actually took a long drawn out process that finally took hold, albeit more for generational reasons than anything else.
This is the reality of change in society and it tends to look easier than it really is. In fact it's much more like the-steering the oil tanker with the tugboat-analogy.
On a larger scale, in the vast mix of people around the world, there are countless beliefs that at any given time are in dire need of change, but none comes. Much of the time the desire to keep things the same is a powerful force wielded by more senior members of a society for a variety of selfish and unselfish reasons. In democracies the selfish reasons may be isolated and examined for suitability for junior members, by junior members. Without a democracy this gets more complicated depending upon the extent of force the senior members are willing to exert to limit change. An aversion to reason often makes accepting the notion of selfish motivation an impossibility, making matters worse. I think we all know how far societies may be willing to go to not relinquish power. Until ways of getting around these obstacles are discovered, societies usually struggle to advance.
Now I think I've made it clear that I was never for the Iraq war but I do hope for the best possible outcome and I look for any signs of meaningful progress on that front. No doubt good news is sparse but I was heartened by Iraq's soccer championship victory over the weekend. This seemingly insignificant event was encouraging. The AP story I read said Iraqi men flooded into the streets removing their shirts to reveal the Iraqi flag painted on their chests, chanting long live Iraq. The reports gave the impression of some sense of unity among sects which if even temporary is a good sign. But what I found the most inspiring was a 24 year old Shiite who said, "The politicians have divided us and these athletes united us." Now I'm not naive enough to call this the beginning of anything but I like two things about it. One, he was a young man and two, he was highlighting the fact that this event was more meaningful than a mere athletic victory. Every movement starts somewhere. Let's hope something has gotten underway in Iraq.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Down 311
It wasn't the biggest news story of the day for me but I'll take nearly every news programs word for it and say a few words about the drop in the Dow. The world of money and what to do with it after you get enough to make a separate little money making machine is a mind numbing, highly distorted reality that I luckily deciphered long ago. It didn't come easy though. I studied the field as intensely as anyone does when they get it in their mind that they just might be able to pull off early retirement. (Of course that never came true.) There was a time when a 311 point drop in the Dow would have made me weak in the knees. Then there was a time when it would of made me salivate for bargains. I've complained that it is nothing but legalized gambling and then marveled at it as an example of the value of free markets.
But all along the way I've noticed one constant and that is that the average person gives up way to much of their hard earned money to a middleman. The cost of doing business is usually way to high, not to mention that ones principle is often put at considerable risk to. There are few situations that are so clear-cut to me, and when people leave so much money on the table and at the same time there exists a remedy that anyone can take advantage of at a relatively low price, I simply have got to pass this on.
First understand that I get nothing out of this. But when you come to believe that something has such great value it becomes hard to hold back. I am perhaps one of the most skeptical people you will ever run across and I have followed this man for 20 years of which the first 10 I resisted taking his advice. But after 10 years of him being dead on and me all over the board, I was sold and have prospered ever since.
So here goes. It was never really the intent of this blog but I'm compelled. Bob Brinker. Yep the guy on the radio on weekends. But go for the newsletter, the radio show still requires you listen and that can be work. I see the incredulous look but check the record, he is the man.
Again I get zip, nada, nothing out of this but you can save yourself all the anxiety that the markets dish out and forget about it knowing that 10 years down the road you'll have kept more and earned more than you could have in most other places.
But all along the way I've noticed one constant and that is that the average person gives up way to much of their hard earned money to a middleman. The cost of doing business is usually way to high, not to mention that ones principle is often put at considerable risk to. There are few situations that are so clear-cut to me, and when people leave so much money on the table and at the same time there exists a remedy that anyone can take advantage of at a relatively low price, I simply have got to pass this on.
First understand that I get nothing out of this. But when you come to believe that something has such great value it becomes hard to hold back. I am perhaps one of the most skeptical people you will ever run across and I have followed this man for 20 years of which the first 10 I resisted taking his advice. But after 10 years of him being dead on and me all over the board, I was sold and have prospered ever since.
So here goes. It was never really the intent of this blog but I'm compelled. Bob Brinker. Yep the guy on the radio on weekends. But go for the newsletter, the radio show still requires you listen and that can be work. I see the incredulous look but check the record, he is the man.
Again I get zip, nada, nothing out of this but you can save yourself all the anxiety that the markets dish out and forget about it knowing that 10 years down the road you'll have kept more and earned more than you could have in most other places.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
CNN/Youtube Dem debate
My hat is off to CNN. For the time being they have exonerated themselves by taking the right steps to correct a string of poorly planned and executed debate performances. How did they do it? By replacing Wolf Blitzer with Anderson Cooper, telling Larry King to stay home and engaging regular people via YouTube. Brilliant? It goes without saying that I'm a little more interested in this stuff than the average person but I've got to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed this debate.
What I found to be so unexpected and refreshing was that most of the candidates excelled in this format. Those who knew the difference showed how much easier and natural it is to answer a real question rather than some dreamed up, insincere, over-thought concoction that we've come to mistake for reality. It's like the difference between exercise and actually running the marathon.
It most definitely has changed the debate process but these clever candidates proved that adaptation will be quick. In fact it may have lasted only through last night. There were a few insights that I found particularly interesting that were made possible in part by the YouTube format. For example, the question that has really made the rounds in the press is the one about making contacts in the first year in office, with the Leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea. Sen. Obama got the question and said, "I would, the notion that not talking to countries is punishment to them, which has been the guiding light of this administration is ridiculous." For my taste this was a superb answer and in general this format seemed to build passion and intensity in Sen. Obama. Now on the other hand Sen. Clinton got the same question but answered in a much different way. She was measured and cautious, saying she did not want to be used by other countries for propaganda purposes. Frankly she sounded very similar to the current administrations policy.
So where this format seemed to help Sen. Obama differentiate himself from business-as-usual and the current administration, it did the opposite for Sen. Clinton.
Incidentally this seems to be a change of heart for Sen. Clinton who earlier in the year said, " you don't refuse to talk to bad people. I think life is filled with uncomfortable situations where you have to deal with people you might not like. I'm sort of an expert on that. I have consistently urged the President to talk to Iran and talk to Syria. I think it's a sign of strength not weakness."
I believe that this format was exactly one of those uncomfortable situation Sen. Clinton was talking about. Where Sen. Obama seemed young and vibrant and invigorated by the YouTube format and answered from the heart, Sen. Clinton seemed old and mechanical and defaulted to the game plan. Her whole campaign is machine like as can be seen by their instant attempts to discredit Sen Obama calling him irresponsible and naive for an answer I suspect they now wish they had given. When a campaign reacts this quick you know you got to them and Obama did and they had no choice but to attack. The Clinton camp proved again to be too smart for their own good, looking too far out and not in the moment where they belong.
What I found to be so unexpected and refreshing was that most of the candidates excelled in this format. Those who knew the difference showed how much easier and natural it is to answer a real question rather than some dreamed up, insincere, over-thought concoction that we've come to mistake for reality. It's like the difference between exercise and actually running the marathon.
It most definitely has changed the debate process but these clever candidates proved that adaptation will be quick. In fact it may have lasted only through last night. There were a few insights that I found particularly interesting that were made possible in part by the YouTube format. For example, the question that has really made the rounds in the press is the one about making contacts in the first year in office, with the Leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea. Sen. Obama got the question and said, "I would, the notion that not talking to countries is punishment to them, which has been the guiding light of this administration is ridiculous." For my taste this was a superb answer and in general this format seemed to build passion and intensity in Sen. Obama. Now on the other hand Sen. Clinton got the same question but answered in a much different way. She was measured and cautious, saying she did not want to be used by other countries for propaganda purposes. Frankly she sounded very similar to the current administrations policy.
So where this format seemed to help Sen. Obama differentiate himself from business-as-usual and the current administration, it did the opposite for Sen. Clinton.
Incidentally this seems to be a change of heart for Sen. Clinton who earlier in the year said, " you don't refuse to talk to bad people. I think life is filled with uncomfortable situations where you have to deal with people you might not like. I'm sort of an expert on that. I have consistently urged the President to talk to Iran and talk to Syria. I think it's a sign of strength not weakness."
I believe that this format was exactly one of those uncomfortable situation Sen. Clinton was talking about. Where Sen. Obama seemed young and vibrant and invigorated by the YouTube format and answered from the heart, Sen. Clinton seemed old and mechanical and defaulted to the game plan. Her whole campaign is machine like as can be seen by their instant attempts to discredit Sen Obama calling him irresponsible and naive for an answer I suspect they now wish they had given. When a campaign reacts this quick you know you got to them and Obama did and they had no choice but to attack. The Clinton camp proved again to be too smart for their own good, looking too far out and not in the moment where they belong.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
To Big John
I did some work for a 76 year old man named John last week. John's a tough old guy, thin and in decent shape but he says if it was all over tomorrow it would be fine by him. He says he's had a good life and he wouldn't change much but getting old is no damn fun. His only concern is for his wife who's a good deal younger than he. He said he just wants everything to be in good working order so she doesn't have to worry.
He liked to talk and I didn't mind listening so we got on quite well.
Listening to the stories of his life, it was easy to see why he felt the way he did. He used to get around and do a lot of things but he can't anymore and he misses it.
He was born dirt poor and one line summed it all up. He said, "if it cost a nickel to go round the world, we didn't have enough to get out of sight." About his parents he said poverty was the best thing they could have ever given him. His mother was a saint but about his father he said" he could snatch failure right out of the mouth of success better than anyone I ever knew." He said things like, "You know, back when ships were made of wood and men were made of steel." He went on and on like this and the more I listened and laughed the more he remembered.
He told me that when he was eight years old he found some wood and built a shoe shine box and shined shoes, charging a nickel for servicemen and a dime for everyone else. He had to give the money to his mother so he felt it only right that since he did all that work that he keep a little back and treat himself to a hamburger on Fridays. He says to this day he looks forward to Fridays because of those hamburgers. He also said because of those early scrounging days, he'll never throw anything away that he thinks he could make something out of some day . His back yard is proof of that.
He spent a good deal of time at sea in the Korean war and then did two tours of duty in Viet Nam and after that was a merchant seaman. He wouldn't say much about his time in the service but did say he lost a good deal of his hearing in Viet Nam and considered that war to be a big waste of time and added about the war in Iraq that he never thought he'd see the day we'd make the same mistake twice.
John told lots of drunken bar stories. He claimed to be a "west side champion drinker." His friend Dick owned the Malibu cottage where the "Maliboozers" hung out. According to John they were mostly movie people. Lee Marvin, Keenan Wynn, Dewey Martin, Peter Lawford and somebody Hunter are the names he rattled off. He said they were good guys who loved to have lots of fun.
John worked at the studios and on location building sets for many years but didn't like movies much. He said, "back then when you saw how damn make-believe it all was it just didn't appeal to me, I wanted to do and see the real thing,"
Later in life he spent a lot of time battling with his local city council over this and that, "keeping them honest," as he says. Once he told them they're all overpaid and that the people in the city are not here for the benefit of the city council. It's supposed to be the other way around. He said the words that finally wore out his welcome were, "You know, I respect a man who walks into a bank with a gun in his hand because I know what he's up to."
There was a lot more that he told me but I think you get the general idea about John. It would be easy to start talking about how people are shaped in society. How they acquire their values and all that but that wasn't my intent. I just wanted to record something about his life because I doubt he's talked about this stuff to many people in a long time. It seems that most of his friends have died. So here's to you John, for leading a productive life, never accepting a dime of help from anybody, serving your country and still having a few good lines. There is a lot to be proud of there.
He liked to talk and I didn't mind listening so we got on quite well.
Listening to the stories of his life, it was easy to see why he felt the way he did. He used to get around and do a lot of things but he can't anymore and he misses it.
He was born dirt poor and one line summed it all up. He said, "if it cost a nickel to go round the world, we didn't have enough to get out of sight." About his parents he said poverty was the best thing they could have ever given him. His mother was a saint but about his father he said" he could snatch failure right out of the mouth of success better than anyone I ever knew." He said things like, "You know, back when ships were made of wood and men were made of steel." He went on and on like this and the more I listened and laughed the more he remembered.
He told me that when he was eight years old he found some wood and built a shoe shine box and shined shoes, charging a nickel for servicemen and a dime for everyone else. He had to give the money to his mother so he felt it only right that since he did all that work that he keep a little back and treat himself to a hamburger on Fridays. He says to this day he looks forward to Fridays because of those hamburgers. He also said because of those early scrounging days, he'll never throw anything away that he thinks he could make something out of some day . His back yard is proof of that.
He spent a good deal of time at sea in the Korean war and then did two tours of duty in Viet Nam and after that was a merchant seaman. He wouldn't say much about his time in the service but did say he lost a good deal of his hearing in Viet Nam and considered that war to be a big waste of time and added about the war in Iraq that he never thought he'd see the day we'd make the same mistake twice.
John told lots of drunken bar stories. He claimed to be a "west side champion drinker." His friend Dick owned the Malibu cottage where the "Maliboozers" hung out. According to John they were mostly movie people. Lee Marvin, Keenan Wynn, Dewey Martin, Peter Lawford and somebody Hunter are the names he rattled off. He said they were good guys who loved to have lots of fun.
John worked at the studios and on location building sets for many years but didn't like movies much. He said, "back then when you saw how damn make-believe it all was it just didn't appeal to me, I wanted to do and see the real thing,"
Later in life he spent a lot of time battling with his local city council over this and that, "keeping them honest," as he says. Once he told them they're all overpaid and that the people in the city are not here for the benefit of the city council. It's supposed to be the other way around. He said the words that finally wore out his welcome were, "You know, I respect a man who walks into a bank with a gun in his hand because I know what he's up to."
There was a lot more that he told me but I think you get the general idea about John. It would be easy to start talking about how people are shaped in society. How they acquire their values and all that but that wasn't my intent. I just wanted to record something about his life because I doubt he's talked about this stuff to many people in a long time. It seems that most of his friends have died. So here's to you John, for leading a productive life, never accepting a dime of help from anybody, serving your country and still having a few good lines. There is a lot to be proud of there.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Summer doldrums
With everything that's going on you would think that I could find something that would hold my interest long enough to write about it. I mean look at President Bush. He seems to think that you can grow hair and shine shoes with executive privilege these days. He at least believes he can hide under that warm and fuzzy blanket up to and including his final trip back to Crawford.
Now Harriet Miers is using the same blanket along with former deputy assistant to the President Sara Taylor and a gaggle of e-mails between staffers and the Attorney Generals office about the U.S. Attorney dismissals.
From Plamegate to this debacle the list of those living a lie grows by the day? What possible motivation do they use to go on? How do they even get up in the morning. I don't believe I will ever understand.
But the real problem now is that the story has gone cold. As a matter of fact the whole administration is such a mess that nothing is surprising anymore. God bless the reporters that day in and day out cover this stuff because I don't think anybody listens to it anymore. It's summer and that's what matters to the people I talk to.
There was this one thing that caught my eye on a financial news show today. A lady named Mary Sue Williams won the big Million Dollar stock pickers challenge put on by MSNBC. It has been going on now for some time and it included ordinary folks like Mary Sue right through big name professionals. What was striking was how the big condescending financial news show dealt with the fact that this novice, salt of the earth waitress from Ohio kicked the butts of the ordained so called experts. Instead of showing an ounce of humility for an industry that is so bloated with self serving opportunists it's ridiculous, they treated it like one of those financial make over segments. They had the nerve to bring on two more experts who said things like "you got lucky, now it's time to invest wisely", blah blah blah.
A few years back (quite a few) the top dog in investing was Peter Lynch and this woman whether she knew it or not was following his advice and did quite well at it. After all she picked WD-40 because she used to be a welder and said it is a great product. My kinda people. So now with success under her belt the experts find it necessary to bring her in to the herd of the mediocre or less. What a way to screw up a good story.
Then the host, looking to spice up the story asks her for a second time, in a different way, "what kind of personal things do you want to do?" Mary Sue, after answering the first time, "education for my kid's and maybe buy a car,"she adds, "payoff my mortgage." I thought way to go girl, just because they're on television doesn't mean they're any smarter than you and you just proved it.
Now Harriet Miers is using the same blanket along with former deputy assistant to the President Sara Taylor and a gaggle of e-mails between staffers and the Attorney Generals office about the U.S. Attorney dismissals.
From Plamegate to this debacle the list of those living a lie grows by the day? What possible motivation do they use to go on? How do they even get up in the morning. I don't believe I will ever understand.
But the real problem now is that the story has gone cold. As a matter of fact the whole administration is such a mess that nothing is surprising anymore. God bless the reporters that day in and day out cover this stuff because I don't think anybody listens to it anymore. It's summer and that's what matters to the people I talk to.
There was this one thing that caught my eye on a financial news show today. A lady named Mary Sue Williams won the big Million Dollar stock pickers challenge put on by MSNBC. It has been going on now for some time and it included ordinary folks like Mary Sue right through big name professionals. What was striking was how the big condescending financial news show dealt with the fact that this novice, salt of the earth waitress from Ohio kicked the butts of the ordained so called experts. Instead of showing an ounce of humility for an industry that is so bloated with self serving opportunists it's ridiculous, they treated it like one of those financial make over segments. They had the nerve to bring on two more experts who said things like "you got lucky, now it's time to invest wisely", blah blah blah.
A few years back (quite a few) the top dog in investing was Peter Lynch and this woman whether she knew it or not was following his advice and did quite well at it. After all she picked WD-40 because she used to be a welder and said it is a great product. My kinda people. So now with success under her belt the experts find it necessary to bring her in to the herd of the mediocre or less. What a way to screw up a good story.
Then the host, looking to spice up the story asks her for a second time, in a different way, "what kind of personal things do you want to do?" Mary Sue, after answering the first time, "education for my kid's and maybe buy a car,"she adds, "payoff my mortgage." I thought way to go girl, just because they're on television doesn't mean they're any smarter than you and you just proved it.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Folk's, we just took a real big hit
It's times like these that explaining life as a predestined path seems an appealing concept. It places things in the "beyond our control" realm where I find myself visiting now and then to cope with truly detestable events.
I expressed my fear in my last post of a Libby pardon. Guess what I find detestable today? Of course it's the Presidents decision to remove Libby's jail time. And I don't think the little political stutter-step is fooling anyone. At some point a full pardon is sure to follow.
How else than in a mindless stupor, accepting of all that is thrown your way could an ethical person accept this.
If you don't know the particulars then you probably don't care but, understand that of the people who do care, good and bad, many just confirmed their hunch that this is a rigged game. People around the world, from virtuous to scoundrel, just notched down their faith and trust in the U.S. Government.
Everyone looks to their leaders for proper conduct and because of the success of this country the world is interested in how that success was achieved. From an economic standpoint it's clear that an ethical society supports a good economy. If for no other reason countries know they must deal with corruption before a society can prosper at levels where all people can participate. Unfortunately most people now see the executive right to pardon as nothing more than legalized corruption.
So once again I find myself curious about those who don't care about such things. Maybe they're right. Maybe they have just written this government off and therefore are unaffected so the impact is so limited it really doesn't matter. But that sure seems like a strange place to be looking for a little hope now doesn't it.
I expressed my fear in my last post of a Libby pardon. Guess what I find detestable today? Of course it's the Presidents decision to remove Libby's jail time. And I don't think the little political stutter-step is fooling anyone. At some point a full pardon is sure to follow.
How else than in a mindless stupor, accepting of all that is thrown your way could an ethical person accept this.
If you don't know the particulars then you probably don't care but, understand that of the people who do care, good and bad, many just confirmed their hunch that this is a rigged game. People around the world, from virtuous to scoundrel, just notched down their faith and trust in the U.S. Government.
Everyone looks to their leaders for proper conduct and because of the success of this country the world is interested in how that success was achieved. From an economic standpoint it's clear that an ethical society supports a good economy. If for no other reason countries know they must deal with corruption before a society can prosper at levels where all people can participate. Unfortunately most people now see the executive right to pardon as nothing more than legalized corruption.
So once again I find myself curious about those who don't care about such things. Maybe they're right. Maybe they have just written this government off and therefore are unaffected so the impact is so limited it really doesn't matter. But that sure seems like a strange place to be looking for a little hope now doesn't it.
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