This Is Why There Are No Jobs in America

By Porter Stansberry
Saturday, August 21, 2010

I'd like to make you a business offer.

Seriously. This is a real offer. In fact, you really can't turn me down, as
you'll come to understand in a moment...

Here's the deal. You're going to start a business or expand the one you've
got now. It doesn't really matter what you do or what you're going to do.
I'll partner with you no matter what business you're in - as long as it's
legal.

But I can't give you any capital - you have to come up with that on your
own. I won't give you any labor - that's definitely up to you. What I will
do, however, is demand you follow all sorts of rules about what products and
services you can offer, how much (and how often) you pay your employees, and
where and when you're allowed to operate your business. That's my role in
the affair: to tell you what to do.

Now in return for my rules, I'm going to take roughly half of whatever you
make in the business each year. Half seems fair, doesn't it? I think so. Of
course, that's half of your profits.

You're also going to have to pay me about 12% of whatever you decide to pay
your employees because you've got to cover my expenses for promulgating all
of the rules about who you can employ, when, where, and how. Come on, you're
my partner. It's only "fair."

Now... after you've put your hard-earned savings at risk to start this
business, and after you've worked hard at it for a few decades (paying me my
50% or a bit more along the way each year), you might decide you'd like to
cash out - to finally live the good life.

Whether or not this is "fair" - some people never can afford to retire - is
a different argument. As your partner, I'm happy for you to sell whenever
you'd like... because our agreement says, if you sell, you have to pay me an
additional 20% of whatever the capitalized value of the business is at that
time.

I know... I know... you put up all the original capital. You took all the
risks. You put in all of the labor. That's all true. But I've done my part,
too. I've collected 50% of the profits each year. And I've always come up
with more rules for you to follow each year. Therefore, I deserve another,
final 20% slice of the business.

Oh... and one more thing...

Even after you've sold the business and paid all of my fees... I'd recommend
buying lots of life insurance. You see, even after you've been retired for
years, when you die, you'll have to pay me 50% of whatever your estate is
worth.

After all, I've got lots of partners and not all of them are as successful
as you and your family. We don't think it's "fair" for your kids to have
such a big advantage. But if you buy enough life insurance, you can finance
this expense for your children.

All in all, if you're a very successful entrepreneur... if you're one of the
rare, lucky, and hard-working people who can create a new company, employ
lots of people, and satisfy the public... you'll end up paying me more than
75% of your income over your life. Thanks so much.

I'm sure you'll think my offer is reasonable and happily partner with me...
but it doesn't really matter how you feel about it because if you ever try
to stiff me - or cheat me on any of my fees or rules - I'll break down your
door in the middle of the night, threaten you and your family with heavy,
automatic weapons, and throw you in jail.

That's how civil society is supposed to work, right? This is America, isn't
it?

That's the offer America gives its entrepreneurs. And the idiots in
Washington wonder why there are no new jobs...

Progressivism -- What is it good for? Compare Hiroshima after the atomic bomb with Hiroshima now. Similarly, compare Detroit in the 1950s with Detroit now, following years of control by progressive city and state government. Here's a good series of photos to have a look at.

Slotted Soap

From mezzacotta
22 June, 2010 | Posted in Good Ideas by David Morgan-Mar

You know how the old soap turns into a skinny little sliver until you can no longer use it any more, then you have to start with a whole new bar of soap? Some people recycle those unusable slivers by putting them in a cloth bag and using them to make suds when washing clothes or dishes or whatever. Other people (me included) smush the old sliver of soap on to the new bar and hope it sticks so that it will become integrated and can be used along with the new bar. And sometimes it doesn’t stick properly and splinters into dozens of little soap shards that get all over you and you don’t notice them there until you try to dry yourself off with a towel and then you have these soapy lumps stuck to your legs. And some people just throw it away.

So here’s the idea: slotted soap! New bars of soap come with a thin slot in the side, and you just slide the old sliver into the slot when it gets too small to use by itself! Voilà! It’ll get melded into the new soap and used efficiently, and you don’t have to worry about smushing it together and the possibility that it might fall off the new bar.

Rather than put the slot in the middle of the bar, which would run the risk of the soap wearing down to the same old sliver each time, put the slot 1/3 of the way through the thickness of the new bar. This guarantees the old sliver will get used before the new soap turns into a sliver itself.

06/24/2010

All golf, all Obama, all the time.

(x, why?): Self-Promotion

Very nice cartoon today(x, why?): Self-Promotion

Java java java

Well, I just completed my first week of college classes since my 1984 graduation from Centenary College. I'm taking "refresher" courses to get ready to start on my Masters Degree in Computer Science. Both classes are based on Java programming language, which is in turn based on C++. I have, once many years ago, but after college, studied C programming language, the non-object-oriented precursor to C++. While in college, I took formal classes in FORTRAN 77 and COBOL, and did a lot of programming in Basic on Apple ][+ computers. Technically, one of the classes I am taking is supposed to be a prerequisite for the other, but since I do have programming in my background, just not Java programming, the advisor OK'd it. Anyway, it's going to be interesting, since I never studied any object-oriented programming techniques.

major move

We left Oregon City on Wednesday, November 18th in a 10-foot U-Haul truck towing our Civic on a dolly. After somewhat more than 1900 miles of driving spread out over 5 days, plus a day to relax in Monticello, UT, we arrived in Midland, TX on the evening of Monday, November 23. The dogs don't know what to think.

We drove through Roswell, NM on the last driving day. It was basically pretty boring. The only alien-related things we saw were: a billboard for the "International UFO Museum", an alien figure on the front of the Wal-Mart store, a flying saucer on the Community Credit Union sign, and one other cartoonish alien figure on the sign of one other business. Granted, we passed through on the US-285 and US-380, and didn't see a whole lot of Roswell. Still, I kind of expected more. It's close enough for us to make a weekend trip there to look for touristy alien novelties.

I have applied for admission to University of Texas, Permian Basin in Odessa, just about 25 miles from where we are living. Terri and I decided it was time for me to use my GI Bill eligibility. If all goes well, I should have a BS in Computer Science in 2 or 2 1/2 years, since I've already got a BS in Math behind me.

"Obama's advisors think the answer to every problem is more cowbell, if by 'cowbell' you mean 'Obama.' It's like Obama guru David Axelrod is the Christopher Walken character from the 'Saturday Night Live' skit about Blue Oyster Cult (if you don't know the reference, Google 'cowbell'). Every time someone comes up with an alternative to throwing Obama on TV, Axelrod says, 'No, no, no. Guess what? I got a fever, and the only prescription ... is more Obama!' ... But what is lacking is not cowbell, it's substance the American people can support. Obama will reportedly be 'more specific,' but he won't commit himself to any particular piece of legislation. This suggests that the White House still thinks it has a communication problem, and if only it dispels the cloud of 'lies' belched up by the opposition, there will be nothing but blue skies ahead. Funny how the people who run the most sophisticated communication operation in the history of the presidency keep concluding that their difficulties stem from their inability to get their message out and never from what their message actually is. And so, rather than change the substance of the message, they're grabbing an even bigger megaphone: an address to a joint session of Congress. ... Just seven months into Obama's presidency, the White House is turning up the speakers on the cowbell as loud as they will go. And, heck, if you love cowbell, it's going to be a real treat. But in all the ways that matter, it may just end up being more noise." --columnist Jonah Goldberg

44 things

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
May 14, when our dog Diego had to be put down due to illness.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Bologna

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Five dogs and eleven cats.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Maybe.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Occasionally.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I would think about it.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Super Sugar Crisp. But since that doesn't exist any more, Honey Crisp.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Mocha

13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their gender.

14. RED OR PINK?
Red.

15. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Procrastinating.

16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Recently passed dog, Diego.

17. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
If they'd like....

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue jeans, dirty gray running shoes.

19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
TV...I don't even know – ads are on at them moment.

20. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Purple.

21. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Chocolate

22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
President of the pet rescue group I keep foster dogs and cats for.

23. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Do cooking competitions on Food Network count?

4. HAIR COLOR?
Dark brown, turning gray and getting thinner.

25. EYE COLOR?
brown

26. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
no

27. FAVORITE FOODS?
Today? Cinnamon toast.

28. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings

29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (for about the 10^th time)

31. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer

32. HUGS OR KISSES?
Both

33. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Terri

34. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
My Dad who never checks his Facebook account.

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Atlas Shrugged

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
A 2008 calender advertising Qwest phone service.

37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
CSI...House...Chopped...Medium

38. FAVORITE SOUND(S)?
Boomerang, the lab/beagle mix, howling.

39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
More than 10,000 miles. I've circled the globe.

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Annoying Terri.

42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
In a hospital.

43. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
everyone's

44. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
In church, about 9 months before we married.