Monday, March 27, 2006
Healthy Bacon
Geneticists have mixed DNA from the roundworm C. elegans and pigs to produce swine with significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids -- the kind believed to stave off heart disease.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Gary North's Reality Check
From: "Gary North's Reality Check"
Subject: Reality Check - Don't ImitateThe Faceless Kid With The Guitar
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:33:44 -0500
Gary North's REALITY CHECK
question@kbot.com
If you want me to consider answering your
question, you must follow the format:
1. Your age
2. Your occupation
3. Your location
4. Your annual income
5. Your net worth, including 401(k)
6. Your question in 24 words or fewer
Issue 535 March 21, 2006
DON'T IMITATE THE FACELESS KID WITH THE GUITAR
Most people under-price themselves. They don't know
just how valuable their services are to their employers.
Their employers have no incentive to tell them.
Most people don't think about additional income
streams that their services can generate. Amazingly, this
is also true of most small businessmen.
I saw this in action over the weekend. I watched
someone walk away from probably $100,000 -- and maybe a lot
more. Why? Because he forgot to set up a website with a
mailing list option. He was just playing around --
literally. He did not foresee what was about to happen.
But, then again, nobody could have foreseen it.
Nobody really understands just how revolutionary the Web
is.
BECOMING A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON IN 34 HOURS
A friend sent me a link to a document on Friday, March
17. I clicked. I did not find the document. Instead, I
found a bunch of home videos.
It was about 7:40 p.m.
One of the videos caught my attention. It had just
been posted. It had been viewed by fewer than 200 people.
I clicked the link. I watched the video. I sat there,
stunned.
I sent out my first e-mail with a link to that video
at 8:03. I had sent ten more by 8:15.
As it turned out, I was not alone.
The video was made by a teenager. He sits in front of
a camcorder in his bedroom. He is holding an electric
guitar. He has a baseball cap on. He is looking down at
his guitar. You can't see his face at any point in the
video: just a faceless, nameless kid.
Then he begins to play, accompanied by an invisible
back-up band. For the next five minutes, he performs
Pachelbel's Canon in a way that Pachelbel would hardly
believe, were he alive today. Maybe the performance would
kill him.
I posted an article about this video on Friday
evening, where I discussed free Web sites that post
people's home videos. Little did I suspect what was about
to happen.
When I checked back to watch that video again on
Sunday morning, March 19, at 6:45 a.m., the number of views
was approaching one million.
One million! In 34 hours!!
All over the Web on Saturday, people were receiving e-
mail letters with links to that video in their mailboxes.
They watched. Then they sent out that link to their
friends.
I call this word of mouse.
But this was word of mouse on a scale that I had never
personally seen it before, although I have written about
this phenomenon for years. I wrote about what the kid had
done on-screen before I knew what the kid was about to
become: a worldwide phenomenon. See for yourself:
http://snipurl.com/guitarkid
NO WEBSITE
The video does not identify the kid. It doesn't
direct viewers to a Web page or site.
Meanwhile, the comments posted on the video went from
about four when I first spotted the video on Friday to over
2,100 by Sunday morning. The kid had painlessly recruited
a small army of fans in the original sense -- fanatics.
What if he had posted a Web site that offered a free
newsletter for updates? What if his video had put the
address at the bottom of the screen? Can you imagine how
many kids would have signed up? It would be in the tens of
thousands.
The kid would then have a mailing list for his first
home-made CD, at $20 per CD. How many would he have sold?
A thousand? Probably more like 5,000. I'm speaking of his
first CD. He could then produce more.
Then would come the offers from record companies (who
the kid would not need) and impresarios to set up concerts.
More CD sales.
He did not think about any of this. He's just a kid.
Are you thinking about any of this? Probably not.
You can't play the guitar.
But you can do something. You get paid for doing
something. Why not get paid twice?
THE GOLD MINE IN BETWEEN YOUR EARS
People think that the best way to make money is to
write a check, buy an investment, let it rise, and sell it.
This is indeed a way to make money. It is also a way to
lose money.
If you can get a raise, the upside is great. It's
semi-permanent.
What is the downside? As long as you stay with the
company, probably zero, at least until your company merges
with a large firm that plans to make its money by firing
half the people at your company. This just happened to my
28-year-old son, who ran a company's computer network.
The problem is, old dogs resist learning new tricks.
They hate learning new tricks. They like the good old ways
of the good old days. They don't see that the old ways are
constantly being replaced. "It won't happen to me," they
think. They're wrong.
They also don't see the money floating down the gutter
in front of their feet. The gutters relate to their
existing skills. You probably have one of those gutters in
front of you.
The kid with the guitar surely had one. It was more
like a flash flood of money than a gutter. Maybe some
record company executive will see the video and sign the
kid. But if he had a web site and 20,000 people on an
email list, he could drive a harder bargain -- anyway, his
parents could. He is not old enough to sign a contract.
You should be thinking day and night about how to
convert your existing skills into new streams of income: a
raise, a small business on the side, a new career.
For every dollar that your employer spends on you, he
is making two dollars, minimum. Why else would he employ
you? Look at your pre-tax W-2 form. Double this figure.
Somewhere in between what your employer pays you and
this doubled figure is an opportunity.
If you are not thinking about this gap on a regular
basis, then you are like that kid with the guitar and the
camcorder. You are giving away a lot of money.
A PRACTICAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR YOUR CAREER
Here is what you should do before this day is over.
Sit down with a pencil and paper and make a list of your
day's assignments. If you do other tasks on other days,
jot these down.
If you were training a replacement because you are
about to get a promotion -- if there is no replacement, you
won't get a promotion -- what would you tell your
replacement about your job?
Create a manual describing how to do your job. I am
not kidding. Do this. Create a list of tasks. Then
describe briefly what it takes to get these tasks done.
This is a technique advocated by Michael Gerber in his
great book, "The E-Myth." Every start-up business
entrepreneur should do this. So should every mid-level
employee.
The longer it takes you to do make that list, the more
your job is worth to your employer.
The more it is worth to your employer, the more likely
that you are under-pricing your services by mistake.
The longer your job-replacement manual, the more
difficult it would be for your employer to replace you.
The more difficult it is to replace you, the more
likely you will not get a promotion.
There are two main strategies to get a promotion:
1. Make your immediate superior more
productive, so that he gets a promotion, and
he is forced to take you with him.
2. Make the person below you capable of
replacing you, so that it will be
easier for your boss's boss to promote
you.
Most workers are more willing to do the first than the
second. But, pride being what it is, most workers want
credit for everything they do. Maybe they think that they
will get a promotion over their immediate superior's head
if they can show senior management that they are hot-shots.
This is unlikely, unless it's a lateral promotion: out of
the department or even the entire division. The cost of
promoting hot shots is resentment and backbiting by those
passed up, not just the one guy who was passed over but all
of them, who -- being paranoids -- now see a pattern
developing, even if it isn't.
As for helping the guy below you to replace you,
hardly anyone ever does this. Most people are insecure.
They suspect that they are overpaid, not underpaid. They
are afraid of sending a message to their superiors: "You
can now fire me; I have trained my replacement."
If your bosses are that blind, then you had better
find a new employer. Soon.
If the company makes twice what it pays you, it has an
incentive to move you up the hierarchy into a higher-paying
position, so the company can make even more money off of
you. But how many employees ever understand this? Hardly
any.
Senior management wants to promote anyone who can
handle more responsibility, bring in more money, and make
senior management look good to the shareholders. The less
expensive it is for senior management to promote you is for
you to train a replacement. Better yet, train two.
By holding onto whatever you know as a would-be
monopolist, you lock yourself into your present position
and income level.
TARGET YOUR NEW POSITION
It is wise to have a specific target for your next
move. The more specific your target, the more you can
prepare yourself to qualify.
This target may be in another company.
It may even be in another industry.
When you know what it is that you want to do for at
least the next five years, start reading everything you can
on the field. Subscribe to magazines. Sign up for Google
Alerts to mail you daily articles.
www.google.com/alerts
Create a blog of Web sites dealing with this topic.
Use a program like AutoResponse Plus ($200) to create
multiple mailing lists. Spend $10/month to host your site
and AutoResponse Plus (www.siteshack.com).
If your reaction is, "I just can't do all this," then
why do you think you are sufficiently creative enough to
move up to a better position? If you can't spend a few
bucks on the new digital technology, plus devote an hour a
day to reading in the field, why would any prospective
employer hire you?
People dream about the big score or the big career
move. The difference between big dreams and big
achievement is specific action steps.
The best case study of this career-enhancing process
that I know of is the career of coach John Wooden of UCLA.
He labored in relative obscurity at UCLA from 1948 to 1961.
Then, overnight, his career went to the next plateau: the
semifinals of the NCAA. Then, two years later, his team
won the NCAA in basketball. His teams won this 10 times in
12 seasons: 1964-1975.
He did this through personal self-discipline and what
he calls the pyramid of success. The man almost single-
handedly created March Madness. I tell the story here:
http://snipurl.com/wooden
After each season, he would begin studying some aspect
of the game all over again. He prepared for the next
season by training himself, not by recruiting. He never
personally recruited out-of-state high school players, and
rarely did so in-state.
He was named Coach of the Century in 2000 by the NCAA.
Because so few people systematically prepare
themselves for the next level ofperformance, they get
stuck in lifetime career ruts, unless they get fired. They
don't move up because they don't train to work up. They
don't adopt a plan for moving up.
I hope you are not "most people."
----------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
During These 3 Shocking Events of 2006...
Join The World's Most Elite Investors
This year millions of average American investors will be
wiped out... but not this elite circle of potential investors.
Introducing TWO very simple investments that will
protect you, creating a fortress of "wealth insurance"
around your portfolio...
Become part of the world's most intelligent and elite investment
circle today!
http://www1.youreletters.com/t/345239/10885690/784632/0/
----------------------------------------------------------------
CONCLUSION
Founders of companies work 12 hours a day 6 days a
week. Employees work 8 hours a day 5 days a week.
Owners hire employees at wages half of what the
company earns from the labor of the employees.
Owners get rich by having lots of employees who are
content with this arrangement.
You can advance your career by taking advantage of
this system. You can play the game by improving your
productivity and moving up, making your company money every
step of your way up. Or you can start your own company on
the side and hire people who are content with the
arrangement that you are content with today.
Don't do what the kid with the guitar did. Don't give
away your product without have a plan for back-end sales.
The kid has an excuse; he's just a kid. You don't have
that excuse.
----------------------------------------------------------
-- Been to the Daily Reckoning Marketplace Yet? --
If not, you ought to see what you've been missing.
Want to read more from our regular contributors? This
is the place to find it.
We've collected some of the best financial advice and
commentary available anywhere and presented it to you
all in one place. Take a look:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/MarketPlace/Newsletters.html
-------------
If you enjoy Reality Check and would like to read more
of Gary's writing please visit his website:
http://www.garynorth.com
-------------
If you'd like to suggest Reality Check to a friend,
please forward this letter to them or point them to:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/sub/GetReality.cfm
------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Reckoning is a free, daily e-mail service
brought to you by the authors of the NY Times Business
Bestseller "Financial Reckoning Day".
To learn more or subscribe, see:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com
------------------------------------------------------
Our writers and contributors also welcome your questions and
comments. Simply reply to this e-mail with the word 'Question'
or 'Comment' in the Subject of your reply
------------------------------------------------------
Are you having trouble receiving your Daily Reckoning?
You can ensure its arrival in your mailbox here:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/Vitals/Whitelist.html
------------------------------------------------------
Please note: We sent this e-mail to:
jb_i@hotmail.com
because you subscribed to this service.
To manage your subscription, go here:
http://www.youreletters.com/subscribe/profile?f=98&id=10885690J
To cancel by mail or for any other subscription issues,
write us at:
Order Processing Center
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 925
Frederick, MD 21705 USA
DR/RC
Subject: Reality Check - Don't ImitateThe Faceless Kid With The Guitar
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:33:44 -0500
Gary North's REALITY CHECK
question@kbot.com
If you want me to consider answering your
question, you must follow the format:
1. Your age
2. Your occupation
3. Your location
4. Your annual income
5. Your net worth, including 401(k)
6. Your question in 24 words or fewer
Issue 535 March 21, 2006
DON'T IMITATE THE FACELESS KID WITH THE GUITAR
Most people under-price themselves. They don't know
just how valuable their services are to their employers.
Their employers have no incentive to tell them.
Most people don't think about additional income
streams that their services can generate. Amazingly, this
is also true of most small businessmen.
I saw this in action over the weekend. I watched
someone walk away from probably $100,000 -- and maybe a lot
more. Why? Because he forgot to set up a website with a
mailing list option. He was just playing around --
literally. He did not foresee what was about to happen.
But, then again, nobody could have foreseen it.
Nobody really understands just how revolutionary the Web
is.
BECOMING A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON IN 34 HOURS
A friend sent me a link to a document on Friday, March
17. I clicked. I did not find the document. Instead, I
found a bunch of home videos.
It was about 7:40 p.m.
One of the videos caught my attention. It had just
been posted. It had been viewed by fewer than 200 people.
I clicked the link. I watched the video. I sat there,
stunned.
I sent out my first e-mail with a link to that video
at 8:03. I had sent ten more by 8:15.
As it turned out, I was not alone.
The video was made by a teenager. He sits in front of
a camcorder in his bedroom. He is holding an electric
guitar. He has a baseball cap on. He is looking down at
his guitar. You can't see his face at any point in the
video: just a faceless, nameless kid.
Then he begins to play, accompanied by an invisible
back-up band. For the next five minutes, he performs
Pachelbel's Canon in a way that Pachelbel would hardly
believe, were he alive today. Maybe the performance would
kill him.
I posted an article about this video on Friday
evening, where I discussed free Web sites that post
people's home videos. Little did I suspect what was about
to happen.
When I checked back to watch that video again on
Sunday morning, March 19, at 6:45 a.m., the number of views
was approaching one million.
One million! In 34 hours!!
All over the Web on Saturday, people were receiving e-
mail letters with links to that video in their mailboxes.
They watched. Then they sent out that link to their
friends.
I call this word of mouse.
But this was word of mouse on a scale that I had never
personally seen it before, although I have written about
this phenomenon for years. I wrote about what the kid had
done on-screen before I knew what the kid was about to
become: a worldwide phenomenon. See for yourself:
http://snipurl.com/guitarkid
NO WEBSITE
The video does not identify the kid. It doesn't
direct viewers to a Web page or site.
Meanwhile, the comments posted on the video went from
about four when I first spotted the video on Friday to over
2,100 by Sunday morning. The kid had painlessly recruited
a small army of fans in the original sense -- fanatics.
What if he had posted a Web site that offered a free
newsletter for updates? What if his video had put the
address at the bottom of the screen? Can you imagine how
many kids would have signed up? It would be in the tens of
thousands.
The kid would then have a mailing list for his first
home-made CD, at $20 per CD. How many would he have sold?
A thousand? Probably more like 5,000. I'm speaking of his
first CD. He could then produce more.
Then would come the offers from record companies (who
the kid would not need) and impresarios to set up concerts.
More CD sales.
He did not think about any of this. He's just a kid.
Are you thinking about any of this? Probably not.
You can't play the guitar.
But you can do something. You get paid for doing
something. Why not get paid twice?
THE GOLD MINE IN BETWEEN YOUR EARS
People think that the best way to make money is to
write a check, buy an investment, let it rise, and sell it.
This is indeed a way to make money. It is also a way to
lose money.
If you can get a raise, the upside is great. It's
semi-permanent.
What is the downside? As long as you stay with the
company, probably zero, at least until your company merges
with a large firm that plans to make its money by firing
half the people at your company. This just happened to my
28-year-old son, who ran a company's computer network.
The problem is, old dogs resist learning new tricks.
They hate learning new tricks. They like the good old ways
of the good old days. They don't see that the old ways are
constantly being replaced. "It won't happen to me," they
think. They're wrong.
They also don't see the money floating down the gutter
in front of their feet. The gutters relate to their
existing skills. You probably have one of those gutters in
front of you.
The kid with the guitar surely had one. It was more
like a flash flood of money than a gutter. Maybe some
record company executive will see the video and sign the
kid. But if he had a web site and 20,000 people on an
email list, he could drive a harder bargain -- anyway, his
parents could. He is not old enough to sign a contract.
You should be thinking day and night about how to
convert your existing skills into new streams of income: a
raise, a small business on the side, a new career.
For every dollar that your employer spends on you, he
is making two dollars, minimum. Why else would he employ
you? Look at your pre-tax W-2 form. Double this figure.
Somewhere in between what your employer pays you and
this doubled figure is an opportunity.
If you are not thinking about this gap on a regular
basis, then you are like that kid with the guitar and the
camcorder. You are giving away a lot of money.
A PRACTICAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR YOUR CAREER
Here is what you should do before this day is over.
Sit down with a pencil and paper and make a list of your
day's assignments. If you do other tasks on other days,
jot these down.
If you were training a replacement because you are
about to get a promotion -- if there is no replacement, you
won't get a promotion -- what would you tell your
replacement about your job?
Create a manual describing how to do your job. I am
not kidding. Do this. Create a list of tasks. Then
describe briefly what it takes to get these tasks done.
This is a technique advocated by Michael Gerber in his
great book, "The E-Myth." Every start-up business
entrepreneur should do this. So should every mid-level
employee.
The longer it takes you to do make that list, the more
your job is worth to your employer.
The more it is worth to your employer, the more likely
that you are under-pricing your services by mistake.
The longer your job-replacement manual, the more
difficult it would be for your employer to replace you.
The more difficult it is to replace you, the more
likely you will not get a promotion.
There are two main strategies to get a promotion:
1. Make your immediate superior more
productive, so that he gets a promotion, and
he is forced to take you with him.
2. Make the person below you capable of
replacing you, so that it will be
easier for your boss's boss to promote
you.
Most workers are more willing to do the first than the
second. But, pride being what it is, most workers want
credit for everything they do. Maybe they think that they
will get a promotion over their immediate superior's head
if they can show senior management that they are hot-shots.
This is unlikely, unless it's a lateral promotion: out of
the department or even the entire division. The cost of
promoting hot shots is resentment and backbiting by those
passed up, not just the one guy who was passed over but all
of them, who -- being paranoids -- now see a pattern
developing, even if it isn't.
As for helping the guy below you to replace you,
hardly anyone ever does this. Most people are insecure.
They suspect that they are overpaid, not underpaid. They
are afraid of sending a message to their superiors: "You
can now fire me; I have trained my replacement."
If your bosses are that blind, then you had better
find a new employer. Soon.
If the company makes twice what it pays you, it has an
incentive to move you up the hierarchy into a higher-paying
position, so the company can make even more money off of
you. But how many employees ever understand this? Hardly
any.
Senior management wants to promote anyone who can
handle more responsibility, bring in more money, and make
senior management look good to the shareholders. The less
expensive it is for senior management to promote you is for
you to train a replacement. Better yet, train two.
By holding onto whatever you know as a would-be
monopolist, you lock yourself into your present position
and income level.
TARGET YOUR NEW POSITION
It is wise to have a specific target for your next
move. The more specific your target, the more you can
prepare yourself to qualify.
This target may be in another company.
It may even be in another industry.
When you know what it is that you want to do for at
least the next five years, start reading everything you can
on the field. Subscribe to magazines. Sign up for Google
Alerts to mail you daily articles.
www.google.com/alerts
Create a blog of Web sites dealing with this topic.
Use a program like AutoResponse Plus ($200) to create
multiple mailing lists. Spend $10/month to host your site
and AutoResponse Plus (www.siteshack.com).
If your reaction is, "I just can't do all this," then
why do you think you are sufficiently creative enough to
move up to a better position? If you can't spend a few
bucks on the new digital technology, plus devote an hour a
day to reading in the field, why would any prospective
employer hire you?
People dream about the big score or the big career
move. The difference between big dreams and big
achievement is specific action steps.
The best case study of this career-enhancing process
that I know of is the career of coach John Wooden of UCLA.
He labored in relative obscurity at UCLA from 1948 to 1961.
Then, overnight, his career went to the next plateau: the
semifinals of the NCAA. Then, two years later, his team
won the NCAA in basketball. His teams won this 10 times in
12 seasons: 1964-1975.
He did this through personal self-discipline and what
he calls the pyramid of success. The man almost single-
handedly created March Madness. I tell the story here:
http://snipurl.com/wooden
After each season, he would begin studying some aspect
of the game all over again. He prepared for the next
season by training himself, not by recruiting. He never
personally recruited out-of-state high school players, and
rarely did so in-state.
He was named Coach of the Century in 2000 by the NCAA.
Because so few people systematically prepare
themselves for the next level ofperformance, they get
stuck in lifetime career ruts, unless they get fired. They
don't move up because they don't train to work up. They
don't adopt a plan for moving up.
I hope you are not "most people."
----------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
During These 3 Shocking Events of 2006...
Join The World's Most Elite Investors
This year millions of average American investors will be
wiped out... but not this elite circle of potential investors.
Introducing TWO very simple investments that will
protect you, creating a fortress of "wealth insurance"
around your portfolio...
Become part of the world's most intelligent and elite investment
circle today!
http://www1.youreletters.com/t/345239/10885690/784632/0/
----------------------------------------------------------------
CONCLUSION
Founders of companies work 12 hours a day 6 days a
week. Employees work 8 hours a day 5 days a week.
Owners hire employees at wages half of what the
company earns from the labor of the employees.
Owners get rich by having lots of employees who are
content with this arrangement.
You can advance your career by taking advantage of
this system. You can play the game by improving your
productivity and moving up, making your company money every
step of your way up. Or you can start your own company on
the side and hire people who are content with the
arrangement that you are content with today.
Don't do what the kid with the guitar did. Don't give
away your product without have a plan for back-end sales.
The kid has an excuse; he's just a kid. You don't have
that excuse.
----------------------------------------------------------
-- Been to the Daily Reckoning Marketplace Yet? --
If not, you ought to see what you've been missing.
Want to read more from our regular contributors? This
is the place to find it.
We've collected some of the best financial advice and
commentary available anywhere and presented it to you
all in one place. Take a look:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/MarketPlace/Newsletters.html
-------------
If you enjoy Reality Check and would like to read more
of Gary's writing please visit his website:
http://www.garynorth.com
-------------
If you'd like to suggest Reality Check to a friend,
please forward this letter to them or point them to:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/sub/GetReality.cfm
------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Reckoning is a free, daily e-mail service
brought to you by the authors of the NY Times Business
Bestseller "Financial Reckoning Day".
To learn more or subscribe, see:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com
------------------------------------------------------
Our writers and contributors also welcome your questions and
comments. Simply reply to this e-mail with the word 'Question'
or 'Comment' in the Subject of your reply
------------------------------------------------------
Are you having trouble receiving your Daily Reckoning?
You can ensure its arrival in your mailbox here:
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/Vitals/Whitelist.html
------------------------------------------------------
Please note: We sent this e-mail to:
jb_i@hotmail.com
because you subscribed to this service.
To manage your subscription, go here:
http://www.youreletters.com/subscribe/profile?f=98&id=10885690J
To cancel by mail or for any other subscription issues,
write us at:
Order Processing Center
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 925
Frederick, MD 21705 USA
DR/RC
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Selling Furniture To Pay The Laundry Bill
The Christian Science Monitor has a good article on US Government Debt.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Patriot Act: The Home Version
In this send-up of "Monopoly," players don't pass "Go" and they don't go directly to jail - they go to Guantanamo Bay.
Instead of losing cash for landing on certain squares, they lose civil liberties. And the "Mr. Monopoly" character at the center of the board is replaced by a scowling former Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Instead of losing cash for landing on certain squares, they lose civil liberties. And the "Mr. Monopoly" character at the center of the board is replaced by a scowling former Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
China Iran == Hammer Time
If we get our economic tentacles deeply connected with China and Iran, they may hesitate sending military pain our way. If we are deeply connected economically, maybe (just maybe) we won't have world war 3.
China increases military spending and Iran's missiles and Iran's uranium processing create formidable military opponents. Pakistan and India are capable of causing significant military distraction, even if it would only be short-lived.
Iraq is no longer stabilizing Iran's ambitions. China may take this oppportunity to seize disputed waters that contain oil.
How can we prepare? Maybe one day we will wake up to headlines of aggression by Iran or China, and that gold and silver prices have doubled. It is unlikely that a few ounces of precious metals will be enough to weather the storm. There are no easy answers, thare are only consequences.
China increases military spending and Iran's missiles and Iran's uranium processing create formidable military opponents. Pakistan and India are capable of causing significant military distraction, even if it would only be short-lived.
Iraq is no longer stabilizing Iran's ambitions. China may take this oppportunity to seize disputed waters that contain oil.
How can we prepare? Maybe one day we will wake up to headlines of aggression by Iran or China, and that gold and silver prices have doubled. It is unlikely that a few ounces of precious metals will be enough to weather the storm. There are no easy answers, thare are only consequences.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Fuel-less Back Packing Stove
This camping stove requires the owner to scavenge for fuel, instead of carrying fuel. It has a battery that apparently powers a fan. This would be good for reducing weight on back country trips. I wonder how quickly it boils water.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Flourish
Flourishing Ever After
Faced with the thorny task of answering, "How happy
are you?" we tend to shortcut to current mood as a barometer. Happiness is a soccer victory, a warm puppy, a Porsche, scoring your size at a Nordstrom shoe sale. This is clearly a spurious method of evaluating our lives as a complex whole.
Faced with the thorny task of answering, "How happy
are you?" we tend to shortcut to current mood as a barometer. Happiness is a soccer victory, a warm puppy, a Porsche, scoring your size at a Nordstrom shoe sale. This is clearly a spurious method of evaluating our lives as a complex whole.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Grow The Root
Baby's grandparents will be surprised at the changes we are planning for their back yard!
Bank Privacy Act Gives Info To Feds
He learned about changes in something called the Bank Privacy Act.
The balance on their JCPenney Platinum MasterCard had gotten to an unhealthy level. So they sent in a large payment, a check for $6,522.
...
After sending in the check, they checked online to see if their account had been duly credited. They learned that the check had arrived, but the amount available for credit on their account hadn't changed.
...
They both learned the same astounding piece of information about the little things that can set the threat sensors to beeping and blinking.
They were told, as they moved up the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment, Homeland Security has to be notified. And the money doesn't move until the threat alert is lifted.
The balance on their JCPenney Platinum MasterCard had gotten to an unhealthy level. So they sent in a large payment, a check for $6,522.
...
After sending in the check, they checked online to see if their account had been duly credited. They learned that the check had arrived, but the amount available for credit on their account hadn't changed.
...
They both learned the same astounding piece of information about the little things that can set the threat sensors to beeping and blinking.
They were told, as they moved up the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment, Homeland Security has to be notified. And the money doesn't move until the threat alert is lifted.
John Deere Wind Farm
John Deere has a wind turbine financing program for those with a good "wind regime". They lease the land or split the electricity revenue from farmers that can place wind turbines on their land.
Kansas has wind farms being built including a 110 megawatt wind farm.
Cheap land, good sustained wind, access to power transmission, and tax credits might make it worthwhile to find land specifically for wind mills.
This article by Business 2.0 on John Deere wind farms is a good introduction to the topic.
Kansas has wind farms being built including a 110 megawatt wind farm.
Cheap land, good sustained wind, access to power transmission, and tax credits might make it worthwhile to find land specifically for wind mills.
This article by Business 2.0 on John Deere wind farms is a good introduction to the topic.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Red Cross Pays CEO $1M
Many people gave money to the Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina. Ex-CEO Marsha Evans pocketed over one million dollars of that giving.
CO2 Energy Storage
Besides having a picture of their offices that could use an upgrade, there is a movie of a CO2 powered aircraft. I wonder if it would be feasible to use CO2 energy storage to power a UPS battery backup or to increase the acceleration performance of a vehicle.
EU Social Insurance
This is an informative write-up from the Swedes about social insurance benefits in the European Union.
Coal Into Gold
They roll back the price of a barrel of crude oil to what it sold for two years ago.
The technique involves processing coal (spraying tar or something cheap on it to supposedly alter the chemical structure), then burn it as usual. Big tax benefits are the result.
The technique involves processing coal (spraying tar or something cheap on it to supposedly alter the chemical structure), then burn it as usual. Big tax benefits are the result.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
United Airlines Customer Care Gone To India
We called United Airlines customer care and received a long, tortured run-around with Indian-sounding people. It appears UAL has outsouced some customer care during some holiday hours. We complained, and as expected we received a "blah blah blah" response. Unexpectedly, the response took two weeks!
As Business 2.0 says of outsourcing customer care, The hidden costs far outweighed the potential savings in labor expenses.
I have over 200,000 paid miles on United. These weren't discounted flights - one ticket was over $1500 for a same-day flight to travel non-stop 1400 miles in economy class. United has made good money from me, and now I am beginning to comparison shop other airlines.
From: UACustomerCare24 Reply
Reply To: "UACustomerCare24 Reply"
To: <>
Subject: RE: Customer Relations email from () -Ref#:
Sent: Friday, March 3, 2006
Dear xx,
Thank you for contacting us. I truly appreciate the opportunity to acknowledge
your comments and respond.
I'm sorry that you received a poor impression of United's ability to serve you.
United staff has the training and ability to do a far better job than your
comments indicate. So I have forwarded your comments to our concerned
department for their review with the staff involved.
We appreciate this opportunity to respond and look forward to serving you.
Regards,
Erwin Pant
United Airlines Customer Relations
-----Original Message-----
Received: 2/20/06
Subject: Customer Relations email from xxx
Message type: Complaint
Response required: Yes
As long-time United fliers and previous Premier and Premier Executives with United, my husband and I were extremely disapointed to find that United calls to the 1-800-UNITED1 number were directed to India (or some country other than America). On Mon 2/20 at 8:45 pm EST, I attempted to call United to add our infant daughter to an existing itinerary. This simple matter, that had been handled efficiently the 3 previous times we flew United with our baby, turned into quite the aggravation. The representative did not speak English clearly, did not understand simple English spoken clearly, put me on hold 4 times, and stalled excessively before finally putting me on hold (again) so that I could speak with his supervisor. This agent did not know how to do his job and I had to repeatedly inform him of how the "adding-an-infant" procedure went, as he had no idea. He also told me that it was impossible to send a confirmation email (even though we'd always received one previously) and told me that it would be useless to talk to his supervisor. I am EXTREMELY disapointed that a such routine call turned into such a fiasco. I used to be able to call United and know that my travel needs would be met to my satisfaction. For me to remain loyal to a company, having quality customer service is a must.
As Business 2.0 says of outsourcing customer care, The hidden costs far outweighed the potential savings in labor expenses.
I have over 200,000 paid miles on United. These weren't discounted flights - one ticket was over $1500 for a same-day flight to travel non-stop 1400 miles in economy class. United has made good money from me, and now I am beginning to comparison shop other airlines.
From: UACustomerCare24 Reply
Reply To: "UACustomerCare24 Reply"
To: <>
Subject: RE: Customer Relations email from () -Ref#:
Sent: Friday, March 3, 2006
Dear xx,
Thank you for contacting us. I truly appreciate the opportunity to acknowledge
your comments and respond.
I'm sorry that you received a poor impression of United's ability to serve you.
United staff has the training and ability to do a far better job than your
comments indicate. So I have forwarded your comments to our concerned
department for their review with the staff involved.
We appreciate this opportunity to respond and look forward to serving you.
Regards,
Erwin Pant
United Airlines Customer Relations
-----Original Message-----
Received: 2/20/06
Subject: Customer Relations email from xxx
Message type: Complaint
Response required: Yes
As long-time United fliers and previous Premier and Premier Executives with United, my husband and I were extremely disapointed to find that United calls to the 1-800-UNITED1 number were directed to India (or some country other than America). On Mon 2/20 at 8:45 pm EST, I attempted to call United to add our infant daughter to an existing itinerary. This simple matter, that had been handled efficiently the 3 previous times we flew United with our baby, turned into quite the aggravation. The representative did not speak English clearly, did not understand simple English spoken clearly, put me on hold 4 times, and stalled excessively before finally putting me on hold (again) so that I could speak with his supervisor. This agent did not know how to do his job and I had to repeatedly inform him of how the "adding-an-infant" procedure went, as he had no idea. He also told me that it was impossible to send a confirmation email (even though we'd always received one previously) and told me that it would be useless to talk to his supervisor. I am EXTREMELY disapointed that a such routine call turned into such a fiasco. I used to be able to call United and know that my travel needs would be met to my satisfaction. For me to remain loyal to a company, having quality customer service is a must.
14th Century Ship Found In Stockholm Waters
A Middle Ages shipwreck was found in the waters of Stockholm.
The Vasa Museum houses a 17th century ship that was also found in Stockholm waters.
The Vasa Museum houses a 17th century ship that was also found in Stockholm waters.
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