Joining the World
Through the use of twitter I have become more in touch with what is going on in the world. Whether that is a good or a bad thing remains to be seen, but I like the short twitter messages that give you an idea of what is going on without getting into a lot of detail. That way if the topic is depressing, I can simply avoid it. It is enough to know that 16 Umpa Lumpas were killed in a chocolate factory explosion without getting into all of the details, or perhaps it is just me.
Enjoy the holidays. I know I will.
Take Care,
Steve
Through the use of twitter I have become more in touch with what is going on in the world. Whether that is a good or a bad thing remains to be seen, but I like the short twitter messages that give you an idea of what is going on without getting into a lot of detail. That way if the topic is depressing, I can simply avoid it. It is enough to know that 16 Umpa Lumpas were killed in a chocolate factory explosion without getting into all of the details, or perhaps it is just me.
| Investing If I had one thing to do differently in life, I would have started investing like I am now back when I graduated college. I find joy in seeing how things do every day and it is nice to see the dividends roll in each month. No, it isn't a lot of money yet, although I have made a couple of thousand this year when you include in the stock trades. It is more the effects of compounding and how much I can make in the future by simply letting my money work for me, which I consider exciting. I recommend Charles Schwab. I feel safe doing my investing through them. Giving It is ironic that I will end up giving more this year than I made off my investments. What is the point in making the money if you are going to just give it away? The point is making the money so that you can give it away. Being able to make a different in people's lives is one of the most amazing gifts anyone can receive and I feel blessed. Don't give until it hurts. Give until if feels good. Another aspect of giving is what we are doing in the Middle East. I do not believe we should be bringing democracy to the region. It is kind of like a government program to give free tacos to every American. There are going to be some Americans that don't like Mexican food and are pissed off you are wasting all that money on tacos. Give the people of these countries a chance to decide for themselves as long as they have a government that will respect the rest of the world community. War, What is it Good For? President Obama is apparently going to give a speech next week outlining why we must win the war in Afghanistan. At the same time I see a tweet where 18 Al Queda where captured in Iran. I hate to see how this has been so drawn out. We haven't approached war correctly since the first Bush. The politicians need to tell the military what they want done, give them the resources to do it, and then shut up and get out of the way. I have seen estimates where we will be in Afghanistan another nine years. Are we winning the war? One of the things we have to ask ourselves is if the war on terrorism has been successful. Since this is a war on terrorism and not on an individual group, it is hard to quantify. The best I think we can do is look at how the war has effected specific terrorist groups. That is when I turn to the world leader in news, Wikipedia. You can check out when stuff happened and what happened and get an idea how things are going. I will leave the judgments up to you. Exit Strategy You must have an exit strategy? Why? We still have troops in South Korea. We shouldn't be sending the message that we are unwilling to do whatever it takes. The message getting out should be that if we cannot stabilize the region, we may be there indefinitely. Why? Because saying that we have a time table encourages the terrorists to keep up what they are doing. The terrorists should be getting the impression that we have unlimited resources and that what they are doing is fruitless. Thanksgiving Resolution People are always making New Years resolutions and they typically fail, so I figured we should buck the trend and come up with Thanksgiving resolutions. Yea, it sounds crazy, but it may just be crazy enough to work. A mind may be a terrible thing to waste, but a waist isn't a terrible thing to mind. After I suck down lard portions of Thanksgiving goodies, I am going to concentrate on my health and improving it. | Life It is almost as if life is a yin-yang thing. You have to throw in enough yang to compensate for the yin. Clean Energy The Obama administration seems to be taking some steps to combat pollution. Now, I don't believe we need to save the planet. The planet will be just fine no matter what we do. It would be nice to save ourselves, though. Not only will clean energy help the environment, over the long haul it can reduce the cost of energy. China I listen to CNBC a lot and just heard an example of one of the things that has bothered me for a long time. A guy was describing how it is much better to invest in companies in China partially due to labor cost, but also due to lower taxes. Why are jobs going overseas? Because that is where the money is, including some of mine. Let the Punishment Fit the Crime Some Navy Seals are accused of punching a guy arrested for killing and mutilating some civilian contractors. They should each be required to receive a check for $10,000 and a promotion. Coke Bottle Shape I saw a show on Coca-cola the other day. During the show they mentioned that the shape of old coke bottles is patented and that they are going to start making 2 liter bottles shaped like that. I thought this was pretty cool. Party Crashers Apparently some less than reputable people crashed Obama's first White House state dinner. Incredible. These people are trying to get on a reality TV show, while ironically many people like this are far from reality. |
Enjoy the holidays. I know I will.
Take Care,
Steve
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