Monday, April 30, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/30/2012

I keep reading about the huge amount of funds the incumbent's raising to spend on his campaign, predominately on advertising. I also come across talking heads on the tube who blabber about the public, referring to vast segments of the population as "they or them." For example, a pundit will say something like, "The president made that comment because he believes "that's what they want to hear."

And that's where they lose me because I always wonder exactly who "they" are. Because it seems to me these political "experts" live in a world that doesn't really exist any more, and so does the POTUS, whereas in today's day and age I believe voters are not only as well informed as the politicos, many, if not most, are much smarter and very far from naive.

So, what that says to me is I doubt very much that ads are really going to sway people's thoughts when their everyday lives tell them something that's entirely the reverse. And by now I think huge segments of the population that have seen the economy sink, watched enactment of laws that not only make no sense, they do significant financial harm, and see evidence everyday that the nation they built is being reduced to third-world status, are not going to vote for someone based on a flashy ad.

As for me, I've never paid much attention to ads to begin with, and frankly they're one of the reasons I rarely turn the TV sound on. But even if I heard the words it wouldn't really matter. Because since experience taught me long ago that while a burger may look like it's absolutely perfect on the tube, yet actually tastes like plastic, I'm no longer easily fooled.

Consequently, I believe the president can spend as many billions as he wants on ads and smoke and hype, but in the end it'll be his actual performance that counts with the voting public. And that's why if he truly wished to help the country, he'd drop the ad campaign and apply the funds to the national debt his failed programs have taken to almost sixteen trillion dollars.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Sunday, April 29, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/29/2012

Years ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to join a sales force comprised of some of the most talented folks in the nation, working for the most successful lessor of equipment that industry had ever seen. And there I naturally gained the opportunity to work-side-by side with some extremely bright and highly intuitive people. 

There were many things that made the job exciting, and the rewards for success were huge compared to most other endeavors, however, the employer knew this quite well and thus, not only expected but demanded stellar results. Consequently, the bargain both sides agreed to upon one's accepting employment was that if the sales results projected weren't achieved by the end of ninety days, the employee was terminated without discussion...no if's, no and's, no but's. Kaput.

Now, as far as the ninety day performance goal was concerned, it didn't just apply to the first three months of acclimation to the job, it was continually adjusted and was reinstated every single quarter down the road, the rationale being that the marketplace didn't ever coast so why should salesmen? And aside from that, there were scads of high-performers elsewhere who'd gladly work their tails off for the chance to join this elite team which was very well known to all, and who would have been delighted to replace a faltering member in a heartbeat or even faster without a scintilla of remorse for the terminated goner.

When I came on board with this organization, my manager was one of the most successful performers in their history, and as I think would be expected, extremely, bright, articulate, clever, well educated and by then, highly experienced to boot. In fact, he was exactly what you'd expect someone to be that was tasked with financing top-of-the-line IBM mainframes and peripheral equipment to some of the most highly recognized businesses in the U.S. High six-figure transactions were every-day routine, with configuration costs going up from there amid a highly competitive market segment. To win in this arena one had to be very, very much better than simply extremely good.

I thought of him today because I clearly remember his early words to me when I inquired about getting acclimated to my new job. He suggested that the best way to understand what our employer -or any other for that matter- wanted was to read the compensation plan in detail. Because within the plan there will be varying degrees of incentive for different types of sales, and obviously the highest amounts will be rewarded for the one's the company wants most. And that factor by itself will tell you where to spend your time wisely. He went on to say that he thought that basic premise was universal and applied to most business situations regardless of type.

Looking back on my manager's theory now, I realize that one of today's economic problems overall is that there's no government plan or incentive to stimulate economic growth or success at all, but instead...all kinds of penalties for failure. In fact, not only is there much more emphasis on penalizing businesses in whatever manner can be contrived, the objective seems to be headed for fining producers first, collecting from them, and forcing them to prove their innocence later. Therefore, the whole dynamic of building a thriving economy is upside down.

So, in summary I guess the solution to productive growth is pretty simple. All government needs to do is put a plan on the table that incents businesses to grow via financial incentive, such as tax breaks or credits for reaching particular goals. And once they do that all they have to do is keep quiet, stay consistent and get out of the way. The success will quickly take care of itself.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Saturday, April 28, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/28/2012

An item on almost all news outlets yesterday concerned the GDP, which most analysts expected to grow at a 2.6% rate or more in the January-March period. However, the result was only 2.2% attributed to a slowdown in business investments and a smaller inventory buildup.
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I mention it because although I should be used to it by now, I still can't figure out how folks in government can't seem to figure out how damaging their policies are to the economy, or worse, don't care. Yet, everything they desire, which is predominantly the feathering of their own financial nests, depends on the financial success of the nation. And that means that either they have no understanding of the most basic economic premises whatsoever or are intellectually denser than sludge.

Whichever of the preceding cases is true though, and despite the fact that the situation is far from amusing, I still have to laugh at their actions, because no matter how fast they try to react and how creatively they try to rein in the business sector, they come up miserably short due to ineptitude.

The evidence of government's failure to improve the nation's economy can best be seen by the quarterly results of the largest employers. Because most of them are not only doing quite well, they're hiring at much higher levels. However, the personnel expansion's taking place overseas where labor's cheaper and taxes are lower. As far as U.S. growth is concerned, these same businesses are investing in technology and automation to avoid governmental strangulation via taxes and regulation while lowering payrolls.

As far as small businesses are concerned, which are the economic backbone of the U.S., they too are scrambling for loopholes in regulation, fees and charges which in turn harm private sector employees. Instead of bringing folks on full-time, for example, they reduce individuals work-weeks, thereby eliminating payment for benefits and perks. The same goes for health care insurance. And in that way, they'd rather grow at a slower pace, if at all, rather than having business income increases taken right out of their pockets to support worthless bureaucrats.

So, what we have here is a growing government that is working at a huge disadvantage. Because by trying to fleece American businesspeople, they're attempting to corner folks who are much smarter than they are, and that might work in the short run. But over time, as we can see in the lackluster reported results of the last quarter, the businesses themselves are seemingly doing quite well but government can't figure out where the money is nor get their hands on it.

That's it for today folks. 

Adios.

Friday, April 27, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/27/2012

Today's subject regards confusion. Because although I've generally considered myself to be reasonably intelligent and able to grasp subject matter more often than not, there are times when I simply can't understand things going on around me at all. And this is one of those instances.

I've been mentioning for quite some time now the horrendous damage done to the nation by the administration via its campaign to wipe out U.S. production of fossil fuels. Along those lines I've even speculated about whether the reason is purely due to lobbying environmentalists or perhaps as payback to George Soros and moveon.org for especially vigorous campaign support.

However, regardless of the reason for the war on gasoline, the results the same. Significant damage has been done to the overall economy, unemployment remains abnormally high, creeping inflation exists in segments related to fossil fuel usage and domestic business expansion is not nearly as robust as anticipated.

Now, while all the preceding has been discussed, rehashed and speculated upon in media coverage, it wasn't until just yesterday that visual proof of a focused attack on U.S. oil production surfaced by way of a taped EPA conference in 2010. The video's featured speaker was, Al Armendariz, a presidential appointee in November 2009, as  regional director of the agency's Region Six, which covers Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

By now, I'm sure that Mr. Armendez' comments about his goal of intimidating and inhibiting oil producers is widely known, but here's the part I truly don't understand. How can something like this go on in our nation today? And how is it possible that a government flunky like this guy can wield enough power to add billions to the population's cost of living? And how can politicians accept the harm done to their constituents by blindly assisting a "leader" who's sworn agenda is to break the economic back of his own nation?


And that brings me back to my subject for today. Because I'm sitting here typing all these questions, reading them back and realizing that this situation makes no sense whatsoever. And that's because unless one is either completely deranged, or receiving some kind of huge payoff for themselves, who would willingly sit back and gloat about helping do their fellow countrymen in?

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Thursday, April 26, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/26/2012

Sometimes I scan the news and wonder how some of the things I read can possibly be true. Because although I have no regard or respect for the current administration, primarily due to their total lack of knowledge, capability or skill, I'm still astounded that people who've managed to gain control of the greatest nation on earth can be either so incredibly stupid, or worse, -dedicatedly self-serving to the core.

Regardless of which alternative is true however, as each day goes by it seems to me that their tenure is coming to an end primarily due to their continual alienation of even their own former supporters. Because even they are forced to suffer right along with the administration's foes since the horrendous mistakes in governance have negatively affected them as well.

That's why, for a while now I've suggested that the best thing Mitt Romney can do is lay low, not do anything rash or dramatic and simply let the incumbent keep burying himself. And along those lines, I couldn't find better examples of how to commit political suicide than a few that appeared in the news in just the last few days.

For starters, according to Craig Bannister of cnsnews.com, an Environmental Protection Agency official, Region VI Administrator Al Armendariz, admitted that in 2010 the EPA set a “general philosophy” to “crucify” and “make examples” of oil and gas companies. In that regard, here's what he said,

"I was in a meeting once and I gave an analogy to my staff about my philosophy of enforcement, and I think it was probably a little crude and maybe not appropriate for the meeting, but I’ll go ahead and tell you what I said: It was kind of like how the Romans used to, you know, conquer villages in the Mediterranean. They’d go in to a little Turkish town somewhere, they’d find the first five guys they saw and they’d crucify them. Then, you know, that town was really easy to manage for the next few years.”

As for me, I think this clearly illustrates why we're enriching Middle-Eastern sultans and South American nations while our own population has to decide between purchasing fuel or food, as well as why our economy is basically stagnant. Which brings me to the next example of absolute and total mismanagement at the top,

According to Bloomberg News on-line "more Americans than forecast filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the labor market is taking time to improve. Jobless claims fell by 1,000 to 388,000 in the week ended April 21 from a revised 389,000 the prior period that was the highest since early January.The median forecast of 48 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a drop to 375,000."

Then there's this new item to add. The Washington Times online reported that Supreme Court justices took a dim view of the administration's claim that it can stop Arizona from enforcing immigration laws, telling government lawyers during oral arguments Wednesday that "the state appears to want to push federal officials, not conflict with them." This arose from the administration's arguing that Arizona's provisions conflict with the federal government's role in setting immigration policy, but justices on both sides of the aisle struggled to understand that argument. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said at one point, "It seems to me the federal government just doesn’t want to know who’s here illegally.”

And then, last for today but certainly not least,  former president Jimmy Carter, no less, on the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC talked about Mitt Romney and stated that "I'm not taking a position, but I would be very pleased to see him win the Republican nomination." He clarified his comment with, "I don't think anybody is going to beat (President) Obama next year. But my preference obviously would be for his religious faith not to be an adverse factor in the choices made about who should be representing the Republican party."

So, as I said at the start, a combination of ineptitude, inexperience and arrogance in one's contenders generally leads to extremely poor results from them. Consequently, in that situation, I believe the best one can do for oneself is to simply sit back and let them self-destruct. However, in this case, the incumbent's doing such a miserable job on every front, having to face a consummate professional like Romney doesn't even seem fair because he's not even going to have to open his mouth.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/25/2012

While the Supreme Court has decided to consider the case as to whether or not Arizona can determine on it's own how to deal with illegal immigration, an article in the The Washington Times on-line yesterday put the whole situation in a completely different perspective.

According to the article's author, Charles Hunt, "A new study from the highly esteemed Pew Hispanic Center, says the millions of Mexicans who risked their lives crossing the desert to get here to the promised land for a better life have given up on the U.S." He goes on to state that "This is no small feat." and asks "Have you ever been to Mexico? Not the ritzy beach towns with the gated resorts, but Nuevo Laredo? The dusty streets are filled with bony children selling gum and candy for just a few spare pennies."

So, to me this seems like another dramatic confirmation of the horrendous damage done to the greatest economy on the planet in a matter of only three years. Because, as I've noted many, many times in the past, I've never much cared about what folks tell me about themselves, and learned long, long ago to ignore speeches promises, hype and smoke. To me all that matters is actual results.

And as far as I'm concerned, you couldn't find more damning evidence of a failed administration than folks who'll willingly return to a virtual hell on Earth because the one they've illegally snuck into is someplace that's far, far worse.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/24/2012

Busy day today, not much time for blogging. But, a blurb on Fox News website this morning caught my eye. Here's what it says:

"So far, we're seeing the Obama campaign run very much like the Bush campaign in 1992. The focus is on painting Romney as a secret radical whose personal background should be disqualifying to hold the highest office in the land."

As I read the comment, I almost fell off my chair because if I ever saw an idea that will ultimately blow up in smithereens, this is the one. Because, as far as the guy in the White House right now goes, I don't think there's ever been any POTUS with a murkier history than his. I've heard suppositions that he's come from a foreign country, was imported from somewhere like the Manchurian Candidate was, or found floating in a basket on a river, among a whole carload of other suggestions.

Now, as far as where he actually comes from is concerned, I doubt it means very much since he's already almost finished his term. But if he allows this to really become an issue, which in turn will incent his opponent to try retaliation, I believe there's a very good chance he's the one that's going to be the one who's credentials will come up short.

And that brings me right back to my theme of late about the coming election. If the Republicans are truly as smart as they claim, their best bet is to leave the incumbent's strategists and supporters alone. Because those folks are so far beyond stupid, they'll bury their leaders hopes all by themselves alone.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Monday, April 23, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/23/2012

The title of an article, "Shift on Executive Power Lets Obama Bypass Rivals" by Charlie Savage in yesterday's New York Times on-line caught my eye this morning.

In it, the author states that increasingly in recent months, the administration has been seeking ways to act without Congress. He says that according to aides, the president coined a slogan, "We Can't Wait" at a strategy meeting, under which the White House has rolled out dozens of new policies such as, creating jobs for veterans, preventing drug shortages, raising fuel economy standards, curbing domestic violence and more. 

And although many in Congress are upset by this tactic, whereas they think it's an over-stepping or abuse of executive power, I don't agree with them for two reasons. First of all, it's something that's been done by many presidents before when faced with opposition in the House, Senate or both, and so long as the decisions remain within the limits set in the Constitution, it's not illegal either. However, I believe my second reason's far more important.

Despite the politics involved, which would naturally lead to nay votes on the other side in Congress, much of the legislation proposed by the administration happens to be terrible to begin with, regardless of political affiliation. Consequently, practically none of it can get any traction because even the president's allies realize that their constituents don't like it. Furthermore,  the most significant reason for proposing the ideas in the first place seems like political payback to special interest groups that helped the incumbent get elected, rather than a dedication to passing sound legislation for all.

Therefore, if my preceding supposition's correct, the best thing rivals can do for themselves is to sit back and let this process continue unencumbered. Because, this is simply another example of how, step-by-step, the administration continues to alienate or upset almost every segment of the population there is.

However, if opposition happens to force the incumbent to support sound ideas and change his approach to where he'd build better relationships and actually benefit the majority of voters, he'll likely remain in office another four years instead of only nine more months. Consequently, the best thing rivals can do regarding the president's stretching of power is to simply shut up and watch him self-destruct next November.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Sunday, April 22, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/22/2012

Mort Zuckerman's a name that's familiar to me, but frankly, I don't know much about him. However, I do associate him as a strong supporter of Democrat causes which is why a headline on Drudge caught my eye: "Zuckerman: Economic Programs Have Failed."

Just to be sure I had the right guy, I Googled his name and here's what I found out. He's been publisher and owner of the New York Daily News since 1993 and, as of 2007, is the current editor-in-chief of U.S. News & World Report. He also co-founded Boston Properties, Inc., in 1970 and serves as the chairman of the board and director.

His article itself addresses various economic issues such as the current high unemployment rate, the lacking of skills and capabilities in the work force, how technology has changed job requirements and so on. It also lists five ways the author thinks things can be improved in this regard. I found it very well written, to the point and think it's worth reading if you want to look it up yourself. But the details aren't why I mention Zuckerman today.

I'm blogging about him because he sounds to me like another high-profile supporter who says he voted for the incumbent last time around, but is disenchanted now and thinks things need to change. Along the same lines, I also noticed that although the president's raised a huge sum of money toward his coming campaign, the amounts significantly lower than last time at this stage.

So here we have some more handwriting on the wall that indicates in spite of all the incumbent's rhetoric to the contrary, when it comes to actual facts and numbers he's got real problems with his traditional base. And when you add that slippage to the frustrations of independents, chances of a second term for him aren't really looking very good at present.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Saturday, April 21, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/21/2012

A comment the incumbent made a couple of days ago stuck in my mind, so this morning I looked it up via Google. As it turns out, on Wednesday, according to CBS News Political Hotsheet on-line he said  he"wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth." And that remark caused Mitt Romney to state on the following day that he would not apologize for his father's success.

Now, while in one aspect this seems to me like simply another case where the president took a cheap shot at his presumptive rival next fall, I think it's also glaring evidence of his continuing attempts to divide the nation into haves and have not's which is just about as far from the American Dream as you can get. And I believe he has a very, very solid reason for that.

As I've been noting for quite a while now, just about every attempt the incumbents made at leadership has failed. Aside from that, due to mismanagement, inexperience, and absence of knowledge, new evidences of incapability arise almost daily. So consequently, with no successes to point to, there's little left except continual attempts to smear and demean a rival.

However, the foe he's attacking is a perfect example of what the nation is all about.  Because, according to the CBS article, Mitt's father George was born in Mexico and was poor as a child. He worked in fields, and became a lath and plaster apprentice after his family returned to the United States. He sold paint cans from his car to pay for gas and hotels during his honeymoon. From that beginning he eventually rose to become a wealthy automobile executive and a three-term governor of Michigan.

Benefiting from the start his dad provided, after attending private schools Mitt Romney went on to Brigham Young University, Harvard University and success in the private equity business where today his net worth's estimated between $190 and $250 million.

Now, as for myself, I see these folks as one's who took advantage of the opportunities the nation provides to any and all who have the talents and will to try to succeed. And I can't understand for a moment why anyone would try to demean that kind of accomplishment.  But what makes even less sense is the implication that being born to successful parents is some kind of defect and to be criticized.

However, in the incumbent's world I guess he'd have some real admiration for Mitt's dad if he'd sneaked across the border from Mexico, never became a citizen, faked his way into receiving welfare and illegally voted Democrat for the rest of his life, because that's the perfect model for his party of failures and parasites.  

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Friday, April 20, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/20/2012

There's plenty of time until the presidential election, probably too much in fact, and there are all kinds of opinions and predictions regarding what the outcome will be.  However, since no one on earth can really know what will happen in the future, anyone's guess is as good as any other.

Nonetheless, there is substantial information available today that certainly provides clear indications of likely probabilities if things remain predominately the same as they are at present. And in that regard, it looks to me like Mitt Romney has an excellent chance of upsetting the incumbent.

The reason I think that is, technically he hasn't even won his party's nomination, nor begun a focused, hard issue based campaign against the president and yet, a new RealClearPolitics poll puts the incumbent at 47 percent and Romney at 44.2 percent,  a statistically insignificant 2.2 percent lead.

But far more important than the overall statistics to me are the signs in a CBS poll that shows only 33 percent of Americans believe the economy is moving in the right direction, just 16 percent feel they are getting ahead financially and 38 percent think their situation will get worse if the president's re-elected.

And if these are the trends today, before the real battle for the White House has even begun, I sense things are looking quite dim for it's current occupant. However, as I stated at the start, since there's plenty of time left until November, if I were Mitt Romney I'd keep my rhetoric simple, avoid doing anything rash or controversial and just keep letting the incumbent and his record keep burying themselves.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Thursday, April 19, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/19/2012

I've been wondering for quite some time now why Newt Gingrich is still killing time by babbling to a handful of folks willing to join him in what he calls a run for the Republican presidential nomination, but is actually nothing more than a has-been mumbling antiquated dribble.

Then again, perhaps he thinks that if he's stays around long enough maybe Romney will give him a job, because heaven knows, it certainly seems like Gingrich needs one. He appears to have nowhere to go, nothing else to do and doesn't seem to have any employment prospects or qualifications at all.

The reason I'm mentioning him today is, I came across an item on Drudge, taken from the National Journal and read it because of the subject whereas, apparently, Obama adviser David Axelrod and Romney aide Eric Fehrnstrom are having a back-and-forth about canines (the four-footed kind, not teeth).

It seems that in January, Axelrod Tweeted a photo of the Obamas’ dog Bo riding in an armored vehicle with the president which he compared to a Romney vacation where the family’s dog rode atop the car in a portable "kennel." Then, three months later, Fehrnstrom, a conservative blogger, pointed out that Obama admitted in his book “Dreams of my Father” that he had once eaten dog meat in Indonesia,

Now, it seems Gingrich brought the matter up to try to "rally the Republican cause" saying “I have been watching the totally stupid exchanges between Axelrod and the Romney people today over dogs and this and that – it is just utterly stupid. I think we ought to be the serious party and we ought to blow right past that stuff. I think in that context, the more serious we are, and the more sincere we are, the better we will do as a party and the better we will do as a country and I believe the American people are hungry for leadership that transcends the normal junk.”

And what really struck me about his comments were two things. First of all, the news is now a steady drumming of information, 24/7/365 from myriad sources all over the planet. Consequently, there's practically nothing anyone with a recognizable name does that doesn't get some mention, much less two guys battling for the presidency of the United States. A simple Google search will yield enough trivial information about them to fill an encyclopedia.

Beyond that -and far more important to me was- Gingrich brought this dog subject himself. So, while he stood there demeaning the two candidates to the press, he was actually commenting on a dispute between two relative nobodies, Axelrod and Fehrnstrom, not the contenders themselves. And that says to me that, obviously,  he's the one who has the personal time to waste on this clap-trap because the real candidates are battling over far more important issues themselves. 

And perhaps that's why folks like Gingrich never really succeed at much beyond shooting off their mouths. Because like most college professors, he has problems separating theory and esoterics from matters of substance. However, by using flowery language and spouting important sounding gibberish he'd like you to think he's intellectually gifted, whereas he's really just another wannabe poltical hack with a couple of diplomas and oodles of unoccupied time to waste.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/18/2012

I really don't know very much about the specifics of how magicians, card-cheats and pickpockets ply their trades, but from the little I've read it seems they all have one talent in common. They're able to get victims and pigeons to concentrate on one of their hands, while the other does something else. So, for example, while a crooked poker player noisily stacks his chips with his right hand, capturing a sucker's attention, he deftly slides aces from his sleeve with his left.

What made me think of these scammers, low-life's and thieves was the president's ploy yesterday where he vowed to go after and nab all the speculators that he says are driving oil prices higher via market manipulation and futures purchases on large margins.

However, while there's surely some validity to the point that speculation can drive future prices up, there's far more to the issue than that. Because what was left unsaid were the facts that there's still been no real return to former levels of drilling in the Gulf, the pipeline from Canada is still being blocked, and despite significant improvement in techniques for environmental protection, green energy lobbyists continue to force our reliance on foreign supply.

So, when all's said and done, it's still the same old story for this administration politics-wise. The most important thing for them is pandering to their misguided base, even if it takes every cent the working population's got.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/17/2012

Came across an item this morning on the Drudge Report, reprinted from The Washington Post. It was the title that caught my eye: "Panetta regrets expense of his weekend trips to California home, says he's looking for savings."

Now, I have nothing against Leon Panetta, in fact I know very little about him at all. So the reason the article piqued my interest wasn't anything about personally, but was simply another example of the uncaring, ill-advised and elitist attitudes of the current administration whose whole approach is to simply tax and spend taxpayer's money with no compunction whatsoever. 

In that regard, the Associated Press apparently reported in detail earlier this month that the costs of the 27 round-trip flights home Panetta has taken since he became Pentagon chief last July have cost the government (taxpayers) as much as $860,000. That's because he's required to travel on military aircraft so he can remain in constant, secure contact with the White House and other top civilian and military leaders. They also report that he routinely works, makes phone calls and, when necessary, travels a short distance for secure video conferences while he is at home at his family’s walnut farm.

His travel bill is calculated according to reimbursement formulas dictated by longstanding federal policies using what a full-fare coach trip would cost. And the Pentagon says it costs about $3,200 per flight hour to operate the small plane he usually uses for the 10-hour round trip. So far, he's reimbursed the Treasury about $17,000 for the travel, based on a government formula, or about $630 per round trip.

So here I think we have another example of national leadership that continually acts either without thinking at all, or worse without worry about anything but themselves. Because frivolously throwing almost a million dollars away on a closely-tied politico's commutation indicates that cronyism is far more important to them than is prudent, cost-effective, management of taxpayer's forced contributions.

I say that because although I haven't done any homework, I have to believe there are plenty of qualified people for the defense secretary's job that either actually reside in D.C. or would gladly sacrifice frequent weekend trips home to pick walnuts.

And although many out there might think I'm simply nit-picking by bringing this subject up at all, I think it makes an extremely important point about "leaders" who've already run up almost $16 trillion in taxpayer's debt without caring a whit.

That's for today folks.

Adios

Monday, April 16, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/16/2012

Yesterday, I mentioned a few things I learned about people early on in my career that helped me succeed in the long run. And that reminded me of something else I came to understand quite quickly, and has never changed over time.

My primary business was the financing of all types of equipment for businesses, ranging from very small acquisitions, such as a low-end photocopier or phone set, up to multi-million dollar installations used by industrial giants. Regardless of the equipment's cost however, every transaction has to be specifically spelled out on paper in the form of an appropriate contract between the involved parties. And it was the contracts themselves that brings me to my subject for today: Lawyers.

Taking a step back and looking at typical financing transactions, there are generally two primary entities involved. Equipment users on one side, financing entities on the other. Users typically acquire equipment to replace outdated models, or due to business growth, or perhaps for development and production of some entirely new idea or invention.  As for financing providers, their job is to support equipment users by advancing the cash required to help keep those businesses growing.

So, on both sides of the equation we have businesses involved that in their own ways spur production, growth and development, employment and help boost economic conditions. And without either of the parties the overall economy would likely suffer greatly. But now we come to another group of participants and another aspect of business completely.

Because, as I've already mentioned, every financial transaction has to be memorialized on paper. And that means, since most businesspeople aren't attorneys, lawyers have to be hired.

In most financing instances, what lawyers do is review and assess contracts drafted by others -such as lenders or banks- and try to insure that their client's interests and potential exposures are as protected as possible in the document's verbiage. And, without doubt those are extremely important issues. Yet, if you look at what lawyers do in regard to actual business growth, the dynamics of the overall economy or any other aspect of productivity, they not only don't add a thing, they're basically parasites.

I think my point about lawyers being similar to leeches can be illustrated by asking a couple of simple questions. For example: What would really happen to the economy if you removed all the businesses? I think the answer's quite obvious -it would stop completely.  And what would happen if you shut down all the lenders of funds? In that case, the economy would likely continue to function, but growth and modernization would drastically be reduced.

Now, what would really happen to the economy if you took away all the lawyers?  I think the answer is: Probably absolutely nothing at all except that business incomes would increase in the amount of legal fees they'd no longer pay. 

And this brings me to my favorite subject of late. Because if you accept the premise that attorneys add no value at all to the economy and are basically parasites by nature and training, it becomes more clear as to why the POTUS thinks and acts as he does. Because since he has no concept of why or how businesses work, he probably perceives them as places where lawyers earn fees from others labors and likely believes that's a good thing.

However, I think that perhaps he ought to do a little bit of homework, because by penalizing business success via taxes and regulation while amassing almost $16 trillion in debt,  pretty soon now I suspect there may not be any blood left for him to suck.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Sunday, April 15, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/15/2012

To this day, I distinctly remember the words of a very successful businessman who was giving me advice upon starting my first job in sales. He told me that in business, as in every aspect of life, it's always the little things that count.

In that regard, he explained, when visiting prospective customers be observant of their surroundings, because the environment they've established will indicate not only their aesthetic taste, it will reflect their attitude, approach and style as well.

For example, a neat, clean, well organized environment tells you that that's how your prospect is likely to think. So, to be most effective, your presentation should be succinct, to the point, extremely professional and precise. Keep it short and concise...but don't sound rushed or you might appear uncaring or rude.

On the other hand, obviously, is the other extreme: Relaxed, casual, no indications of pressures of time, folks moving at leisurely paces with no compunction about straying off the subject for anecdotes or even an off-handed joke.  

Over time, and the major reason I remember the advice so clearly, is that throughout my career I've found the advice to be absolutely true almost always. People do indeed reflect their environments and mirror their leaders or idols attitudes, postures, and thoughts.  And we couldn't find a better example of that premise than today's White House.

When you see a Congress push through a bill that no one has read simply to bolster a political hack trying to fulfill a campaign promise that makes no sense, I think it indicates that for them, politics is far more important than prudent, effective, sound legislation. Likewise, economically strangling most of the population via outrageous fuel costs to appease an environmentalist lobby, indicates partisanship payback is more important than good governance.

In that regard, just yesterday in Wyoming , Dick Cheney spoke of the president and said,  "He has been an unmitigated disaster to the country," which brings me back to my point.

Because although we have seen huge mistakes in almost every aspect of this administration's tenure, I think the most recent one proves my former mentor's point that it's the little things that count. Because if those closest to the incumbent, his own Secret Service detail, have obviously learned that their own misbehavior means nothing any more -unless you get caught- we've all just gotten an inside look at how little respect the guy at the top has for anyone, or anything, including himself.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Saturday, April 14, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/14/2012

As I've mentioned several times before, the best thing Mitt Romney can do to help himself win the coming presidential election is to go somewhere, hide for a while, not say a word and leave the POTUS completely alone. Because, without any help from anyone at all, the Democrats are burying themselves alive. And as every day goes by, more truths come about them and their dysfunctional party and proves how they've mismanaged just about everything they touch.

Just a few recent examples of their ineptitude and inability to grasp even the most fundamental aspects of everyday life include: POTUS comments caught on camera where he told the Russians not to worry and just be patient because he'd make them happy after his reelection. He followed that up by trying to intimidate the Supreme Court with warnings not to overturn his likely illegal health care law.

Then there's the news that came out about the GSA spending almost a million dollars of taxpayer's money on a party in Las Vegas in 2010, not to mention the advance expenses run up by the planners who set the whole rip-off up.

However, when it comes to funds for veterans health care, it's a whole different story because he proposed requiring them to carry private health insurance to cover the estimated $540 billion annual cost to the federal government of treatment for injuries to military personnel received during their tours on active duty. And here's what he said, "Look, it's an all volunteer force. Nobody made these guys go to war. They had to have known and accepted the risks. Now they whine about bearing the costs of their choice? It doesn't compute. I thought these were people who were proud to sacrifice for their country." As for me, I think his words speak for themselves.

Beyond that, there's his ideas about funding abortion and birth control which has frosted a significant number of Catholic voters across the nation, which is no longer front page news but I seriously doubt the subject's gone away and expect it will have a major negative effect next November.

But, not to be outdone by the POTUS himself, one of his most trusted advisors, Hillary Rosen, stated that Ann Romney, a mother of five, shouldn't comment about working women because as a stay-at-home mom she's never worked a day in her life. And, while I don't have the exact numbers I've read that the negative reaction to her words set some kind of record on Twitter accounts.

In the meantime, however, while all of the various groups the administration's offending are licking their wounds and waiting to get even next November just yesterday another display of absolute incompetence erupted. Because as many as twelve -although the actual number's not been confirmed yet- members of the POTUS' Secret Service staff were sent home from Colombia for consorting with hookers. And although prostitution is legal there, for men supposedly responsible for guarding the president's life, it just doesn't seem to be the proper thing to do.

Therefore, getting back to my original subject, in view of the unfunny joke this administration's turned the presidency into, the best thing Mitt Romney can do for himself and his party is to lay low and be patient. Because while it's quite obvious the incumbent's drowning job-wise, as every day goes by he seems to be finding more buckets of water to throw at himself.

That's for today folks.

Adios

Friday, April 13, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/13/2012

In all the time I’ve been blogging about the president, I’ve often mentioned how most of his decisions, especially about the economy, national defense, international relations, unemployment and healthcare seem so out of touch with reality. Most often they seem to pertain to a nation and world that simply don’t exist, and almost never make real sense.

I never really researched the matter of where his ideas stem from because, frankly, I thought his rationale was similar to many, if not most, Democrat politicos. They’re usually the ones who may or may not understand the “real “world but make their appeal to the very large voting base that has no conception of personal responsibility or pride and have been trained to expect that someone else will see to their welfare and needs, particularly through government handouts.

And then just today, while scanning an article on cnsnews.com about the incumbent’s wife and daughters, I came across a recap of his resume. And, after reading that, I now understand completely why he has no clue as to what the presidency’s all about. I also can now see why he can’t understand how the economy, military or national defense work, or almost any other aspect of American life.

According to the article, “Barack Obama was 36 years old and had been out of Harvard Law School for seven years by the time his eldest daughter was born. During those seven years, according to Who’s Who, Obama had worked in 1992 as executive direction of Project Vote, from 1993 to 1996 as an associate at the Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland law firm, and starting in 1996 as “of counsel” at that firm.

In 1997, the year before Malia was born; he was elected to the Illinois State Senate.

By the time daughter Sasha was born on June 10, 2001, Barack Obama was still of counsel with Davis, Miner firm and still in the state senate. Michelle Obama was still an associate dean of students at the University of Chicago.”

So, here we have a guy who has absolutely no experience whatsoever in any aspect of governance that would lead to heading any nation on the planet based on personal merit, much less the most complex one of all, yet he was elected President of the United States. And that clarifies for me not only why he’s absolutely clueless about doing the job, but is also unable to do anything but bark at potential adversaries because he has no firm footing of job knowledge to stand on.

Therefore, as each day goes by, he faces issues, situations and circumstances of which he has no experience or frame of reference at all, and is in a position so many miles over his head as far as capability to address them is concerned, he’s likely unaware of what any real solutions are. And, to me, that explains why his reactions seem so childlike, futile and desperate. Because, like an unprepared student caught without having done his homework, he point’s fingers, blames whomever else he can, and tries his damnedest to cover his own incompetence via diversion.

And now that I have a much better handle on the how’s and why’s of the nation’s current state being so horrendous in almost every aspect of its existence -due to having someone so unskilled at the top- I now believe even more firmly than I ever did that this charade in D.C. is about to stop. Because now there’s an alternative who’s been there before, knows what to do, and has the credentials to prove it.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Thursday, April 12, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/12/2012

Reading back over prior entries, and especially those of the recent past, it's become quite clear that as predicted by many, this administration has set the nation back philosophically almost two hundred years.  Because our current economy, governmental incursion into almost every walk of life and the emphasis on taxation and curbing of free entrepreneurial spirit almost exactly mirrors the conditions that caused the Founding Fathers to come to our shores in the first place.

As the months have rolled by since the incumbent's inauguration he's pushed, pulled and insidiously seen to it that the country has moved backward toward the ideals and standards of European nations that we'd left in the dust in almost every positive way you can think of as we forged ahead to become the most successful population on Earth.

Bureaucratic stumbling blocks and significant penalties have been established to practically guarantee the failure of any who dare to try to succeed on their own, lest they become models for others who attempt to break the new authoritarian mold. Because were businesses able to prosper without government intervention they might become models for others to make the same attempts. And that's why, except for the Solyndra types which are practically government owned, new operations and ventures have practically disappeared altogether.

Consequently, by going down the list of  steps and measures that have been taken in the past three years, it becomes obvious they're meant to insure that those who are successful economically are penalized. Because by their brazen audacity to prevail, their accomplishments refute the government's position which purports that folks can't prosper on their own.

And that's why I think things are very likely to change in the nation fairly soon. Because although I doubt there'll be another situation involving Minute Men and militias toting guns, or warning lanterns in belfry's, I do sense another kind of revolution is brewing and growing significantly every day.

My sense is that too many folks have worked too hard and for too long to simply sit back and watch their livelihoods shrink and assets devalue while some empty suits with backward mindsets legislate and steal them blind. So, although the nation's already suffered huge losses, financially and otherwise, just like the Founding Fathers did way back when, this time around the levers pulled won't be triggers on weapons but in voting booths instead. However, the enemy's going to be just as dead as our original oppressors were in the end.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/11/2012

Yesterday's entry started with my questioning why Rick Santorum was still in the race for the Republican presidential nation since it was more than clear he hadn't an iota of a chance of winning. Then, about an hour after I posted my query, he announced a "suspension" of his campaign. And that got me to thinking that this wasn't the first time my thoughts were not only ahead of the curve, they were precisely on the money regarding future outcomes.

In that regard, at present my expectations are important to me as always -but especially so because of the way that I derive them. Because, since I have no crystal ball, can't read minds and haven't a clue as to how to interpret the lines on one's palms or in tea leaves, I rely on simple logic and facts to anticipate future results.

Consequently, yesterday's guess that Santorum would soon drop out of the race had nothing to do with any voo-doo premonition, it was simply the fact that he had no appeal to the general voting public and sounded like a wounded political hack. And what that told me was,  he had to give up pretty soon or would face losing his very own state's primary election.

But far important than that is what my internal barometer indicates now. Because if my process of analyzing data and using the results to presuppose future events really works, I think things are looking better today for the country than they have for quite a long time now.

And that's because it doesn't matter to me what poll results say, or pundits predict or especially what candidates spout, I truly believe folks decide for themselves and cast their lot in their own best interests as they should.

Therefore, right now the economy's the worst it's been since Carter, and the health care bill that was rammed through is likely the worst legislation ever concocted. Beyond that, the incumbent tends to alienate everybody somehow or other through incompetent, inane legislation on a daily basis. So, since there's nobody in the nation he hasn't harmed one way or another so far, simple logic tells me there's nobody left to vote for him except maybe his wife.

Thus, after the coming election in November when I look back on my predictions and find they came true, I won't pat myself on the back and say "Gee, that was brilliant." I'll simply sit back and acknowledge that it you want to make good guesses, it makes real sense to stay aware of what really goes on in the news every day. 

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/10/2012

Read an article on Reuters this morning that says that after taking a long week off,  Rick Santorum plans to get right back in the race. And the first thought that crossed my mind was, what race? And the next question to myself was, if he means the presidential nomination contest, why? Because, as far as any chance he has of winning goes, there just isn't any. So, what's his point?

Then, after thinking the matter over some more, I reached the same conclusion I've come to before. Because I think it's a good thing for Mitt Romney to have some other guys in his party around for a while longer to campaign against here and there. That way he can test various theories in public, gauge the feedback and adjust his own strategies before going head to head with the incumbent.

And what's even much, much better than that for Mitt is, while he's still in contention with others on his own side of the aisle, the incumbent's making huger and huger mistakes every time he opens his mouth. So, for right now, as folks are watching someone who's supposed to be acting like the President of the United States and a supposedly grown man, they're watching him fold under pressure while whining and snivelling like a four year old child. 

So, as far as Santorum goes, I think he's doing Romney a very big favor by hanging around in a contest he can't possibly win and permitting Mitt to continue honing his rhetoric and skills before facing a guy who keeps crawling farther and farther out on a very weak limb. And in return, after the election maybe Mitt will pay Santorum back by giving him a job he's truly qualified for, if such a thing really exists.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Monday, April 9, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/9/2012

What struck me the most while scanning the news this morning wasn't the items themselves, most of which were quite boring, but instead all the posturing, finger-pointing and attempts of responsible politicians to duck out from under their incompetence and horrendous mistakes.

For example, according to the White House, the just under a million dollar Las Vegas bash thrown by the GSA on taxpayer's bucks wasn't their idea at all, they were simply following the precedent set by the Bush administration. The same argument applies as far as unemployment's concerned, because although the number's decreasing, it's still too high, however it's not the incumbent's fault -he says he inherited all the job market problems from his predecessor.

Then, as you continue down the list of the nation's woes it seems that Harry Truman's credo was never heard by the group at the top right now, because all they seem to do is whine and wheedle and tell you that the buck stops somewhere else.

But, I think the situation's changing rapidly right under the administration's nose and they're living in the political past. Because today the voting public knows too much and has access to actual data twenty four/seven/three sixty five (this year 366).

Consequently, those who are well-informed aren't likely to buy a distorted story when the reported facts clearly tell them something else. They also aren't going to accept a manufactured tale when they have access to the truth themselves. And, most important of all, arrogant answers and attempts to imply that folks don't understand the issues because they're too complex, isn't only a misrepresentation it's a demeaning insult as well.

So, I think the administration needs to make a slight adjustment in its plan and approach if they want re-election. Because although they may be out of time, they've got to start actually trying to fix the problems they've caused instead of creating straw men to blame to cover their ineptness. But then again, that approach may not work for them either, because as far as fixing problems goes, it looks like they've pretty much proven they don't know how.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Sunday, April 8, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/8/2012

A couple of weeks ago, I pasted a whole page of comments from Bill Cosby as one of my entry's because I thought they were, timely, accurate and worth reading exactly as he wrote them. Today, he's a subject again, except this time my opinion's the complete reverse regarding some things he said.

Addressing the much publicized shooting in Sanford, Florida by a neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman, Cosby said, “the gun” empowered Mr. Zimmerman. Then he went on, “We’ve got to get the gun out of the hands of people who are supposed to be on neighborhood watch. Without a gun, I don’t see Mr. Zimmerman approaching Trayvon by himself. The power-of-the-gun mentality had him unafraid to confront someone. Even police call for backup in similar situations."

As for me, I have no clue as to how many gun-toting neighborhood watchmen patrol all over the nation every day, but logic tells me there must be thousands of them. And I don't recall reading about lots of shootings by them of anyone, in fact, I really don't remember any at all. But I do know there are countless robberies, muggings, break-ins murders, sexual assaults among other crimes committed daily simply because the perps are armed and the victims aren't.

So simply because one watchman may have erred, which is yet to be proven, Cosby thinks everyone else choosing to legally protect themselves should be put in danger, which I believe is upside down. And what's worse is when all law abiding citizens give up their arms, the only one's carrying will be the cops and the crooks making everyone else a defenseless pigeon. 

Consequently, although I'm not advocating that every citizen should be armed, they certainly should have the choice. Because if it were me and my property or life simply was at risk because the law prohibited me from protecting myself while the crooks illegally did as they pleased, I think it's the lawmakers who should be shot.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Saturday, April 7, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/7/2012

Not much going on in the news, except for Boom Boom leading the Masters at age 52. It's only half way through the event and the odds are huge against his actually prevailing, but still, for the moment I think it's great.

I've been a Freddy Couples fan since he arrived on the Pro tour and find him to be one of a very small group of athletes who actually relates to folks because he wants and likes to, not because his sponsors and agent tell him he has to, or else. Freddy lives in his own zone, unperturbed by much else than hitting a  shot, finding his ball and then hitting it again, which is what real golfers are all about. And as for the tournament in Augusta this week, slim odds or not, you never know...with his boatload of talent and a little good luck, maybe he'll beat the most important adversary he has...Father Time.

On the political front, I keep reading about the incumbent's incessant appearances and his remarks to whatever group his handlers have stacked the room with while he bombast's and browbeats his listeners. And, as I read about his manipulation of yesterday's unemployment numbers and his attempt to convince whoever he was addressing that they were good, I got to thinking about what I believe is his immense underestimation of voter's intellects.

Because while it's true that the trend in employment is up, it's nowhere near where it should be. And as far as the statistics go one of the major reasons for the appearance of a shrinking number of those unemployed is that so many have stopped looking for work altogether, they've greatly reduced the base upon which the calculation's performed.

So, what I really think matters most isn't what politicians say, preach or promise, it's what's really happening that counts. And in category upon category around the nation, almost without exception, things have gotten progressively worse for all under this administration. From the economy, to health care, to the Middle-East, to fewer jobs, union proliferation, deteriorating education and practically anything else you can think of.

So, when it comes to next November I don't think it will matter very much what the incumbent says in speeches, because I don't think you can change facts with words. And if it were me running for re-election, I don't think I'd say anything much. I'd focus instead on really trying to fix the problems instead of yapping my brains out while actually doing less than nothing at all. 

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Friday, April 6, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/6/2012

As regular readers know, one of my favorite subjects is exposing underlying data that completely refutes the misleading or patently false claims from government, almost all politicians, and especially the POTUS himself on a whole host of issues. I also have to think that over the past three years especially, I've likely written more about the horrendous fiscal damage done to the nation and it's population by the administration's efforts to keep the price of oil at it's highest possible level, than any other topic. 

Today however, I came across an article by Nevin Batwalla,  Staff Reporter at the Nashville Business Journal that not only supports my beliefs about the president's biased agenda regarding oil, but also blows huge holes in his ridiculous claims about the benefits and economies of moving away from fossil fuel.

According to the article, "If you're thinking about buying a fuel-efficient hybrid, electric or otherwise eco-friendly vehicle as a way to save money over time, do your homework -or be prepared to wait." Those choosing the Nissan all-electric Leaf costing $28,421 over the gas-powered equivalent, Versa at $18,640, will likely wait nearly 9 years until they break even. As for the Chevy Volt costing $31,767, the wait is even longer -26.6 years. The data comes from a recent New York Times report examining the cost of fuel efficiency.

In comparison some vehicles begin paying off relatively sooner, such as two hybrids, Toyota's Prius, $23,537, Lincoln's MKZ $33,887 and Volkswagen's diesel-powered Jetta TDI  at $25,242. All three of these cars take less than two years before starting to save owners money.

So here once again we have evidence from reliable sources clearly illustrating the administration's total disregard for the economic damage done while it panders to the goals set by special interests.  But above all else, what I really don't comprehend at all is that despite the continuing massing of evidence that the population's being virtually stolen from via the cost of fuel, why do they sit there with their mouths shut and let the administration continue to do it ? It just doesn't make any sense to me at all.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Thursday, April 5, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/5/2012

According to Paul Bedard of The Examiner in Washington, DC, Democratic officials launched a two-pronged attack Wednesday on states with new laws requiring identification before voting, and I simply don't understand their objection.

It seems that the group complained that some states want to limit the time allotted for early voting, bar ex-felons from voting and require government identification to vote. Beyond that, Congressional Representative, James Clyburn, D-S.C. compared the legislation to segregation era "Jim Crow" laws and said he's “very, very anxious” that the conservative Supreme Court “as it is presently constituted” will support the new anti-voter fraud laws.

What's more, a growing list of states, including Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Kansas and Wisconsin already have such requirements and polls show that most Americans back the laws.

So what we have here, I think, are politicians who want to stir things up for their own sake by making a mountain out of not even a mole hill, but more like completely flat ground. Because voter fraud is a huge problem which goes far beyond any particular demographic group. And I don't see it as an insult or demeaning to simply require that voters identify themselves as being who they claim they are.

In conclusion, there certainly lots of major problems in the nation at present that need tending to by legislators. However, proof of identity to vote isn't one of them. So, what this group's mission says to me is, that if they have the time to waste on drivel like this, things where they live must be pretty darn good over all.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/4/2012

Unfortunately, because of the complexity of leading the most successful and powerful  nation in the world on just about all fronts, I suspect the job requirements are quite simply beyond the comprehension of a significant segment number of voters. I don't write that to be demeaning to them, it's just that there's really no way for many, many people to acquire the information and education needed to select the best person for the nation, in regard to the country's overall condition at the time of the vote.

Consequently, I think that quite often, especially since the advent of TV, pleasing personal appearance, charisma and presence have played a huge part in voter's selection of unqualified candidates, although there certainly have been exceptions such as Nixon and "W." Bush, as examples of those unpleasing to many.

But this time around, I think a candidate's persona is going to help an underdog unseat a very popular incumbent.

 Last night I listened to Mitt Romney's speech after his significant wins in Maryland, Wisconsin and D.C. And what impressed me deeply was his matter of fact, been there before, understated control and complete, mature, professionalism. He seems to me be the kind of guy folks will listen to and trust. But, above all, was his mastery of the facts and concise presentation of them. Throughout I saw him use almost no notes as he maintained unbroken contact with his audience.

His approach especially resounded with me because as a businessman myself I understand that no matter how you deliver actual information and hard core results; the data speaks for itself so your personal presentation style isn't going to change them. Therefore, no matter what those facts are, it's always best to deliver them clearly, succinctly and most importantly, in a professional matter.

On the other hand, simply due to the timing, we had the current incumbent trying to intimidate the Supreme Court justices by ranting, raving, threatening, and behaving like a spoiled four year old. And that to me made a significant impression because it so dramatically highlighted the difference between cool, clear, possession of control under stress as compared to outright, unbridled immaturity.

 Now, obviously, I have no clue whatsoever as to who'll wind up in the White House next year but just wanted to make the point that if Mr. Romney can keep conducting himself as he did in last night's presentation, I think he's going to find enough people will be impressed enough to help him get the keys for himself.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/3/2012

Yesterday, the nation's citizenry was given a chance to observe the free world's leader react to real pressure, for the first time I'm aware of. Because taking advantage of a huge world-wide audience, he basically advised the Supreme Court members to ignore their beliefs and responsibilities by yielding to his personal needs.

As for me, what came through most clearly was how childish and spoiled the nation's president is, whereas he cracked at the seams due to fear of rejection of his signature legislation -the horrible disaster of health care law that was rammed through a stacked Congress without debate or real thought.

And, while reading the gist of the president's remarks, the first thought that entered my mind was, if this is how he reacts to a still unknown decision which he can address for three more months down the road, what would he do if faced with having to react quickly, such as a terrorist attack, stock market crash or invasion? My guess is he'd go up to his room and break all his toys in frustration, and then go hide under his bed.

Yet, what was even more immature and sounded to me like inane babble were the actual words used in his tantrum. Because according to Jeff Mason of Reuters, the president said: "Ultimately, I am confident that the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress. And I'd just remind conservative commentators that, for years, what we have heard is, the biggest problem on the bench was judicial activism, or a lack of judicial restraint, that an unelected group of people would somehow overturn a duly constituted and passed law."

So here we have an incumbent who's done all he could to force acceptance of justices at all levels -up to and including SCOTUS- that agree with his politics first and foremost trying to turn the tables around by suggesting it's his opponents that are wrong by pointing those facts out.

But, beyond that he more blatantly stated that "I think the justices should understand that in the absence of an individual mandate, you cannot have a mechanism to ensure that people with preexisting conditions can actually get health care. So there's not only a economic element to this, and a legal element to this, but there's a human element to this. And I hope that's not forgotten in this political debate."

What I find most incredible about the paragraph above is, the president's actually suggesting that ultimately the justices should ignore the law if they think the mandate's illegal because to him it's far more important that people are forced to acquire health care and socialize the system than is obedience to the Constitution of the United States.

Lastly, and the oddest part of it all considering that these comments come from the POTUS, whom was formerly a professor of law, is that the Founding Fathers were prescient enough to realize that there had to be a check and balance mechanism in governance. And the reason the SCOTUS was devised in the first place was to do exactly what they're charged with now: preventing misuse of power and/or the disregard or overriding of the law of the land.

So, maybe the best thing the president can do for himself now is go back and peruse some of the texts he studied in law school, because maybe he cut classes on the days they taught that Americans are a free people and not a misguided, self-impressed wannabe potentate's pawns.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Monday, April 2, 2012

BloggeRhythms 4/2/2012

Saying that Mitt Romney's “pragmatism” and “moderate impulses” make him the best candidate ahead of tomorrow's primary election there, the Wisconsin Sentinel Journal wrote that he's the “clear choice in an uninspired -and now dwindling- field.”

The newspaper's comment caught my eye because it made me wonder exactly what is that they want in a presidential candidate. Would they prefer someone who makes lots of noise, rants and raves, and extols about extremes rather than a serious-minded, experienced problem solver who's handled similar responsibility before?

As for me, I think there's little doubt that if the nation's economy isn't put back on solid footing, there's not going to be much left that can be done in any other aspect of  citizen's lives -because all of our resources will have been spent and wasted.  And if that's truly the case, it takes someone with particular business skills to fix the problems. Which means that it's experience that counts, not showmanship. Because folks like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates or Alan Greenspan aren't known for their charisma -which hardly exists- they're respected for their professional capabilities, success and experience.

On the other hand, there are folks like Donald Trump who fits the "inspiring" mold for unknowing, gullible people who buy the hype, noise and smoke. However, in his case, after he lost all his dad's real estate and tanked some casinos and an airline that went belly up -he turned himself into a TV show host with no financial responsibility whatsoever where he delivers tons of BS for entertainment 

So, I think these newspaper folks have to decide what's really important for the nation, and perhaps get themselves some hard information on what it actually takes to spearhead the most successful economy  in the world. And the importance of that premise can be seen very, very clearly right now. Because the all-talk and charisma guy presently at the top having no business acumen whatsoever, has amassed $15 trillion in national debt without an iota of an idea how to fix it.

That's it for today folks.

Adios