Quick Hits: August 16, 2009

* President Obama went after Republicans for dishonest debate on health care, but it is pretty clear that people get to these "deception" tactics because they don't have an argument. If you have a good argument for your position, you don't need to lie, you don't need to deceive, you don't need to misrepresent your opponent because you have truth on your side. The lie is the first sign of having lost the debate.

* If you really want to end the debate with your friends on health care, find another of your friends that is in trouble and that has no health care answer. For example, as I have written about, my brother in law has a major insurance carrier who won't finish the diagnosis with what could be a life ending illness. At some point, he may not be able to work, and will probably lose his health care, leaving his family bankrupt. What Republican Health Care answer helps this family? Better yet, what policy that President Bush and his Republican Congress addresses this family's problems? The party of NO!

* The Philadelphia Eagles made an interesting move with Michael Vick, and prognosticators seem to believe Vick will be the back up Quarterback. Vick wasn't that great a QB, so I don't know why anyone would want him as a QB. I think it is more likely we will see him on the field in various other positions, while telling him he is also Donovan's back up. Donovan is a good passer, Vick isn't; but Vick has great legs and great moves. Expect Vick to be all over the place, but not behind center unless McNabb gets injured.

* I will have to write an article explaining why demographics have been key to our recession, making it inevitable; and why they explain how the next ten years will be great IF we build an export market largely around third world development technologies such as alternative energies, and projects that eliminate many monthly bills for things such as energy, giving Americans more to spend money on than a power bill. Then, in about ten years, watch the economy boom to a new economic golden age in America if the groundwork has been laid in the last ten, and to last another twenty five years. It is all demographics.

* If you haven't been paying down your credit cards and eliminating your monthly bills for the last 18 months, then you haven't been paying attention. Americans must learn to manage their credit better, including deliberate debt and elimination of debt. People using credit cards for daily purchases or to "get by" need to re-evaluate bills and cut expenses to kill debt. That isn't to say all debt is bad, but it must be used strategically or else they are in over their heads and will inevitably have their finances collapse in on them.

* Why is it that every time I hear how great America's innovation is, I look at my Blackberry and realize it is only about four generations behind the technology of Japan's cellphones? We do a lot for innovation, but one of our greatest flaws is that we give ourselves too many pats on the back, and we get too stuck in what we have, instead of continuing to push the envelope, and we end up falling behind. It is time to push forward yet again, instead of resting on the 20th century if we intend to maintain our economic position for another century.

* If you aren't where you want to be in your life, stop. Ask yourself where you want to be. Envision what you want your world to look like in say, 10 years. Then work your way backward. Figure out how you get there. Then, take an action to get there each and every single day. Honestly evaluate the impact of your actions, and then adjust your actions to get where you want. You choose whether or not you achieve your dreams, your dreams don't choose you.