"At Least I have a Job"

I was out and about when I heard someone use a common phrase to respond to someone in a job they hated: "At least you have a job." The person smiled and said, "yeah, that's true." I have seen people interact like that hundreds of times in my life, but for some reason, it really hit me today. That may be one of the most disempowering interactions that one can have.

I don't know when it happened, but at some point, Americans got into the mentality that they should simply be thankful to have a job. I don't know if it was from the civil rights movement that was fighting for equal rights for blacks in America's business culture; or if it was from women's rights movements fighting for equal pay in the workplace; or if it is from the conservative mentality to protect business and corporations praying for money to trickle down to the rest of us from trickle down economics; or if it is from liberals fighting for workers rights, treating employers as if they are some great evil; or some other source, but we have apparently become a nation of people begging for jobs.

People seem to forget that it is out of desperation that opportunities arise. It is out of the great oppression of slaves that the civil war happened; and out of great oppression that the civil rights movement found success; and out of great threat that Americans rose up to become great power in World War II. I forget who said it, but it rings true: Out of desperation comes inspiration.

When people have great jobs, with great benefits, and great lives; they don't have a need to start a business, to take ownership of their lives, to design their world, to change their destiny. It is only out of dissatisfaction, out of desperation that people find the need to take action, to drive themselves to find a better future, to create a life where they are in control, and to turn their dreams into reality.

So to say, "at least you have a job" is to say "this is the best you can do." Yet, we can do so much better than working at poor jobs that are underpaid, that don't create great opportunities to reach our potential, that don't leave us excited and energized to go to work, and that don't make us feel rewarded for our efforts.

What we can do is amazing. America is the nation that brought the world the airplane, the jet, the microwave, the automobile, the modern computer, and even the foundations of alternative energies. Yet, we are falling behind the world and it isn't because we lack the people or we lack the thought or we lack the skill. It seems that we lack the will to take the risks to build our lives, to design our lives, to innovate and dedicate ourselves to those innovations in favor of jobs at Wal-mart and the service sector.

As America's way of life is being exported to the world around us; as China and India rise up; as jobs leave the country for third world cheaper labor, some can say "at least I have a job." What we should be saying is "How can I control my destiny by starting my own business?" or "What great idea do I have to do my part in moving America forward?" or "How can I create more stability and benefits for my family so I don't have to beg for a job to pay the bills?"

In fairness, there are a ton of small businesses in America. Unfortunately, I hear the crux of too many small businesses everyday, "If you create a business, you can write that off on your taxes." Business isn't about writing off your normal home computer on your taxes, it is about creating income, creating wealth, creating something you can pass on to your children, creating something that can provide the life you want. Focusing on the tax write offs is the wrong approach and isn't the path to success, and it isn't how you replace your job with a life.

Facing life with the attitude of "at least I have a job" and "it is a tax write off" is the downfall of America, not the lifting up of America. We have to get past wanting a job and move towards designing a life. We have to get past avoiding taxes, in favor of making something that will etch our lives into the history of America.

It is what we focus on that determines our future. Focusing on having a bad job as a positive thing creates a world where a bad job is all we achieve. Focusing on avoiding taxes as the primary purpose for a small business insures failure in business without any real purpose for the business. We must focus ourselves on striving for excellence, not simply getting by.

Or we can simply say, "at least I have a job."

Begging for Lies, Mandatory Health Care, Obesity, and "Values Voters"

* President Obama is considering the idea of requiring health care for all Americans. While there is a fun red herring of focus on whether it is a tax hike or not, we can generally call this silliness to simplify the debate rather than actually discuss the issue. However, IF there is to be a requirement of health care, there SHOULD be a public option in order to provide people with the opportunity to actually get quality coverage instead of subsidizing insurance companies.

"Tort Reform" that some states have already done have made it more expensive to take care of patients because lawyers will lose money to take on a major corporation so there is no incentive for them to act in expensive cases, so they simply ignore the insurance contract they put in place. Forcing people to accept that kind of coverage is almost criminal. We must have a public option to give people a choice to get actual coverage.

* I love the phrase "Values Voters". It speaks of the values of honesty in labeling since it is really just another phrase for the Christian Conservatives. It is no wonder Mike Huckabee, a preacher, won their straw poll. Did anyone expect anyone else to win it? It probably would have been more telling if he hadn't won it.

Remember, these are the same people who supported Representative Foley (see page scandal) and Senator Craig (anyone been near an airport bathroom lately?) and seemingly an army of people who preach to them but have their own little dirty laundry tucked away in the closet. Values my butt, power hungry theocrats, that is more accurate. I once had one of the "Values Voters" tell me that Iran has it right, just the wrong religion in power. Scary stuff.

* While in the Philippines for three weeks on vacation, I realized just how much we actually do eat compared to others and where our calories come from. Heck, a medium coke at McDonalds here is twice the size of a large there. A large fries there is a small here. A dinner plate there carries a lot less calories, and there isn't a lot of gorging other than at major events like the local fiesta. It also partially explains why almost every single grave I saw at the local graveyard was 80+ years old in spite of inferior medical care.

It is part of our responsibility to ourselves and our families and our society to work on dropping the weight. CNN's article on why we eat so much gave some possible insights, though it isn't a one size fits all answer. However, the largest problem is that we simply don't care to lose the weight. It is amazing how obese we are on average, and yet people don't see it as a problem. That is the fundamental problem itself, we don't realize our own problems.

* I was thinking about the Joe Wilson "you lie" remark and it made me start thinking about lying in politics. I thought back and wondered why so many didn't seem to care about GW's lies on the right, or Clinton's lies on the left. I started to remember the jokes about politicians and lawyers as natural liars and how we perceive them that way. But that answer was too simple.

The truth is we want to be lied to. We want to be told what we believe is true, regardless of whether it is or not. We want to be riled up against something to bring energy to an otherwise boring day. We beg to be lied to because hearing the truth isn't easy, especially if it disagrees with our preconceived notions. It is why Rush has a job. It is why Glenn Beck has a job. It is why Ann Coulter and Michael Moore have jobs. They are professional liars, making money off of telling you what you want to hear and then pushing you even farther away from the truth to keep you as a captive audience.

It is why the news is all about drama. It used to be one person sat there and told you what the facts of what happened were. Then came Crossfire, the show, the drama, the energy, the venom. Today, everything is Crossfire. Either a pundit or proclaimed interviewer tells you what they think, or they question someone in either a friendly or hostile way depending on their view of the person's statements; or a reporter tells you one or two facts, then has the rest of the segment dedicated to two others who argue about what those facts mean, as if they had no meaning without them. They spin them, they try to make a simple thing turn into a major drama.

It isn't a left wing or right wing bias, it is a ratings bias. It is about making money. But it is the same basic formula, create conflict, create energy, and have one side play to one set of biases, and the other play to another. The truth is irrelevant, the drama is all that matters. We beg to be lied to. If we didn't, we wouldn't watch the drama, we would still watch the single anchor news show. But we don't.

Birther, Death Panel architect to respond to President Obama on Health Care

In today's world, where every Presidential speech seemingly needs a rebuttal, where Republicans insist on eliminating the fairness doctrine from radio, but demand fairness to rebut the President; is it shocking to anyone that they chose Louisiana Republican Charles Boustany to respond to President Obama's health care speech?

The Huffington Post indicates that Boustany is a former "birther," you know, those people who still don't believe President Obama is a United States citizen, who has figured out that he is now a citizen or at least got the mileage out of it he wanted before he put the issue behind him.

Boustany is also a heart surgeon who co-sponsored the "death panels" bill, the "Life Sustaining Treatment Preferences Act of 2009."

Like Texas Congressman Michael Burgess, Boustany's credentials as a doctor are a thinly veiled attempt for the Republican Party to put doctors front and center. Ironically, these are doctors who gave up practicing medicine for various reasons to go into politics. In the case of Burgess, because he lost a malpractice lawsuit and became an administrator (administrators focus on profits and avoiding costs like civil liability for negligence).

There is little wonder why they proclaim the need to avoid government run programs, because it would mean less profit for their jobs if they should return to practice medicine. It would also mean less money for their friends who contribute to their campaigns. But it would also mean more care for their patients, which clearly indicates they are more focused on profits than patients.

We will have to wait and see what the birther has to say after President Obama's speech, but the response is somewhat predictable as he proclaims the need to avoid socialized medicine, while claiming the need to preserve medicare (government run medicine that isn't threatened at all by the health care bill, but probably bolstered by it), and maybe a bit of support for "tort reform" (aka taking away incentive to be a good doctor, while giving affirmative action for mediocre doctors) or health savings accounts (the thing you could do in your own bank account without their help if you could afford that too).

I wonder if he will take a jab at the President for his birth certificate.

Obama's Speech Exposes GOP Weakness: Dems Must Act or Lose

As I read the stories surrounding President Obama's speech to school children, his content was predictable based on his years of giving speeches, and the responses by Republicans was also predictable as they continue to do the same thing over and over and over again. Their strategy of oppose everything he says and does until they decide they cannot oppose it, then they backtrack and say they created a change when no change occurred.

Build up a strawman and beat it down, then claim victory. It is a strategy that has been used for thousands of years, but one has to wonder if it will work much longer. While Socrates tried to illustrate the problems of irresponsible rhetoric 2,500 years ago, it wasn't carried globally in seconds, in a time when people all around the world have a voice.

The strategy worked long ago, but it is mocked in today's online chatrooms. That suggests that while it may work for a time longer, at some point, a new generation that is more communication savvy is going to take over, and the effects may not be as significant as they once were.

In the short term, it will play with the base, but it continues to erode the support for the GOP in the middle. That doesn't mean that President Obama and Democrats necessarily reap the rewards of support in polling numbers, but rather it means they have the opportunity to.

One might ask why that is true, but all one has to do is to look at the history and obviousness of what is going on. During the elections, the right shouted socialist, communist, and many other extremists labels at President Obama. They made the debates and his nomination speech vital, and he showed them why they matter. Independents and moderates tuned in only to find out that President Obama was none of those things, but rather a pragmatic liberal. It helped to cement President Obama's victory, but more importantly, it began to undermine the GOP's credibility to all but their most loyal base.

The right is attempting to use the decades invested into mass media to disseminate propaganda and hope that it both erodes President Obama's support, as well as attempts to sway public support for Republicans and their causes. The problem is that as they portrayed President Obama's school speech as indoctrination into socialism, President Obama's remarks were about students taking personal responsibility for their own futures, the exact opposite of what Republicans espoused.

While the propaganda will hurt President Obama's numbers for a time, he will regain numbers as his actions find success in the fall sessions of Congress. However, it will continue to erode public confidence in what the right is telling them. I don't know if it is the ego of the talking heads of the right, or the strategists, but getting too propaganda focused will undermine the audiences of the talking heads eventually.

I believe they think Fox will be their safe spot, where Glenn Beck can continue to make wildly inaccurate statements without repercussion. Where they go wrong is that it will eventually turn Fox into what the left already calls it: Faux News, home of right wing propaganda. Swaying the middle will become a lost cause for them, as even now, moderate Republicans admit Fox is not a credible news source.

As this goes on, it creates opportunity for Democrats to step up and move the country forward in ways that could create another 40 year reign in the Senate, and controlling political power. But they cannot, they will not do it by attempting to negotiate with those that will not negotiate. They must both moderate themselves to prevent the far left from turning America into socialist Europe, and push through the changes necessary to move America forward and build a better nation for tomorrow.

If they have the courage to do this, instead of the fear of the right wing echo chamber, they will become the majority party for the next one to four decades.

That means serious environmental and energy changes that turn America into the global leader in clean, sustainable energy sources that even the third world can utilize for development.

That means a health care system that doesn't just have the best medical technology, but also has medical care that everyone can afford.

That means an economic system that re-invigorates small business, not that already exist, but new start ups; and builds an economic base designed not simply for American consumers, but global consumers and their development needs.

That means a system that works to responsibly use debt, instead of trying to live in debt; that seeks to minimize debt, but isn't afraid to use it when necessary.

That means an educational system that revolutionizes education in a way that creates both opportunities for help for those who struggle, and opportunities for advancement and faster learning for those seeking the challenge.

That means a building of an infrastructure for the 21st century, instead of relying on a 20th century infrastructure and hoping it survives another century of use as it leaves us behind.

That means learning the lessons of the Cold War, where the Soviet Union collapsed because they put so much into military their infrastructure collapsed; yet we continue to overload the military in expenditures long after they are needed and the infrastructure suffers.

As Republicans push for short term gains to struggle to stay afloat and barely relevant in the 21st century, President Obama's speech illustrates just one more way where Democrats can put the nails in the GOP coffin. But speeches are just one step. Democrats must act smartly and boldly for this possibility to become a reality.

Relationship Rule #3: Find ways to show appreciation

Often times, our significant other will do nice things for us and we say "thank you" but we leave it there. It is thought that the words, "thank you" are enough, that they say what we want to be said. But in today's society, "thank you" are merely words, and we hear people say things all the time. We only know that something really matters when we see actions that really say "thank you."

It is vital that we show how much we appreciate what our significant others do for us. If you have ever gotten a present for Christmas or a birthday that you just wanted to roll your eyes and say "do you even know me?!!!", then you know that you can say "thank you" for something and have your significant other not necessarily know that you aren't happy with it, or have them get so used to it that they just say "that's just how they are." The problem with that is that we never really get what we want for presents, we never really show we understand each other, we don't take the time to find out what is important to each other, and in the end, we create just one more small fracture in a relationship that may be part of the breaking up of the relationship.

In previous rules, we have learned how important it is to listen, to talk, to focus on the other person, and how important it is to study the "little things" to show we listen and care. That is a lot of work, and it must be rewarded to cement such behaviors. Let me illustrate the point for you.

My wife is originally from the Philippines. In Filipino culture, family is very important, and in my wife's family, they are from a very rural area. That means that while my wife enjoys our life in America, she also suffers from both missing her family by being away from them for years at a time, but also a little guilt that she doesn't talk about that is sort of like survivor's guilt from a tragedy, where she feels a little guilty about living the "good life" while they don't even have air conditioning.

As a result, we took this trip we are on in the Philippines that we saved up for. To help with those things and to help her family out, we brought some presents like chocolate, but also educational tools for her two year old nephew to give him opportunities that they never had, and took them shopping for things from pillows, to new cookware, to "dressers" to organize clothes, and new clothes, and more.

But the trip goes beyond that. It is really about creating moments and happy times with the family that she will remember. Her grandparents are getting older, so she may or may not see them again. That means this trip is important to build memories and pictures of them, as well as to spend time with the family. (Side note: when you do something for your significant other, make sure it is about them. Don't steal the attention!)

With each passing day, my wife does little things to show me how much she appreciates all the work we have done and how much she appreciates the trip. Some days, there is just that extra hug and that look that made me fall in love with her that says "thank you." It is a genuine look that is heartfelt, and no words like "thank you" need to be spoken. Other days, it is the coming home from shopping with her mom with some special food treat; noticing my sweating in 90 degrees at 85% humidity and bringing over a cold gatorade or orange juice without me asking; wiping the sweat off my brow and neck; or other small things.

Keep in mind, when we are at home, I am more likely to wait on my wife than she is to wait on me, so these are things that I would not normally expect, but really show her appreciation for things being done while we are there. And in response, I continue to do more things on the trip that show our appreciation or the implementation of our plans that we worked hard to bring on the trip.

Where we are, there really isn't a lot of privacy for anything like a romantic reward, but that doesn't mean that there can't be some romance in the reward. Sure, we are in a very conservative village (generally speaking) and not having much privacy, but there are little romantic things like a nice kiss that you might do in a public place, or sweet whispers, or short, gentle massages of the neck or upper back while sitting down, and so on.

The point being: Make sure to show your appreciation for actions that are meant to make you happy, and work together to make those special times memorable and special.

Remember, at our most fundamental levels, our behaviors are still guided by pain and pleasure principles, where we avoid pain, and seek pleasure. By giving pleasure through steps of appreciation, we create incentives for more positive behaviors through our positive reinforcement. And let's face it, positive reinforcement is always more fun than negative reinforcement.

In other words, have fun, share your appreciation for efforts to make you happy, even if they are imperfect, and avoid the painful fights and fractures that may result if you don't show that appreciation. Design a happy relationship, don't just hope it happens by accident.

Czars, Opposition or Minority Party, Philippines Ferry, Iranian Nukes, and more

* I find it interesting that the GOP has gone after President Obama for appointing "czars" and Rep. Mike Pence has called for the White House to suspend appointment of "czars" while Congress vets them. While it is probably amateur politics to name them "czars" when you are a Democrat knowing the spin jobs of the right, policy "czars" are not new given Reagan's appointment of drug czars in the War on Drugs. It isn't like they have any special powers beyond the constitution or like they have suddenly usurped power. They were simply given a name other than "adviser" which is really what they are, personal advisers to the President on a given issue, something most Presidents have. And while Mike Pence would love to evaluate them, since they are not cabinet members who need confirmation, Congress has no more constitutional role in evaluating them than it did in evaluating Karl Rove. It is just one more in a long line of diversionary tactics instead of actual policy answers, to focus on name games rather than public policy.

* The stepping down of Obama Adviser, Van Jones, shows that President Obama's administration cares more about ethics and perception than previous administrations who gave it lip service. President Bush's first Executive Order demanded the resignation of any member perceived to be unethical, yet we saw the likes of Scooter Libby and others who would not step down until ultimately forced. In this case, Van Jones signed a petition in 2004 related to 9/11 which had absolutely nothing to do with his job dealing with environmental quality. Jones resigned of his own accord, but it makes a point about GOP promises vs. Obama administration actions, whereby they promise and refuse to follow through, and this administration puts actions out front to show what it believes in: more ethical administration policies than its predecessor.

* Ed Rollins made an interesting point on CNN's political ticker indicating that the GOP is the opposing party, not the minority party, which is quite telling. It is a rhetorical choice that they have made, to be the party of NO! for Americans, not the party of getting something done. As a result, Rollins is right that the Democrats should simply start forcing bills through and flexing their muscle but President Obama must be smart and strategic, but most of all, organizing of priorities. He cannot let the budget get out of control with every Democratic spending bill ever thought of, but he should push his agenda through and damn the Republicans. They have chosen their ground to be the opposition, not the minority in the country. Let them lay in that bed.

* The Philippines Ferry that sunk, leaving a handful dead, continues to illuminate a problem throughout the islands as their ferry industry has a history of accidents. In a nation made up of over 1000 islands, where island to island travel is vital for many to get around, it leaves residents with little choice but to take the risk. It is one of the problems of being a poor nation trying to develop: people are given the choice of being left behind or take risks that almost no one in the first world would find acceptable.

* I guess I just don't get why a nuclear Iran is such a great threat to the world. Maybe it could be this "madman" card foreign policy hawks tend to play with regards to nations like North Korea or Iran when they can't figure out their rational self-interests in their actions, which really says more about the hawks analysis than it does the leaders of these "rogue" nations. In case it isn't clear, we have made it fairly obvious that if you have active nukes, we aren't likely to mess with you militarily. I think that is incentive enough if I were a rogue nation. Beyond that, I don't know why it is such a huge threat. Does anyone really think that Iran is going to really nuke Israel or the United States in a great suicide wish? Or sell nukes to terrorists knowing we can track back nuclear materials pretty easily? Are these analysts just that bad or just that dishonest in their public assessments?

Online Political Discourse Jumps the Shark

Maybe I am a little naive, but I think that people ought to be able to talk, even argue, and still be friends in this world. Case in point: today, I made a post on Facebook related to an Obama poll. One of my "friends" (application related) decided that it was his duty to post on my wall how wrong I was. Of course, being someone who enjoys engaging in discussion, I felt the need to correct him on my wall. After about ten posts going back and forth, I sent him a PM asking him to not spam my wall, and to limit his discourse to civil discourse. To which, he replied that I was what was wrong with America, he "unfriended" me, and blocked any further communication.

Now, this isn't someone I have talked to outside of Facebook so it isn't a great loss that will be heartfelt or anything, but it seems to me that online political discourse often jumps the shark and may be part of the growing hostility in America between parties. It is easy to say things when we aren't face to face, when there isn't really a concern of return aggression, when we don't really face any consequences other than lack of online contact given that there are millions to talk to online.

Yet, this increased aggression in online discourse may be finding its way into real life discourse, which may explain some of the increased organized aggressive stances being taken at townhall meetings and other events. If not checked, this aggression could break out to far worse as it escalates, turning America into a third world country overnight politically.

Now don't get me wrong. This type of hostility isn't exactly unusual in America to an extent. If you check the history of America, the most polarized discourse in American politics is generally around the turn of the century as there is a fight for the new century's political course, so this isn't all that unexpected. However, it is always something to be mindful of its consequences should it spiral in more aggressive manners.

Now, while I downplay online discourse among "friends," realize that some of my really good friends are people that I know only "online." And some of our politics are very much at odds. However, the difference is that at the end of the day, we are still friends, our discourse remains relatively civil, and we respect that we have differences and we debate them hard, but we have developed a respect for each other that transcends the debate and allows for friendship in spite of political differences.

Americans must realize that political rhetoric is meaningful, but it is also part of the political game. While politics matter, relationships that bind us as Americans regardless of party are equally important. We shouldn't define our whole lives by our political party. Imagine the consequences of Republicans on the right, Democrats on the left in church, in school, at shows, in games, in neighborhoods, and so on. It benefits no one's self-interest to create such a distinction throughout our society.

Besides, ideas must be challenged for the best ideas to float to the top. To isolate yourself only to your own ideas leaves you weaker, not stronger in the quality of your ideas. To challenge ideas based totally on propaganda isn't a challenging of ideas, it is an attempt to drowned out ideas. That benefits no one either in the long run.

So engage political opposites, both socially and politically. When the political debate ends, build the social relationships. It benefits us all to engage in both, for the betterment of America and our own lives.

Quick Hits for September 5, 2009

Having finally found time on vacation to write, and suffering a slow connection, here are some quick hits for today:

* As much as Hurricane Katrina may have indicated that building in Louisiana is a bad idea, the fires and decade after decade of drought in California may be a sign that it is time to shift population and business growth out of California. Sure, it is a desert that we have built a massive population around that can survive with the Sierra Nevada mountains and their snow pack, but global climate change is reducing glaciers and snow pack in mountains globally. How much longer can northern California, much less southern California keep fifty million in water or from burning down?

* In the middle of a 24 day vacation to the third world makes me think more than ever before that building American exports around selling alternative energy and energy conservation products to developing countries can be an economic boom for America. In nations that continually experience brownouts, that utilize technology that creates enough pollution to give one a sore throat in hours, that yearn to have more, and have sucked up American dollars but have nothing to spend them on, it seems a marriage made in heaven to manufacture and sell alternative energy products back.

* Sharing imperfection with many politicians, the passing of Ted Kennedy has ended one of the most prolific political family legacies for at least one generation. What is truly shocking is the right's inability to even be respectful of such an obvious legacy. It shows how far they have come from the respect of Reagan Republicans to today's trash talking, stand for nothing, say no to everything, and refuse any possible agreement Republicans. Truly a sad day for the GOP, and a sad day for America with the loss of Ted Kennedy. Rest in Peace.

* President Obama needs to go back to watch Reagan's strategy for taking the lead. The President has failed to lead on issues after his early victories and it is hurting him badly. He is having trouble controlling the debate to this point, and that is to be somewhat expected in today's media age that Reagan never had to contend with, but his strategy still works. President Obama must take a stand on issues instead of simply waiting for Congress to act. His actions will provide political cover for many, and direction for others. But sitting back and hoping others find a deal has left too many deals going on, but none that anyone can agree upon. This isn't his first test of leadership, but it may well define the first year of his Presidency in a weak way unless he starts to up his game.

* The more time I spend in the Philippines, the more I think we need to increase immigration levels for Filipinos and other Asians. Nothing against other groups, but the amount of hard work to develop this country might just light a fire under the lazy butts of Americans who sit there and whine about immigrants while they refuse to get off their butts and take hard work jobs. God forbid they do anything harder than working at Walmart or collecting their welfare check while they whine about immigrants taking their checks. Then again, Hispanics have been embarrassing them for years as lazy. I guess we should just do it because of the expected shortfall of workers in America as the Baby Boomers retire then. Either way, we get harder workers who aren't afraid to start small businesses and take risks to improve their positions in life, instead of sitting on their butts praying for some major corporation to offer them a menial job that will be exported later anyway.

* It is telling how far Republicans have come when Reagan said we need market based solutions through tax incentives to deal with environmental issues instead of heavy handed regulations. Clinton and now Obama have agreed by using tax credits for programs like Cash for Clunkers, and the GOP of today call it "Socialism." It is pretty clear the GOP isn't the party of Reagan anymore. It is just the party of "No!"

Quick Hits for August 23, 2009

* Headline: Taliban cut off fingers of Afghan voters. Wow, it sounds pretty scary. Their goal was to "disrupt" the elections. While I don't want to sound like I approve, because I don't, but doesn't this seem like oversensationalized reporting? I mean, out of millions of people, only TWO had their fingers cut off. It sounds like you almost lost a finger for voting if you read CNN's teasers and headlines. Yes, it sucked anyone got their finger cut off, but come on, this was a pretty major failure for the Taliban if the best disruption of an election they got was two fingers cut off.

* I gotta say this Miley thing is just over the top. The big story is she was "fully making out" with someone because they kissed and were romantic at an airport saying goodbye to him as he was getting on a plane. She is 16. I pretty much assumed she was "fully making out" and maybe more. Heck, I know most of my friends were when we were 16. Shouldn't it really be a story if she WASN'T making out with anyone by 16 as popular as she is? As is, I just don't see why it is news other than that people just need to stop paying so much attention to the lives of others and start designing their own lives so it is more entertaining and fun.

* Win or lose this fight over health care, Republicans are doing more long term damage to their brand because of the way they are doing it. The lies, the deliberate misrepresentations, and the red herrings continue to leave them as the "party of no" even if President Obama fails to get this passed. People will start looking to them for solutions and those solutions of simply limiting liability and savings accounts are old, wornout answers that no one really believes will solve anything except doctor and insurance company profits. They better find something for 2010 to run on other than "Just say no".

* I think it is almost time to venture into Youtube. Look for Plinking Reality to work on making videos of various kinds with the new digital video camera we got for this vacation when we get back. If you have any suggestions, let us know.

* I love Vonage even if I don't use it. My parents do, but we are on cellphones exclusively now. However, I just noticed they added all the long distance and local calls you can make to 60 countries for the same $25 a month. If only one of those 60 was the Philippines, we would have bought it when we get back from vacation. Yes, we use webcams and internet messenger services for it, but a phone would be nice too. I just don't understand why anyone uses a regular landline from say Verizon or ATT anymore.

* New credit card rules that are about to go into effect are helpful for consumers, but I know some of us have seen interest rate hikes, even with credit scores of over 700. That means, more than ever, it is important to start paying down credit cards because interest rates also tend to rise during an economic recovery. Use your cards for specific purposes, but now is the time to pay them down as far as you can.

* Only 2 days until vacation time. But I will still be here, just missing a few days here and there, but keep checking in. My facebook will have international pictures coming regularly right after we get the foreign internet connection set up.

Understanding the Key to our Economy: Demographics

Over time, I have heard numerous groupings that blame the economic downturn on specific instances, often because of partisan politics. Most of those reasons being blamed really are symptoms but don't explain the downturn. Similarly, we are now hearing of economic recovery but we are wondering where the jobs are, and what is causing the recovery. In both cases, no one really gets to the economic key that explains it: Demographics.

That seems rather simplistic, but let's take some time to explore it a little. We know that you will do certain things within certain ranges of your life. (admittedly, it is a generalization and like all generalizations, it has exceptions, but they generally hold true). For example, we know that when you get into your late teens to early 20s, you will probably drink and experiment with things like drugs. We know that you will start to settle in during your mid 20s and start to define goals and move towards them socially, economically, and so on. We know that around 30, you will start to move into economic positions where you will generally start to make money and you will start to strive to build your life. And so on.

Ok, so what does that have to do with the economy and what you are talking about? Well, as life goes on, we know that about age 44, you will peak in your home buying power and you will either stay in your home, sell for a same priced home, or sell down. At 44, you only have about 20 years to pay off a home if you plan to retire in your mid 60s, so it makes sense that you wouldn't be stretching it. That is, of course, unless you happen to become a CEO of a Fortune 100 company at 55, but that isn't most people. Why does this matter?

We know that there are two very large population groups in America. The Baby Boomers and the Echo Boomers, with a big dip in between where Generation X goes. The dip is the problem.

Everyone has heard of the Baby Boomers and their impact. Their desires have driven the agendas of President after President. In their 20s, Reagan gave them tax cuts to start businesses and live like 20 year olds. In their 30s, Clinton sold them on tax increases to lower the debt to make their mortgages cheaper. In their early 40s, President Bush sold them on tax cuts for capital gains so they would make more on their retirement portfolios. And now President Obama is trying to sell them on health care for the rest of their lives, when they are most worried about it (with mixed results).

Well, the peak of the Baby Boomer generation was 1961. That was the year where their numbers started to decline and fewer of them came after that. Those numbers didn't really jump back up until the Echo Boomers, but we will get to them in a minute. The peak of the Baby Boomers is what made the housing collapse predictable.

If we know that at age 44, people stop buying up and slow their buying totally, that means that 44 years after 1961, the housing market would start to decline. Why? Simple: less demand for the same supply. Now, if the population numbers were consistent, where we had people to replace them, then you wouldn't see the dip, but it isn't. There are a lot less people in Generation X to replace them. That means in 2005, the housing market should have started to decline, and guess what? It did.

Now, the subprime industry, easing of banking liquidity ratios, and more made it worse, but they didn't cause that decline. They simply were caught not paying attention to the inevitable decline coming. More on the subprime and liquidity ratios in another article, let's stick to demographics here.

We also know that at age 49, you will have what I call the "oh sh*t" day, whereby you realize you are about to hit 50, you realize you are close to retirement and you don't have nearly as much as you want to retire. Your 401k needs more money, your house needs more payments to pay it off on time, and you want to start to limit your expenses because you realize you will soon be on a limited income.

That means your wallet tightens and you move out of the major consumer markets. You shift your purchases from Pier One to Walmart and Target. You don't shop at Macys as much as you do at Walmart and Target, or JC Penney.

Now, for the Baby Boomers, that should have meant a decline in consumer spending in 2010, not 2008. However, because of the ripples of the housing market taking a while to spread throughout the economy, and the other economic factors to make it worse, 2008 saw those 47 year olds opening 401k statements where they were losing 30% to 50% of their value, while they saw their housing value decline. They simply had their "oh sh*t" moment early. That triggered the "collapse" of 2008. They simply stopped spending.

But what about the Echo Boomers? Well, their peak is still in high school, and thus, are a significant number of years away from replacing the Baby Boomers as property owners and big spenders, but they are coming and industry is studying them like no other generation in history. That means that while we may see some recovery, we simply don't have the consumers with our current industries to support more jobs. America has been the consumer capital of the world market for a generation and it is ending. It may rebound with the Echo Boomers, but that is still almost a decade away.

So what now? Well, the good news is this: The markets have probably bottomed, but they will probably stay somewhat flat for the short term. Where they go from there depends on the strategies being taken. Here is what needs to be done:

First, give tax incentives to industries that manufacture goods, especially domestically, that limit costs. What do I mean? Solar power for one. It may not solve all the world's problems, but if I am planning retirement, solar panels means I spend less on energy bills when I get on a limited income. Waterless hot water heaters to cut my power and water bills. Anything that starts to cut our monthly expenses and is cost effective should draw out the Baby Boomers' dollars.

Second, build exports. If we are low on consumers here, search out consumers around the globe. Given our pricing, it isn't that easy and we can't rely on selling food globally as the key either. The two largest emerging markets are China and India. Both need a lot of investment to develop and both plan to invest in development. The key area for them is rural power supplies. This is where the first step does double duty. Things like solar power, wind power, and cheap ways to apply that in microgeneration could be sold to these countries fairly easily if done in a form that could be used in villages.

Remember, one big advantage is China has a lot of dollars and not a lot of things to spend them on. This gives us a sort of captive consumer, almost like giving someone Disney dollars (back in the day when they had them). It isn't good outside Disneyland so use it or lose it. All they need is a reason that serves mutual interests, and microgeneration power supplies like solar or wind that functions in a village setting would work well for both interests.

Third, keep finding more ways to forgive student loans. Yes, the Echo Boomers are going to need to find ways to avoid the massive debt of college if you want them to have enough purchasing power to buy homes, even if it means they get an advantage their parents didn't get. But another reason for this is that a number of Generation Xers don't have enough available credit because of major student loan debt. There are programs for it now, but anything to ease that debt will help them buy homes and help out the housing markets.

While these steps won't solve everything, they will lay a foundation to allow us to boom earlier rather than later. Understanding basic demographics could have averted some of the problems we have today, and could set us up for tomorrow. But we must move past ideological differences to actually evaluate situations and create pragmatic policy solutions.

Quick Hits for August 22, 2009

* To gain some perspective, go find some place with a lot of people and just sit, watch, and listen to what goes on. Quietly walk around and observe and listen. I do these things periodically at the local Walmart or Target or the park or the shopping mall, and a few other places. You can find out some interesting things about people and human behavior, as well as attitudes.

* It dawns on me that if a nation that proclaims itself to be a Christian nation actually acted "Christian" then there would be no need for Social Security, Medicare, or Universal Health Care. However, the nation doesn't, and thus, creates the need for them. While some of my Christian friends are amazingly Christian, far too many people that I see proclaiming their Christianity really don't sound anything like what I read in the book of Matthew.

* 90% of life is reading or listening, and following directions while showing up. That solves most of life's problems. The other 10% is what separates the dreamers from the achievers: Making a plan, acting on that plan, observing results, and then making corrections and acting again. Too often we fail to show up, we fail to pay attention, and we fail to act. We can have the life we dream of if we would only think while we try.

* People on the left and right often complain about what government does or doesn't do, but the problems that government reacts to are often a result of what people do or don't do. Maybe if we thought out what we do instead of just acting, if we took responsibility instead of simply proclaiming our freedom, then the government wouldn't have to act the way it does. Taking a semi-automatic rifle to a political rally may be legal, but it really isn't a responsible thing to do. With great liberty comes great responsibility.

* People want others to follow the rules until the rules apply to them. Then, the rules generally don't make sense or aren't fair. I have watched people insist that people break the law to accommodate their wishes without concern for the consequences for the person breaking the law for them, and without remorse as they walk away.

* I can't really say I feel bad for the Memphis Tigers basketball program who just lost 38 games from their Final Four appearance and loss in the Finals to the National Champion Kansas Jayhawks because their starting point guard and team leader may have had someone else take his SAT for him to get into college. This isn't the first time for the coach there, but the coach hasn't taken a hit for having his second season in his career turn into a 0-fer, and the program probably made over a million dollars from the tournament.

* What people can do is amazing. What they actually do is often disappointing. People on the right don't trust President Obama, the first President I have ever seen actually not spend $250 billion because it wasn't necessary, but they trust GOP pundits who continually lie to them over and over and over again. I guess we create our own blinders and we focus on the Bill Clinton lie about an affair or ten, but the lie after lie of President GW Bush or the lies of those who make up fantasies about President Obama are credible in their eyes. Often we believe what we want to believe, not what is true.

* Reminder: Only a few more days until I go on vacation. I will keep up with blogs, but they may be a little more scarce because I am on vacation half way across the world.

Quick Hits for August 21, 2009

* Gotta admit it. I have no clue how releasing the Lockerbie Bomber makes any sense to anyone. As I got posted on the footer for Rick Sanchez on CNN, wouldn't a terminal bomber make a perfect suicide bomber? I understand the notions of compassion that Scotland has, but I think there needs to be a reasonable limit for it. This person is probably one that I wouldn't let go just because he could be a great suicide bomber and any number of people could die from such an attack.

* I am continually amazed at the difference in focus for the Obama Administration compared to the Bush Administration. Attacks in Pakistan or on Taliban groups are being kept very low profile by the Obama Administration, whereas every attack seemingly was a day of celebration for the Bush Administration. It is good to see the focus on the work to be done instead of the celebration of a first down instead of waiting for a touchdown or a victory.

* Tom DeLay's comment about wanting to see President Obama's birth certificate indicate a shift in the burden of proof, whereby President Obama is presumed to be guilty until he proves his innocence. Thus, if we flip this on DeLay, one could easy point to his political corruption until he opens up records and receipts for every receipt of money for himself, his campaigns, and for every other campaign he has been linked to. The point is that until there is a reason to shift guilt, there is no point to make either statement. If DeLay wanted to see President Obama's birth certificate, he could have easily googled it and found not only the copies of it but also official verifications of the document. I guess the birthers just want someone to spend the money to take the official birth certificate door to door nationwide to 300 million Americans. Yeah, that's a realistic expectation.

* The "moral" party on the right ought to be proud as they are starting to get Americans to believe lies and deceptions as truth. Looks like they sure showed real family values and respect for those Ten Commandments including the ones about telling the truth. Just one more example of hypocrisy on the right, which will yet again start to undermine their credibility over time with the electorate. Short term victory for long term failure, good trade off. God, we miss Ronald Reagan.

* Get ready for Tom Ridge to be crucified by the right as his book comes out that explains how the Bush Administration advisers pressured him to raise the alert levels prior to the 2004 election, which is one reason he resigned in 2004. Expect him to be treated like other local Republicans like Treasury Secretary O'Neil, and so on, that left the administration and told of their time there.

The news shouldn't be anything new after "Mission Accomplished," Bush photos in campaign material using 9/11 for political purposes, the putting of "Made in the USA" on boxes that were imported for a photo op, and so on. It was the ultimate political spectacle administration until the bottom fell out in 2005.

* While not a joyous announcement fo a $1.58 trillion dollar deficit, I think it is a positive sign of the Obama Administration when they tell us that they are pulling back on $262 billion in deficits because they simply don't believe they need to use the money allotted for the bailout.

In a world where government programs often use the money for fear of losing it in the next year's budget, often wasting billions, it is great to see a President who says "we asked for what we thought we needed. We don't think we need $250 billion, so we simply aren't going to spend it to save taxpayer dollars." It is a wonderful change of pace from asking for a budget, then asking for supplement after supplement to create hidden excesses and higher deficits. This is one more reason why I trust President Obama far more than his predecessors who never sent back unused money that Congress allocated.

* While I will still be blogging, but less consistently, I will be on an overseas vacation for almost four weeks starting on August 25th. Keep checking in.

Quick Hits for August 20, 2009

* Rush Limbaugh apparently indicted Barney Frank's arguments by referencing his homosexuality. Maybe it is me, but if we are looking at credibility based on behaviors alone, I will take the credibility of a homosexual over a drug addict any time. At some point, maybe he should take on Frank's arguments instead of his sexuality. And considering the argument was Frank taking on someone calling President Obama's health care reform plan as a Nazi plan implying the whole death panel garbage again, I probably side with Frank: The Nazi reference is just way over the top. Maybe she should have shouted it louder and carried a gun on her back. Or not. Bad argument is just bad argument.

* I was listening to a "best of Laura Ingram" while driving this evening and it reminded me why I think PETA has a legitimate argument to an extent, and why PETA also shows how taking yourself too far can make you look utterly idiotic. IT IS TRUE that eating less meat is better for maintaining our food chain, preserving resources, and improving our health. IT IS TRUE that abuses at slaughter houses are bad, mainly because it is unnecessary abuse, studies indicate abuse of animals may lead to violence against humans, and it shows emotional unprofessionalism that should hint at other potential problems for running a meat farm.

Having said that, expecting people to give up eating all meat eating is unrealistic and over the top. Proclaiming a protection of all living things while eating vegetables which are alive (yes, plants are alive) is contradictory and selective views of what is alive at best. Expecting people to let all the animals run wild probably gets them killed just as fast considering how domesticated they are. They take a reasonable argument about limiting meat and properly regulating facilities, and jump the shark making themselves sound like nutcases.

* I gotta give it to Chris Matthews tonight. While I don't agree with his gun views, when he was interviewing a 2nd Amendment extremist, he pulled a Laura Ingram and asked him his views on the "birther" controversy. The man's refusal to answer said it all, leaving himself left to look like a birther nutcase, and done by his own choosing. There are legitimate Second Amendment issues, but there are also limits as was written by Scalia in a majority opinion last year. The Second Amendment is not unlimited, just as the First Amendment is not. You don't have a right to own a rocket launcher.

Don't be mistaken about my gun views. I am not a gun control guy generally speaking, but I don't think they belong at a political rally because it is an attempt to intimidate people because you can't debate the argument. Things that create a "chilling effect" should not be allowed at these kinds of events. Not because it is illegal, but because event organizers choose to not let them in for being counterproductive to the purpose of the event.

* Republican pundits should be careful about their pushing of buttons and prodding their followers with views that President Obama isn't an American, that he is pushing for "Death Panels," pushing the race buttons very subtly, and the gun buttons. All it takes is for one nutcase to take it too far (which isn't a major leap at all), and we will have President Biden and his entire agenda will pass within 12 months similar to the way President Kennedy's agenda was passed. The assassination of President Obama by just one of these "nuts" would sink the right for at least a decade to come and put them back farther than FDR ever could have.

* Maybe the easiest option for the health care debate is to simply create a Medicare buy in, whereby Medicare's services are priced on the open market, then cut based on the lack of advertising and profit margin, and it creates a premium. In the workforce, an employer pays about 2/3 of the costs and the employee pays about 1/3 the cost. Create the same pricing with people being able to buy in to Medicare at a 1/3 premium and take the rest of it out of the Pelosi museums, the roads to no where, the Defense pork, etc. It is incredibly simple to create and run with the framework already there. If it is horrible, it will be a boom to private insurance. If it does well, then it is an incentive to private companies to get it in gear. But it won't happen because it is too obvious and easy; and because about 1/2 of Congress has their hand in the medical industry cookie jar.

* I keep feeling embarrassed for Republicans as I hear them saying the "stimulus failed". Whether it succeeded or failed is really yet to be determined. As any economist will tell you, that kind of stimulus will take nine to fifteen months to filter through the economy and show its ripples. To realistically evaluate it now, five months later, may be politically fun for pundits, but it shows a real lack of understanding of economics and risks their own credibility on the topic.

* I miss the days of Robert Novak, Ronald Reagan, and other intellectual Republicans that understood an underlying philosophy and how the world worked within it. They weren't simply talking points, but actually had a view of the world and could envision it. Today's conservatives can't envision their worldview, they can only recite the talking points that Rush or Hannity gave them this morning. They don't know what they are working towards like Reagan did. It makes me sad, because there actually was a sound philosophy behind it, even if I didn't agree with it all. Too bad today it is "just deny the Dems and vote Republican."

Quick Hits for August 19, 2009

* I think Brett Favre is a great quarterback, but in all honesty, I would never want him on my football team. The constant drama of will he come back each year is just not something you build a team around. And while he has had many great moments, he has also thrown away enough bad passes that have cost games that it may offset. I just don't understand this move by Minnesota.

* I am starting to think that the left should start to utilize its own 2nd Amendment rights and see just how comfortable the right feels with armed protesters at their events for their Congresspeople. The problem with that logic is that political debate should NOT be about intimidation but rather the marketplace of ideas whereby the best ideas win the day for the betterment of society. Too bad that some on the right think the 2nd Amendment was about intimidation instead of being about a right to protection.

* I keep hearing questions about health care rationing, but honestly, I don't see how we aren't having it rationed now by the private companies. You can only have so many tests before they just let it drop. You can only have so much to spend before your policy cap sets in. I am not sure how that is not already rationing. Only now, you have an actual vote in how it is run and you can do something about it instead of sit there and do nothing while they profit off of you.

* I have many friends who keep asking me, "how did you learn to cook" and I keep telling them the same thing: Go find something you like, and ask for the recipe. Then replicate it. Once you do it a few times, you can tweak it to your specific tastes but that is it. No great secret. And in this day and age, if you want to learn to cook there is one simple secret: www.foodnetwork.com. All you have to do is search for what sorts of things you want, find the 5 star recipes, read some reviews for any "tweaks" and cook. Follow the easy recipes. It isn't rocket science, it is food.

* I don't know what good health care reform is without a public option. Simply re-organizing the private sector is little more than re-dressing the status quo. Sure, some changes will happen such as dealing with pre-existing conditions, but in general, without a public option, there is no real reform.

* Look for a new section where we focus on doing things to improve energy use in the home. I am not sure what form it will take, but I am doing research on ways to save energy in the home from the most simple of behaviors to trying to do more complex things. It may become a segment depending on how it works out. Send me your ideas to guide this area.

Following Directions: The 20 Item or Less Line

I don't know how long I will keep this part up, but every time I find myself scratching my head over people following directions, I think I may post something about it. I decided to give it a separate section or title after today.

I went to the store to get an itunes gift card for my niece for her birthday and while I was walking up to the line for 20 items or less with my card and gift card, I realized there were three carts in front of me. I wasn't in any real hurry, and the other lines were longer, so I got in line.

I decided that with little to do while waiting in line, and my Twitter caught up, I would count their items for my own entertainment. The three carts in the 20 items or less line had orders of between 40 and 50 items. It was clear that none of them either observed the clearly obvious 20 or less items sign, or they simply didn't care (believing they were special enough that they should be waited on no matter what the conditions).

What made it even more entertaining was that right in front of me were two teachers from a local junior high (I gathered this from their conversation, not from any previous knowledge. Yeah, I know, I am nosy), who were complaining about how their students couldn't follow simple directions anymore making life so much harder for them. I couldn't help but think of how ironic it was when they took their 48 items up to the cashier who didn't have much bagging room and was struggling while they sat their chatting away, not lifting a finger to help him.

I guess we all feel that what we are doing is of the utmost importance, but it shouldn't be that hard to follow simple directions. It isn't like the 20 items or under line is new, or the signs are hidden from view, or there is no consistent location for the signs. Just one more indicator that ability to read and follow directions may just be one of the most important skills on a resume.

Relationship Rule #2: Listen AND Talk

Whenever people have talked to me about their relationships and the problems they have, I often ask them if they have told their significant other about this problem. Most of the time, they tell me that "they wouldn't listen or care if I told them." But that seems to be the problem, they didn't give them a chance to listen or respond. It also indicates that too often, we fail to listen to our partner.

When I have worked with Urban Debate students, the new students express the same problem: frustration that no one listens. They like debate because someone is forced to listen to them, and they can talk about what matters to them in a way. The same is true of relationships. People want someone to listen to them and care about what they say.

The same happens when people get mad and get into fights. Sure, everyone has ways to express it, and people should be mad sometimes in a normal relationship, but there is a point where people have a choice: Walk out or work it out. That is really the only two choices. The failure they often make is to work it out to an unsatisfactory solution and then they revisit the problem over and over and over again.

What should you do in a relationship?

First, set clear expectations as you go. For example, my wife and I set up Rule #1 before we got married but after we were in a relationship and agreed upon it. It doesn't mean anyone will be perfect in the relationship, but it gives you some place to start in building a working framework.

Second, as problems arise, talk about them. No one ever sets perfect expectations or expectations for every area, so there is always going to be a time to go back and revisit and revise those expectations. Realize up front that relationships are always a work in progress, whereby there are "negotiated" changes in expectations and agreements all the time.

Third, as problems arise, don't forget, feelings will be hurt and people will get upset. It is okay that people get upset. Some yell, others get quiet. At some point, calmer discussions must prevail if the relationship is to continue. Don't shy away from those talks. Don't shy away from topics, the honesty in those discussions are important to making sure you two will find an acceptable solution.

Finally, find ways to show you are listening and working at listening. Buy gifts or do things that they wanted or wanted done but that they wouldn't normally expect you to notice. Bring up subjects in conversation that they might not have thought that you heard.

There are also little helpful ways to find out information. Remember, the salesperson who showed her the jewelry, and return to them to ask for the specific items she was looking at. Use text messaging or notepad on your cellphone to remember things when she isn't looking. Use things like Outlook to give you early reminders of important events like anniversaries, birthdays, or other important days.

No one says anyone has to be perfect, but most of the time what is wanted is the effort. Don't lie about using helpful tips or what you are doing, working to listen and talk better in and about your relationship. The deception would probably cause some irritation and feelings of being manipulated. Whereas, the truth about working on listening and talking to make them happy will make your significant other feel better that you care about them enough to work that hard for them.

The effort is the key. Don't be afraid to give the effort.

Quick Hits: August 18, 2009

* Who would have thought that 90% of all bills would have traces of cocaine on them? I never would have thought it. Granted, it can happen in a lot of ways, but it seems like maybe drug problems are more sizable than we want to admit. Given that cocaine is considered a white, upper middle class drug, is it any surprise that it is the overlooked drug problem in America? I guess the sniffing dogs are suffering the consequences now.

* Can anyone else see how these "open carrying" "protestors" could escalate to something else far worse? It seems to me that it is more of an intimidation tactic than anything else, trying to keep liberals from counter-protesting or challenging them. But what happens when the left starts showing up with open guns? Is the right trying to provoke a civil war over President Obama? Or do they just think the war metaphors they are using are just good rallying cries and are just ignorant of its implications?

* I am starting to believe the health care debate isn't about health care at all. The right isn't even engaging in a debate per se as much as a line of constant distortion. I am starting to think it is all about "taking down Obama" and not in a good way, which is greatly concerning to me. I think the radical racial and anti-government elements are taking over in a way that it wouldn't surprise me to see an attempt on the President's life this year. I pray not, but look at where the anti-Obama hate rhetoric is coming from: the South and the Plains states; the place where race and anti-government militias thrive. And that worries me because of the potential for things to spiral out of control, if they haven't already. Let's pray cooler heads prevail.

* If you aren't working to cut your costs, to limit your credit cards, and to build up your savings, through smart investments in your home, car, etc., then you aren't learning from the recession. Look for tax credits and rebates for things like waterless water heaters, solar panels for your home, and more that will cut your costs in the long run. The economy needs consumer spending but it needs to be smart consumer spending, not spending for the sake of spending. Make your dollars more efficient.

* More and more, I am becoming shocked by the number of people who can't follow basic directions. I went to send money the other day and a person couldn't figure out a basic moneygram form. It was pretty complex, being labeled and all. People simply don't want to take the time to read directions anymore. I guess that puts me as a good hire for a new job because I can actually read a set of directions and follow them. That's pretty sad if that is a key criteria for being hired instead of just an expectation of the entire workforce.

* Today, I emailed and wrote letters to my Congressman and Senators on Health Care, worked on a presentation for Wednesday night, and prepared for my vacation in seven days. What actions did you take to make the world or your life more like you want? We must act each and every day to make the world and our lives the way we want it. What will you do today? What will you do tomorrow? Design your life, and then take an action.

Tonight: Relationship Rule #2

A Case for a Public Option: Take Action Today, Demand Action

Today's health care system is broken. It is designed such that at least 15,000,000 Americans will be without health care, even at its best. Today, we know that number to be more like 47,000,000 Americans and rising. That number was calculated when unemployment was at 5%, not at 9.5%. It is surely much higher now.

Some can find excuses for why that number is so high, but they do not deny the number itself. And they do not deny it is rising.

We also know that about 50,000,000 more are underinsured. That means that their insurance does not cover many illnesses that they will need it for, and it does not cover their care adequately in an affordable way. In other words, some may risk home, retirement, and any chance to live above the poverty level to simply stay alive.

None of that even begins to deal with the tens of millions of Americans who lose their health insurance when they lose their job, whether due to job loss, job change, or simply because illness won't let them work anymore, nor having the insurance company drop them or their company due to having too many illnesses.

My brother in law may very well be one of the fully insured that loses his insurance due to an illness that costs him his job. What are these people to do when not only they, but their entire families lose their insurance because of an illness like cancer or worse?

The question on health care is not whether or not there should be a public option. There is no doubt that it MUST have a public option to offset the "Death Panels" of private insurance that deny even evaluation testing as "too expensive" when they know there already exists a potentially deadly illness, but determine it is too expensive to find out what it is, or to even begin to attempt to cure it. We have already put a price on a life, and it is through companies like Aetna and their "bottom line."

The question is what is driving so many to avoid a public option. For some, it may be some fear of a mythical socialism, a line that we long ago passed when we started using government contracts to subsidies every major industry that exists in America today. We will not ever find our way to communism, it would be a folly to try. And it is a folly to dictate all possible market answers. But in some cases, it is vital that we do as a nation.

We owe a lot not just to ourselves for getting here, but to everyone here who has come before us, and to those who come along side us, and to those who will come after us. We owe it to our society to maintain ourselves, but also to maintain each other. We cannot support each and every part of every person's life, but we must maintain the hope, the possibility, and the practicality of the American Dream.

That means we must insure that every American has the possibility of a world class education, not simply the language of one without the backing of actual funding and proclaiming manipulated tests show we have improved while we have enormous drop out rates to boost average scores.

That means we must insure that every American has the possibility of the world class health care system that has been financed on the backs of taxpayers through tax credits and direct financing of those medical industries such as pharmaceuticals. We have already paid for the best medical technology in the world, the question is when will we receive its care?

It is true, we must pay for it. And we must do things like cut token, pet projects that allow members of Congress to be remembered forever because they financed a building in their own names; or obscure museums; or roads to no where; or defense projects that are so beyond wasteful that it should make us cry. That is not to say there is not legitimate government spending on the arts, or important building needs, or specific highways, or key defense projects; there are absolutely legitimate projects. However, there is no doubt that there are hundreds of billions of wasted funds in a three trillion dollar federal budget.

We owe it to ourselves to insist that we get what we deserve, what we paid for: a public option to health care for all Americans. Write your Congressman and Senators daily. Write them in emails, in letters, and give them calls. Don't just do it once or twice, do it every single day until we receive it. Demand, whether they are Republican or Democrat, that they give you a public option for health care.

Our lives depend on it. The American Dream depends on it.

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.

Tony's Home Economics Rule #3: Learning To Shop

In tough economic times, people often have their financial weaknesses exposed whether they like it or not. Sometimes it is the bad mortgage choice, or the ill advised car purchase, or the vacation that we couldn't afford, or even the credit cards we ran up. It is easy to focus on the large things because they get our attention more than the small things. However, in my younger years, a gentleman once told me something about running a business that applies to personal finances: "Watch your pennies and your dollars will take care of themselves."

What he was trying to say was it is the little things that make a big difference in your bottom line. It is the extra half a percent off your mortgage interest rate, or the no fee credit card, and so on. That same line of thought matters when it comes to our individual shopping habits. We don't realize it generally, but our grocery choices can make a huge difference. And in today's day and age of technology, it doesn't have to be a difficult thing.

If you are unsure of what it costs you for groceries, toilet paper, toiletries, paper towels, and so on, try keeping a running tab on your grocery shopping for a given month. I know it shocked me how much my wife and I spent the first time I tracked it. They are things we don't think about, we just buy them and assume we need them and we just get to choose out of what is there. We often think that we either can't get it cheaper or that it is too much work to do it.

Yet, everything from our personal meal choices, to whether or not we use coupons, or price match, or use advertisements, all have an impact on the costs we pay. To make it easier, let me start by saying with little effort, you can cut your costs dramatically by using two websites:

Grocery Game. Grocery game is a well known website that has been publicized on CNN and other shows. It probably does the most work of any site out there for you, but it has its cost. All you have to do is to get your Sunday Newspaper, and potentially some online coupons, print out your selected stores spreadsheet, choose what you want to buy, and buy it using their method. One trick is that you stock up when it is on sale with coupons and it takes a little organizational work, but most of it is done for you. This is one of the places I learned to be very efficient with my shopping and if you do it well, you can cut your costs in half or more.

It's Hip to Save is a relatively new version of grocery game. It isn't as well organized and all pre-done for you, but it is FREE of charge at this point. It tells you how to save and where to save, keeping basic stores updated and giving you free promotions.

I will tell you that I currently don't use either website, but rather use what I have learned from them and I will occasionally check some of the latter site's information. Once you get good at it, you can figure out how they do it and save the money you pay them. You learn your own shopping habits and you learn how things tend to work out.

Currently, I use advertisements that come out in the Wednesday paper locally and get coupons out of the Sunday paper. Together, we save 30 to 50% of our monthly shopping bill without doing a ton of work and without paying of these sources a dime.

Part of shopping is making smart decisions. For us, we use meal planning and using left overs by making larger meals to save money. Making more of something often makes it cheaper, especially when you get it on sale. For example, right now, we have a freezer full of chicken tenderloin that we got at a great sale price. We have several different chicken recipes, so we make two of them a week. Then to dress them up, we may have a salad of some kind with chicken on top; or we may have rice, a vegetable, and chicken that goes with it; or many other variations, but to have bought and cooked in bulk saves both time and money.

In each case, it will take some time up front to learn the systems. It takes time to learn how to plan things you haven't planned before such as shopping and meal planning, but just like any other planning you learn, over time it takes less time and less effort to do it.

In a recession, cutting your grocery shopping in half can save a family hundreds of dollars a month without having to give up quality of food, and it can be a teaching lesson for kids to help them grow up with a better understanding of how to save money.

In good economic times, it can mean more money saved for a rainy day, or for a family vacation, or for something like a new laptop, a field trip for children, and much more.

Any way you look at it, people probably will enjoy spending money on those things they want to do than to spend it on shopping for groceries, soaps, toothpastes, etc. Learn to shop with websites like these and shore up your home economics.