Tonight, I did my normal monthly tabulations of IRAs onto my personal tracking form. Now, with IRAs, I try to stay very “hands off” to avoid the day-trading mentality. I accept that there are some inherent risks in my investments and I am planning for a retirement, not quick money. Well, tonight, I was a little disappointed.
Admittedly, my combined IRAs dropped a staggering -4.12% over the past month. Well, to be more accurate, my personal IRAs were performing at +2.12% and only dropped over the past two weeks. To illustrate my concerns, please let me paint the picture. Two weeks ago, President Obama publicized his feelings about the inflated bonuses paid out to banking executives. In fact, he began promoting the idea of a tax on bankers to start the recovery of assets previously loaned in the corporate bailouts. He further solidified this in his State of the Union address last week.
Oddly enough, January 20, 2010 marks the decline of the Dow Jones. “So what is so special about that day”, I am sure you are asking. Well, two things actually…the Supreme Court released it’s change to the First Amendment related to Corporate campaign contributions and President Obama announced his intent to tax the bankers, as related to the bonuses they were paying executives. Then again on January 27th, the Dow Jones started to recover during the day of President Obamas State of the Union address (that night) but plunged again on January 28th. So, the timing of the plunge in the stock market is in direct correlation to the statements of the President. Odd, huh?!? This sounds alot like bankers talking back to the President through their influence in the stock market. And,I don’t like anyone playing Monopoly with my money, how about you?
Of course, I do not fancy anyone who places themselves or their agenda above that of the country. But, I am less fond of anyone who does anything which takes something directly from me (I work hard and I am a little greedy). I think it would be in the best interest of everyone to pay close attention to what our President is doing…it impacts us all. If you don’t like how your bank is doing business, speak up…with your wallet. Take your money and run to someone who does business which adheres with your personal code of morality. Or don’t, stuff it in a mattress or bury it or do whatever you fancy. Bottom line, it shoudl be MY decision…not a decision made for me by the government. Right now, your President is controlling your 401K, your IRA and every other nest egg you have built. So, whether you are a top executive, ditch digger, manager, foreman, or any other job…your money is being used as a bargaining chip in a power struggle between the President and the bankers.
So, as we plan to return to work to start a new week, I wish you well. And, I hope that we can find the government that is supposed to represent the interests of it’s people.
Would subliminal messaging in the workplace be “illegal”? I mean, we are under constant subversive influence anyway, so what would really be the difference? Managers are often confronted with problematic employees. Not because they want to be difficult, it’s just that some people have been resistant to the assimilation. So, Managers have to often reinforce behaviors over time to mold the employee into what they eventually hope to see. Most people are not aware of the transformation, but it does happen. And, those who resist more vehemently often are the ones who are terminated. Okay, this is said tongue in cheek, but really how far from the truth is it? Is subliminal messageing really “that” different from continuous reinforcement?
Getting back to point, why can’t we skip all of the formalities of saying the same things over and over and over? We could make it easier on all of us just to hardwire in some light music over the PA system and pump in some subliminal messages…work faster, forget your family, love your job, blah, blah, blah. I think that this would work in correlation with the theories in mt past post of “You have no idea what you are doing“. In the end, we are all going to line up like good little sheep anyway…right?!?
I love pranks. Especially workplace pranks. Particularly pranks played on bosses, simply because that takes it to a new level and requires some serious kahunas. So, if you have any, I would love to hear about them. Meanwhile, here are some pretty cool ones compiled onto one video…
Y’know…I hear alot about American pride, or buy American and all of the other hollow attempts to play on the sympathies of Americans to invest their dollars, internally. But, what are Americans doing to really earn those dollars? Looking at automobiles, there is really no comparison. In side by side evaluations, Americans have been outperformed. Imports usually have higher performance, more economical, require less maintenance, cost less and last longer. So, using only the car analogy, why should anyone buy American? Oh yeah, patriotism…right?!? Well, patriotism in this country is based on freedoms, many of which are ties to Capitalism.
One of the worlds largest automobile makers announced the largest recall of all time. Toyota recalled 3M cars/trucks because of a “sticking” accelerator pedal. Yup, you got me…inferior Japanese product, right?!? Wrong! The defective parts were manufactured by CTS Corporation in Indiana (hear the pin drop). Yup…right here in the USA by American workers. This is the theme we are hearing more and more often in US companies. Recent job cuts are further complicating this problem. Sooner or later, American businesses must come to the realization that we are falling behind. And, we are falling behind because we are trying to introduce foreign business practices without building the infrastructure.
Employees are dissatisfied. It is increasingly difficult for people to feel a sense of job satisfaction because companies are running too lean and pushing too hard. We need to get back to basics and build quality products based on a more holistic or sustainable model which promotes pride in a job well done. A business model where we reduce the impact on the environment, recognize economic responsibility and honor the contributions of employees. I can delve deeper into these, but I would rather open the discussion to what these mean to you. And, do you have any ideas on how America can reclaim a competitive place in the world market of consumer goods?
Okay, so work is stressful. Marijuana relieves stress. See the correlation? Seriously though folks, what would be the harm in legalization of marijuana? Legalization does not require use. It would still be voluntary, just like alcohol consumption. The only difference is that marijuana does not possess the same addictive qualities as alcohol, cigarettes and so many other drugs (prescription and otherwise). So shouldn’t there be a choice? I am not a user, but still advocate choice.
I suppose it would present some unique challenges; how would you test to check if someone is “currently” under the influence? Tough, since it stays in your system for up to 30 days. Also, would it only be available in prescription, OTC or could people grow their own? I don’t know the answers, but I sure can’t help but think that I wish some people I deal with would “mellow out”. And, marijuana just might be the answer for them.
Well, where do we go form here? I would like to start this discussion by addressing what I thought was the most poignant statement in the State of the Union address last night; “saying no to everything may be good short term politics but it is not good leadership”. But, what if everything that comes to vote by the House or Senate is bad for America? Too many poor policies have come to the floor. It may be worthwhile to say “no” to everything…regardless of politics.
He proposed a spending cut (as expected). But, that reduction will be over 3 years (he made sure it spilled into the next Administration) and will probably only amass about $250B…or 1/4 of the current national debt, much of which he created. He also exclaimed that the Healthcare Bill should save America about $1T over the next 20 years. But, the committee who determines this value is the Congressional Budget Office does not estimate over ten years. So, they were asked to make an exception and they determined the “range of uncertainty surrounding these assessments is quite wide”. Quite wide…indicating that there are several factors (some unforeseen) which could heavily influence the accuracy of this assessment. One such factor is that medicare would be more heavily cut in years 10-20 of this plan. Medicare that Generation X will rely on when we are old. Generation X will have paid into all of these Socialist plans (Social Security, etc) for our entire working lives, yet we will likely never reap the benefits. Thus, indirectly or otherwise, President Obama is proposing a mass genocide of my generation.
It should not have taken $1.4T to save the economy. WE should not have bailed out the companies. I still maintain that had these Companies not been bailed out, we may have had 100 companies rise from their shadows. This is Capitalism. Further, what happens if the banks who were bailed out still close operations? Then, Americans have 0% chance of recovering bailout monies. Obama still worked pretty hard in his first State of the Union address to blame previous administrations. Americans don’t want to hear the whining anymore…either do the job or don’t. We want answers, we want solutions and we want actions. Obama was fully aware of the responsibilities he asked for. Woe is me. All in all, Obamas State of the Union address took two roads. 1) he excellently displayed the charisma of a Presidential candidate and 2) he took a hard line on soft problems and soft line on hard problems. In sum, I found his presentation very “political” and very hollow.
President Obama seemed to speak alot about decreasing unemployment, but I heard very little about how. And, the few ideas he has seemed meager in the wake of a 10% unemployment rate (over 12% if you include under employed). He did state that he plane to provide tax credits to employers in an effort to increase hiring and raises…and raises?!? But really, he was very “wishy washy” on this subject. He was quite vehement in his statements of getting Americans back to work but displayed little resolve. This is bad news for Americans both in the workforces and those unemployed. Workers will be expected to work harder since there will likely be no significant hiring springing from a President with a lukewarm economic policy. So, I would like to hear from people on this. How much more pressure do you feel like your Company (large or small) can stand? How has the economy changed the dynamic of your Company and the way you do business?
Everyone is guessing what cards Obama will show at his first State of the Union address. So, I’ll play that game, too. The nation is in turmoil…national debt is soaring, unemployment seems uncontrollable, we have not made headway in the Afgan war, Obamas dream (healthcare) has been squashed with the election of Scott Brown and Americans are voting Dems out of office. Yup…seems that there “should” be alot to discuss. But it is doubtful that Americans will receive any tangible response from the President.
Considering the probable discussions for President Obama’s first State of the Union address, I suspect we will see two things; more smoke and mirrors and more bad news for the American workforce. Instead of facing our problems head on, he will likely announce a reduction in government spending. Of course, this may not have been necessary if the President had not borrowed $1.4T from China, nor if the government had stayed out of the business of bailing out businesses.
Cutting spending right now could have serious ramifications. America is already managing a 10% unemployment rate. Most of those people are not paying taxes. So, where does the President think he will find national income (taxes) if there is a 10% reduction (unemployed) in that income? Cutting spending will likely slow down corporate growth since there will be lessened federal monies for corporate grants, sponsorships, et cetera.
I think the President will also use some smoke and mirrors. I would guess that he will get past his Healthcare Bill discussion quickly so that he does not draw negative publicity. He is far too self absorbed to admit defeat, so he will try to shift Americas focus. If I had to guess, he will proclaim that America is close to another terrorist attack or he will use the H1N1 scare again. Whether founded or not, he will use this (or some other topic) to cause a slight hysteria in an effort to shift the focus of Americans from him and his agenda to something completely more benign and unrelated.
All in all, I think that the President has a heavy burden. But, he has also been a strong contributor to our problems and it is his responsibility to “fix it”. I just don’t like the idea of cutting spending, which could slow employment growth. If this cut in spending cuts deep enough, it could further contribute to more unemployment. Are you prepared to lose your job? What might be more entertaining in the Presidents State of the Union is 1) Will Joe Wilson (R-SC) yell out at the President again? and 2) How will the President explain how the US will continue to be the dominant power in the world while also having the largest debt. We are seeing something that more resembles a stand-off between the government, the corporations and US citizens. Who’s gonna blink first?
There is a book out called “The Hidden Brain” by Shankar Vedantam. We all know that the brain is a very complex place and many things happen which we do not understand. In fact, there is a vast difference between the conscious minds ability to differentiate fiction whereas the subconscious brain interprets everything as reality. Thus, we could watch a TV program which we know is not real but it still alters our minds because the subconscious brain believes it to be real. Thus, our personality is in some way affected and with sustained exposure to subconscious processes, we can become a different person. This introduced what is referred to as unconscious biases which are outside of our conscious decision making. Therefore, our subconscious brains inability to separate reality and fiction can affect how we elect Presidents, control markets, wage wars, and save our lives.
But, I would like to focus on a particular discussion presented by Shankar Vedantam. The Hidden Brain indicates that a herd theory may apply through subconscious battles over conscious feedback. As discussed in the previous paragraph, we can often make conscious decisions based on subconscious input absorbed over time…including negative or wrong data. Often, people worry more about what others are doing than themselves. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed his perspective on the application of the processes of the subconscious brain in the workplace. He indicates that we are guided by somewhat of a herd theory where we allow the larger of the group to guide us. In fact, people are more likely to trust a group as opposed to an individual. A group “provides comfort whereas a going your own way triggers anxiety”. People seek consensus from those around them, particularly in the workplace. But, the truth is that groups limit our autonomy. A great deal of the studies conducted by Shankar Vedantam have been oriented around emergencies or disaster settings. Primarily where masses of people took longer to make decisions and made poorer decisions compared to smaller groups in emergencies. But, we can reasonably apply these theories in everyday workplace politics.
Our brains are hardwired to be more accepting of persons of a similar race, background, et cetera. As long as we are conscious of this, we can make better, more rational decisions. But, we see it everyday. Someone gets angry with their boss (or peer or employee, etc) and the first thing they do is try to recruit other people in the workplace. Or, you work around “that” person who grumbles everyday and before long they have influenced your decision making through subconscious layering. Many workplaces have a management team which is well defined from worker bees... often they understand people in their groups but seem distant in dealing with persons from the opposing group…sound familiar? The point that I am making is that we must all work hard everyday to make sure that our decisions are our own. We must not be influenced by the masses as much as dealing with fact. The workplace is a cornucopia of negativity. Be aware, be ready, be you…consciously.
