Predictions

Making predictions is hard an opens the door to failure. It also helps you get better at making future predictions. In that sense, here are a few of my predictions:

-Barack Obama will win the next election and eventually be recognized as one of America’s better presidents.

-Steve Ballmer will be canned at Microsoft in the next year or two but unless Bill Gates returns, Microsoft will continue to turn into a patent troll and failing company.… read more “Predictions”

CalPers Criminals Destroy Evidence

In yet another instance of scummy activity by public employees, the executives in charge of CalPers recently ordered all emails over 60 days deleted. There are multiple investigations into their activity now and they have decided to destroy the evidence.

DMV Should be Privatised

Right now I am seated in the most inefficient place in America- the government operated Department of Motor Vehicles in California. I have 30 tickets ahead of me to get my CA license. 
I don’t think I have ever seen a more incompetent, slow moving group of government employees than at the Santa Monica DMV. They talk slowly, their hands move slowly, and they frequently leave for extended breaks.… read more “DMV Should be Privatised”

Why Banks Suck

Do you ever wonder why all the banks suck so much? Why their fees are so high, customer service so awful, and managed incompetently? Why their top executives are able to line their pockets with millions of your dollars while they make bad decisions?

Competition is severely restricted. It is almost impossible to start a bank in America because of the epic amount of regulations preventing new banks. … read more “Why Banks Suck”

Catalina Island Visit

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

Tara and I visited Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles over the weekend.  We left Friday evening and returned Sunday evening. It was a welcome respite from our labors although when you go on vacation with someone you are already around 24/7 you get on each others nerves still.  We had fun and went hiking, kayaking, biking and ate lots of food.

Evil Business Models

In my humble opinion here are a few business models that are just plain evil:
-Lottos. They are a tax on poor people who are bad at math.
-Government. They don’t care whether you want their services or not, they will hold a gun to your head and force you to buy anyway.
-Cigarette sellers. Addiction is a powerful creator of demand and can make you rich, but killing a generation of people with cancer for profit is disgusting.… read more “Evil Business Models”

Chevron: Power Politics

Chevron, Exxon and other oil companies got together to defend their public subsidies on Capitol Hill today. Nothing makes me more sick than companies that make enormous amounts of money polluting the envioronment and supporting dictators like those in Saudi Arabia…. and do it by taking billions in handouts at taxpayers expense. All of the small businesses like mine have to pay for these scam artists.